Curling Life

I started a hobby a couple years ago, and it has since become a pretty big part of my life. After this weekend, it seems pretty fitting that I finally blog about it.

I spent the past weekend in Seattle at the Granite Curling Club competing in a regional bonspiel. Because, in case you didn't know, I curl. This particular bonspiel is known as the MoPac 5-Under, because everyone there has been curling for 5 or fewer years. We did better than even we expected, winning 2 out of the 4 games we played. Overall, we were pretty proud of ourselves. My team was the youngest team (by collective experience level) at the competition, and we played some pretty tough teams. Individually, I played the best games I probably ever have, making some shots I rarely make, and gaining consistency that typically eludes me. I love being able to make visible progress.

Additionally, some of the best people ever are curlers. I am so grateful to have found some awesome friends in my local curling family. Plus the many curlers I've met at the bonspiels. It never ceases to amaze me how friendly they are! If you want to meet new people, a curling league is a pretty accepting place. Thankful for these awesome friends who made it a wonderful weekend.

Since becoming a curler, this has been a great party conversation, or random fact I use when getting to know people. But invariably, people always ask the same few questions... so without further ado... some frequently asked questions:

• What is curling?
  
  For the best, basic overview, check out this informative, entertaining, short video:
• Curling? Like on ice?Yes. We curl on ice. I curl at the Utah Olympic Oval, and we share our ice with figure skaters and speed skaters (not at the same time, of course). We prep the ice a little differently for curling, but you can read more here about why curling ice is different.
• Are you one of those sweepers or do you throw the stone?Yes and no. Each player on the team throws two stones. So, we all get a chance at that. Most players also sweep when they aren't throwing. I typically play front end, meaning I either throw the first or second set of two stones. Then I sweep the other 6. 
• How did you get into curling?
  This is quite the random story, but the short version is, I saw a sign for classes when I was at the Oval to watch the 2014 Olympic Speed Skating Trials (which will be coming back to Utah later this year...). I convinced my family to come with me to try it out.
  
  I wasn't horrible (which is not always the case with me and athletic pursuits). So a while later when I needed a new hobby to really dive into, I decided to make it curling. And here we are two years later.
• Do you need special shoes?Define "need." Technically, you do not need special shoes to curl. Any rubber-soled athletic shoes will grip the ice well enough to play. We have step-on sliders available as well for delivery. That being said, your game improves a lot with the correct gear. I only recently invested in curling shoes (see below) and it has been amazing how much better I deliver the stone. I have more control and I can slide much further. I'm still working on feeling stable walking on ice in shoes that have a sole made of Teflon, but I'm getting better.
  
• Do you have your own stones?
  No. No one does. The stones are owned by the curling club. Curling stones are made of a particular type of granite and come from one of two quarries in the world. So, a full set of 16 stones, brand new can run about $30K so it's not an individual investment.
• How can I try it?
  Come take a basic lesson! I am one of the curling instructors at the Oval, and our learn-to-curl classes are affordable, fun, and friendly. For the summer they are on Tuesday evenings, but you can register and check out the schedule online.

6. Read 30 new books

A report on one of my items from my 30-before-30 bucket list.

Guys. I know I am not pre-30 anymore. In fact, I am fast approaching 32, but I was reviewing some of my 30 before 30 goals that I didn't finish and decided to renew some of them for a 2017 kind of bucket list of sorts. More to come on that...

It also just so happens that I have really been thinking a lot about a portion of a book I just finished which turned out to be my 30th book since I set this goal! (I know... I stopped reading regularly for nearly a year. It was not good). So... another goal complete... Plus some insight into choice in our lives:

I've been thinking a lot about the idea of what we "should" do, or where my life "should" be right now, because in some ways it's not where I want it to be. But the truth of the matter is, there is no "should." Because what is happening right now in each of our lives is exactly what "should" be happening purely because it is happening. I know that's all ridiculous philosophical ideas, but it has been so helpful for me to remember this.

From a religious perspective, I loved this blog post: "You're Not Messing Up God's Plan for You"

Now from the book:

"It doesn't matter if we don't mean to do the things we do. It doesn't matter if it was an accident or a mistake. It doesn't even matter if we think this is all up to fate. Because regardless of our destiny, we still have to answer for our actions. We make choices, big and small, every day of our lives, and those choices have consequences. We have to face those consequences head-on, for better or worse. We don’t get to erase them just by saying we didn’t mean to. Fate or not, our lives are still the results of our choices. I’m starting to think that when we don’t own them, we don’t own ourselves."

Taylor Jenkins Reid, Maybe in Another Life

So, here's to owning my choices and using them to create the consequences I want. To truly own my life.

Note: If you're interested in seeing all 30 books on my list, or any other books I've read, check out my Goodreads profile.

Autumn Changes

Sometimes you get to a point in your life where everything is perfect. Job, good. House, good. Car, good. People, good. For a little while, it's like a machine perfectly purring away as you go through each day. It is a beautiful thing. Maybe that's why I haven't blogged lately. Life has been so great in so many ways that I've been simply enjoying it instead of documenting it. And I love that. So, suffice it to say, that my summer was extremely wonderful. Fun trips, hikes, family, friends, and more. It was truly a perfect summer.

In this blissful state, joy is easy to find. Until it isn't. Throw in a layoff, a breakup, a car that doesn't pass safety inspections, and the machine begins to sputter. That's my life now as we move into fall. The change of seasons seems to be bringing a lot of change my way.

In this struggling state, joy has to become an active choice, rather than an easy pastime. As I listened to General Conference this past weekend, that is what stood out to me, particularly with Elder Nelson's talk which centered on finding joy in difficult times.

I think this aspect of choosing joy hinges on hope. Hope and trust in God's plan and His timing. So, here's hoping for goodness coming my way through all these changes.

Note: I already have a great offer for a new job I'm super excited for, and I truly believe that there are wonderful things that lie ahead. For me, and all of you too!

Courage to be Kind

I  had a super random experience the other night, and I've been thinking about it a ton. It was about midnight and I was at my friend's house, sitting outside on the curb just chatting before I got in my car to head home. Then this random guy comes walking up the street. It's dark so we can't see him well at all, but he stops and asks us if we know where LDS Hospital is. Of course he's way off, so we try to explain to him how to get there. However, there really is no easy way because of City Creek Canyon. Trying to just explain it becomes really hard to understand, so he asks if we have a smart phone so he can at least see a map. The whole time I'm wondering why this guy needs to go there so late, as he seems healthy and visiting hours are over. So as I'm getting my phone out of the car I ask him why he needs to go to the hospital so late, and he says, "Oh, I'm just having a baby." So I'm like, "What?! Get in the car, we'll just take you there!" So we drive this random guy to the hospital.

If you read this story and thought, "Lacey, you are crazy for giving this guy a ride, he could have killed you," you would not be alone. In fact, that was running through my mind the entire time. I kept thinking about how he could totally be lying, or high, or wanting money, or a serial killer or a myriad of other issues (I watch a lot of Criminal Minds so my imagination was not lacking here).

But at the same time, I balanced that fear with the idea of him missing the birth of his child because he had to walk 45+ minutes to the hospital. A drive that was less than 10 for us. He was really in a pickle. His wife had taken their only car to the hospital, and he had just finished working a 12 hour shift. Someone had told him incorrect directions to the hospital, and his smart phone had died. It was definitely the perfect storm for him. So I took a chance, did what I felt was right, and showed some compassion.

Given the recent happenings in our country, and around the globe, it is no question that we live in a dangerous world. There are so many things to be fearful of. Sometimes it seems that we can't trust anyone. We have to have courage to be kind. Like, real, true courage, to step outside our comfort zone and take a real risk. It makes me so sad that this is what our world has become. That strangers are immediately enemies before we even know anything about them. Wouldn't it be great if we looked at strangers as friends we haven't met yet? If we took opportunities to connect with strangers? I think these ideas of connection are the purpose of life, and I want to make a better effort to connect, even if only briefly, with the strangers in my life.

The whole ride to the hospital, I hear all about his family. His life is very different than mine. I hear about his three older boys and his excitement to find out the gender of the new baby. He asks our names, and then says, "we have a boy name picked out, but not a girl name, yet. Lacey might be a good choice." He then thanks us for the ride and goes in to be there for his new kid. I'll likely never know how it all turned out, but I was so impacted by this opportunity to lend a hand to a stranger in the middle of the night, and connect with another person just trying to get through life like me.