For Savvy

Just thought you should know I'm thinking about you today. ;)

My managers

Sometimes we take family pictures at work.

Greece - Day 5 - Thursday, October 22, 2009

I flew to Santorini and met the girls at our hotel. Santorini is breathtaking to say the least - and our hotel left little to be desired.

After checking out the hotel we walked through town to the funicular and rode down the side of the island to the port.

(the church around the corner from our hotel)

(Molly was excited, I was nervous...see my hand?)

We shopped down on the port and bought all sorts of treasures. I had a snack, delicious Greek yogurt and fruit - pretty sure the yogurt goes down in history as my favorite Greek food.

After eating we rode back up to head to Oia. We saw the donkeys on our way up - some people ride them up the hill but I wasn't into that.

Before heading to Oia we stopped for a gyro and croissant. French fries on my gyro? Yes, please.

Oia is a lot like Fira but the views of the sunset are unmatched. Picture overload, but the entire town looked like a postcard.

After the sun was down we had dinner at a cute little restaurant. We tried Santorini's specialty - cheese balls and tomato balls. We didn't love either one but at least we can say we tried them. I had pasta, Mary and Molly had moussaka.

More pictures of the house

Obviously it needs some major cosmetic work, but it's in great shape. We'll see...

Greece - Day 4 - Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Had my last breakfast at the hotel and then worked for a couple of hours.

We had a few snacks while we worked.

After working we went shopping for souvenirs, and a watch for Tom, Mary and Molly left for Santorini and I had lunch with Tom, Lisa and Alex. I had kabobs for the first time on my trip and they were GOOD.

After a little more shopping we went back to the hotel and I spent the afternoon and evening in the room working. Kind of an anticlimatic end to my trip to Athens but I was grateful for the down time. I ordered room service, watched (lame) movies and got excited for Santorini.

(side note: I need to recreate this sandwich. Soft bread, pesto, fresh tomato, a soft mild cheese slightly melted, and tomato puree on top. Seriously amazing.)

What I've been doing

Not blogging. But I did find a different house to buy and my offer was accepted today. Fingers crossed everything works out...

Where have I been?

...traveling back to America (via Paris) with little opportunity to blog. The internet is down at my house (grrrr...) so I'll do my best to get up to date early this week.

Greece - Day 3 - Tuesday, October 20, 2009

I worked in the morning and then went with Molly, Tom and Lisa to lunch. I had lamb (again, so good) and we all had bites of Tom's spanakopita - it was the  best I've had so far.

There are street vendors all over Athens selling a variety of food - these baked goods seemed quite popular so Molly got one. They're not nearly as good as they look...

Molly, Mary, Lisa and I spent the afternoon at the Temple of Poseidon. The weather was perfect and we had a great tour guide - I took a lot of pictures but great sunlight makes me do it.

On our way back to the hotel we stopped to watch the changing of the guards at the parliament building. I had heard that it was a very goofing looking process and didn't really believe it. When I watched it I couldn't help but laugh inside! They shuffle with one leg, keep the other straight and have pom poms on their shoes.

We met before dinner for drinks in the GB restaurant on the 8th floor of the hotel. It was sunset and the view was breathtaking.

It was Tom's birthday so he got to choose the restaurant. We went to a popular neighborhood called Gazi. On one side of the street there are clubs and loud restaurants, on the other side are quiet cafes; it's quite the juxtaposition. We had dinner at a little restaurant that served all kinds of good food. I had spaghetti carbonara (I gave up turning over a new leaf for this week) and it was delicious but very heavy. There is a heavy Italian influence in the food here and while I held off for a while eventually the carbs called my name.

Greece - Day 2 - Monday, October 19, 2009

Spent the majority of the day working in meetings like this:

I like industry conferences because they open my eyes and mind in many ways. This one is especially that way.

Monday night we went to a Byzantine castle for dinner and entertainment. I have to steal pictures of the AMAZING building from Lisa, but here's what we ate.

After dinner we went with Tom and Lisa to the Garden Roof, a restaurant on the eigth floor of the Hotel Grande Bretagne.

We had dessert, which was good, but not amazing like the gelato from day 1.

The views of the Acropolis from the restaurant are breathtaking. Athens is interesting in that most of it is incredibly unattractive (think grafitti, dirt and garbage covering almost everything) but there are parts of it that literally make me gasp at their beauty. The Acropolis at night is one of those things.

My life as a musical

I wish real life was a musical - it would make day to day tasks a lot more fun. When I came across this on Color Me Katie I couldn't help but smile.

Greece - Day 1 - Sunday, October 18, 2009

After checking into our hotel we checked out all of its goodies - including the great view from the balcony. The Hotel Grande Bretagne is the nicest hotel in Athens and is set in the center of the business district. The city is alive at all hours of the night so there's never a lack of entertainment.

From our balcony we can see the parliament building. It's beautiful at night and during the day we can (barely) see the changing of the guards.

Our room is very nice but also very small. Thinking the beds could accomodate 2 people each we only asked for a 2 bed room - when we checked in we found out a rollaway would be necessary.

After freshening up we went for a walk through the plaka in search of dinner. In the older parts of the city the streets are cobblestone, narrow and lined with shops and restaurants. The people are very friendly and many speak English which was incredibly helpful as we tried to find something to eat.

We went up a cute section of street that seemed to have a restaurant on every "level." The Acropolis was (way) above us and the atmosphere was amazing. The weather has been in the low 70s and clear so our first night was the perfect introduction to Athens.

A blurry picture but proof that we were all there.

I have no idea of the name of the restaurant where we ate but to be honest I'm not sure I could find it again if I had to given the crazy street structure in Athens. We started with a tomato salad...

and cheese pies.

Molly had spaghetti and meatballs. Italian, yes, but done Greek style and quite tasty.

I had lamb - and it was AMAZING. No seriously. I picked every bit of it off the bone.

Mary had chicken souvlaki.

After dinner we explored more of the plaka. The Greek people eat dinner quite late and so they were still out and about.

We found a gelato shop and Molly and I both got chocolate. Molly was especially excited about hers.

On our path from the hotel to the plaka there is a cathedral in the middle of the intersection of 2 roads. It's quite old and beautiful. When we went down to the plaka there was a huge crowd watching what seemed to be an opera being performed.

This is one of the roads that forms the intersection where the cathedral is. In this picture the cathedral is behind me. Athens is full of very modern buildings directly next to historical sites. It's fascinating and makes exploring the city more exciting.

Greece - the trip over - October 17-18, 2009

Saturday morning was spent running errands, packing and generally stressing about the trip. I visited Liv and she joined me for a couple of errands before Mary and I headed to the airport.We met up with Alex and Molly and then started our adventure.

The flight to Paris was not nearly as bad as I had anticipated. It was 9 and a half hours but between eating 2 meals and trying to sleep time passed quickly. I sat next to a nice man that seems to be an archaeologist and an accountant (I didn't ask). He lives in Athens 5 months out of the year so he had a lot of helpful information about where to eat, the culture, etc.

Dinner started with warm nuts and a ginger ale (my travel beverage of choice)...

which were followed by a spinach salad, curry soup and veggies with something that might have been hummus but my stomach didn't want me to try it.

Main course was beef and chicken with some veggies. The chicken was ok but again, my stomach wasn't having the beef.

Dessert was a fruit and cheese plate - something my stomach welcomed.

After dinner I took a sleeping pill and made it my business to sleep as much as possible. I wasn't exactly successful thanks to general discomfort, the snoring man next to me and my seatmate who was laughing hysterically at The Proposal but before I knew it we were eating breakfast.

dark picture due to dark plane

Just after breakfast we landed in Paris. Our layover was short so we hurried through the airport, I spoke French to a guy at the Air France desk, and then we waited in line to board our flight to Athens. On this flight we also had a meal but the food was foreign and definitely not tasty.

The flight was just over 2 hours and the scenery was beautiful. It was easy to see the Greek islands, beautiful  blue water, and cute little towns.

Sunday, October 11, 2009 - Friday, October 16, 2009

Sunday, October 11, 2009
Did you notice that I'm totally caught up on blogging? Impressive, right? Some of that was due to some serious focus on Sunday. I'm a major fan of back dating and scheduling posts because they make staying caught up so much easier.

Monday, October 12, 1009
I hung out with the boys - the Munster was there too.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Knowing that I would be gone for 9 days I got caught up on my tv watching before I left (great priorities, huh). Tuesday night I watched 18 Kids and Counting and played a little Ragdoll Blaster. If you have an iPhone or iTouch download this game right now - I'm addicted and you should be too.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Wednesday morning I flew to Vegas with Josh and Tom. We had lunch at Joe's, as always, it was amazing.

After wandering around town for a little while we went to Red Rock and checked in. This was my first time staying as Red Rock and I think I'm in love. Everything is super modern yet comfortable and the service is awesome. I just might love it more than the Grand Wailea.



Thursday, October 15, 2009
Thursday morning was spent in meetings at the hotel.


Before leaving town we needed Joe's again so we made a little stop for lunch...


I had extra pretzel bread this time - I love that stuff.



We got to the airport I little early so I left the boys to get a foot massage and polish change. This is hands down the best way to wait for a flight.

After flying home I stopped by Tara's to make a special delivery...

Friday, October 16, 2009
I spent most of the day Friday cleaning out last minute urgent work items. I got a visit in the middle of the day from Robby who hung out with me while Esther went to the doctor. He played, drank a little (water)...

wooed lots of APXers and watched a show.

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Saturday, October 10, 2009
APX manager training. Lots of boys, not a lot of girls, but quite enjoyable.

Monday, October 5, 2009 - Friday, October 10, 2009

Monday, October 5, 2009
Tara brought lunch to me in the office - Mama Chus. Not part of turning over a new leaf, but delicious.

Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Flew to Minnesota.

After working all day Cheryl and I went to the Mall of America for dinner and fun. We ate at Twin Cities Grill and had spinach and artichoke dip as an appetizer...

I had salmon as my entree...


we shared creamed corn and carrots...


and a brownie and key lime pie for dessert.




After dinner we shopped (including the Lego store)...


and rode a few rides. Most importantly, Cheryl and I discovered that we're pansies.





Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Party time with some new APX employees.

Saw "Surrogates" with Brett and Andy. A really entertaining movie, perfect for guys and girls.

Thursday, October 8, 2009
Had a great lunch at an Italian restaurant in St. Paul.


Flew back to Salt Lake.

Friday, October 9, 2009
APX awards banquet. Keith's retirement party. Lots of tears, but an exceptional night.

Monday, September 28, 2009 - Sunday, October 4, 2009

Monday, September 28, 2009
I went and saw Brad and Keri's new baby Bella. She's so beautiful and I had a great time holding her for hours.

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Got my hair done. Love my hair girl, Christie. Call her.

After my hair was cute Mary and I watched "Ghosts of Girlfriends Past." Not as good as we had anticipated, but still fun.

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

We celebrated the birth of this guy at Macaroni Grill. I love Jeremiah John.

Thursday, October 1, 2009
Had dinner with Tara and Mary at Carrabba's and then Mary and I went shopping. When we got home we watched Grey's. It's looking like this season will be better than last.

Friday, October 2, 2009
Mary and I went to the BYU game. The best part of home games is seeing my friends - this time it was Jeremiah, Kait, Jos, Glade, Es, Rob, Andrew & Becca.

Saturday, October 3, 2009
Conference weekend is one of my favorites. I watched the Saturday morning session with Liv and kids at Esther's, the afternoon session at home, went to the mall with Kaitlin and Joslin and then hung out with Kait, Jos, Es, Liv, and Malea during priesthood session. Talks I loved here, here, and here.

Sunday, October 4, 2009

It's Ugg season.

But that doesn't mean I'm done with my Jimmy Choos.

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Mary and I watched Arrested Development for the first time. It's unbelievably funny, I can't believe it's not still on the air.

Then we watched Brothers and Sisters (sometimes I spend all of Sunday on the couch...stop judging me). I LOVE fall tv because it feels like I finally get to see my friends again. I love the Walker family. Their dysfunction is entertaining and for some reason makes sense to me.

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Went to the BYU game with Mary, then to Alice Lane where we visited with Sue, Mary's darling friend and *hopefully* my future interior designer, and then to Outback for dinner.

Friday, September 25, 2009

Apollo Printing and Graphics, the company that fulfills all of APX's printing needs, hosted a golf tournament for us on Friday. It was an AMAZING morning and even though I didn't play (I was the photographer) I had a great time enjoying the weather and my friends.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Since turning over a new leaf I eat breakfast every morning. Most of the time I have eggs with tomatoes, spinach, onion and cheese and Cheerios with fruit. Waking up to a bowl of food this pretty just makes me happy.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Tara got a flu shot so on Wednesday she was stuck in bed with flu symptoms while Jeremy worked on their new office. I left work early to pick up Darci and give Tara a break. Darci and I went to the mall where I let her get soaked in the fountain...

we met Esther and Robby at the mall and then went to Costco...

then played at Esther and Robby's...



ate a delicious spaghetti dinner...



took a bath with Robby, borrowed his jammies, and went home. We had a great time together - I love this little girl.

Monday, September 21, 2009 - Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Monday, September 21, 2009

Have you tried Musselman's raspberry acai applesauce? It's so good that I crave it.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

I saw the former Miss Utah speak at a school assembly - I was there representing APX, we're one of the school's corporate donors. Miss Utah spoke about drugs and alcohol. I'm all about education and prevention but I was shocked at the detail she went into. First graders heard about drug induced comas and Miss Utah's brother's death from an overdose - with the explanation being something about kids being exposed to drugs as early as third grade. No one else seemed bothered by this but I kept wondering how parents were going to respond when their child was afraid to go to sleep because they may never wake up. Good thing I don't have to deal with these life issues yet...

Monday, September 14, 2009 - Saturday, September 20, 2009

Monday, September 14, 2009

One of my favorite APX traditions is all the boys peering into a truck to look at some dead animal. At first it seemed gross but over the years it has become endearing. They get so excited to see the victim, tell the story, that I can't help but feel happy for them.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Have you seen Community on NBC? If not, you should. I think it's almost as funny as The Office.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Had Cafe Rio with the girls I first worked with at APX - Candace, Kim and Tara. We're all in Utah and really should get together more often - ladies, let's do it again soon!

If there's one thing I think Utah is missing (besides Crate & Barrel) it's food delivery service. Other than pizza we don't have many delivery options and Mary and I have been craving delivery Chinese food. We remembered that Rice King delivers so we ordered a bunch of food and talked about our day as we enjoyed it. I sure hope that other Utah businesses get on the delivery bandwagon eventually...

Thursday, September 17, 2009
Esther was getting her hair done so Robby and I went on a little date. We had dinner at Costa Vida and then Coldstone (Robby chose cotton candy ice cream with gummy bears and chocolate chips).

Friday, September 18, 2009
Went to a Pampered Chef party at Mary's office. I'm getting a house soon so it only seemed right that I buy some fun kitchen stuff. My favorite Pampered Chef item is their 8" saute pan.

I had dinner with Joj, Tara and Darci and then headed over to Liv's for a hair party. Kaitlin, Joslin and Monica came over and we talked all about girly things and did hair - it was a good time.

Saturday, September 19, 2009

APX sponsored a food drive for the Utah Food Bank so I went up to Salt Lake to collect food at a grocery store. Numbers aren't in yet but I'm pretty sure our location out collected the others.

After serving Tara and I had dinner at Red Rooster Waffle Company - our new Utah favorite. Our food was all so good. I got the florentine which was tasty (I'd get it again) but Tara got the peach melba (bottom picture) and it was to die for.

After dinner we went to the Brad Paisley concert. Our seats were awesome, Brad was personable, it was a great night.

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Mary and I had dinner at Tara's, came home and watched the end of "House Bunny." I thought it was funny. Don't judge me.

Monday, September 7, 2009 - Sunday, September 13, 2009

Monday, September 7, 2009
Went to Pirate Island Pizza with Liv, Scott, Syd, and Berto. Food was ok but the atmosphere is pretty neat - definitely great for the toddler crowd.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009
I just finished "Always Looking Up" by Michael J. Fox. Truthfully, I was looking for something inspirational - I love being able to connect with people who have had really different life experiences than the people I come in contact with. This book didn't really do it for me. The last third touched my heart and helped me feel some connection but otherwise it probably wasn't worth reading. No offense, Michael. I'm sure you're a neat person.

Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Went to the Keith Urban concert with Kaitlin, Cheryl and Rob. It was a great time. Read Kaitlin's account here - it's way better than mine.

Thursday, September 10, 2009
United Way Day of Caring. APX volunteered at Kids on the Move - my team stripped a wallpaper border and painted the office. It was sweaty work but physical service really is the best kind.

Friday, September 11, 2009
Had dinner with Kaitlin, Joslin and Mary at Noodles & Co. I love their mac and cheese.

After some Red Mango we came to my house and watched "17 Again." I was on the phone working for more of it than I would have liked but it seemed like a cute show.

Saturday, September 12, 2009
Liv, Esther and I had lunch at Thai Chili Gardens and then Esther, Mary and I went to the Women's Expo at UVU. I got a few treasures, mostly for the small children I know and love.

Sunday, September 13, 2009
It has been more than a year since surgery and my right foot is still bigger than my left. Grrrr.

Tuesday, September 1, 2009 - Sunday, September 6, 2009

Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Remember that when I told you about my dentist, Chad Ellis, here and here? I went on Tuesday and was reminded of how great he is. So great that I'm having him come talk to my managers about exceeding expectations. If you need a dentist in Utah County go to his website.

Wednesday, September 2, 2009
My new leaf is still turned over.

Thursday, September 3, 2009
Micah's birthday party. These boys are growing up.

Friday, September 4, 2009
Ever wonder what my meeting days look like? This is it. I'm lucky to work with these guys.

Saturday, September 5, 2009
I watched Liv's kids and Scott's sister's baby, Mirian. Syd, Berto and I had a great time playing with the baby and hanging out outside.

Sunday, September 6, 2009
Drove the Alpine Loop with Mary. Utah is a lovely place to live.

Watched "The Women" with Mary. Actually a decent movie.