Disheveled Musings: Scottsdale

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

Cool artwork in Calgary - a two story high head wire frame
Calgary, AB

The warm dry heat hit me as I stepped across the threshold of the plane and onto the bridge as I deplaned. I took a deep breath to see if the desert air would affect me the same way as it does when I land in Australia, but alas no such luck.

True, it was exhilarating to feel the sun on my skin, and see a crystal blue sky especially after the long, cold and grey winter, which we just experienced in Toronto, but being in a city for work is not the same as when you’re there purely for pleasure.

The trail sign as I start to climb the last third of the trail
Camelback Mountain, Arizona

As the cab drove toward the hotel, the surrounding mountains captured my attention as they rose majestically from the desert floor and it was clear that my mission for the week was to take some time and climb one of them.

As you'd expect my schedule was crazy and although my team had done a wonderful job of coordinating the event, my role as emcee and general host for the conference completely filled my schedule… Fortunately for me I had come into Scottsdale a couple of days prior to my official duties starting so after touching base with the team, and finalizing a couple of key items I headed back to my room, determined to put my running gear on and get out the door for a hike.

By the time I exited the hotel it was close to 5:00 pm, quickly stopping at the Concierge to ask what time sunset was I estimated that I needed about three hours before it would be completely dark. I definitely didn’t want to be caught on a mountain trail in the dark, and so feeling pretty comfortable that I could make it back in time I headed out with two bottles of water.

The afternoon was hot, although not the scorching temperatures that it was going to be later in the week where it would top 43C or 110F. A dry breeze teased the air as I walked over toward the Cholla trailhead, which was about a kilometer from the hotel and by the time I arrived was starting to sweat.

The view north from the top of Camelback Mountain
Scottsdale, Arizona

As I peered up at Camelback Mountain I felt pretty good with my camera slung over my shoulder. I noticed a number of people well up the trail but stopping frequently. The trail itself was a composite of dry hard packed desert sand and loose rocks. I was surrounded by what looked like tumbleweed and an assortment of cactus.

The further up the mountain I went small rocks were replaced with larger and larger boulders, and the cactus with the significantly taller Saguaro cactus.

For those of you that have climbed on this trail, it’s basically broken into three distinct sections. The first third is a pretty easy climb to the top of a small peak before you transverse a long ridge spur climbing as you go to a helipad.

The final third of the climb is rather steep with a number of places where you have to use your hands to climb over and between boulders, but once you reach the summit its spectacular.

View to the South West - late afternoon from the peak at Camelback Mountain

There were a few occasions where I had to backtrack, as the trail seemed to just peter out into dead ends. Hhhmmm, it seems that I had somehow missed a turn or two. J Head down taking photos most likely!

As I summited Camelback the views were absolutely spectacular. Gulping my first water bottle and taking in the breathtaking 360 degree view was worth every moment of the hike.

It was a perfect place to sit and reflect; just sitting I closed my eyes and listened to the wind softly caress the high mountain peak as I contemplated my week ahead. My physical exhaustion quickly faded and feeling recovered after my water, a short meditation, and cool little photo session I decided not to press my luck and head back down.

The round trip was about 2:40 min, but I stopped numerous times to take photos, in fact I took close to 150 photos all told, but after editing and paring them back I got to much more manageable 75 or so.

What a truly amazing thing to do to start my week - I couldn't of asked for a better kick off!

Here are a selection of photos from my hike - enjoy!