Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Start Spreading the News.....

I think its ridiculously aggrivating that I have to preface by saying, No I'm not prego!

The post title refers to the recent business trip that I took to the Big Apple! I was lucky that I didn't have to go alone, Grammy & Anne got to tag along.
L to R....Grammy & I in Times Square / Up on Top of the Rock in Rockefellar Center / Playing the "BIG" Piano / Mommy & Elmo to send to Addi - which was NOT free! / Love this of Anne & I on Top of the Rock...a bit windy, huh? / Silly ME! / Miriah Carey shooting her "Obsessed" video at The Plaza Hotel.
(If you know me then you know I was all about 5th Ave & Avenue of America's & ALL the stores that come with those streets....Saks, Tiffany & Co, BCBG, Prada, Coach) I do believe I was supposed to have been born into the Trump family just was switched at birth!! However if you know me REALLY well then you know that unless it comes from Marshall's or TJMaxx its a very SPECIAL occassion that I get the real deal! LOL
It was an incredible city to say the least. I thoroughly enjoyed myself & the company, even for it being a business trip. We ate good, saw a few celebrities, got to fulfill a long time "bucket-list" wish in attending the TODAY show and being on TV several times......

.....
AND then almost died on the way home. Sounds dramatic but I seriously thought we were goners, I believe Grammy did too and I have no idea what Anne thought b/c she was hysterically laughing as people were screaming and crying on our flight (no joke - sick sense of humor, huh??). Its just now kind of funny to me how she seriously could not stop laughing.....kind of. Thanks ladies for experiencing some fun stuff, good laughs & a near death experience with me! I would really like to go on and on about the whole trip however I am entirely too busy. What I will say is that after this trip I have now taken my position as President of our Chattanooga Chapter of National Association of Health Underwriters. Its an association that educates and fights for our brokers, carriers etc in Chattanooga. Its an incredible time to be President of this assoc especially with the health care changes that Obama is trying to have pushed through, and will most likely succeed but definitely with problems. That I will try to not get into b/c didn't I say this wouldn't be lengthy. All that aside work is crazy and I have my largest accounts renewing at this time with everyone taking vacation here and there, myself included so we are all trying to cover for each other, keep our current work load caught up and over seeing a chapter that has its obstacles to over come. We'll see how it goes and if nothing else its a wonderful opportunity for me at a young age.
(Johnny Bench was a key note speaker at my conference....very cool for me as I've grown up watching baseball - he did want to argue with me that I was too girly to play ball so I had to throw in the fact that I did play Division 1 ball!!)


It was incredibly humbling to visit NYC & see the void of the World Trade Center Bldg's. I don't want to try to imagine what it was like but its obvious that city nor our country will ever be the same. We did have the privilege of visiting a couple of fire halls and to see the memorials of those that particular group had lost. Just so sad. Gone but not forgotten is a very, very true statement.


AND Last BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST....this picture could explain why my luggage was 12lbs over the limit. I wish I could have asked one of the very aggitated by standers to take our picture as I was tossing shoes over to Anne two desks away to get my luggage "within limits". Thanks to the very kind family in between us that would toss shoes and throw our heavy luggage back up on the scale to be weighed...this went on more than one or two times. And in my defense wedges are heavier than most normal shoes & I did have to pack for business mtgs.

2 comments:

Amanda O'Rear said...

I love your pics..and am so glad you guys had such a wonderful experience. You will have to tell me about the near death experience..oh goodness. I would be giggling too..I am great at nervous laughter! LOL...Anne is so cute! Glad you ladies got to share in this!
Congrats on all the new responsibilities with work too..that is awesome. I know stressful...but really...how great and how blessed are you!!! I am excited for all that lies ahead!

Heidi said...

That is hilarious! Loved reading about your trip... and laughed out loud of the description of Anne hysterically laughed as you guys were "descending near death". I can SO see that!! Congrats on the new position, glad to know somebody out there's got our back about health care! I know you will do great. I'm with you on the shopping thing, someone would have had to walk behind me closing my mouth the entire trip down 5th Avenue! 5th Avenue taste, on a TJ Maxx budget! ha! So glad you guys had fun, you deserved it!