Lunch Convo

While AJ is finishing a tall Miller Lite and eating Wild (aka super hot) wings at Buffalo Wild Wings at 11:30 AM, the following conversation ensued:

J: Are you going to be drunk before noon?

A: Only if I have another one of these. But, probably not. The hotness kills the alcohol.

J: Oh really? Is that how it works?

A: Yes, it's science. Plus, I'm on vacation, I'm allowed to be drunk before noon.

Renovation Rant

Great ready for some complaining.....

One of the advantages of being in NY for the summer was that we would not have to live through the renovation our landlords planned to do in the kitchen, dining room, and half bath. The renovation began the day after I left and was supposed to be finished the last week of July. Wishful thinking, right? Of course, it took longer than expected and we are currently living in a construction zone. When I showed up at the house two weeks ago to drop off some stuff, I started crying right in front of the workers. Construction dust covered every surface and I knew there was no way the work would be completed in a little over a week.

When we showed up this past Sunday the house was clean-ish (as in most of the dust had been removed), but there were no appliances and there was still a laundry list of things that needed to be completed (painting, installing the bathroom, granite, lighting, etc.). We headed out to the store, bought ice, water, beer, Easy Mac, and microwavable soup and set up a cooler in the living room. We have basically been squatting in our house for the last 4 days. Luckily it is restaurant week in DC, so we aren't too sad that we have to eat out every night. Still though, it is annoying to not be able to cook ANYTHING.

The other issue is that we moved all of our stuff from those three rooms into our second bedroom. And because we had nowhere else to put the stuff from NY, our bedroom is also a cluttered mess. The downstairs is a construction zone and the upstairs is a war zone. UGH.

I know I shouldn't complain too much because we haven't payed rent all summer thanks to the renovation and I know it will be beautiful once it is FINALLY completed, but for now I am stressed and upset and just want it to be finished!! Today the granite is going in and the sink should be put in tomorrow. After that they just need to do cabinet hardware and outlet covers. Fingers are crossed that tomorrow will be the last full day of construction.


Thanks for listening. I feel better :)

Summer Blurbs

While writing this post, I realized that I had lot of things I want to share. I tried to keep each event short and limited myself to one picture per blurb so that I (hopefully) don't bore everyone to death.

Here are the highlights of my summer!

We celebrated our second anniversary on July 5th. We attended the wedding of one of AJ's college roommates that weekend, so we couldn't do a big anniversary getaway. However, it all worked out in the sense that the wedding was an excuse to get a hotel room and get out of my parent's house for a couple days. Here we are at the reception, which was held at a beautiful country club in Rochester:

Instead of a vacation, we went wine trailing down Cayuga Lake on our way back from the wedding. It was a beautiful day and we had a lot of fun tasting wines at a bunch of different wineries. I think we came home with 12 bottles. Oops!


AJ and I ran in a 5k the second weekend of July. I finished in 31:15. It was so humid and I wanted to die during the last mile, but I ran the whole time so I guess that isn't too bad. I was hoping to be under 30 minutes, but in the end I was just happy I didn't come in last place!


I successfully hosted a bridal shower and attended the wedding of one of my best friends. Her wedding was very unique and the trip to Charlotte was another mini-vacation for AJ and I. Here we are at the reception:

Image via Kristin Vining Photography

We also spent a few days here and there at my grandparent's cottage, which is on a small lake in Northern Pennsylvania. I love going to the lake because I feel like I have gone back in time when I am there. We play games, read, chat, swim, drink, and eat....and that is pretty much it. There is no TV, cell phones don't get service, and you are forced to relax. And honestly, how can you not relax with this view??


While at the lake, AJ also had his first experience holding and feeding a baby. My youngest cousin just turned one and we thought he should get some practice since we are hoping to have a baby sometime in the next year. I love this picture because he looks clueless and so scared. Hahaha, poor thing.


The first weekend of August my girlfriends and I road tripped down to Wrightsville Beach for a bachelorette weekend. It stormed on Friday, but we had beautiful beach weather on Saturday and had lots of fun both nights. This was my first girl's only trip and I really enjoyed myself!


I then spent a week staying with a friend in DC because I had to get in a few summer days at work and our renovation project was not (and still is not) completed. We had a nice time cooking together and I watched more trashy reality TV that week than I did all summer. It is so much more fun to watch while drinking wine with a girlfriend.

Last weekend I headed back to NY to pick up AJ and Kona. What happened that weekend deserves a post of its own! Don't you just love a cliffhanger?? (Unless we are Facebook friends...then you already know our news!)

Back to Work

And just like that.....my summer is over! Today is my first official work day of the school year. I can't believe it is mid-August and that the students start back next Monday! I'm not going to lie...I am so ready to be back. I love summer and having the time off is great, but there is something about structure and organization that I crave. I am so excited to set up my office, lay out my planner, and start tackling my to do list. Yes, I know I'm crazy!

My weeks in NY were fun, exciting, stressful, eventful, and involved a lot of travel. I will recap some of the highlights over the next few days, but will try not to bore you all with too many pictures or details!

Winner!

Congrats to Rachel of Observations of a Token Yankee! You are the winner of the CSN giveaway!

Thanks to everyone that participated!

CSN Giveaway!

Happy Monday!

Since I am now up in NY (with my husband!!) for summer break, I thought it would be nice to spread the joy and happiness I am feeling by offering a fun giveaway to all my readers!

CSN Stores contacted me about hosting another giveaway since my last one was so successful. This time I have a $40 gift certificate to give to one of my lucky readers. If you're not already familiar with CSN, you need to check it out! They have over 200 stores and you can literally buy anything on the many CSN websites.

As I mentioned the other day, our landlords are doing a renovation on the kitchen, dining room, and half bathroom while we are in NY. I could furnish the entire renovation just from CSN websites. I am hoping that the new bathroom has a vanity like this:



To enter to win the gift certificate go to any of the CSN websites and let me know what you will get if you win! The giveaway ends Thursday night at 8 pm EST and I'll announce the winner on Friday.

No More LDM

The day that I have been looking forward to for the last 7 weeks is FINALLY here!

I am off to the airport to pick up my husband, which officially ends our long distance marriage. Yay!!!!! Our time apart was difficult and I can't wait to be living together and sharing our lives together once again.

Most of our weekend will be spent moving everything out of our kitchen, half bath, and dining room. While we spend the summer in NY, our landlords are doing a renovation on those rooms. When we return in August the kitchen and dining room will be one big room! I'm very excited for that. Unfortunately the bathroom will be smaller and we are losing a closet, but I still am looking forward to the changes.

On Sunday we will drive to NY and my lazy summer will officially commence (for me at least...AJ will still be working at the law firm). I am looking forward to reading the stack of books I have collected over the past few months, training for a 5k, trips to the lake, golfing, playing with Kona, spending time with my family, attending firm events, etc. I am so excited!!

G Natural and G2 Natural

A couple weeks ago I was contacted by a PR firm to see if I wanted to try two new Gatorade products, G Natural and G2 Natural. I love G2 and love free stuff, so of course I said yes!

Here is an excerpt from the press release:

For athletes who thirst for natural products, Gatorade® has harnessed its 45+ year competitive edge in sports performance to introduce G Natural™ and G2 Natural™. Made with natural flavors, colors and ingredients, G Natural and G2 Natural have the same performance and hydration benefits as original Gatorade Thirst Quencher and G2, with a great taste that athletes will love. The new, natural offerings are now available exclusively at select Whole Foods stores.

Like I said before, I am a big fan of G2, so obviously I drank the G2 Natural first. In general, I like G2 more than regular Gatorade because it is lighter and not at all syrupy. I have an aversion to drinks that leave my mouth feeling sticky and heavy (umm gross), and G2 does not do that. G2 Natural is also very light and did not taste any different than G2. Given that it is made with natural flavors, colors, and ingredients, I definitely recommend G2 Natural. G Natural also tasted the same as regular Gatorade. If you like Gatorade, you will like G Natural. Given that G2 Natural has 40 calories per bottle while G Natural has 100 calories, I am again more inclined to like G2 Natural more. Either way, the Natural products are a good choice for anyone looking to rehydrate and replenish their body while working out!

G Natural and G2 Natural are available exclusively at select Whole Foods stores. Visit www.gatorade.com to find the store nearest you. Suggested retail price for a 16.9-oz bottle is $1.49. (Via Press Release)

Disclaimer: I was sent free samples of these products. Click here for more information.

Last Day

Today is the last day of school. I can't believe it is FINALLY here. While I am sure the last day of school will always be a significant day, it is especially significant for me because it is the last day of my first year of work. I knew it would be a difficult year solely because I had to prove to my school that I know what I am doing and that I am capable of holding my own in a difficult environment. It has been a long, hard year, but a very rewarding one as well. I have grown as an individual and as a professional and am very happy with the job I did. Sure, there are areas where I need to improve, but isn't there always something we can do better?

In 10 months I have changed a lot. I am more articulate and well-spoken, I can stand up for myself when I am right and I can accept criticism with grace when I am wrong. I learned how to sympathize with parents, how to control my emotions, and how to quiet my critics. I learned to not take things personally, like when I give parents negative reports and make them cry or when I tell a teacher something they don't want to hear and they get mad. I now know that "taking one for the team" is really not that bad and can help open doors, but also that I need to assert myself and not let people walk all over me. There are many more things that I have learned this year, but those are just a few examples. Each experience this year has taught me something, and I really need to reflect on everything during summer break so that I am refreshed and ready in August. Because I am not going to lie.....I am tired and ready for a break.

And speaking of August.... If you follow me on twitter you know that my position was terminated back in April due to budget cuts, but that I was reinstated earlier this month and will continue to work for my district next school year. I am so glad I can relax this summer knowing that I have a job to come back to in August!

In the Homestretch!

And we're in the homestretch!

A weekend with my husband was exactly what I needed. I am feeling refreshed and am ready for all the challenges I will face over the next few weeks. Only 18 more days of pseudo-singledom!