Coach Blues

(Written on October 19th at 10am)

I am currently seated some 30,000 miles above the world sipping a black coffee (below average blend) and trying desperately do kick this slow approaching headache. My job requires a good amount of travel, and my finicky body mixed with a wicked caffeine habit and changing cabin pressure usually leave me with a dull and stubborn headache starting around 9am. Now, it’s past the point of no return and I’m sure to have this constant pounding through the rest of the day. Damn.

I’m traveling Continental and because I’m now a First Class snob, I get very upset when I’m not upgraded on a cross-country flight. I took a trip two days ago that should have knocked me into gold status, but for whatever reason (I blame the merge) the status update hasn’t taken effect and I’m left in coach with my silver rank. I peer through that sheer curtain and watch the First Classers clank their real silverware on their ceramic plates and drink their coffee out of actual mugs as I drink mine from Styrofoam. My breakfast consisted of a yogurt parfait (not bad) and a bag of mini bite cinnamon roles (that I paid for). I work up the courage to read the nutritional facts on the back of the bag and see 110 calories per serving. “Ok not bad” I thought until I read Servings Per Container: 3. Really? Boo. Good thing I drink my coffee black.

This adorable elderly woman in the seat next to me brings out an entire gallon zip lock full of various treats from apple slices to a mini yogurt to a turkey sandwich. I made a comment about how prepared she seemed. We got on the topic of how America likes to tell us how obese and overweight the general population is, yet the snacks they offer children at the community pool consist of nachos and reheated pizza. She voiced how it bothers her and how it’s almost impossible to eat right when you’re traveling. I looked down at my empty bag of cinnamon bites and said “Yeah… clearly.” To justify, I made a joke about how if my bag were lighter I would do the same thing.

So I have another four hours to kill back here in my non-spacious seat without a Direct TV screen in front of me. I’m on an older plane that has the TVs that drop from the ceiling and you’re left to watch whatever they tell you to watch. Yeah, that’s another snobby comment. Luckily aside from my seat neighbor being sweet, I think I have hands down the MOST pleasant flight attendant I’ve had… ever. She is just bursting with upbeat energy, and not even in the annoying way how some of them are so hopped up on caffeine you just want to punt them out the window. I couldn’t help but think how this woman may single handedly affect the outcome of a lot of people’s days because of her positive light in the beginning of it. I’m a firm believer in what you put out in the world is what you’ll get back. So I’d like to raise my Styrofoam cup full of stale coffee and toast you, Ms. Amazingly Awesome Flight Attendant, for putting a smile on my face so early in the morning. Everything happens for a reason, and if I were sitting in first class I wouldn’t have had a chance to experience your kindness. Cheers.

My Permanent Wardrobe Fixtures

I had a post on my old myspace page that went over my top five must-haves in my closet. I don't have it saved anywhere, but I think it was based around statement t-shirts, mini skirts, and chunky necklaces. Since I started with Heather Moore Jewelry, my sense of style has taken a turn for the better as I've read chapters out of my boss's fashion book. So I'm going to take another stab at my Fashion Must-Haves and who knows... in five years I could look back on this and say "Ew... wow really??!"

1. THE BOOTS

I remember buying my first pair of "all the time" boots during my second or third New York International Gift Show with the company. Michelle and I wandered into the Steve Madden in Soho (which is BY FAR the BEST Steven Madden I've shopped in) and we both walked out with a pair of knee-high boots. I wore mine for the entire rest of the trip and brought home some wicked blisters (New York = a LOT of walking). It was then that I started wearing boots with sundresses in the summer and sweater dresses and tights in the winter. I was "totally over" the stiletto trend because these were not only edgier but SO much more comfortable. I wasn't worried about gaining the 3-4 inches in height since I'm already 5'7". I'm pretty sure I would wear boots on my wedding day... blue ones (for something blue). After all, my boyfriend and I are about the same height, so tall heels are out of the question anyway. :)

2. THE AVIATORS

These have been around for soooo long that you might as well get a nice pair to last you awhile. For years I went the cheap route and bought countless pairs of sunglasses anywhere from Target to the thrift store. I would always break or lose them, but I didn't care I could shell out 10 bucks for a brand new pair. I caved and bought my first pair of Ray Bans last year, and I'm obsessed. I remember our family dog eating my father's Ray Bans when I was a kid, and this says a lot because I'm the first to admit I have a horrible memory. I had no idea what they were, but this memory probably stuck because it wasn't a silent discovery.

3. THE TIE DYE HAIR TIES

One of my accounts in St. Louis started carrying these in a bowl by their checkout counter. Every woman wears her hair tie on her wrist, so might as well attempt to make it fashionable. Every time I visit their store they send me home with the season's colors. One of the best parts about these is when they get stretched out, you can untie them, retie them, and cut off the extra material. I know I am sounding like an infomercial, but I've gotten a lot of gals in my office hooked on them. We'll find them when we travel and come back with handfuls for everyone. I've actually gotten to the point where when I'm presented with some to choose from, I'm choosing colors that I don't have like I'm filling in the gaps with my baseball card collection. I found this gal on etsy.com who has a great selection to choose from.

4. THE WHITE T-SHIRT

I know this seems simple and boring, but there are always multiples in my drawer. Actually, multiples are a must since this basic piece can get icky quite fast. And by icky I mean yellow armpit stains. I personally prefer a crew neck, although during my American Apparel employment I was a die hard deep v-neck fan. It's hard to look bad in a fitted white tee and some skinny jeans. But I can't do your basic Hanes... the Summer Shirt from American Apparel is the softest and most comfortable I've found. I've also taken a liking to Stem or Trouve from Nordstrom. When I don't' feel like shelling out $20 I hit up Target. Either way, it's my default when I don't know what to wear. I'll just throw one on with a blazer and I'm out the door. Leading me to my last staple...

5. THE BLAZER

My boyfriend hates when I wear my blazers, but I can't help but ADORE them. I'll wear my basic black with anything to help class it up. Daryn and I spent the night before a wedding in a casino in Canada and realized that we forgot my dress and his suit at home. Luckily we found a store that catered to both or needs, and that's when I became the owner of a cropped grey blazer. This summer: The seersucker. I travel frequently for work. so you'll always find one in my luggage. My first black blazer I owned was stolen out of my suitcase on a trip to Lewisburg, WV. Who knew flying to such a quaint and safe little town could end up mildly devastating?! I think I may try for a more high end, tailored one this year for my big girl job.

I'm pretty sure these staple items are classic enough to not go out of style (while I had the absolute wrong idea about the statement t-shirts). After reading through this, I guess this makes my style sound sort of androgynous. I'm definitely not girly since the color pink makes me want to vomit. Maybe one day if I keep blogging, this will find some fashionably challenged readers who will greatly appreciate it.

A Hard Habit to Make

I think I used to be a 'blogger'. Back in college, livejournal.com was the site to vent about your everyday life, while offering some insight and inspiration to virtual friends. I've always been a computer nerd, and probably spent too many hours in front of my screen typing away about some college born woes. At the same time, it was therapeutic and probably inadvertently helped with my self-esteem.

All that stopped when I had a handful of psychotic fans or un-fans start stalking me and hacking into my life. Mildly freaky stuff, but I learned my lesson. After all, the internet did not seem as threatening back then so posting pictures in an unfiltered atmosphere didn't seem like a big deal. All it took was one slip of some very personal information, and one police report later, everything went private. After that my desire to share my life dwindled and my blogging days were few and far between.

Even going back and reading a few blogs I had posted on here, I decided that those words were not a part of my life I wanted to revisit or share with everyone in my life today... so I deleted them. Not that I was embarrassed; I actually think I was pretty witty in some of them. I think there comes a point in your life where you've found your spot in this world where you are convinced you belong, and there is no need to go back and peek along the expressive parts of the journey that got you here.

Then again, the documented pieces like this really help you to see how far you've come and how just a few years can turn you into a new being. I never realized that I would become a different person from 25 to 29, and now know I will become a different person from 29 to 33.

So with all this being said (in my wise old age of 29) I want to try and revisit this blog more consistently. With the knowledge of how to filter yet still be expressive, I think I can document pieces I will not delete someday. After all, to really appreciate who you are in the present, you have to remember who you were in the past.