Meeting Amanda

I read an article in a magazine a billion years ago talking about the Amanda Complex - put it simply, the minute you start a major change that involves moving away, you meet the woman of your dreams (Amanda was her name in the article) and thus placed in a quandry that questions your motives for moving, or if the move is a good idea. Now, dear readers, I'm not stating that I'm changing my mind about the move. My variation of the Amanda Complex is I have discovered the some of the best out of the way restaurants in the San Mateo area and feel a little sad that I only discovered them now when I only have four days left before I move. Since I'm now a lady of leisure, I've had time to actually stop and go to some of these places I have always passed but thought, "I'll go there next weekend when I have more time.".

I'm always amazed by friends who have lived in the bay area their entire lives but have never gone to some of its iconic destinations e.g. Alcatraz, Coit Tower, Palace of the Legion of Honor etc. I suppose they feel that since they live here, there will always be a time to go. I myself, have lived here for eight years and not once have I gone to some of the these places thinking the same thing. Now there is no more time and I regret that. I hope to change that behavior once I'm in Germany. I'll try to stop and smell the roses, step into an out of the way store or restaurant and force B to do the same. He's much worse about such things than me. At least I dont wonder anymore about meeting my version of Amanda.

Speaking of B, he's in Vienna today, and will be in Lake Como for the rest of the week, attending one of those conferences that requires the services of a meeting planning company (attendees consists of the top 300 executives of his company). For those of you who don't know what I used to do, I was a meeting planner at my old job. Anyway, I asked him several questions about the meeting last night (where are you staying, what does the agenda look like, etc.) and his monosyllabic answers made me realize that he had no idea where his packet was, where he was supposed to go, his flight information...I had to stifle a laugh as I realized that attendees are the same no matter where they are - it's the meeting planners who have to worry for them. I told him to look for it and be prepared. That was always one of my pet peeves as a meeting planner, that the minute things were handled for them, attendees release self responsibility. I guess I don't have to worry about that anymore; now I'll be one of the attendee "spouses" who will drink too much, laugh too hard and ask ludicrous questions and make outrageous requests of the meeting planners and give the meeting planners something to talk about...NOT!