A Very Full Day! - 3/11/12

Sunday - 3/11/12

I've been a little bit worried about today.  There are too many things scheduled, and I know it.  It's all things that couldn't be postponed.  So, I'm just going to do it!  The big thing for me is that I'm giving a talk tonight.  I want to make sure I do a good job.  I've been studying for it for the last few weeks and I did study for it earlier this week.  Normally, though, when I give a talk in the evening, I spend most of the day preparing for it, and I can't today.  The Natural Products Expo is still on.  My friend Mary and I are going to that.  It's only once a year and I love it.  So, I'm arranging my life differently today!

It does't help that there was a time change last night!  What a time to lose an hour!

I woke up at 3am (yes, even with the time change).  I must have been worried about preparing for the talk.  I've spent all that time re-studying the material and creating printed notes for the class.  I feel prepared!

Mary is going to meet me at the Disneyland bus stop at 9am, which will save me at least an hour on the trip (compared to traveling all the way to her place, or to Avalon.)  I'm totally grateful!  The convention center is right there, next to Disneyland.  So, it makes sense too.

Right before the bus stops at Disneyland, I get a text from Mary saying she is across the street, but is trying to get closer.  I'm confused by her message and am texting her as I get off the bus, trying to get a clarification before I cross the street.  Suddenly I see her car driving up.  She's in the far lane, not where she needs to be!  I'm waving to her, but she doesn't see me.  She calls me and I tell her that she just passed me.  She's going to turn around and park on the other side.  I only saw her for that brief moment.  The bus blocked my view of her after that.  I figure she needs to go down a few stop lights to turn around.

I cross the street, pick a visible place to wait and wait, and wait.  She should have gotten back here by now.  I'm just starting to text her when she walks up!  It turns out she had been in the turn lane, had gone immediately over to park on the other side and had been waiting for me in the parking lot!  Oh well!  At least we got together!  Off to the expo!

I had a great time at the expo!  Well, I guess I always do.  I even got to talk to the representative from Enzymedica about a problem I've been having with one of their products.  I really appreciate being able to talk to people who know the product!

The expo is over.  It ended at 3.  I was sure it was supposed to end at 4 and wasn't ready for that.  It was a shock when the lights went off, signaling the end!  It's probably a good thing, though.  It will give me more time to decompress and ramp up for the talk tonight.

I have this big debate going on in my head about where to go from here.  I need to be somewhere alone for awhile to get the expo out of my head, and the talk back into it.  I can't go home.  There wouldn't be time to get back down here on the bus.  My main choices are either to go to the Yoga Center and spend the time there, or to go to Avalon.  The Yoga Center is a more comfortable place to be, and if I did that, I'd already be there for class, but it also comes with the possibility that someone could walk in and interrupt me while I'm studying.  I decide to have Mary drop me off at Avalon.  I can easily get to the Yoga Center from there either by bus or just using the scooter.

I'm now totally prepared!  I even took a short nap with my head on my desk.  I messed up though!  When I looked up the bus route to the Yoga Center it would take so long, that I decided to ride the scooter instead.  It's less than 20 minutes to 17th street and then it's less than 20 minutes from there to the Yoga Center.  Somehow, my brain combined those two and was thinking I could make it to the Yoga Center in 20 minutes!  It would be totally funny if I wasn't worried about making it to class on time.  I have to be there!  I'm the teacher!  Fortunately, I left some extra time.  I think I will make it!  I'm speeding as fast as I can on my scooter!

I made it!  With a whole 5 minutes to spare!  How funny!  I don't want to do that again!

The talk went well.  Mary stays after to wait for me.  I'm going to her place tonight.  She's renting a room from someone and has asked permission for me to stay over occasionally.  I'm very grateful.  It will save me a lot of time.  I won't have to catch the very early bus back down here for my class in the morning!