I Can Breathe Again!

It may not look it, but this is the most wonderful thing ever.  Don't be smart -- not the guy in the lycra shorts who's all sweaty.... Ok, kind of... but I was meaning the yoga pose.  Well - its one of the most wonderful things ever!  There are actually 26 of these poses that are sublime and, after I do them - I am a human being again!

My name is Alison and I'm addicted to Bikram Yoga!

I got back home from "vacation" last Monday.  I say "vacation" because, as usual, the last week I ran myself trying to see everything.  But, more on that later.

When I got in on Monday evening I picked up a message from my friends who are living in Utah and working with the Mormons (they are not, I repeat, NOT, Mormons ... even though they have 6 kids and my friend's sister now lives with them so when they get out of their van everyone says "where are you from?" and they say "Utah" and then people nod knowingly...).  So, I found out on Monday that they were for sure going to be in my area on Tuesday and were planning on staying with me as I had offered earlier that year.  They have a camper that they use as home base when they travel so we didn't actually have to put them up in the house, we just gave them an extension cord and called it a day.

Anyways - so I worked in my office during Tuesday-day and checked my 9000 work emails that I hadn't looked once at while we were gone due to the fact that we bascially never had wi-fi - that was SO nice!  Matt and Karlene got in around 5ish and so I was busy with them and then the rest of the week just flew by between work and them (they left on Thursday).  I had a ton of area visits I had to do to catch up with all my customers and while I'm on those calls, more work piles up back in the office so - on top of what I hadn't finished from before, it kept on rolling in.

Needless to say, I've not had time to actually feel like I'm caught up enough to try to do anything personal.  So, my apologies that I've been neglecting my blog.  I did get my pictures up and posted so everyone from my trip had something -- if you want to check those out....  http://alisonspicts.shutterfly.com/

Run on the weekend as we had family in town.  But I have to add that it was an enjoyable time "running"....

We did have Monday off for Memorial Day so we went out and paid dad a "visit"...

Run during the week -- I did go into the office one day this week and got NOTHING done as usual.  When I finally do sit down to do work I always seem to have problems with my laptop and connecting in the office so by the time I got connected, it was time to go home and I hadn't finished anything.

I'm finally pretty caught up from my trip and yesterday I was back downtown again working with my big customer.  It was a horribly rainy day and I had set my alarm to run early but looked and thought - no way.  So then, a little thought popped into my head -- BIKRAM!  I haven't done that in like a month and I felt like I needed it so, I packed my yoga bag, worked downtown and then chugged over to the corner of Erie and Rush to catch the 4:30 Bikram class.

It was marvelous!  When you get a good teacher you learn something every class.  Yesterday I needed what she was trying to drill into us.  There were a lot of new students and so she spent a lot of time just talking about breathing and it kind of hit home with me.  When you do the savasana pose (which is lying on your back with you hand straight at your side and just looking up at the ceiling), its the time to let the blood just go through your body and breathing is so important.  Unless you're told, the only way you should breath in yoga is through your nose.  So, savasana its really even more important to breath through your nose.  She was discoursing yesterday on how this applies to life -- when you breath through your mouth, your heart rate speeds up.  And if you are in a taxing situation, you breath through your mouth and your head takes on the "flight or fight" mentality.  You breath through your nose and you heart rate slows down and you can control your emotions.

I actually tried it yesterday.  The room is so hot and its been a while so there were a few times I started to "eeek" in my head so when we were doing savasana I breathed through my mouth a few times I totally felt my heart speed up.  I went back to my nose and it slowed down and I felt like I could tell myself to chill out.

That was a free life lesson for you all - when you feel yourself freaking out in your head - close your mouth and breath through your nose - slowly, calmly and evenly and tell your head to back off.  It really does work -- you're in control!  I needed that yesterday!

Today I feel a lot more put together.  It also helps that I have an office day at home because I have a meeting in the afternoon.  I've gotten a bunch done this morning - so much so that I gave myself some time on my blog.  I still intend to post pictures on my blog, but until I do so you can go to that link above and look at them on my Shutterfly site.  I'll hone in on the good pictures and stories on my blog this weekend as I have some time.

Next weekend gets crazy with open houses and graduations and such.  But this weekend, I'm going to get some plants in the ground and post some pictures on my blog and experiment with some cupcakes --- and BREATHE!

Things I'm Thankful For /OR/ I'm Grateful For My Normal

Whenever I come back into the States, there is always a little sigh of, not so much relief, as - it feels good to be back to normal.  Which makes me call into question my concept of normal as the "abnormal" that I've experienced outside of the US is a whole nations' worth of normal somewhere else.  Crazy concept.

So - this time, I don't know why, but it seemed so much more abnormal in Italy.  I loved it, but I was really happy to get back this time and I was thankful for so many little things.  So - I figured I'd wrap up my trip, before I do an actual recap, with a list of things that I'm grateful for here in the good old USA....

Thankful #1 - STICK SHIFT IS NOT NORMAL!  My left foot is so dog gone tired -- I think my thigh and calf muscles on that leg have grown about 2 inches at least.  Its clutch here, stop, clutch there, shift up, clutch here, slow down, clutch here, STOP!  I'm so willing to pay more for gas just to avoid having to think so much and work even more just to drive from point A to point B.  Sure, it was fun on the windy roads and I liked to think I was in some Alfa Romero - but after a week of it, the rose colored glasses of the fun of stick shift wore off and I realized - I WAS TIRED!

Thankful #2 - We live in a country where our roads our wider than two hamburger buns lying side by side (I don't know why I came up with that analogy - I was trying to be witty and am just floundering here so just laugh and call it a quip...).   What is with that anyways????  Really - when you have two lanes and the possiblity of two cars that may be driving past each other, doesn't it make sense to make room for those two cars rather than having to have them both figure out who's going to make it through first and - alive?!

Thankful #3 - When good old American engineers build roads up the side of a mountain here, they build the road.  They might put a little run here and there but they build that road!  They don't go straight and then decide it might be a better view after a few kilometers and then decide after a few kilometers of that that they want to go back the other way.  Drive - screech - turn the other way (on two wheels because it came up so fast) and then - screech - go back the other way.  Eek!

You'll notice that three of my thankfuls had to do with driving.  I LOVE driving in other countries for the most part but this time, my second rental car was a horrible drive and the stick would get stuck on gears and I had three people crammed in the back of a wagon and it was crazy - so, you can understand my thankfulness :)

Thankful #4 - SO THANKFUL FOR DRYERS!  I can't imagine how they live without one!  I know in England we did have a dryer but every other European country, well, I think its third world not to have a dryer.  You definitely do ration your clothes - you evaluate - this isn't REALLY that dirty --- just squint when you look at me and definitely don't breath when you're close to me - and you'll be good.... You wash your underwear and it takes them three days to dry on the line!  It was so wonderful getting home and doing four loads of laundry - cleaned, dried and folded - within one day!

Thankful #5 - COFFEE MAKERS - I love their coffee in Europe, but if you're not slightly American, you either have to buy it or take a lot of time to make it in a stove top maker.  Coffee makers are so wonderful bceause you can serve more than two people with one pot.  There are wonderful things about stove top coffee makers, but, its nice to come back to the "normal" way.  On the subject of coffee - its nice to buy a cup of coffee that lasts you longer than three sips.  I can take it with me and savor it for a while as I kick into my day.  I'd rather not be caffeniately shot-put into my day but a thimble size of explosive liquid energy.

Thankful #6 - Our monetary system uses bills and small coins for change.  You give a person 1 and 2 large "bills" in a coin and then it just gets all mixed up with the smaller stuff and then you look like and idiot when you're sitting there digging through piles of change.  Keep you change - as change.

Thankful #7 - WIFI!  But then I'm not really thankful to come back to it.  It was nice not having it really accessible for the most part, but I don't think I could live like that forever.  But, it was a good excuse to not check email :)

Thankful #8 - Vegetables.  Its funny how most of Europe doesn't really eat their veggies.  I don't think they had good moms.  You can find them snuck in things in little dolops or, if you're Italian, you can find the good old tomato in plenty.  I know a lot of countries count the potato as a veggie and, I suppose it is, but you can only eat so many of those before you start feeling like - well, a potato.  Give me the greens!

Thankful #9 - Shower nozzles that stay on the wall and have moderately good water pressure.  In europe it either trickles out and you have to take the nozzle of the wall and hold it an inch from you just to get anything.  OR - you leave the nozzle on the wall and turn the shower on and suddenly you're standing naked in a field as the whole bathroom wall was blasted off the side of the house -- along with your whole top epidermis.  Ouch!

Thankful #10 - The last - English.  I suppose I should say people who speak my language fluently.  Its nice to speaka the Anglais....

With all those Thankfuls, I don't want anyone thinking I'm dissing Europe or any other part of the world so there are a few things that I figure I'd share as an Enjoy list....

Enjoy #1 - The experience of going someplace new and making those new discoveries like how to open your gas tank or what the best local baked good is or what the locals drink.

Enjoy #2 - Trying to get in the skin of where I'm visiting.  Shopping like a local and going to the cafes that the locals haunt.  Its fun just to pretend like you belong somewhere else for a while.

Enjoy #3 - Ok - I did quite enjoy the driving experience this time.  I usually do the automatic while I'm overseas, but because our budget was limited, I ponied up and took on the challenge of something I don't normally do when I drove that stupid manual car.  It actually turned out to be great fun as I had to manevuer through tiny, twisting roads and - even at one point, got up a narrow steep winding hill to find no parking and no way to turn around so I had to back down.... It was quite an impressive task and made me feel quite fulfilled after I'd finished successfully (but it was even a better feeling to pull into a parking garage and pull that brake up and turn the beast off...).

Enjoy #4 - European coffee is so much smoother than ours.  Ok - its way tinier - but its so good!

Enjoy #5 - New food.  I love to experience the local flavors and dishes when I travel.  Especially in Italy.  So much coast line and so much fresh fish and shellfish.  Then you get inland and its fresh meats and local herbs.  Nothing processed or kept on a shelf for the past three years (well, except the stuff that literally gets better after having sat on the shelf for the past three years).

Enjoy #6 - Having a pair of shoes made especially for you by a lady in a back alley on a small coastal town and seeing that "Made In Italy" stamp on the bottom.  Heaven.

And I'm sure you're now getting tired of my ramblings and are shouting - SHOW ME THE PICTURES!  So, I'll leave off my likes and dislikes and give you some time to recoup before I swamp you with pictures and comments.

Just So You Know...

Just so you know.... I'm in Albuquerque this week for a conference.  This one is an intense conference for me - from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m.  But its a good one!  On top of that, I've got about 3 reports that I need to finish and there are a bunch of my customers that are here that I'll probably end up meeting up with a few times.  Its a busy week until Wednesday.

But then I return home and finish packing and leave for VACATION on Friday!

I'm looking at the silver lining..... :)  Its hard not to when Italy is waiting in the wings....

Sorry....

I've been away too long again.  I admit it - I can be a lazy one.  I look at my bookmark and I think "I could do a post quick" and then I get sidetracked and then I just get lazy.  Sorry that you all must suffer this unbearable flaw of mine...

My quick catch up - just as busy as ever.  Can't remember when I last blogged but I do know that I was in Atlanta, well, at least I flew into Atlanta, last week.  I worked down by Columbus, GA, which is apparently very close to Auburn.  I know this because as I drove, it was kind of like War of the Worlds where all of a sudden, I'm listening to the radio and it goes staticey and blank and then these voices come in from another world - the world of Auburn.  The world where they report on the new house of Coach Blah Blah and the frat house fire on Blah Blah and how the new cafeteria is serving up Asian and the horrible injury of some golfer on the Auburn team.  Crazy.  I didn't actually even know that Auburn was down there and - whats more, I didn't realize that the full force Auburn loving Georgians that I know actually are passionate about a university thats in ALABAMA!  Does that even seem right?  Yes, its very close to the border, but come on - a true Illinoisian would never root for or passionately defend anything Badgerish, no matter how close or how good the team.  Its Wisconsin!

So - anyways - Columbus proved to be a great account.  I worked there for most of the day and they loved me and I actually loved them.  I love those accounts that its mutual love:)

I had gone into Atlanta the night before and I actually met up with my friend, Michele, who lives near the airport.  We hung together and did dinner and I even got her to go on a run with me on this fabulous trail thats right by her apartment.  After I worked the next day, I even had a chance to stop by the hair salon she works at before I went to catch my flight.  She actually starts support raising to go to Budapest to do a year long stint with Campus Crusade there - she went for her initial training this past weekend so she's hoping to be over in Hungary for August.  I still plan on doing the fall BHHP trip and my friend Jodi will be back in Budapest by then as well so Michele, Jodi and I are going to do a little side trip together after BHHP.  We're still trying to figure out where we're going but our imaginations are going wild - with the restraints of cheap tickets and we can only go 3 days... We're slightly thinking Paris, but we also are toying with the idea of somewhere in Greece?  We'll see.

This week - I'm in Oklahoma City today.  I worked with a friend so we finished up a little early and got to hang out for a while and catch up.  It was great and I'm now headed back home for the week - but I won't get back into Chicago until 1 a.m. -- ugh - thats ridiculous.

I have a few meetings and some other things planned this week and then on Saturday I have to leave for a conference in Albuquerque until Wednesday.  Its going to be a really busy conference unlike the last one I went to for AORN.  IAHCSMM keeps me hopping because its all my field (stands for International Assoc of Hospital Central Sterile and Materials Management).  I always love this conference but this year I'm a little anxious as I get back on Wednesday, have Thursday and then I leave for ITALY on Friday.  I think I'm kind of mostly packed or at least have my lists and my piles of stuff - I just have to put it together.

That being said - Sorry again that I took so long for an update but as you can see - its the same old same old.  I was feeling guilty and obligated so I got on :)  I promise to TRY to keep up in Italy, but our wifi may be a little limited, which I'm actually kind of liking so - I may have to do like Virgin Islands and do all my posts off-line and then put them up in one huge throw.  We'll see.

I'm off to catch my Chicago flight!  Night!

Story Post

Look at me!  I did my Monday post and I'm letting you know!

http://storiesfromasnapshot.wordpress.com/

What Do You Put In Your Quinoa?

This week zipped by.... I know you know how the beginning went.... When you have no clue what your schedule is it actually moves pretty fast.

When I was sitting waiting to figure out what my flight was to Columbus, I went and started cleaning up some old emails.  I guess it was all a God thing because as I cleaned, I found an email that I had sent to someone quite a while ago and it had a weblink in it for a business.  It was actually the photography business of a friend's sister who, I think I now claim as a personal friend as well :)  Anyways, Lynae has a photography business and it just happened to show on her website that she lives in Columbus - I had completely forgotten.  So I started texting her and before you know it, she and her husband were meeting me for dinner!  Too fun!  It always makes travel/work so much more enjoyable when I can hood up with people that I know.

Greg, Lynae and I met a a restaurant in the university section of Columbus - Vino Vino!  It was pretty good, but the piece de resistance was when Lynae looked at the desert menu and then said "you know, there's an ice cream place down the street - its one of Oprah's top picks".  Now, not that I'm into Oprah at all, but if someone says that theres something unique and interesting and its right around the corner, well, I say - GO!  So, we took a little trot down the street and walked into Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream - and it was SPLENDID!  http://jenisicecreams.com/  Take a peek at her website and be amazed!  She goes all over the world and finds really unique things to create her ice cream with.  They had this one called Icelandic Happy Marriage - I can't remember everything thats in it, but I do remember some type of cheese from Iceland.  WHAT?!  CHEESE?!  I ended up getting boring Brambleberry and some kind of chocolate with homemade marshmallows and - YUMMMMMMM - SALTED CARMEL!  The Salted Carmel was AMAZING!!!!!  Oh - here's the cool thing too, you can actually order the stuff to be delivered and its not that badly priced.  I may be placing an order soon as its just too much to resist.  My motto is - If Oprah says its good -- then it doesn't really matter to me....  :)  BUT, if I try it and its good - then ITS GOOD :)

So, here's the other website you have to check out.  Lynae's website for her photography.  She's amazing!  I LOVE her stuff!  http://www.wix.com/lynaeadams/photography#!

I was in the office on Friday and got quite a bit done.  After Good Friday service I trucked on over to Dominicks because I had a request for 24 cupcakes for a 16th birthday party  AND I planned on making cupcakes for Easter dinner.  

Saturday came and I spent almost the whole day in the kitchen and it was kind of fun!  I made 24 (actually 27) chocolate mint cupcakes and then I started in on a new recipe for coconut cupcakes.  They turned out beautiful but I'm not sure of the taste as I resisted and I'm going to let the verdict come from my gathering at lunch on Sunday.

Since I've been trying to eat really healthy lately in honor of getting ready for my trip to ITALY and the beaches of SARDINIA!  Last summer, my friend Jane and Gaye helped me fall in love with Quinoa.  I am besotted with Quinoa and I do this salad that I can't get enough of.  I cook the Quinoa and then chop up fresh basil and mix that in and then just put in TONS of fresh veggies and top if off with olive oil.  This time I add some awesome olives from the olive bar.  Its just the best ever!

I know my friend Kate puts kale and peppers and in her quinoa (but then she puts kale in everything - I think I'm going to create a kale cupcake for her... :)).  Jane and Gaye kind of did veggies in theirs.

So, my question is - WHAT DO YOU PUT IN YOUR QUINOA?

One Of Those Weeks - And Its Only Tuesday Morning....

NOT ME....

I'm back, for the second time, in the Red Carpet Club at O'hare.

I should have been here last night, but I wasn't

I had a flight last night from Chicago to Columbus, OH for a trial that I'm working on there.  Right around the time I was getting ready to leave the house, I got a United update that said "your flight has been cancelled".  To tell the truth, I wasn't extremely upset as I had had a visit to the doctor a little earlier in the day and he had taken care of something that left me feeling like I just didn't want to move.  I would have moved, I just didn't really want to.  So, I got the cancellation alert, sighed deeply and then dialed the 800 United number.  "We're very sorry" he said and then I was told that the next flight to Columbus was at 3pm the following day.  Ok - thats when I started to have a little bit of a problem.....  You cancel my flight and then tell me the next flight isn't until like 16 hours later....

So - he found a flight to Cleveland at 6 a.m. that would then get me to a connecting flight to Columbus which would arrive in at like 10 a.m.

Better....

I went to sleep at 9:30 p.m. with my alarm set for 3:20 a.m. so I could get up and get to the airport for my 6 a.m. flight.  All was going well.

Zip - I get ready and get to the airport and board my flight for 6a.m.  We're clicking along, we push back from the gate, we roll out, announcements are made.

We sit.

Weather.

Really?  Where - I don't see it here!....

Sorry - we won't be able to take off on-time and, in fact, because we have a plane the size of a peanut, we've already ran out of gas so we need you all to get out and push us back to the gate so they can put more fuel on.  Well, not quite, but just about....

Oh - can I insert this.  This is a little lesson for all of you who fly frequently or spordically.... When they put you on a plane and shut the door, smells travel....  You have smelly lotion, everyone around you smells it.  You have a kid with a dirty diaper, we all know it.  You buy an egg mcmuffin and decide to devour it with the vents blowing - everyone who is not you wants to horf - especially at 6 a.m.  ITS DISGUSTING!!!!!!  Same thing with tuna or egg salad sandwiches, chalupas, gorditas - anything hot or especially odiferous -- DON'T EAT IT ON A PLANE UNLESS WE ALL HAVE IT!  Its called, being considerate.  Pay it forward people...

On with the story.

We come back to the gate to put on fuel and as soon as we stop a horde of people push up to the front to clamor and paw at the poor attendant who tells us that our best bet, if we have connecting flights, is to get on the phone with United and see what our options are.  Already thought of that.  As she was speaking I was on the phone.

Amazing, the previous night, Juan couldn't find anything direct but a 3 p.m. to Columbus.  Now as I sat on the a plane to Cleveland, Gloria, on the phone, has found an 11 a.m.  She tells me to "quietly" go up and try to get off the plane.  I tell her we missed the "quiet" boat as there was a line of people demanding the same thing.

The gate agent is finally convinced by the captain to let people off who can get a direct flight.  She concedes and we get off with our little luggage stubs in hand - well, I'm actually the only one whose carry on was too big and had to be put under the plane.  

I stand where I'm told to on the jet bridge and she proceeds with her business and, I believe forgets about me.  The next thing I know she's moving the jet bridge with me on it and then she looks at me shocked and says I have to go up by the door.  I say that I can't because I don't have my bag and she looks at me like she has no clue what I'm talking about until I motion to my bag tag in her hand.  She says that she'll see if she can get it but the plane has to leave and I have to move up to the door.

So, this is what I'm having a hard time understanding.  If I get to the airport 2 minutes after the "check in deadline" (which is 30 minutes before BOARDING time starts) they will refuse to check me in if I have a checked bag because the bag may not make it to the plane and they can't put me on a different plane than my bag.  However, I have found many other situations in which, it is convenient to them, to put my bag on a plane to Bermuda and me on a plane to Boise.  So, who gets to make the ultimate decision of "bag safety"?  

Again, I digress.  

The wonderful gate agent finally did get my bag and I happily trotted off to the Red Carpet Club again to wait for my, now, 11 a.m. direct flight to Columbus.  I get to the the Club and they can't print my boarding pass as I'm not technically on the 11 a.m. flight because she didn't bother to actually take me off the 6 a.m. Cleveland flight.

I don't even know where I am at this point.

Long and short - but we've already gone through the long as it really wouldn't have been as fun and action packed as the short - I finally got my boarding pass for Cleveland and will sit here and wait and not think about the 3 extra hours of sleep I could have gotten if Juan had done his job correctly yesterday and found the 11 a.m. flight to Columbus.

Its only Tuesday - I think I deserve for it to be Thursday at least....