I am Loving... /I am Hating ...

A cop-out no less, but it's Friday and my mental state is fair to middling. Too much refined sugar, too much aspartame. Not enough

I am loving...having nothing to do at work this week. I should be working on the book, but instead I play blog roulette and watch clips from the Daily Show.

I am hating...saying good-bye to friends from far away. Usually I'm okay with the short visits, but today I'm sad to see people go unexpectedly.


Addendum: I am also loving this pic I caught on Bourbon Street last weekend. As if you needed a reminder in N.O. to drink more.

Inaugural: "I am Loving..." / "I am Hating..." of the Day

An easy way to post for the day: what I'm currently loving and hating at this hour. (and their tentative link to my simplicity practice).

I am loving... comment cards and customer service numbers. It's a cathartic outlet (and possibly a fool's errand) but there's just something about expressing my opinion that gets me going. Over the past week I've called the smoking ban hotline for a violation (Union Cattle Ranch in Hermosa Beach, bad! bad!), written my two cents on a card at the Getty Center, and getting together my thoughts to rate the 4 Motel 6 chains I stayed in over the long weekend. I think of it as a training exercise to build up to larger issues and my eventual crazy old lady letter writing campaign about whatever sticks in my craw.

I am hating...In and Out Burgers from sub-par branches. Why you gotta sully the reputation of the greatest hamburger chain in the land?!

Traveling: Spontaneity is actually the spice of life

So one of my favorite joys of simplicity is the ability to be spontaneous. After getting too sick to fly to a friend's wedding in New Orleans last week, spontaneity kicked in. Boarding pass in hand, announcement to board, and I'm throwing up in the restroom. Less than 3 minutes later, I've gotten my bag off the plane, I've driven out of the parking garage and realizing that I really did not want to miss the wedding of two of my best friends. So my highly trained driving skills kicked into high gear. That's right, I literally drove out of the airport parking garage to New Orleans. Well, I stopped, but not as often and others might think necessary. 2 days later (and 1,900 miles) I was in Louisiana. Now many would stop and say, "that doesn't seem like a very simple way to get across the country!" But I beg to differ. Stick to the interstate (I-10 will get you the whole way there), drink only water (caffeine will actually make you more tired eventually and play tricks with your mind), stop at grocery stores instead of fast food places, and Motel 6 will always leave the light on for you. Believe it or not, the wedding truly proved to be worth the 4,000 mile round trip. Good friends, good times. Even got to meet a new baby cousin on my way back through Tucson.

There's always room for improvement of course, and next time I'd like to research locations of BP gas stations in Texas (due to their alternative energy commitment, they're my gas of choice...I saw a few, but none ended up being readily convienent like they are in LA), I would also research Amtrak's Super Liner service which was partially suspended by Katrina but still runs on a limited basis (driving to Tucson then trainining it would have been a nice combination), and it probably would have been a good idea to have a check up on my car before embarking on a road trip of this caliber. But the 'brid performed wonderfully, (even against Texas drivers who are among the country's rudest.)

Hopefully this excursion will quash any long distance driving tendencies for the immediate future!


View from the road: Wind power in the southland!

Traveling: Sin City Day 2

Day 2, my room at the Nugget isn't too shabby. My original plan was to at least try to take the stairs from my 15th floor room to get at least SOME exercise during my stay here. After noticing the Emergency Exit sign on the door, I thought it best to call before setting off an alarm that would empty the building. Alas, the operator informed me that the door was in fact alarmed (despite nothing saying so on the sign nor the notation Emergency Exit ONLY which usually deter me from opening such doors). Staying simple in sin city is not simple at all.

Traveling: Sin City Day 1

I have arrived in Vegas, and only a few hours in I can feel the effect of cigarette smoke on my body: headache, dry mouth, watery eyes. But I'm committed to this experience and I have resolved not to complain too much about it. With that said, before I left LA I loaded the car up with my favorite snacks: apples, trail mix, clif bars, which will see me through a few meals a day and keep me out of the buffet and fast food options. I also packed a bunch of my own water since from the experiences of 17 trips cross country, I have learned that if I don't my mouth will get all chewed up from the change in mineral content of local waters. Plus it saves a few bucks at the C-store. Meant to bring my own sheets since I've also noticed that hotel sheets have always made me super itchy (can't decide if it's bed bugs or super bleach and detergent combo either way, I rarely sleep well in hotels). Trying to stay hydrated and have snarfed a few Emergen-C's to keep my white blood cells perky.