Back at the Homestead

What a whirlwind of a week! I thought I'd be sharing highlights each day of my time in San Diego. But to be honest, I was exhausted trying to live on West Coast time while my body was mentally and physically 2 hours away in Central Time.

First of all, about the amazing marketing conference. It was good and I learned some exciting things. I've been to the San Diego Convention Center before – remember when I was there for Comic Con and met Erik Estrada? – but I forgot how massive the place is. And very interestingly designed.

You know how I love me some architecture pictures. This was coming down the escalator at the right moment and seeing the other escalators off in the distance.

For the conference, the final keynote was an interesting coincidence.

On the plane ride out, I just happened to finally watch the Barbie movie (worth seeing!). And it turns out actress Issa Rae – "president of BarbieLand" – was our final speaker! 

How interesting! Most times, we have no idea how hard people work – or what obstacles they must hurdle – to get where they are today. Probably like most of us. We're just not that famous!

In the evening hours, after grabbing a bite to eat, I could explore a little bit. But kept it close to my hotel since the sun sets there early, too, at this time of year.

Fun fact: The bar where the filmed the "Great Balls of Fire" piano scene in Top Gun was not even a half block from my hotel!

Piano is still there!

And plenty of memorabilia.

Also, service men and women have found it a place to hang their hats. Pretty cool.

Also, just a block or two in the other direction is the USS Midway Museum on the Navy Pier and some interesting statues.

The Unconditional Surrender statue – based on the iconic photograph – was pretty cool to see.

Especially when there was a couple replicating the pose while I was there! Gives you a sense of how tall the statue is, too!

In that same park, they also had a statue scene of Bob Hope entertaining the troops. If you're too young to know, you missed out!

Very well done!

Of course, I also had a chance to catch the sunset there before booking it back to my hotel before I got dark. Glad it was so close!

Yesterday was a super long travel day...

Leaving the marinas of the Pacific Coast...

To flying over snow-capped mountains...

To the beautiful fall colors of the Midwest!

Due to some delays and fun travel headaches, I didn't get back home 'til almost 11 p.m. last night. Glad to be home same and sound! 

And in the Central Time Zone. If you know, you know!

West Coast Work Vibes

This is my sunset view of the San Diego Harbor from my 9th floor hotel room. That's how I ended my day.

I started it with a 4 a.m. alarm to get up to Mosinee for a pre-7 a.m. flight. I get so anxious about getting up in time for airport trips that I had the worst time trying to sleep. 

Highlights from there...

Got to ride in the exit row for that 45-minute flight to the Twin Cities. That's like first class for short people! Had a 3-hour layover in Minneapolis, where a guy waiting in the gate area fell out of his chair and I got to witness a medical emergency. Close to empathy fainting but I stayed upright.

In the world of crazy coincidences, I got an exit row for the 3+ flight to San Diego. Poor 6-foot guy next to me was a bit cramped up but he didn't believe in trading seats (aka breaking the rules). His loss. I enjoyed a luxury viewing of the Barbie movie. Sorry I didn't see it sooner. Much better than I'd expect.

After landing in San Diego, my coworker Scott and I checked into our hotel by the harbor, then walked over the the Convention Center (where our conference is the next few days) to pick up our badges, etc. Our other coworker Jenn (on a different flight and different hotel) met us there and, with a free afternoon ahead of us, we proceeded to the San Diego Zoo.

Naturally, I have a ton of pictures that for some reason aren't uploading. So I'll share later this week. Got home, er back to hotel, from there and I'm exhausted. It like past 9 p.m. in my real life and they're just airing Wheel of Fortune. 

I might have to watch recordings of The Voice when I get home. My body isn't in sync with the West Coast work (or play) vibes. I'll keep you posted.

Enjoy your week!

West Coast Vibes

What a whirlwind of a work week. I mean I say that often, but at least this time there was some scenery. Our Marketing 6-Pack flew out at 7 a.m. Monday from Mosinee to San Diego. Our mission was almost impossible. Capturing two customer testimonial videos in 2 1/2 days – when normally that's what we need for just one.

But you know what's motivating? Palm trees! Whether it's Florida, Texas, Arizona, or California, they always put me in a good mood.

I mean a productive mood. This was a work trip after all! We seriously were pretty busy with the two clients from Monday afternoon to Wednesday afternoon, but we did have a few hours in the evening to see a little bit of southern California – which, like Wisconsin, was going through a bit of a heat wave.

On Monday night, we went out to get dinner and stopped by the Sunset Cliffs area by the Pacific Ocean on the way...

A prickly Mickey Mouse out there!

It was very scenic. And we couldn't find a parking place anywhere near the dozens of restaurants, so we ate back at the hotel in San Diego-Mission Valley. 

On Tuesday, after we were done videoing our client, we all went to lunch. As soon as I saw one of the guys had a Porsche, I called shot-gun!

I mean it wasn't a sport Porsche Cayenne, but who cares? When would I ever be able to ride in one?

 

Naturally I called Carter the minute we hit the highway to remind him what a cool mom he has. And that the Porsh-a has a bit more pick-up than our Hondas! Pretty cool.

And frankly, you needed pick-up and super brakes for the crazy San Diego traffic. Yes, small-town Midwestern folks, that's 5 lanes each direction. Uff da. I was glad I didn't have to drive one of our two mini-van rentals. Being navigator was stressful enough!

After a successful day Tuesday, we took our client out to eat on Coronado Island, across the San Diego bay.

It required traversing a very long and very high bridge so I distracted myself snapping pictures of the harbor out my window.

Peohie's was a pretty nice place, right on the water. We could see naval ships and the entire San Diego skyline.

And watch the sun set. It was spectacular.

Basically, I felt like I was part of the Top Gun movie and I couldn't get enough of it!

This is the bridge we crossed – with the gorgeous almost full moon!

Let me impress my new friends with a close-up from my phone! 

Pretty cool, eh?

Of course, there were a few not-so-cool places. Like the neighborhood where we needed to get through a prison-looking gate. And the fact there was a homeless encampment in the trees and shrubs outside our hotel. It's not all Hollywood on the West Coast!

After we wrapped all the work up Wednesday, we headed down to the famous Gaslamp District for dinner. I kept calling it the Gaslight District, but I'm sure that has an entirely different meaning.

Pretty cool area. After dinner, we ended up at a Coin-Op Arcade for our entertainment. Fun times.

Time definitely went fast! And just when I was getting used to Pacific Time, it was over. We met in the lobby Thursday morning before 8 a.m. to head to the airport. Kind of sad when one whole day was basically traveling!

Had a layover in Minnesota. Hello, Twins Territory! And actually was able to start my Fantasy Football draft before boarding. Only got a few picks in and the rest was the dreaded auto-draft, which got me 3 kickers and no backup QB. Uff da.

Sunset was gorgeous as we left Minnesota.

Then that Blue Moon – which looked more like a Harvest Moon – guided us into Wisconsin. 

Today it was tough to get up on Central Time and work. Thankfully from home since I didn't get around to taking a shower until lunchtime! Might take me one more day to switch my West Coast vibes to Midwest vibes. Thank goodness for the long weekend.

Have a safe and enjoyable Labor Day Weekend!!

Not So Tough Love

I should have known my new "tough love" pact would eventually blow up in my face. And by eventually, I mean a day later...

Carter was feeling under the weather again this morning so, much like the Ground Hog Day movie with its deja vu theme, I again suggested we wait it out a bit and I would drive him to school. Because he was going to school!

The difference today was that he was a bit nauseous and couldn't choke down any breakfast. He just felt that crummy. I did get him to have an orange and we grabbed some crackers on the way to school. We didn't get far with those either. He just didn't feel right. I said, "Just try, please. And see how you do."

I just don't want him missing a bunch of school and falling behind -- especially in new classes this semester. But yes, I did feel guilty, guilty, guilty the whole drive to Iola. Actually, I didn't even get all the way there before my cell phone rang and it was Carter saying he just didn't think he could make it all day. So again, evil mother says, "Just try to make it to 10 and then you can call me." I explained I wasn't even at work yet and didn't know if Grandpa and Grandma were even around today to pick him up if I needed them to. So he agreed to try and tough it out some more.

When I got to work, I called my in-laws and Grandpa said he could get him if Carter called. Carter didn't last until 10 a.m. either. It was about 9:15 when he called and we had to call the Grandpa Cab to take him home.

I had hoped I could get through my deadline stuff at work by noon and get home to him. But you can never count on anything to go smoothly, when you really, really need it to, can you? I had some unexpected "fires" flare up and it turned into a hellish kind of day. By the time Jim called me around 12:30 (from the San Diego airport) I was ready to run away! It sure is tough when you need a hug and your hubby is 2 time zones away! Good thing he'll be home in an hour or so.

I ended up getting out of work early -- by a whole 30 minutes. Got home and snuggled with Carter awhile and then, when he convinced me he felt pretty darn good, I had him do homework. While he did that it was to the Scrap Cave for me! I just needed to do 2 pages to regain my sanity. Trust me, it is the best therapy. I have to concentrate on what I am doing so I can be creative -- and not screw up, of course. So there is no room for outside, negative thought of any kind.

When I was done with that, I felt pretty good. That's just how it works.

I tucked in Carter, who insists nothing cures him like his mom's touch. So I hugged him some more and I hope that works. That "tough" business is so behind me!

Just Chillin'

From the time hubby got up at 4 a.m. to the time he landed in San Diego midday, he experienced an 80-degree temperature change. Lucky!

I think it got to the single digits above zero today but I don't know that it got much beyond that. It was deceivingly sunny. But nowhere near warm the few times I ventured out for church (8 a.m.) and grocery shopping (later). B-r-r!

It was a good day to be indoors anyway. With hubby gone, I am the only adult in the house so I get control of the remote! Unfortunately, there was nothing on today so Carter and I worked. He did several hours of homework (writing a paper) and I did several hours of work-work (editing, proofing and posting articles online). We both made some great progress.

Yes, we did catch about 15 minutes of a certain football game. But we didn't need to watch it. The phone started ringing off the hook just as we were about to sit down to our spaghetti and meatball supper. People (OK, family) just feel compelled to tell us the Packers won -- even though they didn't play the Vikings. So I'm not sure why we're supposed to care.

We do care that our loved ones are happy. So as I responded to one my "text-ual harrassments" on the phone, "Nothing matters more to me than your happiness." That's true. I knew at the end of today, for example, either my father would be happy or my father-in-law. I'm pretty sure you know LeRoy -- not John -- is the one who's dancing tonight (even with a cane)!

Between those calls and the weather report in California, I think the boy and I are just going to chill out the rest of the evening. We both have some reading to get done. And definitely have some sort of cool treat calling our name!

Our Other Stomping Grounds

The day started off as usual.... the alarms goes off and we make our way to Iola while most people are still sleeping. Only today we weren't going for work. Instead that's where Carter's basketball tournament took place. At our home away from home... Our other stomping grounds...

The first game should have been ours. We had a lead after the first quarter then somehow lost it and that game in a close one. The second game was not quite so close and we were beaten quite handily, if I do say so myself.

So we went into the third game looking for our first win of the day -- just like the last tournament. And, just like the last one, we won our third game and fourth game, too, to finish 2-2 and take home a 5th-place ribbon.

Carter had a few struggles but also some good plays today. He almost scored on a beautiful jump shot. Yes, almost. But it is worth noting because it bounced back and forth on the inside of the rim before bouncing back out. So it should have been a bucket. "I don't care who you are, that should have been a swish!" he says. Ah well, next time.

Naturally, since we were only a few blocks from work, I did manage to sneak over there between the morning games to get a few things done. Many taking care of things I missed yesterday. Nothing too time-consuming because I did not want to miss any of the hoops action!

The highlight of my day (for me personally, not to take away from Carter's day) was seeing an old friend I hadn't seen in ages. We used to work together in Iola and she still lives in Iola but we just haven't connected much in person since she left. So that was great to sit and visit with her and see her "baby," who is suddenly a 4-year-old boy. That was nice.

After the games, of course we had to stop somewhere to eat -- even though we told Carter we manage to get home from Iola every night without having to stop anywhere! As it was, most of the team headed to The Hilltop Pub in Stevens Point and arrived just before 6 p.m. (prime time on a Saturday night). So while we were technically all there together, we all ended up sitting at our own tables as they became available.

It was our "last supper" with Daddy, who leaves for San Diego on a work trip in about 10 hours. I was going to help him pack instead of get on the computer... But something in my minus-2 degree heart couldn't handle putting his golf clubs in the trunk for him! I don't think he'll miss us as much as we'll miss him.

At least I'll still have my electric mattress pad to keep me warm this week!

Beating the Odds

After considering the costs of military school (not kidding) and a new vehicle, we made sure we bought our Powerball tickets for tonight. The jackpot is estimated at $75 million. But we buy our tickets even when it's a lowly $5 million. That's just our routine.

My sister Rayna, deep in her heart, believes someday she is going to win the Powerball. The odds will be in her favor. She just doesn't know when. I, on the other hand, know it is quite unlikely I will win the big jackpot. I still buy the tickets each week, just in case, but deep in my heart, I know God won't let me win. He knows I couldn't handle it. He knows I'd fall to temptation.

He's probably right.

So I expect we'll go about life like most folks do, working for a living, paying our bills, putting food on the table and enjoying a luxury now and then. It doesn't sound like much, but it is. More than we often realize.

I want to tell you a little bit about the non-glamorous side of San Diego (actually insert just about any city name here ... maybe even your own town). Here we have this tourist destination with its beautiful harbor filled with expensive sailboats and yachts. Its trendy downtown shops where tourists pay a hundred bucks for a "San Diego" sweatshirt. Its celebrity-owned restaurants where patrons drop 50 dollars a plate.

Then, when the sun goes down, we have the woman on the street corner, holding a plastic bag with her clothes, asking for 50 cents. There is the man in the wheelchair, holding a sign that says, "I bet you $1.00 you can read this," then demanding you pay him when he realizes you get the joke...

When we're on the road for business, we often eat in nice restaurants to entertain clients or treat ourselves to a decent meal after a hard day's work at the show. The first two nights of my recent trip, a Friday and Saturday, there were so many people walking about, I did not see the scene described above -- just one woman leaning up against a building with her backpack and a sign the said: "Stranded. Help in any way you can."

I remembered her, though. On the last night there, a Sunday, two of us grabbed some pizza in that same busy downtown area. I asked to have the leftover pizza boxed up and told my dinner companion, "in case we see any more homeless on the way back to the hotel."

We had only gone a few blocks when I saw that same woman, sitting by the building, with a baseball cap on to shield her face. I bent down and said, "Do you want something to eat?" She said, "Sure!" When she looked up, I was staring into the eyes of a beautiful young woman, maybe college age. This is the face of homelessness? I was so surprised that I just mumbled, "Here. It's just leftover pizza," and walked away. What I meant to say was "How did you end up here, on the streets, stranded?" and "How else can I help you?" But I didn't say those things.

But I didn't forget them, or her, either. I was so haunted by that pretty face that I spent many hours that night praying for her and, intermittently, thanking God for my many, many blessings. Knowing that God, in his own way, has put the odds in my favor after all.

Dateline :: San Diego

TRAVEL LOG: Back from Comic Con International in San Diego! At first I thought I'd never get there. Typical travel woes -- flight delayed at takeoff so missed my connection (by hours) in Minneapolis ... almost missed my later connection there ... was paged over the intercom and had to run through the airport (good thing I was wearing tennis shoes and a sports bra) ... then when I finally got to my hotel in San Diego, half my clothes were wet and sticky (the old "contents may shift during flight" applied to my hairspray in my suitcase). Luckily all was forgotten when I saw the great view (pictured above) from the hotel.


SAY CHEESE (or is it CHIPs?): Yes, my teeny bopper fantasy came true! Can't you still hear my heart pounding? I met my dream boat.
I was so nervous waiting in line, that when I got up to the table, I couldn't stop myself. From talking, that is. I actually ended up telling Erik Estrada the whole poster story. I mean really, me speechless? Did you think that was going to happen? He posed for a picture with me (above) and then said, aw, c'mon, we can do better than that. So he put my arms around him. I did not protest. And we got the nice snuggling shot at right. Then he autographed a picture for me and I floated off to lunch. Even though I couldn't stop smiling, I did feel a wee bit guilty. I called up hubby and said, "I just cheated on you with Ponch." He said, "Good for you!" Though, I know he didn't mean that! He was just letting an old lady enjoy her silly moment. (Thanks, hon!)

STAR POWER: If you follow celebrity sightings at all, you may have heard that Paris Hilton was out at Comic Con on Thursday, the day before I got out there. I saw other stars but was not able to get decent photos.

While working our magazine booth, I saw the pre-teen that plays Zack on The Suite Life of Zack and Cody. (Carter knew what I was talking about and thought that was cool!)

I saw Breckin Meyer posing with some fans (he's pictured second from left). I first remember him from the movie Clueless, but he has been in other movies and has a production company now with Seth Green and someone else.

I'm not a big Trekkie or anything but I saw and took blurry pictures (not allowed to use flash unfortunately so not worth posting) of two cast members from Star Trek: The Next Generation. Jonathan Frakes, who played Riker, is still quite handsome. Levar Burton, who played La Forge, was there, too. You non-Trekkies may remember him from the Roots mini-series from way, way, way back when. (Yes, I am dating myself here.)

I managed to catch up with the distinguished Ray Bradbury and snap his photo. The longtime SciFi author (Martian Chronicles, Fahrenheit 451, you name it) and inspiration will turn 88 next month. He still drew a crowd of respectful admirers. That was pretty cool.

I also had dinner with the guy who writes the 24 comic strip, based on the action-packed television show starring Kiefer Sutherland. I learned the crew got to go to Africa to film a 2-hour movie to air in November as a prequel to the beginning of the next season. Cool! It was an entertaining dinner! Kiefer was somewhere at the show (I mean con), but I missed him. I did get to see his co-star, Adoni Maropis, who played Fayed in last season's story line. I got his autograph and photo (yes, I even snuggle with fictional terrorists.)

Probably a good thing I drew the line with the real stars and not all the wannabes in costumes. There were a ton of "Jokers" from the new Batman movie. Some Hellboys (yuck) and some Indiana Jones look-alikes (or trying to look alike). Then there was everything in between. Lots of characters I was clueless about. Some people I think just decided to color their hair or face or wear skimpy outfits. (I know what you guys are saying: Where are those photos? I felt too weird asking.) I may post a few of those but sleep -- in my own bed -- is a priority tonight.

Overall, I would say it was everything I expected (the geek factor) and more. I was surprised about the stars. It has really evolved into a Hollywood event (which many traditional comic book dealers have mixed feelings about). There certainly was a lot of energy and excitement everywhere. It was huge, almost overwhelming. So much going on. I for one, am looking forward to going again so I can see what I missed!!