The Perfect Pair -- Memorial Day Weekend & Racing

You ask any of my close friends and they will tell you that I have a passion for NASCAR racing.  As I watch the sport, I see more strategy than just speeding around an oval track.  I usually try to catch the stats from the truck races and Nationwide series and then try to tune into the Sprint Cup
With yesterday being a big race day with the Indianapolis 500, I decided I was going to check out that race too.  I know there is not much similarity between stock cars and Indy cars, but I figured why not see what all of the fuss was about.  I know the names of a few Indy car drivers, Danica, of course, (who's not really feeling the love in NASCAR), Dario Franchitti, and Helio Castroneves, but by far, my favorite driver of the Indy car series,

#12, Will Power.  Yes, that's really his name!  I giggled every time they mentioned him.  What's a race without Will Power?  Nothing I tell ya!!
Seriously though, it was a fun race to watch.  Congrats to Ganassi Racing and Dario for the big win!

In other racing news, the Coca-cola 600 was last night and MacMurray finished 2nd!!  There is a good possibility he could be in cup contention this season if he keeps racing this way. 

Hope you're having a great Memorial Day.  A former Marine and friend of mine posted this earlier, 
As you lay poolside with a drink in your hand, remember those who are in the sand. 
As you eat that delicious bar-b-que, remember those who fought for you. 
As you shop for the shoes with the perfect price, remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice. 

Thanks to all of you who have served, continue to serve and have paid the price for our freedom.

Yes, I'm seriously that organized

With the upcoming holiday weekend we got to talking about schedules and things going on and just run of the mill items to take care of over the next few days and how it compared to years past.  No doubt, when asked a simple question like, "well, what did we do last year?" I whipped out my trusty 2 year planner from my purse and had that weekend, along with every other, noted in complete detail.  I don't know if that's something truly to be proud of or something to have myself committed for.

But, we got the answers we needed and overall I think my obsessive organization came in handy  Hmm, maybe I could make it as a personal assistant....

Completely random

Holding true to the title of the blog and since I still have a lot running through my head, I've decided why not just put some of what's happening right now out there...bad, good, or otherwise.

-- Today I got some unsettling health news from my doctor.  I was a bit shaken and concerned and still had to try to hold myself together.  I couldn't ask for 2 better people to help me through this and while I'm hopeful that everything will turn out ok in the end, I am extremely grateful for Broccoli and Coco's concern and willingness to do whatever possible to help me.  Broccoli had to deal with the tears at lunchtime, something I wouldn't wish on anyone cause I'm a pain when I start crying.  Yet, he was awesome as always.  Coco continued to stay positive and reminded me that I've gone through something like this before and everything worked out for the best.

-- My vitamin supplements and protein shakes were delivered today which made me extremely happy and I was even happier to see the extra bottle of supplements at no extra charge.  He did leave me a note to let me know that it wasn't a mistake too.  It's nice to know that someone appreciates my business.  Guess he's glad to see my order every 3 months for the past few years.  I'm gonna take this as an opportunity to pay it forward as well.

-- I'm planning 2 birthday celebrations at work this week.  SS turns 40 on Wednesday and of course the Party Planning Committee has to do something spectacular!!  I hope he likes what I've thrown together...strawberry jello cake (his favorite) and all!  Thursday is the President of the Company's birthday.  Usually, we throw an office-wide party but we always have someone try to rain on our parade.  This year, a select few of us decided to take him out for his birthday.  While we may be considered brown-nosers, we are also still very grateful for our jobs and we would like to show our appreciation to him.

-- I've had some kick ass workouts the last week or so.  I don't know if I'm just that full of energy right now or if I'm just determined to see my abs pop out before I put a swimsuit on.  I'm soooo close and I'd probably look like I'm even closer if I wasn't this pasty white.  (Note to self: On your extra day off for Memorial Day, try to get some sun.) 

-- I've already thought ahead about Father's Day and got the perfect gifts picked out for my Dad and even ordered one of them last weekend.  He's so hard to buy for because he always claims he doesn't need much.  This year, I thought outside of the box and BINGO!

Ok, enough randomness for now.  Have a good night!

Couldn't have said it better myself...

"If you can't handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best."
 -- Marilyn Monroe

No good reason that I'm up at 12:48 in the morning when I have to get up for work at 5 am, except for the fact that I've got way too much on my mind and can't make it quit.  The one good thing is that tomorrow is Friday and a fairly quiet day on the work front.  The bad thing is that if I don't get myself sorted out by lunchtime tomorrow, my weekend will be a complete mess and I will have wished that I had to work the next two days.

Ah, the joys of being Type A Lindsay.

Sometimes all it takes is a hug

Working in an office and an industry that is male dominated sometimes has its disadvantages.  Many days are stressful and some days pass with no more acknowledgment than a mean spirited joke or a sarcastic remark.  Most guys there don't understand why I get upset and get emotional over something that is a big deal when it seems so trivial to them.  I can usually get by though and I understand that men and women are most times on opposite ends of the spectrum.
Today is one of those days when I saw a different side of one of my male co-workers.  I left for lunch early because I had something to take care of and when I came back I went into the kitchen to grab my actual lunch.  While I was in there one of the guys that I see as a a "tough manly man" came in and we were making small talk as we were warming up our lunches.  He asked if I was alright and said that he noticed that I didn't seem like I had been myself all week and more so this morning.  I told him that it was an overly stressful week once again but that I would get through it and try to be that spunky chick again next week.  He laughed and I walked back to my desk to get back to work. 
A few minutes later, he walked back and asked if he could give me a hug because hugs from "CH" made everything better.  Yes, I know he was trying to be funny and it did make me laugh but the thought was nice.  Often times I think that these guys fail to realize that their female counterparts are human and have feelings, I was proven wrong today.

And yes, the hug did help....my afternoon was better.

Girl interrupted

The gym is like my sanctuary.  I know that sounds crazy, but while other people go to church to think or clear their minds, I go to the gym.  When I'm there, I usually have an idea of the workout I'm planning (minus the fact that sometimes the machines are tied up) and I focus intensely on calories burned, muscles worked and not getting too carried away so that I don't bulk up.  I've had personal trainers over time and from the lessons they've taught me, I think I've found a good balance to keep the weight off and work on my toning mission.  My time at the gym is not a time where I want to have a new trainer who is looking for new clients to come up to me and tell me that I need to add more weight to the already 45 lb bar I've got propped on my shoulders as I'm trying to do squats.  Yes, I understand you think you are helping me and yes, I know you're looking for clients, but please, do not interrupt my workout! 
I don't see you in there every time I'm in the gym, so by observing me for 5 minutes tonight, you can not tell me you have me figured out.  If I want advice or help, I will come find you.  I try to look intense in the gym for a reason and while you think I need to add more weight to my workouts, I know better.  Been there, done that.  And finally, yes, I realize that muscle mass weighs more than fat, but there is a range I like my weight to stay in between, even though I may gain muscle by adding weight, I don't want to gain any weight...I feel awesome right where I'm at!  Thanks so much for your input, but I'm ok with keeping the gym as my thinking playground.

Class of 2010

Tonight my brother graduates from college with his Bachelor's Degree in Business.  Hard to believe that he's already at that age.  Sometimes I still think of him as the little boy that won the cutest toddler contest at our local Walmart when he was 2 or on our first day of school when he started kindergarten and I made sure he got to his classroom without getting lost or as the teenager who took my high school challenge to heart and had perfect attendance for all four years (I missed one day junior year, dangit!).
Soon he will officially enter the real world, a world where he will be fully responsible for himself, a world where you worry more about salary negotiations, medical benefits, and 401k plans rather than who's bringing the beer and snacks over for a random weeknight night party.

I am extremely proud of him and all of his accomplishments so far and I know he will continue to do many great things and go many places!  Being the big sister that I am I do have to offer him one last piece of advice before he takes the plunge -- it's a quote by Henry David Thoreau,
Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.

Congratulations Ryan!

Yes, that's really me

Today I had to go to the bank to cash a few checks.  I purposely did not include my driver's license, but gave them my bank ID with my name and account number.  The teller asked that I also submit my driver's license for further identification.  So I sent that in the little tube and from that point, I could have recited the chain of events verbatim before it took place....she asked it if was really me on my driver's license and then commented that I've really changed over the last few years.


You see, my driver's license was last renewed in January 2006 and is valid for 6 years, and on May 7, 2005, I decided to make a life altering decision to get healthy and get into shape.  I remember the day clearly, I went to put on summer clothes from the previous year and none of my capris or shorts fit.  I was sad, frustrated and feeling like the biggest blob in the world.  I decided from that day forward I would do what I could to get the body I wanted. 
I visited Attilio's (a former supplement and health store here in St. Louis) to see what I could do to lose the weight.  The good thing about Attilio's is that they were also getting into personal training and I decided to take them up on their new services.  My first appointment was the following week and come to find out my trainer was a former friend of mine from high school.  I weighed in that first night at 205 lbs and wearing a size 18.  My goal was to lose 20-25 lbs and be what I thought of as average size.
I busted butt all that summer with my trainer and then was forced to take on the weight loss challenge myself after he left to go back to active duty in the military.  By January 2006, I weighed 175 lbs...quite a difference from my high weight but still not exactly where I wanted to be.  I told the DMV that I weighed 165 lbs and that's what went on my driver's license.
Over the past 5 years, I've continued my fitness and weight loss and at this exact point in time, I weigh 122 lbs and wear a size 2-4.  That's right, I've lost 83 lbs in 5 years.  My BMI is excellent and I'm actually starting to see muscles pop out.  I love the gym and continue to eat very healthy (ie, mostly home-cooked lean meals, a lot of water and no fast food).  My friends and co-workers all make fun of me for my food and diet discipline and for the countless hours I spend at the gym or trying to get exercise other ways.  Most of them did not know me when I weighed my heaviest and some of them probably barely knew me when I started losing the weight and while it does bother me that they give me so much trouble for being a health nut, I know most of them will never know how much work at becoming a better me, physically.  Every day is a challenge of keeping the weight off and staying on track and remembering how far I've come.

The funny part of course is when I have to show ID, which happens more now that I'm 27 rather than when I was 21 or 22.  Most people look at it numerous times and then still question it.  A few weeks ago I tried going to the casino and they actually were not going to let me in because they said I couldn't prove that the person in the license was really me.  After producing credit cards, insurance cards, my check book and frequent purchase cards, I finally was let in with some hesitation.  In 2012, yes, I will get my new license but in the meantime I'm going to look at my current one as a measure of my hard work.

Call me crazy

My regular 50 hour a week Accounting/Admin job is enough to send me over the edge just about every single day due to my Type A personality but then I decided last week to take back on my consulting gig in my *ahem* spare time.
I went Saturday to check things out, talk to the owner (a friend) and see where we sat since it's been just over a year since I gave up that position.  Umm, yeah, its gonna take some time to get back into that groove but rather than waiting too long, I decided to head back to his office again tonight and decided to jump right in full force. 
After nearly 4 hours of work tonight, I'm only through May of 2009 in regards to reconciling bank accounts....I haven't even touched the rest of the general ledger accounts yet!  At least with this project, I can work at my own pace (well, somewhat) and maybe it will teach me some patience.  And hopefully that patience will spill over into my normal job because I could definitely use it there!  We'll see how I hold up in the month of May because I've decided the rest of my life is not going to suffer from this extra work load...instead, I'm working out at lunchtime and running errands in the few minutes between offices and still trying to plan ahead enough to make sure I don't miss other important events.  If I succeed, I just might nickname myself Super Woman.  If not, yeah, I'm definitely crazy.

Another day, another dollar still in my pocket

Last year some of the guys went to Louisville for the Kentucky Derby, this year the trip was postponed because a wedding fell on the same weekend as the derby trip.
Since girls weren't invited, last year I gave the guys some money to make a few bets for me just for fun.  Mr. Hot Stuff was my favorite (resulting from an inside joke) but it didn't really matter since long shot, Mind That Bird shocked everyone and got the win.  I remember watching the TV coverage and catching jockey Calvin Borel so emotional when they interviewed him after the race, saying he had faith in the horse he was jockeying and even though Mind That Bird had 50-1 odds, he thought Mind That Bird could pull through and beat the field. 
This year, had the trip been a go, I'm not sure who I would have bet on...ok, I take that back, I probably would have had them put money on the horse with the funniest name.  It may have been Super Saver or one of the other 19 entered, depends on what I was feeling when I handed over my money.

But, I can say for sure, that if the trip is on next year and I have the chance to place a bet, I don't care what horse Calvin Borel is jockeying, I am picking that one!  Borel won his 3 derby in 4 years this year.  Incredible!  Whatever it takes to be a successful jockey, he definitely possesses it.

A little late

Dear Sallie Mae,
While I appreciate the concern you have for my parents in regards to financing my college education and giving me a brighter future, I would just like to remind you that you are about 9 years too late.  In fact, you might be a bit surprised but my parents have never lived at this address either, nor were they willing to pay my way through school.  If I didn't receive scholarships, I had to find my own way of making sure tuition each semester was covered, giving me even more reason to buckle down and try to graduate early.
Thanks for checking in, but we do not need your priority code and I surely don't have 20 minutes to see whether or not we qualify for an unnecessary student loan.

Sincerely,
Lindsay

Cause we all just wanna be big rockstars....

The concert was AMAZING!!!  I didn't think it was possible for me to like Shinedown anymore than I already did, but they did a great job and after seeing them live, just confirmed all that for me.

Actually the entire night ended up being a success, which is definitely what we needed.  I had been looking forward to the concert since I bought the tickets back in January, but in the back of my mind, I had this hampering fear as the show got closer that something was going to go wrong and we weren't going to be able to go.  Besides dealing with a few other issues of my own on Friday, I waited all day for a phone call telling me that it wasn't going to work and that we'd have to pass on the night.  Because that's just how my life works when I've built something up so much somehow it just doesn't work out as planned and trust me, I built this up tremendously over the past 4 months.  But, hadn't heard anything by the time I left work, so I promptly rushed home and got ready and waited for Broccoli (I know, weird nickname, but it's more about the way I pronouce it and less about the actual vegetable).
We picked up a quick bite to eat and hit the road, making our way to our seats just as Shinedown was taking the stage. (perfect timing!)  I stood there in awe, singing, playing air drums at times and just taking it all in.
After Shinedown, came Breaking Benjamin.  I don't know a whole lot about them and they only played two of the few songs that I usually listen to on my Ipod, but they were fun to see too.  I might actually check out more of their stuff online now.

Finally, Nickelback took the stage and the place erupted.  I know there are a lot of people that say Nickelback is the most hated band nowadays but I have to disagree.  The show was energized, jam-packed with all of their hits and most of all, the band seemed grateful for all of their fans.  When it was all said and done and we were walking back to the car, we both were extremely thrilled that we were able to see such an awesome show.  We agreed living the rockstar lifestyle is one we probably could never pull off but it sure seemed cool.  Broccoli asked me if Shinedown lived up to my expectations and with a quick smile, I responded, "oh yeah, they definitely rock my world.  I'm sure they're your favorite now too!"  While they may not be his favorite, he was thoroughly impressed too.  What made the night that much cooler was the fact that Nickelback is one of his favorites and we were able to have a fantastic night out -- one that definitely will be remembered.  :)

So now I'm back to reality, back to a normal Saturday filled with laundry, grocery shopping and other random errands. 

Hmm, maybe it would be fun to be a rockstar....

T -12 hours

Tonight I finally get to see Shinedown in concert!!  After following the band for nearly 5 years and missing every other show they've played in St. Louis, I'm finally getting to see my favorite band LIVE and in person!  I'm on pins and needles waiting and it should be a lot of fun!! 
Along with Shinedown, Nickelback, Breaking Benjamin and Sick Puppies are on the bill as part of Nickelback's Dark Horse tour.

Bucket list item number two will be checked off in a few short hours!  Woo hoo!!  Happy Friday to me!

Welcome to the team!

The Rams had the number one pick in the NFL Draft tonight and who did they pick?

Considering Mark Bulger was released earlier this off season and we've been in need for a good quarterback since Warner left, I think it was a fairly accurate pick.  We'll see if Bradford can hold up after already facing a few injuries in his collegiate career.  Sure we had the worst team in the league last year but I'm gonna be positive and say that I think we're on the upswing!!

The draft has been an interest of mine since my senior year of college when a few guys I went to high school with entered the draft as they were finishing their college career.  Most of them went in the first 2 rounds of the draft too which made it even sweeter!  I knew how excited I was for them and now, I continue to be pumped for a new batch of amazing athletes.

Congrats Bradford on being the #1 overall pick of the 2010 NFL Draft and welcome aboard!!

Did you see that?

Watched what appeared to be the longest baseball game in the history of the world yesterday -- 6 hours and 53 minutes was the recorded time.  Not the longest game in history, but it sure felt like it.  Cardinals and Mets in St. Louis, scoreless through 18 innings and finally the Cards lost it in the 20th.  All I can think is how the heck do you sit in those seats and not start yelling every time the bases were loaded in extra innings and you send a relief pitcher up to bat because at home I sat on the couch and yelled at the tv.  Granted, I'm no coach nor had I ever played Major League Baseball.  If the game went on any longer and had it been possible, I think McGwire actually might have made it into the game to finish the thing up. 

I do feel bad for center fielder Joe Mather though, the poor guy was forced to pitch in the 19th and then gets the loss for the night.  Of course, had he won the game that would have been the talk of the town this morning.
I'm planning on watching the last game of this series tonight and hoping it doesn't go more than 9 innings because I have to get up at the crack of dawn for work tomorrow morning and Mondays are no day for slacking or napping in the office.

Hope you have a spectacular Sunday!

Who would've thought...

JC Penney is having a sale this weekend and I thought it would be the perfect time to pick up the last few items needed for my spring and summer wardrobe.  After roaming just about the entire misses department for nearly an hour and finding all of this cute stuff but very few things in my size, I started getting irritated.  Yes, I know most of America is not a size 2 or 4, but I am and I need new pants that actually fit this year! 
Late last fall, I found a pair of capris and a pair of business shorts on clearance at Kohls and picked them up, other than that everything I own now is one size too big and in business casual attire, its somewhat noticeable.  This year, I decided to save up my gift cards from Christmas and use them when I actually needed to fill a hole in my closet.  Today was that day and by the time I had tried on what seemed like hundreds of items, I finally settled on 2 skirts, 1 pair of cropped pants and 3 clearance tops and just barely spent every penny on my gift cards.  Normally I would have spent twice as much as I had planned on.
I'm hoping to find a few more things at Kohls or Macy's later in the season when every other size has already been picked over and my size is on clearance.  If I don't, well then I guess I'm just out of luck for now, because I'm not spending a fortune on clothes nor am I gaining any weight.  I've worked too hard to get into shape.
Never did I think I would see the day when I'm actually frustrated by shopping because I can't find much in my size.  Trust me, it is a good feeling, but a tad bit frustrating.

So after my little shopping extravaganza, I went to the library.  I needed the peace and quiet and some new reading material for the next few weeks.  Not much frustration there, I just had to put a limit on myself for the number of books could check out and get read before they are due.  It's supposed to be a nice spring weekend here and I'm planning on taking advantage of the sun on my deck with a good book.

Lunch updates and tax deadlines

My lunch was a success!!  Woo hoo!
I went back to making my classic chicken quesadillas for tomorrow, but its good to know that in a pinch, I can crank out a good Italian dish as well.  I may experiment a bit more if I time permits this weekend.  I've been waiting to make a healthified buffalo chicken and potato casserole and given the right amount of time, I think I can throw together something amazing.

In other news, today was tax day!  This morning a co-worker sent me and my boss this classic...
.

Oh how true it is.  Since I am an extremely high-strung and overly analytical Accountant, I had my taxes done mid-January and e-filed them as soon as our W-2s were released by our payroll processing company.  My boss, on the other hand is one of those laid back, everything-can-be-fixed-with-a-journal-entry type of Controller and he sent off his paper returns this morning.  Yeah, I guess both ways work.
Luckily, today we didn't have any real issues to deal with since tax isn't our specialty, but it still was a busy day and I'm definitely looking forward to the weekend.

Pure genius?

I may have just created the greatest recipe of all time...we'll know for sure tomorrow around lunchtime!
If not, I guess I just better stick to those few meals I make extremely well, like my chicken quesadillas, pizza casserole or roasted potatoes.

I've been trying to expand my cooking skills a bit more and decided that I would try to make something new for lunch tomorrow.  Tonight's experiment was a stuffed Chicken Parmesan.  Sounds like an easy enough concept.  I just hope it is a success. 

I'm holding my breath in the meantime.

How is this possible?

This morning I had to get up to attend a funeral for my coworker, Robin.  It is the second incident of cancer, resulting in losing another amazing, young, vibrant person in 18 months for our office and we only have 35 employees.  We lost Sherri back in 2008 and were devastated.  We were finally starting to get back to normal when we found out Robin was diagnosed with the same cancer that struck Sherri. 
Robin was feisty and persistent and told all of us that she was not going to give up with out a brilliant fight and that she did.  We have so many special memories with Robin from boatfests, golf tournaments, Cardinals games, weddings and more.  She was a great friend and always some one you could count on and we definitely saw that today with the outpouring of support for her family.
Our work family is a close, tight-knit group of people and we will push forward; yet, right now we are all in shock, grief stricken and wondering how what kind of odds we just defied with this happening to our group twice and in such a short amount of time.  We did find some comfort in the thought that Sherri greeted our dear friend with a Bud Light draught and a practical joke at the pearly gates.

Describes me to a tee

I found a website the other day that had fun Accounting apparel among other accessories.  Some of the sayings made me giggle and others of them had me down right laughing and daring myself to buy them and try to get a rise out of the office and there are the others that were just speaking the truth.  Like this one:

Yeah, that totally describes me and definitely drives some people insane, especially my co-workers on month-end days like today.  Of course, it does come in quite handy when you meet with your wealth management advisor about your 401k and other financial opportunities.  They seem to appreciate your detailed budget and spreadsheets and call you the perfect client.