Am I Rambling?

So many things have happened in the last week that I’m not even sure what I should talk about.  So please forgive me if I’m rambling.

Thank You!  I want to personally thank everyone who voted for our bar in the The ‘Burgh’s Best Neighborhood Bar contest.  I still can’t believe we won and we’ve had so much fun talking about it and promoting it down at the bar! 

Welcome ‘Lil Bastard!  For those of you who don’t know me, let me give you a little bit of background before you read the rest of this story.  Last year in October, I was in Dallas, TX, for my “Big Girl Job.”  While there, I managed to be stung by a scorpion seven times on my foot.  Turns out I could have died and since having been stung, I’ve had to adjust to some permanent changes in my foot i.e. I sustained terrible nerve damage and it still swells.  Well, since the scorpion incident, I really wanted to get a tattoo on my foot of a scorpion and the number seven.  This would be my first tattoo and I really thought that this one actually had good meaning behind it and it was a worthy tattoo.  So as a one year anniversary gift to myself, I finally got the tattoo last week while I was in Phoenix.  I named him ‘Lil Bastard in honor of the ‘Lil Bastart that almost took me out!

Snow…really!  It’s already so cold here that we had our first snow over the weekend.  Although it didn’t last long and there are no remnants of it happening other than it’s colder than a “well-diggers behind” out there, I still can’t believe it snowed.  It especially stinks since I just got back from Phoenix where it was 100 degrees!  I suppose it’s time to face the fact that winter is officially here.  It’s time to bust out the snow gear and snowboards and embrace the season.

Happy Halloween!  Today is Halloween so…Happy Halloween!  I hope everyone has a great day especially if you’ll be out trick-or-treating with your little ones.  I also want to say Happy Birthday to my sweet little niece.  Today she turns three. 

I think I’ve done enough rambling for today.  Happy Halloween everyone and be safe!

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Holstee Manifesto

I read many quotes, mantras, prayers, etc. every day to keep my life in perspective. It's so easy to let this crazy, hectic, mixed-up, upside down, sometimes unfair, sometimes amazing world get the best of all of us. A few minutes a day meditating, praying, thinking (instead of just escaping) can make a big difference in how you approach life.

The Holstee Manifesto is one of those. Puts it all in order and makes you think. Life can be incredible, but it isn't just gonna happen. Sometimes, you have to help it along!

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Happy Halloween, Slackers!

With Halloween only a couple days away, it's getting late to find a costume, and if you're like me, you’re scrambling for a last minute idea. No, I am not going to suggest slapping on some plastic Anthony Weiner mask. The right Halloween costume takes work and skill, some thoughtfulness usually helps.

Killer costumes require a little more than a glance through your closet, or at the very most, a quick trip to the drug store. So what will you be? Luckily, I’ve got some ideas for you that shouldn’t take too much work:

1. So this might be a little farfetched, but, if you have curly hair, this is a great costume idea. My friend Ashley (thanks for letting me use your picture) was a lion and took advantage of her wonderful curly blonde locks to mimic a lion’s mane. Add some face paint, makeup, throw together some ears and voila!

2. Are you artistic? Be a fish! Here is a great couple’s costume that I thought was super cute.

3. Remember Twister? Take the plastic Twister game mat and hold it up next to your body. Wrap the dress around you and determine how much of the plastic you need to create a simple dress. Wrap the mat snugly against your body, but use enough fabric so that you can move easily. In addition to determining the width, decide on the length you want.

Or, find a white, inexpensive, simple dress or white clothes and buy different colors of felt. Cut the felt into large circles and use glue to stick them to your outfit. Buy a headband and use glue to attach the spin board.

4. For all of you beer pong fans, use cardboard to make a table. Glue on cups and carry around ping pong balls – easy enough!

5. An oldie but goodie… Where’s Waldo? Throw on some circular glasses, a tossle hat and a striped shirt.

Lastly, if you’re not in the mood to be creative, costumes are on sale now since you waited so long so you can probably pick one up for much less than what the rest of your friends paid for theirs. Happy hunting and Happy Halloween, slackers!

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Something to Make You Smile, Cry and Love

In just the past couple of week I have come across some great videos, stories and images. I always share them on my Facebook, but for those who I am not friends with, I would like to share here.

Some of the following have special meaning, others I just thoroughly enjoy, but what I ask you is have you explored outside of your usual viewing habits to find something out of your norm? Have you recently listened to an artist you might not have thought to give 5 seconds of your day to and ended up enjoying what you heard? Or have you watched a video or read a short story that made you cry, feel really happy or just all out shocked you? Please always share because others will feel those same great emotions we all need to feel.

Enjoy the following because I know I have.

Couple Married 72 Years Dies Holding Hands - It is just like the movie, The Notebook, except it was real. Click on the link to read their story.

The following is true love of our era...




The night before the burial of her husband, 2nd Lt. James Cathey of the United States Marine Corps, killed in Iraq, Katherine Cathey refused to leave the casket, asking to sleep next to his body for the last time. The Marines made a bed for her, tucking in the sheets below the flag. Before she fell asleep, she opened her laptop computer and played songs that reminded her of "Cat", and one of the Marines asked if she wanted them to continue standing watch as she slept.
"I think it would be kind of nice if you kept doing it" she said.
"I think that's what he would have wanted".
I am not sure what is more honorable: Being married to this faithful wife to the end or the Marine standing next to the casket watching over them both.

Something for the Halloween season - I know you have probably viewed the house during Christmas time that lights up to music from Trans Siberian Orchestra. Now how about this.

Now for some more music - I just found this yesterday thanks to a great friend on Facebook. I love Adele, but I realllly like this version.

I know we have some animal lovers out there - This one will really prove that every animal has a heart. Still makes me cry.

And finally, I leave you with this. The goalkeepers from UNC Ashville are awesome. Look up some more of his videos if you have time.

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Back to the Future

Ok, so I dropped the ball yesterday – it was my turn to post. But the work day vanished in front of my eyes (most seem to be doing that these days) and even when I got home from work – we were right out the door to do some shopping.

Can someone please tell me how it is the end of October already? This whole year went WAY too fast. In fact, in Walmart last night there was a sign that said “61 Days Till Christmas.” Really, 61 days? Crap.

So then, I was laying in bed, and I was having a hard time falling asleep. Where exactly have the last 26 years of my life gone? They have flown by. It seems like yesterday I was getting my miniature Porsche 914 Power Wheels (which matched by dad’s REAL car) for my 16^th birthday. Now, here I am, getting married and buying a house? Weird.

I tell the little kids who ride at the barn and complain that they “can’t wait to grow up” that they don’t really want to grow up… it is WAY more fun to be little! And I wish I could go back in time – maybe not forever, but at least for a bit! Which, brings me to my Top 10 List for the day:

10 Most Memorable Items from Childhood:

10. My New Kids on the Block tape – loved me some NKOTB! In fact, it was the first concert I ever went to!

9. Troll Dolls – so weird and creepy, but for some reason I had a TON of them. I’m sure they are still in a box at my parent’s house

8. Beanie Babies – yes, I took part in this fad. However, I do not have hundreds of them. Maybe just 30 or so. But my favorite one was the Democratic Donkey, Lefty.

7. Grand Champion Horses – I had dozens of them! I didn’t collect the Breyer horses. These ones were my favorites – I had the English and the Western farms.

6. Kaboodles – what girl didn’t have one, or two, or three?

5. Stirrup pants – I HATED them, and maybe that is why it is so memorable for me. I always felt like I was pulling them up. They never fit me right.

4. Starter Jackets – like most boys and girls, I owned one of these. I had a Notre Dame Fighting Irish pull-over coat.

3. 2XL Toy Robot – long before Nintendo DS or DSi, I had 2XL “The Smartest Toy Robot in the World.” It was an interactive tape player. Lots of entertainment for long trips.

2. Skip It – “c’mon kids, gather round’ see what just skipped into town. Skip It, Skip It! But the very best thing of all, there’s a counter on this ball, try and see if you can beat your very best score, see if you can jump a whole lot more!” Strange that I remember the commercial. But my neighbors, Erika, Jessica and I, used to have contests to see who could get the highest number.

1. Barbies – how can these not make the list? These, I had hundreds of.

I probably could have made a top 100 list – Lite-Brite, Talkboy, Guess Who, and the list would go on and on… I LOVED being a little kid. It felt like time stood still then.

Not anymore. Here’s to wishing we could add just a few more hours to each day…

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Forgetting About My Own Little World

I love to read. And I almost always have reading material with me. I was going to say a book, but that isn't necessarily the case anymore. With today's technology, I can read books on my phone, which I sometimes do. I have an ereader, so I am able to purchase books and read them immediately almost anywhere I go.

Reading is my escape. Let's face it, life can be predictable and boring sometimes. Reading gives me the opportunity to see the world through someone else' eyes, even if those eyes are fictional. Currently, I am reading Black Echo by Michael Connelly. It is about an LAPD detective investigating the murder of a Vietnam War vet with whom he served. Crime dramas have become a new favorite of mine. They are my favorite shows on TV and now I love to read them. Part of the appeal is that I could never be a detective. I don't think I could handle a gruesome scene and you have to deal with the worst in people.

In probably the last 10 years or so, I have learned to branch out and read new genres - historical fiction, biographies, southern gothic, humor, crime drama, contemporary fiction, classics, and maybe even a children's book or two. There are so many great things out there to read!! One "goal" I have is to read the biographies of all the First Ladies. I have only read three so far.

I have sobbed while reading books. (Dear John by Nicholas Sparks was heart-wrenching. The movie was bad. The two should not be compared.) I have also laughed out loud. (Celia Rivenbark is hilarious! How can you not love a book with a title You Can't Drink All Day If You Don't Start In The Morning?) Books have also touched way to close to home. (Heart Of The Matter by Emily Giffin was a difficult to read due to similarities between the story and situations going on in my own life.)

I am fortunate to have several passionate readers in my family so sharing and recommending books is always happening. Another benefit of an ereader...my cousin can lend me books from North Carolina without the assistance of the postal service.

So readers of this fun, little blog, what do you like to read?

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REMEDY WON!!

I just wanted to follow up to Tiff's post about the Best Bar in the 'Burgh contest...

REMEDY WON! Her bar beat out the closest competitor by .02%, so we've been told.

Congrats REMEDY and Tiff!

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I Really Want to Win…Is That Wrong?

So our bar was nominated for “The Burgh’s Best Neighborhood Bar,” a contest being run by Star 100.7.  There are about 45 bars on the list and the voting ends at 7 a.m. tomorrow (Friday) morning.  At first I didn’t think we had any chance of winning because there are some pretty great bars on the list.  You have Kayas, D’s 6-Pack, Z Lounge and so many other fantastic and far more well-known bars that, I didn’t think our little place in Lawrenceville would even be in contention.

Guess what?

We’re definitely contenders!  In fact, we’re yo-yoing back and forth between another bar for first place.  I’m very excited and so incredibly grateful that our staff, customers and friends have been voting for us.  I’ve even managed to get a ton of colleagues from my “big girl” job to vote.  But here’s the problem…I’ve become obsessed with winning this contest!

My entire life I’ve been extremely competitive and this trait actually comes from my grandmother.  It doesn’t matter if I’m playing a sport like when I row and we’re in a race…I want to win.  I could be playing a simple game of Dominos with my family and…I have to win.  My husband hates playing anything with me because I’m not a gracious winner and I’m a really sore loser.  But I just can’t help myself sometimes.  I like to win and I really want to win this contest.  I don’t even know what you win if you do win.  I’m just hoping that they say the name of the bar on the radio (free advertising) and we get some sort of banner or plaque that we can hang in the bar.  Winning something like this really helps us out as a small neighborhood bar.

If you are reading this post, I would really appreciate if you could click on the link below and vote for Remedy in Lawrenceville.  I really want to knock-out the competition and right now we’re behind.  Besides, the competition is located in Greensburg and not even in the ‘Burgh.  I don’t want them to win “The Burgh’s Best Neighborhood Bar!”

Click here to Vote for Remedy!

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Do What You Love ~ Love What You Do

"Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on." ~Steve Jobs.

We have heard so many times how bad our economy is and it is sad that so many people are struggling to find work. As a recent graduate (and yes I still say recent because I am now not counting my bachelors and am only counting my masters), I understand their struggle to find love in what you do.

Although, I can't really complain. I have a great job, work with a lovely group of girls as you can all tell, and really do enjoy the work that I do. However, I guarentee if you ask any one of us if we ever planned to work in this particular industry, I am sure the answer would be no. We all wanted to be on tv, work for a huge publication or some awesome name brand that EVERYONE knows about. Or maybe not, but atleast that was one of my goals.

Remember when someone asked you when you were little, "what do you want to be when you grow up?" Did you say an astronaut? Well hopefully not since NASA conducted its last space shuttle standing in July. Now it is going private and who knows how many people will get to live that dream. Did you say a teacher? Very rewarding career, but those graduating with a teaching degree are having difficulties finding a teaching position that pays a decent wage. Many schools have had to cut back on spending, meaning less pay for great work. A doctor? Cool - go ahead and be in school for five plus more years on top of the 12 years you already spent in school. And let's not even go there with how much school even costs!

What did you say you wanted to be? Is it still possible you could be that or even are that? I wanted to be a veterinarian because of my love for my first dog, Max. Obviously I did not pursue that dream because I decided I really didn't like science, but I still love my dogs. But as I got older and saw more possibilities, my mind changed and now I am pursueing a new dream.

What about love. Did you envision a fairy tell wedding with a big, puffy, white dress and a huge cake? Or were you like me, panicking because if I got married on a Saturday I was sure to have a soccer game that day so it was inevitable that I would have to wear my soccer uniform under my wedding dress. Not to even mention that I didn't even like wearing dresses at that age. Let's just say I didn't get married on a Saturday, and I did not wear my soccer uniform under my not-so-puffy, but still white, wedding dress. Things change.

The point is, all has changed since we were little and can still change now that we are older. You don't have to settle for work, for love, for anything. Your mind can be changed over and over again. Fall in love, maybe three or four times, before you find Mr. Perfect that you can imagine being with for the rest of your life. Go through five, six, seven jobs before you are in a position that you are comfortable with and know you can succeed in, be happy in, and love going to work every day for. Most of all, dream for what the future will bring you. We can't predict what our lives will be like in 10, 20, or even 50 years. We don't have a clue what kind of world we will be living in. But you can always live in the moment, and trust me, that moment can just keep getting better and better.

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Bah, Humbug!

Some of you reading this may start to call me the Grinch, maybe even Scrooge, but I must admit, I am not ready to celebrate Christmas. I am still cursing old pine needles that have randomly found their way into my socks, am I alone? I am not even 100% ready for Halloween (costume ideas?) let alone Thanksgiving, Christmas music, creepy mall Santas and holiday decorations.

Yes, maybe I crossed the line calling mall Santas creepy, I am sure there are some good ones out there. I do not want to exploit my adorable niece so I will refrain from sharing her photo she had taken with Santa a year or so ago - that Santa was just disturbing. I still wonder why my sister thought it was a good idea to let her sit on his lap. For a good laugh, please enjoy these wonderful photos of other mall Santas - you can view them by clicking here.

Anyway, I hope I am not alone when I say that I am not happy about Santa’s early return. I have never enjoyed cold weather, the warm summer months are simply too short. Every year big corporations seem to sneak Christmas in earlier and earlier. I noticed the first holiday display this month while shopping at Target which already had a small corner dedicated to ornaments, stockings and wrapping paper. The over-exposure of all things green and red completely weakens the great feeling you’re supposed to have when the actual holiday arrives.

It is only a matter of time until Downtown Pittsburgh is covered with wreaths, ribbon and garland. Bell ringers will too soon be out in full force, making me feel guilty walking by not giving them some of my hard-earned change. Christmas, as merry as it can be, does not need to hog the entire fourth quarter of the year.

With all we have been through this year, can’t we make it until after Thanksgiving to break out the holiday guest towels? Perhaps I have no heart but I would not be opposed to holding off on the holiday spirit until at least the first of December. Don’t let me fool you, I am no scrooge, I do enjoy the holidays and one good snow storm, but I am willing to wait. I do not want to rush into Christmas so quickly that I forget to enjoy it. With that said, I encourage you to fight the urge of drinking spiked eggnog; after all, it is OK to not be the first one in your neighborhood to put up lights.

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I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends

There is a cold truth out there that a lot of people may not tell you. Friends are usually not friends forever. You find this out when you leave high school and move away to college. When you graduate college and move out of state. When you get married. And, especially, when you have kids.

I've spent a lot of time, more than I would like to admit, bellyaching over friendships lost. Not because of a huge fallout. No one slept with someone else's boyfriend. Really, nothing much happened at all. It took me a long time to learn that nothing actually has to happen for a friendship to end. We grow, sometimes together, sometimes apart. Some friendships can weather the ups and downs, rumble-tumble of life. Others can't. Were they a waste? Absolutely not. Every person we encounter, every connection made, offers insight into our current situation and a glimpse into ourselves. We become better based on our human interactions with one another, whether they are good or bad, long-lasting or short-lived.

I remember being in elementary school and asking my mom why she didn't have more friends, after all, Megan, Annie, Elizabeth, Patty, Lisa and I were gonna be BFFs. Why didn't she have that? My mother told me that it was quality, not quantity. I remember thinking, "yeah, right. Who only wants a few good friends?"  As always, mom was right. Though Megan, Annie, Patty, Lisa and I are friends on Facebook and it is good to catch up, we have by no means remained BFFs. We grew up. We grew apart. We moved on.

I have a story like this for every twist and turn of my life. Thanks to social media, I have reconnected with some of them and it is great to see where they have ended up, but we are just that, Facebook friends.

As you move through life, you find you have different sets of friends. Work friends. Old work friends. Workout friends. Mommy friends. Friends of friends. Friends of spouse. Family friends. College friends. High school friends (these last three groups you must stay close to. If you ever get into politics and you have pissed them off, they have hard evidence of the not-so-proud-moments of your youth!). You don't share every facet of yourself with every group of friends you run with. Some appreciate your up-all-night, no-sleep, new-baby stories. Some get the inside jokes of working in close quarters. And some love you--bumps, bruises and all.

What really matters about the friends you keep is how well you can rely on each other, regardless of how long they have been around or what category they fall into.

No matter what, I know that every person I am friends with would help me out, no questions asked, with work, family or anything life can throw at me.

After all, that's what friends are for.

~Kel

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WOman's Best Friend

From my last post, many of you now know that I’m a “horse person.” But truthfully, I love ALL animals. I might be biased in saying that I own “the best dog ever,” but really, he is pretty awesome. In addition, I also have two turtles!

Growing up, I always had pets – from fish, to hermit crabs, dogs to horses! It taught me responsibility. And, there is nothing better than getting off the school bus and seeing your dog come running to you as happy as can be! Pets are AWESOME! And anyone who has ever had a pet (even if it was a goldfish from a fair that you had for 3 days before it died) knows what it is to love a pet. And the thing about pets is that they love you back – unconditionally!

They don’t complain, they don’t talk back – what could be better? They depend solely on you to care for them – and that is why they love you!

My dog, Buttons, was my first “real” pet that I got for my birthday when was 9. There is something about dogs - They dance with joy when we come home, put their heads on our knees and stare longingly into our eyes. Over the years, dogs have become our sidekicks with the particularly appealing characteristic of being unable to speak. We are therefore free to fill in the blanks with what we need to hear. (What the dog may really be telling us, much of the time, is, "Feed me.")

Unfortunately, Buttons passed away in 2007. But, in 2009 I made a purchase on the newest love of my life (second to Nick, of course), Chase – an Australian Shepherd.

I do not yet have children, but Chase fills our lives with more entertainment and love right now than an entire pre-school class! He is smart, loyal and a ball of fun. He comes with us wherever we go, and usually any “no dogs allowed” rules do not apply to Chase. He really isn’t a dog – I’m convinced. He was therapeutic to my grandmother when she was ill, he plays well with the kids, and is a good babysitter, he is good with the horses, and doesn’t like to share his toys (he gets that from me). I could not imagine my life without him!

Everyone deserves to love a pet, and every pet deserves to be loved. If you’ve never had one – you don’t know what you are missing! If the timing is right in your life, get a pet! Visit your local animal shelter - reciprocate the unconditional love!

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What Hat Will I Be Wearing Today?

One of the first things my husband said to me when he started teaching me how to be a bartender was that it’s always important – no matter what – to listen to the customer.  At first I thought he meant to listen to what they wanted to drink but I quickly realized that wasn’t what he meant at all.

Bartender (bär ‘ tĕn ‘ dər): n. One who serves alcoholic drinks from behind a bar.  NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH: kindergarten teacher, matchmaker or psychologist!

Keep in mind, the stories below all just took place in the few hours that I worked at the bar last night!

Kindergarten Teacher:  One of our regulars (who we refer to as One-eyed Willie) comes in almost every day.  He’s a very nice guy with a regular job and family but, he definitely has his quirks.  For example, one of the things that drives all of us crazy (not just staff but other customers) is that his inside voice is louder than most people’s outside voice.  When he drinks you can expect one of two things to happen.  1.  He’s going to get louder and start playing terrible music on the juke box which he will sing to or, 2. he’s going to fall asleep at the bar.  Yes, you read that correctly, he will fall asleep at the bar.  Either way, he forces me to play the role of a kindergarten teacher.  I’m either asking him nicely to please quiet down a little bit and use his “inside voice” or I’m telling him that we don’t have “nap time” at the bar and he needs to walk home.  The most difficult part about it is that it all has to be done with a big smile on my face.  Last night he decided it was nap time.

Matchmaker:  Another regular, who I liked to call George (even though that’s not his name,) is a super cute guy in his 30s.  He works across the street at the barber shop and he’s literally one of the funniest guys ever.  Last night his phone was blowing up and it was literally to the point of annoying.  I asked him what was up and he proceeded to tell me that he had not one, but two “stage five cling-ons.”  Never a good situation to be in.  George then proceeded to nag me for the next few hours about setting him up with one of my “normal, hot” friends.  Really?  You’re a good looking guy who has zero issues getting women to go out on dates and you and you’re going to sit here and bug me about setting you up.  I wanted to say “deal with the cling-ons first and then we’ll talk.”  But rather than doing that, I just smiled and let him go on and on and on.

Psychologist:  Now this story doesn’t even have to deal with one of our regulars but with one of my bartenders.  She messed up and was over an hour late for work which basically meant our manager had to get the bar opened for her.  Needless-to-say, he was not thrilled as it really messed up the rest of his day.  He and I talked and we determined that she needed to lose at least one shift for messing up.  By 6 p.m., and hour before I needed to be in there, she was calling me sobbing.  So I went down early to talk to her and to try and calm her down so she could finish out her shift.  I’m always the person the staff runs to when they get in trouble for something.  

After an extremely long day, I finally got to come home to my hubby who has Wednesday’s basically off (until he has to close the bar at 2 a.m.).  He did a few loads of laundry for me and had dinner waiting for me when I got home.  I gave him the rundown of the day’s events and we talked, figured some things out and laughed our asses off!  Thank goodness my husband and I finally figured out teamwork!

Now, as I get ready to go and spend a full day down at the bar, I wonder what hat(s) I’ll be forced to put on…I’m sure it’s going to be an interesting day!

My beer of the week…Smutty Nose Pumpkin Ale.  Read more about it on my beer blog at www.yourbeerremedy.blogspot.com.

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C'est La Vie

We all make decisions in our life that affect our friends, family and work. One of the biggest decisions I have recently made was to continue my education. I am working full time and going to grad school part time through WVU. Wake up, go to work and sit in front of the computer for 8 hours. Drive home, eat dinner, sit in front of the computer some more. Finally, it is time for bed. Doesn’t my life sound like fun? Juggling a full time job and grad school does not leave a whole lot of time to do much else. Moreover, my grad program is all online. Needless to say my laptop and I have grown very close - it rarely leaves my side.

Many people have a hard time getting back into the routine of schoolwork after being away from it for so long. With me, it had only been a few years but I was still feeling overwhelmed and struggled with the logistics of writing papers. It was as if I had forgotten all I learned in my English classes. I became concerned with what laid ahead. Luckily, I got in the hang of writing again and realized it can be done, I can do this! The trick is really to balance things out. An important lesson I have learned is to stay on top of assignments. Procrastination will get you in trouble and make it hard to manage a social life, or really, just life in general. Stay focused, do not get into a rhythm and start to relax, it may get you in trouble.

Do you have reservations about starting something you may not be able to finish or that you are taking on too much at once? I have learned to enjoy the experience, absorb it rather than focus on only the end goal. School is hard work but it can also be a good time. I like to think of all the knowledge I have been able to share and put to use at work.

My advice to anyone looking to go back to school while working full time is to choose a program geared toward working adults, stick to a plan for dividing your time and ask for help from your professors, work and family. It is most important to have a support system; whether it is your spouse or family. If you have a family, I suggest talking with your spouse and explain the journey ahead. It will not be easy to juggle work and school while being a mom or dad, but in the end, the final result will benefit you and your family. There will be many nights where your husband or wife will be frustrated having to take on more household responsibilities. It is best to avoid all of the surprises by laying this out on the table beforehand. Make sure that it will be manageable as a family unit and that all parties are aware of the sacrifices which must be made.

With my graduate program all online, it has left me the challenge of forcing myself to sit down, do schoolwork and plan life around it. It is quite the learning experience but it does have many benefits and I am sure that I will be more disciplined and a better planner because of it. So for anyone who is deciding to go back to school, do it already! GOODLUCK! As far as big life decisions go, sometimes it is easy to lose sight of the end goal, but stick with it because it will be well worth it.

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The Quest for Organization

This past Saturday, I drove six hours round trip to Columbus to buy shelving for my storage-deficient kitchen. Now, I know that shelving is available in many stores that are only minutes from me, but I still woke up before the sun on a Saturday to make this trip.

Why? Well, a couple of reasons. I bought it from The Container Store and the Columbus store is the closest to Pittsburgh. I have purchased this particular brand of shelving before and I like it. I worked for The Container Store for almost 6 years while living in Illinois. And the shelving was on sale!

While I didn't do any research, I probably could have purchased this exact same thing at a much closer store and saved the gas money. I could have even had it delivered if I chose. Again, cheaper than the gas. But I actually wanted to go. Thus began my journey to visit a store that I had never been too, but was so familiar.

The Container Store, or more specifically the people I met while working there, was a big part of my life - fellow employees and customers alike. Have you ever hugged a salesperson while shopping? Me either. But I have been hugged by a customer after designing her closet one New Year's Eve. Several years later while designing a closet, another customer and I started chatting about Ireland. She had been and I want to go. When she picked up her order a couple of days later, she left a note for me with information on where to stay and what to do if I ever made it to Ireland.

Of course, my co-workers became like family. We would play trivia on Sunday nights at TGIFridays and were completely loud and obnoxious. They threw me the best going-away party right before I moved to Pennsylvania. We just had a lot of fun together, inside and outside the walls of the store.

Although retail is not a career I would ever want to pursue, it was a fun job with fun people. So that is why I drove all that way to buy shelving. And to be honest, I would do it again. Although next time, I want to go during Gift Wrap Wonderland. If you like gift wrap, and expensive gift wrap at that, then you should definitely visit The Container Store around the holidays. Or shop online and save yourself the gas money.

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The Marines

This past weekend I had the honor of being in my husband's cousin's wedding. Her and I are wonderful friends and have been since my husband and I first started to date. A fellow Marine of my husbands was lucky enough to be the groom (I say it like I picked him out of a crowd) and so other Marines were invited to the wedding. It was such a great time, however this story is not about the wedding, but instead, about the Marines.

My husband and I met in college about a year after he had returned from his deployment overseas with the Marine Corps. He still had a couple of years left in his contract, so I had the pleasure of getting to become friends with some of his comrades. Let's just say they are all unique. I could go on and on with hilarious stories, but this posting is to tell you about the love of a Marine, and no, not towards me or the bride, but for each other. And not the Don't Ask, Don't Tell type of love either.

At the wedding, two full rows of pews were filled with Marines in their dress blues, looking as sharp as ever and the groom stood tall in his at the alter marrying the woman of his dreams. Directly after the ceremony, I watched all of the Marines walk outside and stand in formation waiting to do a ceremonial sword detail when the bride and groom walked out. It gave me the chills.

These Marines range anywhere in age from 21 to no older than 30 I would guess, who have been through a war and have seen all kinds of things that some don't even speak of. But what brought them together on Saturday's wedding was love.

There are all kinds of male groups that you could argue have great times together, whether it be the frat guys, sports guys or what have you, but I guarantee you have never met a more brotherly group of guys until you have met a group of Marines. They care for each other, through thick and thin, even though they may not have seen each other for weeks, months or some even years. At the reception, they all acted like it was just yesterday they were all together going through probably the hardest times of their lives.

I know my husband will make fun of me for this post, but he and his Marines have formed a bond that I am sometimes jealous about. I haven't been through what they have with any of my girlfriends and they will tell you nothing will come close to it either. Seeing them all together this weekend really brought the feeling of thankfulness that they are still with us, for their service and for their love. Because if a Marine didn't love, we would not be where we are today.

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Yeah...You Are Pretty Damn Great!

I was talking with a friend the other day about positive reinforcement when it comes to my kids. I have been getting away from it lately because my oldest has been such a handful. In talking with her, I realized I needed to take a step back and compliment what he was doing right instead of constantly harping on his mischievous and bad behaviors.

The conversation went on and she asked me if I positively reinforce myself.  I said of course....wine, chocolate, shopping! Oh, she meant through my words.  I replied "of course not." She told me that Lady Gaga muses for five minutes a day (though apparently she was instructed to do 15 minutes a day) on positive self-talk. I was surprised that someone who is at the top of their game and wildly successful need such a technique. Even if you can't stand Lady Gaga, her confidence and character are something to be admired.

I started thinking, how could I start doing this for myself? Though on the outside, I may seem content and confident and ready for anything, inside, I'm still a teenager afraid of being accepted. A little girl who wants to be chosen first, not last. A worker who makes mistakes. A mother and wife who speculates every day if I'm doing right by my family. A person who wonders all the time how I can be better.

As it turns out, I am my own worst enemy.  I look for validation from those around me and rarely get what I'm looking for. So instead of looking outside, I've decided to look in.  What can I tell myself daily, even for five minutes, that would enable me to let go of a little of the "failure" and settle on the "good enough"?

I challenge you to take five minutes next time you are alone (in the car, sitting in traffic, drying your hair) and tell yourself:
I am pretty
I am smart
I am a good mom/wife/friend
I don't need to keep up with the Jones'
I am my own person
I am capable....

You see where this is going.  You know how you feel after a complement from a colleague or family member, how do you feel when it comes from you? From the one person who has to live with you 24 hours a day, seven days a week?

Can't find the time everyday to check in with yourself? Write yourself a note, such as "you're great!" and put it somewhere and forget about it.  When you find it, weeks or months later, like that $20 in your skinny jeans, you will smile and be reminded that yeah, you are pretty damn great!

~ Kel

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A Working Wife and Her Passion for Beer!

So I’m one of the working wives of this crazy blog group and what I really LOVE to talk and write about is beer.  I’m extremely passionate about it and some people might think that my passion is unhealthy but, it’s not… trust me! 

Almost five years ago, my husband and I embarked on a scary adventure together.  We purchased a bar and restaurant here in Pittsburgh and three weeks later we got married.  The timing really didn’t work in our favor but it was what it was and it was a wild year.  The bar was turn-key which meant that we got married and just started working and because I had no experience in the service industry, I was the decorator trying to get the place to look how he wanted.  I also had a full-time job (what I like to refer to as my “ big girl job”) as a marketing coordinator which required me to travel a lot and I was taking care of everything at home.  Once the decorating gig was done…I was kind of done.  I wasn’t a bartender or waitress nor could I just sit down there every night till the wee hours of the morning because I had to get up and work.  This was his dream and I started to resent him because he was never home.  He started resenting me because I wasn’t interested in the bar.  After two years of non-stop fighting, I really thought that my marriage was over.  I was sad and hurt because I loved this man.  Then it hit us…we had to help each other.  I needed to be more involved in the business and he needed to help out more at home.  Most importantly, we had to make time for each other.

So what does this all have to do with me loving beer?  Well, one of the first things my husband and I started to do together was review the beers that were coming in and out of the bar.  We have 16 taps and about 170 bottles.  We started to work together to determine what beers should stay and go and what seasonal beers we should get.  He started to teach me a lot about beer and what the difference is between a craft beer and a microbrew.  Then I learned how to be a server and realized that my knowledge of beer wasn’t enough and I needed to learn more and quickly.  Why?  Customers would ask me questions like “What’s similar to a Blue Moon?” or “What’s your favorite beer?”  I couldn’t answer those questions and I thought it was sad that I didn’t even know what my favorite beer was.  So I started trying them and in that process, I started a beer blog for our bar.  I’m not only learning how to answer customer questions, but I’m learning about malts, hops and if I think the beer is balanced or not.  I can detect hints of citrus or nutmeg and it’s all very exciting.  I find myself talking to customers all the time about beer and after just a short year of doing this, I’ve kind of become the beer expert at the bar. 

I’m now involved in all facets of our business.  I’m part-time at my “big girl job” and my marriage is better than ever.   So, when it’s my turn to blog, don’t be surprised if I’m rambling on and on about beer.  I just love it and I dare you to go out and try what I’m talking about!  And for all those married couples out there…communicate, communicate, communicate!

PS:  My favorite beer of all time…Tröegs Mad Elf Ale.  My favorite beer right now…Southern Tier Pumpking (especially delicious when warm).

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Silver Lining

As I sat here trying to come up with a title for this blog, a number of ideas ran through my mind – Determination, Second Chance, THIRD Chance… I finally settled on the above.
For those of you who don’t know me very well, horses are a HUGE part of my life – my life revolves around them. I’m addicted. I’m addicted to the atmosphere of the barn, the smell of hay, the feeling I get after a flawless hunter trip, and the thrill of the speed, power and energy as we gallop up the cinder road. I need it, I crave it, and without it, I’m not who I “really” am.
I recently came across this post:
From time to time, people tell me, “lighten up, it’s just a horse,” or, “that’s a lot of money for just a horse.” They don’t understand the distance traveled, the time spent, or the costs involved for “just a horse.” Some of my proudest moments have come about with “just a horse.” Many hours have passed and my only company was “just a horse,” but I did not once feel slighted. Some of my saddest moments have been brought about by “just a horse” and in those days of darkness, the gentle touch of “just a horse” gave me comfort and reason to overcome the day. If you, too, think it’s “just a horse,” then you will probably understand phrases like “just a friend,” “just a sunrise,” or “just a promise.” “Just a horse” brings into my life the very essence of friendship, trust, and pure unbridled joy. “Just a horse” brings out the compassion and patience that makes me a better person. Because of “just a horse” I will rise early, take long walks and look longingly to the future. So for me and folks like me, it’s not “just a horse” but an embodiment of all the hopes and dreams of the future, the fond memories of the past, and the pure joy of the moment. “Just a horse” brings out what’s good in me and diverts my thoughts away from myself and the worries of the day. I hope that someday they can understand that it’s not “just a horse” but the thing that gives me humanity and keeps me from being “just a human.” So the next time you hear the phrase “just a horse,” just smile, because they “just don’t understand.”
For me, truer words have never been spoken.
The last two weeks have been rough. My show horse had an accident out in the field, which resulted in her losing her eye. This horse has overcome more in her life by the age of six than most humans will in their entire lives. In addition to this recent incident, she spent almost a year of her life in and out of hospitals in surgeries for a sinus issues. Overcoming that issue was a miracle in itself. I adore her – she never gave up.
She is one of the most talented and smart horses I have ever had the privilege to ride. Our personalities are very similar. We “get” each other. She is hardworking, sweet, challenging, quirky and athletic. She is NOT “just a horse.”
Last night I had my first ride back on her since she lost her eye – the vets told us “Don’t count her out.” We didn’t.
Despite her new handicap and change in appearance, nothing has changed about this horse – she is still hardworking, sweet, challenging, quirky and athletic – everything I loved about her from the beginning.
She doesn’t know what she looks like now. And although I’m sure her views on life have changed (literally), she doesn’t care. She may not have a career as a top show horse, but she will be a great teacher, a great trail horse and a great momma (when we breed her next year). Her handicap isn’t reducing her quality of life, just changing her job up a little.
A horse, teaching me how to overcome obstacles, have determination and reminding me that every cloud has a silver lining. Sometimes I forget that – we all do.

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That's What She Fed

No need to make dinner reservations. Grab the candles and flowers and woo your sweetheart.

Cooking at your place has many benefits:

-It's cheaper than going out, especially with this economy
-It's an interactive alternative to dining out
-When the meal is done, he/she is already at your place (haha)

You'll score points with this delicious crab cake recipe served with sriracha dipping sauce.

But first, what is sriracha? Sriracha is made from sun ripen chilies which are ground into a smooth paste along with garlic. It is excellent in soups, sauces, hot dogs, hamburgers or anything else to give it a delicious, spicy taste.
*sriracha can be found in your local grocery store's international food section.

What you'll need:
Crabcakes
1 can crab meat
1/2 cup sweet red peppers
1/2 cup finely chopped onions
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon old bay seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/3 cup crushed crackers
1/4 cup mayo
1/4 lemon, juiced
Vegetable or olive oil
Salt, to taste
1 cup bread crumbs

Sriracha Dipping Sauce
Fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup mayo
Sriracha

Directions:

Sriracha Dipping Sauce: Simply combine mayo and sriracha sauce. Adjust hotness by adding more of sriracha as needed. Add a little bit of fresh lemon juice, but be sure not to add too much or it will make it watery. Place in fridge to set until crab cakes are done cooking.

Crab cakes: In a large bowl, mix together all crab cake ingredients, except for the bread crumbs and oil. Shape into patties and dip both side in bread crumbs.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When oil is hot, carefully place crab cakes, in batches, in pan and fry until browned, about 4 to 5 minutes. Carefully flip crab cakes and fry on other side until golden brown. Serve warm with sriracha dipping sauce.

Pair this with any sides of your choice and a delicious bottle of wine. My favorite is Chateau Ste. Michelle's Riesling. Oh yeah, and don't forget dessert!

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