HOME AGAIN

I am finally home for an unknown amount of time...at least no work trips planned as of today.

I have a lot to catch you up on, so hopefully I can get to some posts this afternoon, work will keep me busy this morning. Until then.....HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

Wondering where I am???

Well, I am back in Holland...so sorry for the delay in posts...and I owe you many. Our friends arrived on Sat the 11th and left on the 18th...I left with them...in between there we went to New Orleans for a couple days, hung out at home a couple days, and well I have been working like a maniac and fighting some crazy illness (maybe a cold, maybe strep throat) for the last 4 days. One more day of work and then I'm leavin' on a jet plane...and returning home to my honey...even if it is only for 48 hours....

More later...miss you all!!

Recovered

After a long, wonderful Saturday, I spent most of Sunday curled up on the couch.

Then had a great birthday dinner with friends at the house!

Feeling much better now, though. I think I am human again....

Another birthday down....

Hubby's New Phrase

The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.....

Makes you think, huh?

Check

3 mile run - Check
mop downstairs - Check
Put gas in car - Check
Target - Check
Car washed - In progress
Whole Foods - Next on the list

Shew, having a productive morning. Guests arrive ATL at 1:40, we'll be picking them up at 2:30 (customs, luggage...it takes that long) and then heading to the Georgia Tech game. Followed by an Oktoberfest party at friends....(what kind of friends are we subjected our guests to this....oh good friends really...it will be a great time!!!)

Hope everyone is having a great day! I have gotten so much done and it isn't even noon!!!

Winning Season

James and I finished our T2 season today. We had a match last night and one this morning. We won last night 6-4, 6-1 and today 5-7, 6-2, 7-6 in tie breaker. So we are eligible for the playoffs! YEA for us! Not it will just depend on when the playoffs are actually played due to my travel schedule.

It was exciting to get a couple wins in this season! I still have many things to work on, but at least I still like the game and my hubby and I are still speaking!!!

Taking a Break

So, my first floor is clean (minus mopping, but I'm waiting until the last minute to do that). I need to go upstairs vacuum, dust, and clean my bathroom. Then I will be done for the day, unless you include grocery shopping. But maybe I will do that tomorrow morning while Hubby plays tennis....hmmm decisions, decisions....

(just taking a blog reading break).

Yuck

Remember that crazy week I was talking about....its now Thursday and the only thing I have accomplished is getting some fall decorations. I must have picked up a cold while in the Netherlands or on the plane. Today, I am feeling a bit better, just congested and yucky. So hopefully I will get to that list of things to do as our company is arriving on Saturday afternoon. Wish me luck.

Birthday

So, I have a birthday coming up (in 5 days) and everyone keeps asking what I would like. So, I promised to post a few ideas.

I have been wanting new gold earrings. I have a couple bracelets but don't have earrings to go with them. Some styles I like:

www.bananarepublic.com
www.bananarepublic.com

www.bananarepublic.com

www.anthropologie.com

Cute top from Anthropologie. It looks super comfy and would look great paired with jeans while working from home. Available in Gray, Brown and Green...I think any color would be great.

I also would like a straightening iron. No, I don't currently own one and have not owned one. But I want to get my hair cut a bit shorter, more chin length instead of shoulder length and like it straightened. Hubby says he won't get it for me because he has rule for gifts for significant others - nothing with cords. Their meaning could be taken the wrong way.

Other things:

JCrew dream sweaters (see posts below on the Dream sweater) - any style or color

New running shoes

Workout clothes

Fall tennis outfits - or maybe just jackets to wear with skirts I already have

I don't know....I am sure I could find things at JCrew or Banana Republic.....

Any ideas?

Christmas China?

Do you have holiday specific China?

The first picture below is our China pattern - Kate Spade Library Lane. (our place settings are still in boxes, but I promise I will use them soon!)

The second picture is the Kate Spade Donner Road pattern. It is discontinued, but still available at http://www.replacements.com/webquote/L__DOR.htm I think I would like to do accent pieces and maybe serving pieces?

Thoughts? (I ask because people have started to ask what we want for Christmas...China being a gift that was mentioned by my grandmother.)

Ice Cream and Potato Chips

No...I am not pregnant.

Just sick and the only things that tastes good/doesn't hurt my throat are ice cream and potato chips.

Pretty healthy, huh?!?!

And I am missing tennis lessons as we speak.

So good to be back, Buckhead Life Group and Crazy Week

I arrived Saturday without troubles...flight was good, long, but good. I watched 2 movies (What Happens in Vegas and Forgetting Sarah Marshall (full frontal is indeed editted for viewing pleasure aboard planes where your neighbors can view whatever you are viewing on your screen) and slept little. Needless to say I was exhausted early on Saturday evening. We grabbed a quick, early dinner at the pub at the front of the neighborhood and returned home to watch football. Well, actually, I mostly watched the back of my eyelids. I fell asleep a little before 8 on the couch and moved upstairs around 8:30. So, of course I (we) were up early on Sunday. Missed the early service at church, but made it to the 9:00 and then ran errands and returned home (see the previous post for information on how we spend our Sunday afternoon).

After working our a**es off in the yard, we ventured to Atlanta Fish Market. We had received a card in the mail good for $30 off....not too bad, James' meal ended up being free as he took advantage of the Ultimate Restaurant Week $29 3-course meal. Check it out, Buckhead Life Restaurants are hosting 2 weeks of 3-course meals for the value price of $29...great deals as the menus are pretty good!

Now its back to the grind...though this week is busy! I am trying to get the house decorated for Fall (James did a great job cleaning up while I was gone so all I have to do is maintain and hit a few things he missed) and keeping it clean for the arrival of our friends on Saturday. James has dinner meeting tonight and Tuesday, I have tennis on Tuesday, James has tennis on Wednesday, we have matches on Thursday and Friday evening, James has a match Saturday morning, and then we pick up our friends at the airport on Saturday evening....YIKES busy week. I'll try to post during this crazy week and hopefully have pictures of our house decorated for Fall...since it is such a great month.

6

The number of blisters on my hands from manual labor in our yard yesterday. Apparently our builder/landscaper was not very smart. I have been complaining/mentioning the sad state of our yard for the past several months. Well, I solicited some quotes to rip up and resod using zoyja. Well after receiving quotes that were GREATER than $1000, we decided to try taking matters into our own hands. We spent about 4 hours doing yard work yesterday, 3 of which were spent on the front yard. Using a rake and thatching tool (I tried to find a picture, but couldn't), James and I put holes (for aeration) in our yard, then sprinkled fertilizer and fescue seed. While aerating, we discovered a bunch of things...rocks, nails, full bricks, just under the surface of our sod. No wonder it was not growing....the grass could not take root into soil because there was building scrap underneath it....interesting considering our builder is supposed to be an EarthCraft builder. So, needless to say, I have collected the "evidence" and we will be having a discussion with our builder. Not sure how far that will go given the banks are foreclosing on the remaining lots in our neighborhood tomorrow......got to love the state of the economy today...which led to manual labor on our parts....

Anyway - sorry to get off on a tangent - I will keep you posted on the success/failure of our work yesterday. Hopefully in a couple weeks I can post pictures of a plush yard!

Flyin' Home Tomorrow

What a long week. Its been a long week of performing trainings, working with others and evening business dinners. I never imagined it would be so draining. At the end of each day I hae been totally exhausted. So much different than working from home. :)

I am SO ready to be back home, spending time with hubby and Barley and sleeping in my own bed!! I am also looking forward to a good workout. I have gone to the gym to run twice and did some pushups/situps in the hotel room once, so it wasn't totally wasted.

I don't have any pictures from the trip which is unfortunate really. My first day here was on Sunday and it was BEAUTIFUL. Of course its been rainy and cold the rest of the week, which is exactly what I remember.

Off to wrap up training. Trying to decide whether to have dinner with friends or go straight to the hotel (moving closer to the airport for my morning flight).....

Forgot...

...to mention we lost our tennis match. 3 sets.... 6-1, 4-6, 6-7 tie breaker.

It was not a fun one to lose. We should have won. As is the practice in mixed doubles the woman is directed the most balls...well that was the case in this match...I even got nailed in the leg....I have a nice big bruise to show for it.

We play again next Thursday and Friday. That will wrap up our season and maybe our career of playing together...will keep you posted on that one.

When this season is over, Romi and I will start the women's doubles league...fun, fun!!