Barbara Who Cried – Travel Napkin #2
Barbara sat across from us at a communal table at Rick & Ann’s, a breakfast spot in Berkeley. We told her the story of Dwight’s memorial service. She is now a friend newly made.
Sausage vs Hot Dog – Travel Napkin #1
Noted while traveling: She said she said at the fast food spot at the Las Vegas airport on my way to California to say goodbye to Dwight.
Drawing by Marty Coleman
She Poured It In Texas
On the road, deep in the heart of Texas!
I was awarded a 2 night stay at the Gaylord Texan resort from Steinbrecher and Associates for a story I wrote about the ‘aha moment’ in my life from being the Napkin Dad. Linda, Caitlin and I are here now over Independence Day and enjoying ourselves immensely.
The drawing was done after breakfast. I stayed down at the restaurant while Linda went upstairs to shower. The waitress was kind and thoughtful and I liked that her tag said she was from Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
I will post something longer when I get home but had to get at least one ‘Travelin’ Napkin’ in while I was here!
Here is the drawing after I got home and was able to work on it a bit.
Here is the story of our time at the Gaylord, in four parts.
Part Zero (the napkin)
The Problem with Expectations
We are going to the Belmont Stakes. We were going to watch Triple Crown history, or so we thought.
The potential Triple Crown winner, ‘I’ll Have Another’ was scratched from the race today. Expectations and anticipation are dashed. What is that really about but us humans constructing a world in our mind that hasn’t happened yet. Horses don’t do that. I am glad I am a human, not a horse. But I sometimes like having a horse’s enjoyment of the here and now.
Are you able to deal with expectations well? How?
In The City – Journey to Blog World #8
My first travel napkin of my trip to speak at Blog World in NYC.
I did the usual thing when you are alone at a social media conference and tweeted to the Blog World crowd asking who wanted to get a bite to eat before the opening party. Rzaz, Sus, and Apdo responded and off we went to find good Thai food.
We were all strangers so we told our ‘Why are you at Blog World?’ stories. When I told about me as the Napkin Dad Apdo picked up a restaurant napkin and exclaimed, so you could just draw on this one if you want, right? I took up the challenge and came up with this of Apdo in the city listening to a little bird.
After dinner we saw this.
Then we mosied over to the opening party where I introduced my new friends to some of the people I met at Blog World LA in November. They made some great connections and I met someone from Bulgaria.
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What She Wants – Travel Napkin
On the road in Texas thinking about beauty and goodness, selfishness and altruism.
How do you balance the tension between the two? Does one even need to worry about it?
Food for Thought- Travel Napkin
Maybe my last Guest napkin from Waco since Caitlin is graduating this year.
And later, when I went on my photo shoot I found this grave marker:
I thought it was pretty OMG!
Travel Napkin – Alamo Bowl Edition
I am in San Antonio for the Alamo Bowl tonight between the Baylor Bears and University of Washington Huskies. Sic em’ Bears!
San Antonio is an AWESOME city, by the way.
Friends – Blog World LA – Day 4
Whenever you go to a conference there is that dreaded feeling that you won’t know anyone, no one will befriend you and you will spend a lot of time roaming the cavernous halls of some center feeling alone amidst thousands of people. It doesn’t usually end up happening at that level but the anticipation of it is there and the reality of conference life definitely includes stretches of those times.
Luckily, I ended up with some great new friends with whom I was able have great conversations, pal around with from session to session, catch at lunch or a party and get to know. The anticipation of being completely alone was replaced with the anticipation of seeing my friends again shortly, even if I was alone.
Here are three of my new found friends, Leslie, Shanna, and John. I drew this during the last lunch. They were fun, happy, and friendly. They also happened to be fantastic encouragers for me before I gave my presentation and enthusiastic supporters after. It is very gratifying to have them as new friends. Many others became good friends as well, and I am grateful for all of them!
Blog World Los Angeles is now over. I tweeted to the conference participants to see if anyone was headed down south to San Diego where I will be visiting my sister, her family and my father. Sure enough I got a quick response and am now going to hitch a ride in exchange for gas. So, next stop the beach and a commissioned photo shoot on Tuesday!
Thanks again to all my Napkin Kin!
Marty
The Girl with the Wonderful Eyebrows – Part 2
I came down to the dining area at the hotel in Waco. I saw a young woman with great, fun, spikey hair sitting down with someone who looked like her mother and a friend. I went and found a guest napkin & drew them. The mother had copper eyeshadow, and I love copper eyeshadow on almost anyone. Haven’t ever really figured out why, but I do. I know, the color of her eye shadow in the drawing isn’t copper, so sue me. This story has nothing to do with this drawing.
As I was drawing a woman asked if she could borrow one of the chairs at my table. They sat at the table next to me and I overheard them talking about the big Baylor Sing competition of the night before. My daughter was in the same event so I asked them what they thought of it.
We got into a friendly discussion about the various acts, which were good, bad, ugly, etc. It turns out their daughters were also in the competition (they were in acts that we ranked very high, so that was good). I mentioned that I was an artist and I didn’t think enough attention was paid to the visuals of set design, costumes, etc. in the judging. They said they noticed I had been drawing and I explained about ‘The Napkin Dad’, and told them about this website/blog. I gave them my card.
My wife showed up so I went to help fix a plate of food for our daughter, still upstairs getting ready. When I came back my new friends were laughing and cracking up about something. They had just gone to my site on their iPhone and said, ‘You won’t believe it, but Hilary, the girl with the wonderful eyebrows? We have known her since she was 6 months old, she is one of my daughter’s best friends.’
I brought out the drawing I did of Hilary and they took a photo to immediately send to Hilary’s mother back in Phoenix. I like this story. Life is good sometimes and it makes me happy.
Here is the link to Part One
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Drawing and story by Marty Coleman