She's as SMART as Tennessee Whisky

Before I was of a legal drinking age, I learned that I was allergic to alcohol.

I did not need to drink a lot to become tipsy or experience symptoms such as lethargy and headache (which I thought was drunkenness) and occasionally shortness of breath and hives all over my abdomen and back in the morning.

Of course I did not like feeling this way, so I've chosen either to not drink or maybe just have 1 of something.

This past week I was in Nashville and told my husband I'd need to taste some Tennessee whisky.....just a little.  

We had a dinner function and there was free alcohol.  Score!  (I didn't want to pay for a few sips especially since I knew I would have less than a shot.)

I picked up a glass of whisky on ice.  One tiny sip and my throat was on 🔥. 😂

Then I met some newfound Illinois friends and they said there was a whisky tasting bar.  I went to check it out and grabbed a Belle Meade and Gentleman Jack.  I took a few sips of those too.

By the end of the function, I realized I drank everything 😳 and felt nothing.  NOTHING.  What in the world? 🤔

I went to talk to the bar folks to ask why. The lady asked me if I had a sulfite allergy and proceeded to tell me that drinks like wine have a high sugar content and goes straight to the bloodstream.  Wine also has sulfites.  Whisky has no sulfites because of its aging process.

Curious, I returned to my room and started to research sulfites and learned that sulfite reactions normally affect breathing, but some people with sensitivity have skin reactions, such as hives, or digestive problems, such as abdominal pain or diarrhea. Some individuals experience a mixture of symptoms, including respiratory, skin, and digestive reactions.

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I also learned that it impacts 70% of people who have asthma.

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...and Sulfites naturally occur in food and are also an additive.

Baked goods, cereal, crackers, glazed fruits, processed potatoes (such as frozen French fries), snack foods, biscuits, bread, pies, pizza dough.  These are items I've found to upset my stomach and make me very bloated very quicky.

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I think I'm on to something and will continue my research.

Who knew that alcohol could teach us lessons that have nothing to do with puking and doing stupid things while drunk!  

We can learn from many sources and in many different ways.

Thar she goes

Flying a red-eye to DC and having no sleep is apparently no joke when you're 46.

I had plans to explore the city each day after the Head Start conference finished but found myself in bed by 6pm and up again from 10pm-2am.

Finally on Thursday, I departed Hawaiʻi on Sunday night, I took advantage of our 12:30pm end time to catch a tour of the Capitol and Library of Congress - also passed the courthouse where 45 was to arrive.  I felt good, I even enjoyed dinner with Head Start Region 11 T&TA folks.

I packed my bags, brought out my laptop and book from the Library of Congress to read to Kilohana (I'm a YouTuber 😂), took a shower.....then ended up on calls with colleagues from Hawaiʻi until 1:30am.

I obviously fell asleep and did not set my alarm.  I knew something was wrong when I woke on my own.  

OMG it's 7:26am!!!  Flight leaves at 8:26.  

Immediately thought of Tamika's call when she fell asleep and missed her shuttle.

No brushing teeth, throw in bag, zip luggage, look around, grab purse, grab laptop bag, run down stairs, bypass check out, what 7 min until shuttle arrives?, run back in and check out, rush out to shuttle, not here, why is my bag light, omg no laptop, ask front desk for new key, rush back upstairs, grab laptop and find book!!!, run back down, get on shuttle, rush to check in, where is it?, security assists, 3rd floor, too late for check in (7:50am), agent books another flight because she can't get my luggage on and we can't fly separate, call husband (2am) to alert him, text daughter, she calls, I sit and talk until her phone dies shortly after, walk through TSA, call husband, sit and breathe deeply.

OMG, I need a HUGE coffee.

Three hours later, I am now sitting to reflect.  What a hot mess!!!!!!  

In the midst of this experience, I was pissed that I woke up late, irritated that the shuttle wasnʻt there waiting for me, irritated that I didnʻt know how to check out, annoyed that there were so many people waiting for the shuttle with so many bags, annoyed that they dropped me off at the baggage claim and not the check in, frustrated that Delta and American did not have their check ins at the same spot, irritated that my luggage and self could not travel separately, and mad I brought a check in bag because I COULD have made the flight if I brought a stupid carry on.

I also felt gratitude.  Thankful for the free shuttle, thankful for the kind, accommodating, and quick front desk employee, thankful I found my laptop...and book!, thankful for the brief nice conversation with my seat mate on the way to the airport, thankful for the security who saw my struggle / lost / panicked face and told me American was on the 3rd floor, thankful that the American agent booked me to still get home tonight, thankful for my TSA pre-check, thankful that Sean and Tamika answered their phones, and thankful that I have an opportunity to decompress and RELAX.

At any moment I could have flipped my shit and started spewing all of my emotions on innocent people around me when the problem was mine alone - and I knew this.

This past week, so many states shared that, in light of the current political climate, they cannot speak certain words.  One of our activities was dialoguing about other words for Social Emotional Learning, Mental Health, and Developmentally Appropriate Practices - all words and ideas that are banned in certain states and have gotten people fired from their jobs.

All I know is because I had the skills to reflect in the midst of my crisis, to know that while I felt irritated and upset that the problem was mine and no one elseʻs, and that I cared for people I did not know - I processed my thinking, feelings, and behavior in a productive manner.

We ALL need to learn and practice these skills.  

Who knows when weʻll encounter an unexpected experience that will require these capabilities.

So here I am, grateful to be at the airport for the last 3 hours, thankful to now be making 2 stops in junk middle seats, grateful that Iʻll be getting home later than expected but still today, and thankful for my family who will pick me up even though it will be inconvenient.

P.S. PLEASE let me win the Mega Bucks! 😀

P.P.S. The thought of "PAGING PASSENGER YUUKO ARIKAWA-CROSS for AMERICAN FLIGHT XXX, YUUKO ARIKAWA-CROSS for AMERICAN FLIGHT XXX" is mortifying.  #darcy

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"Broadly speaking, social and emotional learning (SEL) refers to the process through which individuals learn and apply a set of social, emotional, and related skills, attitudes, behaviors, and values that help direct students. This includes thoughts, feelings, and actions in ways that enable them to succeed in school." (https://www.nu.edu/blog/social-emotional-learning-sel-why-it-matters-for-educators/)

Interventions lead to sweet results

I FINALLY "hatched" twin dragon babies!

After their white elaborate flowers briefly burst open, I believed they would wilt with their bottom core turning yellow, become soggy and fall off, like the numerous ones before them. 

Not these two, who are amongst a cohort of 30+ flowers weʻve had this season - a record!!

(*Notice that out of all those flowers, only 2 fruit, but Iʻm grateful.)

Their two green egg-like nubs with pointed leafy ends held on.  Each of these past 30 days or so, Iʻd cautiously and optimistically check to see if they were still attached and YES THEY WERE!

One evening while putting the hens away, I noticed wretched garden snails munching on them.  I flung those suckers as hard as I could into our hollow tile garden wall - similar to throwing a runner out from third to first - a position I once played.  I should have been kinder and thrown them away.

I encased these two in netted bags, wrapped so carefully to not break them off, and also conscious enough so each could get their fill of sun and water while being protected.

One day I began to see a shade of fuchsia appear (my favorite color) and it slowly crept until it chased out the green.

Imperfect sides

Imperfect points of their once were leaves

....and the most appreciated and divine slivers the 6 of us could ever share

Perfect

Who amongst us are snails and who are the interveners working towards a sweet reward?

P.S.

I googled to discover what their "leaves" are called and itʻs a bract.

Push the Button

As the Director of the Executive Office on Early Learning, I was invited to attend the signing of HB986 HD1 SD2 which requires diagnostic audiologic evaluation results of newborn hearing screening evaluations, or infants whose hearing status changes, to be provided to the Department of Health and HB987 HD1 SD1 which amends the hearing and vision program statute to increase the early identification of children with hearing or vision loss, by establishing consistent protocols for hearing and screening and follow-up, screener training, and data collection for quality improvement.

Seeing a child with his mother, and meeting other parents, grounded me (again) in knowing that our work - and the pace at which we work - impacts children and families.

Now to the picture.

This was the first time I participated in such an event. I've barely watched a few of these in the past on tv or Facebook live. So now it was my turn to be a part of a team who championed a cause - even though I've only been on the job for 32 work days.

I worried about what to wear, where to park, if my shirt would be speckled from the rain, whom else would be there, if media might be aroundI'll 39 and ask me questions I do not have the answers for yet, and so on.  

I wanted to leave the office at 9:45 to give myself ample time to park and check in prior to 10:15. But, I left at 9:55, there was some traffic, I plugged in the Capitol rather than the parking lot for the Capitol and ugh......you know the feeling???

I pulled into the driveway, saw some 'No Public Parking' signs around the driveway and then ran into this - a closed gate. What the heck, I've never seen the gate closed before. Why didn't they say there's no parking? (A quick glance across the street and you can see there is some sort of construction going on.)

OMG - now I'm late! I reversed and went to pay for parking at the Department of Health (rather than using my pass someplace else because I don't know where those places are in relation to the Capitol) and ran across the street - hoping not to sweat, mess up my hair, or get speckles on my shirt from the drizzle.

I got into an elevator with a man who was coming up from the underground floor - the parking garage. I asked, "Did you park in the garage?" He says, "Yes." I then question whether the gate was closed when he approached and he said it was. I then asked how he got in. He said, "I pushed the button."

"I pushed the button."

Why didn't I do that? I didn't even know there was a button to press. I didn't even drive up to the gate. I looked, reversed, and moved away. I was in a different state of mind, not a thinking mind, which caused me to assume and take an alternate route.  

How many other assumptions occur in my work and life? Is the gate really closed and locked and not open to the public or do I need to approach and push the button?  

PUSH. THE. BUTTON.

I was so upset that I didn't approach the gate that I swung around after the ceremony to go and try it out for myself. I learned that you also need to press a button to exit. No sound, no voice, no person, just a brief wait.

And by the way, after seeing the little boy and his mom - I really didn't care about what I looked like because what I look like does not matter to the health and wellbeing of children, my work does.

Boats on Sidewalks

• Is this excessive?  
• Should this be standard?  
• Who came up with this idea?  
• From where did they draw their inspiration?
• Was this a leader with a vision?
• Was this a brave person who floated their idea to a willing listener?
• How is it funded?
• Who maintains this?

Well, I LOVE this gorgeous boat filled with flora, fauna, and a water feature that takes up half of a very wide sidewalk.  To see the greenery and hear the water in the midst of a bustling downtown city brought calm in a typically overstimulating environment.

How can we bring biophilia into atypical environments?