I’m full of exhausted brainfarts as I write this. Exhausted because I spent 1.5 hours actively talking on the phone with people today (which is Thursday …) and another hour+ of morning meetings. This is on top of a week of prep work – I head to Colorado for a work meeting on Monday and I’ve been working on a 2.5 hour presentation with my cohort in proposal management. (A coworker asked me, “can you really talk for 2.5 hours?” Oh yes, my friend, yes … I can talk for 2.5 hours.) I still have a day’s worth of work to do on my end of the presentation and a run through before the weekend starts. It’s deep work that I really appreciate doing, but man … all of the talking and thinking make me feel like I need a nap, a double shot of espresso, or both …
So I am heading to Colorado, which holds this really deep spot of my heart. Once on a long-ago family vacation, my dad and I were in the front seats of his Monte Carlo and we saw a sign that indicated that Colorado was 16 miles away. We exchanged a look and I probably said “go for it!” And we circled into Colorado and pulled over to pick some wildflowers in a ditch, then turned to car east again – all while mom and my brother were sleeping in the back. We didn’t bother to wake them and it’s still a memory that my dad and I hold dear. My first trip to Colorado was in 2011 and I’ve been back a few times since then. Every time feels magical, even when I’m going for work – so that should tell you the allure of the Rocky Mountains for me. (And no, it’s not just my love for John Denver or the ubiquitous dispensaries on every corner.)
In the midst of PowerPoint presentations and sorting through endless Excel cells of data, I’ve been physically getting ready for a trip. What in my closet actually fits, post-Covid? What of those items do I actually want to wear? Let’s be honest – I’ve already purchased a cute pair of pants and a few shirts for this trip (because I want OPTIONS), but I don’t want to look like I’m trying too hard. (Which is why I haven’t sprung for a new pair of jeans yet … my regular ones should be fine, even though they’re so long I need to cuff them, right … RIGHT? Sh*t, I should probably take a closer look at my jeans situation.)
Anyway … there will probably be no Friday Fare next week because I am getting back on Thursday evening. If you’re inclined, find me on social media (Instagram or Twitter) and chances are good that I’ll be posting thirst traps, mountain-style throughout the week.
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Reading: Sooooooooo many books. I’m still working through my Tim Ferriss books and just picked up Michael Easter’s “The Comfort Crisis.” Easter’s book is interesting, the tag line is “Embrace Discomfort To Reclaim Your Wild, Happy, Healthy Self.”
Writing: I participated in Jami Attenberg’s #1000wordsofsummer and hit 14,052 words. Ooof, that was good and hard and probably vomitous (in terms of the words themselves). But it was a good practice.
Anyone who’s been following along on my blog for the past few years knows that I embrace my work-travel time as a chance to work on my fiction. I’m not bringing my personal laptop to Colorado, but will be bringing a printout of my short story to edit and will be bringing a notebook to keep my WIP fresh and at the forefront of my mind.
Sending lots of love to you all for the week ahead. Be kind, stay safe and well, friends!
– Shelley
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What is Friday Fare? As a recap, on Fridays I post link love to the various bits of arcane shiz I discover on the Interwebs. I liken it to a glimpse into my mind, but without the 80s song lyrics or mental cobwebs.
michellekubitz 