goodbye for now

With speaking gigs, events, my kiddos and everything else I just can't fit time in for my personal blog :(

I'll keep it up in case one day I have time for it again.

If you're interested here is the link to my professional blog (mostly about marketing) http://stillisms.com/

Zoooooom

The hubs taught me how to ride a motorcycle today. Like everything I do, I now believe I will be the best in the world at it and am already planning out my race season for next year (if you don't know, hubs is a racer see pic on the left, yep ladies, hawt, sometimes its the only thing that saves him... totally kidding). Lyric was especially impressed (back to my skillz). She's having a sleepover at Grandma's tonight and I called to tell her the exciting news, that yes, she did in fact have a professional racer for a mom. She responded by telling me about the spaghetti dinner she enjoyed, of which she made a happy plate.

Stefan and I (along with Marc) are celebrating finding my hidden talent by enjoying some vanilla stols and diets. 

ZOMG I have a blog!?

Yeah better get on that.  Lots of things just swimming around in my lil head.. I'll be back soon.

Nothing stronger than a stubborn old man!

Great news on my Grandpa. They took him off life support and he decided he wanted to prove modern medicine and his doctors wrong. He woke up and said he was hungry. His sepsis is completely gone and he is going to be released from ICU soon. It just shows that we may be in a bit more control than we think. My Grandpa said he wasn't ready to die, and that's good, because I wasn't quite ready to say goodbye to him just yet.

Saying goodbye to grandpa

I went to Boston yesterday to say goodbye to my grandpa. He was put on life support and not expected to make it through the weekend. My uncle called to say that he went from totally conscious believing the pneumonia he had battled for the last year had finally cleared, to quickly deteriorating in two hours. Finally in a coma. My family began making travel arrangements to say our final goodbyes, those of us from out of town hoping that somehow he could hear us, understand us and know that we were here to help him make the journey. My uncle was over in Afghanistan; once he arrives the decision will be made on whether or not to continue the support. As I said my goodbyes I couldn’t help but feel regret, all of the weekends I could have visited but didn’t, all of the phone calls I could have made but chose not to, a simple email how hard could that be? We write a hundred emails for work, what does it take to write one, even just three special words I love you, or I miss you. I know my grandpa wouldn’t want my memory of him to be filled with regret, so instead I will remember him fondly, all of the good times I had with him, the visits I did make. I am happy that he is finally in heaven with my grandma, watching over my girls for me. I will miss him dearly but I know he knows that. Grandpa I love you XO.

Blogging from Delta flight 6560

I often find myself wondering while traveling, especially on planes, is this how you act all of the time or do you just become supremely annoying while on vacation? It seems as if there is only a small population of Americans who understand and abide by proper travel etiquette. This behavior, or lack thereof, I find is most evident in airports and while on planes. It all begins in the security line. There are some people who can handle the pressure of this event and some who fail miserably. I never understood the difficulty in it, but a large majority will fumble awkwardly with their belongings while simultaneously trying to remove their shoes forgetting of course to remove their liquids and gels from their oversized, overstuffed carry on. I guess it just takes practice and proper packing both of which I have down, if the security line were an Olympic event, I’d be a gold medalist.


Next in the airport adventure is the gate. When I am patiently waiting at my gate it may look to the untrained eye like I am engrossed in my book and/or magazine, but I am not. I am carefully scanning my fellow passengers identifying who I believe to the best and worst seat mates. Who make the best seat mates? Business travelers and teenagers these two demographics are both apt to demonstrate impeccable in-flight etiquette. For example they generally have some sort of activity to occupy themselves with and they stay out of my personal bubble (and they expect the same courtesy from me). Now sometimes you will get tricked (which is what happened to me right as I type these words). I am on a flight from Boston to Atlanta (where I will catch my connection to Mississippi). I am in seat 11C, one row behind first class and an aisle. A good amount of time and effort with the gate agent went into this carefully selected seat and it is a good one (not an easy fete on a completely full flight). Well I thought I was in seat mate heaven, a business guy on the window a young guy watching his movie in the center. I was mistaken, center seat guy has spent the entire flight hysterically laughing at some unrecognizable movie, every time resulting in the entire row of seats shaking, beyond annoying. Even more annoying than the stinky food guy I sat next to on my flight up here. Now there is some mid-air excitement as the guy in front of me is receiving oxygen from the flight attendant. Time to put the computer away and inconspicuously eavesdrop. Happy travels!

I own fat, I make fat work.

As you all know my post-baby weight loss plan includes mentally willing the weight away and eating whatever the eff I feel like.  As you might guess, this method isn't exactly working, at least not with record breaking speed.  When I had Lyric five years ago I was a fabulous size two (ok fine, size four), I gained 20ish pounds during my pregnancy and was back to fighting weight four weeks after popping her out.  What did I do you ask.  Absolutely nothing.  I was younger and apparently back then my metabolism was my friend.  Well flash forward five years, my metabolism has flipped on me, it is now my foe.  Pre-Brae I was size four (FINE size six), I gained 30 pounds and six weeks later am not even close to my fighting weight.  Granted, I didn't go into this at an ideal weight, but I'm not even at my acceptable fat weight!  I went back to work last week and since a naked first impression wasn't the impression I was going for, I needed an entire new wardrobe.  I had to swallow my pride, suck it up and buy the size 10 pants (and a few 8s) *sad face*.  I drowned my sorrows by treating myself to two weekends of retail therapy and since I felt so terribly for myself, I really spoiled myself, because I can and because I deserve it!  I love my new fat girl wardrobe and it will now be my new excuse to avoid the gym.  If I lose the weight, I won't fit into my new clothes; we can't have that now can we ;).