Ahhh yes - another wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. Jim & I went to his parents house in Daphne, AL on Wed afternoon & just got back around noon Sunday.
The house was full of company, but it wasn't the same without R & P and their boys who have recently moved to Wisconsin. We missed them immensely & it will never be the same without them there. There were lots of phone calls though!
Like always, Jim's mom cooked WAY too much yummy food. I feel like I have to eat every 2 hours now since that is what I did the past few days! Jim smoked 3 turkey breasts & also fried a whole turkey - YUMMY!! He does such a great job. We watched lots of football, ate, visited and just enjoyed relaxing.
Speaking of football - how 'bout those Mizzou Tigers!!!! Can you believe they are #1 in the nation now? At least in all the polls but one. The BCS rankings have not been released yet as of blog "press time". They let Kansas come back in the 4th quarter & it was a little too close for comfort, but we pulled out the win. What an exciting year of football this has been.
Jim & I got all suited up in our running clothes, got our water ready & gels & iPods, took off & it started raining. Neither of us were in much of a mood to run 10 miles in that weather, so we will try it again tomorrow night when the forecast is only cloudy - not thunderstorms.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Sunday, November 18, 2007
National Peanut Festival
I missed my normal Sunday blogging last weekend, as Jim & I went to Dothan, AL to visit his sister & family for the weekend. We planned the visit to coincide with the National Peanut Festival, which Jim used to attend faithfully when he was growing up there. He had told me so much about it, and of course, I am very familiar with fairs & such growing up in Missouri & showing sheep. I attended many a county & state fair!!
Jim & I had SO MUCH FUN that weekend! We really enjoyed the company - had so much fun hanging out with ALL of them!!! We got in Friday night later than we would have liked (I had to work later than I wanted) so we just talked for a while that night & then went to bed. Saturday morning, W & T left early to go set up chairs at their church for the parade & Jim & were in charge of getting his nieces (ages 15 & 18) up & ready in time to go to breakfast at 8. SUCCESS! Jim cracked the whip & we made it in time! It was a pancake & sausage breakfast (yum!) & we enjoyed it immensely! All you can eat - but for whatever reason, I can never eat more than 2 1/2 pancakes.
After breakfast, we went to the parade which lasted for 2 1/2 - 3 hours. Because it is the PEANUT festival, right after the cops went through which are usually first, there was a cement truck which I thought was odd, until I noticed what was happening! The cement truck was dumping out a stream of roasted peanuts in the street & folks (with bags in hand) rushed out there & picked up as many as they could as fast as they could! I have never seen anything like it. And of course, I had to join in the fun, putting peanuts in my shirt (holding the tail of it to make a make-shift bowl). I looked down the street & there were people as far as the eye could see all getting their peanuts. Next year I'll be prepared & take a bag like everyone else who had obviously been to this rodeo before!!! So much fun!
After the parade, we went back to W & T house & watched the Mizzou game (# 3 in the country!!!!) along with the Auburn game & also met the boyfriend of our niece (we approve!) Then that night, we went to THE peanut festival. And here is where the pigging out begins.
I don't know why - but there is something glorious about fair corn dogs. I don't even like hot dogs really, and definitely don't buy them or eat them EVER during the year. But for whatever reason, I just don't think there is anything better than a fair corn dog. In fact, I think this all began with me back in the days of the Missouri State Fair when I would show sheep every year. There was always a corn dog & fresh lemonade stand that was set up right by the sheep pavilion. We'd hit that place up at least twice during the fair - it was tradition & I loved it.
At any rate - after downing 2 corn dogs & a fried Snickers bar (oh yeah - words can't even describe!!!), we decided to check out some exhibits which we really enjoyed ( but the sheep were gone, only goats). Then we headed to the Midway & W, T & I watched while the "kids" - Jim & his nieces rode some rides that made me want to hurl just watching them. Merry Go Rounds make me nauseous, so there was no getting me on these things.
Sunday, we got up, T cooked us a wonderful breakfast complete with biscuits, grits, bacon & eggs. We also had lunch there & then headed back to Destin. We had a Ton of fun and hope we can make it an annual tradition.
Jim & I had SO MUCH FUN that weekend! We really enjoyed the company - had so much fun hanging out with ALL of them!!! We got in Friday night later than we would have liked (I had to work later than I wanted) so we just talked for a while that night & then went to bed. Saturday morning, W & T left early to go set up chairs at their church for the parade & Jim & were in charge of getting his nieces (ages 15 & 18) up & ready in time to go to breakfast at 8. SUCCESS! Jim cracked the whip & we made it in time! It was a pancake & sausage breakfast (yum!) & we enjoyed it immensely! All you can eat - but for whatever reason, I can never eat more than 2 1/2 pancakes.
After breakfast, we went to the parade which lasted for 2 1/2 - 3 hours. Because it is the PEANUT festival, right after the cops went through which are usually first, there was a cement truck which I thought was odd, until I noticed what was happening! The cement truck was dumping out a stream of roasted peanuts in the street & folks (with bags in hand) rushed out there & picked up as many as they could as fast as they could! I have never seen anything like it. And of course, I had to join in the fun, putting peanuts in my shirt (holding the tail of it to make a make-shift bowl). I looked down the street & there were people as far as the eye could see all getting their peanuts. Next year I'll be prepared & take a bag like everyone else who had obviously been to this rodeo before!!! So much fun!
After the parade, we went back to W & T house & watched the Mizzou game (# 3 in the country!!!!) along with the Auburn game & also met the boyfriend of our niece (we approve!) Then that night, we went to THE peanut festival. And here is where the pigging out begins.
I don't know why - but there is something glorious about fair corn dogs. I don't even like hot dogs really, and definitely don't buy them or eat them EVER during the year. But for whatever reason, I just don't think there is anything better than a fair corn dog. In fact, I think this all began with me back in the days of the Missouri State Fair when I would show sheep every year. There was always a corn dog & fresh lemonade stand that was set up right by the sheep pavilion. We'd hit that place up at least twice during the fair - it was tradition & I loved it.
At any rate - after downing 2 corn dogs & a fried Snickers bar (oh yeah - words can't even describe!!!), we decided to check out some exhibits which we really enjoyed ( but the sheep were gone, only goats). Then we headed to the Midway & W, T & I watched while the "kids" - Jim & his nieces rode some rides that made me want to hurl just watching them. Merry Go Rounds make me nauseous, so there was no getting me on these things.
Sunday, we got up, T cooked us a wonderful breakfast complete with biscuits, grits, bacon & eggs. We also had lunch there & then headed back to Destin. We had a Ton of fun and hope we can make it an annual tradition.
My sweet husband
I thought this deserved its own post...
Jim picked me up from the airport from my trip to DC this week, as we wanted him to have the truck here in case we were able to sell it (we were!).
When he picked me up - he had a bouquet of pink miniature roses laying in the front seat for me! What sweetheart I have as a husband!!!
Jim picked me up from the airport from my trip to DC this week, as we wanted him to have the truck here in case we were able to sell it (we were!).
When he picked me up - he had a bouquet of pink miniature roses laying in the front seat for me! What sweetheart I have as a husband!!!
A New Member of the Family
No babies....a new (used) car.
I was in Washington DC last week for work & Jim was successful in selling our truck outright, so the car purchase became a priority this weekend. We had decided that we wanted an SUV (not a big one, but a mid-size). Because Jim is driving so much for his job, he has adopted our other girl (the VW Passat) as his vehicle, as it gets good gas mileage. So this vehicle would be mine & I got to pick! It has been since April of 2002 since I had a new vehicle, so needless to say - I was excited!
I don't know how many of you have heard of CarMax, but we will probably never buy a car from anywhere else again after having such a great experience this time. Basically, they only sell vehicles (trades) that pass a multi-point checklist (certain amount of miles, age, dings, wear & tear). Those that pass muster are those that they sell, all others get auctioned. And they offer no-haggle pricing, which is at least $1,000 under Kelley Blue Book value. And you can search nationwide for whatever vehicle you want that fit your criteria and have it transferred to the nearest location. After dealing with them and getting the whole scoop on their business model - look out for this company - they are doing all the right things.
So back to the new purchase! We located 2 vehicles that we were going to decide between - Jim had gone there earlier in the week while he was in Jacksonville, FL for work & looked at them but didn't drive them. One was a black Acura MDX & one was a black Honda Pilot. After driving both - we chose the Honda Pilot (it was unanimous!). I am loving it & enjoyed the 5 hour drive back in my new car. Of course, now I need to study up on the owner's manual so I know what all it can do. Jim drove it last night to Wal-Mart & played with the voice command feature - CRAZY! You can tell it to change the temperature to 70 degrees inside & it does!! Or tell it what radio station you want - and it goes there! It's like I have my own buddy in the car :)
Other than driving 10 hours yesterday to get a new car, Jim has been smoking the Thanksgiving Day turkey breasts today (and some ribs for us to eat tonight). Ahhh the smells from our house today - heavenly!! Jim does such a good job with the turkeys & he enjoys it so much. Thanksgiving is his favorite holiday - so I just really enjoy him loving this time of year!!
We had our long run of the day - 8 miles - felt good, but I had to go to the bathroom the whole time....too much information I am sure - but it did add an interesting element to the run!
I was in Washington DC last week for work & Jim was successful in selling our truck outright, so the car purchase became a priority this weekend. We had decided that we wanted an SUV (not a big one, but a mid-size). Because Jim is driving so much for his job, he has adopted our other girl (the VW Passat) as his vehicle, as it gets good gas mileage. So this vehicle would be mine & I got to pick! It has been since April of 2002 since I had a new vehicle, so needless to say - I was excited!
I don't know how many of you have heard of CarMax, but we will probably never buy a car from anywhere else again after having such a great experience this time. Basically, they only sell vehicles (trades) that pass a multi-point checklist (certain amount of miles, age, dings, wear & tear). Those that pass muster are those that they sell, all others get auctioned. And they offer no-haggle pricing, which is at least $1,000 under Kelley Blue Book value. And you can search nationwide for whatever vehicle you want that fit your criteria and have it transferred to the nearest location. After dealing with them and getting the whole scoop on their business model - look out for this company - they are doing all the right things.
So back to the new purchase! We located 2 vehicles that we were going to decide between - Jim had gone there earlier in the week while he was in Jacksonville, FL for work & looked at them but didn't drive them. One was a black Acura MDX & one was a black Honda Pilot. After driving both - we chose the Honda Pilot (it was unanimous!). I am loving it & enjoyed the 5 hour drive back in my new car. Of course, now I need to study up on the owner's manual so I know what all it can do. Jim drove it last night to Wal-Mart & played with the voice command feature - CRAZY! You can tell it to change the temperature to 70 degrees inside & it does!! Or tell it what radio station you want - and it goes there! It's like I have my own buddy in the car :)
Other than driving 10 hours yesterday to get a new car, Jim has been smoking the Thanksgiving Day turkey breasts today (and some ribs for us to eat tonight). Ahhh the smells from our house today - heavenly!! Jim does such a good job with the turkeys & he enjoys it so much. Thanksgiving is his favorite holiday - so I just really enjoy him loving this time of year!!
We had our long run of the day - 8 miles - felt good, but I had to go to the bathroom the whole time....too much information I am sure - but it did add an interesting element to the run!
Sunday, November 04, 2007
Eight Mile
The run this morning was great! Right along the beach, the water looked so turquoise blue, nice breeze, lots of butterflies. It was nice! For whatever reason, my feet fall asleep consistently between miles 3 & 4. I can't explain it & have not figured it out via the internet either. The good part is though, I can walk for probably 1-2 minutes and then start running again & they are completely fine. It's not my shoes, I have switched up shoes (ones that I used to do the 1/2 marathon last year, and train in) and my feet still do it. But after I start running again, I am feeling good!
A couple of funny things happened on the run today. There were lots of people out & about this morning as it was just beautiful out (and still is). Lots of dog walking, jogging, walking & biking alongside the beach. From a distance, I could see a girl probably my age walking her dog and then I saw the dog plop down on the grass alongside the jogging path. As we past by her, I could hear her coaxing him to get up to get going again. I thought it so funny because I would have rather been laying on the grass enjoying the view too! :)
Another funny thing is the fact that it must be the Butterfly Convention this weekend, as there were monarch butterflies EVERYWHERE! Jim & I have mastered the "bob & weave" to avoid getting splatted in the face.
The strangest thing though? Both of us laid down after a big carb-loaded lunch to take a nap, each of us with a kitty beside us. Neither one of us could fall asleep?! Crazy. I actually fell asleep for about 5 minutes & thought I had been asleep for an hour. I guess a 5 minute power nap is just fine too! I was awoken by a kitty jumping down & meowing as the neighbor cat streaked across our back yard & disturbed the peace in our house!
A couple of funny things happened on the run today. There were lots of people out & about this morning as it was just beautiful out (and still is). Lots of dog walking, jogging, walking & biking alongside the beach. From a distance, I could see a girl probably my age walking her dog and then I saw the dog plop down on the grass alongside the jogging path. As we past by her, I could hear her coaxing him to get up to get going again. I thought it so funny because I would have rather been laying on the grass enjoying the view too! :)
Another funny thing is the fact that it must be the Butterfly Convention this weekend, as there were monarch butterflies EVERYWHERE! Jim & I have mastered the "bob & weave" to avoid getting splatted in the face.
The strangest thing though? Both of us laid down after a big carb-loaded lunch to take a nap, each of us with a kitty beside us. Neither one of us could fall asleep?! Crazy. I actually fell asleep for about 5 minutes & thought I had been asleep for an hour. I guess a 5 minute power nap is just fine too! I was awoken by a kitty jumping down & meowing as the neighbor cat streaked across our back yard & disturbed the peace in our house!
Redundant yet Consistent
Jim & I just read each other's blogs that we just posted & decided we need to coordinate beforehand, so as not to bore our regular readers. It was actually funny how similar our last posts were!!! Read mine titled "Crazy Week" and then move on to his titled "Life on the Road".....
Guess it is true what they say - Great minds think alike! :)
Guess it is true what they say - Great minds think alike! :)
Crazy Week
I missed my weekend blogging last weekend, as Jim & I were in Orlando for house hunting. We did find a beautiful wonderful dream house, but then slept on it a few nights and decided that we would be much smarter to move to Orlando & rent for a year before we bought a house. As much as we hate to move twice, and as anxious as we are to get back into a house, we think this is the best decision for us right now. When we were moving to Mobile, AL - we had a similar situation, where we did a whirlwind house hunting trip for 2 days & then bought a house. If we had lived there a bit first, we probably would have bought somewhere else. We did feel really bad that the real estate agent took a weekend out of her life to show us around & then we didn't buy anything, but we feel good about our decision. So now on to searching for a rental! There are actually some really nice houses for rent, going for a little more than we pay rent now in Destin, so that is what we're going to do. Anything to stay out of an apartment!!
Now on to the vehicle situation....
Now that Jim is on the road a lot of the time, driving to Orlando, Tampa, Jacksonville, Pensacola, etc - we have switched vehicles. He is now driving my VW Passat & I am driving his rough 'n tough Chevy Silverado extended cab pickup truck!! :) At first, he refused to let me drive it, as there is just something wrong with little 'ol me driving such a big thing. But I finally convinced him it just made too much sense, with me driving 13 miles to work each day vs. him driving about 500 miles. My car gets better mileage of course!! This is a short term solution, as we are hunting for new vehicles for me. Both of our cars have over 100,000 miles on them, so it's time to trade. We do want to drive mine til it dies though!! So yesterday we went to look for SUVs for me. There are a couple that we really like, but definitely have a favorite. We're going to drive it tomorrow & then see where it goes from there. Once we decide on the winner, we'll go to Carmax to purchase it - they have Awesome prices there (economies of scale, right Jim??).
Now we are letting our yummy pancake breakfast settle before we go on our run for the weekend. Today's mileage is EIGHT miles. But we are running along the gulf, which is a gorgeous run, smells great, lots of awesome condos/houses to gawk at and just a pretty relaxing run. As Robert announced on his blog this week, we are training for a marathon again. I didn't think I'd EVER want to do it again after the marathon in Feb 2005 (# 196 on that list), but now that I have a training buddy who is so far injury free, I am excited! We'll see if we both stay healthy. We plan on traveling up to Green Bay, Wisconsin in the spring of 2008 where we'll get to visit Jim's sister & her family in their new home, as well as run with Robert, our brother-in-law.
Mizzou won AGAIN! In fact - they KILLED Colorado! WOOHOO! Jim & I are enjoying this season for sure, and with them being ranked in the top 10, they are actually on TV here, down in SEC country!!
Other than that, good news with lots of my friends - J & S are having a girl! A & O are going to be first-time parents! K & F are having a boy! A & J just had a boy! N & B are expecting twins any day!! Lots of babies....
Please pray for Pam as she goes to defend her dissertation tomorrow. From there, she goes to Honduras for her second Operation Smile trip.
Jim & I are headed to Dothan, AL next weekend to visit his other sister & family for the World Famous Peanut Festival!!! I haven't been to a fair for years, and this is apparently a big one! Jim of course used to go every year when he was growing up. I am looking forward to a good 'ol fair corn dog slathered with mustard, chased by a funnel cake! Good thing I'm running 20 miles per week!
Now on to the vehicle situation....
Now that Jim is on the road a lot of the time, driving to Orlando, Tampa, Jacksonville, Pensacola, etc - we have switched vehicles. He is now driving my VW Passat & I am driving his rough 'n tough Chevy Silverado extended cab pickup truck!! :) At first, he refused to let me drive it, as there is just something wrong with little 'ol me driving such a big thing. But I finally convinced him it just made too much sense, with me driving 13 miles to work each day vs. him driving about 500 miles. My car gets better mileage of course!! This is a short term solution, as we are hunting for new vehicles for me. Both of our cars have over 100,000 miles on them, so it's time to trade. We do want to drive mine til it dies though!! So yesterday we went to look for SUVs for me. There are a couple that we really like, but definitely have a favorite. We're going to drive it tomorrow & then see where it goes from there. Once we decide on the winner, we'll go to Carmax to purchase it - they have Awesome prices there (economies of scale, right Jim??).
Now we are letting our yummy pancake breakfast settle before we go on our run for the weekend. Today's mileage is EIGHT miles. But we are running along the gulf, which is a gorgeous run, smells great, lots of awesome condos/houses to gawk at and just a pretty relaxing run. As Robert announced on his blog this week, we are training for a marathon again. I didn't think I'd EVER want to do it again after the marathon in Feb 2005 (# 196 on that list), but now that I have a training buddy who is so far injury free, I am excited! We'll see if we both stay healthy. We plan on traveling up to Green Bay, Wisconsin in the spring of 2008 where we'll get to visit Jim's sister & her family in their new home, as well as run with Robert, our brother-in-law.
Mizzou won AGAIN! In fact - they KILLED Colorado! WOOHOO! Jim & I are enjoying this season for sure, and with them being ranked in the top 10, they are actually on TV here, down in SEC country!!
Other than that, good news with lots of my friends - J & S are having a girl! A & O are going to be first-time parents! K & F are having a boy! A & J just had a boy! N & B are expecting twins any day!! Lots of babies....
Please pray for Pam as she goes to defend her dissertation tomorrow. From there, she goes to Honduras for her second Operation Smile trip.
Jim & I are headed to Dothan, AL next weekend to visit his other sister & family for the World Famous Peanut Festival!!! I haven't been to a fair for years, and this is apparently a big one! Jim of course used to go every year when he was growing up. I am looking forward to a good 'ol fair corn dog slathered with mustard, chased by a funnel cake! Good thing I'm running 20 miles per week!
Sunday, October 21, 2007
We get the drift
Jim & I just had a belly laugh -
we are watching Sunday NFL countdown & they are covering controversial WR, Chad Johnson (aka Ocho Cinco). Emmitt Smith just said that Chad Johnson is an "Escape Goat". We were cracking up!!!!
we are watching Sunday NFL countdown & they are covering controversial WR, Chad Johnson (aka Ocho Cinco). Emmitt Smith just said that Chad Johnson is an "Escape Goat". We were cracking up!!!!
Survival in DC
I survived another long week of work in DC this past week. I had a 7 am flight Monday morning, which means i have to get up by 4:15 in order to get ready, finish packing, make it to the airport, park, check baggage & get on the plane. There were a couple of bright spots in this week's travel - thank goodness - because it was a LONG week with lots of hours unfortunately.
Bright spot #1 - I got to see one of my old buddies from my old sector!! He was in town as well last week & was staying near the Pentagon. So I drove there to meet up with him for dinner on Monday night. He is a retired Navy guy who I worked with very closely in my last job as he was the Director of Contracts & I was of Business Management on the same program. So needless to say, we worked together a lot & became very good friends. He was like a surrogate dad in the office, as he is wise with lots of life experience, some good & some bad. His wife is a breast cancer survivor (happened in the past couple of years) and has had to completely rebuild his home after Katrina. On the good side of life experiences, he has been blessed with many grandchildren that he loves dearly!
Bright spot #2 - The new guy started!! WOOHOO! I had mentioned in a post a while back how i had basically been doing 3 jobs? Well that number should drop back now, as the guy we hired to take over one of the group business management jobs started this past monday. I tried to spend as much time as possible with him to bring him up to speed on our portfolio & issues going on with his programs (that I had been covering in the past couple of months). The quicker he gets up to speed, the quicker I can go back to concentrating on my particular responsibilities. Like I had mentioned to my boss & anybody else who would listen....I had been feeling like that poor chap in the cartoon that was sticking his fingers / toes / nose / elbow in the dam, but water would just squirt out somewhere else!!! I am glad to have someone standing at the dam with me again.
Bright spot #3 - No airport delays!!!! WOW! Write it down! I did have 30 minute delays on both ends, but I don't even count those as delays after the summer of traveling i have had!! So I made it there on time, and also made it back home Friday night on time. What a difference that makes.
Bright spot #4 - I was supposed to get together with an old friend from my old stomping grounds in MO (Salisbury, which is the neighboring town to my home town of Keytesville). My brother saw BM (not bowel movement, this is his initials) one weekend & mentioned that I had been traveling to DC with my job. Apparently he was also scheduled to be in the area at the same time, so we had tried to meet up. He is married to one of my old friends from high school too, and we know tons of the same people since we grew up in such a small town. It unfortunately didn't work out for us to get together because of the long hours I had to work, but we did get to catch up over the phone. It was great to find out about where all of our common friends were & what they were doing. I love those conversations - they are good to have every now & then to catch up on old friends.
Bright spot #5 - I had a great meeting with executive management while I was there. Don't want to go into any details here, but it was awesome!
Bright spot #6 - The new guy gave me a nickname "Ms Partly Sunny". It's not so much the nickname or this person giving it to me that was the bright spot. The bright spot was that my happiness must show through, even among the stress & long hours. It also reminded me that people are always watching & the best witness I can be for my God is to let others see Him through me.
So all in all, it was a good week at work.
I'm very glad to have Jim home too - he had a long week of work too. Check out his blog for the details (I am assuming he'll be posting about it).
Bright spot #1 - I got to see one of my old buddies from my old sector!! He was in town as well last week & was staying near the Pentagon. So I drove there to meet up with him for dinner on Monday night. He is a retired Navy guy who I worked with very closely in my last job as he was the Director of Contracts & I was of Business Management on the same program. So needless to say, we worked together a lot & became very good friends. He was like a surrogate dad in the office, as he is wise with lots of life experience, some good & some bad. His wife is a breast cancer survivor (happened in the past couple of years) and has had to completely rebuild his home after Katrina. On the good side of life experiences, he has been blessed with many grandchildren that he loves dearly!
Bright spot #2 - The new guy started!! WOOHOO! I had mentioned in a post a while back how i had basically been doing 3 jobs? Well that number should drop back now, as the guy we hired to take over one of the group business management jobs started this past monday. I tried to spend as much time as possible with him to bring him up to speed on our portfolio & issues going on with his programs (that I had been covering in the past couple of months). The quicker he gets up to speed, the quicker I can go back to concentrating on my particular responsibilities. Like I had mentioned to my boss & anybody else who would listen....I had been feeling like that poor chap in the cartoon that was sticking his fingers / toes / nose / elbow in the dam, but water would just squirt out somewhere else!!! I am glad to have someone standing at the dam with me again.
Bright spot #3 - No airport delays!!!! WOW! Write it down! I did have 30 minute delays on both ends, but I don't even count those as delays after the summer of traveling i have had!! So I made it there on time, and also made it back home Friday night on time. What a difference that makes.
Bright spot #4 - I was supposed to get together with an old friend from my old stomping grounds in MO (Salisbury, which is the neighboring town to my home town of Keytesville). My brother saw BM (not bowel movement, this is his initials) one weekend & mentioned that I had been traveling to DC with my job. Apparently he was also scheduled to be in the area at the same time, so we had tried to meet up. He is married to one of my old friends from high school too, and we know tons of the same people since we grew up in such a small town. It unfortunately didn't work out for us to get together because of the long hours I had to work, but we did get to catch up over the phone. It was great to find out about where all of our common friends were & what they were doing. I love those conversations - they are good to have every now & then to catch up on old friends.
Bright spot #5 - I had a great meeting with executive management while I was there. Don't want to go into any details here, but it was awesome!
Bright spot #6 - The new guy gave me a nickname "Ms Partly Sunny". It's not so much the nickname or this person giving it to me that was the bright spot. The bright spot was that my happiness must show through, even among the stress & long hours. It also reminded me that people are always watching & the best witness I can be for my God is to let others see Him through me.
So all in all, it was a good week at work.
I'm very glad to have Jim home too - he had a long week of work too. Check out his blog for the details (I am assuming he'll be posting about it).
Sunday, October 14, 2007
A Good Sunday
Jim left this morning for Memphis, TN for a week of training for his new job. He was anxious to get the training underway, so he can hit the pavement so to speak when he gets back. So since he left this morning around 9ish, I had the whole day by myself. I went on a 4 mile run this morning, but should have gotten up earlier to do it, because it was already hot by the time I got out there. I also have nice sunburn raccoon eyes. Then, I ate some lunch, watched my fantasy football team DOMINATE, and then decided to go to the beach to read & take a nap.
This trip to the beach was like no other. Unfortunately, the FL panhandle beach is suffering from "Red Tide" right now. Definitely click that link & read about it. I had never heard of such a thing until I saw it in this morning's paper. Yesterday, Jim & I ate lunch at Pompano Joe's on the beach & the purple flags were flying high indicating dangerous marine life. Today, there were no purple flags flying, so I thought I was home free. Not so much!
Apparently, not only is it very harmful to go into the water (I didn't!), but the effects of a red tide can also impact beachgoers without going into the water. The instant that I started walking in the sand toward the water to stake my spot to set up my chair & blanket, I started coughing uncontrollably! I had read about people going into the water & having side effects such as coughing / wheezing - but I didn't think just sitting in the sand would do the same thing. So I sipped on my water, but couldn't help but notice everyone else around me also hacking up their right lung. Most folks just got up & left saying things like "I can't even relax" and "I just can't handle this coughing anymore". I also left within about 1/2 hour because I just couldn't stop coughing. Once I got home, I was completely fine though! Crazy stuff, huh?
So once I got back home, I again watched football while snuggling with both of my kitties (NEVER at the same time - they are too jealous of each other). I just finished eating dinner, still watching football & just talked to Jim from his conference in Memphis.
I have an EARLY morning tomorrow, as I catch a 7 am flight to DC, which means I have to leave the house by 5:00 - which means up by 4ish. YIKES. Good thing I can sleep on the plane! Also a good thing that both of us are gone for the same week! Good for everyone except the fuzzy boys.
This trip to the beach was like no other. Unfortunately, the FL panhandle beach is suffering from "Red Tide" right now. Definitely click that link & read about it. I had never heard of such a thing until I saw it in this morning's paper. Yesterday, Jim & I ate lunch at Pompano Joe's on the beach & the purple flags were flying high indicating dangerous marine life. Today, there were no purple flags flying, so I thought I was home free. Not so much!
Apparently, not only is it very harmful to go into the water (I didn't!), but the effects of a red tide can also impact beachgoers without going into the water. The instant that I started walking in the sand toward the water to stake my spot to set up my chair & blanket, I started coughing uncontrollably! I had read about people going into the water & having side effects such as coughing / wheezing - but I didn't think just sitting in the sand would do the same thing. So I sipped on my water, but couldn't help but notice everyone else around me also hacking up their right lung. Most folks just got up & left saying things like "I can't even relax" and "I just can't handle this coughing anymore". I also left within about 1/2 hour because I just couldn't stop coughing. Once I got home, I was completely fine though! Crazy stuff, huh?
So once I got back home, I again watched football while snuggling with both of my kitties (NEVER at the same time - they are too jealous of each other). I just finished eating dinner, still watching football & just talked to Jim from his conference in Memphis.
I have an EARLY morning tomorrow, as I catch a 7 am flight to DC, which means I have to leave the house by 5:00 - which means up by 4ish. YIKES. Good thing I can sleep on the plane! Also a good thing that both of us are gone for the same week! Good for everyone except the fuzzy boys.
In case you hadn't already heard...
Mizzou lost :-(
There were opportunities, but we just didn't come through. Jim & I didn't go to Buffalo Wild Wings and instead went to a sports bar down the street called Sportsbook. There were about 4 other tables of Mizzou fans & they had seated us all in the same area of the dining room, so watching the game was a lot of fun. By the end of the night, we were all high-fiving each other! I wish the outcome would have been different, but I still think we hung with them for the most part. Norman, OK is a tough place to play.
There were opportunities, but we just didn't come through. Jim & I didn't go to Buffalo Wild Wings and instead went to a sports bar down the street called Sportsbook. There were about 4 other tables of Mizzou fans & they had seated us all in the same area of the dining room, so watching the game was a lot of fun. By the end of the night, we were all high-fiving each other! I wish the outcome would have been different, but I still think we hung with them for the most part. Norman, OK is a tough place to play.
Saturday, October 13, 2007
College Game Day!!
Guess where?! Covering the Missouri @ OU game! Jim & I are going to our local Buffalo Wild Wings to watch it tonight. There is just something fun & exciting about watching a good football game with a bunch of strangers.
Wonderful Weather
It has been SO nice here the past couple of days! It is in the 50s or so at night, 60s to low 70s in the morning & only up to 80 or so during the day. I am loving it! And so are our kitty boys. Anybody that knows our kitty Truman knows that he LOVES the outside. He lays by the window or in the window most of the day. SO now that the weather has turned off nice, we are able to open our windows - Truman is in HEAVEN!
We're moving to Orlando!
I am mentioned some hints about this in a few of my past posts, and most of you that read my blog have already heard about all of the excitement. But - there are others of you that I don't get to talk to as often, and probably haven't told you what is going on! So here's what's going on:
Obviously Jim wasn't seeking out new employment as we had just moved here & he was just given his own territory. We were perfectly content, although there were things about his job that we knew would get old, and he wouldn't do forever. For instance, he is basically pinned down to his territory - as he is the only one here. He was always on call, evenings & weekends, unless he works something out with a neighboring territory consultant. The only problem with that is, if that person that is covering a case in his own territory during the same weekend, and something may happen to come up in Jim's, the neighboring consultant would cover his own & leave Jim's unattended - which is exactly what he should have done & Jim would too. Customer service & being available at all times is one of the things that makes these guys successful in their jobs. So depending on which doctors were on call - that could be a killer in the customer service dept. So because of that, Jim just hated to leave the territory! Which was fine when we first moved here & during the summer, because seriously - where would we go! :) We were already in paradise! :)
But - that kind of schedule can wear on you and it made going on trips or visits to family hard to do. Like I said though, he wasn't actively looking for a new job.
He was contacted out of the blue by MULTIPLE head hunters within about a 2 week span -- very crazy. Lots of the opportunities were ones that he just turned down right away, but there was one that really peaked his interest. The company was actually one of the biggest competitors to his then current employeer. So as you can imagine, they were definitely willing to make sure the opportunity that they offered him was good enough for him to switch companies. But what really interested Jim in the position is that instead of being in orthapedic trauma (which has the crazy hours), he would be working in their spine division (which is usually elective surgery and scheduled in advance). So - no more weekends / evenings! And more $$$! What a great combo! His new territory spans Northern Florida...the entire panhandle - all the way to Jacksonville, down to Orlando & Tampa. His biggest accounts are in Orlando / Jacksonville, so we have chosen to move there to Orlando. We go on our first house hunting trip in 2 weeks & are super excited!!!
As for my job, I will be doing the same thing with my company. It actually benefits both my company & us, as the flights are cheaper from Orlando to DC and are direct (no more delays & cancellations on connecting flights!!! WOOHOO!). Also - I will be working out of our home instead of going into an office every day! I am really excited about that for sure.
So that's the story. I wish I could have told you all myself! We'll keep you posted on the househunting & new contact info when we have it. We are hoping to be moved by January. And just in case you were wondering - Jim has already nixxed the idea of Disney World season tickets....
Obviously Jim wasn't seeking out new employment as we had just moved here & he was just given his own territory. We were perfectly content, although there were things about his job that we knew would get old, and he wouldn't do forever. For instance, he is basically pinned down to his territory - as he is the only one here. He was always on call, evenings & weekends, unless he works something out with a neighboring territory consultant. The only problem with that is, if that person that is covering a case in his own territory during the same weekend, and something may happen to come up in Jim's, the neighboring consultant would cover his own & leave Jim's unattended - which is exactly what he should have done & Jim would too. Customer service & being available at all times is one of the things that makes these guys successful in their jobs. So depending on which doctors were on call - that could be a killer in the customer service dept. So because of that, Jim just hated to leave the territory! Which was fine when we first moved here & during the summer, because seriously - where would we go! :) We were already in paradise! :)
But - that kind of schedule can wear on you and it made going on trips or visits to family hard to do. Like I said though, he wasn't actively looking for a new job.
He was contacted out of the blue by MULTIPLE head hunters within about a 2 week span -- very crazy. Lots of the opportunities were ones that he just turned down right away, but there was one that really peaked his interest. The company was actually one of the biggest competitors to his then current employeer. So as you can imagine, they were definitely willing to make sure the opportunity that they offered him was good enough for him to switch companies. But what really interested Jim in the position is that instead of being in orthapedic trauma (which has the crazy hours), he would be working in their spine division (which is usually elective surgery and scheduled in advance). So - no more weekends / evenings! And more $$$! What a great combo! His new territory spans Northern Florida...the entire panhandle - all the way to Jacksonville, down to Orlando & Tampa. His biggest accounts are in Orlando / Jacksonville, so we have chosen to move there to Orlando. We go on our first house hunting trip in 2 weeks & are super excited!!!
As for my job, I will be doing the same thing with my company. It actually benefits both my company & us, as the flights are cheaper from Orlando to DC and are direct (no more delays & cancellations on connecting flights!!! WOOHOO!). Also - I will be working out of our home instead of going into an office every day! I am really excited about that for sure.
So that's the story. I wish I could have told you all myself! We'll keep you posted on the househunting & new contact info when we have it. We are hoping to be moved by January. And just in case you were wondering - Jim has already nixxed the idea of Disney World season tickets....
Sunday, October 07, 2007
Go Tigers!!!
Jim & I were extremely excited to find that our Missouri Tigers were going to be on National Television Saturday, Oct 6. Living in SEC country - we hardly ever get to see Big 12 games. If a Big 12 team is on TV, it is usually a South team (Texas teams or Oklahoma teams). SO....for Missouri to be playing Nebraska (arch rival!!) on ESPN Saturday night - WOOHOO!
Anyone that knows Missouri Tigers football history over the past 15 years or so knows they haven't been a GREAT team, but have become slightly better over the years, starting when I graduated. Since then, Missouri has invested in their athletic programs (read men's football/basketball) and definitely taken the facilities & program to the next level. Now, the football team has a covered practice field, new training facility and a much improved Faurot Field, including box seats & a jumbo tron. Another improvement to the team - QB Chase Daniel - what a stud!!!
Also over the past 15 years - the Tigers have always struggled in that BIG game, seeming to disappoint the Tiger Faithful Fans at least annually. Other things that don't help? Bad referees ( I know I know - we still can't forget) - that allow teams like Colorado to have 5 downs, and teams like Nebraska to have a completion for a TD from a kicked ball...illegal, not called). Nebraska went on to go undefeated that season & win the National Championship.
Back to my story....
We were SOOOO excited to watch the Tigers annihilate the Huskers on national TV! They killed them! It looked like they could score at will! The Huskers honestly did look flat, and played with no emotion...which also helped our cause. I thought that was crazy though, as the Tiger/Husker football rivalry has been heated as much as the KU/MU basketball rivalry. This is one game that usually both teams get up for.
Loved it loved it. Tigers start the season 5-0 for the second consecutive season & have a great chance at taking the Big 12 North, although Kansas looked impressive yesterday....
Anyone that knows Missouri Tigers football history over the past 15 years or so knows they haven't been a GREAT team, but have become slightly better over the years, starting when I graduated. Since then, Missouri has invested in their athletic programs (read men's football/basketball) and definitely taken the facilities & program to the next level. Now, the football team has a covered practice field, new training facility and a much improved Faurot Field, including box seats & a jumbo tron. Another improvement to the team - QB Chase Daniel - what a stud!!!
Also over the past 15 years - the Tigers have always struggled in that BIG game, seeming to disappoint the Tiger Faithful Fans at least annually. Other things that don't help? Bad referees ( I know I know - we still can't forget) - that allow teams like Colorado to have 5 downs, and teams like Nebraska to have a completion for a TD from a kicked ball...illegal, not called). Nebraska went on to go undefeated that season & win the National Championship.
Back to my story....
We were SOOOO excited to watch the Tigers annihilate the Huskers on national TV! They killed them! It looked like they could score at will! The Huskers honestly did look flat, and played with no emotion...which also helped our cause. I thought that was crazy though, as the Tiger/Husker football rivalry has been heated as much as the KU/MU basketball rivalry. This is one game that usually both teams get up for.
Loved it loved it. Tigers start the season 5-0 for the second consecutive season & have a great chance at taking the Big 12 North, although Kansas looked impressive yesterday....
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Back Home Again
LOVE LOVE LOVE cruises!!!! At least, I loved the first one we have ever been on! We will definitely cruise again - what a great way to vacation. Jim & I were worried that we wouldn't like all aspects of the cruise - especially not being able to be on land AT the resort location & do what we wanted to do. We were worried that we may feel trapped and/or bored while at sea on the ship. Never happened! There is always something going on that you want to do, and most of the time - there are multiple things available & you have to pick what you want to do! For instance, we were unable to attend the towel animal class & the kitchen galley tour because we were at an art auction. More on the art auction later!
We LOVED it & highly recommend it. The food was much better than I expected. The presentation & dining service was very nice! Below is what I had to eat ever evening at the late seating - appetizer, salad, entree & dessert:
Monday night - Chicken satay in peanut sauce, caesar salad, Filet Mignon, Chocolate melting cake (YUMMMMMMM)
Tuesday night - Cheddar/Broccoli soup, greek salad, Lobster & shrimp (2 entrees - OINK OINK), Chocolate melting cake (do you sense a theme)
Wednesday night - Pumpkin/squash soup, Mixed greens, Pan fried grouper in butter/lemon sauce, Chocolate melting cake
Thursday night - Lobster bisque, mixed green salad, Beef Wellington, Grand Marnier souffle
Friday night - French onion soup, caesar salad, chateubriand, neopolitan ice cream cake thingy with sponge cake & meringue?? Not sure about all that.
Lunches were also just as good. The days that we were at sea, we enjoyed an open seating lunch, which was like going to a restaurant, instead of dining from the buffet. Breakfast - same thing. The days that we were at port, we enjoyed the breakfast buffet and lunch at Mexican restaurants in port. Guacamole - YUM.
Needless to say - we ate WELL & only worked out the first day at sea. The second day in Cozumel probably burned a few calories as we went SCUBA diving (BEAUTIFUL). Other than that - we walked 5 flights of stairs multiple times during the day, so that counts - right?? Yeah, we are back on the fitness track, going to the gym & running, and eating right!!
I'll write more about the cruise itself in a later post. I had to document the food before I forgot! :)
Saturday, September 22, 2007
The Vacation has Begun
Wow I have a wonderful husband!!! Jim booked me a spa afternoon yesterday at Serenity by the Sea at the Sandestin Hilton resort! HOW WONDERFUL! I got there around 11:30, got changed into my robe, and then sat in the lounge area with the other lucky ladies! I had an afternoon of luxury, beginning with a 50 minute massage (wonderful!), then on to a 50 minute facial (wonderful - except for the 'extraction' part - OUCH...and YUCK!). Next was my spa pedicure and manicure! What a day of pampering. I felt so special, especially when all of the workers there said things to me like "Wow, you have a special afternoon planned today here!" and "Your husband is a keeper" and "He must really love you to treat you to such a special day". And of course - I agreed with them all! What a sweetheart. He knows how stressed I have been at work, and all of the long hours I have been putting in. I love that he sees this and wants to make it better and do something to help me.
The spa afternoon was just what I needed to get destressed & start relaxing right away. We leave for our cruise on Monday! WOOHOO! I was supposed to be going to Gulf Shores to the beach today with my friends Jay & Sara (Jim is on call this weekend...for the LAST TIME! More on that later...) but because of the Tropical Depression or whatever it is - I didn't make the trip. It was nasty this morning, but is actually sunny now? Not sure what that means.
Anyway - we are starting to figure out what to pack for the trip. This is our first cruise, so we are really looking forward to it. I'll let you know how it is & probably will post a couple of pictures.
We're going to the gym now - so I'll write afterwards. Then I should be all caught up!! :)
The spa afternoon was just what I needed to get destressed & start relaxing right away. We leave for our cruise on Monday! WOOHOO! I was supposed to be going to Gulf Shores to the beach today with my friends Jay & Sara (Jim is on call this weekend...for the LAST TIME! More on that later...) but because of the Tropical Depression or whatever it is - I didn't make the trip. It was nasty this morning, but is actually sunny now? Not sure what that means.
Anyway - we are starting to figure out what to pack for the trip. This is our first cruise, so we are really looking forward to it. I'll let you know how it is & probably will post a couple of pictures.
We're going to the gym now - so I'll write afterwards. Then I should be all caught up!! :)
One job, Two jobs, Three jobs, Four
Work. I remember thinking back when I changed sectors that I would have less stress, more time to enjoy things I love & all of those other things. That has definitely not been the case!!
The sector I work in is split into 3 business groups. The business group I work in is split further into 2 operating units. I am the business manager for 1 of those operating units (which covers approximately 12 major programs, composed of multiple contracts in each program). In addition, I consolidate the financials and forecast and all other 'business group' issues. So that is really two jobs, as it will be split up in January when one of the other managers come back full-time (he is currently working on our ERP conversion - SAP - fulltime, so I am covering his responsibilities currently as well). So there are 3 of us managers, 2 working, 1 doing SAP conversion. Well....the other manager that covers the OTHER operating unit up & quite about a month ago. Literally, he gave no notice. He just walked in, handed over his badge & corporate American Express card & walked out. So now...I am doing his job too. So - I am 3 managers now. As if that wasn't bad enough, one of my employees quit about 2 weeks ago in a similar fashion. Just walked out one day. So I am also covering her responsibilities while we get her replacement up to speed. The only consolation? The two that quit were definitely two that needed to go. They were not happy in the environment - didn't really like the work and weren't really performing at all. So it is a bit painful in the interim, but long term, we will be a much stronger team.
So needless to say......I have been a bit overwhelmed!!!! I need a vacation...more on that next!
The sector I work in is split into 3 business groups. The business group I work in is split further into 2 operating units. I am the business manager for 1 of those operating units (which covers approximately 12 major programs, composed of multiple contracts in each program). In addition, I consolidate the financials and forecast and all other 'business group' issues. So that is really two jobs, as it will be split up in January when one of the other managers come back full-time (he is currently working on our ERP conversion - SAP - fulltime, so I am covering his responsibilities currently as well). So there are 3 of us managers, 2 working, 1 doing SAP conversion. Well....the other manager that covers the OTHER operating unit up & quite about a month ago. Literally, he gave no notice. He just walked in, handed over his badge & corporate American Express card & walked out. So now...I am doing his job too. So - I am 3 managers now. As if that wasn't bad enough, one of my employees quit about 2 weeks ago in a similar fashion. Just walked out one day. So I am also covering her responsibilities while we get her replacement up to speed. The only consolation? The two that quit were definitely two that needed to go. They were not happy in the environment - didn't really like the work and weren't really performing at all. So it is a bit painful in the interim, but long term, we will be a much stronger team.
So needless to say......I have been a bit overwhelmed!!!! I need a vacation...more on that next!
Life Lessons at the Airport
Since we moved to Destin and I switched sectors within Northrop Grumman, I have been spending an average of 2 weeks per month in DC. Traveling that much has meant lots of time in airports. Literally - after flying round trip from FL to DC about 12 times since May & a trip back home to Missouri wedged in there, I have only had an on-time trip twice...and one of those was when I went home to MO. I am at least 1 1/2 delayed each trip which gets incredibly old.
There really are a couple of good things about traveling, but don't outweigh the sacrifices of traveling. First, the benefits. After traveling just since mid-May thru mid-September, I am already a Gold Marriotts member and a Silver Delta flyer. So that means free upgrades and other 'perks' now when I travel. In fact, i already have enough points for a free 5 night stay at Park City Utah Marriott Spa resort that hopefully Jim & I will take advantage of this winter (we have invited my brother to come with us for part of the trip!). And by the way - I will be able to fly there for free.
BUT....I would 110% rather be here with Jim & my fuzzy boys, Truman & Cosmo, any day of the week than earning 'free stuff' from traveling. I really miss Jim when I am away & we talk quite often during the day when I can. Right now though, this situation is the best for us both, as Northrop was awesome to work out a position that would allow me to stay with the company. In addition, the flexibility of my job has been HUGE when it came to Jim & his career opportunities (more on that later). So we have been very blessed & will enjoy the 'perks' that come with my travels! Don't get me wrong - it will be awesome to enjoy free vacations! :)
Ok - so back to the original point of this post....Life Lessons at the Airport. I hope I can remember some of the stuff that I have observed over the summer. I have seen people at their worst, but also people at their best.
People at their best:
1 - there was a huge long line at the Burger King & a gentleman walking up to the cashier realized he didn't have the cash (his wife did - at the end of the terminal at their gate). A woman that was waiting for her food offered to buy him his dinner. How unselfish!? "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in." Matthew 25:35. That display of giving really struck a chord with me that day.
2 - I had a horrible horrible flight experience one day trying to get back to Destin. We were literally 3 hours delayed (was 10 pm), & finally got to board. We taxied out to the runway, and were at the end getting ready to take off, when we instead went back to the back of the taxi line because there was weather brewing. We waited in line there another 20 minutes, and then the pilot came on & said - this flight has been cancelled because the crew will be timed out by the time we take off. So here I am with no luggage at 11:30 pm in Atlanta. How is this an example of people at their best you ask? I got a shuttle to the airport Marriott for the night. The guy that checked me in at the hotel asked me how I was & I said "fine". Then I smiled & said, actually - I just lied to you - I have had a horrible night!! I told him a quick version of the story with a chuckle, since there is really no use getting upset about it. He gave me one of their best rooms on the concierge level, and also provided me a coupon for a free Starbucks in the morning. May not seem like a big deal to you all reading this, but after the night I had had - I thought it was such a neat gesture & I appreciated it very much.
3 - Most people are just really polite. I have talked to so many fun people on flights, waiting while delayed, etc. I have met some fun people! It's always fun to hear their stories and also listen to their horror travel stories too!
People at their worst:
1 - See #2 above. The guy sitting next to me on this hellish flight called the Delta line and SCREAMED at them and about how horrible Delta was, blah blah blah. Very very ugly. However.....this poor guy had just missed his daughter's 15th birthday party. He had switched to an earlier flight to make it home in time for it. The earlier flight was the one I was on that never made it. His original flight left on time & it would have meant he would have made the party. The kicker? He even paid $50 switch fee to change flights. I can understand his frustration...but let this be a lesson on how to handle tough situations!
2 - In general, there is always a "spillover" neighbor in the airplane. You know - the guy/gal who really should have 2 seats, but doesn't & 'spills over' into your seat! I hate that. Also - I have decided I must have some proximity issues, because I can't stand when people get all up in my business in lines at airports. There is no reason you (or your stuff) should ever touch me in line! Back off! I have literally been run into or luggage pounded into my legs, purses banging into me, etc. People everywhere....please control yourself & don't take that LAST step you take when standing in line. Stop one step sooner....we'll all be happier.
See - I told you I had lots to say. I haven't even begun to catch up with the blogs. Today is going to be a busy, finger cramping day.
There really are a couple of good things about traveling, but don't outweigh the sacrifices of traveling. First, the benefits. After traveling just since mid-May thru mid-September, I am already a Gold Marriotts member and a Silver Delta flyer. So that means free upgrades and other 'perks' now when I travel. In fact, i already have enough points for a free 5 night stay at Park City Utah Marriott Spa resort that hopefully Jim & I will take advantage of this winter (we have invited my brother to come with us for part of the trip!). And by the way - I will be able to fly there for free.
BUT....I would 110% rather be here with Jim & my fuzzy boys, Truman & Cosmo, any day of the week than earning 'free stuff' from traveling. I really miss Jim when I am away & we talk quite often during the day when I can. Right now though, this situation is the best for us both, as Northrop was awesome to work out a position that would allow me to stay with the company. In addition, the flexibility of my job has been HUGE when it came to Jim & his career opportunities (more on that later). So we have been very blessed & will enjoy the 'perks' that come with my travels! Don't get me wrong - it will be awesome to enjoy free vacations! :)
Ok - so back to the original point of this post....Life Lessons at the Airport. I hope I can remember some of the stuff that I have observed over the summer. I have seen people at their worst, but also people at their best.
People at their best:
1 - there was a huge long line at the Burger King & a gentleman walking up to the cashier realized he didn't have the cash (his wife did - at the end of the terminal at their gate). A woman that was waiting for her food offered to buy him his dinner. How unselfish!? "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in." Matthew 25:35. That display of giving really struck a chord with me that day.
2 - I had a horrible horrible flight experience one day trying to get back to Destin. We were literally 3 hours delayed (was 10 pm), & finally got to board. We taxied out to the runway, and were at the end getting ready to take off, when we instead went back to the back of the taxi line because there was weather brewing. We waited in line there another 20 minutes, and then the pilot came on & said - this flight has been cancelled because the crew will be timed out by the time we take off. So here I am with no luggage at 11:30 pm in Atlanta. How is this an example of people at their best you ask? I got a shuttle to the airport Marriott for the night. The guy that checked me in at the hotel asked me how I was & I said "fine". Then I smiled & said, actually - I just lied to you - I have had a horrible night!! I told him a quick version of the story with a chuckle, since there is really no use getting upset about it. He gave me one of their best rooms on the concierge level, and also provided me a coupon for a free Starbucks in the morning. May not seem like a big deal to you all reading this, but after the night I had had - I thought it was such a neat gesture & I appreciated it very much.
3 - Most people are just really polite. I have talked to so many fun people on flights, waiting while delayed, etc. I have met some fun people! It's always fun to hear their stories and also listen to their horror travel stories too!
People at their worst:
1 - See #2 above. The guy sitting next to me on this hellish flight called the Delta line and SCREAMED at them and about how horrible Delta was, blah blah blah. Very very ugly. However.....this poor guy had just missed his daughter's 15th birthday party. He had switched to an earlier flight to make it home in time for it. The earlier flight was the one I was on that never made it. His original flight left on time & it would have meant he would have made the party. The kicker? He even paid $50 switch fee to change flights. I can understand his frustration...but let this be a lesson on how to handle tough situations!
2 - In general, there is always a "spillover" neighbor in the airplane. You know - the guy/gal who really should have 2 seats, but doesn't & 'spills over' into your seat! I hate that. Also - I have decided I must have some proximity issues, because I can't stand when people get all up in my business in lines at airports. There is no reason you (or your stuff) should ever touch me in line! Back off! I have literally been run into or luggage pounded into my legs, purses banging into me, etc. People everywhere....please control yourself & don't take that LAST step you take when standing in line. Stop one step sooner....we'll all be happier.
See - I told you I had lots to say. I haven't even begun to catch up with the blogs. Today is going to be a busy, finger cramping day.
Inspiration
So apparently I have taken the summer off from blogging. But - Jim did too! And he has recently started back up, and I really enjoy reading what he has to say to everyone, so I am inspired to start writing again!
I may be posting some really random stuff at first, to get you caught up on what has been going on. So bear with me!
I may be posting some really random stuff at first, to get you caught up on what has been going on. So bear with me!
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