Stress

After a stressful day at work, it's the little things that you have to focus on.

• A great spin workout
• My puppy stopping to smell flowers during our walk (I keep forgetting my phone to take a picture for you guys)
• Talking to my Daddy
• The wonderful lemon and asparagus fettuccini alfredo recipe I made for dinner
• Snuggling under the blankets with a good book
• Catching up with a friend

Because it's only Monday, and Hunter still has 4 more days of antibiotics (thank goodness he seems to be sleeping better already), and Sam won't be home for 5 more days and I am really missing our time together in the evenings. 

Spring Break 2012

Yesterday I reached a HUGE milestone in a project I have been working on.  We are redesigning our website and I have been writing the text and compiling photos since November.  The nice thing is that it's out of my hands and with our design team as of 4:45 yesterday.  Relief! Sam put together an impromptu dinner for me (all I wanted was a margarita after work) and we had a great time with old friends.  

This morning Sam took off for Mexico with Mason, Steve, and Nick.  They'll be gone for a week to Cabo celebrating the later three graduating from medical school this June.

Directly after dropping Sam off, I took Hunter for his first grooming appointment.  We love our groomer, Cassandra, who always gets on the floor and cuddles with Hunter when she sees him.  She called me when he was done to tell me that his tail wagged the whole time and he screamed and cried the whole time.  I was so embarrassed!  Tomorrow Hunter and I start private obedience lessons with our super awesome trainer Kate- we need to work on Hunter's manners and his tantrums when he can't get his way and he has a melt down.  Fingers crossed that this helps!  We're also going to have to start working on him sleeping through the night again, which he has suddenly forgotten.  

Cassandra and I also decided I should call the vet regarding Hunter's ears which had a bit of an odor.  After a quick trip to our vet, it's been confirmed that he has a double ear infection.  Awesome.  On the day the good doctor skips town I get the news that our puppy needs ear drops once a day and it's "probably a two-person job".  Great timing, eh? 

So now we're going to cuddle on the couch and watch the first season of Game of Thrones while we relax and Hunter gets smothered in TLC.  Not a bad shake for the little guy!

Sleep When You're Dead

I swear that's become my life's motto.  Lately it feels as though there's not enough 

1. Space on my desk
2. Time in the day
3. Coffee to keep my going

And keep going I must!  I have been meaning to update you all, and seeing as it's 10:07 PM as I start this post I doubt I will get to do justice to all that has been going on.

WORK

I cannot mention enough how much I love my job... that is not to say that it's easy or that I love every minute of work, but I am incredibly thankful to have landed my position.  Being a marketing manager is not quite what I had anticipated in that I have a LOT of responsibility and nobody to assist me.  Thus, I spend quite a lot of my time working on very basic things.  This is actually a blessing because it gives me the opportunity to get my hands dirty and really understand how things work at a basic level.  

My boss is so incredibly willing to make my job easier.  During my 90 day review he asked if there was anything I needed and I requested dual monitors. They are sitting on my desk, waiting to be installed when our Tech Manager has a second.  Ask and you shall receive.  

I have also been given the amazing opportunity to work with Toshiba Telecom's Social Media Strategist.  I'm driving up to Sherman Oaks (it's about a two hour commute back to Irvine thanks to rush-hour traffic) once a week and we're covering Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, how to campaign with social media, and the basics of analytics.  I am seriously in love with her, and she's my new role model!  All great things require some work, and I have a book, Twitter Power, to read before our next meeting as well as a 22 page Social Media Strategy workbook.  I am seriously working harder than I have ever worked before... and I'm loving it.  

In addition to the homework from my Social Media Boot Camp, my boss saw Tom Patty speak.  He's the guy who created the 1984 Apple commercial from the Super Bowl and he suggested I read 25 World Changers and The World is Your Network.  So I finally broke down and bought a nook so I can cut down on the books I have stockpiled in the event that TV goes the way of the dinosaurs.  Unfortunately, I hardly have any time to read anything!  And I haven't even started school back up yet!

HOME

Sam, Hunter, and I are doing great.  Sam's been on easier rotations lately so he has been able to help shoulder the responsibilities of dog ownership.  Hunter graduates from Puppy Obedience Classes tomorrow night.  Sam leaves for Cabo to spend a week with his friends on Saturday.  I am back to my weekly spin classes.  We plug along.

I don't know how I will juggle all of this once I have class again for Spring term.  Thank God I only have two more classes before I earn my Marketing Certificate.  I realize it's not a degree or anything, but I'm thinking about doing some kind of small party for my close friends so that we can celebrate the accomplishment none the less.  Something to think about on another day.

I promise I will write more, possibly this weekend?!?  For now, we're off to bed!  Sweet dreams!

11 Questions

One of my high school friends tagged me for this and I thought I would give it a shot!

There are five simple rules:

1. Post these rules

2. Post a picture of yourself and 11 random things

3. Answer the questions set for you in the original post

4. Create 11 new questions and tag bloggers to answer them

5. Go to their blog or twitter and tell them you've tagged them

11 Questions for Me...

1. What is your favorite beauty product?

Right now, I am loving my  Clinique Even Better Liquid Foundation with SFP 15 Protection

2. What is your favorite word?

Love

3. If you could travel anywhere in the world where would it be?

I would go back to Thailand in a heartbeat.  Specifically, I would go back to Railay Bay & do a live-aboard SCUBA trip to the famous Similan Islands to swim with the Stingrays.  

4. Who is the most influential person in your life?

I cannot pick between my parents.  They have both shaped me into the person I am today, and I am eternally grateful for the time and energy they put into raising me. 

5. What are three words you would use to describe yourself?

Loyal, Passionate, and Caring

6. What makes you smile?

Lately, my Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Hunter

7. What are three things that you find to be calming?

Swimming, reading a good book, and snuggling on the couch

8. What would people be surprised to know about you?

As a high school senior I was a First Team All-American Water Polo player

9. What was your first car?

My mom's hand-me-down Toyota Camry Wagon, and my first new car was an Acura RSX.

10. Beach, mountains or desert?

Toss up between the Beach and the Mountains... the longer I live in Souther California the more the beach grows on me.  

11. What is your favorite thing to cook or bake?

Nonna's spaghetti and meatballs!

11 Questions for my Bloggers...

1. What is your favorite thing to do in your spare time?

2. Do you have any pets, if so, what kind and what are their names?

3. If you could live in any time throughout history, which time would you pick.

4. What's your favorite holiday?

5. What is the most important room in your home?

6. Do you prefer Macs or PCs?

7. What is your favorite kind of music?

8. Are you a pool person or a beach bum?

9. What is your dream job?

10. What's your favorite drink?

11. Would you rather live at the beach or in the snow?

Bloggers I Tagged

http://marlenaryan.blogspot.com/

http://afewthousandmiles.blogspot.com/

http://themandafesto.blogspot.com/

http://littletina.tumblr.com/

http://shesgoingdistance.blogspot.com/

http://aleftyinlondon.wordpress.com/

Winter Quarter

I just submitted my winter quarter final paper.  Phew!  This was my most challenging class to date- lots of math!  I have to say, that when I was writing the paper tonight, I actually think I managed to work out the calculations correctly, and surprisingly it was pretty intuitive!  Maybe I'm more of a mathematician than I think.

I am exhausted, been up since 5:50 AM yesterday when I had to take Hunter out to potty.  Tomorrow is a BIG day, so I'll blog more after work.

For now, I am just going to enjoy my 3 week spring break before spring quarter starts.

Veggie Wash

Since we brought Hunter home I have noticed spots appearing on the carpet.  Now I purchased some Nature's Miracle Pet Odor and Stain Remover, so I couldn't understand how Hunter (who hasn't had too many accidents) could be leaving spots.  

Tonight I figured it out.  Sam stepped in dog mess at the dog park and tracked it onto my new car's floor mat.  So we came upstairs and he went to pull the carpet cleaner out from under the sink.  When he stood up, he produced Veggie Wash.  Veggie Wash is a non-toxic cleanse for vegetables to detox the pesticides that are used in the growing process.  He had been mistaking Veggie Wash for carpet cleaner for over five weeks.  No wonder we have spots on our carpets!  

So I pulled out the Nature's Miracle, and gave each of the spots a GOOD soak.  When they had been rinsed and were semi-dry, I hit them each again with my High Traffic Carpet Cleaner.  Here's to hoping that I managed to at least get the majority of the stains out, I figured that in June we'll shampoo the carpets and start year two in this apartment with a clean slate.  Then again, maybe we'll just wait until next time my parents come down and then Dad can do it for us.  :-)