Last night, after finishing up at the office, I returned to my hotel room.  Within minutes my friend's husband called, telling me that Chris had instructed him to pick me up and bring me home with him...we were going to play, sing and eat...  I had to laugh.  I had told this co-worker friend of mine that I was going to be in her neck of the woods for a few days and had given her my "possible" available times to get together.  She decided she would take all three of those times!  And last night was the first.

So just at 6PM i jumped into the car and Doug drove us to their house.  We had another wonderful evening...eating, talking and telling stories, listening to Trevor (their seven year old) recount his field trip where he got to hold an exotic.....COCKROACH (LOL). We eventually retired to the living room, where Doug and I played and sang, while Chris and Trevor mellowed, Trevor falling asleep to the song I had learned for him...the one his mother sang to him when he was a baby in the neonatal unit..."I Will" by the Beatles.

Since today was an early work day for me, I had to leave around 11:00 PM, but with the assurance that, "yes, I will come back tomorrow night!" LOL  So, in a little while I will, once again, hop a ride to my home away from home!

While I was there last night, I captured a few pictures of their flowers in bloom.  And one or two of the moon in the late afternoon sky.  The flowers were all very pretty, but the daisies caught my eye...they reminded me of one afternoon, a rare one for my sister and me, when we were quite young, probably 8 and 9 or so.  We were in our room, most likely supposed to be taking a nap.  Instead, we were singing.  And I just recall each of us standing on either side of the double bed we shared, arms stretched out across the bed and holding hands as we sang,

"Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer do...
I'm half crazy, over the love of you.
It won't be a stylish marriage
I can't afford a carriage
But you'll look sweet, upon the seat
Of a bicycle built for two!"

I have no other recollection of that day...what inspired us to get along that afternoon, or what inspired us to sing, but that song will forever be tied in my memory to that day.  And when I see the daisies, I am that child again...happy, carefree...alive!

I had I long day today, admittedly.  I got less than three hours of sleep last night and worked nearly 12 hours at the office today, after a similar stint yesterday.  As one of my coworkers and I were leaving the site, another man, unknown to either of us, came up from behind us and felt compelled to comment on my backpack, in which I carry my laptops. 

"that's the biggest backpack I've seen around here," he declared.  Hmmm... really?  I think it's pretty small...you should SEE my big one, I was thinking, but I just laughed and told him my laptops needed "their space."  My coworker, for reasons unknown to me, told the guy to be careful, not to mess with me, because I am an auditor....LOL...the guy made some quick small talk about people carrying huge bags on the plane and trying to stuff them in the overhead bin, and then he was on his way.  I still have no idea why he felt compelled to comment on my backpack....

Back at the hotel, I declined a dinner invitation from my two co-workers who are out here with me, opting instead to stay here in the room and get some "regular" work done.  Well, thirty minutes into my "relaxation email exchanges" the fire alarm started blaring, and I had no choice but to exit the building.  It was a false alarm, and we were quickly allowed back to our rooms.  I was feeling a little sleepy, so I decided to lie down, for "just a few minutes".... that was at 7:33 PM PDT...

Some time later I awoke from my little nap, and knew immediately that MUCH time had elapsed.  I headed over to my computer and sure enough, my computer clock assured me, it was approaching 2AM!  Good grief...and I still have a ton of work left to do...

I fired off an email to a friend, bemoaning my lazy self, and noting my extended nap had taken me to almost 2 AM....my friend responded that it was not quite 11 PM!  I checked the clock in my room and sure enough, my friend was correct....I am SOOO time-zone conflicted!  I have my BlackBerry set to PDT but my laptops are still set to EDT....and I just float along on a wing and a prayer that the forces of nature will prevail upon me, allowing me to be where I need to be "on time" understanding that I am incapable of keeping track of what time that might be!

Still, it feels good to be well rested...and soon, very soon, I will return to the work I set out to tend to at 7:00 PM PDT....but, just for now, I think I'll enjoy a little break...and a nice bottle of water.

And ponder what that dude would have thought had I been carrying my laptops in my BIG backpack....



Typical "small" backpack....

When my daughter was in fourth grade, she sang in the school's annual talent show.  The song she sang was the Bette Midler one, "From a Distance."  Her voice was clear and strong and the auditorium of parents and family members actually hushed....

"From a distance the world looks blue and green,
and the snow-capped mountains white.
From a distance the ocean meets the stream,
and the eagle takes to flight.

From a distance, there is harmony,
and it echoes through the land.
It's the voice of hope, it's the voice of peace,
it's the voice of every man.

From a distance we all have enough,
and no one is in need.
And there are no guns, no bombs, and no disease,
no hungry mouths to feed.

From a distance we are instruments
marching in a common band.
Playing songs of hope, playing songs of peace.
They're the songs of every man.
God is watching us. God is watching us.
God is watching us from a distance.

From a distance you look like my friend,
even though we are at war.
From a distance I just cannot comprehend
what all this fighting is for.

From a distance there is harmony,
and it echoes through the land.
And it's the hope of hopes, it's the love of loves,
it's the heart of every man.

It's the hope of hopes, it's the love of loves.
This is the song of every man.
And God is watching us, God is watching us,
God is watching us from a distance.
Oh, God is watching us, God is watching.
God is watching us from a distance."

It was a beautiful song then and I can still hear her voice as she sang with the innocence of a 9 year old.  Now, 16 years later, she has a better understanding of the words and it is still a favorite of hers.  Today, as I looked out of the window of the plane, briefly awakening from my high altitude slumbers, I was struck by the blues and the greens, and that song rang gently in my mind.  And I pulled my camera out of the satchel under the seat in front of me, and took a few shots...OK, OK, I took about 150 shots from the plane.  And interestingly, though the window through which I snapped my photos was rather grimy, and the plane was moving at a speed making close-up shots too blurry to use, I was still able to capture a few that come close to what my eyes saw, as I viewed our land below.  From patchwork quilt flatlands to mountains, to deserts....from earth to sky...this land IS your land, and mine, and from Virginia to CA, it was a beautiful show.

Well, it appears the TSA folks in Richmond were the only ones who were all gung ho about the whole "scanning and patting" of this questionable traveler.  I was asleep before we took off from Richmond and awoke just seconds before a gentle touchdown in JFK.  And even though I had to leave one concourse area and catch a shuttle to another from which my plane will leave for Burbank, CA, I did NOT have to go through another security checkpoint.....

But I gotta tell you, this is one dirty airport!  What's up with THAT?   And I find it weird that there is no place for passengers to sit at the gate...instead, we sit in a food court, just like in a mall or something.  This must just be a Jet Blue thing, because I don't recall JFK beng this way when I flew into here with USAir...but what do I know????

OK, OK, what I know is....there are a LOT of people in this place...and a LOT of pizza, and someone singing in italian on some kind of piped music...at least, when he is not being overwhelmed by the airport announcements!  Oh, and I know I got a really good nap on the way from Richmond here, so I feel quite refreshed (I never did go to bed last night, so a nap was in order!)

And I ALSO know I have about two hours until my next flight leaves....and the REAL "fun" begins...so COME ON all you NYC bloggers!   Come have some pizza at the Jet Blue terminal in JFK!!!! LOL

I wanted to ask one of the TSA folks to take our picture as the other one "patted" me down,  but I decided that they might not take kindly to such a request!  When I checked in at the ticket counter this morning in Richmond, doing the "self-checkin" at the kiosk, my ticket was apparently flagged for the "special treatment."   The ticket clerk who took my checked bag informed me that I would be subjected to an additional "quick scan."

So, with my two carry-on bags, I headed obediently to the security checkpoint.  Sure enough, when I got there and the first TSA guy took a look at my boarding pass, he instructed me to take a different route from the others....instead of the grey bins like all the other passengers got to put mine in RED bins....and then two TSA personnel came and carried all of my bins (LOL -- I carry two laptops and each has a separate bin, a GPS, a BlackBerry and the rest of the regular stuff) up to the regular scanner...but to the front of the line.  I was instructed to follow them....and I did.

Once I walked ahead of the learing crowd, through the person scanner, I was led to a glass enclosure where I was instructed to stand with arms out (I did my best airplane immitation) and the TSA person "patted me down"  -- arms, legs, back, stomach....blah, blah, blah....Then the two of them set about unpacking all of my gear and swiping a little cloth over each item....the cloths were placed in the machine that detects explosive residue.....I was REALLY hopng my backpack had not been shipped in the same load as the 4th of July Fireworks on the WalMart truck!)

Well, by the skin of my teeth, I made it through, but really wanted a picture...but did not have the nerve to ask....maybe I will next time, for they have informed me that the special SSSS stamped on both of my boarding passes, means I get to do this all again at JFK before boarding for my final destination, Burbank, CA!

Gotta get on the plane in about five minutes!

Happy Sunday!

I don't think I will ever get this whole traveling thing down to an art, but I am making some headway.  I had a lot to complete today to be prepared to leave for CA tomorrow for two weeks.  And, in my mind, everything always takes far less time than it does when actually put in motion.  I think part of that is because I find I have forgotten some things in my planning and discover them as I am executing my plan...so I take a few detours, here and there.

So, the PLAN today was to:

• unload the car of all my stuff from the "real" office and move it into my home office
• go to the PO to ship eBay items and drop off my hold mail request
• go to the bank to get travelling funds
• swing by Home Depot and pick up more mulch and rock
• take Killian to my son's house for the two weeks
• mow the lawn
• continue with the garden work, adding latest mulch and rock
• pack my big backpack (clothes, etc.) for the trip
• collect all trash and carry it up to the garbage can
• stop newspaper delivery
• pack small backpack (computers etc.) for trip
• wash bed clothes/make fresh bed
  
• wash/fold laundry

OK, now what I forgot, but discovered while doing the above list, were:

• get prescription filled
• clean out refrigerator
• buy more travel toilettries
• buy more cat food and extra self feeders
• copy photos taken last trip to CD for friend in LA who I will see again this time
• pick up gift for friend
• order more checks
• eat (LOL)

I'm sure I am STILL for forgetting something!

Tomorrow, before I leave I have to:

• turn up the thermostats
• turn off the water heater
• turn off the water
• set the cats up for the duration
• lock all the doors
  
• get my butt to the airport on time to catch my 10:25 am flight to Burbank

What I noticed today while I was going through my preparations is:

• just because I needed to mow the lawn, the thunderstorm was not detered...I did prevail, but only just barely!
• taking the hour each way drive to my son's house to drop Killian off, only accounts for part of that trip...we always have to visit too, so add at least thirty minutes
• the dog and the cats don't understand that I am on a schedule, they still want attention
• just because I am going out of town for two weeks, my garden decided to start blooming...I bet I'll miss all the good stuff and come home to a jungle to weed and mow

But I think I am ready to go.  Last night I learned the song I promised my friend I'd learn so I could sing it to her son when I visit this time.  She used to sing it to him when he was a teenie premie baby in the neonatal unit.... I Will, by the Beatles...  a very sweet song, and easy enough, but not one that I had ever played before.

So today was busy, but I accomplished what I set out to accomplish.  And I even had a little visitor.  Actually, I had two of these guys, but the first one got away before I was able to grab my camera.  I also missed shots of the three brown rabbits, several squirrels, a robin, and a frog....LOL...I HAD to get my work done!

Hope you had a productive day!

....that he had some other items he needed my assistance on but that I was NOT to work them right now.  Just because HE is working and has no life does not mean I too should be working at 10 PM on a Friday night!  LOL   Silly, silly man....how on earth does he expect me to get my work done if he cuts me off so early????

Today was a busy day for me as I had to go into the "real office," box up all of my stuff, and clear out my desk/office space so I can have one of my new hires take that space on Monday.  I also had the opportunity to meet this new hire for the first time this afternoon.  I live so much in a virtual world these days that hiring sight unseen doesn't even strike me as odd.  But it IS interesting to meet folks you have only spoken to on the phone, and gotten to "know" via their resume.  At any rate, I met my new hire and he is set to go on Monday.  He'll fly out to join me in CA to "get his feet wet" with OJT the following week, but his first week will be the standard fare of getting settled and reading a TON of truly "snoozer" type stuff in preparation for the "fun."

The following week I have another new hire starting and he will have been on the job for a week before I actually have the opportunity to meet HIM in person.  And tonight I had to finish posting three more reqs for the team.  Basically, I think I will have to have a great big party to introduce the team members to each other, considering we are somewhat dispersed geographcally.  It certainly puts a new dimension on the "teaming" aspect of work.

But, since my boss told me I HAD to quit working, I guess I will...now I get to unload all of the "stuff" that is in my car from the "real" office and figure out where to shove it in my office here at the house.....I no longer have a "real" office....I will be what they call a "hoteler" when I need to go into the site for any reason.  I think this whole modern workplace is still a little odd, but I like it pretty well.  And, once I have figured out where to PUT all that junk...er..."stuff" I will be able to set about the task of packing for my next gig in CA.  I leave Sunday for a couple of weeks. 

Last night I dreamt that I was running out of gas...in the car....and that I just barely made it to the filling station, my car lurching the final few yards to the pump.  And when I awoke, I had a strange sensation that I WAS the car, and that I was the one lurching along to the filling station....kind of an odd dream...but very real.  I was a little draggy all day, even though I did get a lot accomplished.  Maybe I need to head to the filling station before I stop on the side of the road, or in the middle of rush hour traffic....LOL  I guess maybe my boss IS right, I do need to get a life!

When I was a kid I NEVER made my bed by choice. Under duress from my mother, or my sister, I would do it on occasion, but I really never saw the point.  I mean, I was just going to climb back in the next night and the sheets and blankets would all be askew again, so why even bother with the pretense?

When I went to college, my roommate had arrived several hours before I did.  She had set about making the tiny dorm room into a less sterile environment, with her colorful curtains and bedclothes...it all looked very nice and neat and it was a real shame when I was added to the mix.  My mismatched bedclothes clashed with her coordinated ones. The only saving grace was that she had taken the lower bunk, which was more in plain view than was my upper bunk.  Every day she carefully made her bed and tidied her desk....every day, I fell out of my bunk just in time to pull on my clothes and make my mad dash to class, leaving behind me my unmade bed and my absent-minded trail of "things" on the the desk and such... on the weekends, I DID try to get my surroundings in order, but it never lasted and I wondered why I bothered.

When I was finally on my own, at age 20, graduated from college and now in my first apartment, all by myself, working two jobs, something changed.  I still had mismatched everything, 90% of which had come from careful "dumpster diving," but I started feeling compelled to make my bed before leaving in the morning.  And when I cooked, I cleaned my dishes right away, rather than putting them in the sink to be "rinsed for reuse" later.  And I never saw it happening...it just did. I recall one time when my mother was visiting, she remarked at how neat my place was and it never occurred to me then that she was comparing my lifelong love affair with clutter to my current obsession with order.

Over the thirty years since I first had a place of my own, I have shared living spaces with roommates, husbands, children and pets and each has offered me an opportunity to adjust in my own battle between chaos and order.  And while at nearly 50 I can see that it really DOESN'T matter whether the bed is made each morning, I still feel compelled to make it. If nothing else gets done, that bed WILL be made.....today, with a busy schedule and very little home time, I find that I can overlook almost everything else...but that bed will be made....today, a rumpled bed DOES look inviting to me...it invites me to MAKE THE BED...not to crawl into it...

This morning, as I drank my cup of tea, and checked in on my eBay stats, I was irritated to discover I had been "lowered" to "standard" in the search engines, again, based on the the feedback of a single customer, who gave me less than perfect scores for shipping time.  OK, yep, shipping time was much slower than my norm, because I was traveling on business and, of course, I communicated this as SOON as I received the purchase from my store, which also had vacation settings turned on....my standard communication for these times is,

"Thank you for your purchase and speedy payment.  I have been called out of town on business and will return Friday, (date).  Your (item) will be in the mail first thing Saturday (date).  I apologize for the delay in shipping and if this poses a problem for you, I will happily refund your payment."

Now, I suppose I SHOULD put my store in vacation mode and hide all of my listings whenever I have to travel for business, BUT, I am paying for every day the store is in existence, and for every item that is listed therein.  If I hide the items, I have even LESS exposure in ALL searches....so, I leave the items visible, and trust that the settings eBay has provided me are understandable to the customer, who makes purchases even when they KNOW the shipping will be delayed.


So, back to my "theme" about ups and downs...

I went off to the office this afternoon, again frustrated with this latest eBay policy that allows a single customer to have search engine destiny control over my listings, anonymously. I returned home from the office at about 8:30 PM and took another look at my eBay stats...nothing changed ... including my attitude...  no interest whatsoever in listing more items....the "fun" has just gone out of it for me with this latest round of  "changes."  So, rather than listing, adding more income to the eBay coffers, I took a nap!

When I awoke at midnight, knowing that my nap has made further sleeping tonight an unlikely prospect, I decided I'd come in and check the blogs.  I noticed immediately that my feedback score had incremented, so I went to see who had caused this.  The feedback was lovely and lo and behold, that single feedback put me back into the "raised" status on the search engine.  I guess I should be happy, but actually, this makes me just as aggravated as the single customer who effectively dropped my ranking to "standard."  It is just not right that a single member's opinion of a sale should be able to affect how visible my listings are.  My gut tells me this is all wrong.  And, of course, it is NOT just me....it's happening to all of us.

I'm riding this child's see-saw and my adult-sized butt is, frankly, uncomfortable on the seat.  The ups and downs of this search engine game are really getting on my nerves. My product, delivery, and service will always be the very BEST I can offer, and I will continue to be "rewarded" based on the "theory" that the anonymous detailed seller ratings are a TRUE reflection of customer satisfaction....

"Seesaw Margery Daw
Johnny shall have a new master
He shall earn but a penny a day
Because he can't work any faster"

Anyone for Ring Around the Rosie?

I guess I can just Grin and Bear "IT"

I might as well admit it now.  I like yard work.  I like digging and growing and mowing and pretty much all of it.  But one thing I find particularly enticing is what I call the "taming of the jungle."  Left to its own devices, my "yard" would swallow my house whole in just a couple of years.  Let's face it, the little patch of clearing upon which my house was erected, used to be just more of the same woodland that still makes up almost 7 acres of my property.

So, every spring or early summer, I pull out my trusty little electric lawn mower, the one that I have totally abused for six years now and it STILL has not even whimpered, and set about my "taming" project.  Today was "the day."  Now, understand, this little lawn mower is supposed to be used by some quiet and mundane townhouse dwellers with a 50 square foot patch of "yard" but instead, it is owned by ME....and I use it like a bush hog! 

I took some pictures before, during and after my three hour effort today, and I have to admit, it doesn't look like much.  But trust me, my arms are tired, my legs are tired, my lawn mower is apparently tireless, and I am happy as a clam.  Of course, I have TONS left to do, but, as with anything, you can't whip the woods into shape all in one hunk...you have to sort of coax them along....or push them back gently, to be more accurate...

Still, it was a wonderful day outside and that is always something that completely refreshes me!

BEFORE


DURING


AFTER

Impatiens are one to the easiest flowers to grow around here.  Once planted, they pretty well tend to themselves, with the occasional gift of water from mother nature or the garden hose.  And they produce a lovely flower, bright, and cheery.  Summertime in my garden abounds with these insignificant little flowers which gather, in true congregational manner, to present an eye-catching effect.... but we aren't there yet, and I am growing impatient!

Another week away from home, on the road for my "real job," has me chomping at the bit to get outside, take on the lawn, the gardens, the "stuff" that goes along with normal living....and yet it is dark outside.  My neighbors, though not nearby, are still probably within earshot of a lawn tractor, should I decide 5 AM is an appropriate time to mow the lawn...so I will refrain from doing so.  Instead, I am finishing up the "indoor" stuff that must take place with each return home...but I want to be outside, and I am growing impatient!

Last night I witnessed a nightmare.  Truly, for all parties concerned.  Yes, the nightmare could have been worse, but it was bad enough.  Children playing in the street. The driver of a car slowing to a stop, a typical reaction when coming upon children playing in the street.  A little girl, tiny, darts in front of the now almost completely stopped vehicle, and is hit...the child falls directly to the ground.  The driver of the vehicle is out of the car in less than two seconds, joining the parents of the little girl as they assess the child's condition.  The emergency personnel arrive.  Everyone agrees....the driver has no fault, and yet the driver is obviously overwhelmed by the whole incident.  The mother of the child insists the driver was going too fast.  Any mother whose child is hit by a vehicle is going to believe the vehicle is going too fast.  But the vehicle was all but stopped when the child ran out in front of it.....

Why did the child dart out? As the police took the report, the mother explained that she had called to her daughter to tell her to get out of the road....the 4-year-old's reaction was to run directly to her mother...directly in front of a vehicle...a vehicle, she perhaps thought was stopped...but more likely, one that, in her very young perception of her world, she never even considered...just was reacting obediently to her mother's call.

And the child was not injured.  And the driver was not cited.  And the father of the child consoled the driver, as did all of the emergency teams and the many witnesses...it wasn't the driver's fault.  It did not change things...the driver was still obviously forever changed by the experience.  And the little girl's mother continued to explain that they were from the country and not used to cars on the roads...and that she knew the kids should not have been playing in the road....but that they had just arrived at their friends' house and they were all preparing to head off together on a vacation...

But none of that changed the fact that a very tiny child was allowed, even encouraged, to use the street as a playground...that the parents who were obviously right there, were not minding the child, but rather, allowing her to tend to herself, while they tended to the vacation planning and such.  And, in the blink of an eye, had that driver not been coming to a complete stop when the child darted out, the little girl's life, the lives of her parents, and the life of the driver would have been changed forever.

And as I wait impatiently for the impatiens to fill my garden with color, and as I wait impatiently for the sun to rise and the hour hand on the clock to mark the allowable noise-making time has arrived, I caution myself to not let my impatience with the natural pace of life result in an avoidable accident. And I remind myself that others are preoccupied with the planning of the "fun stuff" and paying less attention to the everyday stuff...like...whether their children are playing in the roads...

Children are not impatiens...they take more tending than a little water from mother nature, or the occasional squirt from the garden hose.  And, unlike impatiens, once something catastrophic happens, they will not just "come back" next year.

And I am reminded of one of my all-time favorite songs...one about children, parents, and the road....but the "road" in this case, is the road of life...

"You, who are on the road must have a code that you can live by.
And so become yourself because the past is just a good bye.
Teach your children well, their father's hell did slowly go by,
And feed them on your dreams, the one they fix, the one you'll know by.
Don't you ever ask them why, if they told you, you would cry,
So just look at them and sigh and know they love you.

And you, of the tender years can't know the fears that your elders grew by,
And so please help them with your youth, they seek the truth before they can die.
Teach your parents well, their children's hell will slowly go by,
And feed them on your dreams, the one they fix,the one you'll know by.
Don't you ever ask them why, if they told you, you would cry,
So just look at them and sigh and know they love you."

Please, have a happy and safe day, weekend, summer....

This evening, having spent a full day in an over-cooled room, I decided to take a walk in the hot tropics that are northern VA this week.  As I was leaving my hotel room, with the intention of simply walking to a nearby fast food joint, I grabbed my camera...who knows, I might see something camera-worthy. 

I didn't get two feet out the door before I heard the rumble of thunder.  Hmmm...I'd had no idea.  I looked a the sky in front of the hotel and sure enough, it was dark and gray, and lightening was periodically splitting the darkness with her intense light.  Try as I might, though, I was always one click too slow to capture the lightening...  I did, however, manage to capture the variance that was the sky at about 7:45 PM.  While in front of me the sky was dark and ominous, to the left, the sky was blue, with wispy white clouds, and to my right, the sky presented the colors of heaven, inviting, calling the viewer toward the light.  All these skies, from a single pivot spot.

Eventually, I did make my way to the fast food joint.  I did order a basic meal.  And I did hear the music playing...wait...music?  What music was this?  Not the typical "hip" tunes that leave me completely uninspired when visiting such establishments...no, this sounded "live"...was that even possible?  I peeked around the corner, as I awaited delivery of my order and sure enough, at the back of the dining room was a man playing guitar and singing.  He was singing songs I knew and I figured, what the heck...as I snapped his photo, I joined him in song.  And HE loved it! LOL.  Yeah, they'll remember me at the local Chick-Fil-A!  How many people come armed with a camera, and jump in, uninvited on a Tuesday Family Night sing-a-long....hmmmm guess I'm growing less shy with age... Still, my timing was excellent.  Had I arrived 15 later, I would NOT have been able to sing "You Are My Sunshine" with a complete stranger, and thrill a couple of little kids in the process.

I hadn't been in a Chick-Fil-A in probably ten years...still...as they say...the time is RIPE 4 chikin! 

I was looking through some photos my niece took during our recent visit at my dad's.  One is of Dad singing with me, and that is something sweet in and of itself.  But I noticed in the picture, a picture hanging on the wall.  This black and white oil painting is always a special one to me.

When I was 10, 11, 12...somewhere in that age bracket, I was a would-be artist.  I loved to draw and I also loved to paint.  I had taken up painting with oils on canvas, inspired by my granddad, whose many oil paintings adorned the walls of our house.  As artists go, I was not much of one.  I had not studied art, in fact, had not had a single art class...but, I THOUGHT I could draw and paint, and that was good enough for me.  (OK, so the picture I painted of our monkey, Chico, was ruined when I used a bit too much linseed oil to thin the paint and his tail "ran"...LOL).

One day Dad stayed home sick from work.  This was SO out of character for my father, who really NEVER seemed to get sick.  But sick he was and home he stayed.  In retrospect, it is rather clear where I get my "stay busy" personality, for Dad certainly was one to fill every waking moment.  Home, sick and bored, he decided he would try HIS hand at painting.  He borrowed a canvas and my tubes of black and white oils, and a paint brush.

Working from a photograph my mother had snapped of my sister in her underwear on the beach (at age 2), Dad set about his recreation.  He was pretty good at it.  He did not take long to bring that little snapshot to a full sized wall-worthy painting...and I do believe he completed it before he returned to work, having been home sick MAYBE three days.  Of course, I was a wee bit miffed that HIS paint didn't run, and that HIS painting looked JUST like the photograph from which it was painted, but I could not help but love the painting.

And today it still graces the wall of Dad and Lynne's living room, a sweet picture of a  sweet little girl, lovingly photographed by her mother, and later immortalized on canvas by her father.  Simple, a child with a pail, oblivious to the world around her...intent on the water and sunlight dancing around her toes.

As I sit here in the Atlanta airport, awaiting my connecting flight to Richmond, VA, I realize how very much "gone" are the days of easy, relaxed travel.  Across from where I am sitting is a little shop offering delightful looking "treats."  My inclination is to meander over there and purchase one of these frozen treats...but to do so would require that I

• Unplug my laptop
• pack everything back into my "carry-on"
• give up my good seat in the corner with easy access to the electrical outlet

In the "old days" I could have asked the guy sitting next to me to keep an eye on my stuff while I ran over and satisfied my tastebuds...even offering to get him one for his troubles.  But those days are gone.  Forever over the loudspeaker the mechanical voice reminds us all to trust nobody, leave no bags unattended, accept no bags from strangers, report any bags left unattended....etc, etc, etc....  So to even ask another person to do what would have once been such an easy request, puts that person in an uncomfortable position of accepting ALL of the horrendous ramifications for trusting in this environment of distrust, or having to tell me, "no."  So I do not ask.  Instead, I consider how badly I really want one of those frozen treats...and when the desire for the taste bud delight surpasses the desire to maintain my comfortable computing environment, I suppose I'll pack up and go....

But I really DO miss those good old days. (I need a travel companion, I think!)

In a few hours I will be leaving Florida, having had a successful trip, both business-wise and recreationally.  I enjoyed meeting a fellow blogger for supper on Wednesday night, and yesterday I took the opportunity to drive up to Tallahassee to visit my brother.  I had not been back to Tallahassee in at least 14 years and let me tell you, things have changed!

The five hour drive each way was well worth the time and effort.  I was treated to the grand tour of Tim's home, currently under serious remodel (a perpetual state for my brother) and got to visit with him over supper.  We "caught up" on family events and I told him I'm planning a summer family "thingy" at my place, as soon as the water is back in the pond...so he will make the trip to Virginia for that.

And the weather has been perfect.  Hot, yes, but after a chilly two weeks in CA, I was ready for the tropical temps that are Florida.  Of course, I did not go to the beach or do the "normal" touristy stuff, but I did what I enjoyed doing and that made it perfect for me.

One thing that struck me as Tim directed me around the once, familiar Tallahassee, was that College Ave, that road I walked a million times during my two years at FSU seems remarkably unchanged, while Doak Campbell Stadium has become an entity in and of itself...what a monstrosity!  That stadium complex dwarfs EVERYTHING else that is FSU...I guess that means that the football team IS FSU...Ah, well...Go NOLES!!!

Have a great day! (a bloom in Tim's yard)

Tonight I was a little late getting to my dinner engagement, where I was to meet tj, a lovely young woman I met here on the blogs, and had the opportunity to meet tonight in person. She was, as she had promised she would be, patiently waiting. I had to run back to the car as soon as I touched base with her, because I wanted to get my camera....to capture a new/old friend in real life. We had about half an hour to get acquainted outside of the restaurant as we waited for our number to be called, indicating our table was ready.

I was thrilled to meet tj. She wanted to know if I was surprised by how well she spoke, and I answered truthfully. Nope, not surprised at all. I found her to be exactly as she represents herself here on the blogs -- an exuberant, self assured, young woman, who not only speaks very well, and clearly, but who reads my lips almost flawlessly....and that's no easy task! How many times did I notice I tend to shove my glasses back up my nose, interrupting the line of vision between her eyes and my lips? And how about my incessant wiping of my mouth when I eat? Each of these created a bigger challenge for the lip reader.  But patient she was, and we conversed as easily as we would have, had both of us been blessed with perfect hearing. She just made communication easy!

Having never eaten at Chilli's before, I took her recommendation for a tasty meal, and was well rewarded. I finished most of my plateful, which is rather unusual for me.  Two cups of hot tea and two hours of lovely conversation later, I asked the waiter to snap a photo of the two of us, and he kindly obliged.

tj left the parking lot as I was snapping pictures of an impressive Florida sky. And, after I took so many shots my camera informed me my "batteries are exhausted," I climbed back into my sporty red rental and made my way back to the hotel, an hour or so away.  The traffic was much slower going home than it had been coming, but I was in no rush. I enjoyed listening to the radio and reflecting on another successful meeting with another lovely blogger. I've been very lucky in the past year, meeting in person three delightful women who I first encountered here on the eBay blogs.

So, here we are...I'm a little slow getting here and there, but I'm steady and WILL eventually get make it!

As I sat in the Atlanta airport this afternoon, awaiting my connecting flight to Melbourne, FL, a woman and her  three young children sat down beside me.  The two eldest were boys, and typical of such creatures, spent the better part of the hour plus wait, aggravating each other.  Meanwhile, the youngest, a little four year old girl, natural restlessness augmented with soda and Starburst candy, spun and rolled in the chairs, legs in the air, shirt pulled up to her armpits, skirt whirling about, as mom tried to tame her.  She was a bundle of energy and a vocal one at that. Somehow I knew, I JUST knew, these were destined to be on the same plane to Melbourne, and would be seated in close proximity to me.

I was not wrong.  I was in the very last row and they had the seats two rows in front of mine.  Between our rows sat a pilot, catching a courtesy flight home.  Just as the flight crew was closing the doors, the little girl announced in no uncertain terms, "I have to go to the bathroom, NOW!!!"  everyone cracked up, as they obviously related this little girl's determined cry...each, clearly had either raised a little one with a similar demeanor, or had been one...but we all laughed.  And off she trotted to use the airplane bathroom.  At four years old, it was obvious, she was an old hat at the airline lavatory process.

As we all buckled in for take off, the little girl insisted her mother ask the flight attendant to rule on an apparent dispute between mother and daughter.  The flight attendant assured the self-assured child that she DID indeed have to remain buckled in the entire flight EXCEPT when she had to use the restroom....and she noted with some glee that the gentleman sitting directly behind the child was a pilot and would make SURE the little girl obeyed!  I suppose it comes as no surprise to anyone that the little girl had at least four trips to the restroom during the hour long flight!

I let everyone else disembark the plane ahead of me, and I had to smile as I strolled past the ladies restroom in the Melbourne airport.  For, as clear as a bell, the now-familiar voice of the little four year old was announcing to anyone who would listen, that she had to use the bathroom AND wash her hands......

My youngest brother was like that, in a way.  We NEVER went anywhere where Ray didn't take an immediate opportunity to find and use the restroom.  We use to laugh about it, but I had completely forgotten about it until I encountered this little girl today in the Atlanta airport.  Funny trigger to funny memories.

I've always been a "busy" person.  As far back as I can recall, I was doing something, filling every free moment with activity.  I can honestly say it has been the rare occasion that I have actually experienced boredom.  Of course, as a kid, Mom and Dad made certain we had plenty of chores to fill the hours that might otherwise lead to boredom, and with six kids in the family, there were always games and battles to be won and fought. 

But I also had my "special" interests that were mine alone and to which I devoted many hours.  One of my favorite pastimes was my stamp collecting.  Now, admittedly, this sounds like a dreadfully dull pastime for a young girl, but the stamps from around the world fascinated me.  As I lay on my belly on the floor beneath the card table in the living room, with Burl Ives' songs playing on the record player, I imagined the countries and the life I would find there, should I be so lucky as to mail myself to the sender of the envelope from which I was lifting the stamp.

Some countries had very artistic, colorful, and inviting stamps, while others left me cold, in no way inviting me to visit.  And I wondered if those countries were really as their stamps represented them.  I enjoyed the history I learned as I researched my stamps, and placed each carefully in its place in my stamp album.  And I liked the fact that everyone else thought this was a boring pastime...little did they know the journeys on which my imagination was taking  me.

I was looking through some lyrics to songs tonight, adding to my notebook of songs I'd like to play and sing well....but which will require much practice...and I came across Waltzing Matilda...and was immediately brought back to that red rug under the card table and my stamp album and the colorful stamps.  And I thought about how long it has been since I had the passion for those stamps. 

It seems that once I actually was old enough to travel where I wanted, when I wanted, I had far less interest in losing myself in the stamps.  I kept all of the albums around for years, and occasionally added to them, out of some sort of nostalgic necessity.  My mother still sends me stamps she has saved and I dutifully tuck them into my "stamp box."  But a few years ago I decided the majority of my loose stamps would serve better purpose for other young stamp collectors, and I sold lots of 100 of these stamps for $1.00 each. In fact, these stamps were some of my very first sales on eBay and brought me a lot of happy feedback.

I still have my first stamp album and doubt I will ever give it up.  It holds the memories and promises of travel that my young mind conjured, and forever be ties me to Burl Ives. 

Saturday was another busy one for me.  I wrapped up my work in southern CA, did just a wee bit of sightseeing and then made my way to the San Diego airport.  As things happen in my life, so it was Saturday.  I did not check my flight schedule before packing up my computer, confident that my memory was reliable for the information stored more than two weeks ago.  In my mind, my flight was a USAir flight leaving San Diego for Dulles at 11:00 PM PDT.  So, I set out with plenty of time to return my rental car, grab the shuttle to the terminal, check my single bag (my overstuffed backpack), make my way through the security checkpoint and get to the gate with time to relax, and maybe even check in on the blogs......

INSTEAD.....

• I forgot to fill the gas tank until I was already at the rental return, so off I went in an unfamiliar city at 9:00 PM, hunting a filling station....thanks to the GPS, found one and filled up.
• Returned to the rental lot and as I was unloading my baggage, the guy checking the car in asked if I wanted them to fill it up...huh??  I just filled it up..."well, it's not reading full"...OK, well I don't know how to respond to that.  Here is the receipt from my fill-up 10 minutes ago...the thing cut off so I presumed it was full...I was in a hurry....(he did not charge me further)
• Got on the shuttle to go to the terminal..."which airline?" the driver asked...."United, I think, my ticket says, "USAir operated by United"....he decided I should go to USAir...Terminal 2....I had my doubts....
• The driver stopped first at Terminal 1 but insisted I stay put until Terminal 2.....
• When I got to the ticket counter for USAir...I was informed that "operated by United" meant I have to go to the United ticket counter...Terminal 1....8 minutes walk, or I could catch the RedLine bus that came every five minutes....
• 7 minutes later....at 9:50 I was finally at the United ticket counter, checking my bag...when I noticed the screen behind the ticket agent displayed the flight information for my flight...on-time departure at 10:20!!!  WHAT???? GEEZ...Ok, the ticket guy told me not to worry, I'd make it there in plenty of time.
• Security checkpoint at San Diego was a DREAM compared to Dulles two weeks earlier, and I WAS indeed at my gate, just as they called my zone for seating. 
  
• I made my way to the back of the plane...well, close to the back, placed my carry-on with the computers in the overhead bin, shoved my "other" carry-on under the seat in front of me and buckled myself in, as the flight attendants were making last minute announcements.....
• I was already chilly, so I grabbed my warm and snuggly gray hoodie out of my carry-on, turned off the blower that was directed with ill-intent at me, and prepared to take a nice 4 hour and 50 minute nap....WHEN.....
• A family of six made their way down the aisle...coming toward me....a young mother, her father and the young woman's four children...two so young they did not require ticketed seats and two just barely old enough to require their own seats....and OF COURSE, these folks had booked the seats directly behind me....
• Let's just say this about that.....two screaming, unhappy babies, two restless toddlers, kicking the back of my seat....two adults trying the SHUSH their loud brood.....OK, I even overcame my general disgust at placing the "community headphones" on my ears, in an attempt to change the noise I was being subjected to, but that really did not work either.  I did not get much sleep.
• I was happy to see we landed ahead of schedule and I made my way to baggage claim, hoisted my overstuffed backpack and secured it on my back....and headed to the machines to pay my parking fees before catching the shuttle to the "economy" parking lot.....I was SHOCKED when the machine told me I owed $468 in parking fees... I canceled and tried another time...with the same results...thinking I had no other option, I paid, but I was NOT a happy camper...
• I caught the shuttle to the parking lot, wandered around a bit until I found my car, and then headed to the exit gate....
• At the exit gate, I handed the attendant my credit card, ticket and receipt and asked that she correct the obvious error by refunding the payment and recharging the correct amount of $108....several others in line were asking for similar treatment, and I watched with disbelief as I saw them handing these folks envelopes with which to file their claims....I was NOT about to do that....I held my ground...I wanted this thing corrected BEFORE I left their world...
• An hour later, and after some less than kind words to those who "were doing the best they could" I drove away, still with no refund but with an "assurance" that the supervisor would contact me tomorrow and issue the refund...(sure, I trust you....) UGH!
• OK, I still had a 3 1/2 hour drive back to Gloucester...I was now over-tired, totally irritated,  and just wanted to get home...so I headed on my way.  Thank goodness for Sunday traffic....
• As I got out of my car in my garage, I heard my dog, Killian, going ballistic in her characteristic, "I've cornered an intruder" mode....so I went to see....sure enough, there was a copperhead that was coiled and hissing and around which Killian was dancing in frenzied circles.....I took care of the copperhead with a 1 X 6 I had nearby and calmed Killian down.....
• And then I came in a took a LONG nap.....

Guess I'll be up the rest of the night! LOL Well, I have to prepare for my next trip...to Florida this time...leaving on Tuesday...(better check my flight schedule, eh?)