Sweet Home Alabama....

So anyone who knows me knows, I'm a sucker for thinking if I pay a little extra, I will get more.  Well, here's a case where I definitely paid more - but got so much less.  Joke was on me for sure.  One of the most memorable parts of this stop was as soon as I arrived in Mobile and turned the television on, I learned that Michael Jackson had passed away.   That was difficult to process because he was the same age as me...I had grown up listening to him and remembered Billie Jean in my senior year of college.  How sad was this day?

THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 2009

Sweet Home Alabama isn't as sweet as I thought

The drive from Orlando to Mobile was great.  It was easy, great scenery and very smooth roads. Kicked back, listened to great music and had a nice day.  I arrived at the Berney Bed & Breakfast earlier than I thought...and was anxiously awaiting to check into the Presidential Suite.  Well - I thought it had the word Presidential in it - when I read the description on the website but I have to admit - I did scan it and didn't read all the details.  I of course, was immediately hooked when I saw the words Presidential, poolside bungalow....need I say more?  I immediately went to the book me icon and reserved it.  Well you can see from the photo that Presidential it's not, bungalow it's not - but YES - it is near the pool.  The cloudy pool that does not look like it has been cleaned in a really really long time.  I think it is more like a converted garage....but the neighborhood is nice and there are some really nice looking Victorian B & B's that I could stay in next time...since I know I will be in Mobile again (YEAH right).  Well what can you expect for $112 incl. breakfast...oh well - it's all fun and part of the story. 

Not a very Presidential accommodation.

Not such smooth start....

This is one of my very favorite posts...because it really was a series of comical errors before I even got out of town.  And the worst part was of course, having to call my husband for his help, not once but twice...with 1 hour of leaving my house. It was not my finest moment.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2009

Well, things didn't start out as smooth as I would like...

Finally just made it to Portofino Bay Hotel in Universal Studios Orlando.  Much later than I expected.  Everything started off fine...got my nails done and decided, what the heck, I'm not in a rush - I'll get a pedicure too and then hit the road.  Well - somehow between the salon and my car (which is a grand total of about 15 steps) I lost my car keys.  Yes, as dumb as that sounds.  I could not find them, ripped my car apart, pulled everything out of the trunk - no keys.  After 20 minutes and some anxiety, I finally had call Mario - as he has the extra key.  That was the last call I wanted to make - I wasn't five miles from home - he already was worried about me going on this trip and I hadn't even made it to I-95 yet!! Anyway - as I was on the phone I found them.  Off I went - one last stop at Fresh Market on Biscayne Blvd for fruit - and to my horror I realized I could not find my trip files, with my maps, confirmations, house information - basically my life for the next 3 weeks.  I ripped everything apart again and AGAIN had to call Mario who found the files in my closet.  He drove over to Fresh Market with them.  As I waited in my car for him, I fired up my laptop and signed up, right then -  for the Premium Level Super Duper AAA Roadside Assistance Membership.  I figured if I am having this kind of trouble getting out of Miami - what will happen if I get a flat tire on Route 66?  Anyway - Alabama - here I come!!!

Taos or Bust - The Summer of my 50th year....

So if you've followed along on the last two posts - you'll recognize this post is the first on my cross country trip.  For those who know me...one thing you can say is that I'm definitely organized (on some things and other things - well not so much).  So once I decided that I was "taking it on the road" I got organized and planned my trip.  

So I planned my whole itinerary out...with the most important stops that I wanted to make.  The road map and file was something out of Encyclopedia Britannica.    For me - one of the special stops that the trip was built around was a visit to my girlfriend's grave in New Orleans.  More to follow on the specifics of that...but for now..its important to note that my first post was establishing the nuances of my schedule.  

And with that began my first three posts....

SUNDAY, JUNE 21, 2009

Mastering the To Do List

Today I finished packing for the trip. I did a major swing through Neiman's and Saks to see if there was anything I needed for the trip. Okay - that made me realize I still have some work to do...but anyways...they were having major sales.

I crossed off almost all my stuff on the to do list. Just have to get my books on tape from Sarah, my 8 and 15 pound weights from Target, because I swear I am working on my neglected arms on this trip.

I was a little worried because a friend from Taos called me to say that they went by the house I rented and there were huge pot holes in the dirt road (what DIRT ROAD???) going to the house. And they were worried about my car being so low to the ground. Yikes, I called the rental agent who had the owner call me from Guyana (she is in the Peace Corps..where am I going for god's sake...???) who assured me she was there two weeks ago and I should do fine on the road. Oh well - I will know on Monday when I arrive.

So work on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday - then I hit the road.

MONDAY, JUNE 22, 2009

Revision #1 to The Itinerary - Amarillo Texas here I come

Okay - well I decided that it will be too aggressive to drive from Dallas to Santa Fe on Sunday. And I really want to enjoy Mansion on Turtle Creek. So I now revised my schedule today to spend Sunday night in Amarillo, Texas. At the Holiday Inn no less. I think that seemed to be the nicest hotel in Amarillo. Hmm...outta be very interesting.

Stay tuned for the pics - as proof.

TUESDAY, JUNE 23, 2009

My bags are packed, I'm ready to go.....

Okay - I'm all set. Everything is packed. I am traveling amazingly light. Well - light for me.

So - I have about five important things to do at work tomorrow...and then I have a 6:00 pm nail appointment (gotta keep my priorities..who knows if there is a nail place in Taos) and I will hit the road at 7:00 pm tomorrow night.

I decided tonight that I am calling an audible - and driving back an entirely different way - and stopping in Louisville KY to see my brother and his girlfriend. I also decided that I might take the historical Route 66 for part of my trip. More to follow on this.

Why is the number 50 such a milestone?

Okay - to pick up where I last left off....A little over two years ago, I was approaching that big milestone 50th birthday.  It's funny - because I feel like I was 50 for two years...as opposed to one, because as soon as I turned 49, all I could focus on was that I was getting ready to turn 50. 

So about 6 months before the big event, I was having a hard time deciding how I wanted to celebrate it. Do I keep it quiet? Part of me wanted to.  Do I make a big deal out of it?  Part of me wanted to.  I've always struggled between fireworks and a campfire.  Never really knowing when to balance between the two.  Always wanting both. 

Sure, I could throw a big party, go on a major trip, figure out what big gift I wanted...but none of those options excited me. I purposefully (I admit this now but not then) orchestrated an unbelievable 50th birthday experience for my husband that was so over the top - just so I could establish the base minimum expectations that he would have to deliver for mine.  Surely he would have to double for me what I did for him.  I was so excited about that.  The only problem was in the four years between his 50th and my 50th was that our world changed...when the economy changed.  And what was then was no longer now. And I actually think this is a good thing.  

So I thought about it and thought about it....and then one day it came to me...I decided to experience things in life that I had not done before...and to see parts of our country that I've never seen. I've always been an adventurous traveler all over the world, having visited 6 out of the 7 continents.  But I wanted to see more of the every day life in our own country. To do something so different from the life I led...to really step outside myself and learn more about who I really was.  That is what 50 meant to me.  To learn more about the person that I am - but also to ask myself if I was living the life I felt I was meant to live. 

So with that - I decided to take a month off of work, rent a house in Northern New Mexico as my base and to drive across the country by myself. With no schedule, no flights to catch, no place to have to be....no one to have to take care of...other than myself.  The looks on the faces of my friends, family, co-workers and especially my husband when I told them what I wanted to do - were at first shock, then disbelief and then amusement as everyone thought by the time the date of the trip I arrived - I would change my mind and not go.  I don't blame them for laughing at me.  I complain about driving 5 minutes to the store.  I don't mind being a passenger - but I have a 7 mile commute to work and even that is sometimes annoying to me.  

Boy was everyone surprised when I stepped up.  My husband was not that happy with my decision, but finally came to understand that this was something I really wanted to do...and he ultimately went with it and volunteered to fly out and drive my car back for me or ship it back on a truck, if I didn't want to make the return drive home.  That is so typical of my amazing husband who will do anything he can to make me more comfortable. I assured him and everyone else - that I would be fine...and that I would keep them all posted about all the details of the trip....so I created a private blog called "Taos or Bust - Celebrating the Summer of my 50th Year" so my friends and family could follow along. 

So the next few posts are some of my favorite & more humorous highlights of the trip.

Hope you enjoy!

And there the story begins....

I've decided to take a temporary departure from my typical posts and do something a little different.  I started this little blog of mine about a 1 1/2 years ago as a way to distract myself from the intense schedule that is my life.  For quite some time, longer than I can remember, I've traveled for the majority of my time....running up and down the East Coast, across the country and occasionally overseas, like I was running to the grocery store.

I remember one day, I had 3 presentations that began with a breakfast in Florida, lunch in Los Angeles and a dinner in Las Vegas...and I didn't think twice about it. An abnormal schedule actually for me, became quite normal.  Thankfully, I really love what I do.  My blog was born as a result of passing my time due to constant delays at the airport.  My husband and I were renovating our home...and I was researching different things and one thing led to another - and I discovered the world of blogging.  And boy - has it enriched my life.

So I decided to join in on the fun and I'm so glad I did.  I've made many friends...and due to my traveling, I've have been able to take the online friendship to the next level and meet a few of you in person - which has been a wonderful thing.  I hope to continue that as time goes on.  

I purposely decided to not integrate much of my life into my blog - because for me - this has been my refuge away from it all.  A place where I can just express all of the things that I love and just be myself - without having to connect all the other dots of my life.  As a matter of fact, the only people who even know I have a blog - besides all of you...is my husband and my mother. I've chosen to keep it that private.

Lately, I've not been posting as much...and actually have been contemplating  to stop blogging.  I've decided to continue because I really do enjoy it.  The expression of creativity, the camaraderie that I feel with all of you...the knowledge I've gained (I mean where else would I have learned about Chalk paint) is something I don't want to lose.  

But I have decided that I want to share a little more about myself and some of the experiences I've had...in hopes that others will find it interesting but also, I'd like to chronologicalize this part of my life.  So for the next week or two, instead of sharing my typical coastal decor posts - I'm going to post about one of the most life defining experiences that I've had - and that is how I chose to celebrate my 50th birthday.

It was actually my first foray into blogging.  I started a private blog about my adventure because so many of my friends and family were worried about me (behind my back I know they were all talking about the fact that surely I would come to my senses soon as I must be suffering from the female version of a mid life crisis)...and so the blog was started to keep them posted on my whereabouts.  

So I hope you'll find the next few posts interesting, funny and hopefully inspiring...about how I chose to handle the milestone of turning 50.....since I live in a world where one of my closest friends sent me a note (instead of a birthday card) saying that she was ignoring the fact I was turning 50 because she couldn't deal with it.  And my boss (also a dear friend) sent me an email saying let's just pretend it's not your birthday...because we all know what turning 50 means.

So when I called my boss and told her what I was planning on doing and asked her for the time off...the first words out of her mouth were...."Who are you and what did you do with my friend"?

And there begins the story.