January 9, 2012 I've been having so much trouble writing 2012 - the number of times I've had to cross out 2011 is truly appalling.  How long will it take to get straight?

What's the deal with this title? It's a little like "SEX" in that I figured I'd get people looking - but this post, actually, has something to do with the lately-fallen hero. Only a better, more accurate, title would be along the lines of, "Thanks, Greg Mortensen, for my life."

Because if someone really wants to investigate WHY I'm where I am in my life? It can be traced right to Greg Mortensen.

November, or early December 2008. I'm the admissions director at a private school in Charlottesville, pushing papers and dealing with families. I've already told my school I will not be returning for the 2009-2010 school year.  Greg Mortensen is in town for some festival or another and he comes to our school to speak. I go listen, and my life is changed.

Because I went to hear Greg Mortensen, I had the courage to say, "No, thanks," when the director of the middle school asked me if I wanted to be considered for the 7th/8th grade English position. Because I said "no" to that, when Jeremy and I went out for dinner on our 15th wedding anniversary, we could say YES to going sailing. Because we went sailing, I met my friend Wendy Mitman Clarke - and she is the reason I am writing. Because we went sailing, I read Barbara Kingsolver's Animal Vegetable Miracle - in which she does pizza nights.

We do pizza nights now at home. Because we do pizza nights, a friend asked me to be a personal chef for a colleague. Because of that, when someone else asked me what I did, I answered, "personal chef."

Because I figured out that I wanted to write and be a personal chef, my back got better and I wanted to exercise, leading me to Beachbody and THAT new business of mine.

Some people read "Give a Moose a Muffin". Me? I just go listen to Greg Mortensen speak.

Have a good day, everyone!

Nica