The Permission to Kick Ass Blog
Misadventures to Make You Feel Good About Life
I believe in eating your own cooking… most of what I’ve learned about how to live a “fearless life” (in quotes because there’s no such thing – people only THINK I’m fearless) comes from making choices (some of them pretty dumb) and taking action. And I’m sharing what I learned (plus any adventures I have along the way) in my blog.
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Act one: Angie is pouring herself coffee, hears strange noises. Sees Stella in the bedroom, in a life-or-death battle with the rug. “Stop attacking the damn carpet!” Angie shrieks. Stella bolts. End scene. Act two: Angie opens the front door of the Airbnb, to let in more light as is her custom. She peers through the double-paned glass of the…
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It’s time to kick Monday’s ass… I met a llama yesterday. Her name is Figgy: Figgy is a rescue llama, and she helps her caretakers run yoga classes. In fact, Figgy and her llama/alpaca gang are so popular that Netflix just featured them in a show about the best vacation rentals (there’s a cool treehouse cabin next door to the…
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It’s time to kick Monday Tuesday’s ass… This week’s existential pondering: am I too old for bunk beds? (subtext: oof, I hope not) Last week I got to the new Airbnb in ATL, and was blown away by how well laid out it is. There is not an inch of wasted space in this place. The bedroom is tiny, but…
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It’s time to kick Monday’s ass… I have a confession… My name is Angie and I have a bad habit of procrastinating on things. Particularly when it comes to my travels. It goes something like this: I get to town, spend a day or two settling in and unpacking, re-establish my work routine. Before I know it, a week has…
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It’s time to kick Monday’s ass… So there I was in Little Switzerland… This is yesterday afternoon. Let me zoom back out a sec – I had no idea this place existed before I happened upon it. I didn’t set out to find an idyllic fire pit/seating area surrounded by lilies overlooking the mountains, but I found it regardless. With…
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It’s time to kick Monday’s ass… Do you know how to have fun by yourself? I’m not talking about kicking back to watch the new Bo Burnham special (it’s called Inside and also it’s hilarious) and enjoy a few laughs. I’m talking about going out into the big, bad world and doing things you think might be interesting or fun……
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It’s time to kick Monday’s ass… Do you talk yourself out of doing things you want to do? With all the love I possess: stop that shit right now. Before I get into why, I wanna show you something: That, my friend, is an open air salt water hot tub up in the mountains. If you noticed, it’s in a…
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It’s time to kick Monday’s ass… Like a lot of folks, when the pandemic hit, my fitness routine flew right out the damn window. I’d been so diligent before, too – more than two years of going to the gym 4-5 times a week. At one point, I was benching 90 lbs. (impressive for my puny arms) and leg pressing…
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All this week, I’ve had gas anxiety. Not the kind that necessitates you stay near an open window (though that would have been hilarious). For the last week or two, along certain stretches of the East Coast in the United States, there’s been a gas shortage. Technically speaking, there was plenty of gas. But after the Colonial Pipeline shutdown, people…
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It’s time to kick Monday’s ass… What are you saving for someday? For years I had this idea that someday, I’d enjoy a long, indulgent morning routine. We’re talking 2+ hours, full of stretching, coffee, and plenty of staring off into space. Maybe I’d write. Or read. Or sit in the sun and ponder. Someday. Someday when I’d earned the…
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It’s time to kick Monday’s ass… You know, you learn a lot about what you need (and don’t need) when you’re on a year-plus road trip. When I set out on this journey, I thought I had the essentials… Toothbrush and face wash? Check . Laptop and podcast stuff? Check. Underoos? Check. Cat and all her feline accoutrements? Check and…
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It’s time to kick Monday’s ass… I’m thinking of starting a “road journal” where I share stories, pictures, and snarky observations/insights from my travels. Is that something you want to see in this newsletter? Leave a comment and let me know! Now let’s jump straight into this week’s video: Kick Monday’s Ass: Call Your Mom (or Someone You Love)…
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It’s time to kick Monday’s ass… You know the swag you get when you attend an event? I’ve never really thought much about it, beyond sorting it into “can use” and “can’t use” piles. The space in my car is limited, which means stuff I’m not likely to use gets ruthlessly culled and donated. The branded stuff I DO take…
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It’s time to kick Monday’s ass… I’ve got a business proposition for you: whoever invents a smart smoke detector that only does that ANNOYINGLY INCESSANT low battery chirp during the daytime will be a freaking millionaire. Can you figure it out? If so, shut up and take my money! FOR EFF’S SAKE, WHY DO THEY ONLY GO OFF AT 3…
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It’s time to kick Monday’s ass… Have you ever tried to make a smoothie? I made my first one on Friday and lemme tell ya… it was an interesting experience. I’d just gotten one of those fancy schmancy personal blenders where the blending cup doubles as a to-go cup with a lid. I couldn’t wait to save money by making…
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Before I started the podcast, I was almost paralyzed by the fear that I’d get haters tearing apart my work. Then I get comments like this on one of my ads and I feel my old troll self coming back out of her cave and enjoying interactions like this a tiny bit too much. Wow this is gonna devolve fast …
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I found another boat… it’s inside the Gaylord Opryland Hotel (which is MASSIVE). Apparently when they opened this, they sent out empty Jack Daniels bottles and collected water from all 50 states and dozens of countries. Wandering 9 acres (?!) of gardens and waterfalls in this gigantic hotel/convention center: I used to think these big convention centers were totally unnecessary…
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Welcome to storytime. It was an ordinary Tuesday in Memphis… not even a major holiday. Around 10:30 pm, I was roused from my typical nightly Netflix binge by a loud shrieking outside. It wasn’t a cat in heat (though the sound was not far off)… it was a drunk girl butchering Bohemian Rhapsody at top volume, in the middle of…
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Exploring the new neighborhood… I’m staying in the same neighborhood as Oprah’s high school y’all. I am DEFINITELY going to be her favorite thing now.
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Fact: I will ALWAYS find grilled cheese restaurants. And I will befriend the staff and be there so often you’ll wonder if I actually live there.
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It’s time to kick Monday’s ass… I have an Easter mystery for you… Yesterday I had a Hello Fresh box delivered to my doorstep. Yay, food! Except… I didn’t order this. It wasn’t addressed to me. The address on the label was correct, but I’m mostly sure my name’s not Lyndsey. Mostly. I had a few options… 1) enjoy the…
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My best sunset pic yet. BEHOLD: the sun sets over a Kroger grocery store. Be honest, this is what you really follow me for.
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Last Memphis adventure before Stella and I head off to Nashville… PHENOM steak dinner at The Majestic Grille with excellent company courtesy of Raven Followed immediately by the hunt for a shower curtain liner to replace the one Stella suddenly decided she needed to conquer. *sigh* this is traveling with a cat, folks.
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First I had to have a picnic, and of course it was another round of Gus’s Fried Chicken: This was beautiful – I really wish the water had been flowing so you could see the awesomeness and get the full effect. It took me about half an hour to walk from the “start” of the scale model Mississippi to the…
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It’s time to kick Monday’s ass… This weekend I found myself on a 3-hour waiting list. The culprit: Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken in Memphis, where I’ve got one week left to cram in as many Memph-ian activities as humanly possible before I move on to the next adventure (Nashville!). (Note: I will not be held responsible for intense cravings…
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Managed to hit up multiple museums plus a foodie legend in one weekend. Here are some snaps from the Stax Museum of American Soul Music: And here’s the Memphis Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum: And then there was the Memphis Music Hall of Fame: And then walking around Beale St + a stop at Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken:
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Power’s out at the Airbnb so I took myself out for dinner and something called a “Memphis Cream Cake”. This is a banana cake with peanut butter frosting, topped with chocolate ganache. It is goooooooodddddd. It was GOOD. Not nearly as sweet as it sounds. Kinda like banana bread in terms of flavor and the frosting/ganache combo was WOW. I…
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It’s time to kick Monday’s ass… Ever find yourself sucked into someone else’s drama, and despite your best intentions… it totally consumes you? Yeah that was me last week, except it was a TV drama… nothing personal. And people were literally being consumed in this drama (The Expanse on Amazon, if you’re curious). What strikes me about the show is…
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It’s been ages since I went out to greet the sunrise. This time I walked all the way to Arkansas and back to do it.
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It’s time to kick Monday’s ass… I want to give you a number. It’s 5. As in 5%. This is fresh in my head as I look at my to-do list and realize that I’ve got a 77k+ word manuscript to edit. Every time I find a few hours in the schedule to sit down and get it done, my…
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Finally got out and about to do some exploring. Wound up eating some sweet potato pancakes at Arcade Restaurant, where Elvis used to eat. I found some funky local shops and picked up some interesting stuff to commemorate my time here. Then I walked to the Civil Rights Museum, at the Lorraine Motel where Dr. King was assassinated. I don’t…
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Lost a little faith in man when I walked out to my car and saw this. Faith restored when I took it to the body shop and the dude did some sort of magic move to pop it back in place (believe me, that was the first thing I tried but he has magic, I swear) and refused to take…
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Day 5 of the Permission to Kick Ass Podcast launch… First, happy Friday and a quick gratitude… for YOU! For everyone who’s listened, liked, shared, or replied to tell me they’re loving the show, and for all the love and support. It’s been an epic, at times hectic experience… but you really made my week, just by being here. You…
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Day 4 of the Permission to Kick Ass Podcast launch… It’s not often you have the chance to train someone and then later work for them. That’s exactly what happened with me and today’s guest, Chris Orzechowski. Once upon a time, when we both worked for one of the biggest names in internet marketing, I wound up training Chris for…
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Day 3 of the Permission to Kick Ass Podcast launch… When I first started coaching newer entrepreneurs, one of my favorite “stopping blocks” was when people would say, “oh but I can’t do THAT, you can’t make a living at it!” Today’s guest, Cathy Hay, is my go-to excuse buster for anyone who says that to me. I’d usually say,…
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Day 2 of the Permission to Kick Ass Podcast launch… So I know it’s kinda early in our relationship, but let’s take this to the next level. Meet my mom, Mary Philio! Today’s episode is a special one, because it’s her birthday, and I’m releasing our recording as a celebration of all she’s taught me throughout the years. Click here…
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It’s time to kick Monday’s ass… It’s finally here… the first official episode of the Permission to Kick Ass podcast! I’m joined by my friend Rachel Mazza, to talk stepping up into new and challenging roles, figuring things out on the fly, and trusting yourself to become even better. Click here to check it out! Don’t forget to subscribe and…
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The Permission to Kick Ass podcast is now live. And it’s got its own special section on the site: Podcast You can listen to episodes there, or through your favorite streaming service!
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Hot “Scotty” at the local Irish pub. This was the right choice. Today’s adventure… A delightful something called “Take Me Back 2 Cali” recommended by the lady on staff. It was a good recommendation Turns out my midday waffle break was right next door to the place where Johnny Cash first performed live.
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I still don’t understand how she reconciles “hates being squirted with the water bottle” with “loves sitting in a just-rinsed sink and getting my ass wet”. Seems to work for her though. Later in the day: I don’t know who you are. I don’t know what you want. If you are looking for ransom I can tell you I don’t…
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It’s time to kick Monday’s ass… T-minus one week until the launch of this podcast, and I gotta admit… I’m a tiny bit overwhelmed. Not to mention occasionally freaking out about OMG WILL THEY LIKE IT?! But I had an interesting realization last week, while my worries about whether folks will like it had me spinning my wheels and resisting…
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Subtitled: “My nuts are poppin’ today!” “dessert near me” A few words typed into Google Maps and that’s how I happened upon Beale Sweets Sugar Shack. I’d just wrapped up lunch and had a hankering for something sweet, so might as well find something in walking distance, right? I look for local places, wherever possible – so this one, not…
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This little place is located walking distance from where I’m staying. It’s called The Beauty Shop restaurant and it actually was a beauty parlor once upon a time. They still have remnants of its past days leftover inside. And apparently this is where Priscilla Presley used to get her hair did. I am way too excited to be eating in…
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I just barely missed the marching of the ducks. I’m gonna catch it at some point though…
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Is my Airbnb haunted? I’ve got a closet door in my bedroom that pops open at random, and it always manages to startle me. I kinda like to imagine it’s haunted… Only this ghost only opens this particular door, for mysterious ghostly reasons. Is it inviting me to Narnia? I like the ghost explanation too – more mystery. Why THIS…
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It’s time to kick Monday’s ass… Hello from sunny-still-snowy Memphis (holla if you’re nearby!). Let’s talk about driving on ice and snow. For most of my friends in the Southern US, that was a new or unfamiliar experience as a hard freeze blew in and took out all of Texas last week. I’d had my trip to Memphis planned for…
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