Pop a la Mode

I can remember a time not too long ago that I was traveling for work every other week. A different town; a different time zone; a different hotel.

After awhile every hotel room looks the same. The bedspread might be different and you might have a couple of different channels on the TV but it’s the same. Even the people working in the hotel look the same after awhile.

I’m in Cincinnati right now for the one event that no matter how many promotions I get, I will be the one attending the trade show. It’s the National Association of County Agricultural Agents. I love the agents, they’re my kind of people. No bull; no bluster just honest, downhome folks.

I’ll try and post some pictures over the next couple of days.

[Edited to add: I just watched “The Rookie” again because it was on ABC. I love that movie. If you haven’t seen it, you must!]

My summer TV viewing:

1. Law & Order: Criminal Intent
2. The First 48
3. Mythbusters
4. Eureka
5. Project Runway
6. Braves baseball

I got my first speeding ticket this morning. As bummed out about it as I am, I have to admit that I’m impressed I made it 12 years before I got one.

I called Dad so that he could get the “I told you so” over with but he didn’t say that. He kept saying he was sorry and then he pulled out the “I’m not surprised.” It’s a steep fine I have to say - Homewood must be very proud of the streets.

Plus the officer said I could go to driving school on a Saturday so it won’t show up on my record. Oh well - lesson learned I guess.

Well it wasn’t literally my family I spent the weekend with but they might as well be. I call them my Alabama kin. The Smith’s took me in when I was a freshman at Samford and now, ten years later, I can’t remember a time without them.

I can’t even begin to count the number of Sunday lunches; weddings; parties; road trips; and family time that we have spent together over the years. This weekend was Grandmother Bea’s 80th birthday and the whole family was in town. Three sons plus two wives and four grandgirls.

Me? I was the official nanny/photographer/clean-up crew/extra set of hands. And as tired as I am today, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Free at last, thank God almighty I’m free at last.

I got my jury duty postponed so I’m back at work. Which now that I’m here, jury duty is not looking so bad.

On a side note, I was talking with Rhodes yesterday and we happened upon the topic of simple pleasures. That got me thinking - what are the simplest things in life that make me happy?

• Cool sheets on a hot night.
• Chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream.
• A new book.
• Alone time.
• Making somebody laugh.
• A Law & Order marathon on TNT.
• Being with my family.
• Being content at where I am at this moment.

I cannot believe I have jury duty next week. I know people who have lived in Alabama a lot longer than I have and never been called. It’s just not a good time for this.

But then again, is there ever a good time to get summoned for jury duty? I’m always going to be busy and I’m always going to have too much work to do. My boss is really frustrated with the fact that I was called. He started ranting this afternoon about the courts interfering with the public’s ability to conduct business. It’s really funny actually. I told him that I never knew that I was this important the operation of our department.

He made me swear that as soon as I found out the judge I would be sitting under, I would e-mail him. He’s going to call the judge directly and get me out of it. I told him that as long as he is held in contempt of court, and not me, he could do whatever he wanted to do.