One Goal Down...

...at least four more to go.

These are the custom made Nikes that I bought myself when I reached my first goal, which was 30 pounds. They aren't flashy but they are awesome. I love them for numerous reasons: they are the actual size shoe I wear, 10.5, they are are super comfortable and supportive at the same time, and they are a testament to hard work and determination.

I love the last reason best.

ATL...

...is the airport code for Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport; the busiest airport in the world 0r where I spend a majority of my Friday afternoons and part of my Monday mornings. It is an incredibly large place; it is approximately a mile long, vertically, if you choose to walk from the ticket counter, through security, and to the furthest terminal, E as in Echo.

I almost always fly out of the D as in David terminal...it really should be D as in Delta, but that would confuse the hell out of some people. I always walk to and fro Gate D8. It's just about a mile. It's a pleasant walk. It gives me a chance to stretch my legs once I've landed or burn off some ire before I leave for home. It also makes for great people watching.

If you walk from security to terminal A there is 300 feet of really awesome sculpture from artists that were born in Zimbabwe. They are just out in the middle of the aisle between the moving sidewalks. They are all amazing, enormous examples of what some vision, patience, skill, and a large piece of rock can become. It is also nice to see something so beautiful come out of a country that is experiencing so much strife these days.

This particular piece is called "The Conversation". It is once of my favorites. I vacillate between thinking it is representative of tribal elders telling oral histories or the three witches in Macbeth. Either way it is a remarkable piece of art.

I Like To Read..

That statement should come a zero percent surprise to anyone who has ever met me for a nanosecond. The truth of it is I love to read; always have always will.

I am currently reading the new Chuck Palahniuk novel Snuff. If you love Chuck you will think it is a good time. What's not to love about an adult film star aspiring to get it on with 600 men and discovering whether or not she ends up being the star of her own snuff film. I'm thoroughly enjoying it.

So I'm sitting in the airport today reading my book enjoying my company paid for coffee beverage; and three different people felt the need to inform me that I'm not reading the most ladylike book. Two people thought I was reading porn. The last guy thought it was weird until I told him that the guy who wrote Fight Club wrote this book as well. It caught me completely off guard. None of the people who said anything appeared to have any chromosomal defects. It was totally random.

After the third person said something to me, I looked around my gate to see what other things people were reading. Teenagers reading the vampire books, Twilight is the only one I know the name of. Soccer moms reading the weekly gossip magazines. Business men with their mysteries. The only book that I saw being read that even crossed my radar screen was some dude reading a self-help book, and even then I only though he had chutzpah for reading it out in public. At no point did I feel the need to accost any of my fellow reading brethren. I was just happy to see people with the nose buried deep inside their books.

Team Player

I work in a small department, there are only 6 of us. We all get along swimmingly. 4 of us travel a great deal, although I am the travel champion. When you travel as much as we do, there are times where you have to ask for some help. I try to do as many things as I can no matter where I am road or office.

I also try to be very timely with getting needed information to people as they need it, preferably before they need it. I try to help out others when I have down time, it's called December. So, I have some work equity built up.

Long story short...If I am asking for help; it is because I actually need it. Don't give me shit for it. Just take care of it for me. I don't give you shit when you need things "right now". There's is absolutely no reason to be a massive bitch about.

Apparently...

...I rule!

I'm back to Georgia for work again this week. It's going to be a long one...I have at least 3 meetings a day and some of those days require a 2+ hour drive from Atlanta.

Work kicked my ass last week. I was dealing with left-over evil from the week before. I'm talking to you Centro Watts!!! Then my construction bids were high and that set off the corporate jungle drums! The bottom line was that because new corporate policies have made my life increasingly difficult...I have no leverage to negotiate with. Things that were no problem in the past are now land mines.

But out of now where on Friday the skies opened and things stopped sucking. One of the counties that I have been working very closely with, these are some insanely nice people, saved me. They've decided to add night school for their second semester. It was a big score for me, as I'm no marketing person, and I'm the person that they have spent the most (read ALL) time with. So now I'm off the shit list.

I'm sure all of the corporate people are thrilled for their financial windfall...of which I don't expect to see anything. Yet, I am more excited for this school district up in NW Georgia that has one of the most forward thinking superintendents I've met in almost 9 years of working with districts. They are doing whatever they can to help their students be successful and earn their diplomas without having to decide what is more important, helping out their families or getting their education. Helping kids succeed no matter what situation they are in...what a novel idea!

You will be mine...

...Oh yes, you will be mine!!!

Thank you Cole Haan for marrying my two shoe loves together, Mary Janes and Sneakers. Yes ladies and gentlemen there is a fuck-me-pump with the heart of a running shoe in it. And yes boys, that would be a 3.25 inch heel on them. I like being 6'4. It pretty much guarantees that I'm the tallest person in a room.

I believe they will make an excellent to me from me in another 15 pounds. That would make 50 for those of you keeping score at home.

I do not...

...go to the gym to impress anyone other than myself. I go strictly for me. I go to the gym to build muscle, burn fat and sweat. I do not go to the gym to be sociable, although I have some gym friends that I exchange pleasantries with. I go to the gym to work off the massive amounts of stress that I am under from my job. Gym time is the hour or so a day that is all mine.

I do not get "pretty" to go to the gym; if anything I do the opposite. I wash my make-up off. I pull my hair back into as austere a ponytail as I can. I wear clothes that are utilitarian. I take off the nasty librarian glasses.

So listen here asshat...Just because I have my iPod on doesn't mean I can't hear you. If you want to see jiggling tits and girls in skimpy outfits...take your lame ass 20 minute work out to a titty bar. I'll spend my two hours working on something you'll never be able to get near!!!

Happy Fatherless Day!!!

Tomorrow is my least favorite holiday of the year. I used to enjoy it. There were cook-outs and presents; a good time was had by all. Then again it's hard to celebrate Father's Day when you are sans the celebrated.

I have spent the past month being bombarded by messages in my in-box reminding me to not forget Father's Day. Little innocuous reminders of someone I have lost...like I would ever forget Father's Day. I haven't forgotten my dad for one day of the 12+ years that he's been dead. I don't need some dumb ass e-mail from Hallmark to remind me.

If my dad were still around; I would have bought him a card very similar to the one on the left...and we would have made great fun of it for being overly cheesy. I miss the little things like that...but then again I miss everything.

Just Sad...

Yesterday I was all excited because I was going to be home by 3. Things didn't go according to plan. There was a 6 hour ground stop on all Midwest airports from ATC for severe storms...never mind that it was beautiful where I was.

While waiting in the airport, the news broke that Tim Russert had passed away. So I spent the following time glued to a TV monitor trying not to openly weep in the middle of the airport because I didn't want to appear to be nuts or that upset that my flight was delayed. It just made me terribly sad. He was fine one minute and gone the next...much like my dad. It was strangely comforting to watch the talking heads and famous people that Wolff Blitzer was talking to be just as caught of guard as I was.

I feel awful for his family, as they were still off celebrating his son's graduation. I feel more than awful for his son, as I am all too familiar at to how badly that sucks. I also feel bad for America. Who is going to do their homework and ask the hard questions when they need to be asked, and not be a jerk about it. Who will bust out a white board to break down the electoral college because most people had forgotten how it work? It's just sad...

Maybe...

...I'll just date myself.


It would make things simpler. There would be no hang ups about the fact that I'm generally in town for 60 hours a week. There would be no clairvoyant observations like, "Wow! You really are that tall!"


I know what I like and don't like. I had a Jules-centric day today. I did have brunch with Jess, but after that I spent the day by myself. I took myself to go see Sex and the City; an excellent time was had by all. I spent some dinero on "Amazon Suit Improvement", think of it as self DIY, at Sephora and Victoria's Secret. Just a little to me from me love; plus none of my bras fit any more. Follow all of that up with big, icy glass of sugar free/fat free love from Starbucks and it was a great day.


Maybe this is the time for me to take care of me, and no longer wait around for someone else to validate my worth. Being 33 is crazy...it is like I finally found the damn users manual on how to live.

What the hell...

I would like it duly noted that if mind fucking things to death was an Olympic sport; I would win the gold medal in it.

I would love to figure out how to keep the hot, molten crazy side of my brain from leeching into the awesome, smart part of my brain. One of these days I will figure out how to keep the crazy from taking over. Until then, there is always hope that mind fucking gets its due in London come 2012.