I'm Here

I apologize for the delay, but I've been busy catching up. I'm back from vacation and I have a post ready to go detailing the wonderful Mexican adventure, but I know there are some of you waiting for a particular update - and if you aren't, then you clearly haven't read my blog, and you should probably start. Go on. I'll wait for you. Yes, that means you. Start from the beginning. I'll even make it easy. You can start from 2009 if that helps.

You're back? Understand everything now? Ok, good. So, to answer your question...


Drumroll please...


The answer is...


No.

I did not get engaged on the trip. But believe me, there were a few opportunities that would have been the perfect moment. This just leads me to believe that when the opportunity comes, it will be even more perfect than those perfect evenings we shared in Puerto Vallarta.

I promise a post soon detailing the trip. I just wanted to cut the suspense.

They Could Put Strychnine in the Guacamole

"I said I'm stressed out... so tired... my days... so long... I NEED A VACATION"

The above is the chorus of the song that resonates most in my life right now from Young Jeezy, titled, "I Need a Vacation."

This image is one I've been picturing in my head since December. This image is the only thing saving my sanity, so imagine my terror at the thought of having to postpone this image due to this image:

The A (H1N1), aka swine flu, has been top-of-mind since it spread like wildfire through Mexico and Texas last week (and to the rest of the world days later.) I've been rabidly monitoring coverage for any break in sickness, ANYTHING that would allow me to take my vacation.

I called the promotional company who is handling our trip logistics about their recommendations, which they recommended to wait until just before our trip to see what happened; I looked for news every day, and every little ounce of good news I stored in my arsenal to convince myself that I could - and would - take this trip. I mean, it's my sanity we're talking about!!

Stephen told me my judgement was impaired, fueled by my need to escape the city for a week. To some degree he was probably right, but it was more than that. I know how the media works, how sensationalism works. This was the media's dream story, all packaged with a pretty bow.

It's been just over a week since the flu broke out. People aren't dying anymore, and the media coverage has died down (no front page story on The NY Times today!) I've done my due diligence. I called my physician to explain the situation and what, if anything, I should do. The doctor explained to me how the flu has been sensationalized, and explained that the Mexico resorts haven't had any serious reports. He said to take some flu medicine in case we get sick, but that things aren't nearly as dangerous as they thought last week. He said to GET OUT OF TOWN!

That image, the one I've been holding on to for months, will be replaced by this image come Sunday.

I need a vacation... and thankfully on Sunday I'll get one.

In a Flash

Life has been incredibly busy for the past two weeks, and my blog writing (and reading) has suffered immensely. But I owe it to my small handful of readers to update you on my life since so many of you are far, far away. Without further ado, my life story of the past two weeks:

Work:
I've been at Emerge for two weeks now, and they weren't kidding when they said I'd be diving in head first. I'm on three accounts right now, one of which is a brand new client, so I'm working late each night trying to wrap my head around what my clients do, what my roles and responsibilities are for each account, and still trying to meet the deadlines.

It's been exhilarating, to say the least! My mind hasn't been this challenged in a long while, and I'm so very thankful for the opportunities and trust my new colleagues have placed in me so early in the game to get things done. I also feel like I'm in a position now where my experience and career level gives me a certain amount of credibility to get the job done, and I'm being given the opportunities to prove that.

Everything about Emerge felt right from the first time I interviewed with them when I first got laid off, until I got the call from them 5 months later with an offer. My colleagues are brilliant, talented, and definitely live the motto of teamwork. It's a family there, right down to Tessie, the black lab who's frequented our office one day each of these past two weeks.

Marathon Training:
Marathon training has been going slower than I'd like, but my knees haven't felt so great. I'm taking steps to correct that, starting with getting properly fitted for my needs. I went to a running store on Friday and got fitted with shoes that fit like a glove. Apparently I over pronate when I run, and the balls of my feet land on the inside, so it's throwing my alignment out of whack. I got some shoes to curb that and I'm hoping that helps. I'm also taking a glucosamine/chondroitin complex. It's supposed to help regenerate cartilage and lubricate your joints, so hopefully these two steps will help make training a little easier.

Despite all this, I love getting up and running. It's such an accomplishment to see how much my body is progressing and changing and how my stamina is steadily increasing. I've decided that once I'm steadily running 5 miles, I'll join the local running club to really work on increasing strength and decreasing my mile time.

Cupcakes:
Last, but definitely not least, is my side passion of baking cupcakes. I baked 3 varieties of cupcakes last week, totaling 5 dozen cakes. Everything was made from scratch, from the batter to the icing. The Kitchen-Aid was in full effect! Here's what I made:

Strawberry-Lemon - A moist vanilla cake with fresh-sliced strawberries folded in, and topped with a light, lemon frosting.

Caramel-Apple - Delicious apple cake with a creamy caramel core, topped with cream cheese frosting.

S'mores - Scrumptious chocolate cake topped with marshmallow cream frosting and a graham cracker garnish.

The S'mores were the raging hit, as tasted by my colleagues and our MSU friends at Easter Brunch. The Caramel-Apple cupcake was a close second, followed by the strawberry lemon. I'm having trouble firming up the home made frostings, but I've got some ideas of different ingredients I can use to try to make that happen. I can't tell you how happy I was to spend a whole day baking away and making these delicious creations. And to have validation that I was on to something was just another level. I've got some ideas for about a dozen different new recipes and am planning to start another blog to document the cupcake side of my life.

So there you go. That's been my life for the past two weeks. It's been hectic, but it's been great. Stephen is still on the job hunt, but he remains optimistic. He's headed to North Carolina with some of his former colleagues next week, so I'll have some alone time (very nice!) and then we're headed to Puerto Vallarta the week after that. We're both looking forward to lapping up the waves and working on our tans (and I'm looking forward to running on the beach, something I've never done!)

Quick Updates

It dawned on me today that I haven't done some follow-up that I said I would. So here's some quick updates into what's been going on in the life of moi:

Running:

I've started my marathon training, and am taking the tortoise approach on this one: slow and steady wins the race. I'm running a few times per week and running about 2-3 miles each time. Once I build some stamina and strength in the knees I'll begin steadily increasing mileage.

Mexico:

When my parents asked if I was leaving for Mexico this week, it dawned on me that I haven't clued most people in on that either. The promotions company originally told us our first date of March 28-April 3 was set. Plans were made, vacation days were requested and two days later there was a problem. Apparently we're only allotted $1,200 for tickets and flights were running around $1,750; Wheel of Fortune won't let guests pay the difference, so we couldn't go then and our alternate dates in April were already booked up. So... they secured our trip for May 10-16. I think it will be hotter than Hades then, but it's a free trip and I can cool down by the pool with a cerveza in each hand.

Job Hunt:

Stephen had a great second interview with the DSP group at his company (don't ask because I can't explain) and now we're just waiting to hear whether he got the offer. It's the waiting part that is the killer.

I start my job on April 6th and I'm so excited. I'm all set up and my new colleagues have been sending me information so that I'm ramped up and ready to hit the ground running on day 1.

So that's all we've got going on right now. I'll be sure to update this with any news once Stephen has it.

Dream Vacation

This is what Stephen and I have to look forward to when we hear this week about our scheduled trip to Puerto Vallarta.

An all-inclusive resort that will stuff us with food and drink for 7 straight days, the Dreams Resort offers a wealth of activities including beach volleyball (which I know we'll be playing a lot of.) Throw in the private beach, warm weather and nothing to think about, and you've got all the ingredients for Stephen and I to have the best trip.

We're both so excited for this trip and we can't wait to get away for a bit.