fun

This Working Girl Is Going On Vacation.

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View from the Office

I am trying to write more.  It helps me process all the things I have going on in my life.  This is not one of my better posts, but it is where I am right now. Baby steps.

First, I got a new job. And I have already started.  I am now working for a company based in Seattle. I’ve been in Seattle, training, for the last 2 weeks.  I have one more week of training before I go on vacation.  More on that later.

This company is amazing.  Everyone is SO NICE and helpful.  They are busy, they work hard, but they all have lives outside of work. The executive team believes in grit, integrity, honesty, and open communication. It is a great fit for me.  My career coach would be proud.

I am feeling a bit melancholy about it all. I wish I could retire now. I have so much life to live, I have family I want to support, there are things I want to do. I feel like I have been shackled to a job for 22 years and I tasted a bit of freedom. And I loved it. I crave it now. I want it.  I desperately want it.  But I had 5 months to figure out a way to retire and I wasn’t able to make it happen.   So if I have to go to work, this is the company I want to be with, the people I want to work with, and the journey I am now on.

Second, my bestie Unicorns & Rainbows and I are headed to Amalfi Coast on June 16th.  We will be there for 10 full days. I am beyond excited.  It was a splurge, especially since the $$ came from my savings (since I was jobless), but it is going to be worth it.  We are headed back to one of our favorite places, Villa Scarpariello.  I hope Prince Luigi is there again.  He is such a cutie.

 

 

Decorators Envy.

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mcmansionI’m in Utah.  I had a few customers to visit late this week, and decided to stay the weekend and stay with family.  I’m now staying with AbFab and her two awesome kids Mayonnaise and Shahnaynay.  4 and 6 now, 5 and 7 in very short order. My twin also came up for the evening, and she looks awesome.  I got a few pictures of us together, which is a rarity for us.

Since I’ve last talked about AbFab, she has gotten divorced from the kids’ father and has since remarried to a great guy. I’ll call him RoadRage for now… he is a very nice calm person, RoadRage is a great name for him as its opposite of the personality I’ve seen of him.

Anyway, they now live in a 5800 square foot home.  Its GORGEOUS. I love it.  It’s not the size that I love, it’s the dream of decorating and making a home.  It’s turning each room into a masterpiece, with color, with furniture, with flare. I can see why rich people keep buying new homes even though the ones they already have are Martha Stewart perfect.

On a personal front, I’ve been sick lately – a combo of allergies and a head cold.  I took a long nap today, it was good for me. I feel much better. Tomorrow, Sunday, I’m cooking dinner for the kids and my family…. Its going to be gluten-free (my new diet) but delicious.  I love to cook, it’s nice to cook for others.

O.k. so that’s it.  Not much tonight, but a little bit of something.  Which is what I’d love to see/read from Grey Goose…  hint hint GG, give me something!

Work is Brutal and Rewarding.

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Short post… I had a HUGE demo today….  I pulled it off.. largely because:

  • I had A+++ colleagues supporting me
  • I had the best training ever
  • I’m an  experienced professional (in software dummies)
  • I practiced the hell out of the presentation and demo (can we say OCD?????)

OMG, it went so well… You could not ask for a better outcome.  So now I’m heading to bed – catching an early flight home to SFO.  God if feels good to finally contribute (vs. being a cost center) to my company.  Honestly, I have the best job in the world – work with phenomenal people (“m the weakest link), I learn something new every day, and I get to meet the most interesting people (at prospect/client sites).

I know, the PollyAnna is coming out in me.  Deal… I’m in heaven peeps!!

Much Better.

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Today was a fabulous day…  I picked up my Grey Goose, returned a skirt to Banana Republic without a hassle, and then went to my favorite restaurant and had a salad and glass of wine…  I took my book with me, so I really took my time, enjoyed my lunch, my drink, the sunshine.  It was a slow time in town, it was 3pm ish..  It was nice to soak up the sunshine and a great meal during a relatively calm time during the day.

The bonus is that a girlfriend, Feisty Filly joined me for a quick bite and drink!  Totally unexpected, it just worked out, but we caught up and it was just the thing I needed…  a friend.  She of course told me I looked fabulous (and much younger than my age)…  and that Mr. Meat Market Texter is crazy stupid).  Here here sister!!!  🙂

So, I’m almost done with my pity party.  I get it, life sometimes is a box or rocks…  I’ve opened the box, I don’t like what I see, I’ve now closed the box…  and tomorrow, the box is off to its new home at the Goodwill. 

I have a great weekend planned… I will be hanging with  my fabulous friends and am scheduled to drink just a tiny bit too much on Sunday (Customer Appreciation party at my favorite restaurant…. gotta go!!!)..

Lastly, I didn’t get much work done, which means I have to get up very early tomorrow to get it done.  It’s a small price to pay for the time spent today re-energizing my mind, body, and soul.

What Is The Craziest Thing You Have Ever Done?

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This is the question I got tonight from a friend…. thoughts swirled thru my head…  things that I’ve dont that I shouldn’t have done, things I’ve done that were “socially unacceptable”…..   So many things I can’t share..   The only reason for this blog is to ask you to think about the craziest thing you’ve done.  And if you are comfortable, please share!!  One of these days I may get the courage to broadcast my indiscretions.

OMG – Local Hooping Lessons Starting In May!

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Can you believe my good fortune?!??!?   A friend just alerted me to a beginning hoopers series that is starting in MY TOWN this MAY!!!  OMG, OMG, OOO MMYYYY GODDDDD  I’m SO EXCITED!    Here is the link to all the info – http://www.heartbreakhoopers.com/ – you know that I’ve already emailed them with questions about the sessions… Me and my hoop are going public in May…   watch out Washington Park, here I come!

Can you feel my excitement!?!?!

Girls Weekend Here I Come!

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So, I love it when an adventure comes together…    I’m heading to Boston for work in a few weeks, but this time I’m going to stay a weekend and visit with one of my best friends!  We had no plans to see each other 48 hours ago…. then, magic happened, of the unicorn and rainbows kind.

I woke up on Friday with an email in my inbox from my dear friend, stating she was going to be coming stateside (she currently lives in London.. I know, awesome) the first 2 weeks in April.  I read it and my heart jumped!  I too, will be on the East Coast during this time.  We Skyped, made a plan, and I just booked my ticket.  I will be heading to Boston early so that we can “do what we do” best…  hang out, catch up, have adventures, and make memories!

Now all I have to do is make arrangements with the cat sitter… and I’m good to go.  Life is very good – full of adventure … I love it!

It’s Time for Hula Hooping!

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As you know, I’ve been thinking about hooping since last year, when I found the perfect gift for a 6 year old (Original Post – Hooping Queen) . We had so much fun with her hula hoop…   so I did it.     I purchased myself an adult Hula Hoop and an instructional and workout video.  They arrived last week, and I tried it last night – SO MUCH FUN!!!  It just makes me smile ear to ear and laugh hysterically at myself… I feel so good doing it, even though I can see how bad I look in the mirror…   it just doesn’t matter, its SO MUCH FUN!

I’m going to set up the garage this weekend to be a mini work-out studio… and get to hooping!  My middle looks great thanks to my weight loss and my continued practice of Yoga and Pilates. I  no longer look like a barrel, and now more like a svelte woman…   and its only going to get better with the hula hoop.

I am SO EXCITED about my hula hoop – and cannot wait to get my Hoop groove on!!   I don’t know when I’m going to be able to get to a tropical location to show off my hooping body, but I will be ready when it happens!! 

I’m almost shaking with excitement… if it wasn’t already dark out, I’d go set the mini gym up tonight!  🙂  Instead I’m parusing hoop videos on YouTube – gotta love this one – Sexy Hula Hooping and this one – Hula Hooping with Mia.  Wow.  Sold.   😉

NYR 2011

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Happy New Year everyone!!  Now is the time to make commitements to yourself, steer your life in the direction you want it to go.  I have many New Years resolutions this year….. some are follow-ups from last year, some are new ones.  I absolutely love the new year… new beginnings are so fun and refreshing.

So, 2011, what do I want to focus on?   What do I want to accomplish? Here’s the list.

  1. Financial Life.  I need to get my financial house in order.  Between purchasing a new house and gaining new employment, I really need to get this done. The goals are:
    • Debt. Remodeling the new house cost a lot more than I had agreed up and expected. It cost more money than I had.  I now owe a bunch of money to someone, and I have no way of repaying this debt right now.  I need to come up with a repayment plan and get this debt/loan paid off.  Really bothers me to owe someone money and is the main reason why this is goal # 1 for 2011.
    • Build a Trust/Will (rollover from 2010).  I do not have a ton of money, but I will be worth something when I die, so I want to make sure that my money goes to where I want it to go.  I do know that none of my accounts list the EX as a beneficiary, but now I want to be specific on where I want it to go…. to educating my nieces and nephews, animal rights organizations, etc.. I want to put all the proceeds from my 401(k), life insurance policies, work AD&D into the trust, then name the beneficiaries in one place. My friends have done this, I have the name of a good attorney, I just need to do it.  
    • Not Buying It.  Love this one, did well in2010, and I’m going to continue it.  I just do not need anything…   I’m going to make sure that if I spend money, that its important and I need it. And given that I have debt to pay off, this is a solid resolution to have.
  2. Weight Loss.  So, I lost 5 lbs and a dress size last year. My body shape has absolutely changed.. clothes that used to fit do not fit or fit strangely.  I do feel good about this, but I don’t feel as good as I thought I would.  I want feel better about myself, so there is more work to be done.  My goal is to lose 5 more pounds and another dress size.  It’s important that I shape up and gain muscle, lose fat.  I have plenty to work on:   I’d like to continue to focus on my stomach, my backside could use a reduction and some shaping, and my arms could use some toning.  So I’m going to do the same thing I did last year:  watch what I put in my mouth and try to exercise/do something every day. I love yoga and pilates, I’ve got a few good DVD’s that I can take on the road with me.  Its all about staying healthy and getting to a healthier state.  
  3. Professional Life. I had a bad year professionally in 2010.  The company I joined in 2010 was not a good fit for me for many reasons.  I worked very hard and did my best and it still just didn’t work out.  I’m happy that I found a new job so quickly and the new company I’m with feels like a much better fit.  What I want to do this year is grow – it seems like its been forever since I’ve learned something new.  My new company focuses on education and enabling their sales team for success, and I’m really looking forward to being a part of it.  A couple of things I’d like to focus on professionally this year:
    • Presentation Skills.  I’ve always wanted to be a sleek and smooth presenter. Most often I feel like I fumble thru a presentation.  I want get to the point where I feel comfortable, where I know that I’m delivering a bang-up presentation.  This will take a bit of reading and practice…I have a few books I’m going to read and I’m going to practice practice practice.  
    • Professional Style.  Since I’ve not been “out” at customer sites in a while, I feel out of touch with my business clothing.  I want to slim down my wardrobe and keep only the pieces that I feel most comfortable in.  I have a few great suits which I love and fit me well, but its the upscale business casual clothes that I need.  My first goal will be to weed out the pieces that don’t fit well, then identify the pieces that I need… I want to be selective and make sure that its a good piece that will last a long time. Yes, I’m aware that I have goals about not spending money, I think that its only a few pieces and good, solid pieces never go out of style and its worth the investment.
  4. Personal Life. There are a couple of things I want/need to do this year.
    • I want to have love in my life again.  I would like to find a partner is that available and ready for a healthy, happy relationship.  Relationships are not easy, they do take work, but I think with good communication, patience, trust, and understanding, you CAN actually have one that is  drama free and fun.  I’m going to leave myself open for love and see what happens.
    • Reconnect with a good friend.   There is one friend that I’ve known for many many years that I just stopped communicating with.  It wasn’t because anything happened, its largly because I was working so hard and trying to succeed at work.  Then when time passed I didn’t want to own up to all the time passing… .so I didn’t reach out.  But now, I think about it all the time, wondering what happened to this friend of mine.  She was an exceptional person and friend to me, and I just need to own up to being lazy and reach out.  I need to apologize and make an effort to bring the friendship back into my life. 
  5. Alcohol Intake. I cut back significantly on my drinking in 2010 and I’m going to do the same thing in 2011.  I credit this to my job that didn’t work out and not traveling.  I worked very hard in 2010, in a job I didn’t like, for a company that was “different”…  YOu would think this would cause me to drink more, but I was working so much that I didn’t have time for drinks.  In previous jobs, I traveled quite a bit, and did a lot of drinking when I was on the road (airports, airplanes, restaurants, hotel bars, etc)).  This year, I will not be drinking on airplanes.  It’s Jan. 14th, I’ve taken 3 flights (2 were 6+hours), and I have not had a drink….  Its taken great strength to NOT order a couple of drinks on the airplane so far, but I’ve done it.  I think it will get easier and easier as the year progresses.  A couple of exceptions to this:
    • Vacation.  If I’m on my way to or from a vacation, long weekend, etc..
    • Upgrade.  If I’m ever upgraded to business or first class where the drinks are free.. well, its free and I’m going to partake.
    • Free.  If I am offered a cocktail at no cost by a flight attendant or fellow passenger I’m taking them up on it. 


I’m going to be on the East Coast a lot this year – and I want to arrive in each location without a hangover…  Its hard enough to deal with the 3 hour time difference… if I need help sleeping, I’ll take a pill.

 

That’s it.  I know, a lot to focus on, but I’m ready… I feel solid this year, I’m in a good place, and now, its time to excelerate forward.  I’m looking forward to all the oportunities that present themself in 2011!

Road Trip.

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I spent the weekend with family.  It was a busy but rewarding weekend.

The fabulous A’s came out, my niece and her daughter, and we drove a car to UT, the one she will  use to get herself to and from school.  Its a great beauty – an older truck that has been very well taken care of (thank you Dancing Queen) but has plenty of life left in her.  Her name – Ethel.  We loved Ethel, she is in the prime of her life.   I’ll post pictures of Ethel in a few days. 

We started our drive on Saturday morning, stopped off in Winemucca, NV (where “there is always something going on” according to the 100’s of billboards up to the Hills Have Eyes town) for a bite to eat, slept in Elko, NV, and finished our trip in Lehi, UT, which is where I’m now.  My flight from SLC to CA was cancelled this evening, I’m heading home to the cats tomorrow. 

I would normally be annoyed by the airlines not being able to get their act together, but not this time.  I feel relieved as now I am able to spend time with family.  My mom is taking caree of her a few of her grandkids – my youngest sisters kids. One of them is Bubba, a nephew that is near and dear to my heart. I fell in love with this little guy the minute I met him – named him Bubba myself.  Not because he looked like a fat man who played a part in Deliverance, but because he had the warmest spirit and biggest smile of any little boy I knew.  My heart melted, and Bubba has had a special place in my heart since.

Anyway, due to a family emergency, the boys are are here at Grandma’s.  And tonight, I’m the lucky one – I get to sleep with one of my favorite men of all time – Bubba.  I’m headed to bed soon, he is fast asleep…  so adorable!  I hear he snores and likes to kick….   who doesn’t?!??!

All in all, this is an experience I will remember.  Glad I did it. Puts a smile on my face just thinking about it.  And who doesn’t like a lady who smiles?