I've had some "interesting" Christmases in recent years. One year I started editing some video and found that the day passed in a blink before I knew it. There have been a few years where I've been recovering from this or that - I refer to one year in particular as the "Lost" Christmas because I don't remember anything from that week.
To be honest, I wouldn't mind NOT remembering yesterday. It was a grueling, up and down, one step forward two steps back kind of a day that didn't end until well after midnight. It didn't have anything to do with romantic notions of families gathered around a table or a fire, or kids waking early to get down to the Christmas tree to see if Santa had visited, or with the religious aspects of the day. I negotiated with the airlines to try to get to the East Coast ahead of the winter storm and found myself involved in a day that tested patience, creativity, luck, trust, and resolve. I found myself routed and re-routed to avoid Atlanta, first through Miami and later through Charlotte. I got on planes only to be told that the plane was broken and then filing off again. Not once - but twice. I sat on a plane for almost two hours before we left the gate to be de-iced. In North Carolina, of all places. It was stressful, taxing, frustrating, but ultimately what I'll remember is being greeted by a smiling face that made it all worth it.
I won't have much to say on things over the next few days as I've made a point of keeping certain aspects of my life private. But I've started my annual purge - of things and people in my life. I culled the contact list on my phone - including my ex-. I'm doing some personal end-of-year cleaning of things that seem to pile up all year long.
One thing that kept me sane yesterday was editing some of the photos that I scanned when I was visiting my mom. I scanned a few dozen photos of my son, of me, of my wedding, of my family - it was a much needed walk down memory lane to keep myself from getting too wrapped up in the events of the day.
I may make a slideshow of some of them. We'll see.
For now, I'm enjoying my time here. Today was much more like traditional Christmas for me. It was worth the trip. :)
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Friday, December 24, 2010
Family Xmas
Last year on this day it was snowing like crazy here in Dallas. This year it was chilly but not cold enough to snow so all we got was rain. Lots of rain. But not enough to dampen the Holiday spirit.
I had an enjoyable day with my mom. We ate breakfast out together and I ran some errands with her (swhe bought tickets to the Senior Center New Year's Eve Dance - so cute!). We looked through a box of photographs she found in her closet and reminisced for a while. I made salmon for dinner.
I wish I could say that everything was calm but I'm feeling a level of anxiety at the moment regarding the next step of my Holiday travels. I was originally supposed to fly east tomorrow afternoon to visit a certain someone, and even received an email from Delta yesterday indicating that I had been upgraded to First Class. My happiness was short-lived, however, as a subsequent email indicated that my flights had been cancelled. Well, I've since received notification that my re-booked flights have been cancelled too and I've been re-re-booked on a flight that leaves here at an unGodly early hour on Monday. It might just be the earliest that I've ever been booked on a flight but in this case it's probably a good thing as nobody in their right mind will be at the airport. I'm told the the problem is due to wintry weather in Atlanta although I've got more than a sneaking suspicion that it's because they didn't have enough passengers to make it worth their while. Either way, all I can do is hope that things go smoothly on Monday. The good news is that I get to spend a little more time with mom which is something that's fairly rare. So I'm not complaining too much, but still....
I drove down to Austin early yesterday and spent the middle of the day with my Son and puppies. We had a similarly wonderful visit except that I left a couple of things there that he needs to mail back to me now. It was great to see him and the pups. The pups couldn't get enough playtime - it was crazy.
Tonight I've been scanning some of the photos that we looked at this afternoon. There are some photos of my grandmother when she was a youngster, some of my dad, some of me, some of Andy - kind of fun. I don't have most of them so I've been enjoying this.
I had an enjoyable day with my mom. We ate breakfast out together and I ran some errands with her (swhe bought tickets to the Senior Center New Year's Eve Dance - so cute!). We looked through a box of photographs she found in her closet and reminisced for a while. I made salmon for dinner.
I wish I could say that everything was calm but I'm feeling a level of anxiety at the moment regarding the next step of my Holiday travels. I was originally supposed to fly east tomorrow afternoon to visit a certain someone, and even received an email from Delta yesterday indicating that I had been upgraded to First Class. My happiness was short-lived, however, as a subsequent email indicated that my flights had been cancelled. Well, I've since received notification that my re-booked flights have been cancelled too and I've been re-re-booked on a flight that leaves here at an unGodly early hour on Monday. It might just be the earliest that I've ever been booked on a flight but in this case it's probably a good thing as nobody in their right mind will be at the airport. I'm told the the problem is due to wintry weather in Atlanta although I've got more than a sneaking suspicion that it's because they didn't have enough passengers to make it worth their while. Either way, all I can do is hope that things go smoothly on Monday. The good news is that I get to spend a little more time with mom which is something that's fairly rare. So I'm not complaining too much, but still....
I drove down to Austin early yesterday and spent the middle of the day with my Son and puppies. We had a similarly wonderful visit except that I left a couple of things there that he needs to mail back to me now. It was great to see him and the pups. The pups couldn't get enough playtime - it was crazy.
Tonight I've been scanning some of the photos that we looked at this afternoon. There are some photos of my grandmother when she was a youngster, some of my dad, some of me, some of Andy - kind of fun. I don't have most of them so I've been enjoying this.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Xmas Eve Eve
Two years ago I arrived in Dallas the day after Xmas and it was lovely. Last year I got to Dallas on Christmas eve and it was snowing like crazy. The year, thankfully, I arrive into Dallas in mild weather again. I appreciate that there are people who enjoy the romanticism of a traditionally white Christmas and I can be one of those people - so long as I'm not traveling.
I was up at 4am yesterday to make it to the airport for my flights. It was my first experience with Harrisburg being my "home" airport and everything went fine. I think I beat the Holiday rush by a bit and things weren't too crazy. The planes were full but other than that I was both happy and relieved to land in Dallas and see mom's friendly face there.
We had a very pleasant day. She had some errands to run so I helped with that. We had a nice dinner at Outback. We even ended up at the mall last night and I can't say the same thing about avoiding craziness about that. The parking lot was insane and I wouldn't be surprised if there are still people there (a) looking for their cars or (b) still stuck trying to get out. Yeesh.
In the bigger picture the President signed the repeal of DADT in Washington DC yesterday and needless to say I'm thrilled about that. Several of my friends were there to attend the signing but honestly, I wouldn't have gone back to participate even if I could. I recognize the historic nature and I'm sure it would have been a thrill but I'm very clear about where my priorities are right now and having the opportunity to spend time with Family and special friends over the Holidays is time that is non-negotiable.
Speaking of family - it's 6am as I type this and I'm about to get ready to hop in the shower before driving down to Austin to spend the day with my son. The traffic on I-35 can be horrible, especially near the outlet center about 60 miles from here, so I'm going to try to beat the worst of the traffic today. We'll see. I'm just looking forward to seeing him, to having a chance to hang for a while, and to spending some time with the dogs. I'm sure I'll have something to share about it a little later.
As for now - onwards. It's Christmas Eve Eve. So much to do - so little time. :)
 |
| Mom and Me |
We had a very pleasant day. She had some errands to run so I helped with that. We had a nice dinner at Outback. We even ended up at the mall last night and I can't say the same thing about avoiding craziness about that. The parking lot was insane and I wouldn't be surprised if there are still people there (a) looking for their cars or (b) still stuck trying to get out. Yeesh.
In the bigger picture the President signed the repeal of DADT in Washington DC yesterday and needless to say I'm thrilled about that. Several of my friends were there to attend the signing but honestly, I wouldn't have gone back to participate even if I could. I recognize the historic nature and I'm sure it would have been a thrill but I'm very clear about where my priorities are right now and having the opportunity to spend time with Family and special friends over the Holidays is time that is non-negotiable.
Speaking of family - it's 6am as I type this and I'm about to get ready to hop in the shower before driving down to Austin to spend the day with my son. The traffic on I-35 can be horrible, especially near the outlet center about 60 miles from here, so I'm going to try to beat the worst of the traffic today. We'll see. I'm just looking forward to seeing him, to having a chance to hang for a while, and to spending some time with the dogs. I'm sure I'll have something to share about it a little later.
As for now - onwards. It's Christmas Eve Eve. So much to do - so little time. :)
Monday, December 20, 2010
More Home Stretch
There was a time standing in line outside the White House on Saturday night when all I wanted to do was leave. I was freezing - absolutely positively freezing. In recent years I've become aware of a circulatory issue I've got and although I've had bouts with it before nothing approached what happened in line that night. I was actually a bit concerned for a while. Thank God I had a chance to stand in a hotel across the street for a few minutes to warm up.
I spoke with a few friends today that I've known for several years. One of the best parts of being involved with the community for a while is watching friends "blossom" in their lives and then move on. Still, the unique bond that gets formed doesn't get dulled over time or distance. It was nice to catch up with my friends - it sounds like everyone is doing ok.
I've also done some thinking about how long I've been doing this blog. It will be 7 years in April. Seven friggin' years. I was looking back at some of my earlier entries, especially at some of the photos that are embedded in there. I've seen blogs come and go, people come and go, and still here I am. Crazy. Just as I've watched others "grow up" and move on so too have I watched myself change and move to various adventures in my life through my writing here.
One of my goals for the Holidays is to finally replace my website with the new version that has been out there for a while (see it here). It's time for it to evolve to whatever comes next.
I watched the 4th quarter of the Giants/Eagles game yesterday. It was wild. All I can say is that I'm glad I wasn't emotionally invested in who won. But it sure was exciting.
Tonight they say there's a full lunar eclipse. I'm sure THAT will be exciting. Or not. I dunno - I'm just not seeing the excitement in this. Let's just say it's after midnight as I type this but I'm hoping to be sleeping by the time it happens.
With that - time for bed. Tomorrow is another day. :)
I spoke with a few friends today that I've known for several years. One of the best parts of being involved with the community for a while is watching friends "blossom" in their lives and then move on. Still, the unique bond that gets formed doesn't get dulled over time or distance. It was nice to catch up with my friends - it sounds like everyone is doing ok.
I've also done some thinking about how long I've been doing this blog. It will be 7 years in April. Seven friggin' years. I was looking back at some of my earlier entries, especially at some of the photos that are embedded in there. I've seen blogs come and go, people come and go, and still here I am. Crazy. Just as I've watched others "grow up" and move on so too have I watched myself change and move to various adventures in my life through my writing here.
One of my goals for the Holidays is to finally replace my website with the new version that has been out there for a while (see it here). It's time for it to evolve to whatever comes next.
I watched the 4th quarter of the Giants/Eagles game yesterday. It was wild. All I can say is that I'm glad I wasn't emotionally invested in who won. But it sure was exciting.
Tonight they say there's a full lunar eclipse. I'm sure THAT will be exciting. Or not. I dunno - I'm just not seeing the excitement in this. Let's just say it's after midnight as I type this but I'm hoping to be sleeping by the time it happens.
With that - time for bed. Tomorrow is another day. :)
Home Stretch
So here we are - the last couple of weeks of the year. That's just crazy. Last night was the last relatively "quiet" night I'll have for a while so I took some time to actually enjoy it.
The highlight of the past several days was a quick trip to DC for a White House Holiday event. The place certainly does get dressed up for Christmas. Even better in my world was the opportunity to share it with a certain someone - that was truly the highlight. But the lowlight was absolutely freezing in line waiting to get through the security checkpoints. I've got circulation issues in fingers and toes that have gotten worse over time so this was the first time I can remember in my entire life where a finger froze to the point of not being able to move it. Ouch. It's still sore, two days later...
Of course, the broader highlight was the festive mood thanks to (a) the general spirit of the Season and (b) the historic repeal of DADT earlier in the day. I'm absolutely thrilled that this stupid, ridiculous policy is a thing of the past and hope that it provides a learning opportunity for the future. Most significant, tho, is the fact that it's the first piece of stand-alone LGBT legislation to pass both Houses and garnered bi-partisan support. Given the logjam in Congress these days it's a small Christmas miracle and I, for one, have to admit that it was a very pleasant surprise. I actually started to believe during a DADT conference call w/ the White House on Friday where they made it sound like it might actually happen. Raising expectations like that can have significant backlash if the outcome doesn't come to pass. Thankfully, this time it did. Congratulations to the President, to all who supported it, and to the broader community for activating and engaging.
As for those who don't perceive this as a good thing, the Politically Correct portion of my being says that I respect their right to have an opinion even though the overwhelming evidence indicates that it was time for what happened to happen. But my more authentic reaction is one of satisfaction and I suppose it shows a childish component to my personality to admit that the more vehemently they protest the more satisfied I feel. One blogger wrote that this was part of the Democrats "War Agains Christianity". Ugh. And another noted the blasphemous nature of doing this during the same week as the "Birth of Christ". It's the end of another battle in this culture war we're fighting and despite threats and condemnations to the contrary it's all over but the crying...
Here's another: the repeal of DADT "will usher in a sea-change of pro-homosexual political correctness — not just on our Armed Forces, but on the rest of society, as a Brave, New, ‘Gay’-affirming Military will be held up as the new 'civil rights' paradigm for the rest of America (God help us)."
I refuse to put links here to the hateful stuff. I don't want to provide whatever additional credibility or visibility to them. One wrote that "the joy has been taken out of the Holidays". I'm not sorry about that. She says that normalizing gays and lesbians is part of the "pornification of our culture". She warns of "hell to pay" in the 2012 elections for anyone who supported it. Yawn. Another writes: "How can you possibly be allowing for the flamboyancy of effeminate male soldiers to engage in sexual conduct and their notorious ever wandering lust for the new...?". Yawn again. One last example of The-Sky-Is-Falling mentality: "Rarely can you point to a moment in time when a nation consigned itself to the scrap heap of history. Today, when the Senate normalized sexual perversion in the military, was that moment for the United States. If historians want a fixed marker pointing to the instant the United States sealed its own demise, they just found it." Actually - No.
On to other topics: Another highlight in my world - my son turned 25 years old yesterday. I wished him a Happy Birthday, and I'm thrilled that I'll have the opportunity to celebrate it with him in person later in the week.
I recorded a little ditty late last week so I'll include it here.
Ha-Ha-Happy Holidays!
I mentioned the craziness that's upcoming in my world. Here's a taste:
I'll be here today and tomorrow. The schedule is busy finishing up with things that need completion for the end of the year. Lots of tying up loose ends. I've also got lots of packing to do.
I fly out of here at 6am on Wednesday. Destination: Dallas, to spend Xmas with my mom. I arrive mid-day. I flew into Dallas last year on Christmas eve and it was snowing like nobody's business. The extended forecast seems to indicate a much more hospitable welcome this year with highs in the 70's.
I should note that flying on the Holidays can sometimes be painful. The headline at USA Today.com this morning is all about the pain of delays (read it here). I can only control getting to the airport on time, finding patience, and hoping that everything goes smoothly. I'll do my best in all three regards.
On Thursday I'll drive down to Austin and spend the day with my son. I also get to spend some quality time with the pups - I haven't seen them since May and I'm very much looking forward to sharing some loving with 'em. And, of course, son and I will celebrate his birthday as well as Xmas.
I'll spend Xmas eve with mom. She says she wants Salmon for dinner so that's a wish that's easy to make come true. Salmon with a pesto butter sauce - yumm....
On Christmas Day I've got an afternoon flight out of Dallas to an undisclosed location to spend some time with an undisclosed special someone. I really don't have more to say about it than that.
Shortly after the New Year I've got a trip to head back to Arizona for a few days to take care of business back there. Although I have no idea how the logistics of it all will work themselves out (they always somehow do) I miss dear friends there and am looking forward to seeing everyone even though it'll only be a short visit.
And by that time, it'll already be the middle of January.
I suppose the bottom line to all of this is that there's lots going on, I'm doing well, and I look forward to next year already! Bring it on.
One more thing - a friend and I went to see Tron in 3D on Saturday. I'll admit I was pleasantly surprised. I enjoyed it. Not that it was any earth-shattering in any particular way but it was just fun, visually interesting, story was convoluted but not horrible, and the characters were well cast. As I say - all things considered, I enjoyed it.
All that said - time to get busy. So much to do - so little time.
Of course, the broader highlight was the festive mood thanks to (a) the general spirit of the Season and (b) the historic repeal of DADT earlier in the day. I'm absolutely thrilled that this stupid, ridiculous policy is a thing of the past and hope that it provides a learning opportunity for the future. Most significant, tho, is the fact that it's the first piece of stand-alone LGBT legislation to pass both Houses and garnered bi-partisan support. Given the logjam in Congress these days it's a small Christmas miracle and I, for one, have to admit that it was a very pleasant surprise. I actually started to believe during a DADT conference call w/ the White House on Friday where they made it sound like it might actually happen. Raising expectations like that can have significant backlash if the outcome doesn't come to pass. Thankfully, this time it did. Congratulations to the President, to all who supported it, and to the broader community for activating and engaging.
As for those who don't perceive this as a good thing, the Politically Correct portion of my being says that I respect their right to have an opinion even though the overwhelming evidence indicates that it was time for what happened to happen. But my more authentic reaction is one of satisfaction and I suppose it shows a childish component to my personality to admit that the more vehemently they protest the more satisfied I feel. One blogger wrote that this was part of the Democrats "War Agains Christianity". Ugh. And another noted the blasphemous nature of doing this during the same week as the "Birth of Christ". It's the end of another battle in this culture war we're fighting and despite threats and condemnations to the contrary it's all over but the crying...
Here's another: the repeal of DADT "will usher in a sea-change of pro-homosexual political correctness — not just on our Armed Forces, but on the rest of society, as a Brave, New, ‘Gay’-affirming Military will be held up as the new 'civil rights' paradigm for the rest of America (God help us)."
I refuse to put links here to the hateful stuff. I don't want to provide whatever additional credibility or visibility to them. One wrote that "the joy has been taken out of the Holidays". I'm not sorry about that. She says that normalizing gays and lesbians is part of the "pornification of our culture". She warns of "hell to pay" in the 2012 elections for anyone who supported it. Yawn. Another writes: "How can you possibly be allowing for the flamboyancy of effeminate male soldiers to engage in sexual conduct and their notorious ever wandering lust for the new...?". Yawn again. One last example of The-Sky-Is-Falling mentality: "Rarely can you point to a moment in time when a nation consigned itself to the scrap heap of history. Today, when the Senate normalized sexual perversion in the military, was that moment for the United States. If historians want a fixed marker pointing to the instant the United States sealed its own demise, they just found it." Actually - No.
On to other topics: Another highlight in my world - my son turned 25 years old yesterday. I wished him a Happy Birthday, and I'm thrilled that I'll have the opportunity to celebrate it with him in person later in the week.
I recorded a little ditty late last week so I'll include it here.
Ha-Ha-Happy Holidays!
I mentioned the craziness that's upcoming in my world. Here's a taste:
I'll be here today and tomorrow. The schedule is busy finishing up with things that need completion for the end of the year. Lots of tying up loose ends. I've also got lots of packing to do.
I fly out of here at 6am on Wednesday. Destination: Dallas, to spend Xmas with my mom. I arrive mid-day. I flew into Dallas last year on Christmas eve and it was snowing like nobody's business. The extended forecast seems to indicate a much more hospitable welcome this year with highs in the 70's.
I should note that flying on the Holidays can sometimes be painful. The headline at USA Today.com this morning is all about the pain of delays (read it here). I can only control getting to the airport on time, finding patience, and hoping that everything goes smoothly. I'll do my best in all three regards.
On Thursday I'll drive down to Austin and spend the day with my son. I also get to spend some quality time with the pups - I haven't seen them since May and I'm very much looking forward to sharing some loving with 'em. And, of course, son and I will celebrate his birthday as well as Xmas.
I'll spend Xmas eve with mom. She says she wants Salmon for dinner so that's a wish that's easy to make come true. Salmon with a pesto butter sauce - yumm....
On Christmas Day I've got an afternoon flight out of Dallas to an undisclosed location to spend some time with an undisclosed special someone. I really don't have more to say about it than that.
Shortly after the New Year I've got a trip to head back to Arizona for a few days to take care of business back there. Although I have no idea how the logistics of it all will work themselves out (they always somehow do) I miss dear friends there and am looking forward to seeing everyone even though it'll only be a short visit.
And by that time, it'll already be the middle of January.
I suppose the bottom line to all of this is that there's lots going on, I'm doing well, and I look forward to next year already! Bring it on.
One more thing - a friend and I went to see Tron in 3D on Saturday. I'll admit I was pleasantly surprised. I enjoyed it. Not that it was any earth-shattering in any particular way but it was just fun, visually interesting, story was convoluted but not horrible, and the characters were well cast. As I say - all things considered, I enjoyed it.
All that said - time to get busy. So much to do - so little time.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Lists
This seems to be a time of year for lists. What do buy. Who to buy for. Stuff to do. Stuff to get done. Year end "10 Best Of" Lists. Lists lists lists. Well, I have my own list to share.
The NY Times ran a story last week that touted 2010 as "The Year of the Transsexual". Why? Because it has been a transformative year in a number of ways. Looking back over the year there have been a number of significant stories and efforts for/about/involving trans people. Some of them happen loudly while others of them happen quietly. Off the top of my head these are one casual observer's thoughts about the Top 10 Stories/Events in the Trans World over the past year.
1. Changes to the Rules for changing the Gender Marker on Passports
2. Transgender Athletes
3. The Nikki Araguz situation in Texas
4. Changes to the Corporate Equality Index that will require Workplaces to remove ALL trans-related exclusions from at least one wellness plan.
5. Amanda Simpson goes to Washington DC as Presidential appointee.
6. Teen bullying / It Gets Better
7. End of an era: IFGE Cancels its 2011 Conference (click on the link to see what happens)
8. End of another era: Marci Bowers leaves Trinidad, CO
9. Increasing visibility in mainstream media
10. Despite initial promise, Inclusive ENDA goes nowhere
I'm sure there are others. But these are ten that immediately come to mind.
Talking about the passage of time, I was talking with my ex- tonight. Twenty-five years ago this evening we were doing a test run from our house to the hospital as we approached the delivery date for our son. He was born less than a week later. It's hard to believe the my son - my little boy - will be a quarter century old in just a few days. I'll see him to celebrate with him in person next week.
Time waits for no one....
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Sunday bites
What do I do on a down day? I have to admit that it felt wonderful waking up at 8:45 and laying in bed for another half hour. I did a little bit of shopping. I went to the gym. I watched a little football. I went out for dinner.
Some quick bits to cover for this evening:
Weather: The weather here was warm and wet today - highs near 50 but raining since mid-morning. I suppose that's not such a bad thing given the weather I saw in Chicago during the football game on TV today, which was the same storm that collapsed the room of the stadium in Minneapolis. But I also noticed that the weather back in Phoenix set a record for warmth, and the ten day forecast there is typically beautious. Sigh.
Ipad: I see that the next version of the iPad is supposed to have a camera on it (details here). That's exactly why I didn't buy one the first time around - not having a video camera on it means that it's not worth the investment for me until it does.
Egg Nog: I LOVE Egg Nog. Not watery, low-fat, no-taste egg nog. Heck no. I'm talkin' about good, thick, rich, spiced egg nog. From time to time I'll even mix it with something more potent but that's not really the point. It's the Egg Nog itself that counts. It's one of those addictions that we're fortunate only happens for a short time each year. Perhaps that's what makes it special. Anyway, a couple of weeks ago I gave in to my urges to have some and bought a half gallon of it at Costco. I told myself that I'd have a small drink of it from time to time and actually believed that it'd last me until the Holidays. Hah. I've got a small glass-full left and will be headed back to Costco for another half gallon. If I were still in Arizona I'd buy the ingredients for the Gingerbread Martini while I was there. Here in PA they don't sell wine or liquor in most stores so that'll have to be a separate trip to somewhere....
Fitness: I've finally gotten back into the groove with my fitness. There were several weeks during and after my move across country where I took a bit of a break and I ended up feeling big and flabby a couple of weeks ago (partly due to the egg nog??). The break actually did me some good and I'm back to it with vigor and purpose. I've made time to be there each of the last 3 days. I'll take tomorrow off. The next challenge: Each of the last three years I go for a 60 minute run on the treadmill on or around New Year's Day. I try to average 6.4 or 6.5 mph and it makes me feel pretty good to be able to accomplish that year after year. I'm planning to do it again this year.
Athletics: Trans athletes are getting more and more visibility. Not because we necessarily want it, but because it's an intersection of world that tends to draw the spotlight of public emotion. There's an article on Advocate.com at the moment about a trans triathlete (read the story here). Part of my training is anticipation of competing again this year. No guarantees. But I'll be as ready as I can if and when the spirit moves me again.
Holiday Plans: The flavor of the Holidays changed for me a dozen years ago when my son wasn't around anymore, and when my dad died during the week between Christmas and New Year. It has become a time of more introspection and analysis - not in a morose way but in a positive way. I've gone to visit my mom for the last two years and I'll be doing that again this year. My son turns 25 years old a few days before Christmas and I expect to see him as well. I've got a few other plans that I'll keep to myself - deeper soul nourishing plans. And I hope to be headed to Phoenix for a few days early next year....
TransCentralPA: Last night I attended the TransCentralPA monthly dinner and meeting. As I expressed to them least night, in a very real way that group is responsible for my being here now. They asked me to speak at the last two Keystone Conferences and I was and continue to be impressed by their passion, their organization, their purpose, and the humanity of their members. Last night there was a gal who's been full-time for a week and a half. Another gal read something that she wrote for school to introduce her authentic self to her class - she had half the place in tears. It's really amazing to be part of these kinds of things. If you're in the area and want to be part of a special event - the Keystone Conference is quickly becoming one of the most well planned and run events in the country. I'll be there again this year - God willing.
The Week Ahead: I've got a busy week ahead. I've got a Young Professionals Meet and Greet event on Tuesday. I'll be in Lancaster PA for a meeting on Wednesday evening. I'll be headed to DC next weekend - I've been invited to a Holiday event at the White House. If it's anything like last year's - it'll be amazing. Last year I had to travel two thousand miles to attend. This year it's almost local. What a difference a year makes. :~P
That's more than I planned to write when I first started. Time for a cup of team. Then, time for bed.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
