American and O'Hare and me - the Devil's Triangle

Remember when I swore I'd never fly American Airlines EVER AGAIN? Well, apparently I didn't.

My new job (still at the same firm, but a teaching position) requires me to travel every other week to Chicago*. We have a training center right at O'Hare. So I HAVE to fly to O'Hare and Delta doesn't go there direct. So, do I take a 50 min direct flight on American, or do I take four hours of my life to fly through Detroit (and that damn creepy tunnel)?

You know what I did. I booked my first two trips on American. Now at some point in the last couple of months, American tried to woo me away from Delta with Platinum status. Didn't work. But it is handy now that I have a flight. Priority boarding and free checked bags. w00t!

And here I am on trip number one. Canceled. In a 112 degree airport. With no power outlets. And a dead phone battery. And some really bad-fellow-traveler-behavior.

They told us at the departure time they'd have an update in 20 minutes on our mechanical issue. Then in 18 minutes, the board just changed to cancelled. Nice move, jerks.

I was really nice to a gate agent, so I got a hotel and $19 in food vouchers. I was also miraculously booked on the 9:40am flight, even though she told the kids in front of me everything was oversold until 4:50pm. I guess that's what Platinum status gets ya. Or not. The lady who just sat next to me was told since it was due to weather, they couldn't give her a hotel or food. Whaaaaaaaaa?

Now I'm waiting for them to pull my bag (when do I EVER check a bag? NEVER. Except this time. Gaah! It was free though), which will take an hour. Luckily, I packed an extra day of meds (seriously. If you've been following Facebook this week, you know I've been battling unusual migraines). I also have my Reeboks, which will be necessary since the hotel shuttle is a mile walk through this place. And pajama pants. I might just wear those tomorrow. On the plane.

Speaking of tomorrow. I have a web-based class at 11. Meaning, I'm TEACHING a web-based class at 11. I arrive at Evansville Regional at 10:45. Gonna be close.

American, O'Hare, and the Devil. Bastards.


*Yep, I said every OTHER week. I'll have day trips here and there, plus the occasional week in Orlando at Disney World (teehee) but mostly I'll be HOME EVERY OTHER WEEK Can I get a hallelujah?

Yes, I am rich.

People who only know me through the internet, especially on Facebook, see my posts about business trips each week. If that's how you know me, you must have an odd picture of my life. I complain about flight delays and that creepy tunnel at the Detroit airport, worship Starbucks skinny vanilla lattes, and make connecting flights like OJ Simpson (by running through an airport, not knifing my spouse, for those of you younger folks). I'm always angling for First Class, and I do enjoy a Bloody Mary. I'm only a couple of segments away from Diamond Medallion, the top tier Delta frequent flier program, where I'll have complementary access to the Sky Club lounge with free wi-fi, drinks, and snacks. I also stay in top-level hotel rooms - Westin, Hilton, Marriott - and frequent their lounges with free breakfast, snacks, and drinks. Most folks I work with have never stayed in a Best Western, Holiday Inn or Motel 6. I'm actually just a few stays away from getting an SPG (Westin brand) Ambassador - an individual assigned to me to manage my hotel reservations and make all my travel problems go away. Next week in Atlanta, I have a suite at the W Midtown, with a parlor, living room, and bedroom. Pretty chic, eh?

I've also been to some really cool places -- DC, LA, Seattle, Chicago, Sacramento, last week it was New York City. On Monday night, our Partner joined us and took us to dinner. In the eight weeks we've been on the project, I've only seen him once, so he wanted to get together with the team. We went to a very expensive restaurant, Jean Georges in the Trump Tower, and had a seven course meal, beginning with Champagne and caviar and ending with petite fours and cappuccino. It was outrageously expensive, but he'd won a contest and had extra money in his 'connectivity' budget. We were the lucky recipients. Wow. Small town girl made it big, huh?
Next week, Mike and I are headed to Jamaica to stay at an all-inclusive resort (our third year in a row) for 8 nights. (Note to thieves, the house will not be unattended and the new puppy eats anything in sight, so don't even think about it). For Aly's birthday, Mike and Aly spent several days sightseeing in NYC. We like to take weekend trips to go shopping. We have seven(!) animals and two cars. We live in a huge house. Aly goes to private school.

Man, I must be rich, right?

Well, remember this.
Every week from 5am Monday to 10pm Thursday (at least), I am away from my husband, my teen daughter, chemistry homework, drama, and angst, my son, my nieces' and nephews' recitals/ball games/etc, my mom's chemo treatments, my dad's job search, my kitty, my other animals, my friends and family (and favorite cousin), my scrapbook buddies, my hubby's play rehearsals, my waterbed, my electric toothbrush, and the list goes on. Sometimes I have to travel on Sunday and/or Friday, like I did to California. And all that travel isn't Bloody Marys and lattes. Have you ever tried to eat healthy in an airport? Have you tried to dress nicely for a client meeting, but then cram yourself (and your purse, computer, mouse, phone, power adapters, headset, notebook, and office supplies) into a 17" wide seat with less than an arm's length to the seat in front of you? Do you like sitting within inches of a complete stranger for hours at a time? Can you plan your wardrobe for the week down to the earrings and not forget anything? How long does one of those TSA-friendly travel toothpaste tubes last? Do you want to spend breakfast, lunch, and dinner with your co-workers three days a week? Can you sleep on a different bed every week? Can you sleep at all without your own pillow? You might think I'm lucky to stay in fancy hotels and travel every week. I count myself lucky if I am home on Friday.

On Fridays, I usually am at home, but I have to work a full day, often on calls for hours at a time. But I also have to schedule doctor visits and dental appointments on those days (which is tough, since my family doc is off on Fridays). Over the weekend I take care of the pharmacy refills, shopping (at thrift stores), errands, and seeing friends and family (showers, parties, weddings, birthdays). Gosh, I should find a local job. Yes, I've tried that. With interviews on Fridays between conference calls and other errands. But it is hard to find a job at en executive level in healthcare, and I've never found anyone who can match the salary or the perks -- We go on vacation via the hundreds of thousands of airline miles and hotel points. I buy gift cards for Christmas with my employer's 'stay healthy' rewards. I get a 23% discount on our cell phone bill. I'm reimbursed for any out of pocket travel expenses (never more than $50 or so per week) and my mileage to the airport. My firm also pays me for sick time for family members, so I don't 'lose time' when I can go to a doctor's appointment with my mom.

We have what we have because we have scrimped and saved to pay off our bills. We don't have credit cards. We have what we have because I sacrifice time away from "life" to do my job. And I can only do the job I do because my husband, between driving my daughter to school, cooking, shopping, writing and directing plays, volunteering his time, walking the dogs, and keeping the couch from being eaten by the puppy, supports me in my job. Others may think he's got it easy, but his job is harder than mine. Every day he tells me I'm a rock star. He encourages me to shine. He helps me work out my problems. He reminds me that someday, we'll leave this crazy life and live in a little cabin in the woods with our animals.

We couldn't have what we have if I didn't work so hard. And I couldn't work so hard if I didn't have him.

And so, yes. I am rich.

Headed to an OK place

Some of you know my work on my current project has been winding down and I've been looking for another project. I've made so many calls to folks, I started to feel unloved when none of them were panning out. Then it came, a project with over-utilization, uber-high priority, working with the people impacted by Hurricane Sandy. Unfortunately, it meant I would be deployed for 30 days at a time, with four days home before another 30 days out. Rewarding work, but a little tough on the family.

I shared this with our church family, asking for prayer as Mike went it alone with a house full of animals (three dogs, three cats and a monkey -- Zak moved back home). Two lessons here. (A) if you want to see God laugh, tell him your plans; and (2) never underestimate the praying power of a ladies church group.

On Friday I received a call from my Partner, letting me know someone I had TWICE contacted, begging for work, had just called her (the Partner), asking for help with a couple of projects she needed staffed. "Would you like Tonya?" "Oh em GEE! I can have Tonya?" "Yes" "Yes" Yay. But get this. By the time I called the Director on Monday, and we connected Tuesday, she was screaming with excitement, and relief. The current Manager on a very high-profile project at a multi-hospital system (actually one featured on one of our national calls -- for 30,000 employees) had resigned Monday. She needed me desperately to join the team, spend next week with Matthew, and then lead two of the workstreams. Could I make my travel reservations ASAP?

So, I'll be going to an actual OK place. OK as in Oklahoma. Oklahoma City. I don't have many details now other than the two things I'll manage (and the additional work I will assist with closing down) are EXACTLY what I've been doing the last eight years, so there is no learning curve, no scariness, and only opportunity to show another part of the firm how I'm a rockstar. I'll be traveling every week, but home weekends, and definitely home for the holidays (which wasn't so sure with the Hurricane Sandy thing).

Many thanks to those ladies who prayed for God's will instead of "my plan" and to God be the glory for moving those chess pieces around to put me in the place He wants me to be.

Oh, and since this isn't a government project, all of my expenses go on the AMEX card, no paper reports and we're having a Christmas party with the client on Wednesday night.

Now, I'm off to pack. :)

DC Earthquake!

I was in downtown DC when Tuesday's earthquake hit, and yes, I was terrified.

I was at the client office building, in a 7th floor conference room with a coworker when we heard a noise and felt a vibration through the building. She wondered if the A/C was acting up. I thought it felt and sounded like the ridges in the road as you approach a toll booth. It had a rolling motion to it.

It seemed to go on for about 15-20 seconds, and I realized it was an earthquake. We both stood, and as we did, the building started to sway. This is when I began to freak out, and so did she. The building movement seemed enormous. I wondered if someone had driven into the building and images of the building collapsing all around me flashed through my mind. It sounds dramatic, but seriously, I was terrified.

We ran to the doorway and folks were dashing about the floor. I heard someone yell "it is an earthquake, get in a doorway" and grabbed a second coworker to drag her into the doorway -- making three of us. That is when I realized I was holding hands with the first coworker.

The building continued to sway, and we felt a few more vibrations. I know now the quake lasted about 45 seconds. Stabilized, I ran to the windows to see if people in other buildings were reacting, and they were.

There was a question as to whether we should leave, but I didn't want to be in a stairwell. We sat back down and I posted to Facebook. Folks tried dialing loved ones, but the calls would not go through. The intercom crackled and we were advised to leave. I gathered my things and joined the exodus from the building.

On the street, I thought perhaps I should text my loved ones. It turns out my texts to Mom and Mike got through but I didn't get their texts and voicemails until about 24 hours later. I saw a spot on the Weather Channel this morning regarding the hurricane (seriously, what is going on?!) that cell service is often disrupted and using the internet may be the best way to keep in touch with friends and family. It certainly was true that day.

We were on the sidewalk about an hour, and then allowed back in the building. Within the next hour, the federal government had dismissed and traffic was a bear. I only had to walk a few blocks to my hotel, and the streets were eerily quiet.

I can't imagine going through this on a weekly basis as they do in CA or Japan, though I supposed you'd get used to it. I'm not so sure the buildings in DC are as safe as those in CA or Japan either.

With one natural disaster behind me this week, I'm ready for the aftereffects of the hurricane ... since I'm scheduled to fly back to DC on Sunday.

Commutageddon

Last year President Obama dubbed the February DC snowstorm "Snowmageddon." This year the local news called it "Sn-oh Em Gee." I like Commutageddon.
Yesterday, I was working late to be sure my proposal made it in on time. The office (and the Federal Government) closed at 3:30 due to an impending storm. It started sleeting at 3:30 and snowing heavily at 4:00. I found it amusing that Virginians freak out over a little snow, although it was nearly impossible to see the road from my 6th floor window. I later learned snow was falling at 2” per hour. When I finally left at 5:00, the roads were awful and traffic was at a complete standstill. The Westin shuttle couldn’t make it out of the parking lot, and I couldn’t get through to a cab company, so I walked over to the Ritz, hoping to catch a cab there. During my two hour wait at the Ritz (which was, of course, sold out), the valets brought me a chair to sit in, bottled water, and hot tea. I seriously considered walking over to Macy's and buying snow boots to make the trek on foot. Folks were appearing at the Ritz covered in snow and freezing after walking a few blocks, so I decided een the lure of new boots wasn't worth it.
Finally a cab arrived, at the same time as a co-worker from Boston, also headed to the Westin. Another fellow joined us, as he was going to the Marriott, which wasn’t far from the Westin. After two hours in the cab, we had only gone 1.5 miles and were still a block and a half downhill from the Tysons Marriott. The cab couldn’t make it up the hill, so we triple tipped the driver and trudged up the hill. In 5” of snow and ice. Carrying my computer bag. Wearing 3” suede heels. After catching my breath at the Marriott, a coworker’s husband drove us the mile to the Westin, which took yet another two hours, but at least no hills were involved. I arrived at my room at 11:00, six hours after my adventure started.
There was no way I was going out today, though most of the roads were clear. I'm glad I didn't. A co-worker sent me a note to say the shuttle ride to the office took 50 minutes (instead of 7). Thankfully, I was not involved in any of the dozens of accidents, nor was I trapped in a vehicle overnight. Flights tomorrow should be on time, so I'll get a full weekend at home. Before I come back on Monday. I will be checking next week's weather for sure.

I'm totally a grown-up

One of my high school friends is a teacher at Reitz and asked for volunteers to judge senior projects. The firm encourages community service and I was interested in seeing what local seniors came up with. I had a great time (Joy looks exactly the same!) and heard about some great projects. Very impressive that seniors make time for community service, then put together a presentation to 'sell' it to the panel.
After my judging duties, I went to Subway for lunch with Mom. I think that is the first time I've done that on a work day. And then, I was off to DC for a work trip.
When I look back on the day, I feel totally like a grown-up. I guess I am.

Class

No, not the elegance and tastefulness of a graceful lady.
The room you go into to learn something.

I signed up through the Project Management Institute to take a class from a guy who wrote a book on project management. From the course description, I thought I'd be learning some leadership skills. Essentially the guy talked about his books for two days. As a matter of fact, I could have bought both books for $60 at Amazon with free shipping and saved myself the travel delays getting home. There was a hurricane, you know. Hey, the food was really good, and I suppose talking through some real-life examples was helpful. What I learned:

1. A project manager and a resource manager should be separate people. I'm not. Which means I struggle to do what is best for the project (work overtime and get it done people!) versus what is best for the people on the team. This is why I struggle with the 'soft skills.' As a project manager, it's not my job to help people learn or grow in their careers, but as a people manager, it is how I need to spend my time. Oy!

2. Manage to your top three priorities every day. This is definitely easier said than done, because many times I have new priorities pop up that simply add to the list. From a project management perspective though, it is a good concept. Everyone should be focusing on their three main activities if you expect to accomplish the project goals.

3. Make sure you know how long your class it. I planned for a one day class and had to change my hotel and airfare to fix my mistake. The Hyatt was a nice place though. My "business" rate was cheaper than the conference rate and included breakfast in the restaurant, free wireless internet, a bottle of water daily and free pressing of shirts. I didn't take advantage of that since I didn't bring shirts that needed ironing. That might go back to that "class" thing. :P

Just a quick trip to Atlanta

Yeah right.

I was headed to Atlanta for a day when double disaster struck the team and suddenly I was a main presenter at the conference. Not only that, but my co-presenter was new to the material too!

Believe it or not, it worked out very well. "It" being the conference. The whole stay in Atlanta was less than fun. Why is it that the roads can't be parallel and perpendicular? We drove longer looking for a restaurant than we did eating at it, and even longer trying to make our way back to the hotel.

And now that I'm home, I need to think about packing. To move. Ick.

Happy Hour

The leadership team at work is trying to keep the team connected as we grow larger, so each month one of us is planning an outing. I got July and picked the Nationals game for tonight, but it looked like rain and no one really wanted to blow so much money on beer and hot dogs and nachos, so we ended up at the Capitol City Brewing Company in DC, spending money on fancy beer and appetizers, including nachos.

I was a little disappointed by the turnout -- only five coworkers showed, but Mike came to support me and another woman brought her husband, so it felt like a bigger group. Then I was not so disappointed, because it was the first happy hour I'd ever hosted, and hey, five people came!

A few more people called after we had left to see where we were. So, I should clarify, the folks that showed up were closer to my age, versus the younger crowd, who didn't want to be home by 9pm. Once again, proof that I'm old.

Seattle

I was really looking forward to my trip to Seattle. I've never been to the Pacific northwest. I was attending a conference to learn something instead of present. I'd get to hang out with my boss while getting away from the office. Eh, it was ok.

On the way out, I read a book on my iPod by the keynote speaker, "The Five Dysfunctions of a Team". Pretty easy read, and some good stuff. I took some extra classes on Sunday (yeah, I know, I am a nerd), and they were really good. Team building and leadership stuff to help me with staff. They tend to view me as too direct. That is the nice way to say it, I suppose. So, the classes were great, the conference was ok. I got to see Al Gore in person, funny guy.

I didn't like Seattle as much as I thought I would. It was fun. I went to Pike Place Market, saw the original Starbucks (and a zillion more). Ginger and I rode the Duck Boat tour, which was a hoot. Some of the architecture and the hilly streets reminded me of San Francisco. It was a good trip, but I'm not dying to go back.

And I'm happy to be home, of course. I'm tired, glad it's Friday, and will probably be asleep soon.

No rest for the ... busy

I went to a work conference last week in Nashville, TN. It wasn't one of those where I was presenting non-stop, so I actually squeezed some work in on the side. I got home Friday afternoon just a little while before Mike's brother and his family arrived. They were going to a wedding in Baltimore, so they hung with us for a few days. Friday night we took one of those "drive around downtown" kinda trips before dinner to point out the famous places. Seriously, I can't get over the fact that I live here.
I took a nap while they were at the wedding and Cricket was stuck to me like glue the rest of the day. So nice to know she loves me.
I've had headaches the past couple of days, but some ice cream and retail therapy made it all better. Got a new outfit and some hot pink shoes.
Today was a happy hour with the folks from work. I drank diet coke and I'm already home. I'm old. And tired.

It was 92 degrees at 6pm

Yee-ouch!
Mike took Aly to King's Dominion, but I stayed home with Zak.
It is thunderstorming now.

I had a great week in San Diego -- The conference went really well and the weather was fantastic. Actually, it was 92 degrees on Monday.

My trip to Asheville was canceled for this week, so I'm home till mid-May, when I go to Kansas City, MO.

It is the end of our performance year, so I have a lot of reviews to do, plus my own annual summary. I wanted to accomplish something today, but didn't quite get there. Well, I did accomplish some minor household chores and a lot of resting. Watched all the latest episodes of Lost and The Unusuals. Snuggled with my kitty and both doggies. Read assorted blogs and message boards. Arranged flair on my Facebook corkboard. :)

Another exciting week in the life of us. Try to keep up.

Mondays make me tired

Seriously. Why is it that I'm ready for bed by 7:30 on Mondays?
Lots of meetings today, but with my brand new attitude, it was no problem.

I'll be in the office the rest of the week, maybe I can work from home on Friday.

I hope that y'all had a good first day back at work, or maybe a good day at home if the kids were back at school.

And, just to prove I'm a brand new me, I had a short call with my wellness coach today for a status check and there wasn't even a BLIP on the depression scale. WOOT WOOT. Next step: lose weight. I've already cut down on my food consumption (eat only when you are hungry; what a concept!), so now it is all about the workouts. I'm not looking forward to getting started, but I know once I do, I will like it. And you'll hear all about it. :)

A day much different from yesterday ...

So I slept most of the day yesterday. Today, not so much.
It took longer than usual to get to the office (almost an hour), so I made it in at 2 minutes till 9. My meetings/calls started at 9. I had a completely booked schedule until 5:30. Two meetings ran over, so I had to re-book the two I missed for tomorrow (and now tomorrow's schedule is full from 9-3).
I left the office around 6:15 and went directly to my ASL class, which lasted past 9. And here I am. Ready to collapse.

I guess if you average the last two days, they might approach normal.

Working from home tomorrow. It will be hard to keep focus and not think about napping when the waterbed is only 10 steps away.

Dude, where'd the day go?

I slept from lunchtime till dinner. :yawn:
I dunno if I just need sleep or if the double dose of meds is doing me in.

I do know that it cannot happen tomorrow, because I have nonstop meetings from 9 am - 5 pm and my ASL class (I missed the last one, plus we skipped Thanksgiving week) at 7:15. No napping in the office. And I need to check my vacation balance ... all this down time is harshing my groove with respect to future time off.

Back in the swing of things, mostly

I worked *all* day today. I'm not sure I accomplished much except I archived everything older than 90 days in my email. If I didn't do something the first time, I've probably gotten another request already.

I did pull a couple of bonehead moves today -- responding with edits to a call agenda that already happened. Answering questions that had already been answered -- probably with different answers. My boss was patient; my coworkers (and the client!) probably think I've lost a few too many marbles.

Back in the office tomorrow. It is supposed to be really cold, but who knows if the office will be steamy? Layers, that's the ticket.

Now that I'll be back to work, there will be fewer mundane updates from yours truly. My two readers are happy with that. Actually my webcounter says I'm getting 4-6 people per day. Don't you people know how to comment?! :P Probably spammers who can't figure out the word verification thingy.

So, tomorrow it will be back to the boring work stories -- someone cooking smelly food in the microwave or talking too loud in the hallway. :yawn: Sounds normal.

I like it.

I'm toast, but make that proud toast

I stopped working about an hour ago, but I feel pretty good about what I accomplished today, well, the past few days.

I feel like I have a good plan for moving forward -- focusing on things that not only add value to the client, but things I like to do. I'll be coordinating site visits for the team, and working on some national training sessions & job aids. I'll still be the main client contact, but I'll be less bogged down in the day-to-day and more focused on people and how they are doing.

I am scheduled to be in the office on Tuesday and Wednesday. Not sure I'll make it all day but I'm going to give it a shot. I still have a couple of performance evals to do before Monday, but I need a little more down time today. TGIF!

To our veterans and their families

Thank you. I don't know what else to say that would communicate the incredible gratitude and respect I have for our nation's veterans and their families. I heard the song "Proud to Be an American" on the radio last night. It made me cry. Freedom isn't free, and I know it.

I have many family members that were in the service: Uncle Johnny, Uncle Paul, Uncle Mike, my cousins Beau and Rick. Surprisingly, we rarely talk about their time there. I know Uncle Johnny was in Korea (he doesn't like kimchi). Uncle Mike was in Vietnam. Beau was in the Marines. Rick is still in the Army, stationed in Germany, but has been to Kosovo, Kuwait, Iraq (including the clean-up of Abu Ghraib after the military scandal there). Why don't we chat about their careers? Because they fought in wars. Because the stories aren't ones that can be shared with your loved ones.

I work for a consulting firm, but my client is the Department of Veterans Affairs. I often think that if I was consulting with a commercial healthcare client, I would have quit already. Knowing that I am helping our veterans and their families makes my job worth it. If you have never gone to a VA Medical Center, you should. Look at the men and women in the waiting room. Watch them reach out to you with their eyes. Many of them are alone, or feel alone. They just want you to say hello and ask how they are. Usually, when people ask what I do, I don't usually tell them I'm a Manager with the top Big 4 Accounting/Consulting firm. I tell them "I'm a contractor with the Department of Veterans Affairs." If you are looking for a way to give back this year, please go to the VA website and find a VA Medical Center or Clinic near you. They'd love to have you.

I now live in (okay, really close to) our nation's capital. Today I drove downtown -- Federal holiday ... virtually NO traffic -- and saw the monuments and memorials. As I drove home, the radio station was naming the many services that were being held, in Arlington Cemetary, at the Vietnam memorial, at the WWII memorial. I've been to those places and I've cried there too.

I hope and pray that all of you think of veterans, their families and their sacrifices more than just this one day each year.

Going to work tomorrow

I checked email for a few hours today, but I'm taking the train downtown tomorrow to meet with some folks and start to get back in the groove. I've been edgy all weekend just knowing I'm going back. I'm not sure why. I haven't been able to think of a blog post either. Everyone at work has been great, and I probably won't have a meltdown just because I have to ride an elevator (let's just not cross any bridges!).

I made a peanut butter and banana sandwich for lunch. Aly helped me pick out my outfit, and I'm taking one of my new purses. Purse shopping, better than therapy.

Man, no wonder no one reads this blog. I'm telling you about peanut butter.

It's been seven hours and fifteen days

since I took some time off from work. I feel better, but I also realize that I can't just go back to doing everything people ask of me. I need to take time for me, to exercise, to blog, to write. I need to take care of my kids and my house. I need to be me.

I think I'm ready to go back, slowly.



I got that post title from this video.
Sinead O'Conner is probably most famous for tearing up a photo of the Pope on SNL.
The video is famous because it is a single, uninterrupted head shot for over two and half minutes.
I remember it because when I first met Mike, he used to play it all the time on the jukebox at the bowling alley. He was pining over some chick in Michigan.