It's Friday I'm in love....

So let me tell you about my Friday....

We had a global management meeting for our company...an hour away. I somehow ended up being late to meet Greg and Alberyi even though Greg was meeting me in the town I live in. We get to the meeting at 9am...in time for an hour of registration and continental breakfast. The day starts off slow (with all the VP overlooking the massive change that our division has gone through and recognizing every other division, but ours), but I did enjoy the keynote speaker who spoke on the multi-generational workforce. He was really dynamic and interesting. Lunch was fairly good and after lunch they divided us into 3 groups. The purpose of the groups was to do an exercise on leadership style. They put 4 different styles up around the room and told us to stand in front of the style that best describes us. My supervisees quickly determined that I was green so I stood in front of green. It's not easy being green. Green is having high expectations of self and others, value competency, others see me as being overly critical of self/others, critical thinking, thirst for knowledge, comfortable with rapid change, don't often feel the need to ask for support, curious. Even the other people that I work with who were in other rooms pegged me as green. I supervise 2 oranges (enjoy the excitement and challenge of testing limits, spontaneous and fun, need for variety, interdependent and autonomous, rarely ask for support even when I know I need it).

Fast forward to the end of the meeting and raffle drawing time. We each were given a raffle ticket when we got there in the morning. My team leader assures me that he always wins these things. The 2nd number they draw...mine. And let me tell you I yelled and ran up front like I had just been chosen for The Price is Right. And the guy running the raffle was also the same man who ran my group and he said "Tell everyone what color you were." And I, with much embarrassment, said "Green." Who cares though cause I won a $50 restaurant gift certificate! And then I threw my ticket into the bucket and he says that no, I do not get a second chance to win but that I'm supposed to draw a new ticket. So, I get back to my table of all people I work with are making fun of me for squealing (remember when they tell the guy in Deliverance to squeal like a pig....totally the sound I made) when Diane, who I supervise, has her ticket called, screams, runs up, and messes up the next number drawing. I said to our team leader, "Does it worry you that I supervise Diane and that we're both on your team?" And then our office TOTALLY CLEANED UP ON THE RAFFLE. So we got no recognition in the morning, but won probably 90% of the raffle prizes. Sweet! And I got home by 4pm.

Then Paul and I attended the Chiefs Recognition Ceremony on base. While Paul chatted with the Lt. Col at our table I became BFF with all the enlisted people at the table (1 from Texas, 1 going to Ft. Lauderdale on vacation with his wife--I planned their whole trip, and 1 who briefly worked at MacDill). Ever since I became involved with Paul I cry at every ceremonial thing we got too so the entire night I'm trying not to cry (National Anthem, POW/MIA ceremony, video of honorees, etc.) The fact that my spanx were cutting off my circulation didn't help, nor did the wine I was drinking because I am definitely a drunk cryer.

The guest speaker was Retired Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Robert Gaylor and he was awesome. He is going to be 80 next month and I leaned over to Paul while he was talking and said, "I'm in love with someone else." I asked Paul if we could adopt him. He was hilariously funny (at the end said his wife yelled downstairs to him to run upstairs to make love to her and he replied I can do one or the other, but not both) and so inspirational. He joined the Air Force in 1948 and has been married for 57 years. He was the 5th Chief Master Sergeant of the entire Air Force in 1977 and retired in 1979. I think my entire reason for coming to Boston was to hear him speak and to meet him tonight. I wish I had had my camera so we could've gotten a picture with him.

Of course I had to have an introduction to him after the ceremony (remember I'm the same girl who almost had a stroke just being in the same room as the Kappa Delta National President...I'm very easily impressed) and Paul wanted to go ask a 1st Sergeant something. So, we are talking to this 1st Sergeant and she is intense and awesome and she is talking about working out and I am saying how I need to work out and she offers to let me come work out, but alas she works out at like 4pm so I say I'm at work at that time and she says if I name the time she'll be there even on weekends (this woman has a 17 year old and a 2 year old...WTF). Oh, did I mention how Paul knew her...she was a drill instructor when he went through basic training! Jillian ain't got nothing on her! There is a good chance she will make me cry and throw up all at once. And now I'm obligated because she said she'll harass Paul if I don't go meet her. I'm scared. Paul said he could see me going down a path he knew I wouldn't like and yet he continued to just let me talk. I don't know why he lets me talk to people as I always end up situations I don't want to be in! And he laughs!

So, now we're at home and I'm enjoying my rum and coke while Paul drinks his Jack and coke and I'm contemplating my future work out and my ghost hunting tomorrow night. I may write out my will tonight because there is a chance I'll have a heart attack tomorrow night.

All in all a very good Friday!

Chicken

Anyone who knows me knows that I am a huge chicken. I become terrified after scary movies (the other morning I felt the sheets moving behind me and I was convinced it was the demon from Paranormal Activity--even though logically I knew it was probably the cat it took me 5 minutes to turn around because what if the cat wasn't there and it was the cat in case you were worried) and when I watch crime shows like Criminal Minds I just wait to be murdered in some horrific way.

Occassionally I walk the dogs down a service road through a conservation area behind our house. The road ends at an old gravel pit. Cars can't go back there, but people ride dirt bikes, etc. back there. I constantly tell myself that it can't be too scary because teenagers go back there to play (or smoke pot or make out or whatever tweens do now). And even though our 80 lb boxer is a huge chicken, too, I have to believe she'd protect me if the need arose.

But my good friend Emily sends me an article today about how they found someone's skull in the woods outside Boston! Really Emily???? Now there's no way I'm gonna walk down that stupid road through the woods. I already look for murdered people on my normal walks...my eagle eyes are going to be in overdrive expecting to see dead people around every tree stump and hollow.

I think it always pays to be careful and I hope that I do practice good safety (I always have to yell at Paul to lock the doors behind him--he is not careful). So, I hope you all are staying safe, too, and making smart decisions. Pay attention to the people around you (I always make eye contact with people and say hi to them because I want them to know that I see them and I heard people are less likely to attack you if they think you've seen them).

I did go slogging tonight (aka slow jog) and Paul met me after his run. I was proud of myself because I feel like I'm getting a cold and I still went!

Time to shower and bed! Sleep tight my peeps!

How you know you married the right person

Most of you probably know that Paul is my second husband. I never planned on getting married again and neither did Paul I think. It was one of those things that just happened between us and very spontaneously we decided over July 4th weekend to get married the next holiday weekend aka Sept. 5th, 2009. To be fair we had gotten engaged because I did feel strongly that if we were going to have kids that I wanted them to have one last name and we also got more money from the Air Force for being married (okay, that's not the greatest reason to get married, but that extra money is nice).

My first marriage...well, I just wasn't ready to be married. My exhusband is a great guy, great person, but not the right person for me. He did not get my "specialness" at all. And I knew if I ever was going to be in a long term relationship with someone they had to get my "specialness." Paul totally gets my "specialness." He will freely admit this, too. In fact he tells me all the time how "special" I am. lol

But being married to Paul I am reminded every day how lucky I am to have such a great husband. That's not to say that we never disagree or get on each other's nerves...we do...pretty regularly, BUT we move on from disagreements quickly, too.

Today Paul spent the day...SHOPPING with me. He even sat patiently reading a newspaper so I could get a pedicure. In fact he insisted that I get the pedicure because I didn't want to make him wait for me. All in all we had a great day together (just like we always do). He waited while I tried on clothes and shoes...in 3 different stores. And he went to Panera Bread for lunch without complaining (cause it's not his most famous restaurant).

I definitely married a keeper and I am glad that all the drama and awful relationships in my 20's led me to this point in my life.

You will know you have married the right person when you can freely put his needs above yours, when he puts your needs above his, and when the two of you want to spend your time together just because you're best friends.