Vacation Day 3-5 : Change O' Plans

So day three of our vacation started out lovely...we all got up by 8 am and drove to the Old Hwy 98 that runs parallel to the ocean and got in a good 30 minute run/walk to which we then rewarded our efforts by enjoying a delicious breakfast at The Donut Hole....YUMMY! We then headed back to the hotel and changed quickly to enjoy another day at the beach. Here is a picture that captures the view from my lounge chair on the beach (aaaahhhh):
After almost 5 hours of lounging by the ocean and pool, we got ready to head out for dinner at another great seafood place, Lucky Snapper. We loaded into my car and proceeded out of the parking garage when my car began to sputter and then died. UH OH! I tried several times to restart my car but to no avail. She would start for a couple of seconds and then I would see all the warning lights come on and she would die. (this can't be good, i thought). Thankfully, we were in the hotel parking lot and not on some highway in the middle of no where. We pushed her into a parking space and then I did what any girl does when she has car problems....I called my dad. Since my car is only a year old and under warranty, my dad and I agreed that she should be towed to the closest dealership. Jen has AAA so we took advantage of their towing services (thank you Jen) and I found online the closest dealership and called them to let them know of my situation. So much for leaving vacation on Sunday like planned. We got everything situated with my car and then loaded into Amy's car and went on about our evening plans of dinner and shopping. Dinner was good although I was preoccupied with my car dilemmas and the shopping was cut super short because of the delays thanks to my vehicle predicaments. But all in all it was another great day at the beach. I mean, I can think of worse places to have your car break down.
So after Sunday brunch and checking out, we loaded up and went back to Pensacola to stay with my sister and wait for the service department to open up on Monday. Sunday was a relaxing day with nothing much to do. Thankfully my car was repaired first thing Monday morning and we were on the road back to Nashville by 11 am. PTL! Don't get me wrong, I love being in the sunshine state but after a couple of days, it's nice to be back home!

Vacation Day 2

Nothing like truly being able to enjoy a real Friday. Jen and I didn’t sleep in too long as we were anxious to make our way to the beach. We ran through a Starbucks on the way out of Pensacola and arrived in Fort Walton Beach by 10:30 am. Thankfully our room was ready so we settled in and quickly changed and headed to the ocean. The weather was absolutely gorgeous and actually a little breezy with the wind but just perfect with nothing but blue skies and sunshine. We rented chairs and enjoyed reading, napping and soaking up the rays all afternoon. Amy arrived around 5 pm so we got ready and headed into Destin for dinner at one of our favorite beachside restaraunts, The Back Porch. Here are some pictures:

Me and my sister, Amy

One of my favorite beachside restaurants

Jen and I at The Back Porch

After dinner we headed to the Destin Commons for some shopping and then headed back to our hotel. We came up with our game plan for Saturday and then headed for bed.

Vacation Day 1

There is nothing better than waking up knowing that it's vacation time. No alarm clock to wake you up, no phone calls to answer....just you, friends and days filled with no set agendas. Jen and I got up somewhat early and went for a nice walk outside before hitting the highway. The sun was shining and blue skies seemed endless as we made the drive south. We arrived in Pensacola around 4:30 and visited with my sister and her roommate Erin. We then headed to Pensacola Beach for dinner at one of my favorite places, Peg Leg Pete's. Such a fun beachside restaurant. The company was excellent and the fresh seafood was delicious! Here are some fun pictures:

Me and my sister Amy

Jen had to work for her dinner

I was caught by the hook

Had to pose with Peg Leg Pete

It's vacation time....

Ahhh it's that time of year again...when you take a little time away from the daily grind and head south to the Gulf of Mexico. Jen and I are heading that way tomorrow and I don't think I have enough words to describe just how excited I am for the break. It's been almost two months that I have been in my new job and it has been super busy. (and yes, I am still loving my job). But after working this month almost every weekend I am looking forward to some much needed R&R and "me" time.
We will be in Pensacola tomorrow afternoon/evening and stay with my sister Amy and her roommate Erin. Then Friday we are driving to the beach :) The weather channel tells me that it's supposed to be a sunny (still praying for good weather) and we have a hotel on the beach for Friday and Saturday. I can't wait to see the ocean, feel the breezes in my hair and eat fresh seafood.

If you should need to find me, I'll be sitting in a beach chair with my toes in the sand :)

Fridays and Parking Lots

It's always a great day when it's Friday. I tend to spend my Fridays doing errands and I especially don't mind running errands for the family when it's blue skies and the sun is shining. The past two days have been full of sunshine and I could definitely get used to this kind of weather. I had planned to do errands in the morning and work on party favors in the afternoon for a family event on Saturday however the day slowly was getting away from me.

I ventured to Target to pick up a couple things...nothing but an in-and-out kind of stop until I was leaving the parking lot. A car back right into me and I tried to honk my horn (which let me just say that my Toyota has the worse horn ever....it's really not a horn but sounds more like a "meep" and no one can hear that....it belongs on a scooter and not a car) & get out of the way but to no avail....CRUNCH! I mean really there is only so much one can do to avoid being hit but it was not my fault. We did the exchanging of information and now I'll be dealing with getting my car repaired. Thankfully there was not much damage but the panel on the driver side by the front tire got bent in. Here are two pics that I took from my cell phone.

Deer Crossing

I don't know about anyone else but I am thoroughly enjoying these blue skies and temperatures in the 70's. Aaaawwww! I met Jen again at Percy Warner Park after work to do our hilly loop/climbing of the stairs workout. Working out with someone is just so much more enjoyable than working out alone. Don't get me wrong, I love my running alone-time but it's fun to have someone to chat with while working out (that is when you have caught your breath from climbing those stairs.)

Tonight when Jen and I were on our 3rd downhill half loop, I was listening to Jen's story when this young deer literally walks right up to the side of the road in front of us. I stop Jen mid-sentence as we all (me, Jen and deer) precede to stare at each other in complete silence. I was in awe of how close this deer was to us and the deer almost seemed like he would walk right up to us. I always think of seeing a deer, getting there "deer in the headlights look" and then they bolt. Anyways, I started to continue our walk and Jen stopped me immediately and said "Don't move...that deer could attack us...haven't you seen those YouTube videos?" No, I haven't seen such a video and giggled but the fact that she used the word "attack" with my visual of hoofs flying made me reconsider my movement forward. So we waited patiently for this deer to cross the road and then started to jog down the rest of this hill. I don't know if it was near-death experience from a deer crossing, but we were delirious enough to climb the stairs a 4th time. Whew....what a workout!

Running with my shadow...

So I wanted to take every advantage this afternoon to run outside since the sun was finally shining. It was an ideal afternoon weather wise with temps in the low 60's, a calm breeze and plenty of sunshine! I decided to go for a run on Belle Meade Boulevard since it's well traveled by runners/cyclists and safe for those going it alone.

I ran to my turnaround point for a 3 mile loop and noticed that I was running with my shadow (or should I say that my shadow was running with me). When I would hit the patches of sunshine, there my shadow would be...just like someone was running along side of me...encouraging me to keep on going. Of course, any time I hit a shaded spot I realized that it was back to just me and it made me feel alone :( But just when I was feeling alone, the sun would shine again and my shadow was back! And my thoughts quickly turned to my relationship with GOD.

Obviously, GOD is always with me and because of HIM, I am NEVER alone! (so thankful...) but often times when I am in the shaded spots and I can't "see" my shadow, I feel like I am alone. Add a little light and you get a visibility of the fact that you are NOT alone! I have faith and this assures me that I do have GOD walking besides me whether my life is dark or full of light. Kinda of made me think of that "Footprints in the Sand" poem (or Snowshoes in the Snow as my friend Tra'Cee says) that not matter where we go in life, GOD is always with us. And that puts a smile on my face, because I know that no matter what, through life's tough times, happy or sad times, HE is always by my side!

I finished my run strong and drove home feeling incredibly blessed and loved :)

A well-balanced Saturday

Today I feel that I did a good job of balancing out personal t0-do's and also checked off some work to-do's. Since I was up till 1:00 a.m. I decided to sleep in till about 9:00 and I took the first 30 minutes awake to just lay in bed in total solitude and I thoroughly enjoyed the quiet time. I got up around 10 to plenty of sunshine and puffy clouds, so I ventured out for a little 30 minute run despite the wind. I managed to dust my room and tidy up my bathroom before getting ready and running out to do those work things. All went smoothly and then I met up with Jen at 5:00 for some much needed pedicure-love (now my feet are happy) and then she suggested dinner at California Pizza Kitchen....delicious! When I lived in Colorado it was always a treat to drive up to Denver and eat at CPK so I was excited when the one in Green Hills opened in the fall. But I had not had the chance to eat there yet, so it was the perfect place to have dinner. We walked around the shops in the Hill Centre afterwards and got home around 8:00. I tackled the mounds of laundry as soon as we got home, enjoyed a glass of wine while watching the end of the Cubs game and some Sports Center (what guy wouldn't love a girl who actually enjoys watching ESPN Sports Center) and then made a quick phone call to catch up with a friend. I feel like despite some work duties, I was able to have some much needed me time and I know feel much better and am ready to take on another busy week!

It's all about ME

Actually it's NOT all about me but I sure could use some "me" time. I knew that this month of April was going to be B-U-S-Y but whew....after spending day after day working on work stuff, running errands for others and all the other details of my job, I find myself wondering when do I make time to do my own stuff? I am a very organized person and a pretty good manager of my time but lately I don't feel like there is enough time in the day to get all that I need to get done (clearly why I am blogging at 12:23 a.m.) My hamper lid won't close as the excess amounts of dirty laundry spill on to my bedroom floor, I can see about two inches of dust on alarm clock/night stand and my bathroom...well let's just say that Mr. Clean can not be seen. I ask myself just how well am I managing my "me" time? I work all day, manage to get in exercise after work, but what do I do with my evening time? Something tells me that I spend a little too much time mindlessly wasting away in front of the TV when I could be doing some other things a little more productive with me time.

Anyways, this week has been busy (shocking, I know) but good. We met and conquered a major work deadline on Thursday and my boss and I celebrated by having lunch at Brick Tops. I had never eaten there before so it was fun to try someplace new AND i had the lunch special of grilled Halibut with herb buttered green beans and rice...DELICIOUS! I found out late Thursday afternoon that I had been scheduled again to work at Pottery Barn Kids on Friday night but I had already RSVP for my friend Cathryn's birthday/house warming party so I managed to work from PBK from a couple hours and still make it to Cathryn's in time. Just another busy way to end my day. Tomorrow is Saturday and I am going to help a friend with some furniture and do a couple errands for the family so I imagine it will be like most work days...full of errands. Other than that, I hope to get in some quality "me" time and recharge my batteries before another busy week.

Stepping UP

So tonight after work, Jen and I met at one of my favorite parks in Nashville called Percy Warner Park. It's a popular haven for the many cyclist/runners/outdoor enthusiasts that live in Nashville. Percy Warner Park sits at the south end of Belle Meade Boulevard (a popular running/cycling boulevard that is about a 5.25 mile loop). The park is known for it's wonderful yet extremely hilly landscape and many hiking levels of trails. One of my favorite things to do is to climb the old stone stairs that are carved up the side of the hill as you enter the park. In case you wanted to know, there are a 135 stairs to climb (yes, I counted them on a recent outing out of curiosity). Jen and I have a routine with these outings where we walk a rather hilly loop around the stairs to warm up and then climb them several times, coming down on a different path each time. All in all, it's about a good hours workout and that includes the warm-up loop and 3 separate stair climbing "adventures". We climb the stairs at a slow and steady pace but it never ceases to blow my mind, when I see others running up & down the 135 stairs. They must be crazy or have extremely healthy knees.

I have introduced these infamous "stairs" to several out of town visitors. The stairs don't always get the best wrap but there is something very gratifying in reaching the top, no matter how hard it is to breathe when you get there. It's a great way to get in a good workout, outside of the gym. Here is a picture for the top of the stairs. It doesn't quite give you the full picture of how high you climb, but I love the view from the top!

Super Busy Weekend

And now a Monday has almost come and gone and a new week is underway. Where did the weekend go? I know....it was spent working working working...

Friday was a rather dreadful, rainy day and despite my morning run in the rain (which was quite enjoyable...it really was fun) I quickly became irritable since I spent from 10 am - 4:30 driving about town doing errands and whatnot for the family. I really don't mind the errands, but having to be out in the rain and driving all over town amongst people who don't know how to drive in the rain, just highly frustrated me. And there was no rest for the weary, because I left the families house at 4:30 and drove to the Green Hills Mall to work at Pottery Barn Kids for 4 hours that night. I was able to grab dinner first at Panera Bread only to realize that I left my cell phone at the families house, so back in the rain I went and drove back to get my phone (thankfully they only live like 10 minutes from the mall)...all in all I had about 20 minutes to "rest" before working at 6 pm. And when I finally got home at 10:30 you would think that I would crash, but I had this boost of energy so I ended up doing laundry, cleaning my bathroom and reading a magazine before turning off the lights a little after midnight.

Saturday I had to set the alarm clock to be up by 8:30 because I had more a list of errands to do for the family event before I left town at 11 to head to their home in West TN. I left the house at 9:30 and go home around 5 o'clock...just in time to head to Jonathan's Grille to eat dinner and watch the Final Four game with Jen. GO MEMPHIS! We came home and changed and Jen went with me to a little Team in Training Fundraiser that a friend of mine had helped plan/promote. The main reason I wanted to go besides supporting a good cause, was to see Emily DeLoach sing. She has a unbelievably amazing voice and I knew that Jen would like her (even though she's a tough critic when it comes to female vocalists). I met Emily when I saw her perform for the first time at the Rutledge in February and it was fun that she remembered me. Besides her great voice and song writing talents, she just seems to be a real, down to earth person. I also have to say that the people watching at this event was quite spectacular and I think besides the music, it was truly the highlight of my night.

Sunday was another early morning and I failed at my attempt to be up even earlier than I needed to, to get in a run. I had to pick up a family friend and we drove back out to the families West TN home. The event was such a wonderful time and i already feel like such a part of the family. It's hard to actual call it "work" when i feel like I'm just spending time with family. I really am enjoying my job. When I headed back to Nashville it was almost 6 pm so I made use of the hour and a half car ride and called and talked to both of my sisters. I left a message for my dad, who also had a birthday and got home around 7. It was such a beautiful day out and the sun was slowly setting so I still managed to squeeze in a little 30 minute run in the neighborhood.

It was a busy weekend and really didn't seem like a weekend at all but it was still good. Their are family events the next two weekends but (fingers crossed) that I won't have to do too much this coming weekend and it's only a Saturday event. We shall see.....

Shop Till You Drop

I love to shop and I have often heard and actually quoted the phrase "Shop till you drop"...well that is exactly what I've been doing most of this week. And the crazy thing, is that I can actually call it "work". Yes, you heard me right, I get paid to shop (just another perk). Although I think I actually did drop on Wednesday....I mean it really is work to shop all day and it can get pretty exhausting, running from store to store, loading the car, doing more shopping, loading the car again, driving all over town, unloading the car, going out for more shopping (you get the picture). I think I am just about (hold your breathe, mom) ALL SHOPPED OUT! Whew! At least I knew going into this week that it was going to be busy so I could somewhat prepare myself. And in spite of this busy work week, I have still managed to get in a couple workouts/runs, do my own errands, make a birthday gift for a friend, attend a worship service on Wednesday night and had a spontaneous dinner with a friend tonight.

This weekend will be my first working weekend in my new job. I work at Pottery Barn Kids on Friday night...what can I say, I can't give up my discount! And I have an event to work with my boss on Saturday and Sunday. It should be a lot of fun. And like I said before, it's hard to dread working a weekend, when your "work" doesn't seem like work but more like spending time with family. I just continue to feel so blessed to have this new job!