I was sitting in the Aloft Hotel with 2 of my co-workers, having just the best time. Anne H and I had just spent hours upon hours talking and catching up. I'm not even kidding. We talked all the way to the airport, waiting for our plane, the 3 1/2 hour flight to Dallas, and the Uber ride to the hotel. Would you believe we weren't done yet? Upon arriving at the Aloft, we proceeded to the hotel bar to catch up with our co-workers. I cannot tell you what a treat it is to attend the annual team summit. I work from home exclusively, but once in a while it's really nice to see all of the people I normally only hear on the phone. Add to that the complete freedom from responsibility (read: 2 tiny humans who rely on me for absolutely everything) and I was in heaven.
Anne, James S and I enjoyed some well deserved cocktails and talked (and talked). No shop talk, just fun, goofy, gossipy goodness. James told us all about the very fancy sneakers he was contemplating purchasing for his upcoming wedding. I was initially shocked at the price tag on said sneakers, until I remembered the price tag on my wedding dress. Seemed fair, not to mention the shoes are pretty snazzy. We discussed in great detail the foot pop, a la the Princess Diaries, he absolutely must perform to showcase the red soles! While we were chatting, I of course noticed the music playing in the bar because of course I did. The Aloft is a very hip hotel, with a pool table in the lobby, techno playing in the elevator, you get the picture. Electric Love was the perfect fit for the ambience in the hotel and especially in the moment. It's catchy and addicting and cheerful and oh so hip. Nice job Aloft. You put me in the perfect moment surrounded by the perfect people to enjoy it. I'd like to say we closed down the bar and we probably did. I was having too much fun to notice, soon to be followed by 2 more nights just like it!
Friday, February 16, 2018
Sunday, January 21, 2018
Lean On by Major Lazar
It was almost a year post divorce and after trying, unsuccessfully, to date, I had decided what I really needed was some fun. And by fun, I mean young. I looked amazing, thinner than I had ever been, and I wasn't ready for some heavy duty relationship. I just needed an escape from the day-to-day, full time mom gig. Enter Matt. He needed a diversion from studying and living with his parents. It was the ideal situation for both of us. He was a welcome distraction and happily texted me all day long. He would come over in the evenings to hang out with me and watch tv. After the first week, he left on a road trip, sending me pictures of all the fun things he noticed and did along the way. I noticed that he was a lot of fun, so I asked him if we could go out some weekend and look for some fun. His response: Napa, wine tasting, hotel, massages? Mine: Are you kidding? YES PLEASE.
Now you never know how a trip with someone you barely know is going to work out. The good news is that it was a fantastic weekend, devoid of any awkwardness. Matt was a member of several wine clubs, so we received the royal treatment at the wineries. Everything was low key and easy, relaxing and fun. Relaxing and fun was the key to our entire relationship and exactly what we needed. Matt introduced me to meal sharing. No matter what we were eating, burgers, meal entrees, we would always split everything and share which is really the best way to go. He was considerate and thoughtful throughout and it was a memorable trip in so many ways. One of them was when we were getting ready to go somewhere, perhaps the hot tub, and I was playing one of my many playlists. He started singing along to a very popular song of the summer. It was cute. It will forever remind me of the getaway to Napa and the start of finding the old me, buried underneath some rubble.
Now you never know how a trip with someone you barely know is going to work out. The good news is that it was a fantastic weekend, devoid of any awkwardness. Matt was a member of several wine clubs, so we received the royal treatment at the wineries. Everything was low key and easy, relaxing and fun. Relaxing and fun was the key to our entire relationship and exactly what we needed. Matt introduced me to meal sharing. No matter what we were eating, burgers, meal entrees, we would always split everything and share which is really the best way to go. He was considerate and thoughtful throughout and it was a memorable trip in so many ways. One of them was when we were getting ready to go somewhere, perhaps the hot tub, and I was playing one of my many playlists. He started singing along to a very popular song of the summer. It was cute. It will forever remind me of the getaway to Napa and the start of finding the old me, buried underneath some rubble.
Thursday, January 18, 2018
La Isla Bonita by Madonna
I had decided that since I had scored such a deal on our hotel that we would fly to the Isla Bonita. Honestly, a 15 minute flight vs a 90 minute cramped boat ride? There was no choice really. The island lives up to its name. It IS beautiful, laid back, truly the island life. The plan for the island was no plan at all, save for renting a golf car to tour the island, however we initially balked at the price. That is until I was sitting in a hammock, sipping on my welcome rum cocktail, and the delightful Deepak K and Larissa M who had just checked in turned to me and asked what the plan was for tomorrow. The 4 of us embarked on an adventure in the morning to the "Secret Beach" on the north side of the island. Carli braved the potholes and suffered the embarrassment of being passed by local golf cart drivers. In her defense, she had the pedal to the metal, but maybe their golf carts were turbo charged? 
Following the secret beach, we continued on our lop-along day, stopping for lunch. Deepak wished he could just find someone to take us on a short trip out to the reef. Done and Done! I negotiated a quick trip out to the barrier reef for some snorkeling with Captain Chip. After getting up close and personal with some sting rays and sea urchins, we returned to our hotel and eventually home. Last night I dreamt of San Pedro. I prayed that the days would last, they went so fast. Tuesday, January 17, 2017
Hip Hop Hooray by Naughty by Nature
It was my first real high school party. Sort of. My dad stayed in his room, so it wasn't truly one of those ragers you threw when your parents were out of town. And there was no booze. Fine, so let's call it a plain old high school party. The truth is I didn't expect it to compare to the high school parties I attended in Germany, but it still ended up being awfully fun.
My Dad had spent the fall remodeling the house, with our help. Part of the remodel included white carpets throughout the house. This meant that anyone who entered the house had to remove their shoes. Imagine the pile of shoes made by 30 teenagers. Then imagine said teenagers discovering how much fun it is to run and slide across the hardwood in the entryway. Super fun. Did I mention 30 teenagers? It was a great turnout - all the cool kids (in the band) were there. There might've even been some non-band friends there, but the most important guest was my adorable German boyfriend. In fact, he was one of the biggest reasons I wanted to throw the party, aside from the fact that I liked parties a whole lot and it was definitely my turn to throw one by that point in the year. I wanted my friends to get to know Bastian, and let's be honest, I wanted to show him off.
Dave T. came through with the best music, as always. The sounds of Hip Hop Hooray-ho-hey-ho came over the speakers and I saw Dave throw his hands in the air, followed by everyone else. I had never heard the song before and in that moment, I had never felt cooler. Until the moment that a CD got stuck in the CD player. There was a split second of panic and in the blink of an eye, Dave, Mauricio L, and Bastian had disconnected the CD player, whisked it into the garage, and started performing an emergency disk removal. I loved this moment, the possibility we broke something, the boys coming to the rescue. In my mind, it was the mark of a great party. It was tense for a moment, but they were ultimately successful, my dad was never the wiser, and the music was soon blasting from the speakers again.
My Dad had spent the fall remodeling the house, with our help. Part of the remodel included white carpets throughout the house. This meant that anyone who entered the house had to remove their shoes. Imagine the pile of shoes made by 30 teenagers. Then imagine said teenagers discovering how much fun it is to run and slide across the hardwood in the entryway. Super fun. Did I mention 30 teenagers? It was a great turnout - all the cool kids (in the band) were there. There might've even been some non-band friends there, but the most important guest was my adorable German boyfriend. In fact, he was one of the biggest reasons I wanted to throw the party, aside from the fact that I liked parties a whole lot and it was definitely my turn to throw one by that point in the year. I wanted my friends to get to know Bastian, and let's be honest, I wanted to show him off.
Dave T. came through with the best music, as always. The sounds of Hip Hop Hooray-ho-hey-ho came over the speakers and I saw Dave throw his hands in the air, followed by everyone else. I had never heard the song before and in that moment, I had never felt cooler. Until the moment that a CD got stuck in the CD player. There was a split second of panic and in the blink of an eye, Dave, Mauricio L, and Bastian had disconnected the CD player, whisked it into the garage, and started performing an emergency disk removal. I loved this moment, the possibility we broke something, the boys coming to the rescue. In my mind, it was the mark of a great party. It was tense for a moment, but they were ultimately successful, my dad was never the wiser, and the music was soon blasting from the speakers again.
Wednesday, January 11, 2017
Stolen Dance by Milky Chance
I was sitting at a table at Seasons 52 with my new boss, her boss, and 2 new colleagues. It was the last night of my work trip to Dallas. I had traveled to Dallas to start my new (old) job, after a 4 1/2 year hiatus as a stay-at-home mom. It was positively the most adult experience I had in years. It was my first overnight away from Lila, so it had been at least 18 months since I had spent a night by myself. I was in heaven. When I first learned I needed to go back to work full-time, I was honestly panicked. I felt sad, I felt guilty. Then when I was sitting in the airport on my way to Dallas holding nothing but my purse (no kids, no diaper bag, no stroller, no snacks), I felt guilty in an entirely different way because I was enjoying myself so darn much!! I didn't realize how much I needed this break and how ready I actually was to recapture some sense of who I was as an individual, not just the mother of my darling children. It would take some getting used to, but I was well on my way.
It was an exciting 3 days of training and seeing faces new and old. I was excited to be back at such a great company amongst some really great people. The days were long and tiring in a completely different way. The nights were beyond fun. I didn't have to cook, clean up, or deal with any of the nighttime routine. I could watch a show in my bed. I could take a glass of wine up to my room. I got to go out to dinners at grown up restaurants that didn't serve chicken nuggets and no one was picking off of my plate or asking for something. I got to hang out at the hotel bar and talk to other adults. I got to dress up in my fantastic new work clothes and I looked and felt like a million bucks. Sitting in Seasons 52, I was immensely enjoying my dinner and heard this song playing overhead. I figured out what it was later that evening and downloaded it. I listened to it obsessively all the way home on the plane and waiting for my bags at baggage claim. One year later, it still reminds me of the start of a new adventure and a new phase of my life.
It was an exciting 3 days of training and seeing faces new and old. I was excited to be back at such a great company amongst some really great people. The days were long and tiring in a completely different way. The nights were beyond fun. I didn't have to cook, clean up, or deal with any of the nighttime routine. I could watch a show in my bed. I could take a glass of wine up to my room. I got to go out to dinners at grown up restaurants that didn't serve chicken nuggets and no one was picking off of my plate or asking for something. I got to hang out at the hotel bar and talk to other adults. I got to dress up in my fantastic new work clothes and I looked and felt like a million bucks. Sitting in Seasons 52, I was immensely enjoying my dinner and heard this song playing overhead. I figured out what it was later that evening and downloaded it. I listened to it obsessively all the way home on the plane and waiting for my bags at baggage claim. One year later, it still reminds me of the start of a new adventure and a new phase of my life.
Tuesday, September 13, 2016
Hook by Blues Traveler
During my year in Spain, I developed all kinds of friendships with Americans, Spaniards, and other foreigners living in Barcelona like me. I established a regular get together with several people and it was so nice to have something to count on and look forward to on a regular basis. Dunkin Donuts for lunch, following by shopping with Elisa....Cafe y Croissant con Chocolate with Carla and Sara....lunches with Anhchi and Christy. Today we are heading over to one of several of Christy's apartments for lunch.
We were making, or better, attempting to recreate something my roommate Dolors had made. To this day I have never made it taste or appear quite as delectable as Dolors accomplished. It's really a simple dish, packed with contrasting flavors and colors. She started with rice and she tossed in a smashed clove of garlic. She fried up some italian or pork sausage. She then halved a couple bananas and fried them in the same pan as the sausage. Finally she fried an egg. Now for the assembly: Stuff the rice into a small water glass and upend it onto a plate. It should hold its shape. Spread the sausage around the rice in a circle. Place the banana halves on top of the sausage and finally, lay the fried egg on top of the rice. Lovely, right?! Serve with ketchup to taste and eat by smashing it all up and combining everything.
I can't remember the details of our cooking experiment that day, but I don't think it was a disaster by any means. The song Hook came on (a cassette most likely as it wasn't a big hit in Spain) and there is this interlude in the middle sung very quickly. To my surprise, Anhchi and Christy chimed in, singing every word perfectly. Apparently they were very familiar with the song and had spent some time working on the lyrics. Truth be told, I was a little envious of their skills. I was also envious of their close friendship. They were very close friends at UC Davis prior to coming to Barcelona and were constantly sharing hilarious stories from back home. They never made me feel like a third wheel and I always enjoyed our lunches because the hook brings you back....
We were making, or better, attempting to recreate something my roommate Dolors had made. To this day I have never made it taste or appear quite as delectable as Dolors accomplished. It's really a simple dish, packed with contrasting flavors and colors. She started with rice and she tossed in a smashed clove of garlic. She fried up some italian or pork sausage. She then halved a couple bananas and fried them in the same pan as the sausage. Finally she fried an egg. Now for the assembly: Stuff the rice into a small water glass and upend it onto a plate. It should hold its shape. Spread the sausage around the rice in a circle. Place the banana halves on top of the sausage and finally, lay the fried egg on top of the rice. Lovely, right?! Serve with ketchup to taste and eat by smashing it all up and combining everything.
I can't remember the details of our cooking experiment that day, but I don't think it was a disaster by any means. The song Hook came on (a cassette most likely as it wasn't a big hit in Spain) and there is this interlude in the middle sung very quickly. To my surprise, Anhchi and Christy chimed in, singing every word perfectly. Apparently they were very familiar with the song and had spent some time working on the lyrics. Truth be told, I was a little envious of their skills. I was also envious of their close friendship. They were very close friends at UC Davis prior to coming to Barcelona and were constantly sharing hilarious stories from back home. They never made me feel like a third wheel and I always enjoyed our lunches because the hook brings you back....
Saturday, August 6, 2016
What's My Age Again by Blink 182
It was the morning of July 30, 2000. I arrived at work in a great mood, it being my birthday and as previously documented, right in the middle of an epic summer. I had several voice mails, most of them work related, but one decidedly not. My sister had left me a delightful message. She wished me a happy birthday, rambled a bit, and then queued up What's My Age Again. She didn't have it queued up exactly where she wanted it, so there was a bit she did about "having technical difficulties" and there was some mumbling until the line she was waiting for kicked in. The line was very appropriate: "nobody likes you when you're 23". It was appropriate because this was my 23rd birthday, NOT because nobody liked me. To be clear. I must've played that message 10 times throughout the day. I definitely played it on speakerphone to share with everyone else. I was of course the person who got the most pleasure and amusement out of it because it was 100% Cato and I loved it and I love her. She still calls me on my birthday every year, but no message has topped that one, when I was 23.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)