233/365 Preposting

Friday is a 7 hour presentation, hour drive to O'Hare, 2 flights and then, if lucky, back to Jax at 12:15 AM. Doubtful I'll find a time to post, this is a preventative post-dated post.

Thanks to Facebook, friends, chat, and Scrabble for making the last 5 days tolerable. Being on the road from Sunday to Saturday this week has been very difficult. Earlier this summer I learned a lesson in a very, very hard way. Nothing is more precious than time with the people you love. I have to travel to work. But the blog and the 'book, and my friends keep me close to home.

232/365 I'm Mall Alone

The school recommended to put me up at a Fairfield Inn right on the outer loop of the Gurnee Mills Outlet Mall, so I was obliged to investigate. Underwhelming. I don't want to shop. I did enjoy the show put on by four little girls, tow-headed and dolled up in summer sundresses, dancing and singing at full volume in front of the dressing room mirrors at the Saks Off Fifth Outlet. What untethered joy! They created a delightful racket and their mother did nothing to stop them. Some other shoppers gave disparaging looks, but nobody said anything. I would've stepped up on behalf of the noisy quartet. Too much time away from home has me feeling lonely, but their happiness was infectious.

218/365 Another lonely post

The wifi at the Doubletree in downtown Omaha gave another one of the presenters a virus, so I dare not log on in my room. Alas, I will give up the comfort of my pjs for the integrity of my hard drive, though the trojan would've been the last little push to get me to the Apple store ($100 rebate, fee iPod touch and 3 in 1 printer with notebook purchase). I must blog, Facebook Scrabble and check email somewhere else. Besides, I have to check to see if Omaha Starbucks have the blue architectural cityscape coffee mugs so I can add to my collection (they don't, so at least Jacksonville outranks Omaha in status). Here I sit outside a Starbucks in a chair just like the one I sweat in midrun at home. I sit alone, without my sweaty (running)mate, without the familiar faces. Grateful for the work and income, struggling with the alone time. I guess I've seen how much there is to lose.