Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Allow Me To Introduce Myself

My name is Lisa.

Seems like a logical place to start, right?

Once upon a time, I had a different blog called Great Lakes Running Gal, and it chronicled my triumphs and setbacks as a runner. Honestly that seems like eons ago. I let the blog decline, and eventually, with the advent of Facebook, I completely let it go.

Not again.

Yes, I'll admit, Facebook has its place in my life, but I find that blogging allows me to let it flow. Let my thoughts just come as they may, try to capture them with my keyboard and let it all hang out.

So, now that you know my name, let me give you a brief rundown of events that led me here. To California.

I was born and raised in Michigan, and after about 10 years of moving around the country, I found myself back in the Great Lake state in 2001. Married, one child and happily ever after.

Or, so I thought.

Turns out, the "happily ever after" part didn't quite ring true. I won't get into specifics about that, but suffice it to say, I wasn't happy. I wanted out.

I got out.

Divorced last fall, I found myself living on my own for the first time in a number of years. I was in a new nursing job that I thought would be a good, secure stable income for a number of years.

Well, not exactly.

My job, while it was FULL-TIME, was subject to cancellation when our patient census dropped. My union contract deemed it necessary to cancel nurses based on seniority. The low man on the totem pole had to stay home when numbers dropped.

The only thing beneath me in seniority was the ground. Low senior. That was my name. I should have had it tattooed on my body, really.

My full-time job turned into part-time. I was struggling. I was a new nurse, and I couldn't work. That just simply seemed unacceptable. It still does.

I began to investigate options. One that came to mind was travel nursing. I looked into the specifics, liked what I heard, and decided to go for it. After about three solid months of looking, being courted by a variety of recruiters, I accepted my first assignment in Santa Rosa, CA for a 13-week stint.

Wow. It was really happening. I was about to leave Michigan for at least 13 weeks. Off to sunny California. License in hand, job waiting, oh, and guess what?

No cancellations. Yep. It's true. It was part of the contract.

I know you're probably asking the question, "But wait. You're a mom. How could you leave your son?"

I'll get to that.

In the next post.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Test. Check. Is this thing on?

Welcome to the Salinas Valley. Now RUN.
146.0

The scale looked back at me, mockingly. "How do you like THIS?"

No fucking way.

Five years ago, I found myself in the midst of a major weight loss goal. From start to finish I lost 50 pounds. Running, making healthy eating choices, weightlifting, etc. I felt good. I was proud of myself. I had inadvertently become a role model to others, struggling with weight or wanting to exercise. I remember that life. That body. Those ultra-sexy runner's legs. I missed them.

Fuck you, scale.

Feeling ultra-inspired by a recent newfound burst of energy and motivation to lose the extra 25 pounds that have creeped into my life and onto my thighs and stomach, I find myself blogging again. Blogging keeps me accountable, gives me an outlet, a place to talk about running, love, life, and all that other stuff that occupies my life.

Born in Michigan. Lived there most of my life. Due to major life changes, that I will explain in a later post, I find myself here in sunny, beautiful California, running among the massive farm fields and vineyards of the Salinas Valley. (Hence the blog name). I've never been more inspired by landscape to run. Living here gives me zero excuse to use the weather as a reason to call off a run. Just what I need, actually. So, with that, I am lucky enough to run in one of the the most beautiful part of the country, perhaps world.

Now. A week later, I confidently step onto the scale once again.

142.0

Now, we're getting somewhere.........