teresa

Elliott and I went to the movies last night.  The movie theatre in Dublin looks like a Madonna concert every weekend, its unbelievable.  There isn’t a movie theater for miles, so people drive from who knows where to our neighborhood to wind down and catch a movie.  The new releases are always sold out, so our original hope of seeing Matt Damon in Bourne was shot down.  So I pulled the ‘my turn’, girl pick on Elliott and we decided to see No Reservations.  I had no idea that this was a tear jerker chick flick, I thought it was a happy girl meets boy flick.  Save yourself the $18 if you want to cry that hard read the obituaries or see if there is a funeral you can attend.  At one point I heard a girl (I assume it was a girl although I could be wrong) crying so hard a few rows back I was sure she must have lost her mother young like the little girl in the movie.  I couldn’t even really relate to any of the characters and I was a mess, at one point my nose was so clogged with snot I couldn’t even breathe, ridiculous.

Earlier I wrote the word unbelievable. That reminds me…  Our company hosted a speaker in Reno last week that Elliott was able to attend, I wasn’t able to go because I went to Las Vegas for a separate work function.  Anyway the speaker was a Vistage speaker, Boaz.  Pete was able to invite him to speak to our company after recruiting a new member to Vistage.  I have been in a Key group for Vistage for the last few months now so I have heard about Boaz.  Just about every person I know who has been in Vistage for awhile has seen Boaz, it’s a rite of passage.  I am bummed I missed it.  But Elliott relayed some of his stories to me.  My favorite is Boaz suggests responding to the typical questions “How are you” or “How is business” with “Unbelievable!”.  Everyone says good, even great isn’t GREAT anymore its just a common regurgitated response, but Unbelievable spurs emotion, to the person who posed the initial question this response is startling.  I heard this suggestion from Elliott after flying back home on a day that started at 3:40am.  I asked him if an equally impressive response would be “Exhausted!”  He thought not.

Elliott and I have been discussing the unrealistic thought of what we do if we didn’t have to work.  I think the answer is supposed to be an insight into how to find happiness in every day.  But I don’t know anyone who could honestly say they would continue on exactly as they do right now if they didn’t need the money.  So does that mean that we are all in the wrong line of work?  Should our line of work reflect what we would do if we didn’t have to do it for the money?  I would run more - should I be a personal trainer?  I would like to help others not as fortunate - should I join the peace core?  I would spend more time outside - should I be a park ranger?  Instead I run when we are not working too much, tip well and donate old clothes and to charities, and I eat my lunch outside.  That’s the best compromise I have been able to establish thus far.  The truth is, I am challenged in my current job and I am able to get lost in it - keeping me entertained and usually not thinking about these types of ridiculous questions.  I will say that Elliott started it - he asked the question initially.  The funny thing is Elliott doesn’t have an answer.  He has no idea what he would do if he didn’t have to work.  We often joke he is passionless.  Perhaps his true passion is his current work so he can’t imagine doing anything else.  I don’t blame him I hear he has a great boss.

The other horrible part is this amazing opportunity that we took to come out here and open this office also feels like curse.  It’s an amazingly awesome opportunity that is also restricting - there is a huge commitment to make it work.  Days when I think being a coffee barista looks like a much better gig, I realize that I have a obligation to others by accepting this opportunity.  That self inflicted pressure feels like a trap on the bad days.  I suppose many people feel that pressure though.  We all owe our success to someone, our parents slaving away at multiple jobs to send us to school, our mentors for hours of teaching, our bosses for entrusting us with more responsibility.  For me balancing the guilt, the right thing to do with the right thing to do for me is tough.  You would think work isn’t going well, that’s not true, everything is great right now.  Maybe a little too busy. And on days when I wish I didn’t have to work so hard I start looking around and wondering.  What would you do if you didn’t have to work…

Flight departing is an hour late…  Should have stayed in Vegas tonight too.  Tired.  Had a pastry at Starbucks for dinner in protest of how fricking hot it is in this airport.  Should have eaten something more now I have a headache.  Think I will try to get a burrito before getting on the plane.

1985 Oakland to Las Vegas
Sitting on the plane
Have to go to the bathroom
No info from the staff
Except 3 mins ago we were told 60 seconds
A little info would be helpful
Waiting for another plane…
A wheel fell off…
Crazy man on the runway…
Come on just let us know why we are sitting here
Waiting
(this was my attempt at a complaint letter to Southwest from my Black Berry, won’t bother sending it, writing it made me feel better - sort of)