Whiparound #2

[Amy Berkhoudt]

Good Evening friends!

I'm sorry I am emailing you late this Monday, but at least it gives Aaron a bit of breathing room between whiparounds ;)

So, our Food Academy is partnering with Mt. Elliott Makerspace, a community workshop where people make, tinker and learn together. The Food Academy is going to pilot our Springtime, place-based program in their space. After our meeting last week, I left truly inspired by their value of doing things together to help foster a thriving community. 

What does this have to do with us? I think we craft and "tinker" with things everyday whether it be food recipes, bikes, scarves, journal entries, short stories, awesome lesson plans, art projects, etc. I'd like us to share something we are crafting or tinkering with. It can be a finished product or it can be the start of something. It can be a tangible thing (in which case I would like you to post a picture of it or a video) or maybe we're working on something abstract (i.e. sharing my feelings more often). I remember a bunch of us sharing the "Learner" strength so I know y'all are working on/learning more about something right meow :) 

This is something me and my friends are working on: Horatio Clam Music Video Kickstarter. I am excited to share the finished product with you soon!

I'm in the process of making my first batch of homemade soft pretzels. If they come out well, I'll share the recipe! If it's a fail, I'll still share a picture. 

Let me know if this Whiparound doesn't make sense. 

With love,

amy 

--

--

 

Amy Berkhoudt

Cell: 808 283 3335

amy.be...@gmail.com

 

Program Co-Director

Detroit Food & Entrepreneurship Academy

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Detroit-Youth-Food-Brigade

http://detroityouthfoodbrigade.com

[Jesse Fetbroth]

Hey everyone,

Well, my "tinkering" is going to seem pretty boring compared to Amy's (you're working on a music video?  Come on, that's like +1,000 automatic cool points), but I've actually been tinkering with my daily schedule/routine.  

I'm not sure if I touched on this in Philadelphia, but I'm pretty balanced when it comes to the whole work hard, play hard thing.  Yes, there are some nights where I am working at my dining room table until late into the night given certain work deadlines, but this is definitely not normally how my nights go.  I get into the office by 7:00AM on any given morning, and so I've usually worked a "full day" by 4:00.  More often than not, I'll leave around then, and head home to cook, catch up with friends and family, etc.  When Zach (my boyfriend-- I'm pretty sure you all know this, but don't want to assume) gets home, we have dinner together, watch a show (we're deep into Mad Men right now), and relax until we go to bed around 9:30 or 10:00.  

While it's nice to give myself that time outside of work most days, I'm starting to feel like I'm not actually getting things done that I want to get done.  I'm not working out, I'm not really checking personal emails, and I'm not reading as much as I want.  So, I'm trying to see what it'd look like for me to kind of plan how I want my day to go a little more.  I'm sure to some of you this sounds like the opposite of relaxing, but it's just the way my brain works.  In a nutshell, I'm tinkering with having my day go something like this: when my alarm goes off in the morning, I get up immediately (no snoozing!), and use that extra time that I usually fight to stay in bed to get my act together-- maybe check some emails, eat my breakfast in the kitchen rather than on the way to work, etc.  Then, go to work for the day, and come home and work out at least 3 times a week.  I have a gym in my apartment building, so this doesn't need to be a time-consuming thing.  After that, I still have plenty of time to cook a great dinner, make some phone calls, and set aside 30 minutes to go through personal emails.  I want to restrict the number of shows I watch in a night to one (regardless of how alluring the ending of that Mad Men episode may be..) and use that other time to read.  

Basically, I'm planning my day, but just planning time for all of the activities I want to get done during my "leisure" time.  I'm still tinkering with it, or testing it out at this point, but I'll let you know how it goes.  

If this was super boring, I've also made some pretty home-run dinners recently, and I'd be happy to pass on the recipes.  :)

Jesse

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "REALITY Check 2013 with Jess" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to CheckwithJes...@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
 
 

--
Jesse Fetbroth

781.696.8402

[Nicole Wellman]

Happy Tuesday!

Wow, I am impressed by both of your tinkerings. Amy, you could be an actress for sure--calm demeanor, knowledge of how to eat on camera, mysterious presence--love it! Jesse, your detailed thoughts on your plan to revolutionize your non-work time is inspiring. And, I would echo Aaron's request for your helpful organization/time management tips!

I have been tinkering with a few things lately, but, unfortunately for you all, they are not as creative or fun to read/see as Amy's. 

1. I've been tinkering with my budget, and trying to narrow down things that I really want to do to find a way to budget them in.  For instance, I am trying really hard to save for an international trip sometime this summer. So, I have been factoring saving into my budget.  In the process, I am having to cut-out trips/plans that I have been invited to/want to go to.  I am very terrible at saying no to people I love and want to see, but in order to save up for things I really want to prioritize saving for things like going to good friends' weddings out of town and using my passport, I know I need to be better about saying no to smaller trips/events...

2. Also, I've been trying to update my LinkedIn Profile.  I didn't realize until recently how many people/companies really do use the site. Before last week, I had pretty bare bones stuff on there. But, I am feeling a little more confident about my profile now after updating info, adding skills, etc.
I also wrote a recommendation on LinkedIn for a wonderful co-worker I used to work with.  It actually ended up feeling like an act of gratitude, and I intend to do more soon! I recommend recommending if anyone hasn't tried it. :)
www.linkedin.com/pub/nicole-wellman/26/b60/531/
I am up for any suggestions, as it is a definite work in progress!
(Also- stoked about that survey we filled out for REALITY Reboot- one of the questions asked if we'd be interested in a professional head shot- I answered-yes, please!)

Hope everyone is having a great week...

Nicole Wellman
- - - - - - - - - - -
wellman...@gmail.com
(602) 377-2910

[Jess Marker]

Hey gang!

Lovin' these whip arounds- and Amy, great topic - creative genius, indeed!

Very sorry for my delayed response to our emails- I've been thinking a ton about this topic since you sent it on Monday night Amy and love the brain exercise it put me though and really, really enjoyed reading each of your responses so far. 

So, a few items I've been tinkering with lately:

- Taking time to do and celebrate Shabbat in new, fun and creative ways

- How to spend my Saturdays (since I've am travelling almost every other day of the week and that is the one guaranteed day I get with my hubby)

- Creating a more solidified vision for our new backyard

- Getting my training schedule for my half marathon up and in working order

To expand upon one, I've signed up to run my first half marathon (longest race to this point was 10 miles a few years ago) with my best friend on his birthday.  We are scheduled to do the Rock n' Roll half the first weekend in June.  I want to take full advantage of this opportunity not only to have fun and complete the race, but become a stronger runner, more disciplined cardo lady and getting myself movin' and shakin' on a regular basis with a new and fluctuating schedule that keeps it real and fun.  Within that, I've been working a ton on perfecting my running mix (no small feat), figuring out my strength training days (sun, tues, and friday), my cardio days (mon and thurs) and my running days (sat, sun, tues, wed and friday).  Working to make it all come together, feel good and stay consistent in the process.  Anyone ever trained for a half before? a full? Any tips on the training schedule? Motivational music or factors you'd recommend?

Also, Candace, I'm tapping you for next week's whiparound :)

[keir.jane]

Hey guys,

I apologize I didn’t write sooner, I am sick with the stomach flu and it’s horrible. I’ve had it for two weeks now! Amy, I love your music video project! I can’t wait to see the finished product! I am inspired by how you are able to be involved with this creative project and still have a full-time job. This points to my dilemma at the moment…I am tinkering with the idea that my job is killing me and I need to find a new, more sustainable job the moment this school year ends. To make a long story short…I am in my second year teaching with TFA and I’ve never been more sick, tired, rundown, etc. than I have been since starting TFA. 

Last year, the stress of working at my school literally caused me to be so ill that I had to apply for a medical extension for my TFA licensure work because I literally was too sick to teach and keep up with my assignments. I also developed a severe food allergy to gluten, which hindered my ability to digest my food, leaving me weak and prone to infections. This has been a very humbling experience for me, because I have never really failed to complete something before. I think it hurt my pride to have to admit that I couldn’t do my TFA work and serve my students. There was an instructional coach at my school last year because the majority of us were new teachers and she lovingly told me that she thought that teaching wasn’t for me because it was literally making me sick. At first I dismissed the idea of a job causing me physical illness because I thought it was more of a big picture thing – like a culmination of a lot of stresses which I will elaborate on, but now I think she may be right – I can’t handle being a teacher (even though I love teaching my students).

Before joining TFA I was working in South Africa on TB/HIV co-infection research and was having a terrible time. I wasn’t safe and had to travel alone everywhere. Plus, the company that hired me failed to pay me for 3 months straight. After 3 months , my savings were depleted and I quit and flew back to the United States, then I started TFA institute (which I found draining and intensive), then I took in my elderly father and moved him in with me in Denver (basically I moved cross country 3 times in less than year). We mistakenly moved to an unsafe neighborhood and the stress of living there, taking care of my father, and then starting an entirely new profession with little training teaching hard-to-serve teens at a brand new school with no structure, and doing all the TFA work, caused me so much stress, lack of sleep, etc. that I was literally sick my entire first year as a teacher. This year, has been a little better – I am not sick anymore (except for this terrible stomach flu I am recovering from) but I am still exhausted and have no balance. I literally need a nap after work everyday and have no time to express my Jane-ness!

I am not alone in this boat, most of my coworkers are miserable at my school and are planning to quit at the end of the year. The thing that worries me is that they aren’t getting sick or feeling as rundown as I am. I am tinkering with the idea of a total health make-over. I want to talk to a nutritionist to find out how to eat everything I need to be healthy now that I’ve cut gluten out of my diet. I want to start exercising regularly by either swimming or doing yoga. I also want to reflect on what type of job will be challenging and fulfilling but won’t make me physically drained.

A big question I am grappling with is,  “Is teaching a bad fit for me or is it my school?” I love my students, I love teaching, but I hate my job…this is something I need to figure out.

 I definitely need to follow in Jesse’s footsteps and plan my leisure time purposefully and I now that I’ve bought a house I need to learn from Nicole on how to create a budget (I want to buy everything for my house right now!) I also, want to start to celebrate Shabbat regularly like Jess. I am usually too tired once I get out of work on Friday, but I want to start going to temple for Shabbat services.

Cheers,

Jane

[Aaron Burgess]

Hey Everyone! Happy Thursday!

I am very impressed with everyone's tinkerings, especially how you are all focusing your tinkering on your energy audit commitments. For me, as you know, I have started working a new job, while still technically in school. Since my client is in Colorado and I am in California that puts me in the situation of trying to find a good place to work. Similar to what Jesse has been doing, I have been tinkering with my daily routines, but I'm trying to keep them not routine. I am working from different places, my school, the library, home, and I am also working during different times of the day. SInce this project is largely self paced, I am able to do the necessary amount of work at any time, and open up some "me" time. Some days I work in the morning and play tennis or go take pictures in the afternoon. (I love photography and going out and taking pictures is one of the best ways for me to relax.)

I actually went over to the Golden Gate Bridge two nights ago and took sunset pictures there and then waited around for darkness to fall and took some long exposure shots of the bridge.. I'll attach a few of them!

Other days I run or swim in the morning and work later into the night. I'm finding that constantly changing my daily routine leaves me excited for each day because it will be unlike the last. 

I also am flying to Salt Lake City tomorrow to watch my brother defend his dissertation! Super excited, although not so much about having to call him Dr. Burgess...

Aaron

--

You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "REALITY Check 2013 with Jess" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to CheckwithJes...@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
 
 

--
-- 
Aaron Taylor Burgess
Goldman School of Public Policy
University of California - Berkeley
M.P.P. Candidate
(720) 273-9993

[Candace Burckhardt]

Hey group!

It's been great reading everyone's responses. I'm so inspired. 

Lately, I have been doing most of my tinkering at work. I have been working insane hours in order to maximize the time I have before my husband and dogs move out to Wisconsin in mid-March. It's also been helping me with some feelings of homesickness I have been having recently (although I think that's probably me trying to see avoidance). I have been trying to re-vamp our education curriculum to make it more experiential (like the rest of our wilderness program). Currently students are given boring packets of work to do on their own, so I'm trying to change that to make all of the subjects built in to what they are already doing in therapy, outdoors, and other programming. It's exciting to be working on, but difficult because I'm not a Moses and often feel like I need people to bounce ideas off of. As I'm the only teacher here, I feel a bit alone in my thoughts and wishing I had someone I could talk through things with. While in the outdoors, I have been building fire pits, primitive shelters, etc. This is always fun work to do with the awesome clients I work with. 

Despite having no internet or TV, I have been avoiding alone time which I usually crave because of feelings of homesick/missing husband and dogs. I think this time would be good for me, and I'd like to do some tinkering then (mainly writing), but I have been doing well finding creative ways to avoid it. Long-term I hope to buy a new bass guitar, so I can explore my tinkering through music. 

Here's a video about the company I am working for. It was just on PBS in Wisconsin. We are the first 10-15 minutes of it. http://www.mptv.org/localshows/outdoor_wisconsin/latest_episode/?v=xav3-5Rq-Jw

Best,

Candace