Saturday, December 12, 2009
'Tis the season for a little reflection
I think the obvious reason is clear. Losing a job that I adored was quite hard. Standing at the front door when my husband came home after losing his was just as hard. It’s times like this where you find out very quickly what truly matters in life. Sure I was bitter and mad and felt like a total failure but I quickly realized, while all of those emotions were a completely natural way to respond, they certainly wouldn’t get me anywhere. So I let it go and got over it. It wasn’t easy, but it was clear that it’s what I needed to do in order to make the best of the situation.
We were asked constantly “What in the world are you going to do? How is the mortgage going to get paid? What about bills, groceries, insurance…?” I would be lying if I said I wasn’t in panic mode for few days, but the answer was simple….you make things happen. We make things happen. Between the unemployment benefits and random ‘acting’ gigs (who knew non-unioned film extras made so much), we managed to stay afloat. Here is shot of the fearless film crew at the commercial shoot:
I was eager to get back to work. I hadn’t not worked in forever - the feeling of not being burdened by the alarm clock and not dealing with rush hour was completely foreign to me. I set a goal of applying for so many jobs per week and spending so many hours per day searching, applying, networking and researching. I had never experienced as much rejection in my life as I did this past summer. But through that rejection I became resilient and more confident in who I was as a professional. Not to mention I got some stellar interviewing practice out of it.
But let’s be honest, you can only sit inside in front of the laptop and on the phone for so long. It was summer and the pool was calling my name. As was the tennis court and driving range. I enjoyed every last ounce of my time off. It was glorious. We even managed to spend some downtime in Aspen:
As cliché as it sounds, this past year speaks to the fact that everything happens for a reason. I couldn’t be more thankful for where I am personally and professionally – with an amazing new gig. As crappy and hard as times were, I wouldn’t trade it for the world. And I know husband feels the same way.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
In my previous life…
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Pageant mom?
So if you feel inclined to vote (it only takes a second), here is the link: http://www.cutestdogcompetition.com/vote.cfm?h=4DBE46F338A85729934A5B66D2725522.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Boston…home of Lobster Dogs, Mike’s Pastry, and the Burns girls!
I’d love to say that the trip started off great but that would be lying through my teeth to say the least. Here is the bullet point recap (because I have a little thing for bullet points):
· Our flight was delayed due to weather, or so the evil woman at the ticket counter kept telling us as we watched plane after plane take off. I’m willing to bet that her middle name might be ‘the devil.’
· As we waited for said weather delayed plane, undercover police officers gathered around us and reenacted a scene from Cops on one unsuspecting passenger.
· Missed our connection in Chicago so the airline put us up for the night but the hotel was out of rooms. Well there was one room that may or may not have someone in it and there was also a miniature bed that folded out of the wall in someone’s suite we could use. Awesome.
Fast forward a few hours…we made it to Fenway (after convincing a hotel in Boston to hold our bags while at the game).
We spent the rest of the trip catching up on much needed girl time. We shopped, sipped margaritas, binged on diet coke and peanut mnms, spent a day on the beach...and sung many Disney songs with Emma in the car. Emma might take the cake for the cutest 2 and half year old I have ever met. She is so beautiful and smart... just like her mama!
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Life happened again...
I reminisced today to when I was in her shoes (great ones, of course)…all of the wonderful, gracious, loving advice that friends and family shared with me as I prepared to marry my best friend. Always kiss goodnight. Never go to bed angry. Laugh together often. However I don’t think anyone could have prepared us for what life has handed us these past few months (see the little sentence in the first blog post and repeat). And I’m so thankful for that. I don’t think life really comes with an instruction book - it’s what we figure out together that has been the most precious of all things. The little bumps we’ve hit along the road this year have brought us closer together and forced us to rely on what brought us together in the first place. Love. And knowing that as long as we focus on how truly blessed we really are, we’ll be ok. We’ll figure it out. The bills will get paid and we will have food on the table… but most importantly, we will have a whole heck of a lot of love in our hearts.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
And the award goes to...
Where do I even begin? This summer has been nothing short of an adventure filled with great friends, great golf shots, awesome pool days, and yes, even some interviews. Oh yeah, and one big hole in the side of my house. Yes, you read that correctly. I even got a chuckle out of the insurance lady as she asked me to tell her again what really happened. See exhibit A:
Let me tell you there is nothing like coming home from running a few errands to a note on your door regarding the car that drove through the side of your house. I’m thankful that some people in this world are still decent human beings and leave notes in situations like this. Husband immediately called the number scribbled on the note and within 5 minutes, the son-in-law of the fossil that couldn’t find the break pedal was at our front door. We invited him in and he calmly strolled through our house and on into the garage. Obviously he had to take the long way, well, because the garage door didn’t exactly work properly.
As he was assessing the damage, he said to me and husband so matter-of-factly, “Well last time she did this, I just patched up the wall and painted.” Pause...LAST TIME?! EXCUSE ME, she has driven through this wall previously?!? Oh yes, the previous owners also had the pleasure of coming home to this mess. I’m sorry, but maybe she shouldn’t be driving any more if crashing through walls is becoming her signature move. I understand forgetting to signal every now and then, but when driving thru your neighbor’s walls gets to be a habit, its time to surrender your keys. Just sayin’. Oh and did I mention my car was trapped in the garage during this fiasco? And only by the hand of God himself was my car untouched (he must have known that would have thrown us over the edge). But somehow that car needed to get out pronto for an interview (see, I wasn’t lying). And it did, after numerous contractors meticulously took apart the garage door piece by piece. What. A. Mess. They asked if I could go a few weeks without a garage door and I guess it was the look on my face that provided them with the answer they weren’t exactly looking for. So they worked tirelessly in the hot Colorado sun trying to piece back together what once was my garage door.
So after several insurance estimates, endless phone calls to the insurance company, and not one single apology from the one responsible for the damage, we still have one giant hole in our house. And as we head out to run errands today I hope and pray that we return to our house untouched and not a single note on the front door.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Dear NYC...
For as long as I can remember I’ve always loved visiting your city. In high school I saved my cash for rent and couldn’t wait to escape the white-picket-fence-stepford-wife-like suburbs of Colorado and head out to the city that never sleeps. Every time I visit, there is a part of me that can’t wait to apartment shop and start a new chapter of life with you. But just a little part. For now I will just keep visiting and appreciating you from afar. So thank you NYC for being you and always teaching me new things every time I visit…
· Times Square makes my head hurt. I do not enjoy it.
· Maid in Manhattan is apparently based on a true story and has inspired maids everywhere to “borrow” guests’ belongings. Reported missing LBD Tuesday, returned to the closet by Thursday.
· There is no such thing as an early dinner.
· $5 for a small soy latte is a steal.
· It’s all about survival of the fittest (this applies to cabs, jobs, clothes, tables with great views, and the dressing room line at H&M).
· Bike messengers do not value human life.
· Same goes for most cab drivers. Especially the one who drove me to the airport.
· Cupcakes will instantly bring you out of the depression you fall into after realizing you can’t afford anything in Intermix these days. Give me a red velvet with vanilla cream icing and I'm in heaven.
· On that note, the shops on Bleecker are not for the faint of heart.
· If you’re not sassy, rude, or grumpy, no need to apply at Zara.
· Hotel concierges should know a thing or two about good restaurants aside from what Google can tell them. I do not want to eat at TGI Friday’s thankyouverymuch.
· And when the concierge recommends a “great lunch spot” simply go around the corner to find something better. No need to pay $25 for a caesar salad at the place his brother works at.
· Eat something before LaGuardia. Even if has to be TGI Friday’s.
· Note to cab drivers: honking does not make the traffic move faster nor does it make red lights turn to green. You can get me from point A to point B without your horn.
· Never, I say never make eye contact in Harlem. Lots of creepers.
(Check out the view from my wannabe office in the Hearst Tower)