Well we took a week off for the Superbowl but we are back now!
Game #1 – 164
Game #2 – 159
Game #3 – 144
My average is 154, the same as last week.
This week we played Scared Straights, they had a really good night with a couple of them bowling way over their averages.
We took 0 points for the week putting us in 10th place .
Next week we play Team Pinned Down.
As you saw on Sunday instead of our usual Bowling night we attended a Superb Owl party. I didn’t win any money in any of the pools (all 2 of them), but a good time was had none the less.
Monday we got hit with a snow storm, this one only dropped a few inches. It was light and fluffy and pretty manageable when it came time to shovel. It did manage to wreak havoc at work, causing one District Manager to not make it in and delayed the VP of sales. A few of the Teams at the office were having some Kick off Meetings and 2013 Recognition party, which also got canceled. My Team is meeting next week in Chicago, a trip I am very much looking forward to.
The office seemed back to normal yesterday, most everyone was in, unlike monday with the few who “worked Remote” because of the snow. I got the official word we can start moving forward with the transitioning of accounts between the support people at my level. It’s going to take a few weeks but I hope to be fully ingrained in my new Accounts by end of February.
Today as was expected on per the weather men, we were the recipients of ANOTHER fabulous snow storm. This one was accompanied by some sleet and freezing rain. I opted to work from home today, we had about 8-10 inches on the ground when we woke up. It was the wet heavy snow so it made shoveling a little more difficult. The office ended up closing and sending home anyone who made the trek in.
Not much else to report, no Drum Corps tonight, we skipped the monthly social last night, we’ve been pretty much homebound. That will change come Saturday, not only is it Gayme Night, but it is also our double date with JP and Earl at the Culinary Institute. I have been looking forward to this day since we made the plans over a month ago.
So please to hold for Mr click, I will be back with a bowling update next week, and hopefully I will have some good pictures and stories to report after Saturday night.
Click.
It really was a Superb Owl. The cupcakes I made for the party were a big hot!
As days go there have been too many between my last non bowling post. I’m sorry, there really is no good reason for it.
Last Sunday The Hubby and I had the pleasure of meeting our good friends Walt and Ken for Brunch at our new favorite restaurant that still offers a Brunch Buffet. I don’t know why so many places have gotten away from the Buffet. We always enjoy meeting up with them, and wish we could do it more often, but with the 2 1/2 hour drive between us and them. The time flies when the 4 of us are together, just as it should when you are with people you care about.
My meeting in NYC went great. The weather wasn’t very cooperative in making it a “clean” visit. A snow storm hit the day before my trip so it made for a slushy walk around the city. We had a good meeting with the main contact and then a nice lunch across the street. It was then back to their office in a conference room for a larger presentation to the marketing team. It was nice to put faces with names of people I have emailed with and worked with for a couple of years.
The above picture was taken on Monday at my office. We arrived to work to find that there was no heat in our office due a boiler issue. Normally I am not one to complain about the cold but no heat makes a difference. I didn’t keep the hat on very long but the sweater stayed on for most of the day. They fixed the boiler by mid day but the office just didn’t warm enough up by the end of the day.
So I don’t normally go all out like I did last weekend but I bought 2, yes I said 2 new pair of shoes. Granted they are the same show in 2 different colors but it is 2 pair of shoes none the less. The above ones in Blue I wore for the first time this week. Since they are Suede I am avoiding wearing them when it is snowy, or rainy out. They were well received by “the Lunch Girls” and of course my twitter friends were the ones who convinced me to keep both pairs.
My travel arrangements for work have finally been finalized. The good news is I get to go to our Chicago office. The bad news is I fly into Chicago Tuesday Morning and back home Wednesday Afternoon. I know not much time at all, so it will be all work for me. We do have a Cocktail Reception to celebrate the wins from 2013 on the Tuesday night at a fancy Art Gallery.
So a couple weeks ago we had a team “meeting”, since we are all remote from each other it was a phone call with an online presentation, I had the idea that we needed Team TShirts. I started thinking, and put my limited design skills to work, and came up with a few options. I enlisted 2 of the girls on my team to offer their opinions. What we finally ended up with I presented to our Boss who in turn told me that they were already working on that, and hooked me up with the woman on our Marketing Team who was in charge.
I presented her my final design as a starting point, and with her skills which are greater than mine, she came up with the below mock up. It is very close to what we came up with, and I feel honored that she liked it enough to tweak it. The back of the shirt will have the definition of Swagger on it “how one presents him or her self to others”
Saturday was spent running errands and visiting Mom, who incidentally wound up in the hospital with dehydration and low kidney function. She is on the mend and hopefully won’t be there too much longer. So I’m sitting at home surfing the Face Space and watching TV when a friend of ours posts a link to this fancy new group coming to one of our local Theater spaces.
Well Strung is a group of 4 (HOT) men who sing and play Violin, Viola, and Cello. Now I am always up for new ventures, and I mean hello just look at them. I played a couple clips of theirs and they seem right up my alley. So not only are the Hubby and I sitting in the front Row but so are 4 of our friends! It’s sad I have to wait until May to Gawk at see them.
Tomorrow we have plans to attend a friends Superb Owl party. Yes I know it’s a play on the Superbowl, since none of us really care for football and they canceled bowling for the night we had nothing else to do. The Hubby will be making Chili and I will be making a dessert. I will reveal all tomorrow after the party as I don’t want to ruin the surprise of what I am making, and I know 2 of the guests know of my blog and may or may not read it. Go Team!
Game #1 – 152
Game #2 – 152
Game #3 – 148 thought I was going to say 152 didn’t ya!
My average is 154, down from last week’s 155.
This week we played Alley of the Dolls, and yes they are all women.
We took 1 point for the week putting us in 8th place .
Next week we play Team Scared Straights.
Well I hoped for as good a week this week as I had last week but the pins fought back.
Game #1 – 147
Game #2 – 142
Game #3 – 130
My average is 155, down from last week’s high of 163.
This week we played Bowling Bad, who are our very good friends and 2 of the officers of the league.
We took 1 point for the week putting us in 9th place .
Next week we play Team Alley of the Dolls.
So Slowly, said no one ever, unless they were at the office the day before a vacation starts. But that’s not where I am going with this.
It’s been a pretty uneventful life here since our fabulous dinner at the Culinary Institute. Mostly just work and home, and home and work, and work, and commute.
This past Sunday was another Jon Hamm Brunch get together with the gang, the theme they hosts picked was White Trash. The table was beautiful, although I commented that we should have used paper plates and napkins. As usual everyone outdid themselves with the dishes they prepared. The Previous hosts made a delicious Tater Tot casserole, breakfast sausage, eggs, cheese, and tater tots, how could you go wrong. The token Straight couple made these frozen desserts of strawberry, whipped cream, cream cheese, and nilla wafers. The Hubby and I brought Corn Chips and homemade chili along with cheese and sour cream which we managed to leave in the fridge, Oh well. The hosts had a lovely array of dishes, Chicken Pot Pie, Enchilada Casserole, and this Mashed potato whipped cream dish that he found a recipe for. It was a great time as always and up next is our turn, I am still working on the theme.
The time that has gone by as referenced in the title is the Year it has been since my Mom’s illness. You can read the whole story that I finally posted last April here. It’s been a struggle dealing with this but we have all become stronger for it. Mom is still in the Nursing Facility, hopefully coming home soon. She has her good days and bad days, hell I have my good days and bad days. I visit her as often as I can. The holidays were tough but we made the best of it and were able to bring her home for the day for both Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve and Day. She is confined to a wheel chair as she is unable to use her left leg, or arm. It is life and we play the hand we are dealt. It’s hard to believe that it’s been a year, I am thankful to have the time still with her, and wish there were more I could do. Give your loved ones a hug, and always remember to tell them you love them.
In work news, it’s been roughly 4 months since they made the change to our position and moved under the sales umbrella. This past week we finally got some news around the organization of the Sales Dept and how things will be moving forward. Wednesday I am joining a Relationship Manager (I guess that is what the sales reps are being called now) from our Chicago Office, in NYC for a client call. I am very excited by this, I went into this restructuring with an attitude of every man (or woman) for themselves. Of course I will look out for those I care about but will distance myself from those with “bad” attitudes. I am the most excited about going to our Chicago office in February for Team meetings, I have worked in some fashion with all but one person who is on my team, and look forward to spending time in the Windy City with them.
Bowling League season is in high gear and here are the latest results,
Game #1 – 161
Game #2 – 175
Game #3 – 208 My best game of the season so far.
My average is 163, Up from last week’s starting average of 145. This puts me with the 2nd Highesst Average for Men in the League so far.
This week we played Lickety Splits, who are our Bowling Wives formerly known as Holy Splits.
We took 2 points for the week putting us in 8th place still.
As a Team we hold the Highest Scratch Series, and as an Individual I hold the Highest Scratch Game, Handicap Game, and Handicap Series.
Next week we play Team Bowling Bad (formerly known as Split Happens).
As is tradition for us, for about the last 8 years at least, The Hubby and I trek the hour(ish) to The Culinary Institute of America for an Anniversary Dinner. Over the years they have closed a couple of the Restaurants on Campus, I am happy to report as of right now we have been to 5 of them, this includes 2 that have since closed. The only food offering establishment on campus we have not visited is the Apple Pie Bakery.
This year we decided on The Bocuse restaurant which is the schools newest restaurant replacing The Escoffier, offering French Cuisine. As described on the school website, “Sleek and strikingly contemporary, this French restaurant is named for the most famous chef in France, Paul Bocuse. The Bocuse Restaurant re-imagines the execution of classic French cuisine through the lens of ultra-modern cooking techniques, brings a new style of casual yet sophisticated service, and offers a breathtaking architectural interior design. With a great French wine list and innovative cocktail program, The Bocuse Restaurant is a unique and exciting, world class dining experience.” Honestly I couldn’t agree more, this was by far one of the best meals we have had at the CIA.
Since we were a little early for our 7pm reservation, we wandered over to the bar at the American Bounty Restaurant. As a side note we will be dining at the American Bounty next month with our fabulous friends JP and Earl. We each ordered one of their current cocktail offerings, and sat in their comfy chairs enjoying the ambience.
From here forward it is probably just best to let the Pictures do the talking. The pictures are mine, but all captions have been taken from The Culinary Institute of America’s website menu.
On the left is the Hubby’s White Whiskey Sour
On the Right is my Bocuse Special – Creme de Cassis, Framboise, Sparkling Wine and Lemon Peel
Chefs offering Amuse Bouche
Lobster Bisque with Parsley Oil
Black Truffle Soup VGE
Soupe aux Truffes Noires Élysée Paul Bocuse 1975
Beef Broth, Vegetables, Black Truffles, Puff Pastry
Octopus Basquaise
Poulpe Basquaise
Saffron Potatoes, Pequillo Pepper, Sweet Onions, Grape Must Gel
Roasted Venison Loin
Rôti de Venaison
Amaranth, Root Vegetables, Pomegranate and Chestnut Confit, Sauce Moscovite
Braised Beef Short Rib
Plat de Côte de Bœuf au Jus de Genievre
Celeriac-Potato Purée, Hibiscus Infused Parsnips, Wild Mushrooms and Beef Jus
Complimentary Cheese Plate -the cheese definitions are in the top picture and start at 12 o’clock on the plate.
Floating Island, Caramel Anglaise, Passion Fruit Coulis
Date Cake, Toasted Walnut-Brown Sugar Sauce
Braised Pineapple and Salted Butter Crumble
Coffee Macaron
Burnt Orange Ice Cream, Smoked Chocolate Sauce, Pizelle, Caramelized Cocoa Nibs
Complimentary Chocolates, Jellies, and Almond Cake
It is very safe to say we will be making a return visit to The Bocuse Restaurant again. For now I look forward to our return visit to The CIA next month, stay tuned for a follow up to that meal as well.
So year 7 of the Bowling League has begun!
Game #1 – 157
Game #2 – 120
Game #3 – 160
My starting average is 156
This week we played Team Up Your Alley, a brand new team that The Hubby and I brought down to the league this year. 3 of the 4 guys are Teachers and the 4th is a Retired Teacher.
We took 1 point for the week putting us in 8th place to start the season.
This year with the loss of the League President, they decided to change up the way the league is run, instead of 3 officers, there are now 2 officers and 3 members at large. I have volunteered to be one of them. It’s going to be a fun year!
Fear the Drum Major 