I left my Heart in San Francisco

The last time I was here! But now I'm back and will do my best to hunt it down..... Highlights for the 5 day trip will be a reception at a residence on Nob Hill (that should be fun), a few meetings, hunting down some jazz clubs, eating lots of good food, drinking lots of good wine. Seeing some friends, walking everywhere... Scott's wearing the pedometer so I will post our mileage everyday!

If it's Tuedsay, I must be in Cleveland

Or, at least that's how I've felt for the past month! My apologies to any regular readers (If I even have any!) for my recent lack of posting. ... I have been traveling for work like an old school salesguy... Different day, different city!

Since the beginning of April, I have wracked up the following:

18,000 NWA Frequent Flyer miles
14 takeoffs (same as many landings)
2,000 Starwood points (Hotel loyalty program)
6 Rental Cars
4 taxi fares
6 pools I've gone for swims in

Several good dinners, and several crappy dinners at hotel restaurants.
Met all sorts of wonderful employees across the country, and just as many crabby ones....

So, I'm culminating my travel month with one last trip - on vacation next week with my husband - going to San Fransisco, where I am sure to not have any crappy meals, meet no employees, ride inf more than a few taxis, and have lots of good wine...

Outsourcing Mother's Day: FTD takes the load off

First off, let me clarify - I love Mother's Day, am a big fan of taking a day out to celebrate the woman who carried you around in her belly for several months, went through labor, and then for the next, oh, 30+ years took care of you. In fact, as someone who's mother died 6 years ago, I wish she was still around to give sweet little presents to! I feel the same way about Father's day too!

I am also a big fan of flowers - as a gardener, they bring me great joy. I tour my garden every day and interact with nature, nourishing, coaching, and enjoying the beauty.

I am not a fan of how FTD and other national floral chains make an absolute KILLING off of mother's day! We have outsourced our responsibility to our family members.

Here's my position: Assuming you really love your mother (I know there are exceptions out there), then take the time to observe the day as a reflection of that love. Stop by a local florist, cratsman, bakery, whatever, and make a small investment in a token of love and appreciation for your mother. Trust me - two dozen long stem roses are lovely, but save them for your spouse or girl/boyfriend.

Mothers are a sentimental lot, and would rather get a post it note with some kind words on it from you, then they would like to answer the doorbell to a cookie bouquet with a note written by a stranger! There is no amount of delivery that would be better than a phone call from you (if you can't stop by). Don't wait until 9:00 at night to do it - Any mother I know would love to be woken up on Mother's day by the jingle of a phone call from one of her children. If she's an electronic mom - send her an email, ecard, or post on her Facebook.... You don't need to take her out to a fancy brunch - have her over for coffee and cookies.

In my book, you don't get extra credit on Mother's day by spending more money, or having fancy gifts... this is a holiday where it really is the thought that counts. Please, don't outsource showing your love for your mother (or your father)...

PS - for those of you out there who are fathers with small children, who need help creating a special day for their mother... the same rules apply... sweet, homemade and sentimental is best, let it be something that helps her remember her "little babies" 10 years from now when they are stinky teenagers....

For all you Mothers out there - enjoy your special day - you deserve it!

Random thoughts for the day

Been on the road this week to Dallas, so as I was driving in to work today, I had a whole bunch of random thoughts:

• Why do people clip their toenails in public places, like the office, or on an airplane?
• I saw some kids on a swing set at 8:15 in the Am - maybe waiting for the bus to school... why swing so early in the AM? Would that be an alternative to coffee for me to wake up? I drive by at least 4 playgrounds on the way to work, maybe I should try it
• For all the people that are walking their dogs around Lake Harriet at 8:30 in the Am, do you have jobs? If so, how can I get one? And if not, then will you adopt me?
• Do the dogs get tired half-way round like I do? At the "potential point of no turning back" Do they think "Is it shorter for me to turn back, or is it too late?"
• I "stormed" a bunch of ideas for poems, or free-form thoughts.... "The green tunnel", "Radio Sun Roof", "Blue Platform", "Twists and Turns", "Gnarly Brown Giving Life to Soft Chartreuse"

For thos of you from the Twin Cities, you can probably guess that I was driving to work on the Parkway past all of the city lakes....

Dollar Store Haiku: It's all my brain could afford to spend this morning

Friday Morning Blue

The sky a bright blue
Fills us with a sense of hope
Today will bring joy

This just in: Michelle Bachmann is still crazy!

My heart breaks for the resident's of Minnesota's 6th Congressional district:

Watch this video and you will see why!

I can only shake my head and wonder what her Chief of Staff must have thought when she said this - especially since the outbreak of the 1970's swine flu was under Ford's watch - not Carter....

Jazz, Darwin and God....Thank you Ben Sidran

Last night, Scott (my husband) and I attended a performance at the Dakota Jazz Club - Ben Sidran (who wrote Steve Miller's Space Cowboy) hooked up with some of his cronies from here in Minneapolis and gave a smokin' performance. Not just good old jazz standards, but he transformed a Dylan piece into something completely, wonderfully different. They say they didn't rehearse together as a group for the last 15 years, and even if that's only partially true - it seems they picked it up where they left it when they were touring....

I must admit that I didn't know Ben Sidran from anyone until Scott called me, all excited about the idea of buying tickets.... but then he showed me his bio, and this is one well credentialed cat - both musically and educationally. And it shows when he's on stage.... as he was launching into one of his songs, he talked about his philosophy that Jazz is simply an extension of Darwinian principles... that the feeling you get while participating in a jazz performance dates back to the dawn of human existence... that the music is similar to the behavior of humans around the fires of 250,000 years ago. The music reflects and enourages the "need to breed". He posited that the idea of "god" may have origins in the very same feelings.... in other words - if it makes all of us feel this good, and we aren't sure why (we can't see it or touch it), it must be something outside of what we can perceive, and we'll call it God.

Interesting sideline for a jazz performance on a Monday night in April!