I'm moving

Thats right folks I'm changing addresses. Blog address that is....
Come check me out at passingthetime.wordpress.com. Granted the site is a little empty (alright barren) but I haven't yet figured out how to transfer all my information from blogger to wordpress. Give me a few days and hopefully I'll decorate my new digs with some interesting stuff.

Back on track

Great news!

For the next 7 days I will have full access to all Blogs, interesting webpages and other fun stuff that I have been deprived of for the last few months due to a new version of Websense going crazy and blocking everything I previously held near and dear to my heart.

So let me begin by saying...."It is so nice to be back!"

Change

Sometimes things happen for a reason even though it appears there is no reason at all. But the same cannot be said for personal change. If you want to change your life or aspects of your life it is necessary to actually do something to promote that change. Otherwise what occurs is change due to a lack of action which 99 percent of the time is not the change which was hoped for initially.

So what I am saying is that the initiation of change is occurring and the refocusing upon personal goals (long term and short term) has been refreshed.

At times we all need a reminder of what and who is important. The key is to remember to stay focused upon the goal and to enjoy the lessons to be learned along the journey.

Birthday

So on this day that celebrates my uneventful entrance into this world (for which my mom is very grateful); I have cause to ponder this event which is a celebration of me but which I propose should be a celebration of those people who have had an impact upon my life and who made me into the person which I am today - good and bad, sorry I'm definitely not perfect! Crushing thought I know :)

But seriously, I just want to extend a huge thank you to all my friends and family, near and far who are there with me not only for the fun times but also who hear me and are there for me during the rough times. And no that does not relate just to "crisis situations" ie funerals, family crisis, births and major events. Specifically, I'm referring to the whole package, frustrations at work, frustration at home, frustration over the future, good times such as the discovery of the perfect bottle of wine, advice on everything from fashion to food to travel to haircuts to boyfriends and their justifiable cessation as a boyfriend.

Without my friends and family I can only imagine how lonely life would be. The people who are near to my heart whether they are near geographically or not are so important to me and I just want to say to ya'll that "I love you, and I value each and every one of you". Thanks for just being you.

Miscellaneous stuff

Second to last day in Montreal. I'm coming home ssssssooooooonnnnnn!

Looking out the window it is sunny and beautiful here, high temp for the day is supposed to be 86 degrees Fahrenheit. I'm thinking lunch on the patio!

Today is filled with all kinds of productive things such as surfing the web for sangria recipes, dessert recipes and trying to find a copy of the web session for Tegan and Sara which aired last night but unfortunately missed due to a late dinner with my boss and a second workout session. Haven't been sleeping well and thought if I worked out to the point of exhaustion then I would sleep well - didn't work.....think I'll try alcohol tonight. Its all in the interest of science.

So that's all the news that is new. Did anyone catch Rob Schneider dressed as Lindsay Lohan last night - it was either Letterman or Leno ( I think Leno). Funny!!!!

While working out I say the interview with her dad and how he was going on and on about how he wished she wouldn't make the same mistakes as he did - but even more interesting was the speculation about how Lohan is completely un-insurable and the question of if she will even be alive three years from now based upon her self-destructive behavior. All I can say is - "Grow up girl" it isn't cute anymore. There are people out there who have "real" issues perhaps her time could be better spent helping worthwhile causes - its better then blowing thousands by sniffing it up her nose or killing her liver!

Starbucks price increase!

News of the day---the AP wire just released a bulletin that Starbucks is going to increase their coffee, tea and other goods prices by .09 cents effective very soon - i.e. end of July. This is a sad, sad commentary for a company that has made millions by turning the "average cup of joe" into a $5.00 status symbol.

Question-is the price increase necessary or has Starbucks turned greedy for profit?

While the price increase may not stop me from visiting Starbucks for the occasional indulgent drink, it will make me think twice before stopping as frequently as I used to. Yummy iced coffee recipes abound compliments of the Internet and lemonade/passion tea combinations are certainly out in cyberspace somewhere. So in conclusion, sorry Starbucks but I think you just lost some business. Lesson to be learned. Keep it real, if your prices outpace the desires of your customers they will not be back.

Vacation

A very nice person left the comment the other day asking how my vacation to Colorado went?

In a nutshell. It was simply fantastic. The weather was very warm - mid-upper 90's every day but very nice and cool evenings. The mountains were beautiful, I have about three disposable cameras worth of picture to develop (I forgot my good camera, remembering it when I arrived at the airport and was frantically looking for it so I could separate it when going through security). But even though I will have a vast array of pictures with which to remember the trip, there are at least 100 other pictures that as I was driving I kept thinking, "oh, I need to stop and take a picture of that, or that, or that". There aren't words enough to desirable the steepness of the canyon walls rising on one side of the narrow road, and the rushing whitewater of the Cache le Poudre river on the other side. The twisting narrow roads with the steep switchbacks provided new and breathtaking vistas at every turn. Of course a minor downside to this was the fact that it was a holiday weekend and thus there were a half dozen cars filled with kayaks, mt bikes and people right on your bumper as you were driving into the mountains, but the higher the elevation the more people thinned out. It might have had something to do with the thinness of the air also :)
The 4th of July saw me enjoying a street fair and that evening a wonderful fireworks show in Wellington, CO. Each and every day I ventured out either to a different brewery or revisited one which I thought was fantastic. Many thanks must go out to Fat Tire Brewery for their cheerfulness, excellent beer and passion for the environment. And for letting me visit them and enjoy samples on more than one occasion! If I could work somewhere and have fun everyday, that would be the place. Of course Odell Brewery was wonderful-their 90 Schilling and 50 Cent beers were fantastic. A wonderful sample of 6 beers could be obtained for $3.00. Well worth the minor cost.
All in all it was everything that a vacation should be - relaxing, good food (on a budget), wonderful scenery, exciting things to do and plenty of time to read and just soak up the sun. I wish I was back on vacation at this moment :)

8 Random Things

The rules:1. I have to post these rules before I give you the facts.2. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.3. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.4. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.5. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

Eight Random Things

I intensely dislike blueberries.
My middle name is a combination of my two grandmothers names - Arlene and Dorothy.
My current profession occurred by chance and does not fit my personality type according to Meijer-Briggs.
My favorite seasons are fall and winter.
I am still a romantic at heart although it doesn't happen to everyone in real life.
If I could do anything right now I would be somewhere else than here.
I still believe that I might win the lottery some day.
right now my favorite artists are Tegan & Sara, my favorite song is Le Belle et la Bad Boy (from Sex and the City).

Colorado

Vacation time is almost here!! There are few things in life as enjoyable as the anticipation of vacation. No matter if a person is planning a transatlantic voyage, a journey along old Route 66 or simply staying at home and doing all the "puttering around the house" stuff that piles up on a homeowner before they even blink, the phrase vacation inevitably draws sighs of envy from those less fortunate than the soon to be vacationer.

My vacation is not a European adventure or a surf, sun and sand relaxation trip. Rather my vacation is taking place in Ft. Collins/Denver Colorado. Why Denver -you ask? "Well, why not!" would be my response. Denver has some of the most beautiful hiking areas, whitewater rafting, botanical gardens and history that a person could hope to indulge themselves within.

In addition, the Denver area is home to some of the worlds best microbreweries and large corporate breweries such as New Belgium Brewing, Fort Collins Brewery, Coors and Anhauser-Bush. So after a delightful afternoon of viewing the scenery a person could sip on a delightfully refreshing drink and just enjoy the sunshine and relaxed atmosphere for which Denver is so famous.

Is it July 1st yet?!? I'm ready to go!!

Crazy Things

Strange sighting on the way into work. A VW Beetle (an original one) with the area usually reserved for the engine (in the back trunk) removed and a flat bed installed upon it. They must have restructured the car so the engine could then be placed under the hood.

Would that make it a VW Beetlerailer (Beetle and trailer)?

Tick-Tock

There is a fantastic song called "Night and Day" by Cole Porter that goes something like this

"like the beat, beat, beat of the tom tom when the jungle shadows fall like the tick,tick, tock of the stately clock as it stands against the wall like the drip, drip drip of the rain drops when the summer showers through a voice within me keeps repeating you, you, you"

Anyhow, in my situation the tick, tick, tick of the stately clock for me is counting down the hours to the time when I had a lovely 3 day weekend in Corpus. I am so excited to be wearing sandles, capris and tanks for three whole days! Yeah!!

Frugality

So my vacation to Denver is coming up. The plane ticket purchased for the amazingly low price of $7.50 - thank goodness for frequent flier miles and the rental car held for under $200.00. So the purpose of this is that I would like to be able to enjoy this vacation for about $200.00 including meals and sightseeing. I have 8 days in Denver but do not / can not blow my bank account while out there. Vacationing on a budget is a new concept for me. As many know my personal finances are not something that I ever give a lot of thought to aside from is there enough there to put gas in the car. Others finances I can watch like a hawk and at times offer excellent advice on ways to economize and to properly manage the flow of debits and credits on a consistent basis. But for me vacationing on a budget is just a foreign concept. But in the interest of still going on this vacation and not cancelling and sitting at home for two weeks I am going to try to vacation on a budget.

So if anyone has any suggestions on how to have fun on a very limited dollar amount I would appreciate any and all comments. Luckily my hotel room does have a fridge and microwave so I can probably do meals really cheap - breakfast in my room, lunch for under $10.00 and dinner for under $20.00 but even that just by itself is $240.00 and I haven't even driven anywhere, put gas in the rental car or paid for any park fees! This sucks.

Is it possible to vacation for $200.00 or should I stay home?

Bored

Not that I don't have a million and one things to do but right now, at this moment I am so bored to death with financials that I could just scream. Actually, I would really like a piece of key lime pie but that is another whole story.

So here is a question for the masses. My drive to work is usually an 60 minutes to 80 minutes each morning. And just for kicks I timed out the miles this morning as I was driving to work in a daze due to no coffee. I realized that the first 14 miles go by very quickly (around 75mph) then the next 5 miles are brought to a slower pace due to traffic (around 40-45 mph). Following that slowdown the pace picks up again for 4 miles (around 60 mph) but right at that moment (at exit 33 on hwy 75) things grind to a screeching halt for the next 5 exits or until I turn onto George Bush Turnpike. So as I was thinking as I was driving -- and as I was juggling the shifting from first to second to third, down to first, back to second, back to first gear, that we have to be the most foolish people on the planet. I spend an average of 30-45 minutes everyday attempting to go 5 miles (that stretch from exit 33 to exit 28). We drive like crazy people just so we can watch the brake lights ahead of us for ages, all the while hoping that traffic isn't also backed up on the turnpike. Literally amazing. Texas needs a "good" mass transit system. I looked the other day at the DART. but the stops are limited and the pick up locations are right at that nasty slow spot of exits 33-28, so I would have to drive, through that mess anyhow just to take the DART.

So there really isn't a solution to this situation but I thought it was kind of interesting. One thing is guaranteed. I am thrilled that I don't have to drive into downtown Dallas everyday. That drive is brutal both on the way into work and on the way out.

Busy

Time flies when you are working very hard!! So much to do and so little time. This week is filled with preparations for the big conference meeting at the end of the month. In addition, I am learning a new aspect of the auditing process. Renovation audits. They are rather interesting (cost accounting and all that jazz).

I had a wonderful talk on Sunday eve (although it was a struggle to keep my eyes open from being up way to many hours) with Mary, John, Ryan and Sarah about my future career path plans. They were so supportive and didn't think it was an odd career path for me to embark upon, which I had been a little worried about. Sometimes it is amazing what information (names, contacts etc) others have just at their fingertips. Thus rather than becoming frustrated and disheartened by the process I now have some people to talk with about the "realities" of the path I am going to take and some excellent information with which to move forward. So now it becomes a process of studying for the GRE and choosing the school where I want to go. I'm thinking UNT, TWU and a couple of other options. It will be a balancing act of the finances and the quality of the Master's Program. So thank you to all who helped with the "thought process" last Sunday! I really, really appreciated it! :)

Chocolate Churros

The delectable dessert of Tuesday - Chocolate Churros

The tasty treats are made to order here at the Sofitel Washington DC. The combination of slightly crunchy, sweet chocolate churro and granulated sugar outside is guaranteed to make every fan of regular churros sit up and take notice. The treats were served with a caramelized mango dipping sauce that provided an excellent contrast to the sweetness of the churros.

As a fan of slightly tart things (key lime pie, lemon meringue, lemon drop martinis, cranberries and rhubarb pie) these were not my favorite but when in the right mood and paired with the right food they could provide the desired moments of sweet bliss.

So for those who love churros and if you love chocolate this dessert is for you!

Wednesday

The sun is shining, the weather delightful and we are working indoors! But there is hope for lunch and dinner on the terrace. We are still enjoying the hospitality of the Sofitel Washington DC and have reached the midway point of our time in this great city. The Paris Team will be leaving very late Friday night for their trip back to Paris and I will be leaving that evening for a short taxi ride to Springfield, VA to perform one additional audit in the DC area.

Looking back on the trip it really has not been so bad. Of course I would not like to do 12-16 hour days every week but for a two week stretch it was bearable. Of course, the team members have been wonderful and I have learned an incredible amount from them and they in turn have been a delight with which to work (not at all the horrible experience which I had been anticipating).

But while this has been a good experience I must admit to being ready to come home and see all my friends again. There has been so much going on that I have missed out on that I want to rush home, catch up on the news, become part of the gang again and take part of the fun.

Just out of curiosity--does anyone feel like sushi this weekend? It has been WEEKS since I have indulged in the wonderful freshness of salmon, wasabi and rice---yummy, yummy.

Dessert and coffe

Ok, when things get stressful what do you do? The Paris Team and I do dessert and coffee. This is probably the best part of my day. While Geraldine remains true to her size 0 and only has coffee, she is ever so polite while Julien and I indulge in the non-size 0 delights of dessert and coffee. So in the interest of keeping this as entertaining as possible I will tantalize the tastebuds of my few but dear readers. Picture a delightful mini-dessert with a crushed graham cracker crust, a lemon cream cheese filling with just enough bite to make you pucker-up, a dollop of real whipped cream and a touch of lemon zest. That would be my delectable confections for the afternoon and when paired with a cafe au lait and the sunshine from eating al fresco on the sidewalk outside the hotel it was a moment to relax and forget about all cares, worries and the hours of work still waiting for me. "Superb" to say the least.

I hate my job.

7:40pm

It is 7:40pm and we are still working.....will this day ever end? I have been here since 8:30am....I'm hungry and need a change of scenery! I hope this isn't a usual "day in the office" for these people.

10:30am

It is now 10:30am and the day is just getting started with my "new" team members.....Things are pretty relaxed. Hmmmm, could this be the trend for the week?

Something beautiful

I re-found this poem the other day---I think that it is beautiful and says so much with very few words. Enjoy.

“One Hundred Love Sonnets: XVII”

by Pablo Neruda

I don’t love you as if you were a rose of salt, topaz,

or arrow of carnations that propagate fire:

I love you as one loves certain obscure things,

secretly, between the shadow and the soul.

I love you as the plant that doesn’t bloom but carries

the light of those flowers, hidden, within itself,

and thanks to your love the tight aroma that arose

from the earth lives dimly in my body.

I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where,

I love you directly without problems or pride:

I love you like this because I don’t know any other way to love,

except in this form in which I am not nor are you,

so close that your hand upon my chest is mine,

so close that your eyes close with my dreams.

Translated by Mark Eisner

Pablo Neruda, “One Hundred Love Sonnets: XVII” from The Essential Neruda: Selected Poems, edited by Mark Eisner. Copyright © 2004 City Lights Books.

Visits to MN

The family in MN and WI all say hello to my friends in other states. Yes it is true, I actually spent a couple of days with my family in MN and WI. While cell phone service was a little spotty the most difficult part of the last few days has been a lack of email communication. Talk about feeling cut off! Yikes!!

But aside from the absence of emails the visit went really well. My nieces and nephews are growing like crazy and were a lot of fun to hang out with including an attempt at camping in the living room which by 3am ended with everyone back in their respective beds. I actually remember yard camping trips when I was growing up that ended the same way....those were the days.

The Paris Team with whom I am working this week appear to be nice, conversant and friendly. So here is to keeping my fingers crossed that the relationships we (the ANA audit department) have with the hotels will continue be be positive and that all our hard work will not be endangered by a lack of communication, language issues or program variances between the International program and the ANA program.

Hope that everyone has a wonderful Memorial Day Holiday and that you do something patriotic in remembrance of the reason for the Holiday.

Return of the traveling auditor

The return to the land of Texans. It is good to be home. Toronto was entertaining once the Novotel was done. I had an opportunity to revisit the land of AEL and it was good to refresh my skills and VERY nice to be able to eat out where I wanted each night, but also I have to admit that I like many of the perks of the ABL environment. So each side has its pros and cons. Very diplomatic of me isn't it! :)

I flew back to Dallas late Saturday eve, and had the joy of enjoying a nice dinner with John and Mary. They are two of the nicest people around. Considering that they really didn't know me that well before the move to Texas they have welcomed me into their family and have made me feel soooo included in their lives. Case in point - they knew that I was flying back on Saturday and when I arrived on the ground I had a voicemail inviting me to dinner. How sweet and caring is that! And they do things like that all the time!! Amazing people!

Sunday I kind of overslept and missed breakfast with the gang---the past two weeks caught up with me a little bit. But I did make it to church and then ran numerous errands, picked up some groceries so I wouldn't eat Sarah and Ryan out of home and hearth and then went back home for some serious work time. Well, the work time was semi-productive, the sitting on the swing and listening to the sounds of the neighborhood was very productive and my sanity was fully restored. It was an incredible evening. Around 8pm (ish) Sarah and Ryan arrived home with all kinds of goodies from one of our favorite wineries. We had dinner and a bottle of fabulous wine and caught up on the events of each others lives for the past two weeks.

This week is a fast paced, hectic week as I am flying out on Wednesday for Minneapolis. So there is lots to do and not much time but all in all things are going well.

Trends

Work, eat, drink, work out (a little), want another drink so I can sleep....don't have it cause I have more work to do....procrastinate. Fall asleep at midnight, don't sleep well at all. Wake up...shower in a daze cause I've been up since 3am trying to fall back asleep. Go to work. Realize I'm hated by one and all, when all I' trying to do is help. Work in isolation for hours.

Don't want to go to the restaurant for lunch cause the service is slow and the food blah (its the same menu I've been looking at for the last week, and is identical to the last four hotels of this brand I've audited)....skip lunch. Stomach is growling. No water cause Banquets hates me and doesn't refresh the room each day. Passive aggressive is the type who wins the race and takes the prize. Really hungry now. Eat the left-over Hot Tamales candy from the flight here. Too much work to do and I don't want to do it. Realize its been four days since I've been outdoors. Is this a form of torture?? If so why did I willingly sign up for it??

Goal, Goal, Goal....keep you eye on the goal. Four years....u can do anything for four years. This will cause tears of laughter when I'm 50.

Its just a job

Note to self....to be remembered at points of work inspired stress.

It is just a job. I am more than my job. While providing a paycheck (pitiful as it may be), the job is not the essence of life. There are other jobs out there--if you want them. Laugh in the face of the chaos as three weeks from now the stress of the moment will not be remembered with any of the current anxiety. If this job is so horrible, stressful, non-rewarding then get one of those other jobs out there. If I choose to stay with this current job then shut up about how bad it is and just do the work....no one wants to hear you b**ch about how awful it is. Everyone's job is awful in some area as there are no perfect jobs out there; just jobs with varying levels of awfulness.

So slap a smile on your face, imagine the stress causing individual with ketchup on their face and do the best that you can do at this moment in time. You are working towards the greater goal....a job that provides satisfaction on multiple levels, not just the monetary level.

Now repeat after me....MBA, MLS, MBA, MLS, MBA, MLS. Now get back and finish that project!

New Format

Isn't it pretty!! And oh so springy ;)

Spring in Toronto

The wandering auditor has arrived in Toronto--the land of "Eh", Hockey and Lablat beer. When I left Sherman TX it was a lovely 68 degrees and upon my arrival in Canada is was a little chillier. Spring is arriving in Toronto--please not I said arriving not arrived. The trees are showing their pale green first leaves of the season and many still are bare--worried about a late frost I'd say.

The locals are optimistic that by Friday it will be "warm" ie in the 60's and many people are already finagaling ways to call in sick on Friday.

The hotel is in the heart of Toronto Center and while some of the rooms are nice (I know cause I stayed in a nice room in January), I have been relegated to a 4x4 space which I am honored to call my own for the remainder of the week.

While there are many long days ahead of me I cannot wait to get out and explore the city....at least a little!

A Perfect Weekend

Such bliss to be found in enjoying a relaxing weekend in Sherman TX. After the fiasco of my Mexico trip being cancelled I settled into the mindset of enjoying my time in TX. Friday night saw Ryan, Sarah and I going out to dinner and enjoying a few drinks and each others company. We caught up on some iPod updates and all in all unwound from the week. I think we all needed a little decompression time without being on "show" for anyone in any city.

Saturday after a delightful sleep-in we cleaned house (yes, even I helped!) and then ran errands and visited a wonderful winery where we sampled 7 different types of wine and bought a few bottles to supplement the wine racks at the house. Following the winery tour we enjoyed the wonderful TX afternoon sunshine on the patio at the winery and sipped a couple of glasses of Chenin in Blanc and Texas White (they were 1/2 price but still only a 3.5 to 4 ounce pour) so we came out about even. We chit-chatted and discussed vacation plans and committed ourselves to making a decision by the end of June. We have some wonderful options on the table and I am excited to see where we finally decide to take our next international adventure. That is one of the best things about traveling with people who you know....No pressure to stay somewhere fancy, or to do the usual "tourist gimmicks" if we don't want to.....I have such fond memories of Paris both the sights and the relaxing times. When you travel with friends it makes vacation a rest and relaxation time, not a marathon sightseeing adventure with a bunch of people who might not enjoy similar pursuits.

Saturday evening saw us gathered in the backyard with John and Mary enjoying a few brews and the chiminea. Unfortunately, there was a house fire in the neighborhood that interrupted the evening but it did not appear as though anyone was hurt-just damage to the house.

Sunday was church and a quick run to McKinney for a little shopping. That was followed by grocery shopping and a delicious dinner of grilled burgers and corn on the cob. Dinner was supplemented by some excellent red wine from Homestead Winery and sweet jalapeno pepper pickles (they were soooo yummy!!), they reminded me of bread and butter pickles with a kick.

Sarah and I went for a walk at a great park behind the elementary school which is going to be my new favorite park at which to walk. It was well lit, paved and there was no danger of being hit by some fool driving on the road. It was a wonderful walk with the almost full moon, crickets making music and the honeysuckle perfuming the evening air.

So now it is Monday and I am here in Dallas for another week with a fly-out date of Sunday to Toronto for two weeks of back to back audits. The calm before the storm has arrived.

Pending

So, its been awhile since I've posted....not certain as to why I fell out of the habit of posting but there you have it - I just did. I suppose like anything else in life, if you do not do it consistently then it slips away from you.

Part of the situation might also have to do with the fact that there really isn't anything that interesting going on with my life that is "worthy" of being blogged about. So with that being said....when something exciting does happen I will once again resume blogging with some semblance of regularity.

I leave on Sunday (which is Easter - for those of you who are forgetful like me) for San Francisco. Should be interesting. The hotel is not in San Francisco but is an airport location - which means I won't be able to visit SF....but at least I can say I saw the airport and the hotel. Perhaps some year for vacation I will visit SF and actually do the touristy stuff.

Aside from that I'm trying to keep my head above water at work and to not taking things so personally---its a work in progress and I am only doing so-so at it.

But to all I hope that your Easter weekend is lots of fun - with Easter egg hunts for the kids, dinner for the grown-ups and a general remembrance of what Easter really means.

Lunch

So after another morning of hitting snooze one to many times I rushed out the door and completely left my wonderful lunch in the fridge!! I felt so bad as I had been looking forward to it so much. Ryan had exhibited his culinary skills and created a wonderful batch of tortilla soup of which I had snagged a bowl of leftover soup just so I could enjoy it today.

Thankfully all is not lost. The soup will be in the fridge for my lunch tomorrow....and I didn't have to starve either as it was Stephen's Birthday and as a surprise Jacques took Stephen, Lien and myself out to lunch at the Pacific Rim. It was yummy!!

Back on the Non-profit Bandwagon again

Today has been amazingly productive!! I have registered to participate in three walks/runs for organizations such as the American Lung Association, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and the Aids Arms Life Walk. All for different months going all the way through November of this year. In addition I also signed up to volunteer for two different walks - the MS walk in March and Runner's World - Kids Running/Walking event in April.

It feels wonderful to know that just by giving a few hours of time on a Saturday or Sunday a difference could be made in another persons life. It feels good to get re-involved with non-profit activities again. When I lived in MN I think I participated/volunteered in at least two events a month beginning in March and ending in September...but then I didn't travel nearly as much as I do now and I was in better shape!

So it is a little by little process to get re-involved but nonetheless I'm excited about the upcoming events.

And btw....NO I do not do the who fundraising thing. If funds need to be raised I pay them out of my own pocket....I intensely dislike people who constantly ask for donations for this or that...good thing I'm not in sales!

Fun!

So I'm jamming out here at work today listening to Katherine McPhee and this awesome song called "Open Toes"......this sums up so many of the good things about being a hip, young happening woman. It really is all about Open Toe (shoes)!!

If you can get your hands on a copy of this CD - I think it is just called Katherine McPhee (at least that is what itunes listed it as when I loaded it) - I would highly recommend it....it is just fun!!

Insulted already!

OK.....I thought I looked really good when I walked out the door this morning. My hair was edgy, my make-up good, pants fit ok....I'm still struggling with finding good pants that don't make me look like I have a bubble butt (my mom's wording not mine), I had on a nice fitted white button down shirt and a cute scarf - Thanks Sarah!! And of course complimentary black peep toe heels.

Then I arrive at work....after not doing much for the first hour and a half a co-worked who had just arrived swung my door and said "Hey, you look like you are all 'cowgirled up' today" What the heck!! I was going for a fun, sophisticated, FRENCH OR 1950'S look. NOT COWGIRL!! So if anyone has any ideas on what to do drop me a line.....I can't take the scarf off as I don't have a necklace here and I have no idea on how else to tie the scarf aside from as I have it now. Off to the side, and tied.

Men have no fashion sense. And to top it off my shoes make funny noises when I walk.....this is not turning out to be a good Monday.....can we start over??

Cowgirl......how could he even fathom that that would be appreciated??

Key Lime Pie

So I'm rather bored at work although I have papers stacked up to my eyeballs and I must admit that I have visions of the most wonderful Key Lime Pie floating through my head. Mmmmmmmmm. But I must resist as I just finished lunch with the RC and have much to do before I call it a day.

The weather in Miami is still wonderful and although it is a little cloudy today it is in the 80's and soooo nice. I cannot stay focused this trip.....I don't know if it is spring fever or something else but I would love to be outdoors right now doing something non-work related. So sad to have such a short attention span.

What to do, what to do.....how to be productive when you want to go swimming and soak up some sun (if it wasn't cloudy that is).

Hmmmm. I could use a drink. Something fruity with pinapple juice and rum.

Challenges

So, a new day is here and so is my recovery from the sideswipe of yesterday. A friend told me this morning that the reason people are blindsided by someone tearing their work apart is God's funny way of teaching us humility. Of course in my own blunt fashion I replied back that I am already blessed with plenty of humility---and that all I want is just to feel like I'm on par with the rest of society who is blissfully going about their business. God has an odd sense of humor.

So my thought for the day is that I'm going to overwhelm a certain person with kindness, happiness and no matter what they say or do I will rise above them. I am going to learn and absorb all I can from them so when circumstances change guess who is ready to step into their shoes...or a comparable pair of shoes somewhere else.

I guess I not going to hold my breath for anything to happen in my personal life and just focus on what I know I can attain. Complete my MBA within 4 years, transition further upward with ACCOR within 6 years, a home within 8 years, and within 12 years complete either law school or a MLA. Perhaps I'm not one of those people who can have it all (family, home, relationship and career) but I'll make my own version of having it all -- in my case it will be great friends, career, home and travel. I heard somewhere that you make your own happiness.....well guess what - my time is coming. Do what you are doing and do it well. That will be my motto for the foreseeable future.

To New York and back again

Bad things happen when you don't take the time to blog.....of course I don't mean "bad things" literally but more along the lines of experiencing so many unique things that by the time I get around to blogging about them, they are rather faded like an old photograph...the excitement and energy felt while exploring a new city has faded behind the tedium of yet another day in the office.

So let me just say that New York was a complete experience like none other. I was fortunate enough to spend some time with a friend who came up for a couple of days (although I did end up working more than I wanted to during the visit), I had the opportunity to see two Broadway shows - "The Producers" with Tony Danza and "Avenue Q" the puppet show, which is a cross between Sesame Street and South Park. I also saw Chinatown - Prada anyone?? I had a cookie from Elanis Bakery, cupcakes from Magnolia Bakery, drinks at the "G-Spot" and "Therapy". Dinner one evening was at a wonderful little French restaurant in the Meat Packing District and of course a slice of authentic New York Pizza at 2:30am on a Saturday morning. In addition, I saw the ice skating rink at Rockefeller Center, I shivered in the early morning air while standing in the crowd for the Today Show with Al, Meredith, Ann and Matt and the worlds largest fondue, and of course spent way to much money at the huge Virgin Records Store in Times Square.

All in all a very unique experience.

And thus life returns to normal. I'm in Dallas for a week then it is off to Miami - this should be a quiet trip as I've visited Miami before so not to much running around but more working and fine tuning the audit process.

Light at the end of the tunnel

Its Wednesday.....and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel concerning this audit. Just have a day and a half of hard work ahead and I might actually be done on time....

BTW if anyone offers you a candy bar called a "Coffee Crisp" DON'T eat it!!! Nasty, nasty, nasty. Not that that stopped me from finishing it--I worked through lunch and snagged the aforementioned candy bar from the mini-bar, but the assault on my tastebuds was not worth the burst of energy!

Happy Wednesday gang!!

Ottawa Canada

A new adventure begins with the start of a new week. This week will actually mark my third week in Canada (not consecutively thank goodness but almost!) After a full day of traveling I arrived in Ottawa at 7:30pm and discovered that my room had a minor plumbing issue which necessitated changing rooms for the night. Nontheless my room is nice--the redesigned Novation Rooms are very spacious, light and airy. Much better than the old product. This location as far as furnishings has North York and Mississauga beat hands down. The bar area where I had a late dinner last night is very bold in design. Great red velvelt seats, slate grey benches and two wall murals of Henri Matisse's work (simply beautiful--I could admire then all night).

The staff here have been really nice thus far. Although we have not yet begun the nitty, gritty work I have high hopes that this audit will progress smoothly. A minor down side is that until my suite (with seperate workroom) is ready I'm actually working out of my room which is a rather odd feeling but as long as I don't have to meet with any of the department heads in my room I'll be fine. I'm not that neat of a housekeeper and I want to fully unpack and spread out.....but DO NOT want anyone seeing all my stuff.

The weather here is chilly but yesterday marked the first day of the Winterlude Festival which is a very big deal around here. As the car took me from the airport to the hotel last night we drove through some beautiful residential neighborhoods. Wonderful red stone homes, excellent designs and of course plenty of fresh white snow. As we drove along, the famous Canal was on my left and there were people all along it skating away. It wasn't as well lit as I had expected but in parts next to park areas and other popular spots there were a considerable number of people out. It looked so peaceful and tranquil. It seemed as though I myself could feel the ice under by blades, the smooth gliding strokes of the skaters and the crispness of the icy winter air rushing into my lungs. It gave the appearance of a perfect place for lovers to be together, for an individual to reflect on how amazing the world really is, or just to embrace a perfectly still winters night and to enjoy the darkness of the sky, the brilliance of the stars and the whiteness of the moon.

The New Year

The Christmas holidays are past....presents have been opened.....visits with family members completed and it is once again time for the creation of a few New Years Resolutions. Actually this year the resolution I have are pretty basic. Some might even say they are normal and boring but sometimes it is good to put in writing those items that prove troublesome over and over again. So here goes. I resolve to be sensible.....in relation to work, fun, love and life in general. Don't sweat the small stuff and remember that tomorrow is another day. If I repeat that statement at least once a day by November it will start to sink in.

As far as news.....the move to Sherman is complete. I haven't unpacked ANY boxes yet but there will be time for that on Saturday. This entire week has been jam packed with Office Meetings and "organized fun" as part of those office meetings. Thus I've been returning to Sherman between 10pm and midnight each night this week and hitting the road again in the morning by 6:15-6:35am to get into Dallas before the traffic goes crazy. Ryan and Sarah's new home is just perfect for them....it is a wonderful house with lots of character and a great backyard for the dogs to run and for Ryan and Sarah to sit out next to the Chiminea and look at the stars (which you can really see!). I haven't had much time to spend with Sarah this week as when I finally arrive home I'm so exhausted that I literally fall into bed immediately and just am out of it until the alarm goes off again in the morning. But Sarah has been regaling me with some of her adventures each day as she goes about dealing with the multitude of details that exist to make new homeowners crazy---the water company, the electric company, the phone company, Home Depot, Target....etc, etc. I have no idea how she handles the frustration of talking to 15 different people while trying to get one answer but there you have it.....the woman is cool and talented without a doubt. But additional good news is that Ryan made it safely home to Sarah on Thursday afternoon so I know that she is much happier to have him there with her.

This evening Ryan and Sarah are going to happy hour at a great little spot called Cellerman's which will be a viable option for their new "beer home". If I made it back to Sherman at a reasonable hour I think I might joining them for a little Friday night libation.

So that is it for now.....only one more hour until I'm free for the next two days!!!!!!

TGIF!!!!!