all dreamy

my vacation was amazing... i'm all dreamy about it now... we had an amazing time!!! the islands were beautiful, the weather was amazing, and the ship was better than i had imagined... and it was super nice getting to see christopher!!!

let me tell you what a tricky rat he is... hehe... a few weeks ago chris asked if i could sign for a FedEx package... said it was some sort of electronic thing he'd ordered and the company wouldn't ship to an APO address... i thought nothing of it, and picked up the package...

chris had asked that i bring it to miami for him... i agreed... well, as i was packing for my trip, i got worried that TSA would want to open my bags and know exactly what was in the box... all i knew was that it was some sort of electronic thing... what if it caused some detectors to go off, and they had to destroy it or something??? there were all sorts of crazy things going through my mind about this package...

needless to say, i made it through airport security okay... and when i met chris in miami, he asked for the box... as i was getting all of his presents ready for him to open, i made him stay in the bathroom at the hotel, and he took the box with him... when i finally gave him the all clear, he came out with his overshirt all balled up in his hands... i had him open his presents... and when it was my turn, he reached for the balled up sweater... i was thinking, "i know i like his smell and all, but a dirty, worn sweater???" i wouldn't have said anything, and it would have been a thoughtful gift (i think)... but from it he pulled a small box...

and inside was a beautiful ring... *swoon*... the package that i had signed for weeks ago didn't contain an electronic device at all... i'd had my ring in my possession for nearly 3 weeks!!! tricky tricky... that's my hero, and i love him... hehe...

well, i should probably get caught up on all the emails i've been putting off... hope everyone has a GREAT Holiday! Merry Christmas!!!

enough turkey

i hope everyone had a good thanksgiving... i did... it was nice seeing my family... i had lots of good food... and even had time to relax a bit... the drive was a long one (both ways), but over all, it was a good trip...

this weekend, i'm hosting a jewelry party... i'm kinda P.O.ed because several people who encouraged me to have the party on that date have backed out of coming... now i'm down to only 2 other people coming... what type of party is that??? and... 5 people never RSVPed... am i the only one who knows you're supposed to RSVP even if you're not planning on attending??? grrr... okay, ranting over...

monday and tuesday i'm going to detroit for work... yippy *sarcasm*... actually, i'm a little happy about getting to go because i'll get to see my TriDelta Lil' Sis! i just saw her at homecoming, but it will be nice to have someone to go to dinner with and just hang out with one night...

and then... next friday i leave for the CRUISE!!! i am extra excitded about that!!! i got my ball gown back from the tailor yesterday... it fits nicely and looks much better than before... i still need to buy a new swimsuit... good thing there's a store in the mall here that sells them year round... mmmm beach... there i go, getting excited again! oooo i also get to meet chris's high school friend, johanna... we've talked on IM several times, so i'm looking forward to meeting her in person... yay CRUISE!!!

okay, now i need to go calm down enough to go to bed soon...

thanks!

thanks to all who made my birthday wonderful!!! I really had a great day!!!

oh, and i ate too much cake... i felt yucky afterward, but it was super yummy!!! hehe...

ding dong, the witch is dead...

my inner bitch has gone back to where she belongs... hopefully i won't see her again for a while... i've got a lot of things to look forward to coming up, and i would hate for the bitch to ruin them... hehe...

tomorrow, i'm going to have lunch with autumn, a former coworker at BAE... we're going to the cheesecake factory... mmmm... and then... i'm going to the spa!!! i'm way excited about that... i'm definately ready for a day of pampering... i'm considering it an early birthday present to myself...

next week, i'm going to be out of the office... i'll be in class at another location, but at least i'll be away from my desk... and out meeting some different people... then, that following saturday, several of us at work with birthdays in november are getting together (along with other coworkers and friends) for some karaoke fun!!! i'm looking forward to that too...

the week after that is thanksgiving... i always dread the drive home, but once i get there, i don't want to leave... hopefully things with my family have calmed down a bit... after talking with mom tonight, it doesn't really sound like it, though... at least my sister has found another job... but my brother has quit school, and is living on his own with just a part time min-wage job... i feel bad for him, and want to help him, but right now he doesn't want help... so i'm just going to stay out of it... and hope for a semi-normal thanksgiving...

hopefully i don't eat too much over thanksgiving... i am having my ball gown tailored, and the final fitting is the week after turkey day... hopefully it won't need to be altered any more... hehe...

and that gets me through the end of november... december is just as exciting... with a jewelry party, seeing chris, a cruise, and christmas... i'm giddy just thinking about all the fun stuff going on in my life right now!!! life rocks!

i'm a bitch

i just left bitchy messages to christopher over something that he really can't control... *sigh* i'm being a terrible girlfriend right now...

over a month ago, we put together surprise packages for each other... and he hasn't gotten a chance to mail mine yet... he works during the times the post office on base is open, so really, i should have no reason to be upset... but i am... what is wrong with me??? when did i become so materialistic???

i hope this is just PMS and goes away soon... i can't stand it when i'm bitchy...

party girl? yeah, that's not me...

tequila is not good for me... yet i continue to drink the stuff... ugh... i really need to find a new drink of choice... like just plain old diet pepsi... LOL...

but dispite the fact that i wasn't feeling so hot today, last night was a lot of fun! it was good hanging out with people from work, and getting to know some other people better... and the Comedy Factory was a blast! yeah... it was a good time...

today i went to a jewelry party... that was fun too... i even signed up to host one myself, and i might even look into becoming a sales person... we'll see... it will be a good way to make a little extra $$$ and have fun meeting new people...

i was also supposed to go with my friend rachel to a place called Let's Dish today, but i had the dates mixed up, and thought it was next weekend... it's a place where you can go and assemble some meals for you to freeze so that you can cook a good tasting meal without all the hassle of having to prepare it... i'm excited about going next time, and i'll be sure to get the date right so i don't miss it again...

happy halloween

hope every one had a good halloween!

Thanks for all the love and concern about my family... things are about the same, but at least it's not getting worse...

anyway, take care! oh, and happy november!!!

a request...

right now, my family is going through a very difficult situation... so if there is someone you pray to, my family could use some extra prayers...

thanks...

tada!

since i proposed, i thought i should buy my own ring... what do you think?

okay, okay... before anyone gets their panties in a twist... it's not real... it's just a buyers' guide... hehe... wishful thinking? probably...

actually, i bought it because it was so huge it was laughable... i am a princess and all, but that's out there, even for me...

lazy sunday

it's so nice to have a weekend where i'm not doing anything... i was able to get some organizing and cleaning done... and i even balanced my checkbook! now i'm actually kinda bored... lol... maybe i'll take a nap... i haven't done that in a long time...

while i am enjoying this lazy weekend, i do miss getting to spend time with my family... last weekend was good... my cousin's wedding was wonderful... it was mostly traditional, but it had touches of them in the ceremony and reception too... tracey (my cousin's wife) isn't very girly, so there weren't a lot of flowers, and both keith and tracey are good friends with lots of musicians, so we had live music... everyone had a good time...

later that night, i went to the mall with my mom and brother... several of the stores were having huge fall sales... so i got some new sweaters for way cheap! i don't think my brother liked being towed around the women's section, but he got over it...

sunday, before i left to drive back to MD, i visited with my grandma... she's doing so well now... and seems to be getting back to her regular self... it cracks me up that she's always thinking about chris... hehe... most of the time she has something made for me to send him (like banana nut bread the last time or ham for when he was in NC)... my grandma likes chris... hehe...

this week has been busy at work... except for friday... and it was super slooooooow... none of the bosses were there, and no one was in the mood to work... i was so glad that i had some off-campus training after lunch... i got to learn how to use a fire extinguisher!!! hey, no laughing, better to learn now, than to wait till there's a fire...

and now it's time for that nap...

it's good to sleep in my own bed...

the past week was fun, but i was certainly glad to be home...

the business trip to ohio turned out to be interesting... i learned a lot about UPS systems (not the big brown truck company) and learned a lot about how to be a client... i was wined and dined like i couldn't believe... the meals were amazing... i even tried calamari and raw tuna... and i liked both! we also found a tavern that sold lots of british beers! so i got to have a hobgoblin and even a chocolate stout! too bad they didn't have ciders, though... but as much fun as the trip was, i was kind of glad it was over... i needed some down time...

but since i was on my way to terre haute for the weekend, i couldn't have down time just yet... friday evening was the young alumni party, and it wasn't all that great... i stayed for about 30 minutes and left wondering why i had even bothered to go back to homecoming this year... but after the pep rally and bonfire, things started to look up... i went out with some of my sisters and we had a great time! sanka's now has Strongbow on tap!!! and ambrosini's has karaoke (which was a blast)!!!

Saturday morning, chris's mom met me and we walked the Rosie 5k!!! it was nice to get some exercise, but i could have done without the march through the wet grass and sand... that afternoon was the game... i didn't watch any of it, though... i mingled around the Tri Delta tent and caught up with people i hadn't seen in years... after the mingling, i met some of chris's family for dinner... i had just seen them in may, but it was nice seeing them again... after dinner, chris's mom and i walked around the mall and then went to the local starbucks... we had a good time just talking... later that night i was super tired... but chris persuaded me to go hang out with my sisters some more... so i went, and had a pretty good time... but i was super glad when they decided to call it a night...

while i had fun at homecoming... i think i'll be okay not going back for another few years... not much had changed with the school... and the people that i wanted to see either weren't there or i keep up with them anyway... but who knows... maybe i'll decide to go again next year...

mmm... vacation...

i'm finally getting around to blogging about my vacation... i wrote down all the cool things earlier in the week, but realized that was just way too much to blog... so i'll try to keep it short, but still get everything in... here goes...

Thurs 9/14: i was super excited about my trip that i didn't really get any work done at work... so i hurried home, and to the airport, where i found out that my flight had been delayed so long that i would miss my connecting flight to london... so, the airline put me in a cab to philly (where i was catching my connection)... it was only 2 hours, but it was still crazy... but, i made my flight and was on my way to london!

Fri 9/15: i was super happy to see chris... he met me at the airport and we took the train into london... we mainly napped most of the afternoon, and then went to Picadilly Circus for dinner and just some walking around...

Sat 9/16: we did lots of touristy sight seeing... we went to the London Science Museum (it was quite boring), saw Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Westminster Abby, and Trafalgar Square... we also went into Harrod's but it was super crazy, so we didn't do any shopping... that night we saw the show "Avenue Q" and it was super awesome! if you're not easily offended, i recommend it!

Sun 9/17: chris and i slept in, and decided not to do any more london stuff... making our way back to cambridge took a bit longer than expected... part of the tube was closed, so we got to take a bus ride through the london suburbs... i liked riding on the top deck... by the time we got to cambridge, though, i was super hungry and cranky... chris took me to this really great kabob place, then we just hung out in a park for the afternoon... that night, we went to see the second Pirates of the Caribbean... i didn't like it as much as the first one...

Mon 9/18: chris had some things to take care of on base, so we went to lakenheath for a bit... and then lunched at my favorite pub in Icklingham... i looooove those chips, i swear they're made from potatoes from heaven... lol... in the afternoon, chris took me punting... i was super nervous, but chris was a great punter (much better than i would have been if i had tried, i'm sure)...

Tues 9/19: we went to Duxford for the day to visit the Imperial War Museum... and then we walked around cambridge some more... and went to bed early in preparation for our trip the next day...

Wed 9/20: we got up super early to get to the airport to go to Barcelona... we waited in a super long check-in line, a very slow security line, and then had to make a mad dash to the gate to catch the flight... we were actually running in an airport (i didn't think anyone really did that)... but we made it... when we got to barcelona, we were both tired and hungry... we found a place for lunch that had a great sangria... and after a nap, we headed to the La Rambla area to walk around... we had dinner in that tourist area, and learned our lesson about that - we were charged 50 euros for our drinks alone!!! crazy... but we didn't get burned by that again...

Thurs 9/21: it was super nice weather for walking around the city... we got to see lots of things: arc de triumph, la sagrada familia, casa mila, casa batllo, the barcelona cathedral, and the beach! we also took a cable car to Monjuic... i was kind of scared, but i lived... and the view was worth it! that night, we walked around the harbor and had dinner at a place there on the water... they also had a great sangria... and afterward we walked along the beach...

Fri 9/22: we took short train ride south to Tarragona... it was a cute town... there were roman ruins, a big cathedral, and an ampitheater... the weather wasn't all that great, but it wasn't super nasty either... but it was bad enough to make the beach not all that enjoyable... so we headed back to barcelona earlier than we had planned... we made it back in time to catch part of the opening festivities for the La Merce festival... there were lots of people walking around, drum "gangs" competing with each other in parks, and even some fireworks (which we watched from the beach)... after the fireworks, we sat on the beach and talked for a while... and that's when i proposed, and he said "yes"!!! hehe (yeah, i'm still a little giddy about that)...

Sat 9/23: we slept in, and then made our way back to the La Rambla area for more of the festival... the weather was rainy, and a little chilly, so there weren't a lot of people out to begin with... we were super tired, so we just relaxed on a bench by the beach till it was time to head to the airport... our flight was delayed by a bit, and we didn't get in to London until after midnight... then there was a long wait for the bus to take us to the parking area, and then chris's car wouldn't start, and once we finally got to cambridge, we had to search for a parking space... i was definately glad to see the bed that night...

Sun 9/24: we got up early to get me to the airport... chris had to run to base for a minute, so i stayed at his flat to finish packing and get ready to go... i mostly just cried... at the airport, i didn't want to leave, and i even teared up a bit there too... the flight back was long, but at least the immigration line was short... and i finally made it home at 10 pm...

i know that was long, but i really did cut it down quite a bit... anyway, i had a great time, and can't wait to go back!

jet-setter

I'm leaving tomorrow for England (and Spain)!!! I'll be back late on Sunday, September 24th. Then, after only a week here, I'm being shuttled off to Columbus, OH for some cool geek stuff for work. At the end of that week, it's Rose's Homecoming... so I decided that since it's a semi-short drive from Columbus to Terre Haute, that I would attend. so yay! Once I get back from that trip, I'll work 3 days, and then head to SWVA for my cousin's wedding... well, he's already married, they're just having the ceremony in the Church, and a reception for the family (pretty much just to make his mom & dad happy)... and I think that's the end of my travels for a few weeks, anyway... but you never know...

i'm starting to feel like Carmen SanDiego... where in the world will i be this week??? hehe...

pictures

here are some pictures of the coffee shop... that way jerri knows where to go when she takes Paul to visit... hehe...

my labor day weekend...

so, in addition to having my car looked at, i had a whole weekend full of fun...

Saturday, when i got back from TN, my brother, Nick, and i went to damascus to check out james' creation... he's opened a coffee shop!!! it's a neat little place, and i hope he does well... the scones were sooooo yummy, and the raspberry chocolate coffee was tastey too... i have some pictures on my phone, but i'm not sure how to get them onto my computer, but once i do, i'll put up some pictures... and if you're ever in damascus, VA you should stop by for some yummy goodness...

and sunday was the Fields Family Reunion... it was a good time... i hadn't been in a few years, so it was good to see everyone again... my mom has been put in charge the past few years, so i got to help her make a trivia game for the family... it was fun learning family history and sorts... and everyone voted that next year, we have the trivia again...

monday it was time to drive back to MD... but not before another trip to the coffee shop (had to get another scone)... and then to visit my grandma... she gave me a whole grocery bag full of grapes picked from the vine that morning... they are so delicious!!! when i have a house, i'm going to have a grapevine... just like hers... she also gave me a loaf of homemade banana nut bread to take to chris... hehe... i dont' know that i'll have room in my carry-on for the whole loaf, but i'll take him as much as i can...

and the drive back wasn't nearly as terrible as the drive to SWVA...

so that was my holiday weekend...

i *heart* my new job...

seriously... i actually have work to do... LOTS of work to do... i've been told that i'm being groomed to take over for a guy that is retiring... they want me to learn everything he knows about the projects he's worked on... that's a lot of stuff!!! but i'm excited about it... i've been spending lots of time in the field, getting to see UPS systems, and transformers, and switchgear... yeah... i'm a geek...

i'm already on the tentative travel list too!!! hopefully i'll get to go see some UPS system being tested at the factory... and, i'm even slated to get some training... the same training that BAE promised me for 2.5 years...

so, yeah, my job is totally rockin' right now... hopefully it will stay that way...

OOOO and have i mentioned that i'm going to England this week??? And Chris and I are going to Spain for a couple of days!!! I'm so excited!!! I can hardly contain myself...

i kicked some hiney...

so, you probably read about the condition with my car (faulty wheel bearing)... well, i thought it was odd that i was going to be charged for it, even though my car is still under warranty... so i called up another Saturn dealership and asked them... they were quite shocked that i was going to be charged for the bearing, so they said to bring it in... now, this saturn place is in northeast Tennessee, and i had to have it in by 8:30 am last saturday morning... so that meant, leaving MD as soon as i got off work last friday night...

well, friday after work, i hit the road... it was rainy, and a holiday weekend, so that made the drive terrible... i mean really terrible... after 7 hours in the rain, i still had 2 hours left before i would get home... i was so tired, so i stopped for the night and got a hotel room... the next morning, i had to get up super early so i could get to TN by 8:30...

i made it to the saturn place on time, and everyone there was super nice... they looked at my car, and informed me that the wheel bearing was just fine... that it was my tires causing the noise i was hearing... they have flat spots on them due to a bad allignment...

now, i take my car in every 3000 miles like a good car owner to be serviced... during those services, my tires are supposed to be rotated and inspected... if something had been wrong with my tires, you think someone would have noticed and let me know before they got to this point, right??? so, this leads me to believe that Saturn of Gaithersburg had not been doing their job... they had not been doing the inspections like i had been paying for...

so, now i have a whole bunch of complaints with Saturn of Gaithersburg... they were going to charge me for a part under warranty, a part that wasn't even the problem, and they haven't been doing the recommended service... because of which, i now have bad tires...

the saturn place in TN suggested that i call saturn corporate and file a complaint... so i did... after several days of phone calls back and forth, my customer advocate decided that the service manager at Saturn of Gaithersburg, she, and myself should all talk... during the conference call, Saturn of Gaithersburg refused to take any responsiblity for what is wrong with my car... they say they have a handwritten note in their records stating that I was informed of the problem a long time ago... yet, i have no record of that in my papers... there was a lot more back and forth, and an issue about service not being done that i was specifically told was done... i asked about why i was lied to, and the service manager just said "i'm really busy, i have to go" and hung up... hehe... he refused to refute the claims that i was lied to...

so... saturn corporate has agreed to replace my bad tires... i'm going to a new saturn place to get it done, because i will never again go back to saturn of gaithersburg... my customer advocate even advised me on that... she apologized for the way i was treated, and said that saturn likes for their customers to feel like family... and that if i ever have any problems again, to give her a call...

so, hopefully my ordeal is over... i hate that i got a bad taste of saturn... but at the same time, i know that they take complaints seriously, and that there are some dealerships out there who do look out for the customers...

whoo!

well, my first few days of really working have been pretty good... i guess i am coming in in the middle of a crisis, so everyone is running around like mad people... but it's interesting... yesterday i was kinda discouraged because no one seemed to have time to answer my questions or let me know what i should be doing... but today was better...

actually, today, i worked many many hours... because i wanted to... i got to actually get some hands on experience, and be out in the field some... which was super cool, and i can hardly wait to do it again!!!

this past weekend, i did some cool things too... saturday, i went to an IEEE picnic... met some new people, and was super glad to have some intelligent conversation... so, i'm going to see if my new job will pay for my membership...

on sunday, rachel and i went in to baltimore, walked around the inner harbor area, and attended the Baltimore Bridal Show... it was so fun... lots of cake sampling, free stuff!!! and some crazy brides to be... we were there just for the fun of it... but some of those women were really there to plan weddings... i imagine it was probably stressful for them... but, it was a good time for rachel and i...

okay, time to go put my feet up and rest...

busy, busy...

Wow… it’s been a crazy couple of weeks… I’ve been busy doing this and that… and my internet at my house is crappy…

My last week at BAE was good… my going away lunch was from Subway, and people didn’t come because it wasn’t pizza… whatever… the ones I wanted to be there were there, and that’s what matters… and I hope to keep in touch with a few people… I always say that, and never do, but this time I mean it…

Christopher got to come see me for a couple of days too!!! I was super excited about that… we got to walk around the historic Ellicott City, and he did some shopping, and we pretty much just goofed off… he was super sweet and made dinner for me on Monday and Tuesday, and even bought me flowers… I really am pretty lucky… wish the visit could have been longer (I always do), but I know I’ll be seeing him in just a couple of weeks, so saying “good-bye” wasn’t too hard…

And this week, I started my new job! The first few days have been orientation… with lots of paperwork, info to remember, and new people to meet that I will probably never see again… there are about 60 of us, and most work in the language field… just a couple engineers, but none of the others are in my field… I’m excited about getting to my office on Friday and actually meeting the people I will be working with… oh, and did I mention the 15 minute commute??? Yeah, that’s super nice…

Well, that’s all for now…

personality and temperament...

bored at work, i decided to take this little quiz to find out what it says about me... surprisingly, the results are actually very accurate:

Temperament: Guardian

Guardians are the cornerstone of society, for they are the temperament given to serving and preserving our most important social institutions. Guardians have natural talent in managing goods and services--from supervision to maintenance and supply--and they use all their skills to keep things running smoothly in their families, communities, schools, churches, hospitals, and businesses.

Guardians can have a lot of fun with their friends, but they are quite serious about their duties and responsibilities. Guardians take pride in being dependable and trustworthy; if there's a job to be done, they can be counted on to put their shoulder to the wheel. Guardians also believe in law and order, and sometimes worry that respect for authority, even a fundamental sense of right and wrong, is being lost. Perhaps this is why Guardians honor customs and traditions so strongly--they are familiar patterns that help bring stability to our modern, fast-paced world.

Practical and down-to-earth, Guardians believe in following the rules and cooperating with others. They are not very comfortable winging it or blazing new trails; working steadily within the system is the Guardian way, for in the long run loyalty, discipline, and teamwork get the job done right. Guardians are meticulous about schedules and have a sharp eye for proper procedures. They are cautious about change, even though they know that change can be healthy for an institution. Better to go slowly, they say, and look before you leap.

Guardians make up as much as 40 to 45 percent of the population.

a new castle...

well, i'm all moved into my new place!!! and i'm almost unpacked... i still have some kitchen things to find a place for, and hang some pictures, but that's about it... a lot of people came to help me move, so things went smoothly and quickly... and the heat took a break on saturday too... it was still hot, but not 100 degrees death-hot...

i also gave my notice at work last week... only 2 weeks left before i start my new job!!! i'm super excited about it... i'm excited about actually having work to do, about getting some hands-on power experience, and most of all, about being in a position that will allow me to relocate to virtually any electrical engineering position within the government (should the need for that ever arise)...

the only crappy thing going on right now is my car needs to be repaired... 33K miles and the bearings are shot... crappy DC roads with potholes damaging my car... grrr... and the saturn place here wants to charge out the wazoo for the repairs... hopefully, my car will limp along for a few more weeks till i can get to SWVA and have my uncle (who works for a major auto dealer) fix it at cost, and possibly a german chocolate cake... so, everyone send good vibes to my car...

that's about all for now... some people here at work got assigned to a project, but not me... so i'm having fun just twiddling my thumbs for now...

a little frustrated

i know i should learn to pick my battles, but is it really too much to expect that people treat me with respect, and be courteous, and not try to screw me over? i guess so... and is it wrong of me to want to stand up for myself when these things happen? i guess so, too...

i'm finally to a point where i'm more confident, and feel like i don't deserve to be treated poorly and unfairly... and i do my best to be respectful, and kind, and fair...

i've had a couple of situations lately that when i've consulted others, half of them have said to fight like hell, because the way i was treated was not right, and the other half have said to just drop it, that it's not worth fighting... i'm torn, because i respect people on both sides, and i value their opinions...

my gut tells me i should stand up for myself, and by doing so, maybe the offenders won't be able to treat others poorly, but at the same time, i'm left wondering if i am making too much of these situations... and this internal struggle is stressing me out more than the actual situations themselves... ugh...

i guess i'm naive to believe that people should do the right thing... and maybe i'm naive to believe that by standing up for myself, it's going to make a difference for anybody else... *sigh*

i think i'll call my eye doctor tomorrow, because these glasses aren't working for me... i liked my rose colored ones much better...

mmm cheesecake factory

that's right, i said cheesecake factory... i was in heaven at dinner tonight... and i even made healthy choices, and didn't overeat... i also didn't have cheesecake... at the end of dinner i was full, but now i could go for a bite of cheesecake (or two)... oh well... i'm sure the world's supply of cheesecake isn't going to disappear overnight, so there will be another time...

before dinner, i was browsing around in the bookstore, and decided that i want to read the harry potter series... i haven't seen any of the movies, nor have i read any of the books... so i bought the first one... i'll let ya know how it reads...

i also bought a book that every electrical engineer (or really any inquiring minds) should read... it's called "Electric Universe" and it's about electricity, from day 1 to present... specifically focusing on the harnessing of electricity and where it can take us in the future... yeah, i'm a geek... but i'm finding it to be good reading... lots of stuff i didn't know...

and i am jumping for joy because i only have 3 more nights in my current residence!!! definately ready to be in a different place... hopefully it will be a good change for me... i'm looking forward to it...

okay, back to my book...

you may now return to your regularly scheduled emailing...

so, before noon, the IT department had so many complaints about legitimate sites being blocked that they removed the firewall that was set up over the weekend... so, for now, i have email during the day again... yay!

that is all...

technical difficulties

here at work, they've blocked each person's most frequented web pages... which means, i can't get to my yahoo email anymore... so, if you're trying to email, and i don't respond like i usually do, don't worry, i'll get to it this afternoon when i get home...

all i can say is, they better give me work to do to keep me occupied... otherwise, it's going to be a super long day...

job news

i got the call today... the one i have been waiting for... officially offering me the job i've been wanting!!! yay!!! i start august 21st!!! i'm so excited... and certainly ready to leave my current job...

yesterday was awful... i was told i was being terminated... then after i objected, i was told, "oh, haha, that was just a joke, i just wanted to see your reaction." needless to say, i did not laugh... i went straight to my other boss and filed a formal complaint... you don't fake fire someone... period! so yeah, it's time for me to leave that place...

oh, and today for lunch, my future bosses took me out to eat... that was a good time... i already knew one of them, but was just meeting the other... they're both nice people and i'm looking forward to working for them...

yay!

ladies get ready...

next October... watch out San Francisco!!!

http://www.nike.com/nikemarathon/

there isn't much info on that site about the 2007 run/walk... but you are able to sign up for an email "heads up" when the 2007 registration opens... so keep your eyes open for the info!!!

giddy as a school girl...

christopher called me yesterday!!! it was nice... it's kind of expensive for him to call, so i don't really expect another call before he comes home... but that's okay... there's less than 2 weeks left, i can make it... it reminds me of the summer he was at Tyndall for training... when he finally got phone privileges and called i was so happy... i even remember where i was (shopping at the mall with my mom, and i really did squeal like a girl when i heard chris's voice)... but anyway, chris is doing good, and so far having a good time...

that's all for now...

counting the days...

how many more days till chris gets back to england??? *sigh* i guess i should look at this trip to bulgaria as a trial for when he's deployed... at least then he'll have email, right?

*sigh* well back to well back to packing up some things... at least that's kind of keeping my mind off of missing chris...

hmmm...

it's funny how i don't consider myself to be materialistic... i'm not into fancy-shmancy jewelry or clothes, and i don't have a higher opinion of those who have those things either... but the promise of a Tiffany piece will get me to do just about anything... LOL... is that bad?

i guess every girl needs some good quality jewelry... nothin' wrong with that... and the fact that i'd be working hard for it kind of evens things out...

maybe my Goal Gift (my reward for reaching my weight goal) will be something from Tiffany & Co... ooooooo... I think i just ended my current plateau... okay, i'm off to look up pictures of shiney things to print out and use as motivation... hehe...

check it out!

http://www.striders.net/races/wdf/wdf_2006_result.txt

i'm on there... scroll down... near the end... but that doesn't matter... the point is, i'm on there!!!

and, my friend rachel nearly has me convinced that i should run the Nike Women's Marathon (well, half-marathon) next year... it's a walk/run... only 13.1 miles... in beautiful san francisco... and, you get a tiffany necklace just for finishing!!! so, who's with me??? jerri, sound like fun???

run, princess, run!

10 weeks ago, running for 60 seconds nearly killed me... i didn't like it very much, but was determined to continue... and with lots of encouragement, i did... and i've actually learned not to hate running... i don't always enjoy it, but i don't hate it...

yesterday, at the gym, i ran for 15 minutes straight on the treadmill!!! that's about a 1.3 miles... i was amazed, and super excited...

i was hoping for the same results in the 5K today, but i think i started out a bit too fast, and ran out of steam before the first mile... i ran when i could, but had to walk a lot... still finished in just over 42 minutes, so i guess that's not too bad for a first time... there were about 30 people with official times after i finished, and even more after that (no official time after an hour)... so i wasn't the last person either...

and best of all, i think i would do it again... and maybe next time i'll do a little better (since i have a time to beat)... so yeah, i'm going to keep at it... and just see how it goes...

i almost forgot...

while i was visiting my family, i got the hugest compliment ever!!! my mom and i were discussing my weight loss and she said, "so, how much more would you like to lose?" I told her and she said, "april! that's way too much, you'll be dangerously skinny then!" and i said, "no, my goal weight is XXX. That's a healthy weight." And she said, "I thought you weighed that right now!" i was floating on air after that... hehe...

i guess what was confusing her is that my sister and i almost wear the same size clothes (one size different) and we weigh nearly 50 lbs different... strange how bodies and sizes are like that... but anyway, it was very nice to hear my mom say that!

lots of randomness

this past holiday weekend, i went to SWVA to spend some time with my family... it was actually a nice visit, and i really didn't want to leave... i didn't do a whole lot, so it was pretty relaxing... my mom and i went shopping, and out to eat a few times... and i got my hair cut (it's pretty short again)... my youngest brother and I went to see X3... it was a good movie... they still left a lot of issues open, but i just don't see a fourth movie doing very well...

i didn't really get to spend much time with my other siblings... my oldest brother was working most of the time, and my sister, well, i just don't like her... she's developed this attitude that she doesn't have to "live by the rules" and she can do whatever she wants... which is fine if that's how she chooses to live her life, but she shouldn't expect someone else to bail her out of trouble by living that way... both times that i saw her this past weekend, she was whining about not having any money... mom would finally get tired of hearing it and give her some money... yet, instead of using that money to pay bills, or put gas in her car, or buy groceries, she went out clubbing! that girl needs to get her ass kicked... and mom needs to show her some "tough love" too... i just don't understand how some people can be so irresponsible... it's beyond me...

anyway, i tried to ignore her the few minutes she was at mom's house, so that i would have a stress-free vacation... and it worked... it was nice playing with the dogs, taking walks outside, and i even got to go swimming... this was one time when i didn't need a vacation from my vacation...

but coming back to DC made me realize that i really don't like living here... i don't like my job much anymore... we haven't had any work to do since February! it's freakin' hard to sit at a desk all day and pretend to be busy... it's boring, and i'm not being challenged... so i'm definitely ready to move on... and i really don't like my living situation... my roommate has just become too much for me... she's way too mothering, and nothing is ever her fault... thankfully, i'll be moving soon... and maybe those changes will be enough to renew my happiness with being here...

this coming weekend, i'm running in a 5K!!! i'm getting pretty excited about it... i know i'm not going to be able to run the entire way, but i think i'll do pretty good for an out-of-shape first timer... after the run, i'm not sure if i'm going to continue jogging "just for fun..." we'll see... my next adventure is going to be with bellydancing... LOL... that should be pretty funny... but i'm going to give it a try...

now that i've ranted and raved a bit, i think i'm going to go walk around the office to see if anyone has anything to do...

building an ark

it hasn't stopped raining here since last thursday... ugh... we've accumulated over 10 inches of rain... lots of flooding everywhere, roads and the metro closed... even some of the gov't buildings downtown have been closed due to flooding in their basements... luckily i live on top of a hill, and we haven't had any problems with water... but several people have had difficulties getting to work... maybe the happy sun will come out today...

drumroll, please...

this princess has officially lost 50 lbs since January 12th, 2006!!! just thought i'd share since that's a pretty major milestone for me...

also, i had pretty much given up on the running thing... i had decided to just run enough to not have to walk the entire 5K, and not to worry about running for longer than 5 minutes at a time... well, saturday, i changed up a few things about my routine... wore different shoes, different/lighter pants, and chose a treadmill right under the fan at the gym... and ya know what? i was able to run for 8 minutes without any problem... after that i walked for a bit, then decided that i would try another 8 minutes, and i ended up running for 10!!! i was so excited... this love-hate relationship i have with jogging is back on the love train... woohoo!!!

i'm all geared up to have one rockin' week!

the waiting game

everything went well with all the hoopla i had to do to prep for my new job... the polygraph was way better than what i was expecting... i had been told that they ask a lot of personal, potentially embarrassing questions... but there were none of those... and the facilitator told me i gave strong reactions, so my tests will be easy to read... it will be 3-5 weeks before they know the results, but the preliminary look indicated that i did well...

the psychological evaluation wasn't all that bad... it's just weird telling a total stranger about your personal life... lots of questions about my parents, and my relationship with each of them... lots of questions about my relationship with chris... lots of questions in general about how i view myself and life... the dr. should have at least had to buy me dinner... LOL... but it has made me think twice about seeing a therapist to help me deal with emotional stress better... i think i would just feel odd blurting everything out... so i'll just stick with talking to friends and family (as long as they're willing to listen, anyway)... but, anyway, the dr. gave me a clean bill of mental health, and said he saw no reason that i would not be able to do my job...

so now i wait... wait for more investigating (don't be surprised if you get a call... several of you readers were used as references)... waiting for test results to be in... the HR rep said it would probably be the september/october time frame before i begin working... so i guess i just have to be patient...

in other news... well, there is no other news... i guess that means it's time for bed...

not dead...

well, jogging last night didn't kill me... i made it through the first 8 minutes, and struggled a bit at the end... but i only got 3 minutes into the second 8 minutes and was ready to pass out... i pressed on to 4 minutes, but had to stop and walk some... determined i was going to finish the time, i really pushed myself to jog another 4 minutes... kind of disappointing, and a little frustrated that after doing so well last week, and finally getting to the point where i was looking forward to jogging, now i hate it again...

i have decided that maybe the Couch-to-5K program is getting a little too aggressive for me... the first 5 weeks, it had 3 workouts a week, and each week, the 3 sessions were the same... well, now, in week 6, it has changed each time... adding more minutes than what my body is allowing me to do... so, i'm making my own program... i'm determined to finish the program, and run the 5K (even if i have to walk some), but as far as running after that, it's just not for me... i tried...

on a good (and totally non-workout related) note, i have found a place to live! no cardboard box for me... it's in a townhouse in Ellicott City, MD... i would be sharing it with one other gal... there's plenty of room for all my stuff, and it's less than 10 minutes to Ft. Meade... the big moving day is August 5th! my current roommate almost cried when i told her i found a place... she has known for months now that i've been looking, and would be moving soon... but has just been in denial about the whole thing... i feel bad for her, but not that bad... i'm ready to be somewhere else for a while...

oh, and keep me in mind the next couple of days as i go for my polygraph and psych evaluation! i'm pretty excited!!! i'll let ya know how it all goes...

update on the Cambridge job: the company is looking for someone with a valid UK work permit... oh well... i'll keep looking...

*heeeee-yah*

that's the sound of me kickin' it at the gym... hehe... last night compeletly rocked! even though it felt like a sauna in the cardio room, i still managed to get in a fantastic workout... which included 20 minutes on the elliptical!!! and i wasn't even out of breath... i could have gone longer, but i had an appointment with the trainer to get to...

the trainer showed me some strength training exercises on the machines to help me tone up some... the weights felt good, and i could definately feel my muscles working... and i'm not even sore today! so hopefully, i won't have wimpy arms for too much longer...

tonight, i'm training for the 5K... this session is going to really push me... i'm supposed to jog for 8 minutes at a time... and i'm trying to get myself pumped up for it... at least i'm not dreading it... 6 weeks ago, when i could barely jog 60 seconds without wanting to die, i never would have imagined that i'd be looking forward to jogging... go me!

well, while i have all this motivation, i should probably motivate myself to do some work or something...

good things...

my hero comes back from his trip to the netherlands today!!! i'm excited about that... maybe i missed him a little bit... it's odd, even though we really don't get much time to really talk to each other anymore, we're still able to connect through messages left on IMs and blogs... and after nearly a week without any of those little connections, i was beginning to miss them...

the past few weekends, i've been looking at places to move to (that are a little closer to where my new job will be)... and i think i've found a place... the gal has a couple other people to show the room to this week, but i'll know by wednesday if she chooses me... i also have a back-up place in mind as well... it's a little more expensive, but worth the price, i suppose...

and... last friday, i applied for some engineering jobs in cambridge... well, this morning, i had an email from one of the companies requesting further information (such as availability, salary requirements, willingness to relocate at own expense, etc)... i know it may not really mean anything, but that's further than i've gotten with any other international company... so maybe that's a good sign...

keep the good things coming!

i should be happy, but...

okay, so the coworker that has been a pain in my side for the past year and a half (ya know, the one i told off because he's incompetent) told us today that he's leaving our office and taking another job within the company... this is his last week...

you think i would be jumping for joy to finally be rid of him... but i'm not... i'm highly ticked off at the company for passing him off to someone else... i'm ticked off that we have to sit through hours of ethics training each year, when apparently it's a waste of time... because if we spot ethical violations, and report them (repeatedly, even) nothing gets done about it... instead, the problem is just relocated...

i am so glad to be leaving this company... i know a lot of companies out there are corrupt, and there will be problems with any company, but this is blatently lying to our faces about what characteristics the company values and upholds... and it makes me feel slimey for working for a company that says they're ethical, but clearly aren't...

on the other hand, i know that i can sit here and do nothing till my time here is up, and no one will say a word to me about it... i want to be a good engineer and take the high road, but why do that when someone making twice as much as you isn't doing anything at all, and they're still employed? not cool, folks... not cool at all...

i'm glad we get an exit interview to tell why we're leaving and such... while not buring any bridges (cause you never know what might happen), i am going to let this company know that this man, and this situation, and lack of action, is the main reason i am leaving... i won't be around to see if anything changes, but maybe my input will make it a better workplace for others...

by the way: todays frustration gives me lots of motivation to walk/run tonight... hehe...

you know it's June when...

all the channels on TV that are geared toward women are showing lots of wedding themed shows... darn them for making a girl dreamy! and all i wanted was to watch The Golden Girls and What Not to Wear... but i did find out that Disney World has a wedding area at some of the resorts... and for a minimal fee of $70,000 you can have your dream Princess wedding (complete with disney characters at your reception) at Disney World! They had some more economical options as well, but the wedding they were showcasing was $70,000, and that didn't include the cost of the dress, or rooms at the resort for getting ready... whew... if i had that kind of money, i think i could find something better to do with it... of course, if i marry james, we're going to have to sell body parts and such to have a wedding lavish enough for 2 divas! LOL!

yesterday was kind of a bad day for me... i didn't have to work (which was nice) but i was feeling wonky all day... i have been eating like crap, and not at all motivated to workout... our internet had been out for several days, so my communications with chris have been limited (and that always makes me wonky)... and then i saw Jill's pics from the wedding... and while they were super good, and brough back happy memories, the pictures of me were terrible... i knew i looked like a sausage in that dress, and those pics prove it... they were so unflattering, and of course, when i saw them i just wanted to eat myself into a hole... i actually cried... it's been a long time since i've been that unhappy with my body... so after having a pity party last night, i got up this morning and spent 2 hours at the gym... and it was great... so hopefully, those pictures were just what i needed to kick my butt back in gear...

tomorrow, i'm going to meet with potential roommates near where i could be working in a couple of months... and even if something happens and i don't get that job, it's still a few miles closer to where i work now... my plan is to move August 5th, so hopefully i find something/someone i like tomorrow... i'll keep ya posted!

okay, back to the wedding shows... Food Network is showing Designer Wedding Cake Challenge... yummy!

an update on hell...

just found out that the HVAC in my office is going to be out for a week!!! the building management's contingency plan??? every group of 4 cubes gets a fan... lol... great, so we get to circulate hot, stinky air all day...

on a side note, i thought guys stopped stinking after college... hmmm, guess i was wrong...

and three cheers for the Senate for squashing that silly marriage amendment bill!!! although, i guess that means james is going to go ahead with his quest to find a man, and not marry me... oh well... we'd probably end up divorcing over a fight for closet space or something... LOL...

i think i'm in hell...

seriously... the digital thermometer on my desk said 90 degrees at 4:07 pm today... and it's been above 80 since 11:00 am... this is torture... maybe they suspect someone of being a spy, and are trying to sweat them out...

sheesh!

i'm goin' home...

pictures of West Baden Springs Hotel

The past two weeks...

... were pretty awesome! I so enjoyed having christopher around... the smile on his face when i picked him up at the airport made me melt... and then we were off to a super nice hotel for the evening (have i mentioned Marriott's have the best beds ever???)... we lounged around for a bit, and just relaxed... the next day, we went to the annex of the Air & Space Museum at Dulles... it was pretty cool... i liked the space shuttle best of all... chris has pictures on his blog if you'd like to see more...

the next couple of days i had to work... chris occupied himself while i counted down the minutes till i could go home each day... one night, he made me a really fantastic dinner... he even picked up some flowers too! *swoon*

then we were off to indiana!!! one day, we went to the French Lick area to tour the West Baden Springs Hotel... it's an old (from the "Roaring 20s") hotel that is being refurbished and will open to the public in June of 2007... from the first time i layed eyes on the hotel (five years ago), i was in love... and it's more beautiful on the inside than i ever imagined... *** I tried loading pictures but blogger is being super slow about it, i'll try again later***

chris's cousin's wedding was nice too... and the reception was so much fun... i had a great time dancing, and being silly... the cookout/get-together the next day was fun too... i played ultimate frisbee, and pretended to be a vegitarian bear... the weather was perfect for being outside... a little on the hot side, but i lived...

the last few days in indiana were relaxing... no real plans, just doing as we pleased... and then it was time to come back to DC...

the plane ride back was interesting... well, the landing part anyway... we didn't exactly end up where we were supposed to be... but at least everything turned out okay... as we were coming in for our landing at Reagan, i noticed we suddenly started going back up... we flew around for a bit, and the pilot came on and said we had an indication that there could be a problem with the landing gear, so we would have to go to another airport to do a low pass so they could visually check it out... after we made the pass at Dulles, and got the "all clear" the pilot decided that's where we would land, as the emergency crews were already waiting for us... the landing was one of the smoothest i've ever had... i was kind of hoping we'd get to use the slides to exit the plane, but since everything was alright, we had to use the stairs... oddly enough, about an hour after we landed, another plane came into that same airport without the front landing gear down! the emergency crews were certainlyl seeing a lot of action that night...

the next day, chris and i slept in, and just lounged around some more before i had to take him to the airport... it was sad saying good-bye, knowing that i won't see him again till September, or maybe later depending on the whole new job thing... but life is back to usual now... work is boring, and i'm ready for the weekend...

coming down...

i'm coming down from that wonderful "high" i've had for a couple of weeks now... christopher is on a plane back to england, and, as usual, i'm a little sad... it's okay... i'll be seeing him again in a couple of months... and we had a GREAT time!!! seeing his family was awesome, and the wedding was really fun... i didn't want to leave indiana...

i'll post more tomorrow about the trip (and maybe even some pictures)... right now it's time for bed... *sigh* it still smells like chris... maybe that will make me sleep better...

Look out Indiana...

here I come!!!

less than 24 hours!!!

i think i'm going to pee my pants with excitement!!!

how am i ever going to get to sleep tonight? well, if i don't, i'm sure christopher won't mind a nap when he gets in, as i'm sure the plane ride will wear him out (at least that's how it is with me anyway)...

*jumps around*

by the way...

christopher will be here in two days!!! i'm super super excited... making it through a whole day at work tomorrow is going to be torture... hehe...

yaaaaaahhoooooooo!!!!

why does society...

make women feel like they need the approval of men to be worth something? i realize that times are changing, and it's not so much like this anymore... but growing up, i remember my mom trying so hard to please my dad and make him happy just so she would feel like she was doing a good job as a wife... and i have fallen into the same trap (not so much with christopher, though, i do catch myself doing that sometimes... but mostly with my dad)... all my life, i've done everything i can to make him happy, to make him proud of me... and when he acts like he doesn't care, or is disappointed, i'm crushed... and this past weekend was more of the same...

it's no secret that my dad and i haven't spoken in over a year and a half... and with a possible background investigation coming up for me, i thought i'd at least try to be cordial and polite, and maybe that would start the smoothing things over... but no... my dad acted like i didn't even exist... i spoke to him while i was at my grandma's, and he barely forced a grunt at me... and two days later, at my grandma's again, i said "hello", and stood in the same room with him for 20 minutes and he wouldn't even look at me... i left my grandma's feeling like i had done something wrong as a daughter to make my dad act that way...

he has changed a lot since the divorce, and even more just in the past year... he's gone back to drinking, and smoking dope... and being a total ass to everyone... and for some reason, i can't stop blaming myself for it... i think, "maybe, just maybe, if i had been a better daughter to him, and not stood up for my mom, then he wouldn't be like he is now" and what's worse is that my youngest brother blames me too...

on my drive back to DC on sunday, i told myself that i made two attempts to start putting things back together with my dad, and he pushed me away both times... and that i was no longer going to feel guilty, or at fault for his actions... but telling myself to do something, and following through are two different things...

i have a picture of me and my dad from when i was about 3 years old... it is my favorite picture of the two of us... we're both smiling, and happy... and there's even a twinkle in my dad's eye... i don't think it will ever be like that again for us... and now the question is, do i really want it to be that way again? maybe things will change... and maybe they won't... i guess i'll just have to wait and see...

on the job front

i have more info about the previously mentioned job offer... the major piece of info being that even if everything goes well with the whole hiring process, it will still be 4-6 months before i would begin working there... and, if there's any glitch with anything, it could take up to 18 months! hopefully, things will go smoothly, and i'll be at my new job sometime in the fall...

so, now that the walk is over, i've still been walking daily just for some exercise... but i've decided to kick it up a notch and started a Couch-to-5K program this week! while i can walk for miles and miles at a time, i am very horrible when it comes to jogging... sadly, i can't even jog a mile without stopping... so, i'm doing something about it! and, hopefully, if i follow the program correctly, i'll be able to run a 5K at the end of 10 weeks... yesterday was my first workout on the program, and i didn't die!!! and i'm looking forward to the workout tonight!!!

and in other news... a certain boyfriend of mine is posting to his blog again... most of you, like myself, had probably given up on him ever blogging again... but he's back at it... and if you've forgotten the address, there's a link along the side of my blog that will take you to it...

well, that's all the news i have for now...

Walk Pictures...

The Walk...

The day before the walk, I made my way downtown to the Event Eve Hotel. On the way there, I noticed a couple of women looking a little lost, and heard them mention the AWBC. I offered to show them the way, since I was going there as well. They took me up on my offer, but when I tried to be friendly and talk to them about the Walk they would either turn away, or start talking to each other. Quite rude for people who needed help, if you ask me.

Anyway, I got signed in, and settled in to my hotel room for the night. Let me tell you, the Revive Bedding Collection at Marriott hotels are AMAZING! One day I will be rich and have a bed like that.

The morning of the first day started super early. I was at the Kennedy Center (Opening Ceremony site) by 5:00 am. It was still dark out, and you could see some of the monuments and memorials on the National Mall. They were all light up, and were actually quite breath-taking. As I walked around the site, I tried to get to know people, so that I would have someone to walk with. Well, once again, the rudeness astounded me. And unfortunately, I found that to be the case all along the trail. People who were walking as pairs, or groups of 4 or more weren’t really willing to talk to anyone else. Luckily, I found some loners, like myself, and a couple of groups of 3 that were friendly.

We started the morning shortly before 7:00 am with some stretches and some inspirational words. And then we were off. The gates opened and a sea of pink flowed out into the streets of DC. The first 3 or 4 miles, I walked with a lady from Germantown (Pat). But eventually, she got too fast for me, and I lost her. Soon after, I met up with a gal from Ocean City, MD (Meredith), and we walked together for the rest of the day.

The stops along the route were pretty frequent. They had snacks, Gatorade and water, and medical tents. Each pit stop had a different theme – I wish I could remember all of them, I should have written them down. Also along the route were tons of supporters. Several groups would move along the route all day to cheer us on. And people in cars decorated with lots of pink would drive by and wave. That was one of my favorite parts.

I made it 17 miles the first day before the medical team strongly suggested I quit for the day because of the condition of my blisters. Stupid feet – I wish I had Mrs. Potato Head feet and could just switch them out when I need new ones. But I am glad they made me stop, because if I had pushed on any further, I may not have been able to walk at all the second day.

When I arrived at the Wellness Village, I found my tent already set up, and my tent-mate (Ann) inside. She was from Hawaii, and flew to DC to do the Walk with her friends from Arlington. After I showered, I hit the medical tent to be rebandaged and then I had visitors. A couple of coworkers had come out to show their support. That was nice. Good to see a familiar face after an exhausting day.

There was some entertainment that night, but I chose to sleep instead. Unfortunately, nature was not agreeing with my plan, and made it super cold. I think I only got about 3 hours sleep total that night. It was rough – but at least everyone else had the same problem, so we were all understanding when everyone was grumpy the next morning.

Day 2 didn’t start as early as the previous day. I got up, ate breakfast, broke down the tent, and was on the trail around 8:00am. My walking buddy from the day before got an earlier start, so I had a chance to meet more people along the route.

I talked to a couple of people, but my feet were so sore, I was too slow for most. By the 5th mile I was ready to give up. But I rebandaged again, and Vaselined my feet like crazy and trudged on. It took me over an hour to make it to the 7th mile, so I decided I needed a lift to the next pit stop. At that stop, I met up with Meredith and her tent-mate Barbara, and we pushed out the final 3.5 miles in about an hour. Knowing that the finish line was “just around the corner” made us really move.

We arrived at the finish line 1.5 hours before the closing ceremony was to begin. There was no place to sit out of the sun, and we were so very tired. I decided it was best for me just to head home. I do hate that I missed the closing ceremony, but after walking 28 miles, my body just wanted my bed.

The Walk was a great experience, but it will be years before I do it again. The time it took just preparing (fundraising and training) was tremendous. And it certainly is nice to have my weekends back.

big news!!!

i mean, really big freakin' news!!!

I can't say with whom (security obligations) on a public forum such as this, but... i have been offered a position with a certain company that i submitted a resume to last week! i had a brief phone interview yesterday, and got the phone call today... i'll be getting the official paper offer by the end of the week... i'll then have 2 weeks to think it over and send it back... and then the process starts from there... holy crap... that's all i have to say... this is happening so fast... but i am excited!!!

once i decide whether or not i'm going to accept the offer (which i probably will) i will let you all know what company it is with...

the only drawback: the job isn't in england... *sigh*... i'll get there eventually, babe!

just let me say, i have had one rockin' week!

I lived...

well, i survived the Walk... didn't make it the full 39 miles, but that's okay... the walk itself was pretty good... i was surprised by all the supporters along the route... and also a little disappointed at the rudeness of some people... but, overall, i found it to be a nice experience...

more details to come later... just wanted to let everyone know that i did make it...

i *heart* lighting

the GE lighting institute completely rocked!!! it was amazing... i learned so much, and saw lots of neat things... wow... i can't wait to go back!!! the bad thing is, i'm still dreamy about lighting... so i haven't wanted to do any of my real work since i've returned... hehe...

well, the walk is just a few days away... i'm a little bit nervous, but mostly very excited!!! this past weekend, i trained in the rain... it wasn't fun, so i'm hoping for nice weather... i'll let ya know how it goes... wish me luck!

Cleveland Rocks!

okay, so i just got that from a song, i don't really know... but i'm about to find out... yep, i'll be in cleveland for the rest of this week... going to the GE Lighting Institute (woooooo... everyone act impressed)... the itinerary seems pretty full/busy, so i doubt i'll get to explore much of the city... and it's going to be cold... but i brought my walking shoes anyway... at the very least, i can hop on the treadmill at the hotel gym...

oh, and happy belated easter to everyone! I hope the Easter Bunny was good to you... he completely missed my house (but i live with a jewish woman, so i really didn't expect to be on Mr. Bunny's list this year)... my mom didn't even send me a basket (of course, she didn't do baskets for my siblings either)... but i'm glad i didn't have all that sugary easter candy to fight off, so i guess having a non-traditional easter wasn't such a bad thing...

the cat's outta the bag...

yep... i couldn't hold it in any longer, and chris knows his surprise... well, he knows that i've been working out a lot, and eating healthy, and that i look a little different... but he doesn't know the amount lost, or how different i look... so the actual sight of me might still be a little surprising... i'm so horrible at keeping surprises a secret for long periods of time... well, surprises and secrets that begin with me anyway... if someone else tells me something, i'm really good at keeping my mouth shut, but for some reason i can't keep quiet when it's my surprise/secret... it's kinda like when i was younger and playing hide-and-seek... anytime the seeker would get close to me, i would start giggling, and give myself away... hehe... i was horrible at that game... anyway, now i have another supporter in my corner for my journey...

oh, and a sad update on the gossip i reported earlier... my sister and josh have officially called off the wedding, the engagement, and the relationship... josh had become such a part of the family, it will be hard not seeing him around... hopefully they'll take some time off and then try to work things out when they've both cooled down...

training snafu

well, today we only made it 2.5 miles before autumn got really sick and we had to stop... kind of disappointing, but i understand when your body just says "no more"... it was really hot today (80 degrees by 9am), and she ate a power bar a little too quickly, and that combination did not agree with her...

it's getting hotter outside, so i think i'm going to do my walking tapes to get some more miles in today... yeah...

gossip...

my sister's wedding has been postponed... i don't have a time frame on the postponement, nor do i have a lot of details as to why this decision was made... i just know that she wasn't happy with the status quo, and decided it was time for a change...

in other news, tomorrow, i'm walking 21.5 miles!!! it's going to be GREAT!!! i may not be able to move on sunday, but i'm gonna do it!!! (can you tell, i'm really trying to psyche myself up for this???)

and... just 5 more weeks till chris is here!!! i'm getting super excited about that! and then we're going to indiana... that's gonna be GREAT fun too!!!

hormones are a biatcha!

i haven't felt like this since i was a teenager... this is crazy... my face is a wreck, i'm way emotional (i started crying on my drive home because somehow i had convinced myself that i'm making chris go broke! which i know is not true), and today, i could have ate my weight in reese's peanut butter cups... lol... and i did have more sweet stuff than normal today, it was like i couldn't control myself... i hope i get back to my regular princess self soon, because i don't know how many more days of this i can handle... lol... i think i'll just go to bed and try to sleep it off...

aches and pains

i feel like someone used my bum as a punching bag... lol... my muscles hurt like crazy from my walk yesterday... almost 18 miles... just a few small blisters... but my hips were killing me... i know i need to sit down and rest more often (which i will be doing on the actual Walk)... but for these training routes, often there is no place to sit down... i guess if it came down to it, i could just sit on the sidewalk, but that's just strange... and people around here spit on the sidewalks... ewww...

i'm still walking slow today, but hopefully, i can get in a couple of miles tonight and stretch out those muscles... and i'll be all better by tomorrow... and certainly ready to tackle 20 miles this coming weekend!!!

men... can't live without 'em

okay... so i got an email this morning that made me cry a bit... in a good way... i know that i am loved... and respected... and i'm going to be a priority... and now i'm all springy for my walk today!

yay!

men!

well, i've been stood up for the last time... you would think that after 4.5 years, i would have gained more respect and be more of a priority than i am... i'm not giving up on the relationship, but i am stating that i will not stand for this type of treatment... i realize that i'm not able to be there, and having friends who are there is important... but they aren't the ones who have been supportive through the hard times for the past several years... and they probably aren't planning on being around in another 10-15 years either... i don't ask to be put first... i realize that his job comes first, and then his family should be next... but, dammit, if i'm not in the top three, that's not cool... what happens if i were to find a job and be able to move there??? would it still be the same??? and why am i even trying to find a job there anyway - if i'm not a priority, why would i want to move somewhere just to be treated this way???

i had a dream last weekend that really shook me up... sort of like the dreams i was having before i found out crap was going on in NC... it's strange how dreams can tell you things that maybe you're afraid to admit in real life...

*sigh* i think i'm more hurt than angry this time... and i don't really know what to do... i always feel like a bitch when i call him out on being a jerk, and i hate doing it... but if i don't, then he just continues to be a jerk, and hurts me even more... i'm just afraid that one day, he's going to get tired of me "bitching"...

i've done so well at building my confidence lately, but tonight, it's nowhere to be found... blah... i should probably get some sleep... i do have a long walk tomorrow that starts early... maybe a few miles will clear my head, and i'll figure out what to do...

new hair do

so, as most of you know, i decided to donate my hair to Locks of Love... and now i've got some short hair!!! just look at the pics (these aren't the ones my mom took, they were super blury)...

AAAARRRRRGGH!!!

i just told off a coworker... he's been asking for it for a year... and instead of being happy about it, i'm embarrassed that i caused a scene in the office... my project lead, and other coworkers, were glad somebody finally did it... but why do i feel so bad?? i hate that i let him get to me like that... i very, very rarely snap... i'm calm, cool, collected... but when it comes to this guy, i want to punch his lights out every day...

and to make matters worse, i told him off twice... because he came back for more!!! sheesh! you think one piece of me would have been enough...

man, i'm gonna be doing some major walking tonight!

i think i'm in love...

have you heard the James Blunt song "you're beautiful" yet? no? download it now... or just turn on your radio, it will be on soon...

i looooove that song... it's so pretty, and uplifting... it's about a guy who sees a woman, and thinks she's beautiful... he doesn't know her, and doesn't tell her... just him thinking she's beautiful...

makes a girl wonder... how many times a day do you pass someone, not even notice them, and they're thinking, "hey, now there's a beautiful gal"? you never know... i bet there's someone out there, right now, who you may not even know, that thinks you're beautiful...

it makes me happy...

so, i lived...

i didn't die... although, i thought i was going to... my legs and feet were cramping so badly saturday night... i was ready for someone to just to cut them off... lol... and to make matters worse, i have a majorly bad sinus infection that's pretty painful... but, on the bright side, i only had a few tiny blisters (yay moleskin!!!), and almost all of the achiness is gone today!!! i still get a little stiff when i've been sitting/laying in one place for a long time... but as long as i'm moving and stretching, i feel good...

saturday, i was convinced that i never wanted to walk 16 miles ever again... and i was a bit worried about actually being able to do the Walk feeling like that... but, now i'm looking forward to the longer training walks, and i think i'll do just fine...

i rock!

more training

i walked 16 miles today...


i think i'm going to go die now...

NYC Details

Friday, we took the train from DC to Penn Station in Manhattan... i'd never traveled by train before, so that was interesting... it took about 4 hours to get there, because we made lots of stops, but we got a chance to look at some scenery and relax, so that was nice...

we made our way from Penn station to the hotel... stopping along the way, at Grand Central Station, for lunch... we ate at a place called "two boots" and the food was soooo yummy... and much more than we could eat... we all filled up, and still had half the food left over... mmmm...

when we arrived at the hotel, the front desk couldn't find one of the rooms we had reserved (reservation was only showing one room)... so that was a bit of a scare, but eventually, they found it and we got settled in and rested a bit (it was 2 miles from the train station to the hotel, and while that isn't much to me, my family was beat)...

we went out for the evening, making our way to Times Square... we visited Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum... that was a lot of fun... then we walked around some more, and had dinner at Planet Hollywood... when we returned to the hotel, the keys to one room didn't work... and there was the whole fiasco about being accused of being in someone else's room, and all sorts of rudeness from the hotel staff... (that was the snafu i mentioned before) it's too much drama to type it all in here, but believe me when i say it wasn't too much to type into a complaint letter sent to the parent company of the hotel...

Saturday, we went to the Sony Wonder Technology Lab... it's a interactive museum Sony sponsors that shows how things are engineered, what's inside certain equipment, and all things geeky... hehe... it was a great time!!! we also walked up to Gray's Papaya (in the upper west side) in hopes of the best hot dog ever... but while standing in the loooong line for the place, i found out Eric doesn't eat hot dogs... so we hopped across the street to McD's instead... and while i really don't care for fast food anymore, we'd walked so much, that it was the best food ever (okay, that's an exaggeration, but it was pretty good)...

after that, we walked back to mid-town and down 5th avenue, looking at all the places that were out of our budget to shop... we also checked out FAO Schwartz... it was a big disappointment... they were remodeling, and it wasn't all that grand... i prefer the one in Chicago... then we went back to the hotel and napped until dinner time...

for dinner that night, we went to a local mexican place, Mama Mexico... we had a bit of a wait, but it was worth it... the food was amazing, as was the atmosphere... if i go back to NYC, i'll certainly go there again... after dinner, we called it a night...

Sunday morning, we got up super early and went to stand outside of the Today Show Studio... it was very very cold... and very early... but we got on TV (when they were panning the crowd) so i guess it was worth it... my family was excited about it... i just wanted to get warm... lol... afterwards, we had brunch at a diner just around the corner from our hotel... very good food... and then we went back to the hotel to pack up and check out...

check out was at noon, and our train didn't leave until 6pm... so we planned on just walking around some more (carrying our bags with us)... but it was still super cold (in the 20's) and our bags got heavier with each block, so we went straight to the train station... after getting warmed up, we found out we could check our bags there temporarily, and then headed back out to walk around some more... we had an early dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe, and made it back to Penn Station just in time for our train...

the train ride back was crowded... we were all four in different cars for a while... i guess lots of people leave the city on sunday nights, after a weekend getaway, perhaps? i was glad to get home, and be in my own bed again... and i'm looking forward to going back sometime (maybe when it's warmer)...

sorry i don't have pictures, my film was terribly grainy, and most of my pics didn't turn out... oh well... my sis has some digitals that i'll have her send, and maybe i'll get them put up sometime...

New York

the trip was a blast!!! i survived a weekend with my family (and that's not easy) and had a great time... only a small snafu with the hotel... but overall, the trip was a success... i'll blog more about it later (work is super super busy right now... but hopefully, i'll have time, and pictures, tomorrow)...

so young...

i found out today that my brother bought an engagement ring to give to Kim sometime in the next couple of months... he knows the date he's going to pop the question, but is keeping that info from everyone so that it doesn't slip out and ruin the surprise for Kim...

they're soooo young... *sigh*... i do know they're planning a longer engagement... like 2 or 3 years... but they just want to make it official... they've been dating for 4 years now, and in southwest virginia, it's the social norm to get engaged after you've been dating for a certain amount of time... *sigh*... i wish it weren't that way... but i know that it's hard not to be pressured into that by everyone when you live there... heck, even though i don't live there, i still get the "why aren't you married yet?" and "don't you think you two have been dating long enough to get engaged now?" it drives me crazy that people think that's all there is to life... i guess for some people it works... or they make it work because that's all they know... *sigh*

Charity Challenge

so, as many of you know, i recently held a fundraiser at work where i collected coins in jars for the AWBC... in exchange for donating money, i volunteered to donate my hair to a cancer wig charity... for every $50 raised, i would donate 1 inch... yesterday, as the fundraiser ended, i was very worried that I would have to donate all my hair!!! but the final count today showed that i would only be donating 10 inches of hair!!! yay, i won't be bald!!!

and tomorrow, i head up to NYC for the weekend!!! way excited... i'll take lots of pics, and let everyone know how it goes!!!

wooops

yesterday's training walk didn't go as well as i had hoped... i decided to wear my pink Walk shoes instead of the gray ones i had been wearing... well, the pink ones are a bit smaller, and with my thick "running" socks, they were pretty snug... and caused lots of blisters... ugh... i made it about 6 miles before i decided i wouldn't make it the full 11 miles for the week... the bad part is, that when i realized we needed to cut the walk short, we were still 3 miles from the closest metro station... and, on my "everyday walk" on saturday (only 4 miles) i pulled a muscle behind my knee... it didn't really start hurting till we were almost done with the training walk... but boy does it hurt today... oh well, i've learned my lesson... don't wear shoes that are too tight, and don't push yourself to do any more than what your body will let you... i'm taking a few days off from walking this week, so hopefully i'll get healed up just fine...

ooo... and last friday, we got surprise profit sharing checks from work!!! i looooove money i'm not expecting... so i went ahead and bought my plane tickets to Indy at the end of May... i'm getting super excited about that vacation!!!

and i'm also excited about my trip to NYC this weekend!!! man, i am just one travelin' chica... hehe...

i had a date tonight...

with myself... yep... i took myself out for a nice dinner and for some shopping... it was a good time... something i needed...

lately, i've realized that i'm not being treated as good as i deserve... so i've decided to make some changes... and to start of, i'm going to be better to me... and it's working out... it makes me happy... i am one awesome woman, and i'm going to start acting like it... kinda like "the squeeky wheel gets the oil" - well, i'm gonna do more than squeek, i'm gonna roar...

i'm a princess, gosh darn it... and i deserve better... rrrraaaawwwrrr!!!

"Start spreadin' the news...

I'm leavin' today...
I want to be a part of it,
New York, New York."

okay, so i'm not leaving today... but i am going next weekend! that's right, the radio station finally got their act together and i'm going on a free trip to NYC!!! next friday, my brother, eric, my sister, melissa, and her fiance, josh, and I are hoppin' on a train and headed to the big apple for a weekend of fun... and you know me, being a "planner" and all, I have lots of places picked out to see, and places to eat... i can hardly wait!

of course, i'll be missing a walk training weekend... but i'm not going to feel too guilty... i plan on walking a lot of miles in NYC... my family doesn't really know that yet, though... hehe... better tell them to pack comfortable shoes... 'cause we're gonna be hoofin' it EVERYWHERE!!! oh, i'm soooo excited!!!

yay!

and, while i'm all cheery, i'd like to report that our house is safe... we need to have a second circuit installed in the basement, but an electrician said that it wasn't an urgent need... that it wasn't an overload of the circuit that caused the fire (and it wasn't a short circuit either... since either of those things would have tripped the breaker, and it didn't) but that it was a faulty outlet... i'm still a bit shy about having lots of things plugged up at one time, but at least i'm not too worried about another fire...

as if there wasn't enough drama...

you may be wondering what i'm doing posting at 1:30 am when i should be sleeping, right? well, i can't sleep... i can't sleep because the fire department just left... the fire department was here because an outlet was sparking and melting in our house... not just any outlet, but the one at the head of my bed... only inches from my own head...

the horrible smell coming from it woke me up... i don't know what could have happened if i hadn't woken up... my bed could have caught on fire... the house could have burned down... thankfully, none of those things happened... but it's still a scary thought...

so the FD came and checked to see that the fire hadn't spread, removed the outlet, taped up the wires, said not to reset that breaker till an electrician fixed the place... and, of course, made sure the damsels in distress were okay... i'm sure ruth and i were pictures of loveliness, having been woken up from a dead sleep and all... lol, but we did make sure to pop a piece of gum so we wouldn't kill them with our "morning" breath...

so yeah... now i'm awake... might just use a sick day tomorrow... i dunno... maybe i'll get to sleep soon...

home

will someone please call my boss and tell him that since i had such a rockin' week last week, and got my work done, i should be allowed to go home early today???

eh, i haven't even asked if i could leave... and i'm sure it would be approved... but i just don't think asking for time off because i'm in a funk is appropriate...

i just want to be at home... with my electric blanket... and my mommy (even though she doesn't live any where near me)... 'cause sometimes you just need your mommy...

stupid funk... hopefully my workout tonight will bring me out of it...

?

how can i rock and suck at the same time? well... i do...

i rock because i did my 10 mile training walk today and didn't die... wasn't even tired... it was awesome!!!

and i suck because i picked a fight with christopher tonight... why do i do stupid stuff like that??? i know this distance is hard on the both of us... *sigh* i feel like a complete ass... i was a bitch, plain and simple... i just hope i haven't majorly screwed things up...

well... my legs are starting to feel funky... so i'm gonna crawl into bed...

roses

i bought myself flowers today... because i deserve them... i've kicked ass at work this week... i've far surpassed my minimum AWBC fundraising goal... i've walked 150+ miles since the beginning of the year... and my surprise for christopher is going super well!!! so yeah... i rock!!! and that's why i got me flowers...

training

well, this weekend i started my hardcore training for the walk (it's only 61 days away)... a coworker and I walked 7 miles on Sunday... the walking part wasn't too bad... my feet didn't start hurting till i was 6.5 miles in, and my legs didn't hurt at all... but it was sooooooo cold... like 30 degrees cold... but we walked anyway... and it was a good time... next weekend we're walking 9-10 miles... i'm excited about that!!!

and i've increased my daily walking to 4 miles... adding that extra mile the first day almost killed me... but i made it, and now it doesn't bother me at all...

go april! kick butt!!!

some vacation pictures

Pub in Icklingham


Chris's Flat (first balcony above purple sign)


Marketplace and Great St. Mary's Church


King's College


King's College Chapel & Senate House (on rt)


Mathematical Bridge across the River Cam


Fitzwilliam Museum


Shopping!!!

I have tons more pictures, so you'll just have to wait till you see me in person to get the full viewing...

vacation!!!

Thurs 2/09 - got up super early and worked out (plan was to get up early and wear myself out so i would sleep on the plane) and then went to work... didn't do much of anything, was too excited to concentrate... left straight from work for the airport... my plan from the morning didn't work... i did not sleep on the plane at all...

Fri 2/10 - was very cranky when i got to london... chris was very understanding... when we got to base i was ready to crash... so i slept for a bit while he went to work... that evening we went for dinner at an Indian restaurant in New Market and then for drinks afterward...

Sat 2/11 - chris and i went to the BX and a neighboring base's BXtra to get some things he would need to set up his flat... he also bought a sofa... it was his birthday so i made dinner for him... then we went over to the high school track and did some walking/running... pretty uneventful day...

Sun 2/12 - it was a dreary day... and chris bought an antique table and chairs from a gal at one of the other local bases... we made several trips to get the items since his car is small... finally he had to take apart the table legs to get it to fit... it was a long day of driving around and moving stuff...

Mon 2/13 - We had lunch at a pub in Icklingham (not far from the base)... they had the best chips ever... made from heaven potatoes, i'm sure... after that we went to cambridge and chris picked up the keys to his flat, and we were able to drop off some of the table/chairs pieces... he had to go back to work in the afternoon, but that evening we made another trip to cambridge to drop off more stuff and have dinner at a pub called "The Wrestlers" - the sign was pretty gay, but the food was great, thai food even... and then we went to Tesco - a giant grocery store... and i loved it... so much fresh foods, and so little crap that's bad for you...

Tues 2/14 - woke up early so i could be taken to cambrige before chris went to work... that morning i received his unaccompanied baggage (clothes and computer, mostly)... after that, i rested and did some crafting on his v'day gift (made rosebuds out of hershey kisses)... I was going to make a yummy dinner that night of cubed steak and gravy and mashed potatoes... and i guess chris had never heard of cubed steak, so he got steak, cut into cubes (kabob meat)... even though it wasn't what i had hoped for, we still made a yummy dinner... and the potatoes he bought were the heaven potatoes, so that made everything okay... after dinner we were bored, so we went to Tesco again, and then to a pub called the Hobpine for a drink later (it's right behind his flat)...

Wed 2/15 - the sofa was to be delivered that morning, but it wouldn't fit through one of the doorways... oh well... in the afternoon, i strolled around the shopping plaza that chris lives above... Graften Plaza... it was pretty neat... after several hours of walking, i went back to the flat and napped... after dinner that night, we, again, went to Tesco (notice a pattern?)

Thurs 2/16 - the rest of chris's stuff arrived... so i spent the morning unpacking kitchen and bedroom stuff... that afternoon i did a self guided walking tour of the historical sights of Cambridge... it was very good... a lovely day for walking... i walked for about 4 hours and then headed back to the flat for my usual afternoon nap... that evening for dinner, we ate at the Hobpine... they didn't have nearly as good chips as the place in Icklingham...

Fri 2/17 - i unpacked some more stuff in the morning while it was dreary out... and then in the afternoon i started my 2nd walking tour, but got distracted by shopping... so i walked around town for many hours, toting bags of souvineers and shoes... after making dinner together at home, chris and i joined some of his squadron mates for drinks and then we were going to go bowling... well, 10pm and both of us were too tired to bowl... so we went home... boy, we're getting to be old farts...

Sat 2/18 - we had breakfast at Little Chef - i finally had beans and toast for breakfast (the traditional thing) and we headed to base so i could take some pics... we had lunch again in Icklingham in hopes of having some Heaven Chips... but they were out of chips... oh well... that afternoon, chris and I walked around and did some more shopping... it was nice... that evening we did a pub crawl... we stayed within a couple of blocks of his flat and still managed to drink too much... hehe... but it was fun...

Sun 2/19 - got up early, headed for the airport... made my way home... i'm so ready to go back... *sigh*