This Ain’t the Way to San José

Today is my first flight since getting the TSA fast-pass, and I will say that getting through security is a dream.

I’m going to find a place to live in Monterey and thought this trip I’d outwit the gremlins that plagued my last trip to the left coast.

Not so fast.

That’s what the Universe said, “Slow your roll.” Not much choice when I’m crammed onto a plane with 200 other people and no a/c and a gimpy engine.

We left the gate, but apparently Simon didn’t say we could leave the gate, because now we are back at the gate. (maybe this is a game of red rover?)

My assessment, based on the outside temp below, is that I am in hell.

Where do you go to apply for good airplane karma? I’ll give up all the miles in Texas for some of that.

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Whole Lot of Nothing Going On

That’s the exact status of my mens’ college basketball bracket. I’m mucking up the bottom with my Duke, Gonzaga, and LSU final picks.

This is all too true.

It’s estimated that the loss of productivity during March Madness is $6.3 billion a year (https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/06/march-madness-takes-a-toll-on-productivity.html).

Who knew anybody was able to work with all the pollen and allergies kicking in?

There’s no such thing as coincidence. I think Jung said that. Maybe. I should look it up, but am too lazy to stop my dithering around.

I heard that there isn’t as much pollen in California, and I hope that’s true.

My orders are to report to the Naval Postgraduate School on May 28th. This is not an April Fools’ Day joke.

For real and for true, I am heading for the coast in 50ish days.

Lyle and I are loading up like the Joads and trailering my car across several states to Monterey.

My apologies to the Beverly Hillbillies, but Steinbeck is from Monterey County.

Motorists, please start your prayer chains.

Note to Self: Don’t Listen to Me

Here’s the deal. Refined sugar is the devil and its evil tentacles are sprinkled everywhere.

I don’t want to hear about moderation. That kind of quackery is for people who are building up a tolerance for arsenic or iocaine powder.

Fighting sugar is like massing a land war in Asia- a long, hard road.

At the FIRST Regional Robotics competition this weekend, I met a woman reading a book by David Goggins: You Can’t Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds.

I don’t often read biographies, but I bought this one. I’m only on chapter 3– there are assignments– but so far he’s offered good strategies to promote mental toughness.

This resonates with me at a deep level.

For those of you who know me, I want to say that I’ve had no Cadbury mini eggs this season. None.

There aren’t any Olympic medals or Nobel Prizes for these kinds of victories, but there should be.

Maybe I’ll add conquering sugar to my Lauratarian platform: daylight savings vs standard time & sugar.

History is Important

Huey Long was a strong supporter of LSU Athletics. When the Legislature refused to appropriate funds for a new football stadium, he connived a way around it by building an archecturally unique dormitory at the stadium.

Credit: https://www.si.com/college-football/2014/10/24/stadium-spotlight-lsu-tiger-stadium

But, it’s “Uncle Earl,” Huey’s brother that has the most salient advice for LSU Athletics and Coach Will Wade today.

With a wink and a nod….

Although former governor Edwin Edwards may have some pro tips on how to avoid federal wiretaps.

Don’t break the rules, y’all. 😉😉

If Gilda Radnor Gave a Mouse a Cookie…

It’s always something…. And in my case, almost always self-inflicted.

To celebrate graduation, I got a 2004 Thunderbird.

Since I’m leaving the state that’s 2nd most dangerous to bicyclists and moving to Monterey (think Big Sur, 17 mile drive, and the Pacific Coast Highway (SR1)), I figured I might get into bicycling.

This is the coastline near Monterey. I may be forced to drive it in my convertible and not ride my bicycle.

The Bicycle Shop here in town and had a rack that was “recommended” for my vehicle. I went over and they brought it out to my vehicle and since my bumper is plastic, they had concerns about my using that one.

In some of the most excellent customer service I’ve ever experienced, we went through my choices:

Put the hardtop on and get the suction thing for $300.

The hard top takes 2 people to attach and remove, which isn’t ideal because I will be living alone.

Nevermind that after a long bike ride I might like to ride back with the top down.

Trailer Hitch – none available on the internet would need to be custom built. Cost estimate: $$$$

Nothing screams redneck louder than a sports car with a trailer hitch. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

Get another (additional) vehicle. Cost: $$$$$

Oh, myLanta. No. Just no.

No Doubt About It

Somedays– at least 3 times before breakfast — I question my sanity. Take this morning for example:

It’s a holiday in Louisiana (Mardi Gras), but my alarm went off at 5:01 am.  (Am I crazy?)

I got up, drank a glass of water mixed with collagen powder  (tastes like fingernails, in case you’re curious) made the bed, and checked the weather. Windchill of 26. Sunday morning, it was 76.

Took out the trash and met my friend, Stevie at 5:30 for a walk. (Are we crazy?)

Layered in all the warm clothes I own, ear muffs on over the wool cap, we navigated the dark and muddy path with our special running flashlights that have a blinking safety light in the back of the handle (safety conscious = not crazy, right?).

We watched the sun rise over the lake, heard the bells ring at 6, and knew by our location that we’d kept up a good pace. When we made it back to the parking lot, our cheeks were flushed, noses were cold, but our muscles and our hearts were warm. (Not so crazy now).

I couldn’t have finished this PhD program without the support of my family and friends. It takes a village to raise it’s idiot, and I’m grateful.

And maybe just a little crazy. Un peu.

 

Make It So

Several years ago when Louisiana was simultaneously flooding and on fire, I renounced any desire to be “the decider.”

While I did retain the right to proclaim that, “I’m not in charge,” which is passive-aggressive code for, “You’re not doing it right” (Credit: an internet meme), I do not yet possess the powers of Captain Jean Luc Picard.

In some cases, it’s better NOT to be number one.

If I was in charge of the Enterprise, the first order of business for my Fempire (female empire) would be to create pony-tail accessible vehicle headrests concurrent with 12-way positioning heated office chairs with adjustable lumbar support.

Put these premium adjustable, heated leather seats with lumbar support on a stick with some rollers and see how much work I could get done.

Somebody, please. MAKE IT SO!!