Thursday, November 10, 2011

The Metropolitan Tri-State Lens

I wonder if other areas of the country would treat this incident the same.

As I waited in the Newark-Penn train station today for my Acela express train to D.C. (the only way to go...at least on an expense account) I noticed all the DELAYS popping up on the board.  When I asked some folks what was up on such a beautiful sunny day, I learned a "trespasser had been struck".  And so it goes in the NY-NJ-CT Tri-state area....it's not about a victim, it's about a trespasser.  It's not about the tragedy, it's about the commuter delays.

And although my train left on time, we were restricted to a much slower speed than the famed Acela express...and there were about 5 announcements apologizing for the delay due to "police activity", but no mention of the incident and its sorry outcome.

On an unrelated note, I was in my car on the way to the train when the "national emergency broadcast signal" was tested.  Anyone else hear it and think it was a bust?  First they announced it was coming and they'd be "off air" during the signal for about 3 minutes, then a sound and garbled message came on, then silence for about 2 minutes.  Good thing "this is just a test, this is only a test"

Monday, November 7, 2011

The (Unbearable) Insanity of Life

It has been some time (again) since I attended to my blogging.  So here's a little randomness that is the insanity of my life.

Work Travel.  All. The. Time.  I'm actually holding up quite well, as is my loving and patient husband, but my gosh it has sped life up so much!  Gone last two weeks.  This week away only one overnight.  Next week gone 4 days again....isn't it Thanksgiving immediately after that?  They started playing Christmas music in the stores...I'm still disbelieving it isn't August.

Hair Art?  I actually paid $260 to my hair salon on Friday.  And I didn't buy a single product.  That was JUST for service.  Hubby wonders if I might try his barber at $12/visit.  Meanwhile I think of how many times I pass something up in the same price range (small piece of artwork perhaps?) and yet I shell this out every 6 weeks or so for my hair!

Fall Back.  My gosh I needed that hour this weekend.  Hubby didn't think me saying at 7:30PM on Saturday - oh good, it is daylight savings time again...it is really only 6:30PM so I can get another hour of work in and still get to bed at reasonable time was the best use of the hour...but I did.

Storm Debris.  Like everyone else in the area, we removed our broken tree limbs and stacked them by the street imagining the town will eventually come to claim the mulch materials.  Hubby was given a gold star for his efforts, and maybe a purple heart comes next since he sliced his finger on his new saw pretty good as well.  I keep telling him Artists shouldn't do labor that messes with their valuable hands....but he's multi-talented that way.
Kitty Yoga.  Our strange little Penny-kitty has taken on a new habit.  She sits in a yoga-like position so she can play with her back feet and tail...no lie, sometimes she is in this position for a good 20 minutes.  It's enough to crack us up every time.

Sleepus Interuptus.  I spent one of those anxiety anticipatory nights last night having a 7:30 AM presentation meeting I was totally prepared to deliver, but convinced client would be unhappy. Beside being convinced of utter failure to deliver on the project requirements, what was my number one anxiety?  Sleeping through the meeting!!  Hence awaking every 20 minutes to check the clock.  Anyway, end result - I was up and ready on time, delivered the presentation and....surprisingly...client ecstatically happy.  Meanwhile, I am pleased, but also totally confused on my own judgment that led me to believe my work sucked.

Conflicted Grocery Shopping.  On Friday I was starving when I went to the grocery store.  Everyone knows this is a big mistake.  Never go hungry to a food shopping errand.  The list be damned.  I had in my mind this desire to stock up on healthy foods and began with bananas, fresh local apples, almonds, and pre-cut veggie packs. But then I saw the sale on ice cream - two gallons for $5 and snapped up the deal.  And then I hit frozen foods.  I got back on track and purchased a bunch of smart ones for lunches and quick dinners, but also picked up a frozen pizza that was calling my name.  I went down the bread aisle and got some whole wheat, high fiber bread...and then picked up the Helluva Good Onion Dip and chips on the impulse buy.  Conflicted much?

The Happiness Project.  On advantage of travel is airplane reading time.  I've blown through several books of late, the latest of which is The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin.  I'm now reading it a second time and developing an idea for my own project framework.  It has to be achievable in measures...so we'll see.  Regardless, I highly recommend the read...there are some honest and eye-opening moments.