Things I Miss...

...while camping

1.  My family.  Updates on B, commiserating with Sis, movement on Bro's place

2.  My dog!

3.  Check in chats with Julie, C, Johnnie 5 (miss you), and Robyn

4.  Patio buddies Maureen, Wilson, and Jason (in a small dose)

5.  Politics

6.  The people I work for.

7.  The people I work with and our lunch conversation

8.  My family

9.  My routine.  Nightly rituals, morning order, etc.

10.  POLITICS!!  I can not tell you how much this drove me crazy to have no TV, radio, newspaper, etc. for a whole week.

11.  My dog

12.  Dance party

13.  Quiet

14.  Dr. Pepper and BW3s (with Johnnie 5)

15.  Family, dog, and politics.  But I guess I already mentioned those.

And of course, the basics.  My big girl bed, shower, hair dryer, razor, walking around barefoot, perfume instead of bug spray, my family, my dog, my daily Wall Street Journal, and the news.  So glad to be back!!

...about camping

1.  Being outside

2.  Hiking

3.  Living on the river

4.  Ice cream sandwiches

5.  The challenges

6.  Casual clothes

7.  The smell of campfires

8.  Ping pong, Pictionary, BS, Markers, and Mafia

9.  The sun...I feel guilty in it here.  I have a doc appt next month :(

10.  Being physically tired instead of mentally or emotionally

Given # 1, 2, 5, 10, and I guess 9, I have decided to recommit myself to my new year's resolution.  Is October too late to start?  As some of you may remember, my goal was to complete a marathon.  Pretty sure May was too late to start that goal, so I am going to complete 2 5k runs by Christmas.  Totally doable...right?!

We are Something Awesome!

As promised...pictures! Our group was marked by the hot pink (Screaming pink according to Katie) zebra bandanas. On the first day they tied on their do-rags and decided that they wanted to come up with a group name. One of them made the comment, "It has to be cool. It should be something awesome." I laughed and said, "That sounds good...something awesome." It stuck. As some of you know, I work with VIP and for security reasons, I can not put pics of them on here, but I can give you a glimpse into the week.

An hour into the bus ride and I am still staring at the moon.

The hill hike view. I climbed this hill 4 times a day, thus the wicked painful shin splints the first night, but I got over it by day 2.

Team building -- They had to put themselves in birth order without talking or stepping off the log.Leading them into a maze blindfolded. They were then turned lose to find their own way without sight. Pretty entertaining to watch. Not going to lie.

480 foot tandem zip line. Pretty stressful considering 4 were scared of heights. This was day two, so some of the fears were settled on the previous day's adventures.

"Climb on with your bad self." What the employee of the camp said, not me! One of mine was literally scared still. She clung to the pole for quite a while before climbing down. That left me to fill her spot. Thanks a lot. I just climbed as fast as my skinny little arms would let me.

The pole -- climb it, stand on top of it, jump and grab the trapeze 6 feet away. Oh. Okay. Right. All of these are me.

1. I need a cooler helmet.

2. I could have done this more gracefully.

3. Pretty sure I am about to throw up.


4. No, I did not catch it, but DANG IT!! I want to try again!

View 50 yards from the cabin. Gorgeous!

Rock climbing -- This is the same little one that was scared still earlier. What a difference a day makes. Thanks to a zoom lens, she is a mere 4 feet from the top! So proud of her!

Me rock climbing...can you see me?

Our campsite was just off the river.

Wienie roast. They thought that was pretty funny.

Making fire. They actually did it! Without matches.

Canoeing. I am pretty sure those signs say "keep out", ladies.

Yep, yep. They sure do.

I kicked my feet up on the ride home and watched the sunset.

Walking into my house. Sunburned and tired, but feeling accomplished and immensely proud of my group.

After throwing my entire suitcase into the washer, I am ready for a shower and sleepy time. The dryer had to wait until the morning. Julie...the following pics are for you. My super sweet $8 watch. Which started to peel apart by the way. Yes, I live on military time. A product of college.

My even sweeter fake crocs. Hell, another $8 and they were worth it.

This is the LONGEST. POST. EVER. Like I said, there were over 200 pictures and with the videos, it was close to 300. So, I hope my edit suits yall.

Camp post with no pics

Camping was simply amazing!  Now, it bothers me when people overuse this word, but truly, there is no other way to describe our week.  I regret to inform you that I have no pictures as of yet because of the stupid Mac.  (long story short, I am regretting this purchase)  Tomorrow I will be going to buy a new cord to get the pics off my camera and onto the Mactop.  

Warning : there are 250!  

The trip started off EARLY!!  We postponed the departure because of Ike from 11:00 a.m. to the next day at 5:00 a.m.  No worries, everyone was there except two that were sick.  Do not worry about that either, they caught a flight the next day and met us at the Ranch.  We arrived to the most beautiful campsite you could image in the Texas Hill Country.  Located on the banks of the Guadalupe River's North Fork, we were surrounded by rolling hills, steep, rocky "mountain" sides, and breathtaking views.  The first day was filled with ropes course activities, team building activities, and a mean game of ping pong.  Camp is known for a few things...the adult ping pong games are one of these things.  Now, I have not played ping pong since I was probably 8.  Except that one time I played with Robyn, a D1 collegiate tennis player, for an Amazing Race application video.  The guys were so patient in teaching me, and I actually played for hours and had a great time.  Robyn...bring it on!

I will spare you the play by play details of the week and just say that it was incredible.  The girls impressed me each and every day with their encouragement, strength, and perseverance.  Their fearlessness even pushed me to climb some of the stuff.  I can admit it now...I was completely nauseous and committed to the if-you-just-go-fast-it-will-all-be-over-soon theory.  I am sad to say that the camp out under the stars was cut short by a thunder storm at 3:30 in the morning.  Nothing wakes you up in the middle of the night like a mile and a half hike back to a cabin!

I want to also say that it was a joy to get to know some of my coworkers better as well as finally learn the girls' names.  It is so nice to be in a place where everyone enjoys the joys of what they do for a living.  I am sure you are tired of hearing that, but it is really so true.  Thanks for accepting me as the newbie and teaching me the ropes...literally and figuratively.

An open letter

Dear Ike~

Hi! Let me begin by telling you how much I respect all you did as an Army general and as the president. You helped organize the invasions of France and Germany during WWII and not only helped create, but led NATO. Thanks! It was with your aid that Korea remained right where it started, we still have social security, and nuclear power has and will continue to gain popularity. You helped put a man on the moon. (Even if that is often debated.) As president you supported Brown v. Board and your brilliant military mind created the interstate highway system. This has come in handy over the past decade as the world becomes more chaotic. Because of your invention, we can turn any highway into a landing strip for planes in a time of war. Let’s just hope we never need that little gift. Another reason your interstate highway system is so ingenious is because it aids in evacuations. This is particularly important for my next point.

As a hurricane, YOU SUCK!! After deciding to sit and spin on Cuba for A WHOLE DAY, you have turned your sights on Texas. I know you just want to come home, but please rethink your visit. We have really been looking forward to our camping trip next week. So much so that I have a new sleeping bag, new batteries in the flashlight, snacks ready to go, and the laundry is done. And here you come. Raining on my parade. JERK! Please, stay away from the campsite. Thank you.

Yours truly,
Colleen

For reference, I am supposed to be where the black dot is by 4 PM Sunday.

Mama deserves something pretty

This summer’s theme = “How to piss away money”.

Why stop only because it is post Labor Day?

Having never been a big shopper, all the talk about rising prices means little to me. The only way I really know that things are getting more expensive is the fact that my hotdogs are now 2 for $2.49 instead of 2 for $2.00. I know it is sad. No comments from the peanut gallery. Despite my usual lack of shopping, I have managed to master it this summer. So, to cap it off, I treated myself to a few little gifts. With caveats.

1.) I finally bit the bullet and bought the Mactop. It has only been out of the box for the photo shoot, so hold off on asking if I like it. Maybe tomorrow I will have an answer. People rave about Apple products, and so far I am no different. After all, it comes bearing gifts! With the purchase, I got a free wireless printer (first time I have had a printer since 1999). This is very important for work stuff. It also came with a free iTouch. Not the new one that came out today, but who cares…it was free! Oh, and it was all 15% off because of my job. So far I am a fan.
CAVEAT – I had to get a new laptop because the screen on mine came detached from the keyboard. Literally, it was held together by exposed wires. And a girl can not pass up a deal like the one above.

2.) I did a little shopping at Tiffany. As a huge fan of Elsa Peretti designs, I have been eyeing this necklace called the bean for 2 years. On the way home from work one day I decided to stop by and try it on; along with two rings that I have fallen in love with as well. Once it was on my neck it was sold. It is small and simple, but really, so am I.
CAVEAT – I had a gift card that expired at the end of September. It covered a good chunk of the purchase. I also got two other Peretti rings cleaned while I was shopping.

So, this is it. No more spending on myself until after Christmas. I have some credit cards to pay off! Oh wait, I need to buy some contacts tomorrow.
CAVEAT – I washed one out of my eye and down the drain this morning in the shower. I really need contacts before leaving town next week.

Simple, busy weekend

Admittedly, there was a little pit in my stomach as I drove home from work on Friday afternoon. For the first time since 3rd or 4th grade I did not have a high school football game to attend. It is so sad for me. This will be the biggest adjustment of the new job. I opted out of the happy hour (aka Algonquin Roundtable) with work simply because of a pure desire to take a long, rush-free walk with Coop. The weather was great, and frankly, she deserved it. After hanging out with myself, my dog, a cleaned house, and no work, I was ready. A few friends and I hit a local bar patio for some beer and great conversation.

Saturday came pretty quickly as I woke up before dawn to head north for Bea’s first ever soccer game. (More on that later) The whole fam was there minus dad and it was great to share in Saturday games as adults. That afternoon I was exposed to field hockey for the first time. While I have no idea what I am watching, it seems to be something I will warm up to over time. After the field hockey festival was a winning Aggie game. Barely, but I do not care. I will take it!

One of the best parts of the weekend was THE RANGER GAME!! I have never in all my life had a job where perks are given. I do not play golf with “clients”, have paid for happy hours, or eat catered lunches. I just simply do not have one of those jobs. It is cool. There are far better perks from my profession. However, one of the people I work for brought me 4 tickets to the Rangers/Bo Sox game. Behind homeplate. With parking. A-W-E!! So, that night I donned my Young jersey and took in a winning run complete with homers and fielding you would not believe. There ended up being six of us that went and two had never been to a Ranger game. I was thrilled to be part of their experience. Never mind the fact that 33,000 of the 36,000 people there were cheering for Boston. Obnoxious! After the game we met up with some folks for drinks and a little game of people watching. My town is better than the airport for this sport!
Sunday was the normal breakfast and Sunday paper followed by work and a little pool time. I also met a boy and went for drinks with him Sunday night. Again, more on that later. Just know that he is fun, nice, can talk about anything, and shares one of my biggest passions in life. I ended the weekend watching bad TV with Jonnie 5.

I have realized that over the past months, my life has really changed. Once I quit my horrible job, the attitude shifted, things started to fall into place, and life seems right. My friends have even noticed it. Who would have thought that a year ago I would be here? Thanks yall for standing by me, supporting my decisions, and encouraging me to keep going. Even from thousands of miles away, your friendship means the world.

Hey! Did you know...

...McCain was a prisoner of war?
...Palin is a hockey mom of 5?
...Oh, and her 17 year old is preggers?!
...I am one of McCain’s "friends"? Do not worry. You are too!
...Obama is half black?
...Clinton likes pant suits?

Well, now that we know the answer to all of those burning questions, do we know what any of the four candidates are actually going to DO in office? Not just their policy stance, but the actions they will commit, the current bills they will support, the foreign dignitaries with which they will work, the cabinet members they will appoint? Alright, that is what I thought. Hopefully in the next two months we will move past POWs and pregnancy and get to policy. Get your blood pressure medicine ready, remember to breath, and just tell yourself it will all be over soon.

I know most people hate this time of year, but the truth is ... I LOVE IT!! It is hard for me to wipe the smile off my face!

Quick recap

Update to the recap: The only reason I posted something today was so that I could get to post #50 in six months time since I started blogging back in March. There is also more updated down by the family section.

New job
Wonderful! Woke up early two days, but overslept the other three. Food was good. Conversation was better. The kids are sponges. Lots of laughs and not one tear shed. This was unheard of at my old job. Met all the parents…ALL the parents! (For those of you who know my clientele, this was inspiring.) I was surprised with flowers. My guilty pleasure. I discussed everything from politics and sports to religion and Ebonics. That does not even touch on the topics I chatted about with my colleagues. I never once heard a negative word about the kids or the higher ups. I am actually motivated to work and work hard. Honestly, I do not even mind the late nights I have been keeping. Well, except for the fact that I had to DVR the DNC.
Dear baby Jesus, thanks for DVR. Amen. Oh, and my kick A job. Amen.

Beyond work
I caught up with a handful of old friends. Nice to know they are all still doing well. Touched base with friends that are teachers, and those that have gone back to school are happy with their students. It makes the year so much better. The one that is still on summer break seems to be organized and ready to go. Also makes the year so much easier to handle. Stayed up way too late hanging out with Johnnie 5, but it was worth it to reconnect. Ate a ridiculous amount of BW3s. I decided not to travel this weekend. Went to Bob instead and had a ton of fun. Even ran into an old friend. Bob…he brings people together. Went out Saturday and realized just how dead a bar could be in Dallas. Finally found a place to chat and people watch. One of the people I was with ran into old students from a previous teaching job. Hello, awkward! Checked in with three people that are in a transition in their lives and they are all handling it well.

Tonight is family dinner. It is sis’s b-day and my bro is actually coming up for it. He never makes family dinner, so it will be really nice to see him. I am also pumped because I do not have to work tomorrow so I can stay late and hang out. Let's just say family + Dickey's barbeque catering + cake = the perfect Sunday night! I even brought home about a pound of leftovers.

The spread

The kids

Politics
Obama and Biden are official.
McCain and Palin start next week pending Gustav.
I need to call my cousin. She is from Alaska and LOOOOVES Sarah Palin.
I need some more information. Ok, a lot more information.

Side note: If Obama is going to win this election, he should really add his name to the spell check option on all new computers.

What party/channel do you watch?

For all of those Republicans (ex boyfriend S) who ever tried to convince me that Fox News was not biased...you are morons! I presented this today at work and the "people" I work with were outraged by the fact that Fox considers Michelle "just a pretty face". (Those are the girl's words...not that of Fox.) They found it insulting. They wondered why people could not admit when others did a good job. Youth and innocence...so sweet.

I think I may have swayed a few to the left. Ahhhh, the power! Please know that my intention was never to change their mind. Fox did it themselves.

I never, ever watch the channel. When I dated S, I refused to let him watch it in my house. That being said, it is rare that I know how they cover any event. This little clip was nice to see because it reassured me in my choice. Of what to watch that is.

You will need to pause the music on my playlist before you push play.

I think I'm really going to like it here

I am so glad to be back in an environment filled with intelligent conversation, challenges, and laughter. After reading more of yall's blogs than I care to admit, I feel like I too should throw out the obligatory sitting-by-the-pool photo. This was taken on the last day of summer.

This was taken on the first day of work. I love it! There is a lot to talk about, but I am simply too tired to write about it now. Plus, Hilary is about to speak. First the Olympics, now the DNC...I have got to get some sleep media people!

The flowers on my desk were a complete surprise from the greatest friends a girl could ask for...thanks a ton guys! All the support over the past few months has been so appreciated.


So I did not get the post out before Clinton spoke. WOW! She is an incredible orator! That was impressive. I am not so sure that it was really pro-Obama, but it was impressive. So intelligent. I really hope that Obama works out a deal to give her biggest supporters some cabinet positions. One of my kids is there this week and I am excited to hear all about it. Not to mention, I just love the orange.