Work Travel Is Awful

I'm out of town this week -too far away and for too long.
I had to go to Dallas this week for Six Sigma/Green Belt Training for work.
First of all, I have no interest in any of this Six Sigma stuff and I especially didn't want to go to Texas to learn it! I was "strongly encouraged (aka: forced) to do this by my senior leadership group. I basically signed up to do it when I wasn't too happy with my job and figured it was good for the resume. I was originally supposed to go to Columbus for it, which would have made it a little more OK. Instead, that class was cancelled and they conveniently moved me to the Dallas training.
I left Sunday afternoon around 3. I was really sad to go and just wanted to hug and kiss Hannah and Tony for as long as I could. I'm not afraid to fly, but the whole being away for a whole week just makes me really sad. My flight took 1/2 hour longer than planned, but I'm not sure why. We left on time and didn't encounter any bad weather, so who knows why we ended up being so late. I had to get a rental car, which normally wouldn't bother me, but as I got into it and pulled out of the parking lot into the unknown, I got really angry. Really angry that I'm here all alone and fending for myself to get to where I needed to be. Thank goodness for the GPS unit! Although, it was taking me the wrong way right away as I pulled out. Luckily, I had paper maps too, so between them both, I managed to find my way to the hotel fairly easily. People drive like idiots here! I was getting passed on both sides of me, but then again, I was sort of driving like an old lady that didn't know where she was going (at night, I might add!)

The one plus so far, the room is really nice. The bed is comfortable and makes me think maybe Tony's right that our mattress is awful! I didn't wake up with a sore back today, so maybe it is time to get a new one at home that isn't so firm. If only we had room for a king size too...that'd be nice, but perhaps just the new mattress will make our queen size bed better.

Today's class went pretty well. Again, I had to find my way to the office, which was only about 2 miles away and between the GPS and paper maps, I was fine. Today wasn't terrible as it was all the introductory stuff. The afternoon went a little slow, but I think it was just that I'm still on Eastern time and I was getting tired. I just grabbed a bite for dinner and brought it back to my room tonight and I'm so mad because I ordered a piece of cheesecake to snack on later and it wasn't in my bag!!! I guess I should have checked the bag before I left, but I didn't. The place is just around the corner and if I weren't expensing the meal, I'd probably go back and get it, but I'm already in comfy clothes and don't feel like going anywhere, so I guess it was my waistline's way of telling me I really didn't need the cheesecake anyway!!
TV is weird here - we're an hour behind (on Central time), but all the programming is the same as at home, so right now, it's 7:00 and I'm watching Dancing with the Stars already. This should help keep me sort of on the same schedule so I'm not all screwed up at the end of the week. Anyway, I hope this week goes fast because I don't want to be here and I can't wait to just be back home. I'll try not to keep thinking about the fact that I have to come back again next month.....YUCK!!

So in other news, Tony started a new job today. He's going back into the mortgage world after a year off. He's working for a bank now, which is a different setting than he has ever worked in, so maybe it will be better. We're hoping the economy and the stimulus things will make it a good time to go back. It's definitely his comfort zone and he hated his job where he was stuck in one place all day. I hope it will make him happier. I just talked to him for a few minutes, but it sounded like it was a good day for him. Hannah on the other hand was not good at gymnastics tonight. Evidently, she didn't listen and wouldn't sit still. I hope she's not a monster this week!

Miss you guys and can't wait to be home on Friday!! Love you!

Happy Birthday Tony!!

Today is Tony's 35th Birthday!!! Wow - 35! YIKES, we're getting old!!!

Anyway, I did an easy dinner for him. We picked up ribs from Gepetto's and I made cole slaw, baked potatoes and rolls. We had a nice dinner and then some cake & ice cream.

I made him a special birthday cake that he really enjoyed!

Then he opened his gifts. I got him guitar hero for his X-box and my sister bought him a game. He loved it!

Happy Birthday, Tony! I hope you had a special day! I Love You!

Spring Break 2009

We had a great vacation...so sad it's over!

We left last Friday night, 3/20 around 6:30 and got to Fancy Gap, VA (our stopping point) around midnight. We made really good time. We rested for the night and got up the next morning to finish the drive. We met up with Mom & Randy in Statesville, NC for breakfast and we rolled into Hilton Head around 3:00 or so. We got all unpacked and headed for the beach. Here's Hannah getting reacquainted with the ocean. It was really windy so the water was pretty rough. She liked it after a short while.

Susan got in around 5 or so and after she unpacked, we all headed for dinner at the Salty Dog. We got back and Hannah had a ton of gifts to open for a belated birthday from Aunt Susan. We didn't stay up too late since we were all pretty tired from the drive.

Sunday morning, we all went to breakfast at Harbor Town.

The weather was real nice so we went to the beach after breakfast. It was still windy down by the water, but we hung out there anyway. Hannah enjoyed playing in the sand and mom, Susan and I all loved laying in the sun on the beach - despite the wind!

We all went to Kingfishers for dinner that night and then back to the condo. Tony opened his birthday gift from Mom & Randy. He got a new Browns Golf Hat and a round of golf at Harbor Town!!! Here he is when he realized that's where they were playing:

FYI - for anyone who may not know that golfing at Harbor Town is sort of a big deal!! That's a PGA course that the pros will be at in a few weeks.

We got up on Monday morning and headed to the beach again. It was warmer today, but still a little windy. Hannah had a great time playing by the edge of the ocean! She loved kicking at the waves. The tide was really low, so we found all sorts of cool stuff....sandollars, crabs and a starfish. She was pretty freaked out by the crabs and also when she realized the starfish was alive (we did throw it back into the ocean)

I did my annual stupid thing of not putting on any sunscreen and the results were the same as every other time - sunburn!! It wasn't the worst I've had, but I got it pretty good! Aunt Nadine, Uncle Dick, my cousin Bo and his fiancee Courtney all came down later that afternoon. After Hannah's nap, I took her down to the beach to fly a kite. She thought it was pretty fun, but after a while, she wanted to play in the ocean again.

We just ordered pizza for dinner at the condo and then we headed to the Salty Dog for a few drinks. We had a fun night!

Tuesday was another really nice day, but I didn't want to burn anymore, so I kept covered up. I took Hannah to the pool. The water was really cold, but she had fun. Susan, Hannah and I hung out there for most of the afternoon. The guys golfed and Mom & Courtney hung out at the beach. Nadine hung out with her friend that lives down there.

Then we all went to dinner at the Land's End Cafe over by the Salty Dog. It's got a pirate decor, so it was fun! A bunch of us had all-you-can-eat crab legs...we all ate way too much!!

Wednesday, the guys golfed at Harbor Town. Tony got a par on the last hole - that's sort of a big deal being that it's the signature hole. Uncle Dick almost started a new game of Gator Skiing!!! There was a really big gator by one of the holes with an elevated green. He didn't see it at first and then looked down over it off of the green and then realized that it was directly under him!!! It gave everyone including their caddy a good laugh! The weather wasn't the greatest so Hannah and I hung out at the condo most of the day. Mom, Nadine and Susan went shopping for some stuff and then we just ate in that night. Mom had one of her teacher friends over and we at burgers and hot dogs and played games in the condo. It was a fun night! Here are a few pictures from the evening. I have to throw one of Bo & Courtney because there aren't a lot of Courtney. She was busy studying a lot of the week, so I didn't get her in too many pictures. For the record, Hannah LOVES her! She was always asking where Courtney was and still does now that we're home!!!

Thursday, the weather wasn't that great again. It was warm, just cloudy. We went to breakfast and then Susan, Hannah and I took a walk on the beach. Then Tony and I took Hannah to the horse farm on the island. We got to pet all sorts of animals - goats, sheep, donkeys, pigs and horses. Then she took a pony ride. It was fun!

After that, Hannah took a nap and Tony and I headed out for a ride. We went to the outlet mall and he spent almost an hour with me in the Coach store while I made up my mind - now that's love!!! Anyway, I got a new purse so that was fun! We went back to the condo and showered and changed and then Tony and I went out to dinner - just the two of us. Mom, Randy and Susan stayed home with Hannah and the Ross' went out together. We had a nice dinner...here's a bad picture of us at the Japanese restaurant we went to.

Then we just hung out and played a game for the evening.

Friday was our last full day. I gathered every up for some pictures. Courtney was missing from the pictures because she got up early to go to Panera to study. Sorry she wasn't there for these!! Here are a few:

After pictures, the guys went golfing and Mom, Nadine and Susan went shopping. I took Hannah for a date for the day! We went to Harbor Town to play at the playground. Then we went for a walk aroun Harbor Town and out on pier. Then we ate lunch and played a little longer at the playground.

She was crying when it was time to leave and I got her to stop because I told her we'd look for aligators on the way home. Well, I was driving along and thought I saw one. We got out of the car and waked over and sure enough, it was pretty big one sunning himself by the water. There was another one in the water. Remarkably, she wasn't afraid of it!

We ended the vacation with a dinner out at the Osyster Factory.

It was such a great week! It was a really nice retreat for our family too. It was great seeing Susan for a whole week and spending time with everyone together. The condo was nice and the entire trip was just wonderful!!! Thanks for everything Mom & Randy! We love you guys!

All the photos from the week are on the slideshow of the blog.

Vacation has been great

Just a quick post.....vacation has been great! I will surely post a lot more when we come home with lots of pictures. Today is our last day....that makes me so sad! We've had good weather. Really nice Sunday through Tuesday, cloudy Wednesday and really windy yesterday, but overall, still really nice. We've been really busy doing lots of stuff. Hannah has LOVED it down here. She loves the beach and the ocean and even the REALLY COLD pool. The condo is great and we've all had a really nice time down here. I have taken a lot of pictures. I'm trying to get everyone excited about heading out for some family group pictures today.....no one is moving very quickly!!! I'll be rounding them up soon since there is a chance of rain today. Don't want to miss the opportunity to take these outside.
I am so sad to have to leave tomorrow and not really looking forward to the drive home. Although, I have to say, the trip in the minivan was quite comfortable!
Anyway, it has been a really terrific week and it's so great to spend a whole week with Hannah - all day, every day. Don't get that opportunity very often, so it's really special!
I'll be posting more later soon.....hope everyone is well!

Serious lack of bloggage

Well, the good news is that I've been behind at updating the blog mostly due to being too busy. I've hardly turned on the computer at home other than to pay bills. Tonight is the first night I've opened my email in almost 2 weeks. Thank goodness it's mostly all junk mail and no one was patiently waiting for me on a reply of any sort! The busy factor has also put a damper on the picture taking this month. It's terrible! I've hardly even touched my camera (taboo, Erin, I know!) I did get this one picture a week or so ago. I went in to check on Hannah before I went to bed and found her like this (under the covers). I had to laugh as this is how I often see Tony sitting on the couch! Like father, like child, I guess!

Her head is sort of cut off because I took it in the dark and really couldn't see what I was taking a picture of and I was afraid to re-take it because I didn't want the flash to wake her up.

Let's see.....some updates - Roman is hanging in there. The medicine they gave him has seemed to help him a bit, but he's still pretty low-key and doesn't get off his bed that often. It's much better than it was a few weeks ago that he now eats and goes outside on his own without me making him go. Cody on the other hand does not get my sympathy vote. He just cost us another $200 to cut his nails. Totally ridiculous that you have to put the dog to sleep to cut his nails and then it turns into almost $200! I bought one of those pedi-paw file things. I am determined to recondition him into allowing us to cut them at home again. I REALLY hope that is the last time we have to have the mucho-dollar nail cutting (it's like the 5th time and enough is enough especially since every time the bill goes up).

Tony's stomach scope didn't turn up anything. Not sure what is going on with him, but so far, nothing seems to be medically wrong, however, he says he feels bad. I'm hoping the nicer weather will help him and eating better as well. I'm no doctor or a perfect picture of health, but diet and exercise do seem to do a body good....we'll see! Hannah finally got over her 5 week long cold and now Tony has it full blown...he thinks he's dying - I try to remind him he just has a cold! I got a little touch of it, but zicam came through for me so far again....just mostly a little runny nose.

I got really good news at work the other day. I finally got my raise I've been waiting for. It was so long overdue, but finally, I'm being paid for what I'm doing - at least much more reasonably! It should help us out too quite a bit! Tony's tossing around the idea of going back into the mortgage world so we'll see where things take us. This helped my attitude at work and I finally feel like they appreciate me there.

Really, other than that, we're just getting ready for vacation. We couldn't be more (mentally) ready to go....physically ready is a different story. I've got some things ready, but I think I'll have a pretty full day Friday getting everything packed and ready. I hope to get on the road between 6:15 and 6:30 and we've got a 6-1/2 hour drive to our stopping point for the night. Then we have another 6 hours or so on Saturday. Then we have 7 full days of South Carolina relaxation here - our "vacation house" as Hannah has called it for 3 years. I can't wait! I'll try to post from there, unless I'm too busy sunning on the beach or by the pool!!!

Ok, I'm off to watch who gets booted from Idol tonight. Anoup did surprisingly well last night...I can do without that girl with the tatoo arm. By the way...LOVE our new DVR!!! I was able to watch biggest loser last night and then watch the only parts I wanted of Idol in about 30 minutes!!! Best thing we did in a long time!