the spartan reunion

the farewell tour has begun.  which basically means that i am trying to make sure that i see all of my local friends before i move.  schedules being what they are, sometimes that's easier said than done.

take, for example the group of six of us broad run high school, class of '94 alum, all residing in the los angeles area.  i've had the opportunity to spend a little more time with brandon and michelle, than with bronwyn, andy, or kevin, but even with brandon and michelle, it had been a couple of years.

when i reached out to them about getting together, i had no plan, other than the intention to find a good date and put it on the calendar.  so as the date got closer, bronwyn reached out to me with some ideas about activities.  i honestly didn't care -- i just wanted to see them -- so i jumped at all of the ideas she and the others had batted around, and  a plan was laid.  but here's the truly amazing thing: i was not involved.   they figured out timing, locations, transportation, everything! i feel like 90% of my life is spent planning things for other people and this simple act, unbeknownst to them, was one of the greatest going away gifts they could have given me.

they had decided, that since i was the first person they had known with a selfie-stick, that we should pretend to be tourists in our own backyard.  we met at a speak-easy in culver city before piling into andy's suv, heading to la for dinner at the iconic cafe formosa.

after dinner, it was on to a couple of other stops; jim henson studios, capitol records, the roosevelt hotel, and grauman's chinese theater/walk of fame.

i've said it before, but there's just something awesome about being with people who have known you since you were a teenager. we laughed and caught up, and took photos, and laughed some more, all of us kicking ourselves that we hadn't taken more advantage of our close proximity over the last eight years.

and while i'm sad to say farewell, it looks like we'll be going out with a bang.  during our tourist travels, we happened to drive by the magic castle.  it's been on my bucket list since i arrived in cali, but you have to be a member, or be invoted by a member.  i thought i had combed my 'friend list' carefully to see whether i might know someone who knew someone, but had always come up dry.  so this night, as we were driving by the castle, i started to ask "does anyone know...? brandon immediately responded that he thought he had a connection.  and two days later, he confirmed via text.  we've set a date, and i'm equally excited to check this off the list as i am to see my friends one more time!

the tale of the red pants

anyone who has known me for five minutes, or has looked at even a few pictures of me, would be able to tell that i love black clothes.  in fact, it's not JUST black clothes i love, i just really love black.  i've always loved it, even before goth was a thing, and then in spite of it.  i even tried to convince my mom to let me paint my room black when i was 13 or 14 (we comprised on one black wall, one black and white checkerboard wall).  when it comes to clothes, not only do i feel like black is more slimming, but i also just think i look good in it.  it's a comfort thing, i'm sure.

so, nine or ten years ago, i bought a pair of red pants. capri pants to be specific.  it was kind of monumental, because at that point it was probably the only color not in a shade between black and gray in my closet.  and i loved them!  i thought they were fun and flattering and comfortable.  i wore them a lot, until i couldn't wear them anymore.

it wasn't that they wore out. no. sadly, it was because there came a point where they just didn't seem to fit any more.

these are the pants in 2006:

i don't know exactly when they stopped fitting - i think it was sometime later in 2006 or early 2007 - but i didn't have the heart to get rid of them.  they represented so many things to me, that i just kept moving them from place to place year after year.

in fact, they have sat, unwearable, on a shelf in my closet or drawer in my dresser for the last nine years.  for awhile, i kept thinking that surely they would fit again, someday soon. but soon was not to be.  and eventually, they came to serve as a visual reminder.  at that time (back in '06/'07) i was somewhat unhappy with my appearance. i felt fat. i thought i looked fat --you know, the 'every woman' complex -- and for the last several years, when i look back on photos of that time (and in those pants) i couldn't help wonder what was wrong with me! how could i not have been happy with myself then? i was so much thinner, healthier, and what i wouldn't give to get back to that.

so as a part of the upcoming move, i've slowly been going through things and getting rid of what i don't need/want.  this morning, i dug into a new batch of clothing i haven't worn in awhile and something incredible happened.  i tried on clothes i hadn't touched in years because maybe they were just a tad small when i bought them (hoping that i too would be smaller soon), and some of them fit!  in fact, some of them were too big!  shorts after dresses after pants after skirts, i tried on.  and eventually, it was time for the moment of truth - the red pants.

i couldn't believe it when they slid on easily, and buttoned more easily than i had ever remembered.  all of a sudden, the belt that was once just a fashion statement had become a necessity.

these are the pants today (i tried to recreate the earlier outfit as closely as possible):

last february i happened to be in a hotel room that had a scale.  i don't know how long it had been since i'd been on one, but for kicks, i stepped on, just to see.  and i was absolutely horrified.  clearly i had been in serious denial, because it had gotten out of control, and i hadn't even realized it. but i also felt helpless.  i was traveling A LOT, which is brutal on a diet. not only is it a challenge to eat well and practice healthy habits while on the road, but for the small windows of time in between those trips, i couldn't muster the motivation to do much more than drive through the local fast food joint.

so, when october rolled around and i was reviewing the upcoming calendar, i realized that i my travel was going to be very limited for the upcoming two or three months.  it was now or never time.

i started scouring the internet for recipes, focusing on low-carb/paleo/ketogenic options, and was pleasantly surprised at how far the food world has come in that regard.  i slowly started acquiring healthy base ingredients, learned to like left-overs, stopped eating late meals, and reduced my soda intake. it hasn't been all sunshine and roses, but since the beginning of november, i've lost 35 pounds.  i've actually eaten better (tastier) food then i'm used to at home, and learned to enjoy cooking.  i've hit some frustrating plateau's and had a few small backslides (always travel related), but overall, i've managed to keep moving forward.  i'm no longer tempted - or rather, i no longer find myself NEEDING the problem items (chocolate, chips, every kind of junk food), and the 'diet' has turned into a 'lifestyle'.  the way i look at food has changed, and so have my habits.

the funny thing about those pants is that i know i weighed less than i do now that last time i wore them.  i don't know exactly what that says about the shape of a body or how weight affects it at different stages of your life, but i know that i'm thrilled.  i've got 25-30 more pounds to go before i'm at my ideal weight, and i am looking forward to the day i can safely donate those pants because they are just too big!

the kneelands

i know i just got back from seeing some of my favorite people in utah, but as it turns out, some of those same favorite people had been planning a trip to california!

jill's sister linda (who i've known since, basically, she was crawling), and her husband just moved about 10 miles up the road from me. corey and jill, in an effort to visit her, planned a disney/cali trip, from which, i was also able to benefit!

thursday after work, i drove up to redondo to meet up with the gang.  we enjoyed a fantastic poolside bbq at linda and toby's apartment, before walking to the redondo pier. linda had gotten a groupon for sailing, and again, i benefitted.  i used to go sailing with friends a fair amount in virginia, but i've never been in california.  it was a perfect evening, being on the water, watching the sunset with such great friends.

as i was walking back to my car.... there's something about the ocean at night that made me realize that there are a lot of things i'm going to miss about california when i'm gone!

august

i am woefully behind.  i'll just acknowledge that and move on.

this is what my august looked like:

me finally getting to try cotton candy grapes .  yes. i said cotton candy grapes.  grapes that taste like cotton candy! they are only in season for about two weeks each year, distributed by only one grape grower, in california, and they are hard to find! i’d learned about them last year after they were already out of season, and have been waiting to try them. they were delicious! i still have 4 pounds sitting in my freezer so that i can continue to enjoy them.

this collage is from my work trip to kansas city. melissa, her husband nick, and another colleague, david, went to see the MLS soccer team, sporting kc play dc united.  dc united totally beat them!  and what made it an even better night is that the team was staying in our hotel and we ended up spending a little time with the head coach (the guy in the white shirt in the bottom right photo).  but of course, the highlight is just always getting to see melissa.:)

august also saw my 38^th birthday. yowser!  i am usually traveling on my birthday and was excited to be home this year.  i invited a small group of friends and the donahoo cousins to join me at the iconic (lots of movies have shot here) griffith observatory in los angeles.  they were hosting a public star party so many many local astronomers brought their telescopes to share with the rest of us peons.  i love the observatory and it was a great way to celebrate with some of my favorite people!

green party

friday night i attended the surprise party for my friend larysa, who, after years and hoops and more years and more hoops, was finally able to get her green card.  party-goers were asked to wear green or red white and blue, and similarly to bring an item of the same colors.  my contribution - a strawberry blueberry fruit tart that seemed to be quite a hit.  sadly, none left to gnosh on later!

jamie and our friend luce were the distraction, inviting her for wedding dress shopping for luce.  nicole and i were supposedly meeting them back at larysa's to join up for dinner.  the ruse was a success and larysa didn't see it coming!

larysa hails from the ukraine and was one of the first people i met when i moved to huntington beach.  in fact, we met at my very first family home evening in the mid-singles ward, just a couple of weeks after i had moved to california.  lucky for me, our friendship has continued to grow in the last 6 1/2 years, and lucky for america, she's now a permanent resident!

food and friends, my two favorite words

we had a very special visitor today.  an old huntington beach friend (who now splits time between utah and north dakota) is in town for a wedding and reached out to jami to see if he could come spend time time in long beach.  a visit from brandon is sure to be a satisfying one, as he gives, literally, the best hugs on the planet.

no, seriously, he's known for his hugs. they are strong and warm and long-lasting.  this is a man who is not afraid that you will get the wrong impression if he hugs you hard and long.  and it's been three years since a brandon-hug, so it was all the more appreciated!

with our special visitor and his special hugs, it seemed some pretty special food was required for our brunch!

we started with grilled fruit skewers,

followed by jami's bacon cheddar quiche,

and finished off with my blueberry cream cheese stuffed french toast.

needless to say, the few hours we spent together today was pretty epic!

mardi gras

my department had a potluck to celebrate mardi gras.  holy smokes was it good.  maybe the best potluck i've ever been a part of.  it unintentionally took on a southern theme with pulled pork sliders, mac and cheese, fried chicken, crack corn (the new name for my cream cheese corn concoction), cole slaw, sausage balls, etc.

i was truly impressed with my co-workers' culinary endeavors, and, as my tastebuds did one happy dance after another, i couldn't help but be grateful for such an awesome, drama-free team.

vegas

i don't know how much more i can say about vegas.  i feel like i've 'been there, done that' so many times that it's getting a little old. but i'll give it a shot.

i had a lot of mixed emotions going into this conference.  a staffing upset just two weeks before my departure had left me and other members of my team scrambling into problem solving mode, and the outcome left us all feeling a little shaken.  so, in addition to my normal 'fear and loathing' i felt a trepidation i've not experienced in a very long time in a professional setting.  and yet, i was really excited to see melissa, katherine, the bulgarian, and my freeman cousins!

so before i set out on the four hour drive, i decided that i had done everything within my power to fix what was broken and i began the process of letting it go.  that process moved much more quickly once i arrived, when i headed directly to the exhibit hall to check-in on things and to deliver my special valentine's goodies.

i have discovered about myself that i am not naturally service oriented.  i am always so appreciative to be the recipient -- in any context, but when i am the 'giver' it is with a very conscious effort.

in the last several months, i feel like i've finally settled into california. i don't know why it took me seven+ years, and it's not in my long term plan to stay here, but since being shaken from my 'routine' of the last five years, i feel more at ease here.  and, as a result, i find that i am becoming a little more...me.  i've cooked more in the last six months than i have in the last 10 years.  i find that i am more aware of others, more naturally inclined to want to do nice things. i feel more creative than i have in a long long time.  and i think being here in long beach gives me the freedom to engage in social activities or to power down when needed without feeling like i 'should' be doing this or that.

all that to say that i have recently had a number of occasions to be reminded how gratifying it can be to

exercise intended thoughtfulness.  in this case, most of my exhibit team had been on the road for nearly four straight weeks with other clients at other shows.  i knew they would all be tired and missing home, so even though i didn't arrive until the 15th, i took the opportunity valentine's day provided to show my appreciation with some 'made in my kitchen' baked goods.  their reactions were, i suspect, of greater benefit to me than my gifts were to them. which was a nice way to kick things off, since it would be a very long few days.

6 days in vegas feels like double that in most other cities, and not in the good way.  just the walk from my room to the exhibit hall is enough to drain me for the rest of the day, but that's just the beginning of the exhaustion.  fortunately, some of my favorite people were in attendance at this conference.  i got to spend my evenings with melissa, katherine (who i introduced to serendipity's famous frozen hot chocolate), emil, and of course, my cousins. they all managed to keep me sane in their own unique ways, and that went a long way to taking edge off my least favorite city.

all in all, the event was a success. more than i would have dared to hope.  and the best part? only one more (very) quick trip to vegas next month before i can write the city off for another year!

it's sunday evening..

...and it's time to start wrapping up a great weekend.

friday night, i joined a group of friends in my old huntington stomping grounds to watch the olympic opening ceremonies.  it's no secret that i love the olympics (favoring winter just a bit over summer), and it was especially enjoyable to experience them with so many other olympic obsessives.

the crowd included my friend kristina who worked at the olympic village during the salt lake games and my ukrainian/russian friend larysa, who provided a lot of helpful and insightful cultural background information.

it also provided an opportunity for me to try a new recipe, and in honor of the olympics, i chose the buffalo chicken crescent ring (representative of the olympic rings), i'd come across on pinterest.  wow! did it turn out yummy! the receipe can be found here and the only change i made was including the cilantro IN the mixture.

saturday morning came way too early as jami and i made an attempt to secure our tickets to this year's comic-con.

as previous attendees we had the opportunity to try our luck during a pre-registration sale.  only a certain number of tickets are made available and all 2013 attendees could participate.

in previous years, our experience has been EXACTLY like this:

(thanks to melissa for tipping me off to this scene, since i don't watch the show)

this year though, they 'randomized' the process and refreshing was a big no-no.  we had to log in early with a special registration code, then hope we would be randomly sorted in a registration 'session' that was high enough to still get tickets for each of our desired event days.

we waited, staring at our computer screens, hoping every two minutes (when they auto-refreshed) that we would be allowed to buy tickets, and that the tickets we wanted would still be available.  after an hour and a half of nervous anticipation, jami finally got in and was able to purchase all of our tickets. YAY!  so relieved that i can rest easy until july when i'll have to play the "big bang game" for nerd hq tickets (still a first come first served scenario).

late nights and early mornings make for an exhausted tara, but after an hour power nap, i headed to the cousins, to meet up with jenny before heading to a nearby karate studio in support of rachel and drew in their belt testing.  rachel, going for her brown belt, and drew going for his black.  it was interesting to watch the testing and i was honored to have been included in what was a great achievement for both of them!

walking dead is back tonight (yay!) and i can't get enough of the olympics, so february is off to a good start!

thankful

thanksgiving can be a difficult holiday for me.  i lost my dog cyra on my first thanksgiving here in california, and, with only a couple of exceptions, have spent most of them (since i moved here) flying solo.  it always seems to be a reminder that my family is far away.

this would be the year to change all that, however!  my cousin and her family recently moved to las vegas from utah.  initially, i thought this would just help make my dreaded work trips there a little sweeter, but i didn't realize there would be a holiday bonus as well!

laurie and her husband shawn were hosting thanksgiving for her siblings and their families, and were kind enough to invite me to join them.  i just couldn't pass up the opportunity to spend the holiday with so many people i love.

the long weekend consisted of everything a good thanksgiving SHOULD consist of; great food, great conversation, games, movies, sleeping in, staying up too late, pool and hot tub time (i mean, it's vegas after all), and a 15 passenger van.

growing up, i only saw these cousins about once every other year, but i have always felt a deep connection and abiding love for them.  they are people who i would choose to spend time with even if we weren't related, and based on some of the families i know, that is the highest praise i can give.

adios october

all good things must come to an end i suppose, and october 2013 is no exception.  before saying a final farewell however, there was time to...

get my two-step on with grant and amy,

enjoy watching cordy and thor spooning for the first time,

have dinner with katherine, in town from colorado for some training,

and catch up with my road trip friend matt, giving me an excuse to try out a new dessert recipe.

oreo pudding cake

the haunted circus

i was excited to be heading back to texas.  i love texas. i'm a lot more country than i think i've previously realized.  but i was also excited because i'd finally be in the right texas town at the right time, to meet up with my friend old virginia friend, stephanie.  to clarify, she's not old, i'm not old, but our friendship is old. old like a fine wine that just gets better with time.

so, i had a lot to look forward to, and when i got a text from a relatively new co-worker asking if i'd be up for a haunted house while we were in texas, the ante got upped!

the decision was made to visit the strangling brothers haunted circus.  i'd like to tell you that i selected it because it appeared on 'top haunt' lists, or that i am particularly terrified of clowns, but really, i selected it because it was the ONLY option on a monday night.  which makes it a happy accident that it is hands down the scariest haunt i've experienced!

since i'm not especially bothered by clowns, i expected it to be 'okay', but it was beyond memorable.  being there on a monday night meant very short lines.  which should have moved faster.  but when i realized why it was slow going, i forgave the delay.  it turns out that they were staggering each group so that you were only going through with the people you came with. that alone made it stand apart.  i hate being lumped in with a larger group and depending on where you are in that larger group, you may actually see everything coming before it comes.  this was not the case at the circus.

also setting it apart was that rather than being set in some kind of building, in line with it's circus theme, it was actually roughly 30 big-rig size trailers linked together in some case and with some outdoor scenes happening between every 3 or 4 trailers.  this was also most excellent for me as i tend to get very hot in haunted houses and the outdoor vignettes gave my body a chance to regulate it's temperature.

but even beyond these seemingly subtle differences, the quality of the scares was far above average.  while not every 'scene' made me react, there was literally something for everyone. in fact, it was this experience that made me realize that my quirky 'cabin fever' --the one that would make me go driving around the neighborhood in three feet of snow, just to know that i could,  is actually a fear on some level.

there was one area in particular that tapped into the fear.  dense with white fog and populated with people wearing white masks and white clothing so that you could not see them until they were inches from your face, it was also impossible to find a way out.  we were in that trailer for probably 6 or 7 minutes, at least two of which, i spent curled up in a standing ball in a corner. our exit was finally made possible by one of the whiteys with a finger point, and i'm not sure we would have found it without the help.  we couldn't even figure out where we had come from!  it was soooo good!

i recently read a review on yelp where the reviewer, referring to some haunt or another, said he considered a haunt a good value if you got at least a minute for every dollar you spent.  we spent 25 dollars and it took a little over 45 minutes for us to go through the entire experience, never running into or being bumped into by any other participants.  they were truly excellent minutes.

and the texas fun was not over.  the following evening gave me a chance to spend a few hours with stephanie.  she had picked fred's texas cafe, a ddd joint that, it turned out, i hadn't been to. we grubbed and gabbed, and i was reminded just how much i love seeing old friends. i love that they come with a shared built in history.  i love that you share certain understandings and don't have to cover old ground, but can go on the same nostalgia trip should you so choose. and i love that you can just pick up where you left off.

needless to say it was a most excellent tuesday night in texas.

and so it begins

june.

i have been dreading, looking forward to, anticipating june for some time. june is going to be a month full of hard work, a lot of travel, fun reunions, and a big move.

june is going to be busy.

this week kicks off the start of a four-event, three week long series of travel.  but before things got too serious, i took advantage of the fact that the first event, our bi-annual all-employee meeting, meant that some of my long distance friends/co-workers would be in town.

monday night found me enjoying dinner with katherine, my favorite colorado colleague and one of my all-time favorite people.  joining us were diana and rebecca (also from colorado), chris (a local), julie (from chicago), julianne (from massachusetts), and cori (from washington).  i love when we have the opportunity to come together from all over the country to enjoy good company, and maybe a chocolate torte or two.

unfortunately, while preparing for today's event, i took a nasty spill yesterday loading boxes and buckets and bins into my car.  the bad knee buckled, the ankle took the hit.  initially, i thought i could shake it off, but it became clear pretty fast that i had sprained it.

the timing could not be worse.  i knew yesterday and today would be filled with walking and lifting and loading and unloading and more walking. but it's my deal.  i tried to delegate as much as possible, and i had a lot of help, but there are some things that are just more natural to me then they are to other people, and if i don't do them, they don't get done.  i wear a pedometer daily, more for curiosity's sake than that i am at all health conscious.  i logged 6 miles yesterday and 9 today.  on a sprained ankle.

and i am dying.  my ankle is killing me. my knee is killing me. and i have no idea how i am going to get on a plane on friday to manage an event on sunday where i typically average 15 miles. only to then go on to two different cities for two other events. kill. me. now.

on the bright side, however, the event was a huge success.  we had a lot of moving parts this time around.  new moving parts -- including four food trucks i hired to feed our 400+ employees, and i had been fearing the worst.

in event planning, the adage 'hope (plan) for the best, expect the worst, and take what comes' is intensely apropos, and at the least, it was a huge relief to have had all the planning and communicating come to fruition exactly as i had hoped.

one down, three to go.

the calm before the storm

may went out with a whimper, a lovely whimper. in a life full of 'bangs', the respite was much appreciated.  which, of course, is not to say that there weren't some fun things going on.  but they were mellow fun things. at home, even. or mostly, anyway.

i spent a little time helping jami get settled and into her new house (my future new house) and am really excited to see how she is putting it all together and thriving in her new role as homeowner.  i've enjoyed getting the updates on paint and wallpaper and appliances, and i love that she has had so many visitors and helpers, and that it feels like a place where people will gather in warmth and laughter.

i caught up with my friend ben to get the low-down on his recent trip to china (side note - i have no interest in ever going to china), and enjoyed chinese take-out from next door, accompanied by butterscotch beer (think 'harry potter') and lion bars (european candy bar that somehow combines twix, kit kat, and krackel). the company was as good as the chocolate.

i had planned to spend the memorial day weekend at home, but tania, my co-worker and friend, invited me up to big bear where she and her sister had rented a ginormous cabin for the weekend.

since my roommate was out of town, and the dogs in need of looking after, i could only make it a day trip, but the four hour drive (round trip) was absolutely worth the fresh mountain air, scenic vistas, and total relaxation.

back home, i celebrated the actual holiday with a bbq at the cousins, and was reminded once again, how grateful i am to have family here!

jami and i closed out the month by catching up on some movies, and i finally saw star trek and the great gatsby.  both were awesome!  my only disappointment came during gatsby when i realized that i was robbed of some really great literature by been forced to read it a little to early.  in high school, fitzgerald's work did not resonate with me at all, and my interest in the movie came largely from baz luhrman's previous work.

after the movie, i immediately downloaded the book on my kindle app.  i mean, with quotes like this:

He smiled understandingly-much more than understandingly. It was one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come across four or five times in life. It faced--or seemed to face--the whole eternal world for an instant, and then concentrated on you with an irresistible prejudice in your favor. It understood you just as far as you wanted to be understood, believed in you as you would like to believe in yourself, and assured you that it had precisely the impression of you that, at your best, you hoped to convey.

how did i almost never read this as an adult!?

so long sucka

by way of pure coincidence, in the last week i finished watching 'band of brothers', a fictional miniseries about ww1 from the american perspective, 'birdsong', a fictional miniseries about ww1 from the british perspective, and i finished reading 'fall of giants' a fictional novel about ww1 from the american, british, and german perspectives.

as a result, i've been thinking a lot about service to and sacrifice for one's country. add to that my work trip to philadelphia, and i think we have a bonafide theme.

that being said, philadelphia remains one of my all-time least favorite cities.  and one of the very few in which i feel genuinely unsafe. but, as always, my co-workers and i attempted to make the best of it!

we enjoyed an amazing array of chocolate confections and other (less chocolatey) menu items, and i even picked up a souvenir (which i very rarely do). these porcelain milkshake glasses just spoke to me!

and of course, we took advantage of the history and made a stop at the liberty bell and national park. it reminded me, once again, of the great men and women who have served and sacrificed. some in uniforms, some with speeches or signatures.  service to one's country takes many forms, not all of which i agree with,.  but i have enormous respect and reverence for those who set about trying to make our country and world a better one.

in west philadelphia

a strong contender for one of my all-time least favorite cities, i'm in philly for a couple of days. with a late arrival last night and a booth set-up this morning, i haven't had much time to wander...nor would i without my male colleagues. but after talking to jami last night, i learned that reading (pronounced - redding) market is just around the corner.

akin to pike place (seattle),north market (columbus), union station underground (dc), a diverse and numerous bunch of counter restaurants are clustered together for a culinary treat. since room service was no longer running when i got in last night, my dinner consisted of microwaved beefaroni from the wawa across the street. needless to say, i was grateful for reading market and it's close proximity!

as a sidenote, did you know that most of the game monopoly is based on philadelphia? always happy to learn something new, i also learned that people often carry two wallets here... a real one and a fake one, for when someone inevitably tries to hold you up. now perhaps you'll understand why there is no love lost for this city. it's one of the only cities i've visited that actually feels dangerous.

fortunately my travel companions, all male, arrive today.

leg 2: vegas

after taking a bite of the big apple, i was en route to vegas for some annual training.

shortly after arriving, i met up with terry, one of my trade show besties (and the reason i ended up on stage with keith urban a couple of years ago).  since his promotion last year, i no longer get to see him at our human resource conferences, so i look forward to seeing him at the exhibitor show every year.

though we had originally discussed dinner and a show, i passed on dinner in favor of room service and a shower, meeting up with him after to go see our show.

we had decided on la reve, a cirque style show, similar to o, and i was excited to see the aquatic acrobatics.

our seats were in the second row -- in the splash zone -- and i was pleased to see that similar to cirque's love, it was a theater-in-the-round. i was also pleased to learn that they would allow flash-less photos, and as you might imagine, i took full advantage.

all in all, i'd have to say that it was second only to love on my list of favorite vegas shows.   it was quite beautiful. i enjoyed the diverse music and characters, and, of course, the company.

the next morning found me in early classes getting some mediocre training.  and, even though the training wasn't as spot on as i had hoped, i appreciate that the conference gives me an opportunity to reconnect with industry friends - sharing challenges and successes in our respective markets.

dinner with the exhibit house was on tap for the evening, and, since i've developed great relationships with some of them, it felt like a dinner out with friends.  to that end, mike and i met up with terry at the invite only house of blues foundation room before calling it a night.

the butterbeer experiment

two attempts yielded a tasty treat akin to the butterbeer offered at the wizarding world of harry potter.

oh, hi! oh...

my first ever trip to ohio was a smashing success.  not only did the event go swimmingly--and better than expected-- but i got to spend the all of my off-time with the bulgarian... my nine-month long crush.

three days of sharing meals, laughing, talking, and exploring downtown columbus together and my foreign-fever rages on.

a date with sandy

my recent trip to hollywood, fl (near ft. lauderdale) was memorable for a number of reasons.

in no particular order:

1. a reunion with one of my best friends from high school - 18 years after the fact

me and amanda on naples beach at sunset

thanks to the wonders of email and facebook, we've casually stayed in touch through almost two decades of separation   we've made the attempt to get together during my travels before, but something always came up to prevent it--the most dramatic of which was a nasty fall (mine) on the way into a 7-eleven, resulting in a torn mcl (my second knee injury in six months).  finally, closer than i've ever been to her hometown, i was absolutely determined to see her.

between us, it took three hours of drive time to meet in naples, fl.  we had settled on the beachside restaurant at the ritz carlton, where we knew we could spend a few hours catching up and watching the sun go down over the atlantic.

we seemed to pick up right where we left off and i couldn't have been happier than to sit across a table from my long-time friend, sharing a meal, and the highlights and lowlights of the last 18 years.

2. my first hurricane!

my co-workers did not believe me when i told them that florida had welcomed me with beautiful sunny weather.  instead, they were greeted by heavy winds and rain.

befores and afters

as it would turn out, sandy was much kinder to florida than to the northeast, but we were in awe of the wind and waves on the normally mild atlantic.

3. checking off TWO diners, drive-ins, and dives restaurants

first up, sonny's famous steak hoagies.  i had the #90 (plain with onions), with provolone and green peppers, and i've gotta admit, it was pretty good.

kevin, me, eli, and greg, after stuffing our faces full of steak

i've spent years looking for a steak and cheese sandwich that could compare to the best steak and cheese that ever existed.  i don't entirely know what made that particular sandwich the best sandwich that ever was, but i spent much of my youth praying that dad would make a stop at trio's in dupont circle on his way home from work.  that prayer was often (though not often enough) granted, until the day that trio's ceased to exist.

i never had a chance to discover all the secrets of the trio's steak and cheese, but i do know that the 'steak' was marinated ribeye.   and while ultimately, sonny's (also) marinated rib eye steak and cheese sandwich did not dethrone trio's, it was darn good.  in hindsight, with a lot more cheese, it might have been a true competitor.

greg and i checking out the menu

next up was grampa's bakery and restaurant, where it was clear that the 'bakery' and the service were the real treasures.

iris (maybe 'gramma'?), our waitress, was fantastic.  we spent a lot of time chatting about the experience of filming the show, what guy fieri ate, liked, didn't like, etc.  all while enjoying the complimentary danishes, which, even though i'm not a danish lover, were amazing.

we all ordered the breakfast sandwich and shared chocolate chip pancakes while i satisfied an intense craving for hot chocolate (something about storms!).  aside from the perfect danishes, the meal was par for the course diner food, yet the experience was a highlight in my ddd adventures.

4. the glass-bottom pool

the weather didn't exactly cooperate with our hoped for jacuzzi time, so when the rain stopped temporarily on friday night, we decided to go for a midnight swim.  the real fuel for our fire being the unique pool on top of pool layout at the hotel.

on the upper floor, an infinity pool which formed a sort of 'bridge' over the pool passing underneath it.  what made it even more unique was that a portion of the top pool had a glass bottom, which could be seen from the pool below.

greg and i were itching for a photo opp, which is the only reason that swimming at midnight, in the middle of a hurricane, seemed like a good idea.

i had the benefit of going second (so i learned from greg's failures) and eli was able to capture these awesome pics.

after our photo experiments, we decided to end the night with a dip in the hot tub.  little did we know, things were going to get even hotter when, due to the weather conditions, an electrical fire broke out in the stairwell from the pool up to the lobby.  since it was nearly 1:30am, i ended up walking through the entire lobby in my swimsuit (why i didn't grab a towel is beyond me) to alert the hotel staff.  just one more piece of evidence that my 'emergency' streak is back.

5. no flight delays

we weren't sure if sandy was going to let us leave florida.  eli and i had scheduled our exodus for saturday morning, and since we both had plans that night, we really wanted to get home.  almost unbelievably, there were no flight delays, and in fact, it was the smoothest travel day i've had in some time!