I've been on the go for the past two weeks - solid!
First in Phoenix, or should I be more precise and say
Scottsdale as I know the locals don't like them being confused. It’s lost on me as to why they don't like it,
especially considering they are adjacent to each other and equally beautiful or not as the case may be,
but lets just go with the flow shall we.
My week in Scottsdale was spent immersed in managing and emceeing (I may
have just made that word up…) for my companies Annual User conference. The reality is that I love being on stage
(ergo my year long Improv classes at Second City), and wouldn't have wanted it
any other way. However, that being said
the combination of time zone changes (2 hours) and being “on” all week was a complete drain on my energy and sleep levels.
Arriving back into Toronto last Friday night (yes, I missed
my blog publishing deadline by a day) and then turning around to drive to
Buffalo (3 hours with traffic) added to the sleepless state in which I found
myself at the end of the conference. As
often happens I ended up with an enormous cold sore on my top lip (crap!)… I can always sense it coming on, and its
always the same; whenever I get overly tired and exhaust my energy stores
over a prolonged period my immune system throws a tantrum…hello cold sore!
Just another day and another early wake up call... |
The weekend ended rather abruptly and Monday evening saw me on a plane to
Calgary for business (four hour flight), following quickly by an early morning team meeting before the three-hour
prospect meeting for a big chunk of Tuesday. Wednesday morning started with a 4:30 am wake up
call followed by a quick shower and taxi to the airport to make my 6:15 am
flight to Toronto.
Arriving at lunchtime I went directly downtown to an
afternoon meeting, which lasted till 4:30 pm, just enough time to make it up
town to my counseling session at 5:00 pm.
Not having been home for ten days meant not having any groceries in the
house, so after counseling I had to drop by my local Longos supermarket
to pick up some essential supplies including dinner, which I ravenously devoured as soon as I got in the door (not a pretty sight!).
Hang in there, not done yet!
Thursday saw me up and out the door by 7:15 am for an all
day meeting downtown, yes, my Wednesday afternoon session had only been a dry
run for the main event on Thursday. The
meeting albeit successful, was then followed by a series of conference calls
until 5:30 pm.
During the afternoon I'd also received a message from Sami’s
soccer team manager asking if I could run training tonight as the head coach
was stuck at work and knowing my background thought it was worth a try.
Why not! As my mum
used to say “in for a penny, in for a pound”, so I drove over to her practice
field just making it in time for the 6:00 pm training session.
Fortunately for me, I had a quickly researched and downloaded a Soccer Skills
manual to my tablet, fished out my whistle and I was ready to go.
Mooredale Lightning U13 Soccer team |
The girls on her team are a great bunch and so when I told
them that George (coach) wasn't able to make it and that I was training them,
they didn't bat an eye and were terrific as usual.
They trained hard and listened well, and therefore not a chore, but a very enjoyable
time indeed.
After training, Sami and I picked up Zach from my ex’s house
and grabbed some dinner on the way home, arriving just after 8:00 pm, and now
faced with a load of washing (school clothes, including gym and soccer gear)
that had to be ready for first thing this morning, I dug in zipped through my tasks reasonably quickly.
Fortunately Zach and Sami are really self sufficient and
independent, finishing homework, showering and getting ready for bed was a
breeze.
Me, well after making a cursory check of my work email, penned a couple of quick ones in
preparation for my Friday, finished the wash and finally got to bed around
11:30 pm.
When I met with my counselor (Lisa) on Wednesday afternoon,
one of her first questions was “how are you doing?” Hhhmmm, I had to pause and take stock - my initial response
was “I’m feeling completely exhausted!”, but now that I write it all down I can
see why. J
Surprisingly, I've actually been able to get a couple of restful
nights sleep since returning from Scottsdale where I slept so very poorly for
the entire week and generally only got between two or three hours of sleep per
night that its been a bit of a treat. I guess it
was the stress of being accountable for the success of the event (300 customers) as well as the role of emcee that pushed me to the limit and ensured that I was truly switched on all week long.
Now, I could put it down to a crazy couple of weeks, but in
actuality - welcome to my life!
Sometimes I wonder how we survive and cope
mentally under these types of grinding schedules. Clearly its been a contributing
factor as to why I've been struggling recently with my emotional well being.
Thank you Sherlock Holmes!
So when Lisa asked my what my plans were this weekend (she
knew I didn't have Zach and Sami), I debated whether I should get on a plane
for a trip somewhere or stay put with no plans…
How can I feel a guilty for not seeking out a distant adventure this
weekend? You tell me, but nonetheless I
do…just a little. Yes, I know you're reading this Lisa and smiling to yourself.
Tough decision, but in retrospect sitting here on my front
porch having a glass of Brunello and writing my blog comes as close to
serenity as I can get right now. Perhaps I'll nip down to my basement after dinner and meditate with my “singing bowl” in the dark (gotta love it!)
Here’s to a tough couple of weeks - cheers!
p.s. As an FYI the bugs also seem to like my Brunello J
This weeks photos are a selection of ones I've taken over the past week or two - enjoy!
Sami playing in the Amherst Memorial Tournament last weekend |
Saguaro cactus against the night sky Scottsdale, Arizona |
The sweet Blues sounds of Lindi Ortega performing at our User Conference last week in Scottsdale - simply amazing! |
The big Arizona sky! |
One of my favorite shots from my time in Arizona Camelback Mountain, AZ |
Zach relaxing in the sun at Sami's soccer tournament Buffalo, NY |
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