Friday, December 31, 2010

Goodbye 2010


Can't say I'm sorry to see you leave. I wanted to quickly post my favorite Christmas gift of 2010 from Funny Girl Goes Blog. The complete series of the Brady Bunch! I'm a fanatic!

Friday, December 24, 2010

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

I just don't have much time to post these days, so I thought I'd put up a quick post to wish everyone a happy holiday!! I'm off to start the festivities with an Italian fish Christmas Eve dinner. Then tomorrow it's basically presents and lots of food . . . and Sunday to recover!

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Do You Know Where Your Christmas Spirit Is?

I admit I've been having a hard time getting into the spirit this year until this weekend. I went to the Gaylord resort at National Harbor, and they have a lights and fountain show along with Christmas music. The best part was hearing the screams of delight from the kids there whenever the fountain sprayed. It was really adorable, and made it a wondrous event . . . that along with the hot chocolate with peppermint schnapps ;)I think I'm mostly done with my shopping after this weekend. What a relief. It's thankfully a short week, I have Thursday and Friday off, and a retirement lunch that will take up most of Tuesday. Maybe, just maybe I can make it through to some much-needed time off.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Fuck Facebook

I am a victim of the stupid Facebook bug this week, and they have still not fixed my account. Now I'm getting another error that I may have been a victim of phishing. Right . . . I am beginning to think they are never reinstating me and I've been talking to various reporters to make a stink about it. I am completely pissed off and want to get reinstated just so I can quit . . .

Friday, November 05, 2010

701 Restaurant

Had dinner with a friend last night at 701 and it was fabulous! Started at the lounge with a pumpkin spice martini - like having dessert first! I had a Fig & Arugula Salad with goat cheese, crisp guanciale, grilled red onions, vanilla vinaigrette--what a yummy surprise the vinaigrette was. My friend had Grilled Baby Octopus with salsa verde, roasted breakfast radishes and usually I'm not an octopus fan but this was delicious. Not at all rubbery, cooked and seasoned to perfection. For my main course I had the Eco Friendly Pork Loin & Belly with cider & tobacco braised pork belly, celery root puree, savoy cabbage, and grain mustard. Absolutely to die for. Dessert was "Apple Pie" with vanilla bean ice cream, milkado sticks, and salted caramels. It sounds like a lot of food, but the portions were really reasonable and I didn't feel awful when I left.

The nice surprise was the piano player, playing soft tunes in the background. All in all, a fabulous experience, I highly recommend it!

Tuesday, November 02, 2010

Long Time

I just don't seem to have the energy to post much these days. Things have been pretty busy, here are some recent highlights:

1. Went to Chicago for work, didn't get to the restaurants that I wanted to :(
2. Went to a great Halloween party!
3. Loved Rick Springfield's new autobiography Late, Late at Night
4. Found out my grandfather has congestive heart failure, don't know how long he has. I'm pretty bummed about it and am trying to make a visit soon . . .

Monday, September 06, 2010

Idyllic Weekend Weather

What a beautiful weekend for Labor Day! It's been a pretty good one and busy too. The highlight was Saturday I had lunch reservations with NOAAGirl, her DH, and Jeffro at Volt in Frederick, MD. The owner is Bryan Voltaggio of Top Chef fame. It took months to get a reservation, and I could only get lunch reservations at that. But no matter, lunch or dinner, it was a fabulous meal. We all had the 5-course tasting menu of heirloom tomatoes, goat cheese ravioli, scallops, beef strip loin, and dessert. Dessert was supposed to be cheesecake, but I wanted something else so they were able to substitute. What a wonderful meal, attentive waiters, beautiful restaurant, and best of all we saw Bryan on the way out! He was every bit as cute as he was on TV but unfortunately he didn't really appear to want to say hello. That was the only bummer.

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Accentuate the Positive

I don't want to curse myself, but it's definitely been an interesting week, in a good way. I've been interviewing, and had more luck than I anticipated. I have a second interview tomorrow, and they are calling references so that is really interesting. We'll see if they make and offer and how much, though I am more interested in another job and waiting for them to come to town to do interviews. This has all been very anxiety-producing, but exciting.

The other really great thing is my college roomate, who I haven't talked to in like 10 years, contacted me through FB recently. I was surprised in a way, but I had sort of been following her and knew she was on FB so it wasn't a total shock.

So these are some really cool things. I needed some good stuff sent my way. I also went to a very fun happy hour last week, and we're doing it again tomorrow night. Yeah!

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

The Audi R8 is the coolest car ever. I wondered how much it was, but was afraid to look. Now I know why. The MSRP is $156K! Someone actually parks one frequently in Shirlington. Man I need to find out who it is and make a new friend!

Saturday, July 24, 2010

Back from Boston

I was in Boston recently for a conference from work, and it just about took me a week to recover . . . the conference went well, it's just exhausting. Now I'm full into interview mode. Every year I say to myself "this has to be the last conference" and yet every year I'm still there. So I am trying to change that before the next one comes around. There's also change in leadership coming, and I do fear that we won't be able to get through another budget without laying someone off. So it's go time. I've had two phone interviews so far with a company out of town. I would get to telecommute, but the job has a lot of travel. They are coming into town in August to do in-person interviews, and they already told me that they want to meet me in person. I also have an interview with another company Monday, so I'm taking the day off work cause it's in the afternoon. I also just really want another long weekend.

In any case, it's hotter than hell here. I just wonder what these extremes mean. We had record snow this year, and now record heat. I just don't like it, I think the world is going to hell in a handbasket. Ever the optimist here ;)

Saturday, July 03, 2010

Two Saturdays This Week

My conference for work is coming up and Thursday was a really busy, stressful day. The kind where you feel completely beat up by the time you go home. So I chilled that night and got myself ready to face Friday.

But when I got up, my brain did not want to face Friday. It told me that the day was Saturday. I turned my alarm off thinking, why did I set my alarm for Saturday? I took the dogs for a really long walk, thinking, why are people standing at the bus stop on Saturday? We stopped at the dog park, thinking why is it so empty on Saturday? I walked home and started taking my vitamins in my Sunday - Saturday plastic packet and noticed I was taking vitamins marked Friday. How odd that I forgot to take my vitamins on Friday, I thought. Then, with dread, it occured to me: Maybe today is Friday. Oh crap. Could it be? Are you kidding me? Am I getting really senile or something? I checked my cell phone to be sure, and it was indeed Friday at 9:30 a.m. and I was already 1/2 hour late for work and hadn't showered yet.

What a terrible shock, and such a disappointment!

I quickly checked my work schedule: did I have a meeting? No. Did I have something due: Yes. Crap, I need to go to the office. Otherwise I would have called in sick. I called my boss and left a really vague message about running late and that I would be in around 11. Am I going crazy? I was completely convinced that it was Saturday. Unbelievable. I think after my conference I need a serious vacation.

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

A Person Who Cares

I was walking my dogs tonight (what a gorgeous night!) and just up ahead this guy was walking towards another dog owner. The guy was walking very quickly. The woman had a small pug on a leash, and was trying to get out of this guy's way. She was standing on a hill, and in trying to avoid this guy, she slipped and fell down the hill in her sundress. The guy didn't blink an eye, just kept barrelling past. Didn't say "are you ok?" or "sorry about that" or anything. She was looking at him like WTF and I approached and said I couldn't believe that he didn't even acknowledge how rude he was by just about knocking her off the sidewalk. I said that I was sorry he was such a jerk and that most people these days just don't care and she agreed. Then she said "A lot of people don't care, but I'd rather be a person who cares." I thought that was such a great sentiment I had to put the story up here. I'm glad too that I'm a person who cares. Well, I try to be anyway ;)

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Goal!

No, I'm not talking about the World Cup. I'm talking about my sponsorship goal at work. I actually met it this year, and it was $10K higher than last year. I'm so thrilled! Now if and when I leave my job I can leave on a high note, so to speak. The rewards? A nice fat commission? A bonus? No. Ice cream. But I guess I'll take that. At least it was acknowledged.

Wednesday, June 09, 2010

Last Chance Highway

Tune into Animal Planet for "Last Chance Highway," an 8 part series that follows a group of volunteers who rescue soon-to-be-euthanized shelter dogs. Part 1 airs on June 19th at 8 pm, June 20th at 1 am, 3 am, & 10 am, and June 21st at 8 pm. For a sneak preview click here.

Wednesday, June 02, 2010

Busy Weekend and Unsealed Lips


Things have been crazy as ever. This weekend was busy with gardening in between all the other fun stuff. Boy it was great to have Monday off!

Friday: shopping for my sister's surprise birthday party

Saturday: car repair in the morning, sister's party at night (she was very surprised!)

Sunday: gardening during the day, friend's BBQ at night

Monday: dog park, dog baths, pedicure, wine and dessert with friends

On a separate note, Belinda Carlisle, one of my favorite singers (lead singer of the Go-Gos!)from the 80s has a new book out: Lips Unsealed: A Memoir. Apparently she's had a really huge problem with drug abuse most of her life. It looks like an interesting read cause she struggled with self image and depression problems, and that just makes her so real. So I might have to pick up a copy.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Why I Hate Work

I have read a couple of interesting articles recently related to work.

The first is about how now that the economy is improving, people are quitting their hated jobs without having anywhere to go. I would love to do that. Check out the article here.

The other article was about the terrible health effects that it has on your body. I always thought that work is killing me, and it truly is. Check out the article here.

Then I saw an episode of House Hunters tonight where the person moved to Cabo in Mexico, bought this huge, great place for $350K that had a level that could be rented out. How sweet would that be?

And let's close this with one of the things I love from the past few weeks:

Why does your boss tell you to give someone a deadline of Friday then decide she wants it Thursday after you’ve already told them Friday? Then you have to go back and look like an ass and ask for it earlier.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Long Gone

I have been super busy this month, so I haven't been blogging much. Here are a few highlights of what I've been up to:

*Coordinated a pet happy hour in my neighborhood
*Helped put on a neighborhood day
*Pulled up two overgrown shrubs in my yard that didn't fare well over the winter
*Dug out two new flower beds behind my fence
*Purchased flowers and started to plant, waiting for the rain to subside!

I'll try to be better about blogging, but truthfully it's hard to keep up with all the "social media" stuff that you're supposed to these days . . .

Sunday, May 02, 2010

NY Wedding and Shelter Stamps

Well, I just got back last night from my cousin's wedding on Long Island. It was a really fun time and I got to see people I don't see very often. I didn't stop dancing the entire night!

I also wanted to raise awareness of new forever stamps being issued by the Post Office to create awareness about adoption and shelters. Check it out and buy other really cute products here.

Saturday, April 10, 2010

NYC

I was in NYC this week for a business meeting. I haven't been to the Big Apple in many, many years but it never seems to change. Here are some highlights of my brief time there.

Ate at Morimoto! I stayed my first night at The New Yorker Hotel, which was walkable to the restaurant. I had called ahead and asked if I could sit at the sushi bar, partly because I hate eating by myself at a real table, and partly because I knew I'd never get in at the last minute to the restaurant itself. So I sit down at the sushi bar and look to my right and THERE IS MORIMOTO himself, looking just like he does on Iron Chef. My jaw hit the floor and I had to resist the urge to call everyone I knew right then. Eventually, I saw that he was very personable and talking to other guests, so with some encouragement from my waiter, I stood up and shook his hand when he walked by me. He asked how everything was, and if the sushi chefs sitting right in front of me (two of which I recognized from TV) were doing a good job. What a thrill!

As an appetizer, I ordered some of my favorite spicy tuna rolls, and they were outstanding. By far the best sushi I have ever eaten. Then I ordered the black bean cod, which was also outstanding. All in all, a delicious and memorable experience! Oh and before I forget, I went to the bathroom before I left and the seats were heated. An unexpected and very nice feature.

Before I got in a cab, I went into the nearly-closing Chelsea Market, located apparently under where Food Network films. It was a cool indoor market that held all kinds of little shops and restaurants. And the stars from Food Network always shop there. Too bad I wasn't there during the day.

The rest of my trip wasn't nearly as eventful. I moved hotels and stayed at a Marriott right in Time Square/Broadway, which was really cool. They have closed off a street and made it more of a pedestrian area, so it was pretty crazy. One night I walked with my boss to the Apple store, and it was late, around 10, but you would have thought it was a weekend afternoon cause there were so many people around.

I walked by the famed Magnolia Bakery but it was too early in the morning for me to consider cupcakes, and I was leaving in about 1/2 hour so I couldn't get one to go. All in all a good trip, I just wish I'd had time to stay and see more sites or catch a show.

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Rude or Not Rude? You Decide

I'm invited to a family wedding next month, and received the invitation a few weeks back. The RSVP date is March 31, next week. I have been really busy and haven't had time to send the RSVP back, but this week, my cousin e-mails a bunch of us who haven't RSVP'd yet reminding us that we have only 8 days to reply!

Call me crazy and old fashioned, but I thought that:

1. I had until March 31 to reply.
2. Since the invitation was a formal printed invitation, a follow up e-mail seemed a little gauche.

My sisters were offended and wrote back nasty replies. The next day I mailed my invitation and didn't reply cause it seemed like it had been addressed by my sisters. However, today I got YET ANOTHER e-mail reminder. And boy, I let my cousin have it!! Cause I mailed the friggin RSVP already, and it's only been a few days so the RSVP couldn't have gotten there yet.

So I'm wondering what everyone thinks about this? Is it tacky as hell to ask for an RSVP before the RSVP is due? And to ask by e-mail? And twice in one week? Curious minds want to know. I'm just furious about the whole thing and have half a mind not to even show up now!

Vosges Hautes Glaces

The other night on a rare trip to Whole Foods, I discovered that my favorite chocolate, Vosges, based in Chicago, now makes an exotic ice cream, Hautes Glace! I wanted to buy the Red Fire, which is hot and spicy, but felt too guilty cause it's full fat ice cream and I would have eaten the entire thing. So I refrained, but I'm sure at some point I will have to go back for it!

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Cincinnati/Memphis Trip

I just got back from being away for about a week. Sundae, my trouble dog, ate just about everything in my house. I had a good trip except for that little problem.

Cincinnati was a trip for work, and was pretty tiring. I have to say the city itself was nicer than I remembered. I'd been there once years ago. I didn't get to have any of the city's famous chili, but I did manage to have some Graeter's ice cream.

I went to Memphis afterwards to visit Funny Girl who moved there back in December. We had a great time, hitting all the popular sites: The Rock and Soul Museum, the Peobody, and Sun Studios. But the highlight was probably seeing Graceland. It was really pricey, but I wanted to go. It was amazing to see all of Elvis' gold records. What a legend. We even went to the Botanic Gardens on the only sunny day. Loved the barbecue at Corky's and got to see her brother-in-law sing at BB King's.

At Sun Studios I discovered the first song to officially be called rock 'n roll: Rocket 88. Click on the link to hear it and learn a little about it. I'm a little obsessed with it right now and bought a CD that had it on there. I can't believe I have never heard it since my dad used to love this kind of music. I'm recovering today and trying to get my life back in order. It feels like I was gone forever!

Monday, March 08, 2010

March Mourning

I absolutely hate the month of March. Not only is it the time when I'm just waiting for spring to be here, a very busy time at work, and the longest month ever, but for the second year in a row there's been a death in my family.

This weekend my last remaining grandmother passed away at the age of 92. I am grateful to have had my grandparents for as long as I have . . . I still have one grandfather who will be 95 this year. I wasn’t as close to this grandmother as the one I lost three years ago, but it’s still hard to accept death and the fact that you will never see that person again.

And in loving memory, today is the day I lost my beloved Pepper last year. I miss her every day.

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Officially. Sick. Of. Winter.

I am so sick of this winter I could just spit. We have beat the all-time record for most snow in VA, over 54 inches total! If I wanted a winter like this I would live in Buffalo or something. There are just huge piles everywhere, it's hard to get around and walk the dogs, having to cross the streets like a maze to find an opening to get to the sidewalk. Then there's the post-walk cleaning up of the dogs again and again. Not to mention the trouble of trying to find an empty parking spot after leaving the lot. Oh, I am so tired of it all. And it's so cold, that whenever we have temps above freezing it feels nearly balmy. I just can't take it and don't know how many more winters I'll be willing to spend like this! Here's a photo of my back gate for your amusement. The gate is about 5 feet tall.

Friday, February 05, 2010

A Bit of Thanks??

To follow up on a recent, post, we did actually celebrate our goal being met at work during our last staff meeting. However, when someone exclaimed that they wanted to thank those of us who marketed the hell out of it (i.e., marketing) my boss very quickly jumped in and said that it was due to everyone's work and that's why we were all here having champagne. WTF??

Tuesday, February 02, 2010

Martina McBride - Shine Indeed!

I went to see Martina on Sunday night, and wow, what a great show. That was probably the best she's ever been, and I've seen her about a million times so that says a lot. She played for nearly two hours, and it was a great mix of her old and new songs, ballads and upbeat tunes. The only "bad" thing I have to say is she didn't sing "I Just Call You Mine," her current single, and that surprised me a bit. She ended with Bon Jovi's Living on a Prayer, which was such a fun surprise. I started cracking up when they played the first chords, cause I couldn't believe she was going to play that, and the friend I was with thought I was nuts. In any case, here's a photo I took. She came out to a stage right by me for a while, then out into the audience. It was a really awesome show. She's back in the area on Feb. 20 in Baltimore, and I have half a mind to get tickets and go again!

Friday, January 29, 2010

More Things I Love

We hit a huge goal at work today. A goal I was mostly responsible for achieving, and largely responsible for surpassing. Yes, surpassing, which was very exciting. Because we hit the goal and people were excited, the person processing the orders was told that she could leave work early. Um . . . all she did was process everything. So somehow due to her great processing we achieved the goal? I don't think so. Yet did anyone even think to tell me that I did a great job achieving the goal? Not a one. I didn’t get sent home early. Bastards. So I just left work early anyway.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Lady Antebellum New Release

If I wasn't so annoyingly busy this week, I'd be purchasing Lady A's new CD, out today, Need You Now. My first free night is Thursday, so I guess I'll try for then. In the meantime I'll have to be satisfied with the sampler snippets on Amazon or iTunes. Sigh.

Things I Love: Another Installment

I love it when your boss knows you probably haven’t done something and they really are asking you to do it, but for some reason they can’t just come out and ask you to do it. My boss last week came in my office and said, “I’m sure you’ve probably already done this, but the CEO is looking for blah blah blah.” Ok, now “blah, blah, blah” was never discussed with me, nor is it something we’ve ever really done before, nor do I see any great need to do it, so I don’t know why she thinks I would have already done it?

I just hate this passive aggressive bullshit. Just say “the CEO would like you to do X by X date” and be done with it. How hard is that?? I love work.

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Peed Plumbing

I saw a truck with this name on it today while walking my dogs. Really? Really! You gotta wonder if it's a family name, or just something someone made up who thought it would be clever marketing. I just think it's weird.

Friday, January 08, 2010

About My Staycation

We're more than a week into the New Year already, where does the time go? I had an entire week off work for the holidays, and didn't have any plans, so I had a "staycation." I have to say, it was really awesome. Got to do some things I hadn't gotten around to in forever, saw family, and spent a lot of time with the dogs. We're working on training a lot right now, and it's pretty slow going. But it was still great to be home. I have to say, it really chilled me out and made me able to get back to work and actually be productive and not hate it as much. So yeah, staycations! I highly recommend them.