And so it begins....

After the majority of our group arrived in Dubai (sorry Lynn!), we went back to the Savage Garden - where we bonded last year. As you can see, we had a very bad time.

Back to Dubai

Well, I'm preparing for my second trip to Dubai - and wondering how different it will be this year. I've heard that it's like a ghost town and that expats are being put in jail for not being able to pay their bills after losing their jobs. The UAE does not tolerate personal debt very well apparently. At any rate, I will be reunited with my five comrades for a week of forum sessions and a workshop, plus a lot of fun. These are great people and we really bonded last year and last summer. Looking forward to working together again now that we know each other. Makes a big difference! In addition to working, we will be skiing at Ski Dubai again, and I am excited about making time to hit the desert and ride on a camel. Betsy and I are determined to spend some time on the beach, too. Not many places (if any?) where you can go to the desert, snow ski and lay out on the beach all in the same day! More from the road....

Race for the Cure

I ran my first race this weekend - a 5K. It was amazing. First, I got to run it with one of my best friends (okay, so we ran almost the entire thing), second, it was for a great cause that hit close to home this year when one of my staff was diagnosed at 38 (and is now a survivor - yeah!!!), and third, it was an unbelievable November day. There were 24,000+ participants this year. I raised over $400 and hope to do better next year. I may even go for the timed run then too. With all the medical advances we see each year, we simply must find a way to stop this disease.

Today was a better day...by the end of the day

The day started out with me in an extremely irritable mood. Traffic sucked more than usual, I got annoyed with my best friend, and just felt low - none of this being my normal self even in PMS mode (which I'm not right now). But as the day went on and I delivered my Meals on Wheels route followed by a comfort food lunch, I started feeling better. Some things at work turned out okay and then I went to work out. That in itself made me feel a hundred percent better. Glad I went. I didn't get to see Obama tonite but heard he did an amazing job as usual. Six more days and I don't have to hear "my friends" anymore. Added to a day that steadily improved, thinking about this was a good end.

Catching up....sort of

Okay, so I'm a terrible blogger. I haven't been on this blog since last spring, but there are a lot of reasons. First and foremost, I am in the most dysfunctional employment situation of my career. I just haven't been motivated to say anything. And of course, I'm not going to say anything here that could worsen the situation. :)

But, I will say that I am overwhelmingly optimistic that we are going to pull out this election. Regardless of what anyone who has a view that disagrees with me has to say about the outcome, we need a change. I'm sorry, but McCain and that ridiculous person he calls a running mate are not it. She is worse than W and she would do nothing to advance the rights of women - unless they live in a cave - and even that is doubtful.


I think in times like these - for me anyway - where we are surrounded by short-sided, hypocritical people, we have to look at the bright side of life. Like, for example, when my friend and I got to meet Jimmie Vaughan (yes, Stevie's big bro) backstage on Sunday nite at the closing of the Backyard, an amazing venue in Austin until the malls overtook the space. In the midst of all the crap, and pole dancers who get promotions - this is the shit. And it's honest. Seriously. And I still miss SRV.

Dining with the Dean

I'm at UT Dallas to discuss a possible BBA degree completion program. We are starting with lunch in the Dean's Conference Room and it's just a little different than dining in CLB 4...

Heading out again...

This time to Cancun with my friend, Jean, who now lives in Uruguay. We try to meet once a year at a beach location for "girlfriend" time. We've been to Turks & Caicos, Vegas, and the Dominican Republic. This year it's Mexico. Leaving tomorrow on American -- which would have me in a panic state except for the fact that I'm on a 737 and a 757, not an MD80. Those planes have been grounded off and on since Wednesday and will likely be grounded tomorrow due to FAA issues. I think it's absolutely ridiculous to leave people stranded due to their (FAA) mistakes but that's where we are today. Sigh.

Looking forward to laying on the beach, by the pool, and/or in the spa. Four days...yeeha!