Rise and Shine Girl Blog

I write this sitting in a hotel room in San Francisco at 1:30am or 3:30am my native time.  If I was home I would be hearing Buddha tell me to get back in bed and go to sleep.  Sometimes that is easier said than done.  To my defense, I have been lying in bed for the last hour trying to go to sleep as fireworks of excitement have been having a 4^th of July celebration in my brain.  In my previous blog entry  I mentioned the next several entries would be devoted to talking about depression or my depression experience.  I suppose it could be woven into this entry, but that will not be my main focus as I write…

First off, I’m excited to report I have a new nickname to add to the many, The Texas Tornado.  My list has grown over the years, so I’m hoping some of the not so glamorous names will start to fall of the list, like Squatter.  If you were with me on a bus with GW high school students in 1991 you probably know what I’m referring to, if not, sorry you will just have to use your imagination!

Okay, I’m actually getting tired as I type this…so I’m going to just make this more simplified and highlight some points.  Here is what I have learned in 24 hours while in San Francisco…

1.  It is refreshing to stay a local, non-chain hotel with history and character, especially when they leave a rubber ducky for you.  True Story!
2. Don’t judge a book by its cover.  The bathroom is the size of a postage stamp and the shower probably dates back to the big San Fran Quake, but the power of the water and the perfect temperature is priceless.  Not sure what I just typed makes sense, moving on…
3. I love going into restaurants and dining by myself.  I had the best breakfast while watching the cable cars go by and singing…”Rice a Roni a San Francisco Treat”  I’m reminded once again of the power of words and music.
4. Cab drivers are some of the most interesting people I have ever met!  They have the best stories and brighten up when you ask them questions.  My cab driver visited Dallas about 15 years ago and was so excited to tell me about his adventures!
5. When you go above and beyond when tipping a driver or waitress those few extra dollars do more than add extra weight to their pockets, it validates how important they are!
6. The experience of attending a conference is amplified when you take time to reach out and connect with people, after all you might as well stay home and try and get the same training online.
7. Shoot for the stars!  If you are looking up you will at the very least end up with star dust, if you look down you will end up with dirt!  4 weeks ago this trip to San Francisco wasn’t on my radar screen.  I followed my gut in feeling I needed to attend and my gut was so right.
8. Checking your SPAM folder on a consistent basis is a must!  If I didn’t check mine, I would have lost the opportunity to submit a grant proposal for the Children’s Advocacy Center.
9. The non-profit sector makes more of a difference than our government and doesn’t shut down…no matter what!  We collaborate and put egos aside!
10. Being the oddball, in this case the only non-bay area attendee, often has more benefits than we know.   We need to capitalize on our oddballness.  I know that isn’t a real word.  Hence, I am and oddball.
11. A 2.5 mile walk in San Francisco area is not the same as a 2.5 mile walk back home.  Can we say I was up then I was down, then I was up and I was down, repeat about another 5 times.  Hmm, very much like the story of my last several years!
12. Who needs the Brazilian Butt Lift?  You don’t Amy S.!  Seriously, I have found the cure for the Flat Felsten Fanny…the SAN FRANNY FANNY WORKOUT.  If I lived here I would finally have a booty and inner calves.  Imagine a virtual machine you step into and it goes up and down as you walk, meanwhile you are immersed in the streets of San Fran.  Most times you would keep a steady pace as you go up and down, unless you find yourself in the Tenderloin…the pace may pick up a bit!
13. San Fran is my kind of place when it comes to shoe culture.  You don’t see high heels and big wedges everywhere you turn.  I suppose if you did the podiatrists would hit the jackpot in this town.  Heels and wedges don’t match well with the hills of San Fran.
14. I would have saved time and money on my ACL recovery as walking the streets would have been my therapy.  I take that back, I wouldn’t want to give up my time with my awesome physical therapist…thanks Brad!
15. People, relationships, conversation, laughter, smiles, solving the world’s problems make my heart flutter and my brain fire!  Thanks to Pete from Bath, England for telling me the lamb is a must order.  For three hours you gave me all of the above and as a result paced my eating, after my 2.5 mile climb I was ready to devour my food.  Your company allowed me to actually taste it! By the way, keeping a journal for 39 years is admirable, not weird.  One day your kids and wife will be so thankful you have done so!

Okay, this entry is coming to a close as I am not pooped with heavy eyes!  I just realized I forgot the best part…winning a $2500 grant for the CACDC!  To be continued… 

P.S-No spellcheck or grammar check on this one…too tired.

RISE AND SHINE!