My proudest moment as a kid: Finally earning my fitness badge!

I loved P.E. class as a kid, even more than recess. While both meant we could go outside and play, I liked P.E.  much more because it required everyone to play together.

That was cool.

Because recess usually left me adrift, watching the other kids swim to their islands of friends, where they played games I wasn’t invited to join. But P.E. class not only let me in on all the action, there I suddenly became popular, even a bit cool!

No longer the girl who was always saying the wrong thing and wearing the wrong clothes, I was now the girl everyone wanted on their team because I could run fast and was good at throwing, kicking and hitting balls.

But perhaps the coolest thing about P.E. is not how it made me feel like I finally belonged with the other kids, but how one teacher made me feel. My proudest moment as a kid was in P.E., and I think now it was all due to the kindness of a teacher who knew how much I wanted to earn my Presidential Physical Fitness Award badge.

Every year I tried, and every year I failed because of one darn thing, the pull-up, while everything else I completed nearly effortlessly:

Cardiovascular: You had to run a certain distance within a certain time. Done, super easy for me.

Flexibility: With your legs in a V, you had to reach your arms a certain length. Done, easy for me.

Core strength: You had to do a certain amount of sit-ups within a certain amount of time. Done, pretty easy for me.

Upper-body strength:  As a girl, I only had to complete just one pull-up, but I never could. So every year, I did everything but the pull-up. And every year, I didn't get my badge.

Until one year, my P.E. teacher told me the rules had changed: Girls could push off with their foot at the beginning, then pull themselves up the rest of the way. Done! Finally, I earned my badge.

Only now do I realize that it’s very likely the rules hadn’t changed at all. That my teacher just felt sorry for me and thought of a way that he could give me my badge, yet still have me feel like I earned it. And if that is true, that’s even cooler.

Because that never occurred to me at the time. I was just so dang happy to get my badge, and was convinced for decades that I earned it fair and square.

That was super cool.

My gratitude journal: “I’m grateful for coffee. Lust for coffee gets me out of bed every morning”

I recently found a “gratitude journal” I started keeping after I graduated college and began looking for a job. 

Yep, that was cool.

And the entry below is nearly three years later, after I landed my first professional newspaper job in Vallejo, Calif. I wrote not only that I was grateful for coffee and books, but how I went on a mini-adventure to San Francisco and realized I wanted to pursue a career as a reporter, a profession I’ve since loved for more than 20 years, because I wanted to: “Meet people, to learn, see and write about life.”

Later I even used the word “cool!”

Tuesday, September 14, 1999

1. I am grateful I decided to get up and go on the ferry to SF, saw the farmers market, walked through Chinatown and Union Square, and to Starbucks, read the paper and just escaped; realized what I wanted to do, to be — To meet people, to learn, see and write about life.

2. I’m grateful for the yummy food in the house, that I treated myself to brie to put on bread for breakfast and on crackers at night.

3. I’m grateful for coffee. Lust for coffee gets me out of bed every morning, without fail. It’s a love I never tire of. It’s still the same, the excitement over the first sip!*

4. I’m grateful for books on tape, for the idea, and of books in general. For lovely walks by the ocean, listening to my stories. I don’t feel quite so lonely, and I don’t have to deal with the damn commercials.

5. I’m grateful for my car, the 3/4 of a tank, and that Chris washed it yesterday. We found the self-serve place, he told me to drive in, he hopped out and scrubbed it down. Cool.

*As of November 2022, more than 23 years later, I can report I still feel exactly the same about coffee: Lust for it STILL gets me out of bed every morning, without fail.

My Grandmother’s Journals: November, 1997

Grandma in Crete in 1997.

In tiny notebooks, my grandmother wrote each day when she woke, where she ate breakfast, any movie she went to see, any mail and calls she received, then what she read and watched on TV before bed.

 

In 1997, she turned 82 while living alone in a mobile home park in Santa Cruz, Calif., but I wouldn't describe her as lonely. She was an extremely independent and persnickety woman whom I never knew to live with another person or even a pet. 

(I wrote more about her life in an earlier post.)
 

Close to her home was the famous surfing spot called Pleasure Point. Nearly every day she walked to the cliffs above the ocean, checking out the waves and seeing if anyone was surfing. When she died at 97 in 2013, I took her ashes to those waves with one of her friends, and we each dropped some ashes at the sand. A moment after I dropped mine, a surfer emerged from the water where I stood.  

That was cool. 

 

 

In November of 1997, she was still reading and watching many things about Princess Diana, while of course keeping up with football and tennis. That year we didn't have Thanksgiving together, because I had started a newspaper job and was working on the holiday.

October entries.

Saturday, Nov. 1, 1997

Awake 7, tea, etc.

To library, got People, Time.

Got cake, coffee.

To show, “Sunday.” Man after asked, unresolved. Differed as to who will kill whom!

TV: Stargate, Sleepwalkers.

Sunday, Nov. 2, 1997

Walked on cliff. High tide, new wall awash.

To Drug Emporium, got candy. BP out of order.

TV: Football, tennis.

Hot. Slept 1 hour, no breeze.

To Kinkos, pix for Mina $1.97, envelope .21.

TV: X-Files, boring.

 

Monday, Nov. 3, 1997

Awake 5:30, up 6:30.

To Laundromat, ate McDonald’s.

Home, ironed clothes.

Cloudy, humid.

Read, wrote Mina.

Walked on cliff, waves.

Garbage picked up between 1:30 and 3:30.

Dinner: Eggs and toast.

TV: X-Files. 

 

Tuesday, Nov. 4, 1997

Awake 7. Tea, cereal.

Longs, BP, watch battery.

Bank, gave lady the online ad.

Ross, gift for Mina: salt & pepper shakers, Xmas cards, barrettes.

Got gas at Kmart.

To library, returned magazines. Cake! good.

Ate chicken at McDonald’s. Was that same person getting ticketed??

Home, called Dave. May get bathroom this week.

TV: News, Silent Witness, X-Files, Frasier, TNG.

Wednesday, Nov. 5, 1997

Up 7. Tea, cereal. Walked cliff.

To mall, looked for earrings, clips for hair.

To Ross, returned hair barrettes. Got $3.88 credit.

To coffee, that woman still there. Mrs. Motor Mouth.

Home, news, read papers.

 

Thursday, Nov. 6, 1997

Call received 8 a.m.

To Post Office, no U.S. Savings.

To bank, U.S. Savings.

To Goodyear, oil change, wheel alignment.

To show, “The Fairy Tale.” O’Toole is Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Bit of rain.

Got Chicken san at BK.

Home 5:15.

TV: Frasier, X-Files, Lewis & Clark  

 

Friday, Nov. 7, 1997

Awake 5, back to sleep. Up 7:30.

To Toyota, clutch parts not there, tomorrow. Cost over $600.

Ate Burger King. 

Walked on cliff.

Home 10:30, Gerry Spence on Ronn’s program, wrote “O.J., the last word.”

Stimson called, left word.

TV: X-Files, ran tapes.

Saturday, Nov. 8, 1997

Longs BP, high. Got asparagus.

To show, “Fast, Cheap and Out of Control.” Only six women.

To library, got another Time magazine.

To Kmart, got chicken sandwich, etc.

Called Stimson.

Walked on cliff. Got donut.

TV: Ran Diana’s funeral, X-Files, “Henry's Problem?” with Harrison Ford.

[I think she’s referring to “Regarding Henry”]

 

Sunday, Nov. 9, 1997 

To Toyota. Bearing is back ordered. Nuts.

Home, washed some. Cleaned kitchen.

Read papers, some football.

3 p.m. skating, M. Kwan 1, Tara L. 3rd.

60 Mins, X-Files.

Monday, Nov. 10, 1997

Awake 5:45 a.m. Tea, cereal.

Walked on cliff.

Dentist. Claudia, X-ray on #20. Paid $101.

Home, Larry helped me fix drain.

To Live Oak for dinner.

Football, 49ers over Eagles, 24-12.

X-Files, Cybill.

 

Tuesday, Nov. 11, 1997

Forgot holiday.

Awake 5, then 8.

Tea, orange, cereal.

Assistant manager talking to Freda a long time.

Dave called, just missed him.

Longs BP, McDonald’s coffee.

Home, walked cliff. No work, wet from rain.

Dave came by, 9:30 if no rain.

 

Wednesday, Nov. 12, 1997

Awake 3, up 6. Tea, cereal, some work.

Home same time TLC arriving with 3 men: Scott, Joe (no English) and Dave.

Worked til 12:30, paid $11.50.

Joe fixed floor at toilet, said shower OK.

Scott fell off ladder around 11:45, hurt wrist.

To BK, chicken sandwich.

To Toyota, bearing in.

Some TV, bed 9 p.m. Slept good.

 

Thursday, Nov. 13, 1997

Awake 1 a.m., then 6.

Shower/hair. Walked cliff.

High surf, no surfers.

Longs, BP.

Kmart, turkey sandwich. BP.

Called Lou at Toyota.

No movie,  slept til 4.

4 p.m. news, Hwy 80 sinking?

TV: Frasier, X-Files, Mystery

Friday, Nov. 14, 1997

Up 7, Toyota 8 a.m.

To Lyon’s for breakfast. Senior discount 10% but gave me 20%! Mistake?

To show, “Jackal.” Crowded, not great! Talked to man.

Home, tuna salad.

TV: Frasier, X-Files, Homicide: Life on the Street.

 

Sunday, Nov. 16, 1997

Up 7, tea cereal.

Raining, high tide. Surf!

Trader Joe’s, Kinkos, gasoline, post office.

Walked cliff. Fire dept, ambulances, ranger patrol, lifeguards: surfers hurt on rocks.

Home 11:15, changed wet clothes. Tea, heat.

Football: Denver vs. KC, exciting close. 1 point then FG by Denver, 10 seconds left. KC gets field goal.

TV: Siskel & Ebert, 60 Mins (Eastwood), ST Voyager, X-Files.

 

Tuesday, Nov. 18, 1997

Awake 7. Tea, cereal.

Longs, BP, paper. Laundromat.

Mall: Radio Shack, Mervyn’s, Palace Office Supply, Thrifty.

Tired, home.

No show again!

Worked on words from Tribute to Diana by Charlie Spencer, taped “The Princess and the Press,” and English documentary.

Bed, couldn’t sleep. Got clothes ready for thrift shop.

 

Wednesday, Nov. 19, 1997

Tea, etc.

Longs, BP. Home, forgot purse!!

To town, Rebecca’s Muffins, thrift store.

Library, read about Heart, also mutual funds.

Left in time to make 1:20 film, but near home, decided no again.

Home, typed Diana’s tribute til 4 p.m.

TV: Frasier, Law &  Order.

Took chocolate.

Thursday, Nov. 20, 1997

Sun out.

To mall, looked, no buy.

Walked cliff, home.

Woman in Larry’s place? His lawyer, cleaning out place. He in hospital with heart problems. 

To show, "Starship Troopers." Many special effects, but makes war glamorous.

Ate Erik’s Deli. Soup, pie!

Home, wrote Justine, Mina.

TV: Frasier, X-Files, Mystery.

 

Friday, Nov. 21, 1997

Awake 7:30. Finished letter to Mina.

To Longs, BP. Got food.

To Gottschalk’s got 3 sweaters.

PO, mailed letter to Mina, Justine.

To Kmart, ate turkey dinner. $4.21

Home, ladies still working here.

To see Larry, room 2232. He wanted hug.

TV: Watched Rosie O’Donnell w/ Barbra Streisand, X-Files.

Saturday, Nov. 22, 1997

Awake 5 a.m. Up after tea, cereal.

Finished crossword puzzle.

Walked on cliff, nice day.

To Albertsons for fruit, veg.

To mall, Lily there, talked some. 

Sears, got 2 ribbons for typewriter. Gottschalk's, got black top, 10% off.

To Toyota, checked clutch. OK, matter of learning.

TV: News; “Backdraft,” 3 hours; X-Files.

 

Sunday, Nov. 23, 1997 

Tea, cereal.

Cleaned kitchen, bathroom.

Walked.

Swept, cleaned brown closet, took out bread from oven. 

Watched part of Dallas vs. Packers. Dallas lost, Sanders intercepted, touchdown.

To Longs, got envelopes, trail mix.

To show, “Seven Years in Tibet,” some good.

TV: Siskel &Ebert, 60 Mins.

Taped “Legends of the Fall.” Not “great.”

Monday, Nov. 24, 1997

Up 8:30. Clock set wrong. Up 6:30.

Breakfast Burger King.

Got paper, wrote Sally and Joan.

NFL: Denver 31, Raiders 3.

TV: Poirot, Frasier, X-Files.

Larry home, saw him walking.

 

Tuesday, Nov. 25, 1997 

Up after tea, cereal.

Some yard work.

To show, “Garden of Good and Evil.” Enjoyed. Music good, as all Eastwood.

Drug Emporium, candy.

TV: News, Frost, X-Files, Frasier (taped).

Heavy rain, thunder, lightning.

Drank hot milk.

Wednesday, Nov. 26, 1997

Electricity off in night.

Awake 6ish, then 9.

To senior center, got persimmon.

Walked on cliff.

BP high, ate Hershey last night.

Ran Frasier tape.

Reconciled girls’ money, made new recap to send.

Taped PBS program of Vaudeville

Rained hard in night.

Slept good.

 

Thursday, Nov. 27, 1997

Awake 7, dozed til 9.

Got clothes ready for washing, etc.

Looked for paper, out at Longs, Kmart, got one at Taco Bell.

Got coffee at McDonald’s.

Boston Market for dinner.

Laundromat til 5:05 p.m.

TV: X-Files, Tennessee over Dallas, Detroit 55, Bears 20.

 

Friday, Nov. 28, 1997

Balanced checkbook, statement off by Visa payment. Called Visa, “Nicole.” Deducted OK, verified with bank by fone.

Awake 7:30. Sun out.

To San Jose, no hiway problems.

To Tin Tin Market, no black Tuocha tea.

To Wendy’s, chicken san.

Accident on 17 after summit, slow from Los Gatos.

Tennis: Sampras defaulted, pulled a muscle.

Sewed bra.

TV: Frasier, X-Files, Mystery (saw). 

 

Saturday, Nov. 29, 1997

Tea, cereal. 

Wore red pants, rain forecast.

To show at 12:15, “Kiss The Girls.” Morgan Freeman, good.

To library, got two books on tea.

Home, ate salad, pie. 

Sewed curtains, bra.

Letter from Prudy. Almost same as previous.

 

Sunday, Nov. 30, 1997

Read papers, football.

To Kmart, lunch/dinner.

Crossword, read tea book.

Justine here, going to see “Alien.”

Must write Prudy tomorrow.

Ants in bathroom, rain sends them in.