Great homecoming!

Okay..I had another long crazy week in Tucson that I just got back from...and I came home to a clean house!!!!!

My admin assistant offered to come watch Joey and Zella whenever I needed to go away on longer trips. So since they can only go about 4 days before the litter box gets cleaned I asked her if she wouldn't mind doing it for me this week. She was thrilled. She emailed me on Tuesday to let me know she'd been to the house...and the cats actually came out to see her right away (they must have known she's a cat lover). She wrote me a cute little note about the cats and then told me she wanted to surprise me so she'd started doing my dishes - and that she had to run but that she'd be back to finish them up. I of course wrote her back and thanked her profusely and told her it was totally not necessary for her to do my dishes. So today I get home and notice right away my downstairs looks way more organized then I left it - not only did she do the dishes....she straightened up my WHOLE house...and cleaned my kitchen! At first I thought it was just downstairs, but then when I carried the suitcase upstairs I saw she cleaned up there too!!!! I must say...I've never just come home to a house that was cleaner than I left it before...but I REALLY like it! I may have to look into a cleaning service every couple of weeks once I'm comfortable with my new budget! And tomorrow when I'm at my spa getting pampered I'm getting a nice fat gift certificate for my admin so that she can take care of herself like she takes care of me!

That said, back to my long crazy week in Tucson. I had to leave my house at 4:15am Sunday morning to get to the airport for my flight. Got to Tucson a little after noon and the girls and I headed out for sushi and shopping (I hadn't had sushi in forever and there was a cool looking place at the new mall Mandy found us with a Coach store (the only one in Tucson!). Sunday night we putzed around so we could avoid the lame reception that normally kicks off the week. We got to the hotel at almost 8pm and Michelle and I decided to go for a walk before bed.

We attended classes all day, but those of you that have heard my Tucson stories know that its the EVENINGS that are the most fun. Monday night I took all my guys out to dinner. We found this whole of a Mexican place that was of course amazing. We did get a bit lost on the way back, and having a penis, the driver would not listen to my advice on how I thought we should get back or stop for directions....so it took us about 4 times longer to get back to the hotel than it did to get to the restuarant...but I was pretty happy (ie lots of corona) so it was all good. 2 of the guys and I then headed over to one of the local bars, Frog and Firkin. If I haven't mentioned this before the hotel we always stay at is right at U of A so there's lots of college bars around (ie stumble home drunk easily). Because of the time change I wasn't up TOO late Monday...but I was pleasantly drunk from about 5pm til bed.

Tuesday night was more of a party night....some of my old guys from central CA were in town (including the famous one who I had a litle drunken fling with a while back)...they were trying to get Mandy and I to go to dinner with them at Gentle Ben's (another bar next to the hotel) ...but I'd spotted a Jimmy John's on the walk Sunday night....and Jimmy John's is both Mandy and my favorite sub place...so we told them we were headed to Jimmy Johns and we'd see them later. We enjoyed our subs and wandered around campus a bit. It was nice because I hadn't seen Mandy since like October and I know she's gonna be crazy busy when I'm in town for the wedding next month so it was good to spend some alone time together. We headed back to the hotel so she could get on email and then we were gonna go meet the CA guys at the bar (they became her guys when my territory was realigned out in CA). Anyway, on our way to meet them we ran into some other folks in the hotel bar...and got sidetracked. After a while my PA guys got back from dinner and a handful of us decided to go over to Gentle Ben's. Did NOT see the CA guys (and I later learned they'd left at 9pm....must have been going up in the elevator when we were coming down). To give you and idea how "happy" I was Tuesday night....I believe there were 4 coronas, dinner, another corona, then at Gentle Ben's I seem to recall a couple of cherry vodka and sprites, a shot of tequila, and 3 or 4 lemon drops. After a while some guys from NY showed up. They're manager was one of the guys I was with in Baltimore last year when we were exploring the seedier part of downtown....yes I mean the strip clubs. He was wanting to know why I wasn't dancing on the tables - I told him he'd seen me in far worse situations than that - but no table dancing for me that night.

Somehow I wasn't totally sick on Wednesday...but I was exhausted....we had dinner out at our training center (along with open bar) but I decided to drink WATER for the evening....thank god! We got back to the hotel around 7:30 and I decided it would be tv and early bed for me. Of courese part of that logic is I'd already promised one of my PA guys we were going ALL OUT on Thursday night.

Now Thursday I finished up class at lunch...allowing me plenty of time to go back to the hotel early and work out and get some work done. I was at the bar by a little after 4....so I had about 4 coronos waiting for folks to get back. Then they got back and my guy from PA wanted to do jager bombs...so we did that followed by more corona (one of which I chugged because I was getting teased I was sipping it). We went out for a quick bite (more coronas). It was still early when we finished eating so we went back to the hotel to pick up more folks before heading over to Gentle Bens. Then it was time for flaming dr peppers and a switch from corona to amaretto and sprite. Well...a few of them. We ended up with a small group headed to Gentle Ben's. Two of my PA guys and two of my old CA guys...including including the famous one who I had a litle drunken fling with a while back. A few drinks later my fling and I decided to plan a co-vert meet up to um....get to know one another again.... Needless to say...didn't get a lot of sleep that night. ;)

Friday was my travel day....in true fashion my flight leaving Tucson was delayed...but I'm smart enough to plan long layovers these days so I still made my next flight. Oh yeah...and realized flying over it that I live within about 10 minutes of the famous three mile island. And while the reactor that melted down is still there its not operational....they others are. And its not like I'm afraid of nuclear power.....I'm smarter than that I know its a good alternate source of energy...my god...I took an internship in college to WORK in nuclear plants.....but something about being so close to something that has already had an incident is pretty scary.

Anyway....that's my week. Time for me to get ready to head to the day spa for a little pampering!

Interesting....

So I had about 4 hours in the car today...and as I do on longer drives I had the IPOD blasting. The song "good day" by luce came on. And I really like that song...for some reason it reminds me of CA...not really sure why other than it probably came out when I lived there. The more I listened I suddenly realized something. The stupid song "bad day" by daniel powter (you know the one...they play it everywhere) which I HATE...I think I hate because its the opposite of "good day". And should people be making such a fuss about the Daniel Powter song when its not as creative as it seems because its really just the opposite of good day? Lyrics of both below.....

Good Day

Well I wake up to a sky so blue 
With my girlfriend in the other room 
Got the coffee on and the pancakes done 
I can't sleep I'm outside in the sun 

The tv sings its morning blues 
And it's all the same with all the news 
But she walks up, smiles and kisses me 
And says your coffee's done. 

And starts singing. 
Yeah yeah yeah 
She is singing. 

Well it's a pretty good day. 
I'm lookin' forward to tomorrow 
We'll have a pretty good day. 
Yeah yeah yeah 

Well it's a pretty good day 
I'm looking forward to tomorrow 
We'll have a pretty good day 
Yeah we'll have a good day. 

So I lace my boots up and step outside 
Catch a cup of ??? 
And I go to work with my friend Dan 
Paintin' houses the best we can 

On my way back home I try and mix it up 
Walk halfway then take a bus 
And as it pulls up and the doors open 
I hear the bus driver say step up please 

Step up. And I'm singing 
Yeah yeah yeah 
And I'm singing yeah yeah yeah yeah 
Some guy looks over and says ‘how ya doin'?' 

I say Well it's a pretty good day 
I'm looking forward to tomorrow 
I'll have a pretty good day 
Yeah yeah yeah 

Well it's a pretty good day 
I'm looking forward to tomorrow 
I'll have a pretty good day 
Yeah I'll have a good day 

And through the window 
There's a whole world 
And I'm watching all the people 
All the faces and the places I have yet to go 

And the sunshine now it's fading 
And my girlfriend she's waiting 
And I bet that she's outside 
Sleeping in the shade 

Cause it's a pretty good day 
I'm looking forward to tomorrow 
I'll have a pretty good day 
Yeah yeah yeah 

Well it's a pretty good day 
I'm looking forward to tomorrow 
I'll have a pretty good day 
Yeah, I'll have a good day 

It's a good day 
Yeah yeah 
It's a good day




Bad Day
Where is the moment when needed the most
You kick up the leaves and the magic is lost
They tell me your blue skies fade to grey
They tell me your passion's gone away
And I don't need no carryin' on

You stand in thelight just to hit a new low
You're faking a smile with the coffee to go
You tell me your life's been way off line
You're falling to pieces everytime
And I don't need no carryin' on

Cause you had a bad day
You're taking one down
You sing a sad song just to turn it around
You say you don't know
You tell me don't lie
You work at a smile and you go for a ride
You had a bad day
The camera don't lie
You're coming back down and you really don't mind
You had a bad day
You had a bad day

Well you need a blue sky holiday
The point is they laugh at what you say
And I don't need no carryin' on

You had a bad day
You're taking one down
You sing a sad song just to turn it around
You say you don't know
You tell me don't lie
You work at a smile and you go for a ride
You had a bad day
The camera don't lie
You're coming back down and you really don't mind
You had a bad day

(Oh.. Holiday..)

Sometimes the system goes on the blink
And the whole thing turns out wrong
You might not make it back and you know
That you could be well oh that strong
And I'm not wrong

(yeah...)

So where is the passion when you need it the most
Oh you and I
You kick up the leaves and the magic is lost

Cause you had a bad day
You're taking one down
You sing a sad song just to turn it around
You say you don't know
You tell me don't lie
You work at a smile and you go for a ride
You had a bad day
You've seen what you like
And how does it feel for one more time
You had a bad day
You had a bad day

Hurray for Curves

So I got measured at Curves this weekend since I've been there a month now. I lost 2 inches! Actually, I probably lost more since when I got measured the first time I had on my Spanx Bod-a-bing pants on (ladies...they are SO worth the money). My measurements for the hips and stomach were the SAME as when I got measured the first time and I did NOT have my Spanx on! My bust, arm, and thigh measurements are where I lost a little. Yeah me! Especially on the thighs going down!

By the way, on the topic of Spanx - the creator has a new brand called "assets" that you can buy at Target. They are not quite as nice (not as silky as Spanx and run easier) but they are cheaper than regular Spanx. Considering how many wears I get out of my Spanx I'll probably keep buying them versus the Assets..but thought I'd pass it along anyway.

Nothing weekend for me....

So last week I was in Tampa for a meeting most of the week. Got home at a decent time on Friday afternoon....but I was trying to be good and get some exercise while I was away...which meant not walking (since the fitness center closed at 8pm) until 11pm-12am. Which meant not a lot of sleep. Then Friday the Super Shuttle picked me up at 5am...which allowed me only 4 hours that night. I made it home around 12pm on Friday....and within a few minutes I heard backup beeping outside. I noticed they were moving stuff from the model to one of the units by me (it seems they sold the model) and I assumed it was from the truck they were using to move stuff. But after another minute the window I was sitting by was getting shaded by something....a LARGE Sears Carpet & Upholstry Care truck. ON MY LAWN. As I was headed outside to tell them they had to move the guy from the builder went up to them and asked them if they had my permission to be on the lawn. At that point I'd made it outside and told him under no circumstances did they have permission to be on my lawn - and had not even asked. This jackass drive tried telling both of us that because it was a townhouse its community property. But its NOT a townhouse...its a Planned Urban Development and the property is MINE. I told him I didn't care what he assumed....someone owned the property and even if it was community property that doesn't mean he can drive on it without someones permission (such as the HOA if they owned it). He continued to argue with us and threatened to punch out the guy from the builder before finally moving his truck to the street. The guy from the builder came by a while later with the dumbasses business card so I can call and file a complaint with Sears. The guy from the builder said the HOMEOWNER of the unit they were working on told the Sears guy that it was okay to drive up on my lawn. Apparently besides that dude being stupid he's also a major asshole-as he's the reason the unit next to him is up for sale already.

Anyway, I got a little work done Friday afternoon, and was supposed to head out and meet some co-workers at a bar across the river after they were going paintballing...but I sat down on the couch for a few minutes and the next thing I knew it was 8pm and I was two hours late to meet my coworkers....so I stayed in.

Saturday consisted of running errands and catching an afternoon showing of Mission Impossible 3. Action was good....there were a few twists in the story that I definitely did NOT see coming...so I found it enjoyable even if it wasn't the big box office success it should have been.

Sunday I was supposed to go the local minor league baseball game...but I woke up with a killer migraine (which I still feel some this morning). I did have to run to the office and drop off my laptop because folks from HQ are here upgrading them to Windows XP. But then I came back home and crawled back into bed.

Now this morning I'm trying to do what work I can from home..but its VERY hard to do my job without my laptop and all the files and systems I have access to on it. I can access my email online from my home pc...and downloaded some files to update some of my reports which I put on my imac temporarily...but that's about all I can do. I'm supposed to meet someone in the office later today....hopefully when I get there they will be done with my laptop!