So, today I had meeting in Tallahassee and then drove down to Tampa. My lovely co-worker had booked my room at the Hilton Garden Inn Tampa Airport. Nice!
Well, as I'm leaving Tallahassee, I set my lovely British dashboard lady for the address on the confirmation email. She doesn't recognize it, so I spell it 5 different ways...she still doesn't recognize it. So I look at a map and find the cross street. I punch that into Ms. Garmin's face and finally get some assistance. As I'm flying down 98, smiling smugly and thinking, "I grew up in a relatively big city, finding a stinkin' Hilton Garden Inn close to the airport should be no problem", little did I know the HOT MESS that awaited me.
Part of the issue is began somewhere after Homasassa Springs which I once visited as a kid on a family vacation....anyway, after Homasassa Springs, I had to get on 589 which is Suncoast Pkway. My Google map (better safe than sorry I always say) told me that it was a "partial" toll road. I had my $10 bill and was ready to go. So I pull up to the first toll booth and pay my dollar, $1 that's it. GREAT! This is cake and the road is so nicely paved...those were my pleasant thoughts....until 10 miles later I see a sign for the next toll plaza. Hmmm, where's the you-already-paid-10-miles-ago-so-go-on-through lane??? Yeah, there isn't one, so I paid another dollar. Now as a girl from a state that doesn't put much into the infastructure, I had an issue with the $6.75 I had to pay to drive 50 miles on a road, on top of all $20 in Lotto tickets I bought. I mean, don't I get a free pass or something for helping out Florida's children...isn't that what lottery goes for...I don't know, I'm an Alabama kid, with a public education, so I'm not really sure.
50 miles down, $6.75 poorer (oh, and no receipts from the toll booths, so no company reimbursement) and I'm in Tampa. Well, there is road construction and the exit Ms. Garmin insists I get off on, is closed. Where's my $6.75 going anyway??? I pass the closed exit because I'm pretty sure no cop is going to be as intimidated by my British dash-devil as I am and wait for GG (that's short for Genius Garmin) to tell me where to turn. For the next five minutes as I'm driving down I-275, GG is simply saying "Recalculating" over and over again. By this time, I'm doing about 10 miles per hour swerving from left lane to right lane because GG is telling me "Turn Right" "Recalculating" "Turn left in .2 miles".
Finally, I find an exit with a street name I recognize from my trusty Google map. GG recalculates and I decide I'll give her another chance. WRONG move! Picture this: Scared little tear streaked white girl in her rental car in traffic yelling at the piece of technology on her dash driving through an area of town I can only equate to the Ensley area of Birmingham. Yeah, most entertaining to everyone around me.
So after almost chucking GG out the damn window, I call the hotel...I know, I know...should've done this along time ago, but I didn't know where the hell I was and I knew that would be the first question they asked. I get to a street I've been down oh, I don't know, 12 times in 15 minutes and call the hotel. The guy, WES-Savior-of-my-entire-trip, answers and asks me where I am (told ya so!). I tell him and he says, "Oh, just take a left at the light from the street your on and you'll see us on your right." I thank him, hang up, make my left at the light and Ms. Garmin, now known as Beezlebub, is "Recalculating". I decided to check in and just call it a night. Dash-devil doesn't deserve a night on the town and frankly, I don't think my nerves can handle it!
1.27.2009
Shut the hell up and find the hotel!!
1.26.2009
Traveling this week...
I'm taking a whirlwind tour of Florida...and not the good parts like South Beach or Key West. Today I stopped in Pensacola before heading to Tallahassee. There are several great things about traveling for work though...
#1. Rental car with GPS...this was a new experience. I've never had a rental car before and then I rented a Garmin too. I love Ms. Garmin, my British navigating Nanny. She hasn't gotten me lost yet. Even with road work, she pleasantly says "Recalculating Route" in that nice British accent...very efficient and official sounding. This lady definitely knows where she's going!
#2. HOTELS!!!! This should probably go first on the list, but I don't feel like copy/pasting tonight. I big squishy heart hotels! I love walking into a clean room (don't at home so much) and turning on every light and the tv. I love hotel beds...I know, that's a little weird. I love the glamour of hotels. Of course, it is a Monday night and I am in Tallahassee, so glamour may be a little over the top, but you get the idea. I COULD be doing something really cool!
1.12.2009
All in the same boat...at least I have a prospect!
I found another funny article on MSN. I don't have a whole lot going on in my world right now. I'm playing Mom this week, so probably have some anecdotes or rants (depending on the surly 12 year old) later.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28618163?GT1=43001
BEIJING - A 107-year-old Chinese woman who was afraid to marry when she was young has decided to look for her first husband and hopes to find a fellow centenarian so they will have something to talk about, a Chinese paper reported.
Wang Guiying is worried she is becoming a burden to her aging nieces and nephews since breaking her leg when she was 102 and had to stop doing chores like washing her clothes.
"I'm already 107 and I still haven't got married," the Chongqing Commercial Times quoted her saying. "What will happen if I don't hurry up and find a husband?"
I hear ya, Wang! I'm really excited about turning 30, but I think I'm becoming a burden to my friends and family. I haven't stopped doing chores (but wouldn't that be nice), but I depend on my family and friends to entertain me when I'm not being entertained by the boys. If I don't "hurry up and find a husband", I'm afraid my self-appointed directors of entertainment will soon turn their backs on me. And for good reason! First, Amy is preggers and she's got a new puppy. Between potty training a dog and giving birth, she's not going to have time to cater to my every phone call whining about nothing to watch on tv. Second, my parents are going to disown me if I don't get married and have many little Zaden offspring soon. Gone will be the days of camping at the 'rents house on Sunday afternoon to play Wii and not do chores.
Which brings to mind another story...
So I'm sitting with my mom yesterday afternoon (playing Wii and not doing chores I needed to at my house) and I told her I was thinking about buying a new vehicle. She asked me when and what. I mentioned the 2 door Altima since my truck will be paid for and pushing 200K miles in April. She said, "You can't get a 2 door. Where will you put a baby seat?"
Whoa there Sidney! I had no idea she had these plans for my transportation or my uterus. I'm not planning to be the unwed mother at 30...I spent too many college years trying to avoid the "unwed mother" sentence. To quote Wang, "What will happen if I don't hurry up and find a husband?" My answer...I'll get to have a 2 door Altima sans baby seat, all the shoes I'd ever want to buy without having to sneak them in the house and pretend I've had them for years, and no friends or family to entertain me.
It's a tough choice (I am entertaining and resourceful in my own right)and although I'm really leaning towards the Altima and shoes, I do, unlike, Wang, have a prospect and I don't have to call local "old folks' homes" to find candidates for marriage. I guess my question should be, "What will happen if I don't hurry up and marry this one? Will I be a 107 year old in a 2 door Altima and the hottest SAS shoes on the block?"
1.02.2009
Welcome 2009!
I can feel it...this is the year of beginnings! I hope I'm right because I have high expectations for this year. 2008 wasn't bad, but it seemed very blah and monotonous. I guess that should probably be good, no dramatic sadness or anything, but there was also no excellent high either. So, that said, here are a few reasons I think '09 will be a year of beginnings.
#1: May 5th--Yep, not only is this the well-known Mexican holiday for eating fattening Mexican food and washing it all down with yummy Margaritas...this year 5-5-09 will mark my 30th birthday. Most people do not look forward to their 30th...particularly women. However, I'm stoked about being 30 (and I'm really not just telling myself that to make me feel better!) My 20s were great; an era of self discovery and all that, but now I have a good sense of me and what makes me feel good and I think 30 is going to be a great year and a great beginning of adulthood.
#2: House for Sale--In our New Year's Day/Scott's b'day festivities yesterday, I got the answer to a question I've been wanting to ask for several months now. If everything goes right, we will be fixing Scott's house up and putting on the market in 2009. This is huge! Scott and I have been dating for 2 years now and are both really tired of paying 2 households worth of bills. I have my fingers crossed that '09 will be the beginning of our cohabitation and steps toward everything else a single 30 year old woman wants (ie. husband, house, ?kids?)
#3: Settled at work--So I've been with QTS for 4 months now (officially today). I don't know everything about the industry because there is still so much to learn, but I have a better grasp on my role with the company and how to do it best. I truly think that this year will be the beginning of a great career for me. This position allows me to meet so many people and build relationships with them. Even if I'm not in the staffing industry for the rest of my life, I think the people I meet and know will be a huge help in my future.
#4: Bible study--In the year of beginnings, this is a big one for me and should probably be #1, but I'm not moving it now. Several people here at work participate in a Bible study on Monday nights. This Monday, I am going to join them...with the intention of participating at least twice per month. I'm beginning this instead of going to church for 2 reasons. First, in '08, my New Year's resolution was to go to church....I didn't go, not even for Easter or Christmas. Second, I'm already comfortable with most of these people and I'd like to find out where they go to church...then I can build into it, because church is one of those things I want to look forward to on Sunday morning, not hit the snooze as if it were work. So, I'm looking at Bible study as the beginning of my adult walk with God.
All in all, I think this year is going to be great! I can't control the economy and I can't control politicians, but my little world is full of possibilities!
12.29.2008
No pictures, but a new (embarassing) obsession.
So Christmas was good! For those of you who would like to know, there was no sparkly this year, but no big deal....I wasn't really expecting it. I did, however, get to go to the Movin' Out show at the Beau Rivage! Scott got us a pair of tickets for the show on the 19th. It was my "big" Christmas present and it was soooo great! Our seats were supposed to be in the upper section of the theater, but we arrived about 5 minutes into the production and the usher asked if we would like to sit closer. I told her we would and she took us to our new, closer seats....2nd row, center stage! It was awesome!! You could see every expression on the dancers' faces, every pointed toe, everything....such a perfect gift for me! Then on Christmas, I got Tupperware from my parents...yep, that's a big deal because this is the 2nd year I asked them to get me a "nice" matching set of Tupperware. Last year I got a chest freezer instead...yeah, I didn't understand that either. Anyway, Christmas was fantastic.
Now I realize that this would be the perfect blog to post fun Christmas pictures on, but I'm a dork and didn't take any pics. I don't know why. It could be because I refuse to add any more photos to the pile I swear I'm going to scrapbook...or it could be because I just suck at capturing memories. At any rate, sorry for the lack of pictures. I'll try to be better in '09.
Onto my new, embarrasing obsession. It all started innocently enough on Christmas Day at my brother's house. My sister-in-law, who is a lovely chick, asked me if I had read anything good lately. I told her I hadn't read anything that I just couldn't put down because I normally stick to the fluffy stuff. She told me she had been reading some books about vampires. I thought, okay, I'll keep this conversation going, because it's not often that Amanda and I actually have anything to talk about. She's great, but is pretty reserved...and well, I'm not at all! So I asked her more about the books. She got really excited and brought 2 very thick books to me and said, "You've got to read these!" Of course, I'm sure you've all figured out that the books she showed me we the first 2 of the Twilight saga. Now I swear, I have not been living under rocks lately, it's just that as much as I adore celebrity gossip, I don't really get into movies. Apparently, this is a huge "tween/teen" thing....who knew?
I told Amanda I would read the first one and when I finished it, I would get the 2nd from her. She told me to go ahead and take both, but I didn't even though she said she'd finished the first in 4 days and the second in less than that. I thought, there is no way I'm jumping on this bandwagon! Boy was I wrong! So, I started the first book Thursday night around 7:30 and read for about 2 hours (Scott finally made me show him some attention). I finished that one on Saturday around noon. As soon as I finished that book, like the addict I am, I was trying to figure out how soon I could get the next one. I sent Amanda a text to tell her thanks for lending it to me and she was right. She called me and laughed that I'd finished it that quickly and told me she'd leave the 2nd one for me on the back porch the next morning so I could pick it up....
So I did pick it up, yesterday after lunch....I went to my parent's house and visited with Mom, the whole time wishing I could just find a quiet place to read undisturbed. I got home around 4:30 and piddled around....trying not to get the shakes, because the book was on the table and I felt obligated to do a few chores before I lost hours and hours in this story. So at 5-ish last night, I began the second book. I read for an hour and then had to cook dinner for my boys. Normally, cooking for them is no big deal, but they were interuppting my reading time. After dinner we sat around and I gave Scott and Tristan my undivided attention. When they finally left at 8:30, I was so relieved...I could finally find out what was happening to all of my "new friends". I read until 11 and I only have about 100 pages left to read now. I don't know what I'm gonna do when this book is over...Amanda is getting the 3rd and 4th book from a friend of hers for Christmas so it will be a week before I can get my hands on my next fix!!! I refuse to buy the 3rd and 4th books though...the less evidence the better.
Anyway, so I'm embarassed. The writing in this series is phenomenally easy to read and the characters are pretty easy to relate to and invest in, but I feel so guilty about reading this series. Is it 'cause I know that there are a million 13-18 year old girls crushing hard on the vampire boy? I don't have a crush on any of the vampires. Sure, they're way cool, but Edward and his clan are a little to "girly man" for me. Oh well, if you call and can't get in touch with me, you know what I'll be doing for the next couple of days.
12.19.2008
Still Singing!
Okay, I'm adding more to my Christmas song barrage. I got this article from MSN's website.
10 Worst Holiday Songs
And why we hate them . . .
1. Dominick the Donkey, Lou Monte--If we wanted to hear that much braying, we’d sit next to our asthmatic uncle Fred. WTF! I have never ever heard of Dominick.
2. Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer, Elmo & Patsy--Because Nana’s drinking is no laughing matter. Totally agree with the song, but the reason is a little lame...drunk Nana is always fun!
3. The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don’t Be Late), The Chipmunks & David Seville--Regrettably, the Xanax is in our other purse. I actually like this one, however, it could be grating after the 476th listen
4. Jingle Bells, The Singing Dogs--Hmmm, barking dogs. See also: reasons to move. Not sure what this one is...and I think that's good.
5. Feliz Navidad, Jose Feliciano--The only Spanish we retained from high school. So not true...I also learned the Elephant song in 9th grade Spanish...thanks Mrs. Smith
6. I saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus, Tommie Connor--Fanning the fears of infidelity and broken marriages since 1952. Hehehe...I like this reason
7. Mamacita, Donde Esta Santa Claus?, Augie Rios--Sparking the Santa-ain’t-real conversation in homes all across the country. It's probably not necessary to tell you that I have no idea what song they're talking about.
8. Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer--Someone’s gonna yell “like a light bulb!” and think they’re being cute. But they won’t be. I'm the girl yelling "like a light bulb!" What's it to you?!?
9. Christmas in Hollis, Run-DMC--Santa doesn’t get jacked in the ’hood. How festive. Well, of course Reverend Run has a Christmas song, it's now officially a hymn with his congregation (or not)
10.The Christmas Shoes, NewSong--Why would you do this to yourself? Seriously, people take medication to avoid this feeling. I totally agree...this song makes me want to spike the eggnog just a little more.
And my addition to this list...
11. Last Christmas, George Michael (Wham!)--I know it's better to give than to receive, but George, you should've kept it to yourself....ALL of it.
I'll follow up with the Favorite Songs list on Monday!! Have a happy weekend!
12.17.2008
I love Christmas music!
I don't know about y'all, but we have a station (or two) in Mobile that start playing Christmas music non-stop somewhere around August 23rd! Anyway, I've heard "I'll be home for Christmas", "Jingle Bell Rock" and "Santa Baby" about 47,069 times so far. So I thought I'd add a couple of new versions I found on Fast Company's website. I get the magazine in the mail and it's pretty interesting most months so I visit the website too. Enjoy these recession-ized favorites!
(SUNG TO THE TUNE OF “WINTER WONDERLAND”)
New home sales, they are dropping
No one feels like going shopping
It is awful, it’s true
But what can you do
Be happy that you’re breathing and alive
No one has any money
It is not even funny
Your friends are all broke
But life is a joke
Be happy that you’re breathing and alive
In a year the worst will sure be over
We’ll be back and strong and on our feet
Unless we’re second place by then to China
But being number two is just as sweet
Suck it up, we will manage
We’ll repair all the damage
We’re just in a slump
It’s just a speed bump
Be happy that you’re breathing and alive
AND.....
(SUNG TO THE TUNE OF “JINGLE BELL ROCK”)
Help us out, help us out, help us Barack
We’re in a sling, so please do your thing
You are the new guy and that means so much
Do you mind being our little crutch?
Soon you’ll be, soon you’ll be in office, Barack
It’s up to you, we haven’t a clue
You have inherited quite a big mess
We expect the best!
We’re in fright time, it’s the right time
To tell us it’s okay
Sure you’re human, but things are loomin’
We need a miracle, we need it today
Hurry up, Prez-Elect, get on the stick
Solve all our problems now
We like to abdicate responsibility
So, please help us out
Won’t you help us out
Please just help us Barack!
Seriously, don't forget that this time of year isn't really about the Biggest, Best and who can spend the most money....just being with friends and family should help take some of the stress away. And if it doesn't, just keep singing!
