For the past three days, I have been bitching about the "hospitality" service here at the Hyatt Regency. Now, usually, I love the staff at Hyatt hotels - they've always gone above and beyond. But not so much at the Twin Cities variation. There's no concierge, the bellstand has been constantly vacant, and my room has been less than cleaned. Used glasses are left on tables, no fresh soaps, yesterday the bolster pillows weren't even put back on the bed.
But today, I am very glad the cleaning crew sucks.
Background: I have been wearing the same pair of earrings for about three years without change. They're Celtic trefoils my brother bought me for Christmas and I adore them. I know it's boring to wear the same pair of earrings day in and out, but we all know about my fashion sensabilities.... Besides, they make me happy.
Two days ago - somewhere between waking up, schlepping two big FedEx boxes to the convention center, putting up our booth, working out, showering, and taxi'ing to St. Paul, I lost the right earring. I pretty much gave it up for dead.
Today, while I was doing crunches in front of the TV, I noticed something shiny over in the corner near the bed. No way, right? Housekeeping vaccuums, right? Wrong.
This kind of luck never happens to me. I'm going to bask in it.
Monday, June 04, 2007
Twin Cities
Well, here I am in Minneapolis - I've walked so much in the past three days that I swear I've worn my sneakers out. And all that walking - I've been so hungry! So I'll either get back to Beantown 20 pounds lighter or 20 pounds heavier.
If I were a good blogger, I'd have brought my camera and could share pictures of all the sights I've seen. But, alas, I am not. So you'll just have to imagine it for yourself.
If I were a good blogger, I'd have brought my camera and could share pictures of all the sights I've seen. But, alas, I am not. So you'll just have to imagine it for yourself.
I'm traveling w/ two sales guys, both of whom are nice and both of whom are wierd. We went out for dinner last night and it was a pretty decent time. But, I've got to tell you, when we left the exhibit hall at 3:30 this afternoon, I didn't leap right out and suggest meeting up again tonight. Of course, they didn't either. Which makes me wonder - do they talk bad about me behind my back? Then again, if they do, do I care?
Spending so much time w/ people I wouldn't necessarily call "friend" can be a bit taxing. Because you want them to like you because, well, it's human nature. But logically you know it shouldn't really make a difference either way.
Aren't people funny?
The one thing I have to say for Minnesotans, though, is that they are really - really - friendly. A woman stopped me on the street to help me find the Walker Museum (fabulous place!), my cabbie pointed out his high school alma mater as we passed it, and the yoga instructor at the gym offered to meet up with me for lunch if I was lonely. (To bad I had to work during lunch hour - it could have been fun!) If it didn't get to be 26 degrees BELOW zero for WEEKS at a time in the winter, I'd think about moving here.
Then again, I'm not sure if I have it in me to be as nice as a Minnesotan....
Spending so much time w/ people I wouldn't necessarily call "friend" can be a bit taxing. Because you want them to like you because, well, it's human nature. But logically you know it shouldn't really make a difference either way.
Aren't people funny?
The one thing I have to say for Minnesotans, though, is that they are really - really - friendly. A woman stopped me on the street to help me find the Walker Museum (fabulous place!), my cabbie pointed out his high school alma mater as we passed it, and the yoga instructor at the gym offered to meet up with me for lunch if I was lonely. (To bad I had to work during lunch hour - it could have been fun!) If it didn't get to be 26 degrees BELOW zero for WEEKS at a time in the winter, I'd think about moving here.
Then again, I'm not sure if I have it in me to be as nice as a Minnesotan....
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Control Issues
I've been thinking a lot about "control" the last day or so. Probably because I was IM'ing BBB and, in a moment of frustration, typed "I DON'T EVEN CONTROL MY OWN HOME."
It was, as I said, a moment of frustration, and not entirely true. Allow me to explain.
Last week's much anticipated vacation was great except for the realization that I'm going to have to pour a lot of money into my car's Air Conditioning Unit. Enter Kalesy's money issues.
So, while the time off was great, it wasn't quite as restful as I had hoped. Add to that the knowledge that this week and next will be crazy. Napolean's in town this week and meeting after meeting after neverending meeting are going on - many of which are forcing me to recall that scene in Dangerous Liasons where Glenn Close talks about stabbing her fork into the palm of her hand under the table all while "smiling pleasantly at everyone around me." Insult to injury, I'm travelling next week and we all know how well I do out of my comfort zone.
The other night, I found out Mr. Zips would be staying until Friday a.m. And instead of dealing with that information like an adult and asking if perhaps it would be OK to shorten the trip by just one night, I swallowed my discomfort and smiled pleasantly.
It's not that I don't want Mr. Zips around. It's just that I felt like I hadn't been asked - I'd been told - what my living situation was this week. And since I become a total fanatic when I'm trying to leave the apartment for an extended period of time, this info really threw me.
I stewed and stewed and grumbled and IM'd in capital letters. Then, last night, on the way home, I decided I had to say something about it and worried the whole way home about the fighting and tears that would go down.
So, I asked him if he could crash at a friend's on Thursday. No problem, he said. In fact, it's probably better if he just goes home.
Boy, don't I feel like an ass.
I'm not suggesting that everything is all better. I still have a lot of my control issues to work out. As, I'm sure, does he. After all, he's trying his best to control situations so that I don't fly off the handle like a raving lunatic and throw Tofu Curry around the kitchen. (Yes, it's been known to happen, much to my eternal regret.) But he can't really control that - nor should he have to. I guess it comes down to me controlling my responses to situations and not trying to control him. Or us. Or whatever.
It was, as I said, a moment of frustration, and not entirely true. Allow me to explain.
Last week's much anticipated vacation was great except for the realization that I'm going to have to pour a lot of money into my car's Air Conditioning Unit. Enter Kalesy's money issues.
So, while the time off was great, it wasn't quite as restful as I had hoped. Add to that the knowledge that this week and next will be crazy. Napolean's in town this week and meeting after meeting after neverending meeting are going on - many of which are forcing me to recall that scene in Dangerous Liasons where Glenn Close talks about stabbing her fork into the palm of her hand under the table all while "smiling pleasantly at everyone around me." Insult to injury, I'm travelling next week and we all know how well I do out of my comfort zone.
The other night, I found out Mr. Zips would be staying until Friday a.m. And instead of dealing with that information like an adult and asking if perhaps it would be OK to shorten the trip by just one night, I swallowed my discomfort and smiled pleasantly.
It's not that I don't want Mr. Zips around. It's just that I felt like I hadn't been asked - I'd been told - what my living situation was this week. And since I become a total fanatic when I'm trying to leave the apartment for an extended period of time, this info really threw me.
I stewed and stewed and grumbled and IM'd in capital letters. Then, last night, on the way home, I decided I had to say something about it and worried the whole way home about the fighting and tears that would go down.
So, I asked him if he could crash at a friend's on Thursday. No problem, he said. In fact, it's probably better if he just goes home.
Boy, don't I feel like an ass.
I'm not suggesting that everything is all better. I still have a lot of my control issues to work out. As, I'm sure, does he. After all, he's trying his best to control situations so that I don't fly off the handle like a raving lunatic and throw Tofu Curry around the kitchen. (Yes, it's been known to happen, much to my eternal regret.) But he can't really control that - nor should he have to. I guess it comes down to me controlling my responses to situations and not trying to control him. Or us. Or whatever.
Friday, May 25, 2007
Bring on the Summer
It's supposed to be 90+ degrees today and so I'm celebrating - by taking my day off to Gloucester. Hopefully the beaches will be mostly empty and I can get some serious R&R.
It feels great to be taking a vacation - I've really needed it. And so has my relationship w/ Mr. Zips.
We went out Wednesday night so I could have a few margarita's and get a little verschnikered. (Poor eternal designated driver...) And then we came back and watched a ridiculous movie. And woke up on our own time. And had a leisurely breakfast at our favorite breakfast place. And sat on my porch and tormented the kitties with the birds flying around. IT WAS GREAT.
Being able to hang out and relax allowed us to be goofy and silly - which is probably the reason we fell in love with each other to begin with. (Well, that and how amazingly hot I am ... of course) It's a huge difference from how we are with each other during the week - when we're both stressed about work, schedules, etc.
I think it's been really hard putting a relationship as relatively young as ours under that kind of pressure. I honestly believe it's a testament that we - I - have been able to not throw in the towel. (Cuz we all know how good I am at sticking something out ...)
I hope we can learn to take it a little easier this summer. And I know upcoming birthday vacation to Bar Harbor will help. Trail access to Acadia - Vahoo!
OK - off to go shave so that I can appear publicly in a bathing suit. Be afraid, be very afraid.
It feels great to be taking a vacation - I've really needed it. And so has my relationship w/ Mr. Zips.
We went out Wednesday night so I could have a few margarita's and get a little verschnikered. (Poor eternal designated driver...) And then we came back and watched a ridiculous movie. And woke up on our own time. And had a leisurely breakfast at our favorite breakfast place. And sat on my porch and tormented the kitties with the birds flying around. IT WAS GREAT.
Being able to hang out and relax allowed us to be goofy and silly - which is probably the reason we fell in love with each other to begin with. (Well, that and how amazingly hot I am ... of course) It's a huge difference from how we are with each other during the week - when we're both stressed about work, schedules, etc.
I think it's been really hard putting a relationship as relatively young as ours under that kind of pressure. I honestly believe it's a testament that we - I - have been able to not throw in the towel. (Cuz we all know how good I am at sticking something out ...)
I hope we can learn to take it a little easier this summer. And I know upcoming birthday vacation to Bar Harbor will help. Trail access to Acadia - Vahoo!
OK - off to go shave so that I can appear publicly in a bathing suit. Be afraid, be very afraid.
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Synchronicity
I am proud of the fact that I love Wait Wait Don't Tell Me (The NPR Newsquiz show, coming to you live from the Chase Auditorium in beautiful downtown Chicago, and here's your host, Peter Sagel...). I am less proud of the fact that, weekday mornings, I listen to Opie & Anthony. I'm sorry, but pre-coffee I can NOT handle news from Iraq and life during wartime, global warming, conspiracies and cronyism. Nope, pre-coffee, I want boob and fart jokes, please.
This week, O&A got suspended from XM following an off-color remark not made by them but certainly not censored by them on their show. They protested, saying, "It's not like we've got the same standards as NPR."
To which, Wait Wait replied, "NPR has standards? Uh Oh."
The dork in me grins.
This week, O&A got suspended from XM following an off-color remark not made by them but certainly not censored by them on their show. They protested, saying, "It's not like we've got the same standards as NPR."
To which, Wait Wait replied, "NPR has standards? Uh Oh."
The dork in me grins.
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