So started a Facebook conversation with my older sister, Alicia. Yes, readers, I'm leaving. Oh! Don't worry! I'm not leaving the blogosphere, just Virginia for a few days. The questions that followed gave me the almost perfect post that I'm about to write now. Let me answer them in the order she hit me with them.
"How long are u staying?" I'm staying until Wednesday night.
"Do u know anyone else - this is a Mary Kay thing right?" Yes. and Correct. Oh, yeah... I suppose I SHOULD say where and why I'm going, shouldn't I? I am leaving tomorrow morning to go to Dallas, Texas for the Mary Kay Seminar. Back to the above question. I know at least four other people that are going. My Director, Jeannie; my recruiter, Hannah S.; and two other consultants, Bonnie and Barbara.
"What's it about?" What is Seminar about... Seminar is all about Mary Kay consultants. It's where Mary Kay celebrates its Independent Beauty Consultants and Director and their hard work each year. Mary Kay hands out pink Cadillac keys and other prizes at Seminar.There are classes to attend to help teach the consultants how to better manage their businesses. And really...tons of other stuff that I'm not even sure about!
"What else r u going to do in Dallas?" Haha! I don't think I'm going to have time to do much of anything else outside of what has been planned for us by Mary Kay and by my director.
"Why did you want to go badly enough to pay for a trip - what's the draw?" Well, for one, it's a temporary pay...as in, since I own a small business of my own, I can write this trip and most of my expenses off in my taxes. As for the draw, I was told that if I never attended any other Mary Kay function/conference, this was the one that I absolutely would not regret having attended.
"R u doing much Mary Kay these days?" I have to admit that my answer for this question does not make me happy....No, I have not been doing much Mary Kay at all these days. I feel like I have no time after I get off work from my real job. I know that's not how it really is, but that's how it feels and let me tell you...it's a hard feeling to shake! My other problem is...the Mary Kay average is 1 yes to every 10 nos. For me it has been more like 1 yes to every 20 nos. Discouraging? Absolutely! If any of ya'll know ANYONE who would be interested in hosting a Mary Kay class, I would be ecstatic about the opportunity. I've yet to have even ONE class. Pathetic is an understatement.
And the last question: "Do you have plans for Dallas other than the conference?" Kinda, maybe. Depending on when my friend Chris from college leaves the Dallas area on Saturday, we may just have the chance to see each other before he comes up in August. It would be the first time we will see each other since 2005 at my college graduation.
So, wish me luck, ya'll! I'm gonna need it. oh, and I solemnly swear to take as many pictures as I possibly can without scaring my roommates completely.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Meet my Brother's Fiancee
Please go visit Shayla, my exploration buddy, at her brand new blog. This is her first time doing anything like this so please encourage her as she begins to learn about blogging. Any tips on blogging, I'm sure, will be helpful to her.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Physical Therapy with a Massage
I've always had crazy medical problems. Always. I have Lyme Disease and tendinitis. I am accident prone and I bruise VERY easily (as in..if you poke me, I will bruise). So, I wasn't surprised when I randomly ended up with back pain. I've had it before and it has always gone away. Not this time. I've had it for over two months and it was only getting worse. It got so bad that there was one morning where I bent over and found myself is so much pain that I couldn't move and I was actually screaming aloud with the pain. Joseph didn't even hesitate as he told me that I HAD to make a doctor's appointment that day. I did and went to the appointment where I was told to take prescription muscle relaxants and to do some back exercises and to come back if my back was still bothering me in two weeks. Three weeks later, my back had only gotten worse so I set another appointment for this past Monday. Physical therapy was recommended and so I went. Tuesday was evaluation day and it included poking, prodding, and exercises. I now have 5 weeks of PT every Tuesday and Thursday. Tuesday evening I made sure to do my exercises to work on stretching loose my lower back muscles. Tuesday night, I silently cried myself to sleep. I've never been in such pain before. Last night wasn't much better.
The plus side of the exercises, I felt great yesterday. I would have felt great today as well, but the work stress beat out the exercises. *shrug* oh well, you can't win every day. This afternoon was my very first full physical therapy appointment. I learned new exercises, laughed with Ryan and Anna (my PTs), had ultra-sound therapy done on my back, followed by electrical stimulation and ice to finish it off. Oh! and in between the ultrasound and electric stimulation...an amazing massage! I had no IDEA that massages came with physical therapy! I would have gone to the doctor sooner.
I have to say, that after my session today, my back has not felt better in months. It still hasn't returned to hurting, however...I did finally pick up my new prescription tonight and tried it out when I got home. Maybe it's actually working.
So, I need to know...Did YOU know that physical therapy includes massages?
The plus side of the exercises, I felt great yesterday. I would have felt great today as well, but the work stress beat out the exercises. *shrug* oh well, you can't win every day. This afternoon was my very first full physical therapy appointment. I learned new exercises, laughed with Ryan and Anna (my PTs), had ultra-sound therapy done on my back, followed by electrical stimulation and ice to finish it off. Oh! and in between the ultrasound and electric stimulation...an amazing massage! I had no IDEA that massages came with physical therapy! I would have gone to the doctor sooner.
I have to say, that after my session today, my back has not felt better in months. It still hasn't returned to hurting, however...I did finally pick up my new prescription tonight and tried it out when I got home. Maybe it's actually working.
So, I need to know...Did YOU know that physical therapy includes massages?
Monday, July 13, 2009
Playing Catch-up: Part Friday
Let's see...Friday. It started off early as usual as I went to work at my normal hour of 5:30am. I did manage to get quite a bit of work done before I had to leave early at 1:15pm. (My typical time to leave work for the day is 3:30 or later.) I was headed to the doctor's office for a re-check of my back. The re-check ended with the Physician's Assistant telling me that I need to go to physical therapy. Oh the thrill of it all! From the doctor's office, I drove around the corner to Coldstone Creamery for a creation all my own. I have to admit that I tried the Cake Batter flavor for the very first time. OMG! It was so good! But I went with the tried and true flavors of chocolate and sweet cream mixed with Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. Yummy!
Home I went as I finished my ice cream. There I hung out with my younger brother's fiancee, Shayla until Joseph told me that I really should go up to Reston Town Center to meet up with a bunch of bloggers. I went.
See, Jackie, the author of one of my favorite blogs, Moving at the Speed of Life, invited me over Facebook to join her and a few other bloggers at Cosi. I wanted to go so badly, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to go alone. Joseph is honestly the best husband a girl could ever ask for. He pretty much Made me go. I love him for it!
When I reached Reston Town Center, I entered the first garage that I saw, following an SUV up through the levels looking for an empty space to park. Little did I know, that in the SUV were two of the very bloggers I was meeting. After driving up to the roof, I found a spot and took the stairs down to the street. Meredith and Mombabe were in front of me the whole time. Only I didn't know that until later. When the three of us reached the street we arrived at Cosi within moments of each other. That's when we realized that we were all there for the same thing. We told the hostess that we were supposed to be meeting other bloggers there, but she seemed oblivious about any meeting occurring there. So we decided to wait outside. Until Suburban Correspondent came from inside and asked us if we were bloggers. After we joined S.C. (forgive me for shortening it! I am typing as fast as I can so I can head to bed.), we explained how we had ended up invited to the 'party'. Not long after, Rachel joined us and I discovered that she had been invited by Jackie as well. We talked, and talked, and talked some more while, in the mean time, Annie came to join in the fun. At some point after that we were joined by three others, while Rachel and I tried to explain to everyone who Jackie was. The three others, as I learned later, were kcinnova, Alice, and Dysfunction Junction. When Jackie showed up, she was greeted like a celebrity. I honestly don't remember what all we talked about, but it was FUN!
What I do remember:
We're planning on getting together again to go to McKay's sometime in the future.
The waiter was RIDICULOUS! Awful. Lazy. (I'm sure if I took enough time I would eventually run out of adjectives to describe the stupidity of our waiter.) Short story...He forgot Meredith's food, Jackie's cheesecake, and water throughout the ENTIRE meal. He didn't take care of our checks, didn't clear the table, didn't ask if we wanted dessert even though we sat there for hours talking, wasn't helpful and Definitely NOT willing to serve. Lousy...that's what he was!
What else...oh yes:
Rachel's learning Danish.
Jackie's visiting Denmark in August.
Annie and Meredith were quiet for a while, but once a topic piqued their interest, they were right in the middle of it with the rest of us.
We laughed A LOT.
We took pictures. (that I'm not sure which I can share. Privacy people! It's a necessity!)
We stayed late.
All in all I have to say that I've never had an experience quite like that night before. Don't know that it will ever happen again, but I am so glad my Joseph said, "Hannah, just go."
Ya'll readers and other bloggers don't even KNOW what fun you missed! BUT...if you go check out everyone else's blogs, you might get an idea of what it was like.
Home I went as I finished my ice cream. There I hung out with my younger brother's fiancee, Shayla until Joseph told me that I really should go up to Reston Town Center to meet up with a bunch of bloggers. I went.
See, Jackie, the author of one of my favorite blogs, Moving at the Speed of Life, invited me over Facebook to join her and a few other bloggers at Cosi. I wanted to go so badly, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to go alone. Joseph is honestly the best husband a girl could ever ask for. He pretty much Made me go. I love him for it!
When I reached Reston Town Center, I entered the first garage that I saw, following an SUV up through the levels looking for an empty space to park. Little did I know, that in the SUV were two of the very bloggers I was meeting. After driving up to the roof, I found a spot and took the stairs down to the street. Meredith and Mombabe were in front of me the whole time. Only I didn't know that until later. When the three of us reached the street we arrived at Cosi within moments of each other. That's when we realized that we were all there for the same thing. We told the hostess that we were supposed to be meeting other bloggers there, but she seemed oblivious about any meeting occurring there. So we decided to wait outside. Until Suburban Correspondent came from inside and asked us if we were bloggers. After we joined S.C. (forgive me for shortening it! I am typing as fast as I can so I can head to bed.), we explained how we had ended up invited to the 'party'. Not long after, Rachel joined us and I discovered that she had been invited by Jackie as well. We talked, and talked, and talked some more while, in the mean time, Annie came to join in the fun. At some point after that we were joined by three others, while Rachel and I tried to explain to everyone who Jackie was. The three others, as I learned later, were kcinnova, Alice, and Dysfunction Junction. When Jackie showed up, she was greeted like a celebrity. I honestly don't remember what all we talked about, but it was FUN!
What I do remember:
We're planning on getting together again to go to McKay's sometime in the future.
The waiter was RIDICULOUS! Awful. Lazy. (I'm sure if I took enough time I would eventually run out of adjectives to describe the stupidity of our waiter.) Short story...He forgot Meredith's food, Jackie's cheesecake, and water throughout the ENTIRE meal. He didn't take care of our checks, didn't clear the table, didn't ask if we wanted dessert even though we sat there for hours talking, wasn't helpful and Definitely NOT willing to serve. Lousy...that's what he was!
What else...oh yes:
Rachel's learning Danish.
Jackie's visiting Denmark in August.
Annie and Meredith were quiet for a while, but once a topic piqued their interest, they were right in the middle of it with the rest of us.
We laughed A LOT.
We took pictures. (that I'm not sure which I can share. Privacy people! It's a necessity!)
We stayed late.
All in all I have to say that I've never had an experience quite like that night before. Don't know that it will ever happen again, but I am so glad my Joseph said, "Hannah, just go."
Ya'll readers and other bloggers don't even KNOW what fun you missed! BUT...if you go check out everyone else's blogs, you might get an idea of what it was like.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Why do I have to be SuperWoman?
My coworker was let go last night and I inherited her work. Now, instead of supporting eight sales representatives (including the two MOST Demanding!), I support seventeen. Yay. Yes, I'm complaining. I'd rather complain here than put my extremely overworked boss through the wringer because she has to hear me complain at work.
Let me explain the complaining. There is this particular sales team that is highly demanding. Everything has to be done by them, approved by them, sent through them. I can't do my own job because they HAVE to do it for me. Why? Because they honestly don't think anyone else can understand their orders. They've told me that to my face. That I can't do my job. Ooookaaaay. Whatever. Anyway, because this team is like this, the easiest way for the Operations team (my work group) to handle them is to have only one person handle everything of theirs instead of splitting everything up like we do with everyone else. (One person in our group does invoicing and billing, while I do order processing and random questions answering and all the other little stuff.) No, since this group is so special, I have to handle all the processing and random questions for all my other sales reps on top of doing EVERYTHNG for this one group. Just an example of how much work Everything is...I spent 10 of my 11 1/2 hours at work today taking care of just the invoices and billing requests for this one group. I didn't even get to the urgent order that needed to be processed for another sales rep or even the normal everyday order from another rep. That ANNOYS me! Really. Why do people have to be so selfish!?! The work could be done just as well, if not better, if this group would just let my group do our jobs!
I know I sound bitter, and that's partly because I really am. I just don't understand how one person can be expected to be Superwoman and accomplish 2 weeks worth of work in 8 hours. Yet, that is my job. To be the one that everyone depends on. Without complaining. *sigh* I just keep telling myself..."26 more piano students and then I can quit my job. Just 26 more."
You wouldn't happen to know anyone in the Chantilly, Virginia area that is looking for a piano teacher, would you?
Let me explain the complaining. There is this particular sales team that is highly demanding. Everything has to be done by them, approved by them, sent through them. I can't do my own job because they HAVE to do it for me. Why? Because they honestly don't think anyone else can understand their orders. They've told me that to my face. That I can't do my job. Ooookaaaay. Whatever. Anyway, because this team is like this, the easiest way for the Operations team (my work group) to handle them is to have only one person handle everything of theirs instead of splitting everything up like we do with everyone else. (One person in our group does invoicing and billing, while I do order processing and random questions answering and all the other little stuff.) No, since this group is so special, I have to handle all the processing and random questions for all my other sales reps on top of doing EVERYTHNG for this one group. Just an example of how much work Everything is...I spent 10 of my 11 1/2 hours at work today taking care of just the invoices and billing requests for this one group. I didn't even get to the urgent order that needed to be processed for another sales rep or even the normal everyday order from another rep. That ANNOYS me! Really. Why do people have to be so selfish!?! The work could be done just as well, if not better, if this group would just let my group do our jobs!
I know I sound bitter, and that's partly because I really am. I just don't understand how one person can be expected to be Superwoman and accomplish 2 weeks worth of work in 8 hours. Yet, that is my job. To be the one that everyone depends on. Without complaining. *sigh* I just keep telling myself..."26 more piano students and then I can quit my job. Just 26 more."
You wouldn't happen to know anyone in the Chantilly, Virginia area that is looking for a piano teacher, would you?
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Happy Independence Day
Happy Independence Day to all you Americans out there! I have to say that I, for one, am VERY glad that our forefathers saw fit to declare independence from England and that my particular ancestors decided to leave their homelands to come the the Land of Plenty. As much as I love the German culture, I much prefer my American heritage. So, coming from the wonderful Capital that I live so very close to, pictures of OUR heritage as Americans.
First is the flag from Fort McHenry. And in case you can't see what is written on the glass between the cleaning room and the visitors of the Smithsonian, I've put it below the picture.
Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars thru the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave? 
First is the flag from Fort McHenry. And in case you can't see what is written on the glass between the cleaning room and the visitors of the Smithsonian, I've put it below the picture.
Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early lightWhat so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars thru the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?
And, before you go, don't forget to enjoy the fireworks tonight. Here are the best in the country that I've seen. Have a Happy 4th of July!
Friday, July 3, 2009
THE HOUSE
So Shayla and I went out today all over the place between Fairfax and Aldie. We started out in Fairfax, planning to eat breakfast at IHOP. That was a very short lived idea, but at least it was late enough that we just went to Taco Bell and had lunch instead. From Taco Bell we hopped onto 28 then 29 down to Manassas to visit McKay's Used Book Store. (Best book store EVER!) After leaving Manassas, I took Shay down Sudley Road to Route 15 to see the castle. Yes, I did say castle. There's one on the right side of 15 if you're heading to Leesburg, right before you reach Braddock Road. Of course, since we were seeing the sights, we went down Braddock Road on our way to Gum Spring. Then, we reached the fork in the road. We chose to explore Lightridge Farm Road. I just have to say that I had no IDEA what treasures were off that road! It was so much fun. Then...we saw it. The most incredible HOUSE. BOTH of us kinda exclaimed out loud at the same time. I seriously slammed on my brakes to stop in front of it so we could actually look at it. Unfortunately, there was a stupid blue car coming up behind us so we had to continue on. When we reached Sudley Rd again (who knew that Lightridge Farm Rd. came out there!?!) we quick slipped into the Post Office parking lot and turned around to go back the same way we came. When we passed THE HOUSE again, we stopped to snap a picture, then moved on. We hadn't even passed the next house before we said at the same time..."Do you want to go back?" So another turn around. And this time we pulled into the driveway of THE HOUSE. Lest you think we're totally crazy, THE HOUSE was completely empty (abandoned, i think.) We took a few more pictures, told each other that we would buy THE HOUSE in an instant if we had the money, got back in the truck and headed home. I know, you're probably dying to see what kind of house would have two girls go so crazy. If you don't like this house, you're as nuts as my modern husband...it's okay...I still love him, so I won't hate you or anything...promise. BUT...you DO have to let me know what you think of THE HOUSE.
After walking past the No Trespassing sign. (I'm now a criminal! LOL)
This was the first picture that Shayla took.
After we decided to turn around again and we pulled into the driveway.
After walking past the No Trespassing sign. (I'm now a criminal! LOL)
So, please, tell me...am I crazy for loving this house? I know it's old and it IS a fixer upper, but I have seriously fallen in love. I need opinions, people!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)