Ice Storm 2013: No Power

While I was in rural Georgia working in blue skies and sunshine, my husband was at home in Dallas during the ice storm that left us without power.  He lit a fire and candles and gathered all the flashlights.  I enjoy the rare nights without power, and I'm sorry I missed the adventure.   The last time we were without power I thought it was so romantic to live like colonials.

Trigger found the best spot in the house:

Our power was turned back on within hours, but we have neighbors that still don't have power.  When I arrived home from the airport the power was back on, but when I went out for groceries on Sunday the stores were starting to get empty.

Maybe we should start building a bunker in the back yard?  We don't stockpile food, since we have grocery stores on every corner in Lakewood: Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, Walmart Market, Super Walmart, Albertson's, Tom Thumb, Central Market, Target, Super Target, Aldi, Fiesta, Sunflower Market.

But when the supply chain is interrupted by an ice storm we have problems.

Ice Storm 2013: Love Gained and Lost

It's cold y'all.  Burr.  The past few days were glorious (always) but a little crazy.

First, I fell in and then out of love with American Airlines. My client sent me to rural Georgia so I could get a few branches back on track- they were off the rails.  On the American Airlines flight out to Atlanta I flew on a brand new airplane.  Who knew American was still purchasing new planes?  It still had the "new car" smell, and they served the most delightful little breakfast in flight.  I had to snap a photo it was so charming.

The only thing I didn't like is this guy was on my television watching me eat my delightful little breakfast:

What a creeper.  

Then towards the end of the week the ice storm hit Dallas and paralyzed American Airlines from managing the craziness.  It seems like American Airlines should expect to have ice storms, and they should know how to operate through the challenge.  However, it was a brand new day in American's world- so it seemed.  They cancelled my direct flight, and they were going to send me to three different airports and put me on three different planes to get me back to Dallas.  That sounded like a trap.  I stayed on hold with American for over an hour one night, and the next morning I was on hold with American for 1.5 hours before they hung up on me.  American canceled my reschedule route back to DFW.  This was Saturday morning, and I was frustrated, therefore  I planned to drive my rental to Dallas.  Atlanta to Dallas is 12 hours on the road.  I could do that?!  What I couldn't do was take orders from American Airlines- they didn't know what they were doing.

Luckily my husband knows how to manage me- he ordered me to drive to the Atlanta airport (instead of Dallas) and get on the Southwest Airline flight he had just booked for me.  Genius.  While American was operating like a duck in a hail storm Southwest was operating like a machine.   It was business-as-usual at Southwest and within a few hours I was home in Dallas!

Southwest is never going to serve me a delightful little breakfast in flight.  They don't waste time on fluff.  They focus on the fundamental goal: flying planes.  Southwest knows how to fly planes.

The key takeaway: the fundamentals matter most.  I don't care that your good at fluff if you can't deliver the fundamentals. 

Black Sheep Are Scary

I spied the Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams black sheep earlier this fall when we were getting our teal velvet sofa.  My husband thought it was odd.  I thought it was delightful.  My husband, quite certain, said it was a waste of money to purchase the black sheep.

I enjoyed the scale of the object.  The humor of owning a "black sheep" and the style it adds to any space.   I believe in the necessity of having a home with a strong point of view.  Like my mother, I am not a beige person.  I don't like to play it safe with my interior.  I want to own a narrative home; I want the collections in our home to tell a story.  This black sheep also reminded me of our trip to Georgia (the country not the state) where our car would have to stop on the highway so large flocks of sheep would be able to cross the road.  And in the mix of the white sheep I would see the one or two black sheep.  (There's a black sheep in every family.)  It was spectacular to witness the cliche with my own eyes.  For whatever reason, I thought this black sheep was delightful.  My husband did not.  He said it was a waste of money.

Unbeknownst to me, when he saw they were on sale my husband coordinated the secret purchase of  a black sheep.  He even told the MGBW sales team to not let me purchase one if I tried.  My husband even had his mother go pick it up from the store  He said her first comment was: "Why would he want that?" (See above.)

My husband's parents had a black sheep hidden in their garage all fall, and when we were in town for Thanksgiving my husband gave me my Christmas gift way early.  I was shocked.  The fact that he doesn't like it, means that he really loves me, right?  He said: "I know it makes you happy.  I wanted you to have it."

I'm still surprised.

This is the video of Trigger meeting the new black sheep.  Please note that Dooley is fearless.  She cannot locate the threat Trigger is barking at...but she's running around the house searching for the danger.  Trigger is scared of the sheep.  This video makes me laugh.

Our Gifts

Last week my father turned 60 years old, and to celebrate we took him, my mother, and our uncle (who was in for Thanksgiving) out to eat at Hibiscus.  You know it's one of our favorite places to eat in Dallas.  I love their scallops and Brussels sprouts.  (Yes, that's correct I look forward to ordering their Brussels sprouts!  Don't judge.)  At one point in the dinner conversation, my uncle stated how lucky my husband and I are to have the love and support from both sides of our immediate family.  I know that's a gift, and it's always smart to reflect on the gifts in your life.

My uncle's long term boyfriend does not have the support of all members of his immediate family, which seems so unnecessary at this point in the game (of life).  They're handling that issue.

Nothing in life is permanent, and right now life is pretty spectacular for me.  I'm trying to appreciate the moment.  I'm trying to reflect on our (many) gifts.

What are all the gifts in your life?

QOTD

There are 1,138 benefits, rights and protections provided on the basis of marital status in Federal law.

-HRC website 

Searching for a New Hall Pass

My husband and I have issued celebrity hall passes to each other.  Matt Damon is on my laminated hall pass, which hasn't changed.  My husband, on the other hand, traded in his Chris O'Donnell hall pass for Adam Levine a few years ago, and last night my husband informed me that he's "over" Adam and he's searching for a new celebrity hall pass.

I'm pretty sure this means my husband will run into both Chris and Adam, and he'll have to tell them they how they used to be on his laminated hall pass!

Thankful

My husband and I had a lovely Thanksgiving holiday; we're on a holiday rotation, and this year we were at my husband's family home.  It's nice to connect with family for a few days.  Thanksgiving might be my favorite holiday.  It's a relaxing moment before the December craziness begins.

It's now December.  Craziness is upon us.

One question we had to answer several times while we were spending time with our family: "What benefits did you get because you're legally married now?"  The PBS Newhour reported on 15 federal benefits same-sex couples can look forward to, read it here, or click on the photo below for the listing.