Meanderings

You know that feeling you get in the pit of your stomach when you have to do something you REALLY don't want to do?  Kinda feels like you ate just one too many slices of pizza?  Or that feeling of dread during a really scary movie, like the first time you watched THE EXORCIST?  Or you have to stand up in front of a large group of people to do a presentation on a subject that you really don't know that well?  ....yeah, THAT feeling....?  I have that.

I have to go to Oklahoma City.  With apologies to anyone from that part of the country, I really hate OKC.  This is one of those trips I have to make multiple times every year for work reasons.  Unfortunately, given the recent weather situations, it isn't really a place I want to visit, even for a few days.  This will not be a fun trip.  I have a lot of meetings to sit through, and the weather actually looks like it's going to incredibly hot.  I don't know yet whether that translates into t-storms or tornadoes, but that threat scares me.  In addition, there's always that chance I may run into an old flame.  I've blogged about her before, but she's the one who got so angry at me for not wanting to move to OKC for her.  This despite the fact that I was born and raised in Maryland, have lived here my entire life, just about everyone I know lives here, including my family, and my daughter's grandparents are here.  And the former girlfriend didn't even live in OKC until she went off to college.  She's originally from Nebraska!  Running into her would not be pleasant, given how we broke up.

The flip side to all of the bad news is the fact that my home has AC!  I actually had to use a blanket last night while sleeping in my own bed, and it was rather cool walking around the house this morning.  I could get used to this.  The downside is that I will need to get a new unit.  Soon.  I have a significant Freon leak.  That wasn't on my radar this year.  Looks like I may have to rethink going on a Disney vacation in the Fall.

A good night's sleep led to a boatload of dreams last night.  One in particular that I can actually remember has me considering a return to my musical roots.  I dreamed about being in a band, and it included a number of my friends and former bandmates from high school.  I was in my high school's jazz band, where I played alto sax, and in my dream, I was playing tenor along with my friends Kirk (guitar), Andre (keyboards), Wakene (also on sax), along with a few other guys who I didn't recognize on bass & drums.  It was a fun dream.  We were actually pretty good.  I sure wish I knew what sets off these kinds of dreams.  It was kind of cool.

I received a very generous birthday gift of a $125 gift card at Bass Pro Shops.  I'm not a huge outdoors person, and am having a hard time trying to decide what I might purchase at the Outdoor Store.  I don't fish. I don't hunt.  I don't camp.  I don't know anything about taxidermy.  What kind of things should I consider buying?  That's my challenge.  And that's where my daughter and I are heading out to later this afternoon.

Have a great afternoon, everyone!