West Coast!

I know this blog first started out as a blog for writing down my thoughts during my daily runs. Well, that’s sort of hard to do when I’m not running as much as I should and need to. I’m just so burned out from it. These days I'm running 2x a week and that’s tolerable. I know I need to get going because we have a Half Marathon in a month. The problem is that Steve and I are not scared of the Half Marathon. We know we can muster out a decent finish (under 2:10) without even training. I know that sounds cocky and obnoxious but it’s true. The only reason we feel this way and say this confidently is because we’ve done a Marathon.

Once you do a Marathon and you still have some conditioning left in you, a Half Marathon is no sweat. Now, we’re not going to be setting a record at this race without proper training. So what will likely happen is that Steve and I will start beating ourselves up AFTER the race and talk about how we’re so disappointed and THEN we’ll get fired up to start training hard. It shouldn’t have to be this way but this is where we’re heading unless we get started this weekend. Now if this were the Marathon, we’d be too scared to not train. During the months leading up to the Marathon, you’re too scared to even skip a day because you’re worried about how this is going to affect you during the race. We’re just not scared for the Half Marathon.

So if I’m not running, what the heck am I doing? I spent 4 days in LA with my dear friend Sarah. We took a trip to the West Coast to visit our friend Keith. Keith and I have been friends for 10 years. He is originally from the DC area, graduated from KU, settled in Chicago for 11 years, and then moved to LA 8 months ago. He works for Red Light Management which is a company that manages musicians like Alica Keys, Tim McGraw, Dave Matthews, and many more. Keith lives in West Hollywood --- an awesome location right by all the best restaurants, shopping, and nightlife. It was a great and sad weekend to visit Keith. Great weekend because he took us to a movie premiere and a Pre-Grammy party that his company was hosting. Sad weekend because Whitney Houston died. Keith lives close to the Beverly Hilton so we were actually driving right by the hotel when she was pronounced dead. I still can't believe it!

We had fun celebrity sightings at the movie premiere and the pre-Grammy party: American Idol’s Pia, Tommy Lee, Corrine Bailey Rae, a few famous DJs (who I didn’t know). My favorite celebrity that we met was Gayle King! I became a huge fan of Gayle when Oprah said, “Gayle is just looking for a good man and a nice slice of cake.” That’s when Gayle trumped Oprah in my book. Gayle was so sweet and nice when we met her. She even posed for a picture with us :)

I have always found LA to be interesting. It’s always fun to visit but I can’t see myself living there. I am intrigued and more star struck by people’s jobs than celebrities. For example, the people that Keith hangs out with are mostly in the entertainment industry. We met one of his friends that is a producer for a new reality show that is going to be like Coming to America ……finding a prince that is not well known and have him fall in love with an American girl. She is now doing the casting for the show. Then his other friend is in PR and she is hounded by people that want to break into Hollywood so they are trying to get her to represent them and make them buzz worthy. The best job that I heard about is this guy who is the stylist for Joan Rivers and the Cast of the Bachelor and Bachelorette. He picks out all the outfits for Chris Harrison, The Bachelor, and The Bachelorette. Then he picks out the outfits for the Final 2 contestants. This answered so many questions for me because I have always wondered if all the contestants packed a long white dress thinking that they might be one of the Final 2. Now I know that this guy picks out their outfits! The best part of his job is that he gets to travel to all the amazing destinations with the cast since he is dressing the host and the main guy/gal up for grabs. DREAM COME TRUE!!!

Things I’m grateful for….

1. Quality time with Keith. Great to see him in his new element. It was fun to experience LA through his eyes. Definitely a unique experience and a wonderful weekend! Thanks for being an awesome host and friend, Keith!

2. My friend Sarah is a gem. When I say she is a gem….she truly is in the sense that she can turn the simplest things and make it into a masterpiece. I am always blown away by her creativity and her stylish visions. She is a DIY master – the chic kind of DIY not the bedazzled DIY. She just bought a home in DC and OMG….I love what she has done with her place. It reminds me of a beautiful French chateau with a contemporary splash. Her fashion sense is incredible too….She is always so put together head to toe. All of her outfits are so original, fun, and classy. I always love asking where she gets her outfits because there is always a great story….sometimes she may have found it at the mall or at a vintage boutique or sometimes she may have picked up a few pieces at Target and put a different twist to it like she bought a Target cardigan but changed the buttons on the cardigan with more elegant and sharp buttons. Bam! It looks like the Tory Burch cardigan that I’ve been eyeing! I wish I had the skills Sarah has. I don’t even know how to sew on a button.

3. Aside from the stylish side of Sarah, Sarah is also a gem of a friend to me and Steve. She is extremely kind, generous, thoughtful, compassionate, and beautiful. I love, love, love the great conversations I have with Sarah. She is such a great listener. I always walk away from our conversations inspired and rejuvenated. Thanks for being an incredible friend, Sarah Starr!

Last 9 days....

It's been nine days since I last wrote. I was in FL for 2 days for work and then I flew to Puerto Rico for our National Sales Conference for 5 days, then 2 days at home and now flying back to FL. Overall a good week minus my annoying rep. The highlights last week were:

1. Read my first book of the year: Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? a comic memoir by Mindy Kaling

2. Hanging out with Steve, Popp, Christy, and Carolina in Puerto Rico.

3. NY GIANTS AND THEIR SUPER BOWL WIN!!!

MINDY KALING
She is freakin' hilarious. I didn't even know who she was because I don't watch The Office. Shawna recommended this book because she knew I needed a quick read so that I can keep up with my book reading goal for 2012.

Mindy writes about her life growing up and breaking into the entertainment industry. The thoughts that come out of her mouth are things that run through my mind ALL THE TIME but I don't have the balls to say it out loud. Reading her book made me question, "Am I fake?" I try to be polite so I bite my tongue on a lot of things. Or I say what I want to say but then I dull it down so that I can take the sting out of it.

For example, last week my annoying FL rep was telling me his area is so expensive that my friends couldn’t ever afford to live in FL. He doesn’t know anything about my friends. He just makes this assumption on his own. He used a house that he is trying to buy to prove his point. It is 4 BR, 2 Bath, swimming pool for $225,000. He said, “This is how expensive everything is down here. Your friends would probably run away from here because they couldn’t buy anything.” I finally got fed up with it. I responded with, “My friends could buy 3 of those houses. The stuff that you’re talking about is dirt cheap. You can’t even find a condo 30 miles outside of DC for that price.” He finally shut the hell up. The same guy that talks every second finally shut the hell up. Then I felt bad. He looked so defeated. Here he thinks he’s some big shot and now I’ve taken the wind out of his sails. I hate seeing someone who looks sad, especially if I made them sad or upset. So dumbass me, softens the blow by changing the subject, “Oh Bill (this is not his real name), You’re doing a great job at work. I’m really excited about what you’ve accomplished and what you will accomplish in the next few weeks.” He was ecstatic and went back to his annoying ways. What I said initially was true. I should have left it that. I need to own it when I say something like this. Instead, I’m too worried about being mean or worse, I don’t want him to hate me and not be producing sales. I do plan to give him a piece of my mind at the end of Feb when I’m done working with him. I’ll draft up my thoughts first.

PUERTO RICO

Puerto Rico was mostly work and less play for Steve Popp and me. Carolina, Steve, and Christy got to enjoy the pool, the beach, the gym, and the free time while Popp and I were in workshops. It was great for all of us to be together though!

Popp celebrated his 1 year anniversary at Thomas! I can’t believe it’s been a year already. It’s gone by so fast. Even though we work together, we only see each other for work a few times a year. We talk and email all the time but when I do see him at our company events, it still throws me off guard, “WHOA, you are here too - YAY!”

I’m so grateful and lucky to be working with Popp again. He’s definitely the best friend and best coworker you could ask for. Just like 2005 when we first met and worked together, Popp has always been a true team player. He always puts “WE” and “US” into everything. If he finishes a project that he was assigned to do solo, he will tell my boss, “Nancy and I finished this together.” Or when he is acknowledged for doing a great job, he will say, “It’s because Nancy trained me.” Or better yet, when we have individual projects due, he will always make sure I’m done too before he submits his assigned task. He would never turn in something first in case I’m not finished. He does all of this without me asking him to. In fact, I’m always telling him to stop because Popp is doing an outstanding job and he should take 100% credit for it. He’s a natural sales teacher. His reps LOVE working with him and they learn so much from him. Here’s my contribution to him: I let him know our holiday schedule, I let him know what we can/cannot expense, and I let him know about the quirky personalities in our company. I’m extremely proud of Popp and what he has accomplished this past year. If it weren’t for Popp or my boss, I would not be working at Thomas.

GIANTS WIN!

Tom Brady is a stud. His picture should be in the dictionary next to the word STUD. He embodies all the qualities of a stud: Looks, Talent, Hot Wife. I want to see Brady beat Montana and get 2 more rings. However, this time I wanted Eli and the Giants to win AGAIN!

I got caught up in the Eli fever this season as I did the year he won his first Super Bowl. I’m a sucker for a good comeback story and with all the 4^thQtr comebacks he pulled off while being a subpar team that barely made it to the playoffs, I had no choice but to cheer for them. Especially all the drama behind it all….Could Eli beat Brady twice? Would this mean Eli is a better QB than Brady? Is Eli going to have more rings than Peyton? This is why I love football!!! We had lunch with our friend Deepak a few hours before the Super Bowl. He said that Brady might be the next Jim Kelly if he lost this Super Bowl. I told Deepak he’s on crack. Jim Kelly never won a Super Bowl. Brady can retire and sleep well knowing that he has won 3x! Deepak is a very smart guy. I don’t know where he came up with that point. Anyways, all the drama behind this game made it exciting. Now I’m bummed that football season is over. It’s going to suck when college basketball and the NBA is over. Then we’ll be left with Baseball Tonight. So sad.

Back to Eli…I’m so intrigued by the Mannings. His family must be so proud to have 2 future Hall of Fame QBs in the family. I knew Archie was a QB too but I had no idea that he was a promising star. He was #2 draft pick! Can you imagine your family having two #1 draft picks and one #2 draft pick? Steve and I always talk about this and we would be excited if our kid made the practice squad because that’s not even easy to do.

Day 26 - 2 miles

TGIF. Lots to complete this weekend....

1. Bridesmaid invite project

2. Start Half Marathon training

3. Read a book before the end of the month

4. Watch Jane By Design

5. Final stops to wedding dress boutiques (narrowing down the choices)

6. Research Pilates, Barre, Yoga studios....I need to incorporate one of these workouts a couple times a week

7. Scratch #6. I need to find a gym because I need to incorporate weight training too.

8. Research Save the Dates.

9. Learn how to use Pinterest

10. Weekend dinner dates with our friends Molly & Jason on Sat, Grace and Keith on Sun

11. Haircut/mani/pedi (I dread this the most. I'm horrible at sitting still. I get so antsy and would rather be running around doing other things. I can't get around it though. Fingers and toes look like werewolf's hands and feet. Hair looks like dog fur. Flat dog fur.)

Things I'm grateful for...

1. Sushi Thursday w/Steve. New place called Hooked. It was okay. The company was much better than the food.

2. Went to 2 dress shops. Ended up liking a dress that I wouldn't have imagined on me. Not sure if it's the one though. I love it and I hate it. I love the fit (because it makes me look smaller than I really am) but I think it's too mermaid-y. I'll take the MOHs with me this weekend. Full dress review next week.

3. New case of energy gels arrived and new training program arrived. Time to get cranking. No excuses.

Day 25 - 3 mile walk

As much as my rep drives me nuts, we have actually been successful at selling together so hopefully we can keep it up.

I'm trying not to be overly critical about him. Here's the thing: He can sell. He is just rude and beyond obnoxious. Just a few things this week...

1. We were having lunch after our first appt. He wanted to take his leftovers home so the server said they would box it up for him. This is the dialogue between us:

Rep: I like it when they box it for you. I hate when they bring the box to me and have me do it. I'm paying for the service.
Me: I'm fine with whatever. I don't mind boxing it myself.
Rep: You're not used to high end restaurants. All high end restaurants box things for you.

We were at casual Greek restaurant.

2. After every appt we go on together, he gets into the car and says:

Rep: I seriously amaze myself. Did you hear me in there? I'm blown away by how great I sound in meetings. I sound like I've been doing this forever.
Me: You did a good job but there are a few things you can work on (I give him the 3 things). I also don't want you to get too excited. I've been doing this a long time and it's not that easy. You may think you have seen buying signals but we need to do a better job tightening things up so that you don't leave money behind, etc. I forecast that prospect to be a 25% chance of closing.
Rep: With your selling abilities it's about 25%, for me it would be 90%.

We'll see how this deal ends up.

I seriously hear at least 10 things like this come out of his mouth everyday. I bite my tongue on the personal lame jabs but when it comes to work related comments, I will give him my 2 cents.

Overall, these are signs of insecurity. He talks about himself and how great he is constantly. I'm trying to be more compassionate and understanding because he is insecure.

I know when I'm insecure, I may not resort to what he's doing but I do act differently and act irrationally. For example, I got home last night from being out of town since Monday. Steve had a Sales Kick Off Meeting from Mon-Wed. He said he would try to be home around 7-8 last night. I got home at 8. He didn't get home until 10. Shouldn't he be so excited to see me? After all, I've been gone for 3 days??!?!?! Wouldn't he want to be home by the time I got home? Nope. He had drinks with his work friends.

When he got home, I was in bed watching tv and on the IPAD looking at wedding stuff. I was grumpy and moody. He comes home all normal and cheery. Gives me a kiss and says, "HI! You're home!" I'm still really quiet, focused on the IPAD, and I say, "I've been researching stuff for our weeding for the past 2 hours." (It was more like 15 min. I had really been catching up on the Kardashians). So I start giving him the silent treatment. (YES, I know I'm being irrational and petty.)

Then I said, "I use my free time wisely to plan our wedding." So basically I'm implying that he's not using his time wisely. He gets into bed and says, "I want to help you. What can I do?" I respond with, "I can do it myself." Again, silence. Then he just lays there with his head on my shoulder and just watches what I'm doing. It's hard for me to stay mad at Steve because I know he doesn't mean to hurt my feelings. It's not like he said, "I'm not going home! I don't care if she gets in tonight." Usually he is home when I get back from a trip. I just get worked up about things. So I guess I should think about myself and my actions and the things that I say when I'm feeling upset or insecure about something. It doesn't come off really pretty. Anyways, I got over my grumpy mood 10 mins after he got into bed.

Day 24 - 4 Miles

Yesterday I wrapped up Day 2 with my rep. Only 1 more day to go this week and 5 more weeks remaining with him. Working with him has made me realize how lucky and fortunate I was at YB when I worked with great people who became wonderful friends.

When I get frustrated and annoyed by the obnoxious things that my FL guy says, I try to give myself a reality check...."I would be annoyed by any rep after spending 3 days with him/her every week, right?" Actually no. I would have been thrilled to spend 3 days with Caroline, Amy, and Stacey when they were on my team. Instead of complaining about this guy, I should be happy that this is really the only time in my 12 year career where I've had to work with a rep like him.

Things I'm grateful for....

1. I received great news this week...my friends Amy and Rishi are having another baby! They are due in Aug! So excited for them!!!

2. My friends who volunteer. My BFF Jill is a board member for the Chris4Life Foundation which was created to fight colon cancer. She is a mother who has a full time job while managing her responsibilities at Chris4Life. She spends tireless hours each week getting donations, planning events, and raising awareness.

In March, Chris4Life will hold their annual 5K in DC....

http://www.scopeitout5k.com/

It will be great event! Hope to see our local friends there!

3. My friend Talin's friend is also hosting a race the same weekend of the Chris4Life 5K. You can do both races because they are on separate days.

The proceeds go to the National Brain Tumor Society and Life with Cancer. The link is below if you want to check it out...

www.runrogue5k.com

So grateful to have friends that raise awareness to important causes. Since I don't volunteer, participating in these events is my small way of giving back. Thanks for all the hard work you guys do!

Day 23 - 5K

I arrived in FL yesterday. You know the drill - 3 days in FL with my favorite rep. Joy!

Yesterday during my run, I thought a lot about kids and having a family. Before I get into my thoughts, I must provide details about me and the idea of kids. I have never been a baby person. If I'm out in public, I don't ooh and ahh over strangers' babies that I see. I ooh and ahh over my friends' kids because they are an extension of my friends.

This is who I have always been. Growing up, I had Cabbage Patch dolls but I never played house or nurtured my dolls. They just sat on my shelf looking pretty and clean. I never dreamed of being a mom. I dreamed of working in Corporate America.

Enter Steve. Being with Steve made me realize, "I want a mini Steve." It could be a boy or girl but I want another version of him. I also know Steve would be a great dad. As for me, I'm not sure what kind of mother I would be. The reason I say this is because I don't have the fun-loving, kid-like gene inside of me. Here is what I mean....

As I was running on the beach today, I saw a family with 2 young kids. Probably around ages 5-7. Each of them were out with their metal detectors looking for coins or treasure buried in the sand. The kids were getting into it . They were running all over the place looking for things. The parents were really into it too. I ran by thinking, "That would be so boring. They're not going to find anything. I wouldn't want to do that with my kids."

Then another example would be when Steve and I were driving by Dulles Airport (our International Airport). There was a huge banner that said: Annual Airplane Pull on Saturday at 3 pm. Tickets are $20. I looked over at Steve and said, "What are they going to do? Pull an airplane? Who would pay $20 to watch an airplane being pulled?" Steve responded with, "Kids love it! We would bring our kid to watch it and the kids get to participate too." OH BOY, that sounds really exciting to me. I can't wait.

Then I get worried about prioritizing my time and how my personal schedule is going to take a back seat. For example, my GFs are always running around taking their kids to practice during the weekdays and then to games and multiple birthday parties on the weekends. I listen to their schedules and I think, "OMG, how am I going to do this? That would suck." Although I think it is very important for kids to be in activities and have friends parties to go to. I would want that for my child too. It's just a lifestyle change that is daunting.

I don't play games or watch animated movies. My friends all love kids movies and I don't get into it. I don't have a goofy bone in me. When I see my friends' kids, I have adult conversations with them like, "So what are you learning at school? Let's talk about it." I don't go out and play with them. Steve, loves going out and playing with the kids. My friends kids now ask me when Steve is coming over. They don't ask about me.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. I have plenty of other worries like getting pregnant (when we want to), going through changes in your body, delivering a baby, changes in our marriage.....so many of these things terrify me.

Day 20-22 0 Miles

No running this weekend. I have an excuse though ---- all the trails were icy because we had freezing rain. Even though that is true, I still didn’t want to run. I’m just burned out and need a break. Also, I think my mini Florida trips during the week have made me into a wuss with the cold weather. I’m now used to running in the 60s and70s 3 days a week so I’m dreading the 40 degree temps. I would typically consider 40s to be comfortable (for winter). I suck.

I had a great weekend though! I met with my friend Asad and his future wife Hudeida. Asad and I work together at Thomas. He is one of our Application Engineers so he’s my go-to-guy with all my idiotic technical questions. Asad is a valuable asset to our sales team. As long as we can qualify a lead and determine there is a need with a prospect, Asad takes over and manages the technical discussions and leads us to a close.

Asad and Hudeida just started dating 2 months ago! He lives in NYC and Hudeida lives in VA. They were set up on a blind date. They are both Pakistani so it is very important to their families that they marry a Pakistani. Well, this is the first Pakistani that Asad has ever dated. He didn’t have high expectations going into the blind date but it turned out great. Now they’re scheduled to get married in June! Yes, this June!

Their relationship is definitely unique. There is a formal process involved with the meeting of the parents. This meeting takes place over several steps so it’s not just the typical let’s all go out to dinner and meet. They also don’t have sex until they’re married. Okay, I must admit that is stunning to me. I know people out there practice this but I don’t know anyone that has. I’m not judging people if they practice this belief. Anyways, I started thinking about how this is such a “foreign” concept to me. I’m so not used to it that I have resorted to saying and thinking rude things…. For example, On Sat morning, Steve was on his way out the door to officiate a high school wrestling match and he asked me what I was doing during the day. I respond, “I’m meeting with the couple that isn’t having sex until they get married.” He looks at me and says, “The engineer at your work, right?” Well, Steve put it much nicer. After all, that’s what Asad should be known for. Not whether he is having sex or not.

Then when I was at lunch with Asad and Hudeida, I asked Hudeida why she wasn’t going to Puerto Rico with us (we have our National Sales Meeting there next week). She said her parents won’t let her. I respond with, “Can’t you just tell your parents you are going to a law conference (she’s an attorney)?” I’m now asking her to lie. I’m used to lying to my parents so it doesn’t phase me that lying is not good. My parents are just like their parents. Really strict. Really conservative. They never let me date until I got out of college. They would die if they knew I wasn’t a virgin – they think I’m still a virgin. So obviously I had to lie about a lot of things to my parents. I don’t believe I lied about anything that was detrimental to myself or to others but it’s still a lie.

So after I asked her to lie to her parents, she looked at me and politely said, “No, I can’t do that.” It dawned on me at that moment that she has so many easy outs here. She could have sex, she could go on the trip. She doesn’t need to tell her parents any of this. However, she puts her family above her wants and needs. I admire her for respecting their culture and their religion. I also admire Asad for respecting her wishes too.

Things I’m grateful for….

1. I always enjoy seeing my friends meeting “the one” . I see positive changes and differences in their lives. I see a spark that I haven’t seen before and it’s neat to see how my friends make certain choices to be with someone because that person makes them so happy.

After Steve’s match and my lunch, we got home and cleaned out all our closets. Right now our closets are only filled w/clothes that we wear. Yippee!

Day 19 - 5K

Yesterday I ran on a treadmill because it was raining in FL. I hate running on treadmills. A 5K feels like 10 miles.

Day 18 - 70 min

Yesterday I ran for 70 min. Not sure of the distance because I didn't track my miles or pace. Short post today because I slept in.

Day 17 - 1 mile

I arrived in FL this morning to work with my new rep. I started working in FL with this rep in the beginning of the year. I'll be working 3 days a week in FL for the next 8 weeks. I can't complain about the weather --- 80 degrees today!

I ran a mile after work. I needed a quick stress relief before dinner. My rep here is driving me nuts. He is talented but so full of himself. Like unbelievably cocky and obnoxious. He talks about how great he is any chance he gets. An example would be this....

He said, "I'm so out of shape. I haven't worked out in 4 months. It's so bad. I only have a 6 pack now."

It gets better. After he said this to me during lunch, we went back to work and he showed me a picture of him SHIRTLESS from his "fit days". Who the heck does that? Who the heck wants to see this?

BARF. Basically these type of comments fly out of his mouth throughout the day. He also bopps around like he is some high roller. Loves to talk about money and how much he pays for things. He said he will drop money left and right because he has a lot of it. For example, he loves watches. So he just dropped $500 on a Guess watch - hence he is a high roller. He seriously has no clue what else is out there in this world.

He is from Detroit and he is living it up in Ft. Lauderdale so he is super cool (in his opinion). The way he talks to me is so condescending. We parked our car at a meter and before I was about to pay he goes, "Everything around here is so expensive. You're probably not used to this but they charge for parking everywhere." The meter was 50 cents for an hour. I have never seen such a cheap meter before. I had to take my jab and say, "Yeah, I'm not used to this. I'm used to paying $30/hour to park in the city."

Anyways, the good thing is that we closed a sale today. YIPPEE! This is the only way I can deal with him. I do believe he can be successful here but his personality drives me nuts.

Things that I'm grateful for....

1. As much as I complain about my rep to Steve and my friends, I'm glad I have a job. I have to remind myself this all the time. I appreciate it even more each time I think about planning our next vacation. Our jobs are the means to these vacations so thank god for being employed.

2. I'm watching the Bachelor on-line. These people are ridiculous and so entertaining. I love their faces during the Final Rose ceremonies. They look awful! However, I must give them credit for showing their true colors. I would have way too much pride to break down in front of the Bachelor and on national tv. I would be devastated inside but I would put together a brave front. I've done this in the past w/former relationships or in situations when I've been disappointed. I rarely show my true colors unless it is really upsetting. Why am I so fake? Maybe I can learn a few things from the Bachelor contestants.

3. No desserts today. I resisted.

Day 16 - 5K

Today was a quick run - 5K. I had a lot of work to get done before meeting with my friend Savalle. I met Savalle through Steve 2.5 years ago. She is married to one of Steve's best friends, Turnell. Steve, Savalle, and Turnell met at Syracuse so they have known each other for 20 years.

Savalle and Turnell have 3 kids under the age of 7 - FULL HOUSE! I admire both of them for juggling successful careers and managing a growing family. Savalle scheduled spa appts for the us yesterday. It was much needed! I haven't had a facial in ages. I was ashamed to even admit the last time I went in for a facial. It has been over a year :( The aesthetician asked me, "Hmmm, what face products are you using?" Now this part is even worse. I used to be all about buying products and taking care of my skin. Then one time I ran out of products when I was away on a work trip. I meant to buy my typical stash when I got home but I didn't get a chance to. That was 6 months ago. My new beauty routine is to wash my face with the "face soap" in hotels and the moisturizer that hotels give you. I also use the shampoo/conditioner in hotels. I just hate packing stuff every week and I hate checking bags so this eliminates large bottles that I can't take through security. Yes, all at the expense of taking good care of my skin. So I was honest with the aesthetician. She just responded with, "hmmmmm. okay. when we're done here, I will give you a list of suggested items to purchase." She gave me a list and I didn't buy any of it. I like to try/test products out before I make my purchases. So ladies, feel free to chime in with your best beauty tips.

After my facial and Savalle's massage, we went across the street to Coastal Flats. Coastal Flats is part of a restaurant group known as Great American Restaurants. My favorite group of restaurants in Virginia. Great food! I have tried pretty much everything on their menus and it's all fabulous. They also have the best rolls known as ozzie rolls. Each time I dine at these restaurants, I order 2 baskets of them and tell them to eliminate the other breads they put in there. I learned that from Shawna and Jim Dillon. I used to ask for more bread and they would bring me the variety basket. Now I know I can just ask for OZZIES ONLY. I love a good insider food tip.

Anyways, our meal was great and it was topped off by a great conversation. Again, my favorite things: EAT. TALK. LAUGH. She was talking to me about a work situation and I was sharing my experiences about a similar situation. It was neat to hear her perspective coming from an executive point of view. The funny thing is that no matter what position you hold in a company, the issues you face are the same..... communicating effectively with people, getting results, trusting people on your team, recruiting good people, and the comical colleagues that have no common decency....ALL THE SAME NO MATTER WHERE YOU WORK OR WHAT POSITION YOU HOLD. Anyways, a great time with Savalle! Afterwards, I left to meet up with Steve.

Steve and I had a lot of errands to run. He needed to get a new phone. Done. We needed a new printer. Done. He also needed new dress shoes. Not Done Yet. He has small elf feet - size 7 so they were out of his size. He was probably happy though. Steve hates spending money. Let me clarify... He will spend money on vacations, he will treat our friends and family out to dinner, and he will invest or save the rest of his money. He doesn't get a high off of material things. He will give nice presents to the rest of us but doesn't spend anything on himself. It drives me crazy. During the 2.5 years that we have been together, he has not bought a single piece of clothing. He has a bunch of new clothes because I buy it for him. If I didn't buy it for him, he would be wearing jorts and silk button down shirts from the late 90s. I have now thrown these away. See how much value I bring to his life? Anyways, we ordered his shoes for him at the store. He still didn't purchase them yet because he's not sure if he "really needs them." I'll be going in there next week to buy them when they come in or else he will be wearing the same old shoes for another year.

Things I'm grateful for....

1. Great hanging out with Savalle 1 on 1. This was our first time doing this. We usually hang out with the kids and the guys but it was good to just have girl time. We definitely have a lot in common. We take pride in our jobs and we strive to accomplish new things in our careers. We also love clothes and purses. We went to the Kanye-Jay Z concert with the guys a few months ago. We sat together checking out dresses and laptop bags on our phones during the entire concert. We also love traveling for fun and not business. She does quite a bit of business travel too but she gets to go on international biz trips - jealous. We also get a high off of our traveling rewards status. We earned our miles so we get the perks of skipping long security lines, priority seating, seating upgrades, etc. She mentioned that she almost lost her premier status for 2012 because she was 2000 miles short for 2011. She found a reason to go on a biz trip in Dec that was a little over 2000 miles to retain her status for 2012. I totally understand where she is coming from. I will fly out of Baltimore sometimes for the same reasons. It's always fun to meet new people that share similar quirks :)

2. The glow that I get from a facial. I wish I could look like this everyday.

3. I ate the last 2 salted caramel cupcakes last night. Steve didn't eat any of the four I bought. I figured I needed to get them out of the house so I ate them. I did it Sloth style too .... I ate them in bed. Steve looked at me and said, "I thought you were only allowed to eat in bed if you're sick?" I make my own eating rules, Steve.