CHATTY CATTY

As you may or may not know but I was selected to attend a YMCA National Training program called EDI (Executive Development Institute) for 10 months. I returned from Houston this past Saturday after bieng gone for 4 1/2 days. I had a wonderful experience and look forward to my next trip in August. I could spend this time writing about the training but some of you might think I'm a little nuts - o so I'll stick to sharing with you about my journey to and from Houston. I LOVE PEOPLE and therefore chose to talk with everyone I could on the plane ride coming and going so here goes...

1. Chose not to speak to anyone from Moline to Chicago as the turbulance on the plane nearly killed me, I had the barf bag out.

2. While sitting at O'hare my interest is peeked when and Indian woman (dressed in a sari) sits next to me, I didn't sit next to her but she sat next to me! OK... so of course I have to ask her if she was Indian and where she was from, I tell her my story of living in India 2000-2001 and we shared the history of my experience. She was in the states visiting her son and daughter (in Madison) and was on her way to see her cousins one in Houston and one in Dallas. We got on the plane at the same time but she sat a few rooms ahead of me and that was the end of that.

3. American Airlines Chicago to Houston - After the flight from Moline to O'Hare I chose not to eat anything at the airport but then got hungry 5 min. into our flight. The kind steward offers me cheese, cracker, raisins, and nuts for $4 I check my wallet to find I only had $3, when the nice bald man sitting next to me offers me a $1 for my snacks. WOW what a nice guy I thought, so I decide to start up a conversation with him; here is a 2 hour converation condensed into 2-3 sentences: He just got out of the Navy after 9 years. He travelled around the world on a navy ship, got stationed at Great LAkes Navel academy for his last stint while teaching? He met his "girl" who is also in the Navy and is expecting their daughter in a couple months. He was on his way to his job in Houston that builds BIG mtotors for a company like GM (energy). I also learned that he grew up on the east coast his girl the west coast and her brother is a formed BMX professional rider. Again, like I said after two hours with this guy I feel like I knew his whole story, he loved Spain and Italy so I picked his brain since the Rowell Crew is looking to head that way in 2009.

4. "Super Shuttle" from the airport to the hotel - met two young ladies from NY that work in advertising for some firm that does all the marketin for the US Army, do you see pattern here with the military? Wierd huh? The entire ride to the hotel that made fun of the environment, the stores etc. that we could see driving in the van. How shallow???!!!!!

5. Houston to Chicago - The start of the return home was a challenge... Our program was scheduled to end at 2 pm my flight was scheduled to depart at 3:25pm let's just say I was a little nervous regarding if I was going to make it there. OK, so I don't check my luggage, plan to carry on 2 pieces when I get to the scanning area and they had to take some of my personal items because they have to many ounces in them. Clinique facial lotion: $54.00 - Bath & Body Works Body Lotion: $14.00 - Crest Toothpaste: $3.25 - Pantene Hairspray $4.50 my face when I relize the flight is delayed one hour: priceless. OK so you get the point, but thank the almight one I found a Starbucks purchased a Skinny Mocha decaf and a People magazine and found my way to a soft set while I waited . Ironically I ran into the Indian woman again who was know on her way to Dallas from Houston to see her other cousin, I wished her the best!
OK finally getting on the plane, I found myself in an isle set, with no one between me and a young kid sitting next to the wind. I really don't remember how my conversation started with him but the entire 2 1/2 hours we spent together we both enjoyed. He resides in Houston with a coupld friends while attending HS, he will graduate in May. Last summer he participated in the Drum & Bugle Corp group out of Rockford, IL. amazing kid! We had an awesome conversation! I gave him my business card for him to keep in touch with me if they ever march in the area. He had met a Muslim woman sitting behind him when he got on the plane and promised her he would assist her to Jordainian Airlines once we landed in Chicago. Our plane ride turned out to be alot worse than we expected as the weather was horrible in Chicago and we had to circle for an extra 30 min. up to Milwaukee and back. Appriantly thunder storms and tornado warning were looming. By the time we landed, I had spoken with Eric and we had recieved a phone call at home stating my flight from Chicago to Moline had been cancelled and was re-booked for Saturday at 1:30pm. GREAT!
Eric got ahold of Phillip and Jenny for me, I found Macaroni Grill, a glass of wine and a beautiful salmon dinner to calm my nerves and sure enough I wasn't over the top angry with the whole situation. Maybe my training in Houston is coming in handy already!

6. While waiting for my final lag from Chicago to Moline Saturday afternoon, reading my magazine drinking another cup of Starbucks, a man asks me if I'm going to Tennessee? I replaid that no I was not. Turns out he had just arrived in the states from Tanzania via London, he was a diamond purchaser and was on his way to see his wife who was expecting their child??? He assured me she was American? Immaculate Conception I guess I didn't ask, but did see his passport and it was ligit he did have Visa good for one year. He shared with me that he would like to see me again, I said Tennesse was a long way from Iowa? I gave him my card and wished him the best? His flight wasn't until 7:30 pm Sat. night, only 6 hours from the time we met, I must say I was glad it wasn't me sitting at O'Hare for that long, I can only drink so much coffee, read so many magazines, and TALK TO SO MANY PEOPLE...

7. I sat by Mr. John Deere who was returning from a week in Novia Scotia where he was teaching something related to John Deere? Not to many words were exchanged by the two of us, he mostly slept and I read, but I new he was there if I needed to speak to some one and I feel he felt the same. As we got closer to Moline we discussed the flooding and how it is effecting those homes of people that like on the Rock River and know the Mississippi.

Finally arriving into Moline around 2:30 Eric and the kids were excited to see me and I them. I tried to explain all those I met on my journey to Eric and he just shook his head and replied "Only my Wife."