To listen to this song you must first turn up your speakers, then press play.

I'm always on the fence about Day 3 of Shaky Knees.  Three days standing out in the hot Georgia sun or in puddles as the rain refuses to let up is not a pleasant experience on your body.  I mean, when it's sunny you can at least sit down and drink lots of water and then it's not so bad.  When it rains though, you are water.  Wet and squishy and all together one.

So between constantly running to downtown, from stage to stage, from train to train, it gets kind of tiring.  I'm also a total homebody and I don't particularly enjoy being in crowds for three days in a row.  I miss my pets and my couch and my own cheap food.  I just need more down time on my weekends and I'm already using them to get so much done around the house.

Now, however, I feel guilty about spending all that time in the park without my dog. She is being a total sweetheart and just wants to sunbathe and play ball and enjoy the breeze and spend time with me.  I wish Day 3 of Shaky Knees deviated to become Shaky Dogs. Only bands who were cool with dogs possibly barking during their sets would play and all dogs would have to have proof they were updated on all their shots and be people friendly and King of Pops would have dog ice cream and poop bags would be available EVERYWHERE.  Also the crowd would openly shame anyone trying to be an asshole and not picking up their dogs poop.  It would be great!  Instead of VIP areas they could have a small dog fenced park and a large dog fenced park on each side of the stage and benches or folding chairs along the edges for owners.  Not right up front my the stage though, but a further out in the back.  I mean, seriously people, how does park & sun equal live music and not also equal dogs?

The base would have to be turned down and the sound would need to tweaked so that it wasn't as hard on their ears but still projected out to a large crowd.  But I think a few series of experiments could figure that out.  Test levels known not to upset dogs and see how far and how loud that would be in the given venue.  Maybe I'm too much of a dreamer and not enough of a scientist to figure this out.

Event planner minds are always working though.  Inspiration is everything!

Labels: Atlanta, event planner, festivals, live shows, meeting planner, Shaky Knees

My head is not in the right space this week.  I have two modes - workaholic and confused, hopeless romantic.

I kind of really need to be a workaholic this week though.  There is so much that needs to be done and I don't want to fall behind.  I get to balance that a little with a celebration of new life this weekend, i.e. a chance for me to oogle cute baby clothes and continue my search for boy baby clothes that embrace cats.  Yes, I am that kind of aunt.  Yes, the best kind of aunt.

It's so weird to think in two months I'll have another baby in my life.  I was actually excited for my neice to become a toddler so that she could talk and we could become best friends.  Maybe having a sibling will bond us faster.

I should be able to hold a cute little baby in April.  I mean, they are really tiny in the beginning so it should work out.

Be still my heart.  A new soul is coming.

Labels: aunt life, family, meeting planner, meetings, work

I had a bad day at work today, and at the same time a good day.  I really love my office, it's such a great fit for me.  The team I have there is supportive and creative and some of the kindest people I've ever met.  They get me too, which is why today was also a good day.  They stepped in as soon as they saw me go pale and quiet and they didn't complain about their own giant work loads at all.

The bad part of the day was this minor panic attack I had when I realized my low key group would give me the most stress in the spring.  They traditionally do a lot of the planning on their own and I do more administrative tasks for the event.  Except now they've decided to do Disney in March and they already have a contract they wanted me to review and it is less than 90 days away!

breathe, breathe, breathe, breathe, breathe, breathe, breathe, stop panicking, breathe.

I knew the most stressful times would be in October (when I had five meetings in a row) and in December when I had to finalize four contracts for the spring, now five.  I finished two, one will most likely push into January, and now two in progress.

I don't ever talk to my friends about this kind of work stuff.  Maybe I need to find a meeting planners group to do a cocktail & complaints hour.  Sip & Paint & Problem Solve?  I can just see myself with the poofy scarf, trying to stay balanced on a stool, sipping back my coke no ice with a straw that won't stay down and discreetly passing around a bag of chewy sprees to get rid of all the greens.

Everything is so diaries entry boring on Libby these days.  I haven't read much lately, haven't come across any real inspiring quotes.  There were a few really good lines in my book on tape, but I listen to it when I drive and can't write it down.  Hoping Practical Magic will inspire me like The Magicians did.

We're supposed to have white noise machines at work but I can hear everything all the time.  I ordered a portable sound machine that can generate fan noises, white noise and ocean sounds.  As soon as it arrives I am taking it to the office.  I wish I had it today.  Trying to squelch a possible migraine with this calming mix I made a few years back.  It's just making me tired though.

Labels: anxiety, meeting planner, meetings, panic attacks, playlist, work