Adventures From the Road

I know I left some stuff out and for the most part the times are estimates. However, if you've ever wondered what a typical day in my life may look like, here's a snapshot:


12:20 AM: Hang up / end phone conversation with Sunshine

12:21 AM – 12:30 AM: Rechecks packing list against suitcase and briefcase contents ensuring nothing has been left behind. I was distracted as Sunshine and I were finally having the conversation and getting down to the nitty gritty of whether we would pursue more than a friendship if circumstances were different. Survey says…Yes.

12:31 – 12:45 AM: Toss and turn. Damn insomnia.

12:46 AM – 2:15 AM: Watch previously recorded episode of Bones and MTV’s Real World/Road Rules Gauntlet II

2:16 AM – 5:30 AM: Fitful sleep

5:31 AM – 5:42 AM: Count 4 separate police car sirens and think, “Wow, it must be something pretty bad.”

5:43 AM – 6:30 AM: Finish getting ready, love on the babies, drag suitcase, briefcase, purse, and small cd case down 26 stairs (dang rental without satellite radio)

6:31 AM: Hit the road

6:33 AM: Come upon previous police cars to a house right down the street from my place. Front yard is crawling with law enforcement and the yard is sectioned off with crime scene tape.

6:34 AM – 6:42 AM: Crawl by said house and make mental note to read news websites later this week and/or call police station to find out what the heck happened and is area still safe to live in

6:43 AM: Contemplate stopping at local Starbucks or wait until I am further down the road

6:45 AM: Decide to wait until I am further on my way for Starbucks fix

6:46 AM – 6:52 AM: Smooth sailing on I-5

6:53 AM: Traffic comes to a crawl; thinks to self, “Great, I am already running 20 minutes behind. Boss man is going to love this.”

6:59 AM: Sees metal debris in lane. Says small prayer of thanks for seeing metal debris in lane and being able to sneak into left lane to avoid hitting debris.

7:03 AM: Calls 911 to report metal debris

7:04 AM: Settles in for 2 hour and 45 minute drive down South

7:05 AM – 7:59 AM: Makes multiple phone calls

8:01 AM: Stops at mid point Starbucks to get caffeine fix. Thinks to self, “Each Starbucks has a vibe all it’s own. This one’s vibe is small town older gentlemen meet for breakfast and talk about town politics. Everyone knows everyone’s business. Everyone knows each other. What a shame this is not happening in more coffee houses across the country. We’re always in such a hurry to get the fix and go (Guilty).” I would have loved to be able to take a break and just listen and observe this town’s energy but no such luck today.

8:04 AM: Gets back in car and notices 4 missed calls

8:07 AM: Checks voicemail and proceeds to return calls and change outgoing extended absence greeting in the hopes people will understand I may not be able to return their call ASAP

8:08 AM: Settles back in for rest of the ride

8:50 AM: Calls boss man to let him know I am about 30 minutes behind and will see him soon

9:26 AM: Arrives at office only to find out boss man needs about 20 minutes before we can get back on the road

9:29 AM: Makes mad dash to bathroom

9:31 AM: Is stopped on the way to restroom to answer multiple questions that really could have waited until I had done my business

9:35 AM: Finishes doing business and heads to new manager’s office to welcome him to the team and do a quick action plan of his training schedule

9:55 AM: Heads back to boss man’s office to see if we’re ready to go only to find out he’s waiting for me in parking lot and calling my cell, which is happily residing in the rental

10:00 AM – 11:15 AM: More road warrior action; arrive at second location. Thinks to self, “I’ve seen three mountains (Mount Rainier, Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Hood), two bodies of water (Puget Sound, Columbia River), two state capitol buildings (WA and OR), and been in two states in less than 6 hours and the day hasn’t even begun.” Takes a few deep breaths to center self and gives a special thought to how fortunate I am to experience the things I do. Seriously, it’s pretty cool to experience this all in a day's work. No matter how many times I do experience this, I still find it pretty cool.

11:20 AM: Receives phone call that lunch meeting needs to be pushed back to 12:30 versus 12:00. Commences to re-arranging conference call scheduled for 1:00 to 1:30 as result. Multiple phone calls required to make this a reality.

11:30 AM: Realizes 12:30 is a way off and since I didn’t eat breakfast, the hunger must be fed. Ravages granola bar and chugs bottle of water.

11:31 AM – 11:45 AM: Fights technology and concedes to the fact that sitting on the floor with my stuff is a lot easier than trying to figure out how to make someone else’s open office wireless stuff work on my laptop

11:46 AM – 12:22 PM: Makes and takes many phone calls while fighting off weird looks as to why I am sitting on the floor when there is a perfectly good desk available

12:30 PM: Lunch “date” arrives

12:31 PM – 1:20 PM: Business taken care of and bellies full of fajitas. Missed 13 phone calls in less than a hour all so I could meet and eat.

1:30 PM: Determine, after many other calls, two vital players for the conference call were left off of the original invite, let alone the reschedule to 1:30. Decision is made to reschedule for Monday.

1:35 PM – 1:45 PM: Escapes to bathroom to brush teeth and touch up makeup. Misses another 4 phone calls.

1:46 PM – 2:30 PM: Returns phone calls from all of the missed phone calls. Wonders, “Can the day really begin now?”

2:31 PM – 3:45 PM: Begins auditing and answering questions, taking even more phone calls

3:45 PM – 5:00 PM: Continues to audit, execute observational processes, takes and makes yet more phone calls

5:15 PM – 6:30 PM: Boss man returns. We recap and proceed to discuss preliminary results as well as action plan the next few weeks of travel and meetings. Meet with other manager in between action planning to resolve issues and conducts coming to Jesus call with another manager.

6:35 PM: Decide it’s time for dinner

6:50 PM: Arrive at dinner

6:55 PM: Do the rude move of making phone call at dinner to brother to coordinate travel arrangements to Dallas

7:00 PM – 7:45 PM: Dinner. Recap day with boss man. Determine plan of action for remainder of time in this location.

7:56PM: Check into hotel.

8:00 PM: Get to room. Rip clothes off to change into workout clothes.

8:04 PM: Call Sunshine to see how his day went and asked him to call me in hotel at 9:30 as cell phone is about to die and this girl’s got a date with the treadmill waiting. Find hair, that doesn’t belong to me, in cradle of phone. Contemplate requesting new room. Decide to tough it out.

8:06 PM – 8:14 PM: Dinner, or maybe lunch, works it way out of system

8:18 PM – 9:00 PM: Treadmill and I get it on; endorphins kick in and the sweat flows freely.

9:05 PM – 9:18 PM: Shower

9:20 PM – 9:30 PM: Moisturize, take vitamins, chug water

9:32 PM: Busts out computer to get some work done

9:45 PM – 12:30 AM: Sunshine calls. We talk while I work. Experience pangs of guilt as I have talked to Sunshine more in the last 24 hours than some of my girls I owe calls to.

12:3O AM: Decide to shut down for the day and record the day for posterity sake. Wonders, "Am I losing it? I have to be up in less than five hours to get ready and arrive at breakfast meeting."

So, with all this being said, anyone want to hang with me for a day?