The Flying Corgi

Polly and I made the journey to Florida together for Spring Training. We almost didn't make it, however,  due to heinous lines at the airport-- thank you United and Continental for merging, it sure made things go at an excruciatingly slow pace. I cried to a security guard that my flight was leaving in 15 minutes (true) and I hadn't seen my husband in a month (exaggeration). He said no passengers could be expedited, no exceptions. Real tears ensued at this point. The twelve people in front of me felt compassion towards the crying girl holding the puppy and let me cut. I then broke Olympic Gold Medal records sprinting through the airport to get to my gate, which was the very last one because, really, why would anything about traveling be easy?

If you have more than 4 people working, things would probably go faster, IAH. 

We made it safe and sound and Joe was happy to see his girls. Let the record reflect that he hugged Polly before me, a gesture I will not soon forget.


Polly flew the weekend before last to visit my sister and various friends in Oxford. She was great except on the flight back I fell asleep and she barked until I woke up. It was pretty rude, if you ask me.


Currently, she is chewing my shoe laces which will inevitably lead to me telling Joe I need new tennies. Chew those shoes up all you want, just stay away from my Louboutins.

Exhausted from traveling and shoe-chewing

I have experienced a different side of life in the past week or so. Not only did I become one of those women that travels with her dog, I got a taste of what it is like to not work (I feel there is some cross-over between these two categories).


After dropping Joe off at the field while it is still dark--crazy fans already lined up at the fence to try and get autographs-- I have had loads of free time till the game starts. I have gotten to do things I don't get that much time to do at home such as go back to bed, work out, read terrible magazines, watch TV,  pick out clothes and make new outfits that Rachel Zoe* would even be proud of, learn what all the buttons are on my iPad and go get my nails done. I have to say, it has been really nice having the down time. The obvious perk of getting to spend time with Joe is priority, but I am seeing what it will be like this summer and what it would be like if I were to stop work and travel with him full time.

At the famous Ceviche, note my cool outfit 

One wife here is a retired Dallas Cowboys cheerleader. She and her husband, who shall remain nameless, got married in November and she will move with him to Philadelphia and travel to the games that she can when they play away.
One girlfriend quit her job as a body builder ( I am sure there are more professional terms for this) and worked some at Nieman Marcus in Tampa, then got transferred to  Nieman Marcus not far from the AAA team and Philadelphia last year. She said that she has gone in and worked once a week or so since getting to spring training with her boyfriend. Both have given up their careers for the time being to travel with their husband/boyfriend. The most time they will spend away from their respective partners will be when a road trip goes especially long, meaning about 6 days. I am insanely jealous of them; however, I have a different situation.


 I  have the job I wanted since I was in elementary school. Not a filler job that I am trying to eventually work up towards, no, I got THE job I want. And while I am exhausted and stressed and have found myself locking my classroom door to cry once in a while, I don't know that I could trade that for being here. Joe and I have rationalized that with the summer and the off season, we are really only apart 4 1/2 months. If I can travel to see him every other weekend, than that isn't too bad. Of course, that is a big if. If I am able to find flights that I don't have to miss work. If I am able to find the energy to get on a plane every other week only to arrive at my destination at midnight, then return Sunday night as late as I can as to spend time with Joe only to find myself wanting to take my coffee intravenously Monday morning.

                                                This is what I miss when I am not with Joe


I went to a wives' conference over Spring Break put on by PAO (Professional Athletes Outreach) and Baseball Chapel. It was so insightful to meet other wives in this position. Some  women have grown children who they themselves are already playing pro ball, and some are newlyweds like myself. The primary was discussion about keeping perspective and being able to find God in everything we do, and if we don't, change courses. Our speaker Rene Taubensee made a point that really struck a cord in me: Women at home don't get this. This is probably the hardest thing, seeing friendships sift out differently than I ever thought they would. Being gone almost every weekend takes up a lot of social time to cultivate my friendships at home. There were some great, inspiring women that I met that I look forward to becoming better friends with in the baseball world-- but what about  my roots are in Houston (or Oxford, for that matter)?


PAO link: http://www.pao.org/
Baseball Chapel link: http://baseballchapel.org/


Basically I have made my home in between a rock and a hard place. I am away from my husband and feel more alone than I ever have, but have the job I went to college for and have wanted since I thought I was a March** sister from Little Women. And not only do I want my job, I feel needed here. I feel like I serve a greater purpose than my own professional ambition right now. Or, I am with my husband and we can grow in our marriage and love while I potentially go crazy because I don't know how be satisfied with setting my schedule around when my dog needs to poop or getting manicures or  Zumba class***-- I fear I would not be a productive, happy wife, nay, human being, if I did not have the intellectual stimulation I do now--


But does staying here make me a bad wife?


(By the way, in my head right now Sarah Jessica Parker is narrating this like she does when Carrie muses on Sex and the City)

I wish this is how I looked when I typed

So I pray for patience in all my trials, rest when I am able to find it, strength when I am weary, overwhelming love for my husband and my job and hope that United will offer frequent flyer miles for dogs.




I have started taking a creative writing class at Rice. It is a continuing education class which means I am the youngest of 18 aspiring and  inexperienced writers. Stay tuned for my observations from class.






* Rachel Zoe = the styling equivalent to Moses, she leads thousand through the wilderness of the unfashionable world. At some point, I will write a fashion blog post. If you need anyone to help you pick out clothes or go shopping for you, contact me.
**Wonderful book and movie, Christian Bale and Winona Ryder in the early 90's-- why doesn't Jo choose Laurie!!??
***Don't get me wrong,  I love manicures, pedicures and Zumba. I do not love poop.