6:06pm, mountain standard time, parking lot in Ogden, Utah. Drove to Utah with my mom to attend a wedding reception/Halloween party for an old work friend. On the way we stopped at a costume store in Ogden to buy a t-shirt so I have something a little festive. The party doesn’t start until 7pm so we are waiting and killing time scrolling on our phones and talking.
Day two in wyoming
6:26pm, mountain standard time, mom’s house, Evanston, Wyoming, Friday evening, October 28, 2022. Slept in this morning then drove three hours to West Wendover, Nevada. We gambled for four hours before grabbing dinner to go in Salt Lake City. Now we are watching television and having beer and pizza.
Evanston, Wyoming
6:41pm, mountain standard time, mom’s house, Evanston, Wyoming, USA, Thursday evening, October 27, 2022. Finished up in Dublin this morning then caught a plane to Salt Lake City. My mom picked me up at the airport and we drove the hour to my hometown of Evanston. It has been two years since I last visited. A lot of memories are coming back; some good, some not so good. All it all, it is nice to be here. Tomorrow we will drive to West Wendover, Nevada, gamble a little and enjoy some time together.
A round of applause
6:17pm, pacific standard time, hotel in Dublin, California, USA,, Wednesday evening, October 26, 2022. Today, at the end of a meeting, I got a round of applause. We were wrapping up when a team member thanked me for my presence the past few months. That led to the subsequent ovation. The compliment and the applause were unexpected, but welcome. My time in Dublin has been wonderful. I learned valuable lessons while providing calm leadership. Now we part ways, at least for the time being. Though I look forward to the future I will miss the people I worked with and the friendships I made.
Reconnecting
6:17pm, pacific standard time, hotel in Dublin, California, USA, Tuesday night, October 25, 2022. Spent the day training the new executive director and finishing up last minute issues with payroll. Tomorrow is my final full day in Dublin. On Thursday, I fly to Salt Lake City to visit my mom and attend my previous supervisors wedding reception/Halloween party. I look forward connecting with friends and seeing my mom again. It has been over five years since I saw my old coworkers and almost six months since my mom visited me in Arizona.
Last week in Dublin
7:41pm, pacific standard time, hotel in Dublin, California, Monday night, October 24, 2022. I took a later flight today, which ended up being delayed an hour. That meant I didn’t get to the hotel until 7pm. Just finished dinner and watched a little football. Now I am going to read. This is my last week in Dublin. I am excited to finish this assignment and move on to the next in Palm Desert.
Strands Beach, Dana Point, CA
3:58pm, pacific standard time, Strands Beach, Dana Point, California, USA, Sunday afternoon, October 23, 2022. Ended up going out with a friend last night which put me behind packing for the week. I didn’t leave Chandler until 9am. That meant hitting terrible traffic outside Palm Springs. When I pulled in to Dana Point at 3:30pm my daughter and her friend were already dressed for the beach. Now they are playing in the waves while I rest in the sand.
Getting ready
5:55pm, pacific standard time, apartment in Chandler, Arizona, USA, Saturday evening, October, 22, 2022. Productive day; Walked, worked out, grocery shopped, bought leather conditioner for my work bag. Did laundry, packed and watched football. Getting ready to head back to Orange County and fly to Dublin one last time before flying to utah/Wyoming to see my mom and friends.
Extra rest in Arizona
5:18pm, pacific standard time, apartment in Chandler, Arizona, USA, Friday evening, October 21, 2022. Drove from Dana Point to Chandler today. Got to the apartment at 4pm. When I arrived I did a short workout, listened to music, ate some dinner, then read. I am going to bed early tonight. Even though I got over being sick two weeks ago, congestion crops up in my chest from time to time. I am not ill, I just have lingering symptoms that won’t go away. That is alright. It has been a busy couple weeks, some extra rest is good, no matter what the reason.
“Domino Beach”
1:32pm, pacific standard time, Oakland International Airport, Oakland, California, USA, Thursday afternoon, October 20, 2022. I got another five minute short story from the vending machine at the airport. This one is called “Domino Beach” by Marie Ivantechenko. I like the fact the first time I got a story from the vending machine it was from a highly regarded author, O. Henry. This time I got one from a student. The story was runner up in Short Edition’s Long Story Short Award, 2020. I grabbed a cup of coffee and a danish before sitting down. It was a very pleasurable experience and a good read. This is my second to last time traveling through Oakland. After next week I will be in Palm Desert, California. I don’t know if I will miss air travel and crowded airports, but I will miss the routine I created.
