Pity Party of one...

"Once you become aware that the main business that you are here for is to know God, most of life's problems fall into place of their own accord. The world today is full of sufferers from the wasting disease which Albert Camus focused as absurdism ("life is a bad joke"), and from the complaint which we may call Marie Antoinette's fever, since she found the phrase that describes it ("nothing tastes"). These disorders blight the whole of life: everything becomes at once a problem and a bore, because nothing seems worthwhile. But absurdist tapeworms and Antoinette's fever are ills from which, in nature of the case, Christians are immune, except for occasional spells of derangement when the power of temptation presses their minds out of shape - and these, by God's mercy, do not last."


The quote above is an excerpt from Knowing God, by J.I. Packer.

As you can tell from my previous post, I was pretty disheartened by something the world saw fit to throw my way. With the prayer of a faithful wife and after reading this excerpt this morning, I am officially calling last call for the pity party. I am not saying that I am over the sting, because I don't think that would be realistic. It will not, however, keep me in the doldrums because my focus will not be on the achievements of this world or the curve balls it throws. My focus is to know God. So pity, you ain't gots to go home, but you gots to get the heck up outta here.

Rack'em,

The Traveler

Give me defeat any day...

I have recently been going through some tough issues work-wise. I won't go into details but it reminded me of this quote.

The Man in the Arena

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat." ~Theodore Roosevelt, April 23, 1910

It reminds me that I'd rather be in the middle of fight than sitting on the sidelines pointing out flaws. I think I sleep better at night even if in defeat because I know that I have not become just a sayer but am still a doer.

Oh yeah!!!!

My Travel Size Bride sent this link to me.

http://movies.msn.com/movies/hitlist/06-17-08_2?GT1=7701

My day INSTANTLY got better!

Rack'em,
The Traveler

And you stay classy THE WORLD!

Guest Blog from My Travel Size Better Half

Hubby asked me to do a guest blog for him; we decided together that if I posted this story on my blog, it could look pretty mean, but having him post it would take away that aspect and show that he can have a good laugh at himself. This is a true story; I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried!

Sunday night I needed to stay up as late as possible in an attempt to switch my body back to nights for the next two weeks. Hubby needed to get to bed at a decent hour since he was catching a flight the next morning, so we agreed on a compromise: we would go to bed at the same time, and I would keep the TV volume low so that he could get some sleep. A little after midnight, he rolled back over towards me and started to mumble something. When this happens, it usually involves him asking me to turn the volume down (the Food Network can indeed get pretty rowdy after midnight). This time, however, I was really having trouble understanding him.

I leaned over in an attempt to hear him better, but the only words I could understand were "Giggles and frosting ..." which he kept repeating over and over to himself. Once I realized that he was talking in his sleep, I started to crack up. I tried to be quiet, but the more he repeated his new mantra, the more I laughed.

Apparently one of my cackles stirred him from sleep. He rolled over onto his stomach, popped his head up like a little prairie dog, and whispered, "Shhhhhhh, don't let them know my secret." Then he buried his head under his pillow and rolled away from me.

My laughter was rolling so hard at this point that I couldn't breathe and was in danger of falling off the bed. I was very tempted to wake him up to share in the hilarity but realized he might find the story funnier in the light of day. Apparently I was right because now he actually wants other people to hear about it. Hubby is one of the funniest people I've ever met, and I'm glad to know he will keep me laughing for years to come - even when he's not awake!

Atlantic City???

I am in the airport in Philadelphia and the gate agent just came over the intercom to inform me that my flight, which was already 40 minutes delayed will be another hour because the pilot on the incoming flight landed in Atlantic City to take on fuel. My thought is that he should have gone to Mapquest, Google Maps, or just bought a globe to realize that Philadelphia and AC aren't that far apart. C'est La Vie.

WASH YOUR HANDS SERIOUSLY...

If you ever come to my client (which you never will because it is privileged and confidential and let's face it who would fly to BFE for that reason?. But you have to start these stories with a hypothetical), DO NOT SHAKE HANDS WITH THE DUDES!!!

I seriously cannot emphasize this enough. I have been noticing lately and one of my Seniors brought to my attention that we need to avoid shaking hands with a certain Executive at this client. His reasoning and a direct quote, "2 of us were in the Bathroom together and only 1 of us washed our hands afterwards." I confirmed my suspicions that it was not the Senior who skipped a trip to the wash basin. The only comment that comes to mind is GREAT GOOGLEY MOOGLEY! I have also notice a trend that a lot of the men don't wash up after they are done. Seriously, that is just GROSS!!!