Overwhelmed

I am a homeowner once again- the closing went smoothly - so good that I promised to invite the current homeowners to the housewarming party. It did take 3 hours- which I found to be a bit lengthly to say the least! On the plus side- I brought $3,000 too much money which will be nice to have that little bit of money extra.

Last night I went over to the new place and kind of surveyed the place-- there is alot of work on the painting and moving - what a chore- I just have to remind myself that i have all this next week off of work to get it done.

Overdue update.

On the road again, and again, and again. Last week was the big trip downstate to Peoria and then St. Louis--- I have included pictures of the world famous St. Louis Arch and a lovely Illinois interstate route-- and the Cardinal's Baseball stadium in St. Louis.

I had kind of a crazy weekend- I helped Megan paint her new pad on Saturday and then on Sunday ran the Shamrock Shuffle 8K run - which I am proud to have run in 51 minutes and 9 seconds- I am happy with that pace and will continue training hard for the marathon.]I was so happy waking up on Sunday and finally seeing the sun and I was ready for the run-- then on the way to the race- the bus I was riding BROKE DOWN--- can you believe it -- I ended up being so late that I was literally running to the starting line. I didn't even have time to stop and check my backpack- needless to say I felt pretty dumb running the whole race with my backpack on.

Presently I am retiring for the night in Des Moines, IA-- how fabulous is that. I had a great day of sales calls and then got a very nice run in with the 75 degree temps outside. Spring has sprung in the midwest and it is a very welcome thing.

I close on my condo this Friday and then I am taking a week off of work to paint and move (and likely sneek in a Sir Spa massage in there somewhere!)

Happy St. Patrick's Day-

Hello everyone- It has been a very busy couple of weeks for me. Last weeked I had a conference in Cincinnati, Ohio- which was very cool- since my cousing Niki and her husband Jason welcomed their new son into the world- I was very happy to meet my newest relative. I then was able to visit Columbus and hang out with some good friends (Ray, Helene and hew fiance Mike, and Alan). I then went north to Kenton for a family visit - I took Monday and Tuesday off to spend some extra time with the family. I had about 24 hours of normalcy until some work friends Shawn and Renee came up to Chicago for my first St. Patick's Day- we painted the town green- Today I have been pretty draggy and tired.

I did get to vist Megan's new condo today- I really like the large windows- they will have a ton of natural light!!

Have a great evening.

Cincinnati Trip

Hello from the Queen City- at least I think that is what they call the place-- I am here for a 5/3 Bank Coference- or in the business world what is known as a 24 hour drinking party. I am very proud of myself- I just drank iced tea last night- I am trying to cut down the alcohol since I am running for the marathon. Besides I will save the liquor for good times- like Monday night shopping and dinner with Dawn- what a great Mojito!!! YUM!

The drive down was uneventful- dropped Trevor off at the folks- Mom had a stomach flu and was not feeling well.

Cousin Niki had her baby boy on Wednesday- he is well- and here in Cincy- so I will stop and visit them before I head home. I understand she had some complications at the very end- but she is doing well now- just spoke to her on the phone- but a few prayers are always needed.

This Hotel- is amazing- it is the Hilton Netherland Plaza - it is an Art Deco Masterpiece- I was very amused to read the history and find out this was one of Elvis Presley's favorite hotels- fit for a King and me!

I hope to start a series of photos from the road- from the dashboard of my car-- so you can see all the excitement i witness on a daily basis. I have some snapshops from Iowa I hope to share soon.

This afternoon I had the best run along the Ohio River in 65 degrees and sun- it was wonderful.

Weekend Update.

It was a busy but good weekend- lots of chores and such had to be done. Tonite I feel at ease- the chores are done, my business work is caught up (or as caught up as I can possibly be), and I am an overall happy camper.

It will be another busy week this week- my new boss is coming to Chicago and traveling with me Tuesday and Wednesday. Thursday and Friday I have a conference in Ohio- I am then taking Monday and Tuesday off to spend some time with the family in Ohio and play with the nephews-- look for photo opportunities to be posted soon.

I am getting really excited about the new condo- things are coming along nicely. I have a mental picture and plan for what I want to do when I get the keys.

OK- off to bed.

Laura - this one is for you!!!

Check it out- I am posting on my blog- I have even taken it one step further... a complete update for all of you loyal readers.. I won't dwell on it- I have slacked on posting. The little things of life have gotten in the way: buying a home, developing my sales territory, training for the chicago marathon, and finding my sanity (still looking for that- I will keep you posted).

First quarter has seen me on the road a great deal. I have already my two trips to Iowa, a trip to Ohio, two trips to Champaign and Peoria-- and the fun has just begun. It seems that I will be about and about all the time. I am sure that my poor dog Trevor will sad to sent to the kennel for so much.

Things have went very smoothly on the home front- the condo passed inspection and appraisal with flying colors. I am just finishing up the paperwork for the financing and then it will all done. I am scheduled to close on the condo March 30th-- I am taking the entire next week off to paint the entire place- hang drapes, and begin the cleaning and moving process. My official move in date is April 27th- I am very happy to have a few weeks to slowly and gradually move bit by bit. The move last June about killed me and I can't take that again.

As I eluded to earlier I have joined the Team in Training (Megan inspired me) to train for the Chicago Marathon- so far I am really enjoying the team work and the runs. Don't worry I will be hitting you all up for donations in the future.

OK-- time to hit the sack for tonite- I will try to keep you up todate.

New Home!

Check it out- I have scoured the market and found the perfect condo for me. It is right in the heart of my favorite Chicago neighborhood and literally a block from the apartment.
I close at the end of March and move in April.

Check out the blog page created by the sellers & then get ready for a housewarming party in May!
http://winonastcondo.blogspot.com

New additction

I have found a new potential addiction- going to the spa! Last fall a new all male spa "Sir Spa" opened just around the corner from my house. I had been meaning to check it out and get a massage and some pampering done and the Christmas gift from Grandma seemed to be the perfect opportunity to indulge a bit. It was wonderful right down to the luxury bath robe and delighful shaving products I got to try!

This is in preperation for a busy January of travel. Next week I will be in Iowa all week long. I have built some good business relationships in Iowa and don't mind traveling there too much. The following week I will be at home office all week long for a conference. It now feels so weird to stay in a hotel and be a guest in city that still feels like home to me. I am looking forward to seeing many good friends and family. To end January strong I will be doing a quick overnite to Dallas, TX and then a quick trip to Peoria and Springfield, IL. I am just thankful that I have the Sirius satellite radio to keep me company!

I hope the new year is treating you well and keep reading for more updates!

Welcome new Readers-

I am aware that I have some new readers trying to figure out who I am- WELCOME!!!

Happy New Year

It's time for a new year- so welcome 2007!!!! I always enjoy a new year- we each have a fresh slate to start out on. While it is impossible to erase the past- I enjoy the idea of having a new year to make a fresh start. 2006 was one of the best years of my life- I am sure someday when I am gray and old- I will look and think of how pivotal the year really was. There are many new things that I want to accomplish- so a new year is the perfect time to do that.

Today I am posting using my new personal computer- so if you ready my blog and have a blog of your own- please comment so that I can bookmark your blog on my new pc easily!!

This has been a fun New Years- Megan & Matt had such a fun party to ring in the new year (see photos). Laura (aka Fergie) came back to Chicago to visit with me - and we have had a blast. Everyone is meeting the new boy (Jon)- and so that has been fun. Even Missy from Des Plaines made it into the city to have some fun last night-.

May 2007 bring each and every one of you happiness, health, prosperity and anything else that may tickle your fancy!

Happy Holidays-

Merry Christmas- I admit it- I am a bit late on getting around to writing this year. December has been extremely busy and hectic for me. This was my first December living in Chicago and working as a regional wholesaler for Nationwide so I did not realize how much work and all of the corporate parties and such would overtake my life for almost two weeks. You might think that holiday party after holiday party would be fun- think again. It is work to continually be entertaining clients, not nearly as much fun as a holiday gathering of family and friends. To make the season even more stressful I developed the worst cold that I had experienced in about 2 years- it made the full circle from the sinuses to my chest. Mom and Dad also made a December visit to Chicago. We did the full shopping experience in downtown Chicago. Macy’s on State Street (the former Marshall Fields store) was spectacular. The windows were decorated in a Mary Poppins theme which was really unique. One of the upper levels of the store is a dining room called The Walnut Room- which featured their annual 30 foot Christmas tree which was really beautiful. Another holiday highlight was my first real fresh-cut Christmas tree. Good friend, Megan helped me select the tree and decorate it. I really enjoyed the fresh evergreen scent in the house. My neighborhood in Chicago, Andersonville, was very festive all season. The shops along Clark St. had tempting gifts for everyone on my list. For Christmas I did treat myself and purchased a Sirius Satellite radio- I really enjoyed it on the drive back home to Ohio-- I had a clear signal the entire way and great music. I am impressed that they have an all Elvis radio station- who knew???
2006 was certainly an eventful year for me and in reflection was a whirlwind of activity. I feel very blessed to have had so many wonderful things happen in my life during the past year. To reward my sales in 2005 I had such a great trip to Huntington Beach, CA with good friend Greg. It was so much fun and a trip to remember for a lifetime. In March and early April I was given a short term assignment in San Francisco, CA with Nationwide. It was quite a challenge to learn how to navigate the Bay area in my rental car- but it was so much fun and so beautiful. In May my second nephew, Dillon was born (what a cutie). Over Memorial Day weekend I packed up after 7 years in Columbus, Ohio and moved Chicago- the windy city. The corporate move was quite an adventure. I am still shocked at how quickly those packers had my life in boxes. I am still looking for a few things- that are apparently in the stack of boxes I have not yet unpacked. I am beginning to wonder if I will ever be fully unpacked again. Over the summer I was blessed with tons of visitors from Ohio which allowed me to be a tourist in my own city- how cool. In November I traveled back to Northern California for a second time to attend my graduation from The American College with my Chartered Life Underwriter degree (basically it means I know about life insurance). This time I took my parents along for the ride. We had awesome weather- and a spectacular drive along the Pacific Coast highway. With my job I have also gotten to explore all of Illinois, Iowa, and the Dakotas.
While no year is perfect- this year will be hard to beat. I only hope that life is treating each and every one of you as well- if not better. I thank God for all the blessing of 2006 and pray for all my friends and family for a wonderful 2007.

Coming back from the dark side-

I have seen the dark side- and it was ugly--- to make the story short I have had a cold for a little over a week now. This week I was running around like crazy spreading the corporate holiday cheer as best that I could. I began the week with a lovely overnite to Des Moines, Iowa and then have been just running all around Chicago. Most days I have been on the road for about 14 hours-- grrr... add that with sinus drainage and an annoying cough and you have misery.

So that is the short story of what is happening in Andyland right now.

I will keep you up to date.

I am still here-

I have been receiving some constructive criticism that I have not been updating my blog as regularly as I need to... and I would agree. My company has an advertising campaign that states "life comes at you fast" and here lately I would agree. My days and nights have been jam packed with a great deal of business functions. This is good, I feel like I am really beginning to have some affect in the territory and gain some traction. It is a good feeling when the customers begin to consider me as a resource and call me for advice.
I have learned one piece of advice- take a magazine if you are going to the Sioux Falls, SD airport- I was stuck there for 5 hours on Wednesday and it was not a fun time- thank goodness I had my trusty laptop and was able to pass the time.

So- it is Christmas-- Yeah--- I have a wonderful Christmas tree, the presents are bought, cards mostly sent, and I am having a holiday party in a few weeks- yet I do not feel festive at all- I guess I am getting used to not being in the holiday spirit. It seems that the holidays are meant to bring us together and make us appreciate and cherish our loved ones- but that is rarely achieved-- instead stress and family fueds can cause a fuss.

Well kids- I forced myself to blog to just get back in the mood of doing it- but I am feeling unispired all of a sudden- I will update with pictures again soon.

Stella Stella and more Stella... with a little Berkley too.

You asked for more- and here it is-

More fun in the sun.

What an incredible day. I woke to a beautiful surise and moon setting over Monterery Bay- the skies were pink and incredible! After breakfast it was off to the Pacific Coast Highway. WOW WOW WOW-- that was so beautiful-- I can't even put it all in words! It was just incredible- each curve of the road (in my mighty minivan) was even more beautiful than the last! Even Stella (AKA Mom) was impressed- and that is saying alot. Then it was off to the Hearst mansion in San Simeon- more WOW WOW WOW- it was just incredible. The weather was perfect for a day along the Pacific Coast highway. Enjoy today's picutres.

Monterey, CA

What a beautiful day here in Monterey. Berkley and Stella are proving to be quite amusing travel companions. Once again God is playing evil tricks on me- for the second time in two weeks I got to rent a minivan-- wohoo!! I guess it is every 30 year old's nightmare to be driving a minivan. I have really enjoyed just relaxing along the Pacific Ocean-- tomorrow we are off to the Pacific Coast highway to the Hearst Mansion. I am really looking forward to that. See ya soon.

Pumpkin Carving and California

Another delayed posting- I have been so busy (yeah I know, you have heard that before).
I do have more pictures to share with you- The first are from Dawn's AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME pumpkin carving party last Sunday. It was so much fun- and she prepared delicious
chili, apple torts, and even had pumpkin beer (how sweet is that??). I am proud to say that my pumpkin was choosen as best of the best by our wonderful hostess Dawn-- it was such a good time. Thanks Dawn for having us all over!!! This week was a good week- for once I was in Chicago for a full 5 days--- yeah I know I live there- but between sales trips and conferences I have not been home very much lately. I do have to admit that I had a great trip last week to Scottsdale, AZ- the 72 hours in the sun and being able to walk outside with hat and gloves was awesome!! I even snuck in some pool time which was highlighted by a pool bar and pool boy (gotta love that!!). Now I am off in Monterrey, CA and will be touring this are before heading up north to San Francisco. Yeah!!! I will keep you all posted on the adventures of the week.

Run Megan Run!!!!

Ok- a quick post before I hit the road for the day- Yesteday was so much fun- I cheered Megan on as she ran the Chicago Marathon-- her husband Matt and her in-laws had a riot traveling all over town. Even Laura in Ohio was in on the event calling us and text messaging us with updates from the web.

I am very pleased to annouce that I also found Elvis Presley-- he was running the marathon!!!

Enjoy the pictures.

Run Megan Run!!!!

Ok- a quick post before I hit the road for the day- Yesteday was so much fun- I cheered Megan on as she ran the Chicago Marathon-- her husband Matt and her in-laws had a riot traveling all over town. Even Laura in Ohio was in on the event calling us and text messaging us with updates from the web.

I am very pleased to annouce that I also found Elvis Presley-- he was running the marathon!!!

Enjoy the pictures.

A weekend at home-

I enjoyed a great weekend with a good friend of mine, Clinton, up from Raliegh, NC. We had such a great time just hanging out and catching up. We pretty much were homebodies for the most part. We did do our fair share of shopping and such downtown- I love the Bloomingdales home store- what a neat place. We also checked out Luxe Home at Merchandise Mart- that was pretty cool. I am very proud to have made my very own apple butter in the crock pot- take that Martha Stewart!!! Yesterday we tackled the open houses of Rogers Park- trying to see what I can or can not afford. I am still experiencing sticker shock- the more I look at property in Chicago the more I am thinking that my place here looks pretty good-- even though I am renting. I am hoping to figure it all out by February.

I did do lots of decorating this weeekend and hung some more pictures and such.. I am pretty happy with how my living room loos.. so I decided to post a few pictures and show it off to my blog buddies.