My Mental Vacation

Gone Bionic. Wish You Were Here.

Most of my friends and colleagues know that I had a hip replacement a couple of weeks ago. Yes, I know. I'm pretty young for this, so it has been a huge mental transition for me. It is hard to think of myself as a person with any limitations, however temporary.

I'm younger than the Baby Boomer generation, many of whom are already dealing with the challenges of aging. Marketers, like me, are putting a lot of thought into understanding what motivates and attracts this demographic. So, I've learned a few things:

• We have choices about our healthcare. Open access to a plethora of information allows us to make informed choices - doctors, health plans, medications, etc. Time to stop treating us like we're ignorant.
• Quality of life is important, and we don't "want" medical issues or their solutions to interfere with our ability to work, travel, or otherwise live an active lifestyle. When there is more than one treatment option, we will place huge importance on the impact on our lives. (I chose the doctor and hip replacement technique that promised greater range of motion.)
• Many of us care about how we look. We're not caving in without a fight. Time to think of mobility aids as fashion accessories. If I have to use a cane, I want it to match my outfit. (I'm only half-kidding.)

Basically, we haven't changed, but our bodies have. We're still consumers. We grew up on TV shows and movies where bionics and medical marvels were de rigueur. Now we're ready to buy them.

Spring Fever

Today marks the vernal equinox. Sunny weather here in the Bay Area, and spring is once again in the air.

I'm sitting at my desk, and I keep getting drawn to the outdoors. From my window, I can see the trees turning green and the first buds appearing on the vines covering the back fence. The dog next door is barking at everyone who walks past on the creek path, and he totally drowns out the sound of the birds.

All this distraction. I've got piles of stuff all over my desk, and I just want to sweep it away, and get outside for a while. But no... I've got projects to finish and taxes to prep for.

The other official sign of spring - income taxes! (Groan...)  Maybe I'll give myself a reward when I get them done!

Calgon, Take Me Away!

That is probably one of the most memorable taglines of all time. I'm sure many people are like me.... you get stuck at your desk or your job working too hard, or your stress level is high for whatever reason. Then you just start yearning to escape from it all and take a vacation... off to some tropical locale... sunshine, umbrella drinks, and a summer lust novel.

"Calgon, take me away" has all of the qualities of a good tagline. People directly relate to the message, they remember it, and it becomes adopted as part of the vernacular. There is an entire generation of people now who don't even know that Calgon is a water softener. But check it out on Wikipedia... the phrase was translated in many languages, and was mentioned in books, songs, and films.

Even if I don't say it out loud, I often hear that phrase in my head whenever I'm ready for a vacation.

And speaking of umbrella drinks, one of my clients makes The Perfect Puree to give fresh fruit flavor to artisan cocktails and beverages. Check 'em out!

I've been working too hard!

Consultants have busy periods and dry spells. The past couple of months have been full of new and interesting projects and clients. I love working hard, and will burn the midnight oil when needed, but when it goes on for more than two weeks straight, I need a break.

I had a birthday a couple of weeks ago, and my husband engineered a getaway in the middle of the week that was just the break I needed. He reserved a room in San Francisco for the night, and made me quit work at 5:00. We had martinis at sunset at the Top of the Mark, which is the epitome of 1940's elegance.

We went over to to the new Yoshi's in SF, and had a really great sushi dinner. The food was amazing!  Yoshi's nightclub was fun, too... a great place to hear live jazz. We heard a new guitarist from Africa, who was awesome, but I'm afraid I can't remember his name.

The next day, we had breakfast in the City, and then drove home so I could get to work. Tony took the whole day off, which is somehow unfair, given that it was MY birthday! But, hey... what can I say... No complaints; it was a grand time and a memorable birthday.

Vacation is a State of Mind

I took a vacation for the long holiday weekend, with no airports, no parking hassles, no exorbitant tourist prices. We stayed home. I just didn't work, and that made it a great vacation.

Yep. You read it here first. Helen Kennedy did not work. The "feel" was similar to the trip when Tony and I rented a house on the Big Island for a while, and my laptop was out for repairs. On that trip, I couldn't work, but the effect was the same. I felt a little bit disconnected, but I got over it.

This will sound terribly boring to my vast audience of readers (I think there are two...) We did some leisurely shopping. Finally found some furniture for our house, which we bought almost two years ago. We drove over to the Ferry Building to buy some excellent organic food for dinner, then we came home and had a fabulous dinner, just the two of us. One evening, we just popped into the bar at Massimo's and had cocktails and appetizers. Relaxed and informal. Movies On Demand at home. No pressure. No expectations.

I guess a vacation is a state of mind brought on by the deliberate act of "not working."