The last two weekends have been absolutely wonderful! Great weather (although yesterday was one of the hottest days we've had in a while) and we've tried to take full advantage of being out doors.
Last Sunday we were able to cross paddle boarding off our bucket list! I absolutely loved it and told Coach I want a paddle board for Christmas. It was an incredible total body workout and a great family activity. Coach and I each fell off the board once but KJ never fell off at all. We were together as a family but paddle boarded at our own pace.
Friday night KJ had a volleyball game in Dallas and Saturday she had a tournament in Arlington which was perfect because we were right by the stadium and made it to the Alabama vs. Wisconsin game with plenty of time for a little tailgating. Although we really wanted to go to the game, we were hesitant to buy tickets before she tried out for volleyball. We knew there was a tournament the same day as the game and didn't want to spend big bucks on tickets only to be sitting at a tournament clear on the other side of town. At the last minute a friend mentioned on FB he had four tickets so we jumped on the chance.
We had never been to a game at AT&T stadium and it did not disappoint. What an incredible place to see a game!! The stadium is phenomenal and there is not a bad seat in the house. We had such a good time at the game and of course KJ and Coach loved being among true Alabama fans.
Today we slept in a little, Cosmo made French toast for breakfast, did a few things around the house and spent the rest of the day in the pool. Last week the pool temp had cooled considerably and I thought maybe our pool days were numbered but today was absolutely perfect!
Showing posts with label Pool. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pool. Show all posts
Sunday, September 6, 2015
Monday, September 1, 2014
Labor Day
Happy Labor Day! Hope everyone is enjoying the long weekend! I know we are!
KJ had a scrimmage on Friday at home. She's playing SO good! Her serves are solid and she's been setting. She's still fighting the setter position but Cosmo and I keep telling her it's the perfect position for her -- she knows what she's doing on the court, she controls the action and she sets very, very well. I don't know what her problem is. She is loving high school life and it was so weird to see her doing some Damascus chants and cheers during the Varsity game. Anyway, she played awesome and a couple of her friends came to see her play and then they went to the football scrimmage while Cosmo and I went out to dinner at Laurienzo's. I luv, luv, luv their lobster ravioli! http://www.laurienzobrickovencafe.com/
KJ's friend slept over Friday night and my parents arrived Saturday afternoon in plenty of time to watch the Alabama game. Cosmo's niece and her husband came over (FSU fans/alumni) and my cousin and her husband joined us as well (Penn State fans/alumni). I was hoping we could set up the TV poolside but it was quite humid and it looked like it might rain. I swear, I love having people over. The more the merrier. Sunday's weather cooperated and we spent the entire day in the pool. The. Entire. Day. We only got out of the pool to eat (and bathroom breaks!!).
Today Cosmo, KJ and my parents are at the Spy Musuem in DC. http://www.spymuseum.org/
I decided to stay home and get some stuff done to get ready for the week ahead. I have a bunch of pool towels to throw in the wash and just need to chill for a bit. The sun is shining today so I'll probably lay at the pool and catch up on my magazines.
KJ had a scrimmage on Friday at home. She's playing SO good! Her serves are solid and she's been setting. She's still fighting the setter position but Cosmo and I keep telling her it's the perfect position for her -- she knows what she's doing on the court, she controls the action and she sets very, very well. I don't know what her problem is. She is loving high school life and it was so weird to see her doing some Damascus chants and cheers during the Varsity game. Anyway, she played awesome and a couple of her friends came to see her play and then they went to the football scrimmage while Cosmo and I went out to dinner at Laurienzo's. I luv, luv, luv their lobster ravioli! http://www.laurienzobrickovencafe.com/
KJ's friend slept over Friday night and my parents arrived Saturday afternoon in plenty of time to watch the Alabama game. Cosmo's niece and her husband came over (FSU fans/alumni) and my cousin and her husband joined us as well (Penn State fans/alumni). I was hoping we could set up the TV poolside but it was quite humid and it looked like it might rain. I swear, I love having people over. The more the merrier. Sunday's weather cooperated and we spent the entire day in the pool. The. Entire. Day. We only got out of the pool to eat (and bathroom breaks!!).
Today Cosmo, KJ and my parents are at the Spy Musuem in DC. http://www.spymuseum.org/
I decided to stay home and get some stuff done to get ready for the week ahead. I have a bunch of pool towels to throw in the wash and just need to chill for a bit. The sun is shining today so I'll probably lay at the pool and catch up on my magazines.
Tuesday, June 3, 2014
First time for everything
There really is a first time for everything and I found that out firsthand on Friday. At almost 47 years old, and having worked fairly steadily since I was 15, I was released from my duties at the hotel. It kind of came as a shock, kind of not. While Catering Sales were through the roof and basically carrying the hotel, Group Sales were sorely lacking and rumors were rampant. We had been told that an older section of the hotel, "the Lodge," was closing effective June 1 but "the Towers" would remain open. There was a lot of speculation on how this would affect the associates and management. As it turns out, I, along with two others, were casualties of war. Everyone kind of assumed that one of the Sales Managers was on the chopping block, possibly two. So, it was a great surprise to most that I was one of the ones let go. But, in reality, it kind of made sense. My position was created in January after not having a Catering Coordinator for several years and as the old saying goes, "last one hired, first one fired." I enjoyed my job very much, I liked the people I worked with and I liked the work I did. That's that.
On the bright side, everything does happen for a reason and I think the reason was that I'm supposed to be home this summer. Even though she's about to be a high schooler, we were still very nervous about KJ being home all summer with the pool. We wanted her to enjoy the pool but we wanted her to be safe, too. And, I certainly didn't want a bunch of kids at the house if I wasn't home. We have some friends visiting in June, we have plans for July and now I don't have to feel guilty about asking for time off.
It's still a very weird feeling to be called into HR and be told the company is restructuring and there is no longer a spot for you on the team. I flip-flop between acceptance and anger. On Friday morning I walked into the hotel and for the first time thought that it could be me. For weeks I had received the assurances of my supervisor that I "was fine" but something hit me that morning and I told a co-worker I think my position is going to be eliminated only because it was newly created. Obviously I knew the gig was up when I walked into HR and saw my boss crying her eyes out. Apparently, she had been hit with the news just moments before I was called into HR. In between packing up my desk, I spent most of the time reassuring her that I was going to be fine. I think I was a little shell-shocked. But on Sunday afternoon, I got mad. I'm mad because in essence, this really has nothing to do with me. It has to do more with the inadequacy of others and the inability to put "heads in beds." I feel like I was a pawn in a twisted game of politics. The Catering department was given the OK to finally get the Coordinator they so desperately needed only to have it snatched away at the first sign of trouble. My position was viewed as a luxury, not a necessity. The only thing that makes me feel better is knowing that it wasn't anything I did.
On the bright side, everything does happen for a reason and I think the reason was that I'm supposed to be home this summer. Even though she's about to be a high schooler, we were still very nervous about KJ being home all summer with the pool. We wanted her to enjoy the pool but we wanted her to be safe, too. And, I certainly didn't want a bunch of kids at the house if I wasn't home. We have some friends visiting in June, we have plans for July and now I don't have to feel guilty about asking for time off.
It's still a very weird feeling to be called into HR and be told the company is restructuring and there is no longer a spot for you on the team. I flip-flop between acceptance and anger. On Friday morning I walked into the hotel and for the first time thought that it could be me. For weeks I had received the assurances of my supervisor that I "was fine" but something hit me that morning and I told a co-worker I think my position is going to be eliminated only because it was newly created. Obviously I knew the gig was up when I walked into HR and saw my boss crying her eyes out. Apparently, she had been hit with the news just moments before I was called into HR. In between packing up my desk, I spent most of the time reassuring her that I was going to be fine. I think I was a little shell-shocked. But on Sunday afternoon, I got mad. I'm mad because in essence, this really has nothing to do with me. It has to do more with the inadequacy of others and the inability to put "heads in beds." I feel like I was a pawn in a twisted game of politics. The Catering department was given the OK to finally get the Coordinator they so desperately needed only to have it snatched away at the first sign of trouble. My position was viewed as a luxury, not a necessity. The only thing that makes me feel better is knowing that it wasn't anything I did.
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
Ab Fab
Such an absolutely fabulous weekend! Didn't want it to end! The weather was pure perfection, mid-to-high 80's, nothing but blue skies, not a cloud to be seen.
Saturday Coach and KJ made their way to Baltimore for the NCAA Division I lax semi-finals where they were to meet up with my brother and nephew. Cosmo pulled into the parking lot and got out of the car only to hear, "Cos?? Is that you??" Sure enough, it was a guy Cosmo played pee-wee, middle-school and high school football with. I think Tommy moved to Florida our sophomore year but they guys were buds on FB. Cosmo was the center, Tommy was the QB. Tommy was there with his boys and their high school team from NJ and they had a big tailgate spread. Naturally, Cosmo and KJ are not ones to pass up a tailgate so they visited with Tommy and his fam for a while. And then, oddly enough, they rain into a girl who played Hoover middle school lax with KJ and her brothers also play or have played lax for Coach.
KJ had a great time getting her picture taken with various players, autographs and swag. She came home with lanyards, sunglasses, Tervis tumblers and t-shirts. They had great seats and were able to stay out of the direct sun and avoid a sunburn. My brother's seats were in a different section but they were still able to meet up with each other and do all the fun fan zone stuff for the kids. My sister-in-law and C spent the day at the aquarium and everyone met back at my house in the evening. The kids were exhausted and we watched Frozen before we went to bed. Loved listening to my niece sing "Let it Go."
Sunday morning the kids were in the pool by 10:30 AM and we had to drag them out around 7 PM. I think they only time they got out of the pool was to eat and (hopefully) use the bathroom! Uncle Chris had the heater on all week and the water was perfect! It was like bath water! Al and Z came over around 1 PM and we grilled and chilled. Around 5 PM our B'ham friends came over for dinner on their way back from DC. They were in Baltimore for the lax games too and it was so wonderful to spend some time with them. The boys had a good time in the pool and I think Mr. B was happy to have some boys to play with instead of C. KJ's "friend" Connor came over for the day and ate with us, threw the rock around a bit and played some cornhole.
Monday KJ and Coach went back to Baltimore for the finals and the kids had to get one last swim in before they headed back home. After everyone left I had a great day catching up on laundry (I love pool towels hanging off the back deck or the pool railing -- it just screams summer!), catching up on my tan and catching up on my book. As much as I love being surrounded by family and friends, I also covet my quiet time. The weather was spectacular and I spent quite a long time just floating on my pool raft. No noise. No one yelling "Aunt Valerie!!! Watch this!" No one doing a cannonball. Just some good, quality, peace and quiet. Aaaaahhhh......
Saturday Coach and KJ made their way to Baltimore for the NCAA Division I lax semi-finals where they were to meet up with my brother and nephew. Cosmo pulled into the parking lot and got out of the car only to hear, "Cos?? Is that you??" Sure enough, it was a guy Cosmo played pee-wee, middle-school and high school football with. I think Tommy moved to Florida our sophomore year but they guys were buds on FB. Cosmo was the center, Tommy was the QB. Tommy was there with his boys and their high school team from NJ and they had a big tailgate spread. Naturally, Cosmo and KJ are not ones to pass up a tailgate so they visited with Tommy and his fam for a while. And then, oddly enough, they rain into a girl who played Hoover middle school lax with KJ and her brothers also play or have played lax for Coach.
KJ had a great time getting her picture taken with various players, autographs and swag. She came home with lanyards, sunglasses, Tervis tumblers and t-shirts. They had great seats and were able to stay out of the direct sun and avoid a sunburn. My brother's seats were in a different section but they were still able to meet up with each other and do all the fun fan zone stuff for the kids. My sister-in-law and C spent the day at the aquarium and everyone met back at my house in the evening. The kids were exhausted and we watched Frozen before we went to bed. Loved listening to my niece sing "Let it Go."
Sunday morning the kids were in the pool by 10:30 AM and we had to drag them out around 7 PM. I think they only time they got out of the pool was to eat and (hopefully) use the bathroom! Uncle Chris had the heater on all week and the water was perfect! It was like bath water! Al and Z came over around 1 PM and we grilled and chilled. Around 5 PM our B'ham friends came over for dinner on their way back from DC. They were in Baltimore for the lax games too and it was so wonderful to spend some time with them. The boys had a good time in the pool and I think Mr. B was happy to have some boys to play with instead of C. KJ's "friend" Connor came over for the day and ate with us, threw the rock around a bit and played some cornhole.
Monday KJ and Coach went back to Baltimore for the finals and the kids had to get one last swim in before they headed back home. After everyone left I had a great day catching up on laundry (I love pool towels hanging off the back deck or the pool railing -- it just screams summer!), catching up on my tan and catching up on my book. As much as I love being surrounded by family and friends, I also covet my quiet time. The weather was spectacular and I spent quite a long time just floating on my pool raft. No noise. No one yelling "Aunt Valerie!!! Watch this!" No one doing a cannonball. Just some good, quality, peace and quiet. Aaaaahhhh......
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
Fatti Maschii, Parole Femine
Interesting post title, huh? Answer will be revealed at the end!
The weather has been absolutely positively fabulous the last couple of days! The service opened our pool on Wednesday and we had a ton of rain basically all day Thursday and Friday morning. Cosmo put the pool heater on and by 12 noon on Saturday KJ was swimming (it wouldn't matter if the heater was on or not; she'll swim in anything! If there is a body of water nearby, that kid will be in it). And she had the dog in the pool with her. It's so funny to watch! Trixie jumps in and can swim from one end of the pool to the other. Her little legs go a mile a minute and she looks like a little wind-up bath toy.
First weekend we didn't have volleyball and we were able to get so much done around the house. We cleaned all the patio furniture, Cosmo put some mulch down around the pool and the patio and surprised me with several hibiscus potted plants and gerbera daisy pots to put around the pool deck. We're having company Memorial Day weekend so I got all of my pretty plastic plates and serving pieces out of storage and washed them to get ready for some al fresco dining! I also put away my "Spring Shabby Chic Parisian Flea Market" tablescape and my dining room and entrance way are full-on "Summer Beach House" mode.
Saturday night we decided to drive to Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis to see the Bayhawks play the new Florida Launch. We got to see Coach's buddy PT play. They met at a lax camp they did together and have been friends ever since. Always great to see great players such as Queener, Kevin Crowley, Polanco, and Mikey Powell. The weather was perfect, we had great seats and KJ had a lot of fun. She forgot to bring a ball with her so she didn't get any autographs this time. MLL games are so fun because the players are so accessible. No egos. Most, if not all, of the guys also have regular day jobs and several of them also coach youth leagues.
Looks like we're going to have a busy, fun summer! My bro and his fam will be here for Memorial Day as well as some friends from Alabama. June 6 is KJ's 8th grade formal and apparently everyone's coming to our house for photos. June 13 is 8th grade graduation and there's a weekend at the end of June that we will get to see our friends from Cincy as well as some Bama friends. My cousin's wedding reception is mid-June, too. After that we transition to full-on pageant mode and will have some free time mid-July to mid-August.
The weather has been absolutely positively fabulous the last couple of days! The service opened our pool on Wednesday and we had a ton of rain basically all day Thursday and Friday morning. Cosmo put the pool heater on and by 12 noon on Saturday KJ was swimming (it wouldn't matter if the heater was on or not; she'll swim in anything! If there is a body of water nearby, that kid will be in it). And she had the dog in the pool with her. It's so funny to watch! Trixie jumps in and can swim from one end of the pool to the other. Her little legs go a mile a minute and she looks like a little wind-up bath toy.
First weekend we didn't have volleyball and we were able to get so much done around the house. We cleaned all the patio furniture, Cosmo put some mulch down around the pool and the patio and surprised me with several hibiscus potted plants and gerbera daisy pots to put around the pool deck. We're having company Memorial Day weekend so I got all of my pretty plastic plates and serving pieces out of storage and washed them to get ready for some al fresco dining! I also put away my "Spring Shabby Chic Parisian Flea Market" tablescape and my dining room and entrance way are full-on "Summer Beach House" mode.
Saturday night we decided to drive to Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis to see the Bayhawks play the new Florida Launch. We got to see Coach's buddy PT play. They met at a lax camp they did together and have been friends ever since. Always great to see great players such as Queener, Kevin Crowley, Polanco, and Mikey Powell. The weather was perfect, we had great seats and KJ had a lot of fun. She forgot to bring a ball with her so she didn't get any autographs this time. MLL games are so fun because the players are so accessible. No egos. Most, if not all, of the guys also have regular day jobs and several of them also coach youth leagues.
Looks like we're going to have a busy, fun summer! My bro and his fam will be here for Memorial Day as well as some friends from Alabama. June 6 is KJ's 8th grade formal and apparently everyone's coming to our house for photos. June 13 is 8th grade graduation and there's a weekend at the end of June that we will get to see our friends from Cincy as well as some Bama friends. My cousin's wedding reception is mid-June, too. After that we transition to full-on pageant mode and will have some free time mid-July to mid-August.
Post Translation:
(Manly Deeds, Womanly Words)
http://www.netstate.com/states/mottoes/md_motto.htm
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
Here Come the Boom !
Had such a great day yesterday! The weather was absolutely spectacular! It was almost 95 degrees here with nothing but beautiful, blue, clear skies.
I had an appointment to pick-up my new contacts (prescription is still not right so I came home wearing my regular ol' glasses), got a pedicure, ran some errands, got a haircut, spent some time in Ulta, picked up a few things at Trader Joe's and bought a bottle of my new favorite wine at World Market (liquor laws are so weird here -- no beer or wine in grocery stores yet the World Market in Rockville carries wine. The Trader Joe's a couple of doors down does not).
Last night KJ's travel vball team had their end of year party and celebrated w/ a Dads vs. Daughters game. The dads were too funny and did all the cheers and A.C.E. things the girls do. The moms visited with each other and it was very nice for me to chat and get to know some of the moms a little better. As a matter of fact, a couple of the moms are going to a boot camp tomorrow night as a group. Should be interesting!
I had a wonderful Mother's Day even though it was spent in the gym. KJ had her very last volleyball tournament Sunday and did great as always. She had to be on the court at 7:15 AM and the gym was almost an hour from our house. Who does that? Who schedules a volleyball tournament on Mother's Day? KJ gave me two beautiful Alex and Ani bangles http://www.alexandani.com and T sent me an "I love you" charm necklace with my initial on a small disc. My sweet Godson sent me a beautiful basket of flowers to brighten my day, too!
Nothing major planned for this weekend. The pool guys opened up our pool today so I think we'll just hang around and do some yard work. I need to wash all of my summer plastic table ware so we can dine al fresco. We need to get our patio seat cushions out of storage and set what kind of condition they are in. May have to buy new ones.
I had an appointment to pick-up my new contacts (prescription is still not right so I came home wearing my regular ol' glasses), got a pedicure, ran some errands, got a haircut, spent some time in Ulta, picked up a few things at Trader Joe's and bought a bottle of my new favorite wine at World Market (liquor laws are so weird here -- no beer or wine in grocery stores yet the World Market in Rockville carries wine. The Trader Joe's a couple of doors down does not).
Last night KJ's travel vball team had their end of year party and celebrated w/ a Dads vs. Daughters game. The dads were too funny and did all the cheers and A.C.E. things the girls do. The moms visited with each other and it was very nice for me to chat and get to know some of the moms a little better. As a matter of fact, a couple of the moms are going to a boot camp tomorrow night as a group. Should be interesting!
I had a wonderful Mother's Day even though it was spent in the gym. KJ had her very last volleyball tournament Sunday and did great as always. She had to be on the court at 7:15 AM and the gym was almost an hour from our house. Who does that? Who schedules a volleyball tournament on Mother's Day? KJ gave me two beautiful Alex and Ani bangles http://www.alexandani.com and T sent me an "I love you" charm necklace with my initial on a small disc. My sweet Godson sent me a beautiful basket of flowers to brighten my day, too!
Nothing major planned for this weekend. The pool guys opened up our pool today so I think we'll just hang around and do some yard work. I need to wash all of my summer plastic table ware so we can dine al fresco. We need to get our patio seat cushions out of storage and set what kind of condition they are in. May have to buy new ones.
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