It's happening

It's been far too long since I've posted anything here. Sorry! As soon as Dave got his offer on 10/27, it's been non-stop work around the house, phone calls to realtors and relocation counselors. This morning I'm working from home while the carpet on the basement stairs gets installed. Tomorrow Dave and I will both be home because our new granite counter tops get installed at 8am, then we have to pick up the rental car at 9am and then get pictures taken in the house for the listing. After that's all done we'll pack up the rental car (we got an SUV) and head to Nashville for the weekend. We are spending Saturday morning looking for new houses. AHHH! It's all happening so fast. That's the short of it....

Dave got his official offer on my birthday. We were on the way to dinner and pulled over so we could listen intently to the woman from Mars. Dave put the phone on speaker so I could hear everything, too. He is getting a 22% increase in salary + 15% bonus + awesome relocation package. So we nullified my wimpy relo package so we could use his. His relo doesn't include a buyout of the house, but it includes a lot of other things such as 60 days temp housing in a furnished apartment, 8 weeks of groceries paid for ($100/wk) while we're in temp housing, 3% cash back on the sale of our Ohio home if we sell in the first 60 days, two house hunting trips, one trip back to Ohio every two weeks while our home is still on the market, paid closing costs and all realtor fees, and if we buy a new home in Tenn before the Ohio home is sold they will pay for the lower of the two mortgages for up to a year. Yes, you read that correctly. It's a great setup!

We visited our financial planner this week to get advice on how best to take advantage of everything. His advice: List our OH home VERY VERY aggressively and buy a new home in TN soon. In fact, we have about $248,000 into the home, we owe about $208,000 and we're probably going to list for $230,000. Does it give you a heart attack like it gave me?!?! There are 6 houses for sale on our street and our house makes #7. We will be the second lowest house on the street which makes us very competitive. The financial planner said any equity we can get out of this house will be good plus the 3% cash back will help - it will be approximately $6,500. All in all it is very stressful but we have a lot of "downside protection" as our planner would say. Our realtor is listing the house tomorrow and will host our first open house this Sunday. Let the offers start pouring in!!!

That's it for now. At some point I'll post pics of our finished basement and our now-staged new bedroom (finished attic).

Thanks for the support!

I got a job offer in Nashville!

I received an offer from The Nutro Company in Nashville! I talked with Brad, who will be my new boss, last Monday night and he asked me what I would want if they offered me the job. He told me they'd have a formal offer to me by Friday. On Friday he called and gave me a verbal offer and I received the formal letter today via email. So it's official! They salary is almost a 7% raise, 15% bonus, and a partial relocation package. The relo package is not as good as the one I got with Hostess Brands in Dallas; they were going to buy my house if I couldn't sell it after 90 days. This relo package includes packing and moving everything, 4 weeks of my salary in lump sum (to pay for closing costs or eating out or buying furniture), and 30 days temporary living in a furnished apartment. The only thing that really makes me nervous is the 30 days temporary living - that means I'll be homeless or having to move around Christmas. I'm not excited about that! Brad called me about something else today, and I told him in full transparency that I am nervous about only having 30 days in housing. He said they don't want me not accepting the offer because of that, so they will be flexible. For example, they may pay for me to rent an unfurnished apartment for 60 days instead. That would be fine with me.

I am very excited about the actual job. I will be Brand Manager (that's a promotion!) of design/upstream for Nutro Cat brands. I will launch a new brand and develop the masterplan of initiatives for Cat. Yes, this means I may have to overcome my fear of cats in order to do this job well. :) Thankfully people cannot bring cats to work, but everyone is welcome to bring their dogs to work. In fact, in my first interview of the day someone brought in her dog! Brad, my boss, just left P&G about 5 months ago. I love that he has the same background as I do and will be someone I can learn from. Everyone I met with I valued their backgrounds; that is very different than my experience with Hostess Brands. I actually didn't accept the Hostess Brands jobs for many reasons, but the main one being I didn't think I would learn anything from my boss there. I would have added a ton of value to that company, but not sure would've gotten any value from them. With Nutro Company, I will add some value but I will definitely learn a lot and grow my skill set which will make me much more marketable in the future. I am super excited and nervous at the same time!

Dave has his interview on Wednesday this week with Mars Petcare. Please, please, please think good thoughts about him from 1-5pm CST on Wednesday! It would be great if he gets this offer; that will make it much easier to move. We've decided to move to Nashville regardless, but having this offer in hand will make the decision easier and the move for me a ton easier.

Thank you all for being supportive through this entire process. We really appreciate it! I am excited about Nashville and the new job.

Love you all!

Parker and Riggins are so fun (and cute!)

Riggins loves poop. Seriously. He eats it, does it often, and apparently plays in it. The photo above is what he looked like when I picked him up from daycare recently. So proud!
This is Parker sleeping on the couch. So weird! And sorry, a little obscene, too.

Jobs Update

It's been a while since I've posted a job search update. The activity slowed down a little - especially since we weren't applying to new jobs. Both of us had interviewed with Mars Petcare (in different divisions) and were told to be patient.

Dave Update: Dave had an interview last Monday with Tractor Supply Company in Nashville. He said it went pretty well. So now we're just waiting for a response. Dave has had a call from Mars Petcare saying they want to bring him down for an interview - but not in brand management anymore. Apparently the strategic insights group got ahold of his resume and really want him to interview for a position with their group. Dave's waiting to hear back from HR on a specific date. He wants the Mars Petcare job more than TSC, so we just have to hope the timing works out and he's lucky enough to have a decision to make!

Merritt Update: I got a call two weeks ago from Mars Petcare (The Nutro Company) to schedule an onsite interview in Nashville for 9/27. I was already scheduled to present in two classes that day at Notre Dame, so I had to decline and reschedule. I finally touched base with someone live after days of phone tag and rescheduled the interview for Friday, 10/8. I am excited and nervous all at the same time. I feel like it's my last chance to get a job - and it's definitely my only chance to get a job in Nashville since there aren't other traditional CPG company's there. Please let me know if this is cheesy or not: Because they let dogs roam the halls at Mars Petcare I was going to make dog toys for everyone I interview with. What do you think? I know the dogs have toys there because the HR woman I spoke with told me a story about a certain dog that steals all the dog toys throughout the day.

Bark in the Park

Riggins really enjoyed play tug of war with the rope and tennis ball toy they handed out as we entered the stadium. Parker just enjoyed chewing the plastic part.

Mr. Parker before the game.

I couldn't twist this picture, but this is Parker just laying his head on my legs while I pet him. He liked the view - all the other dogs and people at the park.

Me and Parker - before he spilled my diet coke down my shirt (I had no idea he would try to drink from my cup while I was drinking from my cup!).

Dave and Riggins before the game started. That's the only time Riggins sat still all night.

Dave, Parker, Riggins and I had a great time at Bark in the Park last night. Eukanuba and Iams (P&G brands) sponsored the event at Great American Ballpark where the Cincinnati Reds play. It was a great night to be outside - 75 degrees and a slight breeze. Unfortunately the Reds lost but they are still at the top of their division.

Landscape Design

I almost forgot to post these pictures. Thanks to my Megan reminding me, here they are! I absolutely love it, and think it made a big difference. I don't even notice the ugly rocks anymore when I walk up to the house - just the beautiful flowers and plants! And the back is a completely different. I didn't even take before pictures, but just imagine a really ugly dirty space with no green.

Another Update

So, there hasn't been a ton of activity for me lately. I had a phone interview with Snapple two weeks ago and it didn't go well (from my perspective or theirs!). I officially only have one job in the works right now. It's a Brand Manager job at The Nutro Company (part of Mars Petcare) in Nashville. I have a phone interview/phone screen with HR tomorrow. I am excited about this one, although the sour experience with Snapple has me a little nervous.

Dave has had a ton of activity lately. He went to Nashville last Thursday night because he had a meeting with a Marketing Director from Mars Petcare at 7:30 am on Friday. It went very well and Dave really liked the guy. Dave got a call that afternoon from HR and he has a phone screen with Mars Petcare on Thursday this week. Dave also had a phone interview with Tractor Supply Company on Friday afternoon. It went very well and they want to bring him down for an onsite interview.

Anyway, that's it for now. Please send good vibes our way - even you Texas people!!! :)

Turning Down the Hostess Offer

Tomorrow I have to get back to Hostess about their offer, and I am 99.9% sure I am turning the offer down. It feels weird to do that, but it also doesn't feel right to accept it. I haven't felt energized by this job the entire time. Dave and I talked about it (again!) today, and he mentioned advice he got from someone he worked with long ago. The guy told him you can have your entire life in order: a great family, a great home, great friends, but it doesn't matter if you hate your job. Hating your job can make you miserable with your family, at home and with your friends. And I really don't want to go from a job I love to a job I am not excited about even if that means moving to Dallas. It's a decent offer - especially the relocation benefits - but it's just not good enough. So now I need to think about how I'm going to turn them down. It hurts my stomach a little bit, but I know I am making the right decision. Man, this is tough!

Roller Coaster

That sums up how this process has gone so far for us... lots of ups and downs!

Here is an update:

• Hostess (Dallas): The interview went very well last week and they gave me an offer! It's actually a pretty strong offer (although no signing bonus, which I will ask for if we decide to take the job), and they'll buy our house after 90 days on the market! That's awesome in this economy. For some reason I can't get really jazzed about this job. I think it will be a decent opportunity, but it's definitely risky since they are owned by private equity right now and have only been out of bankruptcy for 18 months.
• Frito-Lay (Dallas): UGH! They cancelled our interviews on Thursday, eight hours before our flight was scheduled. The reason is they are being asked to fill any open positions with internal people, not external candidates. I was very excited about this opportunity because 1) it's a great CPG company, and 2) Dave had an interview and was excited, too. It's very frustrating, but everything happens for a reason!
• Dr. Pepper/Snapple Group (Dallas): I have applied for three Brand Manager jobs through their website. One was on 6/1 and they restructured so the position was no longer available. Then on 7/14 I applied for BM of their Hispanic beverage brands, even though I don't have experience and I don't speak Spanish. :) This morning I applied for the Snapple BM job - and within an hour and a half they called me to set up a phone interview!! I am very excited about this one! The phone interview is scheduled for Monday at 10:00am. I'll post an update afterwards.
• Mars Petcare (Nashville): I applied for BM of Nutro - Cat today. Ha, ha, CATS! I have been playing phone tag with a Sr. BM from Mars who left P&G 10 weeks ago to work down there. He told me they are hiring so I went online today and officially applied. Hopefully I'll get to chat with him this week to touch base and get a better understanding about the opportunities at Mars Petcare.

That's it for now. Sorry it's been slow but it's been a roller coaster!

BIG BIG Week!

I have two interviews in Dallas this week, and Dave has one! I leave this evening for Dallas and interview tomorrow with Hostess Brands. Then Dave and I both fly back down to Dallas on Thursday night to interview with Frito Lay on Friday. I'm nervous for both interviews! I want the Frito job more than the Hostess job, so I'm glad I interview with Hostess first to get more practice. I'm interviewing for both the Brand Manager of Snack Cakes and Brand Manager of Bread at Hostess. I'm going for a marketing manager (brand management) job at Frito and Dave is interviewing for a consumer insights role. It sounds to me like Frito really likes Dave. Someone from PepsiCo (parent company) called Dave last week and asked him how soon he could start if they gave him an offer. He told them 30-45 days!

I ran into my old mentor while in Columbus this week for work. She is the one who helped me get the Gain job. She left P&G last December and HATES her current job. I told her what I was up to and she sent a long note on her advice looking for a new job. I printed it out and am taking it on the plane with me today. The following is what she advises asking new companies:

• Does the company really believe investment in understanding the consumer and investment in marketing will make a difference? What have they done to prove that?
• Will marketing be the center of decisions? Will it still be the driving function?
• Is there a defined career path?
• What's the company culture?
• Ask myself: Do I like how leadership shows up in the press? And will I be comfortable with lest structure or process?

I have lots to think about this week - and a lot of preparation to do! Unfortunately I won't be able to wear my new pants and new heels for Monday's interview because I still need to wear the boot on my right ankle. I am hoping I'll be able to walk on my own by Friday so I can unveil the new clothes for the Frito interview.

Please send good vibes our way Monday and Friday!

Thanks and I'll keep you all posted.

Isn't this Weird?

Here is a picture of my toes... they are completely brusied! I think that is so weird. Every once in a while I lose feeling in them. :)

Overall I am feeling fine. As an update to most of you, I not only sprained my ankle but I tore two ligaments in my ankle. I am now wearing a boot on my right foot until next Friday. I only had to use one crutch today, and hopefully by Friday I won't need one at all.

The best part of not being able to walk means I don't have to go to the gym, which means I sleep in until 6:45am! That is an additional 1:40 of sleeping for me. I am sure going to miss that!

My poor right ankle

I missed my crutches! So, as most of you know, I severely sprained my right ankle this weekend so I could get my crutches out of storage. Success! Below are pics of my adorable support staff and my beautiful ankle as of today. Love you all!

Home Improvement 2010 - MOLDING AND WINDOW SEAT

I almost forgot to put up pics of the two bedrooms downstairs! We added crown molding to both rooms and a window seat to our room, too.

Home Improvement 2010 - AFTER

Home Improvement 2010 - DURING

Notice in the one picture I'm in the attic and am taking a picture down into the bathroom! The house was a mess for a few days.

Home Improvement 2010 - BEFORE

I finally took the time to get the pictures downloaded from the camera to my computer, so above are the before pics from the attic and the bathroom.

That was painful

I'll skip to the end result: I will get invited to Frito Lay to interview onsite.

It was the most painful interview I've had since 2000. Seriously. I feel defeated and a little beat up right now. My head hurts. My ego hurts. But the good news is I'm still in the game and learned a lot from this interview. Off to just watch TV or read and not think because my brain needs a break.

Finally

I have a phone interview with Frito Lay today! I got the email from Jim (HR guy) about 20 minutes ago. I'll be interviewing with a marketing director at 5pm EST. I think I'll work from home this afternoon so I can be ready. Please send good vibes my way at 5pm EST today!

First Onsite Interview Scheduled!

Hostess Brands called today and we set up my onsite interview for Monday, July 26. HR is scheduling my trip and will send me the details tomorrow. I asked to be flown down to Dallas on Sunday 7/25 so I can hang out with Megan. Plus, if I fly in on Sunday I don't have to worry about flight delays, etc. I'd prefer to get in, get settled, and relax before a day of interviews. I'll be interviewing with the CMO, VP of Cakes, VP of Bread, Director of Cakes, Director of Bread, and someone from HR. I applied for the Brand Manger of Bread job, but I had my phone interview with the VP of Cakes and he suggested I be considered for both the BM of Bread and the BM of Cakes job. That works for me!

YAY!

The Hostess Brands phone interview went well! I just got off the phone with the VP of Marketing for Snacks. He had some good questions, I re-learned how to interview, and I asked some good questions. The next step is an on-site interview in their Dallas office! He said I should hear from someone in HR soon to set up the trip. YAY! I'll keep you guys posted.

Moving to a T State

As in, either Texas or Tennessee. Both states are further south from Cincinnati and neither one has a state income tax. Okay, that's only two of the reasons we're excited to move.

Let me give you some history. On Labor Day, 2009, I came home and talked to Dave about moving. He's not been a big fan of Cincinnati for a while now. But that day I realized I didn't want to live here for very long, either. Over dinner we talked about wanting to move somewhere we could call home. We listed our top three cities of Nashville, Dallas and Atlanta and decided to move withing three to five years. Neither one of us was pulling for Atlanta, so it quickly fell off the list. By Christmas we decided we wanted to move in the beginning of 2011. I get fully vested in P&G's profit sharing (aka "golden handcuffs") on November 16, 2010 so that date was driving the timeline. By late May 2010 we decided we would start looking for new jobs now. I got news at work that I wouldn't be promoted until around December. I didn't want to stay at P&G another six months later to prove myself at that level before another company would want me/I felt comfortable leaving. So I called Dave from work right after my meeting with my boss and said, "are you ready to start looking?" And he of course said, "YES!" On the way home from work I called the four headhunters I keep in touch with and my two friends at Frito Lay to start the ball rolling. By the Tuesday after Memorial Day we had our resumes out on the internet and in the hands of headhunters and friends. We'll just try and negotiate the profit sharing I'm losing into my new contract if I end up leaving before November 16.

Dave and I are interested in the same kind of work - with consumer products goods companies. I like the brand management side and he is interested in consumer research. We are applying for jobs in both cities. Here is an update on our job progress:

• Mars Petcare. Mars is located in Nashville. Both Dave and I are working with headhunters for these jobs, so we don't have a ton of detail here. I heard back from my headhunter that I should know whether or not the company is interested in my just after July 4th. I don't Dave has heard anything back from his headhunter yet, but he started the process a couple weeks after I did through his headhunter. Dave did drive down to Nashville two weeks ago to meet a Notre Dame alumnus for lunch who works in Marketing at Mars. Unfortunately the guy wasn't very helpful. So it's a waiting game right now with this company.
• Frito Lay. We have both applied for jobs at Frito Lay in Plano (just outside of Dallas). I am applying for a Marketing Manager position (level under a brand manager but above my current position of Assistant Brand Manager). Dave applied for a job in Insights, their consumer research group. Dave has had a ton of success here. He's had two phone interviews and both interviewers recommended to HR that Dave come down to Plano for on site interviews. In fact, Dave has already sent his availability to the HR guy to schedule the visit. I'm a different story. Apparently Frito Lay is just as backed up in promoting people in brand management right now as P&G. So they had to get special permission to interview me because I'm coming in from the outside. The HR guy and my friend Carrie mentioned they had to decide if Frito Lay would take the risk in the fallout of hiring me versus someone who is waiting to get promoted from the inside. I am supposed to have my first phone interview this coming week. Please keep your fingers crossed!
• Hostess Brands. Yes, I applied for a brand manager job of bread. Funny, huh? I noticed the posting on a site called indeed.com. It's a great site, by the way. You just type in what keywords/position you want and the city. It shows a list of all the jobs out there on all sites - so compiles the available jobs in one place. Very convenient. Anyway, I noticed the Hostess Brands job posting, read the description, and thought it was a good fit. I applied that night through the company's website. I got an email the next day asking for my resume again (not sure what happened - but I know the guy could see it because he mentioned he went to Notre Dame, too). The HR guy called me on Thursday and scheduled an interview for Monday at 11am.

At the very earliest we may be gone by Labor Day weekend. We are doing some work on the house to make it presentable (finishing the basement, landscaping), but aren't going overboard.

That's it for now. I'm creating my "Cincinnati Bucket List" which mostly consists of places I want to eat before we go. If anyone is interested in visiting before Labor Day, come on!

I've enjoyed the break...

I haven't missed blogging one bit! Thanks for not harassing me about taking a break. I've been quite busy over the past month:

• An awesome trip to Texas which included meeting Everett (he's so cute!), hanging out with Kevin and Meagan in Austin, eating darn good BBQ from a gas station, eating lunch with a sorority sister and her husband overlooking Lake Austin, a good gluten free meal at Kozy Kitchen in Dallas, a nice 4 mile run with my best friend Megan around White Rock Lake, a cookout with amazing brisket at our friend's house in Fort Worth (and we had five ND MBA's in attendance), making dinner with Megan and Stephen, touring Frito Lay headquarters and eating brisket tacos with Carrie in Plano, and I'm sure I'm leaving a ton of good stuff out.
• The home remodel is now complete! I owe you guys pictures, but take my word for it - the bathroom and the attic/now bedroom look awesome! I really enjoy taking a shower now because it's so pretty in there. The bedroom is great, too. We have moved the dog crates up there and so it's really Parker and Riggins' bedroom right now. We had to move them out of our room because we had a window seat installed and Riggins' crate wouldn't fit anymore. I made the window seat cushion, and it turned out pretty good for someone who hadn't used a sewing machine in over six years.
• Work has been crazy. I've presented to the General Manager/Vice President of NA Fabric Care, Global President of Fabric Care, and NA President of (everything) P&G. I don't see the madness slowing down until mid-August.
• We are beginning to get estimates for landscaping help. Our front steps and plantings are ugly; problem is it's all hardscape that Dave and I just aren't comfortable doing ourselves. We need help coming up with economical solutions to increase our curb appeal. We've also been trying to grow grass in the backyard for the last six weeks to no avail. Apparently it's impossible to grow grass back there because we have huge trees and no sun. Looks like we'll end up with ground cover, mulch and pebbles in the back - with lots of shade happy plants (think hosta, impatiens).
• I went to Chicago for research and had gluten free pizza twice and tons of peanut M&Ms. That was a highlight in the last month!

That's about all! I hope everyone is doing well.

Thursday 3's

I would love to win the lottery. Who wouldn't? To get right to it...

What are the first three things you spend your lottery winnings on?

My answers:

1. Alabama football box seats (and accompanying condo I'll need for staying down there on football weekends).
2. New home in either Nashville or Dallas. One that's big enough to have a doggy playroom and a yard big enough you need to use a riding lawnmower (that's Dave's dream - a riding lawnmower).
3. A week's vacation in Charleston with all the bells and whistles!

I ran a romantic comedy!

Turns out Team Quick as Molasses really was pretty quick! It's all relative, but we did run faster than our "firm" goal, which was 11 minute miles. Our "stretch" goal was to run 10 minute miles... and we came in just over 10 minute miles! Our relay team ran the marathon in 4:25. I think that's pretty impressive given the rain - which lasted almost the entire time. It was storming when the marathon started at 6:30am and the rain tapered off close to 8:15am. I began my run pretty close to 8:30am, and the rain made a big comeback by the time I finished my leg. I didn't even realize it had really picked up until I stopped running and started cooling off. My personal time of 1:17:17 is right on 10 minute miles for my 7.67 mile leg. I figure most romantic comedies don't last much longer than that, hence the title of tonight's entry. :)

My knees hurt pretty bad on Sunday afternoon and through sometime yesterday. The muscle tenderness didn't kick in until Monday morning. When I got up to walk to the bathroom I thought my calves were on fire! My quads were pretty sore as well. As of today I am walking like a normal person. It probably helps that I worked out yesterday and today and got the blood flowing again.

Overall, I love running. I just wish it didn't hurt my knees so bad. I will continue to run. I love running with the dogs (although I prefer Parker to Riggins purely based on behavior - Riggins is like "oh, squirrel!" and Parker is just content to be out and about), being outside, and doing something different than the elliptical or spin class. In order to keep running in my regular routine, I'll just be sure to stick between 3-5 miles.

Thursday 3's

I am pregnant with biscuit babies. It's the truth. I made a biscuits from a mix tonight. The brand is called 1-2-3 Gluten Free. I heard about the mix because there are rumblings from the Cinci Celiac group that Bisquik is coming up with a gluten free mix. Gluten Free is popular... it's cool to be Celiac! :) Anyway, I made the biscuits tonight to go with the chili I made for dinner. I ate 2 1/2 biscuits, which was about 1 1/2 biscuits too many. Now I am sitting here in pain! My stomach is so full there is barely room for the water I'm drinking.

This all got me thinking... there are only certain foods I would eat that would make me feel this miserable. That leads me to this week's Thursday 3: What three foods would you eat in excess, no matter the pain?

My answers:
1) Cheese bread from Sinfully Gluten Free in Miamisburg, Ohio. Meagan - do you remember eating it? On top of the crust is an olive oil with tons of seasoning in it. The cheese bread is amazing. It's better than the pizza. Yummy!
2) Cadbury Mini Eggs. These delectable treats are seriously a downfall of mine. I cannot have just one... or 15. I must eat the entire bag. I love the texture and the melt in your mouth delightfulness these mini eggs bring to my senses. Thanks mom for introducing them to me!
3) (this is from back in the day) Velveeta Shells and Cheese. I'd eat the whole box. It was such a great meal. I remember I had good intentions... at first I only poured half of the meal into my bowl... but undoubtedly I'd go back the for the second half 15 minutes later. I did find a "light" version by the time I moved to Boston, which I'm sure helped a little bit.

Flying Pig Marathon is this weekend!

I am going to accomplish one of my New Year’s Resolutions this weekend… to run a relay in the Flying Pig Marathon. I am excited and scared! I am running leg three of the race which happens to be longest at 7.67 miles. I haven’t run that long since the Country Music Half Marathon in 2006. A few months ago I ran four miles in a row on the treadmill but since then I have just been running 3 miles here and there outside. I was going to run five miles this past weekend when we were in Nashville, but it was raining. So this morning I went to the gym and did 5.6 miles in intervals on the treadmill. It took me 65 minutes. I walked 2 minutes, ran 2 minutes until 30 minutes in. Then I switched to run 3 minutes, walk 2 minutes. After doing that I ran for 8 minutes straight with the first 3 minutes at 6.1mph, the next 3 minutes at 7.0mph, and the final two at 6.1mph again. Then I ran 2 minutes, walked 2 minutes until I got to one hour and cooled down the last five minutes.

I wore heels to work today and my knees were pretty uncomfortable. I fortunately left a pair of black flats under my desk for emergencies so I am now wearing those – they are much more comfy! I will have to switch back into heels for my meeting with three marketing directors this afternoon, but I’ll be comfortable until then.

Please send good vibes my way this Sunday morning. Not only will I be running my longest run in four years, but it is expected to rain all morning, too. Fortunately my leg of the relay goes right by my street so I’ll have Dave ready with dry socks for me just in case! You can track my progress (if you are at all interested) by getting text or email updates. Go to flyingpigmarathon.com and go to Track Athletes. Fun! I am tracking Dave Heng, the guy who is leg 2, so I know when he’s getting close to me.

Here’s to a successful run!

Thursday 3's

Dave and I have been watching a lot of movies lately... Kick Ass, Fantastic Mr. Fox, and the list goes on. I don't think any of the more recent movies I've watched lately will become a favorite for me. That got me thinking about my favorite movies...

What are you three favorite movies?

Mine are:
1) When Harry Met Sally
2) Sweet Home Alabama
3) Shag

OMG! My work is going to the VP of Global Marketing!

This will be short and sweet...

As you guys know I have been working on this big, top secret (externally, not internally) project for all the laundry brands. There is a ton going on right now and it's overwhelming. My director (boss's boss) just stopped by my desk and asked me to send him the brief I've done on this project. The brief is basically the strategy document for the project that we give agencies to execute against. The reason be asked for it is because our general manager (his boss) wants to talk it with Marc Pritchard tomorrow!!!! Marc is our VP of global marketing. Crazy! In reality, she won't share the brief with him, but she will use it as background for herself so she can talk the project in more detail. Very cool.

That's it. I just knew this group of people would be super excited for me!

Thursday 3's

Oh my. Life is super hectic and busy this week. At home the renovations are underway and we're trying to coordinate showering at the gym with eating at home with getting the dogs to daycare AND using the scary bathroom in the basement. Work is a whole other animal... getting to the office before 8am and working into the night. All of this going on makes me tired, yet hopeful of what the future brings. But overall, it makes me want everyday to have one more hour. Which leads me to today's Thursday 3:

If you had one more hour in your day, how would you spend it?

My answers:
1) Sleep!
2) Pilates - I find it very relaxing and challenging at the same time
3) Catching up on DVR'd shows

What about you?

Thursday 3's

Wow... slow blogging week for me. Sorry! We were super busy this weekend getting ready for the renovations that start today at our house. And work was kicking my butt at the beginning of this week - working until 10pm on Monday and skipping the gym Tuesday to get in to the office before 7am. I see the light at the end of the tunnel now!

Today is a very rainy day here in Cincinnati. The rain is ushered in by a cold front which is dropping temps in to the mid-50s all day. It's a stark difference from the 80s we enjoyed this weekend. Anyway, I love the rain. I learned to appreciate it when I lived in Albuquerque where it is very brown due to the dry weather. Rain=green, rain=life.

What are your three favorite things to do on a rainy day?

My answers:
1) Take a nap with the window opened slightly
2) Lay on the couch reading while looking out the window (periodically, of course, since I'm reading)
3) Go outside under a covered porch and watch the rain, with a glass of tea and something to read

Thursday 3's

The weather is beautiful here today: 80 degrees and sunny! It's the first 80 degree day, and although I see highs in the 60's next week, I am going to enjoy this for the next few days. I was on a long walk with the boys today and was dreaming about coming home and having a glass of sweet tea (I'm making it right now). I was thinking last night about how I really wanted a glass of wine, and hadn't had one in 12 days! So today's question is:

What are your favorite three drinks?

Here is my answer:
1. A glass of Malbec, with a heavy handed pour
2. Homemade sweet tea - mine or Miss Dean tea (is that right Austin Noble's?)
3. Water - I really like water, and it's what I drink 95% of the time

I'm Not Eating 18 Egg Whites a Day

Some of you may have seen the picture I posted on Facebook of how many eggs we buy each week. For those of you who didn't see it, we buy 108 eggs = six packages of 18 each. I am not kidding. We always buy a lot of eggs, but Dave is trying a new diet and it calls for a crazy amount of egg whites. I am not keen on eating 18 egg whites a day, so I am eating my own meals right now. It's actually giving me the opportunity to make recipes that Dave isn't interested in (he hates tomatoes). Last week I made two dinners that I had been eyeing but hadn't made yet: Italian Tomato Tart and Grilled Corn and Potato Chowder. Both recipes came from Cooking Light magazine. The Italian Tomato Tart was amazing! I ate it four times (the one downside of eating by myself), so by the end I was looking forward to something new. It's definitely a recipe I'll make again. The Grilled Corn and Potato Chowder left a lot to be desired. I was excited about this meal because I love corn and potatoes. Grilling the corn made a big difference (which I did inside on my panini grill pan). But this meal was very disappointing. There was an overall lack of flavor... I yearned for more "bite" to the chowder. I ate this for three meals and then froze the rest. Someday when I get desperate I'll thaw out the rest of the chowder. I did learn I can grill corn on the cob inside now, so I can't wait to do that again!

I'm a regular!

I'm a regular (not irregular - although maybe a little bit) at Starbucks! I had my momentous occasion at Starbucks this morning. I walked in and the barista yelled out "Good morning, Merritt!" It. Was. Awesome! They didn't know my drink since I change it up all the time - either a tall non fat no whip dark cherry mocha or a tall or grande non fat caramel macchiato with light foam. I just stood there beaming the entire time I was waiting for my drink. It's a little pathetic, but hey, it's the little things in life. :)

Thursday 3's

I want to say "thank you" to my mom and sister for participating in last week's inaugural Thursday 3's post. Hopefully this catches on a little more this week; I have a goal of three comments. :)

In honor of Dave and I recently signing the contract to remodel our bathroom and finish our attic, today's question is the following: What three updates do you want to do on your home next?

My answers:

1. Redo our "curb appeal" which includes new concrete steps to the front porch, repainting the porch, new flower beds with new retaining wall and a new retaining wall for the driveway.
2. Finish the basement. First and foremost we need to get our electrical up to date. It would be ideal to add another bathroom - rather - add more than just a toilet which is currently there.
3. Upgrade our kitchen counter tops to granite, instead of the fake wood they are now.

What are your answers?

It's Official!

Dave signed the contract this morning with our selected contractor to remodel the bathroom and finish the attic! We have been wanting to update the bathroom since we moved in. I meant to take a picture to show you, but most of you (except Mackenzie, I think) have seen our green tie-dyed tile in the current bathroom. I am SO ready to get rid of it. We're getting new windows upstairs, too. It's a large amount of money but I believe we're spending it in the right areas: bathrooms sell and we're expanding the square footage of our home. Dave and I are meeting the contractor, Joe, at the tile place next Friday to pick out shower and floor tile. Joe starts work on either Thursday 4/8 or Friday 4/9 and the project will take 5 weeks. Which means it could be completed just as we're headed to Texas in early mid-May!

Thursday 3's

Thursday 3's is not my original idea. A friend of mine and David's from Notre Dame does this on Facebook. Well, he used to do it more regularly before he and his wife welcomed a beautiful baby girl last month. I always looked forward to Thursday's so I could see what the topic was. So I thought I'd bring that "tradition" over here to my blog!

The weather here was beautiful today. After my last appointment of the day my car said the ambient temperature was 73 degrees! I know it didn't get out of the 60's today and my car was warm from sitting in the sun, but the warmer weather inspired me to go through the drive-thru at Wendy's to get an original Frosty. I ordered a small, which is only $0.99 and 320 calories, then came home and played with Riggins in the backyard while I ate the Frosty (with a spoon, of course).

So, today's Thursday 3's is: What three things do you most enjoy getting through a drive-thru window?

My answers:
1) Starbucks - most recently I'm addicted to Dark Cherry Mocha's.
2) Apparently Frosty's on a nice, warm day
3) Burger King Double Cheeseburger, no mustard, onion rings, and a diet Coke. Yes that's from many years ago, but I still dream about it.

What about you?

Earning My Pay

Work is killing me right now.

About 6 weeks ago I was told I would take over Project Jewel (all of our projects have code names so the competition won't know what we're doing - very sneaky - so I won't say here what it is either) once a coworker of mine took a new job on the Target team in Minneapolis. As of March 1 I took 100% commercial leadership of this project. So that means I lead all the commercial functions (market research, assistant brand managers on other brands, finance, sales) and there is one guy in charge of all the technical functions (products research, product supply, etc.). And it's a biggie. Jewel is the biggest project Fabric Care has seen in two years, and it's the biggest one planned through 2016. During my second week I put together a presentation for our new General Manager. For perspective, she's my boss's boss's boss's boss. And reports to the President of Global Fabric Care. Initially the presentation meeting would include the General Manager, my director and one other assistant brand manager. It turned out to be the "hottest ticket in town" because of the importance of the project. We ended up having 20-25 people in the room to watch the "show". The presentation went very well and was a great way for me to learn the commercial aspect of the project very quickly.

Anyway, I had a meeting with my boss yesterday and I was telling him what I want to focus on with Project Jewel; basically sharing with him where I want to make a big impact. I didn't make a presentation or prepare a formal talk sheet. I just spoke with him. And his response was great! He was like "that's it Merritt! I knew you could envision and I've loved seeing you so action oriented over the last two weeks." For those of you who remember, my boss had given me the feedback that I needed to work on my "envisioning" skill. Well, looks like I'm well on my way of putting a check in the envisioning column! All the late nights and weekend work is paying off.

Must. Go. To. Bed. I've got another 8am meeting tomorrow!

Great start to the day!

I decided to swing by Starbucks this morning because I did not have an 8am meeting. I have been anticipating their new drink: Dark Cherry Mocha. When I arrived at Starbucks this morning there was a sign saying the drink was making it's debut in two days. I thought I cannot wait two days! So I asked nicely and they made it for me! And to my excitement, they gave me a grande when I ordered (and paid for) a tall. And of course I ordered it "non fat, no whip" because every little bit helps. :) Here is a photo of me enjoying this fabulous drink at my desk this morning. Now you guys can see where I sit all day! And I am wearing a new dress which I love and have been complimented on many times this morning. Mom - remember the pink/black/white dress you helped me decide on? Well, I exchanged it for this one - it's the same exact dress but I liked these colors better. I hope you all have a wonderful day!

New Year's Resolution - Update

I am pretty sure you all aren't sitting around wondering how I'm doing on my resolutions, but I feel like I should share an update with you as a way to make myself a little more accountable.

1. Reduce the number of times I crack my knuckles each day. Done! I rarely crack my knuckles on purpose - it's maybe three times since the beginning of 2010. I do crack a knuckle or two once a day, usually by accident when I am applying lotion to my hands. But that's a steep decline in the number of times I cracked my knuckles in 2009 - which was closer to once/ten minutes or so. It was gross and not lady like at all. I feel so much better now!

2. Run in a race. I am off to a good start with this one! I am signed up to run a relay in the Flying Pig Marathon the first weekend in May. I started off on the treadmill by walking 3 minutes, running two, walking two, running two for a total of 45 minutes. I remember feeling great after my first treadmill walk/run. I've been running at least once a week at the gym and finally worked my way up to running four miles in a row last Monday morning! Yes, four miles in a row! The last time I ran that many miles in a row was during the actual Music City Half Marathon in April 2006. I am feeling so good now running. My knees hurt afterward, but I can still walk. I made the mistake of wearing high heels to work last Monday after my run and was limping my day's end. Some other things I've learned about myself by running: a) I look awful after a run, kind of like I was runover by a truck during a rainstorm; and b) I hate running in shorts. The shorts always rise up between my legs and it's annoying. I will only run in capri Nike pants now.

3. Start a family. Not really making any progress here. If this gives you an idea... The other day we were watching Teen Mom on MTV (I love that show) and we watched a girl give birth and they offered that the mom/grandma could cut the cord. So I asked Dave if he would cut the cord. He thought about it for a second and said, "no, I think it should be a family affair and maybe Riggins could bite the cord." I want to have a family when Dave's ready, so I'll wait. This is a true test of patience!

Worst. Blogger. Ever.

This is hard! I have a topic to post about, but can never find time to sit down and write. I am dog tired - just finished a work presentation for the BIGGEST WORK PROJECT EVER! - and need sleep. We're off to Sandusky, Ohio tomorrow for a wedding, so I won't have my computer with me. I just want to say I love you all (because really my family are my only readers) and am sorry I am setting a poor example. :)

A True Matriarch

Sorry for my delay in posts... as most of you know my Great Grandma Noble passed away last week. I went back to Wacousta, Michigan, for the viewings and the funeral. I drove up on Sunday morning, was supposed to drive back to Cincinnati on Monday afternoon but the weather wouldn't allow it. So after a stop over in Ft. Wayne (thanks to my Step Aunt Linda and Step Uncle Bob) I made it home safe and sound on Tuesday afternoon.

In any case, my Great Grandma was an amazing woman. The first thing I think of is how she was a true Matriarch of the Noble family. Her husband, Rollin, passed away before I was born and she carried the torch for the family. She is survived by 4 children, 13 grandchildren, 30 great grandchildren and three great great grandchildren!

I want to share some of my favorite memories of my Great Grandma Noble here.

• She always made pistachio pudding and I learned to like it.
• I remember braiding the tassels that acted as a skirt around the bottom of her couch.
• I remember making forts inside her living room with sheets and whatever else she had around.
• I also remember making a fort outside in the bushes near the side door.
• She had such a big appetite! I took her and Grandma Noble to Wendy's for dinner when I lived in Michigan in 2003. I had raved about the chicken ranch sandwich and so they suggested I take them there to try it. Great Grandma ate the entire thing - no crumbs remained - and her order of fries! I couldn't believe it. She was 91 at the time. :)
• She used to send me flattened flowers from her garden. It wouldn't be surprising to get a violet in the mail... or the leaves off the big pine tree in her yard when the leaves were turning colors.
• I remember playing "telephone" using the two pipes on the cement block just off her side door/deck.
• She was the nicest lady you'll ever meet, and very selfless. At her funeral the pastor mentioned how many people had made comments over her lifetime that she's as close to a saint as anyone has known. Then my dad shared a story about how Great Grandma walked out onto the ice over Brevort Lake one winter... and the pastor said "Wow! She truly walked on water."

Five people spoke at the funeral, and it was great to learn more and more about my Great Grandma through all the stories. They ranged from how adventurous she was, how she lived to serve Christ, and funny stories from friends. Overall, it was much more a celebration of this wonderful woman we were so blessed to know. God bless you, Great Grandma Noble. And thank you.

Bonding with Mr. P

This weekend Dave and Riggins are in Nashville, so Parker and I are taking the time to bond. I love weekends with my big doggie. It is so relaxing. He is not as high maintenance as he once was. He likes to chill, sleep on the bed with me, and lay on the couch with me under the heating blanket. Last night we watched shows on DVR on the upstairs TV. We came downstairs to have dinner and to watch more TV. Then we headed to bed around 10:30. This morning I woke up before the alarm, and I stayed and bed and cuddled with Mr. P (see his pic from this morning... he loves to get under the covers and lay his head on the pillow - so cute!). We hung out a little this morning before I headed to the salon for a mani/pedi and a haircut. I left Mr. P out the entire time I was gone and he was a perfect angel. This afternoon we laid on the couch together for hours. We cuddled, napped, watched some TV, and talked to Dave on the phone. Parker and I went on a walk, then played in the backyard. It's so much fun to watch him play in the snow! He goes in circles really, really fast and only stops every once in a while to catch his breath. We are back inside now and getting ready to eat dinner (Parker) and make mine. Tonight has a lot of the same relaxing on the agenda. I'll eat a good dinner (buffalo turkey blue cheese meatloaf) and drink some wine, watch more HGTV and read a book. I hope everyone else is having a relaxing weekend!

People are Inherently Good

I had a great experience yesterday, and it reminded me another one I had earlier this month and one from years ago, in which people really surprise me.

As I was pulling into the Starbucks parking lot yesterday morning (it was Wednesday!) a guy in a yellow jeep disregarded my right of way and almost cut me off. I honked, sans middle finger, and kept on my merry way. I parked in the first spot I saw open, though it was kind of far from the front door, just so I could avoid this person. I never saw the jeep driver get out of his car. I was disappointed by a middle-aged man who didn't hold the door for me to enter Starbucks, but rather hurried himself through the door forgetting about me. I thought this must definitely be the rude guy from the jeep. But it wasn't. I waited in line, paid for my drink, and a man in his mid to late 20's approached me. He said "I'm sorry." And I said "what?" I wasn't sure why this guy was approaching me. He called himself "the guy from the jeep" and apologized for cutting me off. He said he was in a big hurry and just wasn't paying attention. I accepted his apology, we both wished each other a good day, and then he went on his way. WOW! I was very impressed. Looking back I noticed the jeep guy waiting a few feet away from the cash register while I was in line. He already had his drink, but he waited for me to get through the line before approaching me. So even though he was in a hurry he waited for me to order and pay before apologizing to me. Maybe it doesn't take much to impress me. But it made me realize that there are good people in this world! I hope he had a great rest of his day and got where he needed to go on time.

Two additional examples of how good people really are:
1) I had a flight from Atlanta to Los Angeles on my trip to see Alabama play in the BCS National Championship game. I boarded the flight, was happy to have a window seat and a small woman as my seat mate. I noticed she was talking to a gentleman a few rows back. I asked if it was her husband and she said it was. I offered to switch with him so they could sit together. She was worried that I wouldn't want to sit in an aisle seat but I assured her it was no big deal. I made the switch and was content in my new seat, albeit a little less comfortable due to my new, heavier set seat mate (but it turns out this guy is a doctor in a small town in Alabama who has my friend's mom as a patient - although I'm pretty sure he wasn't supposed to tell me that she was a patient). About one hour into the five hour flight the flight attendants made the rounds with snacks and drinks. When they got to me a flight attendant asked me if I was the lady who switched with the gentleman so he could sit with his wife. I replied that yes, I was the one. She said he wanted to buy me a cocktail or snack as a thank you. I declined, because I was really happy to have helped them; it was such a simple gesture! Okay, and I already had a bag of the $2 peanut M&M's in my hands. And I would have felt guilty for ordering a $7 red wine. I thought it was great that he appreciated the gesture and wanted to show his appreciation.

2) I don't remember the details of this example, as it happened years ago when I lived in Albuquerque. Back then I went to church every week. That church is actually the only church I really enjoyed in all the places I've lived. I have never found anything quite like it. Anyway, I usually sat up front because once I sat in the back and a guy in the row next to mine was clipping his fingernails. Seriously. It was disgusting. After the service on this particular Sunday I was making my way from the front of the church to the exit when I young girl, approximately seven years old, allowed me to exit in front of her. It was so simple, but made a huge impact. Out of all three examples I've shared here, this is the only one that brought me to tears. I was overwhelmed with emotion at her simple, polite gesture. And from such a young girl! It made me think we all want to do good, but bad habits develop over the years and society doesn't really reward good behavior.

Good deeds fill me with joy. I look forward to spreading some joy to others based on my recent inspiration from jeep guy, airplane guy, and little girl.

Note: I am not the best writer. I never have been. Maybe throughout this process I will improve. Here's to hoping!

Great Shopping Day!

I just had a great day shopping. I decided to go today because I noticed I had coupons to Ann Taylor and Dick's Sporting Goods that were going to expire at the end of the month. I also had a gift card to Ann Taylor and Macy's burning a whole in my pocket.

I headed to Kenwood Mall, which is the nicest in the tri-state area, and very close at only 3 miles up the interstate. I first visited Aveda where I had two post card offers for free product. I picked up a free travel-size body wash and a personalized full-sized lotion. I was off to a great start!

Then I headed to Ann Taylor where I went to specifically by a pair of nude color patent heels. The heels were there, but the employee told me Ann Taylor no longer carries size 9 1/2. What? That's crazy... and made me feel like a freak. I'll admit, I have big feet for someone who is 5'4". I left discouraged. Once I left the store I whipped out my cell phone and looked on Ann Taylor's website... there they were: the patent shoe, in the correct color, in a 9 1/2! So I decided when I got home I would get online and buy them, using my 40% off coupon.

I ran by Starbucks on my way to Macy's and ordered a tall, non fat Caramel Macchiato, light foam to lift my spirits. I paid for the tall and waited for the barista to make my drink. The barista called out for a grande, non fat Caramel Macchiato, light foam. Yea! They made the bigger size by accident and told me I was free to go on my merry way with the grande. Score!

I went to Macy's to look for workout clothes, but didn't find anything I liked. I walked around and found a cute jersey wrap dress. It has a bright pink on it which made me nervous so I took pictures of me wearing it and emailed them to Mom and Kenzie. Both gave me their approval so I bought it! I had enough gift cards that the $89.99 dress cost me $17.91! I was on a roll.

After a stroll through Nordstrom to buy a new pair of Spanx for the new dress and to Dick's for a new pair of Nike pants to run in, I came home. I immediately got online to search for the Ann Taylor heels. I made it through to the purchase, went to apply the coupon code, and realized the coupon was for in-store only. AHHHHHHH! So I called Ann Taylor customer service to explain my ordeal. The lady on the phone told me she couldn't apply the in-store coupon code because the system wouldn't accept it online. But she did have a 30% off code she could apply, which didn't beat my 40% off code, but at least it would work. So I asked for free shipping and said she could do it as a one time courtesy. Woo hoo! After applying the code, free shipping, and my gift cards the $155 shoes cost me $0!!

Anyway, I got nearly $350 worth of items today and only paid $100. I consider that not just a great day of shopping, but an awesome one.

Day o' Merritt

I took advantage of my day off today to do whatever I wanted. Dave had to go to work, so I was on my own for the day. The key to this day was taking the dogs to daycare... which is the second thing I did today after breakfast. I love our dogs, I truly do, but if I wanted to do half the things on my wish list today I needed them to go to daycare. Parker and Riggins needed the exercise, too. They had two days off and they were almost unmanageable yesterday afternoon.

After I dropped the dogs off, I headed to the gym to take a Pilates class. Today was a full class - all women (my class last Thursday morning was all men, except me) - and it was great! We started off the same way as always, with our backs on the moving thing (forgive me, I do not know all the technical terms) and our feet on the bar. But then we stood up, with one foot on the stationary part and then our other foot on the moving thing. We did lunges and it really worked the inside of my thighs. It burned and it felt awesome! Then I went to the treadmill and ran. I really rocked it today! I ended up walking/running four miles... and one of those miles I ran consecutively. I know that doesn't seem like a lot, but I've got to start somewhere. My knees made it through the workout! That's the best news. Although tonight my right knee is very sore. I should have iced it this afternoon but it's so cold. I just cannot imagine purposely making myself even colder!

Next I ran some errands. I went to Kroger for shaving cream and razors. Then I was off to Whole Foods to get gluten free bread crumbs which I need for dinner tonight. I also treated myself to a one serving gluten free cheesecake. It was delicious! After Whole Foods I went to Petsmart to pick up dog food. Once I was home I showered, ate lunch, and then sat down on the couch with the heating blanket and a book. I read for about five minutes before my eyelids started closing. So I turned off the light and took a nap on the couch for an hour. It was great! I loved it. Then I watched a little bit of House Hunters before finishing my book. At about 5:30 I got up to get the computer out and in walked all three of my boys. Dave picked up the dogs, which I hadn't expected. It was a nice gesture.

The Day o' Merritt is officially over. I've got to finish a creative brief for my agency. They have a meeting tomorrow to discuss my project and I want to have the strategic document ready for them. Dave has gone off to the gym so I'll start working on dinner soon. Not sure if we are having Chicken, Spinach, and Mushroom Risotto or Pecan Encrusted Pork. I am thinking Risotto... it's one of my favorites. I just wish I had a glass of red wine to enjoy while I cooked... that would be a great way to finish the day.

Wednesday Mornings

I love Wednesday mornings. Not only because it signals we are that much closer to Friday, but because I work offsite at Starbucks (hence my ability to add a blog post during work hours). I started doing this in November after I got not-so-great feedback from my boss. Apparently, I am not an exceptional ABM until I am better able to set the vision. In my opinion I think this could be two things: 1) I really do have a vision I just struggle to communicate it to the appropriate people, or 2) I have no idea what I'm doing on my projects and just sit around executing. Unfortunately I think it's a mix of the two. I find it easier to think when I am not at the office, so I sit at Starbucks, white earbuds in with slow music on (currently listening to Basia, Mom!) and just jot down my ideas on paper.

Today is the exception because I HAD to finish a one-pager (that's P&G speak for a Recommendation in a really anal format, which I happen to appreciate because someone else set the vision for this format and now all I have to do is execute) for a 10:30 AM meeting. Upon finishing my one-pager I was inspired to write here because of the mother and son duo who happened to sit down next to me. I know it's a free country and I am not sitting at the Library in an adult only section, but I was completely annoyed when they first sat down. The boy, approximately 4 years old, was wild. Apparently his mother likes him this way because he had his own Starbucks in hand! He was unruly until his mother handed over her iPhone. I overheard her saying to him, "just wait, I am trying to find you WiFi." He is so young! What is this world coming to? At that age I would have been happy with a educational workbook (thanks Mom).

Anyway, one of the side benefits of sitting at Starbucks on Wednesday mornings is the ability to people watch. There are so many interesting people in this world. We are all so different. And I appreciate the diversity because this world would be very boring if we were all the same. Which brings be back to the vision setters - thank you! - because I really like to execute.

New Year's Resolutions

I am a fan of setting New Year's Resolutions... I'll take any opportunity to challenge myself. One year, I believe it was 2007, I gave up M&M's and Skittles. I made it through the entire year without enjoying either snack. Well, almost. I had one slip up at work. I was in a meeting that was running long and ended up going through lunch. One guy's assistant went out to get everyone Subway for lunch. She remembered I couldn't eat bread but that I could eat Skittles, so she brought me Skittles for lunch. It wasn't the most nutritious meal I've ever had but 1) I was desperate to eat because I was hungry, and 2) I didn't want to insult her by not eating the Skittles.

Anyway, this year I have three resolutions (in priority order):
1) Reduce the number of times I crack my knuckles each day. Notice this is reduce, not eliminate. So far I am doing pretty well. I think I've cracked my knuckles about twice a day over the last four days of this New Year. And I used to do it two times an hour, at least. It's completely out of habit and sometimes happens by mistake.
2) Run in a race. This one surprises even me! After the damage I did to my knees while training for the half marathon in 2006 I never thought I would run again. But I miss what running did for my mental health. I have been working with a trainer at our gym once/week for almost two years now, and he has been super helpful at getting me to strengthen the muscles around my knee. I hope to run a relay leg (approximately 7 miles) of the Flying Pig Marathon in Cincinnati the first weekend in May.
3) Start a family.

What are your New Year's Resolutions?