Natasha's blog - A boring title for a not boring blogger

Significant mentions of Tina Fey and a full recap of the boys in my past This isn’t relationship advice. Just because I am dating someone, I don’t assume I know what I am doing. Presently I am dating Trevor. Trevor works as a paid volunteer firefighter. He loves to play disc golf, is obsessed with organic food, aims to buy and support local, his wardrobe is 95% WSU apparel + some underwear, and he loves to listen to the same song for days. I call those types of people Repeat Listeners -- which I am. Pastly I almost dated a wind turbine engineer, I dated a car-sales marketing rep slash triathlete, I thought I was dating a Music Teacher (turns out, we never dated), I summer-flinged a broken-hearted alcoholic (my diagnosis), I liked a guy who later decided he was gay, I dated a brilliant philosopher with no ambition, I dated a musician where I broke my own heart, I dated a really nice guy, and I dated The First Kiss… who I wish I was still friends with. Welcome to my ...

Multi-tasking is a lie & Don't be a stripper. Coach Mike swims with me on Tuesday mornings. I should probably say that I swim with Coach Mike on Tuesday mornings, but I invited him first. So he swims with me. One recent Tuesday morning, I arrived late and Mike had been swimming for 23 minutes without me. I apologized for being late, and hopped into the shallow end to begin my warm up. Mike kept swimming. I spent a nice solid 100 yards slamming my hand into the water, attempting to create the perfect explanation of my busy life, my new responsibility as a mentor, the struggles I am having (creating) with my boyfriend, resulting in a final perfect excuse for not attending Monday’s practice, and rationalizing my late arrival to Tuesday’s practice. There is a lot of thinking time when you swim. We simultaneously reached the deep end, and paused. I started on my eloquent Excuse Providing Speech. Mike quickly interrupted. “Cheeley, just get here. You can’t work if ...

I Got Labeled Cave Day, Crash Day, 9 hours of sleep ... all part of my lifestyle On Friday mornings, I teach water aerobics. This primarily consists of me standing on the pool deck, playing my favorite music, yelling at my elders about burning it out. I don't expect them to know what "it" is, but they better make it burn. One protein shake, 3 water bottles, and four hours -- it's basically a party and a half. Thus yet again, I have been dubbed "The Energizer Bunny." This happened in highschool volleyball, happened at camp (both summers), in college working in student government, and now as a Fitness Fanatic. There's a Secret Formula Once per week, someone asks me if they can have some of what I am taking. Well, here is my formula for an energetic lifestyle: 1. Sleep A LOT - Back in high school, I laid awake for about 2 hours before falling asleep. That was a draining lifestyle. Here are my current sleep needs: 3-5 mg of melatonin   e...

After swim class on Mondays and Wednesdays, random members from the class go sit around a table and drink coffee before they leave for work. Total mishmash of humans. Lorna sews her own fleece pants and wakes up at 3:30 am because she doesn't want to feel rushed. Anna sports a faux-hawk, has a dimply grin and writes code in the Spokane Valley. Coach Mike has self-diagnosed ADHD. When he talks he pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose and jumps right back into his epic description using his hands to explain just HOW epic the wild night was. These have become my people. I don't know them very well -- but I am working on it.  We were sitting around the tiny circular table, chatting as people arrived, grabbed some coffee, giggled at Mike and left for work. A fabulous start to a Monday morning. I overheard Coach explain to (yet) another swimmer that, "Men only tease the people they love. It's a guy thing. We do it because we care."  Instinctively,...

Becoming a tiger is a big deal.  I have recently posted a couple of things mentioning my new involvement in “BeachBody Coaching”  - this is basically being a Fitness Coach for anyone of any fitness level using home-workouts and other fitness and nutrition programs created and released through BeachBody. I joined the BeachBody Team of Coaches because I have tried out many kinds of fitness, exercise, health programs, and nutrition lines. I like this one the most. Their Shake (Shakeology - gotta love these names) is filled with superfoods. The farmers all around the world are being fairly treated and cared for by the Shakeology Director, and I like the taste. The work-outs are challenging, but a first grader could do them. My grandma could do them. They are 30 minutes, and I can do a “home work out” streaming it on my phone at the gym. It’s not super cool when my phone pops out of my leggings in the middle of my SUMO SQUAT (engage: BEAST MODE), but nobody’s perfect and...

Today's career track of choice: Fitness.   Last Friday, I received a call from Supervisor Man congratulating me on becoming the newest Wellness Coach at the Kroc Center. As grateful as I sincerely was, I was also in the middle of applying to another position within the KC (literally, the cover letter was pulled up on my laptop screen when the call came in). I pondered what I wanted for 2016, and here are my year's demands: 1) I want to train and (HOPEFULLY) complete the 2016 Ironman (in Coeur d' Alene 8/21/2016) 2) I want to become a successful BeachBody Coach (I love health and fitness and encouraging people in improving their lives! The most rewarding role I play is Life Coach to those I love) 3) I want to mentor a teenager 4) I want to spend time with my family, Boyfriend, and Grandparents 5) I want to read in the bathtub before I go to work 6) I want to make enough money to begin saving to buy a house, and then for retirement 7) I want to start writing...

Books, church, fitness, friends. All good things. All worth mentioning.  I started reading East of Eden . The story line just picked up with a love triangle... I think. I can't remember why a friend recommended this 900 page novel, possibly within the context of Sarte's play No Exit , but I can't be certain.  -- Mentorship exists because success exists. Every excellent program from my past offered mentorship, and in so doing, offered success. I am not one of those lucky, happy few who walk through doors into piles of success. I chase after it, and am left feeling abandoned and listless without it.  -- Church can be infuriating. As I sit, listening, tracking the contradictions, possibly playing out the confrontation discussion that will never happen because pastors are people too, I grow desperate. Desperate to leave, to argue, desperate to belong, desperate for reconciliation. Never make critical life choices from a position of desperation. It flatter...