This wasn’t an intentional 22 day lull in posting. I was out of town from 6/20-6/30. As always, there is the build-up before you go out of town to get everything finished. Then, things were crazy while I was gone. I have A LOT to post about in specific details, but for now, let’s do a list. I’m still very sleep deprived since my body decided to sleep from 2 am to 7:30 am. (I was totally going to give myself until 10. But no. Looks like I have to retrain it that 5-6 hours is not the norm.)
Here’s how my schedule went.
6/20: Fly from LAS to PHL. Stay overnight at the Holiday Inn Express in Newark. Go to Christiana Mall with Robin. Get all 1991 inside, but as an old lady.
6/21: Depart from Holiday Inn Express with Kelly W. and Robin for the drive to Charlotte for Type A. Leave charger cord for new tablet in hotel room. Drive takes about 12 hours. Arrive at hotel. Check in. Go to meeting for speakers. Go to dinner with my ladies. Go to bed. Two days essentially spent without being online. Body is in withdrawal.
6/22: Day One of Type A – Attend awesome sessions. Speak about contract law. Discover that cord is missing for tablet when it needs to be charged. Take cab to Office Depot to buy new cord. Amount of money wasted due to forgetful travel brain: $60 between cab and cord. Spend the evening getting caught up on work because I party like that.
6/23: Day Two of Type A – Attend more awesome sessions. More work. Less anti-social. Get headshots done by Lolli. Love them. If you are wondering why I look so dazzling, it’s because Amy did my make up. She’s pretty much a wizard.
6/24: Final day of Type A. Amazing closing keynote by Rene Syler. Wonderful dinner at The Cowfish Sushi Burger Bar with Amy, Lisa, Elena and Robin. (We’re going to talk a lot more about this dinner in another post, but why has no one else thought of combining a sushi and burger bar? It’s so simple and brilliant. Not to mention, they had amazing food.)
6/25: Leave for the drive back from Charlotte to Philly with Kelly W. and Robin. It took a little less than 12 hours this time. I stayed in a hotel near PHL due to my travel schedule. I thought the hotel was going to be okay. It was less than ideal. Fortunately, it was only one night. (Note: if you think you are booking a place that will be normal like Hampton Inn or Holiday Inn Express – book one of those. Don’t just guess.)
6/26: Leave for DTW in the morning on the world’s tiniest plan without propellers. Arrive in Dearborn to begin festivities for Go Further with Ford. Attend opening dinner. Amazing talk between David Kirkpatrick and Bill Ford. No Fusion sightings yet. Electric focus, but not my boyfriend.
6/27: Attend Go Further with Ford’s trend conference during the day. Four amazing sessions with esteemed panelists. Personal favorite: the design panel. An executive from Herman Miller and Christian Siriano, along with Ford’s Chief Creative Officer and a renowned architect. And of course, I’m staring and thinking, omg, someone from Herman Miller is right. in. front. of. me.
Know what else was right in front of me? My boyfriend. Twice. There will be a whole post dedicated to those photos, so I’m not putting any in this post. I’m making you wait. Just like I had to wait. Just like I have to wait for my boyfriend to come home.
After a packed day, we went to TechShop Detroit. I got crafty in a non-Beastie Boys sense and was amazed at their mission and space. There was also a concert. I ate a tiny lemon sorbet that was one of the tastiest treats ever. I swear it had carbonation. I want more.
6/28: Our final day with Ford. We spent it at the test track. I went really fast in a Mustang Boss 302. I drove an Escape, a police interceptor and a Focus Electric. I was also taken on a Raptor Ride. And, I sat behind the wheel while a robot car parallel parked itself. (Best feature EVER on a car. Because I can’t parallel park.) Then, off to the airport to fly back to PHL.
Once I got back, I drove to my bro’s new house in Maryland. The drive involves the scariest road on earth. Like, serial killers wait to make horror movie scenes on this road. Spent time with Pablo and his wife. Then got some much needed sleep. (You know you are sleep deprived when 7.5 hours seems like a lot.)
6/29: Spent the day with family. Ate crabs. Drove down the serial killer road in the dark at approximately 5 mph.
6/30: Digital Family Summit. Spoke on legal topics. Flew back to LAS. Got home around 11:30 to a very demanding gray cat. (White one probably doesn’t remember that I was gone.)
Other things to note:
- I ate gluten the entire time I was out of town. Starting from the moment I got to PHL. Soft pretzels. I am not dead, but my stomach is not happy. (These are the joys of being gluten-sensitive, but not celiac. You can eat it and just feel pain. You aren’t physically harming yourself, but still not a great idea.) I did manage to stay away from dairy for the most part. Except for a couple of slices of cheese on some Wawa sandwiches. It’s Hoagiefest.
- I didn’t exercise, other than running laps through airports. Trainer will be so pleased.
- I finally finished the last Sophie Kinsella book and loved it.
- When we got home, I was disappointed to see my car in the garage. No surprise Fusion delivery.
- There was a conversation in which my brother extolled the virtues of a foreign car, while I sang Ford’s praises. Times have changed…
Much more to come. I promise that I will actually post it.
I was stalking your adventures. Especially the Ford ones. It was like I was there, but you know..not.
Can’t wait to here more!
So you are basically dead to the world! WOW!! That was a lot!! You mentioned you are waiting for your boyfriend to come home – does this mean you are getting a Fusion?!?!
I will have a Fusion. I will be the crazy stalker camped out in the parking lot, like it’s New Kids on the Block tickets in 8th grade all over again.
I have shopped the Christiana Mall in Delaware and returned home to CA a better person for it. I think I saw your car parked in the lot when I last visited my daughter at UDel and took her to the mall. It was winking its lights at me. Flirt.