here we go again...

i think this is the longest i have ever gone without posting.  ever.  so, since there is way too much catching up to do, let's just hit the highlights and lowlights of 2015 so far, shall we?

january:

knowing that i will be (if all goes according to plan), moving to north carolina at the end of july, california bucket list items have taken on a new urgency.  for the first time, i joined my donahoo cousins in visiting the post-showing of the rose parade floats.  amazing! it was particularly enjoyable to experience it with my cousins, who've also never done it, and whom i'm going to miss terribly when i leave!

with three months to design and build a brand new booth, as a part of the parent company's strategy to align all of their umbrella companies to "one-brand", the 20X30 launches at the north american veterinary conference and wins the booth of the year award. (february, multiple articles would be published about it in various exhibit trade publications). i'm particularly proud as the design concept was entirely my idea, and we were fortunate to be paired with the perfect exhibit house to execute it.  the booth features a life-size tree stump that doubles as a phone charger, a convertible meeting space in the interior of the doghouse, as well as astro-turf carpet and ambient "yard" sounds, giving visitors a break from the hectic conference pace.

extended the navc work trip to spend some time with melissa (n.) at universal studios florida, primarily to indulge our inner wizards and check out the new(ish) wizarding world of harry potter.  exhaustion was a prominent feature, but, so was spell-casting! there is something truly magical ( i know, i know) about the harry potter world and the way it has become such a cultural phenomenon.  i still remember being in high school reading my dragonlance books about wizards and warriors, and fearing that i would be made fun of as a result.  the times, they have-a-change-ed.

capping off the month was the (ahem)th birthday celebration for my good friend larysa.  it's fair to say that the circle of those who i would truly consider friends, here in california is very small, but i have known and liked larysa for almost my entire eight years here.  it was a privilege to participate in honoring her (mumble) years on the planet, and while i won't reveal her age, i will say that it was a big one, and celebrating at the huntington library & gardens (truly one of my favorite places in cali) with an afternoon tea, was quite perfect.

february:

the month kicks off with an unexpected sleepover not too far from home.  my friend and co-worker (who i rarely get to see anymore), melissa (r.) was in anaheim at the grand californian for a company training.  she invited me to come for a slumber party, so, why not!  we met up with another friend and co-worker for late night girl talk and spent some lovely post-training afternoon time at the pool the following day before returning to 'real life'.

i take a work trip to vegas where the new booth continues to impress. i get to spend my off-time with melissa (n.), as well as visiting with my old roommate, heather. this time the visit with heather includes five more dogs!  and while the puppy energy is a little nutty, i especially appreciate fur babies when i'm away from my own.  i also get a chance to spend some time with my freeman cousins.  i loathe vegas, but now that i have "people' there, it makes my frequent visits much more enjoyable.

march:

the month begins with a trip to williamsburg, va for work.  originally, julie and kids had planned to meet me there for a day at busch gardens. until we realize that it's not open yet!  instead, i drive to raleigh to spend a day with them, and to get a bearing on the place that will serve as my temporary home when i arrive in nc.  then it's time for some actual work... but my co-worker greg and i did find a little bit of time to explore the historic town.

from williamsburg, i'm headed directly on to the next event in tampa, fl. but before i get there, i get some terrible news.  my old roommate calls (i send her to voicemail, as i'm boarding a plane), she calls again. voicemail again. then she texts.  a mutual friend of ours has passed away.  she had been living with heather in las vegas, and heather's husband had found her that morning.  initially, they didn't know exactly how long she had been gone or what had happened, but we would eventually learn that, at age 41, holly jarvinen died unexpectedly from congenital heart failure.  it was devastating news, and though my first response was to try and be strong for heather - her closest friend - i went through my own kind of shock.  it would take a couple of weeks before it felt real all the time, as opposed to that weird ptsd mode of feeling real one moment and not real the next, where your brain just can't process.  holly is the third friend of mine to pass in the last five years, and i still can't quite wrap my head around it.

but i had to get on the plane.  it's been about fifteen years since my last visit to tampa, and i had been excited to see a relatively 'new' city.  maybe that was just what i needed to avoid falling down the rabbit hole of sudden loss.  instead, i made myself readily available to heather and other friends via phone, while i tried to get my job done, and see what tampa had to offer.  i remember thinking that it was the only city in florida i had ever really liked, and it turned out, my memory was correct.  the food was amazing, and i was incredibly impressed with the consistently good service.  i also got a chance to spend some time with melissa (n.) as we took in a spring training baseball game (braves v. yankees) and explore the ybor city area via trolley and foot.

shortly after returning home from tampa, things went even more sideways.  still emotionally wounded from the loss of a friend,  i'm in a car accident, the victim of a red-light runner.  while my body and health are fine (for which i'm grateful!), my car is totaled.  my 2004 saturn was meant to last another year or so, giving me a chance to make the big move and get settled in before investing in a new car and committing (for the first time in years) to a car payment.  but the universe had other plans, and i found myself wading through the soul-crushing bureaucracy of insurance company rules, rental car restrictions, payouts, and loan-getting.  it's an overwhelming week as i began to feel the weight of all the change and loss that seems to be coming at once.  i want to just wallow for awhile, but i don't have the luxury of time.  the one thing (aside from my physical health) that i have going for me in regards to the car, is that i have driven A LOT of rental cars.  so many, in fact, that i've known for years what i wanted the 'next car' to be.  which, since i had a really limited amount of time to make decision and act on it, was a huge blessing.  i go look at a couple of cars, knowing i've found "the one" before i even see it in person, so after the test drive confirming it, i put a deposit down, sign a contract, and leave - without the car - hoping that they will honor the contract until the loan check arrives and clears.

still driving a rental car, which i am now paying for out of pocket (since it turns out that the insurance company will only cover three days if your car is totaled), i head to ontario to finally meet up with my friend vicki for an evening out. we've been trying to get together for a year, and were finally able to make it work.  i'm feeling particularly grateful for the timing as it now seems so much more important than it did a week before to spend quality time with people you care about.  vicki has season tickets for the local hockey team, and before heading there, we enjoyed breaking some bread and getting caught up.  perfect girls night!

not long after, i'm headed to salt lake city.   i planned the trip in february when the world was all sunshine and daisies. on one hand, the timing seems semi-inconvenient since i'm still in car-limbo, but i have a sense that the trip is an unexpected tender mercy -- a time, when most needed, to take advantage of the natural healing power that comes from being with people you love.  it's been several years since my last visit, and i know that it will be harder to do from the east coast, so i take full advantage of every opportunity. my visit includes some really phenomenal time with cousins, catch-up time with my old friend scott, a visit with brandon,  a friend who used to live in california (which includes an epic haircut and shave -- his, not mine), attending the general women's session at the conference center, spending time with corey & jill, checking out a salt lake real game, and reconnecting with a high school friend.  sadly, this trip was also supposed to consist of a reunion with houston, my ex-boyfriend's son, to whom i played mom for several years, but a family health emergency arose and he had to leave town.  all in all though, it was exactly what i needed.  i continue to be so grateful for my family and good friends. i adore them, and they have no idea how much peace came from spending time with them.

originally scheduled to fly home late monday evening, i maneuver my way onto an earlier flight so that i can (finally) go pick up the new car!  while in utah, i was driving a version of my car, another equinox, but a more basic model.  my four day "test-drive" left me feeling like the car was ok. it was fine.  it was an improvement on my last one, for sure.  and then, upon concluding the final details, when i finally got into MY car, it was so much better than ok.  it was perfect.  though it is a 2012 model, it feels like new.  there are so many bells and whistles and it was clearly well taken care of.  i just love everything about it!  which will make it a little easier to swallow the car payment thing.  and, of course, it's probably a blessing in disguise having a safer, more comfortable car to drive cross country in.  that's what i keep telling myself anyway.

there you have it, 2015, so far, in a nutshell. there has been good, bad, and ugly, and i have to confess, i'm holding my breath a little about what the near future has in store...

the maze runner

last year, as my friend matt and i road tripped north carolina and virginia, we listened to 'the maze runner' by james dashner.

i had heard about the book at comic-con the prior month, and it seemed to have a huge following.  i knew that it was being turned into a movie and the synopsis was right up my alley, so i thought the road trip would be a great time to try it out.

unfortunately, it was TERRIBLE.  i mean, really, really bad.  maybe it was just the audio book and narrator, but i've heard similar poor reviews from 'readers' since.  i was a little baffled at how this book had developed any following at all, but, from what i've heard since, it seems that it's a less than great introduction to what builds into a great series.  i have my doubts.

nonetheless, it's bad-ness became a bit of a bonding experience and the jokes continue to this day. whrrrr. click. click. click.  (if you've read it, you'll understand)

when the movie's opening day was finally set, matt and i knew we had to go check it out.   i mean, we had already committed 10 miserable hours to the thing, might as well add a couple more.

me, trying to take a pretty photo of a delicious
looking crepe.  matt, trying to mess it up.
this round goes to him.

imagine our surprise when it was pretty good!  in fact we both quite enjoyed it.  the writing was far better suited to a visual portrayal than to words on paper.  seeing what had been described in the book (pretty poorly in some cases) finally made the story and characters interesting.  it was well cast, and there were a few really tense moments (even though i knew what was coming). watching it with matt, my partner in literary pain, was exquisite.

following the movie, we headed to a favorite of matt's - a local mexican place with the most amazing carne asada.  interestingly enough, the meat always reminds me of the best steak-and-cheese sandwich i ever had.  one of these days, i'm just going to buy some meat, take it home, throw it on a sub roll with some mayonnaise and grilled onions and pretend i'm eating trio's again!

we made quick work of dinner so that we still had time for dessert at a mutual favorite, la creperie.  it goes without saying that the chocolate - chocolate- strawberry crepe was divine, and a perfect way to end the evening.

august

i am woefully behind.  i'll just acknowledge that and move on.

this is what my august looked like:

me finally getting to try cotton candy grapes .  yes. i said cotton candy grapes.  grapes that taste like cotton candy! they are only in season for about two weeks each year, distributed by only one grape grower, in california, and they are hard to find! i’d learned about them last year after they were already out of season, and have been waiting to try them. they were delicious! i still have 4 pounds sitting in my freezer so that i can continue to enjoy them.

this collage is from my work trip to kansas city. melissa, her husband nick, and another colleague, david, went to see the MLS soccer team, sporting kc play dc united.  dc united totally beat them!  and what made it an even better night is that the team was staying in our hotel and we ended up spending a little time with the head coach (the guy in the white shirt in the bottom right photo).  but of course, the highlight is just always getting to see melissa.:)

august also saw my 38^th birthday. yowser!  i am usually traveling on my birthday and was excited to be home this year.  i invited a small group of friends and the donahoo cousins to join me at the iconic (lots of movies have shot here) griffith observatory in los angeles.  they were hosting a public star party so many many local astronomers brought their telescopes to share with the rest of us peons.  i love the observatory and it was a great way to celebrate with some of my favorite people!

music city: bonus day

melissa and i had an almost full day to do some exploring.  during my national parks research and in looking for daytrips from the city, i happened across a state park called fall creek falls.  it's about two hours outside of nashville and boasts a number of good-sized waterfalls.

the handful of national park sites that would have been doable, were either ones i had already visited, or ones i had no interest in visiting. so, when i posed the idea of this state park to mel, i was happy that she thought it looked as cool as i did.

because i had been busy with work and honky-tonking for most of the trip, i hadn't gotten to spend much time with my bulgarian friend, who was also in town for the conference. we had squeezed in a couple of lunches and some boot shopping (i was so excited to find women's boots in my size that i bought three pair!), but our usual 'last night dinner' had been pre-empted by my grand ole opry visit.  instead, we had a very very early breakfast since melissa and i were getting an early start on the drive.  i was flattered actually, that since his flight wasn't until 2pm, he was willing and wanted to meet up...even though it was 6:30am.  

after stuffing my face, taking a selfie, and saying our goodbyes, i left to pick up melissa at her hotel and we were on our way.  

the two hour drive was uneventful, in the best kind of way.  it was a beautiful day in the mid-60s. the music was good, the conversation was good, and almost exactly two hours later, we arrived at our destination.

we spent the next several hours hiking the park, taking photos, enjoying the quiet (we had the place mostly to ourselves) and the multitude of picturesque waterfalls.  it was truly gorgeous.  and, even though i'm no better a hiker now than i have ever been, the scenery was well worth a little huffing and puffing.

eventually, it was time to return to civilization (aka, the airport), and the return drive was equally as lovely and uneventful.  we made it back to the airport in plenty of time to drop off the rental car, check-in for flights, and make our way through security.  once through, we said our farewells and headed off to our gates.

what was so amazing about this particular trip is that it felt like a vacation.  even despite the fact that we were all working pretty full days, we were able to take full advantage of the sights and each other's company. there was quite literally, never a dull moment! 

music city: antique archaeology and the grand ole opry

 between the country music hall of fame and the bluebird cafe, melissa and i had checked two things off 'the list'.  she visited the ryman without me, which, since i had been before, actually worked out really well.

the last day of the conference was a short one.  earlier in the day, i had taken a cab out to the airport to pick up a rental car for mine and melissa's 'bonus day'.  we had both scheduled late flights home the following day so that we could do some exploring.

so after the exhibit hall closed, melissa, julie, tiffany and i headed out to antique archaeology.  if you are a frequent watcher of the history channel, you won't need an explanation. if not, however, the significance will likely be lost on you.  there is a show called 'american pickers' that follows two guys who travel the country rummaging through barns and sheds, the older and messier the better, in search of unique antiques that they then resell.

a couple of years ago they purchased a second warehouse location (the first is in iowa) in nashville, and i wanted to take a gander.  a lot of the items they 'pick' are ones that i would be interested in, and i was genuinely hoping that i would find something that would fit with my decor.

when we arrived, there was a live band playing, and the place was packed.  it was much smaller (at least the show room) then any of us could have anticipated, and unfortunately, i didn't find anything that would be a good fit.  ultimately, i was glad to have checked it off, but a little disappointed in the experience.

with time still on our hands, we decided to explore the rest of the giant warehouse.  there were a couple of cute boutiques, but when we discovered the distillery/micro-brewery, the girls decided that it looked like a good opportunity to sit down and have a drink.  they tried a couple of different drinks, unique to the venue, and by all accounts, enjoyed the experience.  i, enjoyed the ambiance, and the diet coke i brought with me. :D

we made our way back to the hotel, where we dropped julie so she cold catch a cab and her flight home, and after changing, melissa, tiffany, and myself headed out to the grand ole opry.  melissa and i had purchased tickets before the trip, and tiffany had decided at the last minute that she would like to join us.  there were still tickets available, so she bought a single seat and the three of us made the 20 minute drive.

we hadn't been familiar with any of the bands, but it didn't really matter. we just wanted to experience it.  i didn't know (or had forgotten) that the seats are church-pew style, so from the beginning, it felt different.  i also hadn't realized that every show IS a a radio program, so there is a really unusual format. there is a host for each segment who also performs, then a band who sings two songs.  then the next segment has a new host and a new band.

during the first segment, the band was a male/female duo, who announced that they had just signed with their first label.  in order to celebrate, they said, they had invited a friend to join them in performing one of the songs.  to my great pleasure, their 'friend' turned out to be sam palladio, who plays gunnar on the nashville tv show.  the three of them sang a song that aired on a recent episode, which, it turned out, had been written by the duo.  i was happy to know that the show does actually use local talent, and it was fun to see real nashville and fictional nashville cross paths.

at the end of the evening, the three of us were starving, so we made a stop at cracker barrel for dinner before calling it a night.

music city: the bluebird cafe

adding to the goodness that was march, my one work trip (although it included back to back cities) would have me spending a few days in one of my all-time favorite cities - nashville.  i can't even express how much i love this town.  so much so, that i keep waiting for it to let me down.  that sounds terrible actually.  really i just mean that every time i visit, my expectations are so high, that i've become convinced that actually being there won't be able to meet them.

and i had really high expectations this time.

my friend melissa who hadn't spent a lot of time in the city had asked for a list of must see sights/activities. i do love to build an itinerary, so i began putting it together for her.  the list looked like this:

-antique archaeology
-bluebird cafe
-grand ole opry
-country music hall of fame
-ryman auditorium

of these, i had only ever been to the ryman.  well, technically, i had been to the opry but i'd never seen, and wanted to see, a performance there.  i've checked off a number of other nashvillian activities, but some of these had managed to escape me on previous visits.

in fact, the bluebird cafe has been on my list for years.  in music city, it has long been known as a place for songwriters to come test out their work.  a LOT of really really well known songs (and singers) debuted here, long before the hit the country music charts.  but, fortunately or unfortunately, since the tv show 'nashville' begain airing, prominently featuring the bluebird, it has become difficult to get in. tickets are sold a week in advance for both the 6pm and 9pm shows, and even though i was online at the right time, i wasn't able to get tickets for our desired show.  i was bummed.  so was melissa.

so, come booth set up day, i had a smooth setup and melissa and i were able to visit the country music hall of fame. interesting, but not mind-blowing.

while there, she mentioned having read that the bluebird had seats that they didn't sell in advance for the early show, she asked if i wanted to try it.  i'll admit that i was on the fence.  i was pretty tired from the time zone transition and i didn't want to pay a fortune for a cab, stand in line for hours, and then not be let in.  ultimately though, i decided it was worth a shot.

$25 later, at about 4:30 the cab dropped us off at the strip mall cafe, and there was already a line.  it didn't look too out of control though, so we took the risk.  the early show would start at 6, and at about 5 staff members came out to tell us that there were 20 guaranteed seats, and any others that became available would only be so as a result of no-shows.  we had probably about 50 people in front of us and a handful behind.  it was interesting in that last hour to watch the line change configuration. the people who decided to wait it out, and the people who didn't.  at this point, my stubbornness kicked in and i was pretty determined.  so much so, that if we didn't get in, i was already planning on just sitting down and being the first in line for no-show seats at the 9pm show.

fortunately, it didn't come to that.  after the guaranteed 20 were let in, we probably still had 15-20 people in front of us.  slowly staff members would come outside and escort small groups in.  eventually, melissa and i were at the front of the line.  i couldn't stomach the idea of being the first people to NOT get in so i was relived when we were invited in and sent to a table at the front of the action. ironically, all of the folks both in front and behind us who had decided not to wait it out, would have made it in.  their loss!

rather than a traditional stage set up, the performers were positioned in chairs on the floor in the center of the room - the three of them facing each other.  though the description of the evening said 'in the round', i wasn't sure what that had meant, and i learned that each singer/songwriter would play one of their songs, and then the next person would play one of theirs.  sometimes they would back each other up or pause to tell stories about the origin of the song or about each other.

it was a really unique experience. first of all, it's extremely intimate.  in fact melissa and i could have wasily given one of the singers a shoulder massage, as he was basically sitting at our table (albeit, with his back to us).  secondly, the bluebird is what they call a 'listening room', and it's meant for just that.  though they appreciate a response to their songs,  talking amongst yourselves is discouraged.  the idea is that you go to listen.

we listened. and we really liked what we heard.

it was also unique because the suit-wearing "i'm walking in like i own the place" guy that had breezed by us while we were still in line outside, turned out to be the actual owner of the place, accompanied by a georgia congressman.

at the end of the performance, we waited our turn for the restroom, bought our tee shirts, and took photos with the singers.  my only trepidation had been not being sure how we were going to get back to the hotel.  the cafe is in kind of a strange location, and i was concerned that even if we called a cab and it came that it would take forever to get there.  my fears were put to rest when we walked outside and there was a taxi waiting, hoping to pick up a fare.

it was a perfect excursion, and, after we returned, we headed out to broadway (or honky tonk row) for more live music.  we met up with the other girls from my company and settled in for awhile at the stage. i was in a goofy mood - still on a bit of a high from the bluebird and just sooooo happy to be in nashville, so i had a blast listening to the band, laughing with the new girls, and making a new friend for the evening.

i never get over just how amazing it is that on a wednesday night (on any night) in nashville, every honky tonk will be packed, there will be two or three live bands, and they will be good.  i had an epiphany that night, realizing that nashville, to me, is like vegas is to a lot of people.  i can stay out all night, work all day, and do it over and over again.  i <3 nashville="" p="">

vegas

i don't know how much more i can say about vegas.  i feel like i've 'been there, done that' so many times that it's getting a little old. but i'll give it a shot.

i had a lot of mixed emotions going into this conference.  a staffing upset just two weeks before my departure had left me and other members of my team scrambling into problem solving mode, and the outcome left us all feeling a little shaken.  so, in addition to my normal 'fear and loathing' i felt a trepidation i've not experienced in a very long time in a professional setting.  and yet, i was really excited to see melissa, katherine, the bulgarian, and my freeman cousins!

so before i set out on the four hour drive, i decided that i had done everything within my power to fix what was broken and i began the process of letting it go.  that process moved much more quickly once i arrived, when i headed directly to the exhibit hall to check-in on things and to deliver my special valentine's goodies.

i have discovered about myself that i am not naturally service oriented.  i am always so appreciative to be the recipient -- in any context, but when i am the 'giver' it is with a very conscious effort.

in the last several months, i feel like i've finally settled into california. i don't know why it took me seven+ years, and it's not in my long term plan to stay here, but since being shaken from my 'routine' of the last five years, i feel more at ease here.  and, as a result, i find that i am becoming a little more...me.  i've cooked more in the last six months than i have in the last 10 years.  i find that i am more aware of others, more naturally inclined to want to do nice things. i feel more creative than i have in a long long time.  and i think being here in long beach gives me the freedom to engage in social activities or to power down when needed without feeling like i 'should' be doing this or that.

all that to say that i have recently had a number of occasions to be reminded how gratifying it can be to

exercise intended thoughtfulness.  in this case, most of my exhibit team had been on the road for nearly four straight weeks with other clients at other shows.  i knew they would all be tired and missing home, so even though i didn't arrive until the 15th, i took the opportunity valentine's day provided to show my appreciation with some 'made in my kitchen' baked goods.  their reactions were, i suspect, of greater benefit to me than my gifts were to them. which was a nice way to kick things off, since it would be a very long few days.

6 days in vegas feels like double that in most other cities, and not in the good way.  just the walk from my room to the exhibit hall is enough to drain me for the rest of the day, but that's just the beginning of the exhaustion.  fortunately, some of my favorite people were in attendance at this conference.  i got to spend my evenings with melissa, katherine (who i introduced to serendipity's famous frozen hot chocolate), emil, and of course, my cousins. they all managed to keep me sane in their own unique ways, and that went a long way to taking edge off my least favorite city.

all in all, the event was a success. more than i would have dared to hope.  and the best part? only one more (very) quick trip to vegas next month before i can write the city off for another year!

december

as seems to happen more and more, december just seemed to slip away when i wasn't looking.

it started with the final planning and execution of my last event of the year -- our biannual all employee meeting.  with a few added elements, this was our most 'complicated' employee meeting yet, and, to add insult to injury, i was also tasked with presenting.

those who know me well know that speaking in front of people is my all-time greatest fear. it's a nausea inducing fear that i try to avoid at all costs.  not to mention that there were a thousand moving parts (usually by me) that had to be handled while i was supposed to be on the stage in front of my 500 co-workers.  

the good news is that it all went off without a hitch.  and, i even learned yesterday that in the post-event survey sent to employees, my presentation ranked the highest of the event.  while i'm pleased and grateful for the result, i'm mostly just glad it's over!

fortunately the first couple of weeks weren't all fear and nausea.  my friend vicki invited me to join her at a minor league hockey game, where i had my first 'up against the glass' experience.

and i joined my roommate and another friend in los angeles for las posadas on olvera street.  not only was this my first time using the metro here (i still can't believe there is one), but it was also an interesting educational experience.  the event commemorates the journey of mary and joseph from nazareth to bethlehem, and their search for shelter. there were pinatas, and nativities, and singing. and, there were churros.  i don't know that i would do it again, but it was a new an interesting experience.

only a couple of days after my big work event, i headed to savannah, georgia.  

in november, i received a job offer from a company based there.  the offer was completely unexpected and created a lot a lot of internal conflict.  on one hand, i would really like to be back east, closer to my family.  on the other, i just wasn't sure savannah would be a good fit for me.  

my long weekend there was a bit of a rough one (travel problems, terrible weather), but ultimately it confirmed what i had already begun to feel. the job would have been a good fit, as would most of the people. but the city...is great for being a tourist in, but not to live in. at least not for me.  

the decision was not an easy one, and it occupied the majority of my free-thinking time in november and early december.  but turning it down also made me realize that i'm not ready to leave california just yet.  and there is a certain peace in that.

only a few days after returning from georgia, i was back on the east coast.  only this time, it was to meet my brand new niece and spend the week with my family.  

usually my visits home involve a lot of going and seeing. visiting with old friends, undertaking various activities.  this trip though, we all just kind of hunkered down and spent the week with each other. and it was perfectly lovely.

it nearly kills me to have say goodbye each time, and i still wish i could snuggle in with the new baby, but i was back just before new year's to celebrate in california for the first time.  

despite my reservations, i opted for the big local mid-singles celebration. and, while i have nothing exciting to report, it was an enjoyable evening spent with friends, which is really all i could ask for. 

back at work now i'm trying to get up to full speed preparing for my biggest conference of the year, while managing a nasty sinus infection.  

at this rate i have a feeling that my next post will appear in february and i'll be talking about how quickly january flew by.  seems to just be the way things go these days!

the haunted circus

i was excited to be heading back to texas.  i love texas. i'm a lot more country than i think i've previously realized.  but i was also excited because i'd finally be in the right texas town at the right time, to meet up with my friend old virginia friend, stephanie.  to clarify, she's not old, i'm not old, but our friendship is old. old like a fine wine that just gets better with time.

so, i had a lot to look forward to, and when i got a text from a relatively new co-worker asking if i'd be up for a haunted house while we were in texas, the ante got upped!

the decision was made to visit the strangling brothers haunted circus.  i'd like to tell you that i selected it because it appeared on 'top haunt' lists, or that i am particularly terrified of clowns, but really, i selected it because it was the ONLY option on a monday night.  which makes it a happy accident that it is hands down the scariest haunt i've experienced!

since i'm not especially bothered by clowns, i expected it to be 'okay', but it was beyond memorable.  being there on a monday night meant very short lines.  which should have moved faster.  but when i realized why it was slow going, i forgave the delay.  it turns out that they were staggering each group so that you were only going through with the people you came with. that alone made it stand apart.  i hate being lumped in with a larger group and depending on where you are in that larger group, you may actually see everything coming before it comes.  this was not the case at the circus.

also setting it apart was that rather than being set in some kind of building, in line with it's circus theme, it was actually roughly 30 big-rig size trailers linked together in some case and with some outdoor scenes happening between every 3 or 4 trailers.  this was also most excellent for me as i tend to get very hot in haunted houses and the outdoor vignettes gave my body a chance to regulate it's temperature.

but even beyond these seemingly subtle differences, the quality of the scares was far above average.  while not every 'scene' made me react, there was literally something for everyone. in fact, it was this experience that made me realize that my quirky 'cabin fever' --the one that would make me go driving around the neighborhood in three feet of snow, just to know that i could,  is actually a fear on some level.

there was one area in particular that tapped into the fear.  dense with white fog and populated with people wearing white masks and white clothing so that you could not see them until they were inches from your face, it was also impossible to find a way out.  we were in that trailer for probably 6 or 7 minutes, at least two of which, i spent curled up in a standing ball in a corner. our exit was finally made possible by one of the whiteys with a finger point, and i'm not sure we would have found it without the help.  we couldn't even figure out where we had come from!  it was soooo good!

i recently read a review on yelp where the reviewer, referring to some haunt or another, said he considered a haunt a good value if you got at least a minute for every dollar you spent.  we spent 25 dollars and it took a little over 45 minutes for us to go through the entire experience, never running into or being bumped into by any other participants.  they were truly excellent minutes.

and the texas fun was not over.  the following evening gave me a chance to spend a few hours with stephanie.  she had picked fred's texas cafe, a ddd joint that, it turned out, i hadn't been to. we grubbed and gabbed, and i was reminded just how much i love seeing old friends. i love that they come with a shared built in history.  i love that you share certain understandings and don't have to cover old ground, but can go on the same nostalgia trip should you so choose. and i love that you can just pick up where you left off.

needless to say it was a most excellent tuesday night in texas.

lone star state of mind

san antonio. a city i generally enjoy, although the river walk is a bit played out for me.  despite finally getting cooler temperatures at home, and knowing i was headed towards hot and humid, i was still excited about this trip. some of my favorite work girls and of course, getting to see the bulgarian for the first time since march!

and, while waiting for my flight, i got a call from my eastern european friend, asking when i'd be getting into town.  since it would be late, we made plans for breakfast the next morning. i arrived safely and without incident, taking up residence in the lovely and oh-so-familiar hilton palacio del rio.

after re-connecting over breakfast, we headed to the exhibit hall to get our respective booths set up.  mine was done relatively quickly so emil joined me for lunch before i made my way back to the hotel and he back to the hall.  i spent the rest of the afternoon catching up on emails, and when emil was finished for the day, we headed out to the river walk for dinner.  

he continues to be someone who's company i enjoy greatly, even though our opinions are almost always at odds with each other. not contentious odds, mind you, but our perspectives are almost always on two completely opposite ends of any spectrum.  in fact, i am constantly surprised at just how well we get along.  

okay, if i'm being honest, and introspective, i'd have to admit that there must be some part of me that appreciates having my ideas challenged.  even though he doesn't directly challenge them, just by virtue of his differing opinion, i'm forced to question, re-evaluate, articulate.  and, because i tend to be a get-along to go-along type, it's a healthy refreshing change of pace.

the exhibit hall opened the following day and i had big plans for the evening.  my new jersey coworker, sam, and i had gotten tickets for a haunted house (my first of my favorite season)! this particular haunted house had been listed on several 'best of' lists, and i was eager to see if it deserved the hype!  

phew! *sigh of relief*  it did not disappoint!  though we needn't have paid for the more expensive 'fast pass' version since it was pretty quiet, it was obvious pretty quickly that this would be different than my previous haunted house experiences.  we had to enter by going down an enclosed twisty turney slide in the complete darkness. 

awesome.

and the rest of the 'house' offered plenty of surprises and scares.  sam and i were glued to each other the entire time, and the threesome going through with us weren't far behind.  in fact, when we finished the experience, my shirt was stretched to three times it's normal size as a result of one of the other girls hanging on for dear life! it was a perfectly lovely way to spend a friday evening.

the following morning in the hall was uneventful. emil joined sam, vanessa and i for lunch, which continued the theme of decent food but terrible service on the river walk. our lunch took almost an hour to arrive at our table!  but at least the company was good. 

afterward, we decided to take one of the river walk boat tours. vanessa had never been, and emil had mentioned wanting to check it out, so the four of us headed to one of the boat landings, bought our tickets, and climbed aboard.

it was pretty routine (i'd done the tour two or three times before) other than the speed talking guide, until about half-way through when an elderly woman became limp and unresponsive.  needless to say, there was an emergency docking, and her family and a couple of the other patrons carried her off the boat while ems was called.  i still don't know what happened or if she is/was okay, but i'd guess that it was a response to the heat, and hope that once she got some fluids and cool air that she made a full recovery.

after finishing our interesting adventure, emil and i headed back to the hall for closing time. and then it was downtime at the hotel for a couple of hours before meeting up again, with the rest of the girls, for dinner.  i had wanted to take everyone out to gruene (pronounced: green) -- a little town about 45 minutes outside of san antonio -- that a few of us had discovered last year when we went tubing.  i was really done with the river walk.  the food hadn't been great and the service at every meal seemed to get worse and worse, and i had been dying to get back to gruene.  i fell in love with it last year and wanted to do more exploring.

but, when a couple of the girls wanted to stay 'local',  i decided that it was nice to not have to be the 'planner' for once, so i sucked it up and prepared for another questionable river walk meal.

it was worse than i could have even imagined.  a disaster on almost every level.  the food took almost two hours (i still can't believe we stayed), and it was terrible.  i was irritated and annoyed and a little embarrassed that i had the bulgarian along for this ugly experience.  he's typically a bit short-tempered, and, maybe because i was feeling that way, he surprised me with his continued attempts to lighten the mood and calm my increasingly fraying nerves.

eventually we were done with that horrid place, and as we were leaving he asked if i had picked the place.  i told him no, but that i was trying to encourage others to not rely on me so much for their extracurricular conference activities.  sometimes i need a break from planning everyone's lives, and they don't often give it to me when we're on the road.  his response; 'everyone has a role. see what happens when you don't fill yours?'

i couldn't help but laugh.  at the very least, i've developed a reputation for finding and selecting good restaurants, so i guess i'll try to stop being annoyed when people want me to do just that.

after dinner we all needed an attitude adjustment, so we cruised the walk looking for a soft and happy place to land.  we were more fortunate than in our dinner location and spent the next few hours chatting, dancing, and laughing before calling it a night.

the following day was the last of the conference.  after successfully shutting down the booth and with the afternoon open for play, i convinced sam to join me for a road trip to gruene.  and she too fell in love with the place, commenting several times that we should have come the previous night.

it has a relaxed, small town america feel, as well as having a rich country music history.  gruene hall has long been a regular stop for some of country's most well recognized performers.  and, even in the middle of the afternoon, as we explored the town following our amazing meal (with excellent service!) there were several venues with live bands playing on stages and outdoor patios.  it was bliss and i will have to make this a regular stop anytime i'm in san antonio!

with an early flight the next morning, we headed back to our hotel to pack and settle in for the night. and thus ended another trip to the lone star state...where i'll be heading back to next month!  oh well, at least i get a three week travel break to catch up on laundry and dog snuggles.

the neon lights are bright

i'm aware that the song refers to a different broadway, but for my purposes, it still applies.  broadway, after all, is where you will find 'honky tonk row' in nashville, a two-three block stretch of fantastic, free, live music. mostly country, but you'll definitely find smattering a of rock if you're looking.  and you can be sure whatever the genre, it's going to be good.

there is so much musical talent in nashville, that unless you've earned your stripes elsewhere, you won't be allowed on a broadway honky tonk stage. and it's why this is always one of my favorite cities to visit.  but before we get to that...

the exhibit hall opened at 7am.  which meant that the wake up call was for 5 am. which meant that my body thought it was 3am.  and that was rough.  the exhibit hall was also painfully slow, which did not help.

there was a mild flurry of excitement mid-way through the day when kix brooks, formerly of brooks & dunn, who was the keynote speaker at the conference, spent some time in the hall signing cd's and taking photos.  and i, of course, couldn't pass that up.  he was a normal sized nice man, partly responsible for a number of great country hits over the years, and i was pleased to have met him.

but the energy levels dropped significantly after that, and it was all we could do to stay awake at the booth. my co-worker, kevin, had never been to a honky tonk before and knew i wanted to go, so he suggested that we retire to our respective hotels for a pre-dinner nap.... he's a smart one, that kevin.

we reconvened a couple of hours later with our other co-worker, sonya, and headed to dinner where we were joined by bobby, a 'local' I met last year through my various trade show interactions. he works with a company that we work with and, something about that southern-ness made me instantly like him. (by the way, he's married and mid-sixties, so not THAT kind of like).

he told us lots of nashville stories, had us laughing 'til our stomachs hurt, and insisted on treating us all to dinner. I tried to explain that we were all on the company dime, but you just try talking a southern gentleman out of showing hospitality in his hometown, and see how successful you are!

needless to say, i lost that 'disagreement'.

after our meal had concluded, he drove us, in his fast, sporty, muscly type car, back to broadway, where I headed straight to the second fiddle -- my favorite joint on the strip.  the crowd is always diverse, the staff always friendly, and the music always good. we spent the next three hours there, and i was delighted to discover that sonya (originally from tennessee) is also a big country fan. kevin, not so much, but he enjoyed the ambiance and the live music element.

we called it a night just after midnight with the promise of another ugly early morning to follow.

and when that ugly early morning arrived, i just couldn't bring myself to head back to the exhibit hall. I had originally planned on staying only until noon before catching my flight home, but i had some urgent emails to respond to and a suitcase problem to figure out.  

both of these things having been successfully accomplished, when kevin called to see if i wanted to join he and sonya for their lunch break, i suggested we try 'arnold's', a cafeteria style southern eatery recommended by bobby the night before, highly rated on yelp, and also on the diners, drive-ins, and dives list. They came and picked me up and we made our way to the restaurant.

it was the best possible way for me to conclude the short trip to the city. I had the chicken and dumplings (made me feel like I should be sitting in y grandma's kitchen on a cold winter day), some excellent slaw, and chocolate pie. we sampled each other's selections, and kevin's hot pepper chocolate pie was a treat.  likely made with chili powder, the slow creep up of the 'kick' as the brownie batter like pie and homemade crust made their way down my gullet, was amazing.  i've always liked mexican hot chocolate - made with chili powder - so i was a big fan.

one thing i noticed this time around is just how successfully nashville cooks manage their spices. our dinner the might before included hot wings, different from any i'd had before. rather than being sauced, they were dry-rubbed. and again, the spiciness crept up on you, building slowly, and stopping at what i felt like was exactly the perfect level of heat. i'm going to have to remember that when I'm back in march!

after our tasty meal, they dropped me back off at my hotel where i picked up my bags and the rental car and headed to the airport, where the costa rican hertz agent told me that for sure i could get a boyfriend in costa rica, and the american agent upgraded me to first class on my direct flight home. a nice way to end a nice trip.

things i've seen and learned in nashville

1.  a 20 ounce diet coke is difficult to come by, but 24 ouncer's are plentiful.  i didn't check, but i suspect the same holds true for sweet tea.

2.  passing a mile and a half's worth of bikes (everything from crotch rockets to harley's) is pretty cool, but what makes it special is the guy on the side of the road doing wheelies in his wheelchair while giving the passing bikers a big thumbs up.

3.  in 2010 heavy flooding ravaged the nashville area (most of middle tennessee, actually) including a seven foot wall of water that surged through the gaylord opryland hotel, opry mills mall, and the grand ole opry. the storm and flooding cost 23 tennesseans their lives (total death toll was 32 including neighboring states).

i've been here a small handful of times since then and during my visit early last year, everything seemed to be mostly back to normal. -- except that opry mills mall had yet to open. one anchor store (outdoor world) seemed on the verge, but otherwise, it was a shell of a building surrounded by empty parking lots.  it had that abandoned 'ghost town' feel, and it was a little depressing.

i'll admit that i hadn't followed the progress, so i was pleased as punch to discover that the mall (next door to the opryland hotel where my event is) is fully operational again.  parking lots are crowded and there seem to be a lot of smiling, shopping bag toting, people going in and out.  seems like things are finally getting back to the way they were before!

san diego: the fun stuff

my recent work trip to san diego was as successful as a work trip can be, but let's just talk about the fun stuff, shall we?

after my friday morning mani/pedi, i packed my 100 pound suitcase (if it's not getting weighed, i just don't know where to stop) and loaded the bike on the back of the car to make the hour and a half drive south.  the first miracle of the trip was that it was actually and hour and a half, free of the usual slow-downs that plague this particular stretch of freeway.

i arrived at the hotel (one of my favorites) a little too early to check-in, so headed downstairs for lunch.  almost immediately after i had finished my meal i got the call that my room was ready and checked in to my beautiful corner king, with views of coronado.  then it was time to don the swimsuit and head to the pool.

a couple hours later, my co-workers julie and sam were finished with the conference service project and joined me poolside before heading to dinner and calling it an early night.

saturday found me up early and cruising the promenade to the hyatt down the strip for booth setup, which went quickly and well. and then it was time for more sun!  julie and sam had headed to coronado for some beach time, and since i haven't been at the beach all summer, i decided it was high time!

we landed at silver strand state beach where the water is filled with flecks of 'gold'.  a little research informed us that it was actually mica that had migrated from the mountains of mexico, and it made for a really uniqye experience.  what also made this beach trip stand apart is that i got in the water.

i know that doesn't seem like a big deal, but for a girl who grew up going to the atlantic ocean, the pacific is downright freezing.  in the almost six years i've lived in california, i've only ever been in the pacific one time. and learned my lesson!  but, the day was really hot, and the water just enough further south to make it bearable, and refreshing even.

we enjoyed the water and were eventually joined by my friend and former co-worker, vicki, who came down to see us all while the girls were in from various parts of the country.  we played with jade, who i haven't seen since shortly after she was born, and were impressed by just how fearless she is.  the water didn't bother her at all, even when she ended up with a mouthful of it.  and i was grateful to see that vicki has not turned in to an overly paranoid mom who wants to shelter their children from every tiny little irritation (i have little tolerance for those moms i'm afraid).

about an hour after vicki arrived, we decided to head back to the hotel for pool time and dinner, but shortly after i had pulled out of the parking lot, i got a call from vicki saying that her car wouldn't start.  i turned around and after an attempted jump, then a wait for a tow truck, we finally said our farewells when i dropped her off with friends, who would take the second leg of the 'get vicki back home' driving tour.

it was more of an adventure than any of us had bargained for, but mostly a disappointment because it cut our time short.  nonetheless, it was great to see her, if only briefly.

the rest of the trip was filled with work, good food, work, some more pool time, enjoying the work commute on my bicycle, discovering that my bicycle needs a tune-up and some re-aligning, and more good food.  all in all, a very successful long weekend!

luck of the irish

the first show day went smoothly, if slowly.  i wasn't feeling that great (cold getting worse) so i partly planned on hiding out in my hotel room for the evening.  but when tania, my friend and co-worker, invited me to join her at dinner with a potential partner company, i agreed.  you see, this company is owned/managed by a pair of brothers. a pair of really attractive brothers. a pair of really attractive really irish brothers.  or so i'd heard.

in fact, i'd been hearing about them around the office since january and i'll admit that i was curious to see if they lived up to the hype.

they did.

we met them for dinner in the freight district (blah bbq), followed by dessert at power and light, and it was one of those rare evenings where the group dynamic was just exactly right.  for the record, both are attached (married/ long term girlfriend) much to tania's chagrin, but the eye candy was delicious and the conversational chemistry was spot on.  looking forward to seeing these guys at a few more conferences.

kansas city was delivering a lot of pleasant surprises. and there were more to come. 

after opening the booth the following morning, i skipped out to play a little hooky with melissa.  she had mentioned wanting to show me the shuttle cocks (and i only vaguely knew what she was referring to). we started with brunch at westside local (yum, but i think mascarpone is supposed to be sweeter than that!) before she took me to the nelson-atkins museum.  

i'll be honest in saying that i was struggling a little.  i wasn't feeling awesome and the heat exasperated my low-energy.  that being said, i always enjoy my melissa time, even if i'm not holding up my end of the conversational bargain.  and i appreciated the opportunity to get a little taste of kansas city culture...including the shuttle cocks, and the traveling rodin 'thinker' sculpture.

we finished up at the museum and melissa dropped me back at the hotel where i tried to refresh a little before heading over to the marriott to check-in on the set-up for a reception we were hosting.  

fortunately, most of the logistics were being handled by the conference, so i actually got to eat and talk! i had already spent some time with my work crush (i know, i'm using that word a lot lately) on the exhibit hall floor, but had hoped he would be at the reception.  it wasn't until later that i realized he probably hadn't been invited (targeted at a different set of attendees), so when the reception wrapped and i was about to head out, i was pleasantly surprised to see that he had stopped in.  

he left his conversation to come over and say hello, and offered to buy my (much older) co-worker and i a drink at the bar/restaurant. she declined, i accepted, and he bought me a lot of fresh squeezed orange juice!  he also bought me dinner and reminded me what a gentleman looks like, unexpectedly offering his jacket when i mentioned that i was freezing in the air conditioned room, and insisting that i allow him to walk me back to my hotel when i was ready to call it a night (six hours later). chivalry is not dead!