As I have mentioned (and as evidenced by a few holes in the posts over the last several weeks), I am on a ridiculous travel jag right now that has me in 12 cities over 8 weeks across all 4 continental US time zones (thankfully the international travel doesn’t begin til the Summer), military and civilian. Last week it was Dallas and DC for a combined 8 days. Tomorrow I leave for San Francisco for a week, although happily, my family will join me for a portion of that trip. I figured now was a perfect time for a new 10 Things post…
So here are 10 things keeping me going, in no particular order:
- From my favorite travel shop, the Grid-It (Medium). No more zip-loc bags full of cords; no more fishing thumb drives out of the bottom of my pack. Everyone who sees mine asks about it. It’s worth the $22 bucks for sure.
- Left Hand Brewing Company, Milk Stout. That’s right. Beer is getting me through this craziness. Not a lot, but one really cold one at the end of a long training day is pretty magical. I have a case of these at home in my fridge, and a stash of pint glasses in the freezer. All things in moderation, kids.
- Confessions of a Public Speaker. I am a huge fan of Scott Berkun’s book. If you speak for a living, this is a must. I have given it as a gift, own it in hardback and Kindle versions, and am hard-pressed to find a blog on this topic I like more.
- Away We Go. I loved this movie and it’s a good plane flick for sure (meaning no nudity for those nosy seat mates dying to check out what you’re watching). I don’t get a chance to see much these days that isn’t on my computer or in a hotel room, and this doesn’t require a big screen to appreciate. I’ve seen it now several times. The cringe-worthy supporting character performances are the best. Arrested Development (all 3 seasons in rapid succession) is a fine runner-up on the visual entertainment front if that’s more your thing.
- Blue Book. I write like a nurse and I cite like a nurse, but now I write FOR lawyers much of the time, so time for me to get my game on. I’ve been promised a copy of my own, but for now I just rely on the website to try and get my footing (and I rely on my partners for essential edits since I’m, for all intents and purposes, a novice on this front).
- The Hotel Monaco, Alexandria, VA. AEquitas is Kimpton-loyal, so I always stay at one of their fabulous hotels when I’m training for my group. But of all of them, none leave me feeling quite so happy as the Monaco in Old Town. The Penn Quarter is where my office is, so we often stay at the Monaco over there, but in the last month alone I’ve spent 8 or 9 nights at the one in Alexandria, and now I feel like it’s my home away from home. And there’s great food flanking it, so what’s not to love?
- Songs in the Key of Life. I’m a metal girl thru and thru, but I do love an old school soundtrack from time to time. This is one of the best albums from the ’70’s and it’s all over my iPod. I have a no-work policy on airplanes, so I’ll often find my mind wandering to Stevie on planes, slumped down in seat 2A (that’s the single seat on the Embraers for all you Continental frequent fliers), wrapped up in a scarf, wishing I had much shorter legs.
- Moleskine notebooks. I have a lot of balls in the air on any given day, and one way I keep it all together is with a succession of Moleskine notebooks. My personal fav is the black, large grid; I hack mine to customize it for my own peculiar needs.
- Evernote. The more hectic my life, the less I am able to process what I read, at least in the moment. Evernote organizes my virtual online clippings: recipes, court decisions, clinical updates…they all get dumped into organized files and perused when I have time on my hands (e.g. when I’m waiting in some airport somewhere in the world). It’s free, so no reason not to check it out.
- Spring in the CLE. At least this week, it has been sunny, warm and perfect. Last night coming home from dinner with my best friend there were people everywhere– a complete photo negative to the hibernation we typically experience here between November and April. I don’t think it’s going to last, but it’s been a great mood booster.
I’m off to pack and clean before my trip. More from SFO next week, where I’ll try to make sure we have a full complement of posts. Hope it’s a lovely weekend for you all. Enjoy!