getting my money's worth

this is the first year that i have bought a season pass to king's dominion. while that came in extremely handy when trying to board a plane with no license, i have still made it a goal to actually get my money's worth out of this thing.

my attempts at putting a small group together to go to the park failed miserably, as everyone seemed to have prior commitments or out of town business, so when justin called asking if there was any chance i'd be up for kd today, i took him up on it.

the morning at the park was near perfect. it was overcast and relatively cool. and we had some serious coaster karma going on. aside from the fact that the new 'italian job' ride was completely lame, we managed to hit the good rides at exactly the right time--meaning very short wait times. in some cases we even jumped ahead because we were a group of 'two' and everyone else was in a larger one. so we took care of the big stuff right off the bat. and by the way, the volcano is amay-zing in the front seat.

in addition, my new favorite shirt seemed to be a hit among the ladies in the park. poor justin had to explain that we weren't dating to those who commented, so they would know i wasn't subtly trying to insult him. but i had to laugh when he said to one lady "'we're trying to get the perfect photo so i can add a caption saying 'this is why i don't like women.'" i had to point out the fact that he had just painted himself as my gay boyfriend, a fact which he was highly amused by.

as the morning turned to afternoon, the temperature rose, and frequent announcements were made relating to the fact that the national weather service had issued a heat advisory for the area. thank heavens they were there to tell us it was hot, because the sweat, nausea, and near passing out was not enough of an indication.

the sun and humidity were draining, so we took the afternoon a bit more slowly, enjoying anything that didn't have a long wait. standing in line in the sun for hours on end was not going to happen. we made the best of it and had a great time, but eventually it was time to call it a day.

for the rest of the pics, click here.

the next big thing

i am one of those people who always has to have something to look forward to. so if 'it' doesn't present itself on a silver platter, then i become a creator of opportunities. the next couple of months holds some fun activities that i am really looking forward to, starting tomorrow with a king's dominion trip with justin, tubing next weekend, then a week at grandma's lakehouse spent lounging, reading, and waterskiing, then a 30th birthday trip to montreal.

the only problem with this of course, is fitting real life (i.e. work) in with all my play time. in addition to all of these scheduled activities, i also have four events in the next three months, which given their size and scope, is not insignificant.

now is about the time i wish i was independently wealthy and could ditch the work part..at least for a while.

god bless the armed forces

yesterday passed rather uneventfully, although i made a stop at stonebriar mall up in frisco. i have loved having a car here, as it has allowed me to easily escape from my hotel when needed (sometimes for practical purposes, sometimes for my sanity).

so after some pool time, i headed out in search of a rolling duffel bag. i knew, in all likelihood, that the one i came out here with, i would probably not be going home with, and it has officially been laid to rest. rip. i intended to find/stop at wal-mart, but the one i had gotten directions to was actually a grocery store…not a duffel bag or any other useful item in sight. so i made my way to stonebriar, hoping i might pass a wal-mart on the side of the freeway.

when i got to frisco i was overwhelmed at the cornucopia of shopping venues, and spotted a super-target, where i was able to successfully complete my mission. i grabbed some lunch and made my way into the mall, wandering around for hours.

it was near the conclusion of my excursion that i stopped at the sonic and developed my newest addiction—a chocolate cream pie shake (complete with whip cream and pie crumbs). and as tried to suck the thick goopy wonder through the straw, i happened upon the indoor ice rink.

unlike all of the ice rinks i have ever been to, this one consisted of skaters in training. i was absolutely hypnotized by the little asian girl who spun and sal-chowed with amazing grace. i was also entranced by the harness like structure attached to one of the other skaters in an attempt to give her spin more bounce.

i watched these young skaters for probably an hour (which is how long it took me to finish that shake) before deciding to head back to dallas.

the evening consisted primarily of packing and of another sonic run. look, i’m taking advantage while i can!

this morning i finished my packing and headed to the airport. the rental car was returned with no problems, and when i arrived at the airport, i had a vision. busloads upon busloads of army guys (and one or two girls). dreams really do come true. during my lunch at friday’s, a group of four tried to buy me a drink. i respectfully declined but we chatted for a few minutes before i made my way to the gate.

that was a nice finale to the dallas trip, but i don’t wanna go home. then again, i guess i have to go home so i can leave again for the lakehouse, and for the 30^th birthday trip to montreal that is being planned. okay, i guess i'll go home.

nostalgia sets in

6:30am and the dog starts barking. i'm confused because the dog only barks when there is something different, but nothing seems different, except that i am now awake at 6:30am and can't fall back to sleep.

time to start the day, i guess. i head into the guest bedroom to finish my packing, (nearly naked) and discover a person (fully clothed) in the bed, who seems as confused by my presence as i am by hers. apparently, my sister has decided that my house is now a hang out for all her friends..which at least explains the beer bongs in the garage.

in and out of the shower by 7:00 and i head to target for a couple of last minute items. on the way i realize that i don't have a drivers license, and i am going to be renting a car today. i call the car rental company, and after being put through the eternal voice mail loop, someone is finally able to tell me that yes, i really do have to have a drivers license, they cannot check with dmv.

it's 7:30am, and the target is across the street from the dmv. do i take the risk? why not..i'm feeling lucky. dmv opens at 8 and i am the 20th person in line..outside. eventually the doors are opened and i am moved through with smooth efficiency, which is actually very consistent with my experience at the leesburg dmv. then of course there is that pesky photo to deal with. i didn't get ready for a photo that would haunt me forever, i got ready for a day of travel, and let me assure you, they look very different.

the agent hands me my license. whats this?! the best drivers license photo i have ever had! feelin lucky indeed.

i head to target to complete my tasks. anne arrives on time to chauffeur me to the airport, and i have no problems at check-in, security, or with my flight, which, given the fact that i am flying the same airline that made my wednesday fall into the black abyss, is sort of a miracle.

the instant i step off the plane in dallas, i am overcome with nostalgia. there are a few cities i have considered living in over the years, because of the comfortable feeling of familiarity they seem to give me. chicago, san diego, and dallas. it feels a little like coming home.

i can't help but remember that the last time i was here it was for a conference i was planning. and as it turned out, that business trip spawned a brief but memorable relationship with a co-worker. when i pull up to my hotel i realize that i am even staying in the same hotel (how could i have forgotten?!) and as i enter my room the memories come back even stronger. i kissed someone in this very room. how's that for odds?

so did i say i was feelin lucky?

'cuz i am.

i really love this place. there are several 'conference hotels' i could choose from when making my travel arrangements, and i chose the one that is furthest away from the convention center in the west end district. the west end is the 'historic' district full of lots of eateries and quaint shops. i like this part of town, and today i liked it even more.

as it turned out, the 'taste of dallas' festival being held in, where else, the west end. so after getting settled in the hotel, i walked the two blocks to see what i could see.

i enjoyed a steak kabob while people watching, and took in the heat and the live music. i took photos and perused the stalls where one of my primary personal goals was met. because when in dallas...buy a cowboy hat. it was the first of the trip, but probably not the last. i mean let's face it, i look really good in a cowboy hat.

after taking care of some business, i decided to head out in search of a best buy, and perhaps swing by the church building to make sure that i did not get lost tomorrow.

i was successful on both counts, however, there are a few things i forgot about driving in dallas:

1. the drivers are fast and furious (oh how i wish i had rented a manual car!)
2. merge lanes are virtually non-existent (yet it doesn't seem to create any problems--see number 1)
3. at any given moment, you could go from exit 8b to exit 20a in the course of a 1/2 mile

man i love this town! i guess the most surprising thing about all of this is that i was dreading this trip a little bit. traveling alone has never been my idea of a great time, but i am rediscovering how much fun i have with myself! isn't it strange that it took a trip to texas to bring about a little self-awareness and a lot of gratitude.

and speaking of gratitude, i got a call from home tonight. apparently a letter arrived for me from queens, ny. no return address, no note, just a lost driver's license someone took the time and consideration to return to it's owner.

one day to dallas

in my former life, i was a meeting planner who got to travel for work. in fact, nothing i planned was local, so i got to spend some time in some great cities on the company's dime. i frequently visited cities like san diego, chicago, and dallas. but since coming back to the east coast, that has become a rare phenomena. now, it happens once or twice a year at the max, and i look forward to it with great anticipation--particularly when it is in a city i really enjoy. in this case, i get to go back to dallas.

i don't know what it is about dallas..the southern drawl, men who behave like gentlemen, big cowboy hats and bigger belt buckles? probably all of the above. so even though it's july and it will be hotter than hades, i am still excited.

even more exciting is that while there, my niece kendyl will turn 2. i think it fitting and appropriate that my birthday gift to her should be her first pair of cowboy boots. i can already envision her wearing them and me chasing her down with a camera to get the shot. good times.

the one drawback of traveling for work is that you don't know anyone, so you end up hanging out in your hotel room for far longer than is healthy. this time i've decided to take some inititive and use the resources available to me to hook me into a nice new social scene for a couple of days...here's hoping that pans out!

in addition, one of the other awesome things about this trip is that i don't really have to pack. i haven't unpacked from new york yet, so i've just got to take a few things out, launder them, and stick them right back in. i hate packing, and suddenly the idea of 'living out of a suitcase' sounds pretty appealing!

by all appearances this trip will be a nice change of pace. it's the only event i get to attend that i didn't plan, and there is something rejuvenating about being surrounded by thousands of other type a conference and event planners. i don't really know why, but it is invigorating!