With a mad dash pre-holiday trip to Phoenix this week, I found myself unexpectedly indulging in first class accommodations. First stop, I slid into the driver's seat of my rented Infiniti and barreled down the road as if it were all mine. I should have known at that point it was a sign of things to come. After a spin through the site and a few short meetings, I made my way to the new Renaissance Hotel which opened a few months ago just a mile from my project (so long nasty Courtyard!). Since my old summer stand-by the JW Marriott Camelback Inn is way too pricey these days, I have managed to find a suitable substitute.
As I checked in, my Marriott Rewards Gold Elite status finally paid off! I was escorted to the concierge floor to my complimentary upgraded one bedroom suite. Uh, this dog was bad-A! It had floor to ceiling/wall to wall windows 10' high on the 10th floor. Who's your daddy? It was massive and covered in modern decor. I wondered if I was the first to inhabit? Doubtful, but in my head they were saving it for me. Anyway, after basking in the glow of the dual plasma screens and admiring the gi-normous bed awaiting my slumber, I had to check out the 10th floor lounge. I was greeted by a properly suited host offering snacks, newspapers, drinks, and an outdoor deck overlooking the spa courtyard. It was better than the Admiral's Club! Amazed and overcome with a sense of celebrity jackassery, I felt a cocktail was in order.
I made my way downstairs to the main lounge and perched with my trusty laptop up to the bar. The Vikings game was playing and I typed feverishly away on my little Dell sipping my winter drink of choice, Maker's and Diet Coke. I couldn't help it. The power, it was overwhelming, I felt like I needed to seek out Paris to hang with. At one point, after scarfing down a whole wheat chicken quesadilla with some kind of fancy cheese, I reached past cocktail number two and grabbed a glass of water. I swallowed a large gulp to put out the jalapeno fire in my mouth. Then, the celebrity attitude managed to manifest itself outside of my head.
"Could you please replace this with a Pellegrino?" I asked politely but quickly returning to my keyboard unaware of what I had just uttered. Wait a minute...did I just say what I think I said? What the hell have I become? Who is this guy? I blame the car and the suite. The power of celebrity is just too much for me to handle...so tonight I ground myself in proper fashion once again by herding onto Southwest to fly back to Arkansas. Ah, back to my humble life! So becomes the simple moral of the week: elite status need not affect your head...I should know, I unconsciously ordered a sparkling water when I despise it! Cheers my friends, I must go, the camera flashes are just too much to bare!
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Look Out Magic Kingdom- Here Come the Griswold's...err Carpenter's
I have always said I would rather stick a hot fire poker in my eye than go to Disney World with preschoolers…well now is my chance to compare the pain! We embark this week on a 10 day vacation to Florida for Thanksgiving that will include a short 2 day stint at the Polynesian and Magic Kingdom. This ranks right up there with my philosophy of owning a minivan…it is the day you admit life has beaten you to a bloody pulp. There is some sweet irony to this philosophy however, I unfortunately own a minivan and I have secretly wanted to go to Disney for as long as I can remember. It will be fitting for me to enjoy the MK more than anyone else; after all, I can quote every line to The Lion King. We won’t mention my secret collection of Disney show tunes hidden amongst the old dusty CD’s! And don’t even get me started on Cars and Aladdin! But I’m sure it will suck…not really excited about it at all. (Wink)
Home Theatre: Redneck Style
Truck, who is my neighbor, called last week with a great idea…let’s watch Transformers tonight. What an excellent use of our non-existent spare time. He painted a wall bright white in the garage and hooked a projector to an old Bose surround system, set up two patio chairs, placed the kegerator within reaching distance, fashioned a makeshift urinal (to avoid missing a single moment), and the garage version of the redneck home theatre was born! I finished dinner and bath time then dashed out the door and down the street. His garage is heated and the projected image was as close to a real theatre screen as possible. The old Bose system, which didn’t work before, cranked to life with a simple dismantling and “hotwiring” to bypass the control board. It sounded AWESOME in the garage, but once the player was in play mode, there was no pausing or going back! The projector, one used for slide shows and PowerPoint presentations, worked wonders on the freshly painted wall. The patio furniture complete with ottomans provided first class seating. We used a ladder for the projector stand, a Home Depot bucket for a urinal…it was a site to behold! Whoever said moving to Arkansas would turn me into a hillbilly, bite your tongue…this is innovation in the face of necessity, sometimes one just needs to see Transformers on the big screen in full surround sound the way it was intended!
Bad Juju
Finally I managed to find time to volunteer with Habitat for Humanity last Saturday as part of a church mission project. It was only going to be a half day from 8 to noon. At the last minute on Friday afternoon, I flaked out. I know how dare I right? But the reason why is even worse. I wanted to go to the mountains and ride 4wheelers. So I did. I told you it was worse, but rest assured I am full of guilt and remorse. I am also having a really bad week so far and it is absolutely going to get worse before it gets better…Karma is truly a sonofabitch. I will be lucky to dodge an infection of amoebic dysentery until I can restore my dogma with a new penchant for helping others…better get on it pronto; I have a sensitive stomach!
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
The Centerton Mafia
As I sit in my hotel room, far from home, I am missing my other life. The life I have at home. The one most normal non-road warriors have everyday. I flash back to the days of Halleck Coach and our own Centerton Mafia. It began with a block party, a chance to meet and greet the neighbors. With my social anxiety kicking in full force, I naturally resisted. I stocked the cooler with beer and was quickly scolded. "Don't you think that is a little tacky? We don't even know these people", I was reminded. I didn't think so. If they thought it was tacky, then we should just pack up and move!
Turns out it wasn't. Everyone else was doing the same thing. Rum and coke hidden in tall tumblers. Koozies concealing beer cans and the initial awkwardness that begins such a social gathering of complete strangers. That is where it began. We found friends from all walks of life that night...and the next weekend, and the next. They became our group. We became the Centerton Mafia. A triangle of friendship was formed from two doors down and across the street. Our venue: the driveway.
That was the summer of 2005. It has been a very short two years since then and we have all managed to go our separate ways leaving behind Sienna Estates and the many memories. Ann and Jeff moved to OKC. Kristal and Michael have since parted ways. We have moved to Stoney Creek. But when the moment is right and the stars are aligned, we meet and pick up like time has been suspended just for us. It reminds me of the friends my parents had when they were my age. They weren't a part of our lives for long, but they have left a lasting impact and have managed to remain close for more than 25 years despite living far apart.
It is the little things in life that make us who we are and in my philosophical mind it makes us keenly aware that we are part of something much larger. How can a small group of people from different backgrounds, varying ages, and with few things in common make such an impact on each other? Simple. We all needed each other. We each brought something unique and rewarding to the group. Kristal and I provided comic relief and endless laughter through our antics, Cindy and Ann a healthy dose of practicality and wit, Jeff and Michael a passion for childhood dreams and anything mechanical. We fit like a glove. I see a part of myself in each of them today for it has helped mold my adulthood. After all, we battled Saturday night hangovers and managed to rock out at the Shiloh Street service on Sunday mornings, now that is perseverance! We felt the pain of the others even when it was never mentioned on the driveway. The flamingos, the forks, the chalking, the late night gnome-napping...each etched in my mind for the rest of my days.
Although our time in the triangle was short...the experience was full. I think we all came away with a sense that distance and time are no match for true friendship. Peace to my peeps...the CM.
Turns out it wasn't. Everyone else was doing the same thing. Rum and coke hidden in tall tumblers. Koozies concealing beer cans and the initial awkwardness that begins such a social gathering of complete strangers. That is where it began. We found friends from all walks of life that night...and the next weekend, and the next. They became our group. We became the Centerton Mafia. A triangle of friendship was formed from two doors down and across the street. Our venue: the driveway.
That was the summer of 2005. It has been a very short two years since then and we have all managed to go our separate ways leaving behind Sienna Estates and the many memories. Ann and Jeff moved to OKC. Kristal and Michael have since parted ways. We have moved to Stoney Creek. But when the moment is right and the stars are aligned, we meet and pick up like time has been suspended just for us. It reminds me of the friends my parents had when they were my age. They weren't a part of our lives for long, but they have left a lasting impact and have managed to remain close for more than 25 years despite living far apart.
It is the little things in life that make us who we are and in my philosophical mind it makes us keenly aware that we are part of something much larger. How can a small group of people from different backgrounds, varying ages, and with few things in common make such an impact on each other? Simple. We all needed each other. We each brought something unique and rewarding to the group. Kristal and I provided comic relief and endless laughter through our antics, Cindy and Ann a healthy dose of practicality and wit, Jeff and Michael a passion for childhood dreams and anything mechanical. We fit like a glove. I see a part of myself in each of them today for it has helped mold my adulthood. After all, we battled Saturday night hangovers and managed to rock out at the Shiloh Street service on Sunday mornings, now that is perseverance! We felt the pain of the others even when it was never mentioned on the driveway. The flamingos, the forks, the chalking, the late night gnome-napping...each etched in my mind for the rest of my days.
Although our time in the triangle was short...the experience was full. I think we all came away with a sense that distance and time are no match for true friendship. Peace to my peeps...the CM.
Monday, November 5, 2007
Tangent Thoughts O The Week
Tangent #1
Two things that spurred my brain this morning: 1. I cannot believe it has already been two years since I left Wal-Mart for General Growth. 2. I am getting old if time flies that fast. So today with aging on my mind and while Lindsay was cutting my hair, I noticed the increasingly vast amount of gray that kept sliding down my drape. She tells me they are free highlights and Cindy says I look distinguished. WHAT? Distinguished is code for old. Shh, here that? It’s the creeping back of my pre-mid life mini crisis. This cannot be happening already?! And if so, when do I get to buy a G37 Coupe?!
Tangent #2
One of my biggest pet peeves in a hotel room has to be an obnoxiously loud neighbor. You can always look past it knowing the TV eventually goes off or the booming drunk-dial will end. Some things, however, never seem to amaze me. Like the…uh…how should I put this gently…overtly amorous, affectionately physical bonding ritual between two humans…at a Marriott Courtyard of all places. Don’t get me wrong, I say take advantage of the hotel room ambiance, especially if you’ve left the kids at home for the weekend…but save the savage behavior for someplace more intimate and secluded. Remember the walls are thin people; no one else needs to hear it. Today I am thankful for the volume control on my iPod.
Two things that spurred my brain this morning: 1. I cannot believe it has already been two years since I left Wal-Mart for General Growth. 2. I am getting old if time flies that fast. So today with aging on my mind and while Lindsay was cutting my hair, I noticed the increasingly vast amount of gray that kept sliding down my drape. She tells me they are free highlights and Cindy says I look distinguished. WHAT? Distinguished is code for old. Shh, here that? It’s the creeping back of my pre-mid life mini crisis. This cannot be happening already?! And if so, when do I get to buy a G37 Coupe?!
Tangent #2
One of my biggest pet peeves in a hotel room has to be an obnoxiously loud neighbor. You can always look past it knowing the TV eventually goes off or the booming drunk-dial will end. Some things, however, never seem to amaze me. Like the…uh…how should I put this gently…overtly amorous, affectionately physical bonding ritual between two humans…at a Marriott Courtyard of all places. Don’t get me wrong, I say take advantage of the hotel room ambiance, especially if you’ve left the kids at home for the weekend…but save the savage behavior for someplace more intimate and secluded. Remember the walls are thin people; no one else needs to hear it. Today I am thankful for the volume control on my iPod.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Hello Skinny Jeans
It has finally happened. I have surpassed the 30 lb mark in my quest for a new me. Ironically, I threw away all of my left over skinny jeans from college just last year. Damn the luck. I had to toss over 2/3 of my entire closet last weekend because they just didn't fit, 4 inches makes a huge difference. Oh well, life is all about sacrifice. Next time you see me I will be withered away to nothing...this anorexia really works. I know, it was tasteless...but I'm excited nonetheless to reach my goal. The "couch to 5k" plan is starting to pay off. Word.
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