Off Tomorrow!

Yeah, I have tomorrow off. Originally, Bill and I were both taking tomorrow off so that we could head up to West Virginia early for our annual whitewater rafting weekend. Now, Bill's company is moving to their new location today and he is going to work tomorrow. We will leave for WV as soon as he gets home.

I had thought about cancelling my vacation day to save for another time. I decided this morning to just take the day anyway. I have more vacation time than Bill. I will still have 6 vacation days and 1 personal day after tomorrow. So, what the heck - I might as well enjoy myself. I can get some laundry done, run an errand or two, take Sammy to the kennel at a leisurely pace. Maybe I can even watch a movie!! If Bill gets off early, we can leave as soon as he gets home. Sounds like a plan to me. I even get to sleep in tomorrow!

Nephews: 3, Nieces: 0

Well, my sister-in-law had her sonogram yesterday and it looks like she will have another boy. I am pretty disappointed by this news; I really wanted a niece. I don't know why, but I always seem to want anyone I know to have a girl. Maybe it is because I am girl myself and I know what it is like to grow up as one. For me, I feel like I would do much better with a female child - I really have no idea what boys like to do or the toys they have. But a girl - I could easily spoil her with sweet clothes, dolls, stuffed bears, and all things pink. I guess my wish will not come true this time.

BOYS ARE STINKY!!

Say Hello to Schatzi

Schatzi is my step brother, Jamie's, new puppy. She is a white German Shepard who was 11 weeks old in this picture. She is so sweet, but has the razor sharp puppy teeth. She is teething now, so she bites anything that comes near her mouth. Still, what a baby!!

I Love MJ!!

The best, best thing I bought while in Boston is a new pair of shoes. No, not the Prada sandals I craved from Barney's (yes, they were too expensive). Here's how I got my new shoes:

I went into the Marc by Marc Jacobs (one of my favorite designers) store on Newberry Street in Boston on Wednesday. I tried on a few pairs of shoes since they were 40% off, but decided that they were still pretty expensive. After Bill arrived on Friday, we were walking down Newberry Street again to kill some time before meeting my step mother for dinner. When we walked by, I noticed that the sign for the sale now read 70% off!! I went right in to look for the shoes I had liked, and sent Bill to verify that they really were on sale. They were!!! You have never seen me happier than the moment that I realized I could buy those shoes without guilt!!! Even Bill said I had a huge grin on my face. Now, I am the proud owner of these beauties.

I wish I were in Boston

Bill arrived in Boston last Friday (I had been there since Wednesday). Dad and I picked him up at Logan, and my sweet father drove up out to the Samuel Adams Brewery, the one thing we both really wanted to see. We toured the brewery - one of four in the country. This location is their flagship location, but does very little bottling. They do a lot of R&D and brewing for competitions. They do brew for the Boston area, but their other plants do the majority of brewing for the country.

After a brief tour, we got to do what the whole group wanted the most to do - taste some beer!! We were given 3 samples in our own 7 oz. glasses. We tried the Boston Lager, the Summer Ale, and a brew called Helles that is not in production and has no plans to be released. It was a great way to spend the afternoon - much better than being at work any day!! As you can see, the sun was shining and the temperature was warm - a far cry from a day earlier!

More to come on Boston with more pictures, too!!

Camelot still exists

After a great run this morning (yes, even on vacation I ran - 3 miles around a lake that my wonderful father took me to) I went off on my own in the big city of Boston. I went to the JFK Library and Museum. What a great place. There was so much to see - footage from the presidential election, inaugural addresses, a special exhibit of Jackie Kennedy entertaining at the White House, and so much more. I thoroughly enjoyed looking at all of the artifacts-seating charts, letters, photos, and even dresses. It was a great way to pass the afternoon. I really felt like I belonged in the 60's. Maybe I should have grown up during that era. I love Jackie Kennedy. She was 31 years old when she came to the White House. I can't even imagine being the First Lady at such a young age, let alone one who was known for her class, grace, and style.

After my return to Melrose, we went to see my kid brother play lacrosse. I had never seen lacrosse before, but it has many similarities to hockey. I enjoyed it except for the 50 degree weather. I really feels more like October than June. It is supposed to be warmer later in the weekend - I sure hope it is.

Live from Boston

It has been so long since I updated this blog... Sorry, but I have been too busy. This past weekend was crazy - so crazy that I had to burn a 1/2 personal day last Friday to get my hair done! I just could not get the time in to do it otherwise.

We ran the Komen Race for the Cure on Saturday morning. I set a personal record for time in a 5K race. It's not a great time for a runner in general, but it is the best I have ever done. We also managed to attend my best friend Lisa's baby shower Saturday afternoon. Of course, we also hosted a party to show off our new deck Sunday night with about 15 folks in attendance. It was a very busy weekend. Since then:
1. I found out the a Vice President of our company is committing fraud by using her corporate Amex for personal charges
2. Attended our Team Meeting for work with after meeting fun activity (we went to a park with mini golf, arcade games, etc., and our staff parked in the bar - surprise, surprise)
3. Flew to Boston
4. Spent the day shopping in the downtown area - Yes, I saw a fantastic pair of Prada sandals on sale for $360.00. I couldn't buy them though, since it seemed wrong to buy shoes that cost more tan the airfare to Boston. I may have to go back...

And now, I have had too much wine and am trying desperately to make sense while needing to pee. Guess I will have to read this entry tomorrow and remove anything embarrassing...

Morning Routine

I started a new morning routine last week. I have started to get up at 6:15 am regardless of the day. I was getting up that early only on Tuesdays so that I could do my training run in the morning before work. Now, I have started to get up anyway so I can take my sweet Sammy for a walk. For the past two days, I have run in the am, then went back to get Samantha for a short walk. It is a good thing that may be killing me. Really, I do feel pretty good by the time I get to work, except for today. Since I did not run this weekend, I ran 2 miles both Monday and today. It was the first time I had ever run two days in a row. I guess it's a good thing to shake up the routine and do something new. I just took some Motrin, so I hope that will help my sore legs. Still, overall I guess I do feel really good.

Tomorrow, I will still get up at 6:15 am, but for a different reason. The Nordstrom half-yearly sale for women starts tomorrow and doors open at 7:00 am. You know where I will be if you need me tomorrow morning. We'll take a morning walk on Thursday, Sammy, I promise!!

After a Long weekend...

We had a very good, but long weekend.

We spent Friday night at home, since it seems like we do not do that often anymore. We grilled up some great German sausages, and saw the movie Catch and Release. It is definitely a chick flick, but I liked it.

Saturday began at 6:15 am with a walk for our doggie. Bill and I took Sammy out before we headed to meet the folks from the Piedmont Chevy Car Club for our day at Bruegger's Bagels. Our friend, Mike, recently opened a Bruegger's store. He thought a classic car show would help bring in customers. By my account, it sure did! There were 9 of us from the club, plus about 12-15 other folks who dropped in and enjoyed the fairly mild June weather. Everyone enjoyed free food and a good time. After the event, we visited our friends Lisa and Kevin to see the progress on the nursery. Lisa is now 31 weeks pregnant with twin boys. All seems well - we'll go to their shower next weekend. That should be fun - it will be Bill's first (and probably last) baby shower!! After getting a few things done around the house, we went off for Indian food, then came home and basically crashed.

Sunday was our sleep in day - finally!! We relaxed in the AM, then did chores in the afternoon. We had a fantastic dinner at 18 Seaboard in Raleigh before attending the play Sweet Charity. We saw Molly Ringwald in the lead role as Charity. She isn't a trained dancer, but her voice was really good and I thought she did a great job. There were some very funny scenes, and I thought the set decoration was particularly good. Of course, there was no happy ending for Charity. I'm a girly girl - I like the happy endings.

Bill and I have decided the first weekend in July is our off weekend. We are going to sit at home and do nothing for 2 days. Can't wait!!