Today was a Good Day

Today was a good day.

Scratch that, today was a wonderful day.  A day filled with hard work, frustrations, and finally, some sweet tears, and a precious moment that I will hold dear in my heart, forever.

Today started like most others. I arrived at work and hit the ground running. Emails, projects, meetings, repeat. I don't talk about work much on the blog, but I work in commercial real estate and I am the manager of several assets that are worth millions of dollars each.

I am fortunate to have a great team that works hard, plays hard, and are some of the best in the business. They work their backsides off, and I am so grateful for them.

A few weeks ago, I was able to approve and send out bonuses to the professionals on my team. While everyone was excited and grateful, there were a few grumbles, but for most everyone, they expected their bonus.

Today, however, I was able to give out a bonus to the housekeeping folks who take care of the buildings. They are on their feet all day, doing the work that no one wants to do. They take out trash, clean the bathrooms, and do a lot of the dirty work. Around 4:30, I walked into the lobby of one of my properties, and met one of my housekeepers. He is the newest member of the team, and has only been working with me for about 6 months. This afternoon, I was able to hand him his bonus, and when he looked up, there were tears in his eyes.

He is an immigrant from Mexico. He works 2 jobs, and comes in everyday with a smile on his face.  I told him how thankful I was to have him on my team, and how impressed I have been with his work. Still with tears in his eyes, he said thank you. He explained how much the money meant to him because he has been wanting to buy a Christmas present for his little boy, but he didn't have the money. He also said he has been wanting a Christmas tree, and he was so excited because he could take his family to buy one.

As I watched this grown man cry over his bonus, tears filled my eyes. His bonus was $250.00. For many of us, that is a lot of money, but it is not life changing. Many of us drop that much over the course of a weekend on clothes, dinners, and events with friends.

With tears in my eyes, I told him how thankful I am to have him on my team, and how much I appreciate him. Before I left, I leaned in to give him a hug, and he kissed my cheek and squeezed me tight, and again, in his accented English, whispered "thank you so much, you have such a big heart" in my ear.

That moment, that hug, that interaction is my Christmas present. That moment is all I need this year. Not because he paid me a compliment, but because I was able to do something for someone else who really did need it. He made my day, he made my week, and he made my Christmas.

This Wine is Making me Awesome, Weekend Edition

This weekend was in a word, Awesome. It was not exactly as I planned it, but it was refreshing. 

P and I needed to get out of town. These past few weeks have been nuts. P and I have been busier than ever, and we needed a weekend away from work, away from our house, and away from life. To say that work has been crazy would be an understatement  P has been working non stop these past few weeks on some huge projects. 70-80 hours a week have been the norm. He would leave the house before 6 AM, come home about 9 or 10, then spend a few more hours doing paperwork and getting organized. He was burning the candles at both ends. 

P and I were able to hit the road early Friday. We packed the car and hit the road to drive down to central Texas, the beautiful hill country. We managed to hit traffic and the 2 hour drive suddenly became closer to 4. NBD. Bumper to bumper traffic for a fun filled weekend in the sun could not get me down. 

I MADE PLANS. Fortunately, we have family that lives near a beautiful lake, and I have spent the past 3 weeks looking for a stand up paddle board to surprise P with on Craigslist. I could not find a board, but found a shop to rent them. The plan was to sleep late, eat bad food, then spend hours each day playing on the lake. Ol' mother nature had different plans. On the drive down, we hit some serious storms, and when I checked my trusty Iphone, she confirmed the storms were going to last all weekend. I got bummed for about 10 minutes, got over it, and started looking for other things to do.

First up, Saturday morning, we ran a 5K. If you remember I have been really struggling with my running. Between my whore foot (that is the precious nickname I have given to the wart on my right foot, because according to my podiatrist, if I were less of a slut, I would not have contracted the disease that causes warts), and some really bad runs, I needed a confidence booster. I got it on Saturday. I ran a hilly 5K in 26 minutes. That is a whole minute and a half slower than my PR, but I proved to myself that I can in fact run more than 500 yards without dying. What made it even more fun was that my mom and P decided to do the run with me! P rocked it! He has been working so many hours that he has not had a ton of time to work out, so the fact that he did it, made me so proud. And my mom, who has lost around 25 pounds these past few months did a combo of run and walk--her sprint at the end was awesome---she killed it. 

After a very sweaty run, we showered and went wine tasting. Never done this before, but it was a blast. We went to 2 wineries, tried some funk nasty wines, and then has some killer good wine. The point was, we had a good excuse to day drink, and laugh, a lot. I asked the lady in the 1st place if she had any good boxed wine on hand, I think she almost punched me in the face.

The rain stopped for a bit, while we were wine tasting, so we took a stroll through town, went to a friends house for a dip in the pool, but it was pretty chilly so we got out, then went out for dinner. 

I ate way to much, and it was all bad. This weekend, I didn't care what I ate. I just enjoyed being with family, not paying any attention to my growing inbox, and eating a ton of greasy burgers in between double fisting M&M's. 

The weekend was not at all what I had wanted to do originally, but it was wonderful none the less. I left feeling free, clear headed and happy. 

Complete

I have achieved quite an accomplishment today. It took a long time, but, with a great deal of effort on my part, I finished. Today, I successful finished watching the entire series of The Gilmore Girls. Again.

Thank you so much for all of your praise. Yes, I agree it was very hard and it took months of dedication and perserverence. But, I started this, and I needed to finish it. I needed to tough it out, see it through, and I did. Way to go me, way to go.

A few months ago, I was looking through all of our DVD's and I pulled out the first season of Gilmore Girls. I watched the first disk, and remembered how much I liked this show. I used to watch it every single week when it was on t.v. It made me laugh, it made me cry, and it made me think.

I watched it when I was alone at school, and I always remember wishing I had a best friend like Loreali. She was smart, funny, witty, a risk taker, and had a great sense of style.

Now that I have watched it through grown up eyes, I still wish I had a friend like Loreali. But, more than that, I wish I lived in Stars Hollow, the fictional town where the show was filmed. It is a town full of character, charm, and quirky residents. There were beautiful homes, historic buildings, and you could walk anywhere.

This is the first television series I started watching in my late teens, and into my college years. Certain episodes remind me of exactly where I was when I saw it the first time. I remember laughing my tail off with my mom when we watched the episode where Rory goes to her first boy girl dance. I remember sitting on our old couch, wrapped in blankets enjoying time together. We were able to watch a show that showed characters totally different from us, but made us laugh and gave us something to look forward to each week.


Have you ever seen the Gilmore Girls? Do you like it?

Is there a t.v. show, or series that you watch all the time? What is it?

Coldplay

On Friday night P and I went to see the opening concert for Coldplay's new tour. I bought the tickets back in February for P's birthday, and I really stretched and totally went over budget for it, but it was so worth it.
It was one of the best night outs that we have ever had. We got to the arena, got a few drinks, and walked around for a bit. We had about 30 minutes to kill so we ended up sitting down at a pretty swanky all buffet in the arena and it was way over priced, but still really fun. The concert started right at 7 with Wolf Gang opening up, and followed by Robyn. She was really Europop, and kinda funky, but totally entertaining.

At 9:07, the lights dimmed and Coldplay rushed the stage, and rocked it with a killer concert. For two hours they played their buns off, and when the show ended, I looked at my watch and could not believe they played for two hours straight. It was hands down the greatest concert that I have ever been to, and I highly recommend seeing them if you have a chance.

Whats the last concert you went to? Did you like it? Was it worth the cost?

A Thankful Salute

Some days, words are not enough, and they cannot do justice. There are others who are more eloquent than I, and they have said so much about this day, that has moved me to tears. Just like every other American, I remember exactly where I was, and what I was doing the moment those towers were hit. It was scary, sad, confusing, and frightening. A sad day for me, a life altering day for so many. It was the day of infamy for our generation.


To commemorate today, P and I woke up this morning, and drove and were a part of this crowd.

We were here at this tower. To honor, remember, and to say thank you, in a small, simple way.

We went to watch over 300 firemen from North Texas trek up 110 flights of stairs in the 9/11 Memorial Climb. 343 firemen each wore a picture of one of the firemen who lost their lives at the World Trade Center. One of those 343 was a good friend of ours. He drove 2.5 hours just to do this. As the men and women marched past us in full gear, walking the 55 flights of stairs, twice to go the same distance as those at the World Trade Center, I found myself crying at the sight. There were young men and old, Women, Whites, Blacks, Asians, Hispanics and more. There were wives, kids, parents, and friends.

As the bag pipes played Amazing Grace, and the fire fighters trudged up the stairs, I was so thankful for them, these brave people who put themselves in harms way every day. These are the great ones. These are the strong ones. These are some of the best we have to offer, and they sacrifice for us.

It was a beautiful experience, and one that I will never forget, and hopefully, I will be able to get even more involved in the years to come.

One of the best parts of today, was for the first time in months, I have not heard ANY political fighting. It felt like we were united again. It felt like we loved each other and we loved this country, together. It was a day to remember, to grieve, and to honor those who serve us, died for us, were victims of this terrible attack, and to tell them and their families, We Will Never Forget. Today politics were pushed aside, and for a few hours, it felt like us again. My hope and prayer is that we as a country will use this day to bring us back together and work towards healing the loss from that day, and from the infighting we have inflicted upon ourselves.

The chants of USA at the football games moved me to tears again. The Star Spangled Banner moved me to tears. I love this country and everything she has given to me and to so many others.

I ask that tonight, you hug your family, and say an extra prayer for all of the public servants who give of themselves daily, and you pray for peace and unity.

We will never forget.

I miss this

Around this time for the past 3 years, this is when P and I till the garden and start preparing to plant. I never thought that I would miss living in the country. There are some things that I don't miss at all....the 20 minute drive to get anywhere. The gate to get on the property. The single pain windows that let so much cold air in, and warm air out.

But I sure do miss the quiet. I miss the setting sun over the pasture. I miss the garden. I miss getting out there and picking food for dinner that night. I miss it.

Trapped

I am trapped inside. It is allergy season here, and it has hit hard. I am currently on major meds, over the counter, prescription, and natural supplements just to function. I went to my allergist this week, and the pollen counts are high, very high, and it looks like this is going to be a rough season. Uhhhh. I really hate this time of year because I feel trapped. I am trapped inside and I go out as little as possible.
Yesterday I was stupid, stupid, stupid. It was beautiful, and I went to the park to do my long run for the week. 30 minutes into the run, my eyes were blood shot, and they were watering so bad it looked like I was crying, my nose was stuffed, and I started wheezing. I stopped after 30 minutes and went home. Because of my 30 minute run outside, I ended up suffering for the rest of the day. Last night, I woke up around 3 A.M. and had trouble breathing. I was up until 5, monitoring my breath, and trying to remain calm. Everything ended up being ok, but this time of year is hard.
So, while I will be trapped inside for the next few months, I will remember the great outdoors that I love. Here are a few pictures from a hike we took with P's parents a few weeks ago. This is at Enchanted Rock, a state park about an hour West of here.

Reminiscing (Warning: Long Post Ahead)

My mom called me on Thursday night to let me know that my great aunt passed away. The funeral service is on Sunday evening. Around lunch time today I hopped in the car and drove about 2 hours to where she was living to be with my family. So here I am, laying in bed with going over the days events. Here is the back story--
My grandmother had 9 brothers and sisters, 5 boys, 5 girls. The boys all passed away when I was young. Now, there are 3 of the 5 girls left. The first of the girls to pass away was my precious grandmother, who died when I was in middle school. We lost her to lung cancer, a terribly nasty disease that sucks the life out of its victims, and leads to much pain and suffering in the final months. My aunt E that passed away on Thursday was the youngest of the 5. She has been living for the last 4 years with her sister, my other great aunt H, who is an angel without wings. See my great aunt H, is one of the kindest souls you will ever meet. Her husband passed away 2 decades ago and she has been living on her own ever since. When my grandmother was diagnosed with cancer, my aunt H packed up a suitcase, locked up her house and moved in with my grandmother and took care of her for 2 years while she was sick. For 2 years, she put her life on pause to take care of her big sister. My aunt H provided so much comfort to my grandmother while she was sick. Then, 4 years ago my aunt E took a terrible fall and got sick. So my aunt H asked her if she wanted to come and live with her, and she said yes. For the last 4 years my aunt played sister, comforter, nurse, mother, doctor, and therapist to a physically and in the end mentally ill woman. She fed her, bathed her, stayed up nights with her, and even changed her diapers in the final weeks of her life. Aunt H did all of this, without asking for anything in return.
After my grandmother passed away I started spending the summers with my great aunt H. She lives in this quaint town with 1 small grocery store, and no police station. I spent my summers running up and down the main roads with my cousins. I stayed up late and watched scary movies with her, and then when I was too frightened to go to bed, she let me sleep with her. In a way she became my surrogate grandmother. So many memories of my childhood are wrapped up in her. Being here in her house, in her town, its like a damn has broken and hundreds of memories are filling my mind. Some good, some bad, some in between.

My Cajun Birthday

My name on P's caller id is Bayou Queen-- because my family is Cajun French, and we come from Louisiana.

My grandma, this sweet little old lady-- speaks broken English in her Cajun accent. Her brother, my great uncle only speaks Cajun. He still lives on the farm in the same house that he grew up in, a small farming community outside of Lafayette, LA. It is so funny to hear my grandma talk to her baby brother in French. They just rattle on and on. I love hearing that sound, and I will miss it when she is gone.
Anywho--I am getting off topic. Yesterday I turned 28--yikes. And P spoiled me on my birthday with a Cajun inspired day. I got a ton of cards, phone calls, and texts, and facebook messages from my friends who are dispersed all over the country. I have been wanting a Who Dat shirt for quite some time, and P got me one! It is awesome--but it does not fit--so we are exchanging it for another one. Then P got me this Jazz Festival painting. There were only 10,000 made that year and P found my favorite one and had it framed for me.

The best part was the small surprise get together that P planned for me. I like parties, but not for me. I feel awkward when I am the center of attention. At 3:30 my bff picked me up and took me to the movies--saw Dear John--it was awesome (book is better by the way) then when we finished I got into the car, and she blind folded me, drove like a maniac all over town to throw me off the track, then took me to my favorite place. She parked opened the door and led me into my house where the Who Dat song was blaring on the speakers, homade hot shrimp and chicken gumbo was simmering on the stove, and the poster was hanging on my wall. Plus, P had a king cake delivered from Louisiana, so we munched on that for desert and it was delish! Then some of my favorite people in the world popped out of hiding and I was surrounded by the people that I love the most. It was so much fun. I felt so special, so loved, and my tank was totally over flowing. The gumbo tasted just like my grandma's, and the scent was still lingering in the air when I woke this morning. It was such a great day, and I am so blessed to have a husband who spoiles me so much. Thank you P for all you did. I love you. Such wonderful memories.

Pondering and Predictions

Prediction
Snuggling up on the couch next to P, this is the climax of the season. Months of blood, sweat, and tears, all come down to this. The BCS Championship game. I love, yet dread this time of year, when football season is winding down, and days spent on the couch watching game after game. Its over, its depressing. But, I do have 10 bucks riding on this game with about 15 friends, so even though I want Texas to win, I put my money on Bama. So, lets Roll Tide, I need them to win 32-20.

Pondering
It is a new decade! So much has changed in the past 10 years, the world is different, I am different. Sometimes, when I look back at who I was, I shudder and how selfish I was. I think about how immature I acted. UHHH, if I only knew then what I know now. 10 years ago I was entering my final semester as a senior in high school. I was about to sign my letter of intent to play college soccer, and was looking forward to a new challenge, yet scared out of my mind. I was so scared that the week before I was to leave, I told my parents that I didn't want to go to college. (In the end, I went) I was getting ready to move out of the only home I had ever known, and into a room with 6 other strangers. I was about to break up with a boy I had been dating for a few months, and really didn't even like. I threw my cap in the air on a football field on graduation night. I said goodbye to life long friends, some of whom I have not spoken to since that night. I jumped into a suburban with a bunch of girl friends and drove to the beach for my senior trip.
There are so many things that were going on in my life 10 years ago, but I am really glad where they have taken me. I have had some highs, and some lows, good and bad, beautiful, beautiful and ugly, and many moments in between. Would I do it all over again? Sure. I would be a little smarter about some things. I would have tried a little hard in school and been a little more prudent in my decisions. I would have worked harder to hold on to some friendships and thanked people more along the way. Yes, I would do it all over again. As long as it led me back here. Back to this couch, with this man, whom I love so much.