Dori's 20/20 Tour

As I sat in Chicago last Friday night a blizzard with 56 mph wind gusts was whipping its way through North Dakota – closing all the roads.  As quickly as it started it subsided to allow my flight to arrive early Saturday afternoon and officially bring me home.  The roads opened up just in time for my husband to be able to pick me up at the airport.  Dori’s March Madness – 8 plane flights, 4 hotels, 2 rental cars and 1 garmin in French.  Not bad!

As I’ve been on the tour students have asked me how I’m handling all of my responsibilities.  It’s with a large dose of passion and and some laughter doesn’t hurt either.  Last Thursday as I was traveling to ICO my youngest son called my husband to tell him he wasn’t feeling well and needed to come home from school.  With kids … you’re just never sure.  Mark was busy with patients so told him to walk home.  His teacher ended up driving him home and Ian suffered through a fever for the next couple of days.  Saturday was better and we were teasing Mark about being ‘Father of the Year’.  Sunday was a turn for the worse and resulted in an early morning visit to the ER on Monday and a late afternoon surgery.  Ian was proud to show his ‘shrimp shaped appendix” to all who would look at it. 

And so I’m home.  I was supposed to go to Vision Expo for AOA this week but instead will nurse Ian back to health and work on posting the great photos and stories I accumulated over the last couple of weeks.  I’ve also had a request from my son for cut out cookies with frosting.  I’ll add it to my list!

Day 10 – Arrived in Chicago today.  Dr. Vince Brandys picked me up at the airport and shuttled me around to the hotel and then out to meet with a group of students and newer practitioners for pizza.  We drove down Michigan Avenue.  I NEED to go shopping.  Seriously, I REALLY NEED to go shopping.  Shopping really isn’t my thing … but I live 6+ hours from any sort of decent shopping and I thought just maybe I’d get a chance on this trip.  No such luck.  But passing all my favorite stores tonight ………. It was downright painful.

Had a great event with the students tonight.  I told them I used to be terrified of public speaking but if you get me on a roll of something I’m passionate about …. it tends to just pour out of me.  That was the case tonight.

One of my sons video skyped with me tonight.  We have had the best conversations this week.  I think I’ve had longer conversations with them via skype than I have when I’m in the same house with them. 

The Marriott was kind enough to put a scale in my bathroom.  I did in fact step on it.  I am happy to report the number it displayed was no more than when I left home and I am going to consider that a victory after a number of days on the road.

I was on the Atlantic time zone, flew to Pacific, now in Mountain and working my way back to the Central time zone.  Is this the weekend we switch to Daylight Savings time?  My husband ended the call tonight with “See you Sunday.”  I found myself saying “Wait!  I’m coming home Saturday!  Pick me up on Saturday at the airport.”  I will have a day and a half to do laundry before the next AOA meeting.  I can hardly wait to see my patient schedule on Monday.  (please read sarcasm in that statement)

On to Chicago and the Central Time Zone!

And I have a few moments to breathe, blog and check emails.  At the Arizona College of Optometry today.  The morning started by going to the wrong building – but again if that’s the worst that happens on this trip I figure I’m doing pretty well. 

First thing this morning I met with about 30 student leaders.  I walked in the building, took a breath and was “on”!  Great questions and we ran out of time so I told them to hold those thoughts till the evening event.  Looking forward to the conversations to come. 

Met with Dean Jarnigan and Dean Sorenson afterwards and had a tour of the buildings followed by lunch with the faculty.  More to come.

I think it’s day 7.  I have great photos I still need to share but quite frankly it’s late and I’m only blogging out of obligation.  I was successful in getting to Phoenix today.  I pride myself in having an internal map in my head and never rent GPS units but today decided to rent a Garmin – just in case.  I got out of the rental lot in time to take an AOA related conference call so pulled over to have a 20 minute call on the side of the exit ramp.  I’m sure people were wondering.  Once that was over I was going to turn on the Garmin and figure out where my hotel was only to find out the setting was in French!

Now, I know some french but not well enough to find the language settings to change it back to English so I had some rather humerous conversations with the folks at National as I drove back IN the car return and back OUT once they reset it to English.  Merci Beaucoup!

GPS just took us to Precision Auto Body. It didn’t look anything like what I expected Western to look like.

This morning I was the Keynote Speaker for SCCO and their Partnerships event.  About 150 students attended the morning session followed by a networking luncheon.  They heard my message as well as messages from doctors in a variety of practice modes.  Very intersting morning.

I’m already confused about what day it is and I haven’t even started the school tour portion of my trip.  I was in Atlanta for three days and never left the hotel.  I did find my way to the aiport today though and am now in Fullerton, CA.  This time change really messes a person up.  Time to go to bed as I visit SCCO tomorrow.

Why can’t I get myself out of bed to exercise at 6 AM?????  Time changes just mess me up sometimes.  Phone call at 7:40 to the AOA office and meetings started at 8 AM.  I have been in constant meetings for AOA until 6 pm so I’m a little brain dead at the moment.

I did manage to skype with my boys who showed me the tiling project in the bathroom.  The one I walked out on and told them they had to make a decision since I had a plane to catch.  Via skype it looked pretty nice.  I think I surprised the guy doing the tiling by being on video on the computer while he was still working though.  Ahhhh, technology.

I’m going to go to dinner to eat yet again after sitting all day.  Tomorrow!

What should you do when you’re having a pillow fight with your friends and the pillowcase sticks to your braces? Quick!  Think!  Pull with all your might to detach the pillowcase.  Turns our that pulls your bracket off your tooth.    That was how my day started.  I took my 11 year old to the orthodontist to “undo” the damage done in the pillow fight. 

Also met my 84 year old mother at the clinic to deal with some of her health issues.  Both of these visits were an hour from my house so we were on the road before 8 AM.  Finished both appointments and home by noon.  Walked in to have the carpenter and tiler start asking me questions about where the vanity is going to go in a bathroom we’ve recently gutted.  I needed to finish packing!  Look at the clock – it’s 1 pm.  It was at that point that I told them regardless of where we were in the decision process I needed to walk out of the house by 1:15 as I had a plane to catch at 3:15.  It has been a day with no margin for error.

And so it began.  Day 1 of Dori’s March Madness.  I’m at SECO followed by SCCO, Western, Arizona, and ICO.  The intent is I will be home by March 12th.  If this goes off without some major travel snafu it will be miracle.  Of course, then I’d have a story to tell.  Will keep you posted.