Schedule FAIL

Yeah...so I intended to get my ass in gear this week and start operating on some form of a schedule, and that definitely hasn't happened.

Gah! Somehow I always manage to get derailed in my plans.

Maybe little Otis will help me with this. After all, he's not going to stand for my sleeping in when he's awake, hungry and wants to go out.

Note to self: quit referring to my dog as "little Otis." He acts big, and certainly thinks he's big, I don't want him to end up with some kind of complex just because mom's trying to be cute.

Referring to myself as mom sounds weird. I officially succeeded in creeping myself out.

.....

Ugh, last weekend I downloaded that new All-American Rejects song Gives You Hell, honestly because the SO heard it on the radio and liked it, and then for some unknown reason I put it on my iPod, and it seems to come up an awful lot on shuffle mode. It's one of those GD songs that drills into your brain and gets stuck for days. It's playing right now.

.....

Okay, so I just did a quick Google search on sticking to a schedule and came up disappointingly empty handed. Was really hoping to share something of value with y'all.

Speaking of y'all - the word, not as in you people. Sorry that was rude, I didn't mean you people, I meant my lovely readers - damn, I can't get to my point. The other day my southern accent came back, just for a brief period, it sounded so beautiful. Try as I might, I can't seem to scrounge that up to save my life now...I'd like to spread the love a little.

Wait, that wasn't my point at all. Oh hell!

I can't even stick to a post topic - within one post mind you - how on Earth do I expect to stick to a schedule. Looks like I might be f-ed.

Kinda like this post. Ha!

But, on a bright note, I'm in a fantastic mood today. In less than one month I'll be on a cruise sailing around the Caribbean. Okay, yeah, so you don't technically 'sail' on a cruise ship. Shut up, you get the point.

And tomorrow, I bring home my puppy! Which of course, y'all are just as excited about as I am, right? Cuz then I won't be all "I'm bringing home Otis in 2 days." Well joke's on you - now all you'll get is vlogs and pictures incessantly. But given that he's the cutest puppy in the world I'm sure you won't mind, right? RIGHT?!

Okay, this seems like a good place to end. I know, thank GOD right? Whew, this exhausted me too.

Cheers!

-A

My Favorites 'Ms'

Earlier this week Ang posted a "few of my favorite things" and it seemed like a great idea! So, in telling her I wanted to play along, she used a randomizer to assign me the letter M.

Whew! That could have turned out bad...I don't know anything that starts with the letter X. I would have had to make it a backwards game - your favorites that end in this letter. My list would have been one word long. Oh!

So here are my 10 favorite 'M' things, in no particular order. Most of which, I'm sure will not surprise you.

1. Microbreweries: Lucky for me, Cleveland has some of the best. Between Willoughby, Great Lakes, and the Rocky River Brewing Company I'm in heaven. Can't beat a fresh Dortmunder on tap.


2. Manhattan: No surprise there, eh?

(Yay for one of my favorite pics shot from Brooklyn!)

3. Morning: As much as it completely sucks sometimes, I love getting up early and taking advantage of the day. And nothing is better than a relaxing cup of morning coffee, brisk morning run, or watching the sun rise over the lake.

(Let's just pretend this is what Lake Erie looks like, okay? Thanks.)

4. M&Ms: Peanut are my favorite, and for some reason I prefer the green ones, but I'll take just about any candy coated chocolate. Yummy!

(I ate all the green ones already...)

5. Massages: In college I was religious about getting the monthly massage - I've been slacking lately. Though I do use my charm to get them from the SO from time to time! And honestly, I like giving them just as much as I like getting them.



6. Mini Dachshunds: Again, this should not come as a shock. And though I truly believe Otis is the cutest pup on the face of the planet, this one takes a close second. Her face is just so adorable!

7. Mary Janes: Who doesn't like a comfortable shoe, right? The heal still helps elongate and accentuate the legs, while the rounded toe gives your toes some extra breathing room. I'm wearing my favorite black pair right now.



8. Margaritas: On the rocks. With salt. Poolside, if you don't mind.



9. Michigan State University: I love everything about this place. The ever expanding campus, the sports teams, the school pride, everything.

(Good ole Beaumont Tower)

10. Michael Symon: Again, this goes back to my obsession with The Food Network. He's not only a phenomenal chef, but his restaurants here in town are very cool, and he's not all that bad on the eyes, either. Besides, who doesn't love a man who can cook?


So there you have it, my top 10 favorite 'Ms.' I'm sure there are more where that came from, but you get the idea.

If you're interested in playing along, let me know in the comments and I'll send you your own letter.

Cheers!

-A

Visit to Amish Country

When I was a kid I remember driving through Amish Country on the way to Florida for a family vacation. This was back when gas was 75 cents a gallon and teal Astro vans were all the rage - or something like that.

Anyhow, we never stopped, it was more of a quick pass through, look at that horse & buggy rolling down the street on the way to the beach sorta thing. And this weekend I realized why...

Now don't get me wrong, I did grow up in the country - what I like to refer to as the middle-of-nowhere Michigan - but it's been a while since I've experienced this type of country setting. It was a little startling, to be honest.

But once we arrived at our destination and got to step foot inside the house it was all worth it. For the first time I got to meet my little Otis. Oh, he makes me melt.

(How precious is he?!)

Oh, and you can ignore the audio. There are lots of dogs that were roaming around and a canary on top of the fridge that loved to hear its own voice.

Honestly, I couldn't believe how small he was. I'd guess four or five pounds, max. And I guess I was expecting him to be a little more rambunctious, like this little dude named Copper. He's the bigger of the two that would not stop licking my hand. Even getting him to quit running for this video was quite the challenge.

(The little speckled dog is Steve...he's a sweetie too)

As a recommendation from the breeder, I'll be bringing him home sooner than expected. This Friday to be exact.

Oh. My. GOSH! am I nervous. Mainly, because I know he is, too. This really showed as he shook on my lap. Oh...makes me sad just thinking about it.

But, the breeder said it'd be good for him to come home now, get to know me, the SO, my friends. And then, sometime before the big vacation I can bring him back to the breeder and have the final pick up in April.

I know, I know. But at least I didn't take her other recommendation of adopting Copper as well. One I can handle, but two...yipe!

So there you have it. The first video of my mini dachshund. Many more to come I'm sure.

Cheers!

-A

Sleep, or lack there of

A good night's sleep is something I've been missing out on for a while now.

Oh glorious zzzs, how I miss you!

It appears that there's some sort of mental issue going on here. Okay, so you already knew that, but let me explain anyway, like you give a damn.

When I lived in Dallas I had the perfect little weekday routine going for me. I got to work at the same time, worked out at the same time, went to bed at the same time and never had to snooze in the morning. Like clockwork. Get it, clockwork....okay bad joke.

When I moved back to the Midwest I got into a bad habit. I started working long hours, working out at random hours - if at all - and red wine became my best friend. He was only recently demoted to welcome my new BFF Ketel One into the mix.

But that's not the point...

Yes, I do have one. I'll get there. Keep reading, damn it. Uh, I mean, please. Please?

Long nights turned into late mornings, snoozing through my alarm - yes, through, as in I hit that little button so many times it quit going off. Even my alarm can't keep up with this lifestyle.

(This is what it looks like, every morning, for an hour!)

And even on days when I try to go to bed at a reasonable hour I'm not tired because I didn't drag myself out of bed when I should have in the morning. It's a vicious cycle I tell you.

Of course, this doesn't factor in those days where I can't sleep because there's too much on my mind, or because I'm working into the wee hours of the night.

Insomnia is not typical for me, if there's one talent I have it's sleeping. I'm usually the proud owner of a 7-8 hour sleep night, unless, of course, I'm stressed out.

Most often insomnia hits when I'm stressed about my personal life rather than work. Even when the shit hits the fan at work the zzzs manage to come easily. But if there's problems with my family, finances, the SO, I'll be up grinding the gears on resolutions all night.

No, it usually doesn't help, but c'mon, it's not as if I really have control over that. I got the stewing gene from my mom - thanks ma.

Needless to say, in this whole process I've managed to thoroughly throw my system off balance and thus, my precious sleep cycles that I once counted on like the tide.

And now more than ever I need to get this back. Sleep come back to me!

At the very least, I need to get my schedule back before I introduce the puppy into my world. He's not going to pick up these bad habits from me. Or maybe I'll just train him how to hit snooze for me. Hmm...

Any suggestions for getting back on track? How do you stick to a normal schedule?

Cheers!

-A

Taking it into my own hands

My life that is.

I'm taking the proverbial bull by the horns and riding off into the sunset - and apparently mixing my metaphors.

Anyhow, things have really started to change for me these past few months. In a better way than I could have even imagined.

Honestly, I've gotten pretty lucky given my lackadaisical nature as of late - sitting by, letting my life go where it may. It's not as if there has been a lack of ambition, really, but more so that things have really been looking up on their own, so why mess with a good thing, right?

A don't-fix-it-if-it-ain't-broken situation. And certainly, things are not broken.

Editors note: hear that? The faint knocking sound. Yeah, that's my knuckles tapping my oak desktop. Though I haven't gotten this far because of superstition, I'm still not taking any chances by jinxing this one.

Recently though, I've become inspired to take matters, especially those that are flourishing on their own, into my own hands to improve upon them.

The one thing I'm not doing that I probably should, that all us young professionals should, is creating a plan. I'm talking more than just goals and objectives here, and really mapping out a path leading exactly where I want to go.

The problem...I'm not entirely sure where that is yet. Three years in the marketing industry and I have yet to decide if a) senior management is in my future, 2) I should continue office hopping until I find my niche or d) 5 years and out, baby! Can you say culinary school?

So, while I work on wrapping my brain and my hands around that task, my ambition is taking on a new form. I'm focusing on my personal life. *gasp* I know!

It's been a long time coming, but I'm doing everything in my power to cherish my personal time. In the past few months I've been able to visit with my college friends on numerous occasions and establish what I like to think is a solid relationship with the SO - two things that fell by the wayside in years past.

Between the upcoming Caribbean cruise and a trip to LA with the college crew this summer, I'm hoping these things only get better.

And with Otis coming home in the near future and my brothers upcoming wedding I've got a lot to focus on - and let me just tell you I'm beyond excited.

Who ever said you couldn't have it all is about to be proven wrong!

What are some areas of your life that you've really taken control of?

Cheers!

-A

Recent Regret

Typically, I'm not one for dwelling on events of the past and how things could have been different. Life's too short for all that regret stuff.

But on occasion, I take a step back and look at my behavior and begin to regret my actions - and, believe it or not, my words.

This past week was extremely stressful at the office. I worked more 'overtime' hours than I have in a long time. Now, as y'all are probably acutely aware, I love my job. And I tend to praise myself for my career path even more when there's so much work to be done that I lose all track of time through my packed schedule.

However, this week, when my crazy schedule matched the SO's, I'd had enough. And as you probably guessed, I took it out on him in mega-bitch fashion.

Girlfriend FAIL.

Oh, but it gets better.

In my typical cynical fashion, I wrote this post, which, in turn, put the SO off to doing the things he had planned for this weekend.

NOT my intention. And I feel terrible about it.

The last thing I wanted was to inhibit him from doing anything he actually wanted to do.

But of course, once again, I acted without actually thinking about the implications. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

So although I've already apologized for these things profusely in person, it seems only right to dedicate a post to the words and actions from the past week I whole-heartedly regret. What can I say, I feel terrible about this inexcusable behavior.

And now, I'm sitting here thinking that I really should have taken the opportunity to observe this President's Day holiday with a little extra QT - and sleeping in, of course.

Oh well.

I suck!

-A

p.s. I don't want to forget about the positive side of the situation. This weekend was fabulous! Had a productive Saturday where I got caught up on my chores and attended two yoga classes, my parents came into town for a quick visit, and most importantly, I got to spend some much needed, uninterrupted time with the SO. I'm one f-ing lucky girl!

The Love of My Life

Okay, so I know what y'all are thinking - first Valentine's Day and now love...WTF? But it's not like that, I promise.

Sure, there'll be some sap involved, but on a whole different level. Keep reading, I promise you won't be disappointed.

.................................

So I've mentioned in the past that I'm not much of a cat person, and since that time I've managed to remove demon cat and her sister from my life completely.

No I didn't off them, my roommate just moved! C'mon people, what kind of person do you think I am?

And you've heard me say numerous times that I'm planning to get a puppy. Well my friends, that time has come. And I'd like to introduce you to my mini dachshund Otis.

(See, I told you it'd be worth your time to keep reading!)

He's an 8 week old smooth coat doxie with what I'm told is the sweetest temperament. And he's already the love of my life.

He'll get to be somewhere from 8-10 pounds, full grown. I don't get to bring him home officially until April, but you best believe I'll be visiting in the meantime.

Honestly, I can't remember the last time I was more excited about anything.

I'm destined to be one of those dog owners who puts her pup first. Hell, I've already decided that he'll be sleeping in my bed - now that's love.

And I'm certain you'll be hearing lots more about him on this blog, too!

Cheers!

-A

*Thanks to Maryann at Mom's Dachshunds for the picture and my wonderful little man.

Oh St. Valentine

WARNING!! High cynicism levels to follow.

Valentine's Day is coming up - this Saturday to be exact.

Ack! What a stupid "holiday."

Sure, I'm all for celebrating our Saints, but according to Wikipedia: Of the Saint Valentine whose feast is on February 14, nothing is known except his name and that he was buried at the Via Flaminia north of Rome on February 14. It is even uncertain whether the feast of that day celebrates only one saint or more saints of the same name.

Ah, so it IS a Hallmark holiday?! They don't even know how many saints are involved or who this person really was! I think, instead, there should be more celebration of St. Anthony, the patron saint of all lost things, rather than this unknown dude, or dudes as it may be. That'd sure help me out a little more, anyhow, and I'm not even Catholic.

At least the commercials wouldn't be nearly as cheesy - I don't know about y'all but I'm pretty sick of all these jewelry commercials. I wake up singing "every kiss begins with Kay" and go to sleep hearing voices telling me that "he went to Jared."

VOMIT!

My problem, really, is that there shouldn't be a day set aside to tell the people you love that you care about them. Why do you have to be told to do this?

And honestly, I don't need jewelry or flowers from a man to feel good about myself, and neither do most of the women I know. Sure, these things are nice -- please don't get me wrong, I'm by no means saying gifts are unwelcome -- I just don't want them if you feel obligated to do so. Of course, if you want to buy me diamonds or whisk me away to Europe just to show me how much you love me, I'm not opposed in the slightest.

But that's off topic...

This year, Valentine's will definitely be an interesting event as it falls on the weekend. I'm hoping to avoid places with high PDAs like the plague. Of course, the SO has something up his sleeve for the day, but if that's ordering take out and renting a movie, I'm completely content with that. I'm just looking forward to some uninterrupted time together for a change.

And on that sappy note - sorry, out of character, I know - what are your Valentine's plans?

Do y'all despise this day as deeply as I?

Cheers!

-A

Celebrity Spouse

While in NYC this past week, a few colleagues and I ventured out to the bar to celebrate our arrival to the city.

As drinks were flowing, conversation turned to a rather interesting topic: celebrities.

More specifically, the question of the evening was, if you could choose, who would be your celebrity spouse?

We heard everything from Eva Mendez to Common to Lucy Liu. None of which should be a total shock to any of you.

I felt put on the spot for this question - I guess there's never really been a celebrity that just makes me all warm and fuzzy.

So I said this guy:


For those who are not familiar, Derek Luke played Antwone in the movie Antwone Fisher. Highly recommended if you haven't seen it.

This also was the moment where I revealed, in my oh-so-tactful fashion, that I'm into black guys.

Yes, that's exactly how I said it too. "I'm into black guys." As if it was this fact that's as ordinary as my having green eyes. Yipe! Smooth, Ashley. Just what your co-workers wanted to know.

Oh well, cat's out of the bag now.

So I proceeded to mention that my favorite part of the Superbowl was the post-game interview with Santonio Holmes.

(Ugh, he makes me melt.)

And yes, I'm aware that he's a former Buckeye, but his smile totally makes up for that.

I was so engrossed that I completely missed the conversation that the SO was trying to have with me at the time. Zoning out during football - talk about role reversal.

Anyhow, after thinking more about this question, I'm pretty sure I'd change my answer. If I could hand-pick my celebrity spouse, it'd definitely have to be Rob Lowe.

YUMMMMMM.....

Absolutely beautiful.

So tell me dear readers, who is your celebrity spouse?

Cheers!

-A

Dog sitting

I got up at 7 a.m. today. On a Sunday. And I was excited to do so.

Why on earth would that make me excited, you ask?

Well, it's all because of a little guy named Toby. He's a big, beautiful black lab mix.

(See, how adorable is he?)

While a good friend of mine is off looking for apartments in the new city she's about to move to, I stepped up to the plate to puppy sit. Though it's not as if she had to twist my arm.

So I got up and greeted Toby, made some coffee and popped in a movie (Must Love Dogs -- cheesy right?!), but what can I say, with a dog by my side it's the perfect Sunday.

The best part is, I'll be getting my dog in early April upon return from a much needed vacation in the Caribbean. Once my deposit has gone through I'll post some pictures of the little guy...he'll make you melt.

For now, it's back to a lazy Sunday with Toby.

Cheers!

-A

Manhattan is mine!

Okay, so not really, but for the next couple days I'm going to pretend as such.

Today is being spent in the NYC office of my company - and it's exciting. With all the time I spent here last year, I didn't even step foot into the office.

It's quieter than I imagined.

Regardless, I'm excited to be here. It's a beautiful sunny day outside, cold, but still beautiful. The lack of sunshine back home makes me appreciate every bit of it.

Flying in, my side of the plane had the best view of the skyline and it made me melt. I never imagined myself much of a big city girl, but honestly, it just feels so right.

Though I have to say, if I ever had to drive anywhere here I'd be screwed. For someone who prides herself on being a good driver, I'm terrified of this place. What can I say, cab drivers scare the bajeezus out of me.

Long cab rides are another downfall of the city. Granted, natives most likely travel by foot or subway most days, but having to ride from LaGuardia into Midtown in rush our makes anyone with a weak stomach a little on edge. I want to vomit just thinking about it.

But enough with the negativity....

It's time to enjoy my stay here and get something accomplished. Let's just hope I can find time to make a quick stop at Chelsea Market for one of those amazing milk shakes.

Cheers!

-A

Learning about myself

So far, 2009 has taught me a lot about myself. Between the ups and downs of stress, training, work, and attempting to keep resolutions this past month has really opened my eyes to some of my little quirks.

Here's what I've learned so far:

I'm a much more patient and understanding person than I give myself credit for. Though when it comes to laziness or incompetence, I'm still pretty intolerant.

I love cooking. If I could afford it, I'd move to New York City and go to culinary school.

Even the smallest compliment acts as a great ego boost for my day.

As I get older, my procrastination gets worse. Though, in my defense, it's not because I don't want to do these things - it's more about not having enough hours in the day and having to choose.

I need frequent change in life. If it's not something drastic like moving across the country (again), you'll probably find me at the salon changing my hair color (again), or traveling, or testing out a new workout class. I get bored easily.

Yoga keeps me sane.

Hard as I try, I don't drink enough water. With all the coffee and tea to fuel my workday it's no easy task to replenish. And I hate buying water at the store - I hate lugging them in and it's just so environmentally unfriendly it hurts.

I still have no idea how to balance my career with my personal life - and still attempt to do it all.

When I'm down, the best thing is a good quote from The Office:

"If it were an iPod, it would be a shuffle." ~Pam

"Oh well. If they're not together now, then they probably never will be. I thought they would be good together like PB & J. Pam Beasley and Jim. What a waste. What a waste." ~Kevin

"I'm not insightful enough to be a movie critic. Maybe I could be a food critic. These muffins taste bad. Or an art critic. That painting is bad." ~Andy

"Yeah. Right. I filled him full of butter and sugar for fifty years and forced him not to exercise. Now take a lesson from Stanley and jog on up here and sign this, okay?" ~Dwight

"Jim, you're six eleven and you weigh ninety pounds, Gumby has a better body than you. Boom roasted. Dwight, you're a kiss-ass. Boom roasted. Meredith, you've slept with so many guys you're starting to look like one. Boom roasted. Kevin, I can't decide between a fat joke or a dumb joke boom roasted. Stanley! You crush your wife during sex and your heart sucks. Boom roasted. Oscar, you're gay! Andy Cornell called, they think you suck! And you're gayer than Oscar. Boom roasted!" ~Michael

"Guess what? I have flaws. What are they? Oh I donno, I sing in the shower? Sometimes I spend too much time volunteering. Occasionally I'll hit somebody with my car. So sue me-- no, don't sue me. That is opposite the point I'm trying to make." ~Michael

"One day Michael came in, complaining about a speed bump, on the highway... I wonder who he ran over then." ~Jim

Yeah, I could do that all day.

What have you learned about your self so far this year?

Cheers!

-A

Super Blog Monday

It's tired out today.

Given that it's the day after the Super Bowl and there was an hour long special of the The Office post game, I definitely missed out on all 7 hours that my body demands.

So I thought today I'd take a few moments to acknowledge some of the latest, greatest group blogs out there at the moment. Because, let's be honest here, they're way more entertaining anyhow.

Who's Your Dachshund - of course, I'm completely in love with this blog. With ten bloggers owning 15 mini dachshunds I've already learned so much about being a puppy owner. Oh, and I love that I get to look at cute pups with each new post!

Misty and Sydney over at Indecent Disclosure - not only are these girls salty and hilarious, we can all relate to what they've got to say. It's all the things us girls want to talk about but just don't have the cojones to say on the interwebs.

Courtney and Christina over at Sex and the Traveling Satchel - more on love, sex and the life of two 20-something BFFs. A must read.

So if you have a chance, stop by and show some of these bloggers the love.

Cheers!

-A