November 12, 2015 by kimicalreaction - 0 comments

Three Things Thursday: November 12, 2015

I borrowed this concept from the lovely Nerd in the Brain, who encourages you to steal this “exercise in gratitude” with “wild abandon” by sharing three things that made you smile this week and “fill your blog with the happy.”

This week was super-busy, but I had some really nice moments to brighten it up a bit.

Thing #1: Two delightful lunches!

Lunch #1 – the Pace Cetter’s Women’s Business Networking Luncheon at the Capital City Club! I love this group of ladies. They are incredibly kind and positive and the monthly luncheon is something I always look forward to.

Lunch #2 – the annual Thanksgiving Day buffet the hotel throws for all 500+ employees. ::sigh:: There’s a lot of deliciousness, but they really blow it out with the desserts. This occasion was something my former colleague, Cheryl and I looked forward to all year long. We would stuff ourselves silly with turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy and pumpkin pie and then lay torpidly on our desks afterwards like beached whales. I miss her a lot (she earned a very well-deserved promotion and transfer), so it was a little bittersweet to go down by myself this year and just have a tiny piece of pie in her honor.

Thing #2: Spending time with people I like

I’m fortunate to work with some really fantastic people. We had a big multi-brand corporate training session this morning at one of our sister hotels, and my co-manager Alp and I got to catch up with our former colleague, Abbey, whom we had no idea would be attending. It was awesome to hang out afterwards over pizza and catch up before we had to heading back to work.

Thing #3 : a truly stunning sunset

Tonight’s sunset, seen from the 72nd floor, was spectacular. I never get tired of them.

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And there you go! Three things that made me smile and brought joy to my week. Thanks as always, Nerd in the Brain, for the inspiration!

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November 9, 2015 by kimicalreaction - 9 Comments

Instant Grat Instagram: Sunset Porn

I warned you last week that I had a new topic I would pull out whenever the writing genes wouldn’t zip up all the way.

I call it Instant Grat Instagram. {Lamely} bringing you my favorite moments from what is currently my favorite social media platform. Hope you enjoy!

Today: Sunset Porn

My loft has a spectacular view of the Atlanta skyline and I get some amazing sunsets.

Atlanta skyline.

Sunset on the Augusta canals, Augusta, Georgia.

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Rosemary Beach – above the roof tops.

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Evans, Georgia. Sunset over the lake.

My favorite skyline photos. Looks like ruffles of light.

Me and the hubs – Rosemary Beach, FL

Sunset in the North, Georgia Mountains – Big Canoe

Miramar Beach, Florida

Destin, Florida

“The pale stars were sliding into their places. The whispering of the leaves was almost hushed. All about them it was still and shadowy and sweet. It was that wonderful moment when, for lack of a visible horizon, the not yet darkened world seems infinitely greater—a moment when anything can happen, anything be believed in.”
― Olivia Howard Dunbar, The Shell of Sense

November 8, 2015 by kimicalreaction - 26 Comments

Heartless

“He’s leaving me!” Ashley’s body convulsed with sobs.
Jennifer absently patted her friend’s hand, but couldn’t muster any sympathy.
She realized she was completely devoid of feeling.
“Damn.” She shrugged, but without remorse.
She had left her heart in her other purse.

November 8, 2015 by kimicalreaction - 5 Comments

Lazy Sundays

Rain drizzling against the windows. Fire crackling in the hearth.

Warm fuzzy blanket, Baileys and coffee… hmmm maybe the beginnings of an idea for tomorrow’s post?

Happy Sunday, everyone!

November 8, 2015 by kimicalreaction - 4 Comments

A Thank You Note to the Lady in the Truck Stop Bathroom

A re-post from last year’s NanoPoblano…

Dear lady in the Jaguars jersey in the truck stop bathroom in Eufala, Alabama;

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Thank you for reaching over to my sink from your side of the counter and turning on the faucet for me.

I realize my somewhat frenzied hand waving in front of the taps may have led you to assume I was having a meltdown, exorcizing a demon or perhaps trying to land an imaginary plane.

You had no way of knowing that I work in a place where everything in the bathroom is automated.

There, in order to get soap/water/paper towels, you have to make a gesture within the motion-sensor range of the dispenser.

I’m sure I would have eventually figured it out,

but you took direct action.

Bless your kind and helpful heart.

I’m sure we have given each other a good story.

November 7, 2015 by kimicalreaction - 7 Comments

A Bee in His Bonnet

Someone woke up on the wrong side of the box.

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No matter how much the cats fight, there always seem to be plenty of kittens.

– Abraham Lincoln

November 6, 2015 by kimicalreaction - 7 Comments

Instant Grat Instagram: “It’s Bloody Brigadoon!”

I had all kind of plans for a post today but work exploded and the writing thing never happened.

However…

Thankfully, there’s my phone, Instagram and lots of great memories.

These particular ones are from the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games and Gathering of Scottish Clans last July.

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Beautiful North Carolina mountains and amazing skies.

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Grandfather Mountain and 50,000 Scots and “wanna-Scots”

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Highland dancers warming up

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Tossing the sheaf!

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Sheepdog trials – herding ducks!

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Flags from 80 Clans and 15 Scottish Societies!

“Not the bee upon the blossom,
In the pride o’ sunny noon;
Not the little sporting fairy,
All beneath the simmer moon;
Not the poet, in the moment
Fancy lightens in his e’e,
Kens the pleasure, feels the rapture,
That thy presence gi’es to me.”
― Robert Burns

November 5, 2015 by kimicalreaction - 2 Comments

Three Things Thursday: November 5th, 2015

Thing #1: October’s “A Taste of India” Dinner
through “The Learning Tea,” non-profit affiliated with Dr. Bombay’s Underwater Tea House.
I was joined for this event by my wonderful friend, Susan and her 8-year old son, The Coop. As we say in the South, we had a “large” time.

We particularly enjoyed exchanging many fine animal riddles, of which the Coop is a master.

What animal starts with a “c” and ends with an “e”?

D’uh! A Canadian Mongoose!

We chowed on some super-tasty vegetarian Indian food, with a particularly nice whipped cream dessert. The “cherry on this sundae” – all money raised supports a home and room and board for female university students in India.

Thing #2: A belated celebration of my dear friend Heidi’s birthday
at Carroll Street Cafe, which is a charming little place in the Cabbagetown neighborhood in East Atlanta, offering alfresco dining.

They feature $5 tapas and half-priced bottles of wine every Monday, so we indulged in all our favorite dishes: crab cakes, lamb sliders, papas bravas, Jamaican shrimp with plantains and pan-seared scallops.

We ran into a few of Heidi’s friends and had a great time chatting with them and of course, petting random pups, whose owners were walking them down the sidewalk around us.

Thing #3: Giving back at the Atlanta Food Bank
This was a community project set through work, but I actually had a good time pawing through random donated items (snack cakes, canned foods, toiletries) checking for valid expiration dates before passing the “good” stuff forward to box up for people in need. Our group of about 40 volunteers sorted a total of 30,511 lbs of food, which constitutes over 25,000 meals. Pretty impressive for a couple of hours work. It made me feel good to have spent some time actually making a difference for people’s lives.

So, three lovely memories to bring me smiles for weeks to come. Thanks as always, Nerd In the Brain,for your kind inspiration!

November 4, 2015 by kimicalreaction - 9 Comments

Instant Grat Instagram : Blue Skies for Everyone

My new “emergency” blog topic’s going to be a thematic selection from my favorite Instagram photos. That way I can get a blog out super-fast if for some reason my cognitive abilities stutter and fail and I’m desperate for something/anything to slap up for the 30-day NanoPoblano/NaBloPoMo challenge!

And I can share some of my favorite photos with you guys who may have missed them on Instagram!

This week: Blue Skies

Strange how everything below can be such death and chaos and pain while above the sky is peace, sweet blue gentleness. I heard a shaman say once, the Ancestors want our souls to be like the blue sky.”
― Shannon Hale, Book of a Thousand Days