Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011




Overwhelmed. 

That could be my middle name, lately. 

There is so much to this gig called, trying to get a book published. 

And then there's all the other stuff, like kids and the fact they have to eat. So ridiculous. And eating's just the beginning when it comes to those hormonally challenged people who live here. Don't even get me started on the "She's wearing my shirt and I'm going to rip the hair out of her head!" drama of these sisters. 

Add dogs and ducks and the million and one things that make up a day, an influx of company and a husband who likes to stuff every single second of life with, um, life. 

And then there's you, Internet. 

Oh, how I have missed you. 

I can't bear to even look at my blog roll, because it just makes me sad, to see this big, beautiful blog world going on without me. 

But I'm not here to whine. We've all got stuff that nearly drowns us. 

Instead, I'll give you a vacation story. A good one. 

Recently, my hubs and I made our pilgramage to the Holy Land. 

San Francisco and Napa. 

We were there celebrating a few things. 

A 25th wedding anniversary. 

Yes, I was a child bride. 

And the man who robbed my cradle, was indeed very, very old. 

So old, that we also had to celebrate a certain birthday for him. 

One that brings the AARP card to your mailbox. 

So, we headed to the airport one morning, at the cheery hour of 4:00 AM.

We always try to catch an early flight out when we go to California since it's a 6 1/2 hour flight for us, and have you met my soon to be, pushing-a-walker, old man husband? He wants to hit the ground running when we get there. And I do mean running. Ask anyone who's ever vacationed with us. They are exhausted for months afterwards. 

Needless to say, I didn't get much sleep the night before. 

Three hours to be exact. 

But a lack of sleep never stopped this child bride. 

We got to San Francisco, famished. And as we are wont to do, we ran to get something to eat—as in—I was hissing at that old man of mine, "Stop speed walking! I have on four inch platforms and I do not want to ruin my vacation by snapping my ankle in half on these steep hills, my first day in."

That sort of nonsense needs to wait for, at least, the second to last day or so. 

We semi-speed walked, some of us in fabulous four inch platforms, down to our favorite hole-in-the-wall Asian restaurant in Chinatown, the one where, if you are a newbie, Peter, the owner, will insist on ordering for you. And he always gets it right. 

Always. 

We sat down and as we are wont to do, we ordered up a feast. Entirely too much food for two people. But I have not found anywhere else on the planet that serves such succulence when it comes to sesame chicken with sweet potatoes, prawn and green onion pancakes in peanut sauce, pan fried garlic fish . . .  Oh, I could go on and on. 

Here's me with my Flower Blossom mug o' tea.

Anyway, as we are wont to do, we started up a conversation with the woman dining solo at the table next to us. 

It's easy to become fast friends in San Francisco restaurants, the tables are so close, you are practically in your neighbor's lap. 

The woman was in town with her husband for the big Oracle convention. 

The big, 50,000-people-from-around-the-globe, Oracle convention. 

We are seasoned convention veterans thanks to the funsters at AIG. But since America had to go get all fast and furious over all the fun AIG was handing out to their agents, I haven't ridden a camel or been to a private Hall and Oates concert in a very long time. 

Thanks America. 

Anyway, we quizzed our new friend on all the Oracle convention fun. She told us tonight was the final night of the convention and Oracle was treating their global crew to a private concert. 

Featuring Tom Petty and Sting. 

And my hubs who refuses to listen to music made after 1986, said, "We have got to get in on that kind of fun."

But the lady was all, "No way." Evidently, there were chartered buses taking them to the concert on Treasure Island and it involved lanyards and tickets and laminated bracelets. 

You know it's super high security when they start laminating stuff. 

So we told her to have a great concert and we went on our way. 

And as we walked the hills of our beloved city, working off our feast, my cell phone dinged. 

Breaking news. 

And there, in San Francisco, I had to tell my husband that one of his heroes had died. 

You see, my hubs has been a Mac disciple/fanatic for a very,very long time. 

Long before the rest of the world caught on, my husband was singing the praises of Mac. 

We are a PC free house. 

We even have Apple TV. 

If there were Apple dinnerware and crystal, we'd be eating off of their fine china and drinking our wine out of the Apple glass. 

I was the first person I know of to own an iPod. People would stop me, to take a look at this newfangled gizmo they'd only heard about. 

We stood in line for 12 hours for our first iPhone. 

If my husband could have given Steve Jobs his pancreas, he would have sacrificed himself, on the spot. 

So, it felt fitting to be there in San Francisco, the birthplace of technology and Steve Jobs, on the day that brilliant man left the earth. 

After whiling away the afternoon, walking the hills and seeing the sights, we made our way back to our hotel on busy California Street.  

We stay at a place called The Mark Hopkins. 

And if one could love a hotel, this place would be my eternal sweetheart.
(The view from our room.)

(I loved this, a welcome back gift from our friends there. A white chocolate sculpture of the hotel.)

It is a grand old place, on the top of Nob Hill, built by another one of the men whose visionary thinking changed the world—Mark Hopkins—a railroad tycoon back in the 1800's. 

Because we are loyal visitors, we have use of the concierge floor, which is just pretty much, just a room full of a smorgasbord of wonderful appetizers, yummy cheeses and any kind of spirit your heart desires. 

My heart desired some champagne that night. 

And so we freshened up after our afternoon of walking and changed for dinner.

My hubs had made reservations at one of our favorite Italian places, just a few blocks from the hotel. 

We went down to the concierge level for a beverage or two before dinner. 

The wonderful concierge, Matt, pointed out the TV in the corner. He had it tuned to Steve Jobs tributes. 

It was all so sad and lovely and quite heartbreaking. And I thought, how lucky we were to live in the same time as someone this extraordinary, someone who impacted the world so vitally, because I know we will never get another Steve Jobs, ever again. 

You just can't impart that sort of vision, that sort of brilliance, to someone else. It's simply a gift, strong and true.

My hubs with his Scotch, sending Steve on his way. 

I toasted Steve with my champagne and settled in to watch all the stories of this man who changed the world, just as the railroad tycoon who'd built this hotel, had before him. 

And as moving as all of those well produced segments were, it was the words of Steve himself, that left me awestruck. A few years back, he gave the commencement speech at Stanford. It was shortly after he'd been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. 

I'm certain in the minutes it takes to hear the results of a biopsy, life's perspective is forever changed. 

And with the wisdom of a man who really understood how fleetingly precious this life is, Steve Jobs imparted his lessons on those young people stepping out on the brink of the world. 

It was a goose bump kind of speech and if you have a chance, take a listen yourself, right here.  

But among all his bits of wisdom, this one thing stood out for me. 

Steve said, "Your time is limited, don't waste it living someone else's life . . . Don't let the noises of other people's opinions drown out your inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."

Steve ended his speech by talking about an old catalog company called The Whole Earth that he compared to Google, "a place overflowing with great tools and good notions." He said when the company came to a close, on the back cover of their final issue was a photo of an early morning country road, with the empowering words, "Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish."

Steve's speech burrowed itself in the deep corners of my overly dramatic heart. 

I drank my champagne and thought about my life and the days to come and this ledge I am perched on and the unfairness of a brilliant visionary—but more importantly, a husband and father— whose life was cut far too short. 

It was finally time to leave for the restaurant and so we bundled up and headed out for the short walk. 

Since it was only a couple of blocks on moderate hills, I was wearing my high heeled boots and carrying my big, clunky purse. Good for dinner and back. 

As we left, there was a line of well dressed people directly in front of our hotel.
We had to cut through the line to get to the street and as we were making our way through those folks, it hit me. 

I said to my hubs, "I bet you these are the Oracle people waiting for the bus to take them to the concert."

And in the perfect timing of the universe, in that moment, in that exact spot where we chose to cut through the line, my hubs turned to the handsome man standing next to us and said, "Is this the Oracle convention?" When the man confirmed it was, my hubs said, "You know anyone who can get us into this thing?"

And the man said, "As a matter of fact, I do." 

As he pulled out tickets and laminated bracelets, yes, laminated bracelets out of his coat pocket. 

He explained he was bringing clients and the clients at the last minute, couldn't make it. 

My hubs turned to me and said, "Let's go! Get on the bus, girl!"

And I was all, "No . . .  We can't . . .  No . . . We've got reservations . . .  And there's a chance of rain . . . And my hair . . .  And I've got this big, clunky purse and these boots aren't made for walking . . .  or Sting concerts . . . No . . .  We can't just get on the Oracle's bus . . . We can't crash their convention . . .  I don't think . . . No . . . We really shouldn't."

And the man in the suit, held out the bracelets and told me that really, it was fine. 

But I still protested. My hubs, at this point, was begging me. 

And then suddenly, something inside of me yelled, YES! YOU MUST DO THIS! 

Because to be hungry, to be foolish, to live your own life—it is everything. 

And so we got on the bus.

We got on the dang Oracle bus with all the dang Oracle people from around the world. And we laughed giddily with the impulsiveness of it all. 

Everyone around us was aware that we were smuggled contraband and they loved us for shucking everything and getting on the bus with them. 

I sat across from the handsome man who so generously gave us the tickets. 

He does not want to be recognized in my blog post because Oracle probably doesn't appreciate total strangers crashing their party, but we will be forever grateful for his generosity. 

As the bus drove, it took us by the Apple store. It seemed like every network in the world was set up outside the store. There were bouquets of flowers already in overflowing memorials and the sticky notes, words of goodbye for Steve, hundreds of them, covering the glass front window.
(This was the top of some network's van, so I didn't get a good shot, but just on the other side of the van, the window was lined with sticky notes.)

The handsome man and I spoke of Steve Jobs and his speech. And the man said he had called his wife who was home, pregnant with their their third child, after hearing his words, to ask her if they were living the life they should be living. It seemed like, even on the day of his death, Steve's impact was still shifting our collective conscience. A fitting legacy, indeed.

My friend met up with his friends when we got to the concert. We all wished each other well and once again, I am forever grateful for his kind, impulsive gesture to complete strangers. The world can be a very good place, if you keep your eyes open to it. 

We walked up to the concert entrance and there sat bundles of rain parkas, free for the taking. 

I grabbed a parka and took my hub's hand and we wove our way through the Oracle crowds up as far as we could, as Sting took to the stage.

Treasure Island is an in incredible place, with the Bay Bridge and a twinkly San Francisco skyline as its backdrop.
It was beautiful. Every bit of it.

The crisp, clear night. (It never rained.) 

The city lights, as luminous as stars. 

The crowd, so joyous to be there, brought together from around the world, under a San Francisco sky.

Sting—who by the way—yoga does a body good. Damn good. 

The music. The songs of my wild and heady youth, I knew every word to them and I sang them out, dancing with the crowd around me. 

My feet started to throb about halfway through Sting's set and my big purse kept knocking into people, but Sting was telling Roxanne not to put on the red light and I had to dance. So I kicked off my boots, as the folks around me gasped about the cold and the glass on the ground. But I wasn't cold and I knew nothing would hurt me on that night of magical happenings, that night as heroes flew away from the boundaries of earth.
(Blurry shot of me with boots in hand.)

And there under a sky of city lights, I danced and sang and lived. 

I lived my life. My foolish, ravenous life. 

In between acts, my hubs grabbed us some delicious complimentary cuisine. And we took our food to the bleachers. We decided to sit for Tom Petty since we'd now been awake for almost 20 hours.

Tommy Boy looked like Methuselah himself, but his voice was as strong as it was back in the day. He sounded exactly like I could have been perched on a bar stool with my big permed hair, drinking a Corona as I watched my boyfriend play pool. 

After Tom's set, we headed back to our bus, tired and exhilarated from our wildly impulsive night. 

Oftentimes, we are told by others, that these adventures only happen to us. 

But I don't think that's necessarily true. 

I think opportunities like this present themselves to each of us every day, in vast and varying ways. 

It is our job to recognize them. It is our job to stay hungry and foolish. It is our job to live the life we want to live. 

As I sit here on the precipice of a new path, I find myself overwhelmed and anxious and worried that I might not be able to pull this off, this huge thing I've undertaken. But yet, that bundle of fright trying to take up space in my soul,  will never, ever stop me. 

I'm ready to step off. 

So tell me, what's in your life? Waiting for you? 

Go and find it. And don't forget:

 Stay hungry. Stay foolish. My darling, darling friends. 

Godspeed Steve Jobs. Thanks for everything. 

Today's Definite Download: Sting's "Fragile." Fragile live was recorded on Sept. 11th 2001. Sting was scheduled to have a concert in Tuscany. He decided to go on, to commemorate those who had lost their lives that day. He began his concert with this eerily prophetic song, written many years before.

When he sang it in San Francisco, I realized how utterly true those lyrics really are. 

How fragile we are.








44 comments:

Jennifer Vanderbeek said...

Well, I still think you live a charmed life, but you deserve it! (doesn't everyone?!) And it's fun to "know" someone who actually lives these sorts of crazy adventures. Keeps hope alive or something like that.

As for me, I still think it's a little foolish but I left that mine of mine propose to me and we're getting married in 2 years. We're foolish (or just plain fools) but we're not in any hurry :)

Suniverse said...

What a great post.

I think you're right, those opportunities do present themselves, but they aren't the same for everyone. You get what you need at the time.

So glad you got to go!

Ash said...

I love you.

Per usual, you write just what I needed to read.

And yes, damn, Sting. Yowza.

P.S. I love you

The Sweetest said...

Well, I don't know how often you do or don't blog because, unfortunately, I am not here reading enough. But I will say that EVERY time I come to your blog I am thoroughly entertained. You always have something awesome to say/retell/makefunof, and I love it. Sounds like a great trip.

Funny in My Mind said...

I don't care how boring you think your life is, you are very lucky for the opportunities that fall on your lap.
I too was one of those people with the new,funny, cool phone that got me on the internet (iPhone) and the newfangled music box (iPod) and Steve was one of a kind.
I do have a pc though. My son loves his Mac.
I love your vacation stories dearly, to live vicariously through you is so fun!

Cari said...

You always have the best vacations! And why? Because you wouldn't have it any other way. When you are open to great opportunity, it will find you.

My sis just moved to San Fran, and I have YET to go visit. I know. Possibly won't return once I make my way there.

Unknown said...

What an awesome post! Steve Jobs was such an inspiration. As a teacher, I used to share his story with my students.
And I swear, I don't know anyone else who is always in the right place at the right time! Glad you enjoyed yourselves! And happy anniversary to you both and happy 50th to your hubby!

Anonymous said...

happy anniversary! I think it's amazingly awesome you hopped on the bus.
Also? Those booties? I think I have them and I think they left me half crippled in Vegas.

The Woven Moments said...

What an EPIC story and trip! So glad you threw caution to the wind and went to the concert....feet be damned!

sandra said...

Oh how I love you! I wish I had your life sometimes, but then again I am glad I get to read about it. I know it must be hard to get a book published and as much as I miss you posting more regular on your blog, I am giddy with excitement to know that your book will be in my hands one day and that I will love it so much. So hurry and get it published, I am waiting!

Unknown said...

Your posts have this amazing way of making me slightly jealous of the awesome adventures you live & yet still thankful and blessed for the life that is mine.
If your book is full of even 1/2 the entertainment and inspiration, it will be a bestseller...no doubt.
And then you will have to invite me to your swanky book signing in Chicago! :-)

karen said...

I...don't quite know what to say to all of that. You're right though - if you're open to opportunity, it's there more often than not. We too often get wrapped up in what "should be" instead of just going with the moment. So kudos to you - how fun! And I have to ask: is your hole in the wall Chinese place Nan King? Their food is awesome, and yes - you must let them order for you. They're not happy if you don't let them.

Judie said...

A charmed life????I should say so! How in the hell do you always find dashingly handsome men who give you concert tickets??? This has happend before, and not too long ago either!! The only thing I ever come across are bums who offer to share the partially smoked cigarette butt they just found by the curb! That's MY life!!

If you haven't checked out my blog recently, please read about the Breasts fo Life auction. I am one of the artists who designed a breast casting for the auction.

Unknown said...

your life ROCKS! love this whole post.

The Furry Godmother said...

Oh, I needed to read this today of all days. The docs are biopsying today to see if I have cervical cancer. It changes your life when the doc takes a look and quietly gasps, "Oh...". Steve Jobs did it well. But my favorite thing he ever said? His last words. "Oh, wow! Oh, WOW!"

I live a great life. Here's to living it like you do.

Mom vs. the boys said...

well happy anniversary to you guys! you are the most fun couple ever! I love your zest for life, good for you for seizing the opportunity! amazing story!

My Inner Chic said...

**Sting—who by the way—yoga does a body good. Damn good.** HA

Stop apologizing for your absence...when you come back, it's always worth it. :)

Happy Anniversary !! X

Dawn in D.C. said...

What a wonderful post! You truly have given me a fresh breath in my chest to look at things a little differently.

What's in my life? What's waiting for me? My first grandbaby is due. any. minute. I am on the edge of my seat all day long, waiting for the phone to ring.

I won't get to see him until December, but as fate would have it, the kids need me to hang around for a month or so, while the Marine takes care of Marine business. And then?

Then, my second grandbaby will be due and I WILL BE THERE!!

Yes, I am blessed. And happy and foolish. And ALWAYS frickin hungry!

Happy Anniversary, to an awesome couple.

Kate said...

Yes to making/taking opportunities.

It amazes me how many people want to canonize Steve Jobs. He did do some good work, but was a deeply flawed human being who stole others ideas, was petty with people who were beneath him, vindictive, and just an all around jerk.

Joann Mannix said...

Hey Kate,

I would have responded to you with an email, but since there's no link back to your name, I can only hope you'll see this here.

I am well aware of Steve Jobs' flaws. The media has bared open his entire life for all the world to see. Even Steve Jobs himself has admitted that he was not always the man he wanted to be.

My intention was not to canonize him. He's just a man, as imperfect as the rest of the human race. What I was trying to say was, he changed the world. For the better. Even Steve Wozniak, someone he had wronged along the way, said there was no one more brilliant. My husband has always been in awe of the ever-changing innovations of Mac that were largely due to Steve Jobs and his vision. And yes, Steve Jobs was one of his heroes, whether you agree with that or not.

You can disparage the man, that's your right. But the fact of the matter is, he's gone and negativity and hate is kind of pointless. From what I've read, he was a great husband and father, (yes, I know about his eldest daughter, but he made up for his initial denial of paternity) and he was a man who saw something that no one else could see and changed the world with his vision. That's what I chose to focus on as did so much of the world, even some of those people he supposedly wronged.

I just had to give you my two cents. I wish you only peace!

Joann

Mrs. Tuna said...

25 years! Sweet. I did notice you had a great big glass and he had a little tiny one......

TesoriTrovati said...

Oh my Miss Joann. You do have that sort of charmed life that you are able to see those opportunities and grab them. Sting holds a very special place in my youth and "Fragile" has always been a favorite of mine. And for my 40th birthday in 2008 my parents took my hubby and I to San Francisco. We had drinks at the Top of the Mark. It is a magical city. And I am so glad to know that I am not the only one who wears four inch heels to hike the wee hills of San Francisco.

Keep after that dream Miss Joann. I know that you are on the right path and it is a great one. For me, I am trying to take all those words of Steve Jobs to heart. It has been an extraordinarily rough week of turning away from who I really am and what I really should be doing. But I do know that when I am doing it, and people see it, that it feels so right. It is that leaping off space, where it is not just my life that is affected but so many others that is the real shackle for me. But I feel as if I am reaching that boiling point where just one degree will make the difference.

All my love, Miss Joann as you keep moving closer to your true calling.

Enjoy the day.
Erin

Vicki/Jake said...

Wow, just came over from Judie's and so glad I did. What a special time you had. Things happen for a reason is what I believe. Someday soon I'll do my thing too..whatever it is:) And although I have a PC, I admire the Apple dude... Rest in Peace Steve Jobs.

The Lady's Lounge said...

Your absence is clearly pardoned by default when you come back with a post like this for me to live vicariously through.

Rebecca Grace said...

Miss JoAnn, if you are ever foolish enough to post your travel plans on your blog AHEAD of time, you will be swarmed at the airport by hundreds of strange women from the Internet who want to tag along on your adventures. And I shall be one of them. Four inch platforms and all!

Susan Anderson said...

Judie sent me over, and I'm glad she did. What an amazing day! And the post does it justice.

=)

Julie said...

Sweet lord you can tell a story, woman.

If you don't end up published I don't know WHO is getting book deals.

But they aren't getting smuggled into the Oracle and taking every breath with gusto and loving the wisdom and foolishness of the world like you are.

Silly me, though. You will be published. It's just a matter of time. And yes, our tethers to this earth are fragile.

But oh, those people who hold on tightly can and will still fly.

I can see you up there already. Kicking ass in your high heels (with the perfect pedicure, by the way).

Thanks for the inspiration today, Joann.

And the peek into the loveliness of your world and the beauty of music.

You share it all selflessly.
So you'd better stop apologizing.

Because you already give us all more than you know...

JoAnna said...

You really do have some amazing luck. Like truly amazing! I would have had a hard time being all that spontaneous!!

Pat said...

An amazing posting...so glad Judie over at Rogue Artist gave us your link!

Wishing I could get my DH to read this...he needs a serious wake up call. My own bucket list is overflowing and not much way to make things happen.

Remember hearing Steve Jobs Stanford speech on my first iPod...

Magyar said...

'Lo there, Joann,
__I'll thank the "Rogue Artist" Judie for this link; this, so well written, I couldn't turn away. The memories.
__I left the Navy in 1968... my ship left Hunter's Point... and I spent a week at the Navy housing on what we (then) called "TI." My first night as a civilian I supped at the "Top."

new day
step to your dreams
calm ego
_m


st

Shell said...

Girl, you really do have the very best adventures.

One of these days, I'm going on one with you. xo

twelvedaysold said...

Oh, Joann, I love you so much!

I do love the extravagant things your husband always tumbles upon. I'm so happy you have such a supportive, impulsive husband.

And I am going to make the most lame comparison here, but I read a lot of diy blogs and used to think, "these people are so lucky to find this stuff at thrift stores and garage sales or for free." Like I just didn't have the "touch" for something like that. I realized I had to DO that stuff if I wanted to find those unique things that I could make mine. And in that same way, you have to go out there, even if you think you will just fail, or look stupid, and DO it. Ask how to get into a Sting concert :)

I, too, have been horribly absent from blogs since my vacation. I caught up once and just haven't had the stamina to keep it going like I did before. We'll find our rhythm again!

twelvedaysold said...

UGH! And I meant to mention Steve Jobs. I'm not a Apple fangirl, but I appreciate Steve's insight that he brought into this world. He changed so much and followed his gut about so many things that are fantastic. We lost a great man that day, but I am so glad that we were blessed with his wisdom and outstanding mind.

W.C.Camp said...

Wow that is a great story. So happy your anniversary was over the top!!! You might like a fast read called 'Poke the box' which is in the same vein your were enlightened to. A great idea is just wasted if it isn't SOLD (acted upon) so don't look for reasons to 'NOT DO'. You obviously already live by this philosophy so GOOD JOB!! W.C.C.

Not Just Another Jennifer said...

Can I just say, wow!? First, I adored Steve Jobs as well (once you go Mac, you never go back). And we did truly lose the genius of our generation.

Second, Sting? I LOVE Sting. I saw him when he toured with Annie Lennox a few years ago. "Fragile" is one of my fave songs of his.

Congrats on the anniversary, your hub's birthday, and your amazing trip.

And don't feel badly for being absent so much. You are working on something much more important. I'm kind of in a similar situation (clearly, I haven't read you for a while - SOOO behind in my blog reading). Still love you. Best wishes with the book!

Baby Sister said...

I think that sounds like a blast. You are incredibly lucky, and you're right. We all have control in our own lives. We just have to take advantage of the opportunities given us. Thank you for reminding me of that.
Don't worry about being gone so much. This is your change to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity given you. Give it everything you've got, my friend.

THE SARCASM GODDESS said...

Okay, I just found your blog and I totally love you...and I haven't even finished reading your post! I would finish but the hubs is standing over me demanding his computer back for some such foolish thing as WORK. Psht. What's that? Anyway, when he is done, I will be back and I can't wait to finish reading about your trip. Happy Anniversary!

Snubbs the White Rabbit said...

Hello there. I was pointed in the direction of your blog by my mom is an avid blogger and blog reader herself. If all your posts and stories are as exciting as this one, I am in for a treat. I love that your husband dragged you onto that bus. I can picture my wife and I in a similar situation and me being the devil on her shoulder.

Alexandra said...

You're so different from everything else out there, Joann.

xo

Anonymous said...

When I heard about Steve Jobs, your husband was the first person I thought of. I'm so happy for you that you had that awesome experience. If you had bought tickets and planned for it, it wouldn't have been nearly as great, I will bet. Happy Birthday Bill. You must be, what, 42? :-) That's when I started getting the AARP mail. Grossly unfair, AARP. Not executed well at all.

Just A Normal Mom said...

Talk about being behind. I just finally read this post that's been sitting in my inbox since, oh, November 8th. Damn, I'm glad I did. What a fabulous story! The timing, the opportunity - and the wisdom to know to grab the chance! Good for you both!

Just A Normal Mom said...

OMG - I just wrote a comment about how late I am reading this and how glad I am that I did and how awesome this story was. And then I got an error message. Just know I said great things. :)

Livin' In Duckville said...

Congratulations! You've been given The Versatile Blogger Award over at Livin' In Duckville. You can read more about this at http://livininduckville.blogspot.com/2011/11/arise-queen-cometh.html

Meg at the Members Lounge said...

How the heck did I miss your San Francisco recap???? What a trip; a little sad, a lot sweet, and I didn't even have to scroll to the end to know you went to the concert!

Every time I read a post here I add another item to my bucket list!

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