the good and the bad

This week has been an insanely busy week. It seems that all I have been doing is working. Which at some point should translate into getting paid. It is wonderful to be able to roll out of bed and start working and to stop when I want. The problem is that I have not seemed to figure out how to stop. And then there is the pesky business of having a cell phone.

For instance, I was already to go work out at the Y. I had all of my stuff with me but as I backed out of the driveway I realized that I didn't have my cell phone. So I ran back inside to grab the thing and tried leaving for a second time. I had not yet left my neighborhood when I received an urgent phone call for me to make a last minute change to a project that I had already sent off and considered closed. So I had to turn around, go home, make the change and miss my cycle class.

So the good is that I have freedom and can go work out during the day and the bad is that even with freedom there is still responsibility to get urgent projects done that may mess up your day!

Home Alone

I have to be honest and say that my first two days working from home were terrible. Granted I had plenty of things to do, but I just felt so lonely. When I decided to quit my "real" job I did not consider the social ramifications of no longer having friends sitting next to me.

This week I took stock of the situation and went to great efforts to make sure that I got out of the house and interacted with people. I managed to have lunch with someone different 3 out of 5 days this week. I also went to the Y every day to work out. So I definitely have not felt as lonely.

The best news is that 1) it looks like Ethos3 Communications could take off very soon which means I could start getting paid and 2) I have had a lot of really promising contacts that I have begun to do freelance work for. This includes 2 local real estate agents, a screen printing company in Rosebud (thanks Mark Adams), a publishing company in Nashville and most recently I have been contacted by a local community church to discuss some freelance work they need done. This is all extremely good because Daniel informed me that I had to earn $1K a month to keep us from going bankrupt (no pressure).

Hot Flashes in Spin Class

This morning in my spin class we had a substitute instructor. For some reason there were no men in today's class so my instructor kept saying things like, "That's not a hot flash that you are feeling, that is just you breaking a sweat." I am not sure if she noticed but half of the class was no where near menopause. Being in my mid twenties, I had better not experience hot flashes anytime soon, especially not when I exercise!

The 80s

I love 80s music. I love 80s movies. I love candy and toys that remind me of the 80s. After all I was a child in the 80s. But 80s fashion continues to befuddle me.

Last night I attended a 25th anniversary bash that honored Ron and Dana with an 80s theme to commemorate their marriage during the 80s. The party was a blast. The outfits and makeup were over the top. The music was awesome. 

But the thing that amazes me most is how easy it was to shop for this party and how 80s fashion seems to be making a comeback in current fashion. While shopping, I actually saw teenagers in the store with tight-rolled jeans and pony tails sticking off the side of their head... can this be for real? Is the awful fashion sense of the 80s REALLY making a comeback? The 80s and early 90s will always be bizarre to me: hammer pants, tight rolled jeans, over-sized shirts, weird use of colors. Heavy, bright make up. Big hair...

 

Enough about my thoughts on current fashion. The party was a lot of fun. I was even convinced to karaoke and to dance. I am a terrible dancer and I have a great fear of singing in front of people. But karaoke-ing with a group didn't turn out to be so bad.

 

 

Last Day of Corporate America

Today is a happy but also a somewhat sad day for me. Two weeks ago I gave notice to my current employer that I would be leaving to pursue a new career - one that is free of cubicles and bureaucracy (at least I hope it is).

Well today was bittersweet. I work with such good and talented people. They have been my close friends while we transitioned to Charlotte and now I am leaving them behind. This day is exciting because I am venturing into a brave new world but it is sad because I am doing it alone and I will miss my daily chats with my co-workers who are also my friends.

We celebrated my last day by going as a department to a museum in uptown Charlotte and having a fajita bar catered for us. My co-workers did a wonderful thing for me. They know that I have 2 passions and they gave me 2 wonderful gifts. One passion is reading and they provided me with a gift card to Barnes & Noble. My other passion is quotes and they gave me a journal in which each of them wrote their favorite quote and a note for me. This is by far one of the best gifts I have ever received.

This morning on the radio I heard a quote that sums up my overall feelings: It is better to try and fail than to never try and always wonder "What if?" So with that I move forward. I will be working as the creative director for a presentation coaching company based out of Nashville. While this company builds clients I will work for free. To supplement this I will also be building my freelance business. This is the best time for me to do this and I don't want to look back in 10 years and regret not trying because I was afraid of failing.

Outdoor Adventures | 2006 edition

I have journaled regularly since I was kid. 2006 was the year I shifted from writing about our adventures in a journal to writing on this blog. I still have stacks of journals that I may try to convert to a digital format some day. This little space is my personal effort to document life as we know it and the adventures we take.

We took two big trips in 2006. We also started mountain biking pretty regularly in the Charlotte area, but no blogs posts about those experiences. Renovating pretty much took all of our time

February
My first ski trip | Snow Shoe, WV

July 
Vacation in Oregon | Multnomah Falls, Mount Hood, South Sister, Bend, Crater Lake, Oregon Dunes Recreation Area, Haceeta Head