Off to the airport....

Getting ready to head to the airport....I can't say that I got much work done today but I guess I got a little done. The worst part is that now it is all going to sit on my desk until almost two weeks from now when I will be back.
Here is the hotel that I am staying at tonight...looks nice! http://www.doncesar.com/ . For some reason I feel like they might have cabana boys or something of the like.....tonight is a cocktail hour and light snacks. The whole point of me going down there is to meet and mingle with people...so they can put a face with the name that they get emails from. I always think that it is harder for people to be mean to you when they have actually met you and don't just think that you are an evil Corporate person sending them emails. We will see how my theory plays out. I look forward to getting to know them. Since my department is so new no one really knows what it does and since the title is Compliance they all assume they are in trouble but that really doesn't have anything to do with what I do so I have to do a mini PR campaign every time I meet someone new.

As I sent in the email...I decided to keep this blog public but started another one to talk about all the crazy stuff people do and ask for on the business side of things for me...if you want to read that one, I am going to make it private so just let me know and I will add your address. I can't promise it will be entertaining all the time, but it will at least help me vent and it might be good for a laugh every now and then. I really dig the blogging and I like to read everyone's every day. I get a little sad though after I have read them all and don't have anymore to read for the night...I need to get some more blogging friends :-) At least this is a lot easier for me than MySpace...I am a spaz when it comes to that and can't seem to figure it out at all. It is too cluttered for me...this is much more my style.

Is anyone else really excited about the Sex and the City movie?? I can't wait!

Feeling Better...

Well, it is late but at least I feel a little bit better..only 18 pictures to go and I will be done with the pictures from last weekend and it will be time to start on this weekends' sessions! I am excited about this week's sessions since I know two of the babies :-) I don't know why everything seemed to frustrate me today (not just the financial planner)...poor craig had to listen to me complain about it tonight for 20 mins, but at least I felt better afterwards. He is always so calm and rational when I get worked up...half the time I picture him sitting there rolling his eyes at how silly I am being, but he rarely lets on that he thinks I might be losing it. I am looking forward to going to Niagara Falls this weekend. It will be relaxing I hope..it is a 6 hour drive from Dayton but through a really pretty area and we kind of like to take roadtrips together so it should be fun even though it is sort of far. Packing is underway for both trips and I hope that I don't forget anything!

Sort of funny that I want to write a common sense finances blog and yet I can't even get a financial planner to help me figure out my own....I guess the plan for the blog was more on how to save money, get out of debt and make smart decisions and not so much about what to do with any money you do save....I guess that will have to be further down the road when I figure it out for myself. My sisters gave me some good ideas from friends of theirs when they were here on Sunday. So hopefully I can start that one soon.

So, for my birthday I asked my family to get me a heart rate monitor...I don't know if any of you guys use them but people in my spin class do and I think that it will be a good way to gauge my workouts and to know if I am pushing myself...I can't wait for it to come..you can even download the information that it tracks to your computer and it tells you if you are progressing and tailors workouts to help you with your goals....that should be awesome so I will keep you guys updated on if I like it or not, which I am sure that I will.

Wednesday Terri and I are going to Bon Jovi!!!! YAY!

I am unhelpable...

I don't think that is a word but oh well english majors. I met with a financial planner today and he told me that my financial goals were too specific and that he really couldn't be much help to me. I guess that is better than him trying to sell me a bunch of crap that I don't need, but I still felt a little hurt :-( I don't really feel like I am having a very good day today....I think that I am just tired but I know I don't want to be at work and I am having a hard time focusing even though I really need to because my office time this week has been cut in half. I found out late on Friday that I am going to FL tomorrow afternoon until Wednesday afternoon and then coming back here for the night and heading to Albany, NY for Thursday and Friday and then OH and Niagara Falls this weekend and then back to Albany next week...yikes. At least I will get lots of skymiles! The stuff that I am doing right now at work is not too exciting either so that makes it even harder to concentrate! Hope everyone else is having a better day!

Update on NKOTB

WOW...this radio station is crazy....remember yesterday they were stalking them, well, they got them to talk to them for 15 mins and they are about to play it...I will let you know if it is good and when they will be coming to Atlanta, but here is a link to the NKOTB website message boards where they have a whole thread about this producer stalking them. I haven't had time to read it yet but if you time to waste.....

http://www.nkotb.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4247

She was funny on the radio yesterday cause she is absolutely in love with them and still acts like she is 12 when she talks about them....

More later..I have to do some work first :-(

OK, I had to come back cause I just heard the interview and I am in love with them all over again! They are so down to earth and they were asked if they were coming to Atlanta and they said if Atlanta wanted it which of course we do so I will find out when that will be....I know some of you think that I am crazy but I will have to check them out if they come here!! They said that they were going to give a song to the producer to bring back..I will provide a link if they put it on the radio website....

I will say that Jordan is a little creepy to me but he was never my favorite anyway. I saw him on the Surreal Life and he was hitting on this like 19yr old when he had a gf and he actually tried to go out with the producer from this radio station when she was engaged...maybe that was his motivation for getting back with the group.....GROUPIES! I don't know but I do look forward to their reunion!!

My niece....

Is so funny...I was trying to process an order today and had some I was going to order for my sister....check out this picture of my niece and yes, she is sucking her big toe just like she does her thumb...she looks like she got caught doesn't she :-)

Today I went to the soccer fields/softball fields and walked around them all..it is this huge park that they have here and that makes 3 days this week that I worked out..that is awesome for me when traveling but I am trying to be better about it. I don't know how many of you played softball when you were younger, but my sisters and I did and I loved it. I sucked mostly but oh well, I had a good time. Today when I was walking around I got sort of nostalgic, I had to add a lap around one of the fields and I saw the concession stand and it reminded me of how my dad used to coach us and he would be trying to talk to other parents after the game and we would bug the crap out of him to give us $.50 so we could get some candy at the concession stand....they still smell the same today..sort of a mix of ring pops, bubble gum, popcorn and those dipping stixs things....remember those...I pure sugar stick to dip in powdered sugar, wonder what the moms of today would say about that. Some kids don't get any sugar today (which I sort of agree with), yet we were dipping sugar in sugar...amazing how times have changed. I miss playing organized sports I realized...it was always fun to hang out with your friends a couple times a week and in high school when I played basketball (which I also sucked at) I was in the best shape of my life. I like having something organized to go to and exercise...maybe once all the kiddies get a little older we could all be on a team together and they can beg us for $1 for the candy (darn inflation).....

My radio station is stalking NKOTB

Not sure how many of you know but NKOTB are making a reunion tour and yes, I will be there if they come to Atlanta....here is the website if you want to check it out. www.nkotb.com Joey was my favorite...sigh.... anyway, I often stream Q100 when I am out of town cause it keeps me in touch with what is going on in Atlanta. Apparently one of their listeners sent them a legit tipoff of their schedule in LA today so the station sent their producer out there (who is also a huge fan) to see if she can talk to them and try to get them to come on the radio. They said that they are nearly impossible to get because since they announced it on the Today show they have not done any radio spots or anything..it is all apparently super secret. I haven't checked out the website yet to see what is going on but I find it a little sad that they have to stalk a music group that had their last hit in 1994.....oh well...I will love it if they get them on the radio! Today has been one heck of a day...working on a spreadsheet literally all day...yuck! I had to take a break!

My latte isn't working....

I am tired this morning....Jennifer and I booked our trip to Greece last night...I am so excited...I am also really sad that Morgan can't go but she needs to go to law school and be a smart lawyer or something, which apparently is more important...Geez....

Thanks for the comments on the website...I was going for something that was happy and that sort of had a branding to it..the website I order my pictures from had a business card sale so I already ordered business cards that match so I am glad that you like it :-) I had already run it by a few people, including Morgan who is my go to person when it comes to anything creative...she is just so good at it. It was actually her idea for the font that I used and I love it.

So, a few of us were talking in the car on Saturday in our "tour de babies" and we got to talking about finances and how some people just do not understand the most common sense of financial items. The thing is, I don't think that it is because the people are not smart, I just think that it is because they have never been taught. I was fortunate enough to have plenty of business classes in college where I learned this type of thing...I actually specialized in finance in grad school because it was so interesting to me, but I realize that not everyone has this.... All this to say that I thought it would be fun/interesting to start a blog about finances...sort of the common sense of finances, not anything complicated but just general things that people might not know. So, I am looking to you guys to see if you have any ideas....what are some of the things that people you know don't understand about finances that I could research and write about? Things that I can think of are 401k's, credit card debt, having a savings account, whether you should pay off your mortgage early, what to use home equity loans for, that type of stuff. I want it to be more of a down to earth common sense approach that people would understand...not that I even know who would read it but I just think that it would be interesting.... I know that everyone has a friend who has told them some crazy thing they did with their finances and it made you cringe, so let me know what those things were. Side note...I am meeting with a financial planner on Monday, should be interesting to see what he says to me about my own finances :-)

By the way, I love this blogging business :-) I spent way too much time on it last night (I was reading Molly's again) and didn't meet my goal for editing all the pics...that is my least favorite part of the photog business..I am getting more efficient at it though so that is good.

It's a Beautiful Day in Albany

So I spent most of my night last night editing pictures...I will try to posts some tonight a little later on so you can see what I have been working on. I did manage to get to the gym last night (yay me), but it was as hot as the sun in there!! Literally the thermostat was between 85 and 90...and the lady at the front desk couldn't open the box that adjusted the temp...yikes...luckily no one else was in there so I just took off my shirt and ran in my sports bra...talk about motivation to get to the gym...nothing like staring at a mirror with all the jiggling, needless to say, I was out walking today :-) The GM and I went to lunch at Panera and sat outside...it was beautiful and 75 with no yellow stuff!!! After we ate he showed me this little sports complex near here with a million soccer and baseball fields so tonight after work I went and walked around all the fields....decent exercise I think.

Today I had to interview two candidates for the Controller position here...strange how neither of them wore a suit...makes me wonder if they were told not to or if they just didn't feel the need. The GM had screened them both at the recruiter's office so maybe he told them then...

I am watching American Idol right now and it is even cheesier than I remember but since the Bigger Loser is over :-( there isn't much on. Who is it that you guys think is going to win American Idol? I am also switching back and forth to the PA primaries (dorky I know but I am ready for all the petty bickering to be overwith and to know who the democratic nominee is).

Tomorrow night is the big fieldtrip into Saratoga...never been and the GM says the downtown is cool so we are going to go there for dinner tomorrow.

Random thought today....is it sad that I ordered Chinese tonight and I could smell it out my open window right before it got to my door? Guess I was hungry!

Random traveling thoughts.....

If I have anything good happens later I will be back, but here are my random traveling thoughts for the day.....

WHY does the rental car company park the cards so close that it requires me to lift my suitcase and do acrobatics to get my suitcase in the trunk??? If you want to park cars that close then do it nose to nose so I can still get to the trunk...I don't know how a fat person gets their suitcase in their trunk at the Albany airport Avis...I literally had about 6 inches of space and had to hold my suitcase in the air to get it in the trunk....good thing I brought the medium sized one and didn't have the one I had last time that got the "heavy" tag by Delta....at times like this I really miss traveling with the boys, they used to do all that for me!

WHY do people in the airport walk in the airport traffic four people across but meander everywhere so you cannot possibly get around them without veering into oncoming traffic? Also, why do they stop suddenly without warning? Sometimes I want to just run into them...that is how it would happen any other time you were in traffic....if you were on the road in a car and you stopped dead you would get hit...if you were on a bike you would get hit, shoot, even if you were running in a race the chances are pretty good that someone would step on the back of your shoe. I feel like there should be consequences (I apologize if you are one of these people that meanders and stops dead).

Final note...if you are waiting in the medallion line at security and the security workers tell you it will be faster to go into the T-gate line they are lying!!! LIES, LIES, LIES!! It was not faster at all, luckily I got to the airport in plenty of time so it didn't matter, but when are they going to open those new security lines? If none of you have been to the Atlanta airport between 7:30-9 on a Monday morning you should definitley go....bring a latte and watch all the business men (and women), all of whom are used to being very important, stuck with hundreds of other people who are used to being really important ....it is hilarious. I actually had a dude a couple people back break ranks today to ask the guy in front of me what kind of bag he had...is that was guys do these days?? It didn't look to be a special bag to me....rusty brown leather and it looked sort of old, but apparently that dude wanted one just like it....I wonder why he didn't ask me about my pretty blue computer bag? Oh yeah, cause it wasn't black or brown and those are the only colors any important person at the airport on Monday morning would be carrying :-) I like being different so it is fine by me, plus my pattern is retired so he wouldn't be able to get it anyway, so HA!

Truthfully, I had a good flight and it is beautiful here in Albany, so much so that I have the window in my office open...I sure whsh I had brought some open toed shoes...oh well....

First One

Ok, ladies, we said we were going to do this so here is my first post on my regular, everyday blog. I am sure that I will not have much that is too exciting to post, but maybe I can entertain every now and again.

Today was quite a long day today....my first session was at 9:30 this morning up near where Drena lives and my last session was at 5pm. Two pregnancies, a semi-newborn and a 6 month old. The first pregnancy was a lady who was supposed to be on bedrest. She had the same preterm labor problem that Erin had so she was in the hospital for 6 weeks but now she is at home but supposed to rest so I went to her. She had some good ideas so it was fun. The two babies were cute as always...the semi-newborn was so well behaved that the shoot only took about 15 minutes....she was awesome...of course she had a total meltdown after we were done while she was waiting on her mom to fill out the contract. The 6 month old was one that I have done since she was a newborn. Her mom is always trying to get her to smile and I feel like we did everything that we could today to get her to smile but she didn't really want to :-( She was still adorable and she had beautiful blue eyes!! I know moms like their babies to smile but I like the normal faces they make just as much if not more sometimes....

The last shoot was quite an experience. First let me say that the people were very nice it was just a funny situation. I went to answer the door and I expected to see mom (pregnant), dad and little sis and I almost got ready to shut the door but then another person was coming and another and another....ummm...did they know I live in a 700 square foot condo and the "studio" is in my living room? There were 5 adults and a 15 month old in my place as I was trying to do the shoot....imagine the fun! The 15 month old got mad cause she was hungry and she was screaming as we were trying to do the shoot....she was supercute though so I wish she had been calm enough for me to take her picture. She did sit with her mom for a little while and it was cute if I asked her where her little brother was she would touch her mom's tummy so I got a couple shots of that but none of her truly kissing the belly though we did get some of it looking like she was kissing it.

Other than all the fun photography stuff I packed for Albany and went to visit Ella and Emma for a little while...had to get my fill before I left for a week. They are so cute. I looked up the weather in Albany and it supposed to be lows in the 40s and highs in the 70s so hopefully it will be nice enough and I might even run outside (where to I don't know). I know the gym there doesn't have weights so I packed the ones that Morgan and Jen gave me last year for xmas that you put water in to make them heavy....now, everyone's job is to make sure I use them all week :-)

We took Craig's dog to a pet cemetery..he weighed as much as I did for goodness sake, and tomorrow is when they bury him :-( Sad! I wish I could be there for Craig...it makes it hard to be away, but I guess a phone call will have to do....

I hope you can all blog cause I leave work in Albany at 5 and am at my hotel by 5:10 and bored. I have pictures to edit but I always need a break from that!!

Random thought of the day....have you ever had the lady (or gentleman) checking you out at the grocery answer their cell phone while checking you out...I had never had this happen until the other day when I was getting supplies for the shower....she apologized several times and said she was having work done on her house and had to answer...the funny part was that she was to the part where all she had to do was tear off the receipt but she didn't do that while on the phone so I was just staring at her while she discussed her house project...just wondering if this happens to anyone else :-)

Ok, finshed my first one...told you it wouldn't be entertaining, but maybe something fun will happen in Albany!