No time like the present!

Here I am, the first day of NaBloPoMo and I wait until late to get my blog posted. Go ahead and mock me...tell me I'm off to a good start. Actually, I am off to a good start. I ate lunch and dinner 'in' (meaning not from a restaurant) and worked out. I'm blogging now and plan on reading when I finish here. Not too shabby for my '30-day good habit forming' trial.

Soooo....I talked to my dad, and my step-mom, on Tuesday. It was a good talk, nothing too serious. I asked what he's been up to and how things were going. We talked a bit about the new job thing that is potentially taking me to CA (if all works as planned!) and when I'd be going. I told him my plan was to make a huge road trip the two weeks before I head out there and that I'd be in his neck of the woods for a bit and would definitely spend some time with him. He was happy about that.

This started me thinking about how long it's been since I've seen my dad and his side of the family, including my only living grandparent-his mom. By the time I get out there, it will have been 2 years. Honestly, this is the longest I've ever gone without seeing them and yet, it doesn't seem like it's been that long. Wow!

Growing up with divorced parents (since the age of 6) has been interesting, especially at holidays. Thankfully, as I became an adult, my mom let me make my own plans for the holidays to incorporate everyone. I remember some of my best memories with my dad were over Thanksgivings when we'd road trip to Dallas for a convention for Mensa, which is a group for really smart people. =) It was fun to just hang out with him, sing along in the car, talk about the different seminars we were attending and just be together. It always reminded me of the time when we were still in Florida, but after the divorce, when he'd have me for 'his weekends' and we'd wake up on Saturday mornings to watch the Smurfs and Fraggle Rock. Those were the days!

I mentioned a few months ago that I had some important things I wanted to tell him, yet I haven't been able to do it. His birthday's coming up in a few weeks...maybe I'll send him a letter. Maybe...


My happiness piece for the day is how much I really enjoy my staff that I work with. I have 55 staff across the U.S. that I usually only see 2, maybe 3 times a year. Of the 55, fifteen are first year staff. I received 2 emails today from new staff telling me how much they appreciate what I do in the national office for them. I also got an email from a veteran staff who said he was sad to hear that I'd be leaving in a few months (this isn't public to all staff yet, but he and his wife know as I'm closer to them). I don't do my job for appreciation and often go unnoticed, but I love doing what I do in order to help their jobs easier. Can't wait for our staff conference in March...this is where we're staying! Wanna come?