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Wrapping up 2014

New Year, New Leaf.

Though apparently if one of my resolutions is to “blog in a more timely manner” I’ve already lost!!

Now that you’ve had time to recover from all of the other 2014 recap posts, you can enjoy mine for the novelty of it’s release on Jan 3 🙂 Kidding, you should just enjoy it cause, it might be enjoyable!! And, since my day-to-day life is fairly boring, this shouldn’t take long.

So here it is….

And, really, a lot of it is all intertwined – as life tends to be right?

So, let me start with

There wasn’t an awful lot of this. The biggie is my sister getting diagnosed with cancer earlier this year (good news? She finished radiation and chemo and will find out in February if they got it all (which, of course, good thoughts for this)
There was also my first attempt at a 9 miler in my training – which turned into an 8 miler since I didn’t prepare properly. The results were quite ugly.

Next,

There was one big bad this year – over Thanksgiving weekend we had to send my mom’s dog, Katie, to the Rainbow Bridge.

Katie napping on the patio last summer

I had got her Katie for her birthday back in 2001 and she was seriously an awesome dog. I think she even got to visit my mom in the hospital at least once before she passed away so that was good
The other bad, which is really minor next to losing Katie, and probably only in my own mind, was my training consistency. It was lacking. Sometimes a LOT. But….

I *did* train. Maybe it wasn’t consistent all the time but it was there. And much moreso than in any of my past efforts. Let’s hope it pays off next weekend when I bring these babies home!

All these will be MINE!! Except the Kids’ one…that one I won’t get…

My sister made it through chemo and radiation healthy. She had some setbacks, but overall, I think she handled it really well. Or as well as one can handle such things
I got to visit my family quite a bit, thanks to a job that was 100% remote work.
I had SEVERAL fantastic race weekends — where the people and the fun made the race, not necessarily the timing!

So, see, all in all, pretty boring year. And I’ll take it! And definitely looking forward to adding a little more excitement in 2015 — What ideas do you have to make my new year more exciting!?! What are your adventure plans in 2015?

Tags: 2014, recap, Year End

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Categories Family, Running, Thankful

Thankful Thursday is Back!!

27 Mar

Not to say that I’m not always thankful — but it definitely helps to see all I have if I make an effort to publicly acknowledge what I’m thankful for!

This week I am once again thankful to have a job 🙂 Especially since *last* week I had heard that as of next Tuesday I would *not* have this job! Lucky for me the manager I’d be doing my actual work for – not the one who was paying me! – is moving me into her group. Which is NOT being absorbed into other groups at this time. So I’m “safe” until the end of June. On Paper. So far.

So now I can REALLY look forward to my first ever trip to Bermuda this weekend – and you know you can’t wait to hear about this one!!

Tags: #ThankfulThursday

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Categories Job, Thankful, Thursday

One Day (or a Few!) at a Time!

10 Dec

Lots of catching up to do…but first, because I love the random YouTube embed that gets a song stuck in your head 😉

So, we had Thanksgiving and I’ve started a new job –

Travel Day went okay – slight glitch when my flight out of Cleveland was canceled but United Airlines got me re-booked before I was even able to get to the gate to complain!! I had great baking and working plans for when I got to Dad’s house.

So I did get a decent day’s work in (I’m still waiting to be fully set up to work remotely so not a WHOLE lot I can do!) and me and pop’s went out for dinner.

The Wednesday before Thanksgiving is always a day I go to my brother’s and do the baking for Thursday. Once upon a time my nephews helped out. Now they’re teenagers. Just kidding, my oldest boy was a great help to me this year!!

And then this happened — Yummmmmm!!!

Apple Pie – possibly the best I’ve ever made!

Pumpkin Pie — YUM!!

Chocolate ganache topping for the chocolate cheesecake…Super Yummy!!

Chocolate cheesecake – a first time recipe that turned out quite nice!

Tasty orange jello dessert – of course in the south we call it a Salad 😉

And then, unfortunately, THIS happened……

“What is the dog got to the apple pie, Alex?”

Which caused this to happen……

He looks kind of remorseful, doesn’t he?

Turkey day went off without a hitch as usual. My brother makes a mean turkey – this year the brine was a new spicier version than usual and the stuffing was rice. I made home made rolls for the first time in MANY years..

It would probably have been good to take a picture of the BAKED rolls!!

All in all, it seemed like a much lighter meal than usual which left plenty of room for pie!!

It has recently become a tradition to go to the Texas Renaissance Faire on the Friday after Thanksgiving but this year I had to bow out – I was planning to go to a rosary for my oldest friend’s mom who passed away that week but ended up feeling kind of sick so slept instead.

Saturday I *did* feel better and went to Freddie’s funeral – it was the first one I’d been to since my own mom’s a few years ago and I handled it much better than I thought.

Afterwards, we were meeting at her house which is in the neighborhood where I grew up. So before heading over, I took a tour.

It’s hard to see behind the big tree, but this is the house I grew up in.

These are pictures of the parking lot where I first learned to avoid running in PE class 🙂

4 laps was a mile — and it would take me the whole class to get through it!!

Funny how things seem closer and smaller when we get bigger.

Eydie and I spent a few hours talking about a lot of stuff. Just a little bit of history here – we met in first grade and I can’t remember a time when we weren’t friends. And as hard as it is, I am so glad I was able to be there for her.

Thanksgiving this year really reminded me how much I have to be thankful for. I got to spend some great time with my dad and family and some really quality time with one of my dearest friends. Even when I get cranky, I’m still happy to be there!

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday and got to spend time with those who are most important to you!!

Tags: family, Friendship, Holidays, thankful, Thanksgiving

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Categories Baking, Brothers, Dad, Family, Food, Friendship, Holidays, Nephew, pie, Pops, Running, Thankful, Thanksgiving, Travel

Let the Countdown Begin!!!

23 Nov

Well folks, it’s almost Thanksgiving! That means it’s almost travel time!! It would really be helpful if I had actually unpacked from my LAST trip right?

Luckily, going to Houston is generally a pretty casual affair — and usually I pack all wrong!! I try to bring something a little more dressy than yoga pants or jeans (shorts?). This time, for reasons I may write about later, I’m making sure to pack a nice dark dress.

I wish I had one of these!!!

I’m bringing paper work to do, since I still can’t work remotely and my manager wants me to be able to bill some hours on Tuesday and Wednesday (Friday is a holiday but I may still do a couple hours then, depending on what’s going on!)

There will be baking with my two favorite assistants on Wednesday afternoon and side-dish making with the Chef de Cuisine for the week – my brother! I plan on attempting home made rolls (instead of the store-bought ones we usually have – but maybe there should be backups!) and I am going to bake a couple of great items from Sally’s Baking Addiction — LOVE her recipes!! Love.

So lots of eating, lots of baking (I try to fill up Pop’s freezer!) and lots of togetherness!

But first? I have a long list of things to get done today!!

Tags: Holidays, Thanksgiving, travel

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Categories Baking, Family, Packing, Thankful, Travel

Thanksgiving Thursday!

1 Nov

**I was sure I had posted this yesterday but…here it was in my drafts so you get a special edition Thursday on Friday***

Whoa! Halloween and Thanksgiving in one day!??! You betcha!

Today I am Thankful that the job I wanted came through.

This means no more pinching pennies (though, if you know me, you know I still will/do!) and I am REALLY looking forward to my first post-payday trip to the grocery store!!