trek outside the pod

Resolution #1: Words.

2011-01-06T18:46:00.000-08:00

Words. My first resolution for 2011. Write more words in more places. Maybe this is a New Years resolution, or maybe this is a release that I have needed to act upon for a few months (years). Whatever it is; I am writing.

Since I can remember, I have always had a passion and enjoyment of so called word-smithing. From the time I wrote stories with accompanying crayon pictures in grade school, to writing in my diary, to my journalism and creative writing classes in college, I have always felt drawn to writing. When I write, I think about painting a photo or playing out a short film strip, trying to produce words that will allow readers to let their imagination build the photo or film in their mind.

Now that I work, writing has fell by the wayside. Until now. From this day forward (January 6th to be exact) I am making a point to at least blog once a week, and also find other venues to let out my thoughts, expressions, creativity, etc. Even though I'm still looking at a computer, I am finding it calming and a release from my "working" life. If no one reads what I write; that is okay. I'm still writing.

To start my writing expansion, I decided to take a stab at leaving a travel tidbit on Trazzler. Maybe I can one day put all my traveling to use & get paid for it? (Likely not, but a girl can dream, right?!)

2011 - let's fill the year with words

Adios 2010...Hola 2011

2011-01-04T18:25:00.000-08:00

Well, December ended in the same fashion all of 2010 did; quickly!

Last week I remember thinking, wow, I can't believe December is almost over, then realizing that the whole year was just about wrapped up as well. I feel like it was just the other day I was writing my post about my whirlwind Colorado weekend, and now I feel like I should just expand that post to the whirlwind MONTH of December.

After getting settled back in from Colorado, putting up some Christmas decorations, buying gifts, and baking cookies (coconut macaroons = delish), it was time for the holiday traveling whirlwind (maybe hurricane) to begin!

First stop: Baltimore Guests
Miss Anne Menoher and Mr. Adam Grace arrived the 18th; Anne using Bmore as her pit stop in between the land of the Gamecocks and Nittany Lions, while Adam was stopping in Bmore for a pre-Christmas celebration before heading out west to beautiful Idaho for skiing at Schweitzer and time with his family. To keep the holiday spirit alive, Anne & I dusted off our ice skates went for a few laps around the Patterson Park Ice Rink. I can tell it has been awhile since I have glided across the frozen surface since after trying a spin I literally saw stars, and the next day my glute muscles were incredibly sore! (Gave me a little motivation to try and get back out on the ice...we'll see!).

Me & Annie

Adam trying to be Graceful

Someone got a new hat for Christmas (and someone is taking the photo with their new xmas camera)

Second stop: Happy Valley
After Anne & Adam left, and I recuperated from my office party to the Washington Capital's game in D.C., and headed north to State College for Christmas with the family. It was great to be able to spend a few days with my family and take part in all of our typical Christmas traditions:

Baking cookies
Christmas Eve lunch with my dad and sister
Church & Christmas Eve dinner at my aunt & uncle's house, with Uncle Doug's homemade soups. This year I brought some Resurrection from Brewer's Art; giving my cousin's a taste of the delicious but dangerous Baltimore Brew. (Oh, it was a hit)
New pajamas from my mama; I guess at 26 & 22 Annie and I are still not too old for matching PJs :) This year though, my mom found an organization that donates all proceeds to children with diabetes - check it out: PJ's for the Cure
Dinner at my parent's house with yummy vino and an incredible dinner cooked by none other, but my Dad; it's tradition so it can't be broken.
And See's Candy. I cannot forget to mention the See's. Receiving a box of nuts & chews See's Candy has been a tradition probably for the last 50 years since my grandparent's moved away from California. Every year, our relatives in California send us a 5lb. box to share among the family after Christmas dinner, which is a big deal since you cannot buy See's Candy on the east coast (some airports have stands now), and since the chocolate is just-that-good! Very important rule: The piece you touch is the piece you take; no if-ands-or-buts about it!

Gingernaps & Coconut Macaroons

Christmas Dinner = YUM

Presentation of THE SEE's CANDY

The Girls :) Me, Aunt Jeanne, Mom & Annie

Third Stop: Destin FL via Baltimore

The day after Christmas I got up early to drive back to Bmore to try and beat a brewing snow storm to catch my flight to Florida to see Adam before he deploys. Originally, I was not going to see Adam before he deployed for January, but the week before he learned he was not going to leave until the end of the week, which gave me the opportunity to fly down for a few days between Christmas & New Years to spend some time together. However, I almost didn't make it; I dropped my cousin off at the Harrisburg airport, and by the time I got back to Baltimore, my flight was cancelled. It was flurrying. No snow was sticking. You've got to be kidding me. And, all fights were cancelled until noon the next day on Southwest. FRUSTRATING!

Somehow though, US Air was still flying and Adam booked a ticket for me to leave that evening via his iphone while he was on his layover back from Idaho. So, I made it to Destin, FL, after hours on hold with various airlines, and frantically packing & unpacking my bag, I made it. Phew.

It was nice to work from sunny (but cold) Florida for a few days and at least put my feet in the sand, while spending time with Adam. And, oh, I got to have some keylime pie - my favorite.

Pocket Full of Sunshine!

Emerald Coast Sunset

How does the sun taste?

Fourth Stop: Blue Knob Mountain, PA

From surf to snow I went. Getting back to Baltimore at about midnight 12/29, I woke up early the next day to work 2/3 the day, and then drive up to good-old PA for a skiing new years weekend at Blue Knob. Not quite the mountains & snow of Colorado, but it still was fun to be able to latch on my skis and make a day of runs down the mountain. It was unseasonably warm, ~50 degrees, but that enabled me to last all day on the mountainside. However, it also enabled me to eat chili from the ski lodge; bad decision.

Great decision, while I was hungry, but at about 7pm New Years Eve, not a great decision, as I became very ill and the only culprit I have is the chili. So, up until that point, the weekend was great, until I couldn't get out of the bathroom or my bunk bed. I did manage though to wake up to see the ball drop and cheers my cup of water. Oh well, New Years can be overrated, right?

Maureen, Christine & I on the Chair Lift

After a quick stop at my parent's house the next day (in hopes to recover from the night before) I am now finally back in Baltimore and actually have NO plans to go anywhere in January. This may be a first, and I'm not sure how long that will last.

I need to at least sit still for this next week to try and decide what my goals & resolutions will be for 2011...stayed tuned!

Baltimore, Boston & Beavers; Oh My!

2010-12-13T09:25:00.000-08:00

My whirlwind weekend of the 3Bs; Baltimore, Boston & Beaver Creek, CO.:

Part 1: Baltimore to Boston @ 7:15 a.m. EST

Minor Hiccup#1: Abort first landing due to a wind shear (landing 2 was successful)
Work at the Charlestown One to One Interactive office for the day

Part 2: Boston to Denver @ 7:45 p.m. EST

Minor Hiccup #2: Grabbed the wrong suitcase off of the baggage belt; thankfully my cell phone number was on my baggage tag.
Exchanged bags & made my shuttle ride on the CME into the Rockies to Beaver Creek, Co.

Part 3: Arrived in Beaver Creek, CO @ 1:10 a.m. MT

Minor Hiccup #3: Locked out of the condo complex for ten minutes.
Adam found me & I sipped a PBR before passing out; trying to get some rest before the festivities of Beaverfest 2010.

And Beaverfest was in full force by 7:30 a.m. Friday morning. Mimosas and build-your-own breakfast burritos were ready for feasting upon, and gave me a glimpse that I should expect great group-made meals for the rest of the breakfast/dinner gatherings. The Friday night Hawaiian themed meal was complete with hula skirts, flower leis, the limbo and jello-shots; beat out the rest of meal groups for the Beaverfest best meal & theme of the weekend.

Here is the background Beaverfest: It is an annual event to cheer on Marco Sullivan & the men's US Ski Team, which is thrown by Chelsea Robinson, who is the wife of Trevor, Adam's good friend from Idaho. Adam has been to Beaverfest a few times, and told me I need to experience this weekend of skiing & wig-wearing festivities; and I certainly am glad I did not miss out!

In addition to eating & drinking well, I was able to enjoy my first skiing of the year on the beautiful Colorado Mountains (where I had my first skiing experience 5 years ago), and also experience my first downhill race experience, watching the Men's Downhill at Birds of Prey. I can definitely say, I will not be attempting to step-up my skiing skills and try going down the icy, almost-vertical hills, that these professional skiers rip down at 80 MPH.

Now that I finally purchased my own ski equipment last year, skiing is a sport I wish I could have started earlier in life, since I am having a blast learning and visiting different ski mountains around the country. Can't beat being outdoors, looking out over snow-capped mountaintops & valleys, and also getting a little exercise & sun. I think I am going to have one day pack my bags and head somewhere out-west, where I can live a little closer to the mountains.....

Adam & I getting some turns in

View from the top of Beaver Creek

Driving back to Denver...love the mountains!

(L-R) Adam, me & Michael (Adam's cousin) dressed for the 80's/Prom Party on the final night

1st blog post

2010-11-18T21:10:00.000-08:00

Well...I created this blog almost a year and a half ago, and now am finally sitting down to write a post. (although I should be getting to bed as I am waking up for a 6:30 flight to Boston). I thought that after a hectic summer; traveling, work craziness, passings of close family members, that my fall would settle down - wrong. So, I've decided I will not have a slower-paced time to start blogging, so a Thursday night at 9 p.m. is better than ever to begin blogging, even if it's really about nothing; I need to write a post even if it is just to say - I'm blogging.

Stay tuned...now that I've let the ink flow for the first time, I hope I feel the urge to continue writing (what I do love to do, but don't have time to do) about my life happenings (outside of work) and endeavors I hope to partake in.