Scene Set Up: If you couldn’t tell from other blogs or from knowing me in person, I've been working a lot lately. I'm on the books as a part-time employee at Workday, but the reality for about the past five months has been something more all-encompassing. The fruits of my labor have ripened recently, however (i.e. my projects are done), with December 5th being the day I was going to reclaim my life.
I had been in California a few weeks ago; went home to Vermont for Thanksgiving week; then back to California the first week in December. Due to time zone differences, I usually don't get enough sleep when I travel. I've been fighting a cough, congestion, and sinus issues for about 10 weeks now. And suffice it to say, I was just plain dog tired.
On December 5th, I was scheduled to fly home for hopefully an extended stay before my next business trip. I had stayed at my friend Amy's house the previous night, and our plan was to drop me at a BART station where I'd pick up a train to San Francisco International. Breakfast at the airport.
Due to a run-in with some old friends at Amy's kids' school, she dropped me off a little later than we both had planned. At the station, I had to wait about 12 minutes for the train. At the airport, I boarded the wrong AirTrain and ended up at the rental car hub instead of my terminal. Then at my terminal, the quick check in didn't work for me because by now, my flight left in less than 30 minutes. My only option: The live check-in agent at the front of a long line of people.
So I'm pretty certain I'm missing my flight. I step up to the counter, hand the agent my information. He takes a quick look at it, shakes his head, and tells me with a slight chuckle that he can't check my bags in because I’m way too late.
I tried very hard to stay controlled, but my tear ducts let loose (damn those tear ducts), and tears started rolling down my face. I was having an adult-onset meltdown. Hungry, tired, thirsty, and wanting terribly to be heading home -- completely "out of bullets" as my friend Romy says.
"What do I do?" I snuffled. The agent typed away at his keyboard for about three full minutes without looking at me. I tried hard not to full-on sob at his counter. And I tried not to be too embarrassed that I was crying over something that wasn't a hugely serious issue.
"Any of the flights to the East Coast will arrive too late to get you into Burlington tonight." My only options are to fly to Philly and stay the night, or schedule a flight out of San Francisco the next day. I wiped my eyes and took Option 2.
So I BARTed back to Romy's, and my outlook improved. I scheduled a red-eye home instead. Bought some cozy sleeping clothes for the flight. Enjoyed a gorgeous afternoon in the Bay Area. Happily visited with other friends in the evening. And boarded a flight shortly before 10 p.m., wearing my airplane "PJs" and primed for sleep with Dramamine. I even purchased the airline-standard pillow and blanket to help be that much more comfortable for the sleep coma I was planning for.
My travel karma still hadn't recovered however, and I spent a more typical night on the plane. No comfortable position in 30-40 different attempts. Earplugs sticking to the pillow and falling out. Neighbors not turning off their television screens. No noticeable effects from the Dramamine. And the fleece blanket creating enough static electricity to rival a wool sock in a dryer.
So as I write this blog, I'm sitting in the airport in New York, waiting for my Burlington air shuttle. I'm still dog tired and my hair is probably standing on end in places from static, but I've shifted gears a bit and am now counting December 6th, today, as the day I'll return a more normal and manageable pace. After a nice Saturday afternoon nap at HOME.
(698 words)
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
The eDark Side
Three months ago, I was lucky if I could find my cell phone. I left the house with it only when my husband reminded me to take it with me. He doesn't go anywhere without his Blackberry, and he has been trying to get me to jump on his techno bandwagon for years. I've resisted, not because I wanted to deny Tom but because I wanted to remain un-wired. I didn't want to be bothered with telephone calls and messages when I was away from my work space.
Today, I've joined the eDark Side. It started with LinkedIn in the early fall. I signed up to see if I could offer any support for recruiting for the company I work for. The HR team convinced me that LinkedIn was the latest rage in recruiting, so I thought I'd see if I could help. Unfortunately, I haven't recruited anyone, and I haven't discovered any other value in LinkedIn yet. But I haven't given up hope.
Next came this blog. As I mentioned in my very first post, the blogsphere forces caught me by surprise. I never imagined myself as a blogger, but here I am. And so far, I'm planning to stay. I really enjoy the writing, even if nobody reads it.
Shortly after the blog took shape, I turned to Facebook. Tom started up his Facebook page a few years ago, and I was honestly turned off by the whole notion. Who cares? I thought. But for whatever reason, I tuned in and turned on. For the first couple of days as a newborn Facebooker, I was obsessed. I loved checking out all my new friends' profiles and statuses, and changing my own. I was a little disturbed by how consuming it was. But my husband, in his old-pro wisdom, assured me it wears off after awhile, and he was right. Now, there are days I don't even check Facebook. Not too many in a row though.
I often wonder why Facebook intrigues me. I was happy not being connected. I was content not knowing what my "friends" were doing every day. I didn't mind not being in touch. But since I don't have much time or space for a real social life these days, I'm guessing that Facebook must be filling some void.
So what's next? I'm afraid it might be a Blackberry. My latest plan is to get Tom a Blackberry Storm and transfer his current BB to me. Once again, I can't explain the change of techno heart. I can only admit that I like it.
************************************************
Yesterday, when I was flying to CA, I realized that I forgot to charge my cell phone before I left. So I planned to charge it in the airport. But when I got ready to plug in, I discovered that I had a Nintendo charger with me, not a Razr charger. This was vexing, for I needed to call Romy to find out if she was picking me up at the airport or if I was taking a train to her place. The solution of course: a pay phone. I haven't used a pay phone in years, and this seemingly simple activity required me to get change for a dollar, spend the whole dollar on the long-distance call, and call back two more times when Romy didn't answer (requiring change for two more dollars). I now pledge to give my cell phone the attention and respect it deserves. Tom shall never need to remind me to carry it -- fully charged -- again.
(590 words)
Today, I've joined the eDark Side. It started with LinkedIn in the early fall. I signed up to see if I could offer any support for recruiting for the company I work for. The HR team convinced me that LinkedIn was the latest rage in recruiting, so I thought I'd see if I could help. Unfortunately, I haven't recruited anyone, and I haven't discovered any other value in LinkedIn yet. But I haven't given up hope.
Next came this blog. As I mentioned in my very first post, the blogsphere forces caught me by surprise. I never imagined myself as a blogger, but here I am. And so far, I'm planning to stay. I really enjoy the writing, even if nobody reads it.
Shortly after the blog took shape, I turned to Facebook. Tom started up his Facebook page a few years ago, and I was honestly turned off by the whole notion. Who cares? I thought. But for whatever reason, I tuned in and turned on. For the first couple of days as a newborn Facebooker, I was obsessed. I loved checking out all my new friends' profiles and statuses, and changing my own. I was a little disturbed by how consuming it was. But my husband, in his old-pro wisdom, assured me it wears off after awhile, and he was right. Now, there are days I don't even check Facebook. Not too many in a row though.
I often wonder why Facebook intrigues me. I was happy not being connected. I was content not knowing what my "friends" were doing every day. I didn't mind not being in touch. But since I don't have much time or space for a real social life these days, I'm guessing that Facebook must be filling some void.
So what's next? I'm afraid it might be a Blackberry. My latest plan is to get Tom a Blackberry Storm and transfer his current BB to me. Once again, I can't explain the change of techno heart. I can only admit that I like it.
************************************************
Yesterday, when I was flying to CA, I realized that I forgot to charge my cell phone before I left. So I planned to charge it in the airport. But when I got ready to plug in, I discovered that I had a Nintendo charger with me, not a Razr charger. This was vexing, for I needed to call Romy to find out if she was picking me up at the airport or if I was taking a train to her place. The solution of course: a pay phone. I haven't used a pay phone in years, and this seemingly simple activity required me to get change for a dollar, spend the whole dollar on the long-distance call, and call back two more times when Romy didn't answer (requiring change for two more dollars). I now pledge to give my cell phone the attention and respect it deserves. Tom shall never need to remind me to carry it -- fully charged -- again.
(590 words)
Monday, December 1, 2008
I Am My Brother's Keeper
Every time I listened to Barack Obama speak during his campaign, my absolute favorite part of his message was “I am my brother’s keeper.” This is the part where I usually choked up.
Community service is one of my top 10 ways to spend time. I’ve been involved in Meals on Wheels (MOW) for eight years -– driving for three years and coordinating the routes and drivers’ schedules in my town for the past five. I also sub when a driver can’t make it. As the coordinator, I serve as the contact for people who need meals, set each month’s driving schedule for the volunteer drivers, recruit new volunteers, and communicate with the drivers about changes in the routes. In a typical month, I spend about six hours doing this.
As a driver, I pick up the meals –- a hot lunch -– from a local church where an amazing group of women cooks 100+ meals every day for four towns. I then deliver the meals to the homes and apartments of mostly older people who have trouble staying on a decent diet or cooking for themselves. Part of the service is making sure the “clients” are OK, as the MOW drivers are sometimes the only people they see or talk to in a day. I haven’t had any incidents where a client needed immediate help, but one of the drivers on my route found a client no longer alive a few years ago. (Thankfully, someone found him…) Delivering takes about two hours, and on average, I drive about once a month.
There are days when it isn’t easy to fit MOW into my schedule, and it feels like a burden. But I always finish the route feeling content, happy, and fulfilled in a fundamental way. (I believe the Buddhists call this a “wholesome state”.) All this for less than 10 hours a month! (Interestingly, the roadblocks that originally made my MOW commitment seem like a burden suddenly become the burden themselves.)
In addition to the personal reward, I love that MOW gives me a chance to be a volunteering role model for my kids. This isn’t the reason I’m involved, but I hope it will inspire my kids to donate their time when they’re able. I've taken all three of them with me to deliver over the years, but they stopped wanting to come after one too many awkward hugs from the clients.
Something must have gone right though, because Mia is already coming up with idea after idea for her 8th Grade Challenge in three years –- a middle-school requirement that students run a soup-to-nuts project that benefits the community beyond their school or home. I mentored an eighth grader a couple years ago who cooked desserts and delivered meals with his mom as his challenge. To date, Mia isn’t interested in MOW for her challenge; I guess that’s “mom’s gig”. She seems to be leaning toward collecting or making something for children in need – books, quilts, pillowcases, stuffed animals.
At the risk of being preachy, I write this blog in hopes that it will encourage someone (other than Mia) to be a brothers’ keeper. For even just a few hours a month, the help or support you give someone could make a big difference in their lives. I guarantee it will make a difference in yours.
(559 words)
Community service is one of my top 10 ways to spend time. I’ve been involved in Meals on Wheels (MOW) for eight years -– driving for three years and coordinating the routes and drivers’ schedules in my town for the past five. I also sub when a driver can’t make it. As the coordinator, I serve as the contact for people who need meals, set each month’s driving schedule for the volunteer drivers, recruit new volunteers, and communicate with the drivers about changes in the routes. In a typical month, I spend about six hours doing this.
As a driver, I pick up the meals –- a hot lunch -– from a local church where an amazing group of women cooks 100+ meals every day for four towns. I then deliver the meals to the homes and apartments of mostly older people who have trouble staying on a decent diet or cooking for themselves. Part of the service is making sure the “clients” are OK, as the MOW drivers are sometimes the only people they see or talk to in a day. I haven’t had any incidents where a client needed immediate help, but one of the drivers on my route found a client no longer alive a few years ago. (Thankfully, someone found him…) Delivering takes about two hours, and on average, I drive about once a month.
There are days when it isn’t easy to fit MOW into my schedule, and it feels like a burden. But I always finish the route feeling content, happy, and fulfilled in a fundamental way. (I believe the Buddhists call this a “wholesome state”.) All this for less than 10 hours a month! (Interestingly, the roadblocks that originally made my MOW commitment seem like a burden suddenly become the burden themselves.)
In addition to the personal reward, I love that MOW gives me a chance to be a volunteering role model for my kids. This isn’t the reason I’m involved, but I hope it will inspire my kids to donate their time when they’re able. I've taken all three of them with me to deliver over the years, but they stopped wanting to come after one too many awkward hugs from the clients.
Something must have gone right though, because Mia is already coming up with idea after idea for her 8th Grade Challenge in three years –- a middle-school requirement that students run a soup-to-nuts project that benefits the community beyond their school or home. I mentored an eighth grader a couple years ago who cooked desserts and delivered meals with his mom as his challenge. To date, Mia isn’t interested in MOW for her challenge; I guess that’s “mom’s gig”. She seems to be leaning toward collecting or making something for children in need – books, quilts, pillowcases, stuffed animals.
At the risk of being preachy, I write this blog in hopes that it will encourage someone (other than Mia) to be a brothers’ keeper. For even just a few hours a month, the help or support you give someone could make a big difference in their lives. I guarantee it will make a difference in yours.
(559 words)
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