Epiphanies were happening fast and furious. I had thoughts (deep thoughts, people!) popping into my head on a regular basis that did not even seem to be coming directly FROM me, although they were about me.  One of them was the thought, “Life may not have turned out the way you planned, but the way it turned out, means you can do anything you want with your life.  Anything! ”

I was in a dead end job and unhappy about it.  It was weird b/c to the outside world, I had it pretty good.  I was the Vice President of my company and although it didn’t pay much, I was recognized for my work, happy with the work  I did and with who I worked with.  I say it was a dead end b/c I knew that it wouldn’t ever bring me the life I wanted.  It was sales so it was all consuming and neither the pay nor the benefits were going to lead me to the autonomy I craved.  As long as I was willing to kill myself daily and have no personal life, the job would be happy to let me do that.  So, I soldiered on because when you don’t know what to do, it’s helpful to do nothing. For a while anyway.

copyright Doug Savage at Chicken Nothing

Life happens.  The more I tried to soldier on, the more life kept pushing me in the direction I was ultimately going to go.  Work deteriorated and my father became ill.  When we got the diagnosis (Alzheimer’s) I made the decision to pull the plug on everything.  My job, the house I owned in Cleveland and ultimately everything I owned, if need be.  It came as quite a shock to some of the people that knew me only in my Cleveland life.  Less so to those that knew me well.

So, I sold 90% of everything I owned and moved in with my parents.  Yes. My. Parents.  There are a lot of reasons for it, which I’ll write about later, but it was the necessary and right move.

For a while I worked remotely for the company I was at in Cleveland but I knew that was no long term solution.  I wasn’t happy there and moving 1,000 miles away from the office wasn’t going to cure that.  I parted ways with them on May 15th.  The next day I got up late and was noodling around on Facebook.  I had the time.  Since I’d been writing a lot more often on this blog, I was looking for content.  I’d recently started an events calendar of the things in the Omaha area (and beyond) that I would be interested in attending.  I figure if you’re reading this blog you’re probably like me and would like the things I like.

There was an ad on the side bar of Facebook and for once it wasn’t offering to introduce me to Single Dad’s.  The copy was compelling.  It said, “Omaha Bucket List – 10 Things to do in Omaha Before You Die”  I clicked on it as a possible source for the events calendar.  Instead of taking me to a site, it generated a pop up box recruiting for a web site called “Living Social.”

“Do you like to go to the hottest restaurants?  Do you enjoy a night out at the theater?  Do you regularly go to the spa?”

Well, hell yes, I do!

“Living Social is looking for experienced sales people in the Omaha area to introduce the best businesses in town to our data base of highly social adults.”

Look familiar?

Uh, ok.  I’m sure you’re thinking the same thing I was.  There are no real jobs to be found on the Internet.  My age and my experience encouraged the doubting Thomas in me.  Luckily, my natural optimism spoke up and said, “Submit your application. What’s the worst that can happen?”  I attached my resume, answered a few simple questions, hit submit and went to the gym.

When I returned about 2 hours later, there were 2 emails and a voice mail message from a recruiter.  Within days I was flying to Washington, DC for what all Living Social employees now refer to as the “American Idol Audition”.   Basically, you arrive the night before a series of interviews that whittle down the 40 + people they fly in weekly from cities all over the world.  It was an amazing experience and by the end you feel pretty damn special to have made it through.  I didn’t have an updated resume and hadn’t been on a interview since 1997 (having been hired by word of mouth since then) so I credit my recruiter, Wendy, for doing a bang up job helping me to prepare.

That’s how a week after being unemployed I had the greatest new job in the world!  Here’s a little more info on the company, who is backed, in part, by Steve Case at AOL.

It’s a social networking site that offers businesses a no-up-front cost way to aquire new customers and earn revenue from a one day promotion.  It’s pretty friggin’ cool and people seem to like it.

And they are humane about compensating their employees. Not only is the base high for a sales job, they let you work from home and pay for your Internet, Phone, Millage, etc.  I bet no one at Living Social will ever tell me to call my credit card company and dispute a charge at a parking garage – because they don’t want to have to reimburse me for $20 spent doing business on their behalf.

Did I mention I’m getting an iPad next month?

Hello, Beautiful! (copyright Wired Magazine)

I didn’t get as far as I planned when I started this blog and it took a lot longer then I hoped it would. But, looking back on the last 2 years I’m glad it all turned out the way it did.  I”m glad I took the risk.

This clip is the perfect clip to illustrate my point.

I wish it wasn’t the only one on YouTube and I wish the guy didn’t disable embedding. Watch it anyway. It’s fantastic.

My good friend from college settled into Kansas City and I recently learned a gal I was close to in Junior High moved there too.

See my post on “Facebook – friend or foe?”

A simple plan to meet Doug’s wife over dinner evolved into brunch with old friend from junior high and now I may be bunking with one of my favorite people of all time (see Addicted to Vinyl) and his new girlfriend who are in town to review Sir Paul’s KC MO show.

World’s Collide? It’s almost never a good idea. Yet I charge forward. I can’t resist having many of my favorite people in the same place at the same time.

My cousin (see Mr. Pooper’s Day Out) and I agree that if we ever hit the lottery, we’ll build walled compounds with multiple dwellings and keep all our favorite peoples together. In our collective imagination – everyone would just LOVE that.

Do you keep your friendships in separate categories or do you mix them all up whenever you can? If you mix, how’s that workin’ for ‘ya?

Shortly after I became a member of Lifetime Fitness, I decided to re-explore Pilates.  I took a few reformer classes in New York but didn’t stick with it.

I took a free exploratory class and although it was terribly difficult at first, I could also see how using the reformer would quickly build my strength and challenge my agility.

I pay an additional fee to Lifetime for these classes and I’m really happy with the result. I took the advice of my instructor, Wendy Evren, and spent my first 6 weeks using a mixture of classes and private lessons. The private lessons allow me to work at my pace, ask questions and concentrate on the moves I have difficulty with in class.

The PR for Pilate’s says in 15 classes you’ll have a new body. I want to be more specific. By class 15 you have increased agility, strength and endurance. I’m not losing weight going to Pilates but I am stronger and more flexible – my body hurts less day-to-day as I stretch and lengthen my muscles.

Here’s a pretty cool video that shows the kind of proficiency that I’m trying to achieve.

If this all works out as I hope I’m going to have one of the greatest blog posts ever. I’ll call it “How Facebook Got Me a New Job“.

The Cleveland trip is a big one. I have to finish the move, do so maintenance on the house, have it thoroughly cleaned and ready for my renter to move in.

It’s a lot to take in – a great deal of change – but at least I can say that this train is back on track and moving on down the line. As it should be.

The Omaha Farmer’s Market is new to me. It’s not new to Omaha. It’s downtown location was the spot to buy fresh produce for a hundred years. It shut down in 1964, along with much of the downtown area. In 1994, just a year after I left for NYC, it was revived and they’ve done a great job.

Kelly makes the Berry Best pies

Kelly’s Berry Best Pies was a pleasure to find. My mother is diabetic and the most of the desserts she can have are fairly bland. Kelly’s inventive sugarless recipes include Raspberry and Peach Pie and even a Weight Watchers Strawberry concoction that looks totally decadent.

She has a large selection of other baked goods for the non-diabetics in the crowd and they were selling briskly Saturday morning.

Other bakery vendors include:

Great Harvest Bread
Laura’s Homemade Foods
Old Market Sourdough
Siedlik Bakery
The Parthenon
Verdigre Bakery
Le Quartier Baking Co.
Patricia’s Shortbread

R Lazy K Country Store's gorgeous pickles

The area was packed by 10:30 am with people, children and dogs. There were Great Danes, Golden Retrievers and my Chihuahua, “Toadie”, riding in my father’s arms. Chi’s have a way of finding each other and I was happy to run into 3 other Chi Mommies during our visit.

Small Dogs Love Farmer's Markets

I hope they enjoyed meeting the proprietor of “Doggielicious” as much as I did. He has no website, cards, or blog. He’s just a nice guy who augments his f/t teaching gig making wholesome dog bones from a recipe he got from his vet. My dog has bouts of pancreatitis and you never know what’s going to set him off. He also turns his nose up at a lot of food like this. I bought a “Try Me” bag of 6 bones for $2.00. The Toad loves them. You have to check him out.

Toadie Eaten, Toadie Approved

There were stalls of plants and fresh cut flowers everywhere. It’s been my experience, and that master gardener, Dusty, that the plant and plant starters we buy at the Farmer’s Market in Cleveland are the heartiest – so if you’re thinking “herb garden” start at one of the five plant stands in the market.

Anderson Gardens, The Grass Menagerie, Home Grown Perennials, Swedish Touch Greenhouse , J & S Gardens

The best find for me was the fabulous French guy with the artfully arranged chives, green onions and French “breakfast radishes”. His stall is tiny, his inventory limited and absolutely gorgeous!

When I asked him how to prepare radishes for breakfast, he informed me that they are usually quartered, lengthwise – salted, peppered and dipped in sour cream.

Sour cream? Sign me up!

Fab French Guy's Garnishes

Here are the radishes. I followed his suggestions but substituted a spicy yogurt dip I found at Whole Foods for the sour cream. They were very tasty.

Funky French "Breakfast" Radishes, Yummy!

It’s not all flora and fauna. There’s practical and useful household / gift items to be had too.

Herb’s Handywork make handsome bookcases and cleverly disguised recycling stations.

Recycle in Style

The Goodrich’s produce unique pottery. She makes it, he sells it. Sounds like a good partnership to me.

Thrown on a wheel, customized at the rim

Here’s a super fun idea. Gormet cotton candy. The folks at Pink Shugar know how to throw a party. They specialize in birthday parties for kids.

Flavors include: Bubble Gum, Pink Lemonade and Cappucino

Great idea and totally unique. Just make sure you add a healthy dash of scotch to the cool aid or you and your kid will be up all night!

I want to taste all the cotton candy!

The Ying to Pink Shugar’s Yang are the Rachel Ray endorsed “Runner’s Granola”. They were so popular that the extra large cookies were sold out in under two hours. I was happy for the gals at the booth. That kind of success is exciting. So, if you want to check them out you’d better go early this Saturday or wait for their upcoming addition to the shelves at Whole Foods!

They're cookies, they're good for you, they have been on Rachel Ray

There was so much more to talk about but I suppose I can leave some things for you to find on your own.

One last stop. Business was brisk at Ely Farm’s Asparagus. Gobs of tender stalks for sale. Get you some!

Ely Farms Asparagus

So this Saturday, skip the grocery store. Grab that recycled bag you always forget to bring and head on down to 11th and Jackson in the Old Market. It’s fresh, it’s cheaper and it puts dollars back into your local community. Win = Win.

]]> http://myroadtohappieness.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=591 6 http://myroadtohappieness.com/blog/?p=443 http://myroadtohappieness.com/blog/?p=443#comments Mon, 10 May 2010 21:33:00 +0000 myroadtohappiness http://myroadtohappieness.com/blog/?p=443

Is this a Craft Fair or What?

Saturday the 8th after my 4th private Pilates lesson with Wendy, I made my way over to the first weekend of the Midwest Trade Days. The event will happen 4 times over the summer, not including the weekend that just passed, on June 4-6th, July 2-4th, Aug. 6-8th, Sept. 3-5th.

The venue was a little odd. It’s located on the edge of civilization, just past 168th and Giles. The paved road ends and you cross a small, one lane bridge to get to the parking lot of Scary Acres. It’s a smart move to try to extend what must be seasonal business for them, mostly haunted hay rack rides and the like. I guess I would have put a little more into the aesthetics if I were going to go for a change. It was weird to walk through the faux castle gate and shop under the gaze of the forgotten set of Psycho.

A quick glance of the vendors list on the website showed promise:

2paws4u
Homemade dog biscuits, dog beds, leashes, collars. Their “snuggle beds” are particularly cute. I have a Chihuahua who’s always burying himself under blankets. He’d love something like this.

Clever Recipe Collections by 4 Ever Stitchin'

4 ever stitchin’
Baby bibs, bib clips, baby blankets, and recipe books. Alie Evers had a great idea to re purpose those fancy photobooks with the plastic pockets and room for notes. She’s turned them into a stylish holders for her recipe collections, with room for you to include yours. These would make GREAT shower gifts for the bride-to-be.

Airbonne-Cleansing Line

Arbonne
Health & Beauty Products – A friend sells this, which piqued my interest and of all the things they sell, I’m most interested in their full cleanse line. They have the internal stuff, but take it a step further to cleansing your skin, which if you’ve ever looked into a real cleanse, you know that you’re supposed to slough off your skin where the toxins are coming out of your pores.

Blue Prairie Moon
Decorative Crystal flowers bloom on the prairie again. These really are amazing. Crystal cups and saucers find new life atop copper stems and in your garden.

Blue Prairie Blooms - pop up again. Norman Bates House in the background.

Mary Kay Cosmetics
Cosmetics

Mir Jewelry
Exquisite hand made jewelry and gemstones

Coo Candles
Assortment of beautiful night light candles

D2 - Egg Cooker

D2 - Berry colanders

D2 Pottery

Great selection of decorative and practical pottery. My mother and I each purchased a piece at last weekend’s Rockbrook Art Fair. I got a berry colander and she got the egg cooker.

The egg cooker let’s you cook a scrambled egg in the microwave that comes out in the perfect shape to place between an English Muffin. Brilliant!

I especially liked their “personal chip ‘n’ dip trays” which I learned came out of a request from their daughter to have her own plate and not have to share. They also have some nice fountains.

Chip-n-Dip

Grahams Italian Charms
Charms, body jewelry, key chains & necklaces
Iowa Basset Hound Rescue Group
Bassett Hounds
Light my torch
Lamp work beads & jewelry

Loretta K’s
Garlic Seasoning spreads

Maac Wind Chimes
Huge assortment of different Wind Chimes

Bee's Wax Products are the Bee's Knee's

It’s All About Bees!
Honey & Beeswax Specialties – Veteran’s of the outdoor market circuit, they have a huge menu of personal care and food items based on bee type output. I bought the pepper jellies and a curried mustard they tell is great for chicken salad.

Juice Plus
Nutritional supplements

NE Parrot Rescue 2

Nebraska Parrot Rescue
Parrots live longer than most people so it’s admirable that this organization exists. To support their efforts they teach Toy Making workshops and sell Parrot Carrying Pouches. Apparently, birds are happy in a tiny pouch they can crouch in, on your chest. That’s kinda cool.

Carry Your Parrot in a Pouch Around Your Neck!

Pampered Chef
Unique kitchen items, cookbooks and more – I’m sure you’ve been to at least one of these home based parties at your friends house. There were two vendors for this line at the event, which seemed a bit odd to me, but I guess they were struggling for vendors.

The Keeper in this Vintage set is clear with Green Top

Tupperware
These aren’t your mother’s storage containers. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Tupperware. Not only is it reminicent of my childhood (Mom dragged me to all those coffee’s/parties in the 70’s) but I love how form and function are equally important to the designers of Tupperware. There is a piece I’ve told my mother I want to inherit from her. It’s a celery crisper. It has a lifter that allows you to bring up the neatly cut stalks of celery out of their icy, watery home and safely to your plate. They stopped making it for about 30 years (It seemed). Patty Niedermyer to the rescue – it has bee resurrected and she can get it for you.

Yoder’s
Amish Furniture

Zac’s Toys
Handmade Wooden Toys

It was not a terribly impressive beginning, but the vendor list and pubic interest may grow as the weather warms.

Impropto Cyndo de Mayo

I’m just old enough to have been able to graduate high school without having to take a language. I’ve always regretted not learning Spanish when I was younger. Trying in my later years was a disaster. So, as I told Dusty that I was off to explore Omaha’s version of Cynco de Mayo (MAY-oh) she asked if Omaha celebrated some condiment festival. Then she corrected my pronunciation (My-oh).

It was an inauspicious beginning.

My father and I were dropping off some donations to a local charity shop in the South Omaha area when we ran across lively, costumed street dancers. I ran across the street and snapped a couple of picts. My hopes ran high for a fun night out.

Funnel Cakes

Returning to the area a few hours later we were greeted with the familiar smell of cooker grease and garishly lighted booths you’d find at any carnival, anywhere. I think you can get funnel cakes in Latvia that would be just like the ones at Cinco de Mayo.

No carnival would be complete with out the hastily erected, whirling tin death machines. Here at our local ethnic festival they come as giant strawberries. Que?

There was a very long wait for the band to cue up, and by that time we were done. We decided that next year the move would be to attend the parade during the day and be done with it.

This death traps tastes of strawberry

So, that’s what Cinco de Mayo was like for a couple of Gringas in Omaha. Meh.

New LaVista Library

Spring has sprung and there’s a whole lotta craftin’ going on. The weather’s been accommodating and has allowed me the luxury of cruising some local art fairs for interesting, hand-made goods.

First stop LaVista Art Fair. I grew up in LaVista, although my family is not from here, and it has a lot going for it. A new library for one. It’s big and fru-fru, it even boasts an extention to one of our local universities. It’s the cities’ 50th Anniversary and one of the event organized for the celebration was this art fair.

Lynn Bowes Silversmith

It was a beautiful day, which made up for the skimpy number of booths at the fair. It also helped to find a rose among the weeds. Lynn Bowes is a jewelry artist, currently working in silver. She works out of Davy, NE. – a place I had to Google and creates timeless, naturalistic designs that anyone could wear.

Paulsen

There was also some fun demonstrations from a local wood carver, Dean Paulson. He makes wooden Santas in the folk art tradition and some western themed items as well. The usual mix of photography and tohotchke’s rounded out the opening hour of the fair.

Blue Prairie Moon Folks

After my second private Pilates class (more on that later) I loaded up the family and headed over to the annual Rockbrock Arts Fair. This was a larger, more established event with over 100 vendors. It’s held in the parking lot of the Rockbrook Village Shopping Mall at 108th & Center. The weather held and Mom, Dad and I had a great time checking out the clever ways the vendors found to re-work common every day items into works of art.

Blue Prairie Flowers

Highlights of the fair included the work of Blue Prairie Moon and their “second hand bloomers” – a clever recycling of old glass teacups and saucers into sparking blossoms for your garden. They are real show-stoppers and if you buy one now, you’ll be ahead of the pack. I haven’t seen any in my neighborhood, yet, so you’ll still be ahead of the Jones’ if you buy one now. Just in time for Mother’s Day!

Lorelie Kay Purse

Second on the list of clever ways to re purpose items you see most often at garage sales and grandma’s closet, are the work of Lorelie Kay Designs. An ingenious idea, thrift store purses are upgraded with artfully placed costume jewelry from the 50’s & 60’s. Her jewelry resurrects her more interesting finds into more modern pieces. Each item is one-of-a-kind and fairly priced.

RDG Bags

Finally, the booth I most enjoyed was run by Renee Gabriel Designs. Her motto is “Retro Expressions for the Modern Chick”. Purses, bags, clutches, wallets all in the most wonderfully graphic fabrics. They are real head turners.

RDG Clutches

This weekend is the opening of “Midwest Trade Days” an outdoor market just past the intersection of 168th & Giles. That’s next on my hit list.

Film at eleven.

I worried that Omaha would be boring and  backward.

Turns out I didn’t need to worry. Omaha has changed a lot and so have I.

Whoopee! TJ's back in town!

We have a Whole Foods and later this year the first Trader Joe’s will open. The city has a thriving arts scene and many of the amenities I’ve come to rely on as essential parts of my adult life.

A good gym: I joined Lifetime Fitness. Finally, 7 years after leaving NYC a proper gym. It’s a beautiful facility with a proper locker room with steam/sauna. That’s all I wanted. Some place that understands I don’t want to steam in a swim suit with a bunch of sweaty, old guys.

A lively arts scene: Bemis Underground. I can’t believe a place like this exists here and is thriving. I recently went to the opening where a young man who struggles with schizophrenia has found his place in the world through his art. His name is Bryon Poloncic and his work is inspiring.

A healthy interest in alternative wellness: I attended the “Omaha Health Expo” where over 350 vendors paid to get in front us. Great show. Lots to see. More on that later.

Cool stuff to do on the weekends: Last weekend I went to 3 outdoor art fairs and could have even attended a Renaissance Fair.

It’s funny that I’m completely comfortable and at peace, here. I’ve even found a place I want to live. That is surprising too.

I’ve done a lot of what I set out to do when I left here. I’ve ended up doing more than I dreamed. So, Omaha? I guess you and I are even.  You might even have the upper hand.

My Shinny Blue Heaven

I made a pilgrimage to my local, authorized Airstream dealer yesterday. I’m lucky that Omaha/Council Bluffs has a dealership.

The idea of travel trailer living has appealed to me for a long time. In fact, the origin of the this blog was an idea of hitting the road in an Airstream and interviewing the people I met on the subject of Happiness.

As I wrote about in some of my initial posts, now that I’m on a different path in my life, I am excited by the idea that I could “try on” different communities and cultures. Staying when/where I’m comfortable and leaving when I’m not. I’m not rooted to anything beyond my immediate family – and when they’re gone there’s no reason to stay in Omaha.

I like that it’s compact design would keep my honest in my pledge to stop aquiring things and start collecting experiences. I think it would be great to explore new territory from the comfort of your own home. It can be home or a vacation home, the difference need only be my location. Finally, it solves all the problems with the dog. He will always be welcome and at home where ever we go.

It’s even in my blood. I have a 2nd cousin who’s parents live in an Airstream now and repair them as a side business. The vacationed in their trailer for years and now retired, live in it full time in Georgia.

A revamped trailer using all earth friendly materials

Dad and I drove across the river to Camping World (1-80 to Council Bluffs, S. 24th exit, right on 27th Ave.) and after a few false starts, found this RV mecca. We were assisted by “Bud” who was game to show me all 5 new Airstreams they had on the lot.

My goal was to determine exactly how much space I would want/need if I were to make this my home, full time.

We saw 2, 23″ trailers. One “Classic” and one “International”. They are the same trailer with different layouts, textiles and fixtures. While the Classic was light and airy with a lime-green color scheme, it felt more cramped than it’s upgraded cousin, the International, Ocean Breeze. You can read about an enterprising couple who sold it all and now live f/t in a trailer just like that at Aluminum Bliss.

Then we moved onto the 27″ trailers. There was a “Flying Cloud” and another “International”. These were both just beautiful examples of well designed use of space. I favored the 2nd International I saw because the bed had no built-in’s and left the trailers 180 degrees of windows unobstructed. This Flying Cloud had one advantage, two built in leather recliners at one end instead of a banquet. That made the floor plan look more open and made a practical use of the space. There was a final one a 30″ length Flying Cloud.

So, to live, I don’t know that I can do it in less than 27″ of space. That extra 4″ will cost you. It takes the price between $60,000 to $80,000, depending on the extras.

Confusing the Family, again

It’s part of my 5 year plan.

Needless to say, no one in my family understands this interest. What else is new?