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keeping coffee shops in business one sip at a timeArchive for airport
change
this probably has been one of the fastest weeks for me. a friend of mine asked what i had on my agenda this week, so i told him:
selling my house, planning the next 6 months of my life in detail, organizing a conference, moving, giving everything i own away, presenting, and finally flying to l.a.
he responded: see, now that’s the problem you have bc, too much time on your hands.
i told him even though it was through email i’m sure he could feel the flaming glare thru the screen. he said he did.
they say the two most stressful events in life are having kids and moving. i’ve never experienced the former, but i would tend to agree on the later.
the memories that were created in my house have made me who i am. in fact, my most favorite memories lay within the walls of that house (and porch). lifegroup, bocci ball, dinner parties, prayers, front porch time, hammock time, climbing the big magnolia tree in the back, wine nights, roommate times, c&b time, two-stepping lessons, indoor soccer, and so much more. i pray the new guy enjoys it just as much as i have.
so here i am. moving on like i do. another trip, another plane. another city. another set of adventures to be had. i’m scared to death.
something big
do you ever get the feeling that something big is about to happen?? that you don’t know what it is, but you’re excited for it? that’s where i’m at. nervous. excited. hopeful.
here’s to the future – of what will be. oh, and here’s to the past – of what was:
the blind date
last night i had the wonderful (and refreshing) opportunity to have coffee with one of my best guy friends – cw. while we were sitting in our very cozy coffee house (as the tables were inches away from each other) we noticed a guy sat down at the table next to us. in walked a cute girl – probably 5 years younger or so – who introduced herself to said gentleman. cw immediately, in his oh so non-quiet yet trying to be way, said they were on a blind date. i told him i didn’t think so.
the couple then got up to get their coffee & what does cw do? oh, yes, he saves their table for them (unknowingly to them). it was a packed coffee house, but he more so wanted to ease drop on their conversation. i was cracking up.
as cw & i tried to carry on our conversation we both couldn’t help but hear what each of our new unsuspecting friends likes, dislikes, where they went to college, what classes they enjoyed best, what kind of pets they have and so on.
at one point of the evening i (being adhd at times) tipped my coffee cup so that it flung milked coffee at them. i apologized profusely & cw, being the gent, went to get it cleaned up. i thought at that point how funny blind dates are.
i mean, someone flings milked coffee at you any other day & you would look disgustingly at them & scoff. on a blind date though? you both look at the offender & say ‘ oh, it’s no problem’ then giggle as if the offender had told you a joke that you laughed so hard the milked coffee came out of you instead of being flung at you.
there’s a sweet innocence about them.
i was on a plane the other day & the gentleman (more to come on this one) i sat next to was so very kind (as we all know how much i love small planes and flying in general) asking me lots of questions. i felt like it was our first blind date. it was sweet, genuine, and a touch of innocence that you only get on blind dates.
the moral? next time you are on a blind date – whether at a coffee shop or park or at the dfw airiport – remember to speak up. the people next to you would appreciate not having to strain so they fling milked coffee your way.
analyze
i live my life day in & day out analyzing – everything.
i mean, i analyze whether or not having a turkey sandwich or chicken and vegetables would be the proper choice for a lunch.
i analyze what i should wear that day by planning out the rest of my week & what i have going on so that each moment for that week is planned out – including sweat pants, swim suits, and ‘down time’ wear.
going back to my sandwich analogy, with the turkey – you get a nice balance of carbs, protein, and sometimes veggies if i put lettuce/tomato on it. with the chicken & veggies you forgo the carbs & save some calories only then to indulge in the strawberry cheesecake ice cream that someone left at your house. the solution? the second. why? because i don’t buy bread as it molds after 4 days and with my schedule i am not promised a meal at home more than 2 nights a week. plus, ice cream was made to be eaten – both cartons of it.
moving on.
so recently people have spoken with me about my love life. my very non-existent yet strangely active love life. yes, i realize that’s an oxymoron to most people. let me explain.
as you may or may not recall, i had decided to take a dating hiatus – as it’s been a busy year. however, due to some unforeseen logistics, the hiatus is being placed on hold for just a few months. for the love, i’m going to hawaii in three weeks – am i really to be expected to not meet anyone on my 8 hour plane ride over?? oh dear, what if it really is an old person or woman or eek – a child – that has the seat next to mine?! uh, we’ll need to add that to this weeks PR.
for those millions of readers, or all 2 of you, yes this means you can set me up with your very non-strange completely normal single male friend who is within a 7 year radius (i feel that’s adequate).
one of my mentors came up to me the other day in the middle of shaking it at zumba, & asked some specifics of my love life specifically that i had been contemplating (ie: analyzing to death & then back over it again) all day & really all week. thankfully, she brought me back to reality – much appreciated. i do love hearing that i’m not going insane. it’s heartwarming & lovely – almost as amazing as blue bell ice cream butter crunch flavor.
so for the next few months i’m going to try to not over-analyze the situations in my life – love, work, friends, etc – and just enjoy the moment that i’m in. i’ll always be a planner, but i can only work for what i want – not control. c’est la vie!
birthday week
this is my birthday week. it has been pretty fantastically fabulous. i turned 26 – again – for the third time. (ie: i may possibly be 29 if you are one of those math fanatics). i flew back from my undisclosed destination (after beach sitting, dolphin gazing, sunset viewing, and wine tasting) to have the most delicious birthday dinner with some amazing female friends – truly possibly one of my favorite birthday memories in addition to the small group that celebrated with me last year at g&d’s. ang & i celebrated with a delicious quiche on friday morning too…yummm. she’s an amazing chef & friend. oh yes, and then last night lg surprised me with a balloon throne & cake & a banner – they are beautiful. all 50+ people that were there – just beautiful. point blank: i have the best friends a girl could ask for.
Here are a few photos (the only ones really) from my ‘sabbatical’
my feet in the sand
wine cellar
on the way to the sea
this week is also one of my lovely friends, KR, wedding. yes, i am in it. yes, it’s my 19th wedding to be in. to be fair, i think it’s only my 9th bridesmaid though. yes, i do love the dress. no, i don’t want to hear about how i only have 8 more to go to be ‘just like the movie’. if i’m in more than 20, i’m going to need to start charging people. sorry, but we’re in a recession people.
i think back to april when kr & i toured the california coast then went thru napa. it was beautiful. the whole trip we talked about this boy – her man. how she was in love with him & yet he just wanted to be friends. what do i do being the good friend that i am? tried to talk her out of it. that’s right. i mean, he liked her as a friend, but if he wasn’t going to pursue her then i wanted her to protect her heart & move on. after i dropped her off at the airport (as i stayed for my conference) she called me the very next day saying jph wanted to go to dinner & talk. she said she thought this may be something special. praise God she didn’t listen to a word i said. praise God jph played the ‘man up’ card & brought it. love these two amazing souls.
so, 28 was supposed to be my favorite age – i’ve been dreaming of it for more than 10 years to be honest. i don’t know, it was just in my mind. in reality, it was one of the most exhausting years to endure for numerous reasons. 29 seams so blah. like the ugly duckling. as i took off over the ocean tuesday morning & the mountains back to what i call home i was refreshed believing in fresh starts & reminded of the amazing people i have in my life. 29 – you’re going to be phenomenal.
sunset from the penthouse
sometimes
sometimes all it takes for one to have a fabulous day is a white chocolate mocha – at the airport while you wait to board just because you wanted to leave town.
the bonus for the day – starbucks at the airport is now carrying the delicious cranberry orange scone. yum. absolutely.
sometimes i wake up wishing i had a bouquet of flowers waiting for me outside my door – then i realize i have a really big one.
sometimes no matter how much planning we do – everything goes awry.
sometimes it takes all our plans being shaken to the ground for us to be humbled.
sometimes it takes a friend asking about the past in order to move forward in the present.
sometimes a roadtrip to see family for just a few hours is sweet goodness to one’s soul.
sometimes the unknown is the greatest adventure one can think of.
sometimes it just takes a night of doing nothing to bring refreshment to the body, mind, and soul.
sometimes it takes a night of coin-skirt dancing to release the tensions of the year.
sometimes hanging out with your friends on the front porch laughing till you cry makes the best memories.
i love the sometimes…
travel snafu
have you ever seen the movie ‘up in the air’ with george cloney? there’s a part in there that he’s trying to tell his intern which airport security line to get thru – describing reasons not to take each line (ie: family’s with kids, old people, etc.). as i just came thru the lovely jax security gate, i thought of a few myself. so this week’s brainstorm is entitled:
how to know you are not tsa checkpoint ready:
- when it takes more than 2 bins to unload your junk (one for your laptop & one for the bag). i literally saw a woman with FIVE bins. what in the world?? it’s like she just wanted to carry everything on with her. there’s benefits to checking lady – not only to you but also to the strangers around you.
- when you feel like you have to undress to go thru the scanner. ok friends, not every pair of shoes you own has laces. not every pair of pants needs a belt, right? just. don’t. wear. them. please. thanks.
- when the tsa officer kindly informs you that your ‘carry on’ should be checked because it looks gigantic. go ahead, be liberated & check your bag.
- you not only don’t have your i.d. out for the security guard, but you have no idea where that little i.d. card went to in the 35 steps it’s been since the ticket counter. you keep track of 500 employees, but one little i.d. card for 3.5 minutes just is crazy to ask you to hold onto.
- you hand your boarding pass to the x-ray guard. update: they don’t need it. put it away after it’s been marked. otherwise you’re just showing everyone your name & what seat you have – unless you’re using it as a status symbol of which 25E really isn’t worth it.
- after you’ve been asked by the officer for the past 5 minutes if you have anything in your pockets – you proceed thru the x-ray machine with items in your pockets. don’t complain about a pat-down when you warranted this yourself.
- it’s been 10 years since 9-11. if you still carry liquids thru the screening, we have absolutely no sympathy. the process of you having to go out & buy whatever it is new to teach you to put it in a bag or to check it is due justice.
thank you for taking the time to read these – if this saves one security guard one lame question then this blog will have been worth it. 
hehe
here again
san antonio that is. about 9 months ago i came dreading this city. today, it’s gorgeous. ok, a bit warmish, but a lovely day for planning a conference.
the hotel is perfect. the people i work with are perfect. best yet – the conference will be perfect. if only i can survive the next 6 days. breathe. breathe. breathe.
isn’t it funny how you can so despise something or think ill of it, and yet when it comes you are pleasantly surprised? i hate being wrong, but when it comes to something being better than what you thought i really don’t mind.
i’m one to dread things before they happen…it’s in my blood i guess…anyway…so i’m working on letting things happen & praying what does happen is better than anything i thought (ephesians 3:20). not dismissing things before they happen…encouraging the new…you know, all that fun psycho babble…love it. ha, ok my roommate may think differently as i drive her crazy with my ‘what could’ questions & scenarios. i never said i’ve perfected this yet – just working on it.
i’m off to walk some of my meeting space now. then possibly sit for a sushi lesson before i hit the airport. i’m actually starting to come around to this busy little town.
travel & hobbies
i have adhd when it comes to trips…the second i get back from one the second i start wanting to plan my next. thus i am doing so.
i’m planning on surprising my family shortly…the question is – do i fly or drive?? oh the agony!! It’s $60 to fly or $200 to drive. yet i love driving. love it. i love it like i love a bouquet of gummies on valentines day. i love it like i love freckles razzmatazz regular size on a bad day. i love it like i love hearing my niece say she loves me. i. love. driving. however, the funding is just so scarce these days. what to do. what to do.
i thought about inviting 3 friends to come with to share in the price, but i do want this to be about my family & i would feel obligated (or rather torn) to hang out with my friends the whole time. it’s hard for me to do both.
so, if i fly i need to book it by tonight. no pressure. the great thing – i’m hanging out with some FANTASTIC decision makers tonight – i love letting other people decide things!
oh yes, one more thing, i need to save up all the funds i can as my boss just told me we’re booking a meeting in hawaii. that’s right. BEACH!!! so, as of course i will be taking off a week to lay on the beach i need funds for eating & such. ok, fine. i’ll fly. boo.
spring is here
things i love about spring:
- flowers…God makes them grow just for me…don’t tell me otherwise
- new relationships…you can’t deny this…spring makes things grow & blossom…i love seeing these…from new dates, to new beau’s, to new mr/mrs…love is in the air
- front porch sits…with friends, roommate, neighbors…all bring joy
- roadtrips…seems like more have happened this year than usual…excited for some potential future trips as well
- change…some good some bad…some needed…i’m hoping to be more open to it, embrace it, and hang on for the ride…
- fresh starts…like pulling laundry off the line…spring is the new year…i’ve needed to address a situation in my life for months now & this is the new start…i will be bold..i will be honest…i will be loving…eek…and it will be a fresh start
- last, but not least, it’s conference season…which means i live in a state of constant logistics…and i love it…because i’m good at it…i’m glad i get season’s of rest too…but i love conference season…bring it.
