Yesterday Bunch and I were talking about the future. We’re currently trying to figure out where our 2nd choice for residency would be, should Doc not match into the ONE radiology slot here, and we have to move when he graduates. (Our 1st choice is to stay here).
It’s significant because the kids will go through junior high and high school during those years, and Bunch will even start college. So it caught me off guard when she mentioned that she would like to live at home when she’s in college.
“You don’t want to live on campus?” I asked.
“No, I’d like to live at home.” she replied.
Wow! Way to melt a mommy’s heart! Whether it happens or not, can I just say how precious those words were to me!
From a very early age I couldn’t wait to move out. To find a true “home”. I vividly remember the first time I ever heard that people get to leave home. I was four years old, and a baby sitter mentioned that she was going away to college, which I’d never heard of before. She explained that she’d live there so I wouldn’t see her as often. I asked her where she would sleep and she told me that you sleep at school, in dorms. What a concept! As my young brain tried to wrap itself around the prospect of moving away, it seemed like an eternity to wait till I could do the same. I hadn’t even started kindergarten yet.
If you’ve read much of my blog, you’ll know that things didn’t improve much in the next few years. The last day of school in fourth grade, the teacher handed out our report cards which also revealed which class we’d been assigned to for the following year. I desperately hoped I’d get Mrs. Chilius, because the other class was going to be a new teacher. A new teacher no one had ever heard of. A new teacher we knew nothing about. It was too much of a wild card. I wasn’t close to Mrs.Chilius, but at least she was a known quantity.
It was a serious Charlie Bucket moment. You know when his family scraped together their last farthings to get him the Wonka Bar for his birthday, and everyone held their breath as he carefully pulled back the wrapper hoping to see that sparkly golden ticket beneath? I held my breath as I pulled my report card out of the envelope, skipping over the grades to see who I’d been assigned the next year.
And the letdown was immense. Not Mrs. Chilius. The new teacher. Whose name wasn’t even on the card. Just the room number.
I spent a summer slightly dreading the new year, with no real expectation that things would be any better. My life was in a bit of a spiral.
The first day of fifth grade, it took me about 3.2956 seconds to fall in love with her. Miss Ryan was young, energetic, and feisty. With her red locks and fair skin, I thought she was beautiful. She had loads of fresh ideas, and a fiercely devoted heart. She was a breath of fresh air in a school that was getting along in years. I had definitely won the teacher lotto.
As a kid I liked basically everyone, but felt like most people didn’t like me. There was obviously a lot of cognitive distortion going on with my thinking, but that’s how I felt at the time. Most people didn’t really spend much time thinking about me at all. We were just kids.
But Miss Ryan liked me. She was the first person in my life who seemed to care about whether I was happy, if I was thriving, and how I was developing. She spent extra time with me, in what could only be thought of as an intervention. She made up a little notebook which she called “Operation Blue”, and we’d meet together after school and talk about how I was doing, and write notes and thoughts down. She tried to help me think about things from a different perspective. Encouraged me. Listened. Inspired me.
She was the best school teacher I ever had.
When I was in eight grade, Vicki moved to California. She was assigned to be my teacher at church, and for two years I basked in the glow of her love and encouragement. She arrived on the scene in my life after a particularly difficult two years of junior high school. I’d been praying every night for God to just “take me back” in my sleep. Was never suicidal, but was so sad all the time and didn’t see any other solutions.
Vicki was the second adult that I knew loved me. Who believed in me and gave me hope. Whenever I was tempted to make a wrong choice, it was the thought of disappointing Vicki, not my parents, that helped me be true to what I knew was right. Her good opinion of me kept me out of a lot of trouble. I honestly felt like her family was sent to California just for me. They moved away shortly after I turned sixteen, but her impact on my life can’t be understated. We’ve kept in touch all these years.
The Johnsons made a timely entrance onto my life scene right around the time Vicki moved away. You know the type of people who just have a GIFT for working with teens and young adults? That was the Johnsons, and I fell promptly in love with the entire family.
One of the first things that Brother Johnson told me when we met was that there was someone I should be friends with. Her name was Mary, and her mother had recently passed away. For reasons I was never clear on, even though her father and siblings lived nearby, Mary had become a foster child at the Johnson’s home.
I adored Mary and we became friends right off. I never said anything about it to her, but I was so jealous that she got to live be part of their family and I didn’t. Just didn’t seem fair. I did my level best to spend as much time with Mary and the Johnsons as possible, and they were a wonderful influence on me.
My friendship with them carried me through the next few years till that eternally distant day finally arrived: I left home for college.
The 12 hour drive with my dad seemed like forever, but we finally arrived on campus. After he helped me carry my things to my dorm room, he said he’d let me get settled for a bit, and then take me to dinner at a pizza joint he’d dined at back when he attended the same university. While I was hungry and looked forward to eating at a restaurant (a very rare event in my life), I simply couldn’t wait for him to leave that day. The moment he finally said goodbye and left, I felt the most exhilarating sense of freedom for the first time in my life. I wanted to dance, to sing, to twirl. It was fabulous!
I couldn't have made it without my dear girlfriends growing up, but these adults were the main reasons I made it through with the personal values that have governed my life. They instilled hope, believed in me, inspired me to keep trying, and convinced me that I was loved.
I believe everyone has guardian angels…and sometimes they’re flesh and blood.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Sunday, February 15, 2009
I've been Somewhere in Time...
I'm honestly not sure where the past two weeks have gone. Wait. Oh yeah. One of them was spent criss-crossing back and forth across the country a number of times for work. That always sort of puts me into a time warp. It's somewhat disorienting to "come back to earth" and try to catch up on all that has happened with my peeps while I was suspended mid-air for a week. Think Somewhere in Time*...when Richard pulls the 1979 penny out of his pocket and is suddenly sucked back through the vortex to the present day. That's kind of what it's like when I get home from work every month.
But I'm almost adjusted now, and have enjoyed a number of fun activities this week. I was able to attend the annual PTA "Picnic Lunch with Your Student" at Bunch and Gator's school, and visited them during their class Valentines parties. And then I was thrilled to go to lunch with some of the dearest of friends I've made here on Friday to celebrate the estimable Michelle's birthday. It was a great day.
For our grand Valentine's weekend, I made Doc and the kids chocolate covered strawberries and enjoyed spending time with them. Doc and I went out for lunner yesterday...it was supposed to be lunch, but it was after 4pm when we finally ate so it became dinner too. Then we headed up to Park City to a classmate's house for a get-together. He kept me out far too late and we had a lazy Sunday morning as a result.
I know some people abhor Valentines Day (and Mother's Day, Father's Day, and any other "made up" holidays), but I l♥ves them. I love that as a country we all, from the smallest school child to the most aged among us, pause to express love to the people we care about. It's not the only day of the year that we do that, but it's one of them, and I enjoy it. Mainly because I always have an abundance of gratitude for people in my heart...and it's nice to have a day when expressing it in some way won't squeeb people out so much. Not that I ever squeeb my people out of course. But just saying. (No squeebing, right?)
I have been reading blogs lately, but have gotten out of habit of commenting on any of them. A few of my favorite bloggers have recently gone "comment-free"...turning off the feedback loop. I've been tempted to do that myself, but have instead just stopped worrying whether anyone says anything when I write. So please don't feel like you need to chime in. I feel like comments are a gift...and the best gifts are the ones you don't expect, that the giver is excited to give, so it's a true "win-win" moment for everyone.
I know this is one of the issues that the Valentine's Day (and Mother's Day and Father's Day) haters get so energized over. That whole tricky sense of obligation is overwhelming and burdensome. They don't like feeling like they're expected to give something just because Hallmark or someone dictates it. They'd rather just do something out of the blue (and blue, as we all know, is simply FABULOUS) when the recipient least expects it. I agree that unexpected gifts (of words or deeds) are wonderful. But that doesn't, imho, negate the beauty of anything given to another on a holiday.
I always try to give thoughtful, sincere gifts to the people I love. In fact, one of my greatest frustrations is when there is something that I wish I could give to someone, but just can't afford. Not that all the gifts I give are purchased. Sometimes I come up with splendid ideas of ways to serve or kindnesses I can give that don't cost money...and those are the best ones of all. But there are times I think of something that costs money, and it's painful that I am just not in a position to give it. Like I'd love to pay off a few people's student loans. And fund the cost of adopting a baby for a certain loved one. And pay off the mortgages of all my loved ones. And set everyone I care about up with a year's supply of essentials (food/water/energy source). And there are a few people on my list who could use a new car. I'd love nothing better than to park one in front of their house and put a card with the key in the mailbox. Wouldn't that be fun! I have some loved ones with health care bills I'd love to make disappear. Man if I could just be a fairy godmother for a day, it'd be one very busy day.
So back to my blog; Please think of commenting here in the same way. I don't expect, nor am I trying to solicit, feedback from my readers. I'm trying to be authentic in my motives for writing here. It's mainly for me...and the few people who actually know me and are genuinely interested in my life. Frankly, most of my posts aren't even comment-worthy. And if you blog and I ever leave a note for you, know it's given with no sense of obligation or "tit-for-tat" aspirations. Life is just too short for that kind of guilt.
Happy week to all! ♥
PS: any questions I ask are merely rhetorical in nature. Kind of like the whole premise of Jeopardy. What is rhetorical?
*That's one of my favorite movies, by the way. I saw it with Doc when we were freshmen in college like a 21 zillion years ago. I haven't watched it since then, so maybe it's actually super cheesy and I only enjoyed it because I was watching it with the most fabulous guy on planet earth. So if you watch it and it really IS horrendous, don't blame me. You should have watched it with the person you were falling in love with cause then it'd be one for the books in your memory.
PPS: I don't see very many movies compared to the general population. And I'm a worthless critic. Unless it's crude, lewd, profane or violent. And I can't do horror. And I love happy endings. And that's probably more information than anyone cares about.
PPPS: Marie Calendar's is having their big Any Pie $6.99 sale right now. It's hard to pass up. We currently have the chocolate satin and double lemon cream pies in our fridge. They won't be there long though.
PPPPS: is it supposed to be PPS:, or is it supposed to be PSS:? I'm thinking adding the p's cause doesn't it stand for "post script". Post Post Post makes more sense than Script Script Script. I'm just too lazy to google it right now.
PPPPPPS: (I snuck an extra p or two in there just for fun) sometimes I get really honest on this blog, but I admit I'm a little bit afraid to go there right now. Real Blue will be back some day though.
But I'm almost adjusted now, and have enjoyed a number of fun activities this week. I was able to attend the annual PTA "Picnic Lunch with Your Student" at Bunch and Gator's school, and visited them during their class Valentines parties. And then I was thrilled to go to lunch with some of the dearest of friends I've made here on Friday to celebrate the estimable Michelle's birthday. It was a great day.
For our grand Valentine's weekend, I made Doc and the kids chocolate covered strawberries and enjoyed spending time with them. Doc and I went out for lunner yesterday...it was supposed to be lunch, but it was after 4pm when we finally ate so it became dinner too. Then we headed up to Park City to a classmate's house for a get-together. He kept me out far too late and we had a lazy Sunday morning as a result.
I know some people abhor Valentines Day (and Mother's Day, Father's Day, and any other "made up" holidays), but I l♥ves them. I love that as a country we all, from the smallest school child to the most aged among us, pause to express love to the people we care about. It's not the only day of the year that we do that, but it's one of them, and I enjoy it. Mainly because I always have an abundance of gratitude for people in my heart...and it's nice to have a day when expressing it in some way won't squeeb people out so much. Not that I ever squeeb my people out of course. But just saying. (No squeebing, right?)
I have been reading blogs lately, but have gotten out of habit of commenting on any of them. A few of my favorite bloggers have recently gone "comment-free"...turning off the feedback loop. I've been tempted to do that myself, but have instead just stopped worrying whether anyone says anything when I write. So please don't feel like you need to chime in. I feel like comments are a gift...and the best gifts are the ones you don't expect, that the giver is excited to give, so it's a true "win-win" moment for everyone.
I know this is one of the issues that the Valentine's Day (and Mother's Day and Father's Day) haters get so energized over. That whole tricky sense of obligation is overwhelming and burdensome. They don't like feeling like they're expected to give something just because Hallmark or someone dictates it. They'd rather just do something out of the blue (and blue, as we all know, is simply FABULOUS) when the recipient least expects it. I agree that unexpected gifts (of words or deeds) are wonderful. But that doesn't, imho, negate the beauty of anything given to another on a holiday.
I always try to give thoughtful, sincere gifts to the people I love. In fact, one of my greatest frustrations is when there is something that I wish I could give to someone, but just can't afford. Not that all the gifts I give are purchased. Sometimes I come up with splendid ideas of ways to serve or kindnesses I can give that don't cost money...and those are the best ones of all. But there are times I think of something that costs money, and it's painful that I am just not in a position to give it. Like I'd love to pay off a few people's student loans. And fund the cost of adopting a baby for a certain loved one. And pay off the mortgages of all my loved ones. And set everyone I care about up with a year's supply of essentials (food/water/energy source). And there are a few people on my list who could use a new car. I'd love nothing better than to park one in front of their house and put a card with the key in the mailbox. Wouldn't that be fun! I have some loved ones with health care bills I'd love to make disappear. Man if I could just be a fairy godmother for a day, it'd be one very busy day.
So back to my blog; Please think of commenting here in the same way. I don't expect, nor am I trying to solicit, feedback from my readers. I'm trying to be authentic in my motives for writing here. It's mainly for me...and the few people who actually know me and are genuinely interested in my life. Frankly, most of my posts aren't even comment-worthy. And if you blog and I ever leave a note for you, know it's given with no sense of obligation or "tit-for-tat" aspirations. Life is just too short for that kind of guilt.
Happy week to all! ♥
PS: any questions I ask are merely rhetorical in nature. Kind of like the whole premise of Jeopardy. What is rhetorical?
*That's one of my favorite movies, by the way. I saw it with Doc when we were freshmen in college like a 21 zillion years ago. I haven't watched it since then, so maybe it's actually super cheesy and I only enjoyed it because I was watching it with the most fabulous guy on planet earth. So if you watch it and it really IS horrendous, don't blame me. You should have watched it with the person you were falling in love with cause then it'd be one for the books in your memory.
PPS: I don't see very many movies compared to the general population. And I'm a worthless critic. Unless it's crude, lewd, profane or violent. And I can't do horror. And I love happy endings. And that's probably more information than anyone cares about.
PPPS: Marie Calendar's is having their big Any Pie $6.99 sale right now. It's hard to pass up. We currently have the chocolate satin and double lemon cream pies in our fridge. They won't be there long though.
PPPPS: is it supposed to be PPS:, or is it supposed to be PSS:? I'm thinking adding the p's cause doesn't it stand for "post script". Post Post Post makes more sense than Script Script Script. I'm just too lazy to google it right now.
PPPPPPS: (I snuck an extra p or two in there just for fun) sometimes I get really honest on this blog, but I admit I'm a little bit afraid to go there right now. Real Blue will be back some day though.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
25 Random Things...
So there's this thing floating around facebook that I kept getting tagged by people to do, so I finally did it. But since most of my bloggy friends aren't facebook friends, I'm co-opting it and posting it here too. Feel free to do this on your blog too if you like. I'm not going to tag anyone.
1. I just signed up to run my first full marathon...the San Diego Rock & Roll on May 31st. It's my dang sister's fault. She's always convincing me to do these crazy things (ran the Long Beach 1/2 marathon in October with her. Using the term "ran" extremely loosely.)
2. I've done some kind of exercise every day but Sunday since I turned 40, errr, "39 Forever", last year. Saying "last year" makes it sound a lot longer than it actually is.
3. I got pregnant with my first child on Valentines Day thirteen years ago. Yes, we know for sure it was that day. Probably the most expensive date we'll ever go on (factoring the cost of raising a child...).
4. I play the piano by ear, and enjoy improvising and making up little songs. But I'm nowhere close to being an excellent pianist, and rarely have a number polished enough to perform for an audience. But I could play for hours when it doesn't matter.
5. I chose my 2nd apartment in college because it had a piano in the living room. That seemed too good to pass up. I currently have two pianos at home, a grand and a digital upright for middle-of-the-night jamming (with headphones).
6. Doc and I have now been together longer than we were apart. I have only sketchy memories about life before we met.
7. I got the bends after my first real SCUBA diving excursion the first summer we spent in Bermuda. Spent 18 hours total in a very cramped recompression chamber staffed by volunteers. Had to pee the whole time.
8. I must have a fairly high pain tolerance. Gave birth twice without any pain relief. The second time it wasn't intentional. And Pitocin is the devil incarnate.
9. I love reading in bed. Curling up and getting lost in a good book is one of my all-time favorite things to do.
10. In my youth I was on the school track, volleyball, softball and gymnastics teams. I was never especially good at any of them, but they were beneficial activities to be involved in. My parents never attended a single meet or game.
11. In 7th grade I was cast as the Captain in Gilbert & Sullivan's "H.M.S. Pinafore"...which was the male lead. The script had the word "damn" in it repeatedly, which my mother insisted they change to "darn".
12. I won a prize at the last Halloween party I attended for my very unique uterus costume.
13. It's my intention to someday go on a "girl trip" with every one of my best friends. My fantasy would be to charter a nice yacht or tri-maran and have take all of them on a cruise together. That'd be a trip of a lifetime.
14. Two things I'd love to do which I never have are ride in a hot air balloon and ride in a helicopter (not as a patient). Just a matter of $ and scheduling.
15. If I ever see 12:15 on a clock, it makes me feel happy cause that's my birthday and I love that day!
16. One of my resolutions this year was to learn one new complicated piece of music...which requires reading music. So it'll take the full year to master for sure. Any suggestions on a song I should consider? (Not Johan Pachelbel's Cannon in D, because that's my all-time favorite song and I've played it thousands of times in thousands of ways.)
17. I sometimes write prose, and on rare occasions poems. I may have written about you, but you'll never get to read it.
18. I can't imagine a life without chocolate or hazelnuts. But it'd probably be better if they'd never been discovered. Interestingly, I really wasn't into chocolate till this decade. It's all Doc's fault for giving me one of these babies.That's what did it for me.
19. I make fabulous English Toffee. It's superior to Almond Roca candy which I used to love but not so much any more since my toffee is superior.
20. I had a water birth with my first child. She was the first water birth at the University of Chicago hospital. It was an amazing experience, and was written about in a front-page article in the Chicago Tribune.
21. I plan to write a memoir someday. Inspired by Jeanette Walls "The Glass Castle" because she showed me that anyone who is interesting has a past.
22. Malcolm Gladwell's "The Tipping Point" changed my life. I read it while visiting my friend Ann in Paris, and the discussion we had was a major paradigm shift for me, and reframed my perceptions about much of my past.
23. I haven't ever traveled so long or far that I'm ready to go home again. I wonder at what point my wanderlust would be sated.
24. Nearly everything I've worn in my adult life has been purchased second-hand or given to me by someone else, which I appreciate, as does my eternal-student husband. I don't have much of a fashion sense, but very sweet friends have intervened in my life in an effort to keep me off the "What Not To Wear" show.
25. The only diploma I've ever gotten was at Junior High graduation. I dropped out of high school my senior year, enrolled in community college and then transferred to a four-year college. I walked through graduation while enrolled in my last course via independent study, but never finished the course and thus never got my diploma. So far this fact hasn't held me back.
1. I just signed up to run my first full marathon...the San Diego Rock & Roll on May 31st. It's my dang sister's fault. She's always convincing me to do these crazy things (ran the Long Beach 1/2 marathon in October with her. Using the term "ran" extremely loosely.)
2. I've done some kind of exercise every day but Sunday since I turned 40, errr, "39 Forever", last year. Saying "last year" makes it sound a lot longer than it actually is.
3. I got pregnant with my first child on Valentines Day thirteen years ago. Yes, we know for sure it was that day. Probably the most expensive date we'll ever go on (factoring the cost of raising a child...).
4. I play the piano by ear, and enjoy improvising and making up little songs. But I'm nowhere close to being an excellent pianist, and rarely have a number polished enough to perform for an audience. But I could play for hours when it doesn't matter.
5. I chose my 2nd apartment in college because it had a piano in the living room. That seemed too good to pass up. I currently have two pianos at home, a grand and a digital upright for middle-of-the-night jamming (with headphones).
6. Doc and I have now been together longer than we were apart. I have only sketchy memories about life before we met.
7. I got the bends after my first real SCUBA diving excursion the first summer we spent in Bermuda. Spent 18 hours total in a very cramped recompression chamber staffed by volunteers. Had to pee the whole time.
8. I must have a fairly high pain tolerance. Gave birth twice without any pain relief. The second time it wasn't intentional. And Pitocin is the devil incarnate.
9. I love reading in bed. Curling up and getting lost in a good book is one of my all-time favorite things to do.
10. In my youth I was on the school track, volleyball, softball and gymnastics teams. I was never especially good at any of them, but they were beneficial activities to be involved in. My parents never attended a single meet or game.
11. In 7th grade I was cast as the Captain in Gilbert & Sullivan's "H.M.S. Pinafore"...which was the male lead. The script had the word "damn" in it repeatedly, which my mother insisted they change to "darn".
12. I won a prize at the last Halloween party I attended for my very unique uterus costume.
13. It's my intention to someday go on a "girl trip" with every one of my best friends. My fantasy would be to charter a nice yacht or tri-maran and have take all of them on a cruise together. That'd be a trip of a lifetime.
14. Two things I'd love to do which I never have are ride in a hot air balloon and ride in a helicopter (not as a patient). Just a matter of $ and scheduling.
15. If I ever see 12:15 on a clock, it makes me feel happy cause that's my birthday and I love that day!
16. One of my resolutions this year was to learn one new complicated piece of music...which requires reading music. So it'll take the full year to master for sure. Any suggestions on a song I should consider? (Not Johan Pachelbel's Cannon in D, because that's my all-time favorite song and I've played it thousands of times in thousands of ways.)
17. I sometimes write prose, and on rare occasions poems. I may have written about you, but you'll never get to read it.
18. I can't imagine a life without chocolate or hazelnuts. But it'd probably be better if they'd never been discovered. Interestingly, I really wasn't into chocolate till this decade. It's all Doc's fault for giving me one of these babies.That's what did it for me.
19. I make fabulous English Toffee. It's superior to Almond Roca candy which I used to love but not so much any more since my toffee is superior.
20. I had a water birth with my first child. She was the first water birth at the University of Chicago hospital. It was an amazing experience, and was written about in a front-page article in the Chicago Tribune.
21. I plan to write a memoir someday. Inspired by Jeanette Walls "The Glass Castle" because she showed me that anyone who is interesting has a past.
22. Malcolm Gladwell's "The Tipping Point" changed my life. I read it while visiting my friend Ann in Paris, and the discussion we had was a major paradigm shift for me, and reframed my perceptions about much of my past.
23. I haven't ever traveled so long or far that I'm ready to go home again. I wonder at what point my wanderlust would be sated.
24. Nearly everything I've worn in my adult life has been purchased second-hand or given to me by someone else, which I appreciate, as does my eternal-student husband. I don't have much of a fashion sense, but very sweet friends have intervened in my life in an effort to keep me off the "What Not To Wear" show.
25. The only diploma I've ever gotten was at Junior High graduation. I dropped out of high school my senior year, enrolled in community college and then transferred to a four-year college. I walked through graduation while enrolled in my last course via independent study, but never finished the course and thus never got my diploma. So far this fact hasn't held me back.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
How it works.
Lest people think I'm a cruel, heartless mommy who callously abandons her family in the dead of winter without a thought, I thought I'd explain how flight benefits work.
As a flight attendant, I enjoy two different kinds of flight benefits. The first is utilized by going through the company Pass Bureau. My airline has agreements with (at present) 79 other airlines which allow me and my family to fly STANDBY on other airlines for a set fee and taxes. To use this benefit you have to submit a request to the Pass Bureau in advance, and they issue the passes. All airline employees in every department enjoy this benefit.
The other kind of benefit, which is available ONLY to flight attendants and pilots, is jumpseating. Jumpseat privileges allow me to walk up to any airline we have an agreement with (at present about 40), and if they have an available cabin seat, I can get on the flight free of charge (at least domestic flights. International flights that I can jump on do require me to pay the taxes.)
Jumpseating doesn't require advance arrangements with the Pass Bureau. It's just a professional courtesy that enables pilots and flight attendants to jet around the world on a stand-by basis. And it's my absolute favorite benefit about my job.
When we went to Hawaii, Mare and I used our jumpseat privileges to get there, while her sister, who is in Reservations, obtained passes in advance from the Pass Bureau, which cost about $140 round trip.
Stand-by travel is, as I've writen about previously, a wonderful benefit, but it's not without it's drawbacks. As mentioned in my last post, Maren made our intended flight while I didn't. Which required me to change plans in the moment and get there via another route. I was able to do this because of my jumpseat benefit, but it wouldn't have been as easy to get there with passes...which are specific to an airline and on pre-determined cities. It's almost impossible to travel during peak season on passes, and you have to have a lot of flexibility no matter when you're attempting to fly. When you're going on another airline, you're at the bottom of the list as far as boarding priority (their employees, and their family members, and buddy passes are all getting on before you do). So at the last minute someone can walk up and "bump" you from the flight. You just have to roll with it.
So yes I'd LOVE to take my kiddos to Hawaii, but during school it's a little bit tricky. I'm happy to try sometime, but we've never gone to a hot destination using travel benefits. We've paid for tickets like everybody else when we've gone tropical. Or used True Blue points (I run everything I can through my JetBlue American Express to earn free flights) to fly confirmed.
So Bunch, the truth is I'd love to take you to visit your Hawaiian cousins. And we can try this summer when you're not in school and we have more flexibility. But just know it's tricky and we might not make it there.
'Cause that's how it works.
As a flight attendant, I enjoy two different kinds of flight benefits. The first is utilized by going through the company Pass Bureau. My airline has agreements with (at present) 79 other airlines which allow me and my family to fly STANDBY on other airlines for a set fee and taxes. To use this benefit you have to submit a request to the Pass Bureau in advance, and they issue the passes. All airline employees in every department enjoy this benefit.
The other kind of benefit, which is available ONLY to flight attendants and pilots, is jumpseating. Jumpseat privileges allow me to walk up to any airline we have an agreement with (at present about 40), and if they have an available cabin seat, I can get on the flight free of charge (at least domestic flights. International flights that I can jump on do require me to pay the taxes.)
Jumpseating doesn't require advance arrangements with the Pass Bureau. It's just a professional courtesy that enables pilots and flight attendants to jet around the world on a stand-by basis. And it's my absolute favorite benefit about my job.
When we went to Hawaii, Mare and I used our jumpseat privileges to get there, while her sister, who is in Reservations, obtained passes in advance from the Pass Bureau, which cost about $140 round trip.
Stand-by travel is, as I've writen about previously, a wonderful benefit, but it's not without it's drawbacks. As mentioned in my last post, Maren made our intended flight while I didn't. Which required me to change plans in the moment and get there via another route. I was able to do this because of my jumpseat benefit, but it wouldn't have been as easy to get there with passes...which are specific to an airline and on pre-determined cities. It's almost impossible to travel during peak season on passes, and you have to have a lot of flexibility no matter when you're attempting to fly. When you're going on another airline, you're at the bottom of the list as far as boarding priority (their employees, and their family members, and buddy passes are all getting on before you do). So at the last minute someone can walk up and "bump" you from the flight. You just have to roll with it.
So yes I'd LOVE to take my kiddos to Hawaii, but during school it's a little bit tricky. I'm happy to try sometime, but we've never gone to a hot destination using travel benefits. We've paid for tickets like everybody else when we've gone tropical. Or used True Blue points (I run everything I can through my JetBlue American Express to earn free flights) to fly confirmed.
So Bunch, the truth is I'd love to take you to visit your Hawaiian cousins. And we can try this summer when you're not in school and we have more flexibility. But just know it's tricky and we might not make it there.
'Cause that's how it works.
25 Random Things
January 31, 2009
1. I just signed up to run my first full marathon...the San Diego Rock & Roll on May 31st. It's my dang sister's fault. She's always convincing me to do these crazy things (ran the Long Beach 1/2 marathon in October with her. Using the term "ran" extremely loosely.) (EDIT: I never ended up doing the marathon. I don't remember what happened.)
2. I've done some kind of exercise every day but Sunday since I turned 40, errr, "39 Forever", last year. Saying "last year" makes it sound a lot longer than it actually is.
3. I got pregnant with my first child on Valentines Day thirteen years ago. Yes, we know for sure it was that day. Probably the most expensive date we'll ever go on.
4. I play the piano by ear, and enjoy improvising and making up little songs. But I'm nowhere close to being an excellent pianist, and rarely have a number polished enough to perform for an audience. But I could play for hours when it doesn't matter.
5. I chose my 2nd apartment in college because it had a piano in the living room. That seemed too good to pass up. I currently have two pianos at home, a grand and a digital upright for middle-of-the-night jamming (with headphones).
6. Doc and I have now been together longer than we were apart. I have only sketchy memories about life before we met.
7. I got the bends after my first real SCUBA diving excursion the first summer we spent in Bermuda. Spent 18 hours total in a very cramped recompression chamber staffed by volunteers. Had to pee the whole time.
8. I must have a fairly high pain tolerance. Gave birth twice without any pain relief. The second time it wasn't intentional. And Pitocin is the devil incarnate.
9. I love reading in bed. Curling up and getting lost in a good book is one of my all-time favorite things to do.
10. In my youth I was on the school track, volleyball, softball and gymnastics teams. I was never especially good at any of them, but they were beneficial activities to be involved in. My parents never saw a single meet or game.
11. In 7th grade I was cast as the Captain in Gilbert & Sullivan's "H.M.S. Pinafore"...which was the male lead. The script had the word "damn" in it repeatedly, which my mother insisted they change to "darn".
12. I won a prize at the last Halloween party I attended for my uterus costume.
13. It's my intention to someday go on a "girl trip" with every one of my best friends. My fantasy would be to charter a nice yacht or trimaran and have take all of them on a cruise together. That'd be a trip of a lifetime.
14. Two things I'd love to do which I never have are ride in a hot air balloon and ride in a helicopter (not as a patient). Just a matter of $ and scheduling.
15. If I ever see 12:15 on a clock, it makes me feel happy cause that's my birthday and I love that day!
16. One of my resolutions this year was to learn one new complicated piece of music...which requires reading music. So it'll take the full year to master for sure. Any suggestions on a song I should consider?
17. I sometimes write prose, and on rare occasions poems. I may have written about you, but you'll likely never get to read it.
18. I can't imagine a life without chocolate or hazelnuts. But it'd probably be better if they'd never been discovered. Interestingly, I really wasn't into chocolate till this decade.
19. I make fabulous English Toffee. It's superior to Almond Roca candy which I used to love but not so much any more since my toffee is superior.
20. I had a waterbirth with my first child. She was the first waterbirth at the University of Chicago hospital. It was an amazing experience, and was written about in a front-page article in the Chicago Tribune.
21. I plan to write a memoir someday. Inspired by Jeanette Walls "The Glass Castle" because she showed me that anyone who is interesting has a past.
22. Malcolm Gladwell's "The Tipping Point" changed my life. I read it while visiting my friend Ann in Paris, and the discussion we had was a major paradigm shift for me, and reframed my perceptions about much of my past.
23. I haven't ever traveled so long or far that I'm ready to go home again. I wonder at what point my wanderlust would be sated.
24. Nearly everything I've worn in my adult life has been purchased second-hand or given to me by someone else, which I appreciate, as does my eternal-student husband. I don't have much of a fashion sense, but very sweet friends have intervened in my life in an effort to keep me off the "What Not To Wear" show.
25. The only diploma I've ever gotten was at Junior High graduation. I dropped out of high school my senior year, enrolled in community college and then transferred to a four-year college. I walked through graduation while enrolled in my last course via independent study, but never finished the course and thus never got my diploma. So far this fact hasn't held me back.
1. I just signed up to run my first full marathon...the San Diego Rock & Roll on May 31st. It's my dang sister's fault. She's always convincing me to do these crazy things (ran the Long Beach 1/2 marathon in October with her. Using the term "ran" extremely loosely.) (EDIT: I never ended up doing the marathon. I don't remember what happened.)
2. I've done some kind of exercise every day but Sunday since I turned 40, errr, "39 Forever", last year. Saying "last year" makes it sound a lot longer than it actually is.
3. I got pregnant with my first child on Valentines Day thirteen years ago. Yes, we know for sure it was that day. Probably the most expensive date we'll ever go on.
4. I play the piano by ear, and enjoy improvising and making up little songs. But I'm nowhere close to being an excellent pianist, and rarely have a number polished enough to perform for an audience. But I could play for hours when it doesn't matter.
5. I chose my 2nd apartment in college because it had a piano in the living room. That seemed too good to pass up. I currently have two pianos at home, a grand and a digital upright for middle-of-the-night jamming (with headphones).
6. Doc and I have now been together longer than we were apart. I have only sketchy memories about life before we met.
7. I got the bends after my first real SCUBA diving excursion the first summer we spent in Bermuda. Spent 18 hours total in a very cramped recompression chamber staffed by volunteers. Had to pee the whole time.
8. I must have a fairly high pain tolerance. Gave birth twice without any pain relief. The second time it wasn't intentional. And Pitocin is the devil incarnate.
9. I love reading in bed. Curling up and getting lost in a good book is one of my all-time favorite things to do.
10. In my youth I was on the school track, volleyball, softball and gymnastics teams. I was never especially good at any of them, but they were beneficial activities to be involved in. My parents never saw a single meet or game.
11. In 7th grade I was cast as the Captain in Gilbert & Sullivan's "H.M.S. Pinafore"...which was the male lead. The script had the word "damn" in it repeatedly, which my mother insisted they change to "darn".
12. I won a prize at the last Halloween party I attended for my uterus costume.
13. It's my intention to someday go on a "girl trip" with every one of my best friends. My fantasy would be to charter a nice yacht or trimaran and have take all of them on a cruise together. That'd be a trip of a lifetime.
14. Two things I'd love to do which I never have are ride in a hot air balloon and ride in a helicopter (not as a patient). Just a matter of $ and scheduling.
15. If I ever see 12:15 on a clock, it makes me feel happy cause that's my birthday and I love that day!
16. One of my resolutions this year was to learn one new complicated piece of music...which requires reading music. So it'll take the full year to master for sure. Any suggestions on a song I should consider?
17. I sometimes write prose, and on rare occasions poems. I may have written about you, but you'll likely never get to read it.
18. I can't imagine a life without chocolate or hazelnuts. But it'd probably be better if they'd never been discovered. Interestingly, I really wasn't into chocolate till this decade.
19. I make fabulous English Toffee. It's superior to Almond Roca candy which I used to love but not so much any more since my toffee is superior.
20. I had a waterbirth with my first child. She was the first waterbirth at the University of Chicago hospital. It was an amazing experience, and was written about in a front-page article in the Chicago Tribune.
21. I plan to write a memoir someday. Inspired by Jeanette Walls "The Glass Castle" because she showed me that anyone who is interesting has a past.
22. Malcolm Gladwell's "The Tipping Point" changed my life. I read it while visiting my friend Ann in Paris, and the discussion we had was a major paradigm shift for me, and reframed my perceptions about much of my past.
23. I haven't ever traveled so long or far that I'm ready to go home again. I wonder at what point my wanderlust would be sated.
24. Nearly everything I've worn in my adult life has been purchased second-hand or given to me by someone else, which I appreciate, as does my eternal-student husband. I don't have much of a fashion sense, but very sweet friends have intervened in my life in an effort to keep me off the "What Not To Wear" show.
25. The only diploma I've ever gotten was at Junior High graduation. I dropped out of high school my senior year, enrolled in community college and then transferred to a four-year college. I walked through graduation while enrolled in my last course via independent study, but never finished the course and thus never got my diploma. So far this fact hasn't held me back.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Just another (four) day(s) in paradise
AloHA!
(tradition is you're supposed to say that back to me now).
So I went to Hawaii as I mentioned previously. My friend Maren and her sister Trina and I took advantage of our flight benefits in the form of a whirlwind trip to Oahu where my darling little sister lives with her adorable family.
Mare and I had a little drama getting there...at the last minute the nonstop flight we were planning to take only had one seat left. So I sent Maren on ahead since her sister was already en route, and the gate agent told me that I could jump on their flight to Maui that was about to leave, and then hop over to Oahu from there.
But the Maui flight kept having mechanical delays, which frankly, as a flight attendant, weren't instilling any extra confidence in that aircraft. We got on, we got off, waited, boarded again, had more problems, got off, etc. When they announced that the delay was going to be at least another four hours, I finally jumped ship and made my way to LAX on another airline, where I'd be able to hop on yet another airline's flight to Oahu. Have I mentioned that I am totally in love with my job?
The good news is that as a result of all this drama, I ended up in first class on the trip over the pond. Which has only happened twice in my life. And which YUM! Unfortunately I'd eaten right before getting on the plane, but you can't sit up front and NOT eat the food. I don't think that's even allowed! So the gluttony began on the way there, and really, it just never stopped.
Four perfect days flew quickly by. I hadn't seen my sister since the last time I went to Hawaii for Zeth's birth which was unforgettable. I've been blessed to be with them when both of their children (who are adopted) were given to them, and those experiences have been so sweet. But that was 16 months ago, and that newborn is now a walking, laughing charm machine.
There was something so completely relaxing and magical about this trip. Mare has been one of my dearest friends for the past 15 years, and though we've worked as flight attendants for the past 8 years, this was our first trip together. It was such fun to celebrate her birthday and be with her and our sisters for a few days. We had the requisite daily Matsumoto's Shave Ice in Haleiwa on the North Shore, Kua Aina burgers and sandwiches, Famous Kahuku Shrimp truck shrimps, Nutella Crepes, a beach party at Hukilau Beach, and far too many treats to ever justify (I'm making friends with the scale again finally).
We went to the beach every day and snorkeled in the glorious water where I spied on turtles and loads of my favorite fishes. The surf on the North Shore was crazy-impressive. I've never visited in the winter before, and I couldn't absorb enough of the power and beauty of the sea.
One of the most enchanting moments was eating lunch with this little guy.
I named him Squiggy, and he was positively charming. I'm totally anthropomorphizing him, but he was so friendly and delightful. For the entirety of our lunch, he scooted around the table enthralling me with his beauty and curious nature. I'm not a pet-having-kind-of-person, but I'd love to have kept him if it wouldn't have put him at risk of DEATH, just because he was so delightful to look at. Isn't he gorgeous!?
Almost as gorgeous as these two little buckeroos:
Zeth and Zana are just precious. I adore these little people. Zana gave up her bed for me to sleep in. Thanks darlin'!!!
And then there's my sister. She's one of the best things about my life. The whole trip was made perfect due to her warm hospitality. Love you Swimber!
(yes, she's actually my sister. I know...we don't look anything like each other)
Before we could blink, (but after we were completely relaxed and rejeuv'd), we had to leave this:
and return to this:
At least the sunset was pretty!
As perfect as those four days were, it's great to be home with my own sweet Cuties and Doc, and diving back into my life and various endeavors. But I'm thinking that a weekend in Hawaii in January might need to be an annual event.
♥
(tradition is you're supposed to say that back to me now).
So I went to Hawaii as I mentioned previously. My friend Maren and her sister Trina and I took advantage of our flight benefits in the form of a whirlwind trip to Oahu where my darling little sister lives with her adorable family.
Mare and I had a little drama getting there...at the last minute the nonstop flight we were planning to take only had one seat left. So I sent Maren on ahead since her sister was already en route, and the gate agent told me that I could jump on their flight to Maui that was about to leave, and then hop over to Oahu from there.
But the Maui flight kept having mechanical delays, which frankly, as a flight attendant, weren't instilling any extra confidence in that aircraft. We got on, we got off, waited, boarded again, had more problems, got off, etc. When they announced that the delay was going to be at least another four hours, I finally jumped ship and made my way to LAX on another airline, where I'd be able to hop on yet another airline's flight to Oahu. Have I mentioned that I am totally in love with my job?
The good news is that as a result of all this drama, I ended up in first class on the trip over the pond. Which has only happened twice in my life. And which YUM! Unfortunately I'd eaten right before getting on the plane, but you can't sit up front and NOT eat the food. I don't think that's even allowed! So the gluttony began on the way there, and really, it just never stopped.
Four perfect days flew quickly by. I hadn't seen my sister since the last time I went to Hawaii for Zeth's birth which was unforgettable. I've been blessed to be with them when both of their children (who are adopted) were given to them, and those experiences have been so sweet. But that was 16 months ago, and that newborn is now a walking, laughing charm machine.
There was something so completely relaxing and magical about this trip. Mare has been one of my dearest friends for the past 15 years, and though we've worked as flight attendants for the past 8 years, this was our first trip together. It was such fun to celebrate her birthday and be with her and our sisters for a few days. We had the requisite daily Matsumoto's Shave Ice in Haleiwa on the North Shore, Kua Aina burgers and sandwiches, Famous Kahuku Shrimp truck shrimps, Nutella Crepes, a beach party at Hukilau Beach, and far too many treats to ever justify (I'm making friends with the scale again finally).
We went to the beach every day and snorkeled in the glorious water where I spied on turtles and loads of my favorite fishes. The surf on the North Shore was crazy-impressive. I've never visited in the winter before, and I couldn't absorb enough of the power and beauty of the sea.
One of the most enchanting moments was eating lunch with this little guy.
I named him Squiggy, and he was positively charming. I'm totally anthropomorphizing him, but he was so friendly and delightful. For the entirety of our lunch, he scooted around the table enthralling me with his beauty and curious nature. I'm not a pet-having-kind-of-person, but I'd love to have kept him if it wouldn't have put him at risk of DEATH, just because he was so delightful to look at. Isn't he gorgeous!?
Almost as gorgeous as these two little buckeroos:
Zeth and Zana are just precious. I adore these little people. Zana gave up her bed for me to sleep in. Thanks darlin'!!!
And then there's my sister. She's one of the best things about my life. The whole trip was made perfect due to her warm hospitality. Love you Swimber!
(yes, she's actually my sister. I know...we don't look anything like each other)
Before we could blink, (but after we were completely relaxed and rejeuv'd), we had to leave this:
and return to this:
At least the sunset was pretty!
As perfect as those four days were, it's great to be home with my own sweet Cuties and Doc, and diving back into my life and various endeavors. But I'm thinking that a weekend in Hawaii in January might need to be an annual event.
♥
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
While I was "Sleeping"...
In the past few months of radio silence from this end of the mic, a number of things have happened. Here's a quick recap of some of the notables:
We elected a new president, and at noon eastern today, he was sworn in as our 44th president. I feel like it's important to stand united as a nation and work together to change things, regardless of political persuasion and position. Yes things have been bad, and they may get worse before they get better. But we have an individual responsibility to not undermine any good that can be accomplished by just sitting around grumbling. And indeed one could argue that it's also our responsibility to support our democratically elected leader in so far as he is leading us in good directions. I didn't personally vote for President Obama. But I believe we need to support him in doing as great a job as he can do as the leader of our nation. It's a tough enough job without us making it harder. I think of it the same way I view being defeated in a sporting event. At the end of the game, you shake hands and graciously get behind the winner, cheering them on as they proceed towards the championship.
Bunch turned one dozen years old and we crammed far more little bodies into our home than the local fire department would condone. Thankfully we didn't need a visit from them. The girls enjoyed breakfast and games, and were delightful guests. I've many many times felt grateful for the good friends in my children's lives, and this group is no exception. If every kid had such a wonderful posse, I'm pretty sure world peace would be achieved. Bunch is an even more delightful twelve year old than you could ever imagine. My gratitude for this little person grows daily.
The holidays came and the holidays went. Despite my long history of sending cards, baking goodies and delivering gifts for the people I adore, this year it just didn't ever happen. I meant for it to. It was on my to-do list every day for nearly two months. And while most everything else got checked off, this task was just "slippery". I couldn't seem to accomplish it. So to those of you who sent me wonderful pictures, notes and letters and gifts...thank you. Your remembrance of me and my little brood brightened my day and brought me joy.
I had a birthday, shout hoo-ray. While everyone else born in 1968 turned forty, I happily got hold of some of that "Thirty-Nine Forever" elixir, and downed the stuff just in the nick of time last month. So yay me. Here's hoping the next four decades are far better than the last four! Not that there haven't been some great times...but just sayin'.
I made some resolutions. One of them was to exercise regularly. I know that's like the NUMBER ONE resolution in the world, so big whoop! But what is worth celebrating is that I am actually on week six of working out six days a week. I've been alternating cardio (running) with weights at the little gym I joined last fall, and happily, it's starting to make a difference. Not just in how I feel, but a little bit in how I look too...which is an added perk. I know my heart, lungs and muscles are getting stronger, and that's the main reason for doing it. I'm not quite to the point where I ♥ working out...but I am committed to working out. Yay me!
Doc is doing his psychiatry rotation right now. It's euphemistically referred to as "psychation" because of the considerably more relaxed schedule compared to most rotations. Because of this and the fact that he's home every day by dinner, I am going to take advantage of this opportunity to visit my sister this weekend. In Hawaii. In January. Where it's always in the 70's and there is abundant sunshine. I can't wait.
So I won't be around for a few days but I'll be thinking of you. Maybe. No, I really will. I'll send happy thoughts your way while I'm snorkeling with the pretty fishes. And I'll send happy thoughts out for you while I'm eating Matsumoto's Shave Ice in Haleiwa. And especially while I'm lying on the warm sand under a palm tree, and walking in the moonlight surrounded by a gazillion twinkling stars. And while I'm exercising, because I can't break my streak yet. It'll be fun to run in Hawaii.
Till next week...
✈ ✈ ✈ ✈ ✈ ✈ ✈ ✈ ✈ ✈ ✈ ✈ ✈ ✈ ✈ ✈ ✈ ✈ ✈ ✈ ✈ ✈ ✈ ✈ ✈ ✈
We elected a new president, and at noon eastern today, he was sworn in as our 44th president. I feel like it's important to stand united as a nation and work together to change things, regardless of political persuasion and position. Yes things have been bad, and they may get worse before they get better. But we have an individual responsibility to not undermine any good that can be accomplished by just sitting around grumbling. And indeed one could argue that it's also our responsibility to support our democratically elected leader in so far as he is leading us in good directions. I didn't personally vote for President Obama. But I believe we need to support him in doing as great a job as he can do as the leader of our nation. It's a tough enough job without us making it harder. I think of it the same way I view being defeated in a sporting event. At the end of the game, you shake hands and graciously get behind the winner, cheering them on as they proceed towards the championship.
Bunch turned one dozen years old and we crammed far more little bodies into our home than the local fire department would condone. Thankfully we didn't need a visit from them. The girls enjoyed breakfast and games, and were delightful guests. I've many many times felt grateful for the good friends in my children's lives, and this group is no exception. If every kid had such a wonderful posse, I'm pretty sure world peace would be achieved. Bunch is an even more delightful twelve year old than you could ever imagine. My gratitude for this little person grows daily.
The holidays came and the holidays went. Despite my long history of sending cards, baking goodies and delivering gifts for the people I adore, this year it just didn't ever happen. I meant for it to. It was on my to-do list every day for nearly two months. And while most everything else got checked off, this task was just "slippery". I couldn't seem to accomplish it. So to those of you who sent me wonderful pictures, notes and letters and gifts...thank you. Your remembrance of me and my little brood brightened my day and brought me joy.
I had a birthday, shout hoo-ray. While everyone else born in 1968 turned forty, I happily got hold of some of that "Thirty-Nine Forever" elixir, and downed the stuff just in the nick of time last month. So yay me. Here's hoping the next four decades are far better than the last four! Not that there haven't been some great times...but just sayin'.
I made some resolutions. One of them was to exercise regularly. I know that's like the NUMBER ONE resolution in the world, so big whoop! But what is worth celebrating is that I am actually on week six of working out six days a week. I've been alternating cardio (running) with weights at the little gym I joined last fall, and happily, it's starting to make a difference. Not just in how I feel, but a little bit in how I look too...which is an added perk. I know my heart, lungs and muscles are getting stronger, and that's the main reason for doing it. I'm not quite to the point where I ♥ working out...but I am committed to working out. Yay me!
Doc is doing his psychiatry rotation right now. It's euphemistically referred to as "psychation" because of the considerably more relaxed schedule compared to most rotations. Because of this and the fact that he's home every day by dinner, I am going to take advantage of this opportunity to visit my sister this weekend. In Hawaii. In January. Where it's always in the 70's and there is abundant sunshine. I can't wait.
So I won't be around for a few days but I'll be thinking of you. Maybe. No, I really will. I'll send happy thoughts your way while I'm snorkeling with the pretty fishes. And I'll send happy thoughts out for you while I'm eating Matsumoto's Shave Ice in Haleiwa. And especially while I'm lying on the warm sand under a palm tree, and walking in the moonlight surrounded by a gazillion twinkling stars. And while I'm exercising, because I can't break my streak yet. It'll be fun to run in Hawaii.
Till next week...
✈ ✈ ✈ ✈ ✈ ✈ ✈ ✈ ✈ ✈ ✈ ✈ ✈ ✈ ✈ ✈ ✈ ✈ ✈ ✈ ✈ ✈ ✈ ✈ ✈ ✈
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Labels
Yesterday I had a guest post at a popular blog called Segullah. A friend of mine had asked me to let her post an edited version of a story I had written a while back, entitled "The Ugliest Girl In The World".
For the past almost 3 months, my blog traffic dropped precipitously, which was to be expected considering I hadn't posted anything new. But yesterday I had a couple hundred visitors to my blog, all of whom arrived here from the post at Segullah.
I found it interesting that the main page visited by these visitors was my profile picture. More people clicked that page than any other page on my blog. I understand that the title of my essay would naturally generate interest in my looks, and as there was no photograph attached, interested parties had to click over to my blog to see what I actually look like.
This observation has given me a moment of reflection. In theory we don't believe in labeling others. But experientially what do we believe? Do we feel better about negative labels if they are justified?
I hope that the experience I shared helps people to take advantage of opportunities to be kind. These opportunities happen every day, and they are one of the best ways to experience joy in our lives. Have you had a moment recently that you'd like to share here?
For the past almost 3 months, my blog traffic dropped precipitously, which was to be expected considering I hadn't posted anything new. But yesterday I had a couple hundred visitors to my blog, all of whom arrived here from the post at Segullah.
I found it interesting that the main page visited by these visitors was my profile picture. More people clicked that page than any other page on my blog. I understand that the title of my essay would naturally generate interest in my looks, and as there was no photograph attached, interested parties had to click over to my blog to see what I actually look like.
This observation has given me a moment of reflection. In theory we don't believe in labeling others. But experientially what do we believe? Do we feel better about negative labels if they are justified?
I hope that the experience I shared helps people to take advantage of opportunities to be kind. These opportunities happen every day, and they are one of the best ways to experience joy in our lives. Have you had a moment recently that you'd like to share here?
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
hi. remember me?
tap, tap, tap.
Is this thing on???
I know it's been a long hiatus since I last wrote. I just wanted to let you know that one of my resolutions for the new year was to start writing again, which may seem like no big deal, but it is. I had a big setback a few months ago, and am working through it still, but this blog was one of the best things in my life, and my readers were also one of the highlights in my life. I've really missed it. It's just been a hard few months.
So I wanted you to know that I will be starting to write again, and if anyone is still reading this, thanks for hanging in there with me.
Wishing you the very finest of days...
~Blue
Is this thing on???
I know it's been a long hiatus since I last wrote. I just wanted to let you know that one of my resolutions for the new year was to start writing again, which may seem like no big deal, but it is. I had a big setback a few months ago, and am working through it still, but this blog was one of the best things in my life, and my readers were also one of the highlights in my life. I've really missed it. It's just been a hard few months.
So I wanted you to know that I will be starting to write again, and if anyone is still reading this, thanks for hanging in there with me.
Wishing you the very finest of days...
~Blue
Monday, October 20, 2008
Posted
I started this blog, as mentioned in my profile, as an effort to make sense of my past and document my present, one post at a time.
For the present moment, I'm going to have to take a break from writing here. I'm so grateful for all those who have been with me for so long. You can contact me via email if you like. I hope I can resume soon.
Very best,
Blue
For the present moment, I'm going to have to take a break from writing here. I'm so grateful for all those who have been with me for so long. You can contact me via email if you like. I hope I can resume soon.
Very best,
Blue
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