Awkward and Awesome

Here are my awkward and awesome moments for the week (Inspired by E from E is Random who was inspired by Sydney at The Daybook):

Awkward

·         The reality that ‘awesome’ moments can turn into ‘awkward’ moments. A co-worker had his 3 month checkup for throat cancer, received a clean bill of health and graduated to 6 month checkups. The next day he received a call that his doctor wants to see him in 6 weeks for a follow up appointment.

·         Writing a blog post about leaving for the 3-Day in a week, when it’s really two weeks away.

Awesome

·         Finding out that my friend/co-worker’s mom’s cancer is in remission…Woo Hoo!!!

·         Being in the Midwest and being able to see the fall foliage slowly begin to appear.

·         Taking a 9 mile training walk on a beautiful trail in Columbia, MO.

·         Receiving two more generous donations for my upcoming 3-Day breast cancer walk.

·         Having a surprise visit from a friend while on a work assignment.

Is It Time Already?

Wow, it is so hard to believe that this time next week I will be on a plane headed to DC for my sixth Susan G. Komen 3 Day Breast Cancer Walk! As my departure date gets closer, I get more and more anxious. Anxious because:

·         I am away from home for a work assignment, and I am trying to do a mental inventory of what I have at home and what I still need.

·         My training has been very inconsistent for this walk.

·         I am still breaking in a new pair of training shoes.

·         I need to add more pink hearts to my fanny back with the names of people I walk in honor of.

·         I’ll be home for a little over 24 hours before I leave for DC.

Although I have all of these anxious feelings, I am so excited about the walk! About 10 members from my Dallas walking team will be walking in DC. Some of us have walked together before in other cities and I know we will have a blast. We are going in early and staying after the walk to take in some sites. I even think a friend’s friend is having a little get together for us on Monday evening after the walk to celebrate.

I know my anxious feelings will soon pass to excitement. Excited to see DC again (it’s been over 20 years since I’ve been there!), to be in DC so close to a presidential election, to be there with my friends, to be reunited with my PINK 3 Day family, and just the amazing journey the 3 Day is!

And hopefully if all goes well, there should be a fantastic cupcake in my future too!

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!

Awkward and Awesome

Here are my awkward and awesome moments for the week (Inspired by E from E is Random who was inspired by Sydney at The Daybook):

Awkward:

• Another week passing that I haven't written any new posts for my blog.
• A near miss car accident. As I attempted to make a left hand turn after a car passed the intersection, the car decided to slow down. I don't know if she was deciding to make a left hand turn at the last minute or if she wasn't certain that I saw her or not. I honestly have no idea what happened, but I do know that there wasn't an accident!
• Learning that a co-worker's mother has peritoneal cancer. Cancer sucks!

Awesome:

• My birthday was this past week! In true Aries fashion, I love my birthday. My current work assignment has me 3 hours from where my family lives at, and my mother, sister, father and stepmom visited me for my special day. I had a progressive lunch with them and it was one of the most memorable and best birthdays that I have had in a long time.
• Getting a release date for my current work assignment. This means that I will be headed home for a much needed break (and will hopefully get back to writing for my blog!).
• Ordering coffee at Starbucks and the Barista telling me "From the looks of things I don't think you need much coffee this morning!". For some reason that day I woke up in a great mood, there was good music on the radio and nothing was going to stand in my way to have a good day.
• Receiving a goodie box of Canadian chocolates from a friend who lives there. Yum!

Awkward and Awesome

Here are my awkward and awesome moments for the week (Inspired by E from E is Random who was inspired by Sydney at The Daybook):

 Awkward:

• Not posting on my blog all week long. How do I go from posting nearly everyday last week to not posting at all this week? I have to manage my time better to be more consistent.
• Exiting the elevator at the hotel and smelling marijuana in the hallway. What's even more awkward is that I called the Front Desk and they didn't seem to be too surprised about it. Hmmm...

Awesome:

• Seeing a friend of mine who I haven't seen in a couple of years. It was also on her birthday! (If all goes well, I'll see her tonight for sushi!)
• Getting a dozen cupcakes delivered to me at work. Did I fail to mention that tomorrow is my birthday???
• Walking 4 miles two different days this week. (OK, I know I could have done better and walked more days)
• Getting a step closer to being released from my current work assignment. Although that might sound like a bad thing, it really isn't. This means I'll get some downtime and some much needed rest!
• Seeing some more friends from Indy for sushi last Saturday night. Dinner was great and the conversation even better!

Here's to an even better next week!

Awkward and Awesome

Here are my awkward and awesome moments for the week (Inspired by E from E is Random who was inspired by Sydney at The Daybook):

 Awkward:

• Writing an awesome book review to post on my blog, only to accidentally delete the content AND not have a back up copy of the post. Ugh!
• I was waiting for the elevator at the hotel with a man and 5 little girls (probably from ages 3 - 13). They looked like they were returning from swimming. I asked him "How did you get so lucky?", implying that he was took 5 little girls to the pool. He responded "They're all mine although they're adopted." Then I noticed that each girl was a different ethnicity. It never crossed my mind that the girls weren't related, I just thought he was brave to take 5 girls to the pool by himself!
• Deleting my Project365 and Daily Photo accounts. Although I really want to focus on my love of picture taking and taking better pictures, I am finding that I don't have time to take a picture a day for two different platforms that don't cross share information.
• My 4Square app. Every time I try to check-in someplace, I don't receive any points because 'my device thinks I'm too far away'. I cant figure out if the problem is with the app or my phone. Either way, I'm real close to deleting the app since I am so frustrated using it.

Awesome:

• Having dinner with friends in Indy that I hadn't seen for 5 years. It was great to catch up over good food and even better conversation. I really miss Indy and my friends here.
• Having lunch with one set of my parents as they traveled through Indianapolis on their way to Florida. I've seen them twice in the past two weeks!
• Raising almost $1,000 in a week toward my Susan G. Komen 3-Day fundraising account! I am so overwhelmed with the generosity and support that I receive from my friends and family. (And if you would like to make a donation too, please click on the following link: www.the3day.org/goto/ShannonUnderwood
• A co-worker surprised me and brought me back Coffee Crisp candy bars from Canada. I had mentioned how good they are in passing and he picked me some up. I love random acts of kindness!
• Instagram is finally available for Android! I don't what it's all about, although I'm looking forward to adding some cool effects to my pictures. If you want to follow me, my user name is: indygirl_1997.

Friends, How Many of Us Have Them?

So…

How many Facebook friends do you have?

How many Tweeps?

Some of you might remember that a couple of months ago I read the book ‘MWF Seeking BFF: My Yearlong Search for a New Best Friend. Ever since then I having been giving more thought to the dynamics of friendships and the type of relationships that I have with my friends.

Honestly, I think the term ‘friend’ is probably used a bit loosely nowadays. On Facebook, I have 380 ‘friends’. My ‘friends’ are a mix of family, work friends, real life friends, PINK friends, high school friends, and virtual friends. Within each of these sub groups are varying degrees of how close I am to each person in the specific group. For instance in my family group I have my immediate family, aunts, uncles and cousins, and then distant relatives.

When I first joined Facebook, I was very selective about who I accepted friend requests from. My sister would call me a Facebook Snob, and it was true. If I knew of someone in high school and we didn’t talk then, why would I want to be their Facebook friend 25 years later? Now I have loosened my friend requirements since I primarily use Facebook as marketing for my 3-Day Breast Cancer Walks. For the most part there aren’t any personal pictures of me or other friends, unless it’s something to do with me volunteering, training and walking in breast cancer awareness event. Every now and then I will allow someone to tag me in a picture (and I still reserve the final approval for that!).

As for Twitter…

I have 86 followers, which isn’t anything by Twitter follower standards. The main reason I joined Twitter was due to the 3-Day having a Twitter account (@the3day). This allowed me to follow each of the 14 3-Day walks, virtually cheer on the walkers and crew, and become more involved in the 3-Day community. And yes, I have a lot of Tweeps that I have no idea who they are, yet I feel like I know them in the virtual sense.

And then there are the blogs that I follow. Even though I follow over 70 blogs (I know, waaay too many!), there are only a handful that I look forward to reading on a daily basis. I feel like those bloggers are my ‘friends’ and I can’t wait to see what they will share next. (Maybe one day I’ll have hundreds of people following my blog too!)

Although I was kind of hard on the author of ‘MWF Seeking BFF’ with my initial thoughts, and what I thought was her pathetic and controlling search for a new BFF, the book helped me realize that I possibly take for granted my ‘meeting people’ skills (as she calls it). I guess some people have ‘it’ and some people don’t. For me, meeting people in person or via social media hasn’t been that difficult for me to do. I’ll just consider myself thankful and lucky for all of the ‘friends’ that I have!

The Committment Lives On

Today is the last day of Lent. Although I’m not Catholic, some of you might remember that I decided to ‘commit to something’ during the time of Lent. Initially I thought it was going to be sweets, but then it turned into being committed to giving up meat (red meat and pork since I already don’t eat chicken).

Yeah, I know you’re probably thinking that I might have taken the easy road on this one. But I do enjoy a great steak, hamburger, and just about anything pork related. The most difficult part during this time is that I’ve been on a work assignment, which typically consists of more fast food options which aren’t always non-meat friendly.  For the most part it wasn’t that difficult and I had two slips ups:

1) From a box lunched served during a business meeting. It was about a week after I stopped eating meat, and I had half of a roasted turkey sandwich (and let’s be honest, is processed lunch meat really meat in the first place?);

2) When I was attempting to be conscious of what I was eating I ordered baked cheese ziti from Fazoli’s. From the name of the dish I assumed it would have tomato or marina sauce, well it didn’t. There were some type of meat crumbles in the sauce (and let’s be honest again, if I were really trying to eat meat it wouldn’t have been faux meat from Fazoli’s).

Overall I am very satisfied about my commitment to not eating meat. With the exception of pizza, I didn’t miss eating it at all. Although I really did want some good ole pepperoni on that pizza that I ordered!

As far as health benefits…I believe I was a lot more regular, if you know what I mean. I’ll spare you the details so we’ll just say that was a benefit for me. I also believe that I ate more veggies (which also probably contributed to the TMI moment that I just shared with you).

At different periods in my life, I have stopped eating meat. With the exception of chicken, I have always returned to eventually eating meat. Now, I am seriously thinking about continuing on this path and only eating fish and seafood (also known as a pescatarian but I’m not into those types of labels).

Probably my biggest concern with this decision is for those who invite me over for dinner. Right now people already think it’s strange that I don’t eat chicken, which seems to be a staple for most Americans. Now to eliminate all type of meats might make others feel limited as to what they can cook when I am invited over. Typically I don’t share my eating needs with others, and I’ll just eat the non-chicken items that are served. This new change might just make me come out of my ‘what I eat and don’t eat’ closet and expose myself to everyone.

Stay tuned and we’ll see how it goes. Maybe I can incorporate some other healthy changes into my daily diet. If anyone has suggestions for me regarding my new eating choice, please let me know!  

Tipping

It seems like every other day I am learning something new about my iPad or about features within iTunes. My latest find has been podcasts!

I have always heard about podcasts, but didn’t really know what they were. In case you don’t know what a podcast is, it’s a type of digital media consisting of audio or visual information that can be downloaded or subscribed to. I always knew they are informational, but I had no idea that they are free to download or subscribe to in iTunes. Yes, you read correctly…FREE and iTunes in the same sentence!

So, the other night I decided to download a few podcasts to see what I thought. The first podcast (and so far only one) that I have listened to is from series called “Stuff You Should Know”, and this particular episode is ‘How Tipping Works’. (And if you’ve been reading my blog for any period of time, you should already know that I’m all about useless information, so this is right up my alley!)

Well, tipping has always been kind of a gray area for me. I have worked in the service industry as server in which I relied on tips for my income. So I have always had an appreciation and understanding of people who work in a tip driven environment. Although sometimes I think that since I was ‘one of them’ at one time, I tend to learn toward the side of over tipping.

It seems like 20% is my automatic base percentage to base tips from. So if the service is great, the percentage increases; if the service is poor the percentage decreases. Let’s be honest, if the service is poor my base percentage should probably be a lot less. But then I feel bad for leaving a poor tip. But does the person feel bad for giving me poor service? I don’t think that I am high maintenance customer. In a restaurant setting, I want my server to be knowledgeable about the dishes and available options, anticipate my needs (keep my drink full, make certain I have the necessary utensils, etc.), and bring my check at the appropriate time. I don’t think I’m asking for much.

From reading my blog, you already know that I frequent a lot of different places that tipping is required. I always tip my hair stylist, esthetician, and manicurist 20% of the total bill. And that has always been a given no matter what. Like the other day I went to have my eyebrows waxed. I had a scheduled appointment, yet still waited for 20 minutes before she was ready for me. Somehow she still received a 20% tip. So, was the tip for the great job she did once she finally completed my services? Honestly, I probably should have adjusted the tip since I had to wait. Although I left with great brows, I was still unhappy that I had to wait.

When traveling, I am all over the board about tipping. When I know that my suitcase might be a little bit over the weight limit, I’ll check the bag curbside and have a nice $5 tip waiting. Typically this $5 (and a nice smile!) will insure that I won’t be paying the overweight baggage fee. I also typically tip anyone who touches my luggage (ex: shuttle bus driver to car rental center)

No matter what the situation, the podcast explains that you should always tip on the full price even if you have a discount coupon. Although I agree with that, I don’t think that I should have to tip on ‘added on’ charges. For instance, the transportation service that I use to get to back and forth to the airport charges a flat rate, toll charge, and a fuel service charge. Well, I don’t think I should tip on the tolls and fuel service charge amount. So now it appears that I might seem cheap, but then again I am also tipping 15% - 20% on the flat rate when I think the standard tip is 10% for this type of transportation.

Overall this particular podcast was entertaining and informational. The two guys had a great banter between one another and there was a lot of useful information. So I would highly recommend this podcast if you’ve never tried a podcast before or if you want to know more about tipping.

Are there any podcasts that you’ve listened to that you can recommend?

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!

Awkward and Awesome

Here are my awkward and awesome moments for the week (Inspired by E from E is Random who was inspired by Sydney at The Daybook):

Awkward

·         An impromptu office poll that revealed way too many people talk on their cellphone or home phone while in the restroom AND don’t see a problem with it. Ugh! Note to self: don’t use anyone’s cellphone anymore! (And just in case you missed my initial thoughts about restroom cellphone talking here's a link for you)

·         My stepfather and stepmother both experienced complications with their recent surgical procedures and had to seek medical attention. Fortunately they are both doing fine again.

·         Realizing that I have waaaay toooo many TV shows set to record on my DVR. When I was home for the weekend, I had to delete some recorded shows and cancel some series altogether. Sigh.

Awesome

·         Realizing that at least one person in my current office agrees with me that talking on a cellphone phone while in the restroom is a NO-NO!!!

·         Using the first class upgrades that I earned to fly first class this week!

·         Being warmly welcomed back by my co-workers after taking the past weekend off. I don’t know if my replacement was just that bad or if they really did miss me and my winning personality.

·         Officially starting my 3-Day fundraising! After sending out the initial email to previous (and hopefully future) donors, I generated $520 in donations in less than 24 hours!

Tribute to a Friend

Last week ended with unexpected news of a friend's untimely death. My friend is someone that I know through my company, and that I maintain contact with via Facebook and Four Square. It wasn't until several months ago that I learned that he is best friends with another person that I have recently become good friends with.

My friend made the decision to take his own life.

What I struggle with is that everything is not always as it seems in someones life. In order for him to have done this, he must have been hurting inside very much. Whenever I saw him, he always had a big smile on his face and could always make me laugh. And from the many pictures that have appeared on his Facebook page, this is a similar memory that many people shared with him. Within the past year he moved to a state that he loved (what's not to love about Colorado?), purchased a new car, and had recently shared with me the excitement and nervousness that he had about meeting someone during an upcoming trip to Florida.

I still remember how he and I met. We were both on a work assignment in Ohio after Hurricane Ike moved its way across the country. After initially meeting, his name sounded familiar to me, but I couldn't figure out why. All I knew was that he would stop by to chat when he could, always had a smile for me, and made me laugh. He was a genuine person with a kind spirit. It wasn't until I had a long weekend off and traveled home that I finally realized why his name was familiar to me: he and I had written stories for a book published by our company entitled "Our Stories", which is a collection of stories by members of the LGBT community and their allies. I had submitted a story about my best friend and when he came out to me; my friend had submitted a story about his coming out.

I may never know the reason my friend took his life. Instead I'm just thankful for the time that I knew him and the impact that he made on my life.

Awkward and Awesome

Here are my awkward and awesome moments for the week (Inspired by E from E is Random who was inspired by Sydney at The Daybook):

Awkward

• A friend committed suicide. Still trying to understand how someone who appeared so happy and full of life decided to take their own life. Sometimes people are dealing with so much more than their outward life appears. He will be greatly missed by so many people.

Awesome

• The absolutely beautiful weather Indianapolis has been experiencing! Unseasonably warm weather in the 70's and record breaking temps.
• My stepfather being released from the hospital after his heart transplant 3 weeks ago!
• Having dinner with a friend who I haven't seen in 7 years! The conversation was easy and it was like no time at all had passed since we last saw one another. And since I will be in Indy for several more weeks we should be able to get together a few more times.
• The lady/mother of two who shared the available washing machines with me at the hotel laundr facility. Although I thanked her profusley, I don't think she had any idea how much that meant to me.
• Even in the mist of tradegy and loss, awesome things can still happen.

You Wanna Do What?

Since 2009 I have been walking in the Susan G. Komen 3 Day for the Cure. And since that time all of my family and friends have probably heard a lot more about ‘The Walk’ than they have wanted to.  This year I have been blown away that a few of my friends have approached me about walking this year!

I know it might not sound like a big deal, but to me it is. The 3 Day has become so important to me for a few reasons. One, the awareness that the event creates is just amazing, and early detection is key with curing breast cancer. The 3 Day has also made me feel connected to something. When I moved to Dallas, I only knew a few people and I wasn’t involved in community events like I had been before making my current career choice.  I now have this amazing PINK family and my circle of friends grows through it.

I think I am even more amazed that somehow I have influenced my friends to want to be a part of the 3 Day. I do my best to tell them the good, the bad and the ugly about the event in order for them to make an informed decision. And to be honest, I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I decided to walk my first year. All I knew is that once I had walked my last step into Closing Ceremony that I would be back again the following year. It certainly helped me to join a team that had members who had previously walked the event to answer all of my questions (and I had a lot of questions!).

One friend, A, did walk with me last year. Overall I think she was amazed by the event itself, yet she’ll probably admit that she could have trained a bit more than she did. I do my best to let my friends know that training makes the walk better, and they’ll still feel some aches and pains once it’s all over. But the aches and pains pale in comparison to the feeling they’ll have once the walk is finished.

So if you’re thinking about walking the 3 Day, let me know! I would love to answer any questions that you might have. And I’ll let you know later which of my friends decide to walk with me this year!

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!

Awkward and Awesome

Here are my awkward and awesome moments for the week (Inspired by E from E is Random who was inspired by Sydney at The Daybook):

Awkward:

• Working in a mobile trailer that is probably designed to have 3, maybe 4, people in it at any given time, and having to share it with 7 people. And let's not forget the number of people who are in and out of it all day smelling of fresh air and the warm food smells that come from the garbage that is supposed to be used for recycling.
• Purchasing an air fresher for my portion of the trailer and have people ask, "Did you really purchase an air freshener?!" I think the look on my face gave them the answer they needed.
• The previously mentioned trailer doesn't have a bathroom. Instead of using the port-o-potties I walk across the parking lot to use Lowe's facilities. I figure my company pays them enough for the parking lot space for the trailer that I should be able to use the restroom.  (P.S. - I don't use random port-o-potties. The only time I use a port-o-potty is during the 3 Day!)

Awesome:

• Having breakfast at one of my favorite Indy spots, Cafe Patachou. I drove to one a location a little further away because I liked the atmosphere, only to arrive and find it it has totally been redesigned! It has expanded in size, has lots of windows and natural light, and these big chalkboard walls! Way cool interior and the food was a great as I remembered it!
• Taking an hour walk with a friend that I haven't seen in about 6 years! It was great to enjoy the beautiful, unseasonably warm weather Indianapolis is experiencing right now, and catch up with a friend while doing something healthy!
• Leaving Lowe's after my potty run and having a man tell me, "Wow, you are beautiful!" Definitely made my day since I wasn't feeling any part of beautiful that day.

T.G.I.F.

Wow, I can hardly believe that it is Friday! Working 6 days a week, 12 hours a day really makes the week fly by. To be honest, all I am looking forward to is Saturday a.k.a my 7th day off. Other than an eyebrow waxing appointment (with the wonderful lady that I used to do my waxing when I lived in Indianapolis before), I don't have anything planned and that's the way I want it.

I always feel so bad when I leave for a work assignment because my blog suffers. I was feeling so good about posting nearly every day. Then work steps in, and I am down to posting 2 or 3 times a week. I need to find a better balance for blogging while working. I mean other bloggers do it, why can't I?

Anyway, thanks for hanging in there with me. I promise I'll be back on the top of my game in no time at all. In the meantime, if you have some helpful hints to help me balance, please let me know! Oh yeah, enjoy your weekend, too!

Tuesday TV

Just when I didn't think that I could add anything else to my TV show line up, I found more shows to add!

One of my guilty pleasures is purchasing gossip magazines(People, Life & Style, and US Weekly) to read when flying on an airplane. During my last flight I found some new additions for my DVR:

• Interior Therapy with Jeff Lewis - a couple of days ago I already wrote about my love of Jeff Lewis. Although his new show doesn't appear that it will be like Flippin' Out, I still think the Jeff I know and love won't disappoint with his quick wit and comments.
• Shahs of Sunset - yet another BRAVO show added to the line up. This show is about Persians living the fabulous life in Beverly Hills. I'm sure it will be a similar in format to The Real Housewives... series. Can't wait!
• Missing - An ABC show about a mother looking to find her son. I'll admit the main draw is Ashley Judd since I am a huge fan of hers. We'll how long this shows lasts.
• Fashion Star - I don't know how long this show will keep my attention. After researching it a bit more, I think this might be like Project Runway, which unfortunately doesn't do much for me.

And if that wasn't enough, I realized that one of my favorite shows, Fairly Legal, begins its new season this week. The shows main charter, Kate Reed (played by Sarah Shahi) was a lawyer who decided to become a mediator in her father's business after he died unexpectedly. To make thinks more interesting, she has a stepmother who doesn't appear to be too much older than her, and she is has an interesting relationship with her soon-to-be ex-husband. Kate Reed's character is fun and the story line is pretty good too. If you ever watched the L Word on showtime, Sarah Shahi played a charter named Carmen.

I know you might be wondering, 'Just how much space does her DVR have?' I'm probably pressing the limits right about now, especially since I'll be away from home the next few weeks.

What are are some of your favorite TV shows?
(Seriosuly, I'm just curious...obviously I already watch too much TV as it is!)

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.

Awkward and Awesome

Here's my awkward and awesome moments for the week (Inspired by E from E is Random who was inspired by Sydney at The Daybook):

Awkward

• Purchasing tabloid magazines at the airport and not having a penny when the total came to $8.01. Of course I didn't have a penny (I changed purses the night before) and no one offered me one. Now I have 99 cents in change floating around in my purse.
• Being called for my next work assignment after being home for only 3 days after the previous work assignment ended. Although it's awkward, I am thankful to have a job.
• Paying $3.59/gallon for gas! And that was with a 10 cent/gallon discount.
• Working in a small mobile RV. A minimum of 7 people in it at all times, the door opening and slamming close every minute, and it smells like a combination of food in a trash car and people being outdoors. Need I say more?

Awesome

• Getting a first class upgrade on my flight this week! Two hours of uninterrupted time to my self to be lost with my thoughts. And the California Cobb Salad was pretty good too!
• Returned to one of the cities that I previously lived in, Indianapolis, Indiana. I was last in the city 5 years ago. It was such a great feeling to see the city and new landmarks as the plane descended. And I saw one of my favorite restaurants, Cafe Patachou in the airport...that will be a stop for the return trip home!
• Wearing my Sparkle Ugg boots and getting lots of compliments from men ("I like your pretty boots.") and women. (See Mom, I told you that I would wear them.)