Chicago and the Curse

....or should I say blessing?  There is definitely something going on with my industry and the unexplained coincidences surrounding their annual national convention.  In the recent past, the annual convention (which is planned 7 years out) has been crippled due to:
1.  September 11, 2001:  Host city Washington, D.C. - terrorist attacks;
2. August 23, 2005:  Host city New Orleans - Hurricane Katrina;
3.  October 1, 2013:  Host city Washington, D.C. - government shutdown;
4.  September 26, 2014:  Host city Chicago, IL - All flights grounded due to fire at air traffic control center.
I was reluctantly packing my bag last night and contemplating what time I should leave for SFO to catch my flight to Chicago's O'Hare Airport.  This morning I awoke to a breaking news story just as the alarm clock was going off saying that all flights in the Chicago area have been grounded due to a fire in the Aurora, IL control center.  Nobody is going into or out of O'Hare or Midway Airports. 

This was breaking news at the time and I'm skeptical of media embellishing stories to attract viewers.  I hopped on the airline website and my flight still showed that it was departing on time.  Hmmmmmm.....  I'm also skeptical of airlines as they will string you along for all eternity with "just another 20-30 minute delay" while mum about details.

I'm ping-ponging between live television reports showing hideous chaos, cancellations, and lines at airports around the nation -- including SFO -- and the airline website still claiming that it's only a "slight delay."  

I'm left with the choice of deciding which report is as close to the truth as possible.

Today the television media wins my credibility vote.  I know... it's a rarity.... but today I think it's closer to the truth as I'm *still* on hold with the airline after 37 minutes after their recorded greeting said the wait time was 5-10 minutes.  

Truth is.....

......listen carefully.... the truth is being spoken all around you.  You know when you hear a comment from a friend or perhaps even a stranger and the words ricochet through your soul and hit your heart?  That's what I'm talking about. 

The truth is everywhere if we are open to receiving it.  The problem is that many people 'dismiss' these diving opportunities for learning and growth.  The black-and-white-two-dimension people will stay stuck in their egos.  To quote Sting, "There is a deeper wave than this." 

Raffle Prize!!!!!! WINNER

My industry hosts a lot of golf tournaments.  It seems like every other week there is one somewhere.  For YEARS i have passed on participating as golfing is not my god-given talent and I always felt guilty about ditching the office and family responsibilities to travel and spend company money/time at some luxury resort and course. 

I'm figuring out that guilt is a useless emotion.

I'm also figuring out that being responsible with company money is also useless.  If I don't spend it, they will.....  and it will not be for my enjoyment nor benefit. 

Sooooooooo..... off to the "prestigious" snob-a-torium courses I go.  I'm sure a hacker like myself makes the pros and wannabes cry.  They spent years hob-nobbing and ass kissing to get to play on a specific course, and here lowly me, the newbie, shows up like it's no big deal.  Cuz it isn't. 

No, I did not walk away with a score to brag about.  I did, however, win $1,000 worth of stuff off of $40 of raffle tickets despite others around me with strings and strings of purchased of tickets that they must have spent at least $200 on.  

The secret?  Don't care!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  It will come to you.  

24 Hour Pharmacy

There are 24 hour fast food establishments, gyms, and grocery stores.  There are even pharmacies within the 24 hour grocery stores.  WHY IS IT THAT YOU CAN PURCHASE LIQUOR 24 HOURS A DAY -- BUT NOT GET A PRESCRIPTION FILLED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

Sorry, but that means you must staff the pharmacy.  I know pharmacists are way more expensive than your self-checkout stations in regards to overhead, but Safeway would have a gold mine.  I discovered that the only two pharmacies open 24 hours were located in Santa Rosa and San Francisco.  The place had a line a mile deep on a Saturday night with desperate people in need of whatever it was they needed. 

Sorry, but not all ailments can be self-medicated with a bottle of vodka.  Why is it that vodka is available, but antibiotics and other things that actually start the healing process are not? Medical situations don't neatly fall into 9-9 during the week and 10-6 on the weekends. 

Magical Weekend

Words can't describe how this weekend went.  My homie, JLB, was here.  We picked up exactly where we left off.  We always do.  Neither time nor space can sever our friendship.  It's no accident we were born a month apart and three houses down from each other.  I don't even remember the first time I even met JLB.  It doesn't matter how much time lapses in between our visits.  It doesn't matter if we NEVER talk on the phone (we read each other telepathically, anyway). Some people and relationships in this go 'round of life are without boundaries. 

There were so many magical things that happened this weekend.  Our psychic senses were definitely at work and I was honored to witness some really cool "energy" that most people are blind and oblivious to.  The weekend went better than we could have ever planned.  We met up with others who are on our same wave length and it was like a bunch of old souls gathered together for a happy reunion. 

JLB: The Road Trip

My bestie, JLB,  from back home is due to arrive sometime tomorrow afternoon.  She is driving all the way from Minnesota to Sonoma County just to SEE ME!  I feel so honored.

Seriously, JLB has had some serious life changes in the past year.  Her only kid graduated from high school.  Her mom has severe health issues that requires JLB to be an advocate/nurse 24/7.  I could add to the pile of demands only to tell you that she has been laid off from her full-time job she has held for the past 16+ years. 

Whoa.

For somebody who has NEVER been unemployed since age 16 to suddenly be catapulted into "involuntary retirement" is not something to be taken lightly.  This girl is a work horse and knows NOTHING of sitting around and watching TV or dinkering with art projects thinking that money will  automatically fall out of the sky to pay the bills and other life expenses. 

I'm getting off track.  Upon getting her pink slip I suppose she thought it was in her best interest to get out of Dodge.  I don't blame her.  Best to get the message out early that just because JLB is currently "unemployed" does NOT make her anybody's on-demand servant.

Love ya, JLB.  xxoo

Airlines and Reclining Seats

We've all been there.  We are crammed in like sardines.  The person in front of us reclines his/her seat back and now their head is in your crotch.

Solution:  Smile demurely and with a hushed tone of embarrassment tell the inconsiderate crotch sniffer that you suffer from a spastic gastronomical syndrome that has a name too long to pronounce.  Sudden blasts of uncontrollable flatulence will likely escape.

....i bet seat will be up in .02 seconds.