Vacation and a Brick Wall

Yep - I went on vacation. For two weeks. I went back to visit my family in Florida including my new niece and attended a friend's wedding.
I got work calls on 8 different days while I was gone :(

And I came back to a harsh work reality. Not just an I've-been-gone-for-two-weeks-my-work-has-been-piling-up -while-I-was-gone reality, but a New-financial-systems-launch-this-week, Big-project-that-I-thought-I-was-finished-with-(twice)-needs-more-work, Welcome-to-budget-season-you-need-to-have-it-in-the-system-and-locked-this-week, Quarter-end, Government-fiscal-year-end-so-all-contracts-end-and-start-new-and-oh-yeah-you-need-to-create-the-invoices-for-them, can-you-do-this-work-I-said-I-would-do-while-you-were-gone-but-never-really-intended-to-do, can-you-price-this-deal reality. All of this is something that is either due this week (and I haven't completed it yet) or due next week. Like running smack into a brick wall. Grrr.

Maybe the weather is making me cranky. The first night I got back it was in the 60's, but since the high has been closer to 55 and it's been rainy. So much for getting out and enjoying fall.

Ok. I'm done whining. Back to work. More to come about my vacation soon. You know, when I get a chance to blog again!

Vacation

If I can just survive this week at work, I will get two weeks off! (minus the time that I have to log in from vacation).

You would think that having vacation to look forward to would make the week go faster. So far that's not the case. Too much work to do to prep for vacation. And lots of work to do when I get back to make up for the work missed on vacation. What is the purpose of a vacation if you don't really get time off, you just spread it into the week before and the week after?

Sometimes I miss the days of working at Target or Bath & Body Works because anyone could do my job when I missed work (not that I ever missed work!)

Hmmm... I need a vacation!

Fall

Labor Day is the unofficial start of fall. I love fall - sweaters, apples, pumpkins, halloween, seeing the leaves change and fall, fall festivals, visiting the wineries...

Welcome Fall!

Our Nation's Capital

I visit Our Nation's Capital more and more frequently lately. When I moved to Minnesota and started this job, I was told that I would be traveling infrequently (twice a year maybe?), but since we have a Florida office as well, I would probably end up there once a year. Not bad - a free flight and the ability to extend my trip for a family visit.
I have been at this job for about two and a half years. For the first year and a half, I traveled about four times a year. Mostly I have traveled to Our Nation's Capital, but I did go to the Pennsylvania office once.
In the last year, I have traveled to Our Nation's Capital much more frequently. Mostly due to the BIG project I've had on my plate (that you'll note I've finished a few times because of requests for revisions). I am again in Our Nation's Capital today heading back to Minnesota. This trip was unexpected - I had about 24 hours from when I found out I needed to come and when I needed to arrive. This is my third trip in about a month. So much for infrequent travel.
I have not yet visited the Florida office.

With the exception of one trip to Our Nation's Capital (when I attended a training, not a meeting), I spend most of my time in the office. We work long days, and there is usually work to be done back at the hotel after dinner. The extent of my sightseeing is looking at the monuments out the office or plane window.

Now that the big project is done (at least for now), I have decided that I should be taking some more time to see the Capital while I'm there. Any suggestions on what to see if I only have time to see it after 7pm? Since we're moving towards winter, it will be dark soon after 7. Maybe one of these trips I'll be able to stay through the weekend!

I'm told that we are planning a meeting at our Florida office. I'm not holding my breath.

I would have liked to stay in the Capital over the holiday weekend, but I have tickets tonight for the Vikings vs. Cowboys game!

Not Me! Monday

It isn't an official Not Me! Monday, but I have been on hiatus for a while, so here goes. In the last week (or maybe ten days) I did (not) do the following:
- welcome my parents to MN
- sign the lease for a new apartment
- move me into the new apartment
- go to the park to see the Pops Orchestra
- see the Art Car Parade
- listen to the orchestra play my baby song (Oh What a Beautiful Morning from Okalahoma)
- fly to DC for a last minute meeting
- fly home from DC
- turn in the keys to my old apartment
- go to Historic Murphy's Landing
- get called away from Murphy's Landing for a last minute work conference call
- drop my parents off at the airport for them to head back to FL
- work
- work
- happy hour for my 30th birthday
- work
- 18 mile bike ride (on a sucky bike - I thought I was going to die)
- Birthday night out - dinner and the dueling piano bar
- bike shopping (so I don't die next time)
- realize the tonado sirens also go off for severe thunderstorms
- let some crickets into the apartment while bringing in the patio futniture (I have a patio!)
- clean up after the cat when she ate, then threw up one of the crickets
- work
- head back to DC

I am (not) currently sitting in DC again. For the second time in a little over a week.

I do have a few new things to post about, but they will have to wait until things settle down a little.

Today...

is my golden Birthday :)

Just a Quick Note

I've been super busy lately - work and home. I just moved and don't have internet access yet (I'm taking a quick break at work to post this) so I'll update more once I'm all settled in and have internet!

You had me at…

Sleeping Porch!! I’ve mentioned once or twice (or three, four, or five times) about my weird desire to sleep outside (not camping style).

Check out this prefab home from Michelle Kaufmann Designs.

It has a screened sleeping porch!!

I love how it’s a modern take on a farmhouse. Isn’t it cute?!?

sigh – I always find the best homes when I’m apartment hunting.

Hmmm, need to start looking for the perfect piece of land and the winning lottery ticket.

But first, I should probably find an apartment to live in between now and then.

Sigh……

What Happens in Vegas…

gets blogged about.

In this whiny post a while back I mentioned that I had a trip planned to Vegas to visit D. And then in this post I learned that he had relocated and would no longer be in Vegas for my trip.

Whatever happened to my trip? I still went. I had a work training out there and some friends met me afterward for a long weekend. D was supposed to be in Orlando, but ended up in Denver. (Even though he has “relocated” up by me, he travels a LOT for his job and we still rarely see each other :( Ok – enough whining for now.)

The trip was actually the first week in April, but I came back to a mess at work and am just now getting around to blogging about it.

I have to say that Vegas is fun with friends, but really boring when you’re just walking around by yourself. Thank you to the two women from Texas that sat next to me in my training and took pity on me invited me to join them for lunch and dinner!

I never had any desire to visit Las Vegas, but I’m glad I went. It was fun, but the best part was the gorgeous hotel and pool (I spent the vacation part of my trip at the Venetian) which I could have done at any pretty hotel. For my next “real” vacation (trips back home to Florida don’t count) I want a passport stamp!

Slowly Going "Green" - Grass-Fed Beef

So in my attempt to be “green”, I have been looking at buying local. I tried out a local co-op that has grass-fed beef. It’s something I’ve looked at before, but I had never really tried. I don’t typically cook meat at home since I’m not really good in the kitchen (a few exceptions – anything in the crock pot, and a few recipes where all have to do is stick it in the oven with a meat thermometer in it).

So on Saturday I was out and about, hungry and needing to pick up some groceries. I head to the co-op and get some frozen pizzas for Saturday’s dinner, and decide to pick up a piece of beef for Sunday.

I should have mentioned at the beginning of this post that not everyone will want to read it. For example – folks who get queasy easily.

Ok – now that I’ve warned you. It’s really nice that the package has the packaged date and a use-by date. The particular steak I picked up was packaged just two days before. Talk about fresh!

I had read online about different cooking methods to make sure the meat doesn’t get tough (apparently a big complaint from people switching from “regular” meat to grass-fed). What I didn’t prepare myself for was that when I opened the plastic it would drip on me. Not regular meat-juice. Blood. Like when you prick your finger or cut yourself shaving. Real blood. Not meat-juice.

I have always been able to separate in my mind the animal from what I’m eating. So I marinate the meat and cook it (using the meat thermometer to be sure I don’t overcook it). And yet, when I sit down to dinner – I couldn’t separate the meat from the animal. Don’t get me wrong, I ate it (well, the half of it I was planning to eat). But I couldn’t help think that this is why people become vegetarian. And I didn’t enjoy it. The other half will not be eaten.

I don’t think I could go vegetarian – I hate beans! So I guess I’ll go back to not making meat at home. Ew.

Burger King

They need to fire their advertising company. First, it was the creepy Burger “King”. Then, if you ate at Burger King, you would grow a large mustache, now it’s a square butt?!? (If you haven’t seen them, it’s worth clicking on the links. It’s freaky and will make you think twice before going to BK.) Freaky!

Apartments

I'm not a fan. My building is just about full, which means I (finally) have neighbors. I've had neighbors next to me for a while now, and I hardly ever hear them (thank you!!). However, I believe I've just gotten upstairs neighbors. Who are loud. About every half hour everytime I'm home, they hammer on the floor (or at least that's what it sounds like). 8-10 times. Then they stop. They start again in a half hour or so. All day. I think they must stop around midnight.

Last night it sounded like something was hitting my windows. I believe it was the upstairs neighbor again. I had to check my windows to make sure they weren't breaking. Twice. Grrrr.

At least my lease is up this summer, so only a few more months. Except that I still have a house for sale in Florida, which means I can't buy anything up here yet. Which most likely means another apartment. Grrrr again.

The “R” Word

I have a two nieces and a nephew with Down Syndrome, so this is an issue close to my heart. Help spread the word.

Those who throw stones....

Shouldn't live in glass houses. (Isn't that how the saying goes?) But does that mean that if I DON'T throw stones that I can live in a glass house?

My current apartment is a bit of a fishbowl. The exterior wall is floor to ceiling windows (that don't open, Grrrr). I live on a lower floor, and the dog walk area is just outside my window, so I thought it would be weird at first having people be able to see in. There are blinds, but I'm too lazy to put them down each evening and up each morning.

Turns out - I don't really mind it. Sure, I'd prefer to have it facing reserve land or something where no one could see in, but I really like having one whole wall that is the outdoors.

So now I'm thinking that living in a glass house would be pretty cool. Think about it - stare at the stars just before you go to sleep, great views of the lightning in thunderstorms, watching the snow fall.... sounds so peaceful!!


But since I do want a LITTLE privacy. I'm thinking something like this. Doesn't that look amazing?

Too long!

In my Not Me! Monday post, I alluded to D visiting.  He came over on Saturday and picked me up for dinner.  In HIS car.  This was confusing to me since every other time he’s visited he’s had a rental car. 

Turns out, his company has him working up here now!  So he (and his kitties, clothes and car) relocated last week.  What a nice surprise!   He’s staying at his parent’s house – they’re snowbirds – about 25 minutes east of me. 

It’s so exciting to have him in the same state.  We haven’t lived in the same state for two years.  It’s been too long!!

Whatever happened to…

The sleeping porch. I love to see the stars just before I fall asleep, but not really a just-me-and-a-bed-roll-in-the-woods kind of girl. I would love to just roll my bed out onto a porch and sleep in my nice cushy bed under the stars. Of course, screened to keep out the bugs (and keep the cat in) – and quiet enough that I could actually sleep.

Waiting

For the past two years (since I moved to Minnesota) I’ve been waiting. Waiting for the big work project to be over (yes, it’s been that long). Waiting to sell my Florida house so I can buy a place up here. Waiting for my boyfriend “D” to be relocated up to Minnesota. Waiting to go on a nice vacation (need the money for the Florida house, can’t get away from the big work project, can’t match up my schedule and D’s)….. Waiting.

So now that the big work project is complete, I thought I would be able to check one thing off my waiting list. Except that now I move in to another stage of waiting. Waiting for the Government to make the award.

So, although the big work project is “done”, I’m still waiting on it. Waiting for the Florida house to sell. Waiting for D to relocate. Waiting sucks.

And now I’m done whining for tonight.

UPDATE: I am booking a trip to Vegas (where D currently lives). First week of April! Yay!! No more waiting for a vacation :)

Kitty

Kitty has a new house!

This is my attempt at giving her a place to hide besides in my clothes. She likes to open my dresser drawers and sleep in them, or get in the bottom of my closet. I’m hoping she likes this box enough that I won’t have to keep blocking the dresser drawers to keep her out of them!!

DONE!

My big project has gone to print! I’m finished (in theory). I won’t really breathe a sigh of relief until it’s delivered to the government. That day we’re doing Happy Hour! (ok - we're also doing it today)

Valentine’s Pillows

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Today I had to go into the office (3 days left until my project is turned in!!!) and before I went in I ran a few errands.  One of them involved going into Target. 

While there, I found the Target Home Design Event was really cleaned out.  At 75% off, I wandered through and found these green pillows for $6.24 each!!

 

They match my place perfectly!  A little valentine’s gift to me!