It's A New Day - I'll Stop My Whining

I'm feeling slightly better today - I'm still hacking up some nasty stuff (once again, thank you Stephanie!:(. But I'm not totally achey and out of it.

My flight doesn't leave until 3 so it gave me some time to go to La Jolla.  One of my favorite coastal towns!  La Jolla and Canon Beach, OR!  Anyways - there's this restaurant up on a bluff overlooking the ocean and its a great place to just sit and soak in the ocean air.  So here I am.  Sitting and appreciating my last few hours in the warm, sunny weather before I return to reality!  

Down the coast walk farther is where the seal like to sit around and sun themselves.  Oh to be a big, beached seal just sitting in the sun!

The big beached seals that sun themselves while the Asians take pictures with their expensive tripoded cameras!:)

I'm thankful for a few days in the sun even though I've been out of it.  I am a little lucky:). Just wish I had someone here to enjoy the view and the sun with me!!!:)

Aren't I Lucky!

The comment I get a lot when people find out I travel is "you're so lucky!"

I suppose in a lot of ways I am lucky.  I've gotten to see every state in the US (except Hawaii...) thanks to my job.  When it's icy and 20 below, I get to go to CA and FL and sunshiny states where I can unthaw.  I get to visit friends who live all over the country.  So many pluses that make me lucky in a lot of ways.

But then- there are the times when family is visiting and I have to leave early to go on a work trip.  Hate that.

And even worse, when you're sick and you've got to go.  If you're in an office you call in sick if you're not well.  You're sick and you've got a flight booked and an inservice scheduled, you suck it up and go!  You feel like crap, but you keep on going becaus you've got too much riding on going.  

So this week I'm in nice warm CA - San Francisco and San Diego.  Which would be awesome and is awesome - but unfortunately I caught a vicious bug before I left and now I've been literally suffering!  I would LOVE to have called in sick, but this was the only time I could do this trip so I had to keep on going.  And it turned out that yesterday, according to my friend, when she hugged me, she discovered I had a fever.  Which at least verified that I wasn't crazy because I had been feeling chills and feeling like I had no energy.  At least I knew I was sick sick.  I literally had to keep on encouraging myself to do things.  Getting out of the car "I can do this!"  Picking up my purse "I can do this!"  Putting my pants on "I can do this!"  Im telling you tuesday and Wednesday were horrible horrible - I could barely function and I'm so hopeful that I haven't infected half the country with my crap.  I should have worn a mask but I didn't - I might have to correct that on the way home.  In the meantime I'm trying to muffle my coughs, blows and sneezes so I don't get kicked out of the hospital.  I think I can make it!and tomorrow night I fly home and then get to fall into my wonderful bed for a good nights sleep at home.  

In the meantime - I'm so lucky, I'm so lucky, I'm so lucky ... I keep on telling myself that!

From There To Here

This morning I left Chicago...

And after 4 hours flying over this

I then got to this

And finally this!

Yayyyy!  I'm so sorry all you cold Midwesterners!  I'm in CA this week!!!! I get sun and warm weather and mountains and ocean breezes!

I'm in San Francisco Tuesday and Wednesday and then flying over to San Diego for Thursday and leaving late Friday night!

I've actually got a pretty terrible head cold so I'm going to try to sneak in a few Bikram yoga classes while I'm out here and the heat will either clear my head... Or make me pass out!  Either way - I'm hoping to get some respite from this horrible sinus congestion!

Here we are!!!!:)

New Family Meets Old

Towards the end of last year I ended up following a call that I felt God pulling me towards for a few years and, after 16 years, I started going to a different church.  It was a hard prospect for me to even consider at first, that's why it took me about 5 years to actually follow where I felt called.  I knew my family ties ran deep enough that it didn't mean I was completely loosing my family, but I also knew that it meant I wouldn't be involved with them the same way as I've been for so long and that on top of that, it meant I'd have to go through creating a whole new family again.

However - God likes to put you in places where you dread and then come through for you in ways you'd never guess.

First off - loosing my family... I've become almost more involved with them now because it's had to be intentional involvement rather than just relying on seeing them every Sunday and leaving the relationship there.  I've met them for dinner and had several for lunch and I'm hosting a ladies lunch in March so we can connect.  Wouldn't do that if I didn't have to and it's actually an awesome thing because we're all wanting to stay connected.

And new family - so, I grew up going to a small church in Kenosha and this new church I'm going to is in Kenosha area.  It seems like almost every time I go, I end up seeing someone who went to church with me where I grew up!  Such a God thing!  (And to boot... The last time these people saw me was when I was in high school and so far they've all seen me across te commons area and come over and said "Alison Behn is that you?" So it makes me feel amazing that I apparent have not changed that much since high school!  LOL!  So new old friends and then just a lot of other people that every time I go I end upfinding some connecting with with someone else.  It's been amazing and has really eliminated my feeling of dread at starting over agin.

So all that to say - God is really patient with you when he's directing you someplace and even when it takes you forever to follow, he doesn't leave you in the lurch.  He keeps on showing you how creative and compassionate he is for your silky human emotions!

Thanks God!  I've got my old family and I'm finding new!  Just more prior to add to my "friend and family" pile!:) 

Celebrate!

Yesterday was moms 88th birthday!  Next week is Emily's (my bffs daughter) 16th birthday!  Cause for celebration!

A group of 9 of us went to a play at the Merle Reskin theatre in Chicago and then we celebrated at an Italian restaurant a few blocks from the theatre.  

Result - everyone had a great time including the two birthday girls!:)

Snowy Cold Weekend

EA great weekend - cold one day and then snowy the next.... But nice and warm!:)

Chicago for Valentine's Day (shared with Sean and Kafka - an odd combination!:) And Milwaukee the next day (brunch and Sean - perfect combination!)

Been Here Done This?

Do you ever have déjà Vu when you're driving somewhere?

Have I been in this field before? :)

This week was southern IL and the mind numbing expanses of fields and roads.

But on the plus side, I got to drop off the family calendar to my cuz so I could spare myself the shipping.  I actually dropped it off with her daughter at the - YUM - pie ship she works at.  

You can't go to a pie shop that your cousin works at without buying a pie from her!:). Cherry was her favorite so - cherry I got!

Snow Buddies

One thing I love about all the snow is being able to use my snowshoes!  

The side thing I love about my snowshoes is using them with my snow buddy:)

My dog definitely loves the snow, and my sisters dog (who often gets to accompany her favorite aunt!:) is even crazier about it!

Yesterday's trek was in heavy falling flakes....

Today was sunshine beautiful!

If you have to enjoy the snow - you might as well do it with a pair of snowshoes on your feet and two crazy, adorable dogs in tow!

Happy surviving the snow!  

Snow Day

Yesterday our offices opened late just so they could clear the parking lots out.  Mediocre but doable job, btw...

However, many of my fellow, child owning co-workers (I do not own a child to clarify...) were not able to come in because of the wimpy schools that decided to give snow days to their pupils.  Bah... 

But there were many of us dedicated Weimeners who dragged our cold and frozen hineys into work!  And we're rewarded by our compassionate and caring CEO who had HR order pizza for everyone who showed up at their desks! So nice!  I must admit that, despite small faults, I work for a pretty good group of people!

And then I went home a little early to finish making some customer calls and had my loyal fellow worker looking over my shoulder...

Pizza and puppies!  What a fantabulous snow day!

Where Is Summer?

What a long, snowy Sunday!  Pretty much every church was closed.  The roads were pretty empty.  People were snuggled inside for the day.  And the snow just kept coming!  I don't even want to guess how much came down.

But it didn't deter my Calvin from sitting out in immens snowdrifts just watching the world turn white!

So I pretty!

But now we have to live in it!!!!

We'll just bide our time and wait for summer!  Ah summer!:)