Do you have one?

How many have watched the great movie with Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson entitled "The Bucket List"? What a phenomenal movie that had me laughing so hard I thought I would pee my pants, to weeping in a kleenex box for minutes at a time!!

Now I have never thought of making a list of my own, but after today, I think I may just start.

What got me in the mood? Wasn't from watching the movie for the second time, but instead, our dear friend is turning "50" next week and his wife and daughters are throwing him a surprise party today (and I have to work)...with the theme being "Bob's Bucket List". We have to come up with 5 things that we think should be on "Bob's" list, sincere or funny. And from those 5 ideas, we have to come up with one that must come true at the party!!

It took me a long time to compose a list as I really, truthfully, have no idea what "Bob" would like to accomplish in his lifetime. Funny how we think we may know our friends, but we really don't know that part of them~~their inner most thoughts about life!!

The one item on the list that will occur today for "Bob" is reading a Bucket List from our friends way across the pond in England and that will blow his socks off. So that part makes me happy to know that he will smile and love hearing from our friends overseas!!

But it has got me thinking really about my own Bucket List and do I make one or not? I have turned to good ol' Google to get some help and here is what you are suppose to do when you are ready to create your own list:

1. Decide what you want.

2. Create SMART goals.

3. Know why you want to achieve each goal.

4. Set an empowering belief.

5. Commit focus and attention to your goal.

6. Take the most obvious actions to achieve your goal.

7. Measure and monitor your progress, adjusting your actions to realign with your goal.

So what exactly do I hope to achieve with making a bucket list? Personal achievement? Growth? Insight to the world, friends, family?

It really appears to be harder than I had thought it to be. Or do we make it harder than it really has to be?
I know if I had started this a month ago, I would have put these things on my bucket list:

1. Participate in a 5K run and be pleased with the outcome!

Well it would appear that I have accomplished this one and have achieved all that goes along with completing this goal~~personal growth, achievement in knowing that I can do it if I put my mind to it and simple satisfaction.

2. Start blogging

If it had not been for the fact that I had read a post by Yvonne, I would never have started blogging. Not something that truthfully, interested me but by joining WW online and having to track points and food, you have to journal~~so why not blog and put things down on paper? So thanks Yvonne for starting me in this direction!!!

There would be 2 but how many more do I make? Realistically? Some of the example lists I found with surfing the net, had as many as 100 things to do to as little as 10.

So in the next few weeks, I will be thinking about what I would like to accomplish in my remaining lifetime and I will start to compile my own Bucket List. I think the best option is to start with a goal of 10 and then climb from there. But 10 realistic goals that I will accomplish may be 9 too many!!

I challenge all of you to start to think about your own personal Bucket List with hopes that we can share them with each other.

Cheers!!!

Lizzie

Official Time

119 Liz Brown

Goderich 22 45 16 F

40-49 40:26.7 8:05/K

~~~and its official!

Success in so many ways!

Yesterday Sunday May 16th, was a huge day for me!! It was the the first DMMF run event "Run Around the Square" here in town.

As part of the organizing committee, I was very nervous as all of our hard work was now going to be put to the test. Were we going to pull it off? How was this run going to be received? What are we going to have for numbers? Will we have enough~~run bibs, pins, registration bags, shirts, food, water? And so on.

When we all met in the morning for our briefing, setting up for the event, we knew we had 192 people that had registered on line!! That number itself, was daunting and blew us away!! The doors opened for the public at 0715 and people starting streaming in. I was not part of the registration aspect so I left and helped with the outdoors set up!!

I grabbed my registration package and donned my run shirt and bib and anxiously awaited the arrival of my brother, but kept busy setting up the prize tables and tents.

My brother arrived and we smiled for the camera pre race~~would we be smiling when we crossed that finish line? I was not sure. I was very, very nervous and have never really experienced a feeling of complete nervousness ever before~~not on my engagement day, wedding day, birth of my son day, tough calls at work day..never ever!!

People were milling around all over the square, some drinking coffee and meeting up with friends, some stretching, some sitting meditating and some, if you can believe it, actually running around the square for a warm up!! Those were some serious runners.

I had people ask about the children's run and told them were to register...originally we had wanted to give the children that were running, their own official race bibs, but was blown over when we had to take them back and use them for the people that were coming out of the wood work and registering that morning!! Who wakes up on a Sunday morn and just simply decides " I think I will go and run a race today?"..UNBELIEVEABLE!!

Rumour had it we were looking at over 100 people walk in and register!! We were all amazed!!

Finally the event got under way and my brother and I, had some encouraging words for each other and off we went. We really did not have a finish time so to speak..just the ability to finish was good enough for us!!! People were lined up on the streets clapping and cheering and what a feeling!! One I have never experienced in my life. The words of encouragement, the screaming, the hoots and hollers were overwhelming..but nothing could ever prepare me for what was to come!

The route was a great one and we had practiced it a few weeks ago so we knew what to expect!! Thank goodness as it would have been extremely daunting. To see our partners at each major corner taking pictures, was amazing and gave me, the will to push on.

Did we run the entire 5K~~NO~~we took walking breaks and I was not ashamed of that at all. Lots of people were doing that and lots were walking the entire route, and some were flying by us on their second loop to make the 10K run (and by the way, those runners were all men trying to prove something I heard one woman say laughing!!).

All I know is that we made it to the water station at the 2.5K mark and knew we were going to do this!!

Making our last turn onto North Street and heading towards the square, the adrenaline or will or god knows what took over( maybe it was my friend in heaven Dave Mounsey) but I knew that this was a huge doable event for me and that I was going to accomplish something I never in a million, gazillion years, ever dreamt I would think about but certainly participating in the run itself. People dream and strive to do these types of things, but not me, atleast not prior to this event. I had more fun sitting on the side lines and peeking in at others!!

We hit the square and it all came flooding home..the laughing, the tears, the screams, the clapping, the encouraging words from Dave up above, and when we rounded that last corner, I looked up to see my co workers who were on duty in the ambulance throw on the lights, just for me, and I knew I was going to do this!!

My brother said "go ahead Lizzie bring it home" and the tears came streaming down my face but I said "no we are in this together" and I linked my arm in his and we crossed that finish line together!!!

WE DID IT!! WE DID IT!! WE DID IT!!

I have never ever experienced a myriad of emotions at the 40 min 8 second mark in my lifetime. To know that I accomplished something so huge, so powerful, so amazing, was overwhelming to me.

Journey's seem to take us all over the place in our lifetimes~~be it travelling to exotic places, to travel across our own land, friendship journey's, journey's of love or the loss of love, healthy lifestyle journey's or whatever journey we may find ourselves on~~but the journey to accomplish a feat that you never dreamt you could ever do, is the best journey of all.

Already planning the next run as I believe I have found that switch and am going to turn it on and continue on my journey in my size 9 shoes!!! Being 15 lbs lighter since I started training for this in January, sure helped!! ;)

Update to the practice run!!

Well WE DID IT!!! 5K in 40 mins and 16 seconds!! Now mind you, it was a run/walk pace but still, we DID IT!!

We were able to keep a conversation going at all times, had a great pace and really felt great when I was done!!

As I said to my brother, perhaps 50 lbs lighter, maybe, just maybe, I will find that switch that I can turn on and say I really like running? Who knows...

Stay tuned sports fans!!!

Extremely Nervous!!

Oh my goodness, I am very nervous about tonight. My brother and I have signed up to do our first ever 5K run on 16May and we are running the route tonight~~FOR THE FIRST TIME!!

It seems so easy on the treadmill and I have heard other people say it is much better outside but I am NOT A RUNNER and it is seriously one thing in my life that I have never ever ever ever, did I say ever, have strived to do. You have heard a friend, a colleague, a relative, someone tell you that I want to accomplish "that" in my life time. Well that is not me!!!

Here's a background to why I am doing this run.

My best friend Dave Mounsey, an OPP Constable here in my smalltown Ontario, was responding to an accident call while on duty and lost control of the cruiser and was critically injured that day in October of 2006. I see it every day when I think of my friend Dave. His partner Brenda, my dear dear friend, had to make the most horrible decision anyone has to do for their loved one, and turned off the life support a month to the day of the accident, later.

Dave died and so did a big part of me. I was on that buggy that day and was sent to that call and was devastated but did my job and got Dave into the helicopter and knew he would never return to his job, Brenda, his family, his friends, his colleagues, ever again.

He used to bug me constantly to learn how to run for various reasons and I would baulk him at every turn. Two weeks before his accident, Brenda and Dave ran a marathon in BC to raise funds for a defibrillator to place in our local theatre. It never happened. Then, but it has now....

I am a proud member of the DMMF (Dave Mounsey Memorial Fund) and our mission is to raise funds to be able to carry on Dave's dream and to keep his legacy out there~~those defibs are donated in honour and memory of all Law Enforcement Officers, all Firefighter, all Military Personnel, all Paramedics who have lost their lives in the line of duty.

We have organized a 5K and 10K May 16 here in my little town and well, Dave is most likely rolling over in his place in heaven giggling hysterically at the fact that I have taken up the hardship of running and am going to complete my first ever 5K run in exactly 10 more sleeps..OMG!!

So this blog is dedicated to Mounsey, my friend, my colleague and my hero.

Will post later as to how we made out!! I am not out to win any race, just to complete and maybe actually learn to like this addiction that runners get!!!

Nurseypoo...this is for you as well!!

Cheers Lizzie

Pls feel free to check out the DMMF and what we stand for!!

www.davemounsey.com

Golf and Weight Watchers

Yesterday my darling partner Phil and I participated in one of our local radio stations golf tour!! We golfed at a course about an hour's drive away from here and the course was awesome.

I love golf, even though most days, it is the most frustrating sport known to mankind I think!! Phil is an awesome golfer and our rule when we put on our shoes and start walking to the course, is simple "Let's have fun and no lessons, unless I ask you for them". And this rule seems to work~~it didn't before but now we are both at ease when swinging the club!!

Whilst walking the course, carrying my bag for 240 mins (man that got me a boatload of AP's ;) ), I started thinking about the comparisons of golf and WW and food tracking!

I have come to the conclusion that the only one you compete against is YOU, YOURSELF, the person that looks back at you from the mirror.

As much as I would love to not count this stroke here, that putt there, that crappy drive on that hole, it is not going to make me improve, now is it? The same goes for tracking food points in WW's. How is my game to get any better, if I don't count all the strokes and how are my pants going to fall off my hips, if I don't count all that put in my yap a day?

So, that is my committment to myself this golf season/WW season...to be honest, faithful, dedicated and compassionate about golf and healthy lifestyles choices (remember I don't like the word DIET!!)

So I ask all of us on here that have started this blogging and WW journey, to do exactly that...be honest about your tracking of food points and activity points and that in turn, will make us all better in every aspect of our lives..relationships, finances, friendships, tracking, blogging et al.

I love the quote I have added at the end of my writing......

Cheers!!

"Golf gives you an insight into human nature, your own as well as your opponent's." ~Grantland Rice

My job!!

Besides being a mom of a 15 yr old boy (who some days seems like 45), I work as a full time Primary Care Paramedic in small town Ontario. This coming May long weekend, I will have been on the job for 24 years!! My goodness where does the time go? I have been called it all~~Emergency Medical Attendant, Emergency Medical Care Attendant, Ambulance Attendant, Ambulance Driver and now for about the last 15 yrs or so, a PCP or Primary Care Paramedic!!

Ask anyone and they will tell you I go beserk if I am referred to as an AMBULANCE DRIVER!! My response to them is always this "do you call an OPP officer, a police car driver? A firefighter a fire truck driver? so what makes you think you can call me an Ambulance Driver?" Most get a good giggle out of it, but I would have to say that is what is most irritating to me regarding my job!!

Not only has my title changed, so has the job and what it all entails. My goodness, all those years ago, it was very unusual for women to be doing this job~~ "that's a man's job you know"!!~~and it was certainly worse when you were a part timer. Those days, I showed up to work , did my job and kept my mouth shut. Oh how times have changed. Most coming out into the field are the opposite....put their feet up and do only what is expected of them when that pager goes off. What has happened ?

I love my job and always have. I don't like the politics and that is why I have stayed working in the buggy and being on the road. I used to work, all those years ago, 8 hour shifts and call back!! Now tell me that was fun~~for $2.10 an hour, I would take the pager home with me at night time and be on call~~if the pager went off, up I got and responded and if it didn't, well I managed to stay in my own bed and get a resonable night's sleep. I then changed and worked 12 hr shifts both days and nights. That was a hard adjustment but really, most 8 hour days I was not home until well after the shift was to end so what was the big deal? Oh ya, a hubby that didn't think it was his job to raise our child, but I digress and I suppose that is why he is my EX!! ;)

Then the biggest change of all happened..our union and management, along with the Ministry of Labour, agreed to allow us to work 24 hour shifts!! Yes that is not a typo my friends, 24 hour shifts!! Being in small town Ontario, the call volume does not warrant us to not be able to work as there is enough downtime or rest periods for us to function!!! That is still up for debate sometimes but the time off is very very sweet!! One week you get hammered with hours of work (Friday, Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday) but you finish Friday morning at 0700 and are DONE until the following Saturday( 8 full days off) when you return to work (Saturday, Monday, Wednesday) and the cycle returns~~8 more glorious days off!! If you work it right, you can take 72 hours off and have 21 days of no work!!! Life is sweet with that idea!!

Work is never the same any two days in a row. My partner is Joel and is about 13 yrs younger than I and is an Advanced Care Paramedic...what is the difference you ask?

I can use the defibrillator, use a King LT airway that keeps your tongue away from the back of your mouth and allows oxygen to flow directly into your lungs, adminster Nitro, ASA, Glugacon, Benadryl, Epinephrine, Gravol and Ventolin in emergency situations. Joel on the other hand, aside from the defib, intubate (a tube directly into your lungs) and administer up to 60 meds he carries on board plus start IV's. He is an awesome partner and I am considered to be his second wife. When you spend as much time in a week together as we do when working, I guess that is true. We know each other inside and out and are a good match.

A good match so much as we had our second save last week. A young 31 yr old fella collapsed at the side of the road on a construction site and was VSA~~vital signs absent~~and 2 bystanders started CPR until we arrived. With all of our protocols in place, we had a pulse back and he was breathing when we rushed him to the local hosptial. We had him back a few times and lost him a few times during the call but when he was flown out by air an hour later, he was stable and alive. Gosh it felt good as that is a very rare thing to have happen in our jobs. A SAVE!!!

Do you know CPR? You should as nowadays, there are AED's (defibs) in most public places and if you recognize that someone needs your help, call 911 and start CPR if that is the case AND a defib is available, that person has a greater chance of survival then if you stand there and do nothing!! He was one lucky young man but I know we will never hear anything more about him~~like what happened for him to collapse, is he back to "normal"? and so on.

I love my job, I really do and I sure as heck don't do it for the thanks as those words are few and far between in this line of work, but I do it nonetheless and hope I make a difference!!

So that is my job in a nutshell and since starting WW online, I am down a full uniform size compared to last year!! WOOHOO!! And let me tell you, wearing a uniform is NOT flattering or meant to be but it sure saves on my pocket book!!

Cheers everyone, have a safe and enjoyable day, and consider learning first aid and CPR as it could one day, save someone's life!!

Lizzie