I'm getting ready to go to a funeral for a woman who was very much loved. Sadly, I didn't have the time to get to know her as well as I would have liked before her time ended, but she was a very kind woman.
This morning, as I sit here pondering life before leaving for Mustang for the service, I've been thinking about life. We often say it, but then we forget it when we get wrapped up in the everyday drudgery -- life is too short to not enjoy each and every single moment.
Instead of being annoyed by delayed planes and airport layovers, I need to sit back and take advantage of that down time -- time during which I could read, people watch, talk to a friend, blog, or do any other number of things. Sure, I'd rather be at home, but airports can be relaxing. Instead of being irritated about being stuck in traffic, I need to roll down the windows, open the sunroof, turn up the radio, and sing like a rockstar, enjoying the moment to relax.
There is so much that's beautiful in this life. It's too short to be angry. It's too short to hold grudges. It's too short to take things for granted. And, perhaps most of all, it's too short to not tell the people we love that we love them.
I'm going to try to be a better person. I'm going to try to relax more and worry less...to enjoy more and hurry less...to give more and take less. To forgive more...to experience more...to be more thankful. And, above all, to love more.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Idiots? Underpaid? Or Just Don't Care?
While I'm by no means a world traveler, I have flown quite a bit in the US -- mostly for work, but for some pleasure, too. If possible, I've tried to fly without checking my luggage, but with all of the new TSA rules (thanks, idiot terrorists), it's nearly impossible to carry on everything you need for more than a day or two. So, I typically end up checking my bag(s). After my most recent trip (last week to Vegas), I've reached a conclusion: I will never again spend good money on nice luggage -- from now on, I'll buy the cheap crap and call it good.
Back in May, as I was preparing to leave for Aspen for a week, I realized that I needed a bigger suitcase. I spent some time shopping around and, after quite a bit of searching, found a very nice suitcase at Tuesday Morning. I paid nearly $100 for it, but with all thngs at Tuesday Morning, it retailed for significantly more -- I think it was somewhere around $300 -- for just one bag. My thought was that it was a good quality bag that would last me for a while. Well, the airlines have taught me differently.
After a trip to Aspen and a trip to Vegas, my bag looks like it's been around the world six times. During the first trip, the airlines managed to get quite a bit of grease all over the front. After my most recent trip, I found more grease and a huge snag on the back, and this evening, discovered that the zipper pulls have been ripped off of the big front pocket. I didn't realize this, of course, until I'd been home for two days -- which is about 44 hours too long to make a claim. I'm SO angry!
I guess that I should be thankful that it wasn't searched (not because I was hiding anything, but because I don't really like the idea of people rifling though my lingerie), it wasn't completely ruined, and it wasn't lost. It still irritates me, though. While sitting on the plane in Las Vegas and again in Denver, I watched our bags being loaded. Conversely, I watched them being unloaded while we were stuck on the tarmac in OKC. What I noticed is that the luggage handlers are either idiots, are underpaid, or just flat don't give a damn about doing a decent job.
Perhaps the airlines (and yes, it was two different airlines who beat the crap out of my suitcase) should spend a little more money on salaries for these handlers, offer them more training, or weed out the idiots. I can essentially guarantee that the money they spend working to resolve the issues on the end of the handlers will more than pay for itself with the money that they have to shell out for lost and/or damaged luggage. And, it would make customers a whole lot happier.
For the record, when I discovered the ruined zippers this evening, I checked Southwest's policy -- to make a claim, I needed to do so, in person, within four hours of my flight's arrival. I'm still going to attempt to make a claim, but I doubt that I'll get far. I do know this -- I will NEVER AGAIN leave the airport without throughly examining my luggage.
Back in May, as I was preparing to leave for Aspen for a week, I realized that I needed a bigger suitcase. I spent some time shopping around and, after quite a bit of searching, found a very nice suitcase at Tuesday Morning. I paid nearly $100 for it, but with all thngs at Tuesday Morning, it retailed for significantly more -- I think it was somewhere around $300 -- for just one bag. My thought was that it was a good quality bag that would last me for a while. Well, the airlines have taught me differently.
After a trip to Aspen and a trip to Vegas, my bag looks like it's been around the world six times. During the first trip, the airlines managed to get quite a bit of grease all over the front. After my most recent trip, I found more grease and a huge snag on the back, and this evening, discovered that the zipper pulls have been ripped off of the big front pocket. I didn't realize this, of course, until I'd been home for two days -- which is about 44 hours too long to make a claim. I'm SO angry!
I guess that I should be thankful that it wasn't searched (not because I was hiding anything, but because I don't really like the idea of people rifling though my lingerie), it wasn't completely ruined, and it wasn't lost. It still irritates me, though. While sitting on the plane in Las Vegas and again in Denver, I watched our bags being loaded. Conversely, I watched them being unloaded while we were stuck on the tarmac in OKC. What I noticed is that the luggage handlers are either idiots, are underpaid, or just flat don't give a damn about doing a decent job.
Perhaps the airlines (and yes, it was two different airlines who beat the crap out of my suitcase) should spend a little more money on salaries for these handlers, offer them more training, or weed out the idiots. I can essentially guarantee that the money they spend working to resolve the issues on the end of the handlers will more than pay for itself with the money that they have to shell out for lost and/or damaged luggage. And, it would make customers a whole lot happier.
For the record, when I discovered the ruined zippers this evening, I checked Southwest's policy -- to make a claim, I needed to do so, in person, within four hours of my flight's arrival. I'm still going to attempt to make a claim, but I doubt that I'll get far. I do know this -- I will NEVER AGAIN leave the airport without throughly examining my luggage.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
An Epiphany
I try my best to be a good person and a good friend. While I'm the first to admit that I'm not always perfect, I do my best to remember things and dates that are important to those I love and try to make a point to see my friends if I'm near their homes, especially if I haven't seen them in a long time.
Even though I've got the best of intention, I do sometimes forget these things because of everyday life. I don't mean to and know that it's simple for things to slip my mind when I'm busy -- everyone has a lot of things on their minds. Why, then, does it upset me and make me feel less-than-loved and less-than-important when people I love either essentially forget my birthday or can't be bothered to call me when they're vacationing less than five miles from my house? After some serious thought, I've come to the conclusion has to do with the fact that my father, who no longer really plays a role in my life, did these things to me frequently when we still talked -- he would be just miles from my house, but wouldn't come see me, and nearly every summer, he forgot my birthday -- no present, no card, and usually, not even a phone call. Every time, it hurt me and made me feel like I didn't matter...at all. And, even though I fight feeling the same way when someone I love accidentally does the same thing to me, it still tends to creep up and rear its ugly head.
It makes me feel so incredibly immature to have these feelings. I'm an adult. My birthday is just another day and I don't need presents or a big celebration. Vacations are a time for resting and relaxing and I'm not so important that I need to be included.
Okay...enough brooding and feeling sorry for myself. I'm going to go take a nap because I think some sleep will really help me. I was in Vegas part of last week and most of this week for work and I got very little sleep. Since coming home, I'm still been, oddly, too keyed up to sleep well. A nap should help me shake these stupid feelints and get on with my life.
Even though I've got the best of intention, I do sometimes forget these things because of everyday life. I don't mean to and know that it's simple for things to slip my mind when I'm busy -- everyone has a lot of things on their minds. Why, then, does it upset me and make me feel less-than-loved and less-than-important when people I love either essentially forget my birthday or can't be bothered to call me when they're vacationing less than five miles from my house? After some serious thought, I've come to the conclusion has to do with the fact that my father, who no longer really plays a role in my life, did these things to me frequently when we still talked -- he would be just miles from my house, but wouldn't come see me, and nearly every summer, he forgot my birthday -- no present, no card, and usually, not even a phone call. Every time, it hurt me and made me feel like I didn't matter...at all. And, even though I fight feeling the same way when someone I love accidentally does the same thing to me, it still tends to creep up and rear its ugly head.
Okay...enough brooding and feeling sorry for myself. I'm going to go take a nap because I think some sleep will really help me. I was in Vegas part of last week and most of this week for work and I got very little sleep. Since coming home, I'm still been, oddly, too keyed up to sleep well. A nap should help me shake these stupid feelints and get on with my life.
Friday, July 10, 2009
31 Things to Love at 31
So, I hijacked this idea from my friend Tree's blog. She recently posted 31 things that she loves at 31 and I decided to do the same thing. I wanted to post it actually ON my birthday earlier this week, but things were hectic because I was in Las Vegas for work. So, even though it's a few days late, without further ado, here's my list:
Disc Golf – especially playing with Jason
The Beatles
Going to the lake
Baking and cooking – especially for other people
Tess and Tanner
Friends
Family
My guy
Shaken black iced tea from Starbucks
Afternoon naps
Good surprises
Lazy Sundays
Hugs
Downy Wrinkle Releaser
Fit-Flops
Pedicures
Purses
The smell of rain
Gummi Bears (even though I rarely, if ever, eat them anymore)
Japanese Steak Houses – especially Sumo in Edmond
IMing
July 4th (and, yes, my birthday the next day)
Baths
Clean sheets
Post-it Notes
The peacefulness found only in early mornings
Bio-Freeze
My awesome pink and black sunglasses
Seeing rainbows
Getting cards in the mail
Celebrating anything with my friends
Disc Golf – especially playing with Jason
The Beatles
Going to the lake
Baking and cooking – especially for other people
Tess and Tanner
Friends
Family
My guy
Shaken black iced tea from Starbucks
Afternoon naps
Good surprises
Lazy Sundays
Hugs
Downy Wrinkle Releaser
Fit-Flops
Pedicures
Purses
The smell of rain
Gummi Bears (even though I rarely, if ever, eat them anymore)
Japanese Steak Houses – especially Sumo in Edmond
IMing
July 4th (and, yes, my birthday the next day)
Baths
Clean sheets
Post-it Notes
The peacefulness found only in early mornings
Bio-Freeze
My awesome pink and black sunglasses
Seeing rainbows
Getting cards in the mail
Celebrating anything with my friends
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