Monday, May 4, 2015

Virtual Coffee Date

Happy Monday!  It's been awhile since I've done a virtual coffee date so I thought it'd be a good way to share tidbits of what's going on in my life.



If we were having coffee today...

- I'd tell you that I had the best weekend that included things like going to the driving range with Phil, a baby shower for a good college friend, a long bike ride with my friend Courtney, a dinner with some of the girls that were at the baby shower, and a fun afternoon with Phil on Sunday.  The weather was in the 80s on Saturday and it was just a glorious day and one of those days that made me think, 'gosh I love my life!'

- I'd tell you that I was relieved when the condo I'm renting sold after ONE showing.  Leaving your place in showing condition is a pain so I am so glad it sold so fast!  I'd also tell you that I am moving in 10 days and have barely packed!  A girlfriend is coming over to help me pack my kitchen the week of the move, which will help tremendously as that's my least favorite room to pack/unpack.

- I'd tell you that the presentation I gave at a conference last week went pretty well and that I am relieved it is behind me.  I'd talk about how freaking stressful these big group presentations are and how anxious I am for the one I will give in Virginia in 2 weeks because it is 75 MINUTES LONG.  That's WAY too long for me to stand up in front of a group of people and sound interesting (especially when the topic of my presentation is "the benefits of utilizing a Portfolio Analytics system"...).  Luckily after this presentation I get a break until August.

- I'd tell you how excited I am for my meet-up with Kyria in Colorado at the end of May.  We both love to hike and spend time outdoors so I know we are going to have a blast.  Our plan is to do a really long hike in the Rocky Mountain National Park area on Saturday and then a shorter hike, possibly in the Boulder area on Sunday before flying out that evening.  After doing some research on hikes, it's making me want to plan a week long trip out there with Phil as there is SO much to do.  Plus, I'd love to take him to Steamboat Springs so I could show him where I worked and do some of the hikes I did when I lived there.  There are so many places to go, and such limited money and vacation time... 

- I'd tell you that the beautiful spring weather we've had lately (like this past weekend's weather) has done wonders for my mood.  It's funny how much nice weather impacts us Midwesterners.  It's been great to resume my routine of going for a run with Phil one night a week but in addition to that we've taken long walks, swung on swings at a local park (I guess we are kids at heart), and practiced our rock skipping on the Mississippi River.  I've also been helping him out with some yard work around his house which I have really enjoyed!

- I'd tell you that Phil and I are going to try camping this summer.  I have actually never been legitimately camping (meaning sleeping in a tent) as we had a camper when I was growing up.  I think that it's something we'd enjoy doing together but we are going to try to borrow some equipment from friends before taking the plunge and buying all the necessary equipment. I'm really hoping we like it because that would really make birthday present shopping a whole lot easier when his birthday rolls around in August (he is the toughest guy to shop for!).

- Lastly, I'd tell you that I am 2 weeks away from the one year anniversary of moving back to Minneapolis.  It kind of blows my mind how fast the past year has gone.  Anniversaries of events always make me extra introspective so I have been thinking back on the last year and how my life has changed.  There have been challenges, mostly related to work, but all in all, it's been a pretty incredible year.

If we were having coffee today, what would you share with me?

24 comments:

Jeanie said...

Two weeks away from your anniversary moving back and two weeks away from moving again. There's some weird symmetry in there! I'm so glad the condo sold and you can relax about showing condition -- that would be hard. And the good thing is that you can probably move a lot of things down by hand or in a small cart to set up the new spot before you have to move down with boxes and all that.

You sound busy and happy -- a wonderful combination. SO, is there a collection of portfolio analysis jokes you can use to pop into your presentation now and then? A fun interactive exercise? That's a LONG time!

Nora said...

Great news about the condo selling after one showing! can't believe the move in two weeks already; glad you have a friend coming to help you pack up and etc. Moving is such a pain!

Today I would tell you that this past weekend was non-stop fun, non-stop go-go-go. I loved it but also I'm WIPED OUT. This coming weekend should be much quieter and I'm so glad for that!

missris said...

The weather also totally impacts my mood. It's in the 80s and sunny in Pittsburgh today--woohoo! Also, you can rent camping equipment from REI for pretty cheap if you guys aren't able to borrow a tent from a friend.

Stephany said...

Wahoo for the condo selling after just one showing! I know you were worried about dealing with showing after showing. And now the move. Ugh. Hope that goes as smoothly as selling the condo did!

Marlys said...

You sound happy and enjoying life which is so great as for the last how many years you were buried in preparing for the CFA exams and last year you were in the midst of moving back "home" which was wonderful but stressful as you had to start over at a new company and didn't know how it was going to go. I'm glad you are enjoying yard work - I prefer that to housework!
Hope your move goes smoothly and that I lived closer so I could give you a hand in packing or unpacking!

Amber said...

I'm excited to hear you guys are going to try camping! I think you will enjoy it, it really is a lot of fun (though also a lot of work I find!) I just find you need A LOT of stuff for tent camping. Maybe we are just high maintenance though haha.

If we were having coffee today I would tell you that I also had a great weekend and I'm feeling very grateful and happy these days. The weather has played a large part in that for me too. I just love the sunshine and nice weather we are having!!

Anonymous said...

So much good news! I bet that the year since you've moved back has just flown by. You keep so busy! Fingers crossed for a painless move. What a sweet friend to help you with the worst part! (I totally agree that it's the kitchen.)

Kelly (She Wears a Red Sox Cap) said...

Yay, 1 year in MN! and yay 1 showing for your apartment to sell. I'm the same way with weather affecting my mood, and this weekend was beautiful here too. Thank goodness! My students complained it was too hot today and I was like NO COMPLAINING! Haha.

Cherry Blossoms said...

Sounds like you had a great weekend. We missed our weekend chat so lets try and find a time this week.

Gracie said...

Happy for you that your unit sold! That would be a huge pain!

Leigh said...

Ah so glad to hear that the condo sold super fast! Is the housing market pretty hot there right now? And congratulations on your presentation going well. Must have been a big relief!

Caroline said...

I totally agree, the nice weather changes everything! I was walking/taking the subway into Boston yesterday and everyone was just so happy. I saw one woman literally just walking down the street smiling. People were friendlier and talked to random people while waiting for the T. It's crazy how much the weather can affect your mood!

Can't believe it's been a year since you moved back! That went so fast! Big events like that make me introspective, too.

Becky said...

You have so many fun things coming up! And YES to camping! Ben is NOT an outdoors person so I try to get my fix in with my Mom who is a Girl Scout hiker/camper extraordinare!

If we were having coffee today I would tell you how having a baby is everything and nothing like I expected it to be. I expected to be tired, but I never imagined I'd be able to fall asleep while pumping because I'm so tired. I'd tell you I expected to be hormonal after giving birth but didn't realize that would be for the happy feelings too - like "oh my gosh I love this little human so much I can't even handle it!"

Carolina John said...

You ended up being in charlotte for a little more than a year, so I'm curious to see how you feel about that time period when you've been back for longer than you've been away. They say time heals all wounds; wonder how long it would take before you'd go back to charlotte for a vacation or look forward to going back for a conference or something?

Abby said...

Talk to me about camping! I feel like I've become the female camping pro, especially if you didn't grow up doing so ;). That is awesome! Wish we could go together!

75 minutes for a presentation gives me heart palpitations. I cannot image how to talk for that long. But you're amazing at what you do, so of course you pull it off!

I'm so happy you are finally getting spring weather! Those evenings where you go for walks, swing on swings, skip rocks are so fulfilling!! Yay!!

Lauren @ Sassy Molassy said...

Weather in the 80s makes up for that snow you had just a few weeks ago! Sounds like a good weekend.

My world is mainly focused on last minute baby prep/nesting (preparing food for the freezer, cleaning/organizing the house, getting anything else we need) and marketing stuff for the running store. I'm glad I feel plenty busy because a few weeks ago I was sort of feeling bored and at this point it's just nice to have my mind and time occupied rather than waiting for something that I can't control. :)

Emilie said...

I am so glad the condo sold after just one showing! That is fantastic news and must be a weight off your shoulders! Good luck with your next presentation - 75 minutes does seem really long! I am sure you'll do great. Also, I am so happy to hear you've had some better weather! This winter dragged on FOREVER. It's crazy that it's almost the middle of May because it honestly feels like winter JUST ended.

If we were having coffee I would tell you I'm feeling much better after taking a real vacation. It had been almost a year since my last trip and I definitely needed the mental break. I would probably talk a little about wedding planning as that seems to be the forefront of my mind ever since getting home. My mom and sister and I are going to try on dresses on May 23 and May 30 so I am looking forward to that!

megabrooke said...

Sounds like you have lots of good things going on. That must be such a relief to sell the place you're renting so quickly. I too am so happy that spring is finally here, though, I think it might go directly to summer, and I kind of wish there'd be a break in here for spring!

Kyria @ Travel Spot said...

If we were having coffee, we could get out the map and really start planning our hikes! I am sure that no matter where we go, it will be fun, but I am with you -- they all look great!!

I would tell you that I will be really happy when May 19th rolls around (closing date!!) and I am super excited / nervous about it, but that I am also dreading the huge expenses that I am going to incur in the next few months! Refrigerators and drapes are not cheap! I am trying to figure out what I need right away vs what I can do without for a little while...

I am excited for you and Phil wanting to camp. Of course I have many ideas and suggestions for you! However, you will either love it or hate it and only time will tell. I really hope you love it.

Elizabeth said...

Awesome about the camping :) And so glad that the good weather is arriving there, it truly does so much good for the soul and the mood. :)

Lisa-Marie said...

This is am excellent post for those of us who have been out of the loop for a bit.

Dave laughs at me because despite hiving grown up in the countryside, I hate camping, and only ever do it at festivals!

Well done with the presentations - like you I hate public speaking and I know how difficult it is.

Things I have to tell you my campaign team have been working on an MPs election campaign for months. not only was he elected, our party went from have six seats to 56. I am quite proud to have been part of that.
I am getting on well in my new job. It is a challenge, but one I am up to.
I am quite enjoying not having to deliver thousands of leaflets in the rain this weekend. I am mostly sitting in my pjs.

The Many Thoughts of a Reader said...

I'm semi-actively job searching. I've had one interview and got the job but had to turn it down because of the hours/commute, which made me sad but happy that I connected well with the director and she is keeping my info in mind if they have an opening with better hours. I've also applied another spot. I cannot go back to my position in the fall. My state of mind and just well-being cannot handle it. I've had the worst memory lately and I've had horrible time focusing. So reading be it a book or blog reading has been super hard.

Jolene - EverydayFoodie said...

We haven't been to the driving range yet this year, but the weather is great, so we should go soon. That's wonderful that the condo rented so quickly - I bet that's a huge relief.

We're going to go camping this summer too. I absolutely love camping, but Christopher isn't too keen on the idea. I'm hoping to ease him into it, so that we can go more often in the future.

Shoshanah said...

Growing up we used to go camping, in an actual tent, all the time and I absolutely loved it. The boy on the other hand isn't a fan of the idea, but I keep trying to convince him. Who knows if that will ever actually happen... But maybe one day??