Security was everywhere. After passing through a heavily guarded door, removing my jacket, watch, necklace and shoes and passing through a super sensitive metal detector I managed to redress myself for the second time that morning and begin the fascinating exhibit which is that of the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia PA.
The unique design of the building gives the illusion of flowing water and it carries visitors along the path of the creation, use, intent and history of this Bell which serves as an icon of Liberty and Freedom for all. After reading about the repairs to the crack in the bell which then became a "gap" due to the repairs not being properly performed; I stopped and watched a short video about the impact the Liberty Bell played in Women's History and Susan B. Anthony's use of the Bell for the speech given in 1915. Exhibit after exhibit detailed the history of the Bell and the history of our country. Both the good and bad were brought to light and served to illustrate how a nation even though it is being torn asunder by such tragedies as the Vietnam War can still rally around a monument and unite in the cause for Freedom.
Following the Liberty Bell I toured the entire Historical District and saw such famous sites as Betsy Ross' House, the Carpenters Building and the statue of the "Signer". After such an enjoyable morning/afternoon of sightseeing I stopped off at a tiny little pub called "The Happy Rooster" for a little libation and a quick check of the football scores. An Anchor Steamer later (brewed in San Francisco since the 1800's) and I was well versed in the Notre Dame vs Washington game but had no idea as to any of the other scores. A few hours more of window shopping and a very enjoyable visit to Barnes and Nobel bookstore and I was ready to call it a day just as the sun was setting in the evening sky.
After resting my weary feet awhile I ventured out for a sushi dinner which while good wasn't on par with Goro's, Ichiban or Mr. Sushi. Isn't it sad how we develop favorite spots by which all other things are judged!
Today has been quiet and unfortunately while today is dull, tomorrow is going to be brutal. The day starts at 9:30am and will not be ending until 4am the next day. Wednesday then will resume at 9am and run until 8pm....so in all likelihood this will be one cranky, exhausted and bleary eyed individual by the time Thursday rolls around.
So Ca la vie until later mes amies.
Monday, December 18, 2006
Sunday, December 17, 2006
Pubbing
Friday night fun.
After hours and hours of working but not really doing anything productive because I'm just observing others not actually doing my own work (yeah and if you can follow that you deserve a medal)....the individual I was shadowing invited me out to a local Irish pub to unwind from the day. A little background might be necessary at this point. The individual who I had the pleasure of working with on Friday is from Philadelphia but her parents are from Ireland. She herself has dual citizenship and has spent many, many summers in Ireland etc. Her fiance is authentic Irish who has only been here for about a year--and it is a little hard to understand him due to the accent. But nonetheless they are a great couple. So anyhow we all got together at the hotel along with another girl from the Sales department and headed over to this Irish pub called "Fado" on Locust St. for a couple of drinks cause Meagan's sister works there.
What a blast. Inbetween trying to figure out what Georgie was trying to say and then formulating a suitable response and us laughing our heads off about various topics it was indeed a fabulous night. We laughed, talked and even did a little dancing -- although Irish men don't dance and this proved that statement true. It has something to do with jigging, and keeping the upper body perfectly still while their feet go mad---Georgie and Meagan tried to explain it to me but I was laughing too hard at Georgie trying to dance for it to really sink in. Meagan is my age and when the songs from "our era" were played we showed the youngsters (Georgie and the Parisan lady from the Sales dept) how it should be done.
But this pub is indeed a little taste of Ireland in the States. Dark beams, soccer on the televisions and more Irish accents than you can shake a stick at. It was very interesting. Makes me want to visit Ireland soon for a lengthy vacation. Very cool people in a city that is shaping up to be quite fun.
After hours and hours of working but not really doing anything productive because I'm just observing others not actually doing my own work (yeah and if you can follow that you deserve a medal)....the individual I was shadowing invited me out to a local Irish pub to unwind from the day. A little background might be necessary at this point. The individual who I had the pleasure of working with on Friday is from Philadelphia but her parents are from Ireland. She herself has dual citizenship and has spent many, many summers in Ireland etc. Her fiance is authentic Irish who has only been here for about a year--and it is a little hard to understand him due to the accent. But nonetheless they are a great couple. So anyhow we all got together at the hotel along with another girl from the Sales department and headed over to this Irish pub called "Fado" on Locust St. for a couple of drinks cause Meagan's sister works there.
What a blast. Inbetween trying to figure out what Georgie was trying to say and then formulating a suitable response and us laughing our heads off about various topics it was indeed a fabulous night. We laughed, talked and even did a little dancing -- although Irish men don't dance and this proved that statement true. It has something to do with jigging, and keeping the upper body perfectly still while their feet go mad---Georgie and Meagan tried to explain it to me but I was laughing too hard at Georgie trying to dance for it to really sink in. Meagan is my age and when the songs from "our era" were played we showed the youngsters (Georgie and the Parisan lady from the Sales dept) how it should be done.
But this pub is indeed a little taste of Ireland in the States. Dark beams, soccer on the televisions and more Irish accents than you can shake a stick at. It was very interesting. Makes me want to visit Ireland soon for a lengthy vacation. Very cool people in a city that is shaping up to be quite fun.
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
The post that should have been posted on Monday.
The time in Dallas has come to an end and this evening marks my last night in Texas until the 30th. I spent the day looking at houses in Sherman which was so fun. I never realized how much a house literally “speaks” to you when you first walk in the door. I saw cute houses, not so cute houses; one that made me want to run screaming for the hills and another that was a complete throwback to the 60’s-70’s. It was a fun day and following my house-viewing time in Sherman I had lunch with John and Mary which quickly became a two hour lunch as we sat and chit-chatted and enjoyed the afternoon.
Saturday eve a friend and I went to my favorite sushi restaurant in Dallas where I satisfied my seemingly insatiable craving for sushi which had been haunting me for weeks. I then dragged my poor friend to the chick-flick of the season “The Holiday” with Jude Law, Jack Black, Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet. It was cute, funny, had a happy ending and yet only marginally entered into the land of smaltzy sappiness.
Following the movie I faced the dreaded task of packing for Miami, Philadelphia and Minneapolis. What to wear, what to leave behind, how much can I fit into these poor suitcases and how can I pack enough clothing for a month of very varied social settings. By 12:30am I was packed, the hotel room was cleaned and I was beat and the shuttle was going to arrive at 8:30am to pick me up for the airport run. As I was trying to fall asleep I kept thinking about a great line from the movie that I had gone to that stated “If nothing else a girl should be the leading lady in her own life.” I kept thinking how that statement was so true. We only have one life and each person is the leading lady of their own life if they chose to be.
That line has been with me for the past two days now and it keeps running through my head each time I think I’m bored, as I was waiting at the airport for ages and ages in the vain hope my plane would bored sometime this century, as I waited in line for lunch (at the airport) and waited in line for dinner (at another airport), and as I did some serious thinking last night. While I haven’t reached any concrete conclusions about what I am going to change in my life I know that something will be changing. I should be the leading lady in my own life. Not wondering what others think of me, of my work, of how I look. Not worried about money, my car or a zillion other inconsequential things that take time away from the important things.
So now I’m here in beautiful Miami, where the palm trees have Christmas lights and it is green like spring. Unfortunately, I’m bored outta my ever-loving mind but that is how it goes. I’m shadowing someone for Monday and Tuesday and it is consisting of hours spent working on our own respective laptops. He gave me the rundown of what he is doing and now he is doing it. So I’m sitting here working on some work stuff, checking email, and writing my blog entry in a Word document cause I can’t blog while I’m in the office. And I’m bored……so what can I do to turn this around and take charge of the situation? Not much at this point….but I’ll keep thinking about it.
Saturday eve a friend and I went to my favorite sushi restaurant in Dallas where I satisfied my seemingly insatiable craving for sushi which had been haunting me for weeks. I then dragged my poor friend to the chick-flick of the season “The Holiday” with Jude Law, Jack Black, Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet. It was cute, funny, had a happy ending and yet only marginally entered into the land of smaltzy sappiness.
Following the movie I faced the dreaded task of packing for Miami, Philadelphia and Minneapolis. What to wear, what to leave behind, how much can I fit into these poor suitcases and how can I pack enough clothing for a month of very varied social settings. By 12:30am I was packed, the hotel room was cleaned and I was beat and the shuttle was going to arrive at 8:30am to pick me up for the airport run. As I was trying to fall asleep I kept thinking about a great line from the movie that I had gone to that stated “If nothing else a girl should be the leading lady in her own life.” I kept thinking how that statement was so true. We only have one life and each person is the leading lady of their own life if they chose to be.
That line has been with me for the past two days now and it keeps running through my head each time I think I’m bored, as I was waiting at the airport for ages and ages in the vain hope my plane would bored sometime this century, as I waited in line for lunch (at the airport) and waited in line for dinner (at another airport), and as I did some serious thinking last night. While I haven’t reached any concrete conclusions about what I am going to change in my life I know that something will be changing. I should be the leading lady in my own life. Not wondering what others think of me, of my work, of how I look. Not worried about money, my car or a zillion other inconsequential things that take time away from the important things.
So now I’m here in beautiful Miami, where the palm trees have Christmas lights and it is green like spring. Unfortunately, I’m bored outta my ever-loving mind but that is how it goes. I’m shadowing someone for Monday and Tuesday and it is consisting of hours spent working on our own respective laptops. He gave me the rundown of what he is doing and now he is doing it. So I’m sitting here working on some work stuff, checking email, and writing my blog entry in a Word document cause I can’t blog while I’m in the office. And I’m bored……so what can I do to turn this around and take charge of the situation? Not much at this point….but I’ll keep thinking about it.
Monday, November 27, 2006
Post holiday recap.
Whew...who knew that Thanksgiving could come and go so quickly?
Wednesday kicked off the holiday with a bang and after a rather tedious drive I arrived in San Marcos where I dropped by to say hello to Ryan as he was covering the holiday madness at the Outlet stores. Ryan and I then made our way into SA braving the crazy driving patterns of people who were anxious to arrive at their destinations and who in the true tradition of holiday traffic forgot about the rules of the road. Wednesday eve....Ryan, Sarah and I relaxed at the Saucer and strategized our plans for Thanksgiving day. After a little libation we returned home to drop Ryan off as he had to work the next day and Sarah and I headed off to HEB for some yummy salad fixings. There is no better time to go to the grocery store than 1am.
Thanksgiving day was spent with Ryans family who presented a fantastic meal of turkey, dressing, gravy, potatoes, cranberries and of course a vast array of delectable desserts. After indulging ourself into a comotose state Ryan returned to work and Sarah and I relaxed in true Thanksgiving tradition by taking a nap. After a late dinner back at Ryan's grandmothers house Ryan, Sarah and I went for some additional holiday cheer at the Saucer...I love that place.
Black Friday did not see either Sarah or I venturing into the stores....not for love or money! Rather we turned into creative culinary masters in the kitchen and utlizing some fabulous Norweigan recipes that have been passed from generation to generation created some delectible goodies such as Rossetts and chocolate macaroons. The baking fun was interspersed with frequent tastings for the sake of quality control--of course. Saturday eve saw us visiting another of my favorite haunts--Goro's Sushi followed by some additional relaxation at a classy little hotel lounge with a good bottle of wine and some very good jazz. We then met up with another friend at the Saucer and after a few laughs determined that we did need to return home as Ryan was unfortuately scheduled for a very early work day....not that 1:30am is early but nontheless.
On Saturday Sarah and I finished our baking spree with some truely tasty butter sugar cookies....makes me wish I had some here with me now...darn the mid-morning munchies....this is what happens when you skip breakfast. Anyhow after Ryan finished work we leisurly made our way to Ryan's mothers house for dinner with the family. Since that was my last eve in SA we had to continue our Saucer tradition and of course we did just that. While at the Saucer I snagged a cute little t-shirt for myself as since I haven't been biking this year my t-shirt stash is running low. Thus we relaxed and just had a few laughs and some conversation while the crowds ebbed and flowed around us; including a fairly large wedding party.
Sunday morning saw us heading off to church followed by Chachos for some excellent tacos then mid-afternoon I braved the traffic to head back into Dallas. Unfortunately the trip back to Dallas wasn't a speedy trip...I finally pulled into my parking space at 10:30 due to a bad accident on I-35 and just crashed for the night.
So that brings us up to the present moment....I'm working away planning next years audit trips and it looks like I'll be bringing a winter jacket for some snowy weather in January and than completely turning things around and will be packing a bikini for February.
So once again a wonderful Thanksgiving was spent with friends and family and now the Christmas music has free reign on the radio and I'm planning out Christmas shopping lists. Life is fun!
Wednesday kicked off the holiday with a bang and after a rather tedious drive I arrived in San Marcos where I dropped by to say hello to Ryan as he was covering the holiday madness at the Outlet stores. Ryan and I then made our way into SA braving the crazy driving patterns of people who were anxious to arrive at their destinations and who in the true tradition of holiday traffic forgot about the rules of the road. Wednesday eve....Ryan, Sarah and I relaxed at the Saucer and strategized our plans for Thanksgiving day. After a little libation we returned home to drop Ryan off as he had to work the next day and Sarah and I headed off to HEB for some yummy salad fixings. There is no better time to go to the grocery store than 1am.
Thanksgiving day was spent with Ryans family who presented a fantastic meal of turkey, dressing, gravy, potatoes, cranberries and of course a vast array of delectable desserts. After indulging ourself into a comotose state Ryan returned to work and Sarah and I relaxed in true Thanksgiving tradition by taking a nap. After a late dinner back at Ryan's grandmothers house Ryan, Sarah and I went for some additional holiday cheer at the Saucer...I love that place.
Black Friday did not see either Sarah or I venturing into the stores....not for love or money! Rather we turned into creative culinary masters in the kitchen and utlizing some fabulous Norweigan recipes that have been passed from generation to generation created some delectible goodies such as Rossetts and chocolate macaroons. The baking fun was interspersed with frequent tastings for the sake of quality control--of course. Saturday eve saw us visiting another of my favorite haunts--Goro's Sushi followed by some additional relaxation at a classy little hotel lounge with a good bottle of wine and some very good jazz. We then met up with another friend at the Saucer and after a few laughs determined that we did need to return home as Ryan was unfortuately scheduled for a very early work day....not that 1:30am is early but nontheless.
On Saturday Sarah and I finished our baking spree with some truely tasty butter sugar cookies....makes me wish I had some here with me now...darn the mid-morning munchies....this is what happens when you skip breakfast. Anyhow after Ryan finished work we leisurly made our way to Ryan's mothers house for dinner with the family. Since that was my last eve in SA we had to continue our Saucer tradition and of course we did just that. While at the Saucer I snagged a cute little t-shirt for myself as since I haven't been biking this year my t-shirt stash is running low. Thus we relaxed and just had a few laughs and some conversation while the crowds ebbed and flowed around us; including a fairly large wedding party.
Sunday morning saw us heading off to church followed by Chachos for some excellent tacos then mid-afternoon I braved the traffic to head back into Dallas. Unfortunately the trip back to Dallas wasn't a speedy trip...I finally pulled into my parking space at 10:30 due to a bad accident on I-35 and just crashed for the night.
So that brings us up to the present moment....I'm working away planning next years audit trips and it looks like I'll be bringing a winter jacket for some snowy weather in January and than completely turning things around and will be packing a bikini for February.
So once again a wonderful Thanksgiving was spent with friends and family and now the Christmas music has free reign on the radio and I'm planning out Christmas shopping lists. Life is fun!
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Twas the Day before Thanksgiving.....
So I just have to share cause I'm so excited that I can hardly sit still in my chair....Yesterday late afternoon I sent the reports over to my boss (the head of the dept) for review...after some modifications, revisions etc the first one was set to go....then the second one was sent for review and joy of all joy there was only a MINOR modification to be made....let me tell you I was over the moon and still am obviously. :) So today I'm cleaning up files, listening to some music, and putting some things together for the Miami trip...generally enjoying the quiet morning. Then at noon (or thereabouts) I'm taking off for SA!!
There are so many thoughts rushing about my head but most of all is the thought of just how thankful I am for so many things in my life. I have a wonderful family in MN and WI who love me and whom I love dearly. I have parents who have spent the last 32 years together and who know that a night in with movies and popcorn is the best way to spend a Nov, Dec, Jan or Feb night and who tho quirky still love each other through thick and thin. I have a wonderful sister and two nieces and a nephew who are simply the most fun people with which to have a marathon cookie baking session. I have a brother that although we can go for months without talking to each other the second we see each other its like we are both kids again and I'm getting beat up on again (some things never change).
I have amazing friends who are family and who always know exactly what is going on in my life and who are ever ready to offer a listening ear or some sage advice "sushi, chocolate and alcohol will make everything better". Without my friends both old and new I wouldn't be where I am now. I wouldn't be the slightly paranoid control freak type A personality that I am....I would be 100 times worse! :) So from the bottom of my heart....Thanks for being there and always being supportive....A comment I once read stated that a friend is someone who would pay the bail to get you out of jail....a true friend is one who would be sitting there next to you saying "Wasn't that fun!"....each of you know who you are and I know that each of you would more than likely be sitting in that cell next to me (I wonder if jail is co-ed?)
And I have a job many people would love to have and which I am becoming more and more fond of as I adjust to the changes of the new position. I am also thankful for my health...sounds silly but nonetheless true...I have been healthly all year long aside from a minor cold or two, haven't had any serious hangovers, no major surgery, no illnesses to speak of and am just that healthy, sturdy Swede who can go all day and then keep on going. I have enough to make ends meet, food on the table and a roof over my head. Honestly do we need anything more?
All in all life has been good this year. And I just wanted to take a moment and say THANK YOU to all my friends and family out there who are reading this, and to those who don't have a clue what a blog is I'll be seeing you at Christmas so don't worry about it.
There are so many thoughts rushing about my head but most of all is the thought of just how thankful I am for so many things in my life. I have a wonderful family in MN and WI who love me and whom I love dearly. I have parents who have spent the last 32 years together and who know that a night in with movies and popcorn is the best way to spend a Nov, Dec, Jan or Feb night and who tho quirky still love each other through thick and thin. I have a wonderful sister and two nieces and a nephew who are simply the most fun people with which to have a marathon cookie baking session. I have a brother that although we can go for months without talking to each other the second we see each other its like we are both kids again and I'm getting beat up on again (some things never change).
I have amazing friends who are family and who always know exactly what is going on in my life and who are ever ready to offer a listening ear or some sage advice "sushi, chocolate and alcohol will make everything better". Without my friends both old and new I wouldn't be where I am now. I wouldn't be the slightly paranoid control freak type A personality that I am....I would be 100 times worse! :) So from the bottom of my heart....Thanks for being there and always being supportive....A comment I once read stated that a friend is someone who would pay the bail to get you out of jail....a true friend is one who would be sitting there next to you saying "Wasn't that fun!"....each of you know who you are and I know that each of you would more than likely be sitting in that cell next to me (I wonder if jail is co-ed?)
And I have a job many people would love to have and which I am becoming more and more fond of as I adjust to the changes of the new position. I am also thankful for my health...sounds silly but nonetheless true...I have been healthly all year long aside from a minor cold or two, haven't had any serious hangovers, no major surgery, no illnesses to speak of and am just that healthy, sturdy Swede who can go all day and then keep on going. I have enough to make ends meet, food on the table and a roof over my head. Honestly do we need anything more?
All in all life has been good this year. And I just wanted to take a moment and say THANK YOU to all my friends and family out there who are reading this, and to those who don't have a clue what a blog is I'll be seeing you at Christmas so don't worry about it.
Monday, November 20, 2006
Return to Dallas
In the words of someone famous.....I'm baaack!!!
DC was great fun... I had a great opportunity to do a little sightseeing and of course logged many, many hours of work but all in all it was a great experience. And I have pictures but due to corp office Websense blockers I can't upload them. So I'll send them out the old fashioned way---via email! John left as of Friday for his new job in San Francisco so the office is quiet and I'm manuvering my way through the report writing process. Challenging to say the least.
This past weekend I visited some friends in Killeen, TX and had an early Thanksgiving dinner with them....there is just something about, turkey, stuffing, gravy and cranberry sauce....Delicious! After spending a great day with them I leisurely made my way back to Dallas....all the while enjoying the beautiful weather.
I only have another day and a half here in Dallas cause Wednesday at noon its get out of jail free day....The corp office closes at noon and will be closed for Thursday and Friday....so I am going to enjoy a long weekend in SA. Should be fun and I definately feel the need for some Flying Saucer taste bud enjoyment.
So thats the news that is news....for the moment!
DC was great fun... I had a great opportunity to do a little sightseeing and of course logged many, many hours of work but all in all it was a great experience. And I have pictures but due to corp office Websense blockers I can't upload them. So I'll send them out the old fashioned way---via email! John left as of Friday for his new job in San Francisco so the office is quiet and I'm manuvering my way through the report writing process. Challenging to say the least.
This past weekend I visited some friends in Killeen, TX and had an early Thanksgiving dinner with them....there is just something about, turkey, stuffing, gravy and cranberry sauce....Delicious! After spending a great day with them I leisurely made my way back to Dallas....all the while enjoying the beautiful weather.
I only have another day and a half here in Dallas cause Wednesday at noon its get out of jail free day....The corp office closes at noon and will be closed for Thursday and Friday....so I am going to enjoy a long weekend in SA. Should be fun and I definately feel the need for some Flying Saucer taste bud enjoyment.
So thats the news that is news....for the moment!
Sunday, November 12, 2006
Hair color update
Super quickly.....
Just wanted to let you know that I had my hair done on Saturday. And the final result is that I went back to natural with a darker lowlight and let me tell you it looks amazing. I had no idea that my natural color was so dark. Actually it wasn't but hey getting older is good for something and in my case its turning my hair dark again. A little history. When I was born I had black hair....black as the night....it went with the eyebrows and eyelashes. Then around 2yrs old I turned into a light, light brown almost blond color. Some would say dishwater blond....uggg. And there it stayed for many, many years. So at 15 I started coloring my hair....it was fun, creative, let me express myself--sortof. It was more like my mom is a strawberry blond, my sister a redhead, my brother a redhead, my dad dark chocolate brown and then there was me. Not a match to be found anywhere in the genetic line. So now 16 years later (I can't believe its been that long) I went back to natural and lo and behold my natural color is NOT dishwater, mouse brown. Honestly when I first saw it (after I put my glasses back on) I almost started crying. I look like my dad. There is a family resemblance between us. It was an amazing moment and the poor hairdresser was so worried because I just kept saying that I look like my dad, I actually look like my dad....and she thought that it was a bad thing. So in conclusion. The new natural haircolor is amazing. I am an ash brown with lowlights (I can't quite give up the kick of playing with color yet)and it is beautiful. It looks so rich and dark and my eyes just pop when you look at me. Does that make sense??? Anyhow no matter if it makes sense of not... the color is great, it really works with my skin tone and is so natural. Even John was amazing by it and now want to get highlights next Saturday in my color. :) Bottom line, I love my new look and I am comfortable with it...which is very, very important.
So that's the latest....JDK has a great new natural color!! Gotta love it!
Just wanted to let you know that I had my hair done on Saturday. And the final result is that I went back to natural with a darker lowlight and let me tell you it looks amazing. I had no idea that my natural color was so dark. Actually it wasn't but hey getting older is good for something and in my case its turning my hair dark again. A little history. When I was born I had black hair....black as the night....it went with the eyebrows and eyelashes. Then around 2yrs old I turned into a light, light brown almost blond color. Some would say dishwater blond....uggg. And there it stayed for many, many years. So at 15 I started coloring my hair....it was fun, creative, let me express myself--sortof. It was more like my mom is a strawberry blond, my sister a redhead, my brother a redhead, my dad dark chocolate brown and then there was me. Not a match to be found anywhere in the genetic line. So now 16 years later (I can't believe its been that long) I went back to natural and lo and behold my natural color is NOT dishwater, mouse brown. Honestly when I first saw it (after I put my glasses back on) I almost started crying. I look like my dad. There is a family resemblance between us. It was an amazing moment and the poor hairdresser was so worried because I just kept saying that I look like my dad, I actually look like my dad....and she thought that it was a bad thing. So in conclusion. The new natural haircolor is amazing. I am an ash brown with lowlights (I can't quite give up the kick of playing with color yet)and it is beautiful. It looks so rich and dark and my eyes just pop when you look at me. Does that make sense??? Anyhow no matter if it makes sense of not... the color is great, it really works with my skin tone and is so natural. Even John was amazing by it and now want to get highlights next Saturday in my color. :) Bottom line, I love my new look and I am comfortable with it...which is very, very important.
So that's the latest....JDK has a great new natural color!! Gotta love it!
Washington DC
I'm sitting here before an empty posting page and wondering where to even begin to describe where I am currently at. So I'll start at the beginning.
John and I flew into DC this afternoon after a few delays and a VERY rough landing. When the flight attendants say make sure your seat belt is securely fastened and snug to you waist...sometimes they really mean it! But after a short jaunt from the airport to the hotel we entered the doors of the Sofitel DC. It was breathtaking. The paneling is done in a cherrywood/dark mahogany and the beautiful fresh floral arrangements are everywhere. This is an atmosphere of elegance, sophistication and power. We checked into our respective rooms and for those of you who have seen pictures of the Sofitel rooms in LA and Mpls just know that this location is just as beautiful. My rooms has a collection of sepia toned photographs of various landmark locations, such as the Licoln Memorial, the White House, the site of million man march...not to mention the obligatory Parisian land marks of the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame. Needless to say it is beautiful. The bathroom is very reminiscent of the Mpls bathroom with the dark green tiles, the black marble countertops, the fantastic lighting and of course the amazing, wonderful, if I was rich I would have one, state of the art shower and separate bath. Simply an amazing ambiance.
I don't know exactly how to describe the atmosphere at DC aside from that of restrained power and quality. This is such a different environment from LA. Here when we went down for dinner 98% of the individuals who were present at Cafe 15 were in business attire. Not a pair of jeans, sneakers or "casual clothes" were in sight...(ok aside from a person in R&D for a pharmaceutical company who is excused from the social mandates due to their sheer genius). And YES I know its a Sunday night....but that is how these people operate. So my dress slacks, wine colored sweater and snazzy blazer were ok but not "Fab". But then, I cannot afford Coach shoes and bag, Cartier engagement ring, Rolex watch and NM suits. So aside from almost choking on the sheer "restrained old money" floating about the dining room I simply must admit that this evenings dinner was an amazing journey of people watching.
Dinner itself....where to begin. A fantastic glass of Edge Cab Sauv. started the evening off. Then was the chef sampler of leek and potato soup (ok, not excellent) then after serious contemplation of the menu it was decided to go with the ginger glazed Mastlovik duck breast and another glass of wine. John had the two tone mushroom soup for his starter and the seared Ahi tuna with tart crust for his main course (two appetizers in place of a main course...there is logic there I just don't know what it is...). Cafe 15 was simply hopping. Usually hotel restaurants are not that busy....it is more of a convenience for the guest than an actual money making proposition for the hotel but when John and I came down for dinner there were maybe 25-26 people present...two large group tables and a couple of normal tables...by the time we left 2.5 hours later the place was jam packed....there had to be at least 100 people present and we were first to leave out of the original groupings. So back to dinner. It was amazing. The presentation, the service, the food itself I thought I had died and gone to seventh heaven. Then joy of joys John ordered a dessert coffee which meant I was free to order a real dessert and I did. The hazelnut ice cream with something else (cause I cant remember what it was called :)) was amazing.....so much more as far as design, taste and presentation than the menu description would have you believe.
But that I think is key to this establishment....The menu is understated but simply divine, the service outstanding but not pretentious and the atmosphere conducive to work and the enjoyment of life. I can feel the history in the air here. I can see the street as they used to be .... the cobblestones, the horse drawn carriages, the powder wigs...I can see history being made. And that is quite possibly one of the reasons this location will become one of my top 3 favorite locations. This is the site of history....Washington walked down Pennsylvania Ave just around the corner, Nixon ran into a little trouble at a hotel just down the street from this site where I sitting now, and the current Bush eats dinner at Cafe 15 on a regular basis. Indeed there are secret service persons all over this hotel at this moment due to a very special someone who is staying here....I know but I'm not supposed to tell.
Its an environment where intelligence and power rule....its not about the latest movie or being a star or having the worst eating disorder....its night and day from LA.
Could I live here....I don't know. I would probably be more comfortable in Montreal, but this would be a close second.
So that is the scoop....I'm jet lagged and beat but wanted ya'll to have a feel for what this location was like. And also to let you know that I had my first glimpse of the White House (which is just around the corner and when John and I take our afternoon constitutional...our excuse for Starbucks we will be walking RIGHT IN FRONT OF IT)!!! And I also saw the Washington Monument for the first time and it was simply amazing!!!
So much, much more to follow later but take care till then.....miss ya'll
John and I flew into DC this afternoon after a few delays and a VERY rough landing. When the flight attendants say make sure your seat belt is securely fastened and snug to you waist...sometimes they really mean it! But after a short jaunt from the airport to the hotel we entered the doors of the Sofitel DC. It was breathtaking. The paneling is done in a cherrywood/dark mahogany and the beautiful fresh floral arrangements are everywhere. This is an atmosphere of elegance, sophistication and power. We checked into our respective rooms and for those of you who have seen pictures of the Sofitel rooms in LA and Mpls just know that this location is just as beautiful. My rooms has a collection of sepia toned photographs of various landmark locations, such as the Licoln Memorial, the White House, the site of million man march...not to mention the obligatory Parisian land marks of the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame. Needless to say it is beautiful. The bathroom is very reminiscent of the Mpls bathroom with the dark green tiles, the black marble countertops, the fantastic lighting and of course the amazing, wonderful, if I was rich I would have one, state of the art shower and separate bath. Simply an amazing ambiance.
I don't know exactly how to describe the atmosphere at DC aside from that of restrained power and quality. This is such a different environment from LA. Here when we went down for dinner 98% of the individuals who were present at Cafe 15 were in business attire. Not a pair of jeans, sneakers or "casual clothes" were in sight...(ok aside from a person in R&D for a pharmaceutical company who is excused from the social mandates due to their sheer genius). And YES I know its a Sunday night....but that is how these people operate. So my dress slacks, wine colored sweater and snazzy blazer were ok but not "Fab". But then, I cannot afford Coach shoes and bag, Cartier engagement ring, Rolex watch and NM suits. So aside from almost choking on the sheer "restrained old money" floating about the dining room I simply must admit that this evenings dinner was an amazing journey of people watching.
Dinner itself....where to begin. A fantastic glass of Edge Cab Sauv. started the evening off. Then was the chef sampler of leek and potato soup (ok, not excellent) then after serious contemplation of the menu it was decided to go with the ginger glazed Mastlovik duck breast and another glass of wine. John had the two tone mushroom soup for his starter and the seared Ahi tuna with tart crust for his main course (two appetizers in place of a main course...there is logic there I just don't know what it is...). Cafe 15 was simply hopping. Usually hotel restaurants are not that busy....it is more of a convenience for the guest than an actual money making proposition for the hotel but when John and I came down for dinner there were maybe 25-26 people present...two large group tables and a couple of normal tables...by the time we left 2.5 hours later the place was jam packed....there had to be at least 100 people present and we were first to leave out of the original groupings. So back to dinner. It was amazing. The presentation, the service, the food itself I thought I had died and gone to seventh heaven. Then joy of joys John ordered a dessert coffee which meant I was free to order a real dessert and I did. The hazelnut ice cream with something else (cause I cant remember what it was called :)) was amazing.....so much more as far as design, taste and presentation than the menu description would have you believe.
But that I think is key to this establishment....The menu is understated but simply divine, the service outstanding but not pretentious and the atmosphere conducive to work and the enjoyment of life. I can feel the history in the air here. I can see the street as they used to be .... the cobblestones, the horse drawn carriages, the powder wigs...I can see history being made. And that is quite possibly one of the reasons this location will become one of my top 3 favorite locations. This is the site of history....Washington walked down Pennsylvania Ave just around the corner, Nixon ran into a little trouble at a hotel just down the street from this site where I sitting now, and the current Bush eats dinner at Cafe 15 on a regular basis. Indeed there are secret service persons all over this hotel at this moment due to a very special someone who is staying here....I know but I'm not supposed to tell.
Its an environment where intelligence and power rule....its not about the latest movie or being a star or having the worst eating disorder....its night and day from LA.
Could I live here....I don't know. I would probably be more comfortable in Montreal, but this would be a close second.
So that is the scoop....I'm jet lagged and beat but wanted ya'll to have a feel for what this location was like. And also to let you know that I had my first glimpse of the White House (which is just around the corner and when John and I take our afternoon constitutional...our excuse for Starbucks we will be walking RIGHT IN FRONT OF IT)!!! And I also saw the Washington Monument for the first time and it was simply amazing!!!
So much, much more to follow later but take care till then.....miss ya'll
Thursday, November 09, 2006
Hair color
This is the opportunity for every to speak their piece concerning my hair color. I'm currently light brown with blond highlights and am feeling the extreme need for a change.
For those of you who know me, yes I know this is a pattern....deal with it. Its my way of expressing myself in a very controlled fashion.
So I'm thinking about going natural...a shock I understand--but with deeper auburn lowlights? Or just to refresh the blond highlights---as I now have NO sunlight exposure except on weekends.
I want something fun...and as I don't have the time to make a quality trip to SA I'm trying to entertain myself on Saturday. BTW....I have a nauseatingly early flight on Sunday so no going out and having a few drinks with Dallas acquaintances is NOT an option.
Opinions welcomed....
For those of you who know me, yes I know this is a pattern....deal with it. Its my way of expressing myself in a very controlled fashion.
So I'm thinking about going natural...a shock I understand--but with deeper auburn lowlights? Or just to refresh the blond highlights---as I now have NO sunlight exposure except on weekends.
I want something fun...and as I don't have the time to make a quality trip to SA I'm trying to entertain myself on Saturday. BTW....I have a nauseatingly early flight on Sunday so no going out and having a few drinks with Dallas acquaintances is NOT an option.
Opinions welcomed....
Sooo funny!
OK I have no idea who Eddie Izzard is but I read these as I was aimlessly wandering around the net and I almost gave myself away by laughing out loud.....I might be a little punchy from sheer joy at being done with another audit. Do not get me wrong....I love Montreal. I just hate being behind the learning curve!
So read on and enjoy....hopefully they also make you grin, maybe smile and perhaps laugh out loud. :)
Eddie Izzard quotes:
And the National Rifle Association says that, "Guns don't kill people, people do," but I think the gun helps, you know? I think it helps. I just think just standing there going, "Bang!" That's not going to kill too many people, is it? You'd have to be really dodgy on the heart to have that.
Eddie Izzard
I grew up in Europe, where the history comes from.
Eddie Izzard
So the American government lied to the Native Americans for many, many years, and then President Clinton lied about a relationship, and everyone was surprised! A little naive, I feel!
Eddie Izzard
There's a huge hole in the whole Flood drama, because anything that could float or swim got away scot-free, and it was the idea to wipe out everything, He didn't say, "I will kill everything, except the floating ones and the swimming ones, who will get out due to a loophole."
Eddie Izzard
I am an evil giraffe, and I shall eat more leaves from this tree then prehaps I should, so that other giraffes may die.
Eddie Izzard
So read on and enjoy....hopefully they also make you grin, maybe smile and perhaps laugh out loud. :)
Eddie Izzard quotes:
And the National Rifle Association says that, "Guns don't kill people, people do," but I think the gun helps, you know? I think it helps. I just think just standing there going, "Bang!" That's not going to kill too many people, is it? You'd have to be really dodgy on the heart to have that.
Eddie Izzard
I grew up in Europe, where the history comes from.
Eddie Izzard
So the American government lied to the Native Americans for many, many years, and then President Clinton lied about a relationship, and everyone was surprised! A little naive, I feel!
Eddie Izzard
There's a huge hole in the whole Flood drama, because anything that could float or swim got away scot-free, and it was the idea to wipe out everything, He didn't say, "I will kill everything, except the floating ones and the swimming ones, who will get out due to a loophole."
Eddie Izzard
I am an evil giraffe, and I shall eat more leaves from this tree then prehaps I should, so that other giraffes may die.
Eddie Izzard
Monday, November 06, 2006
Hark, hark do I hear the clock correctly--Its 5pm!!
So I just couldn't resist the catchy title. It seemed so appropriate for a Monday. The weather today was actually rather warm for Montreal. It was in the 50's and wonderful. Not that I was able to go out and enjoy it but I have a great view from the guest room where we have "set up shop" for the next few days.
So this new hotel has a whole new restaurant of delicious food to try out. That is both one of the best things and the worst things about this position. If you want to try cutting edge cuisine served with elegance and style than the Renoir restaurant at the Sofitel and L'O at the Novotel are the hot spots to stop. It has been such an adventure. And we were talking today with a member of this hotel about the wind chills that are experienced in January and February and let me tell you that no matter how much I love winter, the changing seasons and all the good things that winter can bring the mere mention of -40 wind chills gives me a chill from head to toe.
Today has been such a relaxed and casual Monday. I don't know if this is an accurate depiction of how this audit is going to go--but it was a good Monday.
BTW there are two movies that I really want to see. The first opens this Friday. It's the new one with Russell Crowe "A Good Year"---perfect chick flick and the second should be opening or might already be open and that would be the Dixie Chick movie "Shut up and Sing". The question of if I will have time to catch a show is up in the air as I will be flying out for Washington DC on Sunday but you never know!
Ooops I've gotta go....more to follow later.
So this new hotel has a whole new restaurant of delicious food to try out. That is both one of the best things and the worst things about this position. If you want to try cutting edge cuisine served with elegance and style than the Renoir restaurant at the Sofitel and L'O at the Novotel are the hot spots to stop. It has been such an adventure. And we were talking today with a member of this hotel about the wind chills that are experienced in January and February and let me tell you that no matter how much I love winter, the changing seasons and all the good things that winter can bring the mere mention of -40 wind chills gives me a chill from head to toe.
Today has been such a relaxed and casual Monday. I don't know if this is an accurate depiction of how this audit is going to go--but it was a good Monday.
BTW there are two movies that I really want to see. The first opens this Friday. It's the new one with Russell Crowe "A Good Year"---perfect chick flick and the second should be opening or might already be open and that would be the Dixie Chick movie "Shut up and Sing". The question of if I will have time to catch a show is up in the air as I will be flying out for Washington DC on Sunday but you never know!
Ooops I've gotta go....more to follow later.
Thursday, November 02, 2006
Learning lots
What a week. I simply cannot believe that it is already Thursday and my time at the Sofitel Montreal is almost done. But my fun doesn't end with Friday because I have another whole week in Montreal as we prepare to audit the other Montreal location.
This week has been packed to the gills (who comes up with these expressions anyhow, and why do the stick in your head?) with new information, reports and most of all the opportunity to see it all come together. I am so happy that I no longer feel as though I'm wading through information that feels like fog with the consistency of pea soup but rather am now progressing more comfortably through a fog the consistency of wispy vapor. How is that for an analogy! No, seriously things are going well and I'm absorbing as much as possible from John and things are going well. Granted when it comes time to go out on my "own" it might be a different story. But I'll deal with that when the time comes.
John and I are talking about renting a car for the weekend and heading over to Quebec City to see the city or to Mont Blanc to check out the snowfall--they had 11 inches this week! Or we could just spend the weekend here in Montreal exploring the city. I went for a walk last evening and passed three art museums and at least a half dozen coffee shops in a two mile radius. So never fear I can entertain myself with no problem. Plus I also have this uncontrollable need to visit at least one bookstore and pick up some French reading material so I can continue to develop my reading/literacy skills in French and goodness knows if I read out loud to myself it will help my conversational abilities even though if anyone saw me they would think I was crazy--to be talking to myself that is! But aside from the bookstore, art museums, coffee shops I also really want to find a store and procure a scarf or two plus a pair of the cutest heeled Mary Janes that are just darling. I've seen a number of people with them and they are functional, stylish and won't kill my feet at the end of day. Plus if I get them I can wear them on the flights and they would be easy on/off for security. See, I can talk myself into anything.
So that is the scoop for me. Work, went for a walk to get some fresh air, saw part of the city, loved the city and wouldn't mind being based out of Canada--the likelihood of that occurring is nonexistent BTW, and am anticipating a fun weekend.
So that's it for now....more to follow as weekend plans progress.
This week has been packed to the gills (who comes up with these expressions anyhow, and why do the stick in your head?) with new information, reports and most of all the opportunity to see it all come together. I am so happy that I no longer feel as though I'm wading through information that feels like fog with the consistency of pea soup but rather am now progressing more comfortably through a fog the consistency of wispy vapor. How is that for an analogy! No, seriously things are going well and I'm absorbing as much as possible from John and things are going well. Granted when it comes time to go out on my "own" it might be a different story. But I'll deal with that when the time comes.
John and I are talking about renting a car for the weekend and heading over to Quebec City to see the city or to Mont Blanc to check out the snowfall--they had 11 inches this week! Or we could just spend the weekend here in Montreal exploring the city. I went for a walk last evening and passed three art museums and at least a half dozen coffee shops in a two mile radius. So never fear I can entertain myself with no problem. Plus I also have this uncontrollable need to visit at least one bookstore and pick up some French reading material so I can continue to develop my reading/literacy skills in French and goodness knows if I read out loud to myself it will help my conversational abilities even though if anyone saw me they would think I was crazy--to be talking to myself that is! But aside from the bookstore, art museums, coffee shops I also really want to find a store and procure a scarf or two plus a pair of the cutest heeled Mary Janes that are just darling. I've seen a number of people with them and they are functional, stylish and won't kill my feet at the end of day. Plus if I get them I can wear them on the flights and they would be easy on/off for security. See, I can talk myself into anything.
So that is the scoop for me. Work, went for a walk to get some fresh air, saw part of the city, loved the city and wouldn't mind being based out of Canada--the likelihood of that occurring is nonexistent BTW, and am anticipating a fun weekend.
So that's it for now....more to follow as weekend plans progress.
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Cool Survey
So I was visiting a friends blog and noticed this cool survey. I thought I would borrow it and post it on my blog with all my answers. It was fun!
Monday, October 30, 2006
Montreal--a little taste of Paris
So Montreal is a hundred times better than LA. At least as far as environment and my interpretation of the city. John and I flew in last eve and while the flight was uneventful....it had some great high points such as the added joy of not having a person in the seat next to me, which was counterbalanced by other not so comforting things such a very rocky landing. Apparently the city had been experiencing extremely high winds up to 40mph. This caused a rather bumpy descent into Montreal as just when you thought you were safe the wind shear would cut across and everyone would be crossing their fingers that we wouldn't flip over.
The hassle of customs was just the same as when we landed in Paris but this time I didn't get a stamp in my passport....just an unending list of questions. Why are you here, how long are you here for, where are you staying, what do you do? Things of that nature. But then after grabbing all of our bags we stepped into the crisp fall air and snagged the first taxi we saw to take up to the city. The city was beautiful as we drove from the airport to the Sofitel. The city just has that cosmopolitan feel without the superficiality that permeated LA. And yes I saw bread in the windows of the bakeries and people walking everywhere. Also the street signs are all in French....Very fun!
The hassle of customs was just the same as when we landed in Paris but this time I didn't get a stamp in my passport....just an unending list of questions. Why are you here, how long are you here for, where are you staying, what do you do? Things of that nature. But then after grabbing all of our bags we stepped into the crisp fall air and snagged the first taxi we saw to take up to the city. The city was beautiful as we drove from the airport to the Sofitel. The city just has that cosmopolitan feel without the superficiality that permeated LA. And yes I saw bread in the windows of the bakeries and people walking everywhere. Also the street signs are all in French....Very fun!
Saturday, October 28, 2006
Dallas for a Day
Ahhh relaxation and rest. After a busy Friday morning debriefing the LA team John and I took off for Dallas. Let me just say that although I'm staying at a Studio 6 it was good to be home. I finally made it back to the hotel at 9:15pm (approximately) and since I had stopped at the grocery store on the way home I had a great glass of wine and a bowl of ice cream. Strange combination I know but hey, who cares? It was good to be able to relax with a glass of wine and not be searching for clever conversational tidbits to keep the flow of conversation going and it was also good to enjoy, relish, savor and indulge in some Breyers Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream. I know I debated for at least 5 minutes between the Haagen Daz Coffee ice cream the Dulce de Leche and the Mint and decided to go with the Classic Mint Chocolate Chip---besides Breyers makes a fantastic Mint Chocolate Chip. So that was my happening Friday night. Wine, ice cream and a little tv. Bliss.
Today was a day for sleeping in, doing laundry, running errands including a rather lengthy stop at Barnes and Nobles for some new reading material. I picked up a copy of Alexandre Dumas' "The Knight of Maison-Rouge" and Charlotte Bronte's "Villette" for the trip to Montreal. I just hope they will last for two weeks. Actually I already know they won't but that just gives me an excuse to look for some reading material while in Montreal.
I have to keep reminding myself of the time change this eve. I know I need to be at the airport bright and early but there is just something about Daylight Savings Time that makes me happy in the Fall and sad in the Spring.
Having my own fridge and stovetop is sooooo nice. A leisurely dinner of three cheese tortellini with Basil and Tomato marinara sauce and the remaining glass or so of the cabernet sauvignon while reading the news paper and I'm set. A little more packing and I'm set to leave tomorrow.
So here is to long flights, even longer customs lines and a whole new adventure. Salut!
Today was a day for sleeping in, doing laundry, running errands including a rather lengthy stop at Barnes and Nobles for some new reading material. I picked up a copy of Alexandre Dumas' "The Knight of Maison-Rouge" and Charlotte Bronte's "Villette" for the trip to Montreal. I just hope they will last for two weeks. Actually I already know they won't but that just gives me an excuse to look for some reading material while in Montreal.
I have to keep reminding myself of the time change this eve. I know I need to be at the airport bright and early but there is just something about Daylight Savings Time that makes me happy in the Fall and sad in the Spring.
Having my own fridge and stovetop is sooooo nice. A leisurely dinner of three cheese tortellini with Basil and Tomato marinara sauce and the remaining glass or so of the cabernet sauvignon while reading the news paper and I'm set. A little more packing and I'm set to leave tomorrow.
So here is to long flights, even longer customs lines and a whole new adventure. Salut!
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Much better
Just wanted to drop everyone a quick line and let you all know that today has been better. Its 5pm in LA and we are now wrapping up. While I still feel like a bumbling idiot and am not certain how in the world I'm going to do all this stuff by myself I can honestly say I feel better about a part or two of the audit process. So out of 20 pieces of the audit I now have control of two of them. Sigh. But I'm going to spend the rest of the eve studying, studying some more and then going for dinner and working out and I think that over the next few days things will begin to come together more and more as I continue to progress with this process.
Today is beautiful or it would be if it wasn't for the smog hanging over the city. So later on I'll open my balcony doors and relax with a glass or two of wine and just kick back. Smog is strange stuff. I've never seen it hang over the city like this. It resembles fog creeping down the hillside into the streets and wending its way around the businesses and storefronts here at the Beverly Center. Strange stuff indeed. Quite appropriate for the spooky holiday that is coming up in just a few days :)
More to follow later.
Today is beautiful or it would be if it wasn't for the smog hanging over the city. So later on I'll open my balcony doors and relax with a glass or two of wine and just kick back. Smog is strange stuff. I've never seen it hang over the city like this. It resembles fog creeping down the hillside into the streets and wending its way around the businesses and storefronts here at the Beverly Center. Strange stuff indeed. Quite appropriate for the spooky holiday that is coming up in just a few days :)
More to follow later.
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Los Angeles
Where to start….
Where am I? At this moment I’m sitting in the guest room of the Sofitel LA that has been assigned to my co-worker and I for the duration of the audit. Unfortunately my sitting here in this room means that I am still working. Yes that is correct. It is 10pm at night, I began work this morning at 8:30am, we didn’t stop for lunch and we are still going. Let me revise that statement. We broke for dinner at 6:30pm, I worked out from 7:45pm to 8:45pm and was back to the work room by 9:15pm. Thus bringing me to the point where I am at now….still at work and feeling blue.
I have my ipod tunes on and have that cool song by Keith Anderson playing. The one titled “I’ll know when I get there”. There is a line that says “I don’t know if it is worth it and I don’t know if I’m good enough but I do know that I’m giving it all I’ve got and I’ll know when I get there”. …Anyhow it’s a great song about the choices people make in pursuit of their dreams and how sometimes the sacrifices you make in pursuit of your dreams might be greater you had imagined but the rewards also can be great. See I’m working on cheering myself up…working on it, working on it, working on it.
I have to admit that LA just isn’t my scene. The hotel is beautiful, amazing, breathtaking and on and on. But on the flip side this is an atmosphere where people are judged solely on how they look and who they know. What they know is immaterial. I don’t think I’ve seen more than one person over a size 4 and it’s just disheartening. Name dropping is the pastime of choice and being polite is seen as a sign of weakness. If you thank a member of the waitstaff, the front desk staff or heaven forbid say “excuse me” when stepping around someone in the elevator you are looked up and down like you were from Mars then dismissed as inconsequential and provincial.
It’s just different I guess. The transition has been a little more difficult than I had thought it would be. This is due in part to the limited time that I have with John before he leaves for his new job in San Francisco. There just seems to be so much pressure on my understanding and knowing this information backwards and forwards before he leaves and every day it seems I turn around and either there is an exception to what I was told yesterday or I’m faced with some totally new material that I have no idea what to do with. I know deep in my heart that I can do this and I believe that I can do it well, I’m just worried about whether or not I will know it before John leaves or will I be stumbling around with egg on my face in front of people who have no tolerance for anyone outside their “circle”. I’m just so tired. I have spent so much time working on reports that are brand new to me and that I’ve only seen once before and that was in brief. Now they were handed to me as though I would know what to do with them. Part of the issue is that I hate, hate looking as though I don’t know what is going on and unfortunately this isn’t the kind of situation where I can take notes and then refer back to them as I continue to work. It’s a hit the ground running and then keep running as hard and fast as you can.
At the end of yesterday around 6:30pm I was so mentally exhausted that I certain I was a very poor dinner companion. But honestly I needed some down time more than I needed food. And for me to say that is certainly a huge admission. Cause I do love good food. Its that abrupt change from working completely independently all day, going out for dinner by myself, reading my book or the newspaper during dinner then going back and completing reports (also alone) and chit-chatting with my friends periodically throughout the evening as I so chose. Now it is like being married without any of the fringe benefits, John and I have breakfast together at 7:45-8:00am, we begin work at 8am, lunch is taken together at 1pm (if we take lunch) then dinner together at 6:30-7pm. Actually that is more time than any couple I know spends together. I’m not saying its bad and John is a great guy but it is a change of pace and for someone who is an introvert like I am it takes energy to constantly be on show for someone else. Don’t get me wrong I love to be around people but I also need that down time…..and that has been in short supply.
Well, I’ve moaned and groaned enough here to choke a horse so I’m gonna shut and get back to work for another couple of hours. But hey, don’t worry. Give me a couple of days to continue to get into the swing of things and everything will be fine. Change is not always easy but you just have to believe that it is all worth it and that it was meant to be. Which I do believe, that it was meant to be, that is. It’s a growth experience and the experience will be invaluable and I’ll have great stories about almost meeting Jamie Fox, eating at the same restaurant where Paris Hilton eats at least twice a week, sitting in a $750,000.00 chair made out of half-dollars and having lunches, yes I said lunch, that cost more than my monthly phone bill (which isn’t cheap!). So there are fantastic benefits and once the transition is done and I know what I’m doing it will be great. I just need to keep my head above water and retain all this information as I’m going along.
So wish me luck…I’m going back to work for another couple of hours….
Where am I? At this moment I’m sitting in the guest room of the Sofitel LA that has been assigned to my co-worker and I for the duration of the audit. Unfortunately my sitting here in this room means that I am still working. Yes that is correct. It is 10pm at night, I began work this morning at 8:30am, we didn’t stop for lunch and we are still going. Let me revise that statement. We broke for dinner at 6:30pm, I worked out from 7:45pm to 8:45pm and was back to the work room by 9:15pm. Thus bringing me to the point where I am at now….still at work and feeling blue.
I have my ipod tunes on and have that cool song by Keith Anderson playing. The one titled “I’ll know when I get there”. There is a line that says “I don’t know if it is worth it and I don’t know if I’m good enough but I do know that I’m giving it all I’ve got and I’ll know when I get there”. …Anyhow it’s a great song about the choices people make in pursuit of their dreams and how sometimes the sacrifices you make in pursuit of your dreams might be greater you had imagined but the rewards also can be great. See I’m working on cheering myself up…working on it, working on it, working on it.
I have to admit that LA just isn’t my scene. The hotel is beautiful, amazing, breathtaking and on and on. But on the flip side this is an atmosphere where people are judged solely on how they look and who they know. What they know is immaterial. I don’t think I’ve seen more than one person over a size 4 and it’s just disheartening. Name dropping is the pastime of choice and being polite is seen as a sign of weakness. If you thank a member of the waitstaff, the front desk staff or heaven forbid say “excuse me” when stepping around someone in the elevator you are looked up and down like you were from Mars then dismissed as inconsequential and provincial.
It’s just different I guess. The transition has been a little more difficult than I had thought it would be. This is due in part to the limited time that I have with John before he leaves for his new job in San Francisco. There just seems to be so much pressure on my understanding and knowing this information backwards and forwards before he leaves and every day it seems I turn around and either there is an exception to what I was told yesterday or I’m faced with some totally new material that I have no idea what to do with. I know deep in my heart that I can do this and I believe that I can do it well, I’m just worried about whether or not I will know it before John leaves or will I be stumbling around with egg on my face in front of people who have no tolerance for anyone outside their “circle”. I’m just so tired. I have spent so much time working on reports that are brand new to me and that I’ve only seen once before and that was in brief. Now they were handed to me as though I would know what to do with them. Part of the issue is that I hate, hate looking as though I don’t know what is going on and unfortunately this isn’t the kind of situation where I can take notes and then refer back to them as I continue to work. It’s a hit the ground running and then keep running as hard and fast as you can.
At the end of yesterday around 6:30pm I was so mentally exhausted that I certain I was a very poor dinner companion. But honestly I needed some down time more than I needed food. And for me to say that is certainly a huge admission. Cause I do love good food. Its that abrupt change from working completely independently all day, going out for dinner by myself, reading my book or the newspaper during dinner then going back and completing reports (also alone) and chit-chatting with my friends periodically throughout the evening as I so chose. Now it is like being married without any of the fringe benefits, John and I have breakfast together at 7:45-8:00am, we begin work at 8am, lunch is taken together at 1pm (if we take lunch) then dinner together at 6:30-7pm. Actually that is more time than any couple I know spends together. I’m not saying its bad and John is a great guy but it is a change of pace and for someone who is an introvert like I am it takes energy to constantly be on show for someone else. Don’t get me wrong I love to be around people but I also need that down time…..and that has been in short supply.
Well, I’ve moaned and groaned enough here to choke a horse so I’m gonna shut and get back to work for another couple of hours. But hey, don’t worry. Give me a couple of days to continue to get into the swing of things and everything will be fine. Change is not always easy but you just have to believe that it is all worth it and that it was meant to be. Which I do believe, that it was meant to be, that is. It’s a growth experience and the experience will be invaluable and I’ll have great stories about almost meeting Jamie Fox, eating at the same restaurant where Paris Hilton eats at least twice a week, sitting in a $750,000.00 chair made out of half-dollars and having lunches, yes I said lunch, that cost more than my monthly phone bill (which isn’t cheap!). So there are fantastic benefits and once the transition is done and I know what I’m doing it will be great. I just need to keep my head above water and retain all this information as I’m going along.
So wish me luck…I’m going back to work for another couple of hours….
Monday, October 09, 2006
Excitement
So....this is the big week....there has been so much leading up to this and I must admit to my fair share of butterflies about what this week could hold. I can't say to much about it as things are still hush hush about it. But for those of you who know where I am this week just let me say that it is amazing, beautiful, plush and oh so nice. Things are going well. I'm understanding and absorbing as much information as I possibly can. Also I just feel that if it is meant to happen then it will. During dinner I posed the question of "exactly what are you looking for in this _____". The response was "you". That was so encouraging. But then I need to remember that just because the response was favorable on my part is not a guarantee of anything and there are still many days to go through and a couple of very significant meetings next week that could change everything. Also the fact that I put this individual on the spot didn't help matters but I was in a very "lets just put our cards on the table" frame of mind. So no matter if what I was told wasn't necessarily the truth, for now I can rest easier concerning my options.
So in a very cryptic way let me just say that things are going great....I love my accommodations, and the food!! And I'm excited about what the future might hold.
BTW a certain someone who will remain nameless also had an exciting day and while it put questions in his mind I believe that it also will prompt the careful scrutiny of what he really wants out of his future. So to you who will remain nameless.....I'm happy you went through with it today and I hope that your path will become clear as you continue thinking about what you and those close to you need/want and feel called to do in your lives.
I hope that everyone had a great weekend and that the upcoming week holds wonderful adventures for you!
So in a very cryptic way let me just say that things are going great....I love my accommodations, and the food!! And I'm excited about what the future might hold.
BTW a certain someone who will remain nameless also had an exciting day and while it put questions in his mind I believe that it also will prompt the careful scrutiny of what he really wants out of his future. So to you who will remain nameless.....I'm happy you went through with it today and I hope that your path will become clear as you continue thinking about what you and those close to you need/want and feel called to do in your lives.
I hope that everyone had a great weekend and that the upcoming week holds wonderful adventures for you!
Thursday, October 05, 2006
Pumpkin Pie and Ice Cream
Fall has arrive in Ohio. The temps dropped from the 80s down to the high today of 56. It was a sudden but welcome change as I'm ready for pretty leaves, sweaters, jeans, comfort food and walking in the park scuffing leaves and smelling the fall air.
I've just about finished the Ohio/Kentucky audits. Actually tomorrow is my last day of audits and then I fly out for Mpls on Saturday. Things have been good concerning the auidts. I had a 14 hour audit on Wednesday but it was so rewarding to see the Managers face light up when he finally grasp the concepts of Credit Card Reconciliations, the Reconciliation of the daily paperwork and absolute need for daily controls of the work produced by his staff. Sometimes I wonder what is actually being imparted during the training process for new managers. But then I remember what it was like when I went through it and I know the trainers are doing their absolute best given a limited time frame to work with and the massive amounts of material that must be imparted to the new managers. So in conculsion to this little blurp--I love the training aspect of my job. I also really enjoy continuing to develop managers who have been out in the field for a while so its not just the newbies that sometimes need additional tools to better perform their job duties but anyone at any point of time could have an area or two of need. And I'm fortunate enough to be able to assist in that area. What drives me nuts are those people who don't care and don't perform up to standard. Those are the frustrating situations when I end the day just wanting to pull my hair out or shake them. I think for the most part the majority of manangers do care but as a great trainer I once had told me....99% of the people whom you come into contact with are great but then there is that "yucky" 1% and those are the ones who you remember most vividly. So I'm doing my best to remember the great 99% and to let the yucky 1% go. Its a work in progress :)
So back to my original thought. I was fortunate enough to finish the audits in a timely manner today--which is good cause I didn't finish the reports for Wednesdays auidt till 1:30am and I'm beat today. And I decided to find a good place to eat dinner. Much easier said than done...Springfield OH really doesn't have much other than fast food. But anyhow I found this tiny, tiny Chinese restaurant and had a great dinner then on my way back to the RRI I saw that Bob Evans has their fall pies back in stock. Well my rental car just drove itself there and I was literaly compelled to go in and have a piece of pumpkin pie. I am so happy I did. It was the perfect embodiement of the good fall memories I have. Delicious!
So thats my day. Now I'm closing out the reports so I don't have "as much" work to do tomorrow and I'm gonna crash at a reasonable time tonight. I'm so excited!
j'etude francaise beaucoup ce soir aussi!
I've just about finished the Ohio/Kentucky audits. Actually tomorrow is my last day of audits and then I fly out for Mpls on Saturday. Things have been good concerning the auidts. I had a 14 hour audit on Wednesday but it was so rewarding to see the Managers face light up when he finally grasp the concepts of Credit Card Reconciliations, the Reconciliation of the daily paperwork and absolute need for daily controls of the work produced by his staff. Sometimes I wonder what is actually being imparted during the training process for new managers. But then I remember what it was like when I went through it and I know the trainers are doing their absolute best given a limited time frame to work with and the massive amounts of material that must be imparted to the new managers. So in conculsion to this little blurp--I love the training aspect of my job. I also really enjoy continuing to develop managers who have been out in the field for a while so its not just the newbies that sometimes need additional tools to better perform their job duties but anyone at any point of time could have an area or two of need. And I'm fortunate enough to be able to assist in that area. What drives me nuts are those people who don't care and don't perform up to standard. Those are the frustrating situations when I end the day just wanting to pull my hair out or shake them. I think for the most part the majority of manangers do care but as a great trainer I once had told me....99% of the people whom you come into contact with are great but then there is that "yucky" 1% and those are the ones who you remember most vividly. So I'm doing my best to remember the great 99% and to let the yucky 1% go. Its a work in progress :)
So back to my original thought. I was fortunate enough to finish the audits in a timely manner today--which is good cause I didn't finish the reports for Wednesdays auidt till 1:30am and I'm beat today. And I decided to find a good place to eat dinner. Much easier said than done...Springfield OH really doesn't have much other than fast food. But anyhow I found this tiny, tiny Chinese restaurant and had a great dinner then on my way back to the RRI I saw that Bob Evans has their fall pies back in stock. Well my rental car just drove itself there and I was literaly compelled to go in and have a piece of pumpkin pie. I am so happy I did. It was the perfect embodiement of the good fall memories I have. Delicious!
So thats my day. Now I'm closing out the reports so I don't have "as much" work to do tomorrow and I'm gonna crash at a reasonable time tonight. I'm so excited!
j'etude francaise beaucoup ce soir aussi!
Sunday, October 01, 2006
Conversations
Beautiful day...The weather here in Cincinnati (for the next three days) is simply amamzing! The leaves are beginning to change and the fall sunshine is just warm enough but not blazingly hot. I spent the afternoon in the park...walked my 5 miles and then spent the afternoon working on my French verbs, grammer and reading an excellent new book. "Guns, Germs and Steel" its an unorthodox historical look at the reasons developing countries took over more quickly than those that remained agrarian/hunter-gatherer societies. Very interesting.
So anyhow...I had a great conversation last evening with a friend who I hadn't spoken with since June. It really made me remember why I love to travel and got me to thinking again about how much I love the outdoors. I did some quick research to refresh my memory of the area this friend was traveling to for vacation and now I have the bug to see Seattle, Portland and the west coast region again. I was there two years ago (yikes, i can't believe it was that long ago), and while there simply fell in love with the region. The people are so friendly and real. The true joy the people of the upper northwest take in exploring the outdoors in all its splendor was so fun to see. The areas tend to be very environmentally conscious and the fresh food and bold combinations are a pleasure for anyones palate. No matter if you love hiking, biking, mt climbing, cave exploring or just walking through the breathtaking gardens the upper northwest has something for everyone. If you taste runs more to the cosmopolitan and cultural scene the upper northwest is home to some of the best indepent film makers and artists/art galleries throughout the entire United States. Of course never would one of my trips be complete without a visit to a winery or two...so let me say that once again the upper northwest has true value for any visitor.
Ahhhh, with weather like this I wish I had my mt bike here with me. There are so many great trails in this area and the smell of the fall leaves and the grasses is so appealing. Actually I wonder why Goldenrod was ever classified as a weed? I was walking on one of the nature trails on Woodland Mound Park and there was an abundance of Black-eyed Susans, daisy's, Goldenrod, Milkweed, Queen Annes Lace, decorative grasses and other plant life that I don't know and I just wonder why some plants such as Goldenrod are so beautiful yet are classified as weeds. What makes a weed a weed?
Questions that make you wonder?
So anyhow...its been a fantastic weekend and hopefully this week will continue that positive trend! Just think...next Sat I fly out for Mpls, MN!
So anyhow...I had a great conversation last evening with a friend who I hadn't spoken with since June. It really made me remember why I love to travel and got me to thinking again about how much I love the outdoors. I did some quick research to refresh my memory of the area this friend was traveling to for vacation and now I have the bug to see Seattle, Portland and the west coast region again. I was there two years ago (yikes, i can't believe it was that long ago), and while there simply fell in love with the region. The people are so friendly and real. The true joy the people of the upper northwest take in exploring the outdoors in all its splendor was so fun to see. The areas tend to be very environmentally conscious and the fresh food and bold combinations are a pleasure for anyones palate. No matter if you love hiking, biking, mt climbing, cave exploring or just walking through the breathtaking gardens the upper northwest has something for everyone. If you taste runs more to the cosmopolitan and cultural scene the upper northwest is home to some of the best indepent film makers and artists/art galleries throughout the entire United States. Of course never would one of my trips be complete without a visit to a winery or two...so let me say that once again the upper northwest has true value for any visitor.
Ahhhh, with weather like this I wish I had my mt bike here with me. There are so many great trails in this area and the smell of the fall leaves and the grasses is so appealing. Actually I wonder why Goldenrod was ever classified as a weed? I was walking on one of the nature trails on Woodland Mound Park and there was an abundance of Black-eyed Susans, daisy's, Goldenrod, Milkweed, Queen Annes Lace, decorative grasses and other plant life that I don't know and I just wonder why some plants such as Goldenrod are so beautiful yet are classified as weeds. What makes a weed a weed?
Questions that make you wonder?
So anyhow...its been a fantastic weekend and hopefully this week will continue that positive trend! Just think...next Sat I fly out for Mpls, MN!
Saturday, September 30, 2006
Ahhh, the weekend
Relaxation and rest. That is what I love the most about the weekends. I slept in this morning, enjoyed a coffee at Caribou Coffee shop and then went to the park for the afternoon walk/run. After a visit to the local Krogers for some cheese and wine for dinner I am now finishing up a couple of hours of reports that needed to be completed and catching up on what my itinerary looks like for the next couple of weeks. Its gonna be busy!
So tonight is about chilling and surfing the web. For what exactly I don't know but I'll know it when I find it :)
Hope everyone has a great evening...I'm going to continue to enjoy my bottle of Gala Rouge (great old poster style label) Pinot Noir.
Who knows...if I feel really adventursome I'll work on my French for a while...C'est tres jolie--Oui?
So tonight is about chilling and surfing the web. For what exactly I don't know but I'll know it when I find it :)
Hope everyone has a great evening...I'm going to continue to enjoy my bottle of Gala Rouge (great old poster style label) Pinot Noir.
Who knows...if I feel really adventursome I'll work on my French for a while...C'est tres jolie--Oui?
Sunday, September 24, 2006
News and updates
So life has been happening at an extraordinarily rapid pace. a potentially very exciting promotion has dropped so to speak in my lap and I am eagerly anticipating the next step in the audition process. It has been a whirlwind of events as I had no idea that I was even a potential candidate for this new position. And while I don't want to jinx it in any way let me just say that I really, really want this new position. It would be a fantastic next step.
Aside from that and the multitude of flight arrangements, schedule adjustments, car rental adjustments and paperwork that had been done for this potential position I realized that this position would not only be a good career move but also would provide me with a stable base from which to actually have a life. I was thinking about this the other day. Instead of audit trips that last up to 6 weeks if not more I would now be back in Dallas every weekend or at the most every two weekends. I could join a church (shocking thought I realize), I could go out and maybe, just maybe enjoy a realationship that is an adult, mature relationship that could have a future. What a concept. Plus in addition I could actually see those people who are important to me!
I just see so many potential benefits and nominal downsides to this transition. Lets hope and pray it all turns out as it ought to.
Aside from that and the multitude of flight arrangements, schedule adjustments, car rental adjustments and paperwork that had been done for this potential position I realized that this position would not only be a good career move but also would provide me with a stable base from which to actually have a life. I was thinking about this the other day. Instead of audit trips that last up to 6 weeks if not more I would now be back in Dallas every weekend or at the most every two weekends. I could join a church (shocking thought I realize), I could go out and maybe, just maybe enjoy a realationship that is an adult, mature relationship that could have a future. What a concept. Plus in addition I could actually see those people who are important to me!
I just see so many potential benefits and nominal downsides to this transition. Lets hope and pray it all turns out as it ought to.
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Chilling
ahhh...life is good.
After a whirlwind weekend this is the first chance I've had to sit down with a refreshing adult beverage and really think about what has been happening lately.
So here is the recap. I flew out for Dayton OH on Thursday of last week....an uneventful flight and picked up my rental car. After a little dickering with Enterprise who wanted to give me a Ford Taurus (horror of horrors-due to the last two Taurus' having been nasty and always having problems!) I received a cute little Mazda 6. I love this car! I made my way to the north side of Dayton and enjoyed a wonderful evening and went for a walk along the river. One of the things I like best about OH (and I know this since this is my third trip here this year) is that fact that there are many, many areas to walk and run. The Parks and Rec departments are very active here and no matter where I am in OH I can ususally find a walking, running, biking trail within 10 min of where I am staying.
So Friday I had an audit..it was icky. after finishing up at 11pm I still had to pack and get directions to the Columbus airport where I was flying out at 6am on Sat morning for the trip to MN and the ST. Paul Classic. I crashed at midnight and was back up at 3:30am to make the 1.5hr trip to Columbus. The flight was no problem and I spent 99percent of it sleeping as I was totally beat. My moms best friend picked me up from the airport in Mpls as mom was working and we made the hour drive back to Maiden Rock WI. After a few wrong turns due to a poorly marked detour I arrived back at home. It always amazes me how even though the years pass so much remains the same. I saw my Dad and brother and my brothers adorable dog...which I can't remember exactly what it is but it is cute and smart. After a relaxing afternoon hanging out with the family and my sister and her family who arrived after the football game which my niece who is in first grade was cheerleading for---I'm certain that all the little kids were just adorable in their tiny uniforms (I know my niece sure was when she arrived at the house), we finally had dinner. By this time I was simply starving. Dad grilled steaks and we had fresh corn on the cob and it was sooooo good. There is something about steaks done on the grill. Yum, Yum. A quite evening was had by all. My sister and the kids came back over to visit and before we knew it the hours had flown by and once again it was 11pm.
Us ladies determined that in order to arrive at the bike race on time we would have to leave at 5am so we called it a night. Shortly after 5am amid many yawns and requests for coffee us ladies (myself, my mom, my sister and my niece) all left for the St. Paul Classic held in St. Paul (bet you didn't see that one coming did you!). The race began even though it was raining. My sister and my neice were riding together with the tag-a-long and I was roped into taking my little cousing Marie in the Burley as my other aunt had a touch of the flu and didn't believe that she would have been able to make it through the entire course. My mom didn't have any extra passengers for which she was very happy. This ride is one of the best highlights of the year. It is not competative unless you chose to make it so. Every 5-12 miles there are rest stops with musicians, jugglers and excellent treats (bagels, fresh fruit, coffee and at the top of Ramsey Hill are the worlds best lemon bars and rasberry bars). The ride supports a cause which I hold dear which is simply promoting biking as an alternative to driving when possible. A simple goal but one that is sometimes overlooked in our rush-rush lives. We spent all morning talking, laughing and just reconnecting. That is one of the biggest blessings that this yearly race hold for us in the reconnection that no matter where we are in our individual lives, this pulls us back together and reminds us that we are family with history and stories for which only we know the punch lines. Its kind of like Christmas in Sept.
My flight from Mpls was supposed to leave at 3:30pm on Sunday (Yes we biked all day and I went to the airport all wet from the rain and sweaty as there wasn't time to make the drive back to WI--deal with it!) but due to weather issues in Chicago my flight was delayed by 3 hours which then pushed my flight from CHI to Columbus back a few hours. The end result. Instead of arriving back in Dayton OH at 8pm it was 1am before I pulled into the hotel. I was TIERD!! So that was the weekend in a very long and convoluted story version :) Overall---it was a blast and I have no regrets about attempting that crazy flight/visit schedule. It was worth it!
Monday came and went as Mondays do. Today I was fortunate and had a good audit which allowed me a few freee hours this evening to kick back and relax and as seen here to catch up on some blogging and reports.
I just keep thinking over and over again how fortunate I am to have good friends, family who cares about me even though certain memebers drive me nuts, a decent job, the potential for an even better position with the company and good health. Life is truly good at this point in time.
So I'm going to say goodnight to everyone and prepare the paperwork for tomorrows audit. Continue to keep me in your thoughts and prayers concerning the transition to ABL and as events occur I'll keep you posted.
If anyone knows of anything fun to do in Dayton this weekend let me know.....it will be so strange to have a whole Fri eve, Sat and Sun without a plane to catch or committments for which I'm already booked.....I might have to celebrate the fact I can sleep in on Sat morning by going out on Friday night....Hmmmm not a bad thought!
After a whirlwind weekend this is the first chance I've had to sit down with a refreshing adult beverage and really think about what has been happening lately.
So here is the recap. I flew out for Dayton OH on Thursday of last week....an uneventful flight and picked up my rental car. After a little dickering with Enterprise who wanted to give me a Ford Taurus (horror of horrors-due to the last two Taurus' having been nasty and always having problems!) I received a cute little Mazda 6. I love this car! I made my way to the north side of Dayton and enjoyed a wonderful evening and went for a walk along the river. One of the things I like best about OH (and I know this since this is my third trip here this year) is that fact that there are many, many areas to walk and run. The Parks and Rec departments are very active here and no matter where I am in OH I can ususally find a walking, running, biking trail within 10 min of where I am staying.
So Friday I had an audit..it was icky. after finishing up at 11pm I still had to pack and get directions to the Columbus airport where I was flying out at 6am on Sat morning for the trip to MN and the ST. Paul Classic. I crashed at midnight and was back up at 3:30am to make the 1.5hr trip to Columbus. The flight was no problem and I spent 99percent of it sleeping as I was totally beat. My moms best friend picked me up from the airport in Mpls as mom was working and we made the hour drive back to Maiden Rock WI. After a few wrong turns due to a poorly marked detour I arrived back at home. It always amazes me how even though the years pass so much remains the same. I saw my Dad and brother and my brothers adorable dog...which I can't remember exactly what it is but it is cute and smart. After a relaxing afternoon hanging out with the family and my sister and her family who arrived after the football game which my niece who is in first grade was cheerleading for---I'm certain that all the little kids were just adorable in their tiny uniforms (I know my niece sure was when she arrived at the house), we finally had dinner. By this time I was simply starving. Dad grilled steaks and we had fresh corn on the cob and it was sooooo good. There is something about steaks done on the grill. Yum, Yum. A quite evening was had by all. My sister and the kids came back over to visit and before we knew it the hours had flown by and once again it was 11pm.
Us ladies determined that in order to arrive at the bike race on time we would have to leave at 5am so we called it a night. Shortly after 5am amid many yawns and requests for coffee us ladies (myself, my mom, my sister and my niece) all left for the St. Paul Classic held in St. Paul (bet you didn't see that one coming did you!). The race began even though it was raining. My sister and my neice were riding together with the tag-a-long and I was roped into taking my little cousing Marie in the Burley as my other aunt had a touch of the flu and didn't believe that she would have been able to make it through the entire course. My mom didn't have any extra passengers for which she was very happy. This ride is one of the best highlights of the year. It is not competative unless you chose to make it so. Every 5-12 miles there are rest stops with musicians, jugglers and excellent treats (bagels, fresh fruit, coffee and at the top of Ramsey Hill are the worlds best lemon bars and rasberry bars). The ride supports a cause which I hold dear which is simply promoting biking as an alternative to driving when possible. A simple goal but one that is sometimes overlooked in our rush-rush lives. We spent all morning talking, laughing and just reconnecting. That is one of the biggest blessings that this yearly race hold for us in the reconnection that no matter where we are in our individual lives, this pulls us back together and reminds us that we are family with history and stories for which only we know the punch lines. Its kind of like Christmas in Sept.
My flight from Mpls was supposed to leave at 3:30pm on Sunday (Yes we biked all day and I went to the airport all wet from the rain and sweaty as there wasn't time to make the drive back to WI--deal with it!) but due to weather issues in Chicago my flight was delayed by 3 hours which then pushed my flight from CHI to Columbus back a few hours. The end result. Instead of arriving back in Dayton OH at 8pm it was 1am before I pulled into the hotel. I was TIERD!! So that was the weekend in a very long and convoluted story version :) Overall---it was a blast and I have no regrets about attempting that crazy flight/visit schedule. It was worth it!
Monday came and went as Mondays do. Today I was fortunate and had a good audit which allowed me a few freee hours this evening to kick back and relax and as seen here to catch up on some blogging and reports.
I just keep thinking over and over again how fortunate I am to have good friends, family who cares about me even though certain memebers drive me nuts, a decent job, the potential for an even better position with the company and good health. Life is truly good at this point in time.
So I'm going to say goodnight to everyone and prepare the paperwork for tomorrows audit. Continue to keep me in your thoughts and prayers concerning the transition to ABL and as events occur I'll keep you posted.
If anyone knows of anything fun to do in Dayton this weekend let me know.....it will be so strange to have a whole Fri eve, Sat and Sun without a plane to catch or committments for which I'm already booked.....I might have to celebrate the fact I can sleep in on Sat morning by going out on Friday night....Hmmmm not a bad thought!
Thursday, September 07, 2006
Long Time no Post
I just looked at my last post and as amazing as it may seem its been over a month since my last post. Where has the time gone??
The end of July was filled iwth Birthday Celebrations and fun, fun, fun in G-Town for both Sarah's and my birthdays. I then jetted off to MI for a month of audits which were so-so. The state of MI was simply beautifull except for Detroit and I spend considerable time with my aunt and uncle preparing for the week long hike on the Pictured Rocks National Park Lakeshore Trail in the UP. It was so enjoyable to spend time just getting to know Kathy again and I had the great fortune to see my cousin for a couple of drinks and dinner along with his wife and their new daughter. Dusting and I spent hours just laughing and talking about the good old days.
The last week of the month I was on vacation, glorious vacation. Kathy and I had a great time backpacking and I have some great pictures. I managed to change my airline ticket and return to Dallas a day early so I could drive down to SA early and start Ryans Birthday celebrations off in proper style.
After spending an excellent holiday weekend in SA with Sarah, Ryan and Rachel I returned to Dallas to face the dreaded task of going back to work after being on Vacation. And now I'm in Dayton OH.....its good to be back in the midwest again. I love the cooler temps but miss being close to Sarah, Ryan and Rachel. But on the flip side an excellent opportunity work-wise has presented itself and I am so hopeful and optimistic concerning this promotion that I can hardly see straight. But I'm doing my best to keep it under wraps except for my closest friends who I have enlisted to pray, send good thoughts and chant mantras to my achieving this potential new position.
Tomorrow is the first audit in the Dayton OH area. Then I fly out at 6am on Sat for Mpls and the 7th annual St. Paul Bike Classic with the family. I'm actually looking forward the the weekend following the bike classic as the last two months have been nonstop go, go, go and I can't wait to just sleep in on Sat and Sun with nothing on the plate, no planes to catch and time to kill (maybe I'll catch a movie!!).
But more to follow later. I've gotta crash if I'm going to be civil tomorrow.....
G'nite all!
The end of July was filled iwth Birthday Celebrations and fun, fun, fun in G-Town for both Sarah's and my birthdays. I then jetted off to MI for a month of audits which were so-so. The state of MI was simply beautifull except for Detroit and I spend considerable time with my aunt and uncle preparing for the week long hike on the Pictured Rocks National Park Lakeshore Trail in the UP. It was so enjoyable to spend time just getting to know Kathy again and I had the great fortune to see my cousin for a couple of drinks and dinner along with his wife and their new daughter. Dusting and I spent hours just laughing and talking about the good old days.
The last week of the month I was on vacation, glorious vacation. Kathy and I had a great time backpacking and I have some great pictures. I managed to change my airline ticket and return to Dallas a day early so I could drive down to SA early and start Ryans Birthday celebrations off in proper style.
After spending an excellent holiday weekend in SA with Sarah, Ryan and Rachel I returned to Dallas to face the dreaded task of going back to work after being on Vacation. And now I'm in Dayton OH.....its good to be back in the midwest again. I love the cooler temps but miss being close to Sarah, Ryan and Rachel. But on the flip side an excellent opportunity work-wise has presented itself and I am so hopeful and optimistic concerning this promotion that I can hardly see straight. But I'm doing my best to keep it under wraps except for my closest friends who I have enlisted to pray, send good thoughts and chant mantras to my achieving this potential new position.
Tomorrow is the first audit in the Dayton OH area. Then I fly out at 6am on Sat for Mpls and the 7th annual St. Paul Bike Classic with the family. I'm actually looking forward the the weekend following the bike classic as the last two months have been nonstop go, go, go and I can't wait to just sleep in on Sat and Sun with nothing on the plate, no planes to catch and time to kill (maybe I'll catch a movie!!).
But more to follow later. I've gotta crash if I'm going to be civil tomorrow.....
G'nite all!
Monday, July 31, 2006
Friday, July 28, 2006
Birthday!
SWo this is a day or two late but I wanted to jot a quick blog about MY DAY---thats right the eventful day when my mother---bless her heart endured 13 hours of labor for the express purpose of introducing me to the world.
So I was up late the night before the 26th getting laundry done and just wrapping up some loose ends from the PA trip and at 12:30 PA time I recieved a phone call from a couple of super special friends who wanted to be the first to with me happy birthday on my birhtday. It was fantastic. We spend a good hour talking and just catching up and it made me realize just how long it had been since we actually talk, talked. It was a great way to start my day off. The next morning I did the flight from Pittsburgh to Charllotte (two hour lay over) then on to Dallas and all in all it was a great day. A strange gentleman at the airport who was in line behing me complimented me on my hair, my overweight bags (yes I know I need to become more streamlined!) were checked right through, and I had great window seats on both flights. Things just clicked.
Upon arrival in Dallas I promptly began sweating like no tomorrow. Major shock to the system to go from 83 and cool to 96 and very, very humid. I did the usual hassle with Super Shuttle--def a hate, hate relationship, and two hours after landing made it back to the hotel.
A friend called me while I was enroute and said that she had two tickets to the Rangers/Yankees game that evening and that we should go. And I had the brilliant thought that a baseball game is indeed the perfect American way to spend your birthday. So we did. We went to Ameriquest Field and had decent seats directly behind second base where we could watch the Rangers pitcher warming up and we had a beer, a hot dog and Tricia had nachos and a soda--she really wanted a margarita but none were to be found around our section. It was a beautiful summers evening, and was so much fun. I hadn't thought about it before but baseball tickets are really cheap (our seats were $7) and what a great way to enjoy yourself no matter what city you are in.
So the evening wrapped up around 11:30pm. The Rnagers lost by one point---nailbiting to the end. And thus my brithday drew to a close.
Another year gone, but not forgotten. A year filled with changes, laughter, some tears, and some of the best friends a person could hope for. I spoke with everyone who I hold near to my heart on my birthday and that in and of itself is so special. Birthdays for me have never been about gifts or things like that. although I will easily admit that I LOVE giving gifts, but I want to talk to my family and friends and be with them more than anything else on special days and special occassions. Cost is irrelevent, intent is what matters.
So, to everyone who made my day a day to remember. Thanks so much and I love you all.
So I was up late the night before the 26th getting laundry done and just wrapping up some loose ends from the PA trip and at 12:30 PA time I recieved a phone call from a couple of super special friends who wanted to be the first to with me happy birthday on my birhtday. It was fantastic. We spend a good hour talking and just catching up and it made me realize just how long it had been since we actually talk, talked. It was a great way to start my day off. The next morning I did the flight from Pittsburgh to Charllotte (two hour lay over) then on to Dallas and all in all it was a great day. A strange gentleman at the airport who was in line behing me complimented me on my hair, my overweight bags (yes I know I need to become more streamlined!) were checked right through, and I had great window seats on both flights. Things just clicked.
Upon arrival in Dallas I promptly began sweating like no tomorrow. Major shock to the system to go from 83 and cool to 96 and very, very humid. I did the usual hassle with Super Shuttle--def a hate, hate relationship, and two hours after landing made it back to the hotel.
A friend called me while I was enroute and said that she had two tickets to the Rangers/Yankees game that evening and that we should go. And I had the brilliant thought that a baseball game is indeed the perfect American way to spend your birthday. So we did. We went to Ameriquest Field and had decent seats directly behind second base where we could watch the Rangers pitcher warming up and we had a beer, a hot dog and Tricia had nachos and a soda--she really wanted a margarita but none were to be found around our section. It was a beautiful summers evening, and was so much fun. I hadn't thought about it before but baseball tickets are really cheap (our seats were $7) and what a great way to enjoy yourself no matter what city you are in.
So the evening wrapped up around 11:30pm. The Rnagers lost by one point---nailbiting to the end. And thus my brithday drew to a close.
Another year gone, but not forgotten. A year filled with changes, laughter, some tears, and some of the best friends a person could hope for. I spoke with everyone who I hold near to my heart on my birthday and that in and of itself is so special. Birthdays for me have never been about gifts or things like that. although I will easily admit that I LOVE giving gifts, but I want to talk to my family and friends and be with them more than anything else on special days and special occassions. Cost is irrelevent, intent is what matters.
So, to everyone who made my day a day to remember. Thanks so much and I love you all.
Saturday, July 22, 2006
Pain in the head---ie headache
Heaven help us!!!
Its Saturday, I have to work and my head is simply splitting!! I have no idea why---surely it has nothing to do with the few drinks I had last night...
All I can say is that Starbucks was the necessary antidote to what ailed me this morning. Its rainy and dreary in Pittsburgh this morning so I guess its not a bad thing that I have to work today. Now I just need to decide if I'm going to stay in town on Sun or if I'm going to go exploring for my last weekend in PA. Hmmmm....decisions, decisions.
Its Saturday, I have to work and my head is simply splitting!! I have no idea why---surely it has nothing to do with the few drinks I had last night...
All I can say is that Starbucks was the necessary antidote to what ailed me this morning. Its rainy and dreary in Pittsburgh this morning so I guess its not a bad thing that I have to work today. Now I just need to decide if I'm going to stay in town on Sun or if I'm going to go exploring for my last weekend in PA. Hmmmm....decisions, decisions.
Friday, July 21, 2006
People
The last two days have been filled with good audits and fantastic managers. Yesterday I was in Washington, PA and the manager there was a great guy filled with those life stories that just make you realize the 50s, 60s and 70s were a totally different time in our culture. The wealth of life experiences, both good and bad, that managers such as R. bring to the table cannot be disputed. And the stories about people they met, others that were on the right and wrong side of the law and the antics that they got up to in the 70s make the day fly by.
Individuals such as the manager today in Altoona, PA give full credit back to their staff for the condition of the motel and the paperwork but what also needs to be said is that without good direction and support from the manager, the staff members would not perform to the high standards which they consistently hold in place. I must admit that on days such as yesterday and today I could easily spend all day with these managers. They are so interesting and entertaining. They also have manners.
You ever wonder what happened to the guys who held the door for a lady, or held a chair for her? Well I can tell you. They grew up in the 50's and 60's and now are the generation on the brink of retirement but they have not lost that courtesy which touches an individual right at her heart. They didn't let the extreme right wing woment lib movement take away the basic manners which they learned as children. Someone once told me that women really shot themselves in the foot when it came to the women's lib movement and I have to admit to a certain extent that they were right. We sometimes become so concerned with proving that we can do anything a guy can and better while also juggling meals, family, home and exercise that we forget that just because someone offers to pay for dinner, to open a car door or a door to an establishment its not an attack upon womanhood or an asperation that we aren't making it in the real world but rather that it could be a little thing called manners and courtesy. The friend I mentioned earlier had a horrible experience not too long ago where he politely held the door to a convenience store open for a woman who was walking behind him. Rather than say thanks she stopped before she got to the door and said that she could get the door herself and that she didn't need a man to get it for her. My friend was justifiably upset by this reaction and when he told it to me I was also shocked. Maybe I'm really old fashioned but personnally I like it when someone gets the door for me, or offers to help with my luggage as I stow it in the overhead bins (that could also be because I'm really short)and yes I do expect the guy to pay for dinner if he asks me out. But honestly is it any wonder guys are confused with mixed signals like that by different members of the female population? But I tend to think that those small courtesies have fallen by the wayside because I cannot tell you the last time when I was at a restaurant and I saw a guy hold the chair for his date or even the car door when they left. Different time different people, manners vs lack thereof. Now I'm not against womens lib....far from it but I do believe that there needs to be balance as in all aspects of life. And really, is it so hard to be polite?
So thats my rant on people, manners and the loss of a good generation of men to the pleasures of the retirement golf course and the state of Fl.
Individuals such as the manager today in Altoona, PA give full credit back to their staff for the condition of the motel and the paperwork but what also needs to be said is that without good direction and support from the manager, the staff members would not perform to the high standards which they consistently hold in place. I must admit that on days such as yesterday and today I could easily spend all day with these managers. They are so interesting and entertaining. They also have manners.
You ever wonder what happened to the guys who held the door for a lady, or held a chair for her? Well I can tell you. They grew up in the 50's and 60's and now are the generation on the brink of retirement but they have not lost that courtesy which touches an individual right at her heart. They didn't let the extreme right wing woment lib movement take away the basic manners which they learned as children. Someone once told me that women really shot themselves in the foot when it came to the women's lib movement and I have to admit to a certain extent that they were right. We sometimes become so concerned with proving that we can do anything a guy can and better while also juggling meals, family, home and exercise that we forget that just because someone offers to pay for dinner, to open a car door or a door to an establishment its not an attack upon womanhood or an asperation that we aren't making it in the real world but rather that it could be a little thing called manners and courtesy. The friend I mentioned earlier had a horrible experience not too long ago where he politely held the door to a convenience store open for a woman who was walking behind him. Rather than say thanks she stopped before she got to the door and said that she could get the door herself and that she didn't need a man to get it for her. My friend was justifiably upset by this reaction and when he told it to me I was also shocked. Maybe I'm really old fashioned but personnally I like it when someone gets the door for me, or offers to help with my luggage as I stow it in the overhead bins (that could also be because I'm really short)and yes I do expect the guy to pay for dinner if he asks me out. But honestly is it any wonder guys are confused with mixed signals like that by different members of the female population? But I tend to think that those small courtesies have fallen by the wayside because I cannot tell you the last time when I was at a restaurant and I saw a guy hold the chair for his date or even the car door when they left. Different time different people, manners vs lack thereof. Now I'm not against womens lib....far from it but I do believe that there needs to be balance as in all aspects of life. And really, is it so hard to be polite?
So thats my rant on people, manners and the loss of a good generation of men to the pleasures of the retirement golf course and the state of Fl.
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Off early and driving
Sooo the great state of Ohio has seen the last of me for at least a couple of months. I am now officially back in PA and in a little town called Wahsington, PA. Its cute. The audit today went well. The manager is 73 years old and still running an eighty room motel. Not bad for someone who could have retired ten years ago. She is still going strong and has a firm handle on operations. Pretty cool lady.
So I fought traffic, road construction and enjoyed the scenery as I travelled through the mini-mountains back into PA. A very enjoyable afternoon. Dinner was a quaint little Italian rest called Angelo's. Good food, stingy wine portions. The dessert tray looked so tempting but I was completely stuffed from dinner, so I think tomorrow I will just do an appetizer and dessert (the best of both worlds)!
Other than that not to much for interesting news. I watched Sex and the City this evening, the one where Carrie red into some of Bergers friends after he had broken up with her on a post-it note. I still think the conversation about the "proper" way to break up with someone is something every guy should see. The conversation might be difficult but honesty in ending something that isn't working cannot be overrated.
I'm studying up on the Picture Rock Park region of upper Michigan. Vacation time is coming up and I need to get ready for some serious hiking. To average 10 miles a day I need to prepare, prepare, prepare. 10 miles hiking is nothing like 10 miles walking/running. The terrain, the weather and the very fact we will be carrying all our food and water thereby adding an extra 30lbs to my back will make the first day or two more of an endurance test than a vacation. But by the third day, it will be enjoyable and I can really soak up the atmosphere. At least that is the hope.
So its back to the reports.....grrr.
So I fought traffic, road construction and enjoyed the scenery as I travelled through the mini-mountains back into PA. A very enjoyable afternoon. Dinner was a quaint little Italian rest called Angelo's. Good food, stingy wine portions. The dessert tray looked so tempting but I was completely stuffed from dinner, so I think tomorrow I will just do an appetizer and dessert (the best of both worlds)!
Other than that not to much for interesting news. I watched Sex and the City this evening, the one where Carrie red into some of Bergers friends after he had broken up with her on a post-it note. I still think the conversation about the "proper" way to break up with someone is something every guy should see. The conversation might be difficult but honesty in ending something that isn't working cannot be overrated.
I'm studying up on the Picture Rock Park region of upper Michigan. Vacation time is coming up and I need to get ready for some serious hiking. To average 10 miles a day I need to prepare, prepare, prepare. 10 miles hiking is nothing like 10 miles walking/running. The terrain, the weather and the very fact we will be carrying all our food and water thereby adding an extra 30lbs to my back will make the first day or two more of an endurance test than a vacation. But by the third day, it will be enjoyable and I can really soak up the atmosphere. At least that is the hope.
So its back to the reports.....grrr.
Saturday, July 15, 2006
The next chapter!
So as I said this trip has been okay. Neither horrible nor spectacular. I've spent more time than I should in rest. bars having a drink or two to take the edge off after a hard audit. And not enough time on the tracks walking and running and I truly feel it. I just don't like how I feel if I go more than two days without walking/running. But some of these days have been so long, that I've finally crashed at 2am after dinner and finishing the reports, then its back on the road again by 8 to make it to the next location. For a few of the areas even when I asked about high school running tracks or local parks there haven't been any nearby. All in all not one of my more successful trips for staying balanced.
But I'm working on it. i walked yesterday evening in Canton, OH and then this evening in Harrisburg, PA (next door to Hershey, PA). I walked for an hour this evening and feel so good....like its all going to be okay and that I'm also okay. Walking gives me time to reflect. This evening I thought about the fact that I do like to be active. I love to mountain and road bike....I miss the smell of the woods and the dirt and leaves and the wild flowers that were often found alongside the trails. I enjoy feeling the flex and extension of my muscles. I like knowing that I am strong and can take care of myself. I like to kayak and canoe, I love to hike and walk and run (sort of // at least as much as my breathing allows). That is the hardest thing about auditing. Its not the hours, or the constant delivering of bad news. Its not knowing that people hate you and that they are constantly seeking to discredit your findings thereby discrediting me. But rather its having to find new walking/running trails every day and not knowing how safe and secure those trails are that is difficult. Eating in different restraunt (or the same chain restraunt day after day)is just par for course. If only there was some way to be consistent with the walking/running I would feel so much better. Walking/running lets me clear my head after 10-14-16hours of working on audits and reports. I need to have that downtime to stay balanced and to stay healthy.
Life is about balance. One of my favorite sayings and I actually wrote it down because I didn't want to forget it is to "Live life with exuberance". That is what I want to do. I can't change the world, I can't change who I am, I can't fix my credit rating, I can't make someone love me who doesn't and for the time being I can't change my job. But even though there are many things I can't change I can still and no matter what "Live life with exuberance" and thereby have a life well lived. Its about not focusing on what you don't have but rather focusing on what your do.
What do I have? I have a fantastic circle of friends for whom I would do anything. I have a great family who although they disagree with my lifestyle, my career and my lack of sig. other in addition to driving me crazy on occassion; they still love me and no matter what they are family. I have a job that allows me to see all parts of the country, the good the bad, the important cities and points of historical significance and also the slow and quiet one horse areas that are still the Norman Rockwell pictures of the past. I also get to see the good and bad parts of the cities. Their beauty and the seediness. The afluent in their Lexus status symbol cars and the downtrodden standing on the corners. Such opportunities are things to be thankful for, and to appreciate them while they last. Someday I'll settle down, when I meet the right person. I'm completely open to meeting someone and to embarking upon that adventure but one thing I have learned "again" is that there must be respect, trust, humor and loyalty in any relationship for it to have the faintest hope of survival. Also that the interest must be recipicated in a healthy manner. The interst cannot be just for through convenience or base lust nunless that is clearly expressed at the beginning nor can it be expressed then taken away in an effort to control another person. There must be some form of purpose for any interest. If its just to be friends, then excellent. I love making new friends. If its friends with the possibility of something more, then even better. If its seomthing more right from the start, well then thats interesting also and possibly a lot of fun! But overriding it all there must be trust, respect, humor and loyalty. Without that....there is nothing.
I have discovered that I hate games. I tend to be rather blunt when it comes to relationships. If you like me, tell me. If you say you like me, then call me and talk with me. Express interest in where I am, what I am doing, how I am doing and share my life with me. I've gone the route of being the one who was the constant cheerleader, the one who asked how the other individuals day was, expressed interest, concern and offered advice concerning objects of concern....but in return I want the same respect and care shown for me. Don't just call me when you want me to cheer you up, or when you want phone sex. I'm worth more, and I know that I have so much more to offer. This time around I'm not going to settle for less than what I know is right. I don't do "when your in town call me, and when I'm in town I'll call you for a sexathons but then don't call, write or have any form of communication until the next time your in town". I guess I'm still a little old fashioned in that I do want someone who cares for me and at the end of the day gives a damn about where I am, what I've done, and how I am doing. Because I do the exact same for those people whom I care about. I want to know how my friends and sig others are doing. I care about the things they care about. I might not fully understand their interests but I'll figure it out. Because if its important enough for you to care about then its important enough for me to express and interest in it also.
So this is turning into a rather lengthy monolgue but there you have it. In a nutshell.....we all are a little crazy but that is what keeps people interesting. Everyone has their own special neurosis' and as time goes on I am figuring out what mine are and how I can deal with them.
So its now midnight, I haven't had anything to drink this evening....someone should be darn proud of me cause I really wanted a martini or a good glass of pinot grigio. And I'm going to call it a night. My alarm is set for 7am so I can go walk before heading into Hershey, PA for a day of sightseeing, sampling of divine chocolate and the 5 hour drive back to Canton, OH.
So I hope that everyone has had a fantastic weekend....and take care.
But I'm working on it. i walked yesterday evening in Canton, OH and then this evening in Harrisburg, PA (next door to Hershey, PA). I walked for an hour this evening and feel so good....like its all going to be okay and that I'm also okay. Walking gives me time to reflect. This evening I thought about the fact that I do like to be active. I love to mountain and road bike....I miss the smell of the woods and the dirt and leaves and the wild flowers that were often found alongside the trails. I enjoy feeling the flex and extension of my muscles. I like knowing that I am strong and can take care of myself. I like to kayak and canoe, I love to hike and walk and run (sort of // at least as much as my breathing allows). That is the hardest thing about auditing. Its not the hours, or the constant delivering of bad news. Its not knowing that people hate you and that they are constantly seeking to discredit your findings thereby discrediting me. But rather its having to find new walking/running trails every day and not knowing how safe and secure those trails are that is difficult. Eating in different restraunt (or the same chain restraunt day after day)is just par for course. If only there was some way to be consistent with the walking/running I would feel so much better. Walking/running lets me clear my head after 10-14-16hours of working on audits and reports. I need to have that downtime to stay balanced and to stay healthy.
Life is about balance. One of my favorite sayings and I actually wrote it down because I didn't want to forget it is to "Live life with exuberance". That is what I want to do. I can't change the world, I can't change who I am, I can't fix my credit rating, I can't make someone love me who doesn't and for the time being I can't change my job. But even though there are many things I can't change I can still and no matter what "Live life with exuberance" and thereby have a life well lived. Its about not focusing on what you don't have but rather focusing on what your do.
What do I have? I have a fantastic circle of friends for whom I would do anything. I have a great family who although they disagree with my lifestyle, my career and my lack of sig. other in addition to driving me crazy on occassion; they still love me and no matter what they are family. I have a job that allows me to see all parts of the country, the good the bad, the important cities and points of historical significance and also the slow and quiet one horse areas that are still the Norman Rockwell pictures of the past. I also get to see the good and bad parts of the cities. Their beauty and the seediness. The afluent in their Lexus status symbol cars and the downtrodden standing on the corners. Such opportunities are things to be thankful for, and to appreciate them while they last. Someday I'll settle down, when I meet the right person. I'm completely open to meeting someone and to embarking upon that adventure but one thing I have learned "again" is that there must be respect, trust, humor and loyalty in any relationship for it to have the faintest hope of survival. Also that the interest must be recipicated in a healthy manner. The interst cannot be just for through convenience or base lust nunless that is clearly expressed at the beginning nor can it be expressed then taken away in an effort to control another person. There must be some form of purpose for any interest. If its just to be friends, then excellent. I love making new friends. If its friends with the possibility of something more, then even better. If its seomthing more right from the start, well then thats interesting also and possibly a lot of fun! But overriding it all there must be trust, respect, humor and loyalty. Without that....there is nothing.
I have discovered that I hate games. I tend to be rather blunt when it comes to relationships. If you like me, tell me. If you say you like me, then call me and talk with me. Express interest in where I am, what I am doing, how I am doing and share my life with me. I've gone the route of being the one who was the constant cheerleader, the one who asked how the other individuals day was, expressed interest, concern and offered advice concerning objects of concern....but in return I want the same respect and care shown for me. Don't just call me when you want me to cheer you up, or when you want phone sex. I'm worth more, and I know that I have so much more to offer. This time around I'm not going to settle for less than what I know is right. I don't do "when your in town call me, and when I'm in town I'll call you for a sexathons but then don't call, write or have any form of communication until the next time your in town". I guess I'm still a little old fashioned in that I do want someone who cares for me and at the end of the day gives a damn about where I am, what I've done, and how I am doing. Because I do the exact same for those people whom I care about. I want to know how my friends and sig others are doing. I care about the things they care about. I might not fully understand their interests but I'll figure it out. Because if its important enough for you to care about then its important enough for me to express and interest in it also.
So this is turning into a rather lengthy monolgue but there you have it. In a nutshell.....we all are a little crazy but that is what keeps people interesting. Everyone has their own special neurosis' and as time goes on I am figuring out what mine are and how I can deal with them.
So its now midnight, I haven't had anything to drink this evening....someone should be darn proud of me cause I really wanted a martini or a good glass of pinot grigio. And I'm going to call it a night. My alarm is set for 7am so I can go walk before heading into Hershey, PA for a day of sightseeing, sampling of divine chocolate and the 5 hour drive back to Canton, OH.
So I hope that everyone has had a fantastic weekend....and take care.
Just do it!
Its been far to long since I've blogged....and life has been happening at a rapid pace for certain things yet for others it seems to have slowed to the minute crawling of an earthworm.
Just a beginning. Ryan and Sarahs wedding was amazing. Filled with fun, good times and the most beatiful ceremony I have been to in years. I must admit that I was teary eyed on more than one occassion throughout the ceremony and it was strange to see them drive off together for the beginning of their new life together. The realization that they are now truly married and everything they do impacts the other person was a sobering thought. But they do truly love each other as was evidenced by the heartfelt vows they spoke to each other during the ceremony and the beaming smiles on their faces during the reception.
Fast forward a couple of weeks and I have visited the great state of GA...specifically the Atlanta region. While not a spot I would willingly go back to again it was interesting from a historical perspective. Different people, different cultures and different way of living. The traffic was atrocious and the people not to friendly.
A good point during that time was the visit I took one weekend to the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC. The estate was amazing, the scenery beautiful, the gardens lush and well maintained with such a bountiful selection of flowers, manicured beds, wild beds and hot house and cold house flowers. Some day whether for a special occassion, a honeymoon, or just a treat myself because I'm woth it vacation I will go back there and spend time just exploring the miles and miles of gardens, the mountains surrounding the estate, the mountain biking trails, the horseback riding trails and the hiking trails. The area was amazing and certainly offset the less than pleasant experiences I had while in Atlanta.
While in Asheville I took an evening and went to a neighboring town called Flat Rock, NC. It reminded me of Door County WI. Very touristy with quaint little shops, excellent restraunts and such a fun atmosphere. I went to the Flat Rock Playhouse for a showing of "Kiss me Kate" which is Cole Porters version of the "Taming of the Shrew". The production was fantastic and funny. Filled with innuendo and double entendres. It was a delightful evening, I dressed up with my fantastic little black dress, spike open toe heels, and a beautiful red silk scarf which I had picked up in Paris (and has been residing in my suitcase ever since that trip). It was a rainy evening but not a hard rain, just the steady downfall that gives a drink to the crops and makes everything fresh and new again. Perhaps that is what I liked so much about NC. It was so green, the mountains and rolling hills were completely covered in trees and was just beautiful. It was possible to be on the main interestate and yet feel like you were driving on a country road. WV felt much the same but as I spent more time there doing audits I quickly realized that the areas were still a little to rustic for my taste (I went a whole week without Starbucks---it was difficult) and that the old story of dont get off the main roads cause if you wander into the hills there are still areas that create their own moonshine and mountain mend do still exist. But NC was a blending of the beauty of the mountains and enough urban edge to keep me happy.
Fast forward a couple of more weeks and I now find myself in Pittsburgh and the far western reaches of Ohio. The trip has been okay. This weekend I am running all over the countryside visiting such places as Hershey, PA and Gettysburg, PA. I'll let you know my findings and interesting observations about those areas.
Just a beginning. Ryan and Sarahs wedding was amazing. Filled with fun, good times and the most beatiful ceremony I have been to in years. I must admit that I was teary eyed on more than one occassion throughout the ceremony and it was strange to see them drive off together for the beginning of their new life together. The realization that they are now truly married and everything they do impacts the other person was a sobering thought. But they do truly love each other as was evidenced by the heartfelt vows they spoke to each other during the ceremony and the beaming smiles on their faces during the reception.
Fast forward a couple of weeks and I have visited the great state of GA...specifically the Atlanta region. While not a spot I would willingly go back to again it was interesting from a historical perspective. Different people, different cultures and different way of living. The traffic was atrocious and the people not to friendly.
A good point during that time was the visit I took one weekend to the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC. The estate was amazing, the scenery beautiful, the gardens lush and well maintained with such a bountiful selection of flowers, manicured beds, wild beds and hot house and cold house flowers. Some day whether for a special occassion, a honeymoon, or just a treat myself because I'm woth it vacation I will go back there and spend time just exploring the miles and miles of gardens, the mountains surrounding the estate, the mountain biking trails, the horseback riding trails and the hiking trails. The area was amazing and certainly offset the less than pleasant experiences I had while in Atlanta.
While in Asheville I took an evening and went to a neighboring town called Flat Rock, NC. It reminded me of Door County WI. Very touristy with quaint little shops, excellent restraunts and such a fun atmosphere. I went to the Flat Rock Playhouse for a showing of "Kiss me Kate" which is Cole Porters version of the "Taming of the Shrew". The production was fantastic and funny. Filled with innuendo and double entendres. It was a delightful evening, I dressed up with my fantastic little black dress, spike open toe heels, and a beautiful red silk scarf which I had picked up in Paris (and has been residing in my suitcase ever since that trip). It was a rainy evening but not a hard rain, just the steady downfall that gives a drink to the crops and makes everything fresh and new again. Perhaps that is what I liked so much about NC. It was so green, the mountains and rolling hills were completely covered in trees and was just beautiful. It was possible to be on the main interestate and yet feel like you were driving on a country road. WV felt much the same but as I spent more time there doing audits I quickly realized that the areas were still a little to rustic for my taste (I went a whole week without Starbucks---it was difficult) and that the old story of dont get off the main roads cause if you wander into the hills there are still areas that create their own moonshine and mountain mend do still exist. But NC was a blending of the beauty of the mountains and enough urban edge to keep me happy.
Fast forward a couple of more weeks and I now find myself in Pittsburgh and the far western reaches of Ohio. The trip has been okay. This weekend I am running all over the countryside visiting such places as Hershey, PA and Gettysburg, PA. I'll let you know my findings and interesting observations about those areas.
Friday, May 12, 2006
The text conversation
For those of you interested here is the text conversation in detail that occurred last Firday/early Saturday morning....drop me a line if you have any questions. B. is you know who....
B.(5/6 2:25am)--On my mind.
Me (5/6 2:30am)--...always a good thing. (winking smiley face)
B. (5/6 2:40am)--I've been a real prick...sorry.
Me (5/6 2:42am)--I would appreciate actually hearing you say the words.
B. (5/6 2:40am)--No mercy..huh?
Me (5/6 2:47am)--Mercy...let me think for a moment...if the situation was reversed how would you feel?
B. (5/6 2:45am)--U r killing me!
Me (5/6 2:49am)--I really do want to know.
B. (5/6 2:47am)--know what...that i'm a jack ass?
Me (5/6 2:52am)--if the situation was reversed how u would feel? But your previous statement is a good beginning.
B. (5/6 2:50am)--Playing me like a cat toy!
Me (5/6 2:55am)--You haven't seen anything yet. And I happen to like cats! I believe i'm deserving of some serious making up time by a certain party in this conversation.
Me (5/6 2:56am)--I guess a very important question is simply "why?" it is one that requires a truthful answer.
B. (5/6 2:54am)--I'm scared!
Me (5/6 2:58am)--Of what? Of whom?
B. (5/6 2:56am)--commitment
Me (5/6 3:02am)--You need to call me. This shouldn't be ahndled by text messaging as something might be misinterpreted by one of us thereby causing greater issues.
Me (5/6 3:09am)--I take it you are more comfortable with communicating through text messaging.
Me (5/6 3:10am)--Reply/response required at this point!
B. (5/6 3:06am)--Dali & Nelly started askin about u! it was between us..right?
B. (5/6 3:07am)--Read the last message?
B. (5/6 3:11am)--Reply/response required at this point!
Me (5/6 3:15am)--I never mentioned you to Dali once and the last Nelly knew was that we were talking but nothing else..
Me (5/6 3:15am)--Patience grasshopper...Give me a min to type...
Me (5/6 3:16am)--We had this conv. once before and I told u then and I will restate...what happens between us stays between us.
B. (5/6 3:13am)--Dali asked me to tell u something when I spoke to u again.
Me (5/6 3:17am)--and that would be...
B. (5/6 3:14am)--Thats what I thought!
Me (5/6 3:19am)--Dali and I spent an afternoon together last time I was in Dallas an dthat was almost two months ago...but u were not the topic of the conversations...
Me (5/6 3:19am)--So what did she want u to tell me??
B. (5/6 3:16am)--I felt a lil betrayed.
Me (5/6 3:21am)--Sorry if that deflates your ego...
Me (5/6 3:22am)--Are you ashamed of the fact that we were talking?
Me (5/6 3:24am)--A lil betrayed and rather than asking me what was going on...you did what you did??? Are you serious?
B. (5/6 3:18am)--does it really matter
Me (5/6 3:26am)--You can bet your last dollar it matters. Simple question...simple answer...honesty either way is required.
B. (5/6 3:19am)--My ego? what do u mean?
B. (5/6 3:21am)--No-but it was between u & me..no on else! I made that clear.
Me (5/6 3:29am)--Ego--that u were not the topic of conversation--just in case u thought u were the only thing Dali and I would have to talk about.
Me (5/6 3:31am)--I fully recognize that you had drawn that line in the sand..we talked about it at length during a phone conversation.
B. (5/6 3:28am)--when two people bring it up in conversation when they never had. not a coincidence.
Me (5/6 3:32am)--So once again instead of asking me you jumped to conclusions.
Me (5/6 3:34am)--Well let me see..nelli told me she called and left a message re her upcoming wedding..and I'm gonna be there for the wedding..think it might be connected?
B. (5/6 3:31am)--I made an educated assumption just like your e-mail!
Me (5/6 3:35am)--And I did call and give you advance warning...if you recall.
Me (5/6 3:35am)--and I have no idea about Dali. What did she say about me?
B. (5/6 3:33am)--When u talk to Janette...
Me (5/6 3:37am)--And when...cause you can count on one hand the number of times that I've talked to her aside from messages relayed by Nelly.
B. (5/6 3:34am)--I'll call tomorrow.
Me (5/6 3:39am)--with apology in hand?
_______________________
So thats the long and the short of the conversation. text me with your thoughts concerning it!!
B.(5/6 2:25am)--On my mind.
Me (5/6 2:30am)--...always a good thing. (winking smiley face)
B. (5/6 2:40am)--I've been a real prick...sorry.
Me (5/6 2:42am)--I would appreciate actually hearing you say the words.
B. (5/6 2:40am)--No mercy..huh?
Me (5/6 2:47am)--Mercy...let me think for a moment...if the situation was reversed how would you feel?
B. (5/6 2:45am)--U r killing me!
Me (5/6 2:49am)--I really do want to know.
B. (5/6 2:47am)--know what...that i'm a jack ass?
Me (5/6 2:52am)--if the situation was reversed how u would feel? But your previous statement is a good beginning.
B. (5/6 2:50am)--Playing me like a cat toy!
Me (5/6 2:55am)--You haven't seen anything yet. And I happen to like cats! I believe i'm deserving of some serious making up time by a certain party in this conversation.
Me (5/6 2:56am)--I guess a very important question is simply "why?" it is one that requires a truthful answer.
B. (5/6 2:54am)--I'm scared!
Me (5/6 2:58am)--Of what? Of whom?
B. (5/6 2:56am)--commitment
Me (5/6 3:02am)--You need to call me. This shouldn't be ahndled by text messaging as something might be misinterpreted by one of us thereby causing greater issues.
Me (5/6 3:09am)--I take it you are more comfortable with communicating through text messaging.
Me (5/6 3:10am)--Reply/response required at this point!
B. (5/6 3:06am)--Dali & Nelly started askin about u! it was between us..right?
B. (5/6 3:07am)--Read the last message?
B. (5/6 3:11am)--Reply/response required at this point!
Me (5/6 3:15am)--I never mentioned you to Dali once and the last Nelly knew was that we were talking but nothing else..
Me (5/6 3:15am)--Patience grasshopper...Give me a min to type...
Me (5/6 3:16am)--We had this conv. once before and I told u then and I will restate...what happens between us stays between us.
B. (5/6 3:13am)--Dali asked me to tell u something when I spoke to u again.
Me (5/6 3:17am)--and that would be...
B. (5/6 3:14am)--Thats what I thought!
Me (5/6 3:19am)--Dali and I spent an afternoon together last time I was in Dallas an dthat was almost two months ago...but u were not the topic of the conversations...
Me (5/6 3:19am)--So what did she want u to tell me??
B. (5/6 3:16am)--I felt a lil betrayed.
Me (5/6 3:21am)--Sorry if that deflates your ego...
Me (5/6 3:22am)--Are you ashamed of the fact that we were talking?
Me (5/6 3:24am)--A lil betrayed and rather than asking me what was going on...you did what you did??? Are you serious?
B. (5/6 3:18am)--does it really matter
Me (5/6 3:26am)--You can bet your last dollar it matters. Simple question...simple answer...honesty either way is required.
B. (5/6 3:19am)--My ego? what do u mean?
B. (5/6 3:21am)--No-but it was between u & me..no on else! I made that clear.
Me (5/6 3:29am)--Ego--that u were not the topic of conversation--just in case u thought u were the only thing Dali and I would have to talk about.
Me (5/6 3:31am)--I fully recognize that you had drawn that line in the sand..we talked about it at length during a phone conversation.
B. (5/6 3:28am)--when two people bring it up in conversation when they never had. not a coincidence.
Me (5/6 3:32am)--So once again instead of asking me you jumped to conclusions.
Me (5/6 3:34am)--Well let me see..nelli told me she called and left a message re her upcoming wedding..and I'm gonna be there for the wedding..think it might be connected?
B. (5/6 3:31am)--I made an educated assumption just like your e-mail!
Me (5/6 3:35am)--And I did call and give you advance warning...if you recall.
Me (5/6 3:35am)--and I have no idea about Dali. What did she say about me?
B. (5/6 3:33am)--When u talk to Janette...
Me (5/6 3:37am)--And when...cause you can count on one hand the number of times that I've talked to her aside from messages relayed by Nelly.
B. (5/6 3:34am)--I'll call tomorrow.
Me (5/6 3:39am)--with apology in hand?
_______________________
So thats the long and the short of the conversation. text me with your thoughts concerning it!!
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