To Nick's sure credit, he totally nailed it with the pinhole box. AND, we officially have an unofficial Science Division. Because... science.
"express science division"
A few of us almost went blind.
jk. we didn't.
It's always an adventure with this crew. Watch this through to the end! My cousin Jamie got some really sweet cell phone video of this out in South Carolina.. pretty awesome stuff!
tis the day for filters and pinhole boxes!
We didn't do too badly! For a crew that didn't get glasses, we made the best of it and managed to still capture some pictures of the little crescents shining down into the pinhole boxes.
*insert bonnie tyler lyrics .... now *
I hope that wherever you were today, that you were able to get a glimpse of this! The next one's coming around in 2024, so not quite the 38 year gap like last time, but it won't be for a little while.
Today I walked into my office and was greeted by all of this, because my office collectively hit a new milestone of Bronze Circle. In my world (Express), that's a big deal, and is indicative of a team that puts in the dirty work. I am surrounded by some incredibly talented people, and we are blessed to have leaders who will go the distance just to say thank you.
happy friday!
And yes, we did.
fruit and fizzy..
Really not a bad way to end the week, at all! I'm so proud to be a part of my team, and thankful every day lately that I'm back in a place where I can fully function, with a team that is right there with me.
TGIF, ya'll. It's time for me to rest up; tomorrow is going to be a long day ;)
It's Friday; that's reason to celebrate when we're talking about the work week. It started off like most Fridays do, with that weekly added perk to each of us, knowing that there were just hours left until another weekend. And so it went, for the first couple hours, until one of my clients called to ask me if I was 'doing all right...' Doing all right? Well, yeah, of course I am - it's Friday!
... But I didn't know. I didn't know that he'd be calling me under the assumption that I did know about the passing of my former franchisee, boss & friend, Dave. Apparently this happened on Tuesday, after an accident that had left him in a coma for some odd days prior to Tuesday.
I had no idea. I had no words, and left my poor client hanging on a promise to call him back after I collected myself. I called Chris first, then Elisa, and gathered myself enough to finish the rest of the day until the visitation this afternoon.
It's surreal to think that he has passed. There were so, so many things I revered and respected about Dave, as a person, as a businessman and entrepreneur. It hurts to try and grasp the pain and loss that Lizzy, Nancy & the rest of the family is experiencing now, and it hurts to know that he is gone.
dave :)
a "typical" laughing day with dave!
My heart breaks for their family & friends, and for everyone who has now lost him as part of our community. I'm forever indebted to Dave for providing me the avenue to move back to Cincinnati when I did almost 4 years ago, and for the opportunity to be a part of establishing our office from the ground up. I learned many things from Dave, both professionally and practically, and I will always give him credit where it's due for that short, short window of time that we had him as part of our little Express family.
Dave, you are so very missed. I'm thankful for having been brought into your path and learning from what we did. We'll all see you again one day. Until then, keep an eye on us and know that you are missed.
I have hopes that the weekend will improve from here, but I'm left feeling a little empty after learning of this, and seeing Lizzy & Nancy for the first time in months today. My prayers for the family, and for a soul lost all too soon.
Ohhh, sunny DAYS!
Even though I was working today, I did have an altered schedule that I didn't hate. It was mostly due to a hiring event I hosted in partnership with one of the Northern Kentucky career placement services; she set me up in a conference room for the afternoon and I knew then that the day would be all right:
i'll just swim on in there... hardy har har...
The event ending gave way to a commute back across the river, which was packed full of commuters until I neared the river line on 275, and I couldn't help but snag a shot of the state line welcoming me back across the water.
and i'm cooomin' on back..
I hurried so that I could catch Sydni's bus; it's the first time this year that I've been able to see her off the bus after school, and while I snagged a shot of her coming off the bus, I wish I could've captured her face when she realized she was going straight to the car, with me. Be still, my heart... seriously.
so little, but so grown up.. how's that possible?!
We ran a couple of errands, went grocery shopping and had a mini mommy-daughter date for a snack before we headed home. Today's been gorgeous, and this evening didn't disappoint. Sydni and I cleaned up some around the house, and then I joined her outside for a couple hours of bike riding.
my toothless little darling! ♥
I had to remind her today that there was a time not long ago that she believed she would never learn how to ride her bike, and now.. this. For hours, if I'd let her. I love everything about it.
I sat outside sprawled across one of the patio chairs, with Sydni blurring across my left and right peripherals as she rode in a circle up and down our street. Eventually, the bike retired to the garage, and for a moment, I became audience to an impromptu 1 person gymnastics meet:
She tumbled on and on, rolled around the yard several times and chased a teasing blue jay until it finally got bored of her being bound to the land. I drank it in, and managed to squeeze in the final few chapters, epilogue and bonus short story at the end of the latest book. I've been afraid of finishing Lady Midnight, because if I'm honest, I've read all 6 of the The Mortal Instruments, all 3 of The Infernal Devices and now this, the first in The Dark Artifices series that Cassandra Clare has released.. all within the span of less than 2 months.
lady midnight - done!
NOW WHAT DO I READ?!
Just kidding. I'll hunt down the Bane Chronicles or the Shadowhunter Academy books next and indulge myself in Simon's quest for ascendance. Do I sound like a nerdy maniac? Only if you've never read any of these, I suppose.. haha. Never in a million years would I have thought I'd be the one hooked on a book series like this, but yeah.. let's go with it!
Anywho, it's late, and we're all spent. Happy Tuesday to you, blogbots!
'Thank Goodness It's Friday' has never been exclaimed more earnestly.. or desperately, in today's case. It's been a tumultuous week at work, so it was nice when we were able to put the office aside for the weekend and head down to Montgomery Inn to celebrate the successes of the first quarter sales competition... that we won :).
montgomery inn boathouse | cincinnati, oh
Cincinnati, you're a murky mess in the middle, but you're still beautiful [don't get all offended, 'Natians, you know darn well that this is true...]
sunny day!
It's been quite a while since I was last at Montgomery Inn, but that doesn't change how delicious I always find it. Chris disappeared momentarily, and returned with a box of celebratory cigars to commemorate our team's winning the first quarter.
3rd in a row!
express pros - cincinnati central kristin. cori. clarissa. paul
Gathering with the work clan outside of work is always a refreshing and often much-needed change of pace, content and atmosphere, and tonight was no different.
Congratulations, team... I couldn't be more proud of what how our hard work has materialized like this! ♥
Not a bad way to start off the Mother's Day weekend, I will say that.
Except today, that wasn't necessarily true! We walked into the office this morning to learn that Riss was out, and thought the day might carry a similarly petulant attitude.
But alas, that wouldn't be the case..
It all started with this:
hiiiiiii guyyyyyyyssssss...
Can I HELP YA?! If there's one thing this weird gourd filter did, it game me alien eyebrows that are on point, man... Haha.. I sent that darling portrait off to a few close friends [and now am sharing it with the general public? #whatever #ImComfortableWithMyAlienNoggin]
From there, it blossomed into a morning and afternoon filled with work, but also littered with endearingly-awful portraits [.... kinda] of some lovely people I know:
ali. in all her snappy glory.
i. am. sooooooo.... pretty. gosh. jealous?
i seriously cannot.... ahhahahahaha rob... kristin
Ya'll know Rob by now, but maybe not Kristin - she's one of the 2 incredible gals with whom I co-exist at the office, and I love the lady to pieces.
Except... when we try this. Now I'm just scared of her:
face swaps. maybe not our thing?
^ She kinda looks like the lady version of Kim Jong Un (with a double set of teeth and a brute looking scar that's actually my hair?!), and I look like like a younger, female Asian Gary Busey. As funny as it is, it's definitely unsettling, and I'm thankful that in real life, our faces truly do much better suit our respective faces ;).
And of course, some filter fun:
wooo!
Guys, this is the kind of mood that needs to come around every Monday. Can we vote to end the sullen, moody Mondays and exchange them for ones that are light, fun and productive?
Once upon a time, I started a job with this company called Express:
my first express family : cincinnati east, oh photo circa 2010
I'll never forget it - March 15, 2010: It was a Monday, and it was my first day on this new job I'd found on Craigslist, at a place I'd never heard of a month before that. I jumped in with both feet and remember very clearly my first full week at Express Employment Professionals: computer training [yay!]. It was an overload of information, a time I look back at and laugh at how many pages of notes I took, on things I wouldn't need to know, really. I had no idea where that job would take me, or if it would lead to anything at all that would be stable, or permanent.
When the news came down that I'd be moving to Illinois, I lost a lot of tears grasping the idea of leaving behind one of the best teams on which I'd ever been. And then, I met Marc & Diana, and became part of their team as a transfer. As part of that team, I would go on to experience almost 3 years of team restructuring, process adjustment and even an office expansion. I became a staffing consulant, and eventually grew into a sr. staffing consultant role. I met Ali, who is now one of my best friends, as a product of working together there, and still to this day have lasting communication and friendships with that team.
my 2nd express family: glen carbon, il photo circa 2012
The decision to move back to Ohio wasn't the easiest thing in the world, but out of that came the opportunity for me to work alongside Dave and Elisa [& some other endearing characters: Nancy, Lizzy & Nikki.. and then some other more questionable thankfully short-lived cast members, but I digress >_<...]
my 3rd express family: cinci central [part 1] photo circa 2014
It wouldn't become the longterm Cinci Central family unit, but the time I spent working with each of them is invaluable.
Then came the revolution; Dave sold the business to Paul, Elisa went to grad school in Chicago and the last toxic cell was cut from the team all in the span of a couple months. From there was born the new and battle-ready Cinci Central team. It's a world of difference in dynamic, but we're steadying the foundation together and it's amazing to see how far we've come!
my [technically] 4th express family: cinci central [part 2!] + our significant others, along with chris & deb! photo circa 2016
It's been a crazy ride: 3 different offices, 4 franchise owners, a multitude of different co-workers, events, seminars and the like. I wouldn't trade it for anything; this place is just as much a part of me as the 8+hours we invest into it daily throughout the week. I never would've envisioned myself working for a company like this, but now that I do, I'm grateful for every chaotic minute and wouldn't have it any other way.
Six years later, here I am - still in one piece and ready to see what's next.
I couldn't help it. Dwight Schrute is one of his kind, and much like a leap year, not found often. Happy leap year day, blogbots!
Although it has absolutely nothing to do with being a leap year, it doesn't hurt to recognize our newest addition to the team at work: Kristin! We're just a day into it, but I'm fairly certain this is the golden ticket for us, and I'm super. flippin'. excited to work with this girl. WELCOME to the team, Kristin!
welcome kristin!
This was a good Monday. Monday, thank you for being nice this week :)
See ya Tuesday!
I started off the day by waking up to a head of hair that had apparently been through a battle royale overnight; my Spanish genes apparently came out victorious after I'd gone to sleep on wet hair... curls for Friday it was!
And then there was the matter of appropriate and sufficient caffeination:
^ This little guy sparked a variety of comments, from my sweet friends complimenting the lion's mane, to Rob, of course, who attempted and succeeded at borrowing a spot in the limelight of my post. My question: Who wore it better?! ♥♥
who wore it best?
I didn't realize until after I'd posted this that Mare, aaaalll the way over there in Vermont, was having a similar Stanley-fueled morning:
I have such like-minded friends ♥♥...
Work was a blur, like it usually is, but I have a renewed energy in me this week, I think due mostly to the fact that I'll have a support person back here on the staffing side in just one more week. I can hang on until then, I'm pretty sure.
And just in case I wasn't sure, my team and I were pleasantly but completely surprised when the Pizza Hut delivery guy came sweeping into our office, clad with two pizzas that had been bought and sent to us by one of our truck-driving associates.
I mean... we have an incredible crew of associates who work for us, but it's times like this that stressful weeks remind me that the people we're helping are looking out for us too. You know who you are, sir, and we want to say thanks to YOU!!
many, many thanks!! :)
The successes of today were not small, nor infrequent. We're feeling a bit ragged I'm sure, but not in vain. My team is amazing :).
The day didn't end at 5:00 - it was far from it! I mentioned earlier that we'd won a sales contest; it's a big deal for us, given that we're in the running for this against 8 other local offices, and we only have 1 staffing consultant right now. It's a team effort, and it's paid off! We celebrated tonight with dinner at Hofbrahaus, followed by a comedy show at Funnybone.
express cinci central (& co.)
Whew. What a night! Yes, this is backdated; we pulled up to the house around 1am, and straight to bed it was for me; an early morning and a 4-hour drive to Cleveland awaited me on the other side.
Happy Friday, and happy weekend to each of you out there. Enjoy!!
I'm so excited to get to Summit this year, especially with Paul & Clarissa going for their first time. To add to my excitement, I realized today that the Edwardsville & Fvw Hgts Express offices will be going as well, which means I'll get to see all of them!! :D Yay!!
This happened in my office today.. haha..
he's lucky i didn't crush him to death... yiiiikes..
This has been a grueling week, void of just about all productive activity outside of work hours. This is one of those weeks that didn't see the inside of a grocery store for more than 6 minutes at once, and with us heading out tomorrow to St. Louis, we've made it by on what we still have in the pantry and opted for seafood tonight. Exhausted as we both are, I still had the chance to sit down with this handsome guy for a dinner that revolved around just.. us. Date night, woo! :)
date night with this guy!
Don't mind me... just eating like I still live in Alabama.... haha.. corn on the cob and all!
corn on the cob? yes, i think so.
Tomorrow it's one more day of work and then we're outta here for IL. It's WEDDING VENUE selection time! [please pray for us.. haha].
We welcomed a brand new member to the Express team today!! Elisa is leaving at the end of this week to prepare for her launch off to grad school, and after several unfruitful weeks of searching, we found Clarissa, who is going to be taking her place. I'm super excited to see our next chapter with her! :D
welcome aboard!!
I was also pretty excited about lunch.... not just the salmon & green beans, but the fact that I actually remembered to bring it to work. I mean, that's half the battle, right? Haha..
Elisa and I took a breather [our first of the day, really] around 3:30, and opted for ice cream... because we were both embracing our inner fat kids today and it sounded awesome.
and it was awesome!
How'd we never know about this place before?! Not cool...
It's awesome. Cute, small, locally-owned and operated... and delicious. :)
Time Warner Cable on the other hand, has some absolutely ground to make up, and will stay in the doghouse until the end of time. While I understand it's a luxury, and this will certainly sound like a first-world rant... we signed up for this because we are blessed with the means to support it, and because we enjoy watching it occasionally. So given those two things, the fact that we spend more time speaking with customer service about our lack of service than actually having service is irritating.
We're almost on board with whoever else has ever though and/or done this...
last straws..
And I suppose if that's the worst thing that's happened to me today, we're okay :).
It's Monday, and it's sunny. This is gonna be a good week!
Sleeping in this morning was the most anticipated hour of my weekend. I say hour, because well... my body no longer recognizes the golden opportunity to not wake up and go to work, so it tries to do it anyway... every day. Funny how that works.
Anyway, I somehow willed my body to stay as still as I could convince it to be, and somehow managed to open my eyes again about 2 hours later. Sleeping in has never been so much work, but YAY! Haha.
The day consisted of clean-up around the house, and catching up on things I hadn't had the chance to cover while I was gone all of last week. It wasn't much to document for the purposes of this blog, but it was a healthy sense of feeling caught up with myself and my house.. at least a little bit.
Mid-day, Rob passed out for a nap, which has been happening as a result of the pain meds he's been on since the accident. I took advantage of the downtime and decided to ride in to work for a few hours. I'm glad I did; those brief 3-4 hours were exactly what I needed to avoid feeling as though I've completely drowned in my work after missing 3 days unexpectedly.
I left work and headed straight for Jessica's; I'd promised to let Bumper out for a potty break while she was at the Luke Bryan concert. Bump and I had a great time cruising around the apartment complex, before I packed up the contents of the crockpot for fridge storage and headed on my way home.
See ya soon, Bump!
cutie!
Oh, and we committed ourselves to a night of absolutely nothing, which turned out to be the best idea we've had all week. Despite the yucky feeling of declining friends' offers to go out and about doing things, I think the excitement of last weekend should hold us over for at least 5 more days until the next weekend.
Ya know, for a short week, this one was pretty stuffed!
Today was Dave's last day as active franchise owner for my office. It's a bittersweet thing to recognize, given the near two years of ebb-and-flow progression and digression that has led us to this point. My heart is happy to see him step into full retirement, and to know that our business will no longer serve as an added distraction to the things he hopes to accomplish from here on out. I do have some admitted sadness to see him go; there are so many things about Dave that we have come to love, and he has certainly been a part of our small office family.
Dave, we wish you the best in your next ventures. Thank you for all that you've given us through your LLC and of course, for lunch today! What an excellent way to celebrate YOU!
elisa with the mexican guac cori with the thai chicken ..... typical
It seemed as though our final farewell was far less ceremonial than we'd originally envisioned, but the time came and went, and that was that. It was a typical Friday on all other cylinders, with the weekend finally in our hands.
pop... pop.. pop pop pop popppp....
Dinner plans took a spontaneous turn, and we found ourselves with bellies full at Los Cazadores. We enjoyed our casual family dinner date before heading back here to enjoy an otherwise uneventful night with each other :).
