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!
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
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!
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