The Bad Week

Everyone has a bad or down day every once in awhile.  I am having the bad week.  In fact, I don't think I have had this bad of a week in a really long time.  Seriously.  Like years.  I can't go into all of the details and I think if I rehash them too much it will just make me upset all over again, but multiple things have come at me this week.  That coupled with little sleep and stress eating has really worn on me.  Apparently my look shows it, too, because people at work keep asking me if I am okay or if I am tired.  Great.  I look AND feel horrible.  Ugh!  I am hoping things will turn around.  Maybe tomorrow. 

Ice Cream!!

The fact that I LOVE ice cream is an understatement. I eat ice cream about every night. It is definitely not the best thing to do for my waistline, but I always eat light ice cream or yogurt in moderation. I also love the Skinny Cow products. So good!! Recently they came out with a new Skinny Cow ice cream. Let me just say that the Carmel Cone flavor is about the best ice cream I have had in a long time. So good! So much better than my Edy's Light. So much better than the Weight Watchers ice cream sandwiches. It is amazing. I am not sure if anyone out there will see my unsolicited review, but I hope that they take the Carmel Cone now available in the mini cup at Marsh (along with some other flavors) and make it into a big container! I would take this hands down over a full fat version and this is low fat and high in fiber!!

Priceline is not my Negotiator

So, here is the long awaited Priceline blog that has taken me a week to get to. I always think about a hundred different things to blog about and about 1% of it actually makes it to this page due to lack of time.

Anyway, let me start by saying I will never again use Priceline for anything after this last experience. It has been a week and just writing about it still makes my blood boil. First things first, I was playing faculty secretary for Todd. He had a student coming in to check out IU and SPEA's PhD program. He is really hoping this person will come and work in his lab. That said, we needed to find a great hotel for the student and her dad who was coming along. Of course, I got two days notice - called on Wednesday for a Friday time frame. To top it off, it was white coat weekend for the School of Optometry (whatever that is) and it was the School of Music's audition weekend for freshman hopefuls (think American Idol). So, there was not a hotel room to be had in town.

Todd wanted to use Priceline but didn't know how (I'll refrain from any comments about this), so I went in and reserved a room at one of the nicer hotels in Bloomington. I wanted to make sure I could get a non-smoking room with two beds since the dad was coming along. I called the hotel and they had no reservation even though I read off every possible confirmation, tracking, and ID number from the two emails Priceline sent to confirm my reservation. He also said the hotel was sold out, so I was pretty much out of luck. Panic set in so I called Priceline. After getting bumped up a level of customer service, I got to some guy who could speak English. First he told me that he had my reservation to which I relayed my story of the hotel not having my reservation and being sold out!! He then proceeded to tell me that their contract was that if the hotel is sold out they are required to find me a room at a comparable hotel within a certain distance. I question what he meant by a certain distance and he said that meant within a certain number of miles. Really? I think I could figure that out. How many miles?? By this point I was so mad I started to yell and told him that I was not going to stay 50 miles away and that they may have this contract but nowhere on my reservations is this listed. It is only listed that I have a reservation at the hotel I booked. He proceeded put me on hold, called the hotel, and came back on the line to report my reservation was there and that they must have typed in the name wrong. Then I felt bad and apologized for being rude. Although, I am not sure why he didn't make the call in the first place. I chalked it up to a lazy kid working the hotel desk and decided to call back in the morning to put in my room request.

I called the next day and got a super nice guy that appeared to be totally with it. I talked to him and he still had no reservation for me from Priceline and informed me the hotel was booked. He checked the system, the paper arrival list for Friday, and tried every spelling of my name possible. Nothing. Panic again. I got off the phone and went to the hotel's website. Just for kicks, I clicked in the reservation area only to find they did have rooms available and due to aforementioned panic, went ahead and reserved a room. However, I started to panic more thinking I now had two rooms, both past the time to cancel, that I would have to pay for. So, I called the hotel again. No Priceline reservation, just the one I had made online. [I won't go into this and it could be a whole other post, but how can I reserve a room at your hotel after twice being told it is sold out. I don't get it. Maybe the workers can only see so much information?] At this point, I was beyond pissed at Priceline. I had wasted a lot of time on the phone with them the previous night. I called in and didn't even talk to the first level of customer support, but asked for a supervisor right away. I told her the situation and that I wanted the Priceline reservation canceled with no charges. The hotel made it clear they did not have my reservation even though Priceline did. The customer service person said it was probably a hotel error. At this point, I didn't care who was a fault, I just didn't want to have to pay for two rooms or get any cancellation fees for either room. I let her know the name of the competent guy at the front desk of the hotel and asked her to call him. She came back on the line a few minutes later with no real answer for the situation. The hotel only had one reservation - the one I made directly through their website. She promised no cancellation fees and followed up with an email chain stating this (always good to get things in writing).

I wasted several hours of my life dealing with this whole situation and the fact that Priceline kept saying everything was fine when it really wasn't just makes me mad. I got some follow-up survey for my stay, so clearly their system didn't get the note that my Priceline reservation was canceled. Obviously a disconnect somewhere! I hit delete right away. Their customer service people were no help and never able to really confirm anything. I have used them in the past with no problems, but never again!

Once we got everything confirmed with out reservation directly with the hotel, we had to call back and change the name the reservation was under and the billing method. They were super nice even though I think it was about the sixth call to them about our room. At one point, Todd called and I gave him the name of the guy to talk to. He got some girl, but she already knew our situation. Not sure if that is good or bad. Oh well, the student had a place to stay and it was a nice weekend in Bloomington. After all that, I hope she comes here!

UIUC No Pants

This is too funny and definitely deserves a look. Some people at the University of Illinois created a website of pictures of people wearing no pants, otherwise known as the spandex look. It is too funny. Yes, some might consider this just an opportunity to take pictures of someone's butt, but the fact remains that spadex are not pants and 99% of people should never wear them!! The 1% that can, probably shouldn't be either. Whoever thought up this fashion faux paux should be put in jail or something. It is horrible!

In my book, that makes this website funny and worth looking at.
http://uiucnopants.com/

Signs of Spring

When you live and work on a college campus, there are always a few tell-tale signs of spring.

• The college girls trade in their Ugg boots for flip flops and boat shoes. (I actually don't mind this. I am not a fan of the boots with the spandex look.)
• The same girls can be seen sun tanning in their bikinis, even though it is only 55 out and not exactly bikini weather.
• The fraternity boys begin hanging out on their front porches and pretty much spend all day there.
• You can walk down the street and hear 20 different kinds of music blaring from the cars lined up at the stop sign with all the windows totally down, even though it is only 55 out.
• Everyone (and I mean everyone) is out trying to run. I say that as nicely as possible. Everyone starts somewhere, but some of the running outfits I saw do not indicate a serious runner...at all. One guy was all decked out in a serious of matching sweatbands and struggled to go one block. It was pretty hilarious.
• Now that there are more people out walking around, there are also more people not paying attention to where they are going. I've gotten run into twice by people texting and walking in the last two days. There was no sorry or excuse me involved, they just kept texting and walking - right in front of a moving vehicle.
• Everyone is dusting off their bikes and getting ready for Little 500, at least here in Bloomington. I've overheard many conversations about riding in the last few days.

Spring is one of my favorite seasons. I can finally run in shorts, we can start thinking about our garden, and we actually see the neighbors again. But, the behaviors on campus crack me up - they change along with the seasons without fail. Totally predictable and always reason for a good laugh!

A note from the cleaners...

Probably TMI, but here is a note from the cleaners today. I feel horible! Lucy tends to puke in the middle of the night when we are sleeping upstairs. I think I may need to tip them as I am sure they didn't assume they would be cleaning up dog puke today...

Floral Laundry

I was gone over the weekend and asked Todd to do a load of laundry for me. I am not sure what he used, but everything seems super floral. Way too smelly for me! I asked him what he used and his response was, "a little bit of everything." I am really not sure which combination of different detergents and sports fabric cleaners he used, but it is killing me. I about gag every time I catch a whiff of my shirt!

I Got Swabbed!

I got swabbed today!! Really, I signed up for the National Bone Marrow Donor Registry. There was a drive on campus at the union and the drive was actually trying to find matches for a family friend, Lindsay. Her story and information on other drives can be found online at http://www.teamlindsay.org.

I have to admit I was a bit nervous signing up. I am all for helping to save a life. Anything I can do to do to help someone beat cancer is a high priority for me. But, I hate needles. I can't imagine them drawing blood or taking my stem cells because it would involve needles and doctors. Besides dentists, I can't think of two things I hate worse! You can remove yourself from the donor list at any time, or say no if they call to report you are a match for someone. But, I couldn't ever say no. If someone can go through what the patient has/is going through, surely I can survive a few needle sticks for a day.

I am on the list. Part of me wants to be able to help someone. Part of me knows if I ever got a call, I would definitely need some support handling the needles.

Funny Website Error

In browsing the web, I always come across errors on websites. Of course, as a blogger, I have many typos and issues when posting my materials. But, it always cracks me up when a big company makes a mistake on their website. Think about all the people that must check over everything before it is posted. I am sure there is some sort of review chain. I mean, it can happen. It does at my work all the time even after 3 or 4 people review the site. But, usually we post an incorrect phone number or something. We don't typically post "bad" words.

I came across this when looking for baby gifts for my new niece or nephew that will arrive in about 6 weeks. I thought the Illini shoes were pretty cute, so read the description for more info. I think their spell-checker may have missed that hell should really be heel! I already emailed their customer service suggesting they re-visit the description, but that I was rather amused by the error! In case they already have the link fixed, I copied and pasted out the desciption below.

http://tinyurl.com/yhxcoo7

"Team Squeaks Shoe - Boys
Team squeaks shoe! When your child walks, they squeak! For those quiet times, the squeaker can be easily removed by an adult. The squeaker is located in the hell of each shoe, and can be re-inserted to squeak once again! Also available for girls."

I reminded them that should check the link for the girls, too. It was also wrong. Makes me wonder if it was just the Illini, or if they did the same thing for other teams. :)

UPDATE: They did respond to my email and fixed the error. LOL

Lacking optimism

I hate the beginning of the year. Seriously. Hate. It.

First of all, I hate the cold weather, snow, and ice. Give me 85 and sunny year round and I would be one happy girl. So, the fact that the beginning of the year is a frozen tundra does not excite me. Honestly, I have never figured out how people that live in cold places can be all optimistic at the beginning of the new year. It is cold, people! Summer is months away. Now, talk to me in April. That is when my optimism starts to show!

Second of all, I hate the fact that the gym is UBER crowded. I had to wait in line for an elliptical at the gym tonight. Yes, Friday night at 6pm. Seriously?!?! After working an 11 hour day, I wanted to get in my 30 minutes of cardio and get home. I do not want to wait in line for a machine all because my crappy gym has 5 pieces of equipment out of order and they refuse to put time limits on the machines. All that nonsense is making one grumpy gym member (along with the others of the same opinion I was chatting with in the waiting line).

Third, I hate the new people at the gym. I feel bad. I was new at one point in time. Everyone has to start somewhere. But, it seems that the new people these days are clueless. Here are a few comments I had to keep to myself this week (which took much restraint):

1. This is a gym, so you should probably wear gym shoes. The sketchers you are wearing do not cut it for jogging on the treadmill.
2. This is a gym, so gym shorts would be acceptable. Yes, you do look stupid lifting weights in jeans.
3. This is a gym and they do provide locker space. If you feel the need to change clothes after getting off the machine next to me, please watch what you are doing and don't whack me with your clothes during the middle of my workout while trying to pull your sweatshirt over your head. The locker room is 30 feet away and I am happy to direct you there.
4. This is a gym and you really need to use the equipment properly to get the maximum benefit. If you don't know how, it is best to ask someone instead of sitting on the machine with a puzzled look for 10 minutes while the rest of us glare at you to move on.
5. This is a gym and not a social hour. I, apparently unlike you, have limited time to be at the gym, so please do not block machines while you stand there and gab about your last drunken night out.
6. This is a gym, so deodorant would be required. Just wear it. Nuff said.

I could go on, but you get my drift, so I'll spare you. Clueless with a capital C. I am definitely frustrated and lacking optimism today. I really need a super warm sunny day. My husband suggests I should just go tanning. LOL

Ice Dogs

It's late. I should be working on my coursework. Or maybe sleeping. Or doing the work I brought home from work that is untouched. But, I am procrastinating. It's definitely way too easy thanks to social networking.

Anyway, that's not the point of this blog. Instead, here is a cool picture of the dogs at McCormick's Creek State Park on 1/10/2010. It is a great state park and we visit often as it is just up the road from our house. Todd took them out for several hours and both came home exhausted. Probably more tired than I have ever seen them before. Unfortunately, I missed this adventure due to a much needed trip to the grocery store. I'll be in on the next adventure (well, when the weather warms up a bit). :)

Worried

Had a bit of a panic attack and wasn't able to sleep last night. Normally, I am exhausted and fall into bed without any problems, but I tossed and turned all night last night and maybe slept a few hours. Mostly, I am worried about everything going on. I have this need to keep up on everything and complete tasks/assignments/work on time and to the best of my ability. But, with so many things happening, I am worried that I won't get it all done. I have to remind myself: take things one day at a time, you are only one person, people will understand you can't possibly do everything. We'll see.

My class started tonight. I think it will be good, but it is a master's class. So, there is a significant amount of reading and several papers due. I am not quite sure what to expect, so I'll have to take it week by week. I'm also a little nervous that I haven't written a paper in years and never in the APA style. I ordered the APA style guide to help me out, but I have a feeling it will take me a lot longer to write the first couple of papers while I get used to the writing style. I am definitely worried about doing well in the course and what future classes will be like.

I want to finish my masters, but I also have a fulltime job, well more than fulltime job. Even working 50+ hours per week, I am behind and getting new projects added daily. I usually try to stay ahead of the things coming at me, but it has been a bit crazy lately and for now I am just keeping up. Plus, I am tired when I get home work work. After a 9-10 hour day, I am wiped and don't want to sit at a computer anymore. That makes it hard to take classes on the side. I am worried that I won't get everything done I have to do on daily basis for work.

Then there is running. I already signed-up for several races, including 3 half-marathons. Yikes, what was I thinking!! This means I need to start training yesterday! I am already behind! Running is my stress relief. Sometimes I'll run for an hour just working out problems in my head - things to be solved at work, tasks to be done at home, etc. The issue is I really need the stress relief and sometimes training can become a point of stress and not relief. Plus, I am trying to keep up 2-3 weight training sessions per week. I am worried that I won't get in my training and lose the pure joy of working out for enjoyment.

Then there are always things around the house and family commitments. We certainly have a to-do list of items for our house. Additionally, we'll be out of town for family events several times in the next few months. I am worried I won't have time to grocery shop or do laundry on the weekends, let alone do my assignments for class. I am worried people won't understand if we just can't make it once or twice.

Mainly I am worried because there are so many balls in the air - more than I can fit into this blog. I am hoping I can keep on top of it out and no one will be mad if I have to say no in order to get it all done.

Baseball Contracts

I was listening to the Cubs game on the radio the other night and heard a question someone emailed in to Ron and Pat. The question was directed to Ron and went something along the lines of questioning if the players in past years (specifically the 1960's and early 1970's when Ron played) where better conditioned than current day players as they spent less time on the disabled list and played in more games. Ron's response was interesting. He said that the baseball contracts back then were one year deals. So, even if you were injured you had to be out there playing day after day so no one could come up and take you job. In today's world of guaranteed and multi-year contracts, it is not as big of a deal. Players can go on and off the DL as needed without worrying about their playing status the rest of the season and next year.

It was a really good question. I find sports contracts like this interesting. It's almost like we baby the players of today. They get more conditioning, better medical care, and yet they play less often then players in the past who probably didn't even get free aspirin. Whatever happened to no pain, no gain or there's no crying in baseball. I understand if you can't play due to a broken foot (Johnson - foul ball off foot), but some other injuries like a left calf strain (Blanco - not considered a serious injury) put someone on the DL for 15 days. That's like me calling in sick for soreness in my left hand - can't type work related emails for the next 15 days. Don't I wish. I understand the need to be cautious, but it sometimes seems to go too far. We need more players that keep playing through the pain and manage their injuries and pain (Lee - bulging disk in neck). Just sayin'!

So behind

I am way behind on blog posts. Many are started and saved, but I haven't gotten around to finishing and publishing them. I really have great intentions and then get sidetracked by so many other things. I am hoping to catch up on life this weekend since I'll have an extra day (yay holiday weekend)! I feel like such a slacker, but at least we have been out doing things, hence the delay. I have yet to post about Todd's 40th party, the finished deck, more recipes, our trip to Chicago for a couple days at Wrigley, and our last minute trip to US Cellular field this past weekend. Ack! So much to catch up and so behind. My mid-year resolution is that I will be better at posting and not a month behind! :)

Thought Provoking...

I like this blog: http://uptherubicon.blogspot.com/2009/04/this-is-my-problem.html. It just makes some good points.

Easter Pizza

We are used to spending Easter with family and friends, but this year due to our schedules and other weekend events, Todd and I ate pizza for Easter dinner. It was weird to not to see our nieces and nephews or have a spread of ham and cheesy potatoes. But, we did enjoy some Papa Del's pizza and watch the Cubs game. A couple of relaxing hours after the busy weekend!

Candy Corn!!

I found it!! I have been seaching for weeks, high and low, making special stops at different stores, and I have finally found my Easter pastel candy corn!! Who-hoo!! The big question now is whether it is a fresh bag or leftover from last year. I bought the bag tonight when I ran to the store up the street. I never go to Buehler's Buy Low, but I was out of something I needed to make brownies, so I thought I would run in and grab it. The Buy Low is questionable. It's one of those stores where you have to check the expiration date before buying any dairy products and where I would never buy meat. But, if you are out of a dry good item, it is a quick stop.

So, I bought the candy. I haven't opened it yet, so only time will tell. If no one else is carrying the candy for the Easter season, it really makes me wonder. I can only hope it will be as good as I am imagining...

Spring = Hot Air Balloons in the Street

I couldn't figure out why Murphy kept barking and barking until I heard a familiar sound. It was the sound of a hot air balloon fuel tank. We often have hot air balloons come over our neighborhood as there is a field near our house where they can take-off or land. I glanced out the window to check them out and realized they were landing in our street! It was crazy! I yelled for Todd and we grabbed the camera to run out and see the balloon land. I guess there wasn't enough wind to keep them going to get to the field, so they maneuvered to land in the middle of our street. It was pretty awesome and the whole neighborhood was out watching.

The funny thing is that our next door neighbor works for the FAA and sort of busted them. They shouldn't have landed in the street and they didn't do anything to keep people back the proper distance. So, while we were all taking pictures thinking it was cool, she was taking pictures for evidence and flashing her FAA badge. One of the balloon operators was working the crowd handing out business cards which she was busting the second operator. Too funny!

An age-related complement

Todd and I went to Scotty's, a local sports bar and restaurant, last night to eat and watch some basketball games. The wait was several minutes, but the bar was fairly open so we decided to sit there. The bartender came over to take our drink order and leave us menus. After a few minutes he came back and looked at me funny. He proceeded to ask if I was over 21. I just started laughing at him. I don't know why he asked - maybe the water I ordered made him nervous. After I gained my composure, I thanked him for the complement and told him I actually had just turned 30 this year. He looked a little shocked and said he wouldn't put me over 23, but that I could definitely be younger. Wow! I felt totally awesome. I thanked him for the complement and I offered to show him my ID, but he said not to worry about it and wished me a Happy Birthday. Maybe 20 is the new 30. I can only hope!

Styles of Dress

I feel like I keep up on the times pretty well. I am busy and work and don't get all the reading done I would like, and I do miss the news some days. I work with different technologies and I do my share of online networking, so I feel like I know what is going on. But lately, I have been confused about different styles of dress, though I should mention I have never been that info fashion. For example, last weekend we went to a dinner and dance event. My husband came home and told me the dress was "evening informal." What the heck does that mean?? We learned from others this meant that guys should wear a coat, but a tie was not required. Okay, great, but what does this mean for the female attending the event?!?! I ended up wearing a dress and made him wear a tie. If I have to wear a dress, he needs to be equally uncomfortable. :)

Anyway, today we received an invitation for a fundraising event this weekend. It is an evening dinner event, no dancing at a local restaurant. The style of dress is "snappy casual." What the heck?!?! Again, I have no clue what this means. Is this like the new way of saying business casual? Or, is that some style that means you can wear jeans if they don't have holes and look nice?!? I am clueless.