my brain is spaghetti. tangled and mushy and getting stickier by the minute. it's been a doozy of a day and i feel like there is so much information to process, but no clue where to start. rest assured, there is good stuff to report, but in an attempt to unload some ick, first, the bad stuff.
bad stuff #1: i found out yesterday that a friend has been diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer, which has spread to her bones, and, i believe, her lungs. radiation treatments began today and will almost surely be followed by chemo. while she is in relatively good spirits, this is going to be a long journey, and i hope that there will be some respite for her to enjoy and celebrate her upcoming august wedding.
bad stuff #2: i received an EMAIL today from one of my closest friends that she was married. yes, that's right. while on vacation with her boyfriend in italy, she got married. and she sent an email. a form email, mind you, where i was bcc'd along with who knows who else. as you can tell, i'm still smarting from the sting, and while i am legitimately thrilled for her, i fear this may be indicative of what's to come, and feel an unexpected sense of loss.
if there is an upside (and there usually is) it's that i am reminded to not be so single-mindedly concerned about what is to come (or not to come) that i forget to appreciate what is. as president monson has said "the past is behind, learn from it. the future is ahead, prepare for it. the present is here, live it."
Thursday, July 08, 2010
Thursday, June 24, 2010
10 steps to iphone madness
Step 1-Go to airport at 'normal' time. Check-in bag, evaluate crowd situation
Step 2-Call FedEx to confirm delivery by 3pm
Step 3-Board the crazy train and drive home to wait, hoping that you will not miss your flight
Step 4-Twiddle your thumbs at home, listening for truck sounds.
Step 5-Upon hearing truck sound run out of the house, sign something, get in car and FLY to airport
Step 6-Arrive at airport with two minutes to get through security before boarding
Step 7-Make it through security in 37 seconds, find a seat at gate while listening to announcement about how your flight is delayed.
Step 8-Reflect on how happy you are to have the phone in hand AND to have not missed your flight
Step 9-Debark the crazy train and return to 'normal' self
Step 10-Post to Facebook
Step 2-Call FedEx to confirm delivery by 3pm
Step 3-Board the crazy train and drive home to wait, hoping that you will not miss your flight
Step 4-Twiddle your thumbs at home, listening for truck sounds.
Step 5-Upon hearing truck sound run out of the house, sign something, get in car and FLY to airport
Step 6-Arrive at airport with two minutes to get through security before boarding
Step 7-Make it through security in 37 seconds, find a seat at gate while listening to announcement about how your flight is delayed.
Step 8-Reflect on how happy you are to have the phone in hand AND to have not missed your flight
Step 9-Debark the crazy train and return to 'normal' self
Step 10-Post to Facebook
Monday, June 21, 2010
sast presents: the update since last time
last weekend saw me working another pride event. the novelty and shock value have definitely worn off, but at least i got to work with my two favorites; vicki and melissa r. and since vicki has accepted a position at another company, it was my last chance to work with her. fortunately, she lives in san diego and we already have plans to meet up in july for opening day at the del mar racetrack!
there was also a somewhat unexpected and pleasant surprise when melissa n. stopped by while in town for a conference. while we had plans to hit disneyland together on monday, i had no idea she was considering a stop at pride, but i guess last year's photos were just too interesting!
speaking of kansas city...when melissa n. was in town she mentioned 'overland park', which is apparently a suburb of kc. some of you may remember that i have an annual conference in kansas city (where i will be celebrating my birthday...again), but what you may not know is that my very first 'real' boss, when i was an event assistant at the salt palace in convention center at 20 years old, is now the general manager for the overland park convention center. since brett was one of my all-time favorite bosses (who i may or may not have also had a schoolgirl crush on), once i put it together, i shot him an email, and we'll be getting together for dinner when i'm in town. should be a blast...just about 13 years of life to catch up on!
it's possible that attempting a full day at disneyland after working (on my feet) for the entire weekend preceeding it may have not been the greatest idea, but with melissa n. in town from kansas city, i couldn't miss the chance to play.
melissa's friend judy was also in town for some playing, and vicki also joined us. the day included some of the favorites (space mountain, thunder mountain railroad, indiana jones) but also some new (to me) experiences like the matterhorn, california screamin, and the tiki room (the latter was ALL melissa). since my usual trips to disneyland involve two or three hours on a weeknight, there is still so much left for me to do for the first time!
i preordered my iphone4 and as of today it has shipped. *should* be in my hot little hands by thursday - hopefully before i leave for san francisco for the next pride event.
speaking of san francisco...have i mentioned that i haven't had my hair cut (or even trimmed) since november?! two major reasons for this: 1) i am growing it out again and it was at that terrible awful no good very bad 'just cut it!' length for awhile, making it highly likely that if i had actually attempted to see my stylist i probably would have instructed her to chop it all off again, and 2) my stylist lives in san francisco. now i'm not such a prima donna that i purposely selected a stylist in san fran, rather, i developed my michelle addiction when she lived here. now she comes back 3 or 4 days every month but i am often on the road when she is in town. when i realized last week that this would be the perfect opportunity for a clean-up, she was able to squeeze me in. thank heavens!
my family (dad's side) is reunioning next weekend, and though i wasn't originally invited (aunts/uncles only) it grew and grew, and i still can't be there. my uncle asked that anyone who could not attend create a slideshow of what we've been up to for the last six years since our last full-on reunion. if you're interested, feel free to take a gander.
vicki, me, melissa r.
there was also a somewhat unexpected and pleasant surprise when melissa n. stopped by while in town for a conference. while we had plans to hit disneyland together on monday, i had no idea she was considering a stop at pride, but i guess last year's photos were just too interesting!
melissa n., a giant queen, me
*****
speaking of kansas city...when melissa n. was in town she mentioned 'overland park', which is apparently a suburb of kc. some of you may remember that i have an annual conference in kansas city (where i will be celebrating my birthday...again), but what you may not know is that my very first 'real' boss, when i was an event assistant at the salt palace in convention center at 20 years old, is now the general manager for the overland park convention center. since brett was one of my all-time favorite bosses (who i may or may not have also had a schoolgirl crush on), once i put it together, i shot him an email, and we'll be getting together for dinner when i'm in town. should be a blast...just about 13 years of life to catch up on!
*****
it's possible that attempting a full day at disneyland after working (on my feet) for the entire weekend preceeding it may have not been the greatest idea, but with melissa n. in town from kansas city, i couldn't miss the chance to play.
melissa's friend judy was also in town for some playing, and vicki also joined us. the day included some of the favorites (space mountain, thunder mountain railroad, indiana jones) but also some new (to me) experiences like the matterhorn, california screamin, and the tiki room (the latter was ALL melissa). since my usual trips to disneyland involve two or three hours on a weeknight, there is still so much left for me to do for the first time!*****
i preordered my iphone4 and as of today it has shipped. *should* be in my hot little hands by thursday - hopefully before i leave for san francisco for the next pride event.
*****
speaking of san francisco...have i mentioned that i haven't had my hair cut (or even trimmed) since november?! two major reasons for this: 1) i am growing it out again and it was at that terrible awful no good very bad 'just cut it!' length for awhile, making it highly likely that if i had actually attempted to see my stylist i probably would have instructed her to chop it all off again, and 2) my stylist lives in san francisco. now i'm not such a prima donna that i purposely selected a stylist in san fran, rather, i developed my michelle addiction when she lived here. now she comes back 3 or 4 days every month but i am often on the road when she is in town. when i realized last week that this would be the perfect opportunity for a clean-up, she was able to squeeze me in. thank heavens!
*****
my family (dad's side) is reunioning next weekend, and though i wasn't originally invited (aunts/uncles only) it grew and grew, and i still can't be there. my uncle asked that anyone who could not attend create a slideshow of what we've been up to for the last six years since our last full-on reunion. if you're interested, feel free to take a gander.
Tuesday, June 08, 2010
weekend update
i've struggled a little bit in the last couple of days to decide exactly what i wanted to say about bryan's visit, and i'm still at somewhat of a loss.
in the past, i would have felt compelled to recount the chronology of the weekend, adding in the 'special' moments - when they happened and how they happened - but in this case the details seem irrelevant. it was all just wonderful.
from the time we got in my car at the airport, there was never a moment when i had to wonder how he felt about me, or how i felt about him. there wasn't a moment when i wondered how to work through an awkward silence or needed a 'breather'. and there was never a moment that i had to wonder whether or not the long distance was going to be worth it.
it was an admittedly strange weekend though. due to a schedule miscommunication, we spent our first morning together taking engagement photos of a friend. well, i took the photos, he carried the clothing changes, bags, and found chairs for me when i needed a different angle.
and when we met with this friend, her roommate relayed some news that a friend of ours, currently at school in australia, had had a brain aneurysm and was completely brain dead, only surviving as a result of the life support technology she was on. on sunday we learned that her parents, with no hope of recovery for their daughter, had opted to remove life support, and at 31 years old, she passed away.
sunday brought other news as well, as i seemed to be the only one to not get the memo that my bishopric was changing. my former bishop is somewhat of an icon in this area, having served at three different times in three different wards, and it is not difficult to understand why he is so 'popular'. he is a truly kind, humble, and righteous man. and as a result of this change, our ward was nearly twice it's normal size. instead of the normal fast sunday testimonies, we heard from the outgoing bishopric and their wives, as well as the incoming leadership.
the irony of the weekend was that i intentionally avoided planning any big 'activities'. my only plan was to stick close to home and have it be as normal a weekend as possible. i wanted 'real life' for our first meeting -- to spend time with each other without the distraction of the typical california sightseeing and entertainments. it turned out that there was nothing 'normal' about the weekend, although it was definitley real life.
despite all of the change and news and strange happenings, having bryan here felt....right. as strange as it may sound, it didn't feel like a first meeting. it was never awkward or uncomfortable, and it all felt so easy and natural and normal...and wonderful.
in the past, i would have felt compelled to recount the chronology of the weekend, adding in the 'special' moments - when they happened and how they happened - but in this case the details seem irrelevant. it was all just wonderful.
from the time we got in my car at the airport, there was never a moment when i had to wonder how he felt about me, or how i felt about him. there wasn't a moment when i wondered how to work through an awkward silence or needed a 'breather'. and there was never a moment that i had to wonder whether or not the long distance was going to be worth it.
it was an admittedly strange weekend though. due to a schedule miscommunication, we spent our first morning together taking engagement photos of a friend. well, i took the photos, he carried the clothing changes, bags, and found chairs for me when i needed a different angle.
and when we met with this friend, her roommate relayed some news that a friend of ours, currently at school in australia, had had a brain aneurysm and was completely brain dead, only surviving as a result of the life support technology she was on. on sunday we learned that her parents, with no hope of recovery for their daughter, had opted to remove life support, and at 31 years old, she passed away.
sunday brought other news as well, as i seemed to be the only one to not get the memo that my bishopric was changing. my former bishop is somewhat of an icon in this area, having served at three different times in three different wards, and it is not difficult to understand why he is so 'popular'. he is a truly kind, humble, and righteous man. and as a result of this change, our ward was nearly twice it's normal size. instead of the normal fast sunday testimonies, we heard from the outgoing bishopric and their wives, as well as the incoming leadership.
the irony of the weekend was that i intentionally avoided planning any big 'activities'. my only plan was to stick close to home and have it be as normal a weekend as possible. i wanted 'real life' for our first meeting -- to spend time with each other without the distraction of the typical california sightseeing and entertainments. it turned out that there was nothing 'normal' about the weekend, although it was definitley real life.
despite all of the change and news and strange happenings, having bryan here felt....right. as strange as it may sound, it didn't feel like a first meeting. it was never awkward or uncomfortable, and it all felt so easy and natural and normal...and wonderful.
Monday, June 07, 2010
perfect
more later, but this weekend with bryan went exactly as i hoped it would. all the pieces fell into place and he is as wonderful as i thought he would be:)
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