Whoo Hoo..it's the Weekend!!

I love Fridays....a busy week of work has come to an end and now two whole days to do whatever I want. I have already made my to-do list and while most items are definitely for "me", there are some "chores" that need to be done. I am going to catch up on laundry - something I never seem to have enough time to do during the week. If the rain stops I'll probably need to rake a bit and while Tony works on the bathroom, I am sure he has a project or two in mind for me.

Now for the fun stuff!! I'm hoping to see the Barnett kids in their Halloween finest tomorrow afternoon for the neighborhood parade and then head over to the Geiger's for the MSU/UM game...with that crowd I will definitely have to wear green. A mani & pedi is in my future, probably on Sunday with Sarah, so I have pretty toes for Key West (and I have stopped biting my fingernails since my last manicure in September...a huge step for me!)

Mostly what I want to do is solder some jewelry that has been sitting on my dining room table for the past week. Why can't weekends last for 4 days instead of only 2??? I'll let you know on Sunday how it all goes....

87 Days

I enjoy having things to look forward to as much as the next girl. Tony & I are heading to Key West next week for his cousin Anna's wedding, and Thanksgiving is just around the corner. Both things I am excited about, but really, I don't think much more than a week ahead of anything. Honestly, I asked Tony today, "So, what do you think we wear for a wedding in Key West?" and frankly, I hope my cool gray dress will work since I really have no time between now & then to find whatever is appropriate and not in my closet.

So, the idea that I just got an email from one of my bestest friends, Kris, with the subject line "87 Days" has me excited about crossing off the days on my calendar. You see, my friends Kris & Amy are coming to visit me in 87 days!! We were students together at Kansas State, and as we worked through our Master's program and two years working in the residence halls, we also forged a friendship that is like no other. Our first year out of grad school, we met in Kansas City for a holiday shopping trip - that was 11 years ago. We haven't missed a shopping trip since. We rotate cities based on where we are living - we have been to Chicago, Lawrence, KS, Augusta, SC, Ann Arbor, Nashville & Royal Oak. Our friendship has spanned three weddings, four kids, 3 dogs (Kris, that counts the one you had for 2 days), deaths of loved ones, and more laughs than I know what to do with. Our lives have changed but we have stayed constant and for that I am forever grateful.

So, we have 87 days to go.....I can't wait until we are down to 1!!!!

Catch Up!!

Okay, so I am failing my own blog challenge. It has clearly been almost a month since my last post. I think about it daily, I have topics, titles, and have written it in my head, but I just haven't had time to actually sit down and write. Probably because I have been averaging 58 hour work weeks since Labor Day and my weekends, while mostly mine, have been just as busy. I continue to try to be everything to everyone, and while I love the things I do, I am definitely bummed I haven't made the time to blog. I check my friends pages daily, and feel as though it is a cool way to connect and catch up...I am sorry to those of you who check mine and see the same September 20th post day after day!!

So, what have I been doing? Working! Busy season is almost wrapped up..another 3 weeks or so, and it has been a pretty successful fall. The economy has wrecked havoc on the recruiting world, but we are still at it hiring entry-level staff with the expectation that the market will turn around soon. This is good news for me, and means I have continued to be a road warrior as part of the campus recruiting team in Michigan. The challenges with the economy have limited my travel within our region so I haven't had the opportunity to visit my team in other markets as much as I typically like - but, we have found ways to stay connected via phone and email.

Tony has spent most weekends up north doing what he likes best in the fall...fishing and hunting. I am happy he has had the opportunity to pack up most Fridays and take off..I just haven't had the same flexibility to join him. Mostly I have stayed home to catch up..on everything! I have had some great family time on those weekends - I've seen Morgan's Halloween show twice, watched Jake's hockey games, saw Maren score a goal, and Chloe run all over the soccer field. We had a "pear-picking" weekend at Eric's while we brewed some fall beer, and we heard our friend's band play at OktoberFest last weekend.

In the last couple of weeks Sarah has decided to become a jewelry sales consultant for Premier Designs jewelry and I have enjoyed being a part of her adventure. While it has been a bit of a scary and overwhelming endeavor, she is on the brink of being incredibly successful. I am super-duper excited for her and know she will be amazing!!

Tony's birthday is this weekend - he is by far the hardest person EVER to buy a present for. He has "opinions" about everything and I have spent my entire existence of knowing him trying to surprise him with something. I never do. So, for his birthday this year, I gave him three options of presents....none of which he expected I might add....and we went to REI and scored him a new sleeping bag tonight. I probably should say that he needed a new one since I ruined his old one in a washing machine fiasco. There was a slight balance issue in the machine, resulting in the purchase of a new washer last spring, and after I took my scissors to his bag to drain the water, he clearly needed a new one. At any rate, he is thrilled with his new bag, and I am a bit jealous. I will say, however, that my sleeping bag ranks in the top 5 things that I own and I am snuggled up in it right now. But I am looking enviously over at the brand new, super cool, green & gray one on the couch.

A bit of catch up from the Catania house.....more to come and I promise it will be before November!!