A and I have a friend who's had a rough time of it lately. They've been actively searching for work for a while now with no luck but have only let it get them down as of recently. I want them to know that I admire their tenacity and strength. They have their faith and a great support system of family and friends and I'm thankful for that. A and I are always here for you.
Running has made it's way back into my life recently. This time around it's morphing from only a form of exercise to that plus a way to release my tensions. I've always run with music but this time I'm not and it hasn't bothered me or in my usual case, bored me. I have a goal that I'll keep to myself for now but I can say that I'm well on my way to accomplishing it.
After three weeks off it was back to work last week. So far I'm managing to maintain a calm head and not let the summer travelers get to me. I've made the switch back to my morning flights and it's made a world of difference. A.m.'s are where this stewardess belongs. Coffee or tea?
When we brought Lucy and Ali home from the shelter Lucy couldn't get enough of us and Ali wanted nothing to do with us. My how times have changed. Ali is the lover and Lucy has become the loner. She will not let us anywhere near her except at night and then she'll sleep between one of our legs. I wish she was as loving as she used to be but I understand that cats have such differing dispositions and just let her be in the hope that one day she'll turn back into a lover again.
I dread the start of the upcoming Presidential Primary season. The way they all campaign and bash each other, on both sides, makes me not want to vote at all. I can't stand to watch or read any political news. It's disheartening but sadly at least in my opinion, a sign of what a horrible state this country is in.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
The Power of O
After years of disinterest in Oprah I decided last summer that I was going to watch the last season of the Oprah Winfrey Show so that I could make an informed decision about her. I realized that the only thing I truly knew about her was that she was rich and famous. I had heard a lot of stories about how she treated people off her show and other rumors and had regrettably made up my mind about her from those stories.
At the same time I started watching Oprah Behind the Scenes on her network OWN. Watching this show with the Oprah Show opened me up to a whole new opinion of her as a person, TV host, and businesswoman. Is she direct, aggressive, stubborn, and determined? Yes...but I think to be as successful as she is you have to be. Is she also normal, caring, understanding, and willing to compromise? The answer is also a yes. I used to be one of those people who referred to Oprah as God because she could make almost anything happen. What I've realized is that she isn't God and it was wrong of me to look at her like that. She is simply a role model and teacher to millions of people around the world. Through her many episodes she's helped people open up and attend to the issues that are laying just below the surface in all of us, including herself.
It takes a lot of someone to give themselves to something as much as Oprah has to her show, staff, and ultimately her viewers. Yes, she has been rewarded financially and with fame but I will always remember her saying in one of the episodes of Behind The Scenes that she knows how lucky she is to have a vast amount of wealth and people to do almost anything for her but that if it all went away tomorrow she'd be just fine and able to take care of herself. I found nothing but truth in that statement.
One of Oprah's famous sayings is that "you have the power." When I heard that for the first time it stuck with me. We all have the power to make whatever we want happen. People always thank Oprah for doing this or that for them or making them realize something that they never knew and she's quick to point out that she was just the teacher, they had the power of realization and acceptance. That's a profound statement that I will carry with me forever.
I could go on and on with what I learned from watching the final season of her show but I won't. I'll just mention two things I learned these past 8 months from her. 1) Stay in the moment. Don't worry about what will happen tomorrow or even in two hours. Live your life in the current moment. 2) No matter what you may think of someone we all have something to learn from them, good or bad.
Do I wish I would have watched her show before this year? Yes. Do I regret it? No. Regret is just a waste of time. I'd rather have learned a few things in a short time than nothing at all.
At the same time I started watching Oprah Behind the Scenes on her network OWN. Watching this show with the Oprah Show opened me up to a whole new opinion of her as a person, TV host, and businesswoman. Is she direct, aggressive, stubborn, and determined? Yes...but I think to be as successful as she is you have to be. Is she also normal, caring, understanding, and willing to compromise? The answer is also a yes. I used to be one of those people who referred to Oprah as God because she could make almost anything happen. What I've realized is that she isn't God and it was wrong of me to look at her like that. She is simply a role model and teacher to millions of people around the world. Through her many episodes she's helped people open up and attend to the issues that are laying just below the surface in all of us, including herself.
It takes a lot of someone to give themselves to something as much as Oprah has to her show, staff, and ultimately her viewers. Yes, she has been rewarded financially and with fame but I will always remember her saying in one of the episodes of Behind The Scenes that she knows how lucky she is to have a vast amount of wealth and people to do almost anything for her but that if it all went away tomorrow she'd be just fine and able to take care of herself. I found nothing but truth in that statement.
One of Oprah's famous sayings is that "you have the power." When I heard that for the first time it stuck with me. We all have the power to make whatever we want happen. People always thank Oprah for doing this or that for them or making them realize something that they never knew and she's quick to point out that she was just the teacher, they had the power of realization and acceptance. That's a profound statement that I will carry with me forever.
I could go on and on with what I learned from watching the final season of her show but I won't. I'll just mention two things I learned these past 8 months from her. 1) Stay in the moment. Don't worry about what will happen tomorrow or even in two hours. Live your life in the current moment. 2) No matter what you may think of someone we all have something to learn from them, good or bad.
Do I wish I would have watched her show before this year? Yes. Do I regret it? No. Regret is just a waste of time. I'd rather have learned a few things in a short time than nothing at all.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Mountain Time
Yes, I'm still obsessed with Adele. A and I are going to attempt to get tickets to her sold out show in Chicago later this month and probably end up spending way too much money to make it happen.
If you ever check out any of the blogs I follow please check out my friend Colleen. She writes a great blog about her travels around the world.
I'm so glad May is here and with it flowers and buds on the trees. This winter was miserable.
This is my month to work my arse off so that I can slack off in June. Now, how do I fit four different obligations and a full month of work into thirty days?
If you ever check out any of the blogs I follow please check out my friend Colleen. She writes a great blog about her travels around the world.
I'm so glad May is here and with it flowers and buds on the trees. This winter was miserable.
This is my month to work my arse off so that I can slack off in June. Now, how do I fit four different obligations and a full month of work into thirty days?
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Acapella
Traveling in Europe I'm always reminded of just how dependent I am on our car. I use it for almost every errand I have to run, from picking up groceries to going to the post office. If I stop and think about why I drive everywhere the answer is always one of pure laziness. Why would I walk or take public transport if I can hope in the car and be there in minutes? Across Europe people rely on buses, trains, bikes, and their own two feet. I realize that many people do own cars and drive too but there are far fewer than in America.
Throughout the past few days whenever we would walk around Freising or Munich or hop on and off trains I often thought about my first years in Chicago without a car. I biked, walked, or took the CTA everywhere. Running errands such as picking up groceries became something I planned out since i would have to carry it all home. Other times I'd develop a game plan and make a day out of running all my errands. There's be lunch, dinner, or drinks (and sometimes all three) with friends. At the time I was also single and though I was living the city life. How much more urban could I get? I was a city guy!
When I met Adam I also met his beloved Bonita, or for those of you that never met her, his Honda Civic. Suddenly we were driving everywhere and I was spending less and less time on public transport or my bike. I can't tell you exactly when it happened but as I have a tendency to lean towards extreme laziness as I get older I just started driving everywhere and it remains that way to this day. I've made attempts to be less reliant on our car, especially with the price of gas but I still find myself trending back to it often for almost all my errands. I am however, in need of a new bike and maybe this will be the motivation I need to get out there and be more mobile without using the car.
Throughout the past few days whenever we would walk around Freising or Munich or hop on and off trains I often thought about my first years in Chicago without a car. I biked, walked, or took the CTA everywhere. Running errands such as picking up groceries became something I planned out since i would have to carry it all home. Other times I'd develop a game plan and make a day out of running all my errands. There's be lunch, dinner, or drinks (and sometimes all three) with friends. At the time I was also single and though I was living the city life. How much more urban could I get? I was a city guy!
When I met Adam I also met his beloved Bonita, or for those of you that never met her, his Honda Civic. Suddenly we were driving everywhere and I was spending less and less time on public transport or my bike. I can't tell you exactly when it happened but as I have a tendency to lean towards extreme laziness as I get older I just started driving everywhere and it remains that way to this day. I've made attempts to be less reliant on our car, especially with the price of gas but I still find myself trending back to it often for almost all my errands. I am however, in need of a new bike and maybe this will be the motivation I need to get out there and be more mobile without using the car.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Was?
Adam and I always seem to take two week vacations...or as our friend Bryant likes to say "You guys can't just go to one place, it's always two or three places." However, this past trip was different than usual. First, this way a short, four day trip to Germany only. Second, I went alone because Adam's schedule didn't allow for a trip this month and I was drying to practice the German I have been learning.
Our friend Siw invited me to spend a few days with her and to help me refine what little German I know. We had a very nice time in the little town she lives in which is only about 30 minutes by train from the city centre of Munich. She gave me a tour of her little town, Freising. We went hiking in a beautiful forest preserve, had a picnic while watching planes land at the airport, and two great dinners with her mom, Maiken. I was treated to a great breakfast at her house one day that her mom put a lot of effort into and got to meet her good friend Javier and his playful dog Chico. Siw, Javier, and I spent and entire afternoon laying in the grass of the Gartnerplatz watching the people go by and talking. The next time Adam and I are in Munich I want he and I to lie there and just watch the world go by.
I learned many new German words and refined ones I already knew. It was nice to hear people speaking the language even if I only understood about 10% of what was being said. Trying to learn a new language as an adult is quite difficult and it makes me wish that learning a different language was mandatory for all students in high school like it is in most part of Europe.
Freising, Munich, and all of Bavaria are a beautiful part of the world and I look forward to my next visit, this time with Adam in tow!
Thursday, April 14, 2011
I Don't Need You
Our little girls are growing up so quickly. I realized while playing with them last night that Lucy is getting so much bigger and Ali is so much more outgoing and playful. Now if only they weren't such sloppy eaters.
Adam left this morning for a quick boys trip to Vegas with a college friend. Here's to hoping he comes home with a very nice tan and some fun stories to tell. It is Vegas after all...it's never boring.
One of the best perks of being a flight attendant is that when you don't really feel like working you can almost always trade your trip to something easier and less productive. That's exactly what I've done for today. It's pays almost nothing but sometimes a guy has to do what he has to do.
Our old roommate and dear friend Tracy is coming to town this weekend. I'm sorry that I won't be able to spend as much time with her as I'd like but we are all going to dinner on Saturday night at one of our favorite sushi restaurants followed by a little bit of debauchery at the bar. It should be good times.
I have taken a couple days off from Adele, although she's singing into my ear as I type this...I missed her!
Have a great weekend everyone!!
Tschuss!
Adam left this morning for a quick boys trip to Vegas with a college friend. Here's to hoping he comes home with a very nice tan and some fun stories to tell. It is Vegas after all...it's never boring.
One of the best perks of being a flight attendant is that when you don't really feel like working you can almost always trade your trip to something easier and less productive. That's exactly what I've done for today. It's pays almost nothing but sometimes a guy has to do what he has to do.
Our old roommate and dear friend Tracy is coming to town this weekend. I'm sorry that I won't be able to spend as much time with her as I'd like but we are all going to dinner on Saturday night at one of our favorite sushi restaurants followed by a little bit of debauchery at the bar. It should be good times.
I have taken a couple days off from Adele, although she's singing into my ear as I type this...I missed her!
Have a great weekend everyone!!
Tschuss!
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Auf Wiedersehen
I just under a week I'm leaving for a quick trip to Munich, Germany to visit our friend Siw. We met her while sitting on her jump seat from Barcelona to Munich after our transatlantic cruise two years ago and then on the return flight from Munich back to Chicago four days later. She and I have stayed in touch since then and even had dinner on one of her subsequent Chicago layovers. Now it's my turn to see where she lives from her eyes. I'm really sad that Adam can't go with me due to his work schedule but I know that we'll be back there soon enough.
My little vacation also has a second purpose...to get some real experience with the limited German I've learned. One of the downfalls of learning a language from a computer program is that you have no one else to practice with. With time zone differences and varied work schedules it's not often that Siw and I can chat via Skype...so I don't have a lot of options to try out German with her. So, here my limited German and I go...off to Deutschland herself. I'm really nervous to try and converse basic sentences with people but Siw said she'd be at my side the entire time in case I don't know what's being said. I do have two important phrases down. "Wo ist die Toilette?" And "Ich Mochte eine bier bitte." Wonder if that will get me through three days?
My little vacation also has a second purpose...to get some real experience with the limited German I've learned. One of the downfalls of learning a language from a computer program is that you have no one else to practice with. With time zone differences and varied work schedules it's not often that Siw and I can chat via Skype...so I don't have a lot of options to try out German with her. So, here my limited German and I go...off to Deutschland herself. I'm really nervous to try and converse basic sentences with people but Siw said she'd be at my side the entire time in case I don't know what's being said. I do have two important phrases down. "Wo ist die Toilette?" And "Ich Mochte eine bier bitte." Wonder if that will get me through three days?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)