Day Trip to Annapolis!

Today I was finally feeling a bit better and the Squid and I went to Annapolis. I just love this city because it is super close to DC (only about a 45 minute drive - if you get lost like we did) and every restaurant you go to has seafood!! Well, those aren't the only reasons I love it, but it was yesterday. 

We started off by taking a quick drive over the Bay Bridge. It is something that the Squid hasn't ever done, and I just thought it would be beautiful and the weather and boaters didn't disappoint! Then we went to Cantler's Riverside Inn to have some crab's and soak in the sun. It was a bit chilly, but a great sunny afternoon on the porch deck. I never realized how hard it is to eat crabs, but I did get to work out my frustrations with the mallet. 

After eating our fill, we slowly made our way into Annapolis and drove around a bit before parking and exploring the city. We made our way to Middleton Tavern, a place I have been before on a work trip and had great drinks and of course sat right next to a guy from Alpharetta, Georgia. It is such a small world. We joined him in trying there famous shrimp shooters and the cocktail sauce was out of this world! 

Then I took the Squid to a cigar shop where the shop keeper decided he would give us a little magic/comedy show while he helped us pick out cigars! Small places like this are the best place to find local talent. Then we walked up the narrow streets to the State House and took some pictures of the dome and the sunset. It was just lovely. 

It is so wonderful when you find someone to share your life with because you have a built in best friend anywhere you go. We laughed and joked all day long and just got to spend some much needed one on one time together. Sometimes you forget how special that can actually be.

Annapolis, we will see you again soon! But please be warmer when we come back!!

Friends and Fond Memories

You know birthday month isn't all about me. It is a wonderful excuse to make my friends get together. For them to rally and celebrate. I reach out to friends all over the country to check in, see how they have been and when the next time is that I can see their pretty faces, and their husbands, and babies, and dogs.

I have shared so many amazing memories with my friends over the years in the month of May. It has always been a month of endings and new beginnings. With the end of school, graduations, farewells. And the beginning of summer, vacations and new memories. I crave the days when all my closest friends lived in the same city and were completely accessible all the time. When the most last minute plans turned into the best nights of our lives.

This month in history I have watched friends walk down the isle, introduced strangers that have become life long friends, strengthened family bonds with a walk on the beach and had one too many margaritas with old friends. I have driven and flown countless miles to be close to those I love and had many, many birthday songs sung. Oh, and the Squid gave me a ring.

To those friends who I haven't talked to our seen in a while, I have not forgotten about the good times we have shared throughout the years on my birthday, and think about you all the time. Countless bottles of champagne and martinis on rooftop decks, seedy bars, and swanky restaurants. The cookouts, make outs and black outs. I think about the days when we were working on our tans, and crunching away our tummies to look hot in a bikini. When we were jumping fences to get into members hill at the horse races, consoling crying friends on party buses, and yes even eating boxes and boxes of pokey sticks and pizzas after a night out drinking. I remember you driving to Charlotte to celebrate my birthday because I was alone and even brought plastic glasses so we could sit by the pool with wine and not get in trouble. And of course I remember turning 21 in a sublet apartment in DC when two friends brought over a giant bottle of wine and we braided each others hair. Seriously, the best times of my life.

Mars and Venus make pizza

Why do you always get sick when you have a deadline, or life milestone, or some significant goal? I woke up this morning with a swollen throat and creepy crawlies. My first thought was NOT NOW, I have way too much going on for this. But inevitably life throws something in your path to slow you down so you don't get too far ahead of yourself. Okay, I get it.

Anyway, I didn't let it stand in my way, but proceeded with caution and opted for a nice soothing yoga instead of my usual Insanity. I breathed deeply through my yoga and then the Squid and I went to Jack-n-Dabes (this would be Jackie and Dave's House, we are weird) and had a pizza showdown. The competition was simple, make the best pizza ever. It was girls vs. guys and it was ON.

The girls pizza channeled a fresh and light palate pleasing combination of pesto, goat cheese, roasted red peppers, mushrooms and mozzarella cheese.

The guys pizza was a take on a meat lovers pizza, but their pepperoni went bad, so they ended up with tomato sauce, Gouda, bacon, mozzarella cheese.

As we were all sitting there enjoying our pizzas and taste testing each other's creations it dawned on me. John Gray was right, men are from Mars, and women are from Venus! Men enjoy the simplicity of greasy, meaty, smoky flavors from their pizza (not to mention they couldn't kneed the dough in a circle, so it was a wonky looking rectangle) that either put them in a food coma or cause a heart attack. It was tasty, yes. But I felt so guilty for eating it. Our pizza on the other hand was lovely. It had more complex flavors, lots of textures and was so pretty with its green, red and white colors (in a perfect circle.) It tasted fresh and something you could even eat on a hot summers day.

If you haven't caught on yet, the pizzas are like us. Men are simple, creatures of habit and can be hard on the stomach, and sometimes give you a heart attack. Women are complex, thoughtful, complicated and easy to enjoy year round. It takes a strong woman to be with a man. I mean, the number one killer of women is heart disease. Ladies beware, and if you have a good man keep him happy. Your life depends on it.

May 1st - "Officially" Birthday Month, so whats up?

You have to love it when your friends know you so well. While there is really no significance to May 1st in my life, I got numerous Facebook messages and texts to wish me a "Happy Birthday Month." Yup, let the celebrations begin!! But first, the questions...

Every year during this month, I question a lot of what is going on in my life. The current questions are coming from the dissatisfaction I have with my job. Our summer concert series begins this Friday night and preparing for the "season opener" makes me remember why I enjoy event planning. Being at a venue vs. a destination management company is completely different. Right now there is a lot of sitting at my desk and planning, but there is never anything that is urgent, or any fires to put out. I sell the space, get the proper documents from the clients and move on. I say "no" a lot. I don't own anything and my opinions rarely matter. Uh-oh.

I took the position needing a serious change from my chaotic job dealing with dine-arounds, galas, tours, transportation and traveling from Miami to Boston and everywhere in between. Everything was changing around me so change was the obvious choice. I was newly engaged, had moved apartments, and was traveling and working so much. I was finally in a committed and solid loving relationship, but professionally felt frazzled.  This coming from someone who has always felt empowered, confident and successful by her work and had a revolving door of boyfriends that just weren't right. Talk about a 180!

Now, I feel stale at my job because there is no opportunities to move up. There is no continuing education. There are no sales goals. I am the only producer in the office. I have no one that I can relate to and no one to truly turn to for guidance and support. And was recently told that I needed to "step up" my performance. This was after telling the boss I had generated thousands of dollars in sales and created a funding stream for almost all of our community programming. WTF.

I love this time of year to reflect on life and ask tough questions because it makes me think about how I can continue to get better at my job, and seek out the right profession for my new, married lifestyle. It just brings to mind the saying "you can't have it all." Sounds like a cop out to me. I mean, I get a birthday month, don't I?