Rock Star

That is the way I felt when I got home tonight from work and Dave had this video up on his Mac (plug to Apple for Davey-boy and Carolyn). Back in October, BCBS of NC unveiled the newly renovated Button Chair exhibit as part of the Breast Health Project to help raise awareness of breast cancer. I was fortunate enough to be in Raleigh to attend (along with Meg, Natalie, Dave and my mom - thanks, guys!) and I am so absolutely honored now in seeing the result.

SF Bay Bridge

After our big night out last night (got home at 3am from our post-Panera celebration), we awoke at 9am when our friend Jaime called us to say that a portion of the bridge "melted" last night when a tanker had an explosion! It was quite the awakening and really unbelievable. This is the bridge that connects SF to Oakland (East Bay) and fortunately, the portion that melted is NOT over water and is really a portion that connects the bridge to other land-locked highways. It will definitely be horrible on east/west bound commuters (I travel one hour south each day, so I am unaffected). You can read more about the story (in case you missed it) HERE

Panera Launch Party!

Well, the Panera Launch Party went off on Saturday and was GREAT! Everything flowed seamlessly throughout the evening, the guests had a great time and the "clients" (our friends Matt and Ben) were happy. Here are a few pictures and you can see more on my photo album.

AFTER the party when work was officially over for me, I certainly made up for lost time and we started hitting the bars! Matt had amazing friends from Scottsdale fly in for the party/launch, so Dave, Jaime and I went out with them. One minute we are prim and proper at a business function, the next minute I find that I'm having a corn dog for the first time in 20 years. F-U-N!

Panera Launch

So we met a friend here in SF named Matt and he is opening up a Panera (the first in the city of SF)...next weekend! We met him at a bar a few months ago through a mutual friend and then proceeded to talk and talk and talk for the next two hours non-stop. He has asked me to help him with his launch party next weekend and I couldn't be more excited! It's nice to be "back in the game" and with such a fun project at that. It will be a private party, one only open to their friends and family, and is truly intended as a celebration of their endeavor. It is their way of thanking all of those who have brought them to where they are today. I'm so excited for them...Dave created their invitations and will be the resident photographer on Saturday night. Stay tuned!




Matt's Mom even got in on the Panera training and worked on the soft opening which was just too cute:

I'm Cheap.

Well, there is absolutely no surprise there. Dave and I were driving yesterday and he found my soulmate for me:



How could I argue? I can't help but pilfer the Sunday paper for grocery coupons, knowing full well that I don't even COOK! I also can't help but drive the extra three miles to get $.03 less on my tank of gas...when I probably just burned the savings on the driving distance! Ahhh, such is life. At least I'm ready for retirement (that is, my next retirement). Ha Ha!

"SOLD American"

That is the phrase my dad used to say when we were kids and he was buying something from a salesperson. It could be a new car or a new pair of sneakers or a new nail and he would use that phrase. Lindsay and I definitely didn't "get it" and would proceed to hide under anything large enough to sustain us (which, in my case, as most of us know could be rather difficult as I was not exactly what they call "petite" as a child).

Alas, my mom's house has been on the market in Raleigh, NC since June and we just got our first bite and it SOLD!!!! She is so excited because this means she will move to San Diego, CA, near Lindsay and Jon, to start the next chapter of her life. If all goes well on Monday with inspections, the papers will be finalized and she will move out at the end of June. It's a whirlwind of time after playing the waiting game for so long, but she is ready-ready-ready. Here is the house where Lindsay and I grew up from ages 8-18! The front has mock cherry trees blooming (they come out once a year and are gorgeous!) and the back faces a golf course.



I love this house, but it is definitely time to move on and for Mom to prepare for retirement! The ironic thing for her will be that she has lived in tiny spaces (picture a NYC 1BR apartment that she shared with 3 other women) and after leaving this 4,000 sq foot house, she will be downsizing again to a 1BR, but this time as a CHOICE, which makes all the difference. Congratulations, Mom!

I Got Paaaaaaaid!

That's right - I just received my first PAYCHECK in the last five months!!! It's only from a couple days of work, but it is still $$! We celebrated by having a Ketel One martini the moment I walked in the door and a plate of hors d'oeuvres (thanks Trader Joe's) before heading out and taking the bus down to happy hour where we met up with friends for a drink. After that, we went to dinner at Town Hall where I had a gourmet version of fried chicken (delish) and Dave had - can you guess? - a steak. He's a meat man's son at the heart of it all (shout out to Rite Portion Meats in Wallingford, CT!). We had a wonderful date-night and I loved every minute of it.

Dave leaves this evening for a few days in Las Vegas with Xprove. They are hiding out in a hotel room and "coding like monkeys", as Dave says, and also schmoozing around with the video techies at the Nat'l Assoc of Broadcasters Conference (I know, I know...how many wives have been fed THAT line?). He'll be back on Wednesday; it's my first time alone since we moved to SF so I'm going to try and not be too paranoid and freak out at every bang, clank and boom that I hear in this 100 year old apartment!

So what am I splurging on with my first paycheck? I ordered a Sirius Satellite Radio because my future brother-in-law, Jon, swears by it. I think it will make the commute "fly by" (as much as two hours a day can fly by) and I'm looking forward to it!!

Holy Hell, I'm a Workin' Woman...

After a five month "sabbatical" (I like to call it early retirement...Dave continues to correct me since I would indeed need to go back to work before getting TOO comfortable watching Oprah every day), I am back in the working world! I started a four-month contract position with Symantec, a previous client of mine with my old job. I'm filling in for two women on maternity leave in the marketing department and Thursday was my first day. It's felt like going to my first day of school all over again. I had my alarm set ("what is that thing?" said Dave), picked out clothes and I now even have a commute to work (as opposed to working from home, which I have done for the last 4+ years). The job is mostly comprised of working on in-store promotions for Symantec with their retail partners (Best Buy, Staples, Circuit City, etc.) and I already know that I am going to LOVE it!
While my days of toiling away at Starbucks may be over (for now), I am definitely looking forward to what the next four months bring. I have really enjoyed my time off and it was just what I needed to settle into San Francisco and kick back a bit before pushing forward with full force. Watch out world (well, "watch out" until my next sabbatical kicks in!)!

Southern Livin'

Last week when I was in Raleigh, Mom, Lindsay, Jon and I went to what was an INSTITUTION for us growing up. Not church, not school, not family get togethers but NORTH CAROLINA BARBECUE (that is pig with red vinegar....not bbq like the kind with Heinz on it). It's a North Carolina tradition and a life-shaping experience at that. My mom's side of the family can debate for hours about which barbecue is actually the best WITHIN the state of North Carolina. They will travel for miles to get the best and most genuine kind around. Sandwiches are typically about $2/each and come with a heaping of cole slaw and definitely a tray of fried hush puppies. Needless to say, the clientele of such BBQ places is often comprised of those appearing to be allergic to exercise. I really REALLY tried to get a photo of the woman with purple hair (purple as in she is ancient....not purple as in punk-rock), but couldn't do it inconspicuously. Here is proof of why it's so good to be home: