Most Depressing Day of the Year

Today, a coworker forwarded me an article that stated that today, January 24th, is the most depressing day of the year. Should it concern me that my birthday falls on the most depressing day of the year?

Odyssey

Well, it's finally arrived and gone - the opening night for the new performing arts center. The building is simply breathtaking. The opening show is phenomenal. The gala was amazing.

Needless to say, after two weeks of constant rehearsals I am beat. I would love to write more about the space but that's not likely to happen until I catch some zzz's. Until then, there is a photogallery containing pictures from this evening. In addition the paper published a special edition of the newspaper to distribute during the post-party....and you can even tour the building.

Could your Seatmate be your Soulmate?

Ok, I'll admit it. The title for this post is not an original thought. The sentiment is borrowed from the January 1, 2006 issue of American Airlines in flight magazine. However, it's an interesting conversation starter.

Do you fly often? If you fly alone, how often do you engage in conversation with your seatmate?

It's a question that was asked in the recent AA in flight magazine. Those seeking conversations have gone so far as to create an in air introduction service...a way to make a friend in advance of those long cross country flights...but I digress...

Anyway, the article seemed fitting as I reflected on my own travels during the holiday season. On one of the legs of my flights I was lucky enough to sit by a really nice guy. He is an airline attendant and was catching a flight back to his home in Dallas. We enjoyed great conversation from the runway in Chicago to the gate in Dallas. Did I get his contact info...no...but honestly are we surprised?

Reading the article on the leg from Dallas to Amarillo made me think about such in flight conversations...is it really a way to meet someone who is relationship worthy? Perhaps.

I also realized that I only seem to engage in such conversations while flying to Texas or across Texas, or when my seatmates are Texans. Guess it's that friendly Texan nature. In fact, it was a series of conversations with Texans on flights in July that convinced me Texas was a good place for the next phase of my life.

So, maybe I didn't meet the next Mr. Right, but I did enjoy great conversation. There's always next time...