Was in the USA for 2 Weeks

That’s why the blog has been dark.

And I can’t post “I’m travelling, sorry in advance the blog is on pause,” because might as well be, “the world’s cutest house is sitting empty.”

Still after all these years haven’t figured out a good solution, and always end up with an apology post like this :( I am sorry for real though.

Didn’t turn on my laptop once the entire trip… this job, it’s not like that.

It was an amazing trip!

4 States ~ 3,000 km ~ 20 cities ~ 7 hotels
~ 50 dealerships & body shops ~1,000 laughs

And several excellent outfits.

Above bottom left: 1 pair of 3″ boots for the entire 2 weeks ha.

My head feels heavy it’s so stuffed with information, it was 2 weeks of training, to get a real taste for what’s this job I just signed up for, and OMG really? Guys I won the job lottery.

A job can actually be this fun, plus profitable and ethical?… basically I go around keeping cars cosmetically beautiful… the new car smells has not left my life… automotive industry people are so fun #AutoForLife… one guy even arranged for me to do a fake cold call on a dealership!

“Hi hi I’m Keri, let’s talk about dents. And we do beautiful wheels, too.”

Every day was different, intense and awesome.  Seems sales is an early start (to which I’m still adjusting) then it’s go go GO full throttle, then full stop at 5pm.

A couple times by the day’s end I was so wide-eyed and keyed-up I’d have to go wander around Walgreens to decompress.

The States is invigorating eh, there’s this buzz in the air that’s not as prevalent in Canada.

Returned home Friday night amazingly over-stimulated, a puddle-version of myself.

Spent the weekend doing nothing with my brain… manual labour around the house, a night with a neighbour yell-laughing too loudly too late, a Super Bowl party, and jogging pants.

And arranged This Week’s Flowers.

Almost back to myself.

I have some equally action packed weeks ahead, but then as I settle into the routine of this job, a system for better blog updating will happen too. Leave it with me guys, on it.

Until then, check out these badges – Canadian dealers – you want these.

Instead of a terribly tacky plastic licence plate brackets, one of these; way more likely to be left affixed.

xo Keri

 

 

Home Again, and Have So Much to Tell You 

About both the car (it’s a hit), and what happened to me on the trip.

But for now, bed.

It looks so glamourous from the outside, these press trips, but they’re gruelling with fancy food, really.   Not in a bad way, and not complaining, but yup.

Dramatic pants in Montreal.

I have a whole front page of half-drafted Micra posts to tell you about too, but the car posts deserve focus and concentration, neither of which I have right now.

As well as stuff that happened to me.

Like this.

That’s after scoring a goal on NHL goalie Jose Theodore (yes he was being kind on me).

Then, that already big moment led to something enormous, that will get its own post obviously.

Went for a walk in the rain tonight, to hunt down a copy of today’s paper, because it contains my column, as Wednesday is auto-section day.

Which is what inspired this:

Fact. Observed over years.

Blog tag = jogging pants.

TTYT xo

 

 

Hi from Cancun, Mexico

Hi hi from my first proper vacation in a very long time.  Looking forward to … rest. Don’t know if I’ve ever blogged such an admission.

I’ve been averaging about 3 hours of sleep a night; needed this. It took a lot to get here, and didn’t really even hit me I was gone till this morning when I woke up to a different view.

I do sleep deprivation pretty well, I kinda even like it; things get all dream-like and fuzzy, everything gets funnier.

Had to buy a bathing suit. Because I hide from the sun, why would I own one.

But somewhere between that dressing room pic and checkout, the bottoms disappeared, so I’m here on the beach without a suit.

Deadlines won over the nail salon, so I peeled off the shellac, and I think I ruined nails; don’t do it.

Full hair and makeup in the back of the taxi.

New luggage was purchased the night before, and I just sent my jumpsuit downtown to be hemmed.

Next week’s ‘Keri on Driving’ column came from the airport, and 30,000 feet in the air.

Took me many months, but I’ve got a system down now. Helps that I always keep the “my column” application open and running in my mind’s background, and a text list on my phone.

Look at me changing it up.

I’ve been smashed on a plane once, and never will I again.

Actually, whenever you see me out at an event, there’s a 99% chance I’m fake drinking, which I have down to a science. (surely by now you’ve figured out I’m a control freak).

At Mexican customs, the system is: speak with a customs officer, then baggage claim, and then another officer who is positioned beside a big red button. Everyone must push the button, and it’s like a casino game – get a green light and you’re free to go, get a red light and take your bag over to be searched and questioned. Guess what colour I got :|

It’s a ridiculously nice hotel, look at the soaps.

You know Bulgari is my favourite.

The boy really killed it at work the past year, so work sent him away with the other top hustlers, nice.

Hoping to make it to visit the Mayan ruins, especially that it’s so close in time to a huge planetary alignment on June 5.

Kay I have to revise my column for next week (“going to the racetrack”), plus a couple more things and then I can shut it down. I’ll power up ye ‘ole blog again Wednesday when I’m back in country, TTY then.

xo
Keri

 

Label your Luggage Always

A few months back I was looking out the window, waiting for the plane to take off… oh what’s that?

That’s my suitcase not being loaded on board. Instead, it’s about to be driven away on that little truck.

Oh no.  “Excuse me”… “Hello?” By now the truck has started driving away, I stand up “HI LISTEN HI”.

I described what happened, and it was the pilot himself who leaped off the plane and ran after the truck.

It was only then that I started to worry… imagine if I was wrong, and I’d just held up the plane, while the pilot chased someone else’s bag.

But it wasn’t, and he returned with my luggage, and the passengers around me were all, “sharp eye” and “nice catch”.  I only felt relief.

That’s why I use that giant orange luggage tag,
a bright red strap, and a green lock; VDMs

VDM – Visual Distinguishing Mark

(as I’ve blogged before, only use TSA approved red diamond locks when travelling)

 

My Last 24 Hours

Guys woah, until it’s ALL GONE, all of it, you don’t realize how reliant you are on electronic communication until you literally have none.

I went to 2 McDonald’s and a Starbucks, I tried my guts out to get this online… coming soon PROPER TOOLS: an iPhone I can tether to an Air, a laptop that’s just my size.

Regarding my new site well, I’ve been building it in my imagination for 2 years, and it’s as good.  The unveiling is later this week, and, maybe my favourite news, The Canadian Explorer is finally getting the home it deserves.

Here’s my home for the next two months.

My trunk in the GLI.

I have a lot of purging to do, still. You have to be ruthless I’ve learned.

And the video ‘I Own Only One Trunk’ well, is still unedited, there’s been no time… it’s a rhythm I still haven’t found yet, but I’m getting closer.

I’m excited to edit that one, I had a lot of fun with The Emporium, the whole experience, and I have more to say about the experience, which was kinda weird.