My Trip To CAVA In Belle Meade TN

Last week we traveled from Cincinnati, OH to Memphis, TN for Session 4 of EYBL. I knew that there were CAVA locations on the way to Memphis (but not in Memphis) and I was glued to our directions to see if we would be near one.  I discovered CAVA while staying in Addison, Texas for Session 3 of EYBL. I'll post about that in an upcoming blogpost. At one point, during our trip, Tyler asked for food and we got off the exit outside of Nashville. 

I checked for the nearest location and discovered there was a CAVA close by. Now granted CAVA was 20 minutes away and it would add 40 minutes to an hour to our trip, I considered the fact that there is not a location in Ohio, Kentucky or Indiana. Add to that this would be the closest I'd be to a CAVA for awhile.

It was around 7 p.m. and it stated that the store would be closing soon. I rushed inside to place my order and there is no line and no counter. It's giving minimalism vibes. lol Alex and I look around and we realize that we need to download the app and place our order. This location was a Digital Kitchen. I had never heard the term before. I kinda panicked, thinking that I wouldn't get my order placed in time. I couldn't have come this far and not leave with an order of pita chips. 

I ordered a Crispy Falafel Pita, two orders of pita chips and a blueberry lemonade drink. Whew!!! We made the deadline. 

After a short while a young lady comes in and like us, she realizes that you have to download the app and place your order. I was happy for her to make the. 8 p.m. deadline. Once my order was placed we leave and we see her about to pull off. She tells us that she had never been to CAVA and because of time constraints she was just going to the grocery store. 

I'm sad that this is her first experience with CAVA and she doesn't get to experience it. I tell her that I ordered two orders of pita chips and I wanted her to have one. She was so sweet in telling me no. Then I share with her that I was traveling from Cincinnati and felt it was only right to share. Guess what she said, "I'm from Cincinnati too!!" Look at God!!!! What is the possibility of two people traveling from Cincinnati and ending up at CAVA in Nashville?  

We smiled and continued talking and. discovered that even our names are similar. See, I didn't go to CAVA just for me last week. ;) 

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And It's Ok | Evolving Takes Werk Podcast

    Has anyone been stagnant? I'm amazed at how I've not completed the podcast. For the season, how I have not been writing or blogging. I have still been creative a little bit Canva and still creating content for clients. However, writing has been hard. Is it a writer’s block? I’ve also had to deal with onset of depression and some disappointing things happening in my life. I can only go so long with saying, “I’m ok.” When clearly I have not been, and you know what? That’s ok. 

    That's ok to be where you are and to feel how you feel. It's ok to reflect on that it's been rough lately but today is good. When you think about practicing gratitude and being present it’s important to be true to how you feel in that moment. Being thankful for what you have, being thankful for what is and is not. And practicing mindfulness, being present in that moment and saying you know what today was good a good day. For instance, right now, I am typing out my blog for this podcast. I’m grateful for creative energy right now. Learn to be fully present daily and in return be thankful that today isn't like it was yesterday or heck, like it was last night. 

    Sidenote, the last two nights have been rough. I’ve not felt like the best version of myself physically and it showed up looking like another stroke. I’m super thankful that it was not and I the opportunity to spend the night in the hospital where so many wonderful people cared for me. For the last 48 hours I had to sit in the space that said, ‘You know what Arlinda? It's OK that you don't feel well and it's OK that you've come to the emergency room. It doesn't make you less than anything to say you I'm not feeling well. 

    The experience that I had was amazing. I met so many nice people. I'm in the hospital taking tests, I'm giving out oils, I'm exchanging phone numbers and we are affirming young black women. Oh my God! They had such beautiful hair and nails. I'm both ill and encouraging, I don't know how that happened, but it did. Because I've suffered a stroke, I think it's important that whenever I feel signs that things are off with me, my thought is, “Oh no! I need to get some help.” That's what I did, and it all worked together for good for me and for the people that I encountered. 

Listen to the rest on "And It's Ok" on Spotify

      

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The Journey Of A Basketball Mom | 7.28.2022

As I sit here and reflect as my younger son, Tyler McKinley, is at the EYBL Session 4 in Kansas City with All Ohio Red 17U I'm in awe of this journey. Not just because of my sons' accomplishments. My older son, Alex McGlothin, began playing when he was kindergarten, he'll be 30 this year. Yes, they are 13 years apart. That's a whole nother post. lol

I am reflecting on how I've been able to withstand the expenses and time dedicated to what they love to do. It may look effortless, it hasn't always felt that way. When they were born, I didn't set out for them to play basketball. I could never have imagined spending a great deal of time in gyms, some with no air in the summer, searching for size 14 and 15 shoes and socks, and wondering how to afford staying in hotels for weekends or sometimes for an entire week. 

With Alex, basketball was the furthest thing from my mind. Though, once Alex began to play, the journey began. It took us places that we had never heard of but loved immediately, Orange Lake Resort and Ron Jon for examples. It became much more than playing on the court, basketball was opening up doors and our eyes to so many new places and things. 

Now, when Tyler was born, he was birthed into travel basketball and high school basketball. Quiet as kept, I didn't want him to play until 7th grade for various reasons. One being, I thought Alex had played way too much. Little did I know that Tyler would play even more, travel more and require more as a basketball player and a current D-1 recruit. There's a scripture that says to whom much is given, much is required. Tyler had been given a lot of training and coaching by his older brother and at some point Alex realized that he needed to find high level trainers and camps for little brother.

I think it says a lot when your brother sees something in you and comes up with a blueprint. That plan has costs all of us some things. For instance attending family and social events, missing church and birthday celebrations. The three of us have had to sacrifice greatly on and for the journey, especially in the beginning. It's one thing to travel within Ohio or event to Indy. It's another thing to travel to Orlando, Memphis or Charlotte for a week. Or!!!!! To drive, to Alabama one weekend, for The Battle of the Magic City Classic, and the next weekend to St. Louis, for the Coach T Classic. 

The day would go like this. Go to school and work. After work grab our luggage, get in the car and drive. There might be practice or a team meeting once we hit the city. The rest of the weekend was basketball and a long ride home.

On Monday, we were back at school and work. It was also the day for me to balance everything spent for that weekend and make sure bills were paid. Honestly, bills were not always paid. Hey, let's keep it real. The 90s, early 2000s, it was rough. Once Alex went to college it kinda eased up. Kinda, until Tyler started playing. Now, I was back on the road. Fortunately it was a familiar one. 

I think what has made the difference is Alex really taking an active role in Tyler's life. He's like a brother, trainer coach to Tyler. He's been the father figure to Tyler that he wanted when he was younger.

(It's December 7, 2022. In nine days Alex will be 30. Which essentially means that I have been a basketball mom for about 20 years or so. While we have had struggles and sacrifices, there has also been a lot of joy on the journey. For that I give thanks.) 

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