Home Bliss Home

I'd been feeling a full blown sinus infection coming on most of the week and all I wanted to do when Friday rolled around was to get on a plan and get the heck out of Dodge (well, actually Chattanooga). Unfortunately, one of the worst snow storms in recent memory was bearing down on the South and by 10 am, all flights into and out of Atlanta, where I had a connection, were cancelled.

The first three phone calls to Delta were greeted with the announcement that "All circuits were busy." I managed to get through on the fourth try only to be met with the announcement that Delta wasn't answering the phones due to extreme weather. I finally got my travel agent on the phone about 11:00 and was told that Delta had rebooked me on a Saturday flight. I groaned and asked if there was any other way to get home. There was a 3:15 flight for $1000, a 12:15 Delta flight connecting through Memphis that I might be able to make, and a 5:55 American flight. I told the customer service rep to get me on the Delta flight and flew out of the office with barely a goodbye.

Traffic was light and I made it to the airport by 11:30, but unfortunately there were no seats available on the flight. I returned my rental car and tried getting American Express on the phone to see about getting onto the American flight. After 10 minutes on hold, I decided I'd try my luck with the American Representative at the airport. The Southern beauty behind the counter told me that there were seats on the flight, but suggested I talk to Delta to see if Delta would be willing to transfer my ticket to American. She said the man working the Delta counter was a very nice man and would most likely be wiling to help me out.

I headed over to the Delta line and when I made it to the counter, I asked the gentleman if it was possible to transfer me to American. He said that they really weren't supposed to do that for weather, but when I told him all I wanted to do was get home, he took pity on me and worked some voodoo magic to transfer my ticket to American. We walked over to the American counter and finalized the deal. I thanked my savior profusely and Delta earned my respect for having employees willing to actually help people and not just spout corporate policy.

The next five hours were spent watching the snow dust down upon the tarmac and working on my laptop while I waited for my trip home. Finally, 5:25 rolled around and it was time to board. I texted John that I was finally on my way home and then settled into enjoy the trip.

Arriving in Chicago, I found my luggage and headed out to the kiss and fly where John and Luke were waiting. Ahh, home blissful home.

World of Bliss

Every two years, the world throws a party known as the Olympics. Although only a few thousand people get to participate in the party, the rest of us are allowed to watch and cheer. This year's Winter Olympics in Vancouver started out tinged in sadness as a 21 year old slider from Georgia (the country, not the state) died in practice several hours before the opening ceremonies. His spirit seemed to hover over the stadium as the athletes, coaches, and crowd were asked to remember him and to strive to live up to the credo of the games.

The opening ceremonies are always my favorite part of the Olympics as there is something pagan and primitive about seeing the flame that has traveled all the way from Greece come in and be carried to a gigantic cauldron to be lit so that it can be seen by all in the surrounding area. There is something comforting in knowing that the Olympics are important enough for all the ritual and ceremony that surrounds lighting the flame from the sun in Greece and then hand carrying it around the world. Especially in today's hurry, hurry society where we all know it would be so much easier to flick a bic and be done with it.

This year's ceremony was even more pagan as the indigenous people from Candada welcomed the world through native song and dance to Vancouver. There was a traditional, and very pagan, calling of the quarters and dances that told stories of heartache, loss, and triumph.

The parade of nations is awe inspiring as you see every country who is participating walk in proudly behind their flag. I always get inspired to see the smaller delegations walk in to compete for the glory of their countryman. It's easy to be a part of a huge contingent, but there is something courageous about choosing to be the only athlete from your country to participate in the games. As the Mongolian team walked in, the announcers told about the first winter Olympics that Mongolia had participated in back in 1964 when a group of down hill skiers, not knowing there were applicaiton procedures, just showed up and were allowed to participate. I'd like to think that if that happened today, they'd still be allowed to participate in the spirit of the games, but the realist in me knows that that probably wouldn't happen.

The Georgian team got a standing ovation as they marched in wearing black armbands in memory of their friend and fellow Olympian. There was a sadness in their faces, but also a determination to go on and compete in Nodar's name.

The Olympics create a world within a world as the participants devote 17 days to participate for glory and personal achievement. Most of the athletes know they have no hope of winning a medal, but are there for the glory of competing for their country and to push themselves a little bit farther so they can be a little bit better than they were before. That's something blissful that we can all aspire to: to be a little bit better than we were the day before.

Blissful Progress

The number on the scale doesn't matter is my new mantra, but it is a hard one to stick to when it doesn't move--or worse--goes up. Deep down I know that there are so many factors that influence weight that worrying about it will only cause undue angst, but the reality of it is that deep down a lot of my self worth is tied to making that number on the scale go down.

I've been trying very hard this year to not focus on that number and instead look for other metrics that will prove my hard work and deprivation (i.e. not eating unlimited chocolate sundaes) is really paying off and I'm finally starting to see signs that my body is really changing. I'm at our Chattanooga Manufacturing Operation (CMO) this week and our campus consists of several buildings, one of which is almost 1/2 a mile from the main facility. The last time I walked out to the hinterland, I got embarrassingly winded and had to stop and catch my breath several times. Walking out there yesterday was like a stroll in the park as I was able to walk at a good pace without having to catch my breath.

CMO has a stair culture where most people take the stairs instead of the elevator. In visits past, I was always the one taking the elevator up and down one flight instead of hoofing it. This visit, I'm the one turning to the stairs. Even after my 1/2 mile hike to the outbuilding yesterday, I was able to dash up the stairs without being winded at the top.

Those metrics along with the electronic praise I get from the Wii Fit are the motivation I need to keep going as I realize that even if the scale hasn't caught on yet, my body is changing and getting healthier.

Almost Lost Bliss

There's a new bookstore downtown Chattanooga that I've been thinking about checking out the last few times I've been in town. It's called "All Books" and it's right across the street from the trendy and hip bookstore on Market Street. We ended up leaving work early (i.e. on time) tonight, so I made a quick detour, found a parking spot, and headed into All Books.

At first glance, All Books looked to be one of those disorganized junk shops that frustrate me because I can never find anything because romance novels are piled next to books on WW II. Thoughts went through my mind about how I was too old to enjoy the hunt for treasure in the midst of the chaos and my first thought that my blog entry for the evening was going to be about how I'd realized the value of my own time, etc., etc. In other words, I was planning to write an elitist entry about how important I was so I didn't have time to search through the shelves of a bookstore in search of something of value.

However, once I opened my eyes and shut down my snobbish attitude, I realized that this little treasure of a bookstore was actually very well organized. There was a printed sheet on each aisle outlining the identification scheme of the books. Books were in broad and understandable categories like cooking, novels, pets, etc. Each shelf was clearly labeled with a reference number. Once I figured out the system, it was easy to browse the shelves and look for books that interested me.

Opening my eyes and ears also alerted me to the fact that the proprietor was a very interesting older lady who knitted and crocheted and had beautiful yarns around the store that were also for sale. When I checked out I told her that my daughter loved to knit and would love her yarns and she told me to bring her in next time she came to Chattanooga with me and she'd fix her up with some new yarn. I also overheard her conversation with one of her regulars and realized that she was a competitive artist who entered her wares in regional stores. It was almost closing time, so there wasn't time for me to stop and chat, but I walked out feel as if I'd almost allowed my misconceptions to rob me of a genuine encounter with a very nice lady and of the opportunity to pick up some pretty interesting books.

There's bliss in realizing that I was able to overcome my misconceptions and enjoy the experience, but there's also a sense of sadness as I wonder what other opportunities I missed because of my sometimes snobbish and judgemental ways.

Blissful Simplicity

I'd forgotten how blissful it could be to get an uninterrupted night's sleep and wake in the morning to a simply perfect breakfast. I'm staying in Chattanooga for business and unlike most times when I'm here, I'm the only person traveling which means there isn't the pressure to go out with the team every night. Don't get me wrong, I love my team and enjoy hanging with them, but sometimes it's really nice to just luxuriate in the quiet aloneness of a hotel room.

Last night I stopped at Greenlife Grocery for some simple fixings for breakfast and dinner. I got the most awesome chicken satays that were divine when warmed up in the microwave, some cheese and crackers, some andoulle sausage, some fruit, and a piece of Southern delight pizza. I indulged in a rose scented bubble bath before dinner and then enjoyed an incredible dinner of pizza and satays (hey I hadn't eaten lunch) topped off with a Doubletree Chocolate Chip Cookie. After dinner, I crawled into bed at 9 pm, turned on 24 and enjoyed watching the show and texting my honey at key points during the show. The bed was warm and comfy and as soon as the show was over, I turned it off and snuggled down into the cozy comfortable (as Caitlin would say) for one of the best nights sleep I've had in a really long time.

When my rooster alarm went off this morning at six, I stretched, hit the snooze and snuggled back into that incredibly indulgent bed for a few more minutes of sleep. I finally rolled out of bed at 7 and indulged in a long hot shower that wasn't quite as satisfying as the hot bath, but close. Breakfast was cheese and crackers and a sausage warmed up and served in a Wolfgang Puck paper coffee cup. A very simple, but satisfying breakfast as I couldn't even eat all of my cheese and crackers. From a diet perspective, the good thing about cheese and crackers is that it is truly body satisfying and not like eating pancakes which will have you hungry again in 20 minutes.

Now it's time to head off to work and the long day that I know lies ahead. We've got guests in this week so my chances of another comfy self indulgent night in my hotel room are slim, but maybe I can at least get back in time to get to take a bubble bath, fall asleep early in my comfy bed, and awake in a feeling of releaxed and blissful simplicity.