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Inspiration

Source

Good genes or good docs? Who cares? Thirty years later and she is just as stunning. I hope I can figure out her secret. Wild success certainly can't hurt!

Procrastination on the first day of Spring

Image copyright 2009 Bloom Creatives. All Rights Reserved.

There are so many things I should be doing today...

I should clean off my office desk and sort through the mounds of paperwork that my husband tosses on there with no rhyme or reason, keeping his own desk pristine (how very thoughtful of him)...

I should finish organizing all of my 2009 receipts so I can put them all into a spreadsheet while I'm traveling this week and get my taxes done (I keep the receipts in a binder with those clear envelope-like pages, just slide 'em in there, makes it easier to lug around and prettier to store on a shelf)...

I should finish the five (five!) articles that are due on Monday... The same day I have to leave for another week-long trip to the other side of the country (which is what I've been doing since January, hence the lack of posts)...

I should do laundry and pack for said trip...

And tidy the house so the petsitter doesn't think we're complete heathens...

But there are only two things I actually want to do today to celebrate the first day of spring:
A) Hike in the mountains around Phoenix taking pictures of the riotous wildflowers that bloom after our (relatively) wet winter
B) Stretch out in the sunshine in my backyard like a cat, naked as a jaybird (don't worry, the neighbors can't see) (And anyway, on one side is a gay man and the other an elderly guy interested in his dogs to the exclusion of all else, except complaining about our abysmal home values)

Decisions, decisions...

(I will be back with much more regular posting in mid-April. My travel schedule for the first 3-1/2 months of the year is always ridiculously crazy, and I have to keep up with my other professional responsibilities at the same time as the one involving all the travel. But! I signed up for a wonderful local photography course that runs the month of May, so I look forward to sharing the images I create through that with you.)

Milk-a-WHAT?

I don't watch football. I watched the Super Bowl specifically to see the new E8Trade baby commercials. I was not disappointed!



And the fake outtakes:

Love it!

Travel must-haves

Sorry for my absence! I spent the last two weeks in glamorous Detroit, MI at the auto show. Detroit sucks, guys. Avoid it at all costs.

As I'm sure you've gathered I travel a ridiculous amount for work. Some times of year are much busier than others; right now is the busy time and I'm barely home at all between now and May. I wish it was the other half of the year so I could enjoy the mild Arizona winter and beautiful East coast summers, since I end up being sent there so often.

Living out of a suitcase and in hotel rooms necessitates a nice collection of goods to keep one sane and comfy. Here are some things I never leave home without so I don't lose my mind on the road:

* My fluffy pink slippers. Never walk on a hotel carpet in bare feet - they are never cleaned!
* Burt's Bees pomegranate lip balm (a must on dry planes)
* Boots Restore & Renew Serum
* My DKNY cozy. A convertible sweater that can be configured in a multitude of ways; also makes a perfect blanket on the plane.
* Uggs. Usually my tall black ones, best for getting back and forth to the convention center in my black auto show outfits. Not fashionable y any means, but they feel like I'm walking on a cloud after spending hours and hours in 5" heels.
* Oil blotting sheets
* A real nightgown and a real pair of soft PJs
* Antibacterial wipes. I wipe down every single surface my hands will touch in the hotel room - all door knobs, shower and drawer handles, the remote, wall switches, lamp switches, curtain openers, etc.
* Isagenix shake mix. It's so hard to eat right on the road, and these give me the peace of mind of knowing I'm having at least one nutritious meal. I pack a travel-sized mini-blender, too.
*A solid piece of classic literature. This will last the length of my time away, unlike a lot of modern work which I can devour in a day or two. (I don't own a Kindle because I like having real books at home and want to have a dedicated library room one day.)
*L'Occitane travel-sized hand creams. My personal faves are cherry blossom & lavender.
*My black patent leather Coach Poppy tote. It's shocking how much I can fit in this bag, including my laptop, shoes, a book, wallet, and sundry girl stuff.
*A favorite hat. Sometimes it's my burgundy flannel, sometimes the black and white houndstooth. Perfect for hiding travel hair.

What's in your travel kit?

Love TKO

Ooooooooohhhhhhhhhh yeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh.... How many of you were made while this song was playing in the background? (Not me - my father assures me it was Sweet Caroline, hence the name). Teddy Pendergrass died yesterday at 59 from colon cancer. He was paralyzed in 1982 in a car crash but continued to make smoooooooooooooth love tunes for another 25+ years.

Improv Everywhere throws a wedding

Photo courtesy Improv Everywhere.

Improv Everywhere is one of my favorite entities ever. They have brought staged performance improvisation to the streets in a funny, joyful way. You may have seen people in NYC riding the subway without pants on today - that's the work of Improv Everywhere.

Last spring, the group arranged one of their best events yet. They grabbed a random couple on their way out of City Hall who had just gotten hitched and threw them a wedding reception! They had everything already set up across the street. The couple had several family members with them, and Improv Everywhere brought 50 "guests", including an entire wedding party and a DJ!

Check out the video:

How sweet is that? And how lovely is it that 50 people gave up their Monday afternoon to bring joy to a couple of strangers? Check out the whole website; this group does some really cool stuff.