Our 2nd Christmas Tree!

Today, we ventured out in the (literally) freezing cold to find the perfect Christmas Tree. We bundled up and waddled out into the car in search of the tree that would "fit" in our tiny corner. Jeff even brought the tape measure to be sure our eyes didn't get bigger than our corner!

We drove about 40 mintues north to get to the tree farm. It was so cute and festive! We boarded a haywagon driven by a large, old man with rosy cheeks that laughed, sang, jingled his Christmas bells and gave everyone updates on the Bengals game. We were taken down a dirt road to a field full of trees. It was beautiful! Each tree had dew frozen on its branches due to the temperature - they all glistened in the sunlight.

I was so afraid to cut one down. I feared that as soon as I did... I would then find the "perfect" tree. After 30 minutes of wandering through the trees, I became more motivated as I began to lose feeling in my legs (the only part of me that was not properly bundled). We settled on a gorgeous little fraser fir. Jeff chopped it down and I dragged it back on the sled. We handed it over to the "tree man" to be properly prepared (shaken and baled).

In the meantime, we boarded the haywagon to head back to the barn & gift shop with fresh garland, wreaths & FREE hot chocolate! This was a perfect end to our chilly tree hunt. As we paid for and picked up our tree, we headed back to the Element to load up - expecting fully to tie it to the roof as we had seen so many cars do before us. However, the Element never ceases to amaze the two of us (it is the BEST multi-purpose SUV out there!!) - we were able to put up the back seats and put the tree inside! And, since the floors are a plastic substance, when we arrived home, we merely unloaded and used the leaf blower to get rid of all remaining needles.

So, our tree is now up - and fits perfectly in our little corner! I spent the evening putting lights on the tree. I am one who puts thousands and thousands of lights on the tree - covering each branch. I was very proud of my work when I was able to stop getting poked by needles and stand back and view my handiwork.

The tree is beautiful! I will post pictures tomorrow of the entire process... selection, cutting, loading, unloading, and the final results!

Merry Christmas!!!

New Nash pics

Begging... as usual

Ready for a ride!

Sleepy Boy!

Our small group

Recently, I posted about the small group we are starting in the larger network of the Vineyard Community Church here in Cincinnati. We threw our small group ad (which felt like a personals ad) out in the chuch bulletin and just prayed for the results.

We have been so blessed with some great responses! In the first few weeks, we have had 5 couples respond with interest in our group. Last Monday, we had our first meeting! I am an entertainer at heart, so I had enough appetizers ready for an army of people. The night turned out to be very cold, rainy and disgusting - much to our chagrin. Jeff was sure it was the "evil one" at work - keeping us from doing God's work. Luckily, one brave couple came out in the dark, cold rain to join us.

We had such a wonderful time! What a blessing to find a young, Christian couple out there seeking the same things! It was GREAT! We are so excited for our small group meeting this week - and hope that the weather will be beautiful so all 5 couples can join us!

My days off

I took 2 vacation days this week - today and tomorrow. Why is it that I intend to do so many things on my vacation days and end up accomplishing nothing?! I get distracted with all of my spare time. I am so much more efficient at work with a structured day and deadlines!!

When I can't leverage my pocket pc throughout my day, all of my intentions and "to do's" just tend to melt away. In retrospect, perhaps this isn't such a bad thing.

So, I'll be enjoying my long weekend filled with good intentions!

Black Friday

I have officially survived the Day after Thanksgiving shopping nightmare! Mostly because this year, I declined the offer to shop with the gals in my family - who were departing at 5am yesterday!!

Instead, I took the day to sleep in and then drive leisurely back to Cincinnati. Once there, my husband and I did leave to head to a local mall - but not to shop. Each year, our church leases space in a local mall and provides free gift wrapping as an outreach to all shoppers. We had so much fun doing it last year, so we decided to sign up again this year. We spent 4 hours at the mall yesterday trying to offer solace to those loony people who decided to fight the crowds on Black Friday for a good deal.

So, I really enjoyed Black Friday for once!

Thanksgiving

I am so very excited that the holidays are finally arriving! I have been almost giddy all week - and not just because I only have to work 3 days. I am just thrilled that the Season has officially begun!

It begins with Thanksgiving... and what a wonderful beginning. As we enter into the holiday season, I think this is a perfect time to reflect on the year and count our blessings. I don't know why I need a special holiday to help me realize that I am very blessed, but each year it tends to be a not-so-gentle reminder. This year, I have so much for which to be thankful. If I were to begin recounting each thing, I would more than fill up a blog page.

For me, Thanksgiving is also a time to realize how much I love, miss and need my family. I only live 2.5 hours from them - but, have started to see them only on major holidays (about 4x per year). Last year, I made a resolution (after the holidays) to see them once a month - but, as is the case with most resolutions, this fizzled by March. I know that it will all come rushing back tomorrow when I sit at my grandmother's table with my family. I can't wait to spend the day with them - eating, playing games, catching up - and just enjoying each other's company.

In a nutshell, I am so very thankful for my family. I just wish it didn't take the holidays to pull me out of my busy life and let me stop and realize how great they really are.

Small Group

I feel like my husband and I just posted a dating ad in our church bulletin!

We attend a Vineyard church and absolutely love it. We truly believe their mission of loving people into a relationship with Jesus. At the Vineyard, they offer very practical ways that have truly helped me to reach out to other people and show them God's love - without the feared awkwardness. It is amazing to see someone's response when you give them a free soda, bottled water or even a car wash!

The church is relatively large - so, to combat the anonymity of a large church, they reach people through the idea of Small Groups. A small group is hosted in the leader's home and is truly a safe place where a group of Christ-seekers can worship, fellowship, ask tough questions, get accountability, and overall just have great relationships with people who share their faith.

So, to tie this all into the headline... Jeff and I are starting our very own small group! We would love to have a small group of young(er) married couples (under 35) that live near us. I am advertising it as a group for "young professionals" - hoping that we could really fellowship with people going through the same issues that we face (corporate America, married life, etc.). We truly hope that we are filling a need beyond our own! We have attempted to join small groups in the past, but haven't found one that really "fit" our needs. This is our solution!

Keep us in your prayers as we take this journey! We hope to make some great friends and build some great relationships while strenthening our own walk with God.

Contentment?

Is there such a thing as being content? Sometimes, I think it is possible. But, perhaps contentment is situational. In some things, I am very content. In others, I'm in constant search of something new or different.

I have nothing but the highest respect for someone who is completely content with their life. Well, perhaps not. Maybe I would feel that someone who is completely content with their life is arrogant and dishonest. Would that really be the case? I'm not exactly sure. I only know that if I were to ever be so bold as to unabashedly lie and tell someone that I am completely content, it would be exactly that... a lie. Even if my discontent lies only with the fact that I am human, and therefore flawed, it is still discontent.

I admit that I am used to a lot of changes in my life. I am struggling with the idea of "settling down" and in essence, becoming content with the situation at hand. Looking forward, I see no significant change in my life for the next 2 years. In the scheme of things, I know that is just a blip. At the moment, it feels like an eternity.

Given the sudden and tragic change that those affected by New Orleans just experienced, perhaps I should count myself lucky and not make so many assumptions that all will remain static for another 2 years. I certainly wouldn't welcome that kind of tragedy.

Is it possible to be content with change? Or is change itself a sign of discontent?

A new day

So, this morning was a new day!

I overslept, got to work late... and then, I decided to leave early. I had been invited to attend a brainstorming session at my church regarding membership. It was an enlightening discussion, and it felt great to have my opinion valued by so many. I am making an effort to volunteer and spend more time at the church.

Just from my few hours there today, I can already feel a huge difference in my attitude. I was feeling grumpy at work and just walking into the building at church made my spirit lift. Now that I have a new spring to my step (literally with my Nike Shox), I am off to the gym.

This is the first time this week that I have felt the motivation to work out. Tonight, I am looking forward to it. I can't wait to sweat out the frustrations of the week - and even catch up on some good reading while on the elliptical machine. So, I'm off to continue my day of spiritual improvement.

ps - I also received The Power of Full Engagement today, so I am excited about breaking into it. Perhaps it will be post-worthy in the future.

Morning Sickness?

Lately, I am feeling a bit confused. I am frustrated with something, but I can't quite put my finger on it. I am struggling in a battle and am not sure who or what I am fighting. So this evening, I am tackling my problem with mornings.

It isn't anything new for me to hate mornings. I have NEVER been a morning person. I do not wake up each day ready to embrace the chill and thrill of 6am. Instead, I tend to do the exact opposite. I no longer wake to an alarm - my husband has since banned it due to the buzzing every 7 minutes for at least an hour of the morning. Now, I wake to my husband's coaxing. He is so very patient with me - but, I can't help but feel utter disdain for the one who has forced me to literally wake up and smell the coffee. After the 3rd waking, when he's gotten through to me, he typically disappears into the den to avoid my pleasantries. By now, he is fully showered, dressed and ready for work and uses the time I spend to get moving productively - checking his voicemail, email, catching up on the morning news, etc.

My annoyance with him is not so much due to the fact that he came bearing the news of morning. Instead, I am jealous that I am so unable to embrace mornings the way he does. He is soo energetic & happy in the mornings. This makes me want to curl back in bed even more. It merely points out, through the blazing contrast, that I am completely unmotivated to even get in the shower.

I have tried to be a morning person. I would love to say that I have the motivation to get up and take Nash for a run each morning at 6am before work. Instead, I can honestly say that my time with Nash is spent cuddled up, fast asleep until Jeff wakes the two of us.

How can I get motivated? Can someone (i.e. I) become a morning person? I desperately wish it to be possible.

I just ordered a book on Amazon by Jim Loehr titled "The Power of Full Engagement: Managing Energy, Not Time, Is the Key to High Performance and Personal Renewal". As you can see, there are clearly mixed reviews out there. However, it was personally recommended to me by a co-worker who loses energy each day at 2pm (her naptime). It has helped her work through that hurdle and maximize her high points and minimize the lows (at 2pm). So, we'll see how this works out for me.

Paris lost.

Apologies for not finishing my Paris journal online. I decided it was more fun to keep the journal and flip through the pages & pages of writing and paste in some pics.

Sometimes it's refreshing to have something meaningful that is not digitized ;)

Our 1st Full Day in Paris 6.14.2005

This morning, we slept in!! It was soooo great! We got up around noon, Paris time. We got around and got ready to go out and start our day. Of course, I had to have a 1.50E coke light to get myself going. We decided to start our day at the Ile de la Cite, so, we retraced our steps from the evening before and crossed the Seine on the Pont Neuf (oldest bridge in Paris) to get onto the island.

We began at Ste. Chapelle, inside the Palais du Justice. We were able to see the outside of the Cathedral - but Jeff balked about paying the entrance fee to view in the inside. Our second day in Paris and my husband (self-proclaimed "cheap stingy bastard") was already complaining about the prices of everything (which even I admit were steep). We purchased a 3-day museum pass before coming to Paris, and Ste. Chapelle was included - so, we refused to pay to go in before we could use the pass. Of course, we did get some great pics of the outside. We did see the inside later in our trip.

From there, we were off to see Notre Dame de Paris. I was covered in goosebumps when we turned the corner and saw her splendor. I just stood in awe of the beauty and enormity - and truly of someone's vision to build a structure that grand in the 1100's. I can't imagine what the groundbreaking must have been like - and then to die before it was ever finished (it took 200 years to complete). We took pictures outside and then reverently wandered in.

The small chapels around the nave were ornate and beautiful. I was just amazed by the architecture and the enormity of it all. The artwork and sculptures inside certainly match the majesty of the structure. I just felt so small standing in front of the famous stained glass rose windows. Everything was just breathtaking.

After seeing the cathedral, we wandered outside to the rear courtyard to admire the flying buttresses.

After hours spent admiring Notre Dame, we wandered onto the smaller island behind the Ile de la Cite, the Ile St. Louis. It is an adorable spot - apparently known for a famous ice cream vendor that is supposed to serve the best ice cream in Paris. Jeff's lactose intolerance kept us from indulging - I would've felt too guilty eating the best ice cream in Paris in front of him! The Ile St. Louis was a perfect spot to see the narrow Parisian streets with lush windowboxes. Jeff particularly loves the Smart cars and motorcycles that fit on the streets.

We left the Ile St. Louis and headed across the river to the Left Bank and the Latin Quarter. At this point, we were getting hungry - so, we sought out a quaint cafe hoping for lunch. The restaurants in Paris only serve meals at limited hours, which we had missed due to sleeping late. Instead, we settled for a refreshing Perrier, Orangina and some Brie and Baguette.

We proceeded to wander around the Latin Quarter - getting disoriented on the narrow and windy streets. For the first time in my life, I didn't really mind wandering aimlessly - not really knowing where we would end up. After a while, we did consult the map and found that we were not far from the Luxembourg Palace and Gardens. We agreed to end our wandering and walk with purpose to check it out. It was magnifique! The gardens were gorgeous - and full of people lounging, sunbathing, reading, writing, etc. What a great place to sit and think, or to just relax. It was a beautiful sight. The pictures just don't capture its beauty.

We took some time to soak in the glory of Luxembourg, and to plan our next destination. From there, we headed to St. Sulpice, which is only a few blocks away. This church, most recently famous again in Dan Brown's Da Vinci code, felt completely different than the gothic style of Notre Dame. It was great to see them both on the same day to compare and contrast their very different structures and beauty. St. Sulpice feels more open - with high, round windows that make the church have an light, airy feeling. In retrospect, I guess it feels more heavenly.

In the rear of the church was an ornate sculpture of the virgin Mary and Chrust ascending into heaven that was golden and magnificent.

More to write later about this day later... as you can tell, our days were packed full of adventure!

Arrival in Paris - 06.13.2005

We began the day of June 13th over the Atlantic Ocean on our way to France. Once we got our drinks and pretzels, Jeff and I settled in for bedtime and decided to watch a movie. Side-by-side, we both watched Robots on our separate video screens. It was rather disappointing because we would both laugh at different times. Jeff was a minute or two ahead of me, so he would look over and say "you have to see this part". At one point, there was a glitch in Jeff's screen and I am unsure if he ever saw the end of the movie. Knowing him, he probably got bored and fast-forwarded to the end.

During the movie, they also served a very late-night dinner. I originally asked for the chicken, although traded for Jeff's pasta when the chicken didn't look all that appetizing. After eating, we again attempted to go to sleep. I think we both did a poor job of getting any shut-eye. When I finally dozed off, I woke up to find breakfast in front of me - yogurt, peaches and an egg-mcmuffin-type sandwich. I nibbled on breakfast and attempted to fall back asleep. As I just dozed off, we started our descent to Paris - which, of course, meant that I had to put my seat in its upright position.

We landed at the Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris at about 11:15am, Paris time - following an 8 hour flight. We taxied for another 30 minutes to our gate. Finally, we were able to get out of the plane and head towards customs. Jeff was very bummed that they did not stamp his passport on his way through. We crossed our fingers as we headed down to baggage claim. I was worried that our bags may not have been as patient during the layover in Detroit and decided not to make the flight to Paris. Luckily, the Deloitte & Touche duffel bag came rounding the bend with the other luggage.

With our luggage in tow, we sat out to find our driver. We passed a group of drivers, however, none were holding a "GILMORE" sign as we were promised. So, we went in search of him. I assumed he had left us because our plane was almost 1 hour later than we expected due to storms we avoided in flight. On our second pass by the group of drivers, an additional one had appeared with the "GILMORE" sign - we were greatly relieved! As we followed him to the car, we learned that he did not speak english. Instead, he was from Columbia and spoke only French & Spanish. We struggled to communicate with him all the way into the city.

The driver dropped us at our hotel around 1:00pm local time. Check in was very smooth and easy. The lift was very small - so, Jeff went up to our room first and dropped off the first set of luggage. I waited until he sent it back down and then took the lift up myself with the remaining luggage to room 32 (on the 3rd floor - which actually would be the 4th in the U.S. - our "1st" floor is their "0"). We had a lovely view!


When we finally made it up to the room, we both crashed. I was the first one down - Jeff still cared enough to brush his teeth before his nap. We woke up at 5:00pm local time. Immediately, I set out to get our room in order. I can't stand a messy room! After things were stowed to my satisfaction, we set out on our fist exploration of the city. The concierge provided us with a map that clearly marked our hotel location, so, we felt comfortable that we would not get lost on our first evening in Paris.

We set out down the Rue de Turbigo to the Boulevard Sebastopol. Our goal was to head south towards the Seine. It was a quick and refreshing walk - after so much sitting in the airport and the airplane, it was great to stretch our legs. The river was very close to our hotel, so it was just enough to get us moving without tiring us further. The Seine was beautiful... everything I thought it would be...

Not wishing to get lost after dark, we began to head back towards the hotel as the sun began to set. We eventually slipped into a cafe for dinner and a drink along the Rue de Turbigo, not far from our hotel. I had a croque madame with a salad and Jeff truly ventured out with his club sandwich and frites (fries).

We made it back to the hotel around 11:30pm where we retired for the night.

Day of Travel - 6.12.2005

We kissed the labradors good-bye at about 9:30am as we loaded up in my mom's car headed to the airport. My wonderful mother refused to just drop us at the terminal and instead parked to accompany us inside. After getting our boarding passes, we gave mom hugs and launched through security. Jeff was pulled aside as they searched through his carry-on luggage. He had carried his anti-rejection medication for his transplant with him, and I think this must have caused a slight scare. After security, we stopped at an airport cafe for breakfast. We were looking for bagels, but they claimed to not have any... instead, we shared a veggie omelet.

We left breakfast just in time to begin boarding for our flight to Detriot. Once seated, Jeff sat by a red-haired woman with an enormous engagement ring and a large bag that she refused to put in the overhead bin and instead tried to shove under the seat in front of her. I sat by the window. We did check one duffel bag for the trip, but carried everything else in our Victorinox wheeled backpacks and daypacks. It proved to be an excellent and efficient way to travel.

We arrived in Detroit just after 12:00pm. After having a late breakfast in Columbus, we weren't quite ready for lunch - and, we knew that we had a 9 hour layover ahead of us. Our flight to Paris did not depart until 9:24pm that evening. So, we hung out in the Northwest wing of the Detroit airport. We walked through the new terminal - which had a very cool fountain and a neat overhead train that ran the length of the building. We did check out the train and got off just in time to visit a neat store for pets. They had some really cool dog toys from Planet Dog (ps - the dog on the front page of their website looks just like Nash!). We decided to drop by on the return flight to pick up a bone for the boys.

We ended up eating lunch at the Chili's in the airport. I refused to eat at McDonalds, even though Jeff was having a craving for Big Macs.

We found our gate around 7:30pm. Around 8:00, they asked for anyone who would be willing to take a later flight because they had overbooked. Jeff went up to check it out. They offered the two of us $500 vouchers to fly into Amsterdam and then connect from there to Paris and arrive in Paris around 4pm. I declined - at that point, I had my fill of airports for the next week or so. We boarded the plane by 9pm and were on our way to Paris, France.

(I already missed my Nash who was having a ball swimming in the pond at my parents' house)

Paris Vacation

We are back in Cincinnati after 12 days in Paris. It was a fabulous trip! Now, we are officially rested up, so I can finally stay awake long enough to update some Paris memories! I did keep a journal while I was there, so I'll be posting some excerpts to describe our exciting adventures.

For starters, I'll post a picture of my favorite spot in Paris...

This is Pont Neuf, the oldest bridge in Paris. This picture was taken from my favorite spot in Paris - sitting with Jeff along the Seine. It was just beautiful to sit along the river and watch the sun set over Paris and La Cite Lumiere come to life. Oh, how I long to throw aside the worries of today and return to that very spot.

Bon Voyage

Alright - this week has been crazy. I thought I would just jot down a few of the activities so I can look back and remember that I lived through it!

This week, I had finals for my 3 classes (Mon-Wed). I was also getting ready for our wedding reception/bon voyage party (Sat) and our trip to Paris (departing Sun). Needless to say, I am exhausted. I'm sure that everything will pay out in the end.

Thus far, I believe that I have As in all of my classes - so, all of my studying paid off this quarter. Luckily, my mom is handling most of the details for the party. I am just picking up a few odds and ends - and calling her each day to bug her.

At work, I have been trying to wrap things out because I will be out for 2 weeks. While I'm out, there are 2 events going on at work that I have been preparing. First, there is a lunch & presentation for about 60 people. Second, there is a day-long celebration at Jillian's for 90 people. Crazy! I'm trying to wrap everything up and be out tomorrow afternoon for consumer research.

As far as packing for Paris, I have been trying to track down all that we will need. Tomorrow night (Thurs) is the first time I will have to really go through it all. I am going to launch into laundry when I get home from work tomorrow night and try to get everything washed that we plan to take. I am pretty well caught up now, but I'm sure there are some last minute things that will need laundering. We will also have to pack up all of our electronics, toiletries, etc. I'm hoping this will go smoothly.

On Friday evening, I will depart for my mom's with the 2 labradors in tow. Here, I will help her with last minute party preparations and get ready for the bash on Saturday. Jeff will be riding down with his parents to the party on Saturday, so I will meet him there. Mom & dad will be taking care of the doggies while we are out of town - so, I have to pack them up too. Ok, getting worn out with all of this...

On Sunday morning, my mom will take Jeff and I to the airport and leave us to our plane. I'm looking forward to a nice long nap and a good book for the plane ride. On my first day in Paris - I plan to SLEEP IN!

I hope to be able to keep a journal of how things are going in Paris. I think it will be a fun thing to look back on. I will try to post some of it here, including pictures.

"Mud-dar"

My dog Nash has "mud-dar". That is, he has a special, radar-like power to locate any mud for miles. If this was somehow marketable, I may have a bit more patience. As it stands, I can't see any real benefit to his keen ability.

Let me explain how Nash's "mud-dar" proved to be a detriment just this weekend...

Cincinnati is a "dog-friendly" city. Not only do they have beautiful parks that are great for dog adventures - they also have a number of dog-parks. These fenced-in, doggie wonderlands are an excellent way to socialize your dog with other dogs (off-leash) as well as to give them plenty of space to run, roam & frolick.

We were thrilled as the dog-park nearest to our house recently was upgraded. The park underwent a substantial expansion, as well as added gravel to the watering areas (complete with buckets), and added a "time-out" location (for your misbehaving friend). Previously, the watering areas doubled as mud holes. These didn't truly test Nash's ability - the mud was just too obvious. Together, my husband and I were able to guard the watering holes. So, that is when "mud-dar" kicked in. Somehow, somewhere, he would find mud. The only dog in the dog park to find this sacred, hidden mud hole. At one point, I was chatting with fellow dog owners and looked up to search for Nash. As I was calling for him, a chocolate lab ran up to me. As I gave him a second look, I realized that wasn't brown fur... it was Nash, covered in MUD!

So, this past weekend, we headed to the newly renovated dog park. We were so excited to see the upgrades! As we walked in, it looked mudless. However, it wouldn't take long for Nash's "mud-dar" to kick in and prove us wrong. I saw him take off for the edge of the dog park under a grove of trees. I interrupted a discussion with the owner of a Springer Spaniel to scream "NOOOOOOooooooooo........." and go sprinting down the hill to intercept him. When I got there, I found him standing in 6 inches of mud. Not only did he stand in it, he dove in, head first. When I finally coaxed him out of his mud bath, he was covered.

He knew what was coming next... the bath, the leash, the ride home. Yet, somehow, a few seconds in the forbidden mud is all worth it for him. Maybe I should just head to the spa for my own mud bath and attempt to connect with his reasoning.

The Backyard Cleanup

Yesterday, we launched into the spring backyard cleanup. Last August, when we purchased our house, we decided to push off much of the landscaping work to the Spring - as we were focusing mainly on getting the interior ready for move-in. Little did we know how much work was awaiting us.

I began in a pair of flip flops and a tank top. As the day wore on, I put on long pants, long sleeves and toe-covering shoes. Needless to say - it got a bit intense. My gardening gloves and clippers weren't making the cut. So, we called in reinforcements (my father-in-law) and the power tools. By 3pm, we were in the backyard with protective gear and chainsaws to cut down the jungle of honeysuckles. If you've never had the experience of these nasty, invasive bushes, count yourself lucky. They just take over - and they grow very quickly! We were able to cut them down, but have not yet pulled out thier roots. So, we are only 1/2 done after a whole day of work! We now need to spend another weekend just digging!

After all of our hard work, we then attempted to clean out our goldfish pond - which is another mess! The goldfish and the pond came with the house - 2 things I should not have inherited. I don't think the fish survived the winter. In my defense, I even put the heater in the pond to keep it from icing over. Honestly, I have no idea what I'm doing there. So, I attempted to clean all of the debris out of the pond. I saw no swimming fishies... I am headed to the pond store to find out what I did wrong and what I need to do to fix it!

So, if anyone has any tips on getting rid of honeysuckle roots or cleaning up a goldfish pond, I'm all ears! Happy Spring cleaning!

The Nash

This is my dog Nash

The Spring Quarter Resolution

Today, March 28, marks the first day of Spring Quarter. To me, this means giving up any possibility of enjoying a nice, crisp, spring evening walk to sit inside a dreary classroom. It doesn't get much more depressing than that.

My poor labs, Nash & the Dude, just stare at me like I'm crazy as I rush home from work, throw down some food, grab my books and then head out the door again. Sure, they get their brief outside time - in the backyard - to take care of the necessary doggy biological functions. However, they are missing out on their evening walks.

My new resolution for Spring Quarter is to start getting up early and walking the dogs in the morning. So far, I have failed miserably. After eating so much at Easter dinner yesterday, I was in no form to get up early to walk them. Tomorrow morning is the start of a new day - and the opportunity to fulfill another resolution! Here's hoping...

Also, maybe for Spring Quarter I should resolve to stop cramming all studying & papers into the last possible minutes! Hmm... I'm sure I'll think of more resolutions to come, but those are the 2 most important for the start of the new quarter.

1. Get up early enough to walk the dogs
2. Study... in a timely manner

The Offer

As some of you may know, I've recently been interviewing for a new job. Well, not really a new job - but, instead my former job at my former company. That's right, after being laid off last August, I decided I wanted to go back. This is where my flawed reasoning begins... interviewing for my old job back with the company who laid me off in the first place.

My husband currently works at my former company - so, it isn't like I didn't know the new corporate climate - which can only be described as uncertain. Mind you, this isn't a small company, this is a global, Big 4 Accounting/Consulting company. They can't seem to get their act together about how to leverage marketing. Now, it seems like they need to use their own consultants to look at their HR process as well.

All that being said, I submitted my resume, sent some emails to key relationships I maintain and was called for an interview. Before taking the interview, I confirmed with HR that this position would be stable - as I did not want to come back and go through the same frustration of a layoff again. I was assured that the position was stable and would not be posted otherwise.

During my first interview, the interviewer did not wish to talk about my qualifications as she said she had heard only good things about me and knew I was more than qualified. However, she did wish to discuss how she had heard that my husband (who is one of her peers) did not agree with her recent promotion. Blown away by her complete unprofessionalism, I let her know that in the limited time Jeff and I have together that we do not discuss HER. Amazing!

After having very mixed feelings about the 1st interview, I had my 2nd interview with a person who had been with the company for 4 days. Needless to say, she learned more from me in the interview than I got from her.

3 days later, I was called with a verbal offer. Throughout the negotiation process, the woman I first interviewed with basically told me that it may be best not to take the job. I told her that she seemed uncomfortable hiring me and would be concerned about accepting the offer and starting at a negative with her. She told me that she was worried that I wouldn't be happy working with 2 new managers when I have more experience than they do. I assured her that I was willing to do that to be part of a team - and to see the entire team grow with me as an important member. This seemed to work for her and she sounded more excited about having me on board. But really... if you make someone an offer, should you really be calling them to tell them that they would probably be happier elsewhere? It led me to believe that she didn't want to make the offer in the first place but felt forced due to my relationships and experience.

After further negotiation, deliberation and discussion with my current employer, I emailed yesterday afternoon to accept the offer. Last night, I received an email back from this manager (who seemed as if she didn't want to hire me) letting me know that the budget for the position had been cut and they would not be filling it. Um, WHAT?! Since when do you make an offer to someone and in the same week not have the budget?!

In retrospect, it's better to find out the information now that their budgets aren't as robust as they had led me to believe. I would rather not get involved with them again and go through a similar layoff process. But seriously... what is the deal? Does anyone have any idea why such a situation could occur? Seems like HR here needs to get their act together...

The Den

What is a den anyway? Is it an office? Is it a spare bedroom? Is it a TV room? Is it a storage room? In our house, the "den" has become all of these. Thus, I've decided to give it a true purpose and get rid of the clutter.

I began by ordering a new desk and bookshelves from Crate & Barrel. I expected these pieces to be the centerpiece of the room I assumed would morph into a cozy office. My intentions were to move out the daybed that currently takes up so much room and purchase a big, comfy, overstuffed chair for reading & relaxing.

Somehow, nothing ever works out as planned. Why is it that when I try to focus on one room in the house... the other rooms start jumping in and begging for upgrades as well. Once I get started, I just can't stop. I'll explain further...

When the decision was made to move the TV out of the "den", my husband - the Xbox addict, needed a new spot to partake of his daily Halo2 habit. So, the ideas for the living room started coming. Now, we've gotten ourselves into a high definition projection system with surround sound in the living room...

When searching for the "big, comfy, overstuffed chair", we found the sofa of Jeff's dreams (at a dreamy price). Of course, I had not yet received my order from Crate & Barrel when we proceeded to shop for additional furniture. I wrongly assumed the sofa wouldn't fit in the den. When we did get the ordered desk & shelves into the den, I realized that the sofa would still fit nicely there. However, when we called about it, it was no longer in-stock. So, now Jeff has this "dream" sofa in mind whenever we head out to shop for our furniture solution in the den. My vision of a big, comfy, overstuffed chair has become something much bigger...

To compound this, when shopping for the furniture, I found the mirror that I've always wanted for the dining room. I also found the prints I want matted & framed for over the couch in the living room.

So, in the process of reducing clutter in the den, I now have upgraded a total of 3 rooms. Next time I decide to make a change in a single room, I'll be sure my budget is large enough to change the whole house!

The List

I am a list maker. I've always been a list maker. I think I will always be a list maker. In short, I LOVE lists.

So, when it comes to the "to do" list around the house - I am clearly the owner of the "to do" list making... however, I am very good at delegation. My husband has come to embrace the list, however, lately I may be getting out of hand.

In addition to the usual chores on the "to do" list, I have expanded the list to include household projects. These projects range in complexity from "rearrange the den" to "re-do the bathroom". Needless to say, my lists are becoming a little overwhelming. In my mind, lists are a way to organize my thoughts, hopes, plans, resolutions, dreams, etc. In his mind, lists are to be checked off and accomplished within a finite time period.

So, today, I am in the process of prioritizing my lists. I must decide which items are "to plan for" vs. which are actual "to do's". As you may guess, this leads into the dreaded budget discussions that are necessary evils that typically end with me feeling bad that I don't make millions.

Perhaps when I finally get my lists in order I can post them. This way, perhaps I will have more accountability for those my plans and "to do's".

The Crash

The weather was finally decent in Cincinnati on Sunday. We took the dogs (Nash & Dude) to a local park with a nice walking track. I think we all needed the exercise and the fresh air. My husband Jeff and brother Tony were on their rollerblades and decided to take the dogs around for a spin. Apparently, all started off well...

I spotted them as I finished a second lap around the 2 mile track. Tony, Jeff and the dogs were both hanging out behind the Honda Element (the perfect lab-mobile). Tony & Jeff were covered in mud. The labs looked very worn out. During their 3rd lap, they had a spill.

Tony had Nash on a leash and Jeff had Dude. As the story goes, Nash saw something he wanted to sniff and ran in front of Jeff to get to it. In the process, Tony was pulled into Jeff as Nash's leash tripped him. Everyone, including the dogs, went tumbling down into the mud. Luckily, they didn't end up in the lake.

All are fine - no injuries to speak of except for Nash's skinned up nose. However, it was a learning experience for everyone. We now know that if rollerblading with dogs, keep some distance between your fellow rollerblader. Oh, and sometimes it's ok to let go of the leash to avoid the possibility of further injury!

The Haircut

If I was a yellow labrador, I wouldn't have to worry about trips to the salon. Nash loves heading to the "doggy spa". He gets the top service - bubble bath, teeth brushed, coat brushed, nails clipped and even a cute bandana before he leaves.

Today, I am headed to the salon for a haircut. There is always this nervous trepidation that accompanies a trip to the salon. The excited anticipation of something new, and the fear and anxiety of the "something new" being worse than the old look you already have. So, here goes. I'll keep you posted on how it all turns out.

My dog Nash

My yellow labrador is the greatest dog in the whole wide world. He loves to play when I'm ready to play, he loves to walk anytime, and he loves to cuddle all the time.