a wonderful surprise!

So for any of you out there who aren't aware, I am a Makers Mark Ambassador. Daniel signed me up years ago, and it has really been a lot of fun! Not only do I have a barrel with my name on it, but I have Ambassador business cards and notes to leave restaurants and bars that serve Makers Mark. And now, the latest and greatest gift from Makers Mark...Makers Mark themed wrapping paper, ribbon, and gift tags. This just cracks me up! I love it!

This was what was waiting at the front door for me.


And the latest goodies!


My barrel! Can't wait til it's ready and I can get my bottles from it!


On a side note...
I attended our company's 'Unofficial Christmas Party' last night and had two Blue Moons. Two Blue Moons is just enough to suppress any desires I might have had yesterday to go digging through my trash for recyclables. :)

P.S. Today is my last day of work until the 29th! WOOHOO!

Hold on tight

This is gonna be a doozy.

So, first of all, I read several blog posts today that totally clicked with me. I already directed you to Kent's blog for today, but I also recommend you check out this one. Go on, I'll be here when you get back.

Back yet? Ok good.

So the other night Corinne mentioned how freaked out she was by all the trash generated on Christmas Day across the United States. Just imagine all the families simultaneously opening present after present, stuffing garbage bag after garbage bag full of wrapping paper, tissue paper, ribbon (ok, well not ribbon if you are over the age of 60), boxes, plastic ties keeping Bratz dolls locked in plastic packages! The list goes on and on and on. Then think about all the 'old' stuff you throw out to make room for the new stuff. If any of you have seen the movie Wall-E, you know where I'm going with this. So Corinne continues, asking something to the affect of, "do we eventually suffocate ourselves with all our trash? or maybe we shoot it all to another planet?". Is anyone else out there completely disgusted by these thoughts? (not Corinne's thoughts, but by all the trash we produce) I've never wanted to recycle so badly in my life. I'm seriously sitting here thinking about my bag of trash at home...I should sort that tonight. Just sit and think for a moment about a trip you make to Wal-Mart. How much trash does each little trip to Wal-Mart produce in your house? How much of that trash do you recycle? How much ends up in a landfill? I'll say I don't have any answers here and I certainly need to do better about it, but I just wanted to share these thoughts. Maybe they will affect you as strongly as they did me. Anyone have the ultimate answer (not 42) to how we completely change our consumer driven/trash producing lives? No? Ok, well I need to finish my Christmas shopping anyways. :)

I hate to only post a rant, so enjoy these loverly pics of my Sophie.

"I detest garbage! Unless it has a nice tuna can in it of course."


"Raise your hand if you're SURE!"

Read this

Please go read Kent's blog post for today.

I promise a proper post later today.

A little more Christmas cheer

Last night was 'the girls' annual Christmas party. This group typically consists of mostly FNC women with a few extra friends sprinkled in the mix. There was wonderful food which I had several helpings of (why do I even have a gym membership?), wonderful drinks, and wonderful friends. This little get together certainly helped improve my spirits. I think having grown up in a house with a mother and two sisters (my poor dad...always outnumbered), I have an addiction to female companionship. That may sound weird, but seriously...it's hard to go from constant access to women to hang out with and discuss all of life's quirks with, to living alone with a man. No offense Daniel :). So to all my girlfriends out there, I thank you for your friendship and sisterhood! Our time together visiting, laughing, venting, and drinking helps keep me on an even keel!

Sage, me, Lisa


Sage, Lisa, Corinne


Corinne, Nina, Lisa, Jenny, me (Jenny told me to stand like that. I didn't realize she wasn't going to. Oh well.)


me, Nina, Sage, Jenny, Corinne, Lisa (want to guess why this photo is shaped funkily?)


And on that note...check this out ladies.

Where are you Christmas?

Christmas has come on so fast this year, I find myself having trouble getting into the Christmas spirit. I've done my decorating, some holiday baking and my xm has been tuned to Holiday Pops since Thanksgiving, but I haven't FELT Christmas yet this year. I hope that once this week is over and I get a full 7 days next week with family that my emotions will have a chance to catch up. I gave it the ole college try this weekend for sure. Daniel and I spent from 7 am to 4 pm working at The Christmas Store. You can go here to find out more about this project (and feel free to donate if you feel so inclined :)). Daniel and I, along with many others, manned the wrapping station. Wrapping presents for 6 hours straight is exhausting! Especially while standing up, hunched over a table! I will say, it was very nice to hear the mothers' appreciation. Because we provided toys, books, and fruit to their children, they were going to be able to focus on needs like clothing. The Christmas Store provided toys, books, and fruit to over 1000 children in the Oxford area this year. I suppose that should inspire some measure of the Christmas spirit in me.

Sunday I spent the entire day baking and packaging goodies for our neighbors and a few friends. Baking is so much more fun with my Mom and sisters. Nuff said.

A few of the many dozen sugar cookies I baked and Daniel and I iced.


Goodie boxes: from top left clockwise: sugar cookies, white chocolate dipped apricots, sugar cookies, chocolate oatmeal cookies


Instant Spice Tea (Daniel did the bows...isn't he a great wrapper?)


Warning: Random rambling about to ensue.

Corinne and I were sitting around a fire Friday night and she mentioned the scripture passage, "But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. " This was mentioned in regard to another topic we were discussing, but this struck a chord with me. Not sure I can say why exactly. Perhaps it's because of the endless inner dialogue I have with myself. Maybe I should try pondering in my heart rather than psychoanalyzing everything in my life. Ok, random rambling at an end :).

As I finish my shopping and begin wrapping my presents this week, and as I attend several Christmas parties, I shall endeavor to slow down and soak up the things I love about this time of year.

Another try

Well, this background is holiday themed, so it won't last long. I'm going to have to work on some new options for backgrounds. All the pre-made templates are way too girly for me. Hopefully over Christmas I can spend some time updating. As for a real post, I still don't have one for you. I'll be spending this weekend working The Christmas Store (Rotary project), trying to finish holiday shopping, and baking goodies for my friends and neighbors. I'm supposed to be picking the next book for the bookclub, but am feeling very uninspired. There is alot of pressure to pick a winner this time, but it's hard to know a winner by it's cover. I'm open to suggestions for an empowering or at least entertaining read. On a similar note, I've been giving thought to writing a book lately. It's an insane thought and one that I will no doubt quickly give up (again), but it's a thought none the less. Maybe putting the thought down in black and white for all 5 of you to read will push me into getting past the first chapter (usually as far as i get). Add that to my list of holiday to do's. Ha! Wasn't Bridges of Madison County written in like a week? That's what I'm going for. Oh and if it could be a huge hit and be made into a movie, all the better. Where is my magic wand?

What do you think?

I'm testing out some new layouts. This one seems a little too 'sweet' to me. I'm going to keep changing it, so let me know which you like best. Sorry for the delay in posting. I've been so busy with work and life, and now that I have a moment, I don't know where to pick up! I'll get the most recent photos downloaded from my camera and see if that inspires a true post.

Six Interesting? Things

Ok, Lisa tagged me! I'm supposed to share six interesting things about myself and tag six other folks to do the same. This is gonna be tough.

1. I used to play the Saxophone and I own a violin. I took band in 7th grade (everybody did cause it was either that or gym) and was the only female sax player with 3 or 4 guys. I was also first chair the entire year. Is it sad that I consider that a source of pride? As for the violin...still waiting on a g-string and some lessons. Hot Cross Buns was as far as I got on my own.

2. I have a pretty big fear of edges and heights while in a car. I can snow ski, I can repel, but put me in a car in the mountains (or really any road without a shoulder) and I freeze. I got this fear from my Mom...thanks Mom!

3. I LOVE to read. I could literally spend all day every day reading a good book. Still hoping to achieve this dream job one day.

4. My sister Sherri and I look alot alike. People used to always get us mixed up. I got so sick of it that I eventually just stopped correcting them. They would ask, "How's med school?". I would reply, "It's great!".

5. I like it when other people buy me clothes. Shopping for myself overwhelms me and I end up getting the same type things over and over again(my whole wardrobe is black). I love it when I get something as a gift that I would never have picked out!

6. I am related to General Claire Lee Chenault, Commander of the Flying Tigers, and William Henry Sullivan, the 'father' of Bogalusa, LA. This makes me Irish and FRENCH!

Ok, these are probably less interesting facts and more proof that I'm a nerd.

I tag:
Rachel
Jennifer
Corinne
Meg
Shelby
Melissa

Shore excursions

The first stop on our cruise was Progresso. We decided to book a shore excursion to see one of the new wonders of the world...the Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza.


There are so many amazing things to tell you about this pyramid. If you stand at the bottom and clap your hands, the echo actually sounds like a Macaw. During the soltices, if it's sunny, a shadow will be cast along the steps that looks just like a snake, which is a sign of life. Crazy cool stuff.


The ball court. They used to think that the captain of the losing team was sacrificed, but they now believe it was the captain of the winning team. They think it more logical that you would sacrifice your best rather than the loser. There were so many interesting carvings depicting the beheading of the player. I won't mention all the details here, but I recommend you google it some time.

A closer look at one of the rings the players had to get their ball through.


Wall lining a cemetary area.


This is the temple of 1000 columns? Once again, google this stuff if you want to learn more.


This is a cenote where they used to sacrifice people (among other things).


This is a tourist in head to toe Club Med gear. Stylin'.


Back at the dock in Progresso.


Our next stop on the cruise was in Cozumel. I took most of our pics on a waterproof camera which I haven't developed yet, so there aren't many pics yet. We did a deluxe snorkel trip- get on a catamaran, snorkel for a while, get back on catamaran and drink free beer and margaritas, go to a private beach and drink more free beer and margaritas, get back on the catamaran and drink more free beer and margaritas. See a pattern here? At least it explains the pics below.


When we got back to Cozumel from our 'snorkeling' trip, we hit up Fat Tuesdays for a drink...I think we had a drink? Well we swang in the swings and took pics with hats on.

I was desperate for some food at this point, so we moved to Los Tres Amigos where I proceeded to inhale some wonderful mexican food. Oh yeah, I also danced on my chair in a sombrero. It wasn't my idea though..the d.j. made me. :)

This photo is from the porch at Los Treg Amigos..I just love the idea of bathtubs outside looking at the ocean.

I debated not mentioning my most embarrassing incident of the cruise, but decided to give you a laugh instead. So when we get back from the 'snorkeling', the first thing I need to do is find el bano. I quickly found one, but did not realize there was about an inch of water on the floor, so when I turned to close the stall door....I busted it. Big time! The toilet actually caught me, my calves went under the stall to my right, my flip flops flew off...it was wonderful. A very nice cajun girl in the stall to the right kindly handed my flip flops back across to me and asked if i was alright. Not my finest moment. Thankfully, beer has a way of numbing embarrassment and pain!

I do actually have some pictures of fish and stuff, so I'll post those when I get them developed. It may not be obvious, but I did actually do something in Cozumel besides wear crazy hats and act like an idiot. :)

The tour continues!

This view is from the top floor of the atrium looking down. Those floors contain, bars, shops, the casino, the photo alley, the library, the theatres etc.


This angle is from the bottom floor of the atrium looking up.


This is looking down into our dining room.


Our table for the week. Laurie and Don were on their honeymoon. They met on a cruise and he's from Sydney, so they've both just moved there. Danny, Cliff and Jenny were from NOLA. Amy and Mike were from Milwaukee area. All very nice.

Back row from Left to Right: Laurie, Mike, Cliff, Don
Front row from L to R: Amy, Daniel, Me, Danny, Jenny

This is Nona, our server for the week. She was very sweet and worked so hard.


Most nights the servers danced and sang for us at the end of the meal. This picture is dark, but I think you can see the conga line of servers.


One night we had Halloween themed desserts.


A brief word about the food. If you go to a place like CG and complain, then you might not want to go on a cruise. The dinners at night were nice and there were lots of choices, but you can tell they were cooking for the masses. Not alot of seasoning to the dishes, but still quite good. The breakfasts and lunches were cafeteria style- lots of fried dishes, simple stuff. They did have omelet stations, stir fry stations, a deli with paninis and pizza and that was all good. The water on board...well, it sux. We drank lemonade or ice tea or bottled water. I had read that some people bring Brita water pitchers on board to filter the taste, but I had assumed that was overkill. I was wrong. The water does not taste good. In fact, the first night at dinner everyone ordered water...the second night, EVERYONE ordered tea or wine.

This was taken from 'our seats' on the Promenade. Every day from 5-8 there is a sushi cart on the Promenade. Our typical routine: come in from the pool at 6, hit up the Promenade for some sushi, go back to the room to get ready for dinner at 8:15. it was a lovely schedule. The sushi was excellent, and we had 3 different roll choices every day. (you can see a candy/gift shop straight ahead and the casino to the right)


Looking to the left towards the Universe Bar.


This is one side of the lounge were we had drinks before dinner every night. The flat screens on both sides of this lounge always had sports on, so there were always men congregated here.



This is the Forum lounge which held the art classes we took, the art auction, and karaoke each night.


Next post: shore excursions and corona commercials. I'm ready for another cruise.

Because it's a little dreary today...

how about some more cruise pics?

First, a quick tour of some spots on the boat.

This is our room when we first arrived (hence Daniel's sweaty back from carrying luggage :)). Apparently, I was too excited to wait for him to not be in the pic. Sorry! We originally planned to get an interior (ie cheaper) room, but decided at the last minute to switch to an ocean view. I'm so glad we did! It was wonderful to wake up and look out at the ocean and to watch as we pulled in and out of port from our bedroom.


Our room steward did a wonderful job and ,of course, left us lots of towel animals...some of which we had trouble identifying.








Since our room was near the back of the ship (M192), we spent most of our time back there for meals and such. Here is the view from our breakfast spot looking out at the ocean and a view from the top deck looking down at the Serenity deck (adults only area) with our breakfast spot on the next level up on the right. The second pic is while we were still in NOLA, so the water isn't blue yet.




Below is a view of the waterslides. This was taken before we left NOLA as well, so they aren't turned on yet.


Daniel enjoying the slides the last day at sea.




Staying on a water theme. This is the pool. It has saltwater in it. I didn't swim, but Daniel got in briefly. Since there is always an ocean breeze blowing and a waiter to keep you supplied with fun drinks, I never got hot. It was wonderful. We found this spot on the very top level that let us have great views of the pool and the ocean and away from most of the hustle and bustle.



9-Hole Putt Putt Golf Course






I'll take a break now. I'll post some interior shots tomorrow!