It is still raining. Flooding from Maryland to Connecticut. Listening to the weather... It will clear perhaps on Friday. I took the dogs out this morning and we all got soaked to the skin. Took a shower and felt like deja vu all over again.
Note to self: Regain Kayak sent to NH... Maybe very necessary!
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Balance ... Life beyond the Teeter totter
As mentioned in the last post, we are quickly coming up on the mid year mark. If you doubt me, look at the champagne flutes. They probably have a nice coating of dust that has settled on them. This year with re-locating to CT from Georgia I haven't pulled up my goals as much as I tend to do. I am ashamed of where I am with my personal goals. I didn't change a ton of them from the previous year except to expand and go to the next step.
I am on target and nailing the professional goals. I am on track with the financial sales figures, proactive with promoting the company vision of peer networking. (Heck - just establishing this blog gives me brownie points).
It is the personal goals I am missing on:
1) Health Goals ... not even close to dropping the weight.. In fact, have gained since I wrote them in December.
Actions - Joined an online program .. found out the method behind the madness is 1200 calories and a discussion board that doesn't work.... cancelling my membership.
I am getting better at the exercise goal on this that doubles with spending quality time with Annie and Seamus. We are forced to do laps in a local park because of the curbing rules here in the townhouse community. - That is a subject for a several part blog series to come...
Metric century ride. Well, I have been riding on the road more since the move. I have my own 18 mile loop and feel stronger doing it each time. The clip-in pedals are on the bike and I am about to leave the trainer and try it on the road. All steps toward doing 62.5 miles. I don't think that will happen by September though. We will see.
2)Clean home and keep up with laundry - Okay well that was easy in Georgia. I had the Silvas to clean for me It was only my laundry when I wrote the goal etc.
We do try but there are still boxes around. The dogs bring in soo much dirt. And I don't have a handle on getting rid of junk mail here yet.
On the plus side, I have established a cleaning routine for Saturdays and most of the time WE get it done... which helps to check off another goal.
Goals that need to change:
Go on vacation to Europe. Nice idea if I plan to go by myself. Hubby has no vacation with the job move. Looks like 2007 for that one.
2 sets of friends outside our group: Well - joint friends no... I have met a couple of people in the park and through the Brittany rescue league. We also have a great group of friends and family here that we are seeing ... Revise to one set... See how it goes.
Goals are balancing the future with the flack that gets thrown at you. Professionally - GREAT JOB.. Personally - I have work to do.
How are you doing with the New Year's stake in the sand... Are you flying high or stuck with your feet on the ground?
I am on target and nailing the professional goals. I am on track with the financial sales figures, proactive with promoting the company vision of peer networking. (Heck - just establishing this blog gives me brownie points).
It is the personal goals I am missing on:
1) Health Goals ... not even close to dropping the weight.. In fact, have gained since I wrote them in December.
Actions - Joined an online program .. found out the method behind the madness is 1200 calories and a discussion board that doesn't work.... cancelling my membership.
I am getting better at the exercise goal on this that doubles with spending quality time with Annie and Seamus. We are forced to do laps in a local park because of the curbing rules here in the townhouse community. - That is a subject for a several part blog series to come...
Metric century ride. Well, I have been riding on the road more since the move. I have my own 18 mile loop and feel stronger doing it each time. The clip-in pedals are on the bike and I am about to leave the trainer and try it on the road. All steps toward doing 62.5 miles. I don't think that will happen by September though. We will see.
2)Clean home and keep up with laundry - Okay well that was easy in Georgia. I had the Silvas to clean for me It was only my laundry when I wrote the goal etc.
We do try but there are still boxes around. The dogs bring in soo much dirt. And I don't have a handle on getting rid of junk mail here yet.
On the plus side, I have established a cleaning routine for Saturdays and most of the time WE get it done... which helps to check off another goal.
Goals that need to change:
Go on vacation to Europe. Nice idea if I plan to go by myself. Hubby has no vacation with the job move. Looks like 2007 for that one.
2 sets of friends outside our group: Well - joint friends no... I have met a couple of people in the park and through the Brittany rescue league. We also have a great group of friends and family here that we are seeing ... Revise to one set... See how it goes.
Goals are balancing the future with the flack that gets thrown at you. Professionally - GREAT JOB.. Personally - I have work to do.
How are you doing with the New Year's stake in the sand... Are you flying high or stuck with your feet on the ground?
Monday, June 26, 2006
Rainy Days and Mondays
Yuck... Here it is Monday... It has been raining since 5:30 (quitting time) on Friday and just awful. I know the time because I had stepped outside to finish a call when Jim had come home and was playing with the dogs. It started to rain and then pour all night ... The dogs are bored out of their minds. We tried to get a quick walk in the park on Sunday morning only to have the mist (English Sunshine) abrupt into a downpour as soon as we got to the backside of the trail. I got home to have Mr. Sunshine himself ask, "Wet T-Shirt contest" ... Funnyman.. Dry the dogs off Mister.
Here is the weekend count:
Here is the weekend count:
- 1 hour on the trainer
- 1 lap around the 1/2 mile loop in a sort of run interrrupted by bio breaks
- 2 pizzas
- 1 bottle of wine
- 1 book finished
- 5 loads of laundry
- 1 successful trip to Macy's
- lots and lots of TV - including some terrific specials on the History Channel
- Learned how to rip music CD's onto the computer...
- Recyclables to the dump and returned to the bottle center
- Realized my husband wasn't crazy about an old hang up of his and will drop the subject
- Pedicure
- Three ice coffees
- No Naps - Big Mistake (maybe less ice coffee)
Back to work to put the push on for the last week in the quarter/half year. I have owned my car for a year this week and have about 11K miles including the trip North from Georgia. Time to look at the goals I laid down at the start of the year and see how I am doing. Perhaps that will be my next entry.
Thursday, June 22, 2006
Find a Burnt out Cellar Hole- Investment and Saving Advice
My Grandfather was a story teller. He probably would have loved being able to get on line and tell the world his investment wisdom. Moreover, his saving strategy. Pauline, pay your self first. I got my first bank account when I was about 6 years old. I think I had over $100 in pennies, nickels, quarters and dollars squirreled away on my 25 cent a week allowance.
Grandpa taught or rather hammered into his two sons, 4 grandchildren and anyone else that was bright enough or even if they weren't his advice of saving first or pay yourself first. I will tell you he retired early in today's terms after spending 40 years with a major insurance company. He was well off for a man with 2 days of nineth grade education. You might say he and Peter Jennings had a lot in common that way.
Okay what does this have to do with a burnt out cellar hole?
Grandpa's favorite advice for anyone that was in the market to buy a house or God Forbid take out a mortgage was this... Find a burn-out cellar hole... buy the land and build. Rational? The chances of a house burning down in the same spot unlikely... the foundation hole was already there... chances are their was a working well or public water system already there... etc. Do you catch my drift? Build it yourself as much as possible.. Well Grandpere.. I didn't do it.. I have moved three times since you passed on. However, the saving advice allowed me to purchase my first home at 23 years old. Two of your grandchildren have built (or are building) there own homes and did much of the work themselves.
Why does this come to the front of my brain? Jim has sent me two articles that he said I had predicted the unfortunate outcome of in terms of trends in America.
Savings - only 4 of 10 people have an emergency savings account in case of the loss of a job, illness or other castrophy. WOW! That is three months rent, food, and bills... Shocking and very scary given the state of the Social Security situation.
Mortgages - or should I say Foreclosures - are on the rise because people can't afford the ARM raises in their payment. Ouch.... ARM Mortgages are only for people that are investing or only going to live in the property for two years because their company will move them again. This is the same for those weird mortgages that you can pick the payment or interest only. Stick with fixed. Look at least you know what the payment is ... your taxes will go up ... why should you be playing the slots with your interest rate?
The real kicker is this... If you have, know or employ a teenager... listen up! Statistics show if you have 16 year old that is able to SAVE $4000 a year between the ages of 16-21 and invests it in growth for the long term.... It will be well over a million by the time they hit their sixties. I know good luck getting that through any teenagers head. However, if you have grandchildren ... what a way to leave them a legacy.... I guess you could revise this to $1100 a year from the time they were born? As Grandpa would say .. Are you with me now?
I thank God for my Grandpa each time I make a sale, make my mortgage payment, and send that little extra off to the investment portfolio.
How do you make the Buffalo Scream?
Old Dog Finds New Tricks and Energy
My Golden Retriever, Annie has taught me a lot about life over the past 10 years. She has just turned 10 and that is 70 in dog years. She has taught me about love, patience, forgiveness, and much more.
Lately, the years have been beginning to show in the white muzzle and she has been showing the signs of arthritis. After being confirmed by her doctors here and in Georgia, we finally put her on Cosequin for her joints.
Within a couple of days, both cooler temperatures and her energy seem to come back to full strength. She actually raised up on her hind legs at the park to give a stranger a kiss on the face. Where as this is behavior I am not in favor of with strangers, it made my heart sing to see her feeling better.
The last week the temperatures soared back to the 90’s and even at 7 AM it was muggy and hot out for our morning 1.5 miles in the Park. She started pulling the old tricks again of lying down after the first ½ mile lap and refusing to go any farther. This was much to the dismay of Seamus (her younger brother, Brittany Spaniel) and myself. She has a unique way of telling us this by rolling over onto her back and not moving until she gets a fully belly rub and personal attention.
Today, I violated the park rules. It was only a couple of walkers we know and love the two dogs. I snapped off her leash and let her go free. Come to find out, she wasn’t exhausted… She needed to let out the inner puppy and telling me to do the same. She raced off to the swings and then flopped down on the ground to roll around on the grass. TOUCHDOWN ANNIE!! She didn’t want to walk around in circles. Annie wanted to play, be free from the leashes of life and smell the fresh cut grass.
After a couple of times around the playground kicking up those arthritic heels, she was ready to go back on lead and finish the laps.
I have been so busy with the move, my career and travel associated with it, and my in-laws 50th anniversary… I haven’t had a chance to do a lot for myself. Taking time to walk down to the pool and plop. Check out the gym with spin classes. Etc. So I urge everyone to look to their dogs for the little life lessons.. Naps, Exercise, plenty of water and toys, cuddle with the ones you love, and never lose your inner puppy.
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Favorite Books by the Geek
I sent this link off to a couple of my best friends and family members yesterday and got a phone call from an individual that qualifies under both catagories. Between the peals of laughter (not at the content but at me), calling me a geek and what the heck was I listing all of the books under my favorites ... when I read mostly trash novels. Yes... I do read them along with Business books, political books, and a lot of historical fiction... However, the premise was my favorite books.
Recently, Real Simple magazine had a reader question "What is your Favorite Book" - the responses were all over the map from Charlotte's Web to the Bible to Gift from the Sea.
When I think of favorite books, I think of those that I go back to and use over and over again. I also remember a line I think Hawkeye Pierce said in M*A*S*H .. His favorite was the Dictionary because all the other words were in it. ... Here are why I listed some of mine....
Roger's Thesaurus - I purchased my copy at the Oxford University Bookstore. I use it daily because I can't spell and have always loved words and it reminds me of my time at Oxford. I don't know how to spell something, I look up a word that means the same thing...
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare - I have seen 16 of his plays and read most of the others including the Sonnets. The book reminds me of my mother's love of Shakespeare and the Theatre and blessed me with the same passion for great writing and plays.
Emily Post - My grandfather gave me this book on Etiquette when I turned 20. I think it was the last gift that he picked out and personally gave to me. He wrote inside the book. I have always used it to set the table and figure out ways to handle difficult situations. It gives me the thought of "how would Grandma handle this" and the answer is always in the pages.
Getting to Yes - This is a book on negotiation. It was a text book and a best seller on the art of negotiation. Okay, where as I don't do foreign policy. Some of the customers requests and contract processes I go through are less stressful having read it over and over again...
Finally Better Homes and Gardens - The New Cookbook - I love this cookbook. Every great comfort food is in there. As well as what temperature to cook a Turkey and many many other receipes.... It is my never fail cookbook. However, rarely do I stick to a receipe in it without my own twist to it.
Currently I am reading three books - SeaBiscuit, The Martha Rules (business) and finishing a Nicholas Sparks book I bought in Vegas. Next on the pile after these is the Mayflower..
What are your favorites ? Hit the Comment tab!
Recently, Real Simple magazine had a reader question "What is your Favorite Book" - the responses were all over the map from Charlotte's Web to the Bible to Gift from the Sea.
When I think of favorite books, I think of those that I go back to and use over and over again. I also remember a line I think Hawkeye Pierce said in M*A*S*H .. His favorite was the Dictionary because all the other words were in it. ... Here are why I listed some of mine....
Roger's Thesaurus - I purchased my copy at the Oxford University Bookstore. I use it daily because I can't spell and have always loved words and it reminds me of my time at Oxford. I don't know how to spell something, I look up a word that means the same thing...
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare - I have seen 16 of his plays and read most of the others including the Sonnets. The book reminds me of my mother's love of Shakespeare and the Theatre and blessed me with the same passion for great writing and plays.
Emily Post - My grandfather gave me this book on Etiquette when I turned 20. I think it was the last gift that he picked out and personally gave to me. He wrote inside the book. I have always used it to set the table and figure out ways to handle difficult situations. It gives me the thought of "how would Grandma handle this" and the answer is always in the pages.
Getting to Yes - This is a book on negotiation. It was a text book and a best seller on the art of negotiation. Okay, where as I don't do foreign policy. Some of the customers requests and contract processes I go through are less stressful having read it over and over again...
Finally Better Homes and Gardens - The New Cookbook - I love this cookbook. Every great comfort food is in there. As well as what temperature to cook a Turkey and many many other receipes.... It is my never fail cookbook. However, rarely do I stick to a receipe in it without my own twist to it.
Currently I am reading three books - SeaBiscuit, The Martha Rules (business) and finishing a Nicholas Sparks book I bought in Vegas. Next on the pile after these is the Mayflower..
What are your favorites ? Hit the Comment tab!
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Weekend that felt Like a Weekend
Okay .... Recently I have been speaking with a friend of mine and the conversations tends to fall... did that feel like a weekend... boy .. not really - This one did !
Spent Friday night and Saturday morning with the typically cleaning and shopping routines. We had friends coming in for the Southbury Road Race. Shortly after 1Pm, Ivan (our Best Man), Nancy, and their teammate and friend Bob arrived for the weekend. Off to Southbury to preview the 27 mile loop ( done twice) both days were in the 90's. Not easy. .. nope I didn't even strap on the shoes! I went shopping to the Loft for a workout on the Amex card instead.
Back to the house for dinner and swapping of stories. Both Nancy and Bob were patient and great listeners to the tails of Ivan, Branny, Keith and the famous Rob. We went to bed too late and got up to get the racing trio off to Southbury on time. I give everyone credit for making it to the start line in that heat. I personally napped with the pets.
My wish is to come back as my pet!
After the racers were home and showered... off to the Redding Roadhouse for lunch and beverages. Thanks Iv for a great meal. We can't wait to come to Delaware. Nancy is fantastic. It is so great to see you smiling. This was the first of terrific times we can share again. ... I promise to work hard to be able to limp along on rides with all of you stellar cyclists!
What a weekend !!
Spent Friday night and Saturday morning with the typically cleaning and shopping routines. We had friends coming in for the Southbury Road Race. Shortly after 1Pm, Ivan (our Best Man), Nancy, and their teammate and friend Bob arrived for the weekend. Off to Southbury to preview the 27 mile loop ( done twice) both days were in the 90's. Not easy. .. nope I didn't even strap on the shoes! I went shopping to the Loft for a workout on the Amex card instead.
Back to the house for dinner and swapping of stories. Both Nancy and Bob were patient and great listeners to the tails of Ivan, Branny, Keith and the famous Rob. We went to bed too late and got up to get the racing trio off to Southbury on time. I give everyone credit for making it to the start line in that heat. I personally napped with the pets.
My wish is to come back as my pet!
After the racers were home and showered... off to the Redding Roadhouse for lunch and beverages. Thanks Iv for a great meal. We can't wait to come to Delaware. Nancy is fantastic. It is so great to see you smiling. This was the first of terrific times we can share again. ... I promise to work hard to be able to limp along on rides with all of you stellar cyclists!
What a weekend !!
Friday, June 16, 2006
Time vs. Money ....
I have always said that you can make more money but not more time. I have had this entry up for two days on my lap top and have not taken the "time" to type anything. Part of me wanted to give you an update on my week in Las Vegas or as an old timer in the Bradley Airport called it Lost Wages - Very Cute I thought. So here it is in a nutshell - Also very cute as squirrels are burying something outside my window....
Got to Vegas on Sunday the 11th. Half way to the Hotel - There ARE extra tickets to "O" a Cirque Du Soliel production. Turn the cab around .. we are now up to a 75 buck fare ... back to the Bellagio.. Great performance! Mom would have loved counting the lighting cues. I couldn't keep up with them and all of the set changes.... Having spent the first part of my career working in and then managing the Professional Theater box office ... I had seen more theater by 17 than most ... The picture embedded is of the clown act at "O". They were really funny...
Got to my hotel room - Upgraded to a 2200 sq ft suite - SWEEETT - too bad I never got to enjoy it. However, I will totally give kudos to the JW Marriott in LV. Very nice !! - For those of you I offered to join me ... Jim, Melanie and Maria ..... Tough nuggies on you.
The event went off well - Customers were very happy - You know when you get hugs at the airport from clients that you did something special - Given these are Customer Service Executives and those that sell to them. It made me feel especially proud of our Team.
Came home and got ready for guests.....
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