Virgin Concrete! YAY! Main Street through Lewisville is partially open. The virgin concrete feels sooooooooooo luxurious. Sounds retarded huh? Well, it is luxurious. The street is wider, smoother and has 2 extra lanes.
I am less than 60 days away from the convention and yesterday morning the president of the association (Brian) sent an email to the executive staff (and me) bemoaning one of our seminars. Actually two. Same guy, two seminars. Brian actually used the phrase, most awful seminar I have ever attended, bad, pitiful almost insulting. Thank goodness I included a cancellation clause in the speakers contract.
Heres the rub. We worked out a deal with said seminar giver dude. He was a few invoices behind, so when he called and asked if he could do a seminar, we decided to offer him a clean slate instead of an honorarium*. I drew up a speakers contract and sent it to him. Back in March.
*hon·o·rar·i·um ( n -râr - m)
n. pl. hon·o·rar·i·ums or hon·o·rar·i·a (- - )
A payment given to a professional person for services for which fees are not legally or traditionally required.
Today, however, the boss man asked for seminar dudes contact information. They are canceling his seminar. Personally, I think it is poor form to cancel with such short notice before the convention when the contract was signed so long ago. I think that the main issue is said seminar giver dude is not hurting for money. The executive board thinks that he is just being a total scrub and not paying his bills by choice, not necessity. If that is the case, then sure, he needs to pay his bills, but regardless, we worked a deal out with him. Thank goodness they arent making me call the poor man. Now all I have to do is find a replacement. Whee.
Im in the office by myself today. I wasnt planning on it, but it sure is a nice treat. Co-worker C is on a cruise and boss man decided to work from home. I can feel the tension melting away. I am still calling all of my vendors to alert them to the Smaller Booth Fiasco from Friday. To my pleasure and complete amazement, most of them dont give a tinkers damn if their booth is a little smaller for the convention. I have only had one vendor ask for monetary compensation.
Most of you (all two of you) have noticed that I have a new design gracing my little diary here. An amazing man, Oz, created a design for my diary in the honor of Gilda Radners Rosanne Rosanna Danna. I didnt even offer that as a suggestion. Oz is that good people. Please visit his website to see the other designs he has created, or just to read some old fashioned gossipy news and fun stuff from his diary.
I havent been updating lately. I have been quite at a lack of things to say. Virgin concrete may not rivet you, fair reader, as it rivets me.
I have had many things on my mind. The big question, whether or not I want to find a new job, has been weighing heavily. Along with the wish for Daddy Vs swift recovery. He had to be taken back into ICU last Sunday because of water on his lungs. Mister doesnt seem too concerned about any of it. I am not sure if it is because no matter what, he got to spend some time with his father, or if he just has peace knowing that even if his fathers soul did leave his earthly body, that his soul would go to heaven.
Ive also been thinking about my beautiful great-aunt Sue. She lives in the same small town where Mister grew up and subsequently where his parents still reside. I got to see her while Mister and I were in town visiting Daddy V before his surgery. My father (Barry) sent me an email that he received from his sister talking about Aunt Sue.
Was just sitting down to send you a note. Aunt Sue called this am----to tell me about her SURPRISE!! Just was so thrilled about [Suzanna] stopping by and they really, really liked [Mister]. She said she wished that she could have [Suzanna] to live with her or close by. Barry---she said she sees YOU very much in [Suzanna]---and "You know how sweet Barry is and how much I love him."You see, I think Aunt Sue has a bit of shine to her. Several things have been said to add to this feeling along with the fact that I just have that sense about her. When I say shine, to me it means that someone has almost a sixth sense about him or her. Not an I see dead people sixth sense, but more along the lines of they can tell what is in your heart.
When Mister and I left her home after spending a few hours with her, I was almost in tears with joy of seeing her but not wanting to leave. I told Mister in the car that very day (right after we left her) that if he were not in the picture I would up and leave everything in Texas and move in with Aunt Sue. She doesnt see very well anymore and it is hard for her to get around. To see that she told my Aunt Jean (daddys sister) that she wanted me to live with her was just another notch in the Aunt Sue has shine book.
Another example of her shine is when Mister and I were in his home town visiting his daddy, I stayed with his mother and two sisters in one house and he stayed across the street at a neighbors per his mothers wishes. You see, his parents are very strict in a religious sense and they thought it would not be right for an unmarried man and woman (who are courting) to stay in the same house. I had no problems with being true to their wishes, but I have to be honest when I say that I missed Mister extremely. I felt like I could not put my hands on him, even in a nonsexual manner, lest I upset his parents. When Mister and I went to visit Aunt Sue, she held on to me for a mighty long while when we first got there. I was pleased with her affection and returned it happily. The only things weighing on my mind at the time were the fact that I missed being under the same roof with Mister, Daddy Vs health and what I was missing at work. A few days ago Mister called his mother. She reported on everything that was going on with Daddy Vs health and what was to be expected because he was back in ICU. She then went on to tell Mister that Aunt Sue had called to talk to her. She mentioned that she and Aunt Sue talked for several hours and had plans on meeting for coffee or lunch in the near future. I do appreciate Aunt Sue being the stand in ambassador for my family during this time. It is proper for families of a courting couple to get to know one another. Since my immediate family is in Texas and Misters immediate family is scattered all over Florida and even into Panama, Aunt Sue may be acting as a go between. Bless her heart; I really do love that woman.
During the phone call between Misters mother and Aunt Sue, Aunt Sue asked, Were they sleeping together? Misters immediate reaction was somewhat comical, WHAT!, before he realized that Aunt Sues query was not sexual in nature. Misters mother assured her that Mister had stayed across the street during our brief stay.
The fact that Aunt Sue gleaned that from my heart while we were visitin is just another testament to her shine.
I mentioned my shine theory to my father on Monday night when he called. He pooh poohd the thought like he does most anything out of the ordinary. But I know that deep down he was touched when Aunt Sue and I spoke of a heartfelt bond we felt with each other many years apart without knowing what the other said.