Monday, August 31, 2009

1-year Anniv!!!!


What to do? What to do?

As tomorrow starts the month of September I'm kicking things up a notch in terms of anniversary plans. Originally I was thinking a long weekend to Florida with some golf and tennis mixed in. Then I was reminded it's hurricane season.. and even though that can be hit or miss, do we "risk it"?

Then I thought about New Orleans... neither of us have been there and it could be a cute weekend getaway, but we'd have to do a layover (not too big of a deal).

We LOVE Cali, but thinking it might be too much of an ordeal to get out there.

Then my mind wandered to a cute cabin up in New England, but if we did that, why wouldn't we try something like that in NY or even the Poconos! I'm sure there would be lots of fun outdoor activities. But the spoiled little girl in me thinks it would be even cooler to find a place right on a lake, semi-secluded, possibly a grill or fire pit where we could snuggle up at night!

I've been looking on VRBO a ton, but I don't really know those areas well enough to pick a place!

Any suggestions of little trips you have done or heard of?!?

"If I had a million dollars"



Remember the Barenaked Ladies song "If I had a million dollars"?

If I had a million dollars
(If I had a million dollars)
I'd buy you a house
(I would buy you a house)
If I had a million dollars
(If I had a million dollars)
I'd buy you furniture for your house
(Maybe a nice chesterfield or an ottoman)

That's exactly how I feel right now! We're in the process of taking that "next step" with our house. It's been about 3 years since we moved in and we're thinking about upgrading some appliances and making some rooms a little more "mature"... whatever that means?!? But the problem is, besides that MILLION DOLLARS, that I don't know "my style".

I've been looking in magazines and on websites for months and months now! After looking at my friend's blog this morning (http://rubyflats.blogspot.com/) I can't stop thinking about what it would be like (and my how fun) to have some of these houses, their designers, their style, etc. etc. and create these chic, adorable rooms! I'm obsessed! It's so fun to look through these pictures and see what people create.. to me it's an art! And some people get really creative; I LOVE looking at what they come up with! The particular magazine she was showing pictures from was Traditional Home (http://www.traditionalhome.com/) in case your interested.

Morning Fav

Beauty: Laura Mercier flawless skin eye serum


This product promises to rejuvenate and stimulate the area around your eye. I truly think this product delivers! Especially for most of us ladies who are tugging at our eyes from morning 'til night- whether we're putting on or taking off our eyeliner or rubbing our dry, irritated eyes.

I'm not gonna lie it definitely is pricey ($80/bottle), but it lasts me a good 3-4 months and I apply 2x daily.

This product is also great for when you're not getting all dossled up too.. put a little serum on one finger and concealer on another, mix together, apply and voila you're good to go!

http://www.lauramercier.com/products/skincare/treatment/eyes/flawless_skin_eye_serum/

Other Laura Mercier favs?
Eyedration Firming Eye Cream (I used to use this too, but cut it out with cutting down on expenses)
Mineral Powder with SPF 15 ( I use this now and LOVE it)

Friday, August 28, 2009

Problem Solved!

Well sort of, but either way I'm excited! Long story short the other day I told a little girl to stop by the house and we can talk about her walking Harley (she was looking for a dog walking job). The next thing I know... on my morning walks I've got dog owners saying "oh it's so great Suzie Q will be walking... oh wait what's your dog's name"... so I give the awkward smile and laugh and go on my way. So, then I start panicking (yes almost blogged about it) about paying this girl, what's it going to cost, etc.

WELL.... she and her cute little friend "Mary-Jane" stopped by today and they want to walk him... FOR FREE! Well I quote "are you trying to make money?" "We don't care!" They were just so excited to do it.. to have responsibility! Almost fainted on the spot! So, once school starts they'll take him for after-school walks! AND I get to play cute, nice, domesticated neighbor that won't pay them (for now), but make them cookies/brownies and get them goodies every once in a while!

I'd say it's a win-win situation!

Morning Fav

Autos: Land Rover Defender SVX


In order to celebrate their 60th anniversary Land Rover came out with an anniversary car in 2008. The issue? It's not "US-friendly" (SANS airbags) and they've only made a few.

They have 2 models:
Defender SVX 90 and the Defender SVX 110.

LR only made 200 Defender SVX 90 's (140 soft top and 60 hard top).




Me? I would definitely go for the soft top!

One of the main attractions of the SVX 90 model? It's a lot more luxurious inside. It has Recardo front seats, an upgraded stereo (sub woofer, Ipod cradel, satellite navigation, alloy shift knobs, etc.). On the outside even though it looks pretty (metallic black paintwork, silver finishings, tubular side steps, front grille, LED rear lights, and 'diamond turned' five-spoke alloy wheels) it's just as qualified to do everything the "old-school" defenders were made to do.

LR's Defender SVX 110 model is just as cool and carries a few more passengers (7) than the SVX 90 Station Wagon hard top model (5). Only 36 were made!!!



Where did this all come from? In high school my friend's older brother LOVED cars and actually knew what he was talking about! One of the cars he had was a Land Rover Defender soft top in RED! Can you say Orgasm?!? OK sorry.. gotta keep it PG-13, but this car was amazing! Since she was my bf and he was a great guy I got to learn a little bit more about the cars.. Actually I had to redeem myself from the first time I went into the body shop, pointed to the MUFFLERS, and said "OH look that car has 2 engines"... oh high school girls are a handful!

Fast forward 10 years later to find out one of our architects in Panama is an avid Land Rover fan and owner. In our numerous LR discussions he told me about this anniversary car coming out (yes he got one!) that I completely forgot about until this past trip down to Panama. Ironically our office down there is across from an LR dealership where we got to learn more about the car!
The car dealer had 3 left and it was very tempting to flush all the money out of our bank accounts and wire it down to the dealership!

The car is selling for a little more than $50,000! If you've done your research to get a '92-'97 LR defender under 50,000 miles is very hard to find and especially at an affordable price. Right in front of us we had this brand new, mile-less, GORG car that kept saying "buy me...drive me...buy me"! The issue? BANNED from the US (because of the air-bag situation). Our goal? To find out if it is even remotely feasible to put airbags in this thing and ship to the US... for under "1 MILLION dollars, wahh ahh ahh"!

A couple can dream... can't they?!?

JACKPOT!

$325 MILLION dollar Jackpot Drawing este noche!!!

Are you buying a ticket? Anytime I see the media hype start to go crazy I want to run out an buy a ticket from Mary the infamous clerk at our local BM Beverage.... then I think about the odds, which aren't 1/10 people! I WISH!

Then the optimist in me takes over thinks if you don't try, in this case buy, you can't win!

Good Luck!

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Puppy Playdate

So now I know why people have 10 puppies or kids... well maybe!

So my little Poopy (my nickname for him) is such a good boy! He sleeps mostly all day by my feet while I'm working. He doesn't wine unless he has to tinkle really badly. And best of all he sleeps through the night! I take him on 2 longs walks and a couple mini breaks during the day. But, then why do I feel SO guilty when he gives me that cute little face like he wants to go out and play? Or on our walks when he gets so excited to see other dogs or kids! He looks, starts walking a little faster, looks back at me, and then sits down and just stares at them like... "hello! hi! hi! It's me. I'm over here.. I'm so cute, wanna play?" I just want to eat him up!

We tried the "day care" at our vet, which was nice and reasonable, but we've done such a good job with potty training it's like taking a step backwards when he comes home.

We could definitely step it up on a dog park over the weekends. But, I'm not sure how much I totally trust him to be off leash and come back to me. I would totally be that frantic, crazy woman screaming after her dog! IMAGINE ME.... cute workout outfit, hair up, frizzy flyaways everywhere as I intensely run after Harley in a zig-zag motion.. secretly so pissed off and embarrassed, but trying to keep a smile, like I know what I'm doing!

So, why do I still feel guilty? Any suggestions?!?

Creepy


Does anyone find the "verification" things where you have to show that you're not gonna blow up the internet sort of freaky these days... couldn't they do FUN, BRIGHT COLORS, and FONTS?!?!?

You know you...

patronize a restaurant a little too much when.......... you walk in and the hostess goes to grab you menus and the waiter next to her says "Yeah they don't need menus".

Morning Fav

Fitness: MBT Shoes

OK, so they aren't the cutest or most fashionable shoes, but they'll help you get your butt in those jeans you've been eying up.. literally!



I got my pair of MBT's about a year or so ago, per recomendation of "Fabulous in NYC", to see if they would help my back issues. The fact that the shoe also promises to tone my legs and butt, while also helping with circulation issues that may cause cellulite for varicose veins was just an added bonus.. I swear : )

They're definitely on the $ side, but it's easy to find cheaper ones online or at a sale. Fabulous found them at Nordstrom and I got mine at The Walking Company. But now a bunch of other companies have jumped on the bandwagon and are making their own line for less $: Reebok's "Easy Tone", Sketchers' "Shape-Ups", etc.

How To: You're suppose to start off by wearing them 20/30 minutes a day the first few times to get used to them. Then bump up the time little by little. I wear mine around the house, when I walk Harley, and for those days I really don't feel like running but want a work out I'll go for a long walk! I have recommended them to a ton of lady friends, although I don't think I've sold anyone off on them! But to each "her" own. All I know is I am SO wearing these 24/7 when I get preggo.. any little bit helps!

But all in all, whether the shoe works or not, 90% of it's mental and I feel like it's working and I'm seeing results. So if I'm happy isn't that what truly matters?!?

What do I do, you ask?!?

Not that I feel the need to explain myself, BUT... what I do is actually pretty cool- I'm not going to toot my own horn or anything, but I really just have to stop and think about how lucky I am!

So after graduation I was lucky enough to have the "summer off" and just chillax (yes I just quoted Twilight.. love it!). Once fall came around I had a few opportunities that didn't really pan out or those one or two jobs I could have gotten through "connections" and being hard headed I had to show I "could do it on my own". So, I went to a temp agency and found a job as an "administrative assistant"- PLEASE I WAS THE SECRETARY who LOVED every minute of it.. oh wait MINUS the creepy UPS guy who would bring me chocolate kisses daily with his dirty hands! I actually had to tell my supervisor he made me uncomfortable!

Any-who, I got some offers to follow down the industry my father and brothers had and tried it out for a little bit, but it just so wasn't me. A month or so later I found myself on a plane bound for Panama... where?!? Yes, Panama (Central America), with my dad headed to an International Real Estate Conference. Long story short we spent the next week and a half in and out of hour-long presentations, jeeps traveling down unpaved, bumpy roads, and mucky waters. We learned a lot and saw some really great pieces of land! On the plane back home I told my dad I wanted to manage his real estate investments and although my Veruca Salt charm ("I want the world. I want the whole world. I want to lock it all up in my pocket. It's my bar of chocolate. Give it to me now") didn't work wonders on him, my business plan did!

So, since that day I've been working for my dad and although he's still the boss-man, has way more brains and experience, I can honestly say I feel and am treated (most of the time) like a partner! So still... what do I do? Well I manage most of his, our, and other investors real estate investments (most of these are raw land overseas, but we have a few properties in the US). I definitely got a ton of experience this past summer with being a landlord/property manager- wow! When it rains it pours... let's just say I saw my fair share of contractors, court rooms, and tenants! But it was a great learning experience and now I have a happy boss and happy tenants!! Which makes me... happy!

I get to travel a little bit for work, right now mostly to Panama, and I love it! I love the country, the people, the language (Spanish), and the restaurants! Best restaurants I've been to in a while, hands down! The best part about these trips is not just the confidence that takes over me once I step of the plane, speaking Spanish, or getting all dressed up "cute" for work. It's getting to watch MPM work his magic in our meetings and talk about his strategies afterward over a glass of wine. Then, by the 2nd glass of wine we're having a heart-to-heart! I truly cherish our talks!

Those who know me a little better, know that I am able to make time to do the things I like: meeting a friend for coffee or lunch, working out, seeing my niece and nephew, cutting out on a Friday afternoon to the shore or to my in-laws, playing tennis, taking pup for a walk, having an early glass of wine, or coaching lacrosse.

Figuratively speaking I don't know how I got to where I am today or where I will be going. I can't say Real Estate was my passion growing up or will be in my future. I try to take advantage of the opportunity in front of me, because I don't know how long it's going to be there. I have still have the everyday stresses of being "good enough" and successful enough to keep things running; make my dad proud while he's still here and when he's gone! I feel like I need to take in every word he says (because as annoying as it is he is usually right) and am constantly biting my tongue, because it's truly hard to not fall into the "little girl-dad syndrome".

I know I am extremely lucky to have this opportunity, but I can honestly say I work my bum of for it! Maybe not in the "traditional sense", but we don't live in an "old-school" work world anymore. Sometimes I definitely feel like I am being judged by others if a story involves me taking a mid-morning spin class or trip to the grocery store. It used to make me feel really insecure and scared, but now I realize there's no need for me to feel that way. At the end of the day I get my work done and feel as though I have accomplished something! I honestly feel that we are too old to judge one another anymore! Why can't we just appreciate how different each of our lives are, be happy for one another, and hope for success!

Point being- believe in yourself! If you know what you want to do or what you were put here on this earth to do then hats off to you!! SERIOUSLY! But there are so many of us out here that have NO idea what we "want to do when we grow up". It's not as simple as it used to be, the average person has something like 5-15 jobs (I know huge range) in a lifetime!! I think it is so important to look at the "Big Picture" everyone once in awhile, but also take things day-to-day. There's always going to be someone who seems smarter, has a better job, makes more money, has a bigger house, a nicer car, etc. So, we have to be the BEST we can be today. Whatever job we are in, we have to STOP complaining (including yours truly) and give it everything we've got. Especially now, because there are so many people that don't have jobs or have to go back to work! Like, whenever I go shopping and I see "elder" people that have gone back to work (hopefully it's cause their bored and want to learn something knew), but if it's because they have to- retirements gone, no social security, etc. it seriously makes me want to cry!

We have to take advantage of our opportunities. If you don't feel challenged in your job then challenge yourself: go in 5 minutes earlier, stay 5 minutes late, work through a lunch break, read up on some business books (there are a TON of great options out there) to make yourself more knowledgeable. I tell my little lax girls this all the time- everyone has a CHOICE and it's up to us what choices we make. And the current economy is really, really crummy, but don't give up hope! Great Example.. my friend, let's call her "Fabulous in NYC", has had a dream of moving to New York City since college, probably even before! She had to go travel several different routes (literally), jump through several different hoops, work over-time, and skip out on things she probably wanted to do but decided to save money. Well, a couple of years later she was finally able to save her pennies, find an apartment, find a roommate, find a "money-making" job to support her going back to school, volunteer in order to get her foot in the door, etc! She still has a few stepping stones to hit along the way to be where "she wants to be", but she did it.... she moved to New York! She decided long ago it was something she wanted to do and has made it happen! And I know she will be super successful, with whatever she does there! And I can honestly say that everything she has done along the way she has given 110%.

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Searching the Net


Does anyone else hate when you search something on Google or Yahoo and your phrase or blurb shows up right there in front of you! So close you could just... touch it! But then when you click on the link.. POUF... it's vanished into thin air. Now you're left wasting MORE precious time finding what it was that you were looking for and after scrolling about 1/2 way down the page you FORGET what it was you were searching for! Hmmph! Can't they HIGHLIGHT in the article? Or do they and I'm just unobservant?

HELP... please?!?

Why is it SO hard to ask for help?

Why do we constantly drive ourselves into the ground day in and day out INSISTING we can do things "on our own". Have we NOT learned anything?

I've been thinking about this since last night when "we" were moving our furniture around. Hubby, who is very strong, is trying to lift an old school, 50lbs+, tube T.V. BY HIMSELF! I love him to death, but if he could see how ridiculous he looked trying to lift and carry this thing, I swear he would laugh. I was trying to be supportive, but all I kept thinking is 1- "Does he really think he's going to be able to do this alone?" and 2- "it could be 'funny' if he drops this, not on a toe of course, but then maybe he would learn to LET ME HELP"!

And I'm the worst of them all! I REFUSE to ask for or take people up on getting help! Actually, not entirely true... I am a strong believer in mental health/therapists and self-help books : ) ... In fact I'm always asking others if I can help them, but if they come back with a "what can I bring, can I help (in the kitchen), or what can I do" I blurt out "NOTHING", without even thinking! But I'm really trying to call myself out on it!


Reaching out and asking for help OR accepting others offers to help can actually be super beneficial to our productivity level, rate of success, and mental state of mind (which is obviously the most important)! It could probably relieve a lot of stress, frustration, anger, and poor me attacks! GOSH- I hate when people (including yours truly) play POOR ME!!! But seriously, the more relaxed we are usually means we are a little bit happier, which then means people want to be around us more, which then means... more laughter and GREAT stories!!!! I think people should actually get MORE praise when they ask for help!

So....Go on... try it! I challenge you! Next time someone asks if they can help.. let them. I KNOW.. EEK- did you just cringe the way I did? I'm going to take the challenge too.. hmm maybe hubby will ask to walk the dog before bed tonight, hehe!

Props-
A couple people this week actually asked or took me up on my "offers to help". And I know it had to kill them, because they are true "Rosie the Riviter's", BUT.....You know who you are and I'm so proud of you!

Shout Out

I have to give a really quick shout out to my sis Kelly! Thanks for all the love on your blog! I had no idea that you were a "blogger", but I'm so glad you've picked it back up. You probably told me before, BUT since I'm like "10-second Tom" from 50 First Dates I tend to forget something if it didn't happen 10+ years ago! You're definitely an inspiration in more ways than one and I am definitely going to follow you, because not only do you have an amazing outlook on life: taking it head on- LITERALLY! But you're story telling is about 20x better than mine! I swear you have a story for EVERYTHING!! Love it; love you!

If you want to follow her blog it's: http://kmartstravels.blogspot.com/

Baby Up

So, I guess you could say I know a little bit more about what it takes to be hip while you're preggo or a hip mommy than a childless, non-preggo, non-planning 26-year old! But what do you expect when everyone else around was preggo the past 9+months! I'm telling you- if you're smart keep your eyes and ears open... you could learn a lot!

Now, this I came up all on my own.... It doesn't really matter WHY you're in search of it or WHO it's for, I LOVE these Kate Spade baby bags! And if you think they're a little too $ visit the Philadelphia Outlets and get them for $100+ off or half the price! OR check them out online: Amazon.com; Shopwiki.com; fashiondesigneroutlets.com)





They are very resourceful (have tons of pockets, travel changing pad) and super stylish! Additional bonus: they're waterproof!

Morning Fav

Entertainment: Favorite "Second-Hand Embarrassment" Movies
1. The Ugly Truth (the whole movie)
2.
The Break Up (most of the movie, but specifically the singing dinner scene)
3. How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days (whole movie, but LOVE the Love Fern scene)
4. Family Stone (oh god, the dinner scene, I have to get up every time)
5. Confessions of a Shopaholic (whole movie, but loved the dancing scene)
6. The Proposal (Scene with Gammy in the woods!)

If you suffer from "second-hand embarrassment" like I do, but secretly love it.. these movies are definitely for you! Have any other suggestions?

Daily Morning Fav's

So, I thought it would be fun to start out each morning with one of my favorite things. Because, you know what they say?!? The best type of marketing is... WORD OF MOUTH! Obviously my favorites may not be yours, but it might be something for you to try, comment on, or send me some of your favorites!

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Thought of the Day

In high school we had this amazing teacher, Mrs. Hough, who taught a Creative Writing class and at the beginning of each day she'd have us write down our "thought of the day" in our journal and if you wanted to you could share it with the class. Obviously this lead to some pretty interesting conversations to say the least!

On another note, there is this "Random Thoughts of the Day"emailing circulating around, I've gotten it at least 5 times now, that is very amusing! Some of them we can definitely relate to... here are some of my favorites that pertain to me:

1. More often than not, when someone is telling me a story all I can think about is that I can't wait for them to finish so that I can tell my own story that's not only better, but also more directly involves me.
* If you can't associate with this one then you're fooling yourself!

2. Do you remember when you were a kid, playing Nintendo and it wouldn't work? You take the cartridge out, blow in it and that would magically fix the problem. Every kid in America did that, but how did we all know how to fix the problem? There was no internet or message boards or FAQ's. We just figured it out. Today's kids are soft.
* I TOTALLY DID THIS! And how many of us had a story of "a friend of a friend" getting their gum stuck in a game?
3. There is a great need for sarcasm font.
* Not so much anymore, but this one could have saved me a LOT of drama in middle and high school!!

4. How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet
?
* Tried last night and STILL can't figure it out! And my mom is the laundry queen!
5. I would rather try to carry 10 plastic grocery bags in each hand than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in.
* I am seriously proud of this! In college when we lived in the basement of the apartment building we thought we were so lucky because could just chuck our groceries in through the window!

6. The only time I look forward to a red light is when I'm trying to finish a text.
* Clearly unsafe, probably shouldn't admit to this one!

7. How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear what they said?
* Oh great story: This past time in Panama my husband, Kyle, and I were joking with my mom about how when she doesn't hear what someone says she opens her mouth as wide as possible, laughs, and shakes her head up and down at least 5 times.. so obvious!!!

8. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars teams up to prevent a dick from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers!
* Ohhh, road rage to the max over here!

9. Every time I have to spell a word over the phone using 'as in' examples, I will undoubtedly draw a blank and sound like a complete idiot. Today I had to spell my boss's last name to an attorney and said "Yes that's G as in...(10 second lapse)..ummm...Goonies"
* Happens to me ALL the time because my work email is so uncommon... now try doing it in Spanish!

10. Is it just me or do high school girls get sluttier & sluttier every year?
* I don't get it! I say it all the time... "unless I just don't remember, I don't think we were like that"...

11. Why is it that during an ice-breaker, when the whole room has to go around and say their name and where they are from, I get so incredibly nervous? Like I know my name, I know where I'm from, this shouldn't be a problem....
* I still panic just thinking about this DUMB game!! And when I speak my voice goes up about ten pitches too high

12. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you've made up your mind that you just aren't doing anything productive for the rest of the day.
* Luckily this doesn't happen as much as it used to!

13. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after DVDs? I don't want to have to restart my collection.
I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten page research paper that I swear I did not make any changes to.
* Just bought a new T.V. and already people are all over me about "blue ray"- what?!? I still have my all time favs on VHS: Stepmom, Notting Hill, Revenge of the Nerds, A Walk to Remember, Care Bear Camp Champ! haha

14. "Do not machine wash or tumble dry" means I will never wash this ever.
* This was until we bought a steamer!! Definitely look into one and go Rowenta all the way!


15. I hate being the one with the remote in a room full of people watching TV. There's so much pressure. 'I love this show, but will they judge me if I keep it on? I bet everyone is wishing we weren't watching this. It's only a matter of time before they all get up and leave the room. Will we still be friends after this?'
* Talk about another panic attack.... I would rather watch something awful than deal with this pressure!
16. As a driver I hate pedestrians, and as a pedestrian I hate drivers, but no matter what the mode of transportation, I always hate cyclists.
* Why do they always take up the WHOLE lane- I mean it seriously is SO rude!!!

17.Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.
* Yeah I am SO bad at telling time! But good thing watches are just great accessories now- try the new Michael Kors... love it!





Puppy Love

I'm not a dog person... I swear!

Well that was until this past Memorial Day weekend when we got our first dog! And yes when I told my close family and friends we were getting a dog, most of them gave me a "what, you?". But he has been the best thing to happen to us! He is a 6-month Havanese named him Harley. How did we come up with Harley? Well, his Daddy has been wanting a motorcycle for quite some time now, so I thought we'd kill two birds with one stone!

I mean this puppy has done wonders for me: I get up earlier and like it, I actually leave my house, I'm walking more, I'm not AS afraid of the dark, I'm caring for someone other than myself, I've doubled my responsibility, improved my communication, and I actually appreciate other people's dogs AND children more!

Of course I think he's the cutest and the best dog ever, but that's cause he's mine.... see for yourself!


Back to School?


How many memories can one day hold? On my morning walk with our puppy, Harley, I had a flash back to high school and those first few days back to school. The morning air was crisp, but not too cool and there was just a calmness over the neighborhood. I remember always being the appropriate amount of "upset" that this time of year had come. We had lost our freedom and were back on a schedule; we traded the outdoors for tiny classrooms; camps for classes; and popsicles for granola bars. On the other hand, I was always secretly relieved to be going back... I loved back to school shopping (even if I wore a uniform), school supplies, soccer season, and most of all reuniting with my friends. Of course there was always a little bit of anxiety, but by 5th period we were all caught up on each others summers and felt reconnected again. As many times as I might have complained or acted like I was being tortured, whenever I think about my experience I always smile and realize how lucky I actually was.

Fast forward to mid-morning. While I was driving, windows down of course, I passed a man walking down the street who was holding a coffee in one hand and a wrapped sandwich in the other. I first wondered what his story was: was he a utility worker taking a mid-morning break; a stay-at-home husband/dad who ran out to grab a bite; a student; or just a man on his way home from his usual morning coffee run? Then immediately my mind wandered to the beginning of junior or senior year in college. All of a sudden I was back in College Park, Maryland walking to my mid-morning class with my chai tea latte and "a scooped, toasted, multi with light "cc" (as the woman at Bagel Place used to put it). The weather was usually just right: sun shinning, not too hot or cold, and you felt like were on top of the world. It was "my time": I had my morning routine, I actually "dressed" for class, I had really done my homework, and was looking forward to seeing a few smiling faces.

What's in a Name?


Wondering where my Blog name came from? Well, the literal translation is "Glass of champagne". What it means to me is so much more than that. Let me start off by saying how fabulous my mother is! We have our normal mother-daughter "issues" from time to time, but she really is a great person. She sings to her own tune... literally! I didn't get to appreciate how wonderful she actually was until our summers in Spain. Now the thing is.... my mom only drinks champagne and it's not cause she's a snob, but after she had me it's the only alcoholic drink that doesn't give her a headache. Well, let's just say the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. I was lucky enough to "grow up on champagne" and I can honestly say that at least 50% of my friends when they think of champagne probably have a funny store where I'm involved!

The friends of mine that have been lucky enough to vacation in Spain with my family or any Spanish-speaking country for that matter have experienced my mother's infamous "¿Copa de cava, por favor?". This is when she asks our waiter for a glass of champagne, in Spanish, and her tone gets about 10 pitches higher and it's like she sings it to him: "¿CooppPPAAA de CAVA pooouurrr fAVOR?" Now this is when the fun begins, because everyone at the table usually bursts out in laughter, including her! Don’t go feeling bad, because we’re not making fun of her, it’s just the life this occurrence has taken on! My parents have this way about making my friends, especially as we get older, feel very comfortable and we usually end up having these heartfelt and laughter filled hour-long conversations, which usually start with a glass of wine or “Copa de Cava”.