I'm officially 26...

...and with that being said, I can also attest that I have the best friends in the world! Thanks to all of you that sent me messages, called me, took me to lunch, took me out to happy hour and karaoke and made my day the all around best birthday yet! I appreciate every single nice gesture I received today.

I will detail the birthday extravaganza later, but for now, I'm heading to bed. Good night all!

An equation...

Lindsay having to fore go a personal training session at the gym because the weather was not cooperating = one disappointed chick.

Would it be completely uncool of a newly 26 year old like myself to spend a Friday night at the gym trying to make up for the fact that I couldn't get in my workout in tonight? Maybe...but I'll take my chances with being uncool and settle on gaining a sexy swimsuit body by May. :)

Hope you're having a great night and staying warm!!

Beer Pong, Baby Showers & A Birthday

Winter is officially upon us here in the Lou. We're expected to get 4-6 inches of snow tonight and another few inches tomorrow during the day. Ugghh! Definitely not what I want right now. Let's hope that the morning commute is a somewhat decent one. I need to get to work on time and safely. I also need to get to the gym tomorrow night for my personal training session.

Speaking of the gym, my workout is going great! I'm slowly settling into a routine and I'm enjoying the time I'm spending getting fit. I'm also finding that the time I'm working out is allowing me to think and de-stress a bit which is something I've needed to do for quite some time. I joked with my trainer tonight that I'll be ready for swimsuit season in no time if I keep up this pace!! :)

I ended up having a really good weekend as well. Saturday I went to the gym for a few hours and then relaxed for a bit before going to MO's for a quarters/beer pong party. The party was AWESOME!! I had a blast joking around and just shooting the bull with all of my friends. SS and I owned some of the others playing beer pong, MO and I serenaded the crowd with karaoke and M and I ended up leg wrestling just for the hell of it. I think I provided comic relief most of the night too just by letting loose and having fun and showing a side of me that usually only my close friends see. I also have to thank my great friends for looking out after me and making sure that I got home in one piece.

Sunday was a bit rough. I got up feeling extremely hungover and sore. I had to be to my mom's early to do my laundry before we had to leave for a baby shower for my cousin Mary. I was in no mood for doing anything but I got my butt in gear and got everything accomplished before we ventured out at noon. The shower went very well. Mary got a lot of great stuff that I'm sure will be put to good use here in the next month and a half. Probably the hardest thing for me to realize was that she is actually pregnant and having a kid of her own. I always think back to a few years ago when we were strolling around town and just having a blast as teenagers and young adults. It also got me to thinking about my own age and where I'm at with my life. In a few short days, I will be closer to 30 than to 20. Whoa!! On Thursday, I hit the big 2-6. I never thought of myself at this age and I'm not exactly sure what I want to accomplish before I turn 27. I know I'm satisfied with my personal life and my position at work, but what else makes me tick? I guess that is one thing I need to think about and make certain aspects of my life more of a priority this year.

But first things first...it's time to celebrate!! We've planned a happy hour for Thursday night after work and I'm sure I'll celebrate with my family over the weekend, as long as the pork steaks are in season. HA! (Inside joke between my mom and I from a conversation we had driving home from the baby shower yesterday. I can say that I'm such a dork every now and again.) Sunday is also Super Bowl and I've been invited a party for that, so it will be a busy weekend once again.

Hope you have a terrific week! I'll be sure to update after all of the festivities. :)

Fitness update...

Over the past 4 days I've logged 4.5 hours in at the gym and I didn't even get to go last night because of a work happy hour commitment, but I'm feeling good and I'm getting toned and nothing could be better than that! I'm loving the gym and my trainer has done wonders for me in the two nights that I was able to meet with him. Note to anyone else working to become a physical trainer: the more motivational you are in the introductory session the more willing people like me are willing to pay for the additional services at the gym. The first night my trainer really inspired me to keep pushing through the rough parts of the workout and he focused on what was really important to me. He also complimented me for never giving up during my session and working through everything he threw my way, but I think he realized that I'm the kind of person that when I put my mind to something I will not give up and call it quits. I'm definitely excited to meet with him again on Tuesday. I'm budgeting now to see if I can afford the one-on-one sessions for at least a few more months and that way I'm 100% ready for when swimsuit season rolls around! Don't get me wrong, all of my measurements were really impressive but I really want to know that besides the fact that I'm mostly skinny now, I am also fit, trim and healthy. I want to look into the mirror and like my abs, arms and legs and not think, "wow, my ____ could use some work." And eventually, I know I will get to that point.

The gym has also given me back a little peace of mind as I am able to spend some quality time thinking and getting out any of the pressure and tension I'm faced with day in and day out. Nothing could be greater than knowing I'm relieving some of the stress of my daily life.

It may seem like I'm gloating a bit about how great my decision to join the gym has been but I'm just very happy with the way my life it working out right now. I'm still trying to find that balance between my personal life (both having fun and taking care of myself) and work but I think I'm heading down the right path and I'm enjoying the experiences along the way.

Right now though I'm going to go find something to do to enjoy my weekend off!! Catch ya later!

I did it!!!

As a way to maintain my motto for 2009, "Live the life you love. Love the life you live" I decided to finally make good on the ideas and goals that have been floating in my head the last few weeks.

First, in trying to bring me back to my faith, I went back to the Catholic Church for Eucharistic Adoration. It was nice to be able to spend the time meditating and praying and trying to straighten out all of the important aspects of my life. Sometimes I feel as though I never slow down enough to sort out my thoughts and this was the perfect answer. I spent a good 25 minutes sitting in the peace and quiet and bringing myself back to the point where I am able to think clearly and without much hesitation. (All of the hesitation isn't gone just because that's not my style. I have to over-analyze most situations at least once in order to maintain normal Lindsay behavior.)

After adoration, I decided it was also the time to take care of my physical health and I went to check out the local gym. I was inspired just walking in there and I joined pretty much on the spot. I have been thinking about joining a gym ever since I finished my sessions at Attilio's but I never truly found that I could keep up the commitment. Now, I realize that the goal of maintaining my current weight and getting toned can only be reached if I decide to throw in a little extra effort and joining the gym seemed like a good fit. My first night of my new workout begins tomorrow at 6 pm when I meet with a personal trainer who will get me on a routine that fits my goals. Needless to say, I'm very excited!! I definitely think that I'm on the right track for the new year and I feel much better knowing that I'm taking care of myself.

Right now though, I need to get ready for bed because tomorrow is another early day and I have plenty to keep me busy at work. Hope you're having a terrific week. I'll update again soon!

Who Are You?

Your result for Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz...

You Are a Marilyn!

You are a Marilyn -- "I am affectionate and skeptical."

Marilyns are responsible, trustworthy, and value loyalty to family, friends, groups, and causes. Their personalities range broadly from reserved and timid to outspoken and confrontative.

How to Get Along with Me

• * Be direct and clear


• * Listen to me carefully


• * Don't judge me for my anxiety


• * Work things through with me


• * Reassure me that everything is OK between us


• * Laugh and make jokes with me


• * Gently push me toward new experiences


• * Try not to overreact to my overreacting.

What I Like About Being a Marilyn

• * being committed and faithful to family and friends


• * being responsible and hardworking


• * being compassionate toward others


• * having intellect and wit


• * being a nonconformist


• * confronting danger bravely


• * being direct and assertive

What's Hard About Being a Marilyn

• * the constant push and pull involved in trying to make up my mind


• * procrastinating because of fear of failure; having little confidence in myself


• * fearing being abandoned or taken advantage of


• * exhausting myself by worrying and scanning for danger


• * wishing I had a rule book at work so I could do everything right


• * being too critical of myself when I haven't lived up to my expectations

Marilyns as Children Often

• * are friendly, likable, and dependable, and/or sarcastic, bossy, and stubborn


• * are anxious and hypervigilant; anticipate danger


• * form a team of "us against them" with a best friend or parent


• * look to groups or authorities to protect them and/or question authority and rebel


• * are neglected or abused, come from unpredictable or alcoholic families, and/or take on the fearfulness of an overly anxious parent

Marilyns as Parents

• * are often loving, nurturing, and have a strong sense of duty


• * are sometimes reluctant to give their children independence


• * worry more than most that their children will get hurt


• * sometimes have trouble saying no and setting boundaries

Take Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz at HelloQuizzy

2009 is off to a crazy start!!

I spent the first week of the new year feeling rundown and utterly exhausted and I really couldn't explain why. So after 4 days of not being myself, I finally decided to visit a Walgreens Clinic and see what was wrong. Turns out there was a reason for feeling that way...I had strep throat. First time that I can remember getting strep as an adult, but I guess it can happen. This weekend, I started to feel like myself again which was good news, especially since the next few weeks at work are going to be unbelievably busy with getting 1099s completed and out the door, financials finished for 2008 and just trying to stay on top of my normal work load.

In the meantime, I'm also trying to figure out what I want to do for my birthday this year (18 days and counting!) and I'm ironing out a few thoughts in my head in regards to that. 26 really is not that big of a deal, but I want to definitely do something fun and out of the ordinary for the "normally reserved and overly responsible" Lindsay. ;) A few thoughts came to mind, but I haven't firmly planned anything yet. We will just have to see what I come up with....

Right now though, I'm going to go relax and enjoy the last few hours of my weekend before the work week starts all over. I'll check in again soon! Have a great week!!

A Year in Review...

Well, I figured now is as good of time as any to review my 2008. So here we go....

I started the New Year at home thinking about how I was going to make it a better year than the end of 2007 had been. Looking back...WOW....2008 turned out to be much better than I could have ever expected!

January:
* Middle of the the month (January 18th to be exact!), I was promoted and my job duties at work included administrative payroll, 401k coordinator and also being the right-hand person to the President of the Company. It was a huge step up for me and I was nervous but anxious to move up in the ranks.
* 29th of the month, I celebrated the quarter-century mark. For once, I was not sweating a birthday, but I also didn't plan much celebrating because my new position was turning out to be quite the handful. I managed to survive the day though and I came home to a quiet apartment.

February:
* Chicago trip with M, Angie, Bryanna and Kristin. The trip was fun but the Bon Jovi concert was even more amazing than I could ever imagine.

March:
* My awesome Bro turned 21. I think his birthday was more difficult for me to comprehend than my own. As a birthday present, we planned a trip to the Memphis in May World Championship BBQ Festival.
* I had a huge meltdown at work. Now normally this would not be a highlight for the year considering I was a complete mess for 3 or so days, but the meltdown helped me come to grips with a few things in my life and made me realize that I need to take a step back and think about myself every now and again.
The meltdown also had another perk to it as you will see in the month of April.
* At the end of the month, the guys from work decided to hold the first annual racquetball tournament. I was a mere spectator for the night but I had a blast hanging out with all of my work friends.
After the tournament M and I were able to get SS to go to karaoke with us and even though he was adamant that he would not sing with us, he got up there and showed us what a sport he was. Our play list included "Wanted Dead or Alive," "The Joker," and "Shook Me All Night Long."
I think that this night is one of my top 5 nights of the year.

April:
* One of the perks from my meltdown was tickets to a Cardinals game. I was given 4 tickets for a game in early April and I couldn't think of any better people to ask to go with me than M, SS and TL. They all graciously agreed to go with me and after work one Friday night we loaded up TL's truck and headed down for the stadium. We sang and joked around all the way down to Busch stadium, watched the game and had a great time on the ride home.
Again, this is another night in my top 5 of the year.
* Around the middle of the month I was invited to attend an afternoon Cardinals game with both of my immediate bosses and the rep from the bank. This was the first business outings I was invited to attend and I was grateful that my bosses thought of me.
* We had an earthquake centered a little over 120 miles from St. Louis that shook me up. It wasn't a huge quake but enough for everyone to realize that something was not right. I was scared for the simple fact that I never experienced tremors like that before and especially ones that woke me up from a sound sleep at 4:30 in the morning.

May:
* The much anticipated trip to Memphis with my Bro. We bonded and had a great time partying on Beale Street and seeing the sights of the city. Since my bro was in high school, I've considered him more of a friend than just my brother and I think that this trip helped strengthen that friendship. I learned so much more about him and I realize that we are more alike than I previously thought. It's kinda scary! :)

June:
* Nothing extremely significant stands out. I spent many weekends hanging out at my Dad's and BBQing. It was nice to be able to spend more time with my family. We did take my Dad to the driving range for Father's Day and I was able to test out my new golf clubs.

July:
* The Girls Weekend at the Lake was at the end of the month and we had a blast! It was one of the last memories I had spending time with Sherri along with M and all of the other girls. And even though Sherri was not feeling 100% for the weekend, she still tried to make the best of it and I'll always remember all of the fun we had at the pool and taking Amy out to party.

August:
* A group of us played in SS's golf tournament towards the end of the month and had a good time raising money for an extremely important cause. I was honored to be able to help with collecting prizes beforehand and I realized what a special thing he and his family does to help others who have been faced with losing a child to SIDS.
The tournament ended up being a lot of fun and I think I got a little better at playing the game of golf. The only downside is that I'm fairly certain that my Dad will never think of me as his sweet little girl any more. :)

September:
* We celebrated Boatfest 2008 on the river. There are only a few other happy hour events that can top BBQing, drinking and playing in the river and on the waverunners. This however was a very relaxing and enjoyable time that also provided a good end to the summer.
* I experienced a NASCAR Craftsmen's Truck Series race at Gateway International Raceway. My uncle, aunt, Dad and I finally got to see a NASCAR race and followed it with a trip over to Fast Eddies. Nothing beats a cold beer and cheap yet yummy food!
* Work held a 'baby shower' in a party box at the Cardinals game for the owner of our company at the end of the month.

October:
* I lost my dear friend Sherri to breast cancer and was faced with an emotional overload. Yes, I realized that she was in so much pain and had fought a valiant fight, but it still was very difficult for me to understand why such a good person was taken away too early. I also realized that you can't take the little things in life for granted and I now try to live each day to the fullest.
* The day after Sherri passed away, MO had a birthday/housewarming/poker party at his new place. The party ended up being a nice break from the stress we had faced earlier in the week. I played poker with the boys and actually faired better than I expected.
And while I won't mention the other reasons on here, I can say that this this night is my #1 night of 2008.
* I was summons for jury duty and was forced to sit through an entire day at the courthouse in the jury assembly room without being called for duty. That didn't bother me but the fact that I hadn't taken any time off of work for myself and then was forced to for jury duty bothered me, especially since I had work that needed to get done and I couldn't be there to handle it.
* M, MK, SS and I played in the SFC Memorial Golf Tournament at Forest Park. M and I got lost going to the first hole and then were separated but we ended up spending the day laughing and being silly and having a grand time.
* The Halloween party at TL's. This night got started a bit late and lasted well into the morning hours with us singing Whitesnake and dancing in TL's driveway and watching a NY Giants/Dallas Cowboys game that didn't exist. (Ok, it did exist but it was a replay of an older game, which we didn't know while we were watching it.)

November:
* My mom had knee replacement surgery 3 days before Thanksgiving. While this is a big deal for anyone who goes through this, it was an even bigger deal for her as she was not released from the hospital on schedule. Come to find out, they left a drill bit in her knee and it was causing her to have a few complications. She was sick and in pain for days and was forced to stay in the hospital on Thanksgiving. As a result, my Thanksgiving consisted of spending the morning and early afternoon with my Dad and his side of the family and then spending the rest of the afternoon and evening trying to spend quality time with my mom and Michael in the hospital. Finally in the late afternoon the next day my mom was released from the hospital and we were able to celebrate our Thanksgiving after I got off of work.

December:
* This month seemed to be a whirlwind when it came to work. I spent many hours trying to plan Christmas/holiday celebrations for our drivers and terminals and our own office. Our Christmas party was on December 18th and it was a huge success!! Dinner was great and I had fun mingling with all of my co-workers. As luck would have it, I ended up winning two of the raffles during the night -- lunch with the President and a co-worker and Cardinals tickets! Go me!!
I've now earned the nickname Brown Noser since this was my second time winning lunch with the boss.
* Christmas was fabulous! I was able to spend a good amount of time with both sides of my family and I cherish all of the memories made Christmas Eve, the day of and the day after.
The day after Christmas one of the last nights of my top 5 of the year.
* New Years Eve ended up being the exact way I planned it and while it may not seem that exciting to most, I was content with my decision to stay home. I was able to keep my creative juices flowing and finish my Memphis scrapbook in the wee hours of the morning and in the end, I put together something that I am proud to show off. I'm definitely planning on continuing this hobby and now I'm trying to figure out what set of pictures will be scrapbooked next. :)

So that is the year in review....hope you enjoyed reading about my 2008 as much as I have had living it. My only hope is that I will continue to learn and grow in 2009 and make it the best year yet. If you were keeping track, I don't have the full 5 best days/nights listed out. There are only 4 on here. While I tried to think of one to finish out the 5, too many things came to mind and there is a tie for the last one. I can say that 2008 ended up being nothing like I had planned but I experienced many things and in the end, I am a stronger person now than I was when the year started.

As for the first day of 2009, I spent the day doing things I enjoy. Besides just relaxing for a bit, I went shopping at Kohls for work clothes, browsed 2nd Wind Fitness Equipment for an elliptical machine and hit Walmart for everyday essentials. I couldn't just take the day and do nothing because that's not in my nature. I'm ready for another busy day tomorrow at work but the good thing is that at 5 pm, I have a weekend to enjoy as well.

Have a terrific rest of the week and happy 2009!!