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Packin’ (for) Heat!

29 Sunday Jul 2012

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There’s nothing like a 5-day weather forecast for highs in the 100s / lows in the 80s – plus humidity and the heat index – to strike terror in a Seattle girl.  Aiiieeee…those lows are higher than the highs we’ve had this summer so far!  What the hell do I pack?  Will I melt or combust??

I spent 5 wonderful days in Kansas City, MO and am still riding the high!  The high of a fabulous Silpada Designs National Conference…my first ever!  And first time visiting KC!

Silpada is hand-crafted .925 sterling silver jewelry – the highest grade of sterling silver.  There are nearly 33,000 representatives all over the USA, Canada and the UK!  I’m so proud to be one myself – it will be two years this November since I took the plunge!  I fell in love with the jewelry at a party a friend hosted nearly 7 years ago and am beyond impressed.  Everything from the quality of the product (nothing is plated and there is NO nickel in the jewelry), the unique designs, the lifetime warranty and the support provided by corporate offices…I hit the jackpot signing up!

And now I was off to KC to experience the high energy of National Conference for the first time with nearly 5000 fellow reps!  But first…quelles horreurs…what the hell to pack?  We had the agenda and suggested dress code for each day…most was business casual with one night a more formal night.  Sounds great, but how do you try to dress for that in blasting hot heat?  And when your wardrobe is, well, lacking a few ‘nicer’ items because most you can’t fit into anymore?  Thankfully I had great advice from my local team – we meet once a month and it’s so much fun!  They all said not to stress about it too much…just go with comfortable.

OK, that sounds good, but there was a teeny part of me that wanted to be impossibly chic and fresh – cute sundresses and sandals and all that.  So one night after work I headed to Nordstrom at Bellevue Square.  And I realized how long it’s been since I’ve gone CLOTHES shopping.  I spend my money on shoes, boots and handbags (and jewelry of course!).  My clothes are mostly J. Crew clearance, given I work in an uber-casual environment. I wanted something fresh with a little more pizzazz for this trip, but I had an awful time finding things I liked that fit me.  I learned right then and there that the larger you get in size, the fewer choices you have in clothes and you risk looking frumpy.  I would rather walk around naked than wear frumpy clothes!  Hell, when I’m 80 – Lord willing I live that long – I will NEVER be frumpy!  I even choked back tears in the dressing room a couple of times.  Maybe THIS was the in-your-face that I needed to vow to get back in shape and drop some poundage.

So I ended up with a couple of pairs of pants (one khaki, one black) some loose-fitting black leggings, a purple gingham checked shirt (which I didn’t bring to conference but is pretty cute), two layering tank tops – one in white, one in light khaki – a lightweight sweater which would be good for the plane ride and a couple of t-shirts.  I tried on countless sundresses that didn’t fit quite right, and while I found a cute maxi dress it would have needed a LOT of alterations (and hemming) which I didn’t have time for.  I went home $500 poorer and frustrated.  I STILL didn’t feel like I had the ‘right’ stuff I wanted to bring on this trip.  But this was reality and the body I have to dress today.

Once I got packed and on the plane, I stopped stressing about my clothes.  I knew there would be an opportunity to do a little shopping during the convention, so maybe I could find something there?  Turns out I didn’t have much time to shop, other than a quick ‘drive by’ through the booths they had (soooo cute). I grabbed a small wristlet for going out (no need to lug a purse around).

I was also a little nervous about traveling with a large amount of jewelry, because that’s not something I typically do.  I knew to pack it in my carry on (NOT in checked baggage – never never), but it still felt odd to me.  But, I trusted the advice of my fellow reps and purchased a cute ‘jewelry roll,’ which is a tri-fold soft cloth case with TONS of zippers and pockets for packing up jewelry.  It fits great in your carry on, they said!

Then there was the problem of the carry-on.  As in I COULD NOT FIND MY CARRY ON.  This was probably a day or two before I left…I swore it was on a closet shelf where it’s been for years.  It’s a cute, black nylon Nine West messenger style bag…and it’s GONE!  I even looked in my garage.  How could it be gone? I’d NEVER consciously decide to get rid of something like this!!

Well, thank goodness for a spare laptop bag!  My current consulting firm provides us each with a laptop bag…I use a larger Tumi briefcase for work that I’ve had for years because it has built-in padding for cradling my laptop.  I knew that smaller laptop bag would be PERFECT for a carry on…and yay, no need to pack a laptop in it for this trip!  It held my jewelry roll and catalogues great and was not too heavy or bulky!  Love it!

I also knew to bring an extra Ziploc bag for airport security.  Once I arrived at Sea-Tac I removed the jewelry I was wearing and placed it in a Ziploc bag and placed it in my purse.  That way I wouldn’t be “that girl” holding up security, having to remove jewelry right then and there in the walk-through screening.  This is a GREAT tip, by the way, for anyone who likes to wear a lot of bling!  [I was at the airport by 5am and the line for security snaked for what seemed like MILES.]  Once I got through security I simply put my jewelry (and shoes) back on and was good to go!

I had a two-hour layover in Denver…thankfully it whizzed by quickly.  When I arrived in KC I prayed my luggage would not get lost (whew, it didn’t) and checked in to wait for the shuttle to my hotel!  My roommate (and business sponsor) was already in KC and our texts were flying back and forth!

How wonderful to discover my shuttle-mates were all fellow Silpada reps!  Most of us were attending for the first time…THIS is what was so special and bonding about conference…it’s easy to spot a fellow rep in her fabulous jewelry…and just walk up and start talking with her! 

Thursday:  travel time to KC via Denver!  I was so excited to finally arrive…that 4:30am shuttle pickup at home was a distant memory and my adrenaline kicked in hard.  It was late afternoon when I arrived and after what seemed like eternity I finally got to the hotel, checked in and got back in a shuttle to the convention center.   There was a continuous flow of (free) shuttles every day for us to hop on to get to and from the convention center from our hotels.  So nice and convenient not having to rent a car or grab a cab every time!

I got registered, got my name tag and a beautiful sterling silver charm (check out the pic at the top of this post)!  It’s a gorgeous “15” design, as this year is the 15th anniversary of Silpada’s founding!  On the back it’s engraved with “keep the party going,” this year’s convention theme!  I actually wore it as a pendant, as it’s a bit large on a charm bracelet.

After what seemed like ages, I finally found L (my business sponsor) and a couple of others of our team in a large area that was set aside for supply shopping!  Calculators, post it notes, new yearly planners, pens, t-shirts…so much fun!  They also had a photo booth set up to get a headshot to include on your website.  I was sure I looked a wired & tired mess so I skipped that.

A few of us headed out to the Power & Light district to check out the scene and live music!  True confession…I’m not into country music but hey, when in Rome right?  The P&L district is full of shops, restaurants and bars and has a central, open area perfect for live music and dancing.  And it’s super easy to spot fellow Silpada reps out and about…we’re all decked out in our jewelry…and so happy to be doing what we do! 

My God it was hot that night…105 degrees (41 C) and a little humid.  Thankfully I’d worn one of my new tank tops under the sweater I wore on the plane.  Off goes the sweater and it ties around my shoulders…great music, friends and a couple cocktails and we were doing just fine.

Friday:  we grabbed a quick breakfast in the convention center (breakfast and lunch was provided each day…wonderful!) and headed into the main arena for opening general sessions.  Bill Rancic kicked us off as our keynote speaker…I just adore him and now love him even more!!  He spoke for about an hour with fantastic motivation and advice for us fellow entrepreneurs!

We then had the choice of 3 different training sessions.  What I liked about this was that each of the 3 repeated itself twice, and there was plenty of room in each area for seating.  No need to pre-register…we each had a booklet of which sessions were offered each day and sat down as a team to figure out which ones we each wanted to go to.  Some we did as a group and for others we chose to divide and conquer so we could share what we learned!  I also liked that we each had a pre-printed booklet of each sessions talking points, so even if we couldn’t attend everything we still had the scoop! 

THEN…a pizza party for dinner with our team – cute matching t-shirts too – and time for NEW JEWELRY PREVIEW!!  Oh my goodness what a moment this is!  Every year in July a new Silpada catalogue is unveiled…and lots of new jewelry too!  All 5000 of us packed into the convention center and were treated to a beautiful fashion show with models showing off the new jewels – gorgeous!  And by the time they were done we were whipped into a frenzy!

It’s a STAMPEDE of jewelry reps running to the jewels!  And this is unbelievable…they set up 30 huge tables, EACH with the entire new catalogue’s jewels displayed, all for us to touch and try on!!  That’s about 450 pieces of jewelry per table…this is truly THE biggest jewelry party in the WORLD!  This is one of the new bracelets and is absolutely incredible…and not too heavy!   It’s solid .925 sterling silver, handcrafted and is $199.  Want to find out more about this piece?  Please message me! 

What do you do after ooh’ing and ahhh’ing over all the new jewels?  Grab your packet of (free) new catalogues, your Sharpies or post-its, get a cocktail and have a seat on the convention room floor with your team. Lots of pages to pour over!! 

Saturday:  More training sessions and closing general sessions in the main arena.  I have so many notes to type up…my notepad is chock full of my chicken scratching! 

Was this the morning L and I spent FORTY MINUTES waiting in line for Starbucks?  I think it was.  Just agonizing.  Thankfully we’d allowed enough time but WOW that Starbucks near the convention center could kick it up a notch or two, especially with huge events like ours.  Although I noticed the pace was a tad slower in general from what I’m used to.  Everyone was extremely friendly and welcoming to us…is this that famous midwestern hospitality?  Not that people in Seattle are rude, it’s just a different vibe and not as laid back.  In fact, my first night heading to the convention center I was the only one on the shuttle, and my shuttle driver even took a few extra minutes to drive around and show me some key points of interest in KC before dropping me off at the convention center!  Too funny…and nice. 

Saturday was awards night, and time to get a little more dressed up!  Here’s where I’m glad I didn’t pack a nice dress…I went with my new, loose black leggings, bling-y flat sandals and a sequined J. Crew tank top with a white tank layered under it (it’s a little low-cut).  By the time I met up with the rest of our team in the convention center, they already had a mini bar set up…big tumblers of vodka tonics!  I cracked up…are these award ceremonies THAT bad?  Everything’s been so amazing! 

When I found out that the awards would go on for THREE HOURS, I knew why we mixed a few tonics.  After about an hour we ditched and headed back to the Power and Light district for some dancing!

This time instead of a live country artist it was a DJ on main stage blasting 80s and 90s music.  I’m SO glad we decided to go dancing…earlier the talk was we’d go to karaoke (which I absolutely cannot stand either doing or listening to, heh).  We grabbed food at the Dubliner and headed up to one of the dance clubs.

There were easily 2 or 3 bachelor and bachelorette parties going on that night…love it!  And perfect for a bunch of 30-40 something bling-loving ladies to mix it up with them on the dance floor!  Awesome.

I was even sort of getting used to the hot weather.  Emphasis on sort of.  We ended up back outside where the DJ was cranking out music and dancing around on the pavement.  Somehow I ended up in the arms of a very handsome cowboy – and a great dancer too.  Man, how long has it been since I got twirled around like that?  Too funny.  My sweaty feet were a little slippery in my sandals but I did alright.

I also met a few more reps too…we exchanged business cards and hoped to meet up the next day for our tour of corporate offices!  I figured OK that sounds great, but with so many of us it’s hard to plan sometimes!

My roommate L headed back to the room early, as she had an insane shuttle pick up time…something like 3:00am.  At that point it’s not even worth going to sleep!  She was catching a standby flight home and had to get up early to start waiting.  The rest of us grabbed a cab later…poor cabbie got an earful of 3 sheets to the wind jewelry reps who needed to bust a move after being on a structured schedule for a few days! 

Somehow I slept well and woke up with no hangover.  Does the hot weather make me sweat out all that booze?  Ha. 

Sunday:  it was weird waking up that morning with L already long gone.  Many people were flying home that day, but for me there was still much to do…starting with a tour of Silpada’s world headquarters!

A short shuttle ride away is the town of Lenexa, KS.  We crowded the streets in KC, piling into shuttles as we did every morning.  When I finally got onto one…oops…it was already full!  I turned around and got in line for the next one.  Lo and behold I ran into ME, one of the reps I’d met out dancing the night before!  What are the chances?  It was totally meant to be…she and I hung out the entire time for the tour and just really hit it off! 

I’m so impressed with the corporate offices and nearby huge distribution center…overall the campus sits on 29.5 acres!  Everything is beautiful and immaculate.  I was also impressed to learn about the bar coding and order processing…they process 20,000 orders a day, with capacity for double that!  And the warehouse workers only work a day shift…there’s no swing or graveyard!  How’s that for quality of life!!  Wow.

The corporate tour was the last official event for conference…I was brimming with so much energy, excitement and empowerment!  I’m not alone in doing this business…I’ve got a huge network of Silpada sisters who are doing exactly what I’m doing (or trying to do) in growing my business!

Now I was on my own…had to figure out for myself what to do to keep entertained!  I had the rest of Sunday and a good chunk of Monday still in town!

I walked over to the Westin Hotel (there are a few skybridges linking the various hotels) and ended up at Brasserie.  An early dinner sounded good!  I chose chicken prepared with asparagus, crab, artichoke and tarragon.  Delicious!  I came back later to my hotel room, freshened up a bit and wandered back down to one of the restaurants to see if I knew anyone…or could spot any fellow reps in their jewelry who were still around! 

Amazingly, I ran into D.  D and I are a part of a huge, private Facebook group just for Silpada reps….there’s over 3700 of us in it and growing.  And she and I are Facebook friends too…and there she was!  I couldn’t believe it!! We ended up hanging out that entire evening, and I went with her upstairs to keep her company while she finished packing. 

I just love these types of days where you have zero idea what you’re going to do, and the most wonderful, random things happen!

Monday:  I grabbed a coffee and bagel and finished packing.  Checked out of the hotel and had them hold my suitcase and carry-on…I needed to do some shopping, and had a little time to kill as my flight didn’t leave till that afternoon.

So I grabbed a cab and headed for the Country Club Plaza!  WOW this place is stunning.  I’m so in awe of outdoor shopping destinations, for in Seattle they are not the most popular way to be set up for obvious reasons!  I’m glad I got there when I did, before it got too hot (but boy it was cookin’) and that I was there during a not so busy time (Monday morning).  Damn, I burned my fingers on the ATM buttons outside!  Youch.

I knew I needed to keep my last purchases small as my suitcase and carry-on were already packed full.  I ended up with some new MAC makeup and some wonderful green tea-scented solid perfume from L’Occitane.  I’ve never had solid perfume before and thought this was a great idea…it comes in a round tin just like lip balm…and no spilling or breakage in your purse!

And my flight home…was a non-stop on Alaska Airlines.  Would you believe we arrived a half hour early?  I guess the jet stream is so far north from where it normally is that we had nothing in our way as we flew west!  And my suitcase was one of the first ones handed off in baggage claim!  Hooray!  Off to the shuttle I went, excited to be home a little earlier than I planned.

Well, I guess it all evens out in the end.  Turns out our shuttle driver was doing his VERY FIRST RUN after his classroom training. He had a mentor riding shotgun with him.  It was awful.  It was like I was spying on someone taking their driver’s test and I felt dirty.  God, it was painful…the guy acted like he never had driven in his life and I’d put him around late 50s or so in age! 

I am SO inspired and energized about Silpada now more than ever!  I KNOW I’ve hit the jackpot representing this amazing product and cherish the friendships I’ve made at conference!!

If you’re interested in learning more about the jewelry or why I have “the best part-time job in the world” as a rep please message me!

Back Home…with (New) Home Cookin’…

28 Saturday Jul 2012

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On Monday night I arrived back home after a stupendously glorious 5 days in Kansas City, MO!  More about that trip in tomorrow’s post!  Oh man, hot weather, sunshine, lots of great friends and bling (and, ahem, hot cowboys)…umm…yes that’s for tomorrow’s posting goodness.

I’ve been in a whirly whirlwind since getting back home.  Had such a great time, but I missed a good, home-cooked meal…as much as the food on the road was amazing.  This past week back at work has been quick pasta-and-pesto dinners, exhausted, at home. 

So today I wanted to not only REALLY cook something fun at home, but also try something local and new.

Enter The Pike Place Market Cookbook, which I picked up on Amazon a few days before leaving town.  And here it was in my mailbox when I got home!  This cookbook was published in 2003 and while some of the merchants and vendors have come and gone since this book came out, the spirit, energy and passion of the Pike Place Market is as strong as ever.  And why not try a new recipe with something that rings of “home”?

Garlic fans, unite!  This is a delicious recipe for Chicken Adobo.  Silly me I thought ‘adobo’ meant American southwest style food.  Nope!  This is Filipino style and you’ll want to soak up every last bit of the sauce with your rice or just a good old spoon!  The pic in this post is of the chicken basking in the sensational marinade after several hours in the fridge and just before sautéing it.  No, it wasn’t cooking on the stove top in a Ziploc bag…horrors!

Serves 4-6 as an entrée, or 6-8 as a side dish.  ** Requires marinating **

  • 1/2 C Philippine coconut vinegar or distilled white vinegar
  • 1/2 C Philippine soy sauce or Japanese soy sauce
  • 1/2 tsp garlic salt
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1/2 tsp finely ground black pepper
  • Kosher salt to taste
  • 3 or 4 cloves garlic, crushed, PLUS 2-3 T minced garlic
  • 2 lbs chicken parts (legs, thighs, or breasts with ribs)
  • 2-3 T peanut or corn oil

In a large bowl or resealable plastic bag, combine vinegar, soy sauce, garlic salt, bay leaves, pepper, salt and the 3 or 4 crushed garlic cloves.  Add chicken parts and marinate in refrigerator several hours or (preferably) overnight.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 T of the oil.  When hot, add the 2 or 3 T minced garlic and stir-fry until lightly browned.  Remove fried garlic and reserve.

Add the remaining 1 or 2 T of oil to skillet over medium heat.  Remove chicken from marinade and pat dry, reserving marinade.  Add chicken parts to skillet and cook 10 to 20 minutes, or until well browned on all sides and completely cooked through.  The final cooking time will depend on the types of chicken parts you choose. (If using large chicken breasts, you can cover the pan to speed the cooking process.)  Remove chicken parts to a clean platter and set aside.

Slowly add reserved marinade to pan drippings to make gravy, stirring constantly and scraping up the bits on bottom of pan.  Once all the marinade has been added, reduce sauce to the desired consistency.  Add chicken to gravy, stir thoroughly and heat through.

To serve, divide chicken and gravy among dinner plates, then garnish with fried garlic.

Really try to use peanut oil in this recipe…it has wonderful flavor, is super healthy and is a nice alterative from olive oil!

Buon appetito!

(Funny) Roadtrip Packing Anxiety

08 Sunday Jul 2012

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I say “funny” because I just have to laugh at myself when something as relatively easy as packing for a long weekend out-of-town becomes overwhelming.  THAT’S a sign that you really DO need a vacation!

This year was a little weird, as the 4th of July holiday itself was on a Wednesday.  Lots of people took the entire week off from work.  I opted to work Monday and Tuesday as I did have some catching up to do, plus I knew I had more time away coming up later in July.  The plan was to work Tuesday and then immediately hit the road out to the Washington coast, where a bunch of relatives were gathering to celebrate the 4th of July, plus the 100th birthday of one of the family cabins out on the peninsula!  You can read all about it in yesterday’s post here.

On Sunday I was mentally making a list of what I should bring to the beach.  I found the small suitcase I wanted to use…and for some reason I just got overwhelmed.  What’s the big deal about packing a bag for a super casual 5-day getaway?

Then I went through said empty travel bag.  In one of the side pockets I found a crumpled magazine from July 2011.  And yep, I gulped.  Oh. My. God.  I have not gone anywhere out-of-town since 4th of July LAST year!!  How is this possible?  How sad is this?  What the hell have I been doing this past year…I haven’t just been sitting around, have I?  No, no…I’ve been head down in this job which I started in mid July last year.  Wow, it’s time for a break alright!  Damn.

On Monday night I started playing around with various piles of clothes to pack.  Why was I getting all freaked out about what to bring?  The coast is super casual…nothing like those episodes of Real Housewives where you see everyone in designer clothes in the Hamptons (The New York cast) or with tons of makeup and sequin bikinis (that would be New Jersey, hands down).  Cracks me up, by the way…and I’m a sucker for all episodes, all franchises.  I have a near-full DVR to prove it!

Thankfully I had a hockey game Monday night.  The perfect distraction plus some great exercise to blow off this silly packing anxiety and skate.  Hockey always tends to come up exactly when I need it!  And luckily this game was at the rink just a few minutes from my house.  I got back home, finished packing and then packed the last-minute stuff the next morning.

I am certainly no travel or packing expert any longer.  This post is more to document what worked for me, traveling to a beautiful area of the country with unpredictable weather, even in the summer. 

Shoes: 1 pair running shoes and 3 pairs sandals or flip-flops.  I brought a pair with a low wedge heel for driving (they’re also good for short walks…this is important as I have high arches), a pair that I didn’t mind getting all sandy after walking around on the beach, and a ‘clean’ pair for just hanging around the house which can also serve the purpose of slippers in the morning.  I LOVE walking in the sand on the beach, but when I’m done I want to rinse off my feet and have zero sand residue anywhere.

Underwear:  I always pack one pair for each day I’m away, plus one extra pair just in case.  If you plan on working out on your vacation, be sure to bring extra undergarments for that, a good sports bra, etc.  Socks…not really needed at the beach except for working out, so bring your favorite sport socks.

Sleepwear:  I sleep nude at home year ’round (TMI, sorry), so I do have to make a conscious effort to pack something to sleep in – it just feels weird sleeping nude in a house full of family members.  And I need to pack something to wear to breakfast that is decent and covered up.  Old tank tops with no bra is just not a good idea.  So I packed some old knit cropped pj pants and a snug t-shirt to sleep in.  For breakfast I changed into a bra, a different not-so-snug t-shirt and threw on my clean flip flops.

Tops:  t-shirts and more t-shirts!  In a super casual beach town that’s all you need…and a couple of tank tops.  I usually pack one for each day and will wear the one I wore first on my last day for the drive home.

Pants/shorts:  jeans, shorts…anything goes.  I typically pack one pair of shorts when I know the weather isn’t going to be so great (which is most of the year).  I’m a little self-conscious of my neon-white legs, so when it’s time to run around in the tide pools or in the surf I wear old cargo pants and just roll up the legs.  Be sure to bring stuff that you don’t mind getting wet or sandy!  You might also want a pair of lounging type sweats, yoga pants or leggings, different from the ones you bring for exercise.  They are great for relaxing, reading and napping.

Outerwear:  I bring a half-zip polar fleece and a windbreaker.  Even if it’s warm and sunny out, it can be very windy and cool on the beach.  And it cools off dramatically after sunset.  I also bring a baseball hat; be sure to pack a visor or other cap as it helps with sun protection and keeping your hair somewhat in place.

Sunglasses:  If you’re like me and are super sensitive to glare, you will wear these on cloudy days as much as sunny days.  A definite must!  For a short trip, one pair is fine.  Bring a pair for working out if you need to…either way be sure you’re OK with whatever you’re bringing getting a little salty air and mist on it.

Bathing suit:  long gone are the days I used to run out into the freezing waves as a teen and body surfed.  Brrr!  So I skipped bringing a bathing suit as I’m fine wading in the ocean with rolled up jeans.  And I don’t sunbathe.

Cosmetics and Toiletries:  I am a sucker for makeup and for trying all sorts of shampoos, conditioners and hair styling products.  So while I could likely go overboard in this department, I try to keep it simple for packing and find travel sizes wherever I can.  And I use the two adorable cases in this post’s picture!  (by Tory Burch and Burberry).  Here’s what I packed:

  • Sunscreen (ESSENTIAL!!).  I have neon-white skin (OK maybe porcelain or alabaster is a nicer way to put it) that does not tan, so I have a few things to say about sunscreen.  WEAR IT.  Wear it on cloudy days too.  I am simply in love with Neutrogena’s Ultra Sheer sunscreen.  I can wear it on my face as well as on my body and I don’t break out.  And once it’s on I don’t feel covered in goo. 
  • Bug repellent:  you might wonder why this is necessary at the ocean…mosquitoes like fresh water, not salt water!  Well, our home and property is about a quarter-mile from the ocean, and there is a creek running through the property in a woodsy area.  So, perfect for mosquitoes.  Bug repellant is just as important to me as sunscreen, as when I get bit the bites turn into welts.  Not pretty.  I choose a clear spray by Off that doesn’t stink TOO much.  But I joke that my signature fragrance at the coast is DEET.  I apply sunscreen and then spray the bug repellant on top.  Make sure to do the back of your neck and a light misting around your head too.  Amazingly, I only got ONE mosquito bite on my left hip in 5 days…they bit me right through my pants!
  • Hair care:  Another sensitive topic for me as my hair is wavy and heavily highlighted.  I usually smooth it out with a flat iron every morning, but I don’t like being a slave to that when I’m at the coast.  But I don’t want wild, frizzy hair either.  I recently discovered Renpure’s Brazilian Keratin flat iron spray and it’s a BIG thumbs up!  Woo hoo for great drugstore products…you don’t always need to spend a lot to get great stuff!  On days I wanted to skip the blow dryer (which was most days) I towel-dried my hair, sprayed on the flat iron spray, combed it through and let my hair dry naturally.  It was wavy, but in a controlled way with no frizz!  I usually like to use a finishing product to keep my ends weighed down, but I don’t like packing things that are too messy or gooey.  So I found a trial size of Jonathan’s Dirt deep in a bathroom drawer and threw it in my bag.  But I found it wasn’t that necessary after combing the straightening spray through first.
  • Skin care:  For efficiency’s sake I just use the same cleanser that I use on my body as a facial cleanser when I travel.  I swear by St. Ives apricot scrub – I use it very lightly in my t-zone as I am still prone to breakouts even at age 45 (ugh).  Then, Neutrogena rainbath shower gel, original formula.  I do spend a lot on cosmetics and hair care, but it’s nice having some drugstore staples that have worked great nearly half my life.  At night after cleansing my face I use a little eye cream on my crows feet and on the crinkles in my forehead.  Right now I’m really enjoying Ole Henriksen’s African red tea serum.
  • Makeup:  I truly wish I was one of those types with natural beauty, where you just throw your hair in a pony tail or loose bun, dab on a little lip balm and look stunning.  I’m a little sensitive to my ruddy cheeks and tendency for under eye circles, so given that I usually pack a light foundation, loose powder and kabuki brush, concealer, mascara and lip balm.  I dab the foundation on the reddest part of my cheeks and blend thoroughly.  Then I dab foundation on my eyelids and dust with the kabuki brush and put on a little mascara, upper lashes only.  It seems to work and doesn’t have a heavy made-up look.

Other essentials:  Deodorant, toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, nail clipper, tweezers, prescription meds and/or vitamins, pain reliever…and ladies, feminine products.

Relaxing:  bring a couple of books (or your portable reading device if you have one) and some magazines.

Portable electronics:  your music player of choice (LOVE my iPod!), cell phone, Bluetooth headset for driving…and don’t forget your chargers! 

What I left at home?  Sounds like I brought the whole world with me but there were quite a few things I chose to leave at home:

  • Jewelry (other than the watch and what I wore to work before driving out)
  • Eyeshadow
  • Blush
  • Laptop (stayed in my trunk)
  • Hiking boots
  • Camera (I am an amateur/sporadic photog at best, so I just used my phone to take pictures)
  • Perfume

Adventurous Weekend Waiting

01 Sunday Jul 2012

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I bet I’m not the only one who sometimes gets a little anxious or jumpy – impatient even – while waiting for something.  Or someone.  I’m a mostly good-natured person, but I find my patience continues to wane the older I get.  Hmmm, I wonder how I’m going to behave when I’m elderly…Lord willing I live that long.

On Saturday I forced myself out of bed a little earlier than usual.  I’m heading out of town for a few days later this week (woohoo…road trip!) and I knew my car was overdue for an oil change.  I also had a spa appointment later that afternoon – hmmm, maintenance time for both my car and me, too funny!  I knew I needed to get the oil change out of the way first thing, otherwise there was a slight danger I’d procrastinate getting it done yet again.  I know very little about cars but I DO know ya gotta change the oil regularly.   Thankfully I use synthetic oil so I only need to change the oil twice a year.

Now, if there ever was an evil vortex where time slows to a painful crawl, it’s at Jiffy Lube.  And no offense to the nice people who work there, for they are very friendly and personable and do their best to get customers taken care of quickly, but for me I’d rather scrub my bathroom floor 10 times with a toothbrush.  I just DREAD waiting for my car to be serviced.  I feel like a complete sitting duck stuck in a frozen moment of time.  And for a while now they have had these windshield repair guys who “piggy back” and inspect each car’s windshield while it’s getting serviced.  I think they are sub-leasers or something like that.  So not only do I have to sit and wait for my car to be serviced, but I now have some other dude trying to sell me on getting the tiny rock dings and chips in my windshield replaced.  It just feels creepy and weird to me.

Typically I bring a magazine from home to pass the time, as the reading material provided is usually not very appealing to me.  This time I’d forgotten, even though I put the latest Marie Claire right smack on my dining room table near my purse so I wouldn’t forget.  Oh well…thank goodness we have phones, right?  I checked out stuff on Facebook, texted a few friends and even immersed myself in some email newsletter reading.  For the last couple of years I’ve been reading and dabbling a little in learning about Arctic/circumpolar issues – climate change, the indigenous peoples, environmental issues…just a tiny taste to intrigue me and dream of a future trip to Svalbard.  I read through the latest University of the Arctic newsletter and mentally escaped from the dreary orange and brown Jiffy Lube waiting room.

Before I knew it, my car was ready to roll!  I’m so glad I saved those newsletters in my email – I’d considered canceling my subscription as I never seem to have time to read them but I definitely won’t now!  I got the car radiator flushed and filled too – they said it was overdue per my car’s guidelines and I figured OK what the hell, couldn’t hurt.  My car is a champ at 13 years old and I know it’s going to continue to need a lot of care to get the most out of it for as long as it’s worth spending the money to do so.  And I remember one of my brothers (the one I bought this car from) telling me, “Take good care of your equipment and it will take good care of you.”  Makes sense!

I called L out of the blue yesterday, probably while out on the road running errands.  I have a new Bluetooth headset so I’ve been calling people a lot from the road to get feedback on the audio quality and volume as I get used to it.  So far I’m very impressed.  And it even announces when I have a new text message and will read it to me!  How cool is this?  I hadn’t heard from L in a while and I figured he was probably super busy with work – which is great!  Turns out he was on business in Chicago and was planning to fly back the next day (today) and asked if I would pick him up at the airport.  We planned on grabbing lunch somewhere and just getting caught up.

Evil time-slows-to-a-painful-crawl-vortex Exhibit B:  The Sea-Tac airport cell phone parking lot.   My God, if there ever was a sign of how times have changed with air travel, this is one of them.  I’m old enough to remember my folks driving me to the airport just to go watch airplanes take off and land – no kidding!  So fun!  And when air travel meant dressing up.  Even my youngest brother at around age 5 was in a suit and adorable little clip-on tie when we’d go visit relatives on the east coast or on family vacations.  This was the late 1970s, by the way!

The last time I was in the cell phone parking lot was…oh man…over a year ago when I was picking up the guy I was dating at the time after he’d been in Australia for two weeks.  What a difference a year and some makes!!  Now here I was – with that issue of Marie Claire I’d forgotten to bring along for the oil change – waiting for my guy BFF’s flight to arrive.  If you have not yet read my post about L and me and how we got reconnected after a gap of several years you really do need to check it out here.

Every woman needs a wonderful, straight male friend in her life.  L is gold to me.  He opens up and shares the most mind-blowing and amazing things about who he is and what’s going on with his life and his passions, dreams and goals.  I feel so honored to be a safe place for him to be able to open up like that.  I know how different men and women are…as women, we thrive on deep, emotional connections and revealing a lot with each other right away.  With men it’s very different…the warrior is wired to instinctively conceal, not reveal.  ‘Tis true!

One of the things I love about L is how so spontaneous he is.  He helps me lighten up (I tend to be a planner and envy those who just fly by the seat of their pants).  When he asked if I was hungry I said YES and we talked about where to grab a late lunch as I sped us back up the freeway toward Seattle.  As I was parking my car he noticed my extremely dusty dashboard and playfully wrote “dust me, bitch” and his name.  Hilarious!  OK, OK, I get the point…the car dashboard is dusty!

We ended up at the Hale’s Ales Pub in Seattle.  It’s right in between the Fremont and Ballard neighborhoods.  And WOW, the memories here run deep.  I’d not been to this place since probably the late 1990s.  I was living in the Magnolia neighborhood and working downtown, commuting by bus.  Oh how I miss those days sometimes.  Anyway, a lot of my co-workers became pretty tight friends back then, and we were always hungry for a new spot to go out to eat and drink.  We pretty much LIVED at Hale’s once we discovered it.  And now fast forward 15+ years, here I was with L.  It was just how I remembered it!

And I must have been hungrier than I thought…L chose a Reuben sandwich with Jo Jo’s, and I had a small cup of smoked salmon clam chowder (LOVE this stuff – L grabbed an extra spoon and tried some too), a burger and a small Caesar salad.  Polished off with a damn good Bloody Mary for me and a Holsch beer for L.  I sure won’t need a full dinner tonight!

L told me all about his Chicago trip – seeing his parents, client visits, potential new business, etc.  He also wants to get back to work scraping the popcorn ceiling in my townhouse – a hellacious, messy, laborious project if there ever was.  He’s a saint for helping me.  He wants to get back in the gym regularly and even asked me, “so when are you going to get back in shape, fivenineteen?  You’re a beautiful woman.”  I blushed and said thank you. Just to put this in context, L and I first met about 8 years ago when I was, well, 8 years younger and about 35 lbs slimmer, after a 6-month journey of lots of walking to drop weight.  Long story, but life goes on and the pounds creep up.  Playing hockey once a week does not do the trick for me.

Maybe I’ll make a vow to myself to start hitting the gym again this summer while it’s their slower season.  Oh wait…it IS summer…it’s July 1!  No more excuses.

Turning the Page

03 Sunday Jun 2012

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It’s late Sunday afternoon and I’m sitting here reflecting back upon the amazing bookends of this weekend.  A Goodbye on Friday and a Welcome Back today.  Dear friends of mine going on or returning from odysseys.  So much to think about.

D’s pulling up stakes and moving to Austin, TX this week.  A few friends got together at Grand Cru, a wine bar in Bellevue, WA for happy hour, munchies and celebrating her new career chapter.  Every time I go – which is I think all of 2 or 3 times actually – the ambiance and vibe is very warm and relaxed, not pretentious.  LOVE that.  And Friday it was time to toast D and wish her well on her new job and move.  She’s been pursuing this position for quite some time, and the interview process has been exhaustive.  But every time she’d tell me how it was going I just knew.  I just knew she’d get it.  It just felt like and seemed like the Universe would make it happen.  And SHE would make it happen – both with hard work and with the unique combination of passion and effortlessness that it’s just going to happen as it’s supposed to.  Sometimes you just know.

I’ve only known D a few months now – we got acquainted last October in one of my more random weekend encounters in recent memory.  The story is here.  I know there are no accidents in life.  D’s been such a treasured friend – one of my newest – and it’s the type of friendship that while it’s new there is a deep, intuitive understanding of one another.  Sometimes you just resonate with certain people.  What a gift that is.  D’s been such a joy and inspiration.  Selfishly it’s hard to say goodbye as she gets ready to move halfway across the country.  But I couldn’t be happier for her.  She deserves every happiness.  She and Austin will get along amazingly.

And today I met up with P for a fantastic late lunch.  The kind where “all of a sudden” it’s 3:00 after enjoying great food and company.  We went to Desert Fire, a southwest-style restaurant in Redmond Town Center.  It’s funny how I hardly ever shop there (or eat out there, maybe once or twice a year at most, even though it’s not far from where I live or work).  And then I remember why…oh yeah…an ex-boyfriend worked in one of the stores there.  OK, that relationship’s been kaput for 5 years now, but I guess old habits prevail.   I savored the fish tacos and a few glasses of good old plain iced tea.

P’s just returned from an incredible 3-week journey to Alaska… traveling both by the Alaska Marine Highway (a ferry system) and driving with her two beloved dogs.  This trip was not only to visit family, but to experience the incredible beauty and ruggedness of Alaska for herself.  And take a well-deserved vacation.

Tangent time:  P and I worked together very briefly about 5 years ago.  And “worked together” is probably a bit of a stretch.  We were at the same company, in somewhat similar roles but in very different business units which did not have a lot of overlap.  My entire business unit got downsized within a year of me coming on board; P meanwhile remains a seasoned veteran.  I remember as a newbie there scratching my head and wondering how to connect with others in the company who had a similar job title as I.  I scrubbed the company directory and just started emailing people, introducing myself.  And so that was how I met P.  P is one of those rare types where we’ve stayed in contact far longer than anytime we were at the same company together.  And I’m so glad to have her as a friend. 

So back on track here…P’s blog documents much of this trip in both her stories and her photography.  [It’s a great resource for travel planning and preparation too, by the way and for many travel destinations beyond Alaska].   And the additional stories she shared today at lunch reflecting upon the trip and how she feels reflecting back upon the whole experience, well, I just listened joyously, wide-eyed and soaked it all in.  It’s a privilege to know P, to be her friend and her confidante as she thinks about her own journey ahead and shares her dreams, struggles, hopes and passions.  What’s next, where to live, career, successes, joys and ups and down.  LIFE, really.  It’s such an honor when someone opens up about so much to you, don’t you think?  Really, it’s a gift to be cherished.

So here are two great friends of mine, turning two very big (and different) pages in their lives.  What does it mean?  What’s going to happen?  The answers to these questions are unknown, but I DO know everything will unfold in their favor.

I feel so blessed today…to have the friendship of such incredible women in my life.  The gift of time together with great friends, great food and great conversation…THIS is the trio of joys that strums my strings. 

And I’m so happy to have experienced this TWICE in one weekend.  Cheers!