oh and...

Okay one more thing-- I have been inspired by Kate's recent blog name change that I need a much better title for my blog. Send ideas! :)

picks & pans

okay I've decided Tuesday is officially going to be picks and pans day on my blog. Why? Because it's my blog and i want to! :Þ If you have any of your own, feel free to add them :) So without further ado...

PICKS:

Sex & the City-- now I know I'm kind of late saying this, but what a fantastic show! I had watched some while it was on but not until right near the end. I refuse to watch the TV versions, so I'm slowly making my way through all the seasons on DVD and my HBO on Demand... a little out of order but still just as fun :)

Real Simple Magazine-- yes I know you all know this, but I just absolutely LOVE this magazine!!! And I recently realized my subscription ran out (boooo) so I missed an issue, but I guess I'll live. If you don't read it, pick one up! It's like Martha Stewart Living but for the everywoman (not the Martha Stewart perfect types who know what stuff like "creme fraiche" is) with a bunch of added extras and simplifying and organizing type stuff for your life and house.

holidays with no traveling-- as you all know, my family came here this year! and it was so much fun! Here's to making it a tradition :)

the EAGLES-- this year's future Super Bowl Champs :) 10-1, a 4th consecutive division title, the first playoff spot, and T.O., who is possibly the best receiver in the game (or if not, at least the most entertaining!)

online shopping-- takes the crowded malls out of the already annoying Christmas shopping season equation. What could be better than shopping in your underwear and having what you want delivered?!

U2's "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb"-- a great CD, and even better that it only cost $8 (i'm sure thanks to the effects of online downloading but that's a whole different story!) :)
Today's blogging is brought to you by tracks 4 and 6, my early favorites

Fat Bastard Chardonnay-- I'm not sure if this is just a Virginia thing, but don't let the name fool you. It's a respected wine that's slowly taken over as my favorite.

The Melting Pot-- If you have never been, find one close to you! :) It's a fondue restaurant and it is soooo much fun. Also a good place to celebrate just about anything.

PANS:

my upstairs neighbors-- I can tell when they're home because there is no parking in front of MY apartment and my pans are clattering from all the noise they're making upstairs. umm yeah they need to go.

regional stuff-- I have been very home and college sick lately for the stuff that isn't accessible down here, including Chipotle, Bagel Junction, the Oxford Valley Barnes & Noble, Pat's Cheesesteaks, Ukrops (although Harris Teeter is a somewhat acceptable alternative), Y100, the Court & Plaza at King of Prussia, Eat N Park midnight breakfast buffet, Philly sports on TV, and Yuengling Lager Light. If you have access to any of these things are they are shippable, please send them my way :)

work and bills-- these will make just about every list I ever make. and deservedly so!

catty people-- two words: grow up. it's not worth it.

Delaware Police Officers-- a woman at work just got a speeding ticket on the same stretch of 13 where I've gotten my 2. grrrrrrrr

people who aren't dependable-- how annoying. ok i'm done with my people venting now :)

HTML code-- now normally this would be a pick because it can be really fun, but lately it's been frustrating the hell out of me. If I could just figure out how to get rid of the green I could actually make my page match!!!!!

CPCU-- okay I thought it would be good to take another class when I was feeling more motivated. Well, then I started reading, fell asleep, and now have already forgotten I was ever motivated to begin with. Insurance is just not that interesting (what a surprise)

okay til next week, enjoy the list :)

Catch-24

after an entire day of Sex & the City reruns, here's where my mind has wandered. sorry it's a book, but there's just something about being young and single in the city...

For those of you like me who are young and on your own, you know how stressful it can be. You work hard all week and you stress about whether or not it's even the right place for you to be. You stress about your bills and how to budget your money. You wonder how much job security you really have (more stress!) And to top it all off, you're totally in a quarter-life crisis, wondering how the hell you ended up where you are, if you've really got yourself all figured out, and where the hell your life is going anyway! AHHH! This is especially compounded by working in an entire world of people older than you, who all expect you to act a certain way and do certain things, even though you still haven't decided whether or not you WANT to act that way or what things you want to do.

This is a lot to handle when you're completely on your own with no family around. And it's in these times that you realize how valuable your family is and you have learned to value every minute that you get to spend with them. And you also realize that time is precious anyway, because being away from your family makes you notice the ways they've aged since you last saw them, which reminds you that everyone is getting older and life is changing, and that memories are inherently pieces of the past and are meant to stay there.

Then, being in a new area without the security of where you grew up, you realize that no one is like you. No one came from where you came from and has the same life experiences that you have. Everyone has lived a very different version of life, and usually it's very hard to try to relate to the version of life that they've lived or the way they think as a result. Sometimes, though, you get lucky and find other people coming from a place like you did and living a similar life to what you're living now that think a lot like you do. And, those friends are priceless, and you know you'd be completely lost without them.

Then there's the issue of being single. Actually, though, it is really all about people in general and not just the opposite sex. Since the world is so diverse and everyone has such different life perspectives, it seems so hard to meet the people you want to meet. You know work is just a bad idea all around. So, you go out with your friends, who really seem to be more of aquaintances when you really look at the relationships, and you have a good time. Maybe you meet boys. You exchange numbers. Even if they call, you know that the drunk boy that hit on you will never be the one you take home to Mom. And you haven't figured out yet where else to meet people. Plus, you have standards for the people around you. And shouldn't you? It's just amazing how different people are than what you thought they'd be.

Now, I'm not saying there aren't good things about this lifestyle. There will always be something ridiculously gratifying about getting up every day and knowing that your life is exactly that: your life! You built it, you're responsible for it, and no one can ever take that away from you. And because it's yours, you get to change it anytime you want. You get to be in completely deep and retrospective moods, write blogs about it, and then realize that you're still young, you have a lot going for you, and you still have plenty of time to make your life the best it can possibly be. You may not yet have figured out exactly how, but you also know that the craziness of it all and the constant possibility of a new adventure along the way somehow keeps you going. And you also know that there is some destination for you, even if you don't know what it is. And whether you're ready or not and whether you've analyzed, overanalyzed, or just let it be, life moves on, the stress moves on, and even the fun moves on. and your life can only be better for all of the things you've gone through and learned along the way.

the Thanksgiving post

Hi all! Just a quick post tonight to say hello... I have been cleaning alllll day and I need something more fun to do! But, if I do say so myself, my apartment has come together perfectly-- even after last week's huge change everything around project. I still have more to do tomorrow, but I got more done today than I thought I would, and since family's coming late, I should have plenty of time. And it is sooooo nice to see my clean organized apartment! I think I'll keep it this way for awhile :)

In Thanksgiving notes, I decided to name my turkey Fred. Too bad we will be eating him Thursday... And no, there is no reason why I specifically named him Fred. I just opened the refrigerator door one day and said "Hey, Fred." he didn't say anything back. that's when I knew he was dead. :Þ
I love Thanksgiving! I even won the battle of making mashed potatoes. It was the stupidest argument in the history of Thanksgiving-- I told my mom I wanted to make them and she argued that they're not traditional and we don't need them. But I LIKE making them and so I am. who the hell likes sweet potatoes anyway?! haha.

And other than the food and company, who can guess my other favorite part of Thanksgiving? YEP! The MACY'S Thanksgiving Day Parade!!!! It's the perfect lead in to Black Friday, too. For awhile now my brother and I have had a cool tradition of going shopping on Friday to knock out the shopping for our parents and all. Call us crazy, but hey there are SALES! And well, there will be family here too and Virginia Beach doesn't exactly have a KoP, but hopefully we'll manage...

I can't wait to see my family! I'm just hoping everything goes smoothly. You can never tell. And the addition of my aunt will make everything that much different, so we'll see. I am just so glad I get to see everyone! I called my brother the other night and told him he needs to bring me Y100 Sonic Sessions 8, so if he does, that alone would make my weekend :) I called it an exchange for all the Stewart's I ran around town trying to find for him!

I am also excited to only be working one day this week! Even after my family leaves I still get my normal 3 days off! wooooohooooo! Tomorrow should be an interesting day, too. I think there may already be some controversy over the aforementioned new team wall. Leave it to salespeople to make a competition out of everything. we shall see.

Okay one more note-- can anyone out there tell me what a humidifier or dehumidifier (or whatever the F it's called) does? Will it keep me from waking up really stuffed up? Or is that just me getting sick? I have been feeling like crap lately, so I've also been mega slacking and skipping the gym. and then comes Thanksgiving Thursday and big dinner out Friday. it's no wonder people gain weight during the holidays. I refuse to be one of those people this year.

On a little bit of a sappier note, there is sooooo much out there to be thankful for this year! Even when things suck every now and then I remember that overall I have a really awesome life, with a great family, fantastic friends, and a good job that lets me live on my own and have an awesome time doing it. Even though we should be thankful every day, it's kind of refreshing to think that there's a day devoted to the glass being half full. :)

Well, I hope everyone out there has a fantastic holiday! And if you're traveling, be safe! Talk to you all later!

weekend recap

Ok this weekend was good, but busy. and, well, interesting! too interesting to be told in the normal style, so this weekend's recap is gonna be done by giving all of you my 10 lessons of weekend wisdom :)

lesson #1: IPods are the coolest thing ever!
what is not the coolest thing ever? the fact that nothing is compatible with my car's nav system! I am so frustrated! at least my IPod will still be cool though :)

lesson #2: don't work! play!
why have your team sit on the phones all day when they can do something much more fun and creative? and what's more fun than a team bonding project?! well, our team wall debuted yesterday. the interesting part, though, will be finding out how everyone feels about how they are represented... hmmm... I may have to have a lesson later: "don't piss off your boss". but, I think if someone asks you to take a picture of just you and you never even ask what it's for, then you somehow deserve to be made into the abominable snowman! :Þ

lesson #3: good things come to those who wait.... and wait...
yes, I finally got my black belt! woohoo! it's the first belt I’ve ever had that's embroidered-- it has my name in English and Korean. how cool is that?! At the black belt ceremony, I also had my first taste ever of Bulgogi, a Korean dish that is fantastic! It's just too bad I had to leave before the karaoke started... ummm yeah...

lesson #4: if you run a hockey team and you change the time of a game, update the schedule on your website! don't only email the people on your mailing list! wtf!
that was just dumb. stupid Norfolk Christmas lighting parade thing. It's not even Thanksgiving yet! we actually will make it to a hockey game this season!!! this is foiled attempt #2. and Linda and I decided sports games are a great place to meet men, although I forget the pick up line for that one. I’ll have to post that sometime-- that convo was hilarious :)

lesson #5: don't be an annoying waitress
there is NO good reason to interrupt your tables just to tell them a story about something that just happened to you. and, just a note-- all people need silverware to eat. and they don't like to hear your many theories on barbeque sauce.

lesson #6: sequels may not be as good as the originals, but they can still be fun!
Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason-- case in point. even with the weird and completely random singing in prison in Thailand scene

lesson #7: add the VA Beach IHOP to your list of restaurants not to go to!
cold breakfast is not fun. neither is feeling sick afterwards. damn shame my beloved Village Inn was all the way across town.

lesson #8: if you don't really want to clean, you probably won't.
but the two hour nap was nice!

lesson #9: the Eagles are sooo gonna win the Super Bowl this year!
9-1 baby! :) and, today's win over the Redskins oddly was ridiculously satisfying-- for more reasons than one.

lesson #10: mac & cheese is always a good decision
'nuff said.

ok I'm off to clean (maybe) for my family coming this week. everyone have a good night!

the best and worst of recent times

I am in an opinionated mood, so tonight you get to hear my rants and praises even if you don't care! But, if you don't care what I think, why are you here reading this anyway?! So without further ado...

The BEST of things:

Best bumper sticker: "Dont drink and park. Accidents cause people." as seen on a car this morning. I like clever bumper stickers! I refuse to clutter my pretty car with them, but I like reading other people's :)

Best commercial: the mega millions lottery one with the woman WAVING the stick at the big loaf of bread. Steph and I agree on this one-- I laughed sooo hard when I saw it. (yes, I'm sorry, Stephanie, that POKING was the wrong word!)

Best TV show ever: Gilmore Girls. I am absolutely addicted. It is the only show on TV I refuse to miss. A great combo of cleverness and comedy with some feelings thrown in.

Best fun new game: the Mega Millions lottery game! Ok now I only won 3 bucks, but still-- waiting around to see if you won and dreaming of $126 million in your pocket is worth the $1 it costs to play

Best on-the-way-to-and-from-softball music: Maroon 5. I have no idea why. Tonight's blogging is brought to you by Songs About Jane track 10.

Best TV shirt: "tell your boobs to stop staring at my eyes!" seen on a biker in New Orleans. hehehehehehe

Best taekwondo activity: playing with big sticks! Now they're really called "bongs" or something-- I can say it but i can't spell it-- and man are they fun to spin and attack with. thumbs up!

Best trashy magazine: Us Weekly. I am newly addicted, and I ashamedly admit I want to know what's going on with Nick and Jessica.

ok now the WORST of things:

Worst eating habit: I am sooo sick of Atkins! I overheard a conversation in the locker room at the gym yesterday that pissed me off-- this one woman (a stick) was telling her friend (a stick) that she couldn't believe she was eating fruit with lunch! She kept saying "PURE SUGAR" really obnoxiously! ahhhhhhh!!!!! this has gone too far!!!!!

Worst sports rule: no time limit on slowpitch softball playoff games! I mean c'mon-- we were getting killed like 26-2 and it was 40 degrees out! LET US GO HOME!

Worst thing about being an adult: work. close second: bills

Worst before work annoyance: incompetent grocery store workers-- especially experiencing multiple in one trip. close second: bad egg and cheese bagels.

Worst cheap wine: Woodbridge White Zinfandel. don't let the label fool you, it's worth even less than every measly penny of the two dollas it costs. (again, Stephanie, I'm sorry you were confused by my blog and had to visit it 6 times and still didn't get it!) :Þ

Worst at work experience: feeling like there's always something going on behind the scenes that involves you that you don't know about. and then finding out you're not crazy because other people feel the same way

Worst thing about rearranging your apartment: trying to clean up and reorganize afterwards. what a project!

Worst ongoing shopping issue: there is no MACY'S anywhere within 3.5 hours!!!!

okay I'm done. and I feel better. good night everyone :)

in case you wanted to know...

I don't have too much to say (other than WAY TO KICK ASS, EAGLES!!! :Þ), but I have gotten a couple of these things lately, so here are my replies. sorry... maybe I'll have more later :)

Survey:
1. IF YOU COULD BUILD A SECOND HOUSE ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD, WHERE WOULD IT BE? Italy
2. WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE ARTICLE OF CLOTHING? my comfy Adidas sweats
3. THE LAST CD YOU BOUGHT? a Christmas CD (yes, I gave in to the pressure)
4. WHAT TIME DO YOU WAKE UP IN THE MORNING? day off: 10:30, work: between 5 and 7:30 depending on the day
5. WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE KITCHEN APPLIANCE? Oh I loooove my microwave. we're having a heated affair (get it? heated? hehehe)
6. IF YOU COULD PLAY AN INSTRUMENT, WHAT WOULD IT BE? I really want to learn the guitar! I used to play the clarinet but that was boring
7. WHICH DO YOU PREFER, SPORTS CAR OR SUV? my car.
8. DO YOU BELIEVE IN AFTERLIFE? sometimes
9. FAVORITE CHILDREN'S BOOK? aww I had so many favorites... maybe the one with Strega Nona and all the spaghetti
10. IF YOU COULD HAVE ONE SUPER POWER, WHAT WOULD IT BE? invisibility
11. IF YOU HAVE A TATTOO, WHAT IS IT? N/A
12. CAN YOU JUGGLE? sort of
13. THE ONE PERSON FROM YOUR PAST YOU WISH YOU COULD GO BACK AND TALK TO? all my exes- it'd be interesting to see how we've changed and talk about past stuff from a more adult perspective
14. WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE DAY? Sunday-- it's the first day of my weekend
15. WHAT'S IN THE TRUNK OF YOUR CAR? nothing
16. WHICH DO YOU PREFER, SUSHI OR HAMBURGER? either one
17. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE FLOWER? daisy- the classic feel-good flower
18. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MEAL? pasta and shrimp

Which One:
1. Be serious or be funny? each in its place
2. Boxers or briefs? boxer briefs ;)
3. Whole or skim milk? skim
4. Single or Taken? currently single
5. Simple or complicated? complicated. I don't trust things that are too simple.
6. Law or anarchy? law
7. Sunrise or sunset? sunrise is gorgeous, but sunset is more accessible :)
8. M&M's or Skittles? skittles
9. Stay up late or wake up late? both! who wants to stay up late and get up early?!
10. Is it POP or SODA? SODA
11. X or O in Tic-tac-toe? O
12. What came first the chicken or the egg? hmmm... the egg
13. Hot or Cold? I HATE being cold
14. Tall members of the opposite sex or short? preferably 6 foot plus :)
15. Emerald or ruby? emerald-- it's my birthstone
16. Vanilla ice cream or chocolate ice cream? vanilla but dressed up somehow
17. Kids or no kids? kids eventually
18. Cat or dog? cat
19. Half empty or half full? half full! half empty is depressing
20. Mustard or ketchup? neither. plain.
21. Hard cover books or soft cover books? paperbacks
22. Newspaper or magazine? both
23. Sandals or sneakers? sneakers
24. Singing or dancing? singing in the car, dancing everywhere else :)
25. Hugging or Kissing? kissing!
26. A year of hot sex or a lifetime of friendship? can't decide! :Þ

Ok enjoy... and if you are in the mood, post and share some of the ones we disagree on :)

don't worry, I'll remember you all when I'm rich :)

So I just bought my very first lottery ticket ever. I mean, I've played the little scratch off things once or twice, but I just bought my first mega millions ticket, just because I couldn't resist the 126 million dollar jackpot advertisements. And hey, it's 2 bucks. And yes, don't worry if I did ever win that much money, all of you would get very nice Christmas presents :) Oooooh the ways to spend that money... I'd probably pay off my car and Steph's car, buy my parents cars, pay cash for a house, donate some to charity (I know that's the cliché answer but I really would), and then maybe buy a house in Italy and do some world traveling. But I'd still work I think. At this point in my life, I'd be bored out of my mind if I didn't. Who knows. Post and tell me what YOU would do with 126 million!

It was dark tonight at 5 o'clock. It felt like it was about 9. This is one of the many reasons I dislike winter. booooo.

I am about to start rearranging my apartment. Those of you who know me know I get bored REALLY easily and I need my scenery to change every now and then or I'll go crazy. Well, I decided my bedroom is way too cramped, and it's mostly because of my desk, so I'm going to start by switching my desk and my papasan, putting my desk in the living room. I don't really like the idea of having it there either, but it might be the lesser of two evils. I wish I had a second bedroom so I could have a little office/utility-ish room. I guess I'll save that for when I win the lottery :) I think once I start changing, though, it's gonna become a major project, so we'll see. If you have any decorating tips or ideas, shoot em to me.

I also just got back from the mall. All I bought was a way cute date shirt, but it was still fun. You'd all be proud of me-- it's been months since I major splurged on new clothes (I used to like every month!) Part of this I think is because car payments suck, but I also hate clothes shopping when nothing fits right. I've already lost about 12 pounds, though, so here's to fun clothes shopping when I drop some more. Now my team needs to stop bringing in homemade cheesecake... hehehe. we were all sitting around talking yesterday-- we figured out that most people in our spine have gained 30-40 pounds since they started with the company. Isn't that NUTS? That is NOT healthy. The food days need to stop...

Just a reminder, I have a new home phone #. I'll give it to you if you ask, I'm just not posting it. Bad experience with the last one. I'll explain that later :) I have also been meaning to switch to Cox so everything else is cheaper, so I did that too. We'll see how it works out. I already got a call this morning on my cell saying my home phone wasn't working so I checked it out. The reason? The guy plugged the box thingy into the outlet that's controlled by my light switch! lol.

Not very many props this weekend since I didn't do much other than work, work out, get my phone installed, and shop. And Desperate Housewives isn't on tonight! :(
A special congrats, though, to Steph, who bought her wedding dress this weekend! I guess the next step is finding my maid of honor dress. so weird. Also a special congrats to Trina, who finally posted! yay Trina! hehehehehehehe (you deserve that! :Þ)

Hope everyone had a fun weekend. I'm off to move heavy furniture. Later! :)

if I must...

ok I worked a long 11 hour day today, went to the gym, and had juuuust gotten home to finally relax when I got the following IM:

vahockeygirl78: could u write in ur thing please, i'm bored

so of course I IM Trina back, tell her I have nothing to say, and bitch at her for reading all the time and never posting! grrrr. so she says:

vahockeygirl78: damn go out or something, i have nothing to write but for some reason i like reading urs it's interesting,who knew

ummm thanks? lol. so anyway, here I am-- blogging even though there is nothing interesting going on in my life right now (sorry). but i am trying out a new font, so that should be fun. :) I would also like to tell the 10-30 of you who read my blog everyday, even if you're just stopping by, feel free to say hello!

well, when I asked Trina what I should write (since she even gave me an end-of-the-O.C. deadline), she suggested fantasies, dreams, and goals. but, I think fantasies might be a leeeettle too kinky for this blog and goals are boring, SO, dreams it is-- as in my actual DREAMS!

and so here is my rant: WHY have I been dreaming about ex boyfriends lately??? it's not even just one, it's a couple. and in all my dreams I am somehow pissed off or upset. there has to be something Freudian behind all this and I WILL get to the bottom of it!!! okay rant over :)

since I haven't been going anywhere other than the gym for the last few nights, not much else interesting right now and there's no way in hell i'm talking about work.

oooh I have something fun! my parents, my brother, and my aunt are coming here for Thanksgiving! I'm excited. except i already have a crazy shopping list and i've never cooked a turkey. should be interesting... but, we're also taking my mother out to the Melting Pot for her birthday, which should be tons of fun. yay fondue! I'm usually not into chain type places (gotta love the local flavor), but Melting Pot is an exception. good stuff. otherwise, it will always be Rockafeller's for me :)

ok one tiny little thing about work: I got to hire someone today! woohoo! that was fun!!! he's gonna be good. I hope he comes to my team! ok maybe two things. I also found out yesterday that people from other departments don't like hearing how Cycle people get to go to bike shows in New Orleans, Daytona, Las Vegas, etc. who knew. Ok, so I won't win the CPCU class popularity award. I'll live :)

well, that's pretty much it. Oooooh but I DO need an opinion!!! i'm sick of my hair! it's really long (like halfway down my back!) should I cut it??? or, those of you who knew me my whole life with short hair, leave it and deal?

ok that's really it. ok maybe not. one more vote: pro or con to the holiday season already being here (is it just me or is it early?) share your thoughts :) k now I'm REALLY done. bye all!

...and tomorrow it's back to work

ok I know I've been blogging a lot lately. Really, I've been doing everything I can to avoid unpacking and getting organized from being away for the last two weeks. And, HTML code is fun. But yesterday, as I was burning some pictures for Steph, I remembered another computer dork hobby of mine: burning fun CD's! There are soooo many fun songs on my computer that I hadn't heard in forever. And, I don't know about you guys, but I think my entire life has had a soundtrack. So, when I started listening to the old songs, they all reminded me of specific people and events in my life so far. Hence, I am in one of my reminiscing moods! (beware!) So, below are some of the tracks and the reminiscing that goes with them :)

Getaway People- Six Packs-- the GCC girls when they visited MWC. not sure why. probably because we were all burning CD's and I think that was the song of the time.

Semisonic- FNT and Notorious BIG- Hypnotize-- both remind me of 10 Things, which will always remind me also of the GCC girls and Kate especially, being the quintessential smart cool Kat type.

G. Love & Special Sauce- Cold Beverages-- sophomore year at GCC-- Sonja used to put this song on and do crunches! hahahaha

Lil' Mo feat. Fabolous- Superwoman and Fiona Apple- Criminal-- MWC softball-- both the warmup tape and one of the beach trips (VA Beach and Myrtle Beach run together)

Violent Femmes- Blister in the Sun-- junior high, Laura, and rock climbing camp in the Poconos with the Allentown girls

Ludacris- Rollout-- Brent and the trip to Baltimore, when I found out this song is not at all as innocent as I thought

Janis Joplin- Mercedes Benz and Shooter- Life's a Bitch-- the high school girls and the concert we went to where we were literally the oldest people there!

Red Hot Chili Peppers- Higher Ground and Ice Cube- You Can Do It-- junior year at MWC watching movies with Kelli and the girls

Juvenile- Back That Ass Up and the Commodores- Brick House-- two of the famous GCC girls' clubbing trips: Youngstown and the place in Station Square where we hit flashback night and Al and I were all over the stage :)

ok enough of memory lane until I burn another totally random fun CD :) gnight all

weekend recap

oookay another weekend down. here are the weekend props:

--Desperate Housewives for having me COMPLETELY hooked and creating a new reason for Sunday girls' TV nights after the end of S&tC
--my car's heated seats for once again coming through in the clutch :Þ
--supe retreat in Williamsburg for reminding me that sometimes work stuff can actually be a good time. or, too good a time. have your pick :)
--Steph for the quote of the weekend, randomly blurting out "you know, I bet deaf people can't be in spelling bees"
--Gold's Gym, which after a two week traveling break has once again become my home away from home
--the word "sherbet" and lottery dreams
--Adam for reminding me of the Tides game and how much fun it is to match up jersey numbers to NASCAR drivers
--Wawa for actually having premium gas under 2 bucks
--all the ridiculously fun songs out there and the memories they bring up
--and last but not least, to Ruby Tuesday, for finally making us understand why they need to send out buy one get one free meal coupons to get people to eat there

hope everyone had good weekends :) gnight all.

New Orleans Part II: Bourbon Street on Halloween

okay you may have noticed the blog looks a little different. I have become an HTML nerd :)

anyway, I'm finally posting this stuff... It's probably a shame the only real part of New Orleans I got to see other than the arena grounds was Bourbon Street on a CRAZY weekend. Really, it was small, packed, and smelled ridiculously bad. BUT, it was an experience-- being able to carry beer around in the street (that you just bought from a window for $2 a quart), seeing the many ummmm creative costumes, wondering why there were a whole bunch of hot guys with their shirts off and then realizing we had crossed over to the gay bar section of town... lol.

So, Diane and I spent two nights on Bourbon Street: one with her cousin and her cousin's daughter, and one on our own. The first night I had a hurricane at O'Brien's, which is the STRONGEST drink I have EVER had!!! I had only drank about an inch of it and I was already buzzed! That probably explains why when I asked my team what they wanted for souvenirs, one requested that I drink a hurricane as fast as possible and then give her pictures of whatever happened afterwards :) Well, I survived without anything too terrible happening. We did get mooned though, and then the mooner hit on me. And, I got some really cool beads... Actually, well ummm I got TONS and TONS of beads. How I got them though will remain a mystery, but ask Steph and my team at work about the PACKS of beads they got as souvenirs :) And NO, I did not kiss any random boys (on purpose anyway) on either this trip or in Williamsburg, so don't get any ideas!!!! :Þ

Well, I'll give it to them-- even drunks are way creative! My favorite costume by far was the 2 Marines without pants!!! no pics though b/c we were still in the car. boooo. People went CRAZY though. I think we were the only people not dressed up. oh well. I think Diane's just happy we're still alive after all the stories people at the show had told her. I'm just glad we got to go.

I'm kind of wondering if my plane buddies were some of the shirtless boys... Hey they couldn't spell or cheer "aggressive" ("B-E--A-G-R-A-S-I-V-E"... wait that's not how you spell aggressive, is it..."), but they were pretty cute!

I also learned some important lessons, for instance NEVER try to drive across Bourbon Street at night!!! And, my lord parents should NOT be trying to get their 15 year-old daughters drunk. And last but not least, don't trust any of the skeevy New Orleans boys :)

Ok enjoy the pics... sorry for the R-rated content, but hey, if it's legal I figured it could be posted :Þ

guess this guy likes Halloween...

people waiting on the balcony to throw down some beads...

the four girls on night one with our empty hurricane glasses and our alligator bites

ummm yeah... he hit on me 5 minutes later when everyone else at the table just HAPPENED to have to go to the bathroom all at the same time. thanks guys. lol

link of the day-- lol!!!!

read a book, get more than you bargained for... check this out :)

on the bandwagon...

I'm Brigitte Bardot!

What Classic Pin-Up Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

just thought you'd like to know :)

anyway, I really will have New Orleans pics for ya'll later although the ones from Thursday's night out at supe retreat may be worse! scary, huh? but, hilarious in retrospect... k back later

New Orleans Part I: the bike show

theme of the show: David Allen Coe, "You Never Even Called Me By My Name"
("And I'll hang around as long as you will let me/ And I never minded standin' in the rain/ You don't have to call me darlin', darlin'/ You never even call me by my name...")
Yes, I know this song is the epitome of country and I had heard it before... but, at this show, being right by the stage, I learned not only that I can actually tolerate country music (SOME of it anyway) but also that this song is actually really catchy! (especially when it's played about 20 times in 3 days!)

Anyway, what do you get when you throw together 60,000 bikers, outrageous 90 degree weather, some good ol' New Orleans cookin', and a couple of girls in need of a break? That's right: This year's Steel Pony Express bike rally and music festival. For those of you that don't know, I have been begging to go to this show since I found out at the beginning of the year we were sending people. I have always wanted to go to New Orleans, and I figured doing it on company money would be the best way! My roommate for the trip, Diane, had a different reason for wanting to go: she has 5 kids and reeeeally needed to get away for a little bit :) There was also another work person with us, but her husband was there and we basically never saw her, even at our booth, so both New Orleans installments will focus just on the crazy adventures of Lisa and Diane.

Well, anyone that wants to go to a bike show (we do usually a couple a month) just for fun really has no idea what they're getting into. We spent entire first day trying to find all of our boxes, compounded by the problem that the show lost 35 of them, containing over $20,000 of stuff. umm yeah. But, we decided early on that we were just gonna have a good time down there, so we made friends with a bunch of the set up guys who helped us out, which was a blast all weekend. Well, the boxes were found, so we spent the next three days of the show on our feet for 12 hours a day screaming "would you like a free bandana?" (my feet hurt like hell, my voice is almost gone, and my face is still in perma smile mode) and giving out free pins, koozies, tatoos, pens, magnets, brochures, and whatever else we found lying around to the hoardes of bikers. People are crazy.

So, with 3 loooong days and record-breaking hot weather, you can imagine we were pretty exhausted at the end of each day. It was really a good time, though. It was a blast to get out and meet people, and I'm totally starting to love the biker atmosphere. Everyone's so friendly! People absolutely loved us too and other worker people were always stopping by and bringing us beads and free t-shirts and stuff, and most of the people attending the festival were pretty cool to talk to. We had these old bearded tattooed biker men calling us "honey," "sugar," "sweetie," and "baby" all weekend, which was hilarious and truly Southern. They had some big bands, too, although none were really my style (Big & Rich, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Blood Sweat & Tears). But really, it was just nice to get away for a bit and do something different. And since despite trying not to let it be, work really is a huge part of my life, it's fun to meet the people out there that pay my salary and try and talk to new people about what a great product we have. I have officially become an insurance dork and I have decided I must really be a salesman at heart.

So, enjoy the pics-- installment 2-- the good stuff-- will follow later :)

one of the many cool bikes

nice to be back on the ground...

okay, well, I'm back. and believe me, I have LOTS to tell, but I am ridiculously exhausted. SO, i'll probably put some stories and pics up later-- probably in a couple of installments: the bike show (the ones my Mom will see) and Bourbon Street on Halloween weekend (yeah, those she probably won't) :)

Let me just say though that today was a little odd. At our connection in Atlanta I was greeted right off the plane with a HUGE picture of fellow GCC'er Jon Passavant***, who of course Diane did not believe me that I knew. Well, does it count as knowing someone when they would never remember you, even though you once spent 2 hours scrunched against them in the back of a car on the way to a concert? hmmm.... hehehe. anyway, THEN when we got lunch 5 minutes later, there was a guy there with a Council Rock t-shirt on! maybe there is some message I am supposed to be getting. I don't know. It is also a little weird that I got two random calls this weekend-- one from Al, the GCC'er, and the other from Adam, and old CR buddy, so hmmmmmmmm.... If you see any meaning or omens in my randomness, let me know :)

***note: if you do not know who Jon Passavant is, check out this link or just Google him :)

Anyway, I hope everyone had a fun Halloween!!!! I will be back later...