I recently went down to San Antonio for work and realized a passion of mine that I haven't experienced in awhile: talking to the people next to you on a plane. I only started doing it once I started college because I was such a wallflower in high school you had to force me to talk to someone back then.
Its refreshing to start up a conversation with a complete stranger. Everyone has their own story and whether they like to admit it or not, they love talking about it. You find out where they are from, where they are traveling to and before you know it they are telling you about their 3 kids back home and how they need to find a perfect present for them.
One time I was on a plane to Orlando and I was working on a research paper on airline crashes. I had a book open with graphic pictures and a case report of the latest aircraft accident on my lap. The elderly gentleman sitting next to me said 'Miss, you may want to be careful who you show that to on this plane, I think there are some first timers on board'. Oops. I was so engrossed in my reading to even think that he may have a fear of flying so I quickly apologized and started packing up. He told me not to worry because he was a skydiver from Australia and had jumped out of over 4,000 airplanes. He was never worried about them crashing because he could always just jump out of them if they did. That sparked a long conversation about my education and where I planned on taking it and he offered some great advice. I still have his business card and I swear one of these days I am going to go Australia to skydive with him.
This past week I sat in between two good sized men on the way to San Antonio. I was tired and cranky and the last thing I wanted to do was become a sardine on the tin can of Continental Airlines (the song "Stuck in the Middle with You" kept playing on loop in my head). Well the guy to my right, who looked liked Lou Ferigno and Jack LaLaine's lovechild, started talking to me about where I was going and why I was going there. Turns out he owns the largest chain of fitness centers in Arkansas and was on his way to meet with some investors. The guy to my left as it turns out was a fuel salesmen going to the same conference as me. He gave me a rundown of what the conference would entail and also some pointers about where to go after the 'work' was over. We all exchanged business cards and I ended up finding Eric the fuel salesmen at the conference and said hi. Had I just put on my iPod and fell asleep on the plane like I had originally planned I would have missed out on Lou Ferigno Sr giving me running tips and my new friend at the NBAA conference.
Trust me, if you are faced with the option of talking to your neighbor or just putting on your headphones, I highly suggest talking. You never know who you might meet.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Apartment Hunting...the Saga
Apartment hunting is dumb. I was half tempted to just post the blog after I typed that sentence because it so adequately describes my feelings right now. I have done my research on every apartment I want to live in and they all end up falling short of my expectations when I get there to look at them. Why is this? Are my expectations too high? Should they all be charged with false advertising? I highly doubt I will get answers to these questions. The least I can do is share my trials and tribulations so you will feel sorry for me.
The first place I went was the Old Market Lofts. I was really excited about these because I thought it would be awesome to live to close to work and be right there on the downtown action. I sent in my 'whats available?' card and noted that I was not willing to spend more than $800 on rent each month. I walk in and first of all the girl did not even introduce herself to me - she just started asking me questions about how I heard about the place (as if the giant brick building that says "OLD MARKET LOFTS" isnt enough) and so on and so forth. Then she takes me on a tour and only speaks if I ask her a question. Well thats helpful. The first apartment she shows me is $850...ok, pretty sure thats not what I wanted. The kitchen was the size of a walk-in closet and the bedroom could maybe fit my bed and a small table...maybe. The next one she says she is going to show me is $950. Oh, great! Its only $150 more than what I told them I was willing to spend, no big deal. So needless to say that did not work out.
I was so frustrated after that visit that I went over to the Johnson's and played drinking SVU with Kelcy. I find that whenever life gets you down it is always best to play a drinking game while watching your favorite drama on TBS. After that I had absolutely no motivation to look at apartments in person so I have now resorted to asking my friends to do it for me. Oddly enough no one has signed up to find me an apartment. Until I find the one place that I can call home I am sure there will be more stories to affirm how nutso this process is.
The first place I went was the Old Market Lofts. I was really excited about these because I thought it would be awesome to live to close to work and be right there on the downtown action. I sent in my 'whats available?' card and noted that I was not willing to spend more than $800 on rent each month. I walk in and first of all the girl did not even introduce herself to me - she just started asking me questions about how I heard about the place (as if the giant brick building that says "OLD MARKET LOFTS" isnt enough) and so on and so forth. Then she takes me on a tour and only speaks if I ask her a question. Well thats helpful. The first apartment she shows me is $850...ok, pretty sure thats not what I wanted. The kitchen was the size of a walk-in closet and the bedroom could maybe fit my bed and a small table...maybe. The next one she says she is going to show me is $950. Oh, great! Its only $150 more than what I told them I was willing to spend, no big deal. So needless to say that did not work out.
I was so frustrated after that visit that I went over to the Johnson's and played drinking SVU with Kelcy. I find that whenever life gets you down it is always best to play a drinking game while watching your favorite drama on TBS. After that I had absolutely no motivation to look at apartments in person so I have now resorted to asking my friends to do it for me. Oddly enough no one has signed up to find me an apartment. Until I find the one place that I can call home I am sure there will be more stories to affirm how nutso this process is.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
In the event of a water landing...
So the other day I had finally reached my breaking point with a friend of mine...we shall call him Murray because I think thats a funny name. I had been blown off for the 3rd time in a week and it all just exploded when I got the last 'I cant make it' text. At the epitome of my frustration my friend Jo came into the picture and let me vent. God really knew what he was doing when he created the patient friends who allow you to just vent all your frustrations and sort it out before you go nutso. So I told her the story of my day and all she said was...
"Kailey, he is like the Titanic. The best thing to do is put on your fur coat and hop on the last boat out of there"
Funny how a bit of advice meant in jest could actually put everything into perspective! Murray is my Titanic. He was great and wonderful at first and all I wanted was to be a part of his allurement. Everything was great until we hit that damn iceberg. However, much like the Titanic, it was unavoidable. It was a big, looming iceberg that in the back of our minds always knew could appear without warning - we just always hoped our friendship would be stronger. The damage was done, but we kept on trucking and I truly believed that we could still stay afloat. Even when the water was rushing in around my feet I STILL thought we would be ok. I held on as long as I possibly could and refused to give up - that is, until I realized that all my efforts to save the sinking ship were useless. I heard the call for the last rescue boat so I grabbed what I had left of my pride and paddled away.
Its hard to leave something you always thought was so strong and reliable. Its even harder to realize that there was nothing you could have done to save it. So while I will always have the memories of that magical trip, I also have the ability to paddle away with my head held high and knowing that a ship, whether it be friend or cruise, is only as strong as you build it to be.
"Kailey, he is like the Titanic. The best thing to do is put on your fur coat and hop on the last boat out of there"
Funny how a bit of advice meant in jest could actually put everything into perspective! Murray is my Titanic. He was great and wonderful at first and all I wanted was to be a part of his allurement. Everything was great until we hit that damn iceberg. However, much like the Titanic, it was unavoidable. It was a big, looming iceberg that in the back of our minds always knew could appear without warning - we just always hoped our friendship would be stronger. The damage was done, but we kept on trucking and I truly believed that we could still stay afloat. Even when the water was rushing in around my feet I STILL thought we would be ok. I held on as long as I possibly could and refused to give up - that is, until I realized that all my efforts to save the sinking ship were useless. I heard the call for the last rescue boat so I grabbed what I had left of my pride and paddled away.
Its hard to leave something you always thought was so strong and reliable. Its even harder to realize that there was nothing you could have done to save it. So while I will always have the memories of that magical trip, I also have the ability to paddle away with my head held high and knowing that a ship, whether it be friend or cruise, is only as strong as you build it to be.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
All work and no play makes Kailey just plain crazy.
Snow days. I used to live for them in school and I was a little excited to hear we got to leave early from work last night. However, I have been in the house now for over 24 hours straight and I may lose my mind. Snow days were fun because you got to at least go out and see friends or family. The latest snow days are horrible because I am literally stuck inside my house.
The drifts are up to my waist, the driveway is just as bad. There is no sign of a plow and I ate my last hot pocket an hour ago. This morning I was optimistic about being able to drive. It appeared that the streets in my neighborhood had been plowed enough to drive on, but my driveway was a completely different story. Right in front of my garage door was 8 inches high and it only got higher as you went down the driveway because its a hill. That didn't bother me though because all I cared about was getting to work on time. So I warmed up my car and planned my attack inside. After running through a couple of ideas in my head I finally decided that my best plan would be to throw my car into reverse and hit ramming speed. Bad idea. I made it about half way down the driveway and got stuck - hmm how did I not see that coming?
So I dug myself out enough to come back into the garage and admitted defeat. I worked from home, at least what I could do, and watched movies all day. Normally I would call this a perfect day, but knowing that I cant leave when I want is whats driving me nuts.
Ive updated my Itunes, I paid my bills, I caught up on all the news and I watched all my Netflix. I surrender snow. Please go away so I can have human interaction.
What are YOU doing to beat cabin fever?
The drifts are up to my waist, the driveway is just as bad. There is no sign of a plow and I ate my last hot pocket an hour ago. This morning I was optimistic about being able to drive. It appeared that the streets in my neighborhood had been plowed enough to drive on, but my driveway was a completely different story. Right in front of my garage door was 8 inches high and it only got higher as you went down the driveway because its a hill. That didn't bother me though because all I cared about was getting to work on time. So I warmed up my car and planned my attack inside. After running through a couple of ideas in my head I finally decided that my best plan would be to throw my car into reverse and hit ramming speed. Bad idea. I made it about half way down the driveway and got stuck - hmm how did I not see that coming?
So I dug myself out enough to come back into the garage and admitted defeat. I worked from home, at least what I could do, and watched movies all day. Normally I would call this a perfect day, but knowing that I cant leave when I want is whats driving me nuts.
Ive updated my Itunes, I paid my bills, I caught up on all the news and I watched all my Netflix. I surrender snow. Please go away so I can have human interaction.
What are YOU doing to beat cabin fever?
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Guilty as Charged
We all have at least one and sometimes its too embarrassing to talk about. I'm talking about the guilty pleasure. We call them guilty pleasures because we are embarrassed by them or we feel people will judge us for taking up an interest in whatever it is. I personally think that we should be proud of the things that embarass us, it shows a great amount of courage. So with that said, below are my top five guilty pleasures in no particular order:
1) Lady GaGa
I don't care what anyone says, her music is catchy and fun. Granted she looks like a living Picasso painting half the time, but thats part of her 'wow' factor. Would I listen to her if she wore knee length skirts with turtlenecks? Definitely. The girl has a set of pipes that put most budding pop starlets to shame.
2) Broadway
I love to sing it, watch it, review it, and study it. I saw my first Broadway show in grade school and I was smitten. There is just something about live theater that is so powerful and emotional. It is all orchestrated to tell a beautiful story and does so in song, dance, and dialog. And for that, I give my regards to Broadway.
3) Organizing
I guess this one doesn't make me feel guilty so much as awesome. I love to organize. I organize my closet by color, I organize my drawers by category, I even organize my DVDs alphabetically. Some call it anal retentive, I just call it solid knowledge of my belongings. I would like to think that I have my desire to organize anything in sight under control, but the other day I found myself organizing my Skittles by color. Tales of an anal retentive spinster continue...
4) My Snuggie
Ah the backwards bathrobe, the blanket with sleeves, the worst invention of the millennium. I've heard it all and then some, but I still insisted on buying one. That little blanket is amazing! Granted you go from comfortable to the brink of a heat stroke in 2 minutes, but who cares? At least you can die in a head to toe blanket of softness. They make snuggies for dogs now, but I am 99.9% sure that Twoky would hate me more than he already does if I bought him one. I mean come one, look how happy the dog below is:
5) Cheese
I would put cheese on anything. I mean anything. In a moment of weakness I once bought a block of Colby Jack cheese and ate it like a candy bar. Judge all you want, I am not afraid to admit that. Im not sure where my love of cheese came from honestly; maybe it was that trip to Chuck E. Cheese when I was younger, or my love for the game Mousetrap. Either way, its one food you will always see in my fridge no matter what.
What are YOUR guilty pleasures?
1) Lady GaGa
I don't care what anyone says, her music is catchy and fun. Granted she looks like a living Picasso painting half the time, but thats part of her 'wow' factor. Would I listen to her if she wore knee length skirts with turtlenecks? Definitely. The girl has a set of pipes that put most budding pop starlets to shame.
2) Broadway
I love to sing it, watch it, review it, and study it. I saw my first Broadway show in grade school and I was smitten. There is just something about live theater that is so powerful and emotional. It is all orchestrated to tell a beautiful story and does so in song, dance, and dialog. And for that, I give my regards to Broadway.
3) Organizing
I guess this one doesn't make me feel guilty so much as awesome. I love to organize. I organize my closet by color, I organize my drawers by category, I even organize my DVDs alphabetically. Some call it anal retentive, I just call it solid knowledge of my belongings. I would like to think that I have my desire to organize anything in sight under control, but the other day I found myself organizing my Skittles by color. Tales of an anal retentive spinster continue...
4) My Snuggie
Ah the backwards bathrobe, the blanket with sleeves, the worst invention of the millennium. I've heard it all and then some, but I still insisted on buying one. That little blanket is amazing! Granted you go from comfortable to the brink of a heat stroke in 2 minutes, but who cares? At least you can die in a head to toe blanket of softness. They make snuggies for dogs now, but I am 99.9% sure that Twoky would hate me more than he already does if I bought him one. I mean come one, look how happy the dog below is:
5) Cheese
I would put cheese on anything. I mean anything. In a moment of weakness I once bought a block of Colby Jack cheese and ate it like a candy bar. Judge all you want, I am not afraid to admit that. Im not sure where my love of cheese came from honestly; maybe it was that trip to Chuck E. Cheese when I was younger, or my love for the game Mousetrap. Either way, its one food you will always see in my fridge no matter what.
What are YOUR guilty pleasures?
Monday, November 30, 2009
Professional Driver, Closed Course
So today I mark on my calendar as the day I joined the blogging world. I have gotten used to pulling out the old Royal Standard and carefully plucking each letter, word, and sentence (a typo would be catastrophic). My friend informed me that you can in fact create your own webpage and people actually visit it to view your thoughts. Ingenious!
So I bring you Chaotic Wonderment. It did not take me long to think of the name because it sums up my life quiet perfectly: crazy and made up as I go. Wonderment technically isn't a word but I couldn't describe my life with a boring old word pulled from Mr. Webster's book. No, I needed something wonderful and amazing all at the same time. Looking back at the past 5, 10, 20 years and seeing the crazy, mixed-up twists and turns I took to get where I am left me with a sense I could only describe as wonderment.
So enjoy.
So I bring you Chaotic Wonderment. It did not take me long to think of the name because it sums up my life quiet perfectly: crazy and made up as I go. Wonderment technically isn't a word but I couldn't describe my life with a boring old word pulled from Mr. Webster's book. No, I needed something wonderful and amazing all at the same time. Looking back at the past 5, 10, 20 years and seeing the crazy, mixed-up twists and turns I took to get where I am left me with a sense I could only describe as wonderment.
So enjoy.
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