Earthquake!

I think I can officially consider myself a Southern CA resident now that I have experienced a legitimate earthquake. The 5.4 quake out of Chino Hills rattled my conference call to a halt today. We easily made our way downstairs and out into the parking lot with the others in our manufacturing facility. It was actually pretty entertaining and I am glad that I can now say I have lived to experience an earthquake, especially since there were no real injuries or major damages to report.

Lessons learned

One of my summer reads is A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith. I read a couple sentences the other night that stopped me and caused me to set my book down to think more of the ramifications of such a statement.

"They learned no compassion from their own anguish. Thus their suffering was wasted."

For me it is in the times when suffering is something I have gone through, not something I am in the midst of, that these sort of ideas can soak in. In the midst of suffering everything is too raw and consuming. In my life some of my greatest times of growth and learning have come through the difficult seasons. I also recognize that in times of prosperity and ease it is so common for me to forget the lessons learned. The above quote rang so true in my heart that if I don't keep close the lessons I learn in the midst of the suffering that those times of suffering were a waste. I pray that I can take time to reflect back on some of the lessons God has taught me in the midst of suffering.

Tuesday 4PM

Isn't it always the case that your car never breaks down when you have time to spare. Let me tell you a little of my experience from yesterday. 6am to 4pm went fairly smooth. Work, running errands at lunch, prepping for an upcoming meeting. Normal everyday. I even made it out the door by 4pm as I had hoped (which if you know me, the words "I'm gonna try to leave early today" are a curse that almost always results in me leaving work extra late). The events after 4PM weren't quite as smooth. Not a mile from work my car decide it didn't want to run anymore at a very inopportune time. After one more attempt to drive it I finally ended up on the side of the road in desperate need of a tow truck. A few phone calls, a 30 minute wait on a grassy knoll on the side of the road and... God sendeth me Shaun, the attractive tow truck driver. Shaun was fast to the task and got me quickly to the car dealership that just 5 days prior I had fired after my 4 faithful years of patronage to this horrendous excuse for a business (a whole other story). Paperwork, transport to the rental car location, more paperwork, and I was back on the road... ironically in the almost exact make and model car I had left at the repair shop, just 4 years newer than mine. The speedy efforts of the amazing Customer Service Rep at AAA, Shaun the attractive tow truck driver, Tim the repair shop guy, and Emily the rental car agent, all paid off as we worked together for the common goal of getting me to the Coldplay concert on time. Next post... Coldplay (Binoculars Required).

It's official...

Vacation is planned! Though there are no exotic islands or foreign dialects involved I will still be spending a whole week away from work! I am looking forward to a week of being with my family, seeing my grandparents, laying on the beach in Tahoe for a few days, and hopefully seeing some faithful friends. So NorCal ladies, lets start chatting about when we may be able to meet up. I get into town on August 4th and head to Tahoe toward the end of the week, heading back to SoCal on the 11th (tentatively). Counting down the days!

Oh, and I now have a new old-school paper calendar after the tragic death of my PDA (with all calendar entries, contacts, and notes) after packing, and not being able to find my charger, thus leaving my PDA "too dead". Let the calendar entries begin!

Friday... all week long

My friend Esther is on a week long vacation in Mexico and I get to babysit her bike, appropriately named "Friday". I can't wait to spin the wheels all over town and fully anticipate that the beach cruiser I have been considering (and putting off buying) for the last two years will officially make it onto my shopping list.

Here are some pics from today's adventures with Heather and Chelle. I am still working on my photographing-while-biking skills (my newest adventure since the state of CA has taken away my cellphone-talking-while-driving opportunities).

Hands-free = Hazard

Most of you are well aware of the new cell phone "Hands-free" law that has now been in action for just two days. Today I attempted to switch back to using a wired earpiece I have from a couple years ago to be a law abiding citizen and avoid the fees of a ticket. Of course, this corded item is only compatible with my work cell phone. So, now I am driving with a distracting wire hanging from the side of my face, fussing with the piece in my ear that is giving me a headache and keeps falling out due to my small ear canal that does not like items inserted in it, looking up numbers on my personal cell phone, dialing them into my work cell phone, attempting to adjust the volume, moving my arm while forgetting about the wire hanging from my face - in effect sending the attached cell phone onto my passenger seat, and scurrying for the phone to hang up, all while saying "Can you hear me OK?" 13 times per conversation. And this is supposed to be a safety law? I think I am living the letter and not the meaning of the law. I am in the market for a hands-free wireless option and hope to bring you good news of a safe future soon. Until then, watch out on the roads in you live in Monrovia, Long Beach, or anywhere in between on the 605 freeway. I will miss talking with all of you that are so faithfully part of entertaining me during my commute.