Tag: challenges

adventure

Damn Dallas

2chicksandapen

This post is in reverse, meaning it will begin with the end. My return flight. Shake. Bump. Skip. Double skip. Hop. Ricochet. Shaken profusely sided to side. Slight pause. Forward shake. Ouch just banged my knee. Could we all have just had a concussion from all of the jarring movements in the last few minutes? My bumpiest flight in a long time.

An announcement. Stay in your seats. Turbulence ahead. No shit! Recheck your seat belt. Wow, that’s reassuring: shake. Shake. Bounce. Bump. Hiccups in a plane or that’s how I would describe the air. Shake profusely side to side. Again and again. The old woman next to me braces as if she is ready for impact. The next neighbor clearly states she needs a shot. I’m in the back of the plane. Is the turbulence worse I wonder?

Let me drift back to the happier moments of Dallas. The food. The company. The atmosphere. When I’m in Texas, meat is on my menu. Steak it was. Chef’s special at The Ranch. Filet mignon covered with a house sauce, garlic infused and topped with grilled shrimp. $$$-$$$$ was the listing online but with 4900 reviews I was good to try. The presentation was as amazing as it tasted. Charbroiled to perfection. Complemented by flavorful broccoli. A plateful. Completely finished, of course. The dining was right by the fire pit adding to the ambiance of the evening.

What do you say again? Steak of course. Steak prepared a little differently. No garlic, just nice steak seasoning. A premium cut. Complimented by green chile white cheddar cheese grits. I do believe this was my first time eating grits with steak, but I wasn’t sad about it. For this meal my dinner date and I opted to share a dessert. Our waiter added to the dining experience this round. Our cowboy said to go for the Homestead Cake. He clearly said you could get chocolate cake anywhere. A giant (over 6 foot and full of muscle) cowboy adorned with the hat, big belt buckle and overall manly cowboy-like appeal waited on us with some Texas charm. For the record we didn’t finish the dessert but it was extra sweet and delicious.

In between trips to and from our daily happenings we hit up our favorite coffee shop of the west: Dutch Bros! This place never disappoints. From the great customer service to the flavorful drinks and the cool vibe it highlights on each visit at each location. It was holiday season thus the menu was extra special. My favorite on a cold day was the hot cocoa with whipped cream. Perfection in a cup on a cold day. 

In case you didn’t know, everything is bigger in Texas. The hats. The trucks. The boots. The flags for the state of Texas. The state flag and the United States flag almost always hung in unison. Directly off the highway you would see the flag flapping in the wind. Such a pretty sight to see when the size is so bold and big. Texas is definitely a prideful state as I don’t ever recall seeing so many state flags when out and about in other states.

I couldn’t wrap up this post without noting the chaos on my flight to Dallas. The flashing lights in the airport with the announcement of a building emergency. Coupled with the scene outside my window….

The bookends of this trip were nothing less than eventful. Two different extremes yet I felt the urge to write about both. As a filler I gave you some samplings of my foodie adventures as well. Hope you enjoyed the highs and lows of my damn Dallas trip.

adventure

Foggy Friday

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It was Friday night close to midnight. I was catching a late night flight. The fog set in just as we were taking off. The flickering light on the wing had a halo-like glow in the misty air. The southwest colors shined a little brighter on the wing. The simple picture was worth a snap or two. For I just wanted to remember the moment. I would normally share the photos but I unfortunately deleted them in error.

A tropical storm was coming up from the south. Torrential rain was at my destination to the north. The fog of Friday seemed ever so light despite the murky air and wet forecast for my weekend away. This cloudy, misty, miserable state somehow seemed relaxing after the long week leading up to this weekend getaway. So much to think about in the stillness of the foggy air.

I’m not tired yet, but I should be catching a nap. Instead I wrote. I drifted off into the creative space that I find joy in. I had just reviewed an article on oppression. It gave me a moment to pause and think about today’s society in comparison to the slave era. What has changed? What suffering still lurks? Just some banter for myself on this late flight.

Of course I had my adventures in people watching at the airport prior to boarding. This time I played a little game and aimed for people listening in addition to watching. I heard the singers in the air. I heard the couple complaining. I heard young people conversing about school work. I even heard some offensive comments. Maybe not directly spoken at me, but at a class of people I mirror in a way. I thought I’d hear more about the latest elections but not so much. The World Series didn’t seem like a current topic anymore. Just funny to hear what’s around you in the airport.

The mix of people. The mix of where people are from. The mix of where people are going. The tired people. The hyper people. The angry people. The weird people. Not really much to report in this post. Rather it’s just a summary of observations. A look through my lens. The way I see what’s around me. 

Travel is always about adventure. The unknown. The known. The plan. The unplanned. For I just experienced my first unplanned, unwanted, and unlikely scenario on trip. The spill. The spray. The laptop. Oh my. The girl next to me unknowingly opened a Sprite bottle while watching a movie. Her momentary lapse in judgment caused a decent mess. Followed by an “oh shit” moment.

The laptop had a puddle on it. The movie was still going. The bottle was still spraying. She was trapped in the window seat: The awkwardness and chaos hit at the same time. The blank stare. Really. I hit the call button. My call button. Don’t I look stupid now that the bottle had been moved to my tray table to help ease the stress and I asked for the boat load of napkins. I was a bit humiliated in the moment. I ended up looking like the hot mess while I really was just the innocent seat mate in the wrong place at the wrong time.

A little sticky. A little damp. For now I just have to cut this post short to be sure I’m not transferring the sticky goop onto my keyboard. For that would just make me a little aggravated. Off I go to really try to rest this time. And of course avoid any future encounters with exploding Sprite bottles. 

From observations to oppression to perception. This post really went from a-z in no time. That in itself sums up my day to day life in a nutshell.

inspire

Writers Block

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Lately I’ve felt like I’ve had writer’s block. I have a lot to write but I don’t necessarily want to write as most of it appears negative. However, when I sit back and reflect I think it’s the perfect time to write. Go offload the blah.

When thinking about a picture for this post I immediately thought of my current book passed on to me. The No Asshole Rule is my current read. Although just into it a few pages I thought about the title. It’s meaning. It’s importance. Then I thought about my writings. My audience. My titles. The importance, hence you get today’s joyful rant. Consider this the no asshole zone. Or maybe I am an asshole. Asshat. Arsehole. Assclown.

The system(s) of life can be draining. The political system. The government system. The judicial system. The whole nine yards. Systems are in place to maintain consistency and reduce problems. However, many of our systems are outdated at best. Many systems are broken. What used to work doesn’t. When systems show signs of weakness they should be able to bend and flex, but it doesn’t because it’s a fixed system.

Life is messy. People are messy. Drama is always lurking. Money is the root of all evil in my eyes and ties to most systems, people and problems. The more you have the more you waste. The more money you have, the bigger the target on your back. Politics thrive on money. The government likes to waste money.  Money rules life. Money is a system in itself. A corrupt system because it’s not always fair and consistent among all people.

The judicial system shows different signs of weakness yet its system hasn’t been updated.

I coach one tangled in this system. Most days it’s unkind. Most days money is factor. Money ties to this service. Money means you can’t have this service. Money or cost means you can’t get something you need. Nobody can fix the system because it’s broken and robotic souls manage the chaos. 

The things I’ve seen in 2022 cause me great pause. Influential leaders covering their own ass at the expense of another. Those making examples of this or that instead of doing what’s right. So many people in general taken advantage of. So many trying to beat the system. The proverbial system. The system that sticks out likd a sore thumb.

I like to think I give enough in life to others to know karma is on my side. What about others? Where do they fall on the spectrum? Has the world changed so much in my 50 years that one’s self preservation rules over what’s right? Does money solve problems or create problems?

Each day I seem to walk through the mud of life. Some days the mud seems to be thick and heavy weighing me down. Some days it’s just annoying like a rainy day puddles in a field causing aggravation but not devastation. And then the days that the mud feels like it’s quicksand in disguise. If you don’t move fast enough you will be sucked in. I’m not alone. Many are on the struggle bus at various stages or phases of life.

Kids

Work

People

Family

Money

Politics

Religion 

These are just some of the the words that form a tangled web in which we must coexist. We live in a technology world much like the Jetsons cartoon yet our systems are still built on the foundations of the Wild West. Crazy but in my eyes it’s true.

I still have much more to write but this rant will be paused here. In the muck of it all. May this post allow you to reflect on you and what you do for others, for self, for the system or even how the system impacts you. Heck it was just 2020 when the system dictated everything for us thanks to corona. Did we learn anything? Did we make adjustments?

challenges

Losing Sucks

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Normally I will tell you losing builds character and provides opportunity to grow. That’s what I would say to a team that I coach who lost a game they put their heart and souls into. That’s what I would say to an individual I was personally coaching to get that next big job only to get passed over on a technicality. That’s what I would tell myself when I lose a tennis match, l that I really wanted to win. That’s my positive Polly personality.

However, I just get pissed when it’s a business related loss. If I lose a contract due to political connections, I stomp my feet. If I lose out on a property purchase because a good old boy squeezed another $5k into a deal, I pout a little. If I get passed over due to my gender vs. my qualifications on an opportunity my nostrils flair. The list goes on and on, but it happens because losing is part of life and business. It doesn’t make it easy, but it reality.

In 2022, I faced loss more than once in various facets of life. It’s a tiny loss each time, but the hurt runs deep. It’s a feeling that scratches my soul. In order to win in these situations I either have to compromise my ethics or play nice in a sandbox with people I would never play with on any playground. Either way you look at it, the end is the same. Lose and move on pissed or play dirty.

Look pretty. Play dirty. Should I? Should I not? Sending out a virtual middle finger to the collective group that undermined me today. May karma come your way one day. In this instance I rolled my dice and played a little dirty but not full on dirty. Just wanted get the win I suppose. Until next time may we all play like a little girl in mud pile while acting like a grown up in a manly business world. Why not look pretty but be willing to get a little dirty. Dirt washes off you know. Getting dirty once in a while keeps you young spirit intact.

challenges

Construction Time

2chicksandapen

This fall I have some action Items on the to do list that seem to fall under the construction umbrella. Small upgrades to some spaces I need to repurpose. I figured I’d document the process to show others how upfitting a property or space can be done by the inexperienced but willing person(s).

First up is this 120 foot gem of space. Today it’s hollow and empty. The only purpose would be storage in today’s state. Soon to be A little office or other type space. Power is run already making this job seem pretty easy on the surface. 

Opting for carpet squares to keep costs down and really it’s all that’s needed for this space. I thought I had my square footage accounted for but the framing took up some space making me have to cut the edges of the carpet squares. I was focused on perfection. But didn’t need to be as the trim work would cover any near perfect edge.  It was a pain, but I did it and only ended up with one blister from repetitive stress on my pointy finger cutting that damn carpet. I was happy with the patchwork outcome. I really think it made the space unique.

Next step was the trim work. I opted for some barn Like wood I snagged at Home Depot. The cost was within my budget but kept with the look and feel I was going for in the end. Day one had me using a nail gun, staple gun, box cutter, hand saw, heavy duty clipping sheers and elbow grease. Carpet was down. Trim work was complete and the insulation process started. I had to cut my day short after the itchy feeling from the insulation got to me and my blister was a small hinderence.

now I am going to wrap up this post as day one comes to an end. I feel a lot was accomplished but so much more is still to come. The next step is going to test me with cutting of metal but I am very excited to be repurposing some barn metal into this project that I was holding on to at another property. More to come but I will give you a sneak peak for now.

Only time will tell what it looks like in the end and how I tie in reclaimed items with new. Stay tuned for my next do-it- yourself (dyi) update. Taking 120square of nothing and making it into a usable space with a little personality in a short period of time and little to no experience.

Once I practice on 120 square feet, I definitely have some bigger spaces to tackle. I guess part of me staying true to myself is to keep growing as a person and testing out what I can and can’t accomplish. Sometimes I may need a little help or guidance but in the end I can say I made this, my way. It’s also good to know I may inspire another to try their own dyi project.