Top 9 in '09

A list of my top 9 events in 2009:

1. Booze Cruise '09: Boat+close friends+hot, summer day+drinks+food+music+playing in the water = best birthday yet.
2. Vegas: A much needed girls weekend getaway. So many adventures, so many great memories for us to share. (including the No Doubt concert) Can't wait to go back!
3. Coldplay: Probably one of, if not the best concert I've attended to date. Usually I find I am able to connect to the more "intimate" show, but Chris Martin and crew had a stellar performance that I will not soon forget.
4. Chicago: I road-tripped to Chi-town to visit my best friend. She was a fantastic hostess and we made the most of the long weekend. We walked all over the city - Millenium Park, Grant Park, Wrigleyville...we shopped till we dropped - Water Tower, Northface, Adidas, Urban Outfitters, American Apparel...and selfishly, I had my best friend all to myself - to catch up and reminisce on the "good 'ol days"
5. Kansas City: Another road trip, this time with L. Our main reason for going - Andy McMahon, I mean, Jack's Mannequin...one of my favorite bands. Yes, we skipped out on the main act, The Fray, and yes, I was and still am more than okay with that.
6. Britney Spears: Amazing seats to see a spectacular show with incredible friends.
7. Sand Volleyball: I realize this is a bit broad to label as an "event" but I looked forward to every Wednesday night this past summer. What better way to spend a summer night than playing volleyball with good friends.
8. Des Moines Marathon 5k: After taking an unnecessary break from participating in races, I got back on track in October. L and I ran a good race and I can't wait to sign up for more races in 2010. Maybe 10 races in 2010??? Any takers??
9. Wicked: "I'm through playing by the rules of someone else's game." Such a great musical. I was completely taken aback during "Defying Gravity" and found myself tearing up - it was just such a powerful performance.

So there you have it. My top 9 in '09. I'm excited to welcome in 2010 and see what the new year will bring

Holiday Highlights

Christmas 2009 proved to be a fun-filled, family event. Here are a few highlights:

-Having the whole family arrive home safe and sound
-My sister and I breaking out into Boyz II Men's, It's So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday at the dinner table (making sure we were in tune was included in the "routine")
-My sister and I making after dinner clean-up a bit more fun by performing Popular from Wicked.
-Watching Regan stop what she was doing, stare at the TV screen, and start to dance when she heard the theme song to The Office.
-Indulging in our traditional hor d'oeuvres on Christmas Eve while watching A Christmas Story.
-Going to Christmas Eve mass and being able to see some high school friends I hadn't seen in close to 3 years.
-Watching Regan open her presents (Elmo live was a big hit)
-Having a delicious Christmas dinner
-Watching White Christmas for the first time ever.
-Going to Rastrelli's with my 2nd family for some delicious Italian food and enjoying conversing with everyone.
-Watching my parents play the Wii for the first time (and showing off my mad Wii bowling skills to everyone)
-Watching as Regan pointed to her new Barney DVD, signed "more", and handed me the remote. And of course the best part was her cuddling up me with in the recliner to watch it.

It was great to be home for a few days and celebrate Christmas with my family. As I drove back to dsm this afternoon, I couldn't help but reflect on how truly blessed I am to have such a loving, close-knit family.

Ornaments For My Feet

Yesterday I just about completed my mission of finishing up my Christmas shopping. And in true Nic fashion, I managed to find a few things for myself in the process...

My first mistake was entering Von Maur through the shoe department. I've had my eye on a pair of green Adidas sneakers since May, when I first spotted them at the Adidas store in Vegas. A few months later, they appeared at Von Maur. I would "visit" them often, but never tried them on or made the purchase. So as I glanced over at the table where these shoes usually are yesterday morning and did not see them, I got a little excited. Could it be? Did they finally get marked down?! I had to go check it out. And sure enough, as I entered into the brightly lit clearance room, there they were...and now they reside in my closet. Sometimes, it pays to be patient.


Oh, and did I mention that when I was walking back to the clearance room, there was a table full of boots that were also marked down? I've been without a pair of brown boots - a staple of footwear for the winter season - for over a year now. So I made the pit stop to see what was there. I found a pair of Steve Maddens that I've eyed a time or two and at a price of $66 (a great price for a pair of boots) I seized the opportunity.



The bad news is my bank account was not extremely happy with my purchases. The good news is that I got the majority of my Christmas shopping done and I'm looking forward to seeing the faces of my family as they open their gifts.

Milestone

Today marks my 100th post! I wish I could do some flashback-ing of highlights from my postings thus far (like TV shows do) but instead I'll settle for an "in a nutshell" summarized list:

*May 26th, 2009: the birth date of The Truth From Where I'm At.

*Although by nature I'm a more private person, I've poured my heart out a few times, in the realms of religion, politics, and my own personal beliefs and life experiences.

*There have been a few moments of nostalgia - from my Greece trip, to college, to a reflection of the past year of my life

*I've offered a few recommendations in the categories of books, movies, recipes, websites, and places of entertainment (i.e. restaurants)

*I've done a few "pensive" postings, encouraging my readers to reflect upon the topic at hand

*I've given a lot of life "updates", especially catering to those with whom I don't get to see or talk to very often.


I'm definitely enjoying the blogosphere - here's to 100 more postings!

Just Another Manic Monday

What an odd feeling it was to wake up at 5:00 this morning and feel kind of excited to head to the office. Usually Monday mornings are not my favorite to face, but after my one day work week last week, followed by 2 days of being holed up in the house, I was ready to get back into the swing of things. I was a little nervous about the commute with the freezing drizzle, but thankfully I didn't experience any problems.

I didn't miss feeling overwhelmed with work, as we are extremely busy and we techs feel as though we are drowning in this pool. (Just keep swimming, just keep swimming) But I did miss my awesome co-workers. It was so great to walk in and have them pop up to greet me and to catch up from the past week. They make my job so much more enjoyable. Hardly a day goes by when I'm not laughing until my stomach hurts by all the shenanigans we get ourselves into.

What made today even better (esp given what I'll call the "Ho-Ho Hum" day) was when Sarah placed a bag of these hogs on my desk before she left for the day:



These are one of my favs, but unfortunately it's one of those rare items that you can only buy in the vending machine (at a whopping $.80 a pop) or in bulk. (I've seriously considered ordering a case from the company) Thanks Sarah - you are so thoughtful!

No case of the Mondays here today!

Fashion Forward

Modcloth is one of my favorite websites. I love the unique indie/retro/vintage style it provides. They post new arrivals everyday of clothing and accessories - a perfect reason to check out the site daily. Here are a few of my favorite eye-catching items I've seen:

(Also, love the titles they come up with, check these out)


Long Arm Warmer of the
Law in Police


Haiku Dress

Of All Stripes Dress


Plum-Struck Dress


The Perfect Pencil Dress in Klimt


Paris at Dusk Dress

Ski Lift Dress in Bunny Slope

Syliva Plaid Coat


Trailblazer Boots

Marilyn Mon-bow Booties

A Leg Up Socks in Stone

A Modern Fascinator

Let It Snow, Let It Snow....Wait, No!

I was not thrilled to glance out the window this evening to see the flakes floating down from the sky. A beautiful sight? *sigh* I have to admit yes. But why can't there be some magic way that the snow can fall but it doesn't land on the roadways or our cars?! Being the worrier that I am, all I see when I look out the window at those flakes-a-flyin' is the expectant white-knuckled drive I'll have on my way to work tomorrow morning.

I HATE driving in the snow. First of all - it's the first big snow of the year, so you know people will forget how to drive in the snow. B - You have all the SUV drivers out there who think that 4 Wheel Drive means, "I'm exempt from winter weather driving conditions and I don't need to slow down and I can zip in and out of the 4 lanes of traffic and basically drive like a moron. And three - I can't hit the snooze button tomorrow...at all, so as to allow myself plenty of time to get to work.

I will end this negative-toned post on a positive note, however. Being that I have such an amazing and considerate roommate, the Camry is safely tucked into the garage this evening, so I won't have to get up super early to brush the snow off my car. Yay!

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

I have a lot to look forward to in the next few weeks:

*A Very Compressed Work Week - Because I have a few more days to burn before the end of the year, I decided to take Wednesday and Thursday off, which leaves me with a, *drum roll please* two day work week this week! Umm...awesome!

*Shop 'Til You Drop Thursday - Weather permitting, I'll be meeting my mom in Iowa City Thursday to hopefully take care of the majority of my Christmas shopping. Christmas music will surely be on the Pod while on the road to get in the Christmas spirit. And of course a wrap party will follow where I can reflect on all the gifts I've bought and anticipate the revealing!

*Coming To a Theater Near You Friday - Invictus comes out December 11th. Hopefully you've seen previews for this movie, with Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon...esp Matt Damon (I know JW has ;) ) Can't wait to see this flick.

*Vacation Encore - One last vacay day to burn and I decided on December 17th, which means I will be cubicle free for a total of 11 days! (since I also have the whole next week off) Umm...even more awesome!

*Graduation Day - My cousin graduates from UNI in a couple of weeks and I couldn't be more excited for her! I remember that feeling of relief and accomplishment I felt when that fateful day came for me. This means another road trip for me, weather permitting of course, to proudly watch her get her diploma, and spend some QT with the fam.

*Sisterly Bonding - Since I'll be heading to C.F. for the graduation, my sister and I decided today that it would be a great idea for me to come a day or two earlier - what better way to spend that day than playing with Regan and possibly a night out on the town with my favorite sister :)

*I'll Be Home For Christmas - It won't be long and I'll be on the road, once again. (which is okay, because I like to drive, right L?!) Christmas music will assuredly be a-blarin' and my anticipation high as I think about experiencing our Christmas traditions. Hors d'oeuvres, Children's Mass, and driving through the Symphony of Lights on Christmas Eve, opening presents and eating a big meal on Christmas Day, and possibly venture out the day after Christmas for some post-holiday sales.

I love having so many things to look forward to!