Living in Fast Forward...

Is it just me, or did it seem like yesterday we were celebrating the new year? Can someone please tell me what's happened to the first half of 2010?

My, my, my...my Key Lime Pie

I can hardly contain myself...in 10 days Jessica, David & I will be on our way to Orlando...in 11 days, the 3 of us, along with Allyson and Dave will FINALLY be on our way to KEY WEST!

I'm actually looking forward to this view

Key West has been on my "vacation" list for quite some time...I can't believe it's taken me this long to make the trip, but I have a feeling it will be awesome. We've all been working a lot lately...I know I'm ready to tell the daily grind where to stick it!!

We booked an afternoon snorkel adventure the second day of the trip. I'm normally not a big fish person, but it's named "Reef & Rita's". Come on, how can you go wrong with something like that?

Wonder how much key lime pie I can stuff in my suitcase on my return trip?

Just one of those days...

Ever have one of those "what in the heck" kind of days? Apparently that's the kind of day I had today. We were having a breakfast meeting this morning...all of our "office" business had been discussed, so we were just chatting about a bunch of random stuff. Then out of no where one of my team member's said, "So and so on the other team was mad at you last week...they told me they could never work for you..."

Hello, what? Are we in the 1st grade? #1 my buddy was out of town last week, so I not only had to manage my team, but his as well. #2 both individuals are older than I am...why the need for a grade school comment?

I'm not going to lie, it took me by surprise and hurt my feelings. I've always tried to be fair and provide equal attention to my buddy's team when he's out.

Here's the kicker...the reason that person was upset with me...apparently he was trying to turn in his time sheet and instead of me taking it from him, I just pointed to my inbox, where the rest of the time sheets were sitting...waiting for me to approve and sign.

Was I supposed to stop what I was doing and check and approve his right then and there?

Don't get me wrong, I work with good people, but I don't think all of them realize what it's like to be in my or my buddy's shoes. We each have 7 individuals to manage, and all have very different personalities. At times I don't think they understand there's only one team leader to help the 7 of them.

I know there are individuals on both teams that would like to take on more of a leadership role, but we're hampered on the kind of tasks we can hand off. Hopefully we can change some of that, but until then, I guess I need to develop a thicker skin and let some of those silly comments roll off my back.

Not too bad...

...my vision, that is.

I hate going to the doctor...of any kind. The eye doctor is no different, but I'm in need of some new glasses & I haven't had an eye exam is what seems like forever.

Luckily, Clancy Optical is two blocks from my office and several of my co-workers were pleased with their visits, so I decided I'd give it a shot.

Let me tell you, this was the best exam ever...I got everything done on my lunch break, in less than 45 minutes. My small accomplishment of the day was surviving the eye drops that were splashed in my eyeballs. And my vision hasn't gotten any worse over the last several years.

The doctor & staff were super cool & nice...it reminded me of a little Mom & Pop shop & I would recommend them to any one who needed an exam or new glasses or contacts.

The new glasses should arrive before I head to the Keys...

I want to cut my hair...

...but I don't want to waste it.

Did I lose you? Let me explain...my hair is extremely thick & heavy...not to mention a very, very dark brown. It basically traps the heat in the summer and likes to make my life miserable.

When I was in college, I donated 14 inches of my hair to Locks of Love. A non-profit organization that works to provide hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children who suffer from long-term medical hair loss.

Cancer has touched my family more times than I'd like to remember, but the one thing I remember about my aunt and my cousin during their battle was the wigs they bought. It made them feel good about themselves and give them a sense of normalcy. It's the little things we take for granted that can make all the difference in the world to someone else.

Locks of Love not only provides hairpieces to children who suffer from cancer, but alopecia, an auto-immune disease that causes hair follicles to shut down, as well.

The last time I donated my hair was November of 2008. I think it was 12 inches long at the time. If I had to guess, I'd say I have a few more inches to go before I can donate again. I made a promise to myself a long time ago...as long as I had the hair to donate, I'd do it. Guess I should stop complaining about how hot or heavy it is and think how happy and confident it could make someone else.

So, if you hear me complaining about its weight....please remind me to think about the "big picture"...

Pre-donation in 2008

Happy Father's Day!!

My home, away from home...

Two words...Las Vegas...

OK, maybe I need to find another place to vacation...a co-worker always insists I have too much PTO time...or that I go to Vegas to shop like most people go to Five Oaks to shop. But there is a reason behind the madness. The reason I go so often is so I can see my grandparents. No, they don't live in Vegas...they still live in Hawaii. But it's cheaper for us to meet half way. Besides, they still like going to Vegas or "go Vegas" as they say back home.

I can't even tell you why I like going out there so much...it just feels comfortable. Have I thought about moving, heck yes. Could I do it....no way. The novelty would wear off real quick.

But my most recent trip had nothing to do with my grandparents...it had everything to do with Kenny Chesney. Yes, East Tennessee native, Kenny Chesney who hasn't played a real concert in Knoxville in forever. And yes, I'm still bitter that I missed his show in Neyland Stadium a few years ago....and yes, I missed it because I was in Vegas. Argh!!

This past May, my Mom and I flew out to Sin City for his show at The Joint at the Hard Rock. I'm so lucky my Mom's so cool & that we get along so well. When I found out he doing a mini-tour and Vegas was a stop...there was no hesitation. I had to be there. So I called my Mom and asked if she wanted to see him too. Well, that was a no brainer...I only had 2 requests for her, "#1 can you stand up for an extended period of time & #2 can you not complain when we have to stand for an extended period of time..." Luckily, she answered "yes" to both questions...so it was a done deal...we were heading half way across the county to see Kenny.

he following photos are a little fuzzy, but I couldn't help it...he kept moving!!

Now, this wasn't the first time we thought about flying to Vegas to see Kenny. We actually had a hotel booked a few years ago, but I think it was in the middle of football season and I couldn't bring myself to miss a Vols home game. While I love my Kenny...my love of football is a little stronger.

The Gardens at the Bellagio always make me smile...they change the theme every season...the following photos were from my April trip

I freaked out when I found this hanging high above Fremont Street

And no trip to Sin City is complete without a stop or two here

In-N-Out Burger really is heaven on a bun

That's probably enough ramblings for now...until next time....

Sun tanned toes tickling the sand...

The older I get, the more I want to escape to the beach...but then again, who doesn't? I was reading a book by my apartment pool this morning when I started thinking back to when I was a kid, growing up in Hawaii. All of a sudden I started laughing to myself when I remembered how much I HATED the sand between my toes.

Seriously, me...HATE the sand! Blasphemous, I know. I hated the sand so much I used to wear knee high tube socks and my blue sneakers to the beach. Before I started wearing shoes to the beach, someone would have to carry me from the car to the water. If someone tried to put me on the sand, I'd lift one foot...then the other, till I was hovering over the sand. I have no idea why I didn't like it...maybe it was too hot or maybe I was just neurotic?

Either way, I don't have that problem any more...in a few short weeks my sun tanned toes will finally be tickling the Key West sand...and I'm sure I'll have a cold drink chillin' in my right hand.

Treasure Island Beach...Tampa, FL -- August 2009

Platform 9 3/4, please

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter opened today in Orlando, FL. I feel like a kid at Christmas and I can't wait till October...that's right...I booked a flight to Orlando during a Vols off weekend so I can walk through Hogsmede, have a butter beer and walk into Hogwarts Castle. If I've lost you, you're probably a muggle, and I'm sorry...

Kidding, I'm just a complete dork when it comes to all things Potter. I have my friend Anne to blame. Truth be told, I had not read a book till the first movie came out. I think the first three books were out at the time....I quickly read all three and fell in love. Then Anne got "The Goblet of Fire" for my birthday...which, up until "The Deathly Hallows" had been my favorite book. After that, I was hooked.

I remember seeing all these "midnight Potter book release parties" and thinking, "who in their right mind would ever do that?"

Should have kept my mouth shut since I was a Media Play in Nashville at midnight for "The Order of the Phoenix" and every book their after. I actually waited in line for 2 hours for Book 7 and ended up reading it as I was walking out of the store.

Some of you may be wondering what's so special about this series, or why can't you wait till a normal time to pick it up....and I can't explain it...it's just one of those things in life you just have to do.

A few of my co-workers are Potter fans, but there was one creepy guy that totally freaked me out. He brought me a photo of a shirt he found online...the shirt said "Co-Ed Naked Quidditch, Ride the Stick and Grab the Snitch" who in their right mind would ever buy that? Better questions, why would you show something like that to a co-worker?! In case you were wondering, he no longer works for our company. Thank goodness!!

Back to why I enjoy the Potter world so much...I guess it's because for an hour, a day, a weekend...or however long, I can just get lost and not worry about my daily stresses. I often wonder what kind of magical power I'd want or what kind of spells would work best in my daily life. I tell you one thing, if I ever had a magic wand...first thing I'd use it on would be my laundry. With one flick of the wrist, my laundry would be washed, dried, ironed and put away....do you have any idea how much time that would save? It would be wonderful!!

Would it be too much if I wore my costume to the park?

Back where I come from...

My "Summer of 2010" will be jam packed with travel plans that will allow me to visit some of my favorite places and a few places I've never been before....but there's one place I need to make the time to visit....Hawaii.

I hope to get back there by 2011, but whenever I fly home, it breaks my heart. Yes, I still cry when I see Diamond Head on the initial approach and bawl like a baby when the wheels are up and I'm flying out.

I've often thought about moving back, but I'd miss my family & friends in Tennessee way too much. Who knows what the next 5, 10 or even 15 years will hold....but I know one thing...I'll eventually get back to where I came from.

View from the top of Diamond Head, November 2006

Looking good is half the battle...

I think of shopping as a hobby, but have to admit if it were an Olympic event, I think I could bring home the gold! I was in Atlanta last weekend for a friend's baby shower. Had a little time to kill before meeting up for dinner, so I went shopping....shocking, I know.

Now, keep in mind pink is on of my favorite colors...and hot pink is my current obsession. I have been looking at new running shoes for some time, but haven't paid over $100 for sneakers since high school.

However, I found the perfect pair of Nike Zoom's at Nordstrom's...not only were they hot pink, they were also less than $100. The last thing I should be doing is spending money on shoes, especially with trips to Key West and Vegas less than 3 weeks away, but I figure I have to stay in shape for vacation season. And after everything is said and done, isn't looking good while working out half the battle?

A day late & a dollar short

Hello world! I'm not sure what took me so long, but I have decided to give this social media thing a shot. Several of my friends have blogs of their own & I enjoy reading them...although I'm not sure if this will be able to compare.

Those that know me, know that love to travel & shop...so there's a good chance you'll see a lot of posts dedicated to that sort of thing. I also love my Vols & my NASCAR, so I hope you like to read about sports too!

Until next time...