Wine & Love

Good Morning & Happy Thursday.  It's been pretty quiet around these parts lately, and it will likely be like this for awhile...  but in an effort to not go a week without blogging, here is my Wine & Love for the week, hosted by the lovely Nora!

Wine:
-  Work stuff continues to stress me out.  I will have to be vague because you never know who is going to stumble upon your blog.  But it hasn't been pleasant lately.  My boss is equally frustrated and isn't sleeping well either.  Misery loves company, I guess, so at least we can vent to each other.
- I feel like I have no free time right now.  I am trying to put in 20 hours of studying a week which means 2 hours 4 nights a week and 6 hours on Sat and Sun.  Which doesn't sound like much, but feels like a lot.  But I keep reminding myself it's temporary...  June will come fast, I'm sure. 
- I might have to go back to Chicago for another work trip.  Usually this would make me happy as I love Chicago but I simply do not have time for a business trip as the CFA studying has taken over my life and I can't afford to lose a couple of days.  I am hoping I can just do a day trip and fly out super early & come back late that day.

Love:
- I got some awesome birthday gifts in the mail this week!  My parents sent me a webber grill!  I can't wait to figure out how to use this (ahem, have my brother show me).  And Nora sent me 2 Paris books!  I'm a total Francophile, so receiving anything related to France makes me grin ear to ear!
- The tilapia lime tacos I made last week turned out great and have been great as leftovers - which I eat in the evening and not at work.  I think we can all agree that regardless of whether you like fish/seafood, reheated seafood is the WORST SMELL EVER.  Unfortunately some of my co-workers do not realize this and continue to heat up things w/ fish/seafood...  I guess that is another wine of mine that creeped into my love for the week!
- I have a quiet weekend ahead of me, which is what I need as March is starting off busy with a wedding in North Dakota and then 2 babies showers the following weekend.  So I am going to savor this quiet, plan-free weekend!

What's your wine/love of the week?

Wine and Love - 2012 v1

It's been awhile since I've done a wine & love post, so I thought I'd participate this week!  Nora is the host, hop over to her blog to link up with her!

Wines:
- Packing for a 5 day trip in a carry-on is so challenging.  But I am just too cheap to pay to check a bag, and I hate waiting for luggage as it wastes so much time.  It's especially challenging because I have to bring 2 different business suits - which are so bulky!  And I usually try to bring my hot rollers (that is so not happening this trip most likely)  Ay yi yi.  This is going to be interesting.  But really, I feel sheepish even complaining about this because a good chunk of the trip *is* a vacation.
- I'm a little worried about how much I am going to have to pay out-of-pocket for my surgery...  My employer changed health plans this year, and everyone is required to do a high-deductible plan...  I won't bore you with the details, but basically, I think I am going likely have to pay for a decent chunk of the bill.  I know the surgery will be worth it, I just wish it wasn't so expensive.

Loves:
- Erin made my favorite crock pot recipe this week - and LOVED it!  I always get nervous recommending things to people, so it's a huge relief when they love what I recommended!
- My check point friendly backpack arrived this week, so the airport security process will be a bit smoother going forward.  What makes the backpack special is that you don't have to take your laptop out!  It's nice to skip that step!
- I get to see Becky, Amber, Nora, Nilsa, and Lesli this weekend when I am in Chicago!  I can't wait for this girls weekend to Chicago.  We'll be visiting Frank Lloyd Wright's home & studio (a must do if you are going to Chicago, IMO), enjoying the delicious food Chicago has to offer, doing lots of walking, painting our nails, and drinking lots of coffee, I think.  Should be a wonderful weekend!
- Mandy sent me a beautiful sunshine yellow 9x13 fiestaware dish as an early Birthday present.  Which means I MUST have a dinner party soon and put it to use!

What's your wine/love of the week?

Wine and Love

Time for another edition of wine and love, thought of by the lovely Nora!  You all know the drill by now!

Wine:
- That sinus infection I've had since around mid-September?  Still has not gone away.  I started to feel better last week and then regressed after getting the stomach flu and actually feel worse than I have in weeks.  Boo.  I see my ENT on Friday and at this point, I am hoping to just have the surgery (apparently it's not too bad and can be very effective).  I have been on 5 rounds of antibiotics and 2 rounds of steroids.  It's not working!
- I haven't been able to drink coffee for the last 2 weeks (or any spicy or acidic foods) because my current antibiotic bugs my stomach so much.  :(
- Yesterday felt like Thursday.  So today should be Friday.  But it's Thursday.  Meh.

Love:
- We are still having really mild weather.  Last year at this time, we had had 3 blizzards!  This year?  Not so much - we just have a little bit of snow and the temps have not dropped below zero yet.  I am enjoying it while it lasts!
- I only have one gift left to purchase, and all the gifts I have purchased are wrapped!  I feel super ready for Christmas!  Shopping on Cyber Monday really helped.  I am NEVER done this early.
-   I am hosting a casual get together with friends on Saturday!  More on that tomorrow...
- I have read some great books lately, like "Secret Daughter," which Kelly recommended.  Since I haven't felt great lately, I have been staying in more and I spend many of my evening hours reading!

What is your wine/love for this week?

Wine and Love v17

Greetings and Happy Thursday everyone!  It's almost the weekend!  Woo hip!  This post theme was thought up & is hosted by the lovely Nora!  Go tell her hi - she rocks!

Wine:
- I don't know what my deal is, but I have been feeling extremely tired lately.  Maybe my body is catching up on consecutive months of sleep deprivation?
- I feel like I no longer have an immune system.  I have been sick so much in the last 6 weeks (and have been on 3 rounds of antibiotics).  It's ridiculous.  I better get a couple of months of good health after being so sick for so long!

Love:
- Despite the fact that I coughed up a storm during my Chicago office visit, it apparently went very well, as the reps asked if I can come back on a quarterly basis.  This makes me very happy because a) it means they think I am competent and trust me to talk to their clients (which is very important) and b) I have lots of family and friends in the Chicago-area, so traveling to this city on a regular basis is a VERY good thing. 
- Saturday night is Julia Child night!!!  24 people will be attending this year and I am super duper excited.  I'll tell you more about it in tomorrow's French Friday post!!
- The weather has been absolutely gorgeous here lately.  I think this is the nicest fall that I can remember in a very, very long time.  I am savoring these beautiful fall days while they last as I know winter is just around the corner.
- My family will be in Minneapolis for Thanksgiving and there is talk of me possibly hosting dinner on Friday night!  I am really excited about this - it will give me an excuse to use both of the leaves of my huge dining room table.  See, I knew it was a good decision to buy that table!

What are your wine & love of the week?

And P.S. today I will be guest posting about tips for a first half marathon on my friend Heidi's blog.  Stop over later today and wish her luck - she runs her first half on Sunday!!!

Wine and Love v16

Wine:
 - I'm sort of running myself into the ground, once again, with the over-scheduling.  I really need to work on this. I know this is the phase of my life when I should take advantage of the freedoms of being single and childless, but I have been taking that to the extreme as once again I had maybe 3 free nights this month.  My goal is to have one night to myself each week in October.
- People in airports.  I wish there was a special line for frequent travelers.  I have no patience for people who don't know the drill.  How do you live in the US and not know about removing your shoes...  or the liquids-in-a-quart-sized-bag rule.  Seriously.  These are not new rules.  It's been this way for YEARS.
- Work stuff.  I won't go into it as you never know who is reading this, but this has not been my favorite week at work.  I am actually looking forward to my business trip next week (even though I am super nervous about the client visits I will be doing) as I will be on the road for those 4 days and sort of disconnected from what is happening back at the office.  I kind of need that right now. 

Love:
- The cooler temps we have had lately.  I think this weather is downright glorious.  Especially for running!  And it's chili/soup/stew season.  Mmm.
- I love that traveling to Charlotte has reinforced my love of Minneapolis. I mean, it's clear that I love my city, but traveling to another city makes me appreciate Minneapolis even more.  If I ever had to move, I would miss the lakes, rivers, and running/walking paths.  I feel very lucky to live in such a beautiful area.
- I have another fun weekend ahead of me!  Kyria is flying in for the weekend.  I can't wait to show her around.  It's "Oktoberfest" at the Farmer's Market, so we'll check that out, bum around my neighborhood, and then meet up with Raquelita to run a 10 mile race on Sunday!
- My nook.  I finally got around to figuring out how to download books from the library.  I have always loved my nook, but I especially love it now that I am traveling so much!!

Your turn - what's your wine/love of the week?

Wine and Love v15

I took a couple of weeks off from Wine and Love, but I am back this week with my grievances and loves.  Play along.  Nora hosts. 

Wine:
- It's dark when I bike to work now.  I know this is to be expected as we move into fall...  At least it is still light out when I get home from work!
- In preparation for all the business travel I have coming up, I went on a shopping spree at Banana Republic this week.  Luckily, nearly everything was 40% off and I got an additional 15% off as I had a coupon.  So that helped, but it still took a dent out of my checking account.  I just keep reminding myself that it's an investment.
- I have been kind of stressed about my trip to Charlotte for work.  It's just an office visit and the intent is for me to get to know some of the traders, but I just keep hearing how intense it is down there and how I better have a good question to ask when I meet each trader as they will only have time to answer one question.  The environment is NOT like that at all in my office in Minneapolis so I am just a bit apprehensive...  Hopefully I come back next week and say it wasn't as intense as I thought it would be... 

Love:
- Becoming an aunt.  I went to my knitting store on Tuesday to pick out some pink yarn.  My plan is to knit a couple of hats on the 3 flights I will be taking over the next 4 weeks.
- Even though it sucked to spend the money on work clothes, I really love the clothes I bought.  I found some really flattering things and the pieces I bought are all interchangeable.  Makes it a little more exciting and fun to pick out clothes in the morning!
- Charbelle has a fabulous weekend planned out for us!!  Can't wait to spend some quality time with her.  We have so much to catch up on!  Plus last time I saw her was not under the best of circumstances as I got so sick during that DC 10 mile race and wasn't 100% when we had dinner that night.
- I am now able to take public transportation (the light rail) to and from the airport.  Which saves me money and is way less of a hassle (granted, work would pay for parking... but for personal trips that will save me quite a bit).

Wine and Love v14

Another week of wine and love, where I air my grievances and the things that are making me very happy!

Wine:
- Sleep.  Lately I have been sleeping horribly.  I either struggle to fall asleep or struggle to stay asleep.  I am averaging around 7 hours a night and it's just not enough for me. 
- Furniture assembly. If you are on twitter, you KNOW how much I did NOT enjoy assembling that furniture.
-  I am very lucky to have a very busy life and a full social calendar, but it's sort of been a bit too much lately.  Like in the month of August, I had 2 free week nights.  TWO.  And one of those 'free' nights was spent in a car, driving up to my parents cabin.  It's been a fun month, but it's been exhausting.  A corollary of this is that I feel like I have to apologize when I have to say no to something because I am busy or just plain need a night to myself.

Love:
- Tonight, Canada Amber flies in and tomorrow Iowa Amber arrives for the weekend!!  Our group is smaller than originally planned due to some things that came up for the others, but I am SUPER DUPER excited to host these 2.  We have lots of fun plans, which include wedding dress shopping (for Canada Amber), a grilled dinner at my house, the state fair, watching "One Day" (which we've all read), and biking around Minneapolis!  I am sure I will have pictures to share and stories to tell next week!
- As much as I hated assembling my furniture, I love the actual furniture.  My place is starting to look more put together!  Everything was sort of in limbo until I got the couch - now I can start making decisions about what to do with the rest of my living room/den area/etc.
- I have tomorrow off!  I haven't had a day off since the weekend of the 4th so I am due for this!  I can't wait to spend the day with the Ambers!

Have a wonderful weekend!  I am sure I will be back with a recap next week!

Wine and Love v13

Another week almost come and gone!  Where is the time going?  Feeling like expressing your wines and loves?  Link up over at Nora's blog! 

Wine:
- No matter what I try, I can not seem to get rid of the eczema on my leg.  It has my dermatologist baffled as it's only on one leg.  I have tried cortizone, gold bond powder, a topical cream from the derm, a oral steroid, jojoba oil, and now I am trying zinc oxide.  Seriously hoping the zinc oxide is the cure!
- Work has been a bit stressy this week.
- I really, really, really dislike vague/cryptic facebook statuses.  Actually, I could write a whole post about my pet peeves with facebook.  I would deactivate my account but it's a good way to see pics for friends' children and stay in touch with aunts/uncles/cousins/etc.

Love:
- The couch I have had my eye on for over a month finally was in stock at Ikea!  It was delivered on Tuesday (along with a dining room set) and I actually managed to assemble it almost totally on my own!  That's shocking - assembling is NOT my thing!
- Visitors!!  Yes, that required bolding.  This week I had 2 friends over on Tuesday, my cousin came last night and spent the night, and my aunt & uncle are coming over tomorrow night!  So fun to live in an area that actually attracts visitors.  That was SO not the case in my suburban condo!
- The weather.  Oh my gosh, the weather has seriously been just amazing and perfect lately.  Makes a HUGE difference when the temps are normal and the humidity is contained! 
- I had an amazing weekend at the cabin with my family last weekend!  I slept so well, relaxed a ton, and soaked up the time with family.  It was downright blissful. 
- I am going to the womans finals of the National Gymnastics Competition on Saturday night.  I am such a gymnastics dork so I am super duper excited!  Some of these girls will be on the Olympcis team next year so it will be cool to say I saw them live!!  Eeks! 

Wine and Love v12

Another week of Wine and Love!  Brought to you by the fabulous Nora!

Wine:
- Yesterday.  I biked to work as usual but the docking stations by my office were not accepting bikes for some reason.  So I went to the next station that was a couple of blocks away and docked my biked.  I walked the 3 blocks to work and then realized I did not have my purse - I HAD LEFT IT iIN THE BASKET ON THE BIKE.  I then ran as fast as I could (in heels) back to the bike station.  Luckily, the purse was still there.  But my heart was racing and I was basically drenched in sweat from running/panicking.  Not a good start to the day.  That said, I am incredibly lucky that no one took my purse. 
- When I grilled my dinner last Saturday night, the grilling/pool area was like an all out frat party.  There was chanting and yelling and jumping in the pool.  These boys were not college aged, but they sure acted like it.  Not impressed.  I felt really out of place reading my nook whilst grilling. 

Love:
- I went out last Thursday night and had a great time.  I definitely over-indulged, to say the least, but considering the fact it was the first time I was intoxicated in 6+ months, I am not going to beat myself up too much.  It was a going away happy hour for a couple that is moving later this month.  I am sad to see them go, but am thrilled that they are moving to a location that is pretty cheap to fly to!
- My brother set up my patio furniture so I am now able to utilize that space!  I ate my first meal outdoors on Tuesday night and it was glorious.
- The weather has been cooler lately and I am LOVING it.  I'm no longer in a rush for fall to get here!
- I'm heading back to the cabin this weekend to help my mom celebrate her birthday!  Should be another fun weekend of family time.

What your wine(s)/love(s)?

Wine and Love v11

Another week of Wine and Love, brought to you by the ever-fabulous Nora!

Wine:
- After watching prices for months, I bought my plane ticket to Seattle for my half marathon trip.  Then days later the price dropped by $50.  Of course.  I should NOT have looked at the price again.  Sometimes ignorance is bliss, you know?
- I am working on a scarf and realized I made a mistake 2 rows back...  which means I have to take out 1,200 stitches.  1,200, people.  That is a freaking lot.  So annoyed with myself for not double checking the pattern. 

Love:
- Reclaiming my status as social butterfly.  I said no to pretty much every happy hour and most invitations for weekend plans when I was studying for the CFA.  Now that I am on a study break until December, I can fill up my calendar with fun stuff once again!  I figure I need to say yes to think now because come December, I will go back to being a recluse!
- Spending time with family at the lake cabin last week.  We all swam out to the raft together and then my mom brought margaritas out on the paddle boat.  Talk about a full service swimming experience!! 
- Getting some alone time with my grandma.  That doesn't happen very often when you have a big family like mine!
- My aunt had surgery this week and it went well.  Fingers crossed she heals swiftly. 

Your turn - what was your wine & love of the week?

Wine and Love v10

You all know the drill.  It's wine and love time - post theme brought to you by the lovely Nora! 

Wine:
- My gradma has not been doing very well lately.  She has been in the ER multiple times as her BP keeps spiking and they can't seem to figure out what is causing it.  Luckily I will see her this weekend and will get some alone time with her, which I am very thankful for.
- This whole debt ceiling debacle.  It frustrates me on so many levels.  Regardless of your political affiliation, I think all Americans can agree that a compromise of some sort has to be reach asap.  It's really a shame that we might lose our AAA credit rating, which means that interest rates will likely rise - which is bad for EVERYONE, especially considering the fact that our economy is still in the midst of a recovery that has sort of stalled out.  ** steps off soap box ** 
- The 3 things I ordered during the Ann Taylor Loft online sale arrived and they do not fit me.  They are so big on me, and no I am most definitely not losing weight.  They must have changed their sizing.  Super bummed as I was very excited about the jean skirt.  Here's hoping the local store carries it!

Love:
- Passing Level I of the CFA.  No need to expound on that, you all know how much that meant to me.  And one of closest friends brought me beautiful congratulatory flowers.  Actually, they were from her 7 month old son.  He's a charmer.  Little does he know he is the first guy to give me flowers in * pauses to calculate * 4 years.  Ufda.  Perhaps that is something for the wine list instead.  Ha.
- Living across a bridge from one of my closest friends from college.  It's awesome to just walk across the bridge if I want to meet up for a drink or something.  Sadly, she is moving soon, but I will enjoy her and her husband's company while I can!
- Pickle juice.  I know this disgusting to many, but it's a great way for me to replenish my sodium level after these intense run club workouts!
- The weekend I have ahead of me!  I'll celebrate my youngest nephew's baptism and my oldest nephew's 7th birthday.  Can I just tell you how much fun I had picking out the books for his birthday present??  He reads a grade level ahead so I was able to pick out some fun chapter books.  :)

Your turn!  What's your wine(s) and love(s) of the week?

Wine and Love v9

Woo hoo - almost the weekend!  You know the drill.  Nora hosts.  We talk about what drives us to grab for a glass of wine and what we are loving.

Wine:
- The heat.  I know some people think we are babies to complain about 110+ heat indexes, but raise your hand if you have experiences both 110+ heat indexes and a -30 wind chill this year....  I feel that since we have had both extremes, I can complain about this heat.  It's ridiculous and does not make it very enjoyable to do anything.


Love:
- The new iPhone ap/website "My Fitness Pal".  It's genius, really.  I've been tracking my food intake/exercise for the last 10 days or so and it's been very eye opening.  Like it turns out that I rarely eat enough carbs.  Which isn't surprising since I am gluten free.  But as a runner, that is something I need to work on as carbs are very important.  I will probably do a post on this at some point!
- The rec center where my run club meets gave us popsicles after our workout on Wednesday!  And I got one of my fave flavors - rootbeer!!  Mmm!  You are never too old to enjoy a popsicle.  :)
- Searching for recipes for the dinner I will host when some bloggers come to town next month! 
- The fact that I will be home this weekend.  I was going to say it was going to be an unplanned weekend, but I have run club Sat am, a skype chat on Sat afternoon, a bbq Sat night, a potential brunch on Sunday, and then I will attend a musical on Sunday afternoon.  And maybe meet a friend's baby if she is up for visitors.  :)  So sort of a decent amount of stuff, but I have Friday night free and most of Saturday afternoon free. 
- My run club.  I did not enjoy this week's workout because this heat and humidity sucks my will to live, but it's really fun to run with others!
- Making plans for my half marathon trip to Victoria, BC.  Super duper excited for this!

What are you wine & love of the week?  I love that I only have one wine for the week.  Life is pretty darn fantastic these days.  I don't have much to complain about, and for that, I feel very blessed.

Wine and Love v8

It's Thursday!  Woo hip!  Well, actually, it's my Friday since I move tomorrow and all so I took the day off.  This my wine & love of the week - post theme thought up by Nora! 

Wine:
- Let me preface this wine by saying, I really do love my job.  But this week sucked.  My boss has promised me that it will get better - and I trust him, so I hope he works his magic soon, because this whole reorg thing has wreaked havoc on my role thus far.
- I am bleeding money.  Seriously.  This week I found out about a moving fee that I wasn't told about.  And then I found out about another background check that the HOA wants to run.  And I found out that the leasing agent didn't schedule an elevator for my move.  There are so many freaking moving parts that need to line up between me moving out and moving into the new building and the carpet cleaner coming and AHHH.  I just want to be done with the moving part so I can focus on the settling in part. 

Love:
- The rate on my mortgage reset this month and now it's 2.875%.  OMG - that is freaking low!  I got very lucky as it reset on a day when the 1 year Treasury Rate was at the lowest point of the year.  Hooray for my payment going down about $75!!
- I got some quality time with my family last weekend which was awesome.
- I have a long weekend so should have plenty of time to get settled into the new place!
- I worked late on Monday so to lift my spirits, I decided to swing by the grocery store in my new neighborhood to get a feel for what life will be like, post-move.  OMG I have never seen so many men in a grocery store - most of which were alone.  This might just be my new hang out spot.  Perhaps I should volunteer to hand out samples or something.  ;) 
- Today is my last day of commuting by bus and car!  I will gain back over 6 hours each week!!!  That's huge!
- This video because it makes me laugh.  It's a cinematic (well, I am using that word loosely) representation of how I sort of felt this week at work.  Warning - it is a bit gory...   It's really short, like 20 seconds, so check it out.  I may have watched it 5+ times yesterday - and laughed every time I watched it!

Wine and Love v8

You all know the drill!  It's hosted by the lovely Nora of Walking with Nora!

Wine:
- I do not like the words "restructuring".  My department is going through that right now.  It *shouldn't* impact me, but we'll see how it all plays out.  I'll meet my boss's new boss next Monday - it will be good to get to know him and get a feel for what he is like.
- I have this painful blister on the side of my heel that will not go away.  I didn't really get any blisters when training for the marathon, so it's odd that I am getting them when I am running way fewer miles/week. 
- Speaking of skin maladies, I have the worst eczema on my leg.  The topical cream the doctor gave me wasn't working so they put me on a steroid for a week.  That didn't work either.  Besides being super itchy/uncomfortable, it looks HORRIBLE. 

Love:
- Today is my Friday.  I am meeting up with a friend tonight after work and then tomorrow morning I will head to the cabin for the weekend.  Can't wait!
- I got to go out to happy hour with my SIL that lives here in the cities.  I am very, very fortunate as my brothers have both married women that I think of as sisters, not sisters-in-law.  My sisters also married men that I consider brothers.  I really hit the jackpot on in-laws, big time.
- I move a week from tomorrow.  Hip hip hooray!  Next week 2 of my girlfriends are coming over to help me pack up my kitchen.  I am definitely very, very thankful for their help!  We'll start the night with one final meal in my condo + wine before getting to work!!
- My aunt who is battling cancer had wonderful blood test results on Monday!  Fingers crossed that her scans go well in August.

Wine and Love v7

Another week of wines & loves!!  You can link up over at Nora's blog if you decide to participate!

Wine:
- Allergy season has come late here in Minnesota.  You know, since we didn't have a spring and all.  I could do without all the cotton and pollen floating around in the air.  It's kind of tough to blow your nose on a run, I don't exactly carry kleenexes with me...
- Being a home owner is so expensive sometimes.  This week I had to have my freezer repaired & my patio screen re-screened.  Le sigh.  Between the expense of moving and these repairs, June is going to be one expensive month!

Love:
- I have my last finance exam next Thursday.  This one is a short one on financial regulations.  I cannot wait to be done with tests for the year.  Well, assuming I pass.  And I freaking better pass (I'll find out immmediately like I did the for the series 7).
- I am really on top of packing. 
- It's great to have time to cook delicious meals again.  On Sunday I made a pork tenderloin, mashed potatoes, and green beans.  Mmm. 
- Finding almond milk yogurt at the grocery store.  It's pricey, but it will be a nice treat for me!  And another good source of calcium. 
- Having a full social calendar again.  This week I had HH with friends on Tuesday, dinner with a friend on Wednesday, and a bbq with a friend tonight. 
- I will FINALLY get to meet my new nephew, Charlie, when I go to the cabin this weekend!  I am sure I'll be back with pictures next week.

Wine and Love v6

Here is this week's wine and love, concept thought up by the lovely Nora! 

Wine:

• My amazing ability to get sinus infections at inoportune moments (not that there is ever a good time to get sick).  I got a sinus infection the week of Christmas, right before leaving for Paris, and the week of the CFA exam.  It was lovely answering questions with a pounding sinus headache. 
• Missing the cut-off for canceling my bus pass for July by 2 days.  There goes $76. 
• The chaos that is my condo right now.  Boxes, boxes, everywhere!  I move 3 weeks from tomorrow!!
• Tuesday night was exhausting.  I ran way too many errands in one night and it was over 100 degrees.
• But then Wednesday sucked even more.  I couldn't find a dress in my closet that I recently had altered.  No idea where it could have gone.  Then I got a speeding ticket on the way to my park & ride (first speeding ticket ever, so pissed at myself).  So I then missed my bus so got to work later than I like to.  To calm myself down, I pulled out "The Art of Racing in the Rain" and got to a super sad part and then proceeded to cry.  On a packed bus.  Mortifying. 

Love:

• Getting my first article published at work last week.  The article is about an investment product called STRIPS.  I won't bore you with an explanation of what they are because I know it's only interesting to me.  My boss and I had lots of laughs trying to come up with a good title for the article that wasn't risque.  Because you couldn't really entitle it, "Stripping for money" or "Intro to Stripping" or "Finding Value in Stripping" for obvious reasons. 
• Cutting into an avocado that is PERFECTLY ripe!  Yea!  Now if they would just come down in price a bit! 
• Peach black iced teas from Caribou.  Be still my heart.  And they started a frequency program, every 8th drink is free, which is a good deal, I think!
• The fact that I move in 3 weeks.  Yes, I am a bit stressed by all I have to do, but I am going to be done with suburbia very soon!

Wine and Love v5

Wine:

• Coming down with a cold last Friday.  Not so great timing for that.  Better last weekend than this coming weekend, but still...  Super annoying.
• Stress. 
• Going to home improvement stores, like Home Depot.  I despise going to places like this, but it was a necessary evil as I have a few projects to complete before moving out.

Love: 

• All this CFA craziness will be over after Saturday.  I'll be celebrating with my parents and aunt & uncle on Saturday night.  I think a lot of margaritas will be consumed (well, by me, maybe not by the others!)!
• I got to help my nephew celebrate his 6th birthday yesterday!!
• My new iPhone!  There are some things I miss about my blackberry (like having an actual keyboard - I don't like the touch screen keyboard), but I do love my new phone.  And access to great aps, like Words With Friends - my user name is ldotz - look me up if you have this ap! 
• Organizing my closet during my study break this weekend.  It was nice to do something that made me feel 'in control'.  And my closet looks fantastic right now.

This is my last post until after the CFA.  I'll likely take a couple of days off next week to bask in the fact that I no longer have this test looming over me.  Oh, and I won't be able to tell you if I passed or not - I will find out in 2 months.  I think they must send our test results to some remote grading location by way of a carrier pigeon or something because that is an exorbitantly long time to wait for test results.

Wish me luck!  Have a great weekend everyone!

Wine and Love v4

It's week 4, you know the drill.  Post theme brought to you by Nora! 

Wine:

• A male counterpart who can't seem to wrap his mind around the fact that I am not an admin.  Not that I have anything against admins - I don't.  It's just that is totally not my job.  But he thinks - she's female she must be an admin.  Grr....
• Not getting enough sleep.  It's uber annoying that I get tired mid-afternoon and then get my 2nd wind right around 9 pm.  My internal clock is so messed up. I've had a couple of nights where I've gotten about 3 hours of sleep, which is not nearly enough for me.  Thank God for coffee!
• Arrogance.  I firmly believe it's one of the most unattractive qualities in a human being  I've had some encounters with exorbantly arrogant people lately and it makes my skin crawl. 

Love:

• Having dinner with some girlfriends on Saturday night.  It was one of those night where I drove home, smiling ear-to-ear and thought - I am really lucky to have some amazing friends!  Life is pretty stressy these days, so a carefree, fun evening was just what I needed! 
• Being an aunt again to a beautiful baby boy.   
• Moving.  I am moving in a little over a month (more to come on this later).  Yes, I have my work cut out for me, but holy batman, this is going to have such a positive impact on my life.  I will live .7 miles from work.  Adios 40 minute commute in the car/bus.  Adios cat-in-a-stroller pushing residents.  Hello 10 minute walk!!  Hello young, single, 30-somethings that live in my new building.  I am as happy as a bird with a french fry. 
• Showing off my karate kick to my friend's 4 year old - and totally impressing him. 
• Having dinner at my brother's on Tuesday night.  The convesation with my brother & sister was awesome and the time with my 2 nephews was priceless.  I came home with a couple of drawings by Andrew, the soon-to-be 6-year old! 

What's your wine/love of the week?

Wine and Love v3

 Week 3 of Nora's Wine & Love series.  It's pretty cool to see how many people across the interwebs are doing these weekly posts! 






Wine:

• Rain, rain, go away.  Especially when you come with temps in the 40s.  Not cool, mother nature, not cool.
• Eating dinners alone gets really, really old sometimes.  I have always said there isn't anything I won't do alone...  but that doesn't mean I don't wish I had a dinner companion a tad more often.
• Realizing there is a 2 hour lunch break on the day of the CFA.  I don't want a 2 hour break.  Ideally, I would like a 30 minute break so I can inhale some food and get back to the test.  It's a 6 hour test, broken up into 2 3 hour sections - so it's a long enough day without taking a 2 hour break in the middle.

Love:

• My complexion has cleared up and the scarring from my acne is starting to fade to the point that I can run errands make-up free without feeling like I look scary.  That was not the case a few months ago!
• Making post-CFA celebration plans.  My parents and aunt and uncle are helping me celebrate.  Celebration plans include mexican.  And probably multiple margaritas for me.  And maybe some tequila shots.  Ha.
• Sleeping in until 8 on the weekends.  Oh sleep, how I miss you during the week.
• Mid-day runs on weekend study days which really clear my head.  This wouldn't be possible if the weather was warmer, so I guess I should be thankful for the cooler temps?
• Possibly being able to rent out my condo WAY WAY quicker than I thought I could.  Like a month from now I could be moving downtown.  Eeks!  Very exciting...  and lots of figure out.  And if my condo could pack itself, that'd be great. 

Your turn...  what your wine/love of the week?

Wine and Love v2

Wine:
- My Tuesday morning.  It included nearly getting stuck in a dress because I could not get the zipper down, trying on multiple dresses and realizing some dresses I recently bought are just too short for the office, and not being able to figure out where my cleaning service people had put the pan I use to make my eggs each morning.  It was just not my day.
- Not being able to be with my mom on Mother's Day... and not getting to meet my newest niece or nephew right away when the baby is born later this month.  I could never live close to my parents as I am a city girl, through and through, but I don't always love living 4+ hours from them. 
- After telling someone I have been spending a lot of time studying, I heard this comment:  "Oh, I wish I could be more like you and put myself and my needs first.  But I am always putting others first."  Um, ok.  Not sure what to say to that.  So I am selfish for studying?  Right.  Because it's SO MUCH fun. 

Love:
- Finally being able to take the heating blanket off of my bed!  Thank God the cold weather is behind us!
- My running pace improving.  I've taken about 30 seconds/mile off in the last 4 weeks.  Here's hoping that my pace continues to improve! 
- Dreaming about a fall destination half marathon - most likely on the west coast.  Fingers crossed I can make this work!!
- They are making a running path around the lake that is a mile from my condo - so soon I will be able to run by the water without having to drive anywhere!  Woo hoo!

What's your wine/love for the week?