On the road again ...

The next 2 weeks are going to be pretty busy. I just drove up to Charlottesville as I have a site visit here tomorrow and didn't feel like getting up at 5am to drive 3 hours to work for 7 hours and then drive 3 hours back. Call me crazy but I rather drive up the night before and get some decent sleep. I found a Hilton Inn a mile from the site that just opened. Its really nice so I will be crashing here twice a month from now on. Wonder if I can reserve this room specifically I like it - top floor nice view I got a Microwave and a Fridge, Plasma TV and WIFI connection what more can a girl want.

I am driving back tomorrow afternoon as I am leaving for a 3 day meeting in Atlanta Wednesday. I get back from there Friday night and will be picked up by a friend who is coming into town Thursday -she is crashing in our house. I haven't seen her in forever so I am looking forward to spend the weekend with her. We met while working at Busch Gardens together and bonded over the fact that we both grew up in Germany (she as an army brat) and want to go back.

Next week I am traveling again. This time to Cleveland Ohio can't say I have been there before. It's our annual team meeting and supposedly we get presents I guess thats one reason to go.

So I am tired and need to get my beauty sleep.

busy

busy
Originally uploaded by dino0477.

Grumpy and I are going over to some friends here is the dessert I am bringing. But first I need to go to the gym since I snacked to much while making it.

Its really easy to make - I cut the strawberries the night before and then put some splenda on them. I don't like the store bought pastry shells but they do okay - the next day I mix cream cheese and marshmellow fluff place it in the shells and then top with the strawberries and voila easy dessert to take somewhere.

THERE IS A MOUSEEEEEEEEEE

So there I was sitting in my office this morning checking my emails before heading off to the gym to be tortured by Brandon (I think its funny that I pay to be tortured) when I looked over and there it was - a mouse so I went screaming upstairs waking up Grumpy so he can go and take care of it. He has to go get some poison first so I took my laptop with me to the couch after I got back from the gym.
Speaking of the gym I have been going religiously but I don't feel like I am getting results. I meet Brandon twice a week for an hour and the other days I do either an hour of cardio or a class. I mean I can tell I get better at the cardio thing but otherwise I don't see anything which is annoying.

The weekend was pretty low key. Friday I was at a dinner party at one of my new coworkers - it was fun - her hubby is a motorcycle mechanic and there is a good chance I get to go riding with him this summer as he has several bikes. Saturday I met with one of my host mothers to help her with a web site and then Grumpy and I went to the gym. Sunday two of my formers au pairs stopped by. One had come as an au pair in 2004 - she is back on a work visa. The other had come in 2005 and just got back on a tourist visa. It was fun to see them.

It looks like this will be my last calm week. I have most of my assignments and have to go to different meetings in the next couple of weeks all while trying to have some off time and all

Hi from Charlottesville

Well I am back on the road. I am at my Charlottesville site for 2 days and since its to far to drive back and forth (3hs one way) I stay overnight. I tried the Marriott last time which was the last time but the Doubletree I am at now is pretty nice however its on the other side of town so next time I'll stay at the Hilton Garden Inn they just opened not 2min from the site.

Two good things about the Doubletree - the food I got from room service was surprisingly good. The soup was a creamy potato soup that was to die for. The Raspberry white chocolate cheesecake was pretty good so was the pasta.

Of course after all those carbs I had to hit the gym - besides I am still trying to be good and go every day. The gym is small but all new machines so I did 30min on the cross trainer and 30min on the treadmill. Now I need to hit the shower and go to bed its going to be a long day tomorrow. I wont get back till 6/7pm and then I am meeting with my personal trainer at 9pm so he can "make me suffer" isn't it great that I get to pay someone to inflict pain on me??????

Grumpy sent this picture of Misty earlier - she looks like she is ready to punch someone.

pardon me

man i am such a slacker these days.

So while i was down in Florida for training I went and stopped by my mom for a couple of hours and met her newest baby - Senta. Isn't she a cutie. She is so tiny- to tiny for me to be honest I like big doggies that you can hug. But Misty is happy that she has a playmate. See after my mom and Misty were at our house for nearly 5 weeks Misty was really sad to be alone - not anymore. Senta keeps them both busy she was only 9 weeks when my mom got her.

Otherwise there is not much new to write about. I am starting to get out of training mode I got my first protocol assigned and have two sites for that in Charlottesville so once they start enrolling patients I will be there once every 4 weeks.
Grumpy and I joined Golds Gym this week. We both want to loose like 100lbs. I am trying to go every day and have done so far I also signed up with a personal trainer so I have someone kicking my butt twice a week. To make sure things don't get to boring I am trying to change things up so one day I do cardio the next a class then cardio and then work out with the trainer. Yesterday I went to a Pilates class and I am still suffering from that. I feel muscles I hadn't know I had. I do prefer that over the curves thing where I never felt anything the day after. At least this way I know I did something.

so that's all for now I'll try to pop by all your blogs tomorrow.

Guess who

Guess who
Originally uploaded by dino0477.

He is in Ocean Eleven, Intolerably Cruelty and the Peacemaker. Can you guesssssss?

Catching up

Its amazing what power coffee has. I finally got to the hotel about 12:30am and didn't get unpacked till after one so it was around 2 that I fell asleep just to have a wake up call at 6:45am. I had a few rough stretches during the day where I was fighting to fall asleep.


Alright so here is my catch up post. The new job is going great. Aside from the fact that I can finally pay my bills when they are due and still have money left over I am enjoying the work. I am still learning a lot of things but at the same time I do know a lot of the stuff already. I can't wait to be done and have my own sites. I have already finished most of the requirements so it should not be long now.

The hotel for the meeting is not bad I managed to get on the top floor which comes with cool perks like a happy hour in their club lounge that includes good and booze for free so I am happily sipping away. After all the alcohol should kill the bugs. I thought that we had to pay for our own dinner so I brought some of Jins goodies. But I found out I was wrong so I will have her scones along with the pasta I ordered and the cookies will be snack food for during the meeting. As you can see I also ordered dessert - I never could pass up raspberries. This sorbet was soo good but also huge so I put it in the freezer shelf of the fridge and hope I can eat it tomorrow.

Here are some of the goodies that were in my sweetbox.

These are heart shaped chocolate dreams come true

I couldn't resist I had to try them - they melt in your mouth. Here is how the box looked like when I got home. Those peanut ones are for Grumpy.

Here are some pet pictures check out Misty she is in Macs cage and doesn't care that Mac is right there

Awww aren't those three adorable???

Out cold

man the post that I still need to finish keep piling up. I have this illusion that I will get to it all next week while I am in Tampa for training. But I just wanted to post at least a teaser

Here am I with one of my furry assistantsas you can see I do on occasion work in my PJ's - I am totally loving my new job and not just because I can finally pay my bills when they are due and still have money afterwards.

This waited for me when I got home from Charlottesville yesterday.Grumpy was nice enough to open it and make sure it arrived completely (I know some of you think he did that to get the first pick but I promise he was not after my treats!)

Otherwise I am happy to announce no new speeding tickets despite that my rental car was bright yellow and a sports car. I had ever fricken cop tailing me marked and unmarked but luckily it had cruise control so there was nothing they could do.

I am still sick - seems like everyone is sick. I got the bronchitis version so lots of coughing up green yucky stuff.