A Weekend in Austin

On Wednesday, I decided to take Friday off and we thought it would be great to have a weekend getaway.  We picked the Hyatt Lost Pines resort in Austin- a few hours drive away and a lot of positive reviews.
We had a fantastic time- I got my massage, we saw the Colorado River  and even caught a street fair downtown Austin on Saturday. Hopefully we'll do these small trips a bit now that we've seen how easy it is.

First Anniversary at Work

April 16th marked 1 year at my clinic and to celebrate I decided to jazz up my office a bit. It was a nice, subtle way to let my staff know that as chaotic as the year was, I see this as where I'm meant to be. I started by having the walls painted a warm hue, then hung up some pieces that I hadn't before. Here is the before:




And here is what the after looks like:






I'm excited about what year 2 will bring. So far even though it's been a time of big change for our organization I've been having a great time chewing on some very crunchy problems and working through process improvement and enhancements. I'm well respected by my peers and staff for what I bring to the table and I have the honor of working with physicians renowned throughout the country. I also have been able to make some great friends within the company but at other locations so that pesky boundary at work can be intact. It has been everything I couldn't dare hope it would be.
I will share one footnote from my previous workplace- in the year since I've been gone, they have not been able to fill that role, despite breaking it out into 3 separate positions. The longest administrator made it 3 weeks before quitting. Last year after my departure the following people also resigned: CEO, CFO, Medical Director, Biller, 2 Physicians and about 5 support staff. I'm not saying they left in solidarity or anything, but that kind of mass exit would make any other company take a closer look at what is going on. I wish them all the best- they have an opportunity to help the most needing in the community and I hope eventually they review what that means.
As for me, you can find me skipping through my halls and enjoying the heck out of my life, much like my favorite TV administrator, Gloria Akalitus on Nurse Jackie:

A Magical, Fun Weekend

On Friday night Dean and I had a lovely dinner at Abuelos followed by a trip to the Verizon center in Grapevine to see Penn and Teller. I've never seen them in person before and one particular treat was getting selected for one of their tricks and Teller actually spoke to me! Hey, I thought not speaking was his whole schtick?
On Sunday we all headed to Waxahachie for the Scarborough Renaissance Faire with friends. Seth was excited to see the Birds of Prey exhibit as a wildlife enthusiast. I was more excited to see some Jousting...Dean perked up at the bellydancing demonstrations, hardy har!
It was  fun weekend as a whole and it was nice to be so stimulated the entire time.

Summer Vacation Destination: Paris!

So we're all set for our vacation this year- we're going to Paris! And, as an added bonus, my mother is meeting us there so we'll get to spend time with her and we'll also be able to go out on romantic couples outings as she can babysit Seth. The last time I was in Paris I was about 7 years old and I remember very little about the trip. This time I am making a list of things I hope we are able to do:

1. Boat ride on the Sienne
2. Visit the Eiffel Tower
3. Notre Dame
4. Musee de Louvre
5. Champs Elysee
6. Arc de Triomphe

We leave on July 19th and we'll spend my whole birthday week there. Now, I just need some tips on getting a 5 year old through the 10 hour flight without losing my mind.....hmmmm.....ideas welcome!

First 2 Weeks with the Droid Razr M

It's been 2 weeks since I got my Razr M and I am so glad to have made the switch. The Razr M doesn't have a cradle so I picked up 2 Droid 3 docks and did a mod project to get them to work with my M. I thought I would be affected by the lower resolution but I've hardly noticed. All in all, it's been just enough of a bump that I feel that I can comfortably await the QWERTYBar I've been dreaming of.
The killer feature of this phone has got to be Smart Actions. When I first heard about it I thought there was no big  deal since I already use profiles. But there's something about the ease of setting up the 'Actions' that made it a no-brainer for me. My bluetooth connections are instant, and battery life is improved. A good choice for sure!

Driving Peeve: No Turn Signals

Once we moved to Texas and away from the comparatively rough driving in New York and New Jersey, Dean and I had images of leisurely navigating open roads in the DFW area. The first revelation is that there are no 'open roads' and traffic can be just as bad as the Northeast. But the most difficult thing is the fact that hardly anyone here uses their turn signals- they just cut across or make a turn with no indication whatsoever....
Pssst, DFW drivers, come over here a sec....lemme show you something:

This lever in your car is called your turn signal. If you flip it to indicate which direction you plan to go in, you will avoid getting run off the road, having your bumper clipped, and me giving you the finger. I promise you that it is totally worth it, trust me.

It has gotten so bad now that someone can cut me off with mere inches between us but if they have their signal on I'm less irritated than someone who 'drifts' in front of me several feet ahead!

Humpday Humor: Logos

Rarely Seen: Me in a Pantsuit

I could give you a million reasons why I don't like pants- bunching, thigh-rub, length issues, you name it. But every Friday I step out of my comfort zone and don a pair.
I bought this pair of pants and then realized that it actually is the same color/style of another suit I have from Eloquii.
This is this week's Friday look and I'm pleased to say that I am finally rocking....a pantsuit.

Humpday Humor: Medical Bracelet of My Dreams

Summer Jacket, Winter Tights

It was cold outside but I knew the heat would be cranked up inside so I paired a short-sleeve jacket with my opaque tights. I got a lot of rave reviews on my Lane Bryant graphic skirt from a few years ago.
At some point I plan to find a chunky statement necklace with hints of purple to break up the black.