perennial

this is an orchid. i know it doesn't look like an orchid, but you'll have to trust me.

what's special about this orchid is that it has lived on my desk for about a year and a half now. and it's still alive.

the original bloom lasted for about a month after i purchased it, and though i had no hope of ever seeing it bloom again, the leaves remained green, so i left it in it's pot, sitting in a corner.  it stayed in that corner until november when we moved offices, and it was repositioned in a different corner, in a different cube.

in the time i have has this orchid, i have also had six other desk plants.  but i have discovered that when you are gone for days and weeks at a time, plants die.  and, when one would die, i would replace it.

i love the idea of something alive and green and oxygen producing in my otherwise sterile cubicle, but absence and neglect seemed an impossible challenge to overcome, and i had resigned myself to completing a regular pilgrimage to the home depot garden center.

and then, about two weeks ago, i noticed that this plant--which i had not watered in, oh, probably six months or so--had a new green leaf sprouting from it's center!  and what i once considered a hopeless case has become a bright spot in each of my work days.

there's an analogy here that i won't explore ad nauseam, but suffice it to say, this plant serves as a hopeful reminder that sometimes, despite absence and neglect, there remains the possibility of a new bloom.

happy 2012

hello friends!  did you notice that i did NOT wish you a 'happy new year'?  that's because i have decided that, as this year is the chinese year of the dragon, and i was born in a dragon year, i will be celebrating on january 23rd -- the beginning of the chinese new year.  in large part that's due to acknowledging that my traditional new year's reflections come with the hope that maybe, finally, this year will be the year that everything will change for the better.  and every year, it's not.

don't worry. that doesn't mean i've abandoned that hope, or hope in general...it's just in the process of being....realigned.

it has been interesting--and sad--watching the social media sites for the last 24 hours.  i've noticed that almost every person who posted a 'happy new year' declaration, followed it by commenting on how  difficult 2011 had been.  it seems that there has been a lot of unexpected death, a lot of jobs lost, loves lost, desires and goals unfulfilled.

i suppose i'm grateful that i don't fall into the '2011 was the worst year ever' category, but i can't say that it was a really great year for me either.  there were some high highs and some low lows.  i had some truly amazing experiences and some heartbreaking disappointments, and mostly i feel like 2011 was a year of stagnation.

and that is why this year i will celebrate the chinese new year (despite not having any real reason to do so).  the dragon is a powerful symbol in chinese astrology, and though i was born under the fire dragon, 2012 is a water dragon year.  predictions and descriptions for the upcoming dragon year include the following:

Those born in the Year of the Dragon can look forward to a year of new beginnings, and good fortune. According to the 2012 Year of the Dragon horoscope, anyone who is born in the year of the dragon will be very lucky. That could mean the start of a happy marriage, the beginning of a successful business, or a lucky lottery win. 

Water has a calming effect on the Dragon's fearless temperament. Water allows the Dragon to re-direct its enthusiasm, and makes him more perceptive of others. These Dragons are better equipped to take a step back to re-evaluate a situation because they understand the art of patience and do not desire the spotlight like other Dragons. Therefore, they make smart decisions and are able to see eye-to-eye with other people.

these descriptions are a near perfect encapsulation of my hopes for 2012.  i hope to re-evaluate and adjust accordingly. i hope for new beginnings. i hope to reform, strengthen, and build new relationships.  i hope for good fortune and a little 'luck'.  i hope to be a better practitioner of patience, and most of all, i hope to make smart decisions and to see the positive results.

countdown to costa rica

one week.  one week until my first 'real' vacation of the year.  i TRIED to take a vacation in july but ended up working for most of it.  so i really. really. really need a vacation.  some people in my situation might take the opportunity for a staycation, but a staycation for me, would mean checking the blackberry, cleaning the bathroom,  etc. etc.

no, for me, it's 'leave the country' time.  only problem is that between now and then i somehow have to finish packing up the boxes in my office (we're moving down the road), and successfully pull together our annual k9k fundraising event.

in this case 'my office' includes my cubicle and my three storage areas overflowing with event and promo items, and trust me when i say that organizing, packing, and labeling some 200ish boxes to go out while waiting for my some 20+ k9k boxes to come in, has a way of messing with the mind.  just gotta get to next week!

since last we met

i've:

traveled to nine states

visited seven national park units

eaten at six diners, drive-ins, and (or) dives

wandered through three haunted houses/trails

landed twice in urgent care

had one date


i've also:

drunk from a sulphur well

honky tonked my badankadonk

reconnected with old friends

tromped around a cemetery at midnight

enjoyed fall colors in new england

celebrated my 35th birthday

gained a brother-in-law and a niece

become diamond at hilton

become platinum on american


you'll forgive me if i've been remiss in blogging. i will try and be better:)

sast presents: conversations

the background: most of you know that, among other things, my friend and co-worker vicki and i share an interest in horses, and she has friends that work at the nearby race tracks.  recently she stopped by for lunch and we were talking about when we could find some time to go watch the races.

vicki: tim asked when we were coming to the track.  he said we could come early and ride.
me: ride what?
vicki: ride the horses. get them warmed up.  it's $15/hour.
me: $15/hour? that's cheap!
vicki: no, they pay YOU $15/hour
me: they pay me???
vicki: yes, for exercise riding.
me: they PAY. ME?? 

needless to say, when my knee is strong enough to get back on a horse, i will be taking full advantage of this!  exercise riding a racehorse? heaven!

**********

the background: every year my company hosts a consumer event in the long beach area and we rely on other employees to volunteer for the event.  i received this email today from one of the would-be volunteers, and it made me laugh heartily!

Good morning Tara,

I still have in my mind last year's event, when you passed by me, going fast on a golf kart. I saw you driving the golf kart with one hand, while the other held your walkie talkie, and you were giving instructions to someone, one foot on the pedal, pushed to the floor, and your splinted leg sticking out of the kart, a bunch of employees in the back with scary smiles, holding themselves tight.  I understood in that moment what true multi-tasking meant!

Please sign me up again this year.

ha ha ha ha! sounds about right!