NYC Isn't For Me

Earlier this week I mentioned that I had been staying pretty busy. This has mainly been from a new work assignment in Melville, NY. Unless you’ve been secluded away on a remote island, you’ve probably heard about Hurricane Sandy that struck the East Cost the end of October.

The last time I worked in New York was about six years ago. At that time I was working in Buffalo, so I might as well have been working in another country compared to being as close as I am to NYC right now.

Even though I grew up in an extremely small town, after I went off on my own I quickly learned that I like the conveniences and things to do in a big city. So one would probably think that working on Long Island, and being 30 minutes from NYC would be great for me. But it’s not.

NYC is just a little too big for me. I don’t like how public transportation is the only transportation in NYC. The other day I took the train into the city. Going into the city wasn’t too bad, but the return trip was. The train was crowded and full of people who had obviously had a more intoxicating evening than I had. (There was one too many Santa Claus’ on the train who had a bit much of holiday cheer.) And to top it off the train had a strange mixture of smells…people, booze, and food (which I still have no idea how anyone would want to eat on a train). By time I returned to the station it was all I could do to get in my car, make a bee line for the hotel, strip, and take a shower before going to bed. I just felt dirty.

Culturally NYC has tons to offer. I love the theatre and I am hopeful to take in some shows. I did see The Rockettes Radio City Christmas Spectacular (for the third time, although first time on Broadway!) which is wonderful if it’s touring in a city near you. I would love to see the Statue of Liberty and the Metropolitan Museum of Art too. I’m just hoping that my germ phobia, public transportation fears, and dislike of large crowds doesn’t scare me off too much.

If you've been to NYC and loved it, please let me know where to go and what to see!

I'm Not in Kansas Anymore

A week or so ago I mentioned that I was being sent on a new work assignment. After being in Tarrytown, NY for almost a week, I was redeployed to another office located on Long Island. I’ll be the first to admit that my geography knowledge isn’t the best. Although I hadn’t given it much thought, I always thought that Long Island was a city, and not, well a long island with cities on it. (That’s fine, please go ahead and have a good laugh on that nugget of information)

Even though I live in a metropolitan area, I am quickly learning that I’m not in Kansas any longer. For instance, hotel rooms are very pricey without much in the way of amenities. I’m staying at a Days Inn and the rate is $179/night. And my room isn’t that big…there’s enough room for a queen sized bed and a small desk. And once I placed my two suitcases inside, there really wasn’t much room!

Closet

My Room

On a side note…I will say that this Days Inn is nice. (I don’t mean Four Seasons nice, but nice compared to other Days Inns that I have stayed at) The rooms were renovated this year and they look very contemporary, and above all they are CLEAN! The downside is the lack of space and that there isn’t a mini fridge and or microwave so I can keep some food items in my room. Fortunately when I return to this assignment after Thanksgiving I’ll be moving to an extended stay hotel which will offer more amenities for a long term stay.

The parking lot is also very interesting in that it only hold about 30 cars, if that. The street in front of the hotel is a closed street so there is parking there. Although if cars are parked on both sides of the small street, the street quickly becomes a one lane in or out on the street. I typically elect to park on the street so that way I am in front of the hotel and can get inside quickly.

I’ve quickly realized that these are minor inconveniences for me that will soon pass. I am fortunate to have a hotel room even if it means that I have a 40 minute drive each way to my office every day. There are many people who lost personal possessions and their homes due to Hurricane Sandy. I think I’ll survive having a small room and no refrigerator for a while longer.

The Fresh Market

A few years ago when I worked in Virginia Beach I was introduced to The Fresh Market and it quickly became one of my all-time favorite grocery stores! To be honest I probably like it better than Whole Foods, Central Market and Trader Joe’s. I mean, each of those specialty stores have unique things that I like, but all around The Fresh Market is AWESOME!

Lucky for me I realized there is The Fresh Market where I am currently on assignment at! I happened to find it trying to locate a store that carries Noosa yoghurt (one of my recent favorite food finds!). And while there, I found all types of goodies….

Of course, Noosa yoghurt …

 Some wonderful prepared salads that I can eat for dinner….

How could I pass up granola brittle? Since there’s granola in it, it has to be good for me, right?

Not the best looking picture but the granola brittle is wonderful!

And then finally one of my favorite tea drinks (and if you're lucky enough to have an Argo Tea Cafe in your area I am so jealous!) …

So if you ever see The Fresh Market I highly recommend that you check it out…you won’t be disappointed!

Rationing

I mentioned yesterday that my bat phone rang and that I was headed to a new work assignment. Well, my travels have landed me in New York! The last time that I worked here I was in Buffalo, NY in 2006. Now I am working about 25 minutes outside of New York City. Hopefully I’ll be able to take in some of the sights and visit some people that I know once things get settled for me.

This morning I awoke to gas rationing being the main topic of conversation. Beginning this morning gas is being rationed based on the license plate numbers on the vehicle: if it is an odd numbered date (like today, November 9^th) license plate numbers that end in an odd number (and cars with vanity plates) can get gas; on even numbered dates vehicles with license plate numbers that end in an even number can get gas. The exceptions to this are people who have portable containers to secure gas and commercial vehicles.

Of course, according to the local news, no one feels this is fair. There are lots of different situations and scenarios: What if a person doesn’t get paid until a certain date and they can’t get gas when they need it? What about people who are in sales and drive a lot? Talk about the need to plan your trips wisely!

And what’s really unbelievable is that hundreds of thousands of people still do not have power! It’s my understanding that one of the power companies on Long Island is the biggest problem as to why people don’t have power. And at this point it has been a week and a half since the storm occurred.

It’s at times like these that I realize just how much I take for granted being able to fuel up when I need to or being able to have electricity. Let’s hope that all of these problems are resolved quickly!

All Good Things Must Come To An End

My bat phone rang yesterday and I'm headed back to work today. Between scheduled time off and being in an 'on call status' I've been home for right at 30 days which isn't too bad. Although I'll have to admit that the past 30 days have been a whirlwind for me! Between my  DC 3 Day walk, Walker Stalking at the Dallas 3 Day, and just trying to catch up on regular life things in between.

And I'm thinking that my next work assignment is going to be a whirlwind too! Especially since Superstorm Sandy did enough damage to the East Coast and now there is a Nor'easter happening too!

Stay tuned to see where I wind up...

Wait For It...

A lot of people don’t know that I have limited (and I mean very limited!) patience. I don’t try to hide the fact, although people in my professional life always seem to comment that I am a very patient person. What I think they confuse it with is that I’m not easily excited and I remain pretty calm in most situations. Well yesterday was a day to try my patience…

As you probably know Susperstorm Sandy made landfall a couple of days ago. And since I work for an insurance company with their catastrophe response division this means that a work assignment is pretty imminent for me. Well, I also have vacation scheduled beginning today through next Tuesday for the Dallas 3-Day Walk. (And I’ll also mention that my time off has been scheduled since last fall) Just like clockwork my manager contacts me to inquire about my upcoming time off. And to make a long story short, he was going to contact me before the end of day to let me know if I would need to cancel my vacation request and if I would be sent on an assignment within the next couple of days.

Guess what?

Yep, he never called me back before the end of my typical business day. So, I did send him a message that I will make one last ditch effort to contact him this morning to see what my status is. So now do you see why my patience has been tried? Hopefully all will work out well so that I can be here for the 3-Day (or at least one day of it!) and leave at the beginning of the week. I’ll keep you posted…

On another note…

When I started writing about patience it made me think of another work related story. Several years ago I worked in a department where the department secretary would send out status updates when there was a hardware or software problem. She would end each email with ‘Thanks for your patients!’ After seeing this same sign off about a thousand times, one day I decided to tell her about improper word choice. I explained to her that ‘patients’ are people in the hospital and ‘patience’ is what she would like for all of us to have regarding the hardware or software problem (and what I had been demonstrating every time she sent an email). All I can say is that unfortunately (and sadly) she never understood the difference.

I know, real random right?

Five Months Later...

Wow, I can hardly believe that it has been so long since I’ve last written a blog post! Well honestly, yes I can…it has been a busy past several months for me. I wish I could say that I have been doing fun and exciting things, but I can’t. It has all been work related. Sigh…

After having a work assignment in Indianapolis during March and April, I was home for 4 days before I went to Collinsville, IL. One of the great things about the Collinsville assignment is that Collinsville is right over the river from St. Louis! And if you remember, I had a wonderful (although short stay) in St. Louis earlier in the year. So I was very excited to return there for a longer period of time.

After Collinsville, I was home for 9 days and then I was sent on assignment to Franklin, TN. Again, not a bad assignment since I’ve worked there before and it is a beautiful part of the country! And one of my dearest friends was working there too so it was awesome to spend time with her day in and out. The biggest downside for me is that I was so mentally and physically drained from working 6 days a week for the majority of the year. At least I did one smart thing: after my assignment ended in Collinsville, I put in for two weeks of vacation in the month of August.

This was the first time I have ever taken vacation time and didn’t have travel plans. By the time my vacation came around, I was so dog tired that I didn’t even want to leave my zip code let alone get on anyone’s plane to travel anyplace. Believe me, the two weeks at home definitely did my mind and body some good. It was great not to be connected to work and to do what I wanted to do, when I wanted to do it. Even if that meant staying bed all day and getting caught up on my DVR. (Hey, I deserved it!)

So here I am…I’m back. Again. Here’s to hoping my few followers are still here and that I can get back on track with blogging again. So if you’re still here, thanks!

The Eyebrows Have It

When I’m on a work assignment, sometimes my personal maintenance suffers. I mean, I can’t just go to just anybody to have my hair done or waxing services completed! So one of the great things about being in Indy for a work assignment is that The Eyelash Place is still open!

Now from the name you probably wouldn’t think that eyebrow waxing takes place there, but it does. Back in 1997 when I first moved to Indy was when I started getting my eyebrows waxed by someone who understands that having great eyebrows is an art form. Before then, I would tweeze them myself or go to someone who would over wax them. But after I learned about the wonderful world of eyebrow grooming, I never looked back!

I never realized how much eyebrows play a part in framing ones face. (Now of course I know that a uni-brow doesn’t do anyone any good!) My eyebrows have a good natural arch, although they do require some TLC to stay looking great. Lynn at The Eyelash Place was the first person that did more than just waxing….in addition to waxing away my wayward hairs, she tweezed superfine, hard to see hairs (did I mention she wears super microscopic goggles?), and also trimmed and shaped my eyebrows with scissors. The end result is nothing short of fabulous…perfectly framed and well-maintained eyebrows!

After living in Indy for 8 years and having wonderful eyebrows, you can imagine my sadness when I relocated to Cincinnati, Ohio for my company. Although I tried and tried and tried many salons for eyebrow grooming, they all paled in comparison to The Eyelash Place. I would even break down and make special trips to drive 2 hours to Indy to get my eyebrows waxed!

Then one day the eyebrow gods smiled on me…

They sent me to Jenny, the Eyebrow Expert! Jenny was even more fabulous than Lynn at The Eyelash Place and by far the best part of living in Cincinnati (no offense to anyone who might live there!). (Jenny also introduced me to Michele watches - one of my favorite things! - although that’s a story for another time.) Since leaving Cincy nearly 5 years ago, I have been back there once for a work assignment and my love affair with Jenny picked up again, although only for a short time. I keep praying to the eyebrow gods that Jenny is able to open a second location in Dallas...man, I miss her! (And once you read about Jenny on her website, you'll see that she sums up perfectly what eyebrows should be!)

Now, I don’t want you thinking that I fly all over the country just to have my eyebrows waxed! Fortunately, before I moved to Dallas I was there for 3 months on a work assignment. During that time I found Tara who is my current eyebrow artist. Tara keeps my brows looking great when I am in town. And when I return from a work assignment (unless I’m in Indy or Cincy) she’s there to groom my eyebrows back after whomever got wax or tweeze happy and tried to jack them up while I was away from her.

So, if you are ever in Indy, Cincy or Dallas, you’ve got 3 fantastic places to go for your brows!

Spring, My Favorite Time of the Year

When I was called for a work assignment to Indiana in the month of March, I immediately packed sweaters, long sleeved shirts, and even a pair of boots. Little did I know I had 70+ degree weather in my future. Since a few short days after arriving here, the weather has been absolutely gorgeous! 

Spring is probably my most favorite time of the year. (Yes, my birthday is in April but that’s not completely the reason!) I love to watch everything come back to life – the trees began to grow leaves, the grass begins turning green, and flowers begin to pop up out of the earth getting ready to bloom. It’s always amazing to me to watch the transformation.

With good weather, it also makes it easier for me to want to get out more and begin walking. Thankfully last week I found a walking buddy at work and we have been walking in the evening. And since daylight savings time is in effect, we can get in about an hour’s worth of walking before it turns dusk on us. Sure beats going back to a hotel room that has a limited TV lineup (and you already know how much I like TV!).

Since I work for an insurance company, and the activity in the department I work in is based on weather activity, I can’t help but think about “March in like a lamb, out like a lion.” All of this great weather sometimes doesn’t create the best cocktail for Mother Nature. (So I guess that means that when there is bad weather, Mother Nature had a drink that didn’t agree with her. Hee, hee, hee)

So here’s too more great walking weather, beautiful flowers, and hoping Mother Nature holds her liquor a little better!

A Day Off

Wow, it has been a looooong week!

Whenever I am sent to a new work assignment, the first week is always the hardest week for me. One reason is because I work 12+ hours per day. So it's kind of like going from zero to 95 mph really, really quick! Over the past five days, I have worked over 60 hours.

When I finally get my first day off it's the best feeling. EVER. For me, it means sleeping in and not waking up to an alarm. But of course I awoke at 5:15 a.m., but I didn't have a problem with running to the bathroom and getting right back to bed and sleep mode. When I did finally wake up, it was 11 a.m. and I was completely fine with that.

I did a quick assessment of my hotel room, and began to get it in order. Since I won't be changing hotels, I went ahead and unpacked my suitcases. Not that my closet is that big...


Looks like a regular size closet...



Surprise...it's a half size closet!

Since landing in Indy I knew that on my day off I was going to Cafe Patachou for breakfast. Although I arrived around 1 p.m., the place was still packed. I ended up taking a seat at the counter so I was able to get right in. I decided to have my all time favorite breakfast served there...yogurt topped with Cafe Patachou granola and fresh berries, cinnamon toast, and a honey steamer.

Oh my, it was waaaaaaay better than I remembered! The granola they make is so light and fresh, and just the right amount of sweetness. I like it because it's crisp and really compliments the berries and yogurt. The cinnamon toast...I'll go on record with saying it is the best that I ever had. It starts with a hearty white bread that is toasted and then slathered with butter and cinnamon sugar.

After leaving Cafe Patachou, I decided to drive around a bit through an area that has older historical homes that I always liked. As I drove around, I slowly remembered where I was going. Although it was a bit frustrating to think of a place and not remember the name of it. Hopefully before my next day off I'll figure out some other places that I want to visit.

After returning to the hotel, I had laundry to do and just get myself mentally ready for the week ahead. Oh, and I did I mention the time changes early on Sunday morning? I already went from Central time to Eastern time so I lost an hour. And now, not even a week later, the time changes and I lose another hour! My body is going to be so confused. That why I'm hitting the hay early so I don't pay for it tomorrow.

On The Road To...

Indianapolis, IN!

This past Saturday as I was on my out the door to meet a friend who recently relocated to the Big D for lunch, the dreaded 'Bat Phone' (a.k.a. my company cell phone) rang. I can't say that I was surprised since 1) I work for an insurance company in their catastrophe response division and 2) some very bad tornadoes had touched down and did tremendous amounts of damage the previous two days.

The good news (if there can be good news in spite of devastation) was that I was being sent to Indianapolis. In case I have never mentioned it before, Indianapolis is a city that I lived in for 8 years. For me moving to Indy, marked a lot of things in my life...I was newly married and starting what I considered my first real job with real pay. Although the marriage didn't last, I am still working for the same company.

While I lived in Indy, I met a lot of friends (who I am planning to see as soon as things slow down a bit) and I really enjoyed living here. Indy is about 3 hours from where my family lives, so it made it a lot easier to travel home for a weekend. Indy is also a great small large city. Meaning...although the city is metropolitan, it is very easy to get around. The city hosts major sporting events (basketball, football), has lots of cultural events, and is a great place no matter if you're single, married, or have children.

So for me, returning to Indy is like returning home...returning to someplace that I know and that feels comfortable. I enjoyed flying in and looking at the city and the new landmarks (JW Marriott and Lucus Oil Stadium). When I arrived at the new airport,I immediately saw a Cafe Patachou which was one of my favorite breakfast spots when I lived here. And driving to my hotel, I passed places and streets that brought back memories.

This is the first time that I will say that I hope my work assignment lasts a good while. Being here feels like cuddling up in a chair with a blanket and a great book with a nice hot cup of chai tea to sip on. For me, it doesn't get too much better than that!

Next Stop....Orlando, FL!

Duty called and I had to travel to Orlando, FL for a few days (I know, wow is me). Unfortunately my allergies decided to join me on the trip which made the trip a lot less pleasant. Fortunately after a day of staying in bed, I feel like I am finally back on track to feeling better.

While in Orlando, I had the pleasure of staying at one of the hotels at Universal Studios, Loews Royal Pacific Resort. Since it's the off season for the Disney properties, Universal Studios closed at 6 pm daily, so I didn't get the opportunity to go check out any of the attractions after my work responsibilities were over. Fortunately, Universal City Walk was open late and I did have the chance to try The Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. and Emeril's Restuarant Orlando. About the resort...

Until I arrived I didn't realize that the resort has a Pacific Islander theme to it. When I arrived, the valet person said "Aloha!" and I felt like I was back in Maui again! All of the staff were very nice and accommodating during my stay. The resort is a mid-size resort, and it was very easy to get from my room to the conference area. (I've stayed at properties in Las Vegas where it was a solid 15 minute walk from the room to the conference area)

The nice thing about the resort is that the hotel stay included admission to Universal Studios, which was a short walk or water taxi ride away (an $87 a day value!). If I had been able to go to Universal Studios, my room key also would have given me access to special lines to access the attractions quicker. So if you are ever traveling to one of the Disney properties, you might want to consider staying on site and inquiring if the resort offers this amenity.

About the food...

While I was there, I was pleasantly surprised by a tasty and colorful grilled shrimp salad that I had at Bubba Gumps. And if you plan on dinign there, you might want to be up to speed on your Forrest Gump trivia!

I've been fortunate to dine at a few different Emeril restaurants before (Las Vegas, New Orleans, and this was my second visit to the one at City Walk). The service is always outstanding - my glass was never half full, crumbs were quickly brushed away from the table, and finished dishes were quickly removed. I had a wonderful Cioppino (seafood stew) which certainly helped the sore throat that I was nursing.

If you ever plan a trip to Orlando, always consider the time of year when making flight arrangements. Since the Orlando airport is extremely busy, you'll want to make certain that you have a solid two hours to return a rental car, check in your bags, and get through the long security lines. I also don't recommend flying standby either since the flights are typically full. I thought I would try for my return flight home since I was able to leave earlier than I thought. In the end, I was able to get home about two hours earlier that I was scheduled to, and I don't know if it was worth all of the hassle.

All in all the business to trip to Orlando was good. Hopefully next time I'll find more time for pleasure!

Historic St. Charles

Since my trip to the St. Louis area is short, I decided to make the most of it and venture out on my second day there. The front desk representative at my hotel recommended walking Main Street in the historical area of St. Charles, so I thought "Why not?". Well...the first reason should have been because it had been a little rainy that day, and the second reason was that my newly coiffed curls were going to get damp and fall. But determined to do something, I set out for St. Charles.

And am I glad that I did! 

Once I reached the cobble stoned streets lined with beautiful historical homes and buildings filled with unique shopping, I knew I was in for a treat! I parked at one end of the 19 block area and decided that I would walk (or shop!) my way up and down the street.  

It didn't take long before I came across this cute little shop, I Am What I Am:

The store is owned by one person, although it has a collection of unique items created by local artists that are sold in the store. (If I even had a creative bone in my body, this place would have certainly given me LOTS of ideas!) The best thing about this store is that I was able to find a Christmas gift for someone. (And yes, I DO shop for people other than myself!). This year I am determined to purchase more thoughtful gifts for people other than the simple option of gift cards. (Although I love to receive a gift cards!)

As I continued walking, I quickly realized that I couldn't stop into every store due to my urge to want to purchase items! But I couldn't help but go into Di Olivas, a olive and vinegar emporium:

I had heard of this type of store previously, but never knew exactly what it was. Basically it is a store that sells high quality extra virgin olive oils (EVOO) and balsamic vinegars. Before even tasting one, I was mesmerized by the beauty of the store.

 

Fortunately there was an extremely nice salesperson to walk me through the process of trying different oils, vinegars and mixing the combinations together. (And thankfully consuming 2 tablespoons of good oil is on the Weight Watchers plan!) I ended up purchasing a butter flavored EVOO (yummy!) which the sales person said some WW members purchase it to spritz on their air popped popcorn; it also will be amazing to drizzle on baked fish. This way I am getting the taste of butter, but with the healthy, good for me oils that I should have. I also purchased a cranberry-pear balsamic vinegar (tart, yet a hint of sweetness) to spritz on my salads. I will also visit their website to order some gifts for other people for the holidays because this is GREAT stuff!

Although the day was a bit chilly (and I quickly lost my curls), it was still a great day to be out and walk about. Before I knew it, I had spent 3 hours walking in and out of shops, and I hadn't really stopped at all of the stores I wanted to!

There are lots of restaurants, some with very hip, cool and inviting outdoor seating areas that I am certain must stay busy in the spring and summer months.

So if you are ever in the St. Louis area, it's definitely worth it to make the drive to historic St. Charles!

On the Road to...

St. Louis!

Although I'm not quite ready to return to work, I have to admit that I am looking forward to traveling to the St. Louis area. Mainly because I've never been there before and I always like to travel to places I've never been.

With my job, it's possible that I could travel on any day of the week. Although today is Saturday, I love to take Saturday flights. Depending on where I am traveling to and from, Saturday flights tend to be less crowded. Business travelers typically travel the most on Sunday, Monday or Friday; and people traveling for pleasure typically travel before the weekend to get to their destination.

My flight today was no exception - thankfully plenty of empty seats (no one likes to sit cramped up next to someone else) and I had an entire exit row to myself! I love to get an exit row seat due to the extra leg room (I'm 5' 7"). And just in case there is an emergency, I always say a short prayer before each flight that everything goes well so I won't have to be responsible for the exit row door in the event of an emergency. (I also like to think that a kind gentleman will be more than willing to assist me with this responsibility if needed)

This morning as my flight left the gate, we quickly returned to the gate due to a problem with one of the instruments. The pilot was very kind to keep us updated throughout the process. Although an hour after returning to the gate an announcement was made that the plane was 'out of service' and we would need to deplane. By time we deplaned, another plane had been located for us just a few gates away. After waiting another 30 minutes, we were able to board. Only to get on the second plane to be told that there was an auxiliary unit that wasn't working properly. So after another hour on a plane we were finally off into the clear blue ski. Even after the 3 hour delay, I still stand by Saturday being a great day to fly!

The morale of the story is to make certain you bring things to keep you busy when traveling, like reading material, your iPod, or some type of electronic device (I guess kids can be entertaining too depending on their age). Unfortunately there was a problem with the Nook app on my iPad to read the books I recently purchased and downloaded. Fortunately I found out Citi/Advantage Card was offering 30 free minutes of Internet access, which allowed me time to reinstall the app and download the books again. Problem solved! This little nugget of info was only learned after checking my email during one of the delays. So see, some good can come from subscribing to emails from the airlines that you frequent.

Don't forget to check back to see what I figured out to do (in additon to working) while in St. Louis. And if you've ever been to St. Louis or the surrounding area, please feel free to recommend some things for me to do!

T.G.I.F.

I'm certain that you are pretty glad that today is Friday! Possibly the end of a short week (if you had this past Monday off for Dr. Martin Luther King Day) or a long week if you had to work everyday. Seems like everyone looks forward to Friday no matter what!

For me, today means the end of staying home and being a lady of leisure. (No more sleeping in, staying up late, or wearing my PJ's all day) Duty calls and my next work assignment begins tomorrow. Be sure to check back to see where I land!

Since I travel for my company a new aspect of my blog will be me posting about the places I travel too and what that area has to offer. (Don't worry, they don't send me anyplace too exotic!)And if you've ever been to the same area, hopefully you can point me in the direction of some cool things to do while I'm there!

Well, my bags are packed and it's time to say goodnight!

Where Has the Time Gone?

Wow, I can hardly believe that my last post was April 1st. Where has the time gone? Where have I been? I'm so glad that you asked...

After returning home from a work assignment in January, I decided that it was time for me to try to get my life in order. Well, at least sit down and come up with a plan for my life. For those who know me well, you already know that my life is a form of organized chaos, I can't sit still, and no one ever knows what I will do next.

In March, I decided to pursue my Master of Arts in Education/Adult Education and Training degree. That's in addition to working a full time job that has the added excitement of never knowing when (or where) I will be called on assignment (or for how long), and training for the Susan G. Komen 3-Day Breast Cancer Walk (oh, did I forget to mention that I am walking in TWO 3-Day events this year?).

I quickly found out that there really aren't enough hours in the day! I used to say 'People make time for the things that they really want to do'. Well, I have since retracted that statement. After working a 12+ hour day (6 days a week), studying, and trying to find time to train, there isn't too much time for anything else. I soon realized that work gets in the way, and I really would be happy just being a student and a walker.

So, that is where the time has gone for me. But never fear...I'm back!!!

Magnolia Bakery Cafe

Last year when I was on assignment in Pasadena, TX I found a wonderful lunch spot called Magnolia Café and Bakery. They have wonderful sandwiches, salads, soups, and I would be remiss if I left out their desserts…FABULOUS! So yesterday as I was driving around between appointments I decided to stop at the location in Lewisville, TX.

For the past week or so I have been in hot pursuit of a ham salad sandwich. And believe it or not, you can’t find ham salad sandwiches everywhere. There are TONS of varieties of chicken salad (and anyone who knows me knows that I do not eat chicken!) and tuna salad in grocery stores, but ham salad seems to be a rarity. So when I saw the sign for Magnolia Café and Bakery I knew my craving would be satisfied.

I had some great ham salad on whole wheat bread along with kettle chips and a side of sliced carrots. But the ultimate ending to my lunch was the homemade Coca Cola Cake that they make. The cake sits on the dessert counter in a pan that looks like it came from my grandmother’s kitchen. The cake is about 2 ½ inches thick and is covered with some type of fudgy, chocolate icing…yummy!

If you are ever in the Houston or Dallas areas you won’t be disappointed (or hungry!) if you find Magnolia Café and Bakery!

The Fresh Market

While on a work assignment in Virginia Beach, Virginia I had the pleasure of being introduced to The Fresh Market speciality food store. When I heard the phrase 'They have an entire row dedicated to trail mixes!' I knew that I had to check it out!

True to my friend's word, The Fresh Market has at least 20 different types of trail mixes (Sweet Carolina is one of my personal favs) in addition to about another 20 speciality mixes. And if a store has good, fresh banana chips, it definitely ups their ranking with me!

Just when I thought I had already died and gone to heaven, I found the most wonderful snack: purple sweet potato chips! I love, love, LOVE sweet potatoes (I have a baked one about 5 times a week!) so when I saw the purple sweet potato chips, I knew I had to try them. I'll admit that the $9.99 per pound price scared me (well, not really) but I had to taste them. And it was love at first bite!
In addition to the wonderful mixes The Fresh Market has, they also have a fabulous prepared food section (really great for people like me that don't always find time to cook, but like to have a healthier food option available).

I also love fresh flowers and you can get an awesome bouquet of flowers for less then 10 bucks!

Up in the Air

I recently had the opportunity to see the newly released holiday movie Up In the Air starring George Clooney. I'll be honest, George Clooney is pretty easy on the eye but he wasn't the reason for me wanting to see this movie. When I first saw the previews I thought 'This movie kinda sort of sounds like my life!'.

George Clooney's character, Ryan Bingham, is a corporate downsizer and business traveler. Ryan is constantly on the road traveling from city to city, living out of a suitcase and racking up frequent traveler points from various travel reward programs (airlines, rental car companies, hotels, etc.).

I work for a large insurance company in a department that handles catastrophic weather related events for my company. Like Ryan, I travel a LOT for my company...I am on the road about 8 - 9 months out of the year, travel from city to city, and spend most of my time living out of a suitcase. Fortunately I am not threatening other people's livelihoods due to corporate downsizing, but hopefully I am assisting to get their lives back on track after the damage they have sustained.

The following are some similarities between Ryan Bingham and I:

1) Travel Rewards - Although Ryan is a member of just about every travel program out there, his main goal was to reach 10,000,000 frequent flier miles with American Airlines.

Although I fly commercially I don't think (and hope!) that I will ever reach 10,000,000 frequent flier miles! On the other hand I am a member of many travel reward programs. My big one is Marriott Rewards. Friends and family never have to worry about paying for a hotel stay since I have more points than I'll ever use.

2) Family - Ryan is viewed as an outsider by his family. His younger sister is getting married and has chosen her future husband's uncle to walk her down the aisle.

Sometimes I feel like an outsider to my family. This past Christmas was the first time I had been home to see them in a year. Many will think 'What's the big deal?'. The big deal is that me and my family are very close and it just isn't acceptable to only see them once a year.

3) Nomads - Ryan loves (and mean LOVES!) being on the road. When his job is threatened by technology I could tell that he was really pained about returning to a 'normal' life that didn't involve travel. At one point I believe he said that he was more comfortable on the road than he was at home - never mind that home for Ryan is a sparsely furnished one bedroom apartment.

I too love the sense of adventure with traveling to a new city and seeing parts of the country that I would never have any reason to go to - like Bismark, North Dakota for example. When I first took my current position my life was in a bit of flux...someone that I loved more than life itself had died and I found myself losing my way. This job allowed me to hide and not face the realities that I needed to face.

4) Love - During the course of the movie, Ryan meets a woman (of course there has to be a love story in there!). She is just like him in regards to traveling. But for the first time, I believe Ryan really begins to open his heart and his life to let someone else in.

For so long I have used my job as a shield to hide behind from the realities of life. I have a feeling that there are some wonderful possibilities out there for me to find balance in my life. I might just be ready to hang up my travel wings too! Well, maybe...

Thanksgiving Is What You Make It

This year I spent Thanksgiving away from from my family due to my current work assignment. I am uncertain what made this year different as I haven't always spent Thanksgiving with my family. But for a reason that I cannot put my finger one, I really wanted to share this Thanksgiving with my family.

Maybe it was knowing that my office wasn't going to do anything special to recognize the holiday. I mean when it is less than 24 hours to the holiday and talks are just beginning about 'What should we do for the office?', anything that was going to be organized for 125 people should have happened well before then.

A few good friends that I know were on this assignment with me. For some of us it had been awhile since we had last seen one another. The next thing I knew a plan was in place to go to Ruby Tuesday for lunch. Ruby Tuesday was having a holiday meal - roasted turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, and sugar snap peas. So off we went. And you know what? The meal was really good! But what I think was even better was the company.

We talked about our job and how it take us away from the people we love in addition to making us desensitized to the fact of there even being a holiday to celebrate. How everyday is just another day unless we are at home and able to celebrate with our families. But on the flip side, here we were celebrating the holiday together as friends who were reunited on this assignment and making the best of it. We shared some laughs and funny holiday stories. We even left there with our bellies full (minus the sweet potato and pecan pie!).

Later two of us decided to see a movie after work. Although it wasn't the movie I would have picked (more about the movie in another post), it was still good to continue the day with someone else and not just return to my hotel room. It reminded me of last year when I did spend Thanksgiving with my family and we went to see a movie Thanksgiving evening.

As my friend and I parted ways for the evening, I found myself commenting that the day had been far better than I expected it to be. I had the chance to fellowship with good friends throughout the day. Most importantly, I didn't feel alone. Although I didn't spend the my family, I spent the day with my adopted family of friends who I chose to spend the day with. Things didn't turn out so bad after all!