Crazy

Last thing for today (and I can't believe I didn't remember to write about this earlier) ...

I wish I were back in the PR industry, simply so I could tell Detroit's Big Three that you've got to be a special kind of stupid to fly private jets to your hearing asking for $25 billion. That to me is high comedy in and of itself. Is flying first class really such a chore? If they're concerned about leg room, they could even sit in coach on an exit row. Problem solved. 

That said, it's time for me to board my flight. Goodbye Phoenix.

By The Time I Get To Arizona

Hello from Phoenix where this weekend the temperature has been in the 70s. (Dallas, in contrast, has been about 25 degrees cooler.) It's been nice waking up to sunshine and palm trees, but it's time to go home. 

I needed a break from home. My frustration with Thanksgiving reached a fever pitch this week, because my Thanksgiving will now actually be on Wednesday, but I've had all weekend to de-stress and change my perspective. Judge me if you will, but I, like Chandler on Friends, hate Thanksgiving. (I guess I should clarify ... my perspective on hating Thanksgiving has not changed ... it's still my least favorite holiday. Doesn't matter why. My perspective on how I will handle this year's Thanksgiving has changed.) 

That's all I'm going to say about Thanksgiving ... except I will add that if you need a good Thanksgiving episode to watch, please watch the How I Met Your Mother "Slapsgiving" episode. Love it.

Let's Get Married

Happy one-week anniversary to Jeannie and Scott! The entire Clearwater/Tampa wedding weekend was fantastic.

Jeannie and Scott at the rehearsal dinner ...

With Jeannie and MOH Liz ...
Bridal party ladies ...
Magpie before the wedding ...
On the way to the church ("everything from the flowers to the honeymoon limo ... ---undred --ifty ---ead") ...
Officially married ...
Post-reception jaunt to IHOP for some AJ with Liz and Ben. ("Are there a lot of carjackings in Brazil?" "Oh, there are a lot of everything jackings in Brazil..." "... and waxings ..." "Yup, that's what they do ... just jackin' and waxin' ...")
This picture makes it look like it was super cold in Florida, but it really wasn't. Just super windy ...
Half-time stroll during the Gator game ...
Some of the wedding crew (and Gator alum) ... 
Magpie, I'm so excited for you and Scott! The next visit to Florida will be for your housewarming party.

Call Me ... Don't Be Afraid To Just Call Me ...

So, Beyonce has a new alter ego named Sasha Fierce. I saw an article about this that made me laugh. Kudos to the article for referencing the Seinfeld episode where George wants everyone to call him T-Bone. 

While I think the whole thing is ri-dic-u-lous, I have to give her credit for choosing a great, self-bestowed alter ego name. I feel like she's making a mistake, though, in forgetting the lesson we learned from Garth Brooks ...

Sasha Fierce ... meet Chris Gaines.

Boston

I'm watching an old Boston Legal DVD, and I realized something important. The theme song is fantastic ... if you only hear it once in one sitting. Maybe twice. The "fantastical" quality lessens if you, for example, put the DVD in the player but then maybe take a phone call for a few minutes. And you hear the theme played over and over again, but you can't go turn it off because you're charging your phone as you talk and need to stay near the wall socket. Or if you maybe fall asleep watching the DVD and you can't find the remote to turn it off, because it slid underneath your couch AND the batteries fell out, and you don't want to get off the couch to walk to the TV. That's when the theme song becomes a little problematic. 

But overall, I'm a fan. It has a certain Sanford and Son quality that can't be ignored. And if any of you now have either theme song stuck in your head then my job is done. Transference is complete.

Feels Like Home

If you've not yet voted, there's still time. Going to be an interesting night watching results. To quote Josh on The West Wing, "we're going to be up all night with these. It's going to be fun."

My dad and I talked a lot about the election when the campaigns got going in early 2007, and lately I've been a little overcome with the thought that I really wish my dad were here right now. He was so fascinated by what might happen. There are no words to convey how much I miss his presence.

Right now Sundays are my "back to reality" days after having a great weekend. Every Sunday I go to my dad's house (which has now been on the market for 14 months) and I check on the pool. The water level is usually low, so we have to keep refilling it. I've started using that time to also go for a walk around my dad's neighborhood. When I was there this Sunday, I was thinking about how we really need for the house to sell, and how maybe enough time has passed that it won't be as hard to say goodbye to that part of his life. I was thinking this while walking back from the park. As I got closer to my dad's house, I noticed that a car was out front, looking at my dad's house and picking up one of the fliers from the realtor. It suddenly hit me, maybe for the first time, that soon someone else will be living in my dad's house. And we'll no longer have that tangible place to go that makes us feel close to him. As I walked back to his home I started to cry.

I don't know why these thoughts are so prevalent right now, but they are. I suspect some of it is due to the start of November and knowing that in a few weeks we'll experience our second Thanksgiving without my dad. I think the holidays this year might be more difficult than I've been anticipating.

So I don't really know what to do about that anticipatory stress, other than just find ways to relax and keep from getting too worked up. Which is why I'm off to yoga (tonight). And Tampa (next week). And Vegas (in December).

These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things

1) When the dog bites (ouch)

2) When the bee stings (I'm allergic)

3) When I'm feeling sad (single tear)

I was highly aggravated today for some reason, but I've decided to turn aggravation on its ear and focus on things that make me happy. And each of these things (minus the Crossing Vineyard wine) can be found at the grocery store. I'm hoping if I mention these products enough some Web PR person from the company will send me a year's supply of free _____ (whatever the product is).

Here we go ...