What the Stars Say

"It is the season of miracles and epiphanies for you. You should expect sublime help and inspiration."

Hmm. It's surely something to contemplate. In fact, I think it's a statement of value and truth considering I've definitely turned a corner in my life. I've taken a leap and (finally) purchased a new computer (and a different brand at that!), I'm completely in love with someone super special, I feel unburdened (and actually excited) by the prospect of finding a new job in a few months, and somehow, I'm taking care of my shit on a more daily basis.

I mean, I've always been a Type A planner who is so obsessed with being perfect that she can never get anything done without a good deal of procrastination beforehand. I'm slowing learning that making mistakes is not equivalent to chopping off a limb. Mistakes are natural parts of life and, as the USA Today newspaper puts it, "Mistakes are like passwords, we all make 'em." Alright. I guess.

Enough about my personal progress, I don't feel coherent enough at the moment to post something life-changing, so instead, I want to highlight a few interesting things about my week on the road:

Calgary, Alberta - Some of the rudest banquet staff I've worked with thus far. I had to tape my own AV cords (shoot!) and I had to do some damage control after a few of the servers interrupted the seminar. Did I mention that their accents drive me crazy?

Salt Lake City, Utah - I visited Temple Square today (the epicenter for the Jesus of Latter Day Saints religion) and had an interesting (and pleasant) conversation with two young girls on their missions. One of the girls was from France and I found a rare opportunity in the discussion to quickly ask about the origins of her accent instead of hearing about how Joseph Smith became a prophet by the hands of Saint John the Baptist when he rose out of thin air. If I would have had 4 hours to spare, I would have willingly engaged in a hearty dialogue about their religious backgrounds as well as personal questions I have about the inclusiveness of their faith, but I was on my lunch break and only had about 10 minutes before running back to the Marriott to pack up my belongings and heading back to the Salt Palace Convention Center to welcome back participants. Dang. In the same place, a small girl - only about, maybe, 18 months old - mistook me for her mother. She was quite friendly and social (not to mention adorable), and I was flattered (?) I think. I guess I've never been mistaken as a mom before. (Hmm. What does this mean for me?)

At the moment, I'm in Billings, Montana and the only other time I've been here is when I drove my car from Green Bay to Seattle. KR and I stayed at a low-budget Super 8 Motel in Billings (it's halfway from Minneapolis to Seattle) where there's not a whole lot of shakin' goin' on. As I'm sure you can imagine.