i realize it has been a week since my last post, which is atypical for me, but it was a quiet week. i'm not sure if it was party recovery or the ambiguity of not knowing what i'm doing next, but all week i felt as though i was simply putting one foot in front of the other to make it through the day. i have felt a bit under the weather, though not exactly sick, and that probably doesn't help. i think really, i'm just tired. i feel as though i have passed my expiration date here and am starting to spoil.the desire to move is the only thing that is completely OVERwhelming right now, and it's just not possible for a couple more months. and so i sit and stagnate.
the response to the party has continued to be loud and positive. i've posted my favorite email at the end of this post.
they have started running the 'behind the scenes' piece they did in all our offices. i look fat, but overall am pleased. i'm still waiting for my copy of it, at which point i will watch it on a non-wide screen and take stock of my self esteem before deciding whether or not to post it:)
these things are always entertaining. i can't decide which 'outfit' i liked best, the girl wearing a gray t-shirt under her spaghetti strap red formal, or the girl who wasn't wearing much of anything. mormon 'formal' events are cause for one to sit and scratch one's head. to be fair, it is difficult to find modest formal dresses. to be unfair, i think there is a pretty universal definition of formal, except, apparently, when lds singles are involved.pics are here.
saturday morning, i spent with lara, nick, and nick's mom karen, taking engagement photos. i think there are a few good ones, and both of them were better sports than i expected them to be. for everyone but me, it's difficult to stand posed, with a perma smile, and they did a great job!saturday night it was time to get down to business. i had stalled and postponed my lesson preparation for as long as possible. i had a complete mental block and absolutely did not want to teach. but when i finally dug in, it was pretty amazing. i got some really great inspiration, and just had the feeling that it would be an awesome lesson.
i wasn't disappointed, and as i had hoped, the class largely taught themselves. there was a great spirit about it, and it was one of those lessons that makes me feel a little better about teaching. i have to teach again next week, since i'll be in paris for two sundays. the title of the lesson is 'i was blind, but now i see.'
having recently seen the movie 'amazing grace' i'm a little more invested than i was in last week's. i only hope it will yield the same result.
From: SRA Employee Communications
Sent: Monday, April 23, 2007 3:00 PM
To: FWDRichards, Bryan
Subject: RE: 2007 Spring Gala Comments
Bryan --
Thanks for taking the time to pass this along. As you might imagine, an event of this magnitude takes some doing in the planning department. As such, I'll share your feedback with Tara Van Atta, our events guru.
After Saturday, guru seems appropriate.
Thanks, again for passing this along.
Mark
From: Richards, Bryan
Sent: Monday, April 23, 2007 2:37 PM
To: SRA Employee Communications
Subject: 2007 Spring Gala Comments
I don’t know the faces at SRA behind the planning and execution of our Saturday night Gala at Udvar-Hazy, but feel compelled to send in my thoughts. I hope this gets to the right people.
My wife and I have gone to most all the holiday and gala events from the Gateway Marriott in 1995 to the one just ended. We were wowed at the venue of Carnegie Mellon Hall, again at the National Building Museum. Very impressive! At Westfields, we were amazed at the variety – rooms, music, food, people. Saturday, beforehand, we wondered just how this would be pulled off, with the ever increasing size of our company and the lines of people wanting food and drink. We knew the location would be a hit, but how could one find a place to sit down, a place to eat?
We were blown away. What a night! How do you top this one?
We got there early and got to see in advance the substantial number of registrars ready to check us in; it was a taste of the fine service that would last the whole night through. We were welcomed graciously. We had lots of real estate to roam that allowed us to drink in the event from the upper catwalks even before the doors opened. All night: room to get around, food without waiting, drinks without waiting, dessert tables to ogle from the first minute, tables to sit at, tables to stand at, pleasant music at appropriate volume, old acquaintances to renew, current acquaintances to share in our surprise. It goes on: a night at the movies, a tower to explore, planes too famous to touch just inches away……..
We had a marvelous evening. If this is this the only time we do something like this, we get to reminisce for years to come; if we get to do it again, let’s not change a thing.
Thank you, party staff. You outdid yourselves. And thank you SRA.
Bryan Richards
PS: The caterers must have this down to a science. How did they do this? You couldn’t get a drink faster on a slow night in the French Quarter!
2 comments:
Wow, look at you! You look incredible!
Lol. Thanks. YOU know I photograph well:)
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