Friday, October 26, 2007

East Coast Fun!

I'm just getting settled back in from the trip to Philly and NY. Whew! It's crazy that it would take this long to get my bearings back. It sometimes seems that it takes a full day to catch up for every day away.

I think part of that happens because when I find myself with too many things to get done, I end up not being able to focus on any one task until completion. I work on several things in fits and starts and that's not nearly as efficient as doing one thing at a time. There's an old piece of office wisdom that tells you to only handle any sheet of paper one time. File it, toss it, reply to it. But only handle it once. I need to learn that skill.

The trip was fantastic! We arrived in Philadelphia mid-day on Thursday. The plan was to meet friends for dinner at an upscale place that had recently opened. That didn't work out because our luggage, independent minded thing, decided to take a later flight and we were in shorts and sandals. So, we went with Plan B and had a great meal at a little neighborhood joint they like.

The best part of seeing them was finding out that they are moving back to Chicago! If anyone is looking for a townhouse in the Museum neighborhood of Philadelphia, I know the place for you.

Friday was a day off. We spent most of it at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. We saw lots of people running up the steps of the museum, ala Rocky. I have to admit that I did the same thing on Saturday morning, but I did resist the urge to jump around with my arms in the air. Touristy? You betcha! When in Rome....

Saturday was one of two dye workshops I taught over the weekend. I've done a couple of these at events like Stitches, but I'd never done one in a shop. .
I really enjoyed the intimacy the smaller scale afforded us. The students were wonderful and I had an amazing time with everyone. A big shout out to Craig, Loop's proprietor.

After class, we hopped the train to NYC. I love the energy there. Laurie from Sticks and String up in Scarsdale picked us up and we had dinner at the cutest little Spanish restaurant in Greenwich Village, Sevilla.

The next morning we had a meet and greet and then I taught a second time. This group was just as fine as the first. Lots of fun, lots of laughs and beautiful yarn was made by everyone.

I'm always fascinated to see how each person walks away with such different end products. Everyone has a different aesthetic and takes the same colors and makes something all their own.

Then it was back to the city for a couple of days of R&R. Well deserved if I do say so myself. I did learn a little something during this trip. In much the same way that visiting family is not a vacation, adding a few days onto a business trip isn't a vacation either. Don't get me wrong, I had a great time and got to see some of my favorite people in the yarn biz. But, it was still an extended work trip. One of these days I need to sit down and take a hard look at the calendar and schedule an honest-so-goodness vacation.

Will the person who bends time please provide me with a few extra days between now and the end of the year?

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