Day 144

I type this blog entry as I am on a flight out to Dallas for the first of my four Edward Don & Company Conferences. Every other year they do one big one where all of their reps nationwide gather in one place like we did last year in Dallas for a 4 day conference, In odd years, they do local conferences like the one I am attending this weekend. They last through Saturday late afternoon, which is kind of a bummer, but as work conventions go, they are usually a pretty good time. This time I am working with the southwest regional manager and our local Dallas rep (whom I never met). So odds are I’ll be doing the majority of the work and schmoozing. But sometimes I’d rather have it that way. I like to control my own destiny if possible. I get back Saturday night.

I'm still recovering from an epic weekend in Cleveland. The news out of Chicago last weekend which I missed unfortunately was the engagement of my friends Dave and Sara. Readers of my blog have heard Dave’s name mentioned several times. Dave and Sara have been together over 4 years now – they met in Florida when Dave was in law school and Sara was undergrad at UF. It took Dave long enough (hahahaha) but this past Saturday, her friends were throwing a little b-day party for her, and Dave came home in the morning from being out and had a shopping bag with him. He told Sara he got her something to wear at the party that night and she should open it. In the clothes box was a ring box and she opened it up and before even looking at it, she tackled him in joy. I was so upset I couldn’t be there for her party and to celebrate with them, but we will make up for it. I am truly happy for the both of them and so proud of Dave. He definitely picked a winner. I for one am crazy about Sara.

Today is the 30th birthday of my one true female friend I made in Lawrence. Sure, I have plenty of friends from school, but I really came away very close with just one woman. That would be Sheri. Sheri was Leah’s roommate freshman year at Naismith Hall. She is from Overland Park, Kansas, and when someone who has never heard of anyone from Kansas sees this, the immediately think “hillbilly.” That is why you should never stereotype anyone. Sheri is as cool as they come. From the day she came into her room to find me eating potato chips on Leah’s bed to the day to the day she was a bridesmaid in our wedding to her 30th b-day, she has always held a special place in my heart. We have spent some seriously hilarious moments together in our 12 years of friendship. We even lived together junior year in college and besides the mess and her hair being all over our bathroom sink – she was about as good as a roommate could be. My favorite Sheri – I have so many – has to be the time we went for Ice Cream at Baskin Robbins sophomore year. We were sitting outside eating; I’d say 5-6 of us. I said “My ice cream smells funny, anyone else?” I grab Leah’s, I said “her’s is fine, Sheri, let me see yours,” I smell hers. I said “it stinks” and she says “let me see” and goes to smell it. I of course smashed the ice cream right in her face and say “come on! Only you at age 20 and my cousin’s kid at age 3 still fall for that joke.” Uncle Keith did that to me growing up like a million times….Anyways, to Sheri on her 30th – you are a true friend, a great person, and things are only going to get better in your 30’s, because after all, 30 is the new 20. That is what we 30 year olds now say…. p.s. I would have put in a photo of us, but i'm out of town and don't have access to my scanner.

Song of the Day: "Mona Lisa" by Slick Rick