The more things change...

Am I destined NOT to take a fabulous trip around the world, or around the US? Everytime I try to make the plans, something goes awry. This time, Andrea and I both had job changes that impacted our ability to travel this summer. Since neither of us are independently weathly, we had to answer The Man's call.

The upside is that my new job opportunity is allowing me to travel.  On my most recent trip, I was able to spend some time at Joshua Tree National Park, which has always been on my list - - at least since I fell in love with U2's "Joshua Tree" album!  Corny reason to visit a national park, but it worked for me.  The park is gorgeous.  Such different terrain than I am used to on the East Coast.  Joshua trees are fascinating.  They thrive in very harsh conditions and, after the first few years, are pretty slow growers.  Seeing them towering over the desert made me wonder just how long some of them had existed and about all of the changes they have witnessed.

My next trip will be to Cincinnati - - other than watching WKRP growing up, I don't know much about it and never considered visiting.  I'll do some research to see what's cool to check out while I'm there.  Recently I learned that I have family (extended) there as well, so hopefully, I'll be able to see/meet them.

The other nice thing about traveling for work is that work picks up the tab! For the business related activites, not my adventures - those are on my own dime.

Invitations!

The invitations have already started to roll in!
Nicole, actually, her Mom, Savonne has invited us all to the beach! I'm not sure which beach - hey, who is going to question a free vacation at the beach? It is in North or South Carolina. We'll stay for four days and I'll be back in Raliegh in time for the wedding on Saturday.

Fundraising and Meeting Famous Authors

Today I attended Classroom Central's annual fund & awareness raising lunch, as a guest of a client and as a supporter of the organization. It was a double whammy for me.  One, because I think it's a great cause and two, because I got to meet Janice Booth, their Executive Director and published author.

Here are some really crappy statistics about poverty & the CMS school system:

• 100,000 kids live in poverty in the Charlotte region
• Everyday, 93 children drop out of school in NC because they lack BASIC school supplies.
• It would take $20 Millon dollars to provide for every underprivlieged child
• 27,000 NC inmates are HS dropouts and the state spends $635 Millon dollars to incarcerate them
• It only costs $200 to provide basic supplies for a student
• One class goes through 200-300 pencils in a MONTH

Now for the great statistics about Classroom Central:

• will provide $5 Millon dollars in school supplies this year
• turns every $1 donated into $7+ in school supplies (wish I could do that with my dollars!)
• gives out 39,000+ pens, 32,000 pencils & 7,200 one subject notebooks each week

As Mick Mixon said, there is enough money to fund these children's needs...it's just in your pocket! 

Now, back to the second reason I was glad to go to the lunch.  I was able to chat with Janice Booth who wrote "Only Pack What You Can Carry: My Path to Inner Strength, Confidence and True Self-Knowledge".  Janice spoke on Charlotte Talks recently and I throughly enjoyed her interview! It was very timely considering the trip I am embarking on next month.  While I will have a co-pilot on this trip, she reminded me of the adventures I've had travelling on my own, rekindling and fanning the flame of independent travel! Janice was incredibly warm and personable today, taking the time to share a story about having dinner with a Prince in Rome; an opportunity that only presented itself because she was alone.  I really appreciated the time she took to chat with me, even more so, because she had just finished one of the biggest events of the year on her business calendar!

The beginning of a beautiful friendship...and our first road trip!

Sixteen years ago Andrea and I took our first road trip to Florida and stayed at the super fancy Sunset View Motel Apartments on Indian Rocks beach.


Here's what I wrote in my diary when we got back. March 13, 1995, "Andrea and I had a great break! Neither one of us has had such a great trip - ever! We got along really, really well. A few tense moments, but that was when we were exhausted, so we just went to sleep. I have a feeling we are going to be very good friends."
















I can't believe how right I was!

That was our first major road trip but not our last. Over the next few weeks, I'll share some of the more entertaining bits to prep you for this June's road trip.

Thanks Sis!

Look what Kathy dropped off this afternoon!

Can't wait to see what great ideas it has for the road trip.

Today's Funny

Most of you know I am thinking about relocating to Portland at the end of my sabbatical, here's a cartoon one of my Portlandia friends sent!  HA!

Change...Its the only thing that stays the same...

At the end of May, I am planning to move for the first time in 13 years! I came to Charlotte five months after graduation without much of a plan, but I had a job and a roomate. My friend, Courtney had decided not to take a job here and recommended I apply for it. I did and I got it. We swapped roomates, she moved in with Andrea and I moved in with Nicole in the Queen City - all four of us were friends in college.

For years, I've been reading about gap years and sabbitcals. After reading Eat, Pray, Love, I almost chucked everything and hit the road.  I wanted to, and had plans with my best friend Andrea to do just that. I even started selling my furniture! But a few things changed and for many reasons, the timing wasn't quite right for me to make a big change.

Andrea did. She went to India for a few months and got certified to teach Yoga, then spent time in Spain before relocating to Florida. I was envious of her and proud of her for chasing a dream and making a change. It seems as though I have finally gotten to the place in my life where I'm ready.  I am researching gap years, reading, tweeting, talking and making plans.

God's Gift to the Single Girl

Rotisserie chicken. So simple, yet so easily overlooked.

Rotisserie chicken is god's gift to the single girl.  For a mere $6.99 ($5.99 if you find it on sale) you have a delicious, well cooked bird.  You can heat up some frozen veggies, toss them in a little butter and garlic add some potatoes (Bob Evans does a mean heat & serve version) and you've got a great "homemade" nutritionally balanced meal - go easy on the butter, we're just trying to add flavor here, not a heart attack.

The next day, take the second breast for lunch. Add a piece of fruit, yogurt and a bottle of water - DONE!

Dinner the night after...you can shred it into a salad.  You can dice it up and toss it into a pasta dish.  You can stand up in your kitchen and pick the bird clean with your fingers.

So many options!! How do YOU like your rotisserie chicken?!

My Favorite Moment in a Relationship

Is when its over.

It’s that crystal clear moment when I realize the person I’ve been dating has nothing to do with the person I thought I had been dating.

They look the same.
They speak the same.

But they are different.

It’s the moment when you realize everything you thought and hoped and wished for is naught. Ain’t there. Doesn’t exist. They are not who you thought they were.

After 34 years of dating, ok, not quite 34 years. More like 18 years of dating, I’d like to think I’d catch on sooner. That I would be able to spot the crazy. The lunatic. The nut job...a little bit sooner.

This one only took 46 days.

Could have been worse.