SWITCHING GEARS
A new year is upon us. All the trappings and trimmings of the holidays have been packed away (maybe), and thoughts have turned to all the things we will and will not do (maybe) in the coming year. In our house, there was no Christmas tree to take down and haul away. We didn’t make the trek to the tree farm to labor over the decision of which conifer was the perfect size, shape and color. We never put one up at all, in fact. Our living room is in a state of semi-chaos, a rather lengthy one resulting from an enduring remodel-in-the-works. So, we made the most of the situation. My daughter Chloe recently turned 13, and part of the celebration of such a momentous occasion was a slumber party, where she and her friends Maya, Clare and Holly painted a Christmas tree on one wall of the living room, complete with decorations and presents underneath. Why not? After all, the wall will eventually be repainted when the remodeling project is complete. Maybe. There’s nothing wrong with shaking up the routine. In this issue, you’ll meet four locals who shook up their own routines, taking big detours from their chosen paths and embarking on new adventures. The payoff, it seems, often far outweighs a little fear and trepidation. We also take a look at some of the projects that have altered our city’s cultural landscape – many that made it better, a few that can’t quite get off the ground and others that hold promise for the future. All things change, and we change with them. And so we arrive at the dawn of a new year, taking stock of what is behind us and what lies ahead. We seek to correct mistakes, but will likely repeat a few, and to undertake new endeavors – large and small – that will make life better for ourselves and those around us. As you embark on your journey, we at Slice wish you peace, love and laughter in the coming year. May your approach be unique and your confidence unwavering. You never know what’s just around the bend.
A new year is upon us. All the trappings and trimmings of the holidays have
been packed away (maybe), and thoughts have turned to all the things we
will and will not do (maybe) in the coming year.
In our house, there was no Christmas tree to take down and haul away.
We didn’t make the trek to the tree farm to labor over the decision of which
conifer was the perfect size, shape and color. We never put one up at all, in
fact. Our living room is in a state of semi-chaos, a rather lengthy one resulting
from an enduring remodel-in-the-works. So, we made the most of the situation.
My daughter Chloe recently turned 13, and part of the celebration of such
a momentous occasion was a slumber party, where she and her friends Maya,
Clare and Holly painted a Christmas tree on one wall of the living room, complete
with decorations and presents underneath. Why not? After all, the wall
will eventually be repainted when the remodeling project is complete. Maybe.
There’s nothing wrong with shaking up the routine.
In this issue, you’ll meet four locals who shook up their own routines, taking
big detours from their chosen paths and embarking on new adventures.
The payoff, it seems, often far outweighs a little fear and trepidation. We also
take a look at some of the projects that have altered our city’s cultural landscape
– many that made it better, a few that can’t quite get off the ground and others
that hold promise for the future.
All things change, and we change with them. And so we arrive at the dawn
of a new year, taking stock of what is behind us and what lies ahead. We seek to
correct mistakes, but will likely repeat a few, and to undertake new endeavors
– large and small – that will make life better for ourselves and those around us.
As you embark on your journey, we at Slice wish you peace, love and laughter
in the coming year. May your approach be unique and your confidence
unwavering. You never know what’s just around the bend.
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STARTING BETTER HABITS IN 2015<br />
BY THE NUMBERS<br />
By Steve Gill<br />
calories burned<br />
by a 165-lb person<br />
running 1 mile<br />
~ 120 calories burned<br />
~<br />
by a 165-lb person<br />
2,800running a marathon<br />
116<br />
678<br />
4.2<br />
percentage<br />
44<br />
states<br />
4.9<br />
days until the OKC Memorial<br />
Marathon (time to start training)<br />
Oklahoma automotive<br />
fatalities in 2013<br />
drop that<br />
represents from 2012<br />
(Be careful out there)<br />
that have outlawed<br />
texting while driving – that<br />
does not include Oklahoma<br />
40<br />
percent of Americans<br />
who get less than 7 hours<br />
of sleep a night, according<br />
to a 2013 Gallup poll<br />
700+<br />
genes that were altered as the<br />
result of one week of sleeping<br />
less than 6 hours per night in a<br />
2013 study – sleep deprivation<br />
increases risk for stroke, obesity,<br />
colon and breast cancers,<br />
diabetes, heart disease and more,<br />
including accidents, memory<br />
problems and general illness<br />
3<br />
consecutive years<br />
with no moving<br />
violations that<br />
results in a “clean<br />
slate” driving record<br />
in Oklahoma<br />
32.5<br />
percentage<br />
of obesity among adult<br />
Oklahomans in 2013, an all-time high<br />
(that’s the bad news)<br />
11.8<br />
percentage<br />
of obesity<br />
among OK high school<br />
students in 2013<br />
points that percentage<br />
dropped since 2011 (that’s<br />
some good news)<br />
$22.7 MILLION<br />
state funding for tobacco<br />
control programs in<br />
fiscal year 2014<br />
23.7<br />
percentage of<br />
Oklahoma’s adult<br />
population who smoked<br />
in 2013 (CDC.gov)<br />
52.2<br />
percentage of OK smokers who reported trying to quit<br />
in 2013<br />
168<br />
hours per week counseling and help are available<br />
through calling the Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline<br />
(405.271.3619)<br />
12<br />
languages, including TTY services for the deaf and hard<br />
of hearing, available to callers<br />
$0<br />
cost to call, enroll and quit smoking<br />
JANUARY 2015 // SLICE 21
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