"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.
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!
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.
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!
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!
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.
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!
Wow!! Where did 2015 go... seriously?! I cannot believe we're already here, post-Christmas. I feel like this year has been a blur. Anyone feel that?
Eric and I did the drive to FL for Christmas again this year. We've take to enjoy that drive time, making it all part of the journey to enjoy. Mostly. We drove straight through to Jacksonville on Christmas Eve, and woke up to head to my parents on Christmas morning. 
My sister and her family couldn't make it up that way until that evening, so it worked out fine. Having the youngest in the family being teenagers, the 'magic' of Christmas morning isn't as much of a necessity. It happens, I suppose. But that gave some time with just Eric and I to spend with my parents. Nan was not able to make it down this year and spent Christmas with some extended family in PA. We missed her a lot, and hope we can get her back to FL for future Christmases. We'll see.
Christmas, itself, was pretty standard for a Cwalina Christmas. 
Lots of gifts with the nine of us there, and some fun surprises that no one expected. Still extremely enjoyable, for me at least. I love how our family does Christmas. I wouldn't say we have formal traditions, but there are still traditions. Like where we sit, for example. Don't ask me why, but if anyone tries to sit someplace new, there's confusion everywhere! It's kind of amusing. Regardless, I love watching reactions to the gifts - no mater how old we get, we all seem to enjoy it.
The day after Christmas, to avoid the draw of the TV and being lazy, we went to the zoo. 
This was my mom's idea, because she wanted to see the new tigers. Which I definitely liked the idea of, too! Here's the crazy thing, though... it was in the 80's and almost too warm to walk around the zoo! A lot of the animals were even seeking shade to keep cool! Even the tigers! We still had a good time feeding the Lorikeets and walking around, though. And I learned that Eric is afraid of (or 'doesn't like' them, in his words) birds, reptiles, and amphibians... he wouldn't go into any of those exhibits. It was kind of funny. But we managed to walk through and see what we wanted before they closed, and headed home.
After breakfast, Eric and I left the next day. We only went as far as Savannah, and enjoyed the afternoon and some dinner there. 
Wasn't a major event, or anything... just meant to be some down time to ourselves before getting back to the real world after the holidays. It was kind of nice, actually, and thought maybe we should get back to making the trip down a two-day trip, as well, just to keep our sanity in check. I guess we'll see next year.
Finally, we left bright and early the next morning. Only had a band of rain to drive through, though it was some heavy rain. But it was still relatively warm until we gut way up into Kentucky. And at that point, we were done with stops and just needed to get home. So all in all, it was a good trip. And a good Christmas.
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).
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.
