As is clear from the number of posts to my blog this year compared to years past, it may seem as if ChrissyCan Cant has not been high on my list of priorities of late. It’s not that I don’t want to write more, I just don’t have the same kind of down-time I used to, nor in all honesty, do words come as easily to me as they once did.
When I first started my blog, I had just left Texas and moved to Indiana where I knew no one. This blog was my connection to all of you. When we rushed back home to Kansas City because TC’s cancer came raging back, the blog took another unexpected turn and became both a means for me to vent as well as a way to keep all of you up on TC’s battle. When that battle was settled, notice I don’t say “lost”… the battle continues in TC and millions of other women’s names, I became very quiet, for obvious reasons.
I’m finding my way again, but clearly I’ve lost some of the wind in my sail. I think I used to write better back then and that baffles me. Maybe it’s just that the things I write, basically for amusement (both pre and post illness) will never rival the passion and love I put into writing about TC and even Dini. I think I’m finally back at square one now, and the original intention of this blog.
Understand this: my memory sucks. Anyone who knows me will tell you that; I’m talking serious suckage. The good news from my point of view at least, is stories don’t get old, good jokes are still funny the 2nd and 3rd time around, and I can honestly deny stories by saying… “No, that was NOT me dancing on top of that table with a bottle of tequila” and really mean it.
The downside goes something like this: We will go days without milk in the house, I spend great amounts of time trying to remember words like “ulna” just long enough for a broken arm to heal, and most of the time when I’m chatting with a casual acquaintance…. I have absolutely no idea what their name is.
I picture myself many years from now, rocking on my front porch as I read these entries. Some people journal, which I’ve attempted plenty of times, but more often than not, I forget. Others like me… blog. It’s the lazy man’s diary; I have very low expectations of myself. My only one in fact is that this blog provide me a window to my past during my golden years. I only wish I had started blogging sooner. According to my friends, I have some wicked stories from my past. Some that make me cringe on the outside when hearing them, yet at the same time, I feel a warm “devil be damned” attitude (or is it gratitude?) flowing through my veins. Somewhere, deep down in the bowels of my shaky memory… I do remember, (with a little help from my friends)… and I smile (wickedly) to myself.
But I digress. The whole point of this particular entry is to share my new sidebar. Even though I may not be writing my own words as often as I used to, I voraciously read other people. My taste in blogs is simple yet unforgiving; funny and/or well written, that’s all I require from my fellow bloggers. Obviously if someone can offer both… they’re a God to me. That brings me to the new Gizmo I’m adding to my front page, it’s called “My Blog List”. Although I view lots and lots of different blogs, the ones on this list are my “go-to” blogs, I don’t miss them. Two of them are God-like to me.
I’ve been reading “Dad Gone Mad®” for several years now; Danny Evans is split-your-gut funny. Occasionally, he is dead-on serious as well, but even in those entries he is able to inflict humor in a way I truly envy. His most common criticism by some readers is his proficient use and spicy variations of foul language; he strings naughty words together that might even make Mikey blush. In fact, he has even made up (and copyrighted) some of his own. I’ll leave you on your own to discover those gems! If you are not easily offended by colorful language, check out Dad Gone Mad®. Just one other warning… never read him while taking a slug of any kind of beverage. I can’t tell you how many times it has come out my nose because of him!
Joe Posnanski is my all-time favorite writer. He is a Kansas City Star sports columnist, who just (and finally) got picked up by Sports Illustrated, both the magazine and their online site. I have secretly lived in fear for several years now that Joe was going to be “found out” by a much larger marketplace than KC and whisked away. Joe has written two books, “Buy the Soul of Baseball: A Road Trip through Buck O’Neil’s America” about Buck O’Neil, a hero to most anyone who knows Buck’s story (and if fortunate enough to have met and heard him share his wisdom and grace in person, his status goes even higher.) And, “Buy the Good Stuff” a collection of his columns which contributed to Joe twice being named winner of the Associated Press Sports Editors national columnist of the year award. But Joe Posnanski does not just write about sports. In fact, he just wrote a review on the Bruce Springsteen concert, the same one that I attended and lamely wrote about here. Much like the concert, Joe’s review was magical. He is a true wordsmith and I wish I could take credit for a comment one of his readers left him after that review. She said, “Oh Joe. I wish you wrote everything I read.” So when you have some time, click on his link and indulge yourself, I promise you’ll keep going back for more.
And lastly, although not in the same category as the first two by a longshot, Snarkywood® was always a good giggle for me. I originally found it because Danny Evans of Dad Gone Mad® fame was a contributor. The two original founders, Martha and Jen are apparently also big in the blogosphere, but I never really kept up with them; there are only so many hours in the day and I have to pick my poison! Snarkywood® has actually shut its doors, (both founders have had books published and life has gotten in the way of their cattiness) and that’s exciting for any blogger with a pie-in-the-sky dream of writing a book someday. Danny Evans is also writing a book and has been either threatening to do so or actually trying since before I ever discovered him. When someone with his caliber of talent (and readership) is still “trying”, that’s a real mental hurdle for those of us with just a dream and not much more to back it up. Touché to them! So in the spirit of “making fun of over exposed Hollywood celebrities” … check out Snarkywood®.
If you have some personal favorites, send them my way. Just remember, although I’ll check them out… they have to be consistently hilarious or extremely well written to make the list. Both is best, and yes… I do realize how subjective this is!
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Sunday, August 31, 2008
So how was YOUR holiday weekend?
Quite frankly we’re amazed it took this long for Nicky to break a bone.
Heck, Jordie had 4 by the time she was his age, and one since.
She’s a little pissed off that we took Nick to the ER on day one; further proof she tells us, that he’s the favorite child.
If it were up to me though, he’d probably still be holding his arm and whining about it this morning. But when it happens at someone else’s house and those parents make that fateful call, you kind of have to step up to the plate and take the kid in. I mean, “What would they think?”!!!
I still catch grief from friends and family for the time it took me 3 days to get one of Jordan’s broken arms looked at.
But in my defense, this is the kid who I had to limit her “Ouch’s” to three a day a few years back. If I ran off to the doctor every time she yelled “Ouch” the state of this country’s healthcare system would be even worse. As would my wallet.
So we got to spend yet another Friday night in an emergency room.
We got lucky though, Nick was about the biggest emergency they were handling that evening thus far.
They wheeled a guy in a little later who was passing a kidney stone, note to self: that is not how I EVER want to spend my time.
The funniest moment of the evening was when Nicky announced he had to pee. Two nurses and a female doctor all turned around and looked at Mike. Without missing a beat, Mikey turned to me and said, “Two shakes down and one to the left. No more.” The expression on Nicky’s face was priceless as the rest of us all bust a gut!
Nick will get a real cast put on next Tuesday; in the meantime he’s vacillating between KU blue, or Husky (his FB team) purple. I’m just trying to find a Sharpie that works!
Happy Labor Day!
Heck, Jordie had 4 by the time she was his age, and one since.
She’s a little pissed off that we took Nick to the ER on day one; further proof she tells us, that he’s the favorite child.
If it were up to me though, he’d probably still be holding his arm and whining about it this morning. But when it happens at someone else’s house and those parents make that fateful call, you kind of have to step up to the plate and take the kid in. I mean, “What would they think?”!!!
I still catch grief from friends and family for the time it took me 3 days to get one of Jordan’s broken arms looked at.
But in my defense, this is the kid who I had to limit her “Ouch’s” to three a day a few years back. If I ran off to the doctor every time she yelled “Ouch” the state of this country’s healthcare system would be even worse. As would my wallet.
So we got to spend yet another Friday night in an emergency room.
We got lucky though, Nick was about the biggest emergency they were handling that evening thus far.
They wheeled a guy in a little later who was passing a kidney stone, note to self: that is not how I EVER want to spend my time.
The funniest moment of the evening was when Nicky announced he had to pee. Two nurses and a female doctor all turned around and looked at Mike. Without missing a beat, Mikey turned to me and said, “Two shakes down and one to the left. No more.” The expression on Nicky’s face was priceless as the rest of us all bust a gut!
Nick will get a real cast put on next Tuesday; in the meantime he’s vacillating between KU blue, or Husky (his FB team) purple. I’m just trying to find a Sharpie that works!
Happy Labor Day!
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
“You Just May Start a Chain Reaction”
Rachel Scott.
The first person killed at Columbine High School, April 20, 1999.
Yesterday after Jordan got home from school and VB practice, she excitedly tried to explain a new program her high school is getting involved in this year; one she volunteered to participate in. She was having difficulty however articulating to me exactly what its purpose is. But she was so fired up about it she insisted we go to their website so I could see for myself. It’s called “Rachel’s Challenge” and by the time we got through just the video portion, we’d gone through quite a few tissues.
Today at school, Rachel’s father, Darrell Scott, came from Colorado to introduce the program at an all-school assembly. This was followed by a peer training session for about 50 kids who have committed to the program.
Today’s assembly will quite possibly go down in our school history as the most spellbound and inspiring presentation ever attended. I’ve heard from several people who were there today that you could literally hear a pin drop. That’s quite uncommon in any high school gym, especially one filled to capacity with 1600 kids. But even more relevant is that Rachel’s message, that kindness and compassion can and will replace violence and rage, made an immediate impact on these kids. By implementing their program in schools across the country (and the world), the goal becomes to turn those traits into a lifelong mindset, and in Rachel’s words, “maybe start a chain reaction”.
I went to the parent presentation this evening with Jordan, and I also can’t seem to articulate in this small space tonight’s experience. I was simultaneously overwhelmed with grief and hope. Grief, as this man shared his personal and tragic story about the senseless death of his daughter, 12 other young people and a courageous teacher nine years ago at Columbine High School. Yet hope, because of his daughter Rachel’s ethics and codes of life, which ultimately resulted in a challenge to the rest of us; Rachel’s Challenge.
If you live in the KC area, Mr. Scott is doing another presentation at Blue Valley West High School tomorrow evening (8/28) at 7p.m.. If you can… please go! It’s an incredible story about a beautiful girl whose simple and logical outlook on life, has begun to change the world.
If you aren’t in the area, and especially if you have kids in school, check out their site and invite Rachel’s Challenge to your school. It’s a beautiful message but more importantly, “it inspires, instructs and enables students to bring positive change to their own school atmosphere”.
The first person killed at Columbine High School, April 20, 1999.
Yesterday after Jordan got home from school and VB practice, she excitedly tried to explain a new program her high school is getting involved in this year; one she volunteered to participate in. She was having difficulty however articulating to me exactly what its purpose is. But she was so fired up about it she insisted we go to their website so I could see for myself. It’s called “Rachel’s Challenge” and by the time we got through just the video portion, we’d gone through quite a few tissues.
Today at school, Rachel’s father, Darrell Scott, came from Colorado to introduce the program at an all-school assembly. This was followed by a peer training session for about 50 kids who have committed to the program.
Today’s assembly will quite possibly go down in our school history as the most spellbound and inspiring presentation ever attended. I’ve heard from several people who were there today that you could literally hear a pin drop. That’s quite uncommon in any high school gym, especially one filled to capacity with 1600 kids. But even more relevant is that Rachel’s message, that kindness and compassion can and will replace violence and rage, made an immediate impact on these kids. By implementing their program in schools across the country (and the world), the goal becomes to turn those traits into a lifelong mindset, and in Rachel’s words, “maybe start a chain reaction”.
I went to the parent presentation this evening with Jordan, and I also can’t seem to articulate in this small space tonight’s experience. I was simultaneously overwhelmed with grief and hope. Grief, as this man shared his personal and tragic story about the senseless death of his daughter, 12 other young people and a courageous teacher nine years ago at Columbine High School. Yet hope, because of his daughter Rachel’s ethics and codes of life, which ultimately resulted in a challenge to the rest of us; Rachel’s Challenge.
If you live in the KC area, Mr. Scott is doing another presentation at Blue Valley West High School tomorrow evening (8/28) at 7p.m.. If you can… please go! It’s an incredible story about a beautiful girl whose simple and logical outlook on life, has begun to change the world.
If you aren’t in the area, and especially if you have kids in school, check out their site and invite Rachel’s Challenge to your school. It’s a beautiful message but more importantly, “it inspires, instructs and enables students to bring positive change to their own school atmosphere”.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Tramps like us... Baby we were Born to Run
That’s the T-shirt I bought at the Bruce Springsteen concert Sunday night in Kansas City.
There were several to choose from, but come on… there was only one choice for me. And I wear it proudly!
The “anticipation music” as I refer to it, (I’m sure it has a real name… instrumental music that they tease you with right before the band appears on stage) was what you would hear play on a carousel at an amusement park. Fun and whimsical, the mood was set. Then out he came dressed in a warn black shirt and his signature Levi’s… the crowd went wild.
This is the third time I’ve seen Springsteen and in my opinion it was his best concert yet. And yes… that does include “Born in the USA” which I never ever thought could be topped. Maybe it’s because I’m older and more appreciative of his lyrics than ever before. Bruce Springsteen is probably one of the most socially conscious mainstream artists out there, and his lyrics, old and new, are as relevant today as they’ve ever been. But more than that even, simply put… Springsteen and his E Street Band outdid themselves. They were on fire, clearly into it, and we in the crowd gave it right back to them. It was a truly magical, rockin night.
The song set was incredible too; apparently they mix it up pretty good from show to show, often performing basically on the fly. Bruce and the band responded to signs held up by the crowd which is a refreshing change from most strictly choreographed shows. It’s just incredible to me that they could play something from their repertoire with little notice (or practice), with such precision that the crowd never knew it wasn’t on the original song list. I’ve got to believe having this sort of flexibility is a key element in keeping his shows so fresh and exciting night after night. Well, that and his “arse” in those Levi’s!
Case in point… I read about a guy who was at the Charleston show a week or so ago and had the good fortune of staying in the same hotel as Bruce and the band. Further good fortune caused their path’s to cross around 4:45 in the afternoon. This guy took advantage of the opportunity and asked Bruce if he could put in a plug for "Double Shot (Of My Baby's Love)." Bruce leaned back toward the guy and said, "What?" The guy responded, "You're in the home of Carolina beach music, and I wanted to put in a plug for "Double Shot." Bruce stroked the hair below his lower lip for a few seconds and said as he looked at the guy, "It's not impossible." Five hours later he opened the show with “Double Shot”. Wow.
At nearly 60 years old, Bruce Springsteen sounds as good live as anyone out there, and it’s a good bet he’s still better than most.
My only regret of the evening?
That I didn’t splurge on that second T-shirt I really liked.
It too was black and printed on the front of it…
“Just wrap your legs 'round these velvet rims and strap your hands across my engines” …
Anytime Boss, anytime!
There were several to choose from, but come on… there was only one choice for me. And I wear it proudly!
The “anticipation music” as I refer to it, (I’m sure it has a real name… instrumental music that they tease you with right before the band appears on stage) was what you would hear play on a carousel at an amusement park. Fun and whimsical, the mood was set. Then out he came dressed in a warn black shirt and his signature Levi’s… the crowd went wild.
This is the third time I’ve seen Springsteen and in my opinion it was his best concert yet. And yes… that does include “Born in the USA” which I never ever thought could be topped. Maybe it’s because I’m older and more appreciative of his lyrics than ever before. Bruce Springsteen is probably one of the most socially conscious mainstream artists out there, and his lyrics, old and new, are as relevant today as they’ve ever been. But more than that even, simply put… Springsteen and his E Street Band outdid themselves. They were on fire, clearly into it, and we in the crowd gave it right back to them. It was a truly magical, rockin night.
The song set was incredible too; apparently they mix it up pretty good from show to show, often performing basically on the fly. Bruce and the band responded to signs held up by the crowd which is a refreshing change from most strictly choreographed shows. It’s just incredible to me that they could play something from their repertoire with little notice (or practice), with such precision that the crowd never knew it wasn’t on the original song list. I’ve got to believe having this sort of flexibility is a key element in keeping his shows so fresh and exciting night after night. Well, that and his “arse” in those Levi’s!
Case in point… I read about a guy who was at the Charleston show a week or so ago and had the good fortune of staying in the same hotel as Bruce and the band. Further good fortune caused their path’s to cross around 4:45 in the afternoon. This guy took advantage of the opportunity and asked Bruce if he could put in a plug for "Double Shot (Of My Baby's Love)." Bruce leaned back toward the guy and said, "What?" The guy responded, "You're in the home of Carolina beach music, and I wanted to put in a plug for "Double Shot." Bruce stroked the hair below his lower lip for a few seconds and said as he looked at the guy, "It's not impossible." Five hours later he opened the show with “Double Shot”. Wow.
At nearly 60 years old, Bruce Springsteen sounds as good live as anyone out there, and it’s a good bet he’s still better than most.
My only regret of the evening?
That I didn’t splurge on that second T-shirt I really liked.
It too was black and printed on the front of it…
“Just wrap your legs 'round these velvet rims and strap your hands across my engines” …
Anytime Boss, anytime!
Monday, August 18, 2008
Hallelujah, Hallelujah!!!
The little darling’s are back where they belong.
I had nary a blog entry all summer long and that is a direct result of what kind of summer it was.
In a word… “Speedy”!
Toward the end of June, we lost a very, very dear friend of ours, Bobbi.
She and her husband Doc were (are) basically surrogate parents to Mike growing up in Beatrice Nebraska. Bobbi truly loved Mikey as one of her own and her passing was a difficult time for all of us. It was, as services go, beautiful and fitting for such a grand lady with several services and Rosaries said from Dallas, to Beatrice to Omaha. Bobbi was the kinda gal that when you left her and Doc’s home, you couldn’t help but have a little more spring in your step than before your visit which was always filled with food, drink and an abundance of laughter. The family home is quiet now; we vow to do all we can in the coming months to help bring life and laughter back to it.
Most of the summer was a blur of volleyball camps and lessons for Jordie as well as trips to the lake with friends. She attended the University of Nebraska camp which really opened up her eyes to big-time VB. Today begins a week of tryouts for High School so it will be a bit tense around here for a few days. As a sophomore, the hope is to make JV; as a parent, the hope is to just make it… period!
Nicky is playing football for the first time; the coach sure liked it when he sauntered up. He has grown over 3 inches this year and is tipping the scales like he’s been corn-fed. The issue however is not size, it’s aggression. He has none. Think “Gentle Giant”… that will be him. After the first full practice in pads and helmets the poor kid came home with some other kid’s jersey emblem embedded in his arm, that’s how hard he got hit. When I asked him how he was, all he said was, “I’ve got to get down lower Mom”. I hope not “stretcher” low… my old heart can’t take this! He did however take first place in the Skeet Shooting Finals at a 3 day camp he attended. I’m not quite sure what I should be hoping for here… gun accuracy or the ability to pulsate people. God knew what he was doing when he gave my Mom all girls; she would never have made it through the “boy years” and I’m not too sure I’m cut out for them either.
Mikey went back to work for B&V last winter, his travel is way down and we are all so much happier. (Well everyone but that “other” family I was convinced he had in New Orleans!) He’s all ours again with just the “right amount” of travel sprinkled in. One of his jobs is in Hawaii… so we don’t feel too sorry for him when he has to go although he whines about it pretty bad. I suspect that’s for our benefit, like we’re really buying it!
One of the highlights of our summer was the new addition to our family. “Murphy” is a hybrid… half Bichon Frieze, half Yorkshire Terrier. (Remember in the old days when dogs bred outside their breed and we called them “mutts”?) Murph is actually Mom’s dog… we have shared custody of him. When Mom travels, Murphy will come live with us. He is an absolute joy, Mom has just come back alive caring for and playing with him. He’s our newest blessing and we love him. As for Tucker, let’s just say he’s “practicing tolerance”.
As for me, I spent most of the summer building my Real Estate biz. I am under the umbrella of Keller Williams, but I am an independent contractor. I named my business “ChrissyCan” because TC always told me that. She always had incredible faith in my abilities from the time we were little girls. One time before her cancer came back, she, my Dad any I were having lunch together and I was lamenting that I had no idea what I wanted to do now that I was no longer working in Corporate America. It was a scary time for me and TC, having just been through what we thought of at the time as the battle of her life, basically dismissed my doubts. She looked at my Dad, rolled her big blue eyes and said to him… “Chrissy can do anything. Always has, always will”. I wish I could say that was an “immediate” defining moment, but her confidence in me at the time was clearly much higher than my own. It has caught up to me however and I appreciate those words and her undying belief in me more and more each day. Before she died I shared with her my intention to donate 10% of the profits from each transaction to the KU Endowment Fund in her name. Specifically, 100% of these monies are designated to the Kansas Masonic Cancer Research Institute. KMCRI is coordinating the designation plan for the University of Kansas Medical Center and the University of Kansas Hospital to achieve National Cancer Institute (NCI) designation as a Comprehensive Cancer Center. With this designation, Kansas City will join 39 other cities in the United States as home to an elite research, treatment and education center. This goes beyond breast cancer, one of the most highly funded cancers there are. These monies will help every one of us who sadly, the odds say, will be affected by some form of this monster disease.
TC cried and cried when I told her and showed off my new business card which states my donation intention; I will never forget that moment as long as I live. I have 4 closed transactions since January when I started and nothing excites me more than cutting that check to KU. It is my single biggest motivating reason to be successful; TC is proud of me and that’s enough for me.
Just last week we finally snuck a quick family vacation in, we headed to the mountains in Aspen and did all that “good-clean-living” stuff. My “arse” still hurts from our 5 hour trail ride, but not as bad as my heart from pounding. I had a stubborn horse named Tucson who was the horse-version of Tucker. He did what he wanted when he wanted, including stopping to graze on a 14 inch wet and rocky path which offered very little security between it and the canyon thousands of feet below. Between that and Mikey driving us over Independence Pass in a rainstorm, Jordie and I have decided unequivocally that we are “beach gals”. Plant my feet in and on the sand, give me a drink with a little umbrella coming out of it, a good book and sunglasses…voila’… that’s a vacation!
Jordie drove herself to school today for the first time (feel free to fill in your own interpretation of my thoughts on that!), the sound of Nicky’s bus is just a faint memory already, I just drained the last cup of coffee out of the pot, and I have a welcomed calm and quiet enveloping me at this moment. I’ve got to hurry up and enjoy it though… school gets out in a mere 4 1/2 hours!
I had nary a blog entry all summer long and that is a direct result of what kind of summer it was.
In a word… “Speedy”!
Toward the end of June, we lost a very, very dear friend of ours, Bobbi.
She and her husband Doc were (are) basically surrogate parents to Mike growing up in Beatrice Nebraska. Bobbi truly loved Mikey as one of her own and her passing was a difficult time for all of us. It was, as services go, beautiful and fitting for such a grand lady with several services and Rosaries said from Dallas, to Beatrice to Omaha. Bobbi was the kinda gal that when you left her and Doc’s home, you couldn’t help but have a little more spring in your step than before your visit which was always filled with food, drink and an abundance of laughter. The family home is quiet now; we vow to do all we can in the coming months to help bring life and laughter back to it.
Most of the summer was a blur of volleyball camps and lessons for Jordie as well as trips to the lake with friends. She attended the University of Nebraska camp which really opened up her eyes to big-time VB. Today begins a week of tryouts for High School so it will be a bit tense around here for a few days. As a sophomore, the hope is to make JV; as a parent, the hope is to just make it… period!
Nicky is playing football for the first time; the coach sure liked it when he sauntered up. He has grown over 3 inches this year and is tipping the scales like he’s been corn-fed. The issue however is not size, it’s aggression. He has none. Think “Gentle Giant”… that will be him. After the first full practice in pads and helmets the poor kid came home with some other kid’s jersey emblem embedded in his arm, that’s how hard he got hit. When I asked him how he was, all he said was, “I’ve got to get down lower Mom”. I hope not “stretcher” low… my old heart can’t take this! He did however take first place in the Skeet Shooting Finals at a 3 day camp he attended. I’m not quite sure what I should be hoping for here… gun accuracy or the ability to pulsate people. God knew what he was doing when he gave my Mom all girls; she would never have made it through the “boy years” and I’m not too sure I’m cut out for them either.
Mikey went back to work for B&V last winter, his travel is way down and we are all so much happier. (Well everyone but that “other” family I was convinced he had in New Orleans!) He’s all ours again with just the “right amount” of travel sprinkled in. One of his jobs is in Hawaii… so we don’t feel too sorry for him when he has to go although he whines about it pretty bad. I suspect that’s for our benefit, like we’re really buying it!
One of the highlights of our summer was the new addition to our family. “Murphy” is a hybrid… half Bichon Frieze, half Yorkshire Terrier. (Remember in the old days when dogs bred outside their breed and we called them “mutts”?) Murph is actually Mom’s dog… we have shared custody of him. When Mom travels, Murphy will come live with us. He is an absolute joy, Mom has just come back alive caring for and playing with him. He’s our newest blessing and we love him. As for Tucker, let’s just say he’s “practicing tolerance”.
As for me, I spent most of the summer building my Real Estate biz. I am under the umbrella of Keller Williams, but I am an independent contractor. I named my business “ChrissyCan” because TC always told me that. She always had incredible faith in my abilities from the time we were little girls. One time before her cancer came back, she, my Dad any I were having lunch together and I was lamenting that I had no idea what I wanted to do now that I was no longer working in Corporate America. It was a scary time for me and TC, having just been through what we thought of at the time as the battle of her life, basically dismissed my doubts. She looked at my Dad, rolled her big blue eyes and said to him… “Chrissy can do anything. Always has, always will”. I wish I could say that was an “immediate” defining moment, but her confidence in me at the time was clearly much higher than my own. It has caught up to me however and I appreciate those words and her undying belief in me more and more each day. Before she died I shared with her my intention to donate 10% of the profits from each transaction to the KU Endowment Fund in her name. Specifically, 100% of these monies are designated to the Kansas Masonic Cancer Research Institute. KMCRI is coordinating the designation plan for the University of Kansas Medical Center and the University of Kansas Hospital to achieve National Cancer Institute (NCI) designation as a Comprehensive Cancer Center. With this designation, Kansas City will join 39 other cities in the United States as home to an elite research, treatment and education center. This goes beyond breast cancer, one of the most highly funded cancers there are. These monies will help every one of us who sadly, the odds say, will be affected by some form of this monster disease.
TC cried and cried when I told her and showed off my new business card which states my donation intention; I will never forget that moment as long as I live. I have 4 closed transactions since January when I started and nothing excites me more than cutting that check to KU. It is my single biggest motivating reason to be successful; TC is proud of me and that’s enough for me.
Just last week we finally snuck a quick family vacation in, we headed to the mountains in Aspen and did all that “good-clean-living” stuff. My “arse” still hurts from our 5 hour trail ride, but not as bad as my heart from pounding. I had a stubborn horse named Tucson who was the horse-version of Tucker. He did what he wanted when he wanted, including stopping to graze on a 14 inch wet and rocky path which offered very little security between it and the canyon thousands of feet below. Between that and Mikey driving us over Independence Pass in a rainstorm, Jordie and I have decided unequivocally that we are “beach gals”. Plant my feet in and on the sand, give me a drink with a little umbrella coming out of it, a good book and sunglasses…voila’… that’s a vacation!
Jordie drove herself to school today for the first time (feel free to fill in your own interpretation of my thoughts on that!), the sound of Nicky’s bus is just a faint memory already, I just drained the last cup of coffee out of the pot, and I have a welcomed calm and quiet enveloping me at this moment. I’ve got to hurry up and enjoy it though… school gets out in a mere 4 1/2 hours!
I hope your summer was free of heartache, filled with fun and did not pass by near as quickly as mine. But I know there's fat chance of that last one being the case! At least we've got our memories... for now!
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