CONGRATS!

My husband has very simple wants in life: to watch the Phillies continue to win the World Series, to own a house with a yard, to have a big family oh and to have a NEW JOB!

I've been waiting to post this for awhile but today is finally the good news day! It happend. The hubs will be starting his new job in a few weeks. We're stoaked!

Looks like we will be doing lots of celebrating later on tonight, lets hope it will be a dual celebration combined with a Purdue Victory.

Congrats Hubs!!! Maybe tonight will look something like this:



or like this:

Sometimes Romance does Conquer All

You know what is really cool? Having friends that are all very different. Friends who take interests in different things and friends who do things out of the norm. Friends who inspire you and surprise you all at the same time. Friends that take last minute adventures and let life lead them rather than them lead life.

Ok so where did this come from? Well one of my college friends (also a Delta Gamma sister) has been browsing jobs in Chicago for months. After lots of hard work, determination, drives back and forth from Indy to Chicago for interviewing and networking, it paid off. She got offered a job right downtown Chicago doing something that she would be great at (YAY).



However, after she started interviewing for this job, she met a boy from Charlette. From how I understand it, the two clicked immediately. It was like a match made in heaven sent right from an angel. The two seemed to know more about each other before they could even talk about themselves. It quickly grew into a long distance love story. Precious right?

Well my friend went on her second interview and soon after got a call offering her a job (because she is that awesome). After sharing the good news with this boy in Charlotte they began talking about their future and their lives together. The conversation ended with my friend moving to Chicago and after a year or two moving down to Charlette to be with this boy and if the boy could get to Chicago first, he would.

A few days went by. The boy went out of town and while there it hit him, he couldn’t stand to be apart from my friend for another minute. He jumped on a plane and flew to Indy to confess his feelings. A day later I got an unexpected call that makes my heart flutter and sad all at the same time. My friend was un-accepting her job in Chicago and was moving down south. This makes me sad because well, I was looking forward to having another college friend so close. It makes my heart flutter because most people don’t do whimsical things like this and most people are scared to have deep feelings like this in such a short amount of time...

And well because I once took a chance, moved to a foreign city with no job, no friends no idea where my life would leave me all for a boy. That boy is now my husband. If I would have let people convince me I was a fool for moving for a boy I could have missed out on some of the best years of my life.

So today I say, sometimes love does conquer all. Best of luck to my friend on her new adventure, may love be all you need.

PS won’t their story make a great one to share with kids someday?

Career Exploration Blows

I just want to take a minute to give a huge shout out to my husband! In the past 4 years he has encouraged me to be an individual and to stand up for thing that I believe in. He has encouraged me to seek out career opportunities that better suit my interests and he has supported me through everything emotionally and financially.

Now that I am in a market I love, with people I enjoy and an interest that parallels what I am doing for a living, I am happy. For once, since college, I feel like I am at a good place. YAY! It's been a long time coming people. With that said, it's time to put the focus on the hubs. In a nut shell, he's been working to work. But now that I am in a good place we can shift gears to him and we can focus on what he wants to be when he grows up.

Yup, I said it, "When he grows up." See that's just it, since he was younger (since we all were younger) he was told he was going to do go to school for this then that, after that comes a job, you do the job to pay the bills and come home at the end of the day. So he's been with the same job for the past few years but he has no passion for it, which makes his drive go down which makes him not the professional he wants to be.

So starting a few weeks back, the hubs has been in contact with many different people in many different fields. He's asking them questions like what do you do, what do you like about it, what kind of person does it take to succeed in this field. All questions we should have been asking in high school and college before we decided to pick majors and careers. I think I speak for a majority when I say that many of us get pigeon holed into fields that we think we should be doing.

So thank you hubby for being my rock! Career exploration can blow with lots of hurdles in your way. Either way, changes are coming so hang in there hubby!

My job rocks!

Ok so it’s no secret. I love my job. I get to work for an awesome arena that is home to the Chicago Bulls and the Chicago Blackhawks. In my role I get to work closely with departments from both teams along with events/acts that come to the United Center. Cool right? Well today is extra cool. We will be welcoming back the Blackhawks after the 2 week Olympic hiatus. I think I read something on Twitter that said it best from espnzonechicago: #Blackhawks Toews, Keith & Seabrook come home w gold, Kane a silver. Most bling in a United Center locker room since Rodman was in town?

So cheers to all the Blackhawks Olympians and special cheers to Kane for being a proud American!

(All photos taken from the Chicago Blackhawks website found here)

A Good 1st Day

I firmly believe that having a good "first day" of anything in your life sets a tone for the rest of your experience.

Case in point, the last time I started a job, my first day consisted of me getting locked out of my apartment. Here's how it went down. My husband had flown out of town on business the night before and I had only lived in the apartment for 2 days. While getting ready for work I heard our wonder dog Minne crying to go out. It was a warm rainy day so I figured I could run out and run right back in and didn't think about putting on a coat or even shoes, instead opted for the quick slip on slippers. Plus, it was my first day of work, I didn't want to be late.

Well Minne and I run outside, quick pee and we shot right back inside. Wait...back up. I wish it were that easy. We went to run back inside but apparently the door locked behind me. I tried the sliding doors and it was locked too. Shoot. It is now starting to rain and Minne is now whining, she hates water.

I saw a neighbor walking by and in my now soaking wet white t-shirt and slippers, I figured I should introduce myself and beg to use her phone. Luckily, she felt bad for me and handed me her phone. I called the husband but he didn't answer. I called again and still no answer, so I left a message. Next, I called the apartment office. They said they would send someone right over after they verified I was on the lease. 2 minutes later, I get a call back, guess what? The husband hadn't added me to the lease yet so I was stuck outside while the husband was thousands of miles away.

What's a girl to do, other than throw her entire body, including her hip into the door and bust the door down? Yup, that's what I did. At some point there were photos of this door but the below photos is pretty close to what I did.

Photo found here, however this was not our door, just a similair case.

Sure enough, I make it into the house and guess who is calling me? Yup, the hubs. I tell him what happend expecting to get sympathy and even email him photos of the door and the instant bruising on my hip. Instead of sympathy, he was angry, apparently fixing door frames and doors are kind of expensive and aren't covered in the lease. OOPS

After all that I ended up getting to work late on my first day. I think the fact that I am no longer with this employer shows that my experience there wasn't one of my favorites. Lucky for me, today was the first day of my new job and it went smoothly. I had a great work out with my mom at 5:30am followed by a great walk with Minne. Even though the hubs is out of town, there was no getting locked out, there was no rain and no bruising. I hit no traffic during my commute and I already felt comfortable with everyone I work with. Awesome right? I hope today is a reflection of the rest of my time with the UC.

A Case of the Manic Mondays

Last night the hubs and I made it home from our crazy trip to small town Indiana. After working for a few hours the hubs took me to dinner and a movie. It was a great way to end a nutty weekend and an even better way to start the week, for him anyway.

Once we got home from the movie, he "had to pack" for a work trip to San Diego. This meant lots of laundry for me as the hubs mentally prepared for his work trip. Sounds like a work trip huh? Actually, the only thing that seemed like work to me was watching him pack 3 days of clothes in a carry on bag. Apparently, if girls from work can do it, he's certain he can too.

Bag with one day of clothes and work out attire, notice the items that aren't in the suit case yet

Meanwhile, Minne spent her time working really hard to tear apart her Birthday gift, Rant the Ant. Toys that have a 1 year warranty usually take Minne about a half hour to eat through. Once she gets to the insides we have to throw them away before she eats them. This wouldn't be an issue but her small belly gets sick after eating to much stuffing, strings, thread, squeekers, plastic...the list goes on.

She spent about an hour with Rant, before we had to take him away from her.

After a very productive night, I'm off to my first day at my new job and the hubs is on his way to sunny San Diego.

Full timer at the UC!

My new home away from home, photo taken at a 2009 Bulls game

That’s right, as of Monday Feb 1, I am officially part of the full-time tech staff at the United Center. I will continue doing the roles that I have been doing with the added responsibility of CRM Data Analyst. I am excited because I will be learning something new, I get to work with an amazing staff plus I will be working with departments from both teams. My schedule should start to be more of a 9-5 schedule, with some event support so KH - that means you will be able to see me and remember what I look like. For my husband, that means we will see each other and I will owe you home made dinners ;)

Photo taken at the '09 Hawks vs Redwings Play off game

Don't Get Excited, Don't Get Excited

In August I quit my job with an ad agency to try to get back into the sports/entertainment business. Since then, I've been doing some consulting, working full time as a retail manager and been doing some part time/consulting/tech work for a local arena - all while looking for a full time position. Well today my friends, I was offered a full-time job. Still ironing out the details but the plus? I would be able to work one job! This would mean more time with friends and family, something I have missed since September. So pardon me while I spend the next few hours trying not to get too excited.