Mark Lipinski’s Blog

Hey Clamatoes!

I’m writing this to you from somewhere between Dallas, Texas and Ontario, California.

After all of your suggestions, I took a connecting flight with a 40-minute layover (which by the time they started boarding, I barely made it) in Dallas, rather than flying into LAX and being stuck in LA traffic trying to get to Ontario.  

This is what you see when you exit the baggage claim area and through the windows of the airport.

  I was told that they are the Big Bear Mountains.  Stunning!

I did have a chance to read a bunch of things (and even bought a new book while running from one flight to another – verrrrry OJ Simpson – before he murdered Nicole and got away with it).  

The two books that I juggled on the plane were:

  Michael Toliver Lives by Armistead Maupin.   I read his Tales of the City series in the San Francisco Chronicle or the Examiner when I first moved to Baghdad by the Bay (probably not the most beloved nickname these days) in the late 70’s.  

  I even took a gay lit class given by Armistead Maupin at San Francisco State.   Now that I’m old, I can’t say that I remember the story lines of the original series as well as he does – so I may have to go back and reread (like that’ll happen).

   I found Release Your Brilliance by Simon T. Bailey on an airport kiosk.  Now how can you pass up a title like that?  The premise is “The Four Steps to Transforming Your Life and Revealing Your Genius to the World.”    Someday, I’ll get a handle on life and what I can contribute to the world.   I’m getting pretty antsy because at 50, time is running out.   I haven’t made my “mark” so to speak and there is so much that the world needs.  I struggle trying to find my place here, to inspire and to unite and well, do something rather than just sitting here.   It’s very frustrating to me.   I have this inner need to do something that will count before I die.  I just don’t know what it is…. So I pick up books like this to help focus and guide me.  

I like to think of it as kind of a spiritual/psychic bank account (which reminds me that I’m kinda sparse in my literal bank account as well).   Anyway, the more good stuff you put into your head, when you need it you will have something to draw on.  That doesn’t mean that it will make the “test” easier, just that  you have more tools at your disposal – theoretically.

Let’s see, I have my trusty iPod with me.

Here’s what I listened to . . .

·         At 6 AM I started with Louise Hay’s Evening Meditation.  It knocked me out for 2 hours.

·         Wagner’s Greatest Hits (because I’m a LARGE person who likes composers with LARGE egos and LOUD music   LOL )

  Richard Wagner (Large composer)

 

·         Britney (of course)    (Britney Spears:  Large problems)

o   My Perogitive

o   Crazy

o   Oops, I Did it Again

o   Baby, One More Time

·         Abba

·       Alicia Keys

·         Annie Smith’s after quilt market Podcast 

·         Alex Anderson’s before Thanksgiving Podcast 

 

·         MorningCoach.com – more podcast positive thinking crap

 JUST LANDED…MORE LATER 

So I get my bags at the airport (oh my gosh, Ontario is painless) and called the hotel name that I was given, Country Suites.  I wasn’t registered.   So I called another area hotel with a similar name.  Not registered.   So I gave Jeff a call to check out the notepad where I had originally written down the information.  Yup, Country Suites.   I called again.  I’m not there.  So I had Jeff call the quilt show office.   I’m at the Doubletree.

So I go back into the airport to the courtesy phones, and within minutes I was in the hotel van.  

The Best Western van!  

It wasn’t until I got to the Best Western front desk that I found out that I was registered there either.  I called Jeff again.   So Jeff says, “I never said Best Western, I said Doubletree.” 

The Best Western van brought me to the Doubletree.  I was registered there.    And my view – the Ontario Convention Center.   Well, the back of it at least.   

I love the palm trees – even if they are in a parking lot. 

Oh, I ran into Susie Osburn at the front desk.  Susie  was a Baum designer but she told me that she had just left to join Blank (scoop alert!).   I think the design team at Blank is terrific.  

Once I got into my room and logged in, I found a link to ANOTHER blog review from the Empire State Quilt Guild.   Click here to read it.   While you’re there, take a look at this quilter’s creations.  She’s one talented cookie!  

Oh, here’s  my room.    

This is the carpeting outside of my door.  I think it’s an incredible inspiration for an giant applique quilt, don’t you?

It’s easy to remember the room number because it’s the same as my weight! 

Later sweeties! xoxom