End of an Era

So as 2016 draws to a close, I will also, unfortunately, be indefinitely going on hiatus with this blog. As evident in the fewer postings over the past couple of years, the time just isn't there like it used to be. Nor is the excitement (both in my life events and in my desire to blog).

That said, if I find time again, and/or something major happens that I want to share, I'll blog about it. But the era of regular blogging is done for now. I figured what better time to do such than at the end of a calendar year.

I'm still on other forms of social media, and I encourage you to follow me there.

My favorite social media is Instagram, where I have three accounts:

fl_girl - this is my main account
my_view_up_here - my shots from my time on a plane
its_a_shoe_win - my personal shoe collection

I'm on Facebook, of course: auburn.flgirl

Twitter is becoming a go-to for me more than it used to be: FLgrrl

And I am also on Redditt, though infrequently, and I'm still trying to figure it out - but I'll throw it on here, in hopes I'll start using it more: auburn-flgirl

So there you have it... I'm still out there. And of course, if you actually know me, you have my email. I can always be reached that way, too.

So peace out and love to all! Thank you to all that have kept up with me through this blog over the years - I apologize I died off the way I did, and wish I could keep it up like I used to. Maybe one day, I can get back to that. But then, there may be a whole other form of communication that takes its place, by then!

Christmas

Christmas! My favorite time of year! Though somehow, I swear, it gets more and more 'crunched' for time. And enjoyment. But I try not to let that dampen my joy!

As always, we headed down to FL to spend Christmas with my family. We had to compress it a little, this year, with my new job and all. Though I later learned, it wouldn't have been a big deal to do more time. But I was happy that I at least got the time I did. Even if it did come with complications.

What complications, you ask? Try a stomach bug! It hit me as we drove down - not a good combo to have with long drives in the car. We stayed overnight in Asheville, NC, giving us a new route and different scenery, for a change. I woke up the next morning, feeling really bad. You know that feeling, when you KNOW if you just threw up, you'd feel better? That was me. I think Eric didn't believe me, at first... but then he brought scrambled eggs into the room. And that was all I needed to go running into the bathroom. So while I did feel better after that, I wasn't 100% - and we still had a 7 hour drive ahead of us. So we found the closest grocery store and loaded up with ginger ale and an orange to smell (a trick I learned cruising last year). I made to Jacksonville with no more urges, but also didn't eat much along the way. We freshened up at the hotel, then went to my parents' to drop off gifts and such. I wasn't planning on telling them about my bug. Of course, we did do a quick detour to the beach, to breathe in that wonderful salt air - that always helps me!

Christmas morning... guess who has the stomach bug now?! Eric. So I headed to my parents' without him, in hopes he'd feel better by the afternoon and could come over then. Of course, with this new information, I had to tell them about my morning on the previous day... oh well. Makes for a Christmas memory, right?? Unfortunately, Eric never got to feeling better (he never threw up), and we had to do some Christmas without him, including opening some of the gifts and dinner. This is, of course, after we picked up Nan and Kristin arrived with the family. So we carried on and tried to enjoy things as best we could, knowing Eric wasn't feeling well.

The day after Christmas, Eric was feeling a little better, though still not 100%. But we were leaving that day, so there was no staying at the hotel for him. We tried hitting the beach again, just to see it again - it was a beautiful day! Why did I leave FL, again?? While we ate breakfast at my parents', he took another nap, trying to feel better. We then opened the rest of the gifts and stockings, getting him all caught up with the gifts he missed the day before. It felt like a super short trip to FL this year - a little bit of a bummer for me. We left a little after lunch to start the trek back to Indiana. We planned on crashing in Nashville along the way - I did not want to drive through the night. But it was an uneventful stop, as we did nothing more than go to Publix in the morning (to get ice cream to take back with us).

As I said, I love Christmas!! But it's been getting crunched as the years go by, which makes me sad. Being sick this year really didn't help. Maybe I can change that next year.. we'll see. I mean, surely I at least won't be sick again...

Hope everyone else had a good Christmas!

Girls' Cruise 2016!

I always look forward to this time of year, because I get to go on a cruise with my girls! This was the 6th year, for the three of us (Jen, Karla, and I), and the first year Brandi joined us (though she has cruised before). And we kept it short this year, mainly due to what was available during the time we wanted to cruise - only a four-nighter. Fun, none the less!

Our set sail date was last Monday, December 5th. No 'at sea' days, but rather, we were going to be in a port every day. If I was a new cruiser, I'd of been excited about that. But more on that later. We left out of Miami, and it happened to be a gorgeous set sail sunset behind the Miami skyline! Truth be told, we had great weather for the whole cruise - wish all cruises could be so perfect!

Our first port of call was Nassau. All four of us have been here before, but we each wanted to go into port for something or another. Karla was on a mission for some 'authentic' gifts, as was Jen. Brandi and I were anxious to go get some authentic conch fritters. I think all of us wanted to enjoy a little sunshine... but yet, I don't think any of us got the full amount of sun enjoyment we wanted - our other odds and ends kept us busy!! But I think we still all left port happy... especially since we were in port until almost midnight! But no... we did not party with the locals. This time.

Our second port was Royal Caribbean's private island of Coco Cay. We were supposed to this six years ago, but the weather prohibited it. We got a day at sea that year, but this year, the weather was perfect! We rented a cabana, which was nice, but probably unnecessary, as it wasn't overly crowded. We started the day with some snorkeling in the private cove area, where they have set up some good snorkeling spots, including a small plane and a couple parts of a ship (or ships?). We then had some yummy lunch, and I went off to explore a bit on my own (because that's what I do!). Not as many great scenic spots as Labadee had, but a lot of areas where you can have a quiet time to yourself. Though I do feel like there was more area to cover here... but maybe that was just me, since the entire island is not as developed as Labadee. Either way... I think I liked Labadee a little better. But Coco Cay was still cool.

Our last port of call (before going back to Miami) was Key West. All of us had been to Key West at some time or another, though I think it had all been by driving, not boat. While we didn't plan on spending the whole day in port, we just about did, by the time we walked around, and had lunch and such. We just kind of took our time. And again, it was a beautiful day!

I think we all agreed we wished we had a day at sea somewhere in there. We only had a partial day on the pool deck, and that was the day we boarded in Miami. We all *thought* we'd happily stay on the ship for at least part of that days we were in familiar ports, but we ended up in port most of the time, just chilling out and walking around. No regrets in that, just didn't feel like we had enough time on the ship.

When we got back into Miami on the 9th, we had a good portion of the day, in which we got to explore Miami. Once we finally got our rental car, we drove into Miami and got a gourmet donuts at The Salty Donut. Then we wandered over too the Wynwood Walls, which the other three of my entourage had not seen. We made a good day out of the extra time here, I think.

So all in all, another very successful, very fun, Girls' Cruise is in the books! This is one tradition I hope stays around for a very long time! I think no matter where we are in our lives, or in the country, this is an easy way to meet up, and have some fun!

Work Travel Fun

I do consider myself lucky that I get to travel with my job. I wish I did more, honestly. But I happy that I get to go when I do, especially since some of the places are cool to get to.

I had a quick down and back trip to the Austin, TX area this past week. Nothing 'fun' to speak of, since it was so quick - but we did have a nice lunch as a restaurant overlooking a river in the town of Georgetown. Very relaxing - felt almost serene and non-work trip like. Just last month, though, I got to a couple of other destinations that were, well, picture worthy, to say the least.

First, there was a Portland, OR trip. I have been here before - many times, in fact, when I was at Kite. This was even my second time with Pedcor. But this one was planned with a little cushion and extra time to explore. So we did. Aside from more fabulous food, we checked out Multnomah Falls, which I had seen before, driving by (literally), with only time for a quick stop to take a picture. But this time, some of us hiked to the top. I wish I would've done that the first time... when I was younger. It was a hell of a hike! Only about a mile in length, but the vertical climb was what gets you! But it was worth it - beautiful view from the top, even if it was a little drizzly. I'd do it again, maybe taking a little more time to enjoy the views along the way, too. The Portland area is really pretty, even with the large amounts of rain/dreariness.

The other 'fun' trip was a little more intense, only because I chose for it to be that way. It involved me driving all up and down I-35 in TX, between the north Austin suburbs and San Antonio. Which, if you look on a map, is more than you think. I stayed in Austin for two nights, with the first night being when I arrived and had a little chill time with one of my good friends, Chris, that moved down there a number of years ago. The next day was all the driving... So. Much. Driving. But I don't mind it. In fact, I was a little bummed I didn't get further north to see a couple more of our properties... next time. Anyway... while in San Antonio, I made it to the Alamo. Because why not. I had heard how it's such a small landmark, really, right in the middle of downtown. Any 'they' were right - it is. But it's still something to see, and there's more to it than the infamous building you see whenever you type "The Alamo" into Google. I actually spent more time there than I thought I would... but it was a nice day to walk around the grounds. Plus, with all my driving on I-35, I got to go to Buc-ee's... which if you're from or travel to TX often, you know what it is. The day was wrapped up with a project closing dinner with a bunch of work folks. At a nice restaurant. Of course.

I don't travel as much as I'd like in this position, but I'm happy I get to do what I do... I love exploring and getting away from Indy on occasion. We'll see where the next projects pop up - I'm hopeful for some new destinations.

Haunted Hilbert

Eric and I tried something new this year. We don't normally do anything for Halloween - we don't even usually get trick-or-treaters. Which makes me sad, considering I used to get a bunch when I lived in Fishers. But this year, we decided to check out the Haunted Hilbert, which is one part party, one part fundraiser. But mostly party.

And not just you 'dress up in costume' type of party. Oh, no... this was a fancy masquerade style party! Which I have to admit... I have wanted to go to a fancy masquerade party for a long time, so I loved the fact that Eric wanted to go to this event! I got to dress up (think ,long dress, formal like dressing up), AND find a fun mask to wear!

So the party concept was pretty simple... they decorated the theater space in 'haunted house' décor, complete with flickering candelabras and cobwebs. There were drinks and hors d'oeuvres throughout the space, as well - but nothing heavy. Live musicians played in the lobby space every 15 minutes, or so - nothing too loud or overwhelming. Sometimes it was more of a performance with some actors, so guests gathered in a circle around them. There was also a 'photo booth' set up, complete with props (thought we chose not to use since we already had masks on) - it was a big hit, as we had to wait in line for a bit. But near the end of the evening, they bravely opened up the stage for dancing with a DJ set up. I say they were brave for the mere fact that they allowed guest up there with drinks in hand... but I guess this was a more mature crown than your night club dancing types. All in all, it was a good time.

This was only their second year doing this. You can tell the ISO is trying to bring in new supporters for their shows and the orchestra, as a whole. Not sure if this works, but at the least, the fundraiser portion helps, I'm sure. We'd likely go again, if it continues next year. Maybe grab another couple for a double date, of sorts? We'll see.

Thelma and Louise QUACK Me Up!

So It's been 6 months since we picked up Thelma and Louise from Rural King. And I've learned SO much! Besides the fact that they are cute.

First off, they grow SO fast! They were nearly fully grown at one month - they lost all their yellow fuzziness, for sure! I had no idea ducks grew that fast - they are not true ducklings for long!

But on the flip side, as they grew, their personalities came out! Who knew ducks could have such personalities - the two are so different in nature! Louise is a bit more of a mama's girl - she doesn't freak out if I pick her up and seems to enjoy being petted, once she settles down from being picked up (she squirms a bit, before she realizes she's going to get spoiled). She was also the first to come eat treats out of my hand. Thelma is a little more guarded... will run (waddle) as fast as she can to keep from being picked up. But it's never fast enough. So when she is picked up, she kicks her little feed, and starts breathing heavy (purposely, like she's pissed). It's actually adorable, and just makes me want to pick her up more.

And the interaction between them is quite interesting, too. I *think* Louise is the dominant one, most of the time. She, literally, will talk down to Thelma. But then I'll see Thelma, occasionally, push/prod Louise with her bill. Regardless, if they get separated, it's like you took away the other's heart! Loud quacking and panicked scurrying around. They are always side by side, even when they are 'running' from one corner of the yard to the other.

Thelma was my egg layer first, about 2 months earlier than I expected (started two months ago). But Louise was only about a week or so behind. And they are quite consistent layers, both in location (in their little hutch within their giant pen we built), and in timing. Every morning. Sometimes, one won't lay, which is normal. We'll see how it goes as we get into the winter. I've read different things on if they lay or not. Eric refuses the eat the eggs, though - not sure why. They taste similar to chicken eggs - maybe a tad richer, since the yolk is bigger. But I like them. I am keeping a few people at work supplied with them, as well. Might as well, since there is no way I can go through 14 eggs a week!

So if noting else, ducks are very much creatures of habit and routine. I love that, even though our backyard is not completely fenced-in, they never leave the back yard. They love their pool... but are hesitant to go to it if it's anywhere but in their pen or in the corner by the house. They quack loudly when I come home (especially if I take too long to come out of the garage). Kind of like a dog that gets excited. When I first let them out of their pen, they run/waddle across the yard, and try to 'take flight' as best they can... it's more like just a lot of wing flapping. Then they run back and jump in the pool or, if the pool's not out, they will settle into their routine of foraging around the yard, starting by the holly bushes by the garage, almost every time starting in the same place and following the same route.

They love berries. All berries, so far. Strawberries, blackberries, blueberries... and grapes. They will attack me over grapes. But even some basic romaine lettuce is a treat for them. They come running to the backdoor as soon as they hear the fridge door open/close(usually we just have the screen door pulled closed). They can be clear across the yard when they hear it - good ears! They just assume they're getting treats.

And did you know that ducks do yoga??? It's really just their typical stretching routine, but some of it looks like some yoga poses I've done.

All in all, it's been a fun six months! I never thought I'd own ducks, let alone any sort of farm animal. But they're a lot of fun, and pretty easy to take care of! I'm a little nervous about their first winter - everything I've read says, 'they have built in down coats, so they can handle it.' But I still worry - those same stories talk about their little feet getting cold. But they do love the slightly cooler temps we're getting now. Throw some rain in the mix and they're happy as, well, ducks! Rainy days equal quality mud time for them - I now understand the term 'muddy duck', as well.

Ducks! Who knew?!?

Some Dave Matthews and a Little Miami Beach

Dave Matthews Band announced that after this, their 25th year of touring, they were going to take a break. They didn't say for how long, but a break none the less. This was enough to make me want to see them 'one more time' and that was above my typical Deer Creek shows (which were last weekend, and yes, I went to both). Eric, not being a big DMB fan, usually takes some convincing. So when tickets went on sale, I scoped out alternative locations, figuring I'd compromise and NOT make him go to two local shows, and instead, attend one out-of-state show with me. Turned out that Dave does two shows in West Palm Beach over a weekend, just like he does here in Indiana. So a weekend show at a venue he obviously likes? Plus, south FL, which Eric loves? Sold.

Of course, after buying the tickets, making the travel arrangements were proving to be a littler trickier. Flights into any of the SE FL airports were not cheap and/or not convenient, considering we didn't want to go down until after work on Friday. Plus, none were direct. Eric then suggested flying into MCO (Orlando)... bingo! A horribly early direct on Saturday morning had us on the ground at 8am, which left us plenty of time to shoot down the turnpike and enjoy a little Miami Beach before the concert.

Which is exactly what we did. Our flight was half-empty at 6am (go figure), but thankfully, they have to move the planes around, so it wasn't cancelled. And we were in out rental car and on the road by 8:30am. Anyone who knows the FL Turnpike knows there's nothing between Orlando and West Palm Beach (even though it's fun to say Yeehaw Junction), so it was an easy drive. We first stopped at Eric's old stomping grounds of Delray Beach, where he practically lived for three years building a shopping center. He was hoping for some inspiration, but it was too hot to wander around and reminisce, So back on the turnpike we went, this time the destination being Lincoln Road.

Our main thought of going to Lincoln Road was to get lunch as SushiSamba - a favorite of ours. When we got there, they were still serving brunch, which looked really good! So even though it was close to 1pm, we jumped at the brunch option, and there were NO regrets! It was SO good! So while we didn't get our sushi fix, we did walk away with a new appreciation of the restaurant... it's so much more than sushi! Yum!

At this point, I just wanted to see the beach, even though I had no way to enjoy it (so suit, no towel, etc). So we walked straight down Lincoln Road to the beach. It was way hot (low 90's and not enough of a breeze), but it was s sight for sore eyes. I so miss the beach. One day I'll live near one again (somewhere!)

We were dying at this point (my blood has thickened!), so we walked back towards where we came from, stopping by SuperDry along the way, both to cool off AND shop. But we were back in the car and on the way north to our hotel by about 3pm, which would give us plenty of time to settle in, maybe take a nap, and get ready for the concert. We decided to stay in the Boca area, thinking it was between Miami and WPB, and it turned out to be a good decision - never felt like a long drive, in either direction.

The concert. The reason for making this trip. I know I saw him in Noblesville last weekend, and he always plays a different show every night... but this being a different venue really made for a different show. And I still heard songs I didn't hear either of the two nights a Deer Creek. But one song stood out for me, even though it was a duplicate play... Ants Marching. I LOVE this year's rendition. Boyd going into what can best be described as 'hoedown mode' midway, and then the rest of the band joins in after a couple of minutes... LOVED IT!  (Check it out below)

After the show, it was back to the hotel, where we crashed pretty quick. We really had no set plans for Sunday, as we didn't need to be in Orlando until well into the afternoon, since our flight wasn't until 6:45pm. So we figured we'd make a plan in the AM. After sleeping in a bit

We had breakfast at the hotel and then got on the road. We really were in no rush, though Delta kept sending us messages about our flight being delayed. Turns out they switched planes and ultimately delayed us by a half-hour. But we ignored that fact until we got to Orlando. Our first destination was the Everglades. There was a park, Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, that has only been in existence for about 7 years, or so. It's kind of the northeastern edge of the Everglades. Overall, very large, but only a small part is accessible by either vehicle or foot. We drove/walked around for not quite an hour, and really took in the beauty that is south FL, undisturbed. From there, we headed east and drove along the Indian River from Jupiter up to Ft. Pierce, trying to find a lighthouse Eric thought he remembered along there. We never found it, but we did find some more park areas we'd like to go back to. After that, it was time for lunch, and then onward, up to Orlando.

We actually barely made it to the airport on-time. If our flight hadn't been delayed already, they probably would've been calling our names over the PA system. But we did have a few moments to sit and grab some snacks before we actually boarded. We landed around 10pm-ish, and went straight home to go to bed. After all, we did have to work today. But wow... what a trip! For as short as it was, we crammed a lot in without it feeling like we were cramming a lot in. And now that we know we can do this, we very well may do again in the future. But maybe plan a few more of our ventures out, just so there's no question on if we can find something or not.

Birthday Weekend in Chicago!

Every year, without fail, I feel the need to do something significant on or around my birthday, even though I don't necessarily want to actually celebrate my actual birthday. Just do something significant... concert, ballgame, general travel. Whatever.

This year, is was a pretty standard trip to Chicago to see the Cubs. In case you haven't heard, the Cubbies are actually doing good this year. Fingers crossed. But keeping the 'hopes' in check. We left yesterday morning for the afternoon game. If it's one thing I've learned from all the games I've gone to, it's that you want seats under the upper deck, not in the sun. However, with lake winds sometimes blowing in, being in the shade can get chilly, even on a warm summer day. As was the case yesterday. Eric did a double-check before we left, and the temps were the low 80's, which was low enough to adjust my apparel for the day to jeans. And I was glad I did. Everyone around us was either covering up in a blanket they brought, or running to the souvenir shop to buy a sweatshirt. So good call on that!

This was inter-divisional play against the Texas Rangers, so while the game didn't count, it counted. Clear as mud? LoL It was actually a well matched game on paper, though the Cubs ultimately dominated. Made for a good game to watch, with an even better outcome. Once of the better games I've been to in a few years (not that any were bad games). And the win was a nice birthday present.

After we checked into our hotel, we walked down to Eataly for dinner. If you can't tell by now, we love that place. Good for dinner, good for shopping, good just to visit for inspiration. I had some stuffed shells that I hope they have on the menu next time I go. Ah-Mazing!! Funny how all of our other normal go-to dinner spots have fallen off the radar since we discovered Eataly... and they were all equally as amazing. But they have other locations is cities we like to visit, where Eataly only has NYC.

This morning, we had a quick bite at the hotel and then walked out to the 'beach' of Lake Michigan. (I will always have problems considering this a beach w/o saltwater and consistent waves) No sooner did our feet hit the sand, did it start to drizzle on us. So we went back to the hotel and got inside just in time for a torrential downpour. It didn't last long, and we probably could have went back out to the beach for a bit, but we decided to head back to Eataly and do a little shopping before heading back home. Of course, the thought being that we'd get some good food to make some good dinner tonight. Which we did, and we made and ate, since we got home so early (relatively). And a happy birthday to me, it was.

Family Meet-Up in PA

So this was a somewhat last minute trip for Eric and I. My Mom, Sister, and her kids had it planned for awhile, though... so I think it was a little easier for them.

I haven't mentioned it on here yet, but my grandmother, Nan, moved to an Assisted Living campus near my parents' in Jacksonville. But her house in Pennsylvania is still very much full from her 60+ years living there. She won't be going back there, but someone needs to go through things and either salvage, sell, or trash. And with this weekend being the only long weekend that my sister and kids truly had off, they decided to spend a few days before and after, making it a full week there. Eric and I were just driving out Saturday, and back home today. A lot of driving for a short period of time, but considering I knew this may be our only chance, I thought it was a good idea. We had no big plans for the 4th of July weekend, anyway. So there's your background.

We had great weather driving out on Saturday. And most of the day was spent driving, with us getting into the area around 5pm or so. The family was already done at the house for the day, and we decided to meet them out at Knoebel's Grove. Oh, the memories I have from that place. Even with my sister's kids, Kris and Darian - it's been about 13 years, but none the less, memories were made. Eric and I had just a couple of hours here a few years back, as well... but most of the memories are from my summers up in PA. I wish Knoebel's was a little closer for me to try to get there once a year or so - it's such an awesome park! They were actually celebrating 90 years this year! We spent the last few hours they were open, trying to catch all the new rides, and of course, ride a couple of the old favorite coasters. I so wish I had the entire day there - I always feel like I leave and realize later I wanted to go on another ride.

Sunday was a day of work. And wow, what a task ahead of us. I feel like we only scraped the surface, and that frustrated the hell out of Eric. I think he thought we'd be leaving with the house cleared out and ready for the next step (whatever that is). Unfortunately, cleaning out the house will be a multi-trip, LONG process for the family to tackle. I think my family would be happy to just have it done by the end of the year! But after a day of sorting and throwing some things out, we managed to leave with our car packed with some things to keep. My main goal was to get the old metal porch glider, which I did, but it's going to take some work to get it ready for our own porch. But I'm up for it.

Finally, today was all driving. We tried to leave early, but didn't get on the road nearly as early as we had hoped. We made a short lunch stop in Columbus, OH (which was actually well past 'lunchtime' for us), and we were lucky enough to NOT have rain up until there. But then those last few hours on I-70 had a light rain. No big deal, since we were about done with our long weekend. We got home, unloaded, and then Eric had to run to the office.

There always seems to be some crisis for him there. But alas, until we got home, things stayed calm for him on the work front. We did manage to catch the fireworks here. It was a little foggy and/or low clouds, though, so we only could see about half of them. And then more drizzle started. But at least we can say we DID see fireworks on the 4th of July.

Make-A-Wish Walk for Wishes

This morning was one of my favorite event to volunteer at. Who am I kidding? I love volunteering at any/ALL Make-A-Wish events that I can. But it's been a couple of years since I've been able to do this one, as it kept falling on weekend when I was going out of town. But I was able to go again this year, and to add to the excitement, they moved it downtown, so it was even easier for me to get to!

As I have volunteered at a number of these since is started, it's actually kind of cool to see how it's grown. Which is part of the reason it's now downtown. But my favorite part is still seeing all the Wish Kids walking around with big smiles on their faces. This year, they even gave out these cut capes for the wish kids to wear. After all, if a sick kid isn't a superhero, then I don't know what is.

I think most of you know that this is my big philanthropy. Yes, I do Race for the Cure every year, in honor of my Mom. But at the end of the day, Make-A-Wish is the organization that is close to my heart. They get both time and money from me, though I with I could give more on both fronts. Even though I didn't walk, I still tried to raise as much money as I could. And while I fell short of my goal (I started late), it still felt good to give something. Hopefully next year, I can give more.

So next year, be on the lookout for donation requests again - hopefully quite a few weeks early, so I can hit my goal!

100th Running of the Indy 500

"Start your engines!" was heard for the 100th time for the Indy 500 yesterday. And I can say I was there... which I was. But I can't say I saw much of the race. More on that shortly.

But first, let's talk about this historic race. 100 years of anything is kind of a big deal. So often, things just don't pan out for that long of a period of time. There's an entire history that I won't go into about this race, but I will say a lot has changed over the years. And they promoted the hell out of this running, so much that they actually sold out for the first time in decades! Even general admission. Kind of crazy when you think about how big this track is, and how many people it can hold (300,000-ish with general admission).

So how was my experience? Let's start with the fact that Eric and I decided to ride our bikes to the track - we really didn't want to deal with the traffic. Honestly, I've yet to go to any event in Indy that has good traffic control. They suck at it here, quite frankly. But I digress. The end of May can have unpredictable weather, and it can be cold and rainy, or hot and sweltering. This year, it was the later of the two. Which made for a steamy ride to the track, even if it was at 9am. But we got there, and tried to cool down as best as we could.

Now as to the reason why we didn't see much of the race... well, we were in the Snake Pit, not the stands. Which essentially meant we went to an EDM concert that happened to be going on in the middle of IMS during the race. Which is what we chose to do. Eric love EDM, and can't site still, anyway, so it made no sense for us to pay a premium for seats we wouldn't be able to sit in too long before he got antsy. This allowed us to wander, and see some big name EDM DJs. Win Win. They did broadcast the pre-race festivities and the first few laps on our big screens over the stage... but then it was all EDM music. Which was fine by us.

And then we have a very sweltering bike ride back home. But that was okay, because we were going home. First thing I did was jump in the shower! Reflecting back, though, I'm glad we went. We can say we were there, and being part of the Snake Pit was a pretty cool experience on its own, that 250k+ people didn't get to know.

Bubba's a High School Graduate!!

I can honestly say that this day came up on me fast! I swear, just a couple of years ago, he was falling asleep in my arms. And didn't he just come up here for 'summer camp' at ISU just recently??

Kristopher graduated from Bayside High School on Friday. I'm still in disbelief that this day has come. Not that I'm surprised... it just seems like time flew by. I was happy I was able to make it down for his ceremony - unfortunately, Eric had a prior/bigger commitment, so he couldn't make it. So it became a 'me' trip (aside from the family stuff), which was fine. I flew down late Thursday night, since the ceremony was on Friday. I flew into MCO, so I stayed near the airport, rather than drive over to the Space Coast. Worked out well.

Friday morning, after a quick breakfast at the hotel, I was off to the east coast. I had no commitment to be anywhere until later, which was fine by me. I had places to see on my one day in town on my own. But first, along the way, I went by the bookstore of Kris' future college, Florida Tech. I bought a few small token additions to his graduation gift. Just for fun. From there, it was the beach!

Like that surprises you.

I only actually stayed at the beach for about 2 hours. For starters, it was hot. I'm not used to that anymore, even with the water right there. Besides, the water was still really cold. Secondly, the standard afternoon storm blew in, so I took that as my cue to head to the hotel, settle in, and get ready for the family time.

The ceremony was your standard fair high school graduation. Well, by FL standards, which means on the football field, rather than in a gym or auditorium. At least his was after sunset, unlike mine, at the peak heat of the day. Pretty good size class, and Kris was a little more than halfway through the list. But finally, they called his name and we all cheered for him. He graduated with a couple of honors - AP and BETA. So he looked all snazzy in his special cap and gown. Took awhile to find him afterward, amongst all the people, but we finally did, and snagged a few pictures before he headed out with friends to celebrate. We headed back to Wanda's to catch up a bit. But then I headed back to my hotel... on the beach.

This was the big 'me' weekend item. I rarely get to stay on any beach, let along an east coast beach. So, while it is way early, I set a little alarm so I could see the sunrise (with full intentions of going back to bed afterward). When it went off Saturday morning, I looked outside and I thought it was going to be a little disappointing, as far as sunrise shots go. While I had a decent view from my balcony, I was missing some good foreground. So I threw on some shorts and a tee, and went downstairs to the actual beach. Finally... with some dunes in the foreground and the sunrise spectrum bounding off the clouds, I got what I wanted. Yay! Back to bed for a couple of hours before the family cookout back at Wanda's.

Saturday was pure family time. Caught up some with Nan and my parents as well as with Wanda, whom I hadn't seen since Larry passed away. Finally got to catch up with the graduate, as well, and even met Darian's boyfriend. Gregg did some grilling, and we had some cake and gifts for Kris. It was a nice day. But alas, I had an early flight this morning, so I had to head back towards Orlando, since I wisely chose to stay at a close hotel again.

That alarm went off early this morning. And while I got home an early hour, I took a nap. While is was, indeed, a nice weekend of family time,it still wore me out. But I'm so proud of Kris. Can't wait to see where his college career takes him!

100 Women Strong

I haven't ever really talked about this, and I'm not sure why. But for a little over two years now, I'm been part of a really cool program, 100 Women Strong, which is an Auburn Engineering Alumnae subset to help recruit, retain, and reward female students in engineering at Auburn. Being in Indiana, I haven't been able to do much but donate some money. But on Friday, I was finally able to take part in one of the events down at Auburn.

It was a quick down and back trip for me, but as soon as I stepped foot on that campus, I felt at home... even if it has changed a ton since I was there probably 5 years ago! There's a new Engineering building now, which is very prominent on campus - almost looking over the campus from where it sits. Beautiful building! I spent the say there, starting with the annual meeting for the 100 Women Strong members. It's really cool to see that many female engineers in a room, all with the connection back to Auburn. After the meeting, we headed to a lunch, which was the beginning of a Leadership Development conference for girls on campus. We had an Alumni keynote speaker from NASA (yes, a women engineer form Auburn), and it was even inspirational for me to hear. From here, there were some break-out sessions, depending on the year the girls were in school (anywhere from class choices to networking for a job) and then a 'speed mentoring' session, where for an hour, the girls rotated around to different alumni there, and asked whatever questions they wanted in a five minute period of time. These girls... wow. I don't know if I was thinking like that when I was in school. But it's great to see the next generation coming up like this.

After the mini-conference was done, I had some time to walk around campus a bit. It was a drizzly, dreary day, but nothing an umbrella couldn't handle. I checked out the new student center, visited Toomer's corner to see the new trees, and, in general, just wandered to see what all had changed. My little corner of the campus is pretty much the same... but so much of the rest of the campus has changed.

But it's still home to me. And the changes, while some of them shocking (both on campus, and off), I know are for the betterment of the experience at Auburn. As I drove back to ATL to catch my flight home, all I could think about was the fact that I just need to get back to Auburn more. And this trip made me realize that it's doesn't even have to be a game weekend. So maybe, just maybe, I can get Eric do do a detour with me on one of our drives south. Then he, too, can fall in love with Auburn.

Duck, Duck... in the City?

So... we did something crazy over the weekend. And no one who knows us well will believe it, so there is photographic evidence here. But, here's the crazy thing we did... we bought a couple of ducks.

No... not to eat. To raise. As pets. Just because. Maybe we'll get eggs. Maybe not. But for now, they're just damn cute!!

So here's how it went down. Eric started going to Rural King a couple of months ago because he found out they sell things he needs for work (the maintenance side), in bulk form, pretty cheap. Think weed killer, grass seed, etc. I guess they like to keep things low cost for farmers, which makes sense (not to stereotype). Of course, he makes these runs on the weekend, so he takes me with him 'for company' on the drive. I never mind, really. Some of these trips to wherever he goes can be interesting.

So back to Rural King. If you've ever been there, or a place similar (like Tractor Supply Company), you know they sell baby chicks and ducks, as well as rabbits on occasion. As you walk through the store, you can hear the chirping. So naturally, the first time we went, we had to check it out. The chicks and ducks were so cute!! (I don't think there were bunnies this first time we went) We didn't think much, but after cooing over them for a few minutes, Eric dragged me away to finish getting what he needed.

We went back a few more times, and it seemed like the routine was for us to check out the baby animals before doing our actual shopping. Well, this past weekend, not he way down, Eric said, "Let's get a duck." I thought he was joking. Turns out, he wasn't. We talked to the 'bird keeper' on shift, and he said we really needed two duck -they're very social animals and need someone (or another duck) to interact with constantly. So, we bought two ducks. We couldn't have a lonely duck, now could we?!?

While this generally seemed spontaneous, we did, at least, gather supplies take care of them. Turns out, ducks are pretty cheap, in general - way cheaper than dogs! Each duck was $7, and a 50lb. bag of food was only $15. Which will likely last for months! We got them a little bins to bed them in until they get bigger, but it should do for awhile. I've been reading all about ducks since we got them - it should be interesting. Won't know the sex for awhile (unless I want to take them to a vet), and apparently, predators are everywhere.

But they sure are cute!!

Stay tuned for this adventure!

Valentine's Weekend... Oy!

Eric and I seem to always have issues when we try to do things for Valentine's Day. If we stay in, we're usually okay. But if we try to do anything outside of out house, we seem to fail. Well, in the practical sense, anyway. This year was no different. Our plan this year was to go too our favorite place in Chicago, Eataly, for a nice dinner they were doing, and try to have a relatively easy weekend up there. We should've just went back to bed, instead.

It started out with us getting on the road late Saturday morning because Eric had a hiccup to take care of at the office 'quickly' in the morning. Well, wasn't so quick. We got no the road, with time to spare to make our dinner reservation, at least, and the hits just kept on coming. In the literal sense. It was really windy, and as I was driving (the rental car) up I-65, I was passing a semi when a piece of hard plastic debris shot out (from the wind) from under the truck. I had no where to go, it hit at a weird angle, but I kept driving. Didn't feel like a tire was damaged, or anything much, for that matter, and we were getting off in a couple of exists to grab a drink, anyway, so I drove another 20 miles or so. We get into the parking lot, and check to see if there was damage... there was. Shattered lower grill (damn plastic cards!) and punctures radiator. Awesome. With it being a Saturday afternoon, all the Hertz Local Editions were closed, so Hertz had to get us towed all the way back to Indy to the airport (almost a hour away) to exchange the car. Plus, the wait time for the tow truck to even get to us. There went us making our dinner reservation.

But we pushed on, anyway, figuring we'd make the best of it. We'd do a later dinner somewhere and still have a chill evening at the hotel, since we had that all set up. So we get there, and while we didn't get the special dinner we made reservations for, we still had a good dinner at Eataly. We were finally calming down a bit... well, Eric was calming down. I was over the mishap before we were even half-way to Chicago. Meh. Life happens, right? Our hotel was right around the corner, so we went to check-in. They couldn't find our reservation. And to top it off, Eric couldn't find a confirmation email. So now we're in Chicago as, like 10pm, with no hotel. Awesome. This just sets Eric off again, and he's ready to drive home. But he saw the thought of that upset me, so we jumped on the Hilton Honors site to see what we could find. As you can imagine, there wasn't much. But there was the Waldorf Astoria... and we could get in with points Eric had. So, with few choices, we went with it.

Well, turned out to be the best thing we could've done. Because it's located off the main drags through Chicago, it was quite peaceful. And if you can believe it, Eric was actually able to calm down and relax, and we both got a great night's sleep! We woke up the next morning completely refreshed, and over the tragedy that was Saturday. And even though some nasty, snowy weather was on the way, we were ready for it. But first, the other reason to be in Chicago this weekend... the Chicago Auto Show.

Eric has talked about the Chicago Auto Show quite a few time. He'd go with his dad when they lived in Laporte, and it was always just a memorable day for him. So I was looking for ward to it. And it was quite cool, actually! There were concept cars, next year's new model cars, test tracks inside, test drive outside... I can see how you could spend an entire day here... but we were only there for a few house. We did do one of the test tracks, and I gotta say, even if I couldn't be the one to drive, it was still really cool! I would've loved to stay longer, honestly - I feel like we only got to see about 1/3 of what was there to be seen. I'd love to go back up there next year maybe... hopefully not on Valentine's Day.

So as we headed out, the snow really started to come down for our drive home. Thankfully, there were no more fubars for the weekend, and we got home safely. Even with time to return the car on-time. So we salvaged the weekend, I guess. But just nothing planned went well. Maybe that's the trick... don't plan. Or maybe just stick to what we know works, which is don't leave the house for Valentine's!

A Great Man

I wasn't sure how to title this blog, or even how to really start it. My blogs are typically upbeat and about happy adventures and such. But this one... not as much, though there are good parts. So I guess I'll just start.

Just before Christmas, Eric and I found out a good friend and mentor we used to work with down in Naples, FL passed away. He had been battling cancer for about two years. His name was Reed Jarvi and, in my opinion, he was an amazing man. My own experience from the time meeting him was always looked upon fondly - I always looked forward to that after work happy hour, or dinner with he and his wife, Darlene. He was just one of those guys that always had a great outlook on life, and always had a story to tell. Which from his robust life, was not surprising. He was a Navy Academy alumni, a civil engineer, and a rugby enthusiast, so his circles of friends reached far and wide.

This was very apparent when we attended his Celebration of Life 'party' this past weekend. It was standing room only, until the staff and the club opened a partition wall to completely fill an adjoining room. It was amazing to see, yet not so surprising that he impacted this many people. They expect about 150 people or so, and it was easily double that. We learned that Reed was planning to do this celebration as a sort of roast of himself before he died, giving him a chance to say goodbye to everyone in person. Unfortunately, he fell just short of being able to attend his own party. I'm thankful Darlene continued with the plan, though, and allowed everyone to gather to celebrate him for the man he was. Even his oncology doctor was there to speak - he made an impact on his own doctor enough for his to attend this event. Have you ever seen a doctor speak a eulogy, so to speak, on one of his own patients? I haven't.

Both Eric and I walked away with thoughts of our own lives - where we've been and what we can still do. You can't help but wonder if you'd have a turn out even close to that if you passed. I think it just made both of us want to do more with our love, both in making an impact on others, and just living the moment you have now to the fullest extent.

After the luncheon (I really can't call it a 'service' because is was so not that), Eric and I drove across Alligator Alley, back to our hotel. That night, we decided to get out and enjoy life. Reed would've wanted that - don't sulk, live. We found the Winwood Walls in Miami, which we've heard about. Eric knew more about it than I do, and I'll admit, it was pretty cool. If you're down there, find them and go. Even after sunset, the amount of people exploring the area was amazing. From there, we went to one of our favorite restaurants in Miami Beach, SushiSAMBA. We enjoys a great dinner and reflected on things we learned from Reed.

Reed will be greatly missed. I feel honored that I was able to know him, even if is was just a blip compared to his Navy buddies. I can only hope to make an impact like that.

RIP Reed.

New Year's Celebration

So Eric and I did a little something different this year for New Year's Eve... Eric wanted to get out of town, and he received and email from Eataly in Chicago (yes, that Italian market/grocery store we discovers) and they were doing a 4-course dinner and champagne toast celebration. It seemed a little odd to me, at first, but the price was right and we figure 'why not?' and gave it a try.

We drove up kind of late yesterday afternoon, and got to the hotel with about an hour or so to relax and freshen-up for the big night. The dinner didn't start until after 9pm (after the store closed, basically). It was just a block from our hotel, so despite the frigid temps, it was an easy walk, even all dressed up. We weren't quite sure what to expect, and I'm thinkng this was the first year they did this. Not to say it wasn't organized... but you could tell they were still trying to figure some things out.

The dinner was absolutely awesome! We enjoys every bite we could, and they timed things great so that everyone wrapped up dinner around 11:30pm or so. Which gave people enough time to shuffle over to where the champagne and desserts were set up for the big countdown. They even had horns and hats for everyone to don, if desired. The only thing missing... the actual countdown! about 5 minutes before, they announced to make sure to have your champagne if you wanted it, but then there was no actual countdown. On of the guests was watching their phone and counted down the last 5 seconds or so, and that was it! It was kind of funny, but also disappointing. Like I said, I think they were still figuring things out, a bit.

But here we are in the new year. 2016, already! Here's hoping for a great year ahead!