flying the skies...

...with southwest airlines is probably one of my favorite things to do! it's no secret that i LOVE southwest and will fly them anyday over any other airline. And it's not just about the cheap fares, although that is a plus. their service is awesome! it's themost relaxed, down to earth experience where passengers truly matter, the staff is always happy and helpful, flights are on time...the list goes on. they don't have a cancellation or change fee either!!!! you know that $100-$200 fee that most other airlines charge you when you something comes up and you have to switch a flight, or if you miss it...that's right! no charge on southwest. so book that ticket, and if something comes up, the last thing you'll need to0 worry about is changing your ticket:)

anyways...this past week i was in chicago and flew southwest to and from. and the experience only got better. why you ask??? cuz i had flight attendants and gate reps who sang:) and modelled and what not. it was such a fun experience. on my flight to chicago, after announcements were done, one of the attendants started joking around on the mic saying "everyone who ordered hawaiian leis on arrival raise your hand" and then he made the other flight attendant walk the aisle and model her new uniform:) as we descended, she sang her farewell to us. that whole "thank you for flying with us, we know you have choices and we thank you for choosing us speal" was now in song format without those words! it was a fun way to end. I thought it was a one-time deal and let the moment flee on by. but on my way back from chicago it happened again. I was waiting to board and the gate crew for a vegas flight started singing good morning and welcome aboard:) and my flight crew sang when we were about to land again.

I was blogging away while on the plane and ironically enough i got 2 emails from friends with these links... Link 1 and Link 2

is this the new southwest trend? only makes it that much more appealing to fly southwest!!!

simple pleasures...3 years later

on october 24th 2006 i created a list of simple pleasures. i was just reading through it and started thinking about what that list might look like today...

oct 2006 list:

• waking up to my phone ringing in the morning
• the little envelope icon on my system tray at work
• looking out my office window and seeing the clear blue sky
• rainbows on a gloomy rainy day
• my plants
• daisies - even better when they're gerbera daisies
• singing away while I drive
• coming home to loving dogs
• falling asleep on freshly laundered sheets
• watching the waves do their thing
• picking out bangles to match my outfit
• waking up to fresh snow on the ground

May 2009 list

• coffee at midnight
• straightening my bangs
• reading a good book with a glass of shiraz
• long drives with the wind in my hair and music at its peak
• my plants - although i don't spend as much time as i should with them anymore
• white daisies and yellow butterflies
• walking up the stairs to my apartment and looking at the mountains framed within the archway
• the ocean - too bad i don't get enough of it living in az

for the first time in my life...

...i'm inspired and excited by the rain. most people who know me, know my hatred for any kinda precipitation other than snow. but today something changed:) I looked out the window and saw the trees swaying and it started to get dark at 5pm. i had to make a run to the apartment office and that did it:) normally i'd be grossed out by the prospect of wet feet and what not. but today was different. I lilted away to music in my head and took the long route back from the office to my apartment. and i made every excuse possible to go back out - i even took out the trash while it drizzled ever so lightly on my head.

i was inspired to cook today but i seem to have hit a patch where nothing i make turns out the way i want it to or expect it to. i'm not trying exotic recipes or anything. just basic comfort food. but it's not ending out perfectly:( oh well! on any other day this would've bothered me a ton, but today i'm not letting anything get to me.

i'm watching my sister's dogs and they're showering me with soooooooooooo much love:) i've missed this. i almost adopted a puppy yesterday. if it wasn't for that silly UK visa appointment i had to make, i'd be a dog parent today! but one of these days i'm giving in and getting a puppy. unconditional love...that's all i have to say:)

ok i'm done sharing my chirpiness with the world at large through this forum...signing out for now so i can enjoy dinner, maybe a glass of wine and some tunes on the ipod...

society of cliches?

i think we've successfully established that i've been thinking this week. well i think on other weeks too. but this week i've been thinking...and in the conglomeration of thoughts that crossed my mind's radar was the word 'rebound relationship'. maybe it's the effect of my ongoing gilmore girls marathon (I got all the 7series set for christmas). in any case, i've been thinking about that concept and many other societal cliches and norms. we're so quick as humans to put everything we know into a box of sorts. we have words, concepts, ideas, theories and every aspect of life neatly fits into one or the other box and the lid fits perfectly. If only!!!
I'm on a quest to create my own definitions of such norms. probably cuz i've never been one to conform. or at least i'd like to think so - although i've slipped and conformed from time to time.
1st box i'd like to uncover and explore....what the heck does the term 'rebound' mean??? I went searching on the 'trusty' WWW and here's some of what i found:

"Rebound relationships serve a purpose: To protect the heart from the devastation of losing someone very important. Like a very big cushion, they protect us from the trauma of the fall which is experienced when a deep connection is abruptly severed. "

"Rebound relationships occur very shortly after the end of a significant love, and sometimes begin before the end. The problem with a rebound is that it doesn't allow time for the grieving and healing processes to be complete."

"A rebound relationship is one that occurs shortly after the break-up of a significant love relationship. If you are in a relationship but have distanced yourself emotionally from your relationship partner, you may begin a rebound relationship before you even leave the relationship you are in. If you move quickly from a long lasting relationship into another relationship then you are probably in a “rebound relationship."

So I read all these cliche definitions and wonder...
what about those individuals who have a clear understanding of what they're doing and why they're either staying put or moving on? why have we turned into a society of cliches? there are tons of intelligent people out there who are very adept at dealing with the hardest of emotions, resolving their feelings and truly understanding what they want. where do these definitions leave them? is there an obligatory period established by society that one has to conform to? so we've now turned into a society that defines happiness for people?

why can't we just be and let be? it's all warm and fuzzy to feel loved and have people care about you, but why do we fail to draw the line between being supportive and being judgemental!

pondering away until the next cliche is uncovered...

i'm dwelling...

for the last few weeks now i keep thinking about my blog. this 'sacred' space that belongs to none other than me. the space i abandoned and replaced with my journal. but i'm back once again, with another attempt to express and let my thoughts flow...with no care in the world and nothing holding me back. well, that's not completely true, but close enough! ithought my facebook space was enough to get my htoughts out there, but it's just not the same. facebook can never replace random sojourn, no matter what i tell myself.

it's been one of those weeks...happy memories, sad memories, regrets, new adventures...and it got me thinking about all my 'what if' moments. would life have been drastically different? what would today have been like if....?, would i be happy with the outcome? what if what if what if!!!

i'm not one who dwells on the past very much. i stumble, fall, get right back up and continue walking. but this week...i'm vulnerable...i'm dwelling. on a lot of crazy things that i really really miss and wish i still had.