The Cat's in the Bag!

In April, I spent a good bit of time on the road doing music and speaking at various events. Preparing to go away can be a daunting task in and of itself, but as a musician who has to take sound equipment, "stage" clothes and all your merchandise along, it feels even more daunting. Picture a music store on wheels.

Sometimes it's fun to go somewhere and not take ANYTHING with me—especially my phone! I feel so free.

Samie and Blue - my kittens!

But now that I have two adorable cats (though my husband calls them the demon twins—and they are very bad sometimes) life has become even more complicated when I pack. Or, maybe I just try to cram too many things into my day before I hit the road.

Things like....

Make food ahead of time and put it in the fridge for my husband.
Wash the kitchen floor.
Wash the clothes.
Balance the checkbooks.
Get the suitcase out from under the bed.
Chase the cats out of the suitcase.

Put clothes in the dryer.
Go to the library to get books for my husband to read while I'm away.
Clean out the fridge so that there are no science projects in there for my husband to gag over.
Go back to the suitcase and chase the cats out of it, again.

Take clothes out of the dryer and put them away.
Chase the cats out of the suitcase.
Start loading clothes in the suitcase.
Get the merchandise ready to pack up.
Load sound equipment in the van.
Wash more clothes.
Chase the cats who are now lying on top of my clothes, out of the suitcase.
Vacum cat hair off of my clothes and suitcase.
Go ahead and vacuum the house since the vacuum is now out of the closet.
Bake a pie. (What was it I'm supposed to be doing???)
Take a shower.
Wash hair.
Put on makeup.
Chase cats off the top of the suitcase so I can finish packing toiletries.
Close up the suitcase.
Set suitcase in the kitchen by the door so I don't forget it. (I have left without my suitcase!!)
Pack up exercise clothes (in a gym bag and hope the cats don't find THAT).
Chase cats away from the suitcase by the door.
Pull cats out of the gym bag.
Put the sneaker they pulled out of the gym bag back into the gym bag.
Finish packing the van.
Pull out of the driveway as the mournful cats watch you leave.
Begin wondering how to possibly take the cats with you next time.
Arrive at the venue and find more cat hair all over your black "stage" outfits.

Note to self: next time get black kittens?

Embrace The Suck

"Does it ever get any easier?" I asked the two runners I had just met on the trail as we stopped to exchange greetings.

I'd been increasing my exercise routine weekly and was now up to running 35 minutes straight.  I was huffing and puffing as we talked.

"If you never push yourself, yes, it will get easier.  If you just continue at the same pace though, you won't gain much", said the one who looked like she was an experienced runner.

"It sucks no matter what you do", said the other girl who seemed to be sweating and huffing, like me.  I could relate to her.

"JUST EMBRACE THE SUCK" she finally said with a sigh and a frown.  We all laughed.

                            

Yep.  Anytime we try to reach for our dreams, calling, desires...whatever we think we were created to do, there are times when it just sucks.  

Using the running analogy, it's rarely 'fun' to get up at 5:00 a.m., pray, eat some protein and then head out to the trail by 6:00 a.m.  I feel like I'm going to die most of the run.  Every day I feel like I just can't make it but I keep going. I sweat like a rainstorm and breathe heavy like a dragon minus the fire coming out my nostrils. I've never been a long distance runner so it's taking me a while to build up stamina.

When I am finished with this self-inflicted torture, the pay-off is worth it.  My mind is having a hay day and the good chemicals in my brain are being released.  I write songs, blogs, plan concerts, design merchandise and get new marketing ideas - all while I'm dying in my body.  

There's another payoff to all of this...at least when it comes to exercise.  I am losing weight.  My clothes are fitting better AND I'm heading toward reaching one of my many goals for the Christmas show in December.

Do I love getting up early to work on my goals?  Nope.

Do I love sweating a flood worth of water when I run? Nope.

Do I hurt when I get back? Yep.

Do I like when my jeans fit better? Yep.

Do I like the creativity my mind engages in while I exercise? Absolutely!

Do you want to win at what you think you were created to be and do?

Sorry....you're gonna have to...ya know...embrace the suck.