Today's Path: Hope and friends...the only way

With the economic situation, several people are starting to doubt. Doubt the current. Doubt the future.

Just in case you didn't know...doubting will NOT help! Because when you think nothing can help, there's hope. I have told friends there's hope when it came to sports, family, jobs and much more. As Cicero said,

"While there's life, there's hope."

Hope and friends help us through life. They help us in good times and in bad. As Aristotle once said,

"Without friends no one would choose to live, though he had all other goods."

How true was he is saying this? This is why anytime a friend moves away or leaves, you feel sad. Remember true friends will never forget you. And if someone does forget you, you still have the impact they made on you.

Every person you meet helps in making you you. Whether it be they helped you or made you learn something. Even the bad people you meet, it reassures you you don't want to be like them.

Today take the time and call an old friend. Let them know you remember them and how they helped you or why they are important to you.

Even through the hardships in the economy today, take with you hope and friends.

One last quote for today:

"Many people walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints on your heart."

To all my friends, far and near,
~Lane J

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving! I decided at last minute to go home and surprise the fam for Thanksgiving. All went well. No one had a heart attack which is always a plus.

Yummy turkey. Occasionally for some reason my family will have ham and no turkey, but this year we had turkey. Mashed tatoes. No green bean casserole this year. =(

All day football. Life is good.

Today's Path: 8 Things I've learned since my last post

I know I have been a little sporadic with my postings the past few months, but I have come to learn things. These little things have made it interesting and until now haven't really brought interesting ideas for posting.

I have compiled these little things into a list for you. Without further ado...

1. Drink lots of water to avoid headaches.
2. Sometimes what seems right feels oh so wrong.
3. Trust your intuition...it knows what it's talking about.
4. Indianapolis isn't as bad as Bill says it is
5. There needs to be a limit on family time
6. Life doesn't go on pause because you're not there, no matter how much you want it to
7. Ask because chances are someone else feels the same way
8. Any stories about skiing and orange juice are hillarious

Hope you enjoyed. I will try and post more often.

Rock on,

Lane J

This so could have happened here

I was surfing my random stash of blogs I frequent when I came across this entry...

3PM You Must Be from Quba

Enrollment counselor on phone with student: The first letter is I, like "eyeball."

Phoenix, Arizona

Overheard by: Literate Listener

Over Heard in the Office

Not saying that this couldn't happen anywhere else, but the fact it was said by and Enrollment Counselor makes this hilarious to me.

Presidential Election Day 2008

As I sit here in my hotel room in beautiful Indianapolis, CNN is playing in the background. If anyone didn't know today was the USA Presidential Election, please crawl out from under your rock for the next one in 2012. Unfortunately, I was not able to vote today. I registered on the last day to vote in Arizona, but it was too late for me to absentee vote. I take full responsibility for not getting in in time. I guess I should preface this with: If I would have voted, I would have voted 3rd Party.

Alright my vocal friends, I am going to voice a few opinions here, and I understand you will post your opinions whether you agree or disagree with me. I am fully prepared for it.

I am on the road this week for work which means I am getting the chance to see how others view things. This is great most of the time. But a few things happened today that made me think twice and wonder if I was naive when I was in high school. I remember my senior year of high school was an election year. I was not yet 18, but the guy I was dating was so we both watched the election until midnight seeing what was happening. Today I was at a high school presenting to student on the university for which I work. It was about 50% white. As I was driving off, I passed a car with a young man hanging out the window yelling "Vote right, vote white." WTF? I could keep but wondering if he was following in his parents footsteps.

I also saw several people wearing attire to support different candidates. Are these kids doing their research? Or are they getting their information from SNL or the Daily Show or Facebook? Facebook has become a fighting ground. It has made it easier to voice your opinion without the fear of your peers attacking you face to face. Yesterday and today several of my friends donated their status to candidates. Hello free advertisements.

As a young voter, I don't want to be part of the statistic that says I am part of the largest group to not turn out for elections, however, this year I am. I believe several of my friends feel the same way, but I still question "Do we do our research?"

A Paris Hilton commercial just aired. I thought she was doing okay until the camera pulled out and showed her in a swim suit. Sorry, I guess you still don't have my respect.

I see myself as a middle ground person, not extreme right, not extreme left. But that is all we had this year. No one was close to the middle this year.

Over the next few days we will find out the outcome of today. Whatever the country has decided we will live with for four years. Until we can vote again. One thing to keep in mind, the president only has final say. Congress makes the laws, the president okays it. All these changes to the healthcare system inevitably has to go through Congress. Well we will have to wait and see what will happen. Good Luck and may your candidate win!

Rock on,
Lane J

PS- Go Nader!! (just kidding)

Today's Path: Tag, Can Someone Else Be It?

It's been a while since I last posted. So I thought I would fill everyone in on the craziness of the past few weeks.

I have finished up training for my job, and then I jumped in head first. I was in Cincinnati with one of my co-workers. After Cincinnati, I went solo in St. Louis. I had presentations everyday. I now appreciate my teachers and professors even more. High school students are crazy! Those who were interested in what I was saying paid attention. Those who weren't interested did everything else.

My luck with flying is now gone. When I was leaving Cincinnati, my flight was canceled after we boarded the plane due to mechanical issues. So I was off to get on another flight. Well everyone was trying to get to Chicago. Therefore, most of the flights were booked solid when it was my turn. I was on stand-by for one flight and booked on another. Because of this, I was booked on two flights out of Chicago to get to St. Louis.

I was able to get on my stand-by flight. So I was off to Chicago. Once in Chicago, I realized my original flight had not left. At this point I just want to get to St. Louis, so I am running through the airport to get to the gate. I get there, and there had been a delay. So I was able to get on the flight.

As I am having my boarding pass scanned, they say I have already boarded the flight, but they let me on anyway. I am in the air again.

When I get to St. Louis, as the luck of my day, my luggage wasn't there. The next flight I could have been on arrived 20 minutes later. So I wait. No luggage. I go and file my claim. However, they wanted to compile my itinerary. "What flight did you fly out of Cincinnati on?" By now I have no clue and am not sure what boarding passes I used. We finally get it figured out, and I am off.

So four o'clock rolls around, and I get a phone call. My luggage arrived. Yay!!! But they want to know what flight I came on from Chicago. This is the only flight I know. Flight 761. "Um, we don't have a record of you boarding that flight." Really??? Because I did and that is how I got here.

I go on with my business for the week. Yesterday, I flew back to Phoenix from St. Louis. By this time I am an expert on making it through the airport and checking in. I thought. I go up to the kiosk and it won't let me check in. Now I proceed to the ticket counter. "I tried to use the kiosk, but I must have written my code down wrong." The lady behind the counter puts in my info and can't find my flights. She does notice that I didn't fly into St. Louis from Chicago. ????? At this point, I am confused.

I explain to the nice lady my dilemma from the week before. However, they no longer have access to the records from 8 days prior. She gets on the phone and tries to get everything figured out. Since they didn't believe me that I flew in on Flight 761, they locked my tickets, and I couldn't get out of St. Louis. After the nice lady speaking with what seemed to be 9 people, my tickets were opened, and I could proceed to security.

Woo Hoo!!!

I get to security. I have been tagged! Eff!!! I now have to go through extra security. I can only deduce it is because I was scheduled on 6 flights in one day the week before. But really? I don't think I fit the terrorist profile.

I am now back in Phoenix. The Valley of the Sun. I love my warm days!!

Wordless Wednesday

I remembered this week!

This is from my recent trip to Austin. I was at the Capital enjoying the shade.