Unemployment--The Saga Begins

Yesterday I went to the oval to clean out my desk, set various traps for unsuspecting board members and told everyone good bye.

I then proceeded to Five Guys Burgers (grilled mushrooms and barbecue sauce) to medicate myself with grease, fat, salt and caffeine.

Plans for today's first full day of unemployment: wake up around 9:50 am; 10:00 am-noon: stare into the abyss; noon-2 pm: make jam; 2-midnight: love every minute of it!!!!!!!

The Upper Peninsula

Unlike Jason's trip to far-off places, my last trip took me to the upper peninsula of Michigan to the little college town of Marquette. I did not have to eat shrimp heads or eel soup but they do have a speciality called a pasty that looked particularly nasty. You can have it with rutabaga or carrots. I opted for neither.

Local photographer Jim (pictured above with our waitress Stacey) volunteered to drive us around Marquette and show us the area. We had lunch at a little Irish pub, The Wild Rover. Excellent fish and chips--with handmade chips. We then drove out to Lake Superior and walked along the shore. It was gorgeous. He told us where all the local people liked to drown and/or commit suicide. I've decided Marquette is a dangerous/depressing place to live.

We spent some time on the main street and visited an old-fashioned soda fountain/candy shoppe, a darling bookstore, a Michigan speciality shop and a tattoo parlor called Impale (nope, no tattoos). Lots of really good diners specializing in whole, fresh foods! There was also a big party going on outside the funeral parlor on Saturday night. A little odd.

Meet me in St. Louis

Spent the weekend in St. Louis at the Hilton Frontenac at the US Speedskating board meeting. Don't let the beautiful blue sky deceive you--it was gloomy, cold and rainy for most of my time there.

I did NOTHING in St. Louis and I wasn't close enough to see the famous arch--even from a distance. Here's how my weekend went:
Thursday: good Italian dinner in St. Louis
Friday: breakfast at 7 a.m. , meetings until 10 p.m. Ordered room service at 10:30 and scarfed it down like the starving person I was.
Saturday: meetings and more meetings. Spent some time crying in the bathroom. Hall of Fame banquet.
Sunday: you guessed it, more meetings. More crying in the bathroom. Flew home.

The next meeting will probably be in Chicago. I can't wait to not see that city, too.