End of the month...

Wow. I need to dedicate more time to this. Just figured out my NY resolution. Once a week, whether it needs it or not, this blog is getting updated. Unlike my 12 resolutions of 2010 (all of which I failed at, I think), I'm going to stick with one and do it. Pick one thing, and it gets done, excellently. 2-3 things and maybe 2 get done, marginally. Any more than that, and it's setting yourself up to fail. And I hate that. Failing. Almost as much as being helpless.

So, let's start the new year off. Almost a month late, but whatever. My first thoughts on new years day this year included, "how did I get home?", "how did I get to wherever I am (which clearly is not home)?", and "where are my pants?". To answer them, I didn't get home until later in the day, for I was dogsitting my dear friends dear friend. I believe a couple of saints delivered me to the couch, though I don't really have any recollection of the ride home. Other than talking a lot. I think. Pants were safely recovered....for some reason, I thought under my pillow was a good place for them. And to answer the question I know you're all asking, I woke up alone, save for my friends pup.

It was a good new years, as good as one can be. There was flip cup and friends and Patron Cafe and gummi bears and keg stands and hats (not just party hats, fedoras!), and champagne and dancing and most importantly of all, no frakking snow! The only way it could have been better would have been to have my friends from MN here. After getting through Christmas sans friends and family (but with a cute Brit), I was a bit blue about starting the new year off with people I've known less than half a year. I'm keeping a positive attitude about this move, but there are some days when I sit back and think, "I wish I could click my heels three times, and be back in the 612.". Maybe my friends and family will wise up and move south.

The Monday following, kickball started again, and all seemed to be right with the world. I joined another drinking team with a kickball problem, full of cute boys and fun girls, not the catty kind that I want to punch. We all get along pretty well, but aren't that great at kickball. Flipcup, however, we are undefeated. I feel as though I may have unintentionally created some drama, not because I wanted to, but because I made a decision last year without really thinking or understanding the situation. Obviously alcohol was involved, and I likely would have made the same decision, but only because I wasn't aware of the other entity present. I rarely make decisions to consciously hurt someone, and while that decision wasn't the one that could have hurt, it was the decision to make it known. I probably could have kept my mouth shut, but anyone that knows me knows that's rarely an option either...hence my kickball nickname, "Record Skip".

We've played three games, two losses and one tie. This week got rained out again so makeup games are on Saturday. Unfortunately half of our team won't be there, so hopefully we'll be competitive. I also signed up to edit our newsletter. It's a lot of work, but there was free tequila involved. Plus, it's nice to be a part of something new. And also, I'm super nerdy, so this is right up my alley.

My counterpart at work is leaving at the end of this week, off to brighter pastures across the city. He'll be doing the same thing at a bigger hotel and while I'm extremely happy for him, I'm sad. I'm really going to miss him, though I'd never admit it to his face. We're like siblings and I'm going to miss the camaraderie and the venting and him making me cry at the bar all the time. He makes me think and asks the tough questions and while I don't always agree with his process or opinion, I love and respect him. And I really, truly hope he's happy in his new role.

Along with him leaving, comes twice as much for me until we get a replacement. We are also down an admin assistant so I've been super crazy at work the last couple of weeks. I had a big group in this week and an even bigger one next week, and I know I'm not at the top of my game. I can only be in so many places. I'm not responding to e-mails as quickly, and I think I'm missing the spark in my eye. That twinkle that is there when I'm really happy with something. I should be happy with my work, my clients sure are. For last year, my overall customer satisfaction was over 90%. I'm striving for perfection this year, and knowing my responsiveness is slower than normal is really hitting me hard. Harder than it should. Because I want so desperately to be 100%. Because if I am, I'll feel validated. That this move was the right thing to do. That this job is my passion. That I can overcome. And I'm worried that it's starting out all wrong.

I'll leave with a thought, one that I discovered this morning on something so insignificant as a luggage tag. "We wander for distraction but we travel for fulfillment." -Hilare Belloc It's true. It hit me like a sock full of oranges. I'm at my happiest when I'm traveling. The only trip I took last year that wasn't home was to Arizona for 48 hours. I'm sad that I'm not going to Mexico next month with the greatest people I know, save for my parents. I'm sad that the only trips I have planned for this year are back home. I'm scared that I won't make it to Europe or the Caribbean or somewhere else fabulous. It makes me want to cry that I didn't go to New York last year. Because all of those places fulfill a simple need in me to be completely anonymous. To be able to walk around all day and night and not know a soul until we're sitting across the bar, or exhibit hall of a museum and one of us catches the others eye and says "Hello.".

It may not be this year, but next year, I will definitely have those moments again. Because I'm tired of wandering.

Wowza!

Ok. So I finally have a minute to breathe. Or two even. I've been literally going non-stop since my parents arrived here three weeks ago. It was absolutely wonderful having them in town, and it was super sad to leave them for the left coast.

I had a great trip to California - haven't been to LA in at least 10 years - learned a lot at our class, saw a TON of beautiful scenery, saw some good friends I haven't seen in ages, ate really well and only embarrassed myself once (all blame goes to Rob and tequila). I'd forgotten how gorgeous the mountains and the ocean are in Cali. Our training class was at the Newport Beach Marriott, and when it was over, I took the Pacific Coast Highway all the way up to LA from Laguna Beach. I've long said that my next move will be to the Big Apple, but I might have to detour to live in the mountains.

I ate my weight in In 'N Out burgers, had an amazing meal at Rivera (I highly recommend olive oil poached lobster served with melon cubes and a green chile gelee), saw the Hollywood sign, the building where Michael Jackson is buried, took a lovely drive down and up Mullholland, drove past the Chateau Marmont, and finally up the PCH to Malibu. Dear god there are some AMAZING homes with stunning views in southern California. I want an address on Mullholland Drive. There were a couple times I literally had my breath taken away. Thankfully I didn't drive myself off a cliff.

I would love to say that when I got back from my vacation that I was refreshed and ready to get back to work. In fact, the opposite happened. I walked back into three large groups checking in on successive days, a client meeting with my first social function in years (read = lots of work), and an ambush of sorts. I'm really hoping it gets better, and it's seemed to in the last week or so, because really, it needs to. I also need to take a crash course in letting the things I have no control over go and not worry about them.

Our fall kickball league has started and we're now 2-1. Go Team America!! Voodoo Fest is every bit as amazing as I've heard. Darkness Day was an absolute blast (more on that separately). I miss my friends in MN and my family terribly. And that's pretty much it. Same old, different day. At least it's cooled off in the big sleazy.

This is what happens....

When I forget to post already written blog entries....from 10/4.......

In true impulsive form, I will be back in the TC for less than 48 hours for one of the best beer events of the year. After having my Facebook and Twitter feeds jammed with Autumn Brew Review and Surlyfest updates, I said no more. I'm not missing another one. So sayeth the brewer.

See you drinkin'.

I'm back in the Big Easy now....if you didn't see me, your loss. You'll just have to make more of an effort when I'm back next time. 11/14 at Stub and Herbs, I think.

California Dreamin.....

Yup, I'm in Cali. Hoping that my travel day on Sunday will allow me to get y'all caught up on the last few days of my parents visit as well as a recap of this AMAZING training class I attended.

I'm a little annoyed the sun isn't out yet, but guess what? I'm in SoCal and you're not.

Superfastrecap

SofastImaynotevenuseproperpunctuationorspacing.

Who am I kidding?! You and I both know that would drive me insane.

So. Um. After the Vikings game...where do I begin? St. Practice Day? My new fourth favorite day of the year (it's 6 months from St. Patrick's day if you didn't figure it out). Also, if this particular St. Practice Day was any indication, I most definitely need the practice. Then there was the St. Practice recovery day. Then there was Vikings football and a most pleasant surprise.

Then, one of my oldest, most awesome friends, Jen came to town. And I didn't get a lot of sleep for a few days. There was a random kickball game that we played in. There was the eating of good food (ok, so that's a given). Then a breather night. And yet another night in the Quarter (somehow I managed to stay off Bourbon Street). A scavenger hunt birthday party. An introduction. A continuation. More football. The start of a new kickball team. And Krav.

I'm exhausted just typing that. Future outlook? Lots of work, more kickball, more Krav, a visit from the rents, a training class and mini-vacation....and....well....hopefully. :)

Labor Day weekend in the desert.

These short weeks are spoiling me...I had planned on taking the day after our draft off, knowing full well how fantasy football drafts go. What I hadn't planned was being on a plane that afternoon. Apparently one of my good friends had a free ticket on Delta he needed to use, and I didn't have any plans for the weekend, so I said 'what the hell?!', and off to sunny AZ we were.

After a relatively uneventful couple of flights (super cool neighbor on the second leg), the first stop? In 'n Out Burger. I mean duh, where else would it have been?! I'll give you a point if you guessed bar, since that's also a reasonable place for me to go right off the bat. I hadn't been to the western part of the states in god knows how long, so I was an In 'n Out virgin. I've heard it's amazing, and all my friends that have been there rave about it on and on and on and on, so of course I had to try it. I don't generally eat fast food, as a former fat kid, I really have to be careful about what I eat, but there are always exceptions to rules, and this was too good to pass up. I really didn't think I'd eat the whole thing, but dear god was it delicious. Yes, I had a Double Double Animal Style. I still have no idea what "animal style' means, other than pure awesomeness.

After that we checked into the W, I scored a sweet new dress and off to some gay bar we went. It wasn't super crowded, got a spot at the bar, had numerous jello shots (they were for a good cause!!), met some cool servers and some other cool peeps. There are quite a few things I love about gay bars, which I just decided I will dedicate an entire blog post to in the future. At some point I guess the bartenders wanted to go home, so we hopped a pedi-cab and back to the hotel we went. Super swank room at the W - not nearly as cool as the one I stayed at in Minneapolis, but it was nice. I slept on the killer purple couch.

Saturday we had to run a couple of errands - picking up stuff, mailing it back to MN, haircuts and eyebrow waxes, a bit of shopping, and of course, mimosas. After accomplishing all of these goals, we stopped at a little go-kart place because if I'm anything, it's a giant kid. Go-Karts, Bumper Boats, and Skee Ball!! Ok, so my back hurt a little after playing Skee Ball for an hour, and I learned that I'm now too big for go-karts (also, don't wear a skirt to go-kart; lesson learned), but it seriously was a super fun afternoon.

We switched hotels on Saturday, something about keeping platinum status or something, so we ended up at the Phoenician. In a word, stunning. I work in the hospitality industry, so it's rare that I'm impressed with a hotel or resort, but this place was incredible. Might be the only time in my life I've stayed at a 5-diamond resort. It was gorgeous. After an afternoon spent being ridiculously lazy, we were off to the bar. Went back to the same one and it was much busier. I'm not generally a fan of packed bars, but after a couple of drinks, I was fine. Managed to meet about the only straight single guy in the place, which was awesome (it'd be even more awesome if I remembered his name....). The four of us went kicked it at an after bar somewhere and then back to the hotel to be bums.

Sunday brought more errands, more arguments and more food. We ended up back at the W at some point in the afternoon. Room wasn't ready, so we went to Sushi Roku to cocktail and kill time until the room was ready, or I had to be at the airport, whichever came first. After a while a couple chicks came down from the pool and we started talking to them. Super cool girls, which doesn't happen very often. Their friends were playing at some bar who's name I also can't recall, so I walked there with them and took a cab to the airport to catch my red eye back to the Big Sleaze.

Overall it was a decent weekend...not too expensive, not too many arguments. It was however, nice to be back here. It's almost starting to feel like home. But that's yet another story for a different day.

I have...

....THE BESTEST FRIENDS EVER!!!!!!!

I've been going back and forth, trying to find cheap flights to get out of town for the weekend. Turns out I didn't have to do any work. This little lady is off to Scottsdale for the weekend, courtesy of Delta and one of the bestest people on the whole damn planet (blood relatives notwithstanding).

Leave it to me to go from hot to hotter, literally, not figuratively. Sigh, at least I'll get to experience In 'n Out Burger.