I am amazed

It is amazing at the Grainger convention I am out. There are 4500 people (about) including all the vendors, sales rep and customers (which is my category). Tonight's entertainment -- a bus ride to Epcot, and one whole side of Future World was shut down to everyone but us. We had dinner, rides to ourselves, free booze, popcorn, and ice cream and a band. After the real Walt Disney World Guests left, we got the run of the other side of future world with another band. And then at 11:45 pm our very own fireworks show (Illuminations). Rough estimate of cost for the events $1 million dollars, by the time they ran charter buses to and fro Epcot, the food, and everything. It was pretty awesome going on a ride with typically an hour (or more wait) and only waiting for about 20 minutes. We did Soaring, Finding Nemo (no wait) Mission Space (no wait), and Eric did Test Track (short wait), which I opted out of at the last minute. Now it is 1:00 am, and I am too wound up to crawl into bed. Tomorrow we have more seminars, more trade show, and then head back home. So, I guess I better get at least a little shut eye.

Dreaming

I realized looking at my blog profile that dreaming has not been written about much by me. So, what do I dream of doing? Not working. Doesn't mean I won't work, but it would be part-time somewhere fun where I do not have management responsibilities. I love traveling and planning trips and making the arrangements and then going and doing (even when I end up cold or hot or wet). I love taking photos. I love working on large Lego sets (right now building a 3300 piece Lego carousel). I love theater and movies and live performances. As much as I love helping the customers at our company and knowing them as people, I want to not worry about how much in sales we have booked, or whether everyone is doing their job, or how we can cut costs. I want to greet people at a theme park, make sure they have a good time, and then go home at night with no worries, so that I can dream the dreams of a good nights sleep.I want to spend more time cooking really good meals, not necessarily fancy meals, but good food. Watching the food network both inspires me and frustrates me. I want time to try out their recipes and improve my cooking skills, and have time to bake.

I dream of having a life that does not involve getting up at 5:30 in the morning going to work and coming home at 5:30 at night exhausted. There is more to life than this. Yes, with our new financial planner, and with working on adding to our investments every month, I hope to fulfill this dream in about 5 years. Until then, it will be bits and pieces of the dream that I have time to live. Cooking, and traveling, and laughing with my family.

Do you have a dream? What is it? Feel free to share your dreams. I'd love to hear about them.

Exhausted and Cold

You wonder where I have been? Cold and Exhausted.

Right after the New Year, our family headed to Disney World for some vacation time, and sun and warmth. Well, we went right into record lows for Orlando. Highs of 45 during the day, and lows around 30 at night. Yes we had some clothing, but we were figuring on 60 degree days, and 50 degrees at night (normal January weather). So, I went around with a short sleeved shirt, a long sleeved shirt, a lightweight fleece jacket and a heavier jacket. With 2 hoodies, and a hat I manged to stay reasonable, but not warm. To top it off, the heating unit in our hotel room wasn't working properly, and we didn't get it fixed til the next to last day. Brrrrrr. It was still a fun trip, but the cold really took it out of me.

Then, we get back to NC, and here we are also having record cold days. Lows of about 8 degrees, and highs in the low 30s. But yesterday it was almost 45 in the afternoon, and it felt balmy.

But, here I am back at work, feeling exhausted from the cold, and I didn't get my needed Florida sunshine. But wait, I am going back to Orlando on Sunday for a trade show and it is supposed to be warm and sunny! This is an odd show, Grainger is paying all of our expenses, hotel, plane, food, drink, etc for us to show up to a large trade show about the products that they carry, and go to some of their seminars. No strings attached, except that they hope that we will start buying more from them. I think that there will be about 1000 people in attendance. We even get 4 hours at night at one of the Disney Theme Parks (after hours).

Back to the exhaustion. I haven't been going to my normal exercise club, because I am bored of the one thing that they offer, a circuit. No classes, no cardio equipment and their HVAC system needs to be fixed. Which means if I go, then I have to change clothes in really cold dressing rooms, and the bathroom also is frigid cold. So, my energy level is low and not exercising isn't helping. So, last night I left work early and checked out the new YMCA facility just 4.5 miles from work. For only $12 a month more I get: Classes (Yoga, Zuma, Cycle Spin), Saturday and Sunday Hours, Real Locker Rooms with Showers, and lots of equipment. And, til Jan 31st Sign Up is Free! So, as soon as I get back from Orlando, I am going to sign up and then cancel my other membership.

I took lots of pictures on vacation, but have been too tired to go through. But, I need to do it ASAP, maybe I'll work on some of them on my laptop on the next trip.