2010 - Here I come!

Today I'm going to veer away from consumer reviews and take a look at everything 2009 brought. It certainly was a life-changing year for me, so much happened, so much changed and it's ended incredibly. It's safe to say I'm happier than I've ever been.

There have even been some recent circumstances that proved to me just how great things are now! But that's far from the point...

Today I'm looking back on some of those events that have brought me to where I am today and maybe I'll even put some of my resolutions out there for y'all to hold me to.

By the way, the inspiration for this post comes from a lost blogger buddy who I recently caught back up with on the 20SB network. He was missing my "old blog."

So, this one is for you Matt!

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I was thinking about going month by month here, but some months have nothing to report while others are jam packed with excitement. Then I contemplated numbering them, but I couldn't decide if I should go in order of importance or chronologically. So this is what you get. Deal with it.

• Spending 5 days in the Caribbean - This was in March/April last year. I learned that I shouldn't take trips during March Madness. I can't stand missing the games. I also learned that at least one full week vacation is needed every year, if for nothing else than my sanity.

• Making my first skydive - as y'all are probably acutely aware, this opened the biggest door of my life. Because of this tandem jump in Miami I have learned so much about what I'm capable of accomplishing. It also brought me so many new experiences: jumping from balloons and helicopters, meeting new friends, becoming a Skydiving Blogger, introducing me to the love of my life, giving me a community of people who encourage and support one another...the list goes on.

• Sticking to my vegetarianism - this is something I resolved to do last year and, aside from the occasional cheat, I've done a pretty good job. I'd like to get even better this year.

• Being a part of my big brother's wedding - this was an incredible weekend. I have a new sister and she's lovely! And Michigan State beat Michigan this day too.

• Getting a dog - and then doing the right thing and providing him with a better home. It wasn't an easy decision to make, but on the "trial weekend" Otis and I had, I learned that there was no way, what with my frequent travel and skydiving, that I could provide him the home he deserved.

• Going to Bridge Day - this year I was the personal photographer for my boyfriend at Bridge Day. There were some things that happened that will forever stay at Bridge Day, but needless to say it pumped me up for my first BASE next year. This was also the weekend of my first interview with Traventure Man - and the start of a new friendship.

• College reunion in Los Angeles - finally, the old college crew got together! We spent 5 days together in LA, where Chris and Jon moved after graduation. It was incredible. We even got to meet Josh Duhamel at the Dodgers game. We learned that none of us can drink the way we used to - some of us found that out the hard way. I hope we can do this again next year!

• Losing a friend - this year some of my friends and I went through the loss of a dear friend. Here's a little something about Dan. The community that came together to celebrate his life is incredible.

• Spending Labor Day at the Work Stinks Boogie - here's a great recap on that weekend.

• Moving in with the boyfriend - this is currently still in progress. Tomorrow is the final move in day and I couldn't be more excited.

So I have some lofty goals for 2010 - here's a snippet of what I'm looking to accomplish:

• Stop spending money during work hours - read: online purchases, trips to the snack shop. So much of my paycheck would be saved if I made my lunch at home and quit making trips to Starbucks. Office coffee is just fine - especially since it's free!

• Pull off a successful Jump for Diabetes - the BF hosted the Inaugural Jump for Diabetes last year and I sold a few raffle tickets. This year, we're partnering up to make it an even bigger success. Lots of planning to be done.

• Bring the cursing down to a minimum - my potty mouth has gotten bad. Really bad. It's not attractive and certainly something I'm not proud of. Naturally, there are moments where it is necessary, which is why I'm not resolving to quit altogether. Baby steps with this one - but I've been challenged, so bring it!

• Learn to snowboard - even if it's just enough to get myself down the hill for now.

• Grow exponentially as a skydiver - I'd like to become a better freeflyer, get my coach rating, dabble in freestyle, travel to as many boogies as possible, become a better freefly partner, gain strength, flexibility and control...so on and so forth. This also means growing my profile in the community as the Skydive Chick. Check me out on Twitter and over at my blog.

• Reconnect with my love for photography - I've just been plain bad about this. I'd really like to travel more, get some scenery. Maybe I'll head out to the slopes and take some pictures of the boy doing his thing.
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So tell me dear readers, what did you accomplish this year, and what are your goals for 2010?

Cheers!

-A

RANT: Fitworks

I'm all about customer service! If I have a problem, it can be easily resolved with friendly customer service reps.

In fact, I often respect a company more when an issue is taken care of smoothly and they are doing everything in their power to ensure that I'm a satisfied customer. You may notice that a lot of my RAVEs about companies has to do with good customer service.

Well, now I have a rant about a company because of their sales people. READ: before I'm even an actual customer. Yeah...not good.

So for those who may not know, I'm moving. Not very far, just to the other side of town, but far enough that it requires me to look into new services such as a gym.

(Yes, for those who are wondering, I'm moving in with the BF. It's an exciting time!)

Anyhow, I did some research online and found that Fitworks in Mentor has a good special running right now. So I decided to print off a discount coupon before visiting the facility.

Of course, in order to get the discount, you have to give them all your contact information. In hindsight, I should have "accidentally" transposed two digits in my phone number.

Almost immediately I was receiving calls from their sales reps. When I didn't answer, because I was at the office DURING WORKING HOURS, I received an email. I replied politely and said that I'm in the process of moving, I may be in this weekend to check out the gym.

Later that evening I receive another call from the gym, but this time no one left a voicemail.

This weekend rolls around and I'm running around like a mad woman, moving, and shopping and everything. No time to hit up the gym. Well these sales folks hated that, because on Sunday I received THREE calls and two voicemails - within 30 minutes!

I called back one of their reps and told them I'm busy moving, I'll try to stop in soon.

His response was: "ok, but we only have specials through the end of the month." I almost retorted that those specials will then be replaced with new ones, but I bit my tongue.

At this point, I think I'm done. NOPE!

Yesterday, again, during working hours, I receive a phone call, voicemail AND email from these people. My response was simple - I was considering getting a membership, however, I'm really only interested in the classes you have to offer. Given the recent spamming from your sales force, I've decided to go with a nearby yoga studio that doesn't call me 3+ times a day just to make a sale.

Then I asked them to please remove me from any lists I'm on so I no longer receive any phone calls or emails. Thanks! :-)

I haven't been contacted since - though it has only been 24 hours, so we'll see... Let's just hope they get the hint.

Sure, it's not exactly "customer service" related, but spamming potential customers doesn't get you anywhere. At least, not with me.

Did he really think "if I call one more time maybe she'll get fed up and buy a membership." SERIOUSLY?!

I get that the economy is down, and everyone needs that extra commission, but be a little courteous of my time and let me make the decision on my own. In this case, you made the decision for me, Fitworks.

On the plus side, I can't wait to start my new yoga classes after the first of the year!

Cheers!

-A

RAVE: Diet Dr. Pepper

Before I get into today's Rave, I'd like to point out that yes, I'm aware that I haven't had any Rants lately here in the blogosphere, mostly that has to do with the fact that I haven't been overly displeased with anything as of late.

Until I have a true reason to bitch and moan about a company, product, or service, I'm going to continue raving about those people, places, and things that bring a smile to my face. After all, there's no reason to complain, just for the sake of hearing my own voice.

Let's get on with the show, shall we?

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For as long as I can remember, Dr. Pepper has been one of my favorite sodas. Growing up, my father wasn't supposed to drink dark colas (read: Coke or Pepsi for those who may not be aware) because they're not so gentle on your stomach.

To break the monotony of drinking only Sprite or ginger ale, my dad turned to Dr. Pepper, since it's not technically a "cola."

From a young age I was hooked. But then I gave up all soda for about 5 years of my existence - that is, until I moved to Texas, where I noticed that Dr. Pepper is in ALL the fountain machines.

Not only that, they actually have DIET Dr. Pepper in the fountain machines. Yummy.

As a girl who doesn't like to drink empty calories, this appealed to me very much. And yes, Diet Dr. Pepper does taste like regular Dr. Pepper. I even find it to be a little more refreshing.

Now the other day, the BF and I were walking through the store and came upon Diet Dr. Pepper Cherry. I immediately thought, "there's no way this can be good. The soda already has so many different flavors in it." But we walked out with a 2-liter, prepared to give it a whirl.

To my surprise, this drink was fantastic! In fact, we went and bought a 12-pack of cans last night, and I'm currently enjoying one of those cans as I type this.

It's incredibly smooth with a distinct cherry flavor that's not overpowering by any means.

There's not much more I can say about it other than you MUST try this one yourself. I've also seen that they have a Chocolate Covered Cherry flavor as well. I may have to get around to trying that one out in the future.

Cheers!

-A

RAVE: Dave's Cosmic Subs

It appears as of late that I've been doing most of my reviews on the food and beverage industry. What can I say, I'm a girl who likes to eat!

Well today's review isn't going to be much different thanks to my current obsession: Dave's Cosmic Subs.

This NE Ohio-based sub shop blows Subway, Jersey Giant, and all the other sub chains away.

When I first moved to Cleveland almost 3 years ago (holy crap, hard to believe I've been here that long), I noticed Dave's as it sat on the Detroit Rd. "strip" in Lakewood. It was one of those places that I asked friends about, some swore by it, others said it was bland.

So, given that I'm not a huge sub person anyway, I decided to spend that $5 elsewhere.

And then came the day I was introduced to Dave's. My boyfriend and I were out in Mentor, heading to Pennsylvania to skydive, and decided to grab sandwiches on the way out to the dropzone.

At first, I wasn't thrilled with the sub, but in my defense, a friend of mine had passed the night before and my appetite just wasn't up to it's usual standards.

But the customer service experience was good, so I was willing to go back when the boy recommended it a couple weeks later.

To my surprise, I fell in LOVE with these subs!

As a vegetarian, I have multiple menu options to choose from, all of which include the incredible and addicting Dave's sauce. Mmmm...I can't even explain how yummy it is!

The bread is always fresh and they're totally cool with swapping out wheat bread upon request.

All that combined with the fresh veggies and cool, laid back atmosphere, it makes for a great dining experience.

As a west sider, I'm still very partial to the Dave's in Mentor where I've come to know one of the owners, Anthony, and his crew. He always remembers what the bf and I are going to get when we come in - even my substitution with no artichoke hearts on the #12.

(Some of the guys from the Mentor Store. Photo from Facebook Fan Page.)

It's this type of neighborhood feel that keeps me coming back to Dave's in Mentor.

Occasionally I'll hit up the Lakewood location out of convenience to my place - and to get my fix when I'm not on the bf's side of town - but it's not nearly as chill, friendly and laid back as the Mentor location that I have come to love.

Here's an overview:

Price: $$ (Right on par with other sub shops)

Menu Selection: **** (even for a vegetarian there are plenty of options)

Taste: ***** (not a single complain on the freshness and taste)

Service: **** (especially at the Mentor store)

Atmosphere: **** (chill!!)

If you're in the NE Ohio area, I can't recommend Dave's enough. It's quick, it's fresh, and it's freaking delicious.

In fact, I might just be getting some tonight.

Cheers!

-A

RAVE: Danny Boys

For the past year one of my favorite West side (Cleveland) restaurants has been Danny Boy's in Rocky River.

With it's cozy atmosphere and Frank Sinatra theme, it sits quietly along Lake Ave., awaiting locals and regulars who enjoy the expansive menu.

Between the incredible pizza, unique sandwiches and to-die-for bread that accompanies every salad, Danny Boys has some of the best comfort food I've experienced in Cleveland.

Personally, I'm a huge fan of their pizza. The cheese and sauce combination they use is mouth watering and the crust is quite tasty. But I've yet to be dissatisfied by any of their dinners. If you're hungry, I recommend a pasta dish - a gigantic portion that comes with salad and yummy bread. Those dinners usually end up stretching well into meals for the next week.

The atmosphere is very chill. Upon walking in you can immediately tell it's a family-run operation. There are tables with chess and checker boards where you can play while you wait to be seated. The waitstaff wear shirts with quirky slogans and the sandwiches are named for famous people and mobsters.

And let me tell you what, the price is right! A dinner for two is always under $30 bucks.

If you're in and around the near West side, or want to make a trip for some fantastic grub, I highly recommend Danny Boys. It's definitely worth it!

Price: $$ (beyond reasonable for the portion size)

Menu Selection: **** (when I'm not getting pizza it takes me forever to decide!)

Taste: **** (yummy!)

Service: *** (sometimes it's a little slow, but my soda is almost always full!)

Atmosphere: **** (chill)

Cheers!

-A

RAVE: Chocolate Peanut Butter Chex Mix

It seems that food manufacturers have been listening to my cravings as of late: anything with the chocolate/peanut butter combination.

What's better than these two sweet treats together?

How about a little added salt?

As I was perusing the convenience shop for some something chocolate, these chocolate peanut butter Chex caught my eye. Naturally, I had to purchase them.

Let me just say, the bag didn't last long. And no, I didn't share.

Chex Mix has always been one of my favorite snacks. It's healthier than chips and has a great crunch - I'm all about texture. I've been known to stock up on all sorts of flavors of Chex Mix when it's on sale. Yummy!

This Chex variety had the consistency of puppy chow (you know, that chocolatey, powdered sugar mix you used to take in for 1st grade snack time), and the peanuts had a nice little glaze on them.

My only beef is that the pretzels were not chocolate coated. But if you ate them in a handful with the Chex pieces, it was the perfect combination of sweet and salty.

Next time you're looking for a treat, and your sweet tooth is battling your salt craving, check out this little treat.

You won't be disappointed.

Cheers!

-A

RAVE: Lure Bistro

To break up the monotony of the week, my boyfriend and I decided to head to the East side for some sushi.

Well, I was the one who "headed" to the East side, as he lives over there, but that's not the point.

He knew of a quaint little sushi bar in Willoughby that knocked my socks off.

Lure Bistro is one of those great date places. It's got an open, yet fairly private atmosphere with a modern decor. The bar area is separate from the dining area, which was a huge plus.

As we dined, I couldn't help but compare the restaurant with Sushi Rock - one of my favorite sushi places in Cleveland.

The atmosphere couldn't have been different, which is a positive in my book. I love sushi rock, but sometimes it's just too loud and crowded.

The service was quick and friendly. Our drinks were always filled - another huge plus. This girl doesn't like to go thirsty.

We were presented with amazing bread and butter that we were told was mixed with Geauga County maple syrup - yummy!

Of course, the sushi was fantastic! A specialty roll called the FireMouth was by far the best that we ordered - lots of flavors and textures, and just enough spice.

Even the bathrooms were fully stocked with any needs a woman might have while dining out. Of course, I can only speak for the women's restroom, sorry guys, but I'm sure there were toiletries available for y'all, too.

Price wasn't bad, either. For sushi, it was moderately priced. Can't complain about that.

Here's a snapshot of the overall Lure experience:

Price: $$-$$$ (moderate for sushi)

Menu Selection: **** (a great variety of unique sushi rolls)

Taste: **** (yummy!)

Service: ****

Atmosphere: **** (quaint and modern)

If you find yourself with a sushi craving over in Willoughby, OH. or are just looking for a great date venue, Lure is your place.

Cheers!

-A

On a personal note

I'd like to take a few minutes to step away from review blogging and talk about something important to me on a personal level. A recent realization of an accomplished goal that I set my mind to years ago.

Tomorrow, it'll be back to the normal reviews. Promise.

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January 1, 2006 - the day I promised myself that I'd do whatever it takes to make myself happy. It was the ultimate New Year's resolution. I was graduating from college, knew I'd be moving far from home, and needed to make it a point to make myself happy.

So I started down the path I thought would bring me ultimate bliss - going balls to the wall in pursuing a successful career. Work became my life. At first, the accomplishments of this were enough to sustain a cheerful attitude, but within a year I wasn't seeing my life in quite that same light.

I was in a long-distance relationship that was barely hanging on, I'd fractured my feet on more than one occasion as I tried to keep up on my passion for competitive running (to which I've since given up to focus my attention on my health, and other sports), and my 12-15 hour-a -day career was sucking the life out of me, slowly.

Luckily, I moved across the country, again, found a great group of people to spend my time with, and rediscovered my passion for photography. Work had me traveling a lot, which kept my boredom at bay.

Around the time I was starting to feel the effects of a quarter-life crisis, I took a vacation with my boyfriend at the time. This is the Caribbean Cruise and Skydiving trip you may remember me talking about.

This is the trip where I truly found myself - in skydiving. By the time I got back to Cleveland, I had already booked my next skydive and was prepared to earn my A-level license by the end of the season - a goal that has been surpassed as I earned my B-level license a few weeks back!

The relationships with my family have been strengthened, and my brother married a girl who fits perfectly into our dynamic. A great sister-in-law for sure.

I'm also dating an amazing man who shares in my passion of throwing myself out of aircraft and is a fellow adrenaline junkie.

As for work, I've begun to take my career into my own hands. I have a 5-year plan that, if I put my head into it, will make my career seem less like 'work' and more like fun (after all, shouldn't you love what you do? I certainly wouldn't be where I am today if I didn't love the work I'm doing...).

A couple weeks ago I took stock of all these things and realized that, though it took me almost 4 years, I've accomplished my goal of making myself happy.

I am happy.

(See? A life-long friend and me at my brother's wedding)

I wake up in the morning with a smile on my face, knowing that I'll get to do at least one thing that I'm passionate about every day - usually more. I'm blessed with some of the best friends a girl could ask for. There are opportunities coming at me from all angles, and I'm continuing to soak us as much knowledge about photography, marketing, skydiving, and life in general with each passing day.

This is what happiness is all about.

I wish everyone could be quite so lucky.

What are some of the things that make you happiest in this world?

Cheers!

-A

RAVE: Parallax

Photos courtsey of Kyleroth's Flickr Photostream.

When I first moved to Cleveland from Dallas almost three years ago I was worried about finding a decent restaurant to quench my regular sushi cravings. This was, of course, before I realized just how many great restaurants this city has to offer!

So almost immediately I began my search for the best sushi in town. A former co-worker took me to Parallax in Tremont and I immediately knew that their sushi would be hard to beat. Between the creative combinations in the sushi appetizers, the fresh nigiri and amazing specialty rolls (I highly recommend the spicy scallop roll, you won't find anything like it elsewhere), I was in love.

(Mmm...spicy scallop roll.)

To this day, Parallax remains one of my favorite restaurants in Cleveland. Though I haven't tried anything aside from sushi and the occasional splurge on dessert, I can guarantee their other entrees are phenomenal!

The atmosphere is more laid back than you might expect at first glance. The dim lighting and clean, crisp appearance might seem stuffy, but you'll quickly see that everyone there is relaxed and enjoying the company and conversations around them.

It isn't often that I make it out there, unfortunately. It is a little on the pricey side, but totally worth the splurge. And you can't beat the service! Water is always filled, there's a never-ending supply of bread and oil, and the wait staff checks in just enough to keep you happy, but not so much that it becomes annoying.

Today a good friend and I headed out for a mid-week dinner to celebrate her new job. Unfotunately, she's moving to the East Coast, so we decided to hit up one of our favorites one last time. Dinner included a yellowtail sushi appetizer with jalepeno and mango - YUM - and a variety of nigiri sushi and a salmon specialty roll.

We left full but not over stuffed, and perfectly satisfied.

I suggest, the next time you're in the mood for good sushi, take a trip out to the quaint neighborhoods in Tremont and try out Parallax. You won't be disappointed.

Price: $$$-$$$$ (sushi prices aren't bad)

Menu Selection: **** (a little of everything and a continuously changing menu)

Taste: **** (yummy!)

Service: **** (perfection)

Atmosphere: **** (dressy yet laid-back)

Cheers!

-A

RAVE: Bolthouse Farms

Yeah, I know I had planned on taking a break, but did you really think I'd be able to stop talking for that long? C'mon now!

What I really want to do is RAVE today about a product that I have recently fallen in love with.

Now let me just say, as a girl who watches what she eats, my fruit juice of choice for the past months has been the Naked brand.

But in the past month I discovered a line of juices and smoothies that far surpass anything I've ever tasted: Bolthouse Farms.

My first experience was with the Green Goodness variety. I was given a taste by a friend who said "don't look at it, just drink it."

Being the adventurous type, I dove right in and LOVED what I tasted - kiwi, apple....pure yumminess. Of course, then I had to look at it. As you'd probably expect by the name, it was green. Almost looked like pureed broccoli. But trust me, it tastes way better.

Since, I've tried a number of their fruit juice varieties and loved them all.

Most recently I was introduced to the Vanilla Chai Tea flavor. It's a perfect treat in the morning, and so good for you.

What can I say, I'm hooked on this brand of juice.

I get mine at Giant Eagle in the refrigerated section near the produce. If you're looking for a healthy brand of fruit juice and smoothies, hands down Bolthouse Farms makes the best around.

Cheers!

-A

Time out

Today I made the executive decision to take a little break from blogging.

Or, at least on this blog. I'll still be over here if you care to join me.

There have been a lot of changes in the recent past that have made my life into a whirlwind of activity. Most of which has left me little time for sleep, let alone blogging.

Here's a quick snippet:

• My travel schedule has ramped up with NYC and Raleigh trips in the near future.
• I lost a close friend in an accident this weekend and have been dealing with the aftermath of emotions among me and my friends.
• I'm skydiving every weekend, at multiple drop zones, planning trips to wind tunnels and Bridge Day.
• I started dating a new boy who I'm kind of into. :-)
• My big brother is getting married and final preparations are in full swing.

Let's see, those are just of the few things that are happening in my life right now. Not to mention that I'm slammed at work! No complaints here, of course, but this all leaves no time for me to consume or review anything....

Give me a couple weeks, I'll be back in full swing and ready to review anything and everything pumpkin flavored just in time for Halloween.

Cheers!

-A

Absence makes the heart grow fonder...

...or some crap like that.

Yes, I realize just how much I've been sucking as a blogger lately. My days have been consumed with an ever increasing workload and my weekends have been spent traveling to dropzones and skydiving as much as possible before the winter sets in. If you're interested in any of that, you can visit SkydiveChick.com and read my latest post here.

Anyhow, enough of this self-promotional BS....

My personal life has been nuts lately too. There's been some much going on, preparing for my big brother's wedding, trying to get organized, keeping up on bills and chores, trying to stay in touch with friends, and now with football season beginning, I'm being pulled in a ton of different directions.

Which makes the whole getting organized thing quite difficult. I told myself once that it could wait until the winter, when I wasn't skydiving and had plenty of time on my hands. But I'm starting to see this as a desperate need.

Unfortunately there's not a free weekend in sight to conquer this feat. 

But, I have accomplished a lot in the last month. Remember my post about summer goals where I mentioned the things I still wanted to cross off that list things that would make the end of the year a success? Well, let's revisit that, shall we?

1. Be a better vegetarian. CHECK. This has worked out better than I imagined. I splurged once since I made this vow, and had one boneless wing at Buffalo Wild Wings during a weekend away. Otherwise, I've been a highly committed vegi!

2. Get some tunnel time. 1/2 CHECK. It's on the list of upcoming weekend festivities. Just haven't cashed in on that one quite yet. 

3. Get back into yoga. FAIL. I had good intentions, really I did. Though in my defense, I have been doing some practice on my own, a few sun salutations every day to stretch out and relax. But haven't been back to a class in quite some time. This will be a winter commitment.

4. Attend two tailgates. 1/4 CHECK. Good intentions exist here too. Though I'm not sure it'll happen. I'm going to Bridge Day on MSU's homecoming this year, and my brother's wedding is on U of M weekend... maybe some of the later games? :-/

5. Visit the cider mill. 1/2 CHECK. I have plans with a friend to make the trip sometime this fall. But with the amount of time I'll be at my parent's place in the next couple weeks, there's no reason why this won't happen.

6. Take a trip to Wisconsin. Um, well. That could still happen, right?

Oh, and I did mention that I want to get my B license by the end of the season, and yes sir, I DID IT!

So see, I've gotten some of these things taken care of....

What do you want to accomplish before the end of fall?

Cheers!

-A

RAVE: Sunset Bar and Grill

Let me start by apologizing for being MIA this week. Between all my travels and more changes in my life (shocker) I've been pretty tied up. If you want to read about my incredible skydiving weekend, check out SkydiveChick.com. My other blog. 

For now, it's onto the review.

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So yesterday I found it a good day to head out for a mid-week break. This included dinner and drinks out on the East side of Cleveland.

As a West-sider who didn't grow up in Cleveland, I have no qualms with going to the East side to visit friends. None. I've met people who have serious issues with this. Something I'll never quite understand I guess.

Anywhositis...this trip took me to Fairport Harbor. We walked through a quaint neighborhood to get to Sunset Bar & Grill. 

Situated right on the lake, we had a great view of sunset - or what was left of it by that time - and the coastline heading West. 

We split some amazing mussels, my crab cakes were perfect, and I even got to taste Manhattan Clam Chowder for the first time. It was so yummy!

The drinks and service were just as good as the food. We even got free shots of what they were calling Blow Pops, which was a concoction including Apple Pucker and Bubble Gum Vodka - though I'm sure there was more in the mix.

Believe it or not, Bubble flavored vodka is pretty good. It smells and tastes like Big League Chew...c'mon, you remember that stuff from the 80s, right?

The night was capped off with a leisurely stroll back through the Fairport Harbor neighborhoods and a few fun scenes from Point Break.

Here's a snapshot of my experience with Sunset Bar & Grill:

Price: $$-$$$ (some of the dishes seemed over priced, some under priced)

Menu Selection: *** (mostly seafood)

Taste: **** (for Cleveland, I was beyond impressed with the freshness) 

Service: ***

Atmosphere: **** (it was beautiful. reminded me of san francisco)

So if you find yourself on the far East side of Cleveland in the near future, I highly recommend Sunset as a place to relax on the patio. Hurry, before it gets too cold to enjoy the sunset outdoors.

Cheers!

-A

Photography Friday: I suck!

Welcome to another edition of Photography Friday, entitled 'I suck.'

Please, remove head from gutter before proceeding. Thank you.

What I mean is, I've been terrible about getting out and taking pictures. Skydiving has consumed my life this summer - not that I'm complaining - so the personal, artistic pictures I have are limited.

However, I did recently work ground crew of a skydiving demo that my buddy Danger flew. I pretty much stood around and told people to get off the beach then took pictures of his swoop in.

Here's the favorite from that event.

About 10 minutes prior to the demo it had been cold and rainy. The clouds parted and the sun was starting to set, just in time. 

And it certainly made for a beautiful backdrop.

Maybe this weekend I'll get lucky enough to capture some other great skydiving images like these during the Work Stinks Boogie just outside Cincinnati. 

Hope everyone has a great Labor Day weekend!

Cheers!

-A

Financial rave and rant

Today's review is two-fold. One RAVE and one RANT. 

Both of them have more to do with customer service than anything else. 

Given my delicate financial state at the moment - who isn't in one, really - these issues came at a highly appropriate time.

Let's start with the rant to get this out of the way.

RANT - PayPal.

I recently found a very gently used skydiving rig. This is something that I stumbled across after searching for weeks. It's perfect, and fits amazing. So, I bought it.

This, my friends, is a massive purchase. But one that's well worth it.

Luckily, the girl I bought it from allowed me to use PayPal so I could charge it. Well, I thought I was lucky.

After a number of issues getting this to go through on the site, I called PayPal customer service to some assistance. This is where the real problems began. 

The rep. was not only incredible rude, but completely unable to help. I wasted 20 minutes on the phone with a person who essentially told me that I'm an idiot and that there's nothing she could do.

Just how I wanted to start my morning.

Where I was truly lucky, is that the girl on the other end of the payment allowed me to pay through her dropzone and avoid PayPal altogether. 

Thanks for nothing, PayPal.

Now, onto something more positive.

RAVE - American Express.

This past week has been intense when it comes to travel. I went from Cleveland to NYC back to Cleveland, to Michigan that same day then to Lexington, back to Michigan and now I'm finally back in Cleveland. 

Get all that? Whew!

Within the last hour I was in Lexington for a client meeting, I went to lunch with a colleague and left my credit card at the restaurant. Oops.

Naturally, I got on the phone while driving, didn't have an account number, credit card number, anything. 

Within 5 minutes the lovely man on the phone was able to confirm my account, cancel my card, and have a new one shipped out that arrived at my office about 20 minutes after I did today.

Talk about some bad ass customer service!

Needless to say, when it comes to my finances, AmEx made my day, even after PayPal did their best to ruin it. 

Maybe AmEx could pay their reps to train those over at PayPal - certainly they could use it.

Cheers!

-A 

RAVE: Continental Airlines

Today marks the beginning of another trip to New York City on business. It's not uncommon that I come to The Big Apple every month or two for client meetings or internal needs that require my presence in our Midtown office.

I do enjoy these visits, though sometimes the travel can be a hassle. Between the early morning flights I'm typically booked on, the cab ride from LaGuardia in traffic that has a tendency to make me queasy, and trekking to and from the hotel, travel itself can be exhausting.

Recently, these trips have had one rather large bright spot: Continental Airlines.

As much as I'm not a fan of commercial flying - after all, I prefer to jump out at altitude, rather than land with the plane - this is by far my choice airline when I must.

Flying out of Cleveland Hopkins, it's not uncommon to be placed on a CA flight as this airport is a hub. However, I've taken this trip on numerous other airlines and have been thoroughly disappointed.

Continental has some of the best customer service around. They are always friendly, always accommodating; unlike some other airlines. In fact, I once had to write a letter to American Airlines for the extremely rude service I received after being kicked off a flight due to fog. The flight still went, but I wasn't on it. But that's a story for another time.

In the last few months I've flown Continental on a number of trips, all of them fantastic. Even when we had weather delays the staff was always on top of updates for those of us waiting.

And I have to say, it's nice that on long flights like the one I recently took to LA and back, you still get dinner and a movie. The food is pretty decent, too!

So if you have a choice, in the coming weeks or months, choose to take your trip with Continental Airlines. I guarantee you won't be disappointed!

Cheers!

-A

Maybe I'm not cut out for this

Okay, so I'm going to dive into my personal life here a bit. I'm sure some of you nosey Nellys out there are dying to keep reading - I know I would be - but I wanted to give fair warning that I'm about to share more about me than usual. Here goes.

As some of you are aware, others may not be, the SO and I broke things off a few weeks back.

It was for the best, really. We had plans to move in together but it was for the wrong reasons. Luckily, a few moments of clarity saved us from jumping into something neither of us was ready for.

Since the break up, my life has taken some strange turns. 

You'd think with an event like this, things would slow down and even out a bit. Well, not with me. My life is always a whirlwind, and I couldn't love it more that way!

Here's a snapshot of what's been going on:

• I've been given numerous new opportunities at work.
  

     

• Without mindfully trying, I've lost five pounds since the break up. I've even been less stressed and eating more than usual. I know, I don't get it either.
  

• My travel schedule is packed, between business and skydiving, I might be home a total of 5 days in the month of September. Seriously.

• I'm heading to SkyVenture New Hampshire in October with some very experienced jumpers. I might be slightly intimidated, but feel lucky to have been invited along!

• I was recently told by a close friend that he is happy to see the "old Ashley" back and that "bitchy Ashley" is gone. It was pointed out that old Ashley came back a few weeks ago...um, wow.

Am I really that bad at being a part of a couple that I'm only at my ideal weight, personality, and level of opportunity when I'm unattached?

If so, what does that say about me?

I can't really imagine my life without the craziness and rapid change - that's just sort of how it's always been. Maybe a little tamer when committed relationships are involved, but still highly active none the less.

All I know right now is that I'm excited for what's coming. There are opportunities that lay before me that I never dreamed. Single or attached, I'm one lucky girl.

Cheers!

-A

Weekend demos and new commitments

This weekend was filled with driving and skydiving. But for anyone who's actually interested in that, you can head over here to SkydiveChick.com - my other blog - to read about those adventures.

I've even written a short review on Aerodyne and the Pilot canopy that I got to demo in their Icon rig. I'm a huge advocate, to say the least.

Anywhoosits, what I'd really like to talk about on this beautiful Monday (yes, I'm highly caffeinated, what of it?) is photography.

For those of you who have followed me for a while now, you may recall how I used to have a weekly column called Photography Friday. It was a fun little way for me to show off my latest shots and I've even sold y'all some prints that was!

But with this little skydiving hobby of mine, photography has taken an unfortunate backseat these past few months. Well guess what, I'm making it a point to bring that back - both to the blog and on Twitter.

If you follow me on Twitter - if you don't, what are you waiting for?? - you may have noticed a couple tweets for Photo of the Day. This is something I will be continuing to do daily. 

It's a nice little tribute to some of the amazing photographers who put themselves out there on Flickr. So when I see something I like, it becomes the photo of the day. Pretty nifty, eh?

Of course, I'll do my best to bring back Photography Friday as well. It'll keep me on my toes with my picture taking, too.

And yes, I did say new commitments. Plural.

I recently decided to re-commit myself to something that's slipped lately. I'm coming back to strict vegetarianism. 

The last few weekends I've cheated on this diet, and honestly, I've felt like complete crap after doing so. My body isn't used to this. It's time to reconnect with why I started this in the first place and stick with it. For good.

What are some of your recent commitments?

Cheers!

-A

Los Angeles Baby!

It's about time I finally got around to writing about my trip to Los Angeles...two weeks ago.

This was a trip that the old college crew had been anticipating for months. We were finally all going to be back together in the same place - it'd been since our senior year!

Wednesday I took an early flight and was met by my former roommate, her boyfriend and our friend Chris. After settling in we headed over to the La Brea tar pits, which were not that far from Chris' house. We didn't stay long, given how freaking hot it was, but it was a fun little touristy thing to do.

Chris and me in front of one of the tar pits. It smelled lovely!

That evening we trekked up Runyon Hill (which, is more than a hill, trust me) so we could get views like this.

apologize for the fuzziness, it's an iPhone pic.

Thursday it was off to Laguna Beach for some relaxing in the sun. I don't know about all the rest of yous young professionals out there, but laying on the beach for hours on end just screams perfect vacation to me.

Beautiful Laguna Beach!

Pretty standard position for us this week.

We walked along the shores of the Pacific before heading to our next destination: Newport Beach.

Why does this sound like some sort of MTv special?

First priority was to find a bar for happy hour. And boy was it happy. Just being back in a bar with the old crew was enough to make me happy. Though, the drinks didn't hurt either.

Take a look at the size of Brandye's drink!

Then we walked along the pier and took some more pictures.

The rest of the evening was spent out in Huntington Beach with the rest of our group. Our friend Jon also lives out in SoCal, so after swinging by his place in Irvine to clean up, we spent the evening together, catching up on the last few years.

We kept it calm, probably not as expected, but when Brandye asked me to ride the bull with her, I just couldn't resist.

Yes, I was sober. Yes, I should be embarrassed by this. No, I'm really not.

Friday included more beach time, relaxing in the sand at Venice Beach before going to the Dodgers Game.

Now, let me just say that we had 8 tickets to this game - 4 that were given to Chris by a vendor of his, and 4 that they purchased. Chris, being the nice guy he is, gave us out-of-towners the nicer seats.

We ended up in the Dugout Club which began with an all you can eat buffet of pretty phenomenal food, followed by seats 3 rows behind home plate.

(Talk about some pretty amazing seats, eh?)

Throughout the game there were a number of celebrity sightings, including a foul ball caught by Jermain Jackson and Ray Liota and his family sitting one row over. During the game we noticed on the big screen that Jerry O'Connel and Josh Duhamel were at the game. I looked around and noticed they were only a couple sections over, in the front row.

Ha, cool, right?

Well, it gets even better. So while we were inside retrieving drinks, we came across Jerry up at the bar. We decided to approach him, very gently, and ask if we could get a picture with him.

He seemed happy to do so, then mentioned that Josh is outside and we should get him in the shot too ... just as he walks in.

Can you say perfect timing?

Long story short, there I am with my arm around Josh Duhamel when my friend's camera is FULL and we can't get the shot. 

So, no proof. But I can tell you, my knees went a little weak having my arm around Josh's waist.

But enough about that.

Saturday was our last full day in L.A. and we lived it up, again, at the beach. But first, we walked Hollywood Boulevard for a bit. It was another one of those fun touristy things.

(Chinese Theatre)

After our walk in the heat I made everyone stop off at one of my frozen yogurt obsessions, Pinkberry for a refreshing treat before heading over to Hermosa Beach.

Our last night was spent on the town with the whole crew. We hit up a local bar for some great burgers - yes, I cheated - then went back to the house where the guys played a few rounds of beer pong before heading out.

The bar of choice was called Happy Endings. I know, right?

It was great to sit around and share drinks with the crew again. Most of us remained in control, others, did not. 

A few of us made the long walk back to Chris' house and headed to bed so we could catch our early flights.

It was a great five days of fun and relaxation with my favorites from the good old days as Spartans. 

The only remaining question is, where do we go for next year's reunion?

Cheers!

-A

RAVE: Dinner and a movie

Last night I headed out to Crocker Park in Westlake for a little dinner and a movie action.

I was craving the avocado egg rolls at the Cheesecake Factory so that's where the first stop took us. 

Naturally, I didn't finish my meal - seriously, if you've ever eaten there, you probably haven't finished anything either - but you can't leave there without having cheesecake, right?

I went with the standard here again, the Chocolate Oreo Mudslide...mmmm. But before we placed that order, our server discussed the current dessert specials. 

In discussing their newest cheesecake options, she asked me if I was a vegetarian.

Me: (a little shocked) Yes, I am!

Server: I thought so. You ordered a vegetarian appetizer and asked for your salad without chicken. So, you'll want to stay away from any of the cheesecakes that say "original," they're made with beef fat.

Something I didn't know before! I left there feeling pretty pleased with the service - a quick, hearty meal with a server that went above and beyond in my book.

Then it was on to see (500) Days of Summer. Now, I'm not usually one for sappy, romantic movies, but this looked pretty entertaining. As a Sundance Film I couldn't resist quirky factor. And I really do love Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

I did think it was going to be funnier, but it was a compelling story that had a similar back-and-forth effect to Memento. 

Highly recommended!

What are some good movies that you've seen lately?

Cheers!

-A

Summer to-dos

So as you're all probably aware I'm a huge fan of Susan over at Transient Travels. 

What? You haven't visited her site before. What the hell are you waiting for? Go now!

Oh, wait. WAIT! How about after you finish reading. Okay? Thanks.

Today's topic of discussion is inspired by her recent post on the things she'd like to accomplish by the end of the summer - which, if you hadn't noticed, is fast approaching.

In the spring I had come up with a few goals for the coming months, a summer bucket list, if you will, and it's about time I see where I've ended up and where I've yet to go. So, shall we?

#1 - Earn my skydiving license by the end of the season. CHECK! 

Two weeks ago I passed my check dive with flying colors and am the proud owner of this number: A-56008. Now, with A license in hand I'm debating on the ability to earn my B license by the end of the season. After all, there's still so much time left to jump.

#2 - See an outdoor concert. CHECK! 

The intent was to go to Blossom, but I never made it there. Though I did make it out to see O.A.R at The Nautica Pavilion a couple months ago. That'll likely be the only one I make it to this year.

(editor's note: for all those who refer to O.A.R as oar - yes, like the paddle - you're wrong. It's an acronym. It stands for Of A Revolution. Now you know.)

#3 - Vacation in LA with the college crew. CHECK! 

Yes, I still owe y'all a post on this. But honestly, I want to include pictures and I didn't take many. Once I get some from my friends I'll do a post. Promise.

#4 - Pack parachutes at my drop zone. FAIL! 

Yes, I learned to pack for my license. Yes, I'm still terrible at it. The intent was to be a packer to pay for jumps, but when I was given the opportunity to work ground crew at demos, take pictures and work manifest instead, well, I chose the latter options.

#5 - Start a professional blog. CHECK! 

Though this wasn't exactly the path I'd imagined. My professional blog is actually for skydiving rather than social media. But to my surprise, SkydiveChick has taken off in just a short time. I was actually recognized at a drop zone (no, not mine, thankyouverymuch) as The Skydive Chick. Crazy!

#6 - Run a 1/2 marathon. HUGE FAIL! 

I never even registered. And I certainly didn't train. In fact, I've pretty much given up my competitive running hobby. Between broken feet and sprained vertebrae over the years, my body has taken enough beatings from this sport. So I've moved on to jumping out of airplanes. What of it?

#7 - Get out of debt. MINOR FAIL. 

With all that I've been spending I really should be in deeper than I am. But really, aside from skydiving and traveling I haven't spent much money. I can't tell you the last time I went to the mall, or bought anything that wasn't related to skydiving for that matter.

#8 - Tone up for my brother's wedding. CHECK! 

The best part is that I haven't even been trying. Believe it or not, I've lost 10 pounds since I stopped working out. And the parachuting has really helped with muscle tone. Yes, it's more than just falling out of an airplane.

#9 - Go to Cedar Point. CHECK!

I in fact did make the yearly trip to Sandusky for a day of thrills. Though by 5:00 in the afternoon we were exhausted, so we called it a day earlier than usual. Still a great time!

So as I look into the late summer and fall, there are still some things I want to accomplish - above and beyond getting my B-license and getting out of debt.

>Be a better vegetarian. I've cheated on this more than I'd like to admit this summer. Each and every time I think a burger is a good idea I end up feeling terrible, too. I'd like these lessons to start sticking.

>Get some tunnel time. Luckily I was recently asked to take a trip to New Hampshire as part of a 4-way for some quality time in the wind tunnel. I'm pumped.

>Get back into yoga. This fell off the map after my cruise in the spring. But yoga is so good for your body and your mind...I need to make it back to Inner Bliss soon.

>Attend two tailgates. Whether or not I actually make it to an MSU football game this year, I definitely want to make it up to a tailgate or two. Last year was filled with tailgating fun. I certainly don't intend on missing out this year.

>Visit the cider mill. It's one of those fall things I look forward to every year. There's nothing like picking out a pumpkin, eating a donut and sipping on some cider to welcome fall with open arms.

(Uncle John's in my hometown)

>Take a trip to Wisconsin. Two of my best friends live there. It's the least I can do by going back again this year.

What do you want to accomplish before the end of the summer?

Cheers!

-A