Memory of My Friend, Amy 1971-2006

Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, martini in the other, totally worn out and screaming, "WOO HOO what a ride!"

That is how Amy lived. She was a wonderful person and wonderful friend. We became friends when our mothers would talk & talk & talk after a band event. As the only two kids there, we talked to each other and formed a lasting friendship. We hung out in school and outside of school. She introduced me to hockey (Go Flyers!) and the Great White North. We shared a strange obsession of The Monkees during the summer of 1986. She came to visit me in college and would get buzzed off 1/2 beer -- she tripped over a straw paper! We would laugh & laugh together. We shared a love of horses and I was envious of her trips to the big races. Amy could find the unusual and fun in many things ...such as mini-beers (top right pic). She and Mike were together forever before they finally got married last year. I was honored to be part of their wedding. I have over 20 years of memories stored up and as I type I smile & I cry.

When Amy found out she had cancer last year, she didn't lay down and feel sorry for herself. She fought it. She said she had too many things to do still. The past year of treatments was hard for her however she kept a positive attitude and did all she could do. Just knowing what she was going through and how she was tackling life reminded me to get over the small stuff and live life as much as possible.

Amy is one of my friends I grew apart from while married. I took every opportunity to reconnect each time I went home and I am glad I did. I saw her in October this year and neither of us had any idea her time was coming to a close. She is now watching down on all us making sure we remember her with a smile & a laugh. She wants us all screaming "WOO HOO what a ride!" when it's our turn.

In memory of Amy (1971-2006)

Happy Holidays to All

Christmas Time 2006 (19).jpg
Originally uploaded by islandbum.

Wishing your holiday is filled with family, friends and fun :)

Yet More Thoughts from the Big Apple

This morning I looked down from the 40th floor and watched all the people walking to work. I have one more day to join the throng in the morning.

Tonight a co-worker and I went to Rockefeller Square to see the tree. Neither of us had gone before. It really is beautiful in person. There were some skaters out on the ice and we considered renting some skates however decided our desert blood couldn't take the cold too much longer. We wandered down a few blocks to Connelly's Pub & Restaurant. Good food! And I was happy as I walked in to see the Flyers vs Rangers game on TV and Yuengling beer on the menu :)

A quick stop at Starbucks and off we went to find a cab. Our cabbie to the Center figured out quick we didn't know where we were going and took the long way. How did we figure it out? It cost us $10 less to get home.....we didn't walk that far from the Center to get the cab home. Ahh...lesson learned. One of these times we'll figure out the subway.

In our office we had a fire drill on our floor. I saw the sign in the morning and thought - my luck, we'll have to evacuate and we're on the 46th floor! As it turned out, no evacuation but I did get a lesson on high rise fire procedures. The lead guy (I forget his title!!) explained what went on and why. Very organized, very together. I was impressed. Hopefully our building will never have to truly test the process. So, I got some stairs in as we had to practice leaving our floor to our entry point 5 floors below. Of course, I then took the elevator back up :)

No profound thoughts today. We'll see what tomorrow brings.

More Thoughts from the Big Apple

Tonight I spent the evening at a Holiday Party dinner with executives and consultants from my company. I spoke to one of the Senior VPs and told him I respect him. Why? Not because I want him to remember my name but because he is real. He is direct. He wants to hear what you think. Will he tell you what he thinks back? Absolutely. Will you learn something from him if you listen? Absolutely. I told him a weakness in corporate America is the "worker bee" fear of the senior executives. Execs are people too. They want feedback - good or bad - as much as we do. If they are worth their title, they know they don't know it all. The people in the 'trenches' are the ones who complete the picture. The execs know they need to listen. However, the peeps in the trenches need to speak up. My Senior VP asked me directly what I thought about a particular challenge we had this year. I told him. I have co-workers who will be amazed I told him what I think and not what he wants to hear. He needs to know...if he doesn't know, he can't support a solution.

Communication. Look through my blogs and you'll see it's a common theme I have. Am I the perfect communicator? No, it's something I'm developing. It's something that makes the world go around. If everyone communicated with each other, we'd avoid alot of conflict and undue stress. We would...oh, I don't know....learn something from one another. At Thanksgiving I spent much of the evening listening to a friend's mother. She has lived a long life and seen many things - including the destruction of her house during Hurricane Katrina. She has much wisdom -- given indirectly through her stories or directly when asked. I listened much more than I spoke that night, and I learned new ideas and revelations about myself. Communication. It's a key to life.

Thoughts from the Big Apple

The glow of Ground Zero lights fill my hotel room as I walk in tonight. I paused with my hand on the light switch. Instead of turning on the light, I went to the window and looked below. Looked at the hole left, the new construction, the rebuilding beginning. I thought about the last time I stood in this hotel and all I could see was the World Trade Center. I thought of the lives lost, the courage demonstrated that day and the days after, the feeling of unity when we remembered the guiding principles on which this country was built and of those left behind. Those left behind who are rebuilding lives, living for the moment in memory and in honor of those who never came home.

After arriving in NYC, I spent the rest of the day visiting with two good friends. One I have known for 20 years. One I've known for 6 years. Both, in their own way, remind me that life is now. Think about what you are stressing over right now. Take a moment, I'll wait..........Now, is it really worth it? Will it change your life? Will it matter in 10 years? Probably not. Be flexible and bend with the wind. Life is now. Enjoy it - you never know when it could end.

The last few months if asked how things are, I would've said "bleh." I think back now and things were fine. It was me that was "bleh." I LET myself feel that way. I chose the wrong things to stress over. Things I didn't have control over. All that stress didn't do me a damn bit of good. While this year hasn't been a stellar year, life still moved forward. My brother passed away. I'm still sad and a piece of me always will be however he doesn't want me to crawl in a hole and hide. He wants me to go out, have a beer and raise it (and several others after it! LOL) in his honor. Move forward. One of my bestest friends has faded away. Does it hurt? Absolutely. Can I do more than be there when he does want to talk? No. I had a glass of sake in his honor tonight. Move forward. I must learn from life, not let things stop me from enjoying life. Life is a journey. I don't know exactly when it will end. I will make the most of it while it lasts.