Category — thanksgivings project

Hello from chilly Chicago! (Or, more accurately, a suburb therein…)

My flight from Asheville to Atlanta was wretched. My seatmate probably had not showered in the last seven weeks. He smelled like a mixture of wet dog and swiss cheese, and he put his oversized carry on between his feet, which  meant he took up more than his fair share of space. I couldn’t put the armrest down.

My connection was on concourse C, which is my favorite concourse, because there is an Atlanta Bread Company there. Here’s a hint from me to you: DO NOT EAT A TUNA SALAD SANDWICH AT THE AIRPORT. Even if it comes from Atlanta Bread Company. That fucking thing screwed me out of a date with one of my favorite people. Instead of dishing over drinks with one gorgeous lollygagger, I spent last night praying for merciful death. Luckily I was finally able to fall asleep, and was a lighter shade of green when I woke up this morning.

This is a gratitude post, though, so let me get on with the warm fuzzies.

Beyond being thankful for having a good job with a decent company, today I’m grateful to have had a chance to visit my friends at the mothership. There’s my friend in the IT department, who rescued me from the lobby when all of my finance peeps were stuck in traffic this morning. That was just his good deed for the day- he’s always saving my ass by resetting whichever of my seven hundred passwords I’ve forgotten, mapping some arcane network drive, and is a dear personal friend. Then there’s my Chicago mom, who tells me not to be self-conscious, bugs me about wearing my coat in this wet and chilly weather, and then sneaks me off of the grounds to take a real break for a few minutes. It had been way too long since I’d seen the manager they sent to infiltrate us right after we were acquired. I reminded him of a deep conversation we’d had the last time he was in town, and he didn’t remember. I was surprised, but then he asked me if we had been drinking. We always drink when we go out. We drink, and we talk, and I spill my guts, and he tells me what he thinks, and then says “for Christ’s sake, darlin’, don’t tell anyone else all of this!”. Seeing him was like coming home.

Mostly, though, I’m grateful for my high level Finance peeps. The ones who explain things to me, that give me tools and resources and ideas to make my job easier. The ones who don’t make me feel bad when I trip on the stairs and manage not to bust my face open, but do manage to spill coffee on them in the process. The ones who feed me well and genuinely enjoy my company. The ones who pick a place right down the road from my hotel, because we all know that I can’t find my way out of a paper bag. They tell me not to rush in in the mornings. They ask me if I want dessert. They make sure that I’m happy and comfortable and that I have what I need.

None of these people have to do what they do for me. They could easily just hand me an agenda and leave me to eat alone and solve my own problems. It would be less work for them to let me fend for myself, but they make the effort because they truly care about my success. Professionally and personally.

Come to think of it, Chicago is a pretty warm place after all.

Well. It’s been a hell of a ride, hasn’t it? In thirty years you’ve: been an honor roll student, endured abuse, neglect and ridicule, done drugs, street raced, dropped out of high school, been a waitress, a desk clerk, a front desk manager, an administrative assistant, a receptionist and a beancounter, started college, moved eight times, lived in four states, built a career, bought a house, and loved and lost. You’ve always had a lot of responsibility, but you’ve had a lot of fun, too. You’ve grown up to be a hell of a woman; intelligent, passionate, driven, talented and beautiful.

There are things you should work on. Take better care of yourself. Try to soften that sharp tongue of yours. Remember that intensity and expression are good, but not at the expense of grace and dignity. Most of the time anyway. Figure out how the hell to get up on time, already. Watch that overly sensitive thing. Stop procrastinating. Leave no doubt in the minds of the people you love that they are special to you. Allow yourself to be humbled by your defeats and the people who helped you get to where you are.

Don’t settle for less than you deserve, and make sure that you deserve what you want. You have big dreams, and miles to go before you sleep. Finish your degree. Write more.  Dance more. Laugh more. Appreciate your hard-earned confidence, and the feeling of being comfortable in your own skin. Make the most of this incredible life you’ve built for yourself. In other words, rock on.

I’m proud of you. Happy 30th birthday.

Green-eyed lady, lovely lady
Strolling slowly towards the sun
Green-eyed lady, ocean lady
Soothing every ragin’ wave that comes
Green-eyed lady, passions’ lady
Dressed in love
She lives for life to be
Green-eyed lady feels life
I never see
Setting suns and lonely lovers free.

Green-eyed lady, wind swept lady
Rules the night, the waves, the sand
Green-eyed lady, ocean lady
Child of nature, friend of man
Green-eyed lady, passions’ lady
Dressed in love
She lives for life to be
Green-eyed lady feels life I never see
Setting suns and lonely lovers free

-the guess who “green eyed lady”