pinkwik

No matter how old I get, I’ve decided there are just some things that I, as a woman, must do, no matter what.

Now, I know my friends, family and boyfriend may not understand my reasoning, but maybe someone else out there reading this will agree with me.

It never fails when I leave the house, looking less than presentable that I bump into someone I know, or someone who knows someone I know.  Every single freaking time!!

I was staying with my sister in Portland (no-not the cute one j :-)), and she asked if I was going to shower and all that before taking my son to the airport at 4am the next morning. I immediately said yes, but then after we talked about it a little more, I came to the conslusion that I wasn’t going to bump into anyone I knew at the Portland Airport at 4 in the morning. So why bother getting myself all dolled up, just to come back and go back to bed?

So the next morning I got up, brushed my teeth. Put my hair up in a clip, did the best job I could do with unshowered bangs, got dressed and was out the door. No shower, no makeup, no hair done just right. But I was proud I did it. I wasnt going to worry about who saw me… I had no one to impress…. I mean- who was going to be at the airport at 4 in the morning?

Well, so I was sitting there at the airport at 4 in the morning, when much to my surprise, the best friend of a guy who I had been seeing years earlier came up and said hi. Actually he came up and said “I know you don’t I?” Well, right there I could have died. I smiled back and said “yes.. yes you do.” After exchanging ‘hellos’, and meeting his new wife- they were off flying out for their honeymoon.

When I got back to my sisters house she was up and I had to tell her all about it. Told her I was sure he was going to tell the other guy he bumped into me and boy did I look like hell… and it would have been the truth!

Well, so this morning I said to myself… who was I going to see at the store while I got a coffee and some cat food? My loving and adoring boyfriend doesn’t understand a womans need to look presentable.. but bless him.. he’s a guy.

So there we are getting out of my car, he sees a couple getting out of their car, whom he and his ex wife knew. He’s told me about these people and how they’re a little anoying, and I’ve actually met the husband a few times, but never the wife. The wife works with the ex-wife- so I’m sure you can see where this might be going…. The guy seems nice enough, but then again, when you meet someone for only a few seconds it’s tough to really know anything about them, or how annoying they may or may not be.  And I didn’t want to see them, because of course my first thought is, OMG- my hair isn’t done, I don’t have any make up on, and I’m looking frumpy in my sweats…. and they’re going to go back to the ex wife and say.. “oh- we saw so and so this weekend, and man, is his new girl uuuuugllllyyy!”….. ‘You look so much better than she does”…. or “man, did he make a big step down after you”.

Ok- call me shallow, but as the new girl, you want to make an impression of the good kind.. not the man she’s scary kind.

Well, once my boyfriend sees this couple, he all of a sudden ducks sortof behind me and rushes me, almost in a walking fast sprint into the store where we proceed to walk as quickly as we can, without actually running, to an isle so we can hide out. And while hiding out, I found some really cute hair clips…..

 We wait there until it’s clear and we proceed as cautiously as possible through the store for the few items we came in for, do the quick self check out.. and we’re back out the door. A quick stop at the coffee shop, for coffee to go, and into my car.

I was actually surprised we didn’t bump into them on an isle.. thats usually what happens when you’re trying to avoid someone- you still end up bumping into them. And I guess you can’t very well, turn and run when you do see them round the end of the isle you’re on, coming towards you. I mean, I guess you could…… but that woud be a little too obvious I think.

So my lesson….(and I’m sorry honey) if I want a Starbucks coffee in the morning, I’m either going to have to put my sunglasses on, and go to the drive through over on 27th, or I’m going to have to drag my butt out of bed a little earlier and get all pretty to go to the Fred Meyers Starbucks so I can get groceries at the same time.

I have a trip to Africa coming up, and I wasn’t going to worry about make up and fixing my hair while on safari and all, but with my luck I’ll bump into someone else I know.. so I may have to rethink that one.

Hey- check these out… I came across them while looking for travel stuff on Tanzania for my upcoming trip….

www.safariweek.com

www.expeditionreview.com

I found out last week that there is a chance that I may be send to Tanzania in July or August of this year, for business. The President of company I work for here locally, has a small photo Safari company that we’ve been slowly working on, and hoping to make larger and attract more business,  www.choroa.com

Over this past year, I think we’ve done pretty well for ourselves.. booking a few more safaris than normal. As of January we already had 2 safaris booked for 2008, and that’s pretty good if you look at where we were this time last year. We’ve recently appreared in Luxury Travel Advisor magazine, (http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/questex/lta0208/index.php), we’re on page 65- and this is a beautiful magazine by the way!

We’ve appeared locally in ”The Source” newspaper, which was exciting,,,and we also have an article coming out in April in an Atlanta based Mens Magazine called ’Tuxedo Road’.

So, for a girl who has never traveled outside the US, and really only been to a few states here, I have to get my passport, and a bunch of shots.Whoo hoo! Can’t wait for those! Actually, giving myself Humira shots every two weeks I’m used to needles, but I’m still only ok with them- they still hurt no matter how many times you get them. At least I won’t be doing the yellow fever one. I can’t have live virus injections, so we’ll bypass that one, and as long as I don’t stop in a country that requires the yellow fever injection, I won’t need one to get into Tanzania. And I say a big ol’ AMENto that one, cause I hear that one REALLY hurts!

So, there I will be, little girl in big Africa. This a trip that could not happen at any point in time, so I don’t want to get too excited about it, but inside I’m squealing like a 14 year old girl! This is such a great opportunity that may never come around again. And to experience a place I’ve only read about or seen on National Geographic, and the Discovery Channel.

And since this is business, I will be traveling around Tanzania, where the Safari company is based. Visiting lodges, hotels, and staying in camp. Yes, I said camp. I’ll be staying some of my time in a tent in the middle of the wild. A lion could easily walk through camp, or I could be awaken by a heard of elephants. Can you imagine, while eating your breakfast beans and toast in the morning, seeing a lion walk around your tent? ok- I’d probably crap my pants right about then.. possibly even before, but OMG- can you imagine? This is going to be amazing!

I won’t be there totally alone. I’ll be traveling with some people from the travel industry, and one of Choroa’s partners Themmy, a very big guy in African standards will have to be my protector. Is it ok to say that being that far away from home is sort of  scary? I mean to be in a  foreign place, where i don’t know where anything is, and I only know 1 person…this will definitially be different…

Even with all the wild animals running around, and the bugs, this is still just an extrodinary opportunity that I cannot pass up. I mean- who gets a paid trip to Africa? Did I mention this is going to be amazing?

Anyway- I’ll keep everyone posted as the trip gets closer, and I’ll take lots of pictures that we’ll post on the Choroa website for sure. 

Ok- so I know Craigs List has been around for a while now… and I’ve been known to search it from time to time.. looking for the bargain of the century, or just a nice piece of furniture to hold all my nick-nacks when I’m an old lady.

Well, my boyfriends roommate moved out… back home.. and left most all his things still at the house. His bed, dresser, night stand, and a bunch of other crap. So this last weekend I went through and snapped pictures of everything and stuck them on Craig List at about 7pm. With in minutes WHAM! a fish- (as I call them), and within 20 minutes more fish! I was having a good time!

The next morning we sold the bed to a gal who I thought was probably single with a 2 yr old (or younger) and she said they’d been sleeping on an air mattress for months. So I felt good about her getting the bed. And then a guy came and looked at an end table I had stuck on the site…. and he took that. We were really rolling now!

Now- I’ve been going through my house and taking pictures of things I don’t use or don’t need and sticking those on the site. I mean.. there’s nothing wrong with getting rid of stuff and not packing it all over the place right..? And if it’s been in my garage for the last 2 years and I havent needed it, why not get rid of it?

My boyfriend is worried… is there a group for people addicted to selling on Craigs List? Should I call this a reverse form of gambling? I told him he didn’t need to worry quite yet, but if I get to the point where I’m selling his bed while he’s still sleeping in it.. or big furniture pieces seem to turn up missing with no explaination of where they could have gone… then he can sign me up for Craist List annoymous or something for loving help and support.

Anyway- I think Craigs List is a great little site, and it’s great if you’re looking for just about anything… I hear you can even find sex on craigs list.. although you really should have some standards when it comes to that, and besides that, its just icky!

Have a good day!! And Happy Shopping!