Thoughts off the wall

I'm just back from a business trip and haven't really gathered my thoughts, but here are a few things that occurred to me during the week.  Just putting them out there for the universe. 

I traveled from sunny and warm Texas into winter storm Stella.  This was not a good idea.  Fortunately, we were right on the edge of it, so all we really saw was cold and wind.  Cold and wind that cut through me like a knife.  I had layers.  And, I wore some of them, most of the time and all of them some of the time.  I wore my new red and white shirt I made...but nobody got to see it, so I'll give it an official debut at a future meeting.  I was warmer than some of the Clevelanders that for some reason always seem surprised to get somewhere and find that it's actually cold out.  I spent the days referring to myself as Texas, as in Texas is going back in.  Or, Texas is closing the door.  Or Texas is getting back on the bus, when we stood outside for an hour and a half, watching other people test drive cars.  And, I regularly gave them weather updates.  From Texas...sunny and 75 in Texas.  And, more than once, I offered to host them all at the next March meeting...in Texas.

And, I was funny.  Not just a little bit funny.  I took it on myself to be the entertainment; to keep people laughing.  At some point yesterday, when I was in the airport and away from the team, two things dawned on me.  One, I got my Daddy's sense of humor.  He's very funny, and can toss out a comment in response to the most common statements that makes everyone laugh.  I spent three days doing that.  Not starting funny stories, just adding a few words to the normal, common things that people said that suddenly made people laugh.  It felt good to give joy.  And second, I want to be that way more in my real life.  I can.  I want to.  But, I've been so angry for so long and rather than inflict that on anybody, I've gotten quiet.  So quiet that people forget to include me.  I can do something about that.  And, I hope to.

I came home last night and spread myself across the house.  I dropped things everywhere.  After three days of having to keep everything in a pile so I didn't lose anything, it was nice to be home and have room to spread out.  I felt like a dog marking territory.  Unfortunately, now I'll have to round all that stuff up and put it where it really belongs. 

My boss likes to maintain a position above the fray.  He doesn't get involved.  I've never worked for anyone that was so not involved.  And, this week, it bit him in the butt and I enjoyed hell out of it.  He created a crisis that unfolded in front of his boss.  And, there is no amount of tattling on him that would have been more effective than letting things unfold naturally was.  I'm going to try to remember that when he's frustrating me, the universe has a way of making things right. 

We went to the IIHS (something Institute of Highway Safety) headquarters for our meeting.  I work for an auto insurance company.  If you're thinking of buying a vehicle, new or used, please visit their website and check out the safety ratings.  You'd be surprised at what happens to vehicles and people in even a small crash.  We saw videos that are available on U-tube.  It's horrific!  Pick a vehicle for safety, not because it's "pretty".  IIHS is not making this stuff up.  They are very scientific and use controlled experiments to rate vehicles.  I'll never buy again without them. 

We visited Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's home.  First, would somebody give them some money so they can fix that beautiful structure up?  There are beautiful modern buildings as tributes to other people on the property, a museum, a theater and a gift shop.  That money should have been spent restoring Monticello.  It was good to see that they are not shying away from the contradiction that was Thomas Jefferson, a man who believed in freedom for all...white men.  A man who saw slavery as the shameful thing it was, but still owned slaves.  It's good to see the contradictions in our founders and not just the shiny textbook pretense of perfection that I was taught in the 70's. 

This week is SXSW in Austin.  The plane last night was filled with millennials.  Millennials apparently were taught to speak by Samuel L Jackson.  I've never heard the F word used that way or that often by ungrateful little privileged white kids that want to be thugs.  Rich people, slap the crap out of your kids please.  They are offensive.  And, if your daughter is complaining that some old man shouldered her in the side of the face and pretended the plane hit turbulence, it was me.  She was drooling on me.  I don't know what drug she was on, but I sure enjoyed that one little bit of getting even for the universe. 

But, as Sheldon says, she was "in my spot". 

Thank God for people in power on both sides of the aisle that are starting to get wise to what we have known since November and are starting to stand up to the orange stain.  Have you looked up who your members of congress are?  Have you written a letter yet?  I have not.  I shall correct that beginning today.  I shall write many letters.  Speak now, or forever be oppressed. 

I am so far behind on reading blogs.  They keep us moving on these business trips so that people don't take too much advantage of being away from spouses and family.  But I will catch up.  I hope your weeks have been more exciting than mine and I can't wait to read about it. 

If I walk away now, I can sew just a little bit before I have to get ready for work.  I love you all, but I'm going to sew.  See ya!

Lane