After four hours and fifteen minutes of flying, the pilot came on the loud speaker and said “Ladies and gentlemen, we’re in our final descent into the Orlando area with an approximate landing time in just about 20 minutes. We ask that you turn off your electronic devices and stow away your personal belongings.”
A sigh of relief. Just about home. Gladly it had been a very nice, mellow flight.
We departed Los Angeles at 7:55am PT and it was now around 3:15pm ET.
About 30 seconds after the pilot announces our descent it happens:  BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM. And my stomach falls out below me.
What the heck???
Up and down – BOOM BOOM.
I’m clutching both hands on whatever I can grasp and close my eyes. I’m silently praying “Dear God, please let us land safely. Dear God, Please let us land safely.” Over and Over.
I peek out to see the couple across the aisle holding on to each other.
I look over at my boss who’s calm as a cucumber looking out the window.
I close my eyes again. Pray. Pray. Pray.
I look over at my seat mate, an elderly gentlemen who is reading his book as if nothing is going on.
I’m thinking to myself. “What’s wrong with this man? Doesn’t he know our lives are in danger?”
I’m clutching the seat as hard as I can.
After what seems like an eternity it smooths out again.
The flight attendant comes on the intercom to tell us the pilot says the worst is behind us, but we all need to remain seated until we land.
Twenty seconds goes by then we hit it again. BOOM BOOM BOOM
This time it only lasts about 30 seconds.
Then it gets calm again.
I’m in an aisle seat so I don’t have a great view of what is going on but I can finally see signs of home.
Feeling calmer I grab my camera.

I see downtown Orlando.  I see Lake Eola.  I sense relief. I think – all is well with the world again.

From this point on it was smooth sailing. Or rather, smooth flying.

We landed, as they say, “Without incident”.

I’m happy to be home.  And thankful to God.

This was probably my quickest ever trip to Vegas.  I arrived on Friday around noon and left Saturday night on the red-eye.  I took an hour Friday afternoon to walk down “the strip”.  No offense to anyone out there and again, this is just my opinion, but I’m fairly sure that Vegas ain’t my kinda town.   I don’t gamble, don’t smoke, not into sequinned clothes and can’t afford the shows. But the town was certainly hopping!

While I was in Vegas I had the pleasure of running into two of the more prominent social media gurus, Steve Rubel and Guy Kawasaki.  Not only did I run into them, but I was extremely fortunate enough to sit down to breakfast with them for nearly 2 hours.  What a morning that was!  Their knowledge and insights were fascinating.  They talked Twitter, LifeStream, and a lot of conversation around the best iPhone apps. 

If I had been smart I would have grabbed my notebook and written down everything they said.  The funniest moment was when Steve dragged out his tool box for all his electronic gear he travels with – which he’s downsized to pretty much just the iPhone lately.  The coolest item was a battery charger he picked up at Walmart for about $30 that will charge your phone when you’re not near an outlet.  That’s pretty cool.

It was a great morning to be able to spend such quality time with them.  If you want to learn more about them just click on their names above and I”ve linked to their websites.  You should also follow them on Twitter.

What possessed me to once again agree to a week on an island in the middle of a lake with no electricity, no running water, no shelter, and only an outhouse for facilities? Am I crazy? I thought last year taught me a lesson after  I came home bruised and battered with cuts and scrapes  and the complete and utter appreciation for hot showers.  But I also came home last year with a total new sense of being.  I saw a new side of life I had never been exposed to before.  There was something very special about last year’s trip that totally endeared me to the whole Lake George camping experience. Some people may not believe this, but I actually couldn’t wait for this year’s trip to finally get here.

What I enjoyed most about camping at Lake George:

• 70-degree temperatures and NO humidity!
• Crystal clear blue skies and a full moon at night
• An amazing lake to boat, swim, tube, ski, kayak
• Strong family bonding
• No connection with daily news of crime, murders and mayhem
• Fresh mountain air – with a scent of pine in the wind
• Nightly campfires where everyone gathers to talk and roast marshmellows
• Fabulous dinners every night
• Absolutely no schedule of any kind to follow. Wake up when you want and go to sleep when you want.
• Watching kids be kids – and watching adults be kids again
• (and here’s where it gets sappy) Wanting to spend all my time with Mike.

Last year was a whirlwind of experiences.  Being a camping virgin, I truly had no idea what to expect.  My only knowledge of camping was what I saw on TV and I don’t think the “Brady Bunch” camping trips really prepared me for what I endured.  There is not a question in the world that I had a great time last year, I did come home quite beaten up. And with those bruises came some key learnings. 

Here are the Top Ten things I learned from last year that helped me survive this year:

#10.   Shoes make all the difference in the world! Teva hiking sandals helped me step foot in the right direction.

# 9.   Fashion has no place in the woods.  Cute shirts, cool earrings are meaningless on a camping trip. T-shirts, tank tops and sweatshirts are all that matters. Comfort is king.

# 8.   Put the blackberry away. Disconnecting from the world is a necessity.

# 7.   Reading is fundamental. I finished 2 ½ books during the week. It’s a great way for an early bird like me to kill time while the rest of the gang slowly wakes up.

# 6.    When hiking up a mountain, bring water in addition to the cosmopolitans.

# 5.   Carb  counting during camping is useless. Proteins, carbs.. come’on – just eat!

# 4.    Coleman stove-top drip coffee maker! New in 2009.

# 3.   Take lots of pictures and videos.

# 2.   Getting my hair professionally straightened the week before made my life so much easier.

# 1.   Hot showers for 25-cents at the marina!

2009 camping trip was an incredible experience.  Lake George is a breath-taking place. And the O’Regan clan is – well – a ton of fun.  Good times had by all.