The ol' switcheroo...

So, it's official, I'm switching to tumblr.  I know just yesterday I was saying that I wasn't so sure but then I did some research and tumblr has an iPhone app.  Sorry blogspot.  One of these days I'm going to have to go back and print off these blogs so that I can remember them.  But I went back and checked Saucy's blog from Kenya and it still exists even though she hasn't posted since 2007 so I'm hoping I have some time.

New URL!!


www.socorporate.tumblr.com

Bikes, bikes, and more bikes!!

I'm not going to lie.  I'm an excellent shopper.  If you send me to the mall, there is a 98% chance I'm going to come back with something fantastic.  But, when it comes to bigger purchases likes cars and now a bike, I can't make a decision!!

I've been researching bikes because when I get one, I want to make sure I got the best one to suit my needs and falls into my price range.  I consulted one of my cycling friends who has provided some very helpful information but I'm still not sure what I want.  Road bike or fitness bike?  I mean, as much as I'd like to be in the Tour de France, I don't think that's going to happen.  At least not this year.  So do I really need a road bike?  But then again, do I really need a fitness bike if I'm only going to be riding on the Monon?  They say fitness bikes are great for commuting to work but I'm not about to My new favorite is the Giant Rapid 3.  FX7.3 WSD is out.

Remember the good old days when all you cared about is that your bike had streamers from the handlebars?  Do you think it would still be acceptable for me to put those little beads on the spokes?

Tumblr or Blogspot??

So, I don't know how many people actually read this thing but I LOVE having a blog.  If anything, it's just a nice record of the things I've been doing.  I like going back and looking at vacations I've taken and activities with friends.  However, lately I've discovered a new blog site called Tumblr.  It's a slightly different set up where it seems most people post a lot of pictures and such.  I'm debating the switch...

The good news is "so corporate" is still available as a URL so I've still go that going for me! :)

Tumblr seems a lot more...public.  But maybe that's the next step I need to take to get myself my TV show!!

So here is my the tumblr link...until I can figure out which one I like better

www.socorporate.tumblr.com

6 months until Christmas

6 months until Christmas...or 6 months after Christmas...regardless of how you look at it, that day is MY BIRTHDAY!!  If you know me at all you know that birthdays are my absolute FAVORITE thing!  Not just mine (though, that is my favorite birthday) but just birthday celebrations in general!   Anyway, mine is less then 100 days away (there is always a countdown) and I have decided that I want a bike.  Currently, I have my heart set on this one--a Trek FX7.3 WSD--but I haven't had a chance to test ride it yet (which they let you do at the stores now!). 

 

I'm also hoping I can pick out a more fun color...or at least get black. And I'm not sure I'm buying their reassurances that the seat on this bike is made for a more comfortable ride.  It looks like a thin piece of plastic to me.

Happy Easter Weekend!

What a GLORIOUS weekend!  I loved every minute of it!!

Friday, I had the day off because it was Good Friday.  So I woke up and went to spinning class which has become my latest obsession.  I even looked at cycling shoes online the other day because eventually I'd like to get an actual bike.  But it turns out I have no idea what to look for when it comes to cycling shoes so I'm going to hold off.  

I did see a picture in a magazine just yesterday of Lance in his sweet cycling shoes and I think it was a sign.  :)

When I got back home, I stopped by the office and picked up my planner!! It is everything I hoped for and more!  It does have some excess items like a place for addresses and phone numbers which I'll never use because that's what my phone is for.  But the calendar part of it is what I want.

Laura and I sat out on the patio for most of the morning until she had to go to work in an attempt to get some sun.  It didn't work for me.  After Laura left for work, I took my dear sweet time getting ready and then headed over to M&D's to help get ready for dinner and wait for Damla and J.B.!!  Dinner Friday night was delicious and hilarious as always.  We enjoyed some appetizers outside on the patio, the lovely weather, and each others company!  

Saturday morning I woke up before everyone else (per the usual) so I went to yet another spinning class (seriously, I'm addicted).  Then I came home, played around with Damla and J.B. and then we got ready for our lunch adventure.  This one was to 96th Steakburgers which I have to say that I like less then Five Guys but is still quite delicious!!  After lunch Damla and J.B. had to leave so I headed home.  I was planning on taking a nap but then decided I didn't want to be at home alone so I put on some blue and white and headed over to Broadway to hang out with the guys over there.  Excellent decision on my behalf!  I hadn't seen those guys in what felt like FOREVER so it was so fun to play with them all again!  Plus some other of my favorites were over (The Troyer's and Caitlin!) and to top it all off...BUTLER WON!!

After the game, and 7 more games of "Ok, you go" we headed into Broad Ripple to see what the rest of the world was doing.  I made it home just after 3 quite pleased with my decision not to nap because it turns out I didn't need one.  Kamm, you should be proud.

Sunday was beautiful and I spent almost the entire day out on the patio.  I even managed to get some color on my arms.  Unfortunately, I didn't realize that I was actually getting some sun and it's not very even but I have a feeling it will fade in about a day.  Sunday night I went over to M&D's for Easter dinner.  Mommy really outdid herself once again and I left uncomfortably full.  And that was the weekend!

The Countdown Continues!!

Only 67 days until my Grand Tour of Italy trip!!  More details on that as it gets a little closer.  But in preparation, I will be purchasing these lovely shoes.

 

Not just for cars

Dear Future Husband,

I'd like to name our kids after cars.  Don't worry, nothing crazy like Volkswagon or Volvo.  More along the lines of Porsche, Bentley, Mercedes, and Cooper (Mini).  Imagine how easy it will be decide what to get them for their Sweet Sixteen!!  Just think about it for now.  We'll discuss this when the time comes.

Love,
Emel

Office hours suck

My planner was delivered!!  Unfortunately it was delivered to the office of my apartment complex which is conveniently (or rather inconveniently) open from 9-5 which sucks when you work from 7-6 like I do.  So, I shall have to wait until Friday (my day off!!) to stroll down there to pick it up. 

Good news though.  4 days later and my room is still SUPER clean.  I even hung stuff up this morning after trying it on and deciding I didn't feel like wearing it.  I've heard that if you do something for 28 days in a row it becomes a habit.  So maybe in 24 more days, I'll be really good at keeping my room clean.  Keep your fingers crossed!!

Once I become a neat freak, I wonder what my next life improvement should be...

Also, here is my most recent song obsession for your enjoyment.

All the Right Moves by One Republic

And in case you missed it in a previous post, here is another good one from One Republic

Good Life

Together again!!

My roommate Stef went on Spring Break last Thursday but due to our busy schedules I didn't get to see her Monday-Wednesday.  She returns late this evening and needless to say, I'm excited for our apartment to be complete again!!  Welcome home Stef! 

It's all coming together!!

So, even though the weekend seemed like it was tarnished on Friday night when Purdue lost their game to Duke, things actually turned out okay.  Saturday I tackled the project of cleaning my room.  Laura walked by at one point and said "Whoa."  It was pretty bad.  But in my defense, at the point she walked by, I had decided to do my spring cleaning and had emptied half my closet on to my bed and onto the floor...in addition to whatever was already there.  But after all that hard work, I have to say that the left side of my closet looks FABULOUS!!

The right side could still use some work but frankly, the tubs are necessary for me to fit in small spaces.

My planner comes tomorrow so more good things to come.  In addition, Damla and J.B. arrive on FRIDAY and I cannot wait!!  Oh how I hope this week passes by...and that this cold/allergy thing I have going on goes away.  I had to leave work at lunch today because I spent more of my morning sneezing and blowing my nose then I did actually typing.  So, I took a sick day, went to my parents house, and let my mom take care of me.  Even though my nose was still running and I was still sneezing when I left, I still felt better.  Mommy's are good like that.   

Getting my life together!

If you know me at all, you proably know that I love technology.  I think my favorite part of flying is looking through the SkyMall magazine because it always has fun new high tech toys in it that will supposedly better my life.  I really want that thing that you put on your keys and make them beep when you can't find them (which is a daily stuggle for me).  I love the new 2011 Ford Edge that is coming out because it has the My Ford Touch in it which means lots of voice activation and touch screens.  My next car WILL have a push start.  I could go on and on. 

About 2 months ago I read on someone else's blog about all these wonderful planners.  But I didn't want to get one because by that point it was already February and I'd already missed a month of the new year.  So I decided to use my phone as my planner.  I mean, considering my love of techonolgy, it was a logical decision.  I use Outlook at work and it's great but I tend to forget things I need to do on the weekend because I don't always want to open up my computer. 

The phone tactic worked for a little while but I decided that I could handle it no longer.  Frankly, it wasn't what I was looking for.  So finally, yesterday, I got online and went to FranklinCovey.com which to me is the ultimate planner site.  And I found a compact, undated planner for just $19.99 (plus tax and shipping)!!  And in 8-12 business days it will be mine!!   I couldn't find a picture of it today but it's glorious, I assure you.  It even has a little holder for my pen.  And, next year, I just have to buy a refill because the outside is reuasble.

Hopefully, by this time next week, my life will be so organized, I won't even know what to do with myself.  Well, that's not true.  My next hurdle is to become a neat-freak.  It's in the works.  I mean, I hate messes.  But I also hate cleaning them up.  I figure, I'm halfway there.

I told you she was fast

I'm SO PROUD of my roommate Laura.  This weekend she amazed us yet again by coming in FIRST at the Washington DC National Half Marathon!!  Here is the press release. (And I stole a picture from her Facebook album!)

Race Results for SunTrust National Marathon and CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield National Half Marathon

WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 20, 2010) – Nearly 12,000 runners were registered, and nine thousand two hundred and eighty-six runners crossed the starting line at the fifth annual SunTrust National Marathon and CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield National Half Marathon and Team Relay on a sunny, 70 degree day in Washington D.C. The marathon is the only one to be run entirely within the District of Columbia and has the fastest looped course in the country. Runners from 49 states and 27 countries ran the race.

In the men’s marathon, Michael Wardian, age 35, of Arlington, Va., took first place with a time of 2:21:58; Patrick Moulton, age 28, of Providence, RI, took second place with a time 2:26:03; and Paul Howarth, of Albuquerque, NM, took third place with a time of 2:27:19.

After the race, Michael Wardian said that he “had the lead from the gun and attacked every mile and stayed focused on the goal and ran one of my fastest time times ever.”

In the women’s marathon, Krista Vrombaut, age 27, of Rock Island, Ill., took first place with a time of 2:51:17; Michaela Driscoll, of Coventry, RI, took second place with a time of 2:55:50; Mary Beth Chosak, age 31 of Arlington, Va., took third place with a time of 2:57:32.

In the men’s half marathon, Mark Fruin, age 24 of Bloomington, Ind., took first place with a time of 1:05:03; Stephen Haas, age 26 of Bloomington, Ind., took second place with a time of 1:05:14; Jeff Jonaitis of Tinley Park, Ill., took third place with a time of 1:05:58.

In the women’s half marathon Laura Farley, age 25, of Bloomington, Ind., took first place with a time of 1:18:38; Phebe Ko, age 27 of Bethesda, MD, took second place with a time of 1:19:03; Dani Prince of Bloomington, Ind., took third place with a time of 1:19:38.

In the masters division, Kris Warszawski, age 50, of Northville, Mich., won the men’s marathon with a time of 2:44:00, and Tracy Wollschlager, of Novi, Mich., age 41, won the masters division of the women’s marathon with a time of 3:03:50.

Chris McDonald, age 50, of South Riding, Va., won the wheelchair division with a time of 3:01:35.
Two thousand three hundred and twenty-two people completed the marathon, 6,249 people completed the half marathon, and 174 people finished the team relay race.

Join us for next year’s race on Saturday, March 26, 2011. For more information, log on to www.nationalmarathon.com.

About Greater Washington Sports Alliance:
Established in 2003, The Greater Washington Sports Alliance (GWSA) is a regional non-profit sports commission created to foster economic development and civic pride through the power of sports. GWSA’s mission encompasses the attraction of sporting events to the region, the promotion of the regional professional, collegiate and amateur franchises, the support of youth investment organizations and the branding of Washington, D.C. as a world class sports destination. For more information, log on to http://www.gwsportsalliance.com.

Slacking on my part

Well, I haven't been very good at updating this thing in a while.  Something about being at a computer for 10 hours a day just doesn't make me feel like getting on the computer when I get home at night! 

This weekend was lovely!!...well, not weather-wise but in regards to fun, yes!  My parents and I drove up to Chicago to visit my sister, brother-in-law, and friends.  I got up to Chicago on Friday and met Colleen for lunch at Whole Foods.  The Whole Foods in Lincoln Park is HUGE!  And it has all these food stations with all sorts of different kinds of food.  I got so overwhelmed that I just ended up getting tomato basil soup.  What I really should have gotten is the butternut squash and crab bisque that I found later.  Oh well, the first soup was still good!

After lunch, I went home and found that Damla was pretty much done working so we decided that it was 5 o'clock somewhere and popped open a bottle of wine!  Mommy and Daddy must have heard all the giggling because they came back from their walk just a few minutes into happy hour.  At 5, J.B. was able to join us and we just had the usual banter until it was time for the Purdue game!  Damla started to get dinner ready and once we had secured a Purdue win (barely!) we sat down for a DELICIOUS lasagna that Damla had made.  As I write this now, I wish I'd thought to get a picture.

After dinner, we went back to living room to chit chat and just enjoy some family time. 

Saturday morning I got up bright and early to meet up with everyone.  J.B. dropped me off at Colleen's where Kamm, Kylie, Colleen, Stacey, and Titus were ready to go!  After breakfast we headed to the LaSalle Power Company where we met up with Julie and Michael (visiting from London!), Jess and Brian (future residents of Indiana), Liza, and Greg!  And we STILL weren't all there.  A few minutes after we got in the bar Laura, Gina and Avery showed up.  Plus we ran into some other Sigma Chis and Fiji's.  It was great having such a large group because there was always someone to talk to! 

We stayed at the bar until 3ish and then headed off to find some food.  We lost some people in the shuffle but ended up with a group of 12 at Rock Bottom.  After some food (and a devastating Purdue loss!) we decided to find a new bar.  So we went to Parrot's in Lakeview.  Angela met us there and then her and I dominated the pool table.  I was having an "on" day so we actually did pretty well!  Sure we won two games because the other team scratching on the 8 ball but we'll take what we can get. 

After a while it was time to head back to Stacey and Colleen's apartment where we hung out for a little while longer and then headed to bed by 10 pm.  When you start at 8am, this isn't so bad.  I woke up in the morning fully rested and ready to start my day!  Well, the treats that Colleen made us helped me get a good start. 

Damla had requested that I be home for breakfast at 9 am. Apparently she meant pre-daylight savings time because when I showed up she looked REALLY sleepy!!  But she was a trooper and we decided to take a walk to Starbucks since we were up.  After that we came home and got breakfast ready.  After breakfast, the family decided to take a drive to Evanston and the other suburbs north of Chicago.  We looked as some of the beautiful house and also saw the Baha'i House of Worship which is a pretty amazing structure. 

After driving for a little while we headed back to the city and had lunch at the Athenian Room.  Now, if you haven't been there before and enjoy gyros then you are missing out my friend.  I have gotten the gyro salad on both my trips there and it is SO delicious!

On that note, I have resolved to become a vegetarian for the month of May.  I'm not sure how well it will go but I'd like to see.  If anything, I think it will give me the opportunity to be creative in what I eat.  The good news is that my staples of granola bars, oatmeal, and milk are still within my limitations so I think this is a very do-able goal.

In other news, I still continue my search for the perfect car.  I just can't seem to make a decision which is fine because I don't see myself getting a car right away but when the time does come, I would like to think that I have a good idea of what I want.  I attribute to my apprehension to be parallel to my hatred of things marked "final sale".  Do you think I could return a car if I didn't like it?  I wish they still had those 72 hour test drive things.

No upcoming trips at the moment but spontaneity was a new year's resolution!  I joined the United Way Committee at work and will be doing my first official duty as KKG House Advisor (for the Butler Chapter) in a couple weeks for room picks!  And last I checked, I was planning on doing the Susan G. Komen walk in Indianpolis in April.  So lots of fun things to come!!

Slightly obsessed with this song

I have been listening to this song on repeat lately and I'm still not tired of it. 

Carry Out by Timbaland and Justin Timberlake

This is why people should just stay on vacation

Well Sunday was our last day in Seattle and we ended on a high note by making a morning trip to the market (we had to go just one more time!), getting some Seattle's Best Coffee, and then heading to the airport.  The airport was PACKED!!  After being reassured by one Delta employee that I had plenty of time, and then being told by another employee that I should run, I made it to my gate only to find that they had closed the doors early and I had missed my flight.  Thankfully, there was a "higher-up" around and he was PISSED about the poor communication and that I wasn't on the flight.  So he pulled some strings, got me on the next flight out that was boarding in 30 minutes and got me upgraded to First Class.  Thank you Mr. Delta Guy!  I finally made home by 10 pm full of wine, fresca, peanuts, and sun chips.  :)

Unfortunately, my checked baggage wasn't given the same service and we're on the lookout for it.  Hopefully it turns up soon b/c I really want that new shirts I got from Banana shown above.  And good news, these shirts were bought with a gift card so I am still sticking to my goal of not shopping!  And I still have about $225 of Banana Gift Cards left!

Is that a nod to the crispy Seattle weather?

We woke up this morning bright and early at 7:45 am to get a jumpstart on our day.  And by "we" I mean, I woke up and then woke Colleen up.  I don't want her adjusting to Pacific time until she moves here.

We got ready and then headed out to conquer the world one donut at a time at Top Pot Donuts which Kathryn recommended we try.  It was pretty delicious but we like the baby donuts better.  Then we headed to Nordstrom (the original one!!) to get Colleen some Hunter boots.  Well we probably should have called ahead because apparently Seattle doesn't get going by 9am.  So instead we walked a mile to get coffee from an independent coffee shop we hit on the tour yesterday but hadn't tried any coffee at (Zeitgeist).  Then armed with our warm drinks we headed down to the waterfront to go to Ye Olde Curiosity Shop.  It's just another site to see on our list!!

After that we headed to Smith Tower for a second attempt to get on the observation deck and SUCCESS!  Colleen and I both sat in the Chinese Wishing Chair upstairs.  As the legend goes, single ladies who sit in that chair get married within a year.  I sat in it two years ago and nothing happened but I kissed one of the lions this time, so here's hoping.  Two Kappa weddings in 2011?  Maybe!

By this time, Seattle had finally started functioning (in addition to all the crazies coming out) and we headed back to Nordstrom.  Unfortunately the attempt to get the boots failed but I at least discovered that I am too short for the tall Hunter boots.

The plan for day 2 was to go hiking so we were going to have to get into a car at some point.  We made it all day yesterday without every having to get in a car!  How Amish.   But today we decided to spice things up a bit.  We first stopped by Araya Vegetarian Place which is a vegetarian Thai buffet.  There were some pretty delicious things on the buffet, I do have to say.  I still kind of missed meat but I was definitely full all day.  Possibly from all the fiber...possibly from the mass quantities of food.  It was at lunch we discovered that we forgot to put the locks on our schedule so we were very spontaneous and went to the Chittenden Locks!  We got to see a few boats go through and we learned all about smolts (baby salmon).

Then we headed to Discovery Park which is said to be a sight to see.  It was absolutely beautiful and we walked the whole thing!!  We went down on the beach, played in tree houses, found walking sticks, climbed stairs, got super muddy, and were more outdoorsy then I ever could have hoped for.

After the hike we went and saw the Fremont Troll which is just something else you have to see while you're here.  We got our picture taken and then headed back to the hotel where Colleen once again forced me into the gym even though we had just hiked what felt like 100 million miles.

Then it was time to get cleaned up and head back out again.  We decided to go to dinner at Anthony's Bell Street Diner per the recommendation of one of Colleen's interviewers.  It was quite delicious and Colleen finally got to try oysters!  I tried oysters during an audit in New Orleans and have no desire to ever eat them again.  After that we headed to the market (for good measure) and then finally walk home.

It was quite an exhausting day but we have long flights home tomorrow to catch up on any sleep we're lacking.  And the best part, I got upgraded to first class!  Cha ching!

Actually, it's a queen size bed...

Today was our first full day in Seattle.  Colleen has never been here before so I wanted to make sure that she saw everything there was to see here!  We started off our morning at Pikes Place Public Market.  I LOVE this market!  And Colleen did too.  She has actually decided that if she moves here, that's where she would like to live.  I really hope that works out.  

I was here a couple of years ago to visit Kathryn and she had taken me to eat some delicious tiny donuts in the market so I followed my nose and...success!!  We found the tiny donuts!  We also were given samples of salmon jerkey, smoked salmon, and apple chips.  Glorious!  Once we were done with all that, it was time to go on the coffee crawl that we signed up for.  If you find yourself in Seattle anytime soon, I highly recommend it.  I don't even like coffee and I had a great time.  Although, it probably helped that because it was Valentine's weekend, it was a coffee and chocolate tour.   We started at Seattle's Best Coffee which ironically enough was my favorite.  Colleen got to have TWO tiny mocha's because she answered a trivia question correctly.  

After that it was off to the original Starbucks which is actually the 4th Starbucks but I won't get into all those details.  We didn't have a sample there because I think everyone has had a drink at Starbucks...unless they are one of those weird Starbucks boycotters.  After that it was off to Seattle Coffee Works where we had 3 different coffees and and 3 kinds of chocolate.  This is where I confirmed that I indeed hate coffee.  We also confirmed that the baristas here LOVE coffee.  The guy helping us told us about how much he loves talking about coffee and can get into pretty much any conversation he has.  He also talked about rootbeer floats.  Though we were tempted once we heard about the rootbeer floats, we decided not to leave him our number.  

Then went to went to Westlake Plaza to go to Dilelantes and had another mocha and salted caramel.  Note: Emel and Colleen don't like salted caramel.  After that it was off to Monorail Espresso and had one of their famous Chubbie cookies.  Note: Emel and Colleen LOVE Chubbie cookies.  After that we went down to the bus tunnel and rode it to Pioneer Square where they took us to Travant and met Tom the Barista.  We got to try some chocolate called Insomnia.  Then went Zeitgeist and had no coffee and couldn't get into the bathroom.  This was the end of tour.  Two thumbs way way up!

Then our tour guide left and we were on our own and to top it off, we were hopped up on caffeine!!  We went to international district where of all things, we stopped by the post office and bought stamps.  We were planning on eating lunch in the international district (aka Chinatown) because Lent starts next weekend and I'll be giving up Asian food again but after an abundance of coffee, we really weren't that hungry.   So we got bubble tea! China town was seedy so then we got the he'll out of there.

We tried to go up in Smith Tower--fail. So we went to pioneer square, posed with statues and then went to Banana Republic. Is there Banana Republic in the midwest?  Did Colleen once make me go to 3 Banana Republics in Chicago in one day looking for a sweater?  

Then we went to Space Needle which has a gift shop filled with almost anything you could ever want in the shape of Space Needles including Space NOODLES!  After that it was of to the  Music and Science Fiction museum which we actually just walked around.  The we took pictures by the fountain which must have been a great decision because that's when the sun came out! 

Then we went to Olympic Sculpture Park and saw lots of art.  Or things that people told us were art at least.  It looked questionable to me.  As we were finishing up there the weather took a turn for the worst so we headed back to the market and went to the cheese place and ate Mariachi Mac & Cheese, cheese curds, and cheese tapinade.

Then crazy Colleen made us workout...on vacation!  As though walking around Seattle for 7 hours wasn't enough of a workout.  After that we went back to the market AGAIN!! --we're pretty obsessed with the market.  We ate at the Pike's Place Chinese Restaurant.  That made up for lunch.  Then we went down Post Alley (which I called Diagon Alley) to an Irish bar called Kells to check out the young scene.  If we move here, we could quite possibly some of the best looking people.  But we couldn't conclude on this for sure because we were also told that Kells is haunted by a Ginger so maybe not everyone comes there for fun nights out.

It was quite a busy day and lucky for us we have a jam packed agenda for tomorrow too! 

Rough Start to Seattle

So I left for Seattle today. I'm feeling pretty West Coast in my North Face puffy vest (complete with fur lined hood) and Burberry galoshes.  The trip started off okay.  I got to the airport fine, found my gate, and sat down to charge my laptop up for the flight. There was a problem with the door on our plane but the guy got on the intercom and said that he thought it would be fixed in time and specifically said "I think this plane is going to make it to Minneapolis" which is my first leg. Sweet. Ok.  Turns out this wasn't the case, I had to switch gates and by that point I wasn't first in line and therefore there was no room for my carry-on bag. So I'm fine with plane side check in but for some reason they had to check it all the way through! If I wanted to check my bag, I would have done it when I got my boarding pass!  So I don't think my bag is going to make it. I did grab my toothbrush though!

So I was finally through the door of the plane.  I normally choose an aisle seat but I wanted to be near the front of the plane (due to my short layover) so I chose a middle seat.  The row in front of me however only has two people in it so the guy to my left has lots of leg room.  I approach and then nicely say, "the middle seat is mine." the guy looks at the seat, looks at me, DOESN'T GET UP. and says "do u think u can get by?" Ummm, no sir. I don't feel like climbing over you to get to my seat!  I just go "No, I don't think so." So then he got up with a look as though I was the one being rude!  I'm guessing he had trouble with the seatbelt the first time and didn't want to have to buckle it again. Clearly a huge inconvenience.  He's sleeping now and looks pretty out of it.  I'm tempted to pull the Bluetooth out his ear and smash it.

Highlights of the trip so far:
1) For checking my bag, I was given a free bottle of water.
2) Whoever sat here before me left a gold mine in the front seat pocket. 2 Business Weeks, one Time, and Fortune magazine!!
3) There are these cute little kids diagonal from me and I like watching them to see what they're going to do. I might not even have to get out any of my own toys on this flight!
4) The first class flight attendant (though unhelpful regarding the plane side check in) somewhat resembles Mike Meyers so that amuses me.

I'm now on my next flight to Seattle and am thoroghly annoyed by the girl in the row in front of me. I don't think I have my cranky pants on but I have a feeling it sounds like it. The girl in front of me threw a fit that the plane had no tvs and that she is not going to get to watch a movie. I bet she's going to be way jel when I get out my laptop and turn on 24.


Good news!  I made it to Seattle safe and sound...and so did my suitcase!!  Woo hoo!!  It's going to be a great weekend!!

I love new cars!

So next week I'll be heading up to Chicago for several reasons, one of which will be to go to the Chicago Auto Show!!  I'm pretty pumped because they'll be unveiling the 2011 Ford Edge which has the new MyTouch system in it.  There are tons of articles on it and even videos on YouTube to show you how it works but a few pictures can be seen in the attached link. http://www.autoblog.com Basically MyTouch has taken out the odometer and other dials and put in two 4 inch LCD screens.

The left screen can be used to see the car maintenance status, the odometer, and those other features that most people driving their car need to see at one time or another but not necessarily all at once.

The right screen can be used to control the entertainment and navigation systems as well as some other fun features on the car.  It is color coded to with the main screen that is in the middle of the car so that it's not super distracting while you drive.  The point, I am told, is to have the driver have to take his hands off the wheel as little as possible because the screens and their features are controlled by buttons on the steering wheel.  I think it looks fabulous but am curious to see how it really works.  I will keep you all posted with my discoveries!

You have to see this!

This is ridiculous and you have to see it to believe it. A salsa dancing dog!! Oh, how it makes me smile!

http://www.dogwork.com/salsa/

Sweet coffee table

I'm obsessed with this coffee table. Technology never ceases to amaze me!

Sometimes I stop smiling...

...these are few and far between times. But one of them happened to be yesterday when the Colts lost the Superbowl. Now, I know that I should be happy for Drew Brees because he's a Boilermaker and blah blah but really, I just wish the Colts had pulled it off.

On a high note, the Superbowl party was a great time! A friend of a friend rented out The Elbow Room downtown. It was about 100 people, most of which I did not know, all you could drink beers, and heavy apps. Plus they came around with free delicious blue shots. The 6 hours that we were there flew by!! However, I do wish I'd taken advantage of the heavy apps because I was STARVING when I woke up this morning! The good news is that it's Monday which means that Mommy will be cooking something delicious to fill me up at dinner this evening.

We got about 5 inches of snow on Friday which was lovely since it was the weekend and I didn't have to go anywhere. They're predicting another 6-8 inches for tonight and tomorrow...looks like I'll be taking my laptop home just in case! And as long as I can get to Brothers to watch the Purdue game tomorrow night, I think I'll be fine! :)

Once again, I left my camera in my purse the whole evening and will have to wait for someone else to post some before I can add them to the blog. But feel free to scroll down and check out the ones from the AFC Championship Game!

A Northwoods Adventure!

So over the weekend I headed up to Michigan with 9 friends to work on my New Year's resolution of being more outdoorsy. SUCCESS! I was VERY outdoorsy and I LOVED IT!!

We headed out Friday morning in Eddy's truck, with Greg and B-Mac right behind us (oh, and Penny Penguin!). We drove the 5.5 hours to Baldwin, MI. The only disappointing part of the car ride was I found out they changed the sign on the border of Michigan to "Pure Michigan". It no longer says "Great Lakes, Great Times." I hate it. We did however get to watch the snow start to pile up the further north we went which was good since skiing was in the plan for the weekend. Though maybe not the best thing when Eddy yelled "let's do this!!", gunned it onto the dirt road leading to the cabin, and spun out! Probably should have done that AFTER he put his car in four wheel drive! But it made for a good story and our motto for the weekend.We got to Eddy's cabin which was super cute. The main house had a log burning oven, a long kitchen that was surprisingly practical, a full bathroom, and a bedroom. Then across the street was the garage, another full bathroom. Above the garage was the bunk house that had 5 cots in it. Eddy's mom had decorated the cabin with pictures him and his brothers had drawn as kids. It was all picture perfect.
We decided to head into town before the second car got there to go pick up any items needed for groceries. We went to the local grocery which we named "whole foods". Though we made fun of a lot of things in Baldwin, they did have a pretty mean boxed sangria. :) We finished up earlier then expected so we hit up the local bar...well, one of the two. Baldwin seemed like a town small enough that everyone knew everyone so people could definitely tell we were "city folk". But we were enjoying our backwoods experience and drinking out of mason jars!
After a drink we headed back to the cabin and waited for the other car to arrive. KP, Curt, Titus, Trey, and Colleen showed up quickly and we had to fill them in on all the adventures we'd already had. Then we took out the snowmobiles and the golf cart with "snow tires" on a night time adventure ride. Eddy's land is about 600 acres so we weren't really worried about running into anyone..except for maybe a deer...or the Dogman. Trey and Eddy also thought it would be a good idea to jump into the crick behind the house (even though it was -7 degrees outside). We also came up with the list of things seen below which is what we wanted to accomplish up at the cabin.We played with the snow toys until we were too tired to play any more and then headed off to our respective sleeping areas. Saturday morning we started off early with a wholesome breakfast courtesy of the boys. Then we headed outside to shoot rifles. This was my first (and probably last) rifle shooting experience but at least I can say I did it. I was fine with tromping in the snow (behind the shooters) and making snow angels instead. Once we were done with the shooting, we packed into two cars and headed up to Caberfae Peaks to go skiing! Turns out, I'm pretty good at it. It's a shame I didn't go more when I was in Michigan.After we put in 4 hours of skiing we headed back to town to show the others the bar and grab some pizza. We ended up going to a bar called "Debbie's" who LOVED us. They brought out beer pong for us, called in a DJ, and even gave us some free drinks! Of course, being a group of 10 we were the majority of the people in the bar that night! We ended up skipping pizza and staying there all night. We finally headed back to our car (thank you KP for being sober driver!) and headed back to the cabin.Sunday morning we got up for one more delicious breakfast and a few more precious hours of hanging out. I was sad to see the other car go but the good news is that Colleen was the only one in it that doesn't live in Indy and I'll get to see her again in just 9 days!
There was no showering done by 8 people on this trip the whole weekend. Eddy said that's how you get the real outdoor experience. We also ate tons of pop tarts, scones, cookies, chips, chex mix, and anything else that comes already made and isn't good for you. I definitely need to stock up on my veggies this week!

Indiana is taking over the Superbowl!!!

Well as I'm sure you're all aware by now, the Indianapolis Colt's are going to the Superbowl!! And in addition to that, they're playing the Saints with Boilermaker quarterback Drew Brees!! Now, I'm a Brees fan, but when it comes down to it, I have to cheer for the Colts. I've lived in Indiana almost my whole life and that's where my true loyalty lies!

Well, enough about sports. Let's talk WEEKEND!! Friday was a glorious day filled with test driving cars. No decisions were made and no cars were purchased but I thought it was good to see what's out there. Next step, Chicago Auto Show!!

I was told my Stef that I was very good at being spontaneous this weekend. Saturday, I was relaxing at home when there was a knock on the door. My friend Patrick had come by to say hello and told me to stop whatever I was doing because we were going to have a beer. Sure it was only 11:30 am but we just happened to have 2 beers in the fridge so I went with it.

Saturday night, I put on "Aghhhhhh" t-shirt and hit up Broad Ripple Avenue. Stef and I did a mini bar crawl and managed to see several friends all in one evening. This mini bar crawl went much better then the last one I went on with Stef. The last one I went on had a much rougher morning. Sunday I woke up in good spirits (even though I only got 4 hours of sleep) and put on my #18 Manning jersey and headed downtown to meet some friends to watch the Colts game!!

As Stef's brother put it "Indy is starting to look a lot like Jersey Shore with all these Jets fans". THEY WERE EVERYWHERE! I was pretty happy when they all went to the game. We started off our day at Scotty's and then went to "The Pub". Oddly enough a few of our friends stumbled in from tailgating. We had hung out with them Saturday night and I think they must have put a tracker on Stef's car. How else would they have found us?

After the game we danced in the rain with all the other Colts fans celebrating a glorious win! Then we headed back up north to Brothers which was totally worth it when we found out they had BLUE BEER!! It was the highlight of my night...well besides the Colts winning the AFC Championship!!

Titus took all the pictures so those are still to come!

The little things...

Work has been pretty stressful lately. I was told that things usually slow down 1st quarter however, I don't see any sign of a slowdown. The good news is, my dad gave me a sweet Colt's pencil. You'd be surprised how happy it made me. :)

Brain Food

I hope you all watched the glorious Boilermaker WIN last night! I went and watched the game at Brothers with some fellow Boilers and I have to say, that I'd forgotten how much I like going out on week nights. I don't so much like getting up the next day though. So, I will once again start trying to reduce the amount of sleep that I need.

Today was my favorite day of the month at work -- Birthday Celebration Day! Everyone brings in delicious treats and then we sing happy birthday and eat. It takes place at 8:30 in the morning so you can only imagine the kind of sugar high I was on all day.

Note to self: two cookies for breakfast = a sugar headache. I also took a bagel and a banana to eat later in the day so I like to think I balanced this out a bit. And I had a cookie and a banana for lunch. Maybe I should have made a New Year's resolution about will power...or maybe I shouldn't have brought in some of my favorite kinds of cookies.

The good news is I accomplished eating 5 to 6 small meals today. The bad news , it's not even dinner time yet. But I've switched to healthy and I have only healthy things at home so it can get much worse.

I went to Meijer last Friday since I was on the north side and went crazy as I always do in that store. My roommates think I'm crazy but I just have to stock up on produce while I'm there. My recent obsession has been these delectable Clementines. Highly recommend!

I Crave an Adventure

As you probably know from my past entries, it isn't often that I go long periods of time without a trip of some sort. Sometimes when I lived in Michigan, I would travel to Chicago or Indy for a quick weekend trip. Or when I got really lucky, I ended up across the country or in Europe!

Right now I have a few trips coming up. I'm going to Michigan next weekend to do some playing and skiing at my friend's cabin. I also signed on a for a trip to Gatlinberg, Tennessee. And we're currently planning a trip to Florida sometime in June. Also, I'm hoping to go out West with Colleen sometime in the next couple months though that is still TBD.

Even as I write these, I'm still itching to go somewhere!!

In other news, Stef and I finally went rock climbing! It turns out, I'm still afraid of heights. But regardless, I made it to the top of the wall quite a few times. I won't say I'm a natural but I was pretty please with my climbing abilities. We're planning on going again and I highly recommend you find your local climbing facility so you too can experience the fun!

New Songs

So I've found two new songs that I've enjoyed listening to on repeat.

1. Good Life by One Republic -- this song was played for me awhile ago and I remember liking it. I found it today and now that I've listened to it on repeat for a few hours, I love it.

2. You and Me by Dave Matthews Band -- I heard this on the radio about a week ago and found it on the internet. LOVE IT! Dave, you never disappoint me.

Feel free to enjoy these songs on your own time...or come visit me in my office and enjoy them on repeat.

Super Busy Saturday!

So Saturday was a crazy busy day but overall, I'd give it 2 thumbs up!!

I woke up early and went to the license branch where I officially became a Hoosier again (a native of Indiana--not someone who goes to IU of course). I passed my driver's test with flying colors and the eye exam!! The new face recognition technology doesn't let you smile in the camera so I followed up my aced exams with an awkward looking picture and I was all set!!

I have to say that I was incredibly pleased with my service at the Nora License Branch. I didn't wait at all, everyone was incredibly helpful and nice, and one of the ladies even fixed my hair in hopes of making my picture just slightly less awkward. I'm going to have to look up how to submit comments on the BMV website because they did a great job and were so friendly!

Then Kamm and I got in the Jeep and headed down to Bloomington to watch Laura run a one mile race at a track meet there. SHE DID AWESOME! She got first place, smoked everyone else who was running, and finished in 4 min 47 seconds. Yup, that time is correct. She's crazy fast. Stef couldn't even believe she'd passed us 8 times! Laura is in white in the pictures below.
She ran by us so fast that she was just a blur. Also, please notice that there is no one else in the picture because she was that far ahead of them.After the race we headed back up to Indy and did a little running of our own at good ol' LA Fitness. Then we put on our party shoes and went over to Gina's house for her and Avery's engagment party!! My goal for the evening was to meet all the other attendees who were part of the bridal party. Success! I met Avery's 2 sisters and 2 of his groomsman. The other groomsman couldn't attend but I'm sure I'll meet them at some point. Laurent came down from Chicago and it was fun to play with her again! And it looks like it's going to be another St. Patty's day in Chicago this year!!
Gina with her bridesmaids--minus TammyTo counter balance Saturday, after a breakfast date with Kamm and Cameron, I spent my Sunday watching 24 and reading The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown. 24--Always good. The Lost Symbol--so good! I literally have a hard time putting it down every night even though I know I need to go to sleep. I have less then 200 pages left and it will be done soon!

Sweet Bangs

I have had a fear of haircuts as far back as I can remember. Maybe it started back when my mom used to ask me I wanted her to cut my hair longer or shorter. I always replied longer yet once she was done, it was always shorter.

Maybe it stemmed from when my mom gave up chasing me around the house to put me in the haircutting chair and started letting my sister cut my hair. Let's do some math: 4th grade --Emel Age 9 + Damla Age 12 - cosmetology school experience = Yet another traumatizing haircut for Emel.

Or maybe it's due to the fact that my dad used to trim my bangs out of my eyes in the garage with your everyday scissors usually resulting in a very retro crooked bang look.

Regardless, I usually avoid cutting my hair as much as possible. And when I finally go in, I usually request that they only cut an inch off...or just the ends. I did go through some brief brave spurts in my life. I went super short my sophomore year of high school. I liked it for about a day until I realized that short hair is actually harder to style because you have to do your hair every day since it doesn't fit in a ponytail. More tears. I cut it to my chin around the end of my senior year of highschool. And during my senior year of college, I really wanted dreadlocks for a semester but clearly that never happened.

At the end of 2008 my hair was getting pretty ratty and I had my hairdresser in Midland cut off a good 6 inches. That was actually a success...except for the 3 weeks immediately following during which I was in Turkey and without a working straightener. Short, curly hair during rainy season isn't a good look for anyone.

I managed to get through the rest of 2009 with minimal haircuts. Having moved back to Indiana I was on a search for a new hairdresser. I took my roommate Laura's recommendation and went to her girl Emily. She is AWESOME!! And for anyone in the Indianapolis area looking for a great hairdresser, she's your girl. I liked her for many reasons. 1. She was super friendly 2. She asked some good hair history questions to get a feel for what worked and what didn't. 3. She explained how to style my hair as she was doing it and 4. She's a Krannert graduate. :)

So now I have sweet bangs. #1 reason for getting bangs? They look good with my winter hat.

New Year's Resolutions

Well you'll be happy to hear that New Year's was a success!! Kylie, Colleen, and Kathryn came to town to visit and we hit up the Broad Ripple Tavern with Stef and Titus. Trey took one for the team and joined the girls for the evening. He's a good catch Titus. :)
Of course, no major holiday can go by with somewhat of a hitch so we had some drama but hey, that's what keeps my ratings up. Right? So, to the guy who went ballistic on me and my friends, I wish you the best and hope our paths never cross again. And same to that guy from Brother's.

Moving on...with the beginning of every new year, I like to make some New Year's resolutions. The most common New Year's resolution is to lose weight or get in shape which I find to be a bit cliche. I only wish that so did the 5 billion people who recently joined my gym. But research shows that 50% of people quit after 4-6 weeks. Not that I'm encouraging people to quit the gym...I just don't want them to go when I'm there. :)

So here are some New Year's resolutions that were brain stormed by my apartment for the apartment. If you don't get them, then it's probably an inside joke and you just had to be there.

1. Drive legally --easier said then done!
2. Stop living like bachelors
3. Stop making negative friends
4. Stop getting punched --though we haven't actually gotten punched yet but we're preparing ourselves for the worst

I also came up with the following on my own:
5. Be more financially responsible
6. Be more spontaneous
7. Improve your correspondence so your cell phone doesn't go to waste

So there you have it. I think it's going to be a good year. I have almost 19 days of vacation to use this year. I am a bridesmaid in Gina's wedding. I'm hoping to go to London. I'm planning a trip out west. I'm planning a trip to Chicago in the near future. I'm going to Michigan in a few weeks. That's all I can think of right now but if I had it all planned out for the year then I couldn't really accomplish #6 now could I.

This weekend Stef and I are going to Bloomington to watch Farley race! I'll try to take some pictures but she runs so fast, I can't make any promises. And Saturday night we have Gina's engagement party!!