"Just" a housewife

Its a small world

The other day David and I were having dinner with his mum in a San Francisco restaurant. A guy walked past our table and said to me, 'don't I know you?' I had never seen him before in my life. He asked if I worked at Genentec (his company.) I said no and by this time I was panicing thinking that here was David's mum wondering if I was trying to cover something up!

He went off back to his group. I told David and his mum that I'd never seen him before.

About 5 minutes later he came back. He was convinced we'd met before. Thankfully at this point he also stated that he was gay! Ok so it wasn't a bad nightclub experience after my new found freedom of 2002! It turns out we'd worked together at Niku. I vaguely remembered him when he said that, but I barely knew him.

At this conference in Vegas I was speaking to another guy at the show party last night. This tall man in his 40's said he worked for IBM. As I looked at his name badge I realised he was an IBM spokesperson that I used to work with a couple of years ago. I'd never met him before, but I've staffed numerous press briefings via phone with him. He said he recognize my accent.

In Vegas today at the airport I was approaching the line to board the plane and a good looking guy said, 'hello Emma.' Obviously I was beginning to think it was my lucky month with all this male attention! Turns out it was Jose Morales another guy I worked with at Niku who now works for Verisign.

So there you have it - its a small world.

Either that or I've been around a lot!!!

Terminal

I'm sat at SFO blogging. Who would have thought it? I've plugged my laptop and blackberry into a power supply on the wall and I've signed up for a T-Mobile wireless pass for the day (apparently SFO is the only airport in the world with a wireless connection throughout the whole of the airport!)

I've just landed from Las Vegas where I've been for work for the past two days. [Steph I thought of your parents!] I stayed at the lovely Mandalay Bay hotel and once I entered I didn't step foot outside until I left for the airport. That's the thing about conferences in Vegas. They keep you in the hotel the whole time and you never have to leave. They're like cities themselves! Walking from my hotel room to the conference center which was in the same hotel took 15 minutes!

I also paid a whopping $27 for the privelage of working out at this hotel!

I'm killing more than 2 hours at the airport before I get the red-eye to New York. I'm joining David there for the weekend [he's already there on business.] My mum says we get on planes like we get on buses in England. Maybe she's right; David and I will have both flown about 50,000 miles this year. All with United, so I hope they appreciate it! I do. Because of all my airmiles I'm flying first class to NYC.

I'm sure this is a boring blog...

I like airports - ever since I was little I've liked airports and planes. I hope I'm passing on my love affair with aviation to Lauren. She knows very well that she needs to get on a plane to see Auntie Emma. Its progress - she used to think I lived on a plane. Today I feel like I do.

Late night inspiration!

I hate to admit it, but I TIVO Oprah every day. I'll often watch it in the evenings like tonight when there's nothing much on. Its actually really thought provoking and not just a load of mumbo-jumbo.

Today I watched an interview with Uma Thurman. She talked honestly about the break up of her marriage, the pain she went through, and how she lacked self esteem for months. Now she could be a very good actress (!) but I believed her. She talked about how to forgive and move on.

It raised some interesting points for me not only because like all women I'm sure, I sometimes lack confidence and self-esteem, but also because she talked about how she needed to accept that she didn't always know what was waiting around the corner. That's one of the reasons why I'm enjoying my new job so much - things are going well and I'm contributing and I feel like I am making a difference. I had begun to doubt my own ability in my last job and for too long that made me miserable.

[Here I go again - baring my soul on my blog - didn't I say I would stop doing that!]

However, I also need to learn that I don't know what's round the corner. No matter how much I like to plan and know what I'm doing in 3 weeks, in 3 months and in 3 years, sometimes its ok to not to know.

So here's to not planning...

My friend Taryn

My friend Taryn has been dating her boyfriend for about two years now. He's in his late 30's, she's 30. They are very happy and they are living together. Last night I mentioned that I am half expecting a call in the next few weeks/months when she calls me to say that he's proposed!

However, I laughed at my own comment.

It seems there is an expectation that because you're happily dating, over 30 years old and living together; engagement is imminent. David and I (well just David actually!) got a few comments from friends asking if we were engaged after my last post. Well I'll set the record straight. Just cause David's mum was a bit excited and said that I [may] be her future daughter in law doesn't mean we're actually engaged!

Rest assured you'll all be the first to know, but don't get your hopes up we're not planning on it this side of 2006!

David's mum

David's mum is staying for 2.5 weeks. Now most people staying as a guest in your house for more than 4 days is a bit much, but I have to say she is the most easy going, lovely, kind, individual you could ever meet.

We had an awesome weekend in Yosemite and she gives hugs almost as good as my mum. She kisses me good night each evening and she's not too fussy or over powering. She's great!

And within 24 hours of arriving she commented to David that since I was going to be her daughter-in-law that we better get to know each other!

You gotta love her ;-)

Lauren turned 3!

Can you believe my little neice turned 3 years old just 6 days ago?

Well this little girl was in the car with her mummy (my sister Sarah) a few days ago and Sarah said, "Lauren look; there's a big black car that's stretched and its very long, can you see?"

To which Lauren replied, "yes mummy its like a limo."

I guess they teach different things in nursury school these days!

Ok so maybe I lied...

I've had a great 2.5 weeks of work. I really enjoy PR. I suppose I'm quite good at it. I pitched a customer story for my client; I got it placed in a leading IT weekly. I pitched targets for a tour; I got 100% success rate. A leading journalist/blogger mentioned me favorably in his blog after I hosted him at a dinner last week, and a major technology business writer for a daily newspaper told my new bosses that I was one of his 'faves' in PR. And tonight I brought in my second new business lead.

Not bad for 2.5 weeks work.

I am motivated again and my new best friend is my 'Covey' to do list. I must google it and link to it so you too can use it. It helps me not only list the actions I must complete, but it helps me prioritize by what's urgent or important or both!

Tonight I spent my 4th night in 2.5 weeks attending an technology industry event with journalists, executives, venture capitalists etc. In the room were some pretty cool people from the world of technology and I loved it! I sound like a complete dork, but I don't care. I'm back doing the stuff I love and enjoying it.

Just in case you didn't get the subject reference - maybe I lied about not blogging again.