What defines a true role model?

I am rarely surprised by what people say. But this week I was definitely caught off guard with what a couple co-workers from my office told me.  Wednesday morning I am sitting here doing my morning news site reading when over walks two of my co-workers.  Note that both of them are minimum five years younger than me.  One of them says to me, "we just wanted to let you know that you are our role model in life."  Of course, I'm thinking they are joking.  I am sure still today they had to be halfway joking about that, but they ran this list of all the things that from their opinion I had "going for me."  They listed off everything from my work ethic, to my fitness routine, to my puppy, boyfriend and more.  


And after a few days of just thinking about the term "role model" and everything they thought I had going for me, you know it makes you wonder why people around you perceive you one way, and you look at yourself and don't really get that same picture. It's usually the "outsiders" that are the more positive and as we all know we are our own worst critic. For most of my life I have been beyond the average critic when it comes to anything having to do with me. I don't know if its just one of those innate competitive natures that comes out or what. But when I take a step back sometimes - and just really look at my life, I do realize just how lucky I am. This isn't a blog to "toot my own horn," its really more about realizing that even when you think people aren't "looking" they are. Makes you question and think through the choices you make. I think that part comes with age.  As I told my two co-workers, life changes drastically from age 25-30. At least it did for me. 


In that 5-year span I changed jobs three times, moved to another state, bought a car and a house, got a puppy, found the love of my life, and more. Not that everyone's story goes that way, but literally after 25 its like a true growing up period for a lot of people I think. You come to that realization that you aren't in college anymore, people expect more from you and you expect more from yourself.  Life becomes more valuable as you age. 


I digress of course from the topic of this blog - role models. After hearing I may be looked at as a role model for someone, made me think about who my role model(s) is/are. Honestly can't say I have one. I have many. I guess I haven't really found that single person out there who just embodies each and every thing I stand for and who has the age and wisdom that bring about that "worthiness" of a role model. Is it bad that I don't have that one person who is everything I aspire to be?  Yes, no?  I ask myself this as I write. Yes it is bad because I find faults with everyone. No because I hold the meaning of "role model" to be something so great and I don't settle for halfway. 


So I look up what wiki says a "role model" is - any person who serves as an example, whose behavior is emulated by others. Makes it seem not as serious as I make it out to be. Makes it seem like maybe I am right to have more than one role model out there.  And makes sense on my original point that be aware that people are watching you and taking notice of how you dress, work, speak and more.  


I will take my co-workers deeming me a "role model" as a compliment. A compliment because I have worked hard to be where I am today and continue to work hard to be even more everyday.  


So what defines a true role model? Well I don't think there is one answer to that. A true role model is different for each of us.  For me, it is someone who is honest. Someone who is compassionate.  Someone who is conscious of what they say and do. Someone who lives a healthy lifestyle. Someone who strives to be great a what they do.  A much more...

Water Baby

"No one can see their reflection in running water. It is only in still water that we can see."

~ Taoist proverb

Growing up my family used to always comment that I was just a little fish. Growing up, I spent nearly every day of every summer in the water.  I started swim lessons at four, was on a swim team from age 7 all the way through high school and even did some water ballet.  Needless to say, I loved the water growing up and still do to this day.  It is rare for me not to be laying out at the pool or coming up with various water activities for my friends to do from about April to October.  Living in the South grants you the ability to be outside pretty much 10 months a year. 

This year in particular has had a couple monumental water moments.  We started the water adventures in Tennessee at the Ocoee River.  Eight of us all bought a Groupon for a 3.5 hour trip down the river.  Despite the so-so conditions outside, which included a tornado warning, we managed to make it down the class 3 and 4 rapids with only minor scrapes and bruises.  

This was my third time white water rafting and I have to say this was definitely the best.  The people I went with and the raft guide definitely made this trip a success. I still can't believe that our guide purposely made us flip the boat. Made even more crazy was the day after we went down, a teenager died going down the same river. The actual rafting part was of course memorable in itself, but the time spent with great friends during and after made it even better.  We had many good laughs at our 11 p.m. dinner at Cracker Barrel. 

Over the July 4th weekend, we braved the lovely (that was a joke) waters of the Chatahoochee River.  Tubing is quite a different experience than rafting. For one, you can just pick up any day of the week and plop in this river and float for hours. No guide required. Only thing you need is a tube of some sort AND a life jacket.  Our group certainly didn't know of this new rule of life jackets before we ventured out on Saturday. What was deemed a calming afternoon of drinking on the river, turned into more of a scramble for life jackets and a rush job down the river. We still had a great time no doubt, but was it the relaxing experience we all hoped for - not so much.  Our original plan called for us to get in the river sometime around 1 p.m.  By the time we pumped up all the floats and found life jackets, it was after 4 p.m. before we got in the water. We figured without any stops we could breeze through the river in under 4 hours.  The river had a mind of its own and by 7:30 p.m. we weren't even close to the end where the car was parked. After passing a fly-fisherman in the water who warned us for two crocodile's in the water and that we still had 2 hours to go on the trip, we all made a mad dash to the waters edge.  

Luckily we found someone on the shore who had a cell phone, because of course none of us wanted to risk taking our phones with us. The person was very nice and patient in letting us find someone who could come get us - even though we had no clue where we were.  By 8:30 p.m. we were all tired, hungry, thirsty, sober and ready to get home. After crawling under a fence and throwing our rafts over the gate, we waited patiently for our rescue team (Nick's mom and dad). Only select people who drove, were able to get the reprieve of the rescue team. The rest of the group was stuck outside waiting for us all to collect our cars and come back for them.  10 p.m. was about the time we pulled back in to scoop up the remaining group. It was a long day, but still an awesome day. 

Too bad we didn't document that trip with a camera, but there will be a next time. 

More water adventures in 2011 - I sure hope so!!

One of God's greatest gifts is water I believe. It is truly a gift and pleasure to be able to jump and swim and frolic in it and on its shores with little to no cost involved. 

I can't wait to pass along my love for anything and everything water to my kids. 

Professional Pet Peeve - Procrastination

"Procrastination is opportunity's assassin."  ~ Victor Kiam

So some days you really just need a space to have a quick rant. Today is one of those days for me and for my co-worker Ashlyn.  Topic for this blog - procrastination.  

Now I know we are all, including myself, guilty of putting something off until the last minute. I like to think most of my procrastinating was dong in my college years.  Sure, there is the occasional putting off of cleaning my house or washing clothes, but when it comes to anything in the professional realm, I'm on it. 

Unfortunately I can't say that everyone that I work around follows that motto. Heck, almost everywhere I have worked there are people who just find it okay to wait until the bitter end to finish/start a project. It drives me INSANE. Literally I get worked up over it and I know that sounds crazy in its own right, but it just gets to me.  Especially when it relates to something in my job description. If you are holding me up from completing a task or are halfway doing something just to get it done that affects me, man-o-man I get worked up. 

I get worked up over laziness and a lackadaisical attitude for many reasons.  First and foremost, we are lucky to have a job. In today's economy there are people waiting to take your position. So with that in mind, why would you ever halfway do a job or start a task the day its due. There are questions that arise with a task, and asking the 10 million questions to me the day the task is due makes you look like a slacker.  And drives me mad. I am less likely to help someone who waits until the day is something due to start it. 


So, for all you professional people out there. Procrastination is not a good look in the professional world. We all can be replaced and those eager young kids out there are waiting to take your job. So please, for the love, take some ownership of your work and do it right. 


Whew and that's all for today. 

Niko

"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened." ~ Anatole France

April 17, 2011 was a great day for many reasons.  First and foremost, it's Alex's birthday. This year we had even more to celebrate as that day approached. Many of you who know me know how much I love animals. Literally every animal I encounter (besides spiders) I fall in love with. Alex had promised me a kitten for Christmas and I had been waiting it out for cat breeding season to get one. After we talked it over (and Alex pretty much gave up hope of convincing me otherwise), I decided to go the dog route this time around.  I still think I am partially scarred from my experience with Chloe and really just wanted to try something new. 

It didn't take me long to find about a million dogs I wanted online. I am pretty sure I sent Alex at least 10 or 15 postings online of dogs for sale. He was his normal calm self along the way, always providing feedback and offering his opinion on each and every one.  I narrowed down my first search to two breeders in the area.  Visited the first one with Alex and fell in love with a couple dogs there. Went to the second place alone and literally stayed in this ladies garage with two puppies on my lap for 2 and a half hours. I think she knew she had me after about 5 minutes.  Me being in the indecisive person who has to think everything through, I didn't put a deposit down that day and I wanted Alex to see the dogs. I also went back and forth about even getting one, knowing that I had to drive to NC a week later and then Alex and I were going on vacation for 5 days the following week. 

Alex went back with me a week later and the dog I had initially picked out and named - NIKO - was already gone. Someone had come in 30 minutes prior and taken him.  It didn't really phase me at all because the other little guy was still there and I loved him just as much. Alex actually liked him the best of the two, so we wrote the check and made the appointment to get him a week later on his 8-week birthday. 

April 17 - Niko joined us as our first "child." 

His first day home ... 

He sure does sleep at lot ... 

Meeting the Grandparents ... 

Nothing makes him happier than being outside ... 

Niko is our office mascot ... 

Warms my heart when I see Alex and him playing ... 

My special little guy ... 

He has been part of our life for nearly two months now and our love for him grows stronger everyday. I couldn't fathom how much my life would change by getting a dog, but it has and it has made me realize that maybe I will make a good mom one of these days.  

Niko loves everyone and everything. He favorites things are walking while the wind blows, jumping in tall grass, playing with other dogs, meeting new people, chewing on toes, licking me and Alex after we shower and sleeping in the bed. 

I'm On a Boat ... Girls Lake Weekend Volume 1

To steal the format of my college roommate's blog ... here are some fun memories from this past weekend.  On Friday my former co-workers from the WBCA - Alicen, Damaria, Summer - traveled up 85 to visit Megan (also former co-worker) at her parents lake house on Lake Keowee. Her parents happened to be in Ireland, so we had full reign of the magnificent house and all the amenities, including a pretty amazing pool, boat and awesome walking trails/hills.

Needed a nap after the drive up; which included a speeding ticket.

The group on Friday

Sunny and 92 on Saturday

Late Afternoon Boat Ride

Enjoying the Scenery

Alicen, Summer and I enjoying the boat ride.

This really could have come in handy. 

Megan doing a great job as captain of the boat.

Sun setting on the lake and we are still out.

End of the boat ride adventure. Spent doesn't even do justice to how we were feeling.

I have many memories to take away from this weekend, many of which will be between the 5 of us. Already looking forward to Volume 2 in 2012!!

"A lake is the landscape's most beautiful and expressive feature.  It is earth's eye; looking into which the beholder measures the depth of his own nature."  ~Henry David Thoreau

Spring Is Here

"Flowers... are a proud assertion that a ray of beauty outvalues all the utilities of the world." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1844

I spent a lot of time outdoors during my childhood; and it was by choice (I never chose video games or TV over time outside).  I am thankful I was able to appreciate at a young age, the beauty of nature and that indescribable feeling you get when you are outside. To this day, I live for those 75 degree days when I can just be outside.  When I go home to NC and the weather permits, I would say we spend a good amount of our time visiting outdoors - on the swing.

So to mark the first day of spring this Saturday, I not only enjoyed quality time at the pool, but also planted my first set of flowers for 2011.  Flower shopping is pretty difficult for me because I get overwhelmed by the selection.  Home Depot had rooms of flowers on Saturday. I think I lapped all the rooms at least 3 times before deciding on these. I try to visualize in my head how many I need, where they will go and what they will look like. In the end I either get too many or not enough. This time was no different, as I was back at Home Depot on Sunday.

I have many memories as a child doing exactly what I did on Saturday. Except my dad always took me to some fancy greenhouse in North Carolina (beyond my budget now). I remember going isle-by-isle with him looking at all the flowers and him letting me pick out the perfect ones. It was on of "our" special times. When we got home, I couldn't wait to put my bare hands in the ground and plant the flowers.  You know those "granny" gloves that you see women wear - yea, not me. I want to feel the earth - I believe you get a greater appreciation for God's immaculate creation.  My dad's first loves are definitely us - family - but coming in a very close second is definitely his yard/garden/flowers.  I learned the art of planting flowers preciously 3 inches apart and having them all be in a perfect row, he accepted nothing less than perfection. To this day, I too am known to break out a measuring stick when planting my flowers. One of those things that you don't even realize is "passed down" to you, until you catch yourself doing it.

I will change out my spring flowers for something in the summer, but for now, I look forward to watching them grow and bloom.  To watering them every day.  To looking up to them every day when I drive in garage. Makes my reading time on the porch even more enjoyable.

"Give me odorous at sunrise a garden of beautiful flowers where I can walk undisturbed."  ~ Walt Whitman

2010 In Review

2010 was a year of many great memories, some of which I noted below.  In retrospect I will make sure to take notes throughout 2011 so that I won't forget anything that happens.  Here is what I remember from the past 365 days...

• Mom’s surgery
• Laughing with my dad and sister during the many days we sat in the waiting room of ICU
• Alex and I becoming “official” BF and GF
• Destin beach trips

Wave-running in Destin.

• Electric lemonades in Scottsdale

Tasty drinks by the pool in Scottsdale.

• Seeing the opening ceremony of my companies International Summit

Ashlyn, Tony and I at Summit

• Thanksgiving at Alex’s grandmother’s house
• Hiking up Stone Mountain

Stone Mountain

• The Audi/VW expo in the Georgia mountains
• Buying (leasing) my car on the exact day that I closed on my townhouse a year earlier

• Alex surprising me with an entry way table for our anniversary
• Kickboxing
• Cutting 9 inches off my hair

9 inches gone

• Auburn football and being able to sit in the stands for the first time ever

Auburn vs. LSU game; Alex's first trip to Auburn

• Hearing “I Love You” for the first time
• Tubing down Chattahoochee River

Tubing

• Jay Z concert
• Celebrating my parents 50'th wedding anniversary
• Alex’s yellow sweater

I could always find him in a crowded room.

Concert time.

• OAR concert
• Getting my 8,000 first-time homebuyers credit after 8 months
• Rob carrying Alex up first flight of stairs and B and I having to push him up second flight
• Rolling Toomer’s

Toomer's Rolling

• Ice skating on my birthday
• My birthday dinner/rose decoration surprise
• Auburn going to National Championship
• Macy’s Christmas tree lighting

Macy's Tree Lighting at Lenox

• Scrambling for the new iPhone
• Waking up at beach with a swollen lip looking like someone punched me in the mouth
• Discovery of Huffington Post
• Tony and Katie’s wedding … the parents speeches
• Sunsets at the beach

The Sunsets at Destin are beautiful

• Netflix
• The show “Weeds”
• Modern Family
• Fun in the desert with Ashlyn

Desert fun with the co-workers

• Fun time pictures of the aquarium with Alex

Georgia Acquarium

• Snow on Christmas for the first time in my life (and first time in Winston-Salem in 40 years)