never as easy at it seems

There are a bunch of things I could write about that have taken place since my last post, but I want to recap my evening while its fresh in my memory.  Here it goes...

I flew into Dallas today for an event and actually didn't feel stressed.  Everyone else arrives tomorrow, so I got a little bit of a head start which was a nice feeling.  One thing I'd planned to do was take a trip to IKEA.  I'd only been once before and we needed some modern inexpensive furniture for the event I'm planning.  Anyway, I took care of some things at the hotel and set out for IKEA in Frisco, TX which is just over 20 miles from downtown.  Luckily I didn't hit traffic and never got lost.  It was awesome!

After I loaded the car I headed back and passed a Wal-Mart.  I debated whether or not to stop and of course decided that I should have several miles past the exit.  So, I then tossed the idea around to go to Target instead, but thought it might be too late, etc.  After too much thought I reverted to the Wal-Mart decision and rerouted my gps.  Upon arrival I noticed the Wal-Mart wasn't branded like a regular store, the logo was solid green and it became clear that this location was solely a grocery store.  Not too worried, I selected the next closest store on the gps since it was only a few more miles out.  On my way there I thought how much easier it would have been if I'd just pulled over at the one in Frisco but tried not to beat myself up about it.  While in route I passed Target.  I told myself that the 30 minutes I had until the store closed and the fact that they are typically more expensive for the items I needed wasn't worth it and so I kept on toward Wal-Mart.  This time when I arrived at my "destination" I only saw a Sam's Club.  Realizing that they are affiliated but obviously not the same store, I got a little frustrated.  At this point I didn't want to give up because I knew the other Wal-Mart listed on the gps was another 2 or 3 miles and it would be a total waste to turn around and go back to the hotel.  So, one last time, I searched for the closest store and hit "Go".  After another 10 minutes, a few missed exits, and my gps unnecessarily "recalculating" I pulled into a vacant parking lot.  That's right folks, my third and final attempt to find a Wal-Mart was unsuccessful.  Now, even more frustrated I headed back to the hotel.  I passed the Target, again, at just a few minutes past 9 and immediately beat myself up over the idea that I may have actually had enough time to get everything I needed before they closed.  Just salt in the wound.

So, that's my night in a nutshell.  The only other highlights were seeing the following billboards:

1. "May the Pork be with You" (bbq place)
2. Brook loves her pacemaker (this was for a hospital I think and looked like it was written by a giant with a crayon)
 
Oh, and while it's sort of inappropriate I can't leave out this one out!  It was actually a neon sign that ran the full length of the store... "Condoms to Go!"

Seriously.  It was the sign I saw right before a handful of billboards that were borderline offensive and that I've blocked from my memory.  Hopefully tomorrow's errand to Target goes better than tonight's attempt to Wal-Mart.

interesting day at the office

Most of you know that I plan my company's industry/internal events for a living along with other various marketing tasks, of course... but if you didn't, now you do.  Anyway, each time a large national event draws near I get insanely busy at work.  I can certainly fill up a 40 hour week year round but when an event is close I stay late, eat through lunch, dream about things I need to do, and randomly write post-its to myself while at home.  It's intense.

Today though hit a whole new level I didn't think I ever would.  I had a panic attack at work.  It came out of nowhere.  One minute I'm walking to my desk and the next minute I'm looking at some mock ups that weren't the final files I was expecting.  All of sudden my chest got tight and it felt like I was getting less air.  Now, I've had panic attacks before and this was mild (in terms of my outward reaction) but it was still an anxiety attack nonetheless.  I stayed calm, controlled my breathing and tried to compose myself so I could work.  Of course, my close friend Gillian knew something was up, but I assured her I knew how to handle it.

I'm still baffled.  I didn't even think I was overly stressed.  I guess the body has a way of taking over when you're not doing a good job respecting your limits.

week two: mid-week laughs

E, Myself, and I is back this week with her blog series, "mid-week laughs" and I decided to participate again! If you're a blogger, feel free to partake!  This week's topic is:

_________ makes me laugh about MY PET!

I'll go ahead and fill in the blank with...

His big dog personality makes me laugh about MY PET!

 Just to give you an idea of his size.

My puppy Tank currently weighs in at about 5 lbs. with the potential to reach 17-20 as a full grown adult.  However, judging by the way he carries himself and the large dogs he tends to associate with you'd think he was working up to 100.  His favorite neighborhood dog is the German Shepherd Great Dane mix and his most recent friendship is with our friends' French Mastiff, Gus.

I know its been said that smaller dogs tend to be this way, but I'm convinced Tank takes this to a whole other level.  Combine his belief that he is way bigger than he is with his alpha dog personality and you get t r o u b l e!  Take a look for yourself.