Life update and the post full of links!

If you viewed my previous post you can tell that life has been amazing lately.
Chris proposed via flash mob at the SeaTac airport- needless to say I didn't see it coming and ugly cried half way to Disney world.I won't pepper you with tons of pictures but it was like a pre honeymoon- we had amazing food, weather and crowds were almost non existent. We cannot wait to go back.
Then we came crashing back into reality when we landed in Seattle.
Can't I just live in Disneyworld?


But on to the next big event in our lives, no not wedding planning (that will happen after the new year) I was referring to Christmas. While we're not going back to Connecticut this Christmas and I'm still pretty sad about it, we are making the best of things here. This weekend was no different.

Friday it snowed meaning everything in the PACNW shut down. No I'm not kidding- schools were closed for about 1 inch of snow which turned to rain by noon. The New Englander in me was slightly embarrassed I didn't brave the roads but after our work also called a snow day for all of us I wasn't about to fight it. Perfect excuse to play with the puppy in the snow- she loves it. I also completed ALL christmas shopping on Friday- win win.

SNOW!

Saturday was filled with riding and heading to Jumpernite with a friend from the barn. Jumpernite is a schooling show for those of us who would need/like some additional pratice before our 'real' shows start in the spring. We didn't participate in the show but it was cool to check out, they have another in February so we are hoping to head to that one. Saturday night we went to see the Nutcracker in Seattle. We had such a good time with our friends Noelle and Russell (same couple who helped plan and video our engagement) We grabbed a bite to eat at a restaurant named Crow- and it was delicious. The ballet was also really enjoyable but to be completely honest I'm glad I know the story of the Nutcracker due to the lack of vocals/dialogue it can be challenging to follow the plot. Maybe its also because I'm used to Broadway, either way I'm glad we went. It put us in the Christmas spirit.

Noelle and I after walking in the rain.
The Space Needle is ready for Xmas
Stage for the Nutcracker.

I had planned on Sunday being used for sleep but I was surprisingly productive. I made my grandmothers recipe for sugar cookies, Chris calls them sugar biscuits (ugh). I also made amazing pork tacos in our slow cooker- seriously best I've ever had! Even better is they make so much we'll have left overs till Christmas!

And thats life right now. We now have a wedding to plan but to be honest we're in no rush we know its going to be a destination wedding because our families are from two coast but other then that we have no idea and I'm ok with that. However advise is always appreciated- have you done a destination wedding? Do you have advise on where to go or what to do? Shoot em my way!!

Merry Christmas Bloggers!

I never saw it coming

Not a lot of words are needed for this particular blog post I'll let the video do the talking :)

Going MIA.

I'm foreseeing a lot of MIA bloggers during the holidays and I know I'll be one of them.
The holidays are upon us, by far the best time of the year. Christmas lights, music, shopping and DISNEYWORLD!
In three days we'll be on our way to the happiest place on earth. It has been months of planning, budgeting and its finally almost here. I feel like a kid on Christmas eve when you know all the good stuff is just a sleep away.
I have also bee listening to disney music on repeat for weeks- Chris is slowing going insane. 

This weekend was spent eating leftovers, which might I add, were just as delicious as the thanksgiving meal I made for Chris and I. We decided to just have a quiet thanksgiving that involved me staying in pjs, cooking, napping, drinking and watching football. Win win. 

Sunday was spent packing (!!!) and the barn I ride at does a special event at a local tack shop which allows us to pick up some riding necessities. I LOVE shopping at local businesses for multiple reasons 1. 80% of the money goes back into the community 2. customer services is almost always better 3. you find one of kind items. So I'll step off my soapbox but this past weekend was small business saturday and while I wasn't able to go out Saturday going to the tack shop was my way to shop local.

I wish I had more exciting things going on but my brain is on disney overload- see you when we get back!! 

Cause we need a little Christmas....in November.

My last post was sort of a debbie downer- I apologize and in all honestly I couldn't have been more wrong about my birthday here. It was a blast- I am so incredibly lucky to have the amazing people in my life from east to west coast. 28 is going to be a GREAT year!

my bday mug from chris (aww), the crew out for dinner, cupcake card, SEABAG from my best friend! and of course classic photo booth fun :) 

November and December are easily my favorite months of the year- I am a Christmas psycho. No really, I'm already listening to christmas music and as I type this I'm listening/watching to the Polar Express. Not to mention Christmas music is so fun to sing along too until your boyfriends/co workers/ friends disown you because they're sick of hearing you sing them. I digress.
Christmas has always been a big deal to me, even when I was a kid my dad and my uncle did Christmas BIG. I'm talking tree in every room, lights everywhere, and ofcourse presents and christmas cookies galore. Looking back I know we had a picture perfect christmases and I'm a firm believer that these memories are what makes me LOVE this holiday as an adult. My mom feels that christmas is 'too commercial'  but I say bah humbug (see what I did there?)  Yes there are parts of it that might be a little over done- such as black friday. Sorry my friends but there is nothing I want THAT badly to get out of bed at 2am to stand in line and prepare to flight over. I'll pass- I will however enjoy 3rd and 4th helpings of the delicious turkey and sides thank you very much.
And then theres the tree. I've always had a real tree however Chris has never had one- poor thing so I'm hoping to share with him how exciting it is to get a tree and decorate it! This is my first christmas  without being home and I'm a little sad about that but I'm hoping we can make new memories here. We are planning on going to see the Nutcracker and our friends invited us to Christmas dinner. Not to mention DisneyWorld in 27 days!!!

And just in case you were wondering only 44 days till Christmas!!!

Remember remember the fifth of November...

Because it's my birthday!!!

That's right! My birthday is on Tuesday, November 5th, which is a terrible day to have a birthday, but to compensate for such a mediocre day to have a birthday I'm only working a half day.
I'm turning 28 this year- meaning I'll be officially in my late 20's, this is an odd concept to me. Where did years 24-27 go? I don't feel like I'm 28 however I find that such a strange statement, what is 28 years old suppose to feel? This is my second birthday on the west coast however it is around my birthday when I start feel a hint of missing home. I'm not going home for Thanksgiving or Christmas this year so I think the homesickness might be here to stay for a bit. Back home I celebrate my birthday for at least a week getting to go for dinners and outing with friends, family and significant others but here its different. My friends and Chris do an amazing job making my birthday feel special but it's just not home. I know this is a terrible compliant to have but I guess after over a year of living here, I'm surprised how much certain times of year really make me miss Connecticut.
This year on Tuesday night a bunch of us are going out for some delicious dim sum and Chris is working on some surprise which is my favorite part!
Someone else's birthday is coming up as well.... Bailey's! Her birthday is 11/10 so only 5 days after me and she's turning one. I can't believe our little puppy is turning one, she's been a lot of work but has brought us so much joy and laughter I can't imagine our lives without her.

And now I leave you with some birthday wisdom

Happy little fall things

This weekend was quiet- riding, errands, cooking, laundry and a baby shower for one of my trainers.
However I am loving are the beautiful fall things that occur this time of year. Pumpkin is my favorite flavor of everything, you name it, and I've probably tried a pumpkin version.  The past few weeks I've made pumpkin chili, pumpkin bread, pumpkin lasagna, pumpkin ice cream, pumpkin cheesecake and enjoyed pumpkin spice latte (obviously) pumpkin beer and pumpkin cider. Yes, pumpkin is indeed everywhere and I love it. But it isn't the only thing I love about Fall. I love the smell of the leaves, and the crisp air. I love it- its sweet but earthy.
I love burning Yankee Candles in all the fall scents and love baking yummy pumpkin bread that makes the whole apartment smell amazing all while enjoying my favorite tea in my favorite mugs.

Seriously how awesome is fall?

pumpkin beer, Clydes Cider Mill- the best cider mill, orange nails and red leaves, witch pumpkin and Rocko :)

Weekend Shenanigans and Grocery store rants

Sometimes there are weekends where there is a perfect blend of work and play. I feel that that there a fine line between having a productive weekend to having a weekend where you feel like you haven't had a day off. Last week I was able to ride 4 nights which was awesome. I'm really looking forward to getting to know Rocko and being able to ride him pretty much whenever I want is so much fun. He's such a cool horse. 

Saturday was the typical morning at the barn, and then horrid grocery shopping- yes I used the word horrid. There are few things I dislike doing more then going grocery shopping. I hate people who talk on their cell phones the whole time and have no regards to where they are standing or where they leave their carts. Speaking of,there should be cart rules. Number one: don't leave you cart unattended to grab something 3-5 aisles away and then leave the cart in the middle of the aisle so the rest of us have to move it to get by- bring your cart with you. Number two: if your child is having a meltdown over the fact you won't buy him junk food please remove yourself and said child instead of ignoring him and pretending your parenting doesn't suck. And finally, my dear retired folk, you have ALL week to go to the grocery store to take your sweet time roaming the aisles and to read every label and leave your cart haphazardly all over the place but PLEASE for the love of God stop going on weekends. All this behavior instantly makes me hate all people and hence my loathing of grocery shopping. 

I was able to make it out of the grocery alive however and after returning home I had a moral debate to either take a nap or do laundry- the nap obvioulsy won. However I knew I'd need my energy. Noelle, Christine and I got together for a nice little saturday evening  full of pumpkin delishiness. We made a amazing butternut squash pasta dish (we is a strong word, I watched Noelle cook and I picked our song selection) and pumpkin bread all while enjoying pumpkin ciders and beers. I even managed to find Shipyard Pumpkinhead beer which is made in Maine and therefore delish.To cap this evening off we watched Dowton Abbey which always is enjoyable- plus the commentary we all had made all episode more humorous then they ever intended them to be. 

Sunday was laundry day because it was ignored for the majority of the weekend however it also allowed me to make a autumn pork roast- you see a theme here? The New England Patriots lost so that was probably the second highlight of my Sunday. Yes, I'm from New England but lemme tell ya, I hate the Patriots especially Tom Brady- ugh. The irony to this is Chris, who is from Alaska, loves them so needless to say he especailly hates when they lose because I normally make my own expert commentary. Poor Chris but sorry I'm not sorry, but someone else has to take over their rein. On that note I have a prediction. Every place my family has moved to their football team won- we lived in Virgina the Redskins won, when we moved to San Diego, the Chargers won and again when we moved to Connecticut the Patriots won. Therefore if tradition holds true the Seattle Seahawks would win- which I'm inpartial about. I don't like them or dislike them.

Butternut squash, drunken goat cheese and the end product.

Shipyard Pumpkinhead, pumpkin bread and a new quote :)

I feel like I have to address something that I've recetly have noticed and which I'm sure some readers have as well. My grammer is terrible. It always has been, but recently I was reading a blog post from a week ago and realized not only is my grammer is poor but there is times I've left out full words. umm....yeah. So I'm sorry. However its normally because when I sit down and blog my brain is going about 1,000 miles an hour and I'm rushed to read thru it and then I'm too lazy to proof read- umm yeah. 

Anyways there you have it folks- happy Monday... Now c'mon Friday! 

Love Life.

Life has been busy but in a good way.my schedule has been crazy with working and riding and Chris is just getting down with his busy work season. However we do both has big news- no I'm not pregnant and no we're not engaged. 

Me news first:

Meet Rocko- he's the darker horse on the left. It's official my lease started and its amazing! Leasing a horse is similar to leasing a car but way more expensive however it's like he's mine without the full responsibility and financial aspect which is perfect for me right now. I am SO excited. We plan on showing him all season and hope to kick butt! If I ever win the lottery I'm quitting my job to ride full time. I love it- always puts me in a good mood and makes me forget everything. 

Chris's news is even bigger! While he's been with his company for a very long time he is unsatisfied with it and honestly is jealous of my basic Monday thru Friday gig. This past week he interviewed twice and will shadow next Tuesday. After that he can decide if this is something he wants to do- which I'm fairly convinced it is. He's even really eager to get into something new and, as he's pointed out he's not getting any younger. I'm so excited for him even if I'm also nervous. It's a big change for him and I but I know he'll do great. Not to mention we'll now be getting ready in the morning together- yikes. 

My work life is pretty good as well- we got our September numbers and they're huge meaning we're heading into the 4th quarter with a huge upswing. 

Sometimes life is just sweet. 

Tuesday ramblings

Randomness. It's what I do best. I am in a constant thought is always interrupted by another thought that pushes that one out.

Chris (he's a nerd but I love him) found an app that allows us to set up our ipad to act as nanny cam (or doodle cam if you will) so we can watch Bailey when she's home. Mind you, she's only home Mondays as the rest of the week she's at daycare- oh the life of our dog. Either way my work has been severely affected,in a negative way,due to this app. I find myself constantly checking in on her and then running to co workers when 'oh my god, she moved!'or 'oh my god look how cute she is sleeping!' Yes, I'm that person.

This past weekend two of my friends were asked to babysit my boss's kids and it just occurred to me I wasn't even considered for this roll. Not even a mention- which had me thinking. Is it that obvious that I'm not good with kids nor know if I want them? Apparently the answer is resounding yes. Yikes.

Today is our pumpkin carving party. I'm counting down the hours. I've picked out my design, tools are ready (yep, I have pumpkin carving tools) and the perfect pumpkin. Watch out- I'm going to carve the crap out of this Jack O Lantern.

Hockey is back!!! Everyone keeps going on and on about football but here's the thing. I do not care. Not in the slightest. Apparently in a past life I was a maple syrup drinking, poutine loving, hockey crazed Canadian because I love me some hockey. Fun fact: Chris and I met at a Hockey game.....awwwww. Now I'm gearing up for 82 games of blood, fighting and hopefully, just maybe a Stanley Cup for my team the Washington Capitals. Why the Capitals you ask? Two words: Alexander Ovechkin.

Sure there are other players that are good but he is my favorite. Maybe its because he's Russian or maybe it's because he has a fantastic accent or drives fast cars without any real regard for most other human. He's bounder line arrogant. He is amazing. He's won every individual award there is to win but the Stanley Cup still hasn't come to Washington- but I have faith it will. And when it does I will be the most obnoxious fan this side of the Mississippi- or with any luck we'll live back East. Most non hockey watchers have a least heard of one name: Sidney Crosby. ugh. Alexander is the opposite and they are rivals on the ice and this year they are in the same division. Bring it Penguins- what type of mascot is that? I digress.

Last but not least I cannot stop eating junk. It started with the homemade chocolate chip cookies and has continued with pizza, burgers and soda (not pop). I'm blaming it on multiple things but its probably the fact that work is slowing down and if I'm not insanely busy at work then I'm sitting at my desk...probably eating.  I need a salad pronto.

Birthday (well Chris's) weekend

This weekend was Chris's 28th birthday- its hard for me to picture Chris or myself 28 but here it is. My birthday is November 5th so we have our birthdays exactly one month apart- meaning in a short month I too will be 28. How did this happen and how do I slow this down?

I was susie homemaker for most of the weekend but we were able to fit in a few small odds and ends of fun stuff!
Due to Disney being two months away both our birthdays and christmas will be small affairs but its the price to pay to go to the happiest place on earth!

Bailey and I at the pumpkin patch
I pulled out the autumn decorations and set them up over the fireplace
Make Chris some birthday cookies
Spent some time with Rocko

I also made amazing pumpkin lasagna. I will post the recipe this week- super easy to make and delicious. 

Fall Bucket List

Case of the Mondays- like everyone else in the workforce.
I can't believe that tomorrow is October 1st- where did September go?

I digress however now that is is officially fall a checklist was in order. This was discovered via pinterest however its a start- myself and 6 co workers (who are more like friends I work with) have decided to make this our fall bible.

It goes as follows:
Bake pies- this sounds like a lot of work
Have a s'mores campfire- ummmm this is a summer activity. Thanks but no thanks
Visit a pumpkin patch- obviously
Make leaf art- probably not, I'm not 8.
Pick apples- there is only so much I can do with apples (sans pie) so I'll pick 5
Make (and eat) carmael apples- alright I'll pick 10 apples, 5 will be dunked in carmel
Go trick or treating- unless you have kids at my age,  you look like a creep.
Drink hot apple cider- yessssss and ofcourse pumpkin beer
Make fall cookies- pretty sure the only thing that makes them 'fall' is their leave shape.
Have a photo shoot in a leave piles- who came up with this?
Carve a pumpkin- this will be happening next Monday night at my place. Sorry Chris Monday night football WILL NOT be showing.
Navigate a corn maze- with 6 girls, this shouldn't be hard.

Fall is my favorite season but it's not the same here in the Pacific Northwest. It rains a lot and therefore a lot of activities are either done soggy or not at all. Not to mention we live in the evergreen state so guess how many trees actually change- 5% give or take. All well the fall checklist will go on.

Weekend recharge!

I've been sucking at blogging lately. I blame it on jet lag and being sick the majority of the week. However I'm finally starting to feel better and after sleeping for most nights for 10 hours I think I'm over the jet lag. Note to self: when flying 3,000 miles on a Sunday, take Monday off. 

This week I struggled to get back into the swing of things. I rode the struggle bus for most of the week at work- finding it hard to concentrate on the work that needed to be completed. I was lucky that I didn't have an insane amount of work to catch up on after my vacation (thanks to my wonderful team) but I think that made it more challenging for me. If I had a long list of things that needed urgent attention I probably would have got my butt in gear- but all task were all that I found myself pushing off. Sigh. This week I need to be better! 

I'm afraid to post this or even say it until it comes true but I think I'm going to be able to half lease Rocko(see pic below)- When I got back I met with my trainers who spoke with the owner who is *hopefully* agreeing to the half lease starting 10/15. The best part about this is because the owner lives in Yakima and won't be riding I'll be able to ride him 3-4 times a week. Keep your fingers crossed this comes true- I would be ecstatic.

And lastly if being honest Chris and I have been in a funk lately-  we've just been snapping at each other or bickering about little things. (Earlier this week it was about the New England Patriots, a team Chris loves and I hate- I mean c'mon)I think its been because our schedules have been opposite for the past few weeks. Chris has been working weekends and during the weekdays I've been riding, working or getting ready for my trip. So this weekend we spent at home, cuddling, talking, watching tv shows together- its been so nice to not run around like crazy and just relax. Not to mention it's been so windy and rainy here so a weekend full of movies, tea and takeout has been perfect. 

And now that Hocus Pocus is on tv, pumpkin beer in hand, and my apple cider glazed pot roast is in the crock pot (I'll post the recipe if its as delicious as it sounds) I'm happy to say this weekend has been pretty close to perfect.

      I supported the Pats this week. Bailey was confused- I felt sick :) 

       Rocko! He's so thrilled. 

Vacation hangover and a sinus infection

You know what's worst then Mondays?

Mondays after a week long vacation-

Nothing welcomes you back to hell work then 600+ emails.

To make this Monday worst- I have a sinus infection. Blah.

Vacation was amazing. But instead of rambling on in paragraphs I decided to brag via pictures about how amazing New England is (and Ohio and Pennsylvania of course)

Enjoy.

Hotel Breakers, Cedar Point Ohio. Located on Lake Erie.

Pennsylvania Countryside. A second home.

Breakers #2. Vanderbilt Mansion in Newport Rhode Island. Downton Abby anyone?

Signs of fall

My mom's b-day card from yours truely 

Clyde's CiderMill. Mystic CT.
The oldest operating wood cider press in the USA 

Pumpkin Beer.

West Coast might have sunsets but East Coast has sunrises 

Afternoon Tea. British style.

Best Friends.

I can't make this up

Currently I'm Cedar Point Ohio. I'm actually looking out our hotel weekend to a massive roller coaster I plan on tackling within hours! Beyond excited! 

This trip has taken months of planning and by far the worst travel my mom or I have had for ANY vacations.

For starters- my mom left CT Thursday to head to my grandmothers  to drop off her dog and to break up the 10 hour drive. 2 hours into her trip the rain started- and contained pouring until she hit the New York line and then it got worst. Tracker trailer roll over causing a 2 hour long back up. What should have been a 5.5-6 hour commute turned into 7.5 hour commute which wouldn't have been do bad if she didn't also work all day.  Alright- not ideal 

But it gets worst 

I get up at 2:30am eager and excited for my trip- that excitement dissipated around 4:32am when it was discovered my 5:15am flight was delayed till 6:15 which would cause me to miss my connecting flight in Denver. I should mention similar to the traffic situation earlier this week- I don't handle things not going as planned. However after talking with United on the phone and in Seattle I was told the best we can do is send you to Denver now and see what can be done there. Thank United- I owe you one. Ugh. 

*side note- my mom was planning on picking me up from Cleveland at 2:30 and was currently waiting in central Pennsylvania (5 hours away) but now was on standby until I knew when I would get into Cleveland. 

I get to Denver and United as a whole has delays on 85% on flights most over 2 hours due to the rains all over country. Great. Customer Service is insane, luckily they were expecting us from Seattle. The BEST I could get was standby on the next flight- 3 hours away. I was also booked on the last flight out, as it was the only one that had openings- 9 hours away. Kill me now. 

Both Chris and my mom and Ashley were waiting for me to start the tears of self pity- or extreme frustration but I held it together. I waited and waited. And by chance I looked to see if any other flights were leaving Denver to Cleveland and lo and behold- a flight leaving at 3:30 which was still 6 hours after my original flight but I got booked. I got the hell outta dodge! The crazy part in all of this is my luggage made it!!! It actually made it before me! Hallelujah!

My moms travel issues continued- her rental car check engine light went off, ofcourse. Luckily we were able to exchange cars in Cleveland and finally start our vacation.

We arrived at 11 last night and it's the part of Halloweekend at Cedar Point and this place looks amazing- ill be honest it's not a 4 seasons, the Hotel Breakers was built in 1905 and has tons of historical charm. Picture the place in Dirty Dancing. Love it. 

Lets hope our luck is on the upswing!

Vacation- aren't you suppose to be relaxing? 

Grumpy Gills.

So here’s the deal bloggers. Lots of stuff going on. First its 9/11. Many family members of mine are part of the elite group of police force, firefighters and military so while EVERYONE should take a moment to say thanks to those who serve for us, it’s also important that we say ‘ I love you’ to those people in our lives because we never know when something, anything could change I’ll get off my soap box but enjoy this Budweiser commercial, if it doesn’t make you tear up you have no soul.
 



 I really wanted to do every day in blogtember but I’ve just been crazy busy and really cranky. No seriously. I should be happy I’m going on vacation next week but I’ve been working long days to make up for the fact I won’t be here Friday but if I’m being honest here it’s not just that. On Monday I spent 50 minutes in traffic for my 5.3 mile commute- I did not handle that well, I sent off a series of angry tweets to every department of transportation within a 25 miles radius. All of which responded – most of which said something along the lines of ‘you’re SOL’. Tuesday, I worked 10.5 hours and then went out for Happy Hour which would have been great until I got home and realized Chris (who has off most of the week to accommodate my vacation for Bailey, no judgment please) really hasn’t done anything around our place. Let me make this clear, I’m slightly OCD when it comes to our apartment- I’m not saying it has to be picture perfect everyday but picking up your shit around the place for 5 minutes a day does make a difference. Chris, to say the least, disagrees. He could be worst, he could be much worst but I asked him to do a few simple task- like wash the sheets, clean Bailey’s room (yes she has her own room, don’t judge us) I don’t think it’s too much for them to done in a timely manner! I walk in and most are not completed and his reasoning ‘it’s my day off, I’ll do them when I want’ Yep. Funny because I do laundry, grocery shopping, clean, run random errands , and riding on my days off- if fact I cannot remember the last day I just did nothing. Anger turns into frustration which turns into tears.
Awesome sauce.
I need this vacation.

When things don't go as expected....

This past week as been full of disappointments to be honest.
Up until now I haven't really had anything even remotely bad happen to me since I've moved here- setbacks yes, but nothing that I was generally disappointed in. And for the record I believe being disappointed is one of the worst feelings. It's like when you were younger and your parents weren't mad at you, they were disappointed. And there you were feeling all guilty for doing what you did. Disappointment is the worst.

First, I found out my company decided to close of the all office in Connecticut- including the office I transferred from. My boss (who gave me such great advise) will be part of this lay off. I'm sad. These people are my friends and were my coworkers. They're being laid off at the end of the year and in uncertain times. It could have so easily been me.

Second, the past few weeks I've been trying to lease a horse named Rocko. The girl who is currently leasing him is buying a new horse so he will be available at the end of the month. He's perfect and would be able to get me to where I wanted to be next show season. After hours upon hours of number crunching its become bluntly apparent I cannot afford this right now. My two vacations (next week and Disney in December) are really tying up my funds. This was disappointing on a whole new level- I really wholeheartedly thought this was something I could do until my bank account quietly reminded me I don't make an extra $1600 a month to afford the cost of a full lease. I was in tears disappointed. I know this is completely first world problems but it was something I so badly wanted it stung knowing it wasn't going to happen. After tearing up to my trainer for a good 10 minutes she reassuring me that everything happens for a reason and they would do their best to make things work out. I cannot say more about them as people and trainers- they really care about what they do for both horse and rider.

I only work a 4 day week this week then its off to the East Coast. I'm really looking forward to it- its a good time to catch up with family and friends and to reset myself.

Remember this.

As I predicted I missed a few days of Blogtember- life does seem to do.

I leave for home next Friday, with a brief stop in Ohio. What's in Ohio you ask? Cedar Point. Cedar Point has some of the biggest, fastest and best roller coasters in the country. It is consistantly ranked as one of the best roller coaster parks in the world. So obviously my mom and I had to go- this was our christmas present to each other, a mini vacation to a place we both have been wanting to go to for so long. I am stoked.

Now back to Blogtember...
Useful advise.



The best advise I was ever given was from my old boss, who is still a close friend of mine today. When I decided to make the 3,000 move across the country I was lucky enough to transfer with my company and then later on be promoted. However during my last day in my old office I was having SERIOUS doubts. I was scared, nervous and sad that I was leaving everything I knew for the unknown. In the last few moments in the office, I went into his office for a tearful goodbye. He told me this and I've never forgotten it. Nothing is permeant. Simple but it took away all of my fears. It's a double edge sword ofcourse- good things won't last forever but neither will bad times. Nothing in this life is set in stone, its a humbling and at times terrifying thought but it has stuck with me.

I have a fantastic weekend planned filled with ponies (both riding and betting!) and ofcourse packing for home! Hope you all have a great weekend- see you for shenanigans on Monday!

Live abroad

If I could do anything for three months with no real commitments or anything holding me back- I would live abroad. I've never be out of the country (Canada and Mexico don't count) I want to live in Russia (I've always had an interest of the their culture) Ireland, Greece (before the financial crisis) and England. All these countries have amazing food, interesting culture and fanatating people.

Sign me up.

I asked Chris the same thing just for fun- he's a little less exotic. He said and I quote, 'I would learn to cook so I can make mistakes and not worry about having to buy more food' To his credit he's been learning to cook recently after my discovery that he never learned to cook. Not eggs, not a burger. nada. What a shame.

Where I come from.

Such a basic question but for many, including myself, a complicated answer.

I come from all over the country. I was born in Virginia, lived in California, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Washington.
I am homesick for Connecticut, my friends, my family and things that are familiar to me but I'm proud that I am here- that I made it.
I'm self confident, sometimes to a fault. I'm sarcastic, sometimes to a fault.
I come from the strongest and most inspiration mom anyone could have. One who introduced me my passion of riding but trucked me to cheerleading practice, basketball games and lacrosse tournaments cheering me along the whole way (she was even my cheer coach for a season)
I come from a grandmother who is just as stubborn and hard headed as me, and whom I'm pretty sure I share a brain with sometimes.
And a grandfather who taught me how to loose with grace, er tried- thanks gramp for the multiple butt kicking in monopoly, checkers and gin rummy.
My second hometown is rural Pennsylvania where I spent my summers with my grandparents, watching Amish buggies (yup you read that right) going down the street and country fairs- these are the best memories.
But my first hometown  is on the beach, where the summers are hot and the winters are cold.
I was taught to speak my mind, stand up for what I believe in and appreciate what you have.

However, some of the parts I come from I do not know. Some parts I know I am better off without- but that doesn't mean they are not with me. Those parts stay with me like ghost hiding and sometimes come out when I don't want them too. These 'parts' still fill up the puzzle that is me.

Such a loaded question and complicated answer- Happy Tuesday all.

Alaska Vistors

Labor Day weekend has always been bittersweet for me. It's the end of summer which back home is my favorite season however it then starts my second favorite- fall. Since living here I still love both seasons but in different ways. Back home, the summers are HOT and HUMID so when fall arrives with its beautiful changing leaves and cooler temps its a welcome relief. Here is similar but the leaves aren't nearly are vibrant as they are back home- nor do they have apple cider farms like back home. We'll still be able to carve pumpkins and go thru a corn maze but it will in between rainy days. Meh.

And now for weekend recap!

This past weekend, well actually week, has been a whirlwind. Since Chris's family was in town all week we have been running around like crazy- all of which is fun but exhausting.

Started off the week at the Mariners game. They're terrible but after some garlic fries and beer I quickly forget how bad they are.

The highlight of the week was Taylor Swift concert. She was amazing! And Chris made an amazing video of the concert for me. Whatta guy!

Alaska Family!

The biggest theme is we ate a lot when they were here. We took them to multiple restaurant in the area and I even tried HaloHalo, which is a Asian dish that looks like the blueberries on top. It actually means 'mix mix' and has shaved ice and pretty much everything in it, from jelly to ice cream and flan. It is an acquired taste but it was good to try something new.

Ofcourse the ponies did not take a back seat when they were here. In fact the family even came  by to watch my ride 

We had fun with them here, we always do. As I mentioned they are always easy to please but this time was Chris's brothers first baseball game and first concert- he was thrilled. Now only two weeks till I head home for another vacation, I am so excited!

Tomorrow starts 'Blogtember' which are always a way to get to know different bloggers and for others to get to know you. YOU should join!!!

A bitter blogger

Tonight while reading my followed blogs on bloglovin it occurred to me that I have a complaint. No, it does not have anything to do with Miley Cyrus's performance at the VMA's however I would like to say you'd NEVER see T. Swift behaving like that. Class not trash. I digress.

No my compliant is more of  being envious of those who DURING THE DAY to have time blog, tweet, facebook, instragram, and all other social media outlets. I work 40-50 hours a week, without a lunch break and normally don't realize what time it is until my day is almost over. Rarely am I able to do much of any 'real life' socializing let along social. Yes, I facebook occasionally but only when I am postponing work (aren't we all a little guilty of that)- other then that I'm stressing over my project, a co workers training, another's stress level. This is my life Monday thru Friday. I am so jealous of those of you who can blog about their weekend on Monday morning unless I write Sunday or Monday night- it just doesn't happen. So dear friends, those of you who have time to enjoy the pleasures of blogging from your couch on Monday morning or at your desk Monday morning- enjoy.

My weekend was not terribly exciting except------ I put a down payment on my new (used) saddle!!! I really cannot speak any higher for my trainers where I ride. Not only does one of them allow me to rider her horse she also is selling me her saddle. It is a little more then I wanted to spend but it's a good brand and honestly saddles don't wear out- especially the well made ones. Other then that I rode, napped, and wrote an extremely large check.

Tomorrow Chris's family comes in from Alaska then off to Mariners game, dinners, and Taylor Swift. I don't know who is more excited for Swifty, me or Chris's 14 year old brother- probably me. 

Taylor Swift Thursday

Say what you will about Taylor Swift.
I know many that think her dating life is ridiculous or that she is fake but with so many "artist" not writing their own songs, I think its refreshing that she writes her own songs and has since she was a wee kid. While some might not be able to relate to her songs at their current age- we did at one point. Her songs are catchy, fun and often times truthful of your teenage and early 20 years. I've been lucky enough to see her twice in concert and tonight we bought tickets for her RED tour which is in NINE days!!!!! Rolling Stones called her one of the best shows of the summer and I believe that. I've been a fan of hers since her first country album and while I wouldn't call her country now I believe she is growing as an artist and singer.
Haters going to hate.

Let's fast forward.

"You need to be careful what you're good at you'll be doing it for the rest of your life"

So this quote, dear friends, was on Pretty Little Liars tonight, however I kept replaying it in my mind and holds a lot of truth. Simmer on that for a bit.

For the 1840328208 time- work is just a constant blur of days of chaos, training newbies, and counting down till the weekend. We have a few exciting things coming up though that I'm looking forward too. 

Next week, Chris's family (or well his mom and 14 year old brother) from Alaska comes for a week. They normally visit us during the week of Thanksgiving when its miserable and rainy here so this is their first time visiting us in the summer. I also love that everything impresses them- I guess that's what you get when you live in the middle of Alaska. We have already spent a good amount of time deciding where to take them and what activities to do. His brother is going to his first baseball and concert so I know he'll have a blast.

Only a little less then then a month till I'm back East! I'm excited that not only am I am going home to my beloved Connecticut but I also get to stop by Pennsylvania to visit my grandparents. I've never been much of a city person and I'm convinced its due to the summers spent in Pennsylvania. They live in a small small town in central PA, about an hour outside of Harrisburg- my best summers were spent there living around farms, fairs and delicious (fatty) foods. 

These little highlights get me through these ridiculously long days, weeks and months at work. 3 more days till Saturday. 

Lessons to be learned.

Oh the dumb things I do sometimes.
Tonight after work (well, to be truthful, we left a little early) to grab some drinks with the girls. The best part of where I work are the people I work with. We drank margaritas and laughed and laughed- an awesome way to start Friday night.
Wellllllll after I got home I decided to pay off my portion of our Disney trip and somehow my account was double charged which caused my account to go negative. Thank god for my savings account but its going to take 7-10 days for the money to be replaced. WTF. Lesson learned; don't try paying bills after drinking.

On a more somber note. This past week one of our long term clients passed away. He was only 18. As much as hate to say it I take my health, my family and friends health and our wonderful lives for granted. Because we on the business side of the medical field, we see profits and numbers but often times do not see the wonderful and strong families we help everyday by being in business. We enable medically intense children to be at home with their families and to live the most normal life as possible. When meeting some of the families at hospitals and at home I'm not sure if I could go thru what they go thru everyday. Having a medically intense child is unimaginable to me and I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy- it completely changes you and your family's life forever. The respect I have for those families is endless. So lesson #2 this weekend is take a moment every day to learn to be grateful for the life you have- you never know when it could change.

Ponies and Engagement Rings

I’m writing this update extremely late- normally I blog Sunday night and post first thing Monday morning but this weekend was busy and Monday was even worst. However that doesn't mean I'm not going to link up with my favorite post of the week!

I know I’ve said multiple times but work is so freakin crazy.

We had to let go of an employee who wasn’t working out, which in the long run is great for our office but in the interim means more work for me. More training. More doing things said old employee used to do. And instead of the universe understanding that I’m beyond busy- it instead gives me more work to do from outside forces. Thank you universe- you’re a pal.

I digress.

This weekend was a blast though. Filled with ponies and engagement ring shopping!!! Yup, you read that right folks!

Chris and I are actively planning our Disney vacation like we were bitten by the house of mouse bug- I’m talking reservations for breakfasts, dinners, attending holiday parades, and matching outfits, ok that last part was a little exaggerated but we are Disneying ourselves out.  With that being said I have mentioned in the past that DisneyWorld engagement would be glorious- especially around Christmas, my favorite holiday.

WELL Chris and I have been engagement ring shopping for a few months now but yesterday was the most serious we've been. I'm talking trying on rings, sizing and spending over an hour tackling the world of engagement rings. And what a large, expensive and fantastic world it is.

For those of you who know me, you probably aren’t surprised to know that I’ve tried on approximately 30+ rings- all sizes, shapes, designs. Also it’s probably not a surprise that I want to be involved in my ring selection. It’s not that I don’t trust Chris but I know how incredibly picky I am and would at least like to give him a shot of me liking the ring- brutal but the truth. To be completely honest though Chris was so involved with the ring shopping I was shocked and pleasantly surprised- he was the one asking me to try on different rings and seeing what I liked and I appreciated his input. 

I'm not trying to get ahead of myself because if come December and I'm reading this and I was wrong- I'll be deleting this post ASAP... However as of now things are looking on the up and up!

On top of ring shopping I also took Chris to his first horse show!

I took him to the Grand Prix event which if you're not into horses or even know what you're looking at, is interesting. Horse and rider jump high and as fast as possible and if you win you get 25,000, a win win if you ask me. My barn was there showing as well so it was nice to see Finley pony and watch some professional riders. 

Even Monday was filled with a little trinket- Chris brought me some Godiva chocolate. They were even hand delivered at work :) Whatta guy <3

Disney castle at Christmas!
The ring I picked- well maybe.
Monday surprise-how cute are those truffles
JUMP BIG

We're going to DISNEYWORLD

I never blog on the weekend buttttttttttt
Big News.......
Chris and I booked our trip to DisneyWorld!!!!

Trip is booked for the first few weeks in December! We'll be there for a full week and I'm sure it will be jammed packed with amazing food, rides and just plain amazingness. I have been in full blown disney planning mode for days now and I don't think it will stop till I step foot into the Magic Kingdom.  My Pittsburgh family goes every year so me and my aunt has been texting for restaurant ideas- she even has a facebook page which has been a great help because this vacation is overwhelming and its three months out.

I've been to DisneyWORLD and DisneyLAND as a kid however DisneyWORLD is always better- Chris has been to DisneyLAND but has no idea how much better DisneyWORLD is and ofcourse he's going with me- what a lucky guy!

San Diego or Bust

This weekends update is actually a Wednesday thru Sunday update. While I was technically 'working' Wednesday thru Friday my company flew me and the West Region's leadership to San Diego for a work conference. It was my first meeting and was also really helpful. It was set up in workshop style so we were able to pick and choose our classes. However I quickly learned that 85% of the time we spent drinking, socializing and snapchatting. My type of work. 

Let's recap.

I got in Wednesday and started drinking on the plane- it continued till I left on Saturday (thank you open bar) If you haven't been to San Diego it's fabulous. I'm VERY biased to the East Coast- however San Diego is amazing. Maybe it's because I lived here as a kid or maybe because it truely is an amazing city- either way I highly recommend it. Beautiful weather, great food and bars- what's NOT to love?? Anyways, back to Wednesday, we had dinner at Sally's Seafood which has amazing sushi! When Chris and I came here last year we discovered this gem- and while it was expensive- this meal can be expensed (thanks work!)

I wish I took pictures but because we all decided to put cell phones rule for the night- t no photographic evidence of such deliciousness exist. But hey it was a nice chance for all of us to catch up. We made our way to a bar named Searsucker- it was a rustic bar with a great atompshere. It was a great chance for all of the offices to mingle. It's even owned by Top Chef contestant Brian Malarkey-

1. blue skies from the plane.
2. In flight entertainment- Alaskan Ale
3. view from Hotel.
4. Shamless selfie on my way to training

Thrusday- up early. Gym (whoo), and workshop! Then more drinking. Starts at 5 with a cocktail party on the pool deck and onto dinner. Again back to the Gaslamp district- The strip club steak house. I'll be honest I didn't pick it- nor would I recommend it. You literally order your steak and, get this- cook it yourself. Ummmm? I do that at home. Why am I cooking my own steak? I digress because again it was open bar. So my annoyance quickly passed.  We moved onto bowling- now to be honest I couldn't tell you the name or where the place is but I do remember having a great time! I also remember getting into the hotel, downing water and going to bed. Yup.

1. Girls at dinner
2. Caitlin- getting her grill on
3. Bowling
4. Greg grilling my steak

Friday (6am) Oh.My.God

Breakfast in silence with 150 other people. We all could barely function but did have some great stories (like my boss loosing this shoes at the bowling alley or someone going to the wrong hotel). We keep in classy San Diego.

Workshops. The end of the workshop was the best part- we actually met some of our clients who live in SOCAL- I was in tears at how touched I was at some of the families. It really brought us back to why we do what we do. 

Most of attendees left after our conference but I stayed another night and was in need  of some serious alone time. I've vacationed by myself before and LOVE IT. I came back to my hotel and took a much needed nap then headed off to

Spike Africa for a peaceful dinner alone. I know what you're thinking- you had dinner alone??? And yes, I did. I love it- you talk to people from all over and I love it. I got the swordfish and it was cooked to perfection. Along with 2-4 more drinks ofcourse. Then it's back to the hotel for a bath, tea, 20/20(I love murder mysteries) and relaxing. Oh and fireworks! The Yankee's were in town so I could see the stadium from my hotel room.

1. Drinks on drinks
2. Alaskan Hilbut
3. Swordfishy

Saturday. Woke up and walked to Cafe 222- a quant little breakfast place in SD. It was featured on The Food Network and always has unique but delicious food- such as peanut butter and banana French toast, or blueberry cornbread waffles. Delish. Continued on shopping in the Gaslamp district with adorable boutiques. I love boutiques- I know they may cost more but you always get unique things and that, my friends, is always worth it.I was able to visit the following boutiques and pick up a few items Bubbles, Dolcetti,Eden. My favorite was Dolcetti however it was also the most expensive. Go figure.

And last but certainly not least I got a TATTOO!?!?! Well I actually already have one- it's a sand dollar and I love it but my next one was a horseshoe. For some it might mean good luck but for me it represents my love of horses and riding. As most of you know I just recently rediscovered my passion for riding and since San Diego was where it started I thought it only fitting to get it there. It turned out surprisingly good for how small it was AND it didn't hurt- plus all around!

My last meal was at The Hopping Pig- an English pub if you will so ofcourse I got the candied pork belly (sorry veggie fans). I met a couple of really nice people there where we chatted about food, the amazing race and overall life. Flew out a few hours later. Exhausted.

Sunday was the typical- laundry, grocery shopping and napping. However a well needed day to day to relax. 

1. Horeshoe tattoo (YAY!)
2. Menu Cafe 222
3. Delish Blueberry and Cornbread waffle
3. Last meal @ The Hopping Pig
4. Saturday self

Hope all of you have a great weekend- this week is going to be a rocky one but only 5 days till Friday!!