Can't Turn It Off

I work with basic html coding on a daily basis. So when I saw this widget on the sidebar of Daryl's blog, immediately all I can notice is that something has gone wrong with their coding. Generally you aren't supposed to see the <> marks and the code that goes inside of it.

Something Bigger

I love that I get to be part of something bigger than myself. The latest example is a new website created for the conference we hold every year to help encourage, train and empower church leaders around the world. While I only played a small part, the fact that I get to work with such a talented team of people, all to help others, makes me smile.

Why I Love Twitter

After the drama that was my return trip home from Dallas, I got to the South Bend Airport Friday morning only to discover my luggage had yet to make it there (even though it was 12 hours after it was supposed to have arrived there.) I insisted the person behind the desk give me a phone number to call to check in to see if my luggage had arrived. The following occured that afternoon...

• 1:24 p.m. - Phone call to airport. Confirm luggage has arrived. Decline delivery, no longer trust the airline to deliver.
• 1:26 p.m. - Update Twitter status "My luggage has finally been accounted for!! WOOHOO!"
• 1:30 p.m. - Cell phone rings.
• Jami - "Hey, where are you?"
• Me - "I'm at work, why?"
• Jami - "Kem just saw your twitter update and we were wondering if you were at the airport. Our flight just got in."
• Me - laughing
• Jami - "Do you want us to try to get your luggage?"
• Me - "Sure, if they'll let you." Give her the name of the carrier.
• 1:33 p.m. - Jami calls back. "They gave it to me. They only asked your name. Kem will bring it by work on her way home."

Twitter time - 3 seconds
Worth - 30+ minutes and the price of gas

A Day at the Dallas Airport

Today has been a very interesting day - and finally I am starting to find the humor in it. You gotta hear this...

• Can't sleep in - awake every 10 minutes starting at 6 am until finally get up at 640.
• Finish packing the head to the airport
• Get checked in by 945 for 1115 flight
• Go through security - passed :)
• Purchase a bottle of water for the flightIn plane, on runaway - suddenly pilots hit the brakes and the plane screeches to a stop. Plane does a uturn and stops
• Pilot comes on and says the computer is malfunctioning but they are working on it
• Few minutes later pilot comes back on and explains a mechanic will need to try restarting it and we must return to terminal
• Quick clock check makes me realize if we are back in the air within an hour, should have no problem catching connection in Cinnicinati to get me home by 5
• Few phone calls made to family as well as text and twitter updatesPilot says they are hoping it will only take a few minutes - there are no other planes for us to switch to because of the holiday weekend. No extra planes and no extra seats on any flights to cinncinati. Still feeling positive
• Approx. 45 minutes later pilot comes on, has us de-plane. Says it should take around 1/2 hour to fix but wanted us to be able to get comfortable
• More phone calls and text updates
• Time passes - still not fixed, missed the cut off for making connection, the book me on the next one to SB from Cinncinati. Starting to waiver on the positive attitude
• HOURS pass - same thing, trying to fix the plane, calling family to update them
• Time passes where any chance of making connecting flight is gone. Almost at breaking point emotionally.Delta guy comes on and says they need a part, so it will be at least three hours until the flight leaves. Anyone heading to cinnicinati will still take this flight, anyone with a connection will miss it. Instruct us to head to Delta Ticket Desk for better assistance
• Go outside secure area to go to ticket counter
• No seats on any flights. Have to fly standby on overbooked flight for 400 to get to Atlanta, have definite seat from Atlanta to SB. If I don't get on the flight, my luggage must go on without me. I take the risk. Second flight to Atlanta at 515 I can also fly standby on
• Head to security, must throw away my fairly full bottle of water. Go back through security.
• More phone calls to family. Breakdown and cry at every conversation. Just want to go home.
• Wait and pray for a miracle to make it on the flight. 27 people flying standby, I'm number 9. Discover flight is overbooked by 20 people.
• Buy another bottle of water for flight and a book to try to distract me. Distraction didn't work.
• No one on standby makes it onto the flight
• Move to the next gate. Still number 9 on standby. Pray for a miracle.
• Flight takes off without me on it.
• Tear up again.
• Call Dad and Stepmom to pick me back up
• Head to Delta ticket desk again
• This agent explores other options on other airlines. Finds a late night flight to Indianapolis. Call my sister to see if shes willing to pick me up at 1135 in Indy, a three hour drive there and then back.
• Tear up again. Sister willingly agrees as I am a wreck on the phone.
• Booked on flight. Given food voucher and directions how to get to other terminal where the flight would be in 2 1/2 hours.
• Call Dad and stepmom back to tell them they don't need to come, and about flight to Indy. Have been at the airport over 7 1/2 hours.
• Next 20 minutes spent on the phone with various family members driving me crazy with what to do! No longer need advice, plans have been made. Know they are doing it because they love me but still overwhelming. Family gives me a headache.
• Realize again that I must throw away my just opened water to go back through security. Chug some of it.
• Head through third security check of the day. Get flagged to be patted down and stuff searched. Laughed at the irony - figure if I had anything to hide, I would have been caught by now.
• Decide I should eat something, go to pay with food voucher. Not accepted in this terminal, even though specifically told it could be. Get frustrated again.
• Waiting for time to board - finally find humor in the situation. Don't want to travel again for a long time.

Just Be

Most of the time when I see my dad or stepmom our time is filled to overflowing. Living many states apart, and only seeing each other two to three times a year, leads to jam packed visits that often fall over holidays.

This time was different. After attending DC08 (see previous posts if you really want to know what that is...) I was able to take some vacation time and stay in Dallas with them as they just recently moved to a neighboring city. Having five days left us in no hurry. We got to just "be". Sometimes I think we take for granted time to just be together. Not necessarily making plans, or going anywhere, but cooking together, eating dinner together, watching tv, chatting about trivial things, sharing funny emails. I think society often bombards us with the idea that we have to always be "doing" something. I can say this, because I too have the urge to always do something. It took me two days to realize that it's okay to not have to - and came to appreciate the fact that we were just together.

And those are the memories that make me love my family even more.

Oh yea!

Quick Thought -

It's always kind of cool when you go to a conference and actually learn something that IMMEDIATELY applies to your life. In this case it's my work life, but they kinda blend together. It's also really cool when you get answers to the questions you know that someone will be asking you later.

I'm pumped.

Way to go DC08!

The Wonders of a Maid...

Yesterday morning when I returned to my room, housekeeping was here cleaning up. I said hello and quickly picked up what I needed - I was slightly surprised to see her vacuuming around me. But that's besides the point.



Later in the day when I returned to my room I headed into the bathroom only to find it different from the way I left it. I had hurried out for breakfast (hello, totally didn't want to miss the free continental breakfast!) and didn't have time to clean up the mess of getting ready. I came back to this:

While a part of me can thoroughly appreciate the strategic placing of the items, it freaks me out. I'm completely not used to someone picking up, moving and reorganizing my things.

Apparently I am not "wired up" to be a rich person where random people do such things.

Livin in Style...

A few of my coworkers and I are in Dallas getting ready to attend the Dynamic Church Conference for the next few days. Three of us are presenting at a breakout session tomorrow as well. We chose to stay in the hotel that is attached to the conference center, an Embassy Suites. I had recently glanced at their website, but had no idea how amazing the hotel room (or should I say suite) would be! (Oh, and it worked out that since I am way outnumbered by males, I got a room all my own...)


Being that I work at a place that constantly tries for the "WOW" factor, I'm always on the look out. This place has wow-ed me. I even took pictures to prove it :)

I didn't take this picture, I took it off their site - pretty sweet digs, huh!?

Inside of hotel - I'm on the 9th floor

Fancy sculpture thing

This is whoat my towels look like on the bath tub - this was a big WOW for me!

I thought this was very inventive...

This is my living room

Other side of the living room - nice little desk/office space

You know it's a fancy place when the tissues are strategically arranged. It made me afraid to use one - I didn't want to mess it up!

Which bed do I want to sleep in...this one??

Or this one?? (I chose this one, if you were curious)

Kitchenette

Fancy bathroom display. I really liked this...small but impactful to my opinion of the hotel

View of the bathroom - love the mirror too - it has style

Red Letters

Recently at GCC Trace and Seth performed the song Red Letters by DC Talk. I had heard a clip of the song as a preview on itunes and it didn't thrill me, so needless to say I went into the service expecting not to be impressed.

Instead I was completely blown away.

Play by Play

• 5:50 a.m. - alarm goes off, vaguely remember hitting snooze
• 5:58 a.m. - second alarm goes off, vaguely remember hitting snooze
• 6:20 a.m. - many snoozes later, decide headache and tiredness wins over gym for today
• 8:45 a.m. - get in deep spiritual conversation at work, good stuff
  
• 10:00 a.m. - asked to be "fake" bridesmaid in setup for wedding
• 10:13 a.m. - trip stepping onto platform, fall down awkwardly, feel pain, try to be tough
• 10:14 a.m. - notice big toe is bleeding, still trying to be tough
• 10:14:30 a.m. - notice toe is really bleeding, realize must stop bleeding
  
• 10:15 a.m. - make it to bathroom, start cleaning wound and assessing damage. Split second concern over how bad, hoping no stitches are needed
• 10:15:30 a.m. - realize toes just bleed alot, no stitches needed, but nasty, big slice on the pad of toe = not good
• 10:16 a.m. - start to realize what injury means, no treadmill at the gym for a while, sadness sets in
  
• 10:21 a.m. - toe bandaged up, throbbing starts, thankful for computer tower to prop foot up on
• 11:01 a.m. - realize gas and brake pedals pushed by toes - must drive differently, feel like 16 year old learning to drive
• 2:42 p.m. - working from home while awaiting Sears to deliver new washing machine
• 3:05 p.m. - suddenly realize work project isn't as easy as expected, minor panic sets in - big project + vacation next week = Eek!
• 3:05:30 p.m. - scour house for chocolate, always helps to think clearer and refocus
• 3:07 p.m. - no chocolate to be found! Perplexed. Settle for Apple Jacks out of box, not the same
• 3:32 p.m. - Sears arrives
• 3:40 p.m. - Sears leaves, amazed at service and speed!
• 3:40:30 p.m. - contemplate returning to project, decide to play with new washer instead
• 3:50 p.m. - can not procrastinate any longer, sit down, focus and get determined. Stubborn side kicks in - can not allow program to outsmart me
• 4:45 p.m. - getting so close to accomplishment can barely hold in excitement
• 5:20 p.m. - first draft of project finished! Ready for feedback.
• 5:23 p.m. - more laundry, thankful for washing machine; running out of clean clothes, those nearby should be thankful too
  
• 8:32 p.m. - sit down to work on next project with upcoming due date, decide to blog instead