Vegas recap & more!

Well July has rolled in and my vacation to Vegas has come and gone. It ended up being a great trip for many reasons but I was still extremely happy to get home after 4 days in Sin City. We experienced a lot in a short amount of time. Thursday morning we left St. Louis at the crack of dawn and made it out to Vegas fairly early in the morning. Straight from the airport we visited Hoover Dam. AMAZING! I didn't know what to expect. Sure, I've seen a dam before but this was huge and Lake Mead and the Colorado River were spectacular! And for a few short minutes, I was able to say I visited Arizona. :)
Thursday night we casually gambled downtown and went to dinner with friends of my aunt and uncle and then just moseyed around Fremont Street. I didn't want to get crazy too early because we still had 3 full days and I wanted to be able to take in as much as I could the entire trip.

Friday, my Dad, Bro and I got up and gambled for a bit while having a few cocktails in the early hours of the morning before grabbing a quick donut for breakfast. Since I had gotten enough with the donut, I declined going to the breakfast buffet with everyone a few hours later and boy, I just might have regretted not going with the rest of the fam. I decided that since I didn't need another meal, I would just observe a few of the table games going on in one of the casinos. As I stood there, I could tell that there was going to be some sort of problem, but I never expected it to be because of me. Soon enough, one of the craps table workers comes over to me and tells me that I need to leave the casino. Looking at him completely puzzled, I asked why. He gives me a bit of a hassle and tells me that it's because I'm underage and it's illegal for me to stand anywhere near a table. I had to laugh but instead I pled my case and even showed him my ID to prove that I was 26. He quizzed me on my driver's license (Note to self: get that thing updated soon -- I am no longer 165 lbs and that pic is horrible!) and I passed with flying colors. Whew....dodged that bullet! So I decided I would just spend the next half an hour just walking around Fremont Street again trying to avoid any trouble I could possibly get into.

Friday afternoon Ryan and I decided to spend a few hours down at the pool of our hotel. We slid down the water slide and basked in the sun before heading down to the Strip with the rest of the family later in the afternoon.

I had experienced the Strip on my last trip to Vegas, but I wasn't able to see all of the resorts just because they are huge in comparison to the downtown hotels & casinos. I was able to walk through Treasure Island, Mirage, Caesars Palace, and Bellagio and see the dancing fountains before we headed back to the car and the local outlet mall to check out the Coach store. We made it back downtown in time for dinner at a seafood buffet and to gamble a bit more before calling it a night.

Honestly, I couldn't tell you how I spent most of my Saturday. Dad and I went and played Keno at Fitzgerald's early that morning and later in the day we all went and played Bingo at Plaza. Then I think we just jetted in and out of the stores and the casinos downtown for much of the afternoon. Late in the afternoon my Bro, Dad and I went into Mermaids and gambled and had a heck of a time! Mermaids is not a very big casino...in fact, it probably isn't bigger than some of the stores, but they have great waitresses and they are the only place to have machines that still pay in coins. We all sat down at nickel Deuces Wild Video Poker machines and we weren't there 2 minutes before we had drinks. 7 & 7's for Dad and Ryan and margaritas for me...both guys were holding their own with the machines and I sat there watching most of the time because I didn't want to spend a lot of money before I was able to play in a poker tournament. But, after watching both of them, I decided to just put $5 into the machine and see what happened. I figured I could spare 5 bucks. Well, I played a few hands and didn't lose a whole lot and actually won a few hands....then came a shock. I was dealt 4 deuces on the machine! I've never had that happen before and I was extremely happy! I carefully made sure I held each deuce and then pushed the button. I had just won $50! Go Linds! Everyone was excited even the waitress who decided that I needed a celebratory drink for my good work. So rather than giving me my normal margarita, she brought me a Mai Tai. What a drink! I love those things and in the end they loved me too as I had 5 or 6 of them in the hour or so I stuck around.
Dad had left Mermaids shortly after my win so it was Bro and I left to explore more of Vegas. We were both feeling extremely happy and slightly intoxicated and I'm sure it was a sight, but we had fun. I still had to register for that night's poker tournament so I took off to Fitzgerald's to get my name on the list.
Bro ended up going back to the hotel room and I met up with my aunt and uncle and went to find something to eat. There was no way I could play poker half-toasted and I wanted to be able to play my best and win some cash so off to the Coffeehouse at Binions we went for prime rib.
The poker tournament did not turn out the way I wanted it to. In fact, I played so aggressive and completely opposite of my normal self that it ended up costing me the tournament in the 2nd hand. 10 minutes in and I was already done for! I left the poker area dishearted and feeling like a complete loser. I had waited so long to get that opportunity and I blew it! Poker in Vegas is nothing like it is at home and I learned that lesson the hard way. So off I went to check out more of the slots in the other casinos and to watch the light show.

Sunday morning we got up and got organized for the trip home. We all had breakfast together and then went to play $2 Blackjack at Fitz's before we made the trip to the airport. By that time, I was ready to get back to reality and everything I had missed back in St. Louis.

Work came early that next day and I had a lot to take care of from being off for two days. I made it through most of the week and was ready for the 4th of July holiday weekend. That Thursday (7/2) I was invited by SS and MO to play poker at the casino with them that night. It sounded like fun but after my showing in Vegas, my confidence was next to nothing and I didn't know if I could commit to playing in the tournament here. In the end, all of their prompting paid off and I entered the tournament here. I was nervous and scared and I figured I would just lose my $50 and watch them play the rest of the night. I did decide that I was going to go back to playing poker the way I know how rather than that agressive play I put on while in Vegas and you know what?!? It paid off!!! I ended up finishing 4th in the tournament and I won $440! What a boost of confidence!! It also helped that I had some very good coaching that came when my head was starting to get off of my game. I was so excited! Sure, I know how to play poker and sure, I can hold my own when playing with my friends but playing with people I don't know and learning their styles of play and actually winning against them...that's awesome!
My 4th of July weekend got started off with a bang and it ended up being a great weekend overall.

I went back to work this past Monday on another short week. We're all required to take a week's vacation during our slow month and I decided that I would take Thursday and Friday off this week and next week and one other day to use up a week of my vacation time. I busted butt Monday through Wednesday and then spent most of yesterday trying to relax and get caught up on some errands. Today ended up being a spectacular day and I'm so glad I took the day off!!

I'm not sure what's going on the rest of the weekend yet. Of course I have normal stuff like laundry to do and I'm going to try to work out but other than that, I'm just going to try to enjoy the weather and take it easy.

Hope you have a terrific weekend as well! I'll update again soon!

To my Dad....

Happy Father's Day! While I wished you a great day earlier on the phone, I just thought you should know how grateful I am to have you as my Dad. There are very few people that would have the patience you've shown while raising Ryan and myself. And while we haven't always seen eye to eye, both Ryan and I know that you mean well and that you're always looking out for our best interests (even when we thought you were just taking away our fun!). We both strive to make you proud of us and we know that you are always there to help us through the rough times and there to celebrate the exciting and fun times. Today's your day, so go ahead relax and enjoy your day...of course, if you're not finished packing for Vegas yet, pack first, then relax! :)

To my Step-Dad Michael --
Thank you for stepping in and being that 2nd dad to me. It never hurts to have another father figure looking out after you and I'm lucky to have someone as great as you as that person. You've taken me in as one of your own and I'm thankful for that. Hope you're enjoying your vacation right now!

To all of the other Dads out there --
Enjoy your day!

One week from now....

...I will be in Vegas either laying by the pool or finding trouble in one of the many casinos! It's the first family vacation for my dad's side of the family since 2001. And, I can not tell you how ready I am for the time off. Sure, there are some specifics I will miss by not being at home but they will be on my mind constantly while I'm gone. I'll be sure to post about my adventures when I get back!

Hope you all have a terrific Friday and a spectacular weekend!! :)

Month of May...where did you go?

I honestly don't know where the last 5 weeks have gone, but I will try my best to update. Besides the normal business at work and going to the gym to work out, I have found some time for fun. Early in the month of May, the girls from work put together a night out and we had a blast going to dinner and then heading to the casino for a little bit of gambling.
May 15th, my bro and I headed out on our annual adventure to Memphis. The BBQ was as good, if not better than last year and we had a blast bonding.


A few weeks later was Memorial Day and honestly, I don't think I did much that weekend. Wait...I take that back, that was a busy weekend!! I had plans Friday night, Saturday night, Shell's birthday party on Sunday night and plans again Monday afternoon and then still fit in laundry, cooking dinner, baking a cake and working out. Wednesday was the President of the Company's birthday at work and I was halfway in charge of the festivities for the day. Everything turned out perfectly and I think most people were fairly happy with the food and celebration we had planned. After work a few of us we out for drinks with the President and just to chill for a bit. Friday we celebrated SS's birthday, which was that Tuesday, and in true PPC (party planning committee) fashion, we threw together a happy hour for him after work. And contrary to what most of my coworkers think, I did behave that night. ;)

Saturday night I went to dinner with my parents and just had a low-key evening at home and Sunday, Shell called and invited me to dinner with her.
That brings us up to last week and really besides going to the gym, all I had to do during the week was make cupcakes for work on Friday for yet another birthday. The cupcakes actually turned out extremely well and I recevied a ton of compliments on them. I went all out and used my semi-new icing machine (new enough that I had never used it before, but old enough considering I've had it since I moved into my apartment almost 4 years ago). Just call me Betty Crocker....
Friday night was a relaxing night and M and I just sat at her house for much of the night shooting the bull and trying to catch up from not really getting to talk to each other outside of work for the last few weeks. Last night was an absoutely awesome night...no further details necessary! :)

And then today, I had to catch up on laundry and then attended birthday party for my step-dad's mom. The party was fun and I was able to see family members that I only get to see once in a blue moon. I actually wanted to cry (good tears) at one point because of something that was said to me. There is quite a long backstory here, but you see, with my step-dad's family there are about 30 cousins, not including all of the ones associated by marriage/relationships, etc. I am one of the ones associated by marriage and I'm also one that is not involved with most of family gatherings. It's not because I don't want to but more due to the fact that I am older and with my family being split up, I often divide my time based on what is easiest for me on holidays, special events, etc. Well, about 5 years ago when my mom and Michael first got married, we were invited over for Thanksgiving and we all went over to Michael's sister, Mona's house. It was quite an experience for me because I'm not used to having a big family, nor was I used to being included in the extended family's festivities. I had a great time and I was extremely estactic that I was treated as part of his family even though I was really a "nobody" when it came down to it. At the end of the night all of the "kids/cousins" got together for a picture and both my bro and I were included in the picture. I wasn't sure what happened to that picture after it was taken, I believe my mom had a digital copy of it along with a few others, but it never did occur to me that one of the younger cousins would keep it.
That brings us back to today when all of us gathered for lunch and I was reacquainted with some of the family. As I said hello to most of them and asked how they were, most of them could recall that they had previously met me at one time or another, but one of them actually had the picture on his cell phone and while he wasn't exactly sure that he had met me before when I told him I was at Thanksgiving a few years back, he pulled up the picture and found me and talked to me about how much fun that Thanksgiving was. Now, I look nothing like I did 5 years ago, besides my smile, but it was nice that he remembered me and even nicer to know that after all this time, that picture does have a special meaning. I'm sure it's silly for me to get emotional about something like that, but considering I have always felt like I didn't belong because I was only associated by marriage, its nice to know I just might not be that outsider I thought I was.

As of right now, I have nothing else planned for my weekend. I'm going to enjoy the last few hours I have off of work before the craziness begins again tomorrow. I'm not sure what's in store for this week yet, but I'll get through it.

Hope you have a great week and I'll catch up again soon!!

One terrific weekend!

Here's just one pic from my great weekend! That would be my awesome Bro with the World's Largest Burrito at Chevy's. We spent most of Saturday hanging out together and having a lot of fun in the new tradition I like to call "Sibling Saturday." Last weekend he invited me out to spend the day with him before we were supposed to meet our cousin for a night out, so of course I could not turn down his invitation and we had a blast! This weekend, he repaid my visit by driving over to see me. I got home from the gym early yesterday morning to find him ready and waiting for our day of fun to begin. We drove out to the mall and a few other stores just to get out and then decided to hit Chevy's for lunch. After battling flying chips and attacking menus (we were sitting outside and it was extremely windy), my Bro then faced another challenge....one huge burrito!! I spent my entire lunch laughing at his clever comments about the size of that thing!
We made a few more stops before heading back to my apartment and then we finally just chilled and watched episodes of CSI. I had never really sat down and watched an entire episode before but I did enjoy it.
Probably the greatest part of the entire day (and the same can be said for last weekend) is the time I got to spend talking to my brother. I have always appreciated the time he takes to talk to me, hang out with me and even the times he helps me through my life, but I never truly knew how much alike we are in our thinking, our personalities and the way we live. I am proud of the person he has become and I know that he will continue to do great things with his life. I cherish all of our talks and the time we can spend together and I'm so happy that he's both my brother and friend. In a few weeks time we'll get to head back out on the road for our 2nd annual trip to Memphis -- I can hardly wait!!
I was actually a bit sad to see him leave yesterday afternoon, but we both decided that we're going to keep this up and make it a regular tradition.

After my Bro left, I got ready for my other plans for the evening and headed out for some fun with friends. I ended up having a spectacular night as well! :)

Today, I took care of regular weekend chores and went to the gym for an hour on the elliptical. Speaking of the gym, I was remeasured last Tuesday and was actually quite pleased with my progress. I gained 4 lbs, which for most people (including myself) doesn't sound like progress, but it was good news because I gained all muscle and my body fat percentage remained unchanged at 20%.
Other measurements:
Arms gained 1/2 inch
Shoulders gained 1 inch
Chest gained 2 inches (I laughed at this one! As did most of my friends!)
Waist same (but I have little abs poking out now!)
Thighs lost 1 inch
My calves have also started to look more toned and in shape too.

For me, I just need to realize that just because I've gained a few pounds, I also look much more toned than I did when I started 3 months ago and I'm actually very happy with my results so far. I'll be ready for that swimsuit right on schedule! Come on summer!! :)

Right now, I need to finish the last few projects on my to-do list for today. Hope you had an awesome weekend and don't work too hard this week!

Hold'em Pro...

.....ok, maybe not a pro, but I did come in 2nd place last night playing with my friends from work and won $75! Not too shabby considering I haven't played any live action poker since the end of last year. I got started off kinda rocky losing half of my chip stack on the first hand but I calmed myself down and got back into the game and played a bit more conservatively the rest of the night. It definitely paid off and I'm pretty proud of myself! I'll be ready for my trip to Vegas in no time!!

After heading into the gym for a morning training session, I'm on my way out to my Dad's to chill with my awesome Bro and tonight we're going out to party with some of his friends. It should be a great weekend once again!

Hope you have an awesome weekend too!!!

I'm probably going to hell for this...

...but I'm going to happy hour on Good Friday anyway. I guess I'm just going to have to be extra good the rest of the year. :) I'm really ready to party too! I got my rest and relaxation in today so I should be a twice as good of a mood tomorrow.

Let the weekend begin!!!

Day off

I was given the day off from work today as part of winning a raffle at the company Christmas party and this is what I decided to do with my free time -- make a delicious birthday cake for my dear friend SM. I'm actually fairly happy with the way it turned out and I just hope it tastes as good as it looks. It's a triple chocolate fudge cake with strawberry icing and shaved milk chocolate. Hopefully everyone will like it!

Besides baking, I got my phone fixed and I can now send picture messages (yay!), repainted my nails, and just kinda took it easy, which has been a good thing since I went to the baseball game last night and didn't get to bed until fairly late. Tonight I have a training session at the gym and I'm just going to spend the rest of my time trying to gain back some of my sanity that I've lost in the past few weeks. It seems so weird to be home in the middle of the day and really I'm not sure what to do with myself. I never seem to find the time just to have "down" time and now that I do, I feel like I should be going 100 different directions.

Hope you all are having a terrific week! I'll catch up again soon!

Happy Birthday Ryan!!

I hope you have a great day celebrating both St. Patrick's Day and your birthday and we'll be sure to party like rock stars next weekend!! It's hard to believe that you're already 22!! Geez, where has the last 20 years gone? You're a great friend and brother and I wish you all the best today and everyday!!

Love you Bro!!

Proof...

...that I am indeed going crazy came this morning when I hurried up and wrapped my Bro's birthday present and used a Christmas bag rather than a birthday gift bag. I could have swore that when I left my apartment this morning it said Happy Birthday and had pictures of little presents on it....instead after I hurriedly wrapped it at my Dad's and then gave it to my Bro did I notice that the little gifts were actually Christmas trees and snowflakes and the wording on the bag said CHRISTMAS as plain as day. Naturally everyone, myself included, got a good laugh out of my stupidity. Guess that's what I get for waiting until the last minute to actually wrap his present while still a tad bit hungover.

Everything else is going alright. I've kept up at work and actually feel like I've got more control over my job than I ever have before. Sure, I can't make everything run perfectly but for the time being I am able to handle most of what's been thrown my way and that's all that I'm looking for at the moment.

I've been working out almost daily and have found myself in a good routine of cardio and weight-lifting. I'm starting to notice my muscles becoming more defined and toned and it's exciting to know that all of the sweating is paying off. I'll be ready for summer in no time! Just gotta work on getting a tan now. :)

I got to see the Blues beat up on the Dallas Stars front row on Tuesday night. It was an experience of a lifetime sitting that close to the ice!! I think I jumped every time a player hit the glass in front of me, but nonetheless I had a blast! And what made it even better was that the Blues won 5-2!!

This upcoming week should be a lot of fun as well with Tuesday being St. Patrick's Day. In true Lindsay fashion, I will be out celebrating my Irish heritage. (I'm not even sure if there is any Irish in me, but we can all just pretend for one day, right?!?)

Hope you all have a great week and I'll catch up with you soon!!

Valentine's Day

While I'm not a fan of Valentine's Day, I can say that I had a good day and I was surrounded by people that I love and deeply care about.

My philosophy is that your loved ones should be shown that you love them every day, not just one day a year and I will continue to make that my top priority. It's the little things in life that make it worth living and knowing that someone loves you is enough to get by most times.

Hope you had a great day! I'm heading to bed because I'm exhausted. More of Lindsay's philosophical thoughts later....

Birthday extravaganza details...

As promised, I'm detailing all of the fun from my birthday happy hour/karaoke party. Sorry it's a few weeks late, I've been somewhat preoccupied with everything else going on.

Work that day was great. M and KZ were both very thoughtful. They both know my love for marshmallows and it was reflected in my gifts. M also gave me a live, laugh, love picture frame with pictures of her and I from the Christmas party and a picture of all of us girls in Chicago last February. I couldn't tell you how appreciative I was for the awesome gifts. M also made me a chocolate chip cookie cake which I ate without feeling guilty about the extra calories. ;)
I was lucky enough to have exciting lunch plans as well. And really after that, I wished I could have taken the rest of the day off but instead, I went back to work for more celebration.

If you have seen me in recent weeks, you know about my weekly cravings for ice cream in the early afternoon. Well, AB remembered that and on her lunch went and bought 2 half gallons for me to share with the others in the office. My diet was completely out of whack for the day, but it didn't matter much because I was so thankful for having such great friends and co-workers.

At 5, we all high-tailed it out of the office for the much anticipated happy hour at Hotshots. We had a fairly good turn out for dinner and drinks and we even had a little impromptu dance party break out at one point. Nothing gets ya going like dancing to Buckcherry and my theme song nonetheless!! The crowd started dying down but there were four of us that decided there was no time like the present for karaoke and we settled on going to Charlie's for a few songs. I was the opening song for the night and I sang "When I'm Gone". I was thoroughly impressed by my performance too, especially since 5 years ago, you wouldn't catch me up there singing with a huge group let alone by myself. I also sang "Seven Bridges Road," "Shook Me All Night Long," and "Don't Stop Believin'". Since it was a Thursday night and I still had to try to get some work done on Friday, we all headed home around 11.

Friday was a rough day at work for sure. I was extremely tired for staying out and only getting 5 hours of sleep but I plugged through my day and then decided to hit the gym for a much needed workout!!

That Saturday, Shell called and asked if I wanted to go out to lunch for my birthday. I filled her in on all of the happenings from the holidays and the last month or so and we had a great time catching up. Afterwards I had to run a few errands and pick up a very special birthday present before going to my Mom's for dinner with her, Michael and my Grandma. We had the pork steaks I requested along with baked potatoes, salad and my absolute favorite, broccoli. I hung out there the rest of the evening and watched a movie before heading home and then straight to bed.

Sunday was the Super Bowl and the big party over at the boss' house so I took it easy most of the morning and made it over there a little before kickoff. The game was a good one and I enjoyed hanging out with everyone. The only thing that would have been better was if the Cardinals had won the Super Bowl or if I actually won money from all of my betting. There's always next year though!!

Last week, I skated through work and had a crazy weekend of consulting and trying to take care of everything I put off during the week. Saturday night, the girls went out to dinner to celebrate Sherri's life and commemorate her birthday which was January 27th. Sherri's mom gave all of us a beautiful picture of Sherri and I was extremely emotional and grateful that she thought of me as one of her close friends.

Sunday, my mom and Grandma and I went to the movies to see, "He Just Isn't That Into You" and I spent the afternoon hanging out with them and then at the gym working off my dinner and drinks from the night before.

That brings me up to this week and what can I say, so far so good. Work is going fairly well and I'm just trying to stay on top of my accounting duties and get financials done for last month. Last night I had a personal training session at the gym and I have another one tomorrow night; Friday is happy hour (again!) after work; Saturday is Valentine's Day (nothing planned for that as of yet!) and Sunday, I have another baby shower.

Hope you have a great rest of the week! I'll catch up again soon!

One final note for the night, Happy Birthday M! She celebrated her 48th birthday yesterday! M, I hope you had the best birthday yet!! We'll definitely party it up on Friday night! :)

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!!

Fairwell 2008.....

Because I don't have the brain power to put together a real post highlighting 2008, I'm completing a survey about the year. Don't worry, I'll give you my year in revew in the next few days (hopefully!) Today was just a long day with year-end at work and I've decided that I'm just going to stay here at home tonight and try to finish my Memphis scrapbook and relax. So for your reading pleasure, here is my 2008 in survey form:

Where did you begin 2008?
At home…I had dinner with my work friends and was home before midnight.

What was your status by Valentines Day?
Single and confused

Were you in school anytime this year?
Nope

Did you have to go to the hospital?
For myself no…but I visited numerous people throughout the year.

Did you have any encounters with the police?
Yes a few. It’s alright though, I didn’t get into a lot of trouble!

Where did you go on vacation?
Chicago in February, Memphis in May, Lake of the Ozarks in July

What did you purchase that was over $100?
Off of the top of my head, I don’t really know anything besides clothes.

Did you know anybody who got married?
Yes, Melissa from work

Did you know anybody who passed away?
Yes, one of my dear friends, Sherri

Did you move anywhere?
No, I stayed put.

What sporting events did you attend?
A few Cardinals games and a Blues game.

What concerts/shows did you go to?
Bon Jovi in Chicago – that was awesome!!

Describe your birthday:
I think I just stayed home. It was during the week and I had just been promoted and was super stressed with my new position at work.

What is the one thing you thought you would not do, but did, in 2008?
Ha! Wouldn’t you like to know!! ;)
Nah, I was good through the year. I guess I would have to say, work a lot.

What has been your favorite moments?
Chicago with the girls in February, the racquetball tournament with the guys from work in March, the Cardinals game in April, the trip to Memphis with my bro, the numerous happy hours, the lake trip with the girls in July, Mike O’s birthday party in October, Christmas

Any new additions to your family?
Not that I can recall

What was your best month?
Probably October…I seemed to have a handle on my job and everything else going on in my life.

Made new friends?
Yes, I’m sure I’ve made a few

Favorite Night out?
The Cardinals game with my friends back in April

Except at home, where did you spend most of your time?
For sure, at work…I’m there more than I am at home!

Have you lost any friends this year?
Yep, it happens though as people start moving in different directions with their lives.

Change your hairstyle?
Yep…it’s blonde and naturally wavy now.

Have any car accidents?
No

Do you have a New Years resolution?
Yes, I’m going to continue to be true to myself. I got a ring for Christmas that says, “Live the life you love. Love the life you live.” I’m going to make that my motto for 2009.

Do anything embarrassing?
I’ve done quite a few embarrassing things. The thing everyone remembers the most is when I fell over my trash can at work and landed on all fours. It was a sight!!

Buy anything new from eBay?
No, not this year

Get married or divorced?
Neither

Been snowboarding?
Nope. I'm too scared to even try it.

Did you get sick this year?
Yeah...a few times, mostly the common cold though.

Are you happy to see 2008 go?
You know when the year started, I just wanted to get it over with. 2007 didn’t end that well and I was afraid my 2008 was going to be the same way. However, 2008 ended up being a great year and I am a bit sad to see it go, but I’m anxious to make 2009 as awesome as this year has been!

I hope you have an enjoyable New Years Eve and I wish you all the best in 2009. Please be careful if you happen to go out tonight to ring in the New Year!!

Tis the season!

I wish you all a very merry and blessed Christmas!

To all of my friends and family --
I can't say it enough, I'm grateful to those of you who have continued to stick by me through all of the craziness of the past year and of previous years. You are the reasons why I love the holiday season and why the bad times never truly seem that bad. I appreciate your kind words when my life is hectic and your guidance when my life feels truly uncertain.

I'm off to spend my Christmas with both sides of my family. I will catch up with you later!!

Happy Holidays!

Usually when it comes to November and December, I'm not really ready to celebrate the holidays. Thanksgiving is normally a very stressful day since I try to spend time with all of my family and have numerous dinners with both sides. Then I go back to work exhausted and still stuffed from all of the goodies when I head back into the office on Friday.

At Christmastime, I rush at the very last minute to try to bake Christmas cookies, decorate a little (if I even feel like it), shop for the all important presents and rack my brain to figure out if I forgot anything else that I promised to take care of for my friends and family.

I don't know if I had a change of heart with the holidays this year or if I just haven't had the panic that I've experienced in years past, but Thanksgiving went off without a hitch and this weekend I started decorating both my place and my parents and I'm starting to get into the holiday spirit. I spent Thanksgiving with my Dad, Bro, Aunt, Uncle and cousins at my Dad's house and then on Friday I had Thanksgiving with my Mom, Michael and my Grandma after I got off of work in the early evening. We were planning on doing Thanksgiving on Thursday as well, but because my Mom was not released from the hospital until Friday morning from her knee surgery, our plans were postponed. It worked out for the best though and I ended up having a great Thanksgiving with both sides of my family.

Saturday morning I woke up and decided that I should get out my ceramic table-top Christmas tree and other decorations and try to get into the spirit. While most people would make fun of my little tree, I love it. It's perfect for my apartment and I can't imagine trying to fit anything bigger in my living room.
While I was looking forward to starting my Christmas shopping, I decided to hold off and wait until I have a better idea of what I need to get for my family and friends. I'll probably start on that next weekend.
Instead, I ended up going over to my parents' house again today, both to check on my Mom's progress almost a week after her knee replacement and to cook them the dinner I promised. I also found that this was the perfect opportunity to get their tree up and the house decorated for Christmas.
And this was the end result:



Doesn't it look great?!? It's kinda funny though, that tree always looked gigantic when I was a little girl and we were decorating it in my childhood house. In the new house and now that I'm older the tree really doesn't seem that big and really it took no time at all to assemble and decorate. We worked very hard on that tree and I'm proud of it. And, I'm even more excited for Christmas now!

Tomorrow is the start of a new week and month at work. I'm ready to head back into the office but I know it's going to be a crazy month with trying to get everything finished before the end of the year. I am reminding myself to stay focused, do what I can and not get too over-whelmed by the number of tasks I have to accomplish. I'm sure I will be fine. I've got a great group of friends and family that will get me through everything. :)

I will definitely try to put together another post or two before the end of the year. I know there will be many exciting things coming up in the next few weeks with both work and everything else and hopefully I will find the time to check in every now and again. Have a terrific week!

The Good, The Bad and The Not So Pleasant...

The good news -- if the Arizona Cardinals win the game against the 49ers tonight and total points scored is 41, I win the football pool at work. First time a girl would win this season. Of course, I think there are 7 or 8 of us who could win, so I don't have any bragging rights just yet.

The bad news -- Jamie McMurray placed 3rd in yesterday's NSCS race in Phoenix and became engaged earlier in the week. I'm not upset about the 3rd place finish because that's awesome! I'm a tad bit peeved that he's engaged. Guess I don't have a shot with him after all....damn! My little dream has been squashed.

The not so pleasant -- it's fricken cold here in St. Louis. How do we go from 80 degrees last Monday to a brisk 28 this morning. Where the heck did fall go and why are we already faced with winter temperatures?

Other than that, things are fairly peachy. This weekend flew by and I kept myself fairly busy. I slowed down in just enough time to start over this week at work. Work is about the same as always, but I can't complain...it's just how I like it.

Hope you have a terrific week!!

Domesticating Lindsay

I don't know what's gotten into me this week, but for some odd reason I have felt the need to become more domesticate. Wednesday night, I made homemade zucchini muffins (from a recipe that I ended up tweaking to make it my own!); Thursday night, I helped make dinner at M's for us and for TL's family; and then today, I actually cleaned my entire apartment and tried to plan out dinners for next week and for my potluck at work on Tuesday. I don't know what's gotten into me....I'm sure it won't last long though!

In other news, I ended up having a blast last night!! In fact, I think this is the first time I can remember actually enjoying my Halloween as an adult. I still was unsure about what I was actually going to do when I left work after month end at 6:30 last night, but I got into my car and called M just to check in since I was leaving so late. TL and his wife had invited the work bunch over to his house for chili and relaxing by the fire pit that night and we both had tentatively planned on going. My intentions were to go to the casino first and then since I would be out that way, just head to his house. Well, the plan on going to the casino quickly changed as M invited me over and told me that it would be easier if we just rode out to TL's later in the evening together. I was not in any sort of arguing mood and since I knew there were a few others that would also prefer that I not go to the casino by myself, I told M, I would meet her at her house after making a quick stop at home. We ended up getting out to TL's house about 10 pm and I was already starting to feel exhausted. I didn't think there would be any way I would be very good company, but soon after, we all started joking around and I forgot all about being tired. It was such a beautiful night for being the last day of October -- you can not beat temps in the low 70s and high 60s for Halloween night, especially in St. Louis. After bs-ing with C, MO, TL and B (TL's wife), singing Whitesnake and having just an all around good time, I finally got M back home at almost 2 this morning and then I high-tailed it home so I could get to bed. What a change from the last two Fridays where I went to bed so early I thought I was going to lose my "hip 25 year old" status. Ha! :)

This hip chick needs to get back to uploading some new tunes to her Ipod. I'll catch up with you later. Don't forget to "fall back" tonight. I'm sure the extra hour of sleep will help everyone! Have a great weekend!!

Lindsay and Golf -- an exciting mix!

Saturday was the golf tournament I was invited to play in with the guys from work and I must say, even though I played horribly, I had a terrific day!!! I can't imagine having any more fun than I did with SS, M and MK. It turns out that TL was unable to play due to family commitments and M was elected to take his place. You know that when you put the two of us together for anything it turns into an extravaganza and Saturday was no different. We joked around and got lost going to the first hole and had to drive in reverse to make it back to the tee box. Mind you, we didn't just drive ahead a few feet, no we were nearly an entire hole ahead of where we should have been before I got a phone call asking "where the heck are you two going?" and then being told to turn around and come back so we could actually start on the first hole. Then we find out that we were actually starting on the other 9 hole course and the boys getting a bit annoyed by our driving antics decided that they had to split us up. So by hole #2, I was paired with SS, while M was paired with MK. All I can say is that SS is nearly as crazy in a golf cart as S was in his tournament last year, maybe even crazier, but it was so much fun! M and I did find time for more joking and goofing off and by hole #3, we had our golf carts named and were giggling like school girls. (Note to everyone: the name of my cart shall remain anonymous unless by chance you happen to see the picture, then I'm sure you can guess what name it got!)

As a team we did not play that badly -- we were 5 under par for the entire round, which in my book is fabulous, especially since I only contributed one good drive and one good putt for 18 holes of golf! By the end, I was frozen to the core from the windy conditions and my arms were tired from swinging so much and I was ready to come home and put on my sweats and just relax on my couch. I heard there was quite the parking lot party when everyone got back to their cars at work--too bad I missed that, but I'm definitely glad I came home!!

I spent most of Sunday at my parents house doing laundry and watching some of the football games. There is something about Sunday though that brings me down...I'm not sure if it is due to the fact that it is usually the day that I have so little planned that I get bored or if I just don't know how to relax properly but the last few Sundays have been down days for me. After I got home, I called my awesome Bro and he did help cheer me up and get me through my evening. Thanks again Bro for listening to my worries, complaints, accomplishments and my joys...I do appreciate all of the time you spent with me on the phone. I do feel much better today!

Of course, with today brought a whole new week at work. Not to sound any weirder than I already am, but with work, I know I have a purpose to my life. I get up every morning knowing I'm going in to do something meaningful and goal-oriented. Sure, it is not always easy and there are some days that I can't make any headway with my daily tasks, but for the most part I enjoy every minute I am there and I look at my position as being productive with my life. I explained that to my immediate boss and the President of the Company on Friday when they gave me my annual review. I also told them that even though I am not supposed to rule my life around work, I do take my position to heart. I ended up getting an excellent review as well and I'm extremely happy with the outcome. I know it is partially deserved but I am also grateful that they think so highly of me and the job I do. As for the rest of my week, I will be preparing for month-end on Friday. They come around so quickly!!

Halloween is also on Friday. I have been trying to round up a few friends and plan something since I don't want to sit at home by myself another Friday night (2 weeks in a row is enough for me). So we'll see what I come up with by Friday. If anything, I might try my luck over at the casino. I've been itching to get back over there since my little visit a few weeks ago and watching Texas Hold'em on tv doesn't help, it just makes me want to go even more. In any case, I'm sure I'll have fun with whatever I decide to do.

Hope you have a great week and I'll check back in soon!

What a Friday night...

I made it through Jury Duty on Tuesday and the minute I was there on Wednesday before I was told I was released and also made it through the rest of my week at work. Needless to say though, I'm exhausted and ready for a few days off to regain some sanity. I've finished a dinner of frozen pizza and a Smirnoff Ice (both of which have been in my fridge and freezer for numerous months) and now I'm ready to just kick back and spend the night watching tv and finishing my book on my couch. Exciting Friday night for a 25 year old, I know....but that's the best I can do right now.

At some point this weekend, I'm heading out to see my dad and celebrate his birthday a week late. Other than that, I'm not sure what's going on yet. Hope you have a great weekend!

Ahhh....jury duty!

Tomorrow is the day I have been dreading and trying to get out of for weeks...the first day of jury duty. Absolutely wonderful!!! I don't think I would have a problem going if I didn't love my job so much, but as my luck would have it, I'm stuck going and sitting and waiting to be called in a room full of people who I don't know. Why oh why can't I just go to work and get through my normally busy day with my friends/co-workers? Yes, I know I'm crazy. I'll be fine though.

So today, I spent my day trying to write out notes of what absolutely needs to get done tomorrow during the day and what can wait until I can make it in sometime later in the evening when I go in to follow through on a few things. Hopefully that will help while I'm gone!

In other news, last Friday, M and I were invited to go to lunch with the President of the Company. I had won the lunch as part of the Christmas giveaways last year and finally got around to redeeming it. M, being my partner in crime, was the co-worker I chose to go with me. Really though, I did have a hard time choosing just one person to go with me, there were a handful of friends that I wish could have joined us. Overall though, lunch was a success! We had fun talking and joking around and also learning more about the Company, while telling him about some of our antics over the years. I will say though, it was kinda weird knowing that we were able to leave work a few hours early on Friday afternoon - I felt like I was playing hooky and could get in trouble for it at any time.

My weekend went fairly well. I had a good day Saturday and a fun Saturday night and I took it easy most of Sunday, which was something that I needed to do.
I'm not sure how the rest of the week looks yet. It should be alright. I just have to get myself over this little obstacle tomorrow and we'll see what each day brings.

One final note, a huge CONGRATULATIONS to my awesome Bro!!! He was accepted to SIUE's School of Business today! Bro, I am so proud of you! You have done so many great things in your life so far, but in my eyes, this is the absolute best thing you have accomplished academically to date. I know you've stressed about getting into the program, but like I told you before, you had nothing to worry about, your grades and academic performance speaks volumes about your work ethic. You're a chip off of this older block! :) Congrats again and we'll celebrate when you have some free time!!!

My dear friend S

As most of you know, I try to keep some anonymity with my blog. I don't use the real names of my work friends and other people that I know because I don't want to put their business out on the internet for all to see, especially because I understand how things can get twisted around and it can create more problems than it is worth. I also don't post pictures for the same reason. And besides that, some things are better left being private and I'm learning this more and more every day.

Today though, for the sake of my healing and so that everyone else can see what a special person she was and how much of a good friend we all lost, I am posting a picture of S and I from SS's golf tournament last year.

S lost her battle with breast cancer early Friday morning and I can not tell you how much I miss her already. We knew it was close all week long as her health continued to decline and Thursday afternoon, M received a call from some of S's other friends and family that were at the hospital saying that she was no longer responding and was pretty much in her own world, no longer talking or trying to communicate with them. M left as fast as she could that afternoon and raced over to the hospital to spend a little time with everyone. As much as I didn't want to think that she was dying, I knew in my heart that she couldn't live with the pain and suffering and deep down I was expecting a phone call from M at any time saying that S had finally found peace. I stayed home all of Thursday night, keeping myself busy by talking to friends and family who were trying to comfort me through this difficult time. Ironically, M did not call me Thursday night, so I figured S had somewhat stabilized and while I knew she was in bad shape, she would hang in there and make a bit of a recovery like she had done so many other times. I didn't sleep very well Thursday night though. I tossed and turned most of the night and finally decided that at 5 am, I would get up and get ready for work and head in for another busy day. It was on my way in, the phone ringtone that I had been dreading to hear loudly rang. While I had to keep myself together while driving, I got to work and broke down. It became real that I lost a very dear friend. I looked over at her desk, which is right across the Accounting room from mine and cried. What made it so much worse also was the fact that the men in my office, the grown men that never really show emotion, were a mess as well.

Perhaps the greatest comfort for me though was knowing that S would not want us upset or sad. She'd say, like she had so many times before while fighting on, "It's alright. I'm fine. Think of all the fun stuff we've done." And I began thinking of those times and had to smile.

-Our trips to C-town in the very beginning and going to MK's hotel room asking if we could borrow a few beers for a hotel party.
- Her introducing MK as her "partner" rather than her co-worker everywhere we all went together. She always got a bunch of funny looks especially when she would then introduce her husband too.
- Her first few months at work in EC and the time she accidentally spit a Tic Tac at C while she was talking to him and felt completely embarrassed since he's the VP.
- The visit to the Coastal and her asking innocently, "M, I thought you said they had BBQ grills with hotdogs here?" and realizing that the hotdogs M was talking about were on the rollers in the actual gas station.
- The numerous visits to the Coastal after that and the time she introduced herself as SJ to one of the regulars.
- The "One Margarita Happy Hour" to Casa that turned into M, S and I going to see spaghetti wrestling at a biker bar. We ended up not getting home until really late and then tried to go into work the next day, a bit hungover and extremely tired.
- SS's golf tournament last year where we were cart partners and we did donuts around the course.
- The girls' weekends down at the Lake the last two years.
- Walking in the Komen Race for the Cure and knowing that we were making a difference for her and so many other women.
- The baseball game last year with the work crowd, where the infamous "Cup Game" was invented and S gave it her all to be the champion. She was too!!
- And all of the other stuff we laughed about when everyone else thought we were just plain crazy.

She was much too young to be taken from us, but I know I am a much better person for having her in my life these last 3 years. She greatly influenced me and made me realize that with good friends you can get through anything. She also taught me to always live life to the fullest because its much too short to be unhappy all of the time. I hope everyone else is as lucky as I have been to have a friend like S.

My personality...

So I decided to take an online personality test, just to see if it could figure me out and believe it or not, it was right on.

Your personality type:

Serious and quiet, interested in security and peaceful living. Extremely thorough, responsible and dependable. Well-developed powers of concentration. Usually interested in supporting and promoting traditions and establishments. Well-organized and hard working, they work steadily towards identified goals. They can usually accomplish any task once they have set their mind to it.

Careers that could fit you includes:

Business executives, administrators and managers, accountants, police, detectives, judges, lawyers, medical doctors, dentists, computer programmers, systems analysts, computer specialists, auditors, electricians, math teachers, mechanical engineers, steelworkers, technicians.

Try it out for yourself and see if you get accurate results: www.41q.com.

Everything else is going fairly well. I've stayed busy as usual the last few weeks with work and all of the other things going on and I've tried to find a bit of time to just sit back and enjoy my life. Hope you're all doing fantastic and I'll put together another update soon.

P.S. Please keep S in your thoughts and prayers. She's taken a turn for the worst while trying to battle breast cancer and has been in the hospital for almost a week. She's a fighter though and we're all hoping for the best. Without sounding like I'm on a soapbox, please remember how important donating to breast cancer research is. Any little thing you can do helps all of the women fighting and surviving this battle. October is Breast Cancer Awareness month too.

Ah....Saturday

Thank goodness the weekend has rolled around again! For a week that I thought would be a piece of cake, I sure stayed busy!!

Last Saturday was the much anticipated NASCAR Craftsmen Truck Series race at Gateway and boy did I have fun!! There is something that intrigues me about fast vehicles and racing and being able to see the truck series added to my fascination. We had awesome seats and were able to see the entire track and I found myself trying to strategize (is that even a word?) for each driver while I was sitting there watching the action. I didn't realize how much horsepower was out on the track until all of the trucks came around and how loud the trucks are when they go speeding along. The noises were almost unbearable. I do have a note for next time though...remember ear plugs!! With one race under my belt, now I'm ready for Daytona or Dover or Indy or anywhere else for that matter! By the way, if you're following the NASCAR Craftsmen Truck Series circuit, Ron Hornaday Jr. won the race. His truck ran amazingly well through all of the accidents and cautions and he led most of the 200 miles.
After the race, we decided to head to Fast Eddies for dinner. Nothing beats a cold, frosty beverage, yummy shrimp and a pork kebab!!

Tuesday I came home from work and got a huge shock when I opened my mailbox. My friends... I have been chosen for jury duty in the county and I am not thrilled by any means. Actually I'm still a bit pissed about it, but after trying to convince my boss that I can't be gone from work and him telling me that he can't get me out of it, I mailed my form back to the courts and accepted the date. I don't even take time off of work for myself because I'm afraid I'm going to fall behind and now the county is forcing me to take at least a day and maybe more than that off because I have to fulfill my civic duty....uggghhh!!! I have nearly 4 weeks to get everyone trained on my essential duties to get me through a whole Tuesday without being there, so I don't need to stress just yet, but I know what happens when I'm not there for an entire day; however, I'm going to have positive thoughts. Who knows this might turn a new leaf for me and everyone at work and I might be able to start using my personal and vacation days before I lose them all!!

Last night was my night out with the work crowd and while not everyone was able to attend and we missed them, we did have a fun night. One thing that I find from these nights out, I'm able to get to know some of my co-workers that I really don't get much of a chance to talk to on a regular basis. I think these kind of nights also allow me to open up a bit more and become more comfortable around everyone and even a bit more laid back than I seem when I'm flying around the office dealing with the 100 issues I have going on at once. Don't get me wrong, I'm friendly in the office but outside of my core group of friends, no one else really drops tools to talk to one another and say much besides, "hey, how's it going?" When we're out, it's usually much easier to talk and get to know more about everyone's lives and families.

As for today, I ran a few errands this morning and treated myself to a pedicure. I felt I needed the splurge and my toes look amazing and my feet feel wonderful. M and I are thinking about getting together later to work on a picture project. We have so many shots from work functions that we thought it would be fun to put them together in a book for the office. I haven't followed up with her yet, so I'm not sure if we'll actually do this tonight or not. If not, I guess I'll say put and just relax this evening since that sounds very appealing right now too.

Have a fabulous Saturday! Catch ya later!!

And the results are in...

...what can I say, the golf tournament last weekend went quite well and while we weren't the best team out there (we weren't even close!), we had a complete blast and were able to do some good for a very awesome charity! My team also had the privilege of playing between the President of the Company's team and SS's team (otherwise known as the fun guys from work), which included NR, TL & TL's friend John. While the President of the Company's team took off and played what seem to be a speed round of golf, my team and SS's team had a good time joking around and giving each other trouble for our stances and shots and anything else we could think of at the time. Those guys really are quite the characters and M and I made it a bit more comical by doing cartwheels across the green every few holes. I almost got hit twice by flying balls from NR and TL and they all gave me trouble when I would miss the ball I was trying to hit and my horrible golf cart driving skills. I think my Dad and Bro had a good time hanging out with us also. And really, I'm hoping I didn't embarrass myself too much and they aren't trying to disown me now. :)

The day after the tournament I was beat from the heat and all of the excitement from the day before so I really didn't do much. I had to do my laundry for the week so I stopped by my Mom's for a few hours and then came home to nap and just relax. I did end up cooking dinner for the week too by throwing a roast in my crock pot to make pepperoncini beef. While that doesn't seem to impressive to most, it was to me since I haven't actually cooked a real dinner for myself in weeks.

It was a good thing that I decided to do that too because this past week was crazy once again. Monday was a normal Monday and I left work drained and ready to just come home and plop myself on the couch but I worked out and actually had a healthy dinner. (Go me!!) Tuesday, I was all set to go do some consulting work at 5:30 but at 1:00 I was asked if I wanted to go to the Cardinals game and since I haven't been to a game in a few months, I decided that I could put off the consulting project until this week and I'd go to the game with M, B and TC. The game was a complete blowout and the Cards ended up losing to the Brewers 12-0 but we laughed and had a good time anyway. We even caught up with the infamous Yokohama guy who had all of the girls drooling at work because he was such a hottie and M tried to convince him that he should visit our office again in the near future. We'll see what happens with that! HA! (Quick note: I had never seen the Yokohama guy before because I was busy the day he came into the office the first time, but I can concur after seeing him at the game, he is good looking.)

Wednesday was Boatfest 08 after work. It was the first time all summer that we were able to hit the river and we had a great time! MK took his boat out, TL and John brought their waverunners and TC, V, R, M, SS and myself all came along for the ride. We grilled hot dogs and brats and just BSed in the river until it got dark. It was such a beautiful night and the river was fairly calm.

I decided that since things had been so busy the last few weekends that this weekend was going to be a bit different. I didn't plan anything besides doing my laundry on Sunday and trying to fit in some scrapbooking today and boy did I need this kind of weekend! I was home most of Saturday except for running a few errands and stopping into my Mom's for dinner and to watch the Mizzou-Illinois game. Earlier in the day, while I was home I decided to download some music and update my Ipod - something that I "haven't" found the time to do in months. Music is my therapy and I'm not sure why I didn't get around to this sooner. I'm loving the new stuff I got and I'm hoping to score a few more Pepsi points from my Dad so that I can pick up the last few songs that I'm really wanting right now.

Sunday I woke up and took my time to get ready before heading to do my laundry. While I was leisurely getting ready, I was able to finish 3 scrap book pages. Amazing what I can do when I don't have a million things on my mind and my creative juices are flowing a bit! It was the first time in weeks that I was actually able to put some thoughts together and pump out something that I was proud to put in my Memphis book! After doing my laundry and running a few more errands, I came home and sat down to watch the Sprint Cup race only to fall asleep halfway through it, but I needed my sleep and I was fairly certain that Jamie McMurray was not going to win after dealing with a flat tire in lap 3 and restarting in 43rd place, so I didn't fight the feeling, I just crashed. SS and I both picked drivers for this race and his guy (Kasey Kahne) finished in a better position than McMurray so I'm sure I'm going to hear an earful about my beloved McMurray even though he's not a big Nascar fan. I'm going to try harder next weekend!! It's the last weekend before the Chase so I have to redeem myself before McMurray is completely out of it!

As for today, I spent my day scrapbooking and burning CDs. I was able to produce 4 more pages and I almost have day one in Memphis finished! Woo hoo!!! I cooked dinner once again (watch out, I'm on a roll!) and decided to sit here and update. Man...maybe I should have an extra day off every week. I seem to get a lot accomplished that way!! Nah, they'd miss me way too much at work and I couldn't get everything done in 4 days. I know tomorrow is going to be extremely hectic however, I think I finally have my head cleared enough that I can muddle my way through it all and at least leave there exhausted but in one piece.

Next weekend it's off to the Nascar Craftsmen Truck Series race at Gateway. I'm excited to be going with my Dad and my Uncle Steve. I'm sure I'll have something interesting to post from this week at work as well as from the race. I'll update again soon! Have a great week!

Tournament Time!

So tomorrow's the big golf tournament and given the fact that I haven't even used my clubs since Father's Day, I'm sure I'm going to be a little rusty out on the course. At least, I have a halfway good team to pull me through. (Let's go Dad and Bro!!) My motto for tomorrow is: "it doesn't matter how I play, at least I will look good out there." Hopefully that will get me through! I do have a few small kinks to work out before tomorrow afternoon, but I'm sure everything will turn out alright. (I just need to think positively!!)

Really, I'm looking to have more fun hitting the balls at the guys from work and joking around with everyone than I am at actually playing an entire round. I have to get some practice in though because I was asked to play in another tournament in October and should I play in that one, I actually have to pull my weight since those guys will kick me off the team if I stink.

Last week I drove back out to the former company I worked for to pick up attendance prizes for tomorrow and while I was there, I had a chance to visit for the first time in 3 years. It's amazing how much changes in that amount of time. Everyone was excited to see me and I was happy to update them on all of the happenings in my life and at work. Perhaps the greatest thing for me was to see there faces as I walked in. As some of you know, in a little over 3 years time, I've dropped 80 lbs. To be able to go from 205 lbs back in May 2005 to a lean and mostly fit 125 today is quite an accomplishment and while I know what it has taken to get to this point is nothing short of amazing, it's also nice that other people notice the drastic change. That was the case when I went back to visit the other day. I look nothing like I did when I left there and for the most part, I act nothing like I did when I worked there too. With the weight loss and a huge push from my current work friends (a BIG thanks J, M, TL and SS), I gained an exuberant amount of confidence which I think has made me a much better person. As I visited each former co-worker, I told them about the last few years and had a certain glow about me as I mentioned my current life. When I finally left there, I felt on top of the world. I know everyone in my life now knows how hard I've worked to move from the ugly duckling to the beautiful swan (and yes, this is how I feel about the whole thing) but I did gain a little more confidence from that visit I made and I truly know now that the last 3 years of watching every morsel of food I put into my body and pushing myself to work out nearly every night has been worth it!

Anyway, everything else is going fairly well. Work is great and I'm still extremely busy. I'm getting ready for another month-end next Friday. It's hard to believe how quick these things seem to come around, but I should be ready for it by Friday afternoon. The Monday after that is Labor Day and I'm off of work and planning on spending that day scrap-booking my Memphis pictures once again. Hopefully I'll have enough creative juices by that point to pump out quite a few pages. Lately my creative abilities have been stuck in neutral and as a result I'm still not even halfway finished. I'd like to have everything done by Halloween so I don't forget all of the little quirks from the trip. I better step it up!

In any case, I better get ready for bed and actually try to get a decent amount of sleep tonight. I'm definitely going to need it for tomorrow! I'll update again after the tournament! Have a great weekend all!!

Just plugging along...

It's been a whirlwind three weeks again and life continues to roll on leaving me to just navigate my way through all of the projects and commitments and daily tasks. The lake weekend with the girls was fun and both rules I set for myself were followed precisely. I did miss some certainties from home, but all in all, I survived the weekend and had quite a few funny stories to tell when I got back.

Work is going fairly well. I've stayed busy enough there to keep myself out of any real trouble and I've had fun along the way. I've finally decided to take an afternoon off tomorrow to run errands that I haven't been able to take care of lately. Plus, I'm going to be able to go back out to the company I worked for before and visit with some of my friends who I haven't seen since I left there back in July 2005. I hope they are excited to see me again.

The big project I'm working on now is helping with a golf tournament that SS is hosting in two weeks. I was in charge of getting attendance prizes in order and I'm working diligently so that every golfer has something as a "thank you." So far, I've had a great deal of success. I didn't realize how generous people can be if you just ask for some help. I'm also golfing in the tournament. I haven't played 18 holes since the same tournament last September but I did practice at the driving range on Father's Day, hopefully I can make it out to hit one more bucket of balls before tournament day arrives. I don't want to let my team down by playing horrifically! I'm sure they won't kick me off of the team though if I play bad considering I'm playing with M, my Dad and my Bro. They will make fun of me though if I absolutely stink!!

Hope you are having a great week and I'll catch up again with you all soon!

Girls Weekend!

The girls' weekend at the Lake officially begins later this afternoon! I'm officially packed and ready for a little sun and relaxation. Of course, this trip usually is not about relaxation it's more about hanging out and goofing off and having and all around crazy time. It will be great!!! Again, there are only two rules that I have in place for this weekend....the main one being "No tequila!" and the other being something I'll keep to myself. I know I'll follow that rule though!! :)

I'll be sure to post about our antics when I get back!

Have a great weekend!!!

100th Post & An Anniversary

Wow! My 100th post on Blogger!! What a milestone! Hopefully I have enough randomness to write about for another 100 posts.

This is a special post in another way too. My 3 year anniversary at work was yesterday. It's crazy to think that I've been there for 3 years and I still get up every morning excited to head in and see all of the great people I work with. I absolutely love that place and for the most part, it's the only sense of normalcy and consistency I have in my life over the last few years. Everything else continues to be a whirlwind, but when I get up in the morning, I know I can expect to have a full day and still be able laugh about all of the nutty things that we do.

Yesterday was a great day too! I took care of my normal Friday stuff and prepped my boss for everything that he needed me to do for him while he's on vacation next week. I helped a bit fielding billing questions for K who was by herself in the department, coordinated a baby gift/shower for one of our Ops guys, secured a half day off for next Friday (girls' lake weekend! woo hoo!) and then at lunch was able to come home and pack a cooler for a little after work fun!

Anniversaries are a big deal for M and I and like usual, she was extremely sweet and gave me a card and a copy of the new Whitesnake cd, "Good to be Bad." We might be the silliest people in the world for celebrating work anniversaries, but to us it signifies the beginning of best friends and an awesome team.

After work, we decided to plan an impromtu happy hour on the parking lot before heading out. It's always fun to stand around just shooting the bull and talking to each other about everything under the sun. M and I were starving afterwards and decided to hit SidePockets for dinner with TL. While waiting on our food, we planned the details for the first Boatfest for 2008 and tried to finalize the lake plans for next weekend. M and I then decided that we would head back to her house and celebrate the last few hours of my anniversary with raspberry champagne while listening to the Whitesnake cd. (I know, we're crazy, but we had a good time and that's what matters.) I made it home around 11:30 and got ready for bed and passed out as soon as my head hit the pillow.

Tonight the girls are going out for a night on the town. Actually, Angie, Bryanna, M and I are going to dinner and hitting the casino for a bit. We haven't all been able to get together since Chicago, so it should be fun!

Hope you have a terrific weekend!

Let Freedom Ring

Happy 4th of July! Hope everyone has a great day BBQing and hanging out with friends and family!

I'm planning on taking it easy and relaxing at home most of the day, which will be nice! I could definitely use the time at home!! Tonight I'm heading over to my Mom's to hang out with her, Michael and my Grandma and quite possibly work on scrap booking my pictures from Memphis. Wish me luck!! It's my first go around with scrap booking, but I cherish all of the memories from that trip and I wanted to something special with all of the pictures. And, I figured scrap booking would be an awesome way to do that. We'll see if I'm creative and patient enough to put together something that looks half way decent.

Saturday I'm heading out to my Dad's to spend the rest of the weekend with him and my Bro. I haven't been out to see them since Father's day weekend, so I'm sure we'll have a bit of catching up to do.

Hope you have a terrific day and be safe if you're actually setting off fireworks!