Follow Laura Lee Carter through a midlife crisis with a happy ending!

A while back, my friend Laura Lee Carter over at MidlifeCrisisQueen.com asked me to review the manuscript for a book she had just finished writing. Aptly titled, “Midlife Magic: Becoming the Person You Are Inside,” Laura Lee’s book treats us to the roller coaster ride that was her life, beginning at age 46 when she left a loveless, destructive marriage of many years; through the sudden and unexpected loss of her job two years later; and then follows her as she remakes her career and life, in the process discovering who she really is.

Laura Lee had asked me for a quote that she could use, if I was so inclined. I wrote:

“Hang on, it all changes!” Laura Lee’s mantra provides hope to all who are struggling with midlife crises. By reading her story, I realized that I am not alone, and it is OK to ask for help. Thanks, Laura Lee.”

I was absolutely delighted when she wrote back, telling me she had chosen my quote for the back cover. Over the holidays, Laura Lee told me her book would soon be out in print and asked if I would review it on my blog. I happily agreed, although I decided to read it one more time, since it had been Read the rest of this entry »

Every cloud has a silver lining. In the case of our current economic woes, the silver lining is travel. With reservations down, absolutely awesome travel deals are being offered to anyone with the time and resources to take advantage of them. Two of the most popular destinations in the country, Las Vegas and Orlando, are pulling out all the stops to attract visitors, but wading through all the hype and companies advertising discounts and packages can be frustrating, if not downright exhausting.

Recently I learned about a web-based company that simplifies the process of booking attraction tickets for Las Vegas and Orlando. Entertainment Benefits Group, headquartered in Hollywood/Fort Lauderdale with offices in Orlando, is one of the largest privately held travel and entertainment providers in the United States. The company was founded in 2001 by former management executives from Disney and Universal Studios. As an officially contracted wholesaler for Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, and Sea World, they work directly with Disney and other theme parks to provide tickets through their website OrlandoFunTickets.com.

OrlandoFunTickets.com

Initially, I was skeptical. Why would anyone buy tickets to Disney World or other Orlando attractions from OrlandoFunTickets.com when they could go to the official website of an attraction and buy tickets directly? So I tested it. I went to the official website for Walt Disney World and checked the ticket prices. Not only were direct tickets through Disney slightly more expensive, their web site was extremely confusing. Once I got to the pricing page, I was asked to select which add-on options I wanted to include (Park Hopper option, Water Park Fun & More option, and No Expiration option). Unfortunately, there was no explanation for Read the rest of this entry »

A tall, middle-aged man just walked into Pastry Art, my favorite coffee shop and bakery in downtown Sarasota. He opened the door a smidge and squeezed through, barring the large Golden Retriever that accompanied him from entering.

“Stay outside,” he said, pointing to one of the tables near the curb. The dog walked away temporarily, but the minute the man stepped to the counter to order he returned and plunked his butt squarely in front of the door. With nose touching glass and tongue lolling out of his mouth, the Retriever watched his master’s every move. His panting fogged the glass in an ever growing circle that impaired his view but still he sat, immobile and fixated on his master.

Eventually, another customer came along. The moment the door was cracked open, the Retriever dashed inside and ran to his master. “Go outside!” the man said sternly, as he opened the door and pointed to the curb. Dejectedly, the Retriever returned to his place under the table, waiting for the moment when they could be reunited. When the man finally stepped outside, the Retriever could barely contain his joy, greeting his master with wagging tail and nuzzles.

Throughout the whole incident, the man frowned and scowled. From the way he petted and spoke to the Retriever while they sat together at the curbside table, it was obvious that he loves the dog. But I couldn’t help wondering if he knows how lucky he is to be the recipient of such love and devotion.

This incident started me thinking about the fact that animals, much more than humans, seem to have a capacity for unconditional love. Recently I’ve come across two stories that illustrate this. The first is a YouTube video of two otters at the Vancouver Aquarium in Vancouver, Canada, who float around holding hands. It is too cute; you just have to see it:

Read the rest of this entry »

This series of photos showing the raising of the “Miracle on the Hudson” USAirways jet from the bottom of the river were forwarded to me today. I can’t know for sure where they came from, but the body of the email indicated they were taken by the crane operator lifting the Airbus out of the Hudson River and went on to say:

“Note that only one engine was sheared off, not both… And considering that landing in water is like landing on concrete, not a whole lotta damage to the Airbus fuselage… Musta been one helluva great splash landing.”

Toward the end of the series, note the cracked nose of the fuselage. Hard to believe it didn’t sink outright. Now it’s off to Jersey City, where it will undergo extensive inspection and investigation. Really remarkable photos.

Tugs bring in the barge on which the raised jet will be placed

Crane lowers apparatus that will bring the plane up

Read the rest of this entry »

In my daily meditations, I use a book titled “Awakenings: Asian Wisdom for Everyday.” The book contains a beautiful photo and an accompanying bit of wisdom for each day of the year. Prior to meditating each morning, I read the saying for the day and contemplate the message during my meditation.

Yesterday it was:

The actions of our daily life

like waking, washing, lighting incense

do not seem very important,

but they comprise the whole cosmos.

by Master Taisen Deshimaru

“Good message,” I thought. I meditated on it. “OK, now back to work. God, I have so much to do today. Better get some of this little stuff done. Gotta make the bed and take a shower. Need to do some grocery shopping. Should try to get to a Yoga class. If I can just get some of this stuff out of the way my day will be better.”

Today was pretty much the same. Make the bed, raise the shades, open the blinds, clean the bathroom, do the laundry, Read the rest of this entry »

It was my anniversary yesterday. On January 24, 1996 I walked into the rooms of Alcoholics Anonymous, and that was the last time I ever had a drink or used drugs.

The day was a little surreal for me. In some ways it felt like I just got clean and sober yesterday; in other ways it felt like it happened a hundred years ago. I was living in Puerto Rico at the time, managing a bar (great place for a drunk to work!). I was partying every night and sleeping less and less. One night, after hours of drinking and lots of coke, my heart began beating so hard I thought it was going to come right out of my chest. I broke out in a cold sweat and got up to splash some water on my face. When I glanced up into the mirror, I was shocked by my appearance. My face was pasty gray, my skin hung, and my eyes were dull and glazed over. In that instant, I knew I was going to die soon if I didn’t stop.

Flash forward 13 years. My cheeks are pink and my eyes sparkle. I am healthy and happy. My life is wonderful. I know how this happened – lots of hard work and sticking to the principles of AA – but I don’t know why. I often wonder, “Why me?” Read the rest of this entry »

The synchronicity of the world constantly amazes me. Yesterday I wrote about traveling to India, and today I receive an email from my friend, Dorothy, who hails from Edinburgh, Scotland. Dorothy and I became fast friends when we both attended a very special Yoga retreat in a remote area of central India a few years ago.

Dorothy strikes a Yoga pose on a deserted beach

We ended up in adjacent bunks but we shared more than a bedroom – we both came down with a case of Delhi Belly and kept each other company from our sickbeds. Here’s what she sent me as a reminder: Read the rest of this entry »

My friend, Mary Jo, sent me this video. How absolutely delightful! I bet you can’t watch it without giggling:

Ah, India! Just saying the word conjures up images of the Taj Mahal in the soft light of dawn, camels trekking across deserts, worshipers bathing in the sacred Ganges, mountains of spices in marketplace stalls, and women wrapped in luscious silk saris. India also means being exposed to filth, poverty, masses of humanity, beggars on the streets, incessant touts, and bouts of “Delhi Belly.”

Planning to travel to India? You MUST get this book!

Nowhere else in the world are these contrasts so evident as in Mother India, and many visitors arrive on the sub-continent wholly unprepared for these incongruities. I saw all this and more when I traveled to India a few years ago. In areas of Mumbai, shanty towns constructed with scraps of scavenged wood and cardboard stretched as far as I could see. Here, people lived in abject poverty, clad in rags and defecating by the side of the road. Garbage was strewn throughout the streets and the overwhelming stench of sewage permeated everything. Homeless wraiths curled along the edges of the sidewalks in front of my hotel each night, yet inside everything was luxury and staff in starched white uniforms. Fortunately, I was forewarned. I had a friend who had been to India and he Read the rest of this entry »