Drive by Blogger

Untitled by chadbordes at Garmin Connect – Details.

Fun Ride.  Vanessa rollerbladed with me all the way back.  10.83 miles

She kept a great pace and on the flats was averaging 16.5 mph.

So yesterday was the first day to be back on the road in a while. I mean in a real while, where I actually boarded a plane and traveled somewhere. I had great boarding position on Southwest. I got a great seat second row with luggage storage above my row (miracle). It is my belief that if you are boarding on southwest and get section c and you are above 15, you are not getting your luggage on the plane. I sat down and began my usual dosing off routine before take off. Something about the hum of the engines or the air conditioning puts me to sleep.

After sitting for about a minute, the flight attendant came on giving her usual routine about wearing the seatbelt low and tight across your hip, or exit rows, etc, however, her presentation was different and you could tell she truly loved her job. Her name was Candy, Candy Jones and she seemed to have some of that Texas swagger that you are probably all aware of. She was a fiesty little red head with a deadly smile and a wonderful laugh. She made the comment about, “…those of you traveling with children or infants,” and there was a pause, filled with a laugh and then, “Really, you brought your kids…seriously, you are going to vegas. What were you thinking?” I busted out laughing and Candy made eye contact with me and from that point on, I knew our flight relationship was solidified for the 1 hour and 10 minute flight to vegas, meaning that I understood her and she understood me.

The flight was uneventful and Candy did what she did best. She entertained her people and loved her job. There was a minor situation, from across the aisle from me and it was this little girl, who was adorable, but must have been high. She could not stop laughing. Well she could, but her mother was egging her on. It wasn’t a heartfelt laugh, but a forced one. I have to admit, I am not a big fan, if you are an adult or a child. Eventually we landed and all was well. We arrived at the gate a few minutes early and were off the plane very quickly. I caught up with Ms. Candy on the way up the jetway and we talked for a brief moment. She made some comments that made me laugh and I told her I would love to write about her in my blog, and she said “write away, My name is Candy Jones”. I gave her my blog address and we were on our way. So Candy, If you are out there and reading this, I hope you are having a fantastic day. You are an inspiration for all. We all need to follow your example. If you don’t love what you do, Do something else.

So I got the VIP treatment at MGM (first time) and I really liked it. I was picked up by limo and given royal treatment at MGM. Props to John, the door man/greeter, who was exceptionally friendly and had a bit of Peter Faulk talk about him. So I am back in Vegas and always love my time here. You are allowed to be crazy, silly, funny and pretty much whatever you want here. Some observations I will leave you with.

1. Don’t think when in Vegas, just drink. I think this should be the new motto here

2. Some children shouldn’t fly. Maybe their parents need a lesson in parenting

3. Vegas has lots of “paid talent”. The girls across from our table couldn’t have been more than 21. I guess if you are okay with it, its a good way to pay your rent

4. Vegas is doing all these 1/2 off specials. I think that is true with the paid talent. Its like a buy one, get one free. Or maybe it’s if you buy one, “can my friend come too” Who knows?

5. I still think 6 am is the best time to meander through a casino. You see all the party animals coming back from a successful night of spending money and losing sleep. The gamblers are on fire or on their last dime. The cocktail waitresses are tired and can’t wait to get home to crawl into their beds and sleep. In 24 hours the cycle will repeat without fail. It is a systematic process that has gone on for years.

Hope you have a great day and find some great observations of your own.

Until next time…

So today I learned how to ride a skateboard (not well, but its a start). A very good friend convinced me to skate down to the beach and play smashball. I decided, what the hell, you only live once. I was super rocky at first, but then got the hang of it after a while. I think persistence is key. Just keep getting on the board after falling over or off the nose from poor balance.

I know some of you are saying, “Really, you live in california and you can’t ride a skateboard?”. The answer is up til yesterday, no. I am 39 years old and there are things I haven’t done. Skydiving, surfing well, ridden a unicycle, and many others. I decided to write about it because the truth is you are only too set in your ways in your mind. If you think you can do something, then you can do it. Don’t let age be a deciding factor for you, just get out there and try it. You might like it.

I am happy to say that I have no bruises, cuts scrapes or unnecessary visits to the hospital. Thanks to my friend and training, I am alive and well. I got to see an amazing sunset and had a great afternoon playing smashball in the process.

Until next time…

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So today I decided to go to Kim Barrett’s memorial service. I didn’t know Kim, but met her through association of friends on Facebook. The first thing that I have to say is that I have only been to one funeral in my life, my fathers, some 10 years ago. I was a little upset with the manner in which he was Eulogized, for I had wished that it would have been more about the celebration of his life. Kim’s memorial service was just that, A celebration of her life and remembrance of her, in all her wonder and awe.

Kim is the second person that passed this year and so it hit close to home since it affected many of my “cycling” friends. The one thing that was apparent throughout the service was the love of her friends. After the service was over, there was a gathering on the property at the Mission San Luis Rey (http://www.sanluisrey.org/), where people shared stories of Kim and of her love and compassion and what an amazing person she was. In hearing all the stories, it was hard to hold back the tears. Young and old alike rekindled stories of Kim’s generosity and loving spirit.

At the conclusion of the day, I decided to introduce myself to her fiance, Chris Geirman, who is just a fantastic guy with a great heart. I explained to him that I never met Kim, but I could tell by her photos that she was a warm, generous and loving individual. I shared that even though I didn’t know her that well, in some way she touched me, like I was meant to be at this service to see all these people and to meet Chris and experience the love of all her family and friends. I wanted to get up and give a kind word at the mic, but decided to let those who really knew her praise and remember this amazing woman.

I realized at this event, that we are joined by our connections in this life. The people we are rude to, or smile to, the ones we laugh with and the ones we cry with. We have to learn to cherish the connections and remove the false sense of pride that may exist. We are all here to help one another and there is no winner at the end. Just because you had a big house, fancy car and lots of money, doesn’t mean you lived a good life, for it is a measure of a man or woman by what they do with the inheritance.

Kim was a wonderful person, with a big smile and a sort of , Natalie Wood beauty and presence about her. Everyone there was celebrating her life and agreed that she would be sorely missed. She lived the life that we all talk about living, like being altruistic, and giving of ones self. She supported those that needed her and she tried to make the world a better place. There was a quote that was spoken and it is serenely beautiful. It is from Maya Angelou and it reads:

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel”

From what I learned, Kim made everyone feel amazing, beautiful, loved and wanted. I hope that I can live in that shadow and help other feel the same way. Although we never met, Kim has left a lasting impression on my heart.

So for the woman that I never met and the smile that I will never forget, you will be in my thoughts as well as my heart. You did not leave us, for you left a piece of yourself with all of us. If you want to get to know more about Kim, please visit her memorial page.

Until next time…

Just want to say all the things I am grateful for. My friends, without them I would have given up a long time ago. My family, for always believing in me and never giving up and my attitude, for without it, it would be a dark dark place and for the very recent acquaintances I have made in my life. Some through tragedy that I know will bring this community, this town and eventually lots of people together. I would also like to thank Facebook, for its amazing power to reach the masses. People have come out of the woodwork to share with me, stories of hope, triumph, tragedy and caring. Yes social media is fun, but lets not forget the power that it can harness if you use it for good.

Yesterday was an amazing day and even though i am financially undesirable or considered a “liability” in societies eyes, I still try to make the best of it. I have never been in this place and just trying to admire it all. My battles with money and having stable income has been a challenge to say the least for many years. Never before have i looked into a void and said “I have no friggin clue how all this happened, nor do I fathom an outcome”, but I keep showing up. I keep doing what I think the universe wants me to do and that is to help and guide others and it seems to be working. You see I am just like many people out there, I have a car note that is two months late, school loans that aren’t being paid, rent that is overdue, back taxes that I cannot pay, and no savings to back me up. I am, however, learning to just be, in the absence of what I thought was real, in what I thought I was supposed to really care about and be in the moment. I cannot stress about what isn’t, I can only breath and enjoy what is.

Yesterdays sunset was a reminder of that. I decided late to go see a sunset up at Beacons and I got there in perfect time. I had some great music on by Greg Laswell and the notes seemed to correspond with the colors of the sky. I could have been there a minute, or an eternity and to me, it was totally mesmerizing.

(The pictures don’t really do it justice. The second one was amazing because of the reflection of the pinks and reds on the ocean, made even the water reflect the color. )

My point in all this is that we aren’t in control of our lives. No matter how much we try to think we are, its not possible. You can think all the wonderful thoughts you want, try and manifest the best life you want, but the stark reality is, your life, as cliche as it is, “is what it is”. Try to find the good in it and stop being a critic and start being. Live life and enjoy the connections you make along the way. Give thanks for the meals you get and the roof over your head and be thankful for the blessings you get along the journey.

Until next time…