Do I Do That?

I cannot take too much time to blog today.  I do want to bring you up to date on my schedule yesterday—which was an eventful day to say the least.  The morning was pretty uneventful other than the fact that I dropped off my car at the mechanic and then proceeded to walk to work down Scottsdale Road.  I was hoping no one would notice me, but alas, that was not to be.  My wandering the main street in Scottsdale was promptly reported to my coworkers in the office who then razzed me nicely for not calling them for a ride.  Oh, well, it was a refreshing way to being my work day.

Two major meetings filled most of the rest of the afternoon.   One was a discipline committee in a nearby school and other a strategic planning committee for another school.  The first meeting was supposed to take an hour or so, thus allowing me sufficient time to travel to the other meeting across town.  It ended up taking the better part of three hours, although the results were favorable and positive both for the parties involved and for the school.  There was a lot of prayer that went into the meeting: before, during, and after.  It was a good meeting, but it was long.

I arrived at the planning committee quite a bit later than my apologies, which I had texted earlier.  By the time I did arrive a lot of the work had already taken place, but I was brought up to speed about the decisions that had been made regarding a town hall meeting to take place this coming Sunday.  Since I had been at the first meeting of the strategic planning committee, I was not surprised by the direction the school was taking.  In fact, I am quite excited about the possibilities.  Good things are in the pipeline.  I will have more to share after the town hall meeting.

On a personal note, as some of you know I am still hanging in there with my media fast (no TV, no Radio, No Media which is under my direct control (a convenient loophole) for as long as I can go!).  Well, I often have wondered if I am working out more regularly in the evening because I can at least watch TV if not listen to it while I work out.  Penny and I enjoy watching TV programs on-line when she is around.  I think she enjoys the fact that she gets to choose the program.  Even more, I think she enjoys the fact that she does not have to compete with any media for my attention.  I am a much focused person who can get lost in an activity, a project, just as easily as in a sporting event, news, or movie.  It has served me well professionally, but obviously not when it pertains to relationships, particularly my wife Penny.  It has been a good thing to give her back the priority in a tangible way.

In any case, I bring this up because yesterday revealed a real crack in my resolve.  I was waiting for the tires on my Prius to be changed (all four—almost one grand—ouch!).  I had developed some serious gashes on my tires in my many journeys across the state.  Only some heavenly glue was keeping my tires together, but the steel threads were showing.  I was pressed for time knowing I had to be at the discipline committee at 3:30 p.m. and the Discount Tires place assured me they would have me ready with plenty of time to get there (I was 15 minutes late!).  After my car was taken into the repair bay I found myself with 40 minutes or so to kill.  I decided to go to a restaurant across the parking lot from the tire place. 

It was nice outdoorsy type establishment—I figured I could get an Arnold Palmer and some chips or something and stretch it out for forty minutes.  It was a well-lighted, open and woodsy establishment.  Pretty typical for a down to earth family restaurant.  Walking in for me, however, was like a child walking into toy shop or candy store!  There were TVs everywhere!  It was media over-kill.  TVs in the booths.  TVs overhead.  TVs in banks across the walls.  TVs at every conceivable angle.  It was amazing—and none of it of my volition (or so I rationalized).  I was asked if I was by myself to which I answered yes with my eyes transfixed.  I was asked if I had a preference as to where I could sit.  I said yes and began to walk like a moth to the heat—I settled on a tall table meant for four people with a clear view to all TVs in sight.  I was in a trance.

I was there for about ten minutes soaking in all the media, not particularly paying attention, or at least not connecting the dots as to everything else going on in the room.  I noticed some odd scenes, but I did not dwell on it long since I had better things to do—after all “Golf Celebrities” was on one screen.  Football on another.  Tennis on yet another one.  Sports news on two other screens—large and small.  It was a buffet of media and I felt totally justified—all because I did not personally turn the TV sets on.  Well the joke was on me in the end, because when I took the time to really look around, beyond the young couples, beyond the groups of seniors, beyond the festive albeit subdued ambience, I immediately pulled out a $20, put it under my half consumed Arnold Palmer, and before my appetizer had even arrived, I left the restaurant.  All I can say is that as I was leaving I imagined what the temperatures might be like in the Siberian Conference.  I laughed as I was leaving and I even laughed when I told Penny.  It was not funny when the realization hit me.  All because I was too absorbed in the media blitz!  Lesson learned. 
 

The end of the day is here—a very tiring day, yet mostly in the office doing paperwork or catching up on phone calls and emails.   It’s amazing how leisurely day can be more tiring than a physically demanding day.  I suppose it has to do with how much you enjoy doing what you are doing. 

I spoke today with a potential principal for Thunderbird.  He is an excellent candidate, and at this point intrigued by the possibilities.  I will share more on that developing story when it develops.  Well, time for some face time with Penny.  Good night! (225.6)