2013 Lawrence Year in Review

“It’s hard to believe another year has come and gone.” “2013 flew by so quickly.” I know, I know. Insert cliché here. When you don’t live in a climate with seasons, it’s hard to comprehend the passage of time! This year, like each of the past five, has been a year of great change.

Our biggest change will be happening in the first part of 2014. Bonnie was offered a promotion to run the Parts Distribution Center in Pleasant Prairie, WI. So, the Lawrences will soon be trading in their sandcastles for snow forts! Scott and Bonnie have called Jacksonville home for nearly 10 years. And, Florida is all Shelby and Pete have known. So, it will be a little sad to leave, but it will be an exciting adventure moving us close to Scott's and Bonnie's brothers. Currently, we are deep into the relocation process getting ready to list our house and looking for a home in the northern suburbs of Chicago.

This summer, Scott took a gigantic leap of faith by leaving the insurance industry and striking out as a professional photographer. Being a full-time photographer has always been a dream for Scott. He has enjoyed learning how to run his own small business – from marketing to bookkeeping as well as developing photo packages and products. His new endeavor has allowed him to spend more time with the kids, network with other professional photographers, and take classes.

Bonnie has continued with her running. She ran 2 half marathons (The Donna & the Thanksgiving Subaru Distance Classic). She also ran the Gate River Run - a 15k that runs over two of Jacksonville's large bridges. Since she comes home from work after dinnertime, Bonnie has perfected the "make ahead" dinner. She preps them in the morning, and Scott has heating/serving instructions. They have been a success with the whole family - so long as they don't contain any "strange vegetables".....

Shelby took dance classes again this year. Her recital piece in June was a ballet number to Tim McGraw's "When The Stars Go Blue." Simply adorable. She is also taking gymnastics classes. She seems to have a knack for both. Shelby loves to help out around the house begging to clean up the kitchen (Windex is her favorite). She likes to play and wrestle with Pete on the floor. Just wait until he's bigger than her.....

Where Shelby is all about dance, gymnastics, and finer motor skills, Pete is more "search and destroy." He waited until he was 17 months to walk. But, within 48 hours, he went from crawling to running. It was incredible. Ever since then, he has been a holy terror! All cabinets are locked and the kitchen counters are cleared! He loves riding his tricycle, riding in the bike trailer, and reading about trucks (i.e. all things transportation!). He is still our easy-going boy, but Pete is happiest when he's outside playing.

We're so blessed to have such a great base of friends and family, and have loved our time in Florida. We look forward to the adventures the new year are certain to bring us.

With much love,
    Scott, Bonnie, Shelby & Peter Lawrence

2012 Lawrence Year in Review

Merry Christmas, friends and family! 2012 was an amazing year for the Lawrence family!

Our most exciting news was welcoming our son Peter to the world! He was born March 20th - which is also Scott's birthday! Pete has a set of blue, ladykiller eyes and the nickname "Chunky Monkey." Pete has just learned to crawl. So, we have the challenge of baby-proofing a house full of Shelby's tiny toys and ponytail holders! And, this boy loves to eat! Bananas, carrots, pot roast and even salmon are among his favorites! He is such a low-key, loving, baby. If you say at least two words to him, he's got a huge smile for you!

Shelby turned four this fall. For her birthday, we took a family vacation to Disney World with the Lawrences - Nancy, Dave and Uncle Mike. She had a great time! Shelby waited patiently to take pictures with The Princesses and her favorite characters, rode the new, little roller coaster in Fantasyland, and loved riding Small World with her little brother. She danced in her first recital this summer. She tapped to "Puttin' on the Ritz" in sequins, feathers and tulle. Not many people can say their first stage appearance was to a sell-out crowd in a 450-person theatre! She loves dance and is continuing lessons this year. She also seems to have a natural talent for gymnastics.



Scott has been busy with work this year. He's picked up some extra responsibilities in the northeast region. And, he's traveled to New York several times. Scott dove into the Volkswagen lease program and started driving a Passat this fall. The program allows him to switch out vehicles on fairly often. So, ask him what he's driving on a regular basis! When he has spare time (haha!), Scott continues to take portraits of friends. And, recently, he has started to ride his road bike again with a friend from church.

Bonnie is still loving her job at Volkswagen - and no she's not driving a VW or Audi yet! She took two months off work to stay home with Pete. Bonnie is still cooking up a storm. She's perfected some signature dishes: sourdough pretzels, homemade pizza, and faux Cadbury Creme Eggs. Besides having a baby, Bonnie's biggest accomplishment this year was running a half marathon! She ran in the Thanksgiving Day half marathon through the Mandarin neighborhood. She ran 2:17 - which was better than her goal. Now Bonnie's looking forward to the Donna Deegan half marathon in February!

One Week Left!

One week left to race day! I've run over 100 miles in preparation. I've shaved almost 2 minutes/mile off my 5k! I only have 3 more runs until race day. Last Sunday I ran 10 miles! My longest run......EVER.

I've had a killer cold/sinus infection the past two weeks and haven't been able to run as often as I'd like. I'm getting a little nervous, but I'm still pretty excited. I keep telling myself adrenaline will get me there. After my last two long runs, my hip flexors have been sore and I've been pretty wiped. As a result, we are suspending Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday in favor of a non-traditional pizza dinner or something on the grill.

The race course is in Mandarin and goes along the river for a while. I just hope it doesn't rain! I have a couple friends who are also running their first half marathon. So, this is what peer pressure looks like in your thirties!?

According to the Paul Ryan Marathon Calculator, I should finish in 1hour, 40 minutes! That's only 35 minutes off the women's world record!

Training Day

Ok. This is it! I officially begin to train for my Thanksgiving Day Subaru Distance Classic half marathon on Monday! I am blogging and telling my friends about my intentions (and will post updates on the Twitter) to keep myself accountable. Thank you in advance, friends and family! :)

One of my New Year's resolutions was to get into a regular exercise routine after Pete was born (running a half marathon was one of my 2011 half marathons, but then I got pregnant with Pete!). This should fit the bill for regular exercise! Since I'ver never been the running type, actually finishing a half marathon will be a HUGE accomplishment for me. The race starts at 7am on Thanksgiving Day and my loving family has even agreed to meet me at the finish line!

A local running store has some training schedules for 5k, 15k, and half marathons.

Week	Monday	Tuesday	Wed.	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
1	Rest	3 Miles	3 Miles	3 Miles	Rest	3 Miles	4 Miles
2	Rest	3 Miles	3 Miles	3 Miles	Rest	3 Miles	5 Miles
3	Rest	3 Miles	4 Miles	3 Miles	Rest	3 Miles	5 Miles
4	Rest	3 Miles	4 Miles	3 Miles	Rest	3 Miles	6 Miles
5	Rest	3 Miles	4 Miles	3 Miles	Rest	3 Miles	7 Miles
6	Rest	3 Miles	4 Miles	3 Miles	Rest	3 Miles	8 Miles
7	Rest	3 Miles	5 Miles	3 Miles	Rest	3 Miles	9 Miles
8	Rest	3 Miles	5 Miles	3 Miles	Rest	3 Miles	10 Miles
9	Rest	3 Miles	5 Miles	3 Miles	Rest	3 Miles	6 Miles
10	Rest	3 Miles	Rest	Race Day	Rest	3 Miles	3 Miles

Rough Week

It's was a rough start of the week for all the Lawrences.

Scott: Tweaked his back and was walking (shuffling) like an old man.

Pete: Going through a growth spurt and eating non-stop.

Bonnie: Caught Pete's cold and has lost her voice. Also, she's facilitating Pete's growth spurt with increased overnight feedings.

Shelby: Wet her bed (couldn't make it to the potty because there were monsters on the floor) and spilled her cereal.

Good thing it's only a four-day week!

Ditch the Cow

Peter is seven weeks old and I haven't even talked about him here since he was born! It's hard to write a blog post one-handed! He is a GREAT baby. He's much lower-key than his sister - I love you Shelby, but, man oh man, you were a demanding baby! My only complaint is that his little digestive system can't handle cow's milk. And, that means Mama can't have any dairy. Say WHAT????


No milk, cheese, yogurt, chocolate, or ice cream??? OMG. WTF. Dairy is everywhere. Read some of your labels and you'd be surprised where you'll find it: our go-to pancake mix, granola bars (even non-chocolate ones), meatballs (parmesan, remember?). My boss put it the best, "That must be really hard for a foodie like you." You would think so. No doubt it's a huge change. But, with the vegan movement becoming so popular, cutting dairy out is probably a lot easier now than Mamas had it in the past.

I turned to the vegans for help because they are experts at eating delicious food without dairy! There seems to be a lot of focus on satisfying the new vegan's craving for dairy since that is harder to cut out the diet than meat (in my personal opinion). With the dairy cut out, I'm figuring I'm only one documentary away from becoming a full-fledged vegan (I am very susceptible to their scare tactics!). But, I have a freezer full of chicken and cheese (more on that later). When that stash depletes, we'll see what happens.

Challenges
Cooking for a "blended family:" Shelby and Scott LOVE their cheese. So, now I prepare a lot of individual portions for dinner: pizzas, casseroles, sauces to accommodate both parties.

Snacking: I love to grab a yogurt or cheese/crackers for an easy, healthy snack. Now, I find myself grabbing carbs for a snack. It's a lot of empty calories for not so filling of a snack. I guess I should listen to Mom and "grab a piece of fruit" for a snack. Funny enough, I find myself pushing fruit on Shelby for a quick snack, too. Maybe Mom was right?

Freezer Stash: I've been known to be a bit organized. And, I've also been known to cook up a storm to put up in my freezer. So, needless to say, my freezer was full when Pete made his arrival. Unfortunately, that freezer was full of dishes that contain dairy: ricotta-stuffed shells, parmesan-laden meatballs, pizza dough to be a vehicle for mozzarella....you get the idea.

Good Things (Unexpected or Otherwise)
Taking off the Baby Weight: While not being able to eat dairy is a big change, it's also great for not being able to easily grab a mountain of ice cream at night. And, while an extremely tasty ingredient in many dishes, cheese can add a lot of fat and calories....if used properly, of course. :)

Almond Milk: A lot yummier than I thought it might be. Also, it contains twice the calcium of cow milk. Seriously! Who knew!

Creativity in the Kitchen: Recently, I've been eating a lot of greens (kale/spinach/chard), roasted vegetables and grains (polenta, quinoa). And, I've been eating them in some delicious combinations. Fantastic!

Vegan resources:
    - Ellen DeGeneres & Portia de Rossi became vegans and hired a personal chef - Roberto Martin. He is not a vegan chef by training, but adapted many recipes to eliminate the animal products. The title of his book hooked me: Vegan Cooking for Carnivores. He's got some incredibly tasty and filling food!
    - Vegans are avid bloggers. And, they have some great dairy-free substitutes for popular dishes. Also, my favorite cooking blogs often tag their posts as "Vegan" or "Vegetarian." So, it's easy to find new ideas.

Welcome, Peter!

Peter Scott Lawrence was born on Tuesday, March 20th at 5:51pm. He was 7 lbs, 6oz. March 20th is special not only because it's the first day of spring, but it's also Scott's birthday! Who could ask for a better present!

While Pete was born on Tuesday, his birth story really begins the Friday before. I had my 38-week appointment with my doctor on Friday. Peanut was still sideways. He wasn't quite ready, but the doctor thought we might have a baby sometime that next week. I am an engineer by training and nature. So, I am not a superstitious girl. But, I do subscribe wholly to Murphy's Law. I went back to work, went grocery shopping, and prepared a menu for the following week. I also hedged my bet: got my toes painted (since I hand't been able to see them for 8 weeks) and put Baba Randy & Gemma on standby for the next week.

Monday morning: I went to work - same as usual. I prepared my weekly reports - same as usual. But, something wasn't quite right. I've had contractions since 28 weeks. But, those that morning were a bit stronger and a regular 10 minutes apart. I drank a bottle of water (the OB's remedy for everything), walked around, and gave it an hour. The contractions didn't subside. So I went in to the doctor. She said Peanut was in position and I was indeed in labor! Baba Randy and Gemma decided to make the trip to Jacksonville the next day canceling a tee time. :)

Tuesday morning: The doctor said things have definitely progressed! She sent me across the street to be admitted to the hospital. We were having a baby today! Scott and I met at the hospital, called all Babas, gave a heads-up to daycare and tried to quickly mentally prepare for Peanut's arrival. :)

I was a little gun shy about getting an epidural because there was no joy during Shelby's delivery. Things got pretty intense pretty quickly, and I opted to take my chances. This epidural took famously. While still not a pleasant experience, my pain relief expectations were met making it tolerable! Then, at 5:51pm, Peter was born! He was a bit stunned right after birth. After 5 minutes (but what seemed like forever!), he started to perk up.

We are so blessed to have a very healthy, happy little boy and his helpful and reverent big sister.

Marathon

This morning I couldn't hear the traffic sound of JTB from my house. Why? Because 9,000 people were running on the highway for the 26.2 with Donna breast cancer marathon.

Last night I was looking to see how pinned in to the house I would be due to the race, and I found out the course comes within a mile of my house! So, I decided to walk a mile to A1A to cheer on the runners. If I couldn't run with them, at least I could cheer them on (one of my 2011 New Year's resolutions was to run a half marathon...didn't plan on being 8 months pregnant at the time of the race)!

Great idea - except it was 28 degrees when the race started this morning! I got up early and layered up with knee-high socks, lined track pants, hand-knit gloves, headband, long sleeve t-shirt, hoodie, and I even broke out my winter coat (it was a little dusty!). I took along a travel mug of coffee and hiked the 1.1 miles to Mile 4 (A1A and 37th Street South).

This was about an hour into the race. Soon after, the lead 1/2 marathoner was police-escorted back the opposite way toward the finish line. There were pink shirts everywhere. I saw a lot of runners holding pictures in celebration and memorium of family members and friends. People were also dressed up in costume. I saw guys and girls alike rocking pick tutus, skirts/kilts, and wearing decorated bras over their running clothes (yikes!)! There were shirts with slogans like "Save the tatas," "I support second base," and "Boobs for President 2012." It was hilarious!

I cheered for about an hour, then I decided it was time to make the trip home. I had two motivational factors propelling me toward home quickly: the stinging wind and the mug of coffee that my body had processed. There were some port-a-potties by Mile 4, but it was too cold to expose anything outside!! I believe I set some land speed records getting home. 

2012 Resolutions....and 2011 Progress

It's so cliche to say, but I just can't believe it's a new year already! Being a Type-A,"particular" person, I love to make lists. And, what are resolutions really? A list of things you want to accomplish over a year-long period! Right up my alley!

I'm struggling a little with making my 2012 resolutions, though. Putting on my "manager hat," I know that goals should be SMART - specific, measurable, attainable, reasonable, and time-bound. Since I'm having a baby in 2012, it's hard to come up with a resolution that won't be too lofty to achieve (i.e. there will be a six-week period when it will be a colossal resolution to shower daily!)!

With that being said, here are my resolutions for 2012:

1. Be a better online consumer
We do A LOT of shopping on Amazon. For Christmas, we had a 2-day period where 10 boxes showed up on our doorstep from Amazon. Sad and amazing all at the same time. When I'm looking at products online (Amazon or otherwise), I rely on other customers' reviews to determine where and what brand I want to buy. But, I'm not always the best about leaving my own reviews after I've made a purchase. It's only right to pay it forward!

2. More "quiet time"

This is a repeat resolution from last year. Our church sends out a daily "e-Devo" with a Bible verse, application and prayer. The content is from the previous week's sermon - so it keeps you thinking throughout the week. But, I think I need something a little deeper - commentary on a book of the Bible or a in-depth book. I have some great ideas from other people in our small group.

3. Decrease our processed food consumption

Between reading Michael Pollan's book In Defense of Food and watching the documentary Food, Inc, I don't know what to buy, what to eat! Nothing is safe! What I do know is (at the risk of preaching) it's quite clear that added chemicals and preservatives do nothing to nourish or promote good health. While I don't think it will be humanly possible to cut out Diet Coke and Fiber One granola bars from our diet, we can make some great strides in other convenience foods (canned soups, chicken stock, cheese choices).

4. Get into a regular exercise routine (after the baby comes)

In 2011, I was pretty good at getting into a running routine. I was up to 7 miles at a time! And, if you know me, you'll know that getting into any running routine is a big accomplishment for me! Since I will have baby duties and getting to work early, going to a gym is a little difficult. I'd also like to add some other cardio and strength training. I'm lucky that Volkswagen offers a fitness incentive for home equipment. So, I may take advantage of that and get a stationary trainer for my road bike. I love spinning and there are some workout podcasts that I could use with it. Perfect! If I"m up to the challenge, I also want to check out P90X.

5. Shop local

I've always wanted to do more local shopping. But, I really need to put my money where my mouth is! We live at the beach where there is nothing but local shops and restaurants. For eating out, services, and especially gifts, I want to patronize locally-owned establishments.

As far as my resolutions for 2011, here's how they went.....

1. Increase our veggie intake (Test out a CSA)
       Check! In the summer, I finally got around to joining Palmetto Organics' CSA. I couldn't be happier with the service! I've gotten more creative in the kitchen and have certainly been eating better as a result.

2. Spend more "quiet time" (With my Bible and/or devotion)
        I have gotten into the routine of reading my pastor's daily e-Devo, but need more (see Resolution #2 for 2012!)

3. Run a half marathon (Follow interval plan)
       With the aid of my Bridge to 10k app, I was doing great up until July (running 6-7 miles 4 times a week). But, then this whole pregnancy thing happened, and running kind of went out the window.

4. Be better blogger (Review 2 recipes per month)
       I added to my online recipe collection over the past year. Posting my weekly menu online with recipe links is so helpful. When I'm making dinner, I know exactly where to find the recipe if I have a link. I especially like my recipe reviews because I always make a substitution or enhancement, and I want to make sure I can replicate the recipe to my family's liking!

Latest tunes

I've talked before about Shelby's impeccable taste of music here and here.

Now that it's Christmas (and she's three), she has her favorite carols, too. And, I must say they are not what you'd expect a three-year old to request demand. Her current favorites are:

- Santa Claus is Coming to Town as sung by the a cappella group  Straight No Chaser (if you don't know them,....well, you should!)
- Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree... The Brenda Lee version (as if there's another!)

Sounds of....well, sounds

There are some sounds in life that can push a girl to the edge. I submit these are the top five annoying, grating, maddening sounds...in no particular order. Any one of them can leap to the top when occurring at 2am:

- Smoke detector beeping
- Infant crying (toddlers, I can stand)

- Dora

- Emergency broadcast squawk
- Howler monkey

Have I missed anything?

Twitter This, Inter-web.

Some of my girlfriends have turned me on to Pinterest (that's a whole blog post of its own!). I love the idea of "pinning" your findings on the internet to your account and surfing through others' "pinnings."

The only catch is that you need a Facebook or Twitter account to sign up. What? Seriously? There are prerequisites for searching through peoples' DIY cereal box magazine holders? Ok. Whatever. So, I signed up for The Twitter (the lesser of the two evils).

I was checking out the features of The Twitter. To my surprise, my account had been suspended. SUSPENDED! Within 24 hours! And, I hadn't even tweeted one tweet yet! So, I asked, "Why, Twitter, why?!"

Four days later they informed me they have "automated systems that find and remove multiple automated spam accounts in bulk. Unfortunately, it looks like your account got caught up in one of these spam groups by mistake."


I am now restored into right standing with The Twitter. The jerks.

Crossing Over

Well, folks. I did it. After five years of dragging my heels, I have purchased an Apple Computer. I am now the proud owner of a Mac Book Air.  I have been a staunch PC user. I don't necessarily do well with change.  My loving and adorable husband has slowly been chipping away at my defenses.

My PC laptop was closing in on five years old. The battery life was down to 30-40 minutes (doesn't make it so "mobile," eh?). The performance was just getting slower. The old girl just couldn't quite keep up with fancier, more intricate websites and applications.

So, we went to the Apple Store. Ahhh, the Apple Store. There are 20 employees wandering around the store, but none of them seem to want to help you.....even when you're more than eager to make a large purchase. I would rather go to a root canal appointment.  We ordered mine off the internet and tracked it (via FedEx) from China to our doorstep! All in less than a week. Impressive.

We spent the weekend trying to move over all my files. The regular documents weren't so hard, but getting everything from iTunes was pretty stress-inducing. I know, I know....I could have made an appointment at the Genius Bar at The Store. A Real Housewives marathon sounds more appealing.

The only things I miss so far are 1) The scalding heat on my lap as I "compute" and 2) The incessant whirring fan that resembles an aircraft carrier.

Becoming One of the Natives

I was in New Jersey for work last week. There were two of us from the Jacksonville warehouse plus others from the other warehouses around the country. Having only been with VW for three months, I was the "new person." I was making such a good impression on my counterparts. But, when I ordered my salad, I ordered a:

"PE-cann Crusted Chicken Salad"......not a "Pe-CAHN Crusted Chicken Salad" like a normal person would order. Pe-CAHN?! Seriously?! Who am I?

Everyone at the table whipped their heads my way, laughed and called me the Southern Belle. I was horrified. What have I become?

Why Me?!

The most offensive and incendiary language does not involve a four-letter word. It's a three-letter word....uttered by a two-year old: WHY.

Shelby has learned this horrible, filthy word - presumably at school. The first time the "w-word" is used, it's not so bad.....just a little kid being cute. But, by the quadrillionth time, people are shooting dirty looks. I am incensed.
Exhibits 1 & 2:

Shelby: What's this?
Me: It's a butterfly.
Shelby: Why?

Shelby: What's this [pointing to the bottom of her shoe]?
Me: It's dirty.
Shelby: Why?
Me: You walked through some mud.
Shelby: Why?

Case. And. Point.

A Mother's Prayer

Last week Tina Fey was interviewed on Fresh Air (with Terry Gross). She is just hysterical! She has the perfect combination of nerdiness, snarkiness, and just a tad too much academic reference in her humor. And, might I say, her Sarah Palin impersonation cannot be rivaled.
Terry had Tina read a poem from her new book "Bossypants" that almost made me drive off the road. It is simply genius. Enjoy.


A Mother's Prayer for Its Child
by Tina Fey from Bossypants
First, Lord: No tattoos. May neither Chinese symbol for truth nor Winnie-the-Pooh holding the FSU logo stain her tender haunches.

May she be Beautiful but not Damaged, for it’s the Damage that draws the creepy soccer coach’s eye, not the Beauty.

When the Crystal Meth is offered, may she remember the parents who cut her grapes in half And stick with Beer.

Guide her, protect her when crossing the street, stepping onto boats, swimming in the ocean, swimming in pools, walking near pools, standing on the subway platform, crossing 86th Street, stepping off of boats, using mall restrooms, getting on and off escalators, driving on country roads while arguing, leaning on large windows, walking in parking lots, riding Ferris wheels, roller-coasters, log flumes, or anything called “Hell Drop,” “Tower of Torture,” or “The Death Spiral Rock ‘N Zero G Roll featuring Aerosmith,” and standing on any kind of balcony ever, anywhere, at any age.

Lead her away from Acting but not all the way to Finance. Something where she can make her own hours but still feel intellectually fulfilled and get outside sometimes And not have to wear high heels. What would that be, Lord? Architecture? Midwifery? Golf course design? I’m asking You, because if I knew, I’d be doing it, Youdammit.

May she play the Drums to the fiery rhythm of her Own Heart with the sinewy strength of her Own Arms, so she need Not Lie With Drummers.

Grant her a Rough Patch from twelve to seventeen.Let her draw horses and be interested in Barbies for much too long, For childhood is short – a Tiger Flower blooming Magenta for one day – And adulthood is long and dry-humping in cars will wait.

O Lord, break the Internet forever, that she may be spared the misspelled invective of her peers And the online marketing campaign for Rape Hostel V: Girls Just Wanna Get Stabbed.

And when she one day turns on me and calls me a Bitch in front of Hollister, Give me the strength, Lord, to yank her directly into a cab in front of her friends, For I will not have that Shit. I will not have it.

And should she choose to be a Mother one day, be my eyes, Lord, that I may see her, lying on a blanket on the floor at 4:50 A.M., all-at-once exhausted, bored, and in love with the little creature whose poop is leaking up its back. “My mother did this for me once,” she will realize as she cleans feces off her baby’s neck. “My mother did this for me.” And the delayed gratitude will wash over her as it does each generation and she will make a Mental Note to call me. And she will forget. But I’ll know, because I peeped it with Your God eyes.

Amen.

A Letter to Drivers

Dear Drivers of Florida (especially little, old ladies in late model, silver Toyota Corollas merging onto I-295 during rush hour with the right blinker still on),

Please do NOT come to a complete stop at the end of the ramp waiting for a space to open up. You're going to get us all KILLED!!! You and your little car are going to get squashed like a bug! The on-ramp and subsequent merge lane is designed specifically for you to come to speed and merge into the traffic already on the highway.

Let me know if any of this doesn't make sense to you, and I can choose an alternate commute route ASAP.



Channeling the road rage,
  Bonnie.

Old Soul

Shelby and I sat down to watch some pre-bedtime Mickey. Before I could hit the "On Demand" button, Shelby pointed to the show that was on and said, "No. Watch this!"

It was Wheel of Fortune.

The show had as much appeal as a Dora and Mickey episode combined. I have heard of friends who learned their alphabets from the show. Maybe we're on to something!

How is it that Vanna looks the same as when she actually had to turn the letters? And Pat Sajak looks so old now....but has managed to keep the poufy hair?

Raising a Southern Belle

Shelby was "scolding" us tonight and said, "No ma'am!"* It was classic.

Scott and I were born and raised in Cleveland, OH and Rockford, IL, respectively. First generation immigrants to Florida, if you will. Our daughter, however, was born here in Jacksonville, FL. She is a native Southerner and Floridian. Are we Floridians by proxy?...some provision of the 14th amendment? Oh my. Is Shelby our "anchor baby" to get us accepted into our adopted culture?

My grandma was the child of first generation immigrants from Sicily. She used to tell us how she was the translator between her family and the non-Sicilian community. Her mother wanted to buy a colander and could only explain it as "pasta stay, water go." Pretty clever, but you can see her need for a translator. From all accounts, my great-grandma lived in this country for 60 years and still needed a translator most of the time!

Every time I strain my pasta, I remember her story and smile!




*For the Yankees in the readership, that translates to "I don't think so! Please stop that behavior at once!"

For the Love of the Car*

I only speak with two days of experience, but I think I made the right move leaving Anheuser-Busch for Volkswagen. From beer to fast cars...yikes!

This opportunity found me in late December. I wasn't looking for another job, but did a triple take when I read about this one. The position advertised was Operations Manager for a Parts Distribution Center in west Jacksonville. The more I learned about the company culture and the job itself, the more I was impressed! While I was considering VW's offer, Fortune magazine came out with their 50 most Admired Companies. VW had moved up to 35th! I think it was a sign. Sold!

The management and warehouse staff alike were very welcoming. These people are good: my cubicle name plate, cell phone and office supplies were all ready on my first day! They clearly have a good process in place already. I think I see a few things to improve on. But no "HOLY COW, this #$%$^ is messed up!" moments. :)

In only two days of meetings, it was clear that the managers took their employees' happiness, development, and success seriously. That's a company philosophy I can get behind!

Here's to a very long career moving parts around the country!

* Extreme car enthusiasts will recognize that slogan as the VW tagline in Europe in 2004....yeah, I can Google with the best of 'em!