Ethan's first baseball game is on Saturday. For weeks now, we have had practices on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Each time, he has learned a new concept of baseball.
**as you'll note, my blogs are becoming more sport-friendly than before....apparently I'm learning something. Either that, or I'm just pretending to learn something! Yep....that's more like it**
Since the game is on Saturday, today's practice focused on how to play the actual game. See, we've learned how to catch pop-ups, stop grounders, setting up at the plate, and even hit a couple times! Running the bases has been hilarious to watch because they just keep running round & round! This practice, however, they started to understand what the heck they were doing out there:
Batter hit the ball (after multiple missed swings), infielders ran to get the ball (instead of waiting for the ball to reach them), outfielders caught the ball (fighting the sun in their eyes), and the batter ran to first base (and actually stopped).
The head coach is a very patient man. There's a reason he's the head coach. VERY encouraging, always positive, and a great teacher. His "assistant dads" are also very knowledgeable and helpful to the boys.
They are always yelling "baseball ready." The first couple weeks, obviously, I was lost. It took me a while to figure out what "baseball ready" meant. And it didn't mean that the baseball was literally ready.
Before the ball is thrown to the batter, the yell is loud&clear: "baseball ready" -everybody preps for the pitch
Knees bent, gloved hands up, and awareness of the upcoming play.
It is the coaches' way of getting the boys' attention & it's the boys' way of preparing for what is coming next.
In the New Testament, John the Baptist was yelling similar instruction: "Messiah ready"
I'm here to get your attention; you need to prepare for what is coming next.
Jesus says the same thing to me, sometimes in a yelling fashion: "Heaven ready"
I came to get your attention; prepare for what is coming next.
Knees bent in prayer, hands up in praise, and awareness of the upcoming play....I will continue my journey.
Relaxing
Doing jigsaw puzzles is very relaxing to me. I can sit for hours and work on a puzzle. Not really thinking about anything, the time allows me to actually enjoy time. Every so often, a "great idea" will come to mind and I'll stop to write it down. For the most part, however, the time widdles away and I feel more relaxed than when I started.
I'm currently working on the Musical Notes puzzle. It's got 1000 pieces and it's pretty difficult. I've had it for at least 2 or 3 years and haven't mastered it yet. As you can see, it's all in black and white and has bunches and bunches of musical notes. It took me about 2 weeks to get the border together! And now, I've gotten the middle staff done as well as the word notations together......now it's the hard part of actually filling in the spaces. I expect I'll be working on this for a while.
What begins in the evening ends in the earliest of mornings! It's almost 12am as I type this and I've just finished working on it for about 2 hours....and I think I've put 15 pieces in the right spots!
Oh well...I'm enjoying time. And the added benefit of relaxation.
What begins in the evening ends in the earliest of mornings! It's almost 12am as I type this and I've just finished working on it for about 2 hours....and I think I've put 15 pieces in the right spots!
Oh well...I'm enjoying time. And the added benefit of relaxation.
how God works
Singing on the praise team for me is few and far between with my travel schedule. but I really enjoy it. and each time / every time / all the time, God works through the songs that have been chosen.
This past week was no exception. Wednesday's night praise team practice and today's worship was amazing.....God's Word affecting my life, speaking to my heart in just the way I need to hear Him.
Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday were very busy & ever-changing at work - - we have had quite a busy week at home with me getting back to routine, the house needing some attention, and just taking kids here & there while doing this & that.
The set included:
"How Awesome Is The Lord Most High"
"By His Wounds" - - by His wounds, we are healed
"Word of God Speak"
"All We Need Is You"
"I Will Stand On The Solid Rock"
May some of the words speak to your heart as well:
I will stand on the Solid Rock
I believe if I feel it or not
Word of God, come and fill my thoughts
I am Yours
Take control
Where You send us, God we will go
You're the Answer, we want the world to know
We will trust You, when You call our name
Where You lead us, we'll follow all the way
This past week was no exception. Wednesday's night praise team practice and today's worship was amazing.....God's Word affecting my life, speaking to my heart in just the way I need to hear Him.
Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday were very busy & ever-changing at work - - we have had quite a busy week at home with me getting back to routine, the house needing some attention, and just taking kids here & there while doing this & that.
The set included:
"How Awesome Is The Lord Most High"
"By His Wounds" - - by His wounds, we are healed
"Word of God Speak"
"All We Need Is You"
"I Will Stand On The Solid Rock"
May some of the words speak to your heart as well:
I will stand on the Solid Rock
I believe if I feel it or not
Word of God, come and fill my thoughts
I am Yours
Take control
Where You send us, God we will go
You're the Answer, we want the world to know
We will trust You, when You call our name
Where You lead us, we'll follow all the way
the lunch bag
This past Wednesday I decided to pack my lunch for work. I don't normally pack a lunch, so this was kinda special. Being in a cubicle all day stifles me, so I go off-site for lunch: to get out of the cube, share a meal with co-workers, or just get outside of the building. That's how I justify the expense anyway!
I had previously decided to pack on that Wednesday because a fellow co-worker was going to report on a trip he made to Africa. I really wanted to see what impact it had on him so I said "yes, I'll be there" and put it on my calendar at work. Thing is, I was at home creating my packed lunch - - and all I was remembering was that I was going to pack my lunch on Wednesday.
When Wednesday came, I did my normal morning routine and headed to the kitchen, grabbed some food items that would last until lunchtime and had everything ready except for a container/bag to put it in. Rifling through the pantry, I found some long-lost paper lunch bags the kids used to take when they were little. I had hoped for the Spiderman ones; unfortunately for me, the only ones available were adorned with a big picture of Hello Kitty on the front.
My first thought was "nah....I'll just use a plastic grocery bag". But then it made sense to just use up the bags we had, for it's "just one day and it's just a bag for goodness sake - since I'll eat at my desk, it will be no big deal." - - - [always go with your gut instinct.....]
Yep....logical reasoning took over, and I proceeded to pack my lunch in a brown paper bag with Hello Kitty plastered on the front.
Once I arrived to work, I got out of my car with lunchbag in hand and proceeded to the front door. One of my close co-worker friends had arrived about the same time. As we were walking in together, she mentioned my "nice" lunch bag......and I explained that it was too young for my kids to take to school now (oh the terror that would have been!) and that it was no big deal because I'd be at my.........oh crap. Until right at that moment, I had forgotten the original reason for bringing my lunch!
Oh brother.
Well.....when I arrived to the room for my co-worker's presentation, I was envied by everyone in the room for having such a wonderfully unique lunch bag! It was hilarious!
I had previously decided to pack on that Wednesday because a fellow co-worker was going to report on a trip he made to Africa. I really wanted to see what impact it had on him so I said "yes, I'll be there" and put it on my calendar at work. Thing is, I was at home creating my packed lunch - - and all I was remembering was that I was going to pack my lunch on Wednesday.
When Wednesday came, I did my normal morning routine and headed to the kitchen, grabbed some food items that would last until lunchtime and had everything ready except for a container/bag to put it in. Rifling through the pantry, I found some long-lost paper lunch bags the kids used to take when they were little. I had hoped for the Spiderman ones; unfortunately for me, the only ones available were adorned with a big picture of Hello Kitty on the front.
My first thought was "nah....I'll just use a plastic grocery bag". But then it made sense to just use up the bags we had, for it's "just one day and it's just a bag for goodness sake - since I'll eat at my desk, it will be no big deal." - - - [always go with your gut instinct.....]
Yep....logical reasoning took over, and I proceeded to pack my lunch in a brown paper bag with Hello Kitty plastered on the front.
Once I arrived to work, I got out of my car with lunchbag in hand and proceeded to the front door. One of my close co-worker friends had arrived about the same time. As we were walking in together, she mentioned my "nice" lunch bag......and I explained that it was too young for my kids to take to school now (oh the terror that would have been!) and that it was no big deal because I'd be at my.........oh crap. Until right at that moment, I had forgotten the original reason for bringing my lunch!
Oh brother.
Well.....when I arrived to the room for my co-worker's presentation, I was envied by everyone in the room for having such a wonderfully unique lunch bag! It was hilarious!
colliding
A friend of mine collided with me today. Not literally.....just emotionally. It didn't feel good. I had done something he didn't like and his response as well as my handling of it was not done in the best manner available to either of us. We both failed.
I'm quite certain I don't like collisions like this.
Unfortunately, friendships have to go through some rough patches in order to grow and develop into deeper friendships....or I guess you lose a friend. I'm not willing to go that far (the losing part, I mean).
So.....we collided.
It was a short little spell of a situation, but it wasn't any fun to work through. I'm sure we'll have another conversation to make things more right than how we left it. I suppose I would call that a collision also, though I would definitely have a more positive outlook than before. A positive collision? Is there such a thing?
POSITIVE: We will have another one sooner than later, though later would be better for me (the very uncomfortable-with-confrontation type)!
POSITIVE: God is still the center of our friendship so I know things are okay with "us".
POSITIVE: I'll forgive him & he'll forgive me
Colliding is not fun at the time of the occurrence.
But.........
Colliding is bearable within contexts of growth, development, & future deeper fun!
I'm quite certain I don't like collisions like this.
Unfortunately, friendships have to go through some rough patches in order to grow and develop into deeper friendships....or I guess you lose a friend. I'm not willing to go that far (the losing part, I mean).
So.....we collided.
It was a short little spell of a situation, but it wasn't any fun to work through. I'm sure we'll have another conversation to make things more right than how we left it. I suppose I would call that a collision also, though I would definitely have a more positive outlook than before. A positive collision? Is there such a thing?
POSITIVE: We will have another one sooner than later, though later would be better for me (the very uncomfortable-with-confrontation type)!
POSITIVE: God is still the center of our friendship so I know things are okay with "us".
POSITIVE: I'll forgive him & he'll forgive me
Colliding is not fun at the time of the occurrence.
But.........
Colliding is bearable within contexts of growth, development, & future deeper fun!
lunchtime thoughts
Remember
Reframe
Reenergize
Replenish
Refocus
EMBRACE
Remove
Replace
Reconfigure
Repurpose
Reconcile
CHANGE
Reunite
Redecorate
Refresh
Renew
.
Rewind
Replay
..........
Reframe
Reenergize
Replenish
Refocus
EMBRACE
Remove
Replace
Reconfigure
Repurpose
Reconcile
CHANGE
Reunite
Redecorate
Refresh
Renew
.
Rewind
Replay
..........
baseball and my sweet spot
I'm reading through Max Lucado's Cure for the Common Life. My dad enjoyed it because it talks about living in your "sweet spot" every day of your life. He can appreciate such things - he knows what the heck the "sweet spot" is referring to.....sports. Apparently when you hit the ball with your baseball bat at the right moment, or when you swing your racket in tennis and feel that spot, you're in your sweet spot. I wouldn't know. I'm not much of a sports guy.
Max Lucado is not my favorite author. I know, I know, he's like the most influential inspirational writer of all time. That's probably why I don't like to read his books. I don't know - I guess I'm weird that way. One of my friends gave me Max's devotional entitled Grace for the Journey or something like that. It's been a nice selection of Max's favorite passages from lots of his books - - and it allows me to taste them, not read them completely. They are short and to the point, so I enjoy starting & ending my day with his printed thoughts. The ones that hit me the most, every time, are the ones quoted from Cure for the Common Life. While it does talk about sports and that oh-so-wonderful sweet spot that I'm having trouble relating to, it does talk a great deal about being given a unique set of "me" that brings a unique something to this world and should be played out through my work - - something that is taking quite a bit of my time here on this earth. So I decided to buy the book and get it read....no matter what I thought of its author.
Ah.....it's a wonderful read. I'm learning more about myself, why God gave me the creative crazy personality he did, and is confirming the decisions through my life so far.
Yesterday I had the opportunity to take my son to his 4th baseball practice. We have moved on from Upward Basketball and into spring training with Pony 2 Baseball. It's through our community league, not the school or church. I had the opportunity to take him to his first practice just about a month ago. Having first experienced basketball at church and feeling quite out of place, this was a whole new ballgame!
These dads are serious. Their sons were dressed in last year's uniforms. Mine had on a t-shirt and sweatpants. Their sons were donned with worn-in gloves and caps. Mine had a newly purchased Target glove he could barely squeeeeeeeze shut! They received their baseball caps - - my son's is still too big and his ears flop over. Boy it looks like it hurts him, but he says it doesn't. He's #3 - - same as Babe Ruth, he tells me. I didn't know the candy bar bore a number on it! LOL!
Anway, this is the 3rd time I'm bringing him to practice. He has learned a lot already and we have already purchased his gear: glove oil (whew! much easier now), a bat, a couple baseballs, a glove for Daddy (don't you just want to see a picture here!?!?!?!), and some cleats. We are still needing the pants - have to make some time to go to that store. Oh. and I forgot about the cup. Now THAT was a funny conversation to have with my son! Why, from this daddy's point of view, was that a necessary item? You can imagine the conversation.......and you can probably guess I had no idea what I was saying.....and you can believe when I tell you that my son was blushing by the time the conversation had ended. Daddy wasn't much better!
I was out of my league....literally. At the first practice, I was listening to the coaches and trying hard to remember the key phrases being repeated. I knew my son would be asking questions later. As the practices went by, however, Ethan is quite the baseball player and certainly doesn't need me to help him remember his 'moves.'
You see, I'm learning from my friend Max Lucado that my son may have found his sweet spot in the game of baseball. Fortunately for me, I have found my sweet spot as well : reading a book about sweet spots during all upcoming practices!
Max Lucado is not my favorite author. I know, I know, he's like the most influential inspirational writer of all time. That's probably why I don't like to read his books. I don't know - I guess I'm weird that way. One of my friends gave me Max's devotional entitled Grace for the Journey or something like that. It's been a nice selection of Max's favorite passages from lots of his books - - and it allows me to taste them, not read them completely. They are short and to the point, so I enjoy starting & ending my day with his printed thoughts. The ones that hit me the most, every time, are the ones quoted from Cure for the Common Life. While it does talk about sports and that oh-so-wonderful sweet spot that I'm having trouble relating to, it does talk a great deal about being given a unique set of "me" that brings a unique something to this world and should be played out through my work - - something that is taking quite a bit of my time here on this earth. So I decided to buy the book and get it read....no matter what I thought of its author.
Ah.....it's a wonderful read. I'm learning more about myself, why God gave me the creative crazy personality he did, and is confirming the decisions through my life so far.
Yesterday I had the opportunity to take my son to his 4th baseball practice. We have moved on from Upward Basketball and into spring training with Pony 2 Baseball. It's through our community league, not the school or church. I had the opportunity to take him to his first practice just about a month ago. Having first experienced basketball at church and feeling quite out of place, this was a whole new ballgame!
These dads are serious. Their sons were dressed in last year's uniforms. Mine had on a t-shirt and sweatpants. Their sons were donned with worn-in gloves and caps. Mine had a newly purchased Target glove he could barely squeeeeeeeze shut! They received their baseball caps - - my son's is still too big and his ears flop over. Boy it looks like it hurts him, but he says it doesn't. He's #3 - - same as Babe Ruth, he tells me. I didn't know the candy bar bore a number on it! LOL!
Anway, this is the 3rd time I'm bringing him to practice. He has learned a lot already and we have already purchased his gear: glove oil (whew! much easier now), a bat, a couple baseballs, a glove for Daddy (don't you just want to see a picture here!?!?!?!), and some cleats. We are still needing the pants - have to make some time to go to that store. Oh. and I forgot about the cup. Now THAT was a funny conversation to have with my son! Why, from this daddy's point of view, was that a necessary item? You can imagine the conversation.......and you can probably guess I had no idea what I was saying.....and you can believe when I tell you that my son was blushing by the time the conversation had ended. Daddy wasn't much better!
I was out of my league....literally. At the first practice, I was listening to the coaches and trying hard to remember the key phrases being repeated. I knew my son would be asking questions later. As the practices went by, however, Ethan is quite the baseball player and certainly doesn't need me to help him remember his 'moves.'
You see, I'm learning from my friend Max Lucado that my son may have found his sweet spot in the game of baseball. Fortunately for me, I have found my sweet spot as well : reading a book about sweet spots during all upcoming practices!
my house
I've returned from a long week at an event. My wife and kids took some time while I was gone to visit the grandparents, so upon my return yesterday I came home to an empty house. I've been alone all week, so it's only one more day to endure before I get to see family again. Easy, right?
When I walk in to my house, I am always amazed at how clean my wife keeps it when I'm gone. Apparently I am the messy one! LOL! How she keeps up with all the laundry, dishes, toys, and house stuff, I will never know. She is very attentive to the kids and holds down a pretty heavy-duty job too. I married an amazing woman.
I am inside my house.
It's big.
I've been living out of a two room box for a week. Now I have access to all my food, my comfortable sofa & chair, my kitchen, my piano, and my most wonderful & comfortable bed. My house. Aaaaaaaaah....
It's quiet.
With two elementary kids, my house is not quiet very often. I relish in the peacefulness of my house.
It's yard needs mowed.
As much as I hate being outside, mowing the lawn actually sounds good to me. After being stuck in a convention center all week or in a hotel room, the thought of being outside of my house in the fresh, warm air is refreshing.
Sometimes it's too big.
With all the things inside my house, I see that I can be content with just a little of my house and still be okay. My house does not define "me" or "my family". God has allowed us the opportunity to have wonderful and comfortable things. But my family is more important. When they are here, my house becomes home.
Sometimes it's too quiet.
Without my kids and my wife here with me, my house is just a house. I relish in the anticipation of my family returning. When they are here, my house becomes home.
Sometimes the yard can wait.
Mowing the lawn is one of my worst jobs at my house. I don't like being outside. But I like it when my kids are running about, exercising and enjoying God's creation. I like it when I see my daughter playing nicely with her friends and I like it when I see my son developing strong friendships with the "new kid down the street." Sometimes the yard gets a little too overgrown. But when my family motivates me to be outside, my house becomes home.
While the wait seems additionally long to see my family, I treasure the time to myself in my house. Just me....and God. We are talking more these days. And being in my house allows me this special opportunity.
In just a few hours, my house will become home again. And I am looking forward to that moment.
When I walk in to my house, I am always amazed at how clean my wife keeps it when I'm gone. Apparently I am the messy one! LOL! How she keeps up with all the laundry, dishes, toys, and house stuff, I will never know. She is very attentive to the kids and holds down a pretty heavy-duty job too. I married an amazing woman.
I am inside my house.
It's big.
I've been living out of a two room box for a week. Now I have access to all my food, my comfortable sofa & chair, my kitchen, my piano, and my most wonderful & comfortable bed. My house. Aaaaaaaaah....
It's quiet.
With two elementary kids, my house is not quiet very often. I relish in the peacefulness of my house.
It's yard needs mowed.
As much as I hate being outside, mowing the lawn actually sounds good to me. After being stuck in a convention center all week or in a hotel room, the thought of being outside of my house in the fresh, warm air is refreshing.
Sometimes it's too big.
With all the things inside my house, I see that I can be content with just a little of my house and still be okay. My house does not define "me" or "my family". God has allowed us the opportunity to have wonderful and comfortable things. But my family is more important. When they are here, my house becomes home.
Sometimes it's too quiet.
Without my kids and my wife here with me, my house is just a house. I relish in the anticipation of my family returning. When they are here, my house becomes home.
Sometimes the yard can wait.
Mowing the lawn is one of my worst jobs at my house. I don't like being outside. But I like it when my kids are running about, exercising and enjoying God's creation. I like it when I see my daughter playing nicely with her friends and I like it when I see my son developing strong friendships with the "new kid down the street." Sometimes the yard gets a little too overgrown. But when my family motivates me to be outside, my house becomes home.
While the wait seems additionally long to see my family, I treasure the time to myself in my house. Just me....and God. We are talking more these days. And being in my house allows me this special opportunity.
In just a few hours, my house will become home again. And I am looking forward to that moment.
SNOB
Traveling is not my favorite thing in the world. I am glad not to be a field sales rep that travels every week to various places across the country and meeting with a host of customers. I'm not cut out for such a lifestyle. From what I understand from my sales rep friends, my travels are far more exciting. As the Events Coordinator for two companies, I only attend the conventions that are larger, more involved, and span across a week at a time. That's why traveling isn't my favorite: it's a lot of responsibility and I'm gone for a good week each time I go - - approximately 7 weeks each year. I know it probably sounds silly and doesn't sound like it's a lot, but to me - - - an interior-house kinda guy, I'd rather be home with my family.
Preparing for traveling at the office is stressful. All the things in the office that I've been working on now must be done before I leave - - just in case someone has a question while I'm gone. I run my cubicle as an "open book" because so many people utilize the information I provide. With sales and marketing and editorial all attending each event, they need to have access to my files as they are preparing. So my organization needs to be one step ahead of theirs!
Preparing for traveling at home is also stressful. My wife is the one who knows that I'm not as organized as my co-workers think I am. I take my time in selecting my clothes and accessories to take with me to my destination. I keep the financials, so I make sure that everything is paid and "good to go" so she doesn't have to worry about things while I'm gone. Explaining to the kids why Daddy has to leave again is the most painful. They don't understand why I'm gone "so much" from their little lives, when it's just a week. Sometimes that week includes a baseball practice or a trip to the grandparents - - and I miss it. That's why I don't like traveling.....at least at this stage in our parenting opportunities.
Once everything is prepared, I get up the next day and put on my "airport clothes" before heading out. With all the security stuff, I try to make it as quick and clean as possible: stuffing anything and everything into my "checked" luggage without going over 50lbs. I like to check 1 bag because I get a little freaked out having to have another thing to worry about on the plane with me. Anyway, I normally wear a pair of jeans (without a "siren signaling" belt), flip flops or socks/sneakers (my wife calls these "tennis shoes": I'm not planning on playing tennis anytime....but I digress), a t-shirt, and a jacket. I have my wallet and cell phone in my pockets and everything else fits into my carry-on backpack.
I apparently leave super early for my flight. Others like me who travel to these events get there "just in time" to board. I never know if I'll hit traffic on the way (I don't plan by checking out road or weather conditions - - it's not in the Faust blood....on mom's side of course) I like to get there, go through all the security crap, and have some time to relax before getting on the plane. Sometimes I am able to dine alone and plan "my" schedule for the event and sometimes I just like to watch people while getting a little work done on the laptop.
Because I'm gone so long, I have learned to park in the long-term parking area instead of the economy lot. See....the economy lot is humongous. I used to make a mental note of where I parked (J572) so I could remember when I returned. After a long week, however, my mental note was fried and I wandered all over the lot in the dark wondering where my wonderful wagon was. Now I park in long-term. It's closer to the terminals and I can remember the A1 location - - a great steaksauce!
The car is locked and my walk is short now so I'm in the terminal without any issues. Those little computer things just let me walk up, get my boarding pass, and worrily weigh my checked luggage to meet the 50lb requirement. Otherwise, I have to pop open that puppy and figure out how to take something with me as a carry-on. This is where I pray that I packed properly before my underwear comes flying out! (yep....it's happened)
I send my bag off to luggage luxury and head to security. Not quite as polished as George Clooney in "Up in the Air", I have a little neurotic "system" that gets me through the line quickly, with limited bins. I try not to get behind families with kids - - oh my goodness, what a nightmare. As much as possible, I choose the line with the "big wigs" who travel all the time - - they know what to do. Laptop, wallet, cell phone out. Jacket off. Shoes off. 3 bins max - then my backpack. One time recently I left my water bottle in my backpack. You would have thought the building was going to explode. The guy with the blue rubber gloves cautiously removed it from my bag before it went through the tunnel of x-ray, asked me if he should throw it out (well, duh!), and proceeded to carefully place it in the trash can nearby. Now I make sure that all my liquid is out of my bag before I go through. Geesh.
Another funny story: about 3 events ago, I had to take out a wireless credit card machine from my checked luggage -- that's when the underwear went flying - - anyway, I forgot to open the box before it went in the tunnel...didn't think about it actually looking like an "interesting device". Then it happened. I was asked to bring all my stuff over to the other lady's station with the blue rubber gloves. This time she pulled out some swabs and really started touching and woman-handling the device. I was getting a little uncomfortable, so I decided not to stare! LOL! She kept asking me what it was and I kept trying to explain it's function as a wireless credit card machine. Apparently it worked, not without a couple more waves of swabbing and touching. After I was released to go through, I felt most sorry for the machine itself. If it had a thought, it wouldn't have been a good one!
Once "inside" I make my way to the gate and find a seat with a plug nearby. The wait for a plane is pretty relaxing. No one is overly conversational - most don't bother me. And I find that I can get a lot of work done on my laptop in 2 hours than most people do all day! So - - I do some data entry, catch up on emails, and work on larger projects that require that "alone time" I don't see much of in my office cubicle.
I'm not bothered by the plane itself or the flying. Landing isn't the best, but you get used to it. Unfortunately, I have no stories about being on the plane. I'm not one to chat with my neighbor. I get my window seat, put my head to the side, and usually take a nap for the entire time. Occasionally I'll wake up in time for the snacks, but usually I'm "out" the whole time. I hope I don't snore.
Once I get to my destination, the worst part is getting OFF the plane. My knees are stuck in the bent, sitting position (stretching is not an option in those seats). Seems like we just sit there forever before they open the door - - it's like we're all crammed in a chicken house with only fake air to breathe. Once that door opens, all of the sudden, the silly "chickens" are squawkin', jumpin' up, and trying to fly out that teeny opening for fresh air!
The bad part about checking luggage is having to wait for it to arrive in baggage claim. The funny thing is, it's always a mad dash to the baggage claim area......and then we just wait on the guys to take them off the plane, then ride them around the airport on those little Toy Story carts, then put them on the conveyor belts of doom and hopefully finding their way to our specified metal wonder circle! ("I wonder if that ones mine" - "I wonder if it's that one" - "I wonder if mine was lost" - "I wonder if I can find my claim ticket" - etc)
Retrieved and now in a city I don't know, I head for a shuttle. When I first started traveling, I took the shuttle to the hotel. These days - I've bumped to the taxi. Scarier? yes. Faster? yes. Shuttles are great, if you have 3 hours to spend with 65 neurotic strangers who want to know where you're going and are eager to find out if it's for the same convention they are there for! After spending most of my day by myself, you'd expect me to crave people time. Not so. At this point, I want to get to the hotel and get settled. Taxis provide that for me, and thus.....I have changed my travel methods. Occasionally I'll get into a taxi with a talking driver.....honestly, the one-on-one conversation is much more interesting to me - - and they provide a lot of good information about the area if I need to get somewhere else.
The hotel is the one place I'm usually not comfortable in. Convention hotels are usually the closest to the convention center and at a "convention rate" to help the budget, they are not overly expensive. They are normally a Hyatt or a Marriott or a Hilton - - not what I would normally stay in....my choices would be Best Western, Holiday Inn Express, or Hampton. It's not like we spend a lot of time in the room anyway. If it's got a comfortable bed, I'm happy. Cuz at the end of a long day on the exhibit floor, my legs need-a-restin' and it had better be comfortable!
Once I get to the location, I'm usually good. With other staff from the office and from the field, we quickly get into our schedule and complete the tasks at hand.
One thing I have recently been bothered by is that I have distinctive differences in my eating habits. Convention centers do not provide the most yummy food you've ever tasted and the exhibit schedules are often not conducive for staff eating at "normal" times throughout the day. My job as coordinator of the event schedule is to make sure everyone is given their lunch & dinner breaks. Often times, I act as their "replacement" on the floor until they get back and to my fault alone, I don't take the time to feed myself......silly, I know. Thus when the exhibit floor is closed, I feel starved and eat everything in sight. At least that's how I used to do it. I try now to take some snacky foods with me - - Special K bars are my favorite right now: the chocolatey drizzle kind - mmmmmmm - - - they hold me over until I have some time to eat. I also drink more water and iced tea while traveling. I find I become dehydrated if I don't. The soda thing is only on special occasions. I stick to tea and water to keep me going during events.
As you can imagine, staying at the "fancy" hotels means that there are plenty of "fancy" places to eat. And sometimes that's all the options there are. Very few cities have Wendy's and McDonalds around the corner downtown. Instead they promote their steakhouses and specialty restaurants. This translates into a lot of yummy, more expensive food than what I'd eat normally with my family on a weekday evening. Still...we watch the budget. Staff dinners sometimes include over 10 people at a time, then add authors or guest customers, and the bill can be significant. We try our best to keep things reasonable. That said, I find myself a little more neurotic about my food after a long day of standing on the exhibit floor or running all over the convention center with an author's handouts. Recently I found myself sending back a burger that was a little more rare than I would have liked. I eat neater now - - almost fancy-like, with the fork in my left hand and the knife in my right. I request smaller portions and more specific side items. I savor each bite and I pay attention to my servers more, conversationally and with great gratitude for their work.
I think of myself as "overly introverted" especially in large groups of people. Traveling alone & with co-workers, I find that I am becoming a bit more engaging to the rest of the world. Words spoken are intentional and laughter is best with friends. Meals shared after a long day of working together are just that: shared. Even though bothered by traveling during the year, I am consistently being stretched in different areas of my life. I come back with stories to tell on myself - - and others. I grow closer to my co-workers. And I enjoy life at home much more because I can see what's missing when I'm gone. Times of reflection in my hotel room remind me to cherish my wife and my kids when I'm with them. Funny things happen when I travel, and those stories help me reconnect with family and friends when I return. As much as I hate to admit it, traveling - - for me - - is probably a good thing.
I started out writing about a SNOB : a "silly, neurotic, overly bothered" travel snob.
I ended up writing about a SNOB : a "stretched, navigating, optimistic, balanced" travel snob.
Preparing for traveling at the office is stressful. All the things in the office that I've been working on now must be done before I leave - - just in case someone has a question while I'm gone. I run my cubicle as an "open book" because so many people utilize the information I provide. With sales and marketing and editorial all attending each event, they need to have access to my files as they are preparing. So my organization needs to be one step ahead of theirs!
Preparing for traveling at home is also stressful. My wife is the one who knows that I'm not as organized as my co-workers think I am. I take my time in selecting my clothes and accessories to take with me to my destination. I keep the financials, so I make sure that everything is paid and "good to go" so she doesn't have to worry about things while I'm gone. Explaining to the kids why Daddy has to leave again is the most painful. They don't understand why I'm gone "so much" from their little lives, when it's just a week. Sometimes that week includes a baseball practice or a trip to the grandparents - - and I miss it. That's why I don't like traveling.....at least at this stage in our parenting opportunities.
Once everything is prepared, I get up the next day and put on my "airport clothes" before heading out. With all the security stuff, I try to make it as quick and clean as possible: stuffing anything and everything into my "checked" luggage without going over 50lbs. I like to check 1 bag because I get a little freaked out having to have another thing to worry about on the plane with me. Anyway, I normally wear a pair of jeans (without a "siren signaling" belt), flip flops or socks/sneakers (my wife calls these "tennis shoes": I'm not planning on playing tennis anytime....but I digress), a t-shirt, and a jacket. I have my wallet and cell phone in my pockets and everything else fits into my carry-on backpack.
I apparently leave super early for my flight. Others like me who travel to these events get there "just in time" to board. I never know if I'll hit traffic on the way (I don't plan by checking out road or weather conditions - - it's not in the Faust blood....on mom's side of course) I like to get there, go through all the security crap, and have some time to relax before getting on the plane. Sometimes I am able to dine alone and plan "my" schedule for the event and sometimes I just like to watch people while getting a little work done on the laptop.
Because I'm gone so long, I have learned to park in the long-term parking area instead of the economy lot. See....the economy lot is humongous. I used to make a mental note of where I parked (J572) so I could remember when I returned. After a long week, however, my mental note was fried and I wandered all over the lot in the dark wondering where my wonderful wagon was. Now I park in long-term. It's closer to the terminals and I can remember the A1 location - - a great steaksauce!
The car is locked and my walk is short now so I'm in the terminal without any issues. Those little computer things just let me walk up, get my boarding pass, and worrily weigh my checked luggage to meet the 50lb requirement. Otherwise, I have to pop open that puppy and figure out how to take something with me as a carry-on. This is where I pray that I packed properly before my underwear comes flying out! (yep....it's happened)
I send my bag off to luggage luxury and head to security. Not quite as polished as George Clooney in "Up in the Air", I have a little neurotic "system" that gets me through the line quickly, with limited bins. I try not to get behind families with kids - - oh my goodness, what a nightmare. As much as possible, I choose the line with the "big wigs" who travel all the time - - they know what to do. Laptop, wallet, cell phone out. Jacket off. Shoes off. 3 bins max - then my backpack. One time recently I left my water bottle in my backpack. You would have thought the building was going to explode. The guy with the blue rubber gloves cautiously removed it from my bag before it went through the tunnel of x-ray, asked me if he should throw it out (well, duh!), and proceeded to carefully place it in the trash can nearby. Now I make sure that all my liquid is out of my bag before I go through. Geesh.
Another funny story: about 3 events ago, I had to take out a wireless credit card machine from my checked luggage -- that's when the underwear went flying - - anyway, I forgot to open the box before it went in the tunnel...didn't think about it actually looking like an "interesting device". Then it happened. I was asked to bring all my stuff over to the other lady's station with the blue rubber gloves. This time she pulled out some swabs and really started touching and woman-handling the device. I was getting a little uncomfortable, so I decided not to stare! LOL! She kept asking me what it was and I kept trying to explain it's function as a wireless credit card machine. Apparently it worked, not without a couple more waves of swabbing and touching. After I was released to go through, I felt most sorry for the machine itself. If it had a thought, it wouldn't have been a good one!
Once "inside" I make my way to the gate and find a seat with a plug nearby. The wait for a plane is pretty relaxing. No one is overly conversational - most don't bother me. And I find that I can get a lot of work done on my laptop in 2 hours than most people do all day! So - - I do some data entry, catch up on emails, and work on larger projects that require that "alone time" I don't see much of in my office cubicle.
I'm not bothered by the plane itself or the flying. Landing isn't the best, but you get used to it. Unfortunately, I have no stories about being on the plane. I'm not one to chat with my neighbor. I get my window seat, put my head to the side, and usually take a nap for the entire time. Occasionally I'll wake up in time for the snacks, but usually I'm "out" the whole time. I hope I don't snore.
Once I get to my destination, the worst part is getting OFF the plane. My knees are stuck in the bent, sitting position (stretching is not an option in those seats). Seems like we just sit there forever before they open the door - - it's like we're all crammed in a chicken house with only fake air to breathe. Once that door opens, all of the sudden, the silly "chickens" are squawkin', jumpin' up, and trying to fly out that teeny opening for fresh air!
The bad part about checking luggage is having to wait for it to arrive in baggage claim. The funny thing is, it's always a mad dash to the baggage claim area......and then we just wait on the guys to take them off the plane, then ride them around the airport on those little Toy Story carts, then put them on the conveyor belts of doom and hopefully finding their way to our specified metal wonder circle! ("I wonder if that ones mine" - "I wonder if it's that one" - "I wonder if mine was lost" - "I wonder if I can find my claim ticket" - etc)
Retrieved and now in a city I don't know, I head for a shuttle. When I first started traveling, I took the shuttle to the hotel. These days - I've bumped to the taxi. Scarier? yes. Faster? yes. Shuttles are great, if you have 3 hours to spend with 65 neurotic strangers who want to know where you're going and are eager to find out if it's for the same convention they are there for! After spending most of my day by myself, you'd expect me to crave people time. Not so. At this point, I want to get to the hotel and get settled. Taxis provide that for me, and thus.....I have changed my travel methods. Occasionally I'll get into a taxi with a talking driver.....honestly, the one-on-one conversation is much more interesting to me - - and they provide a lot of good information about the area if I need to get somewhere else.
The hotel is the one place I'm usually not comfortable in. Convention hotels are usually the closest to the convention center and at a "convention rate" to help the budget, they are not overly expensive. They are normally a Hyatt or a Marriott or a Hilton - - not what I would normally stay in....my choices would be Best Western, Holiday Inn Express, or Hampton. It's not like we spend a lot of time in the room anyway. If it's got a comfortable bed, I'm happy. Cuz at the end of a long day on the exhibit floor, my legs need-a-restin' and it had better be comfortable!
Once I get to the location, I'm usually good. With other staff from the office and from the field, we quickly get into our schedule and complete the tasks at hand.
One thing I have recently been bothered by is that I have distinctive differences in my eating habits. Convention centers do not provide the most yummy food you've ever tasted and the exhibit schedules are often not conducive for staff eating at "normal" times throughout the day. My job as coordinator of the event schedule is to make sure everyone is given their lunch & dinner breaks. Often times, I act as their "replacement" on the floor until they get back and to my fault alone, I don't take the time to feed myself......silly, I know. Thus when the exhibit floor is closed, I feel starved and eat everything in sight. At least that's how I used to do it. I try now to take some snacky foods with me - - Special K bars are my favorite right now: the chocolatey drizzle kind - mmmmmmm - - - they hold me over until I have some time to eat. I also drink more water and iced tea while traveling. I find I become dehydrated if I don't. The soda thing is only on special occasions. I stick to tea and water to keep me going during events.
As you can imagine, staying at the "fancy" hotels means that there are plenty of "fancy" places to eat. And sometimes that's all the options there are. Very few cities have Wendy's and McDonalds around the corner downtown. Instead they promote their steakhouses and specialty restaurants. This translates into a lot of yummy, more expensive food than what I'd eat normally with my family on a weekday evening. Still...we watch the budget. Staff dinners sometimes include over 10 people at a time, then add authors or guest customers, and the bill can be significant. We try our best to keep things reasonable. That said, I find myself a little more neurotic about my food after a long day of standing on the exhibit floor or running all over the convention center with an author's handouts. Recently I found myself sending back a burger that was a little more rare than I would have liked. I eat neater now - - almost fancy-like, with the fork in my left hand and the knife in my right. I request smaller portions and more specific side items. I savor each bite and I pay attention to my servers more, conversationally and with great gratitude for their work.
I think of myself as "overly introverted" especially in large groups of people. Traveling alone & with co-workers, I find that I am becoming a bit more engaging to the rest of the world. Words spoken are intentional and laughter is best with friends. Meals shared after a long day of working together are just that: shared. Even though bothered by traveling during the year, I am consistently being stretched in different areas of my life. I come back with stories to tell on myself - - and others. I grow closer to my co-workers. And I enjoy life at home much more because I can see what's missing when I'm gone. Times of reflection in my hotel room remind me to cherish my wife and my kids when I'm with them. Funny things happen when I travel, and those stories help me reconnect with family and friends when I return. As much as I hate to admit it, traveling - - for me - - is probably a good thing.
I started out writing about a SNOB : a "silly, neurotic, overly bothered" travel snob.
I ended up writing about a SNOB : a "stretched, navigating, optimistic, balanced" travel snob.
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