HELLO, MAY!

It's MAY!

I'll spare you the Timberlake/N*Sync memes today; I got mine in yesterday, hah ;).

So YEAH, it's Friday, it's May 1st, and today was... awesome.

To start off, the sun was out. That doesn't sound like a big deal to most people, but when you live in OHIO, in MAY, the weather can be doing any number of things other than being tolerable. The good vibe was set for the day, and it grew better and better as the day wore on.

Elisa and I escaped the monotony of work for the traditional Friday lunch; Northside was our destination, and after a beautiful back patio timeout with delicious chicken wraps at Melt, we stopped by Sidewinder for some iced coffee.

not too bad for a day in the city! ♥

And when you're in Northside at Sidewinder, you don't not go to Chicken Lays an Egg right across the street. In fact, you go and you try on all the sunglasses. Because they're awesome, that's why!

stolen from e's IG

snazzy. 

Love.
Work ended, and the routine led me into Milford to pick up Sydni. She was out within 10 minutes of the car ride home, like usual, but not before giving the universe another priceless kid quote:

Syd: Mommy, is tomorrow my day off? 
Me: Yes; it's Saturday! That means you get to sleep in! 
Syd: YEAH. It means we can do whateeeever we want! Except play with knives.
Me: Yeah... ummm.. except that. 
Syd: Perfect. Don't wake me up tomorrow morning. 

^ Gotta love kids, hahaha. Not five minutes after she said that, this happened: 

zonked. 

We made it home only to change our clothes and head right back out the door; Rob had the excellent idea to take an evening hike before dinner. I thought that was an amazing idea, so we headed out to Withrow for a short jaunt around the property, which culminated at an overlook to the Ohio River. 

giant tree... perfect for climbing! 

little nature girly

Back in the car, our bellies were rumbling; we voted a Friday night family dinner date in Eastgate, but not before a pitstop at Family Christian. To my heart;s joy, not only did I find a new 365 devotional, but so did ROB! ♥♥ This is a pretty big step for us to do together, and I'm prayfully confident that there is growth beyond measure in store for both of us.

#truuuuuuuuuth.

We finally made it to dinner before heading home for a few minutes of unwind before bed. It's been a long and fulfilling day; my heart is happy with my simple little life  and I'm anxious to see what tomorrow has in store!

xo | cmd 

Breathing.. In The City

ault park

I'll lead with that. I took a break today. It's only Wednesday. I gave in today to the pressure of a week that's barely started, and found myself in a steep downward spiral into an attitude and aggressively negative mindset. By the time noon rolled around, it seemed as though the stresses just three days into the week were succeeding at cracking me and turning me against myself. Today clashed with the type of energy I want to project; I forgot to count my blessings when I woke up today, and lost track of them in the shuffle.

Fortunately, we have several spots of reprieve nestled right here in the Queen City.. that even though we've got the asphalt and bricks that define us as a metro, we can still escape if we need. Ault Park, one of those gems, was my solace today. At Elisa's suggesting, I gathered what little composure I had left when my lunch hour came knocking, and made a bee-line for the hill. I partked myself for a good 45 minutes on a stone wall overlooking a split view: The far left a green plain, marked with a pasture and a treeline. The middle was a field of dirt, resurrected there by the lone Caterpillar parked off to the side. Another small strip of green right of that, and then a sharp incline straight up the retaining wall and onto the highwway. Nearly a full range of the city offerings, in one panoramic.

Fast-forward about an hour, after a light stroll around the place, sans shoes, but with 60 minutes worth of deep inhales and exhales, sunlight and birds, breeze and fellow passersby replacing the ringing phones and buzz of conversation. It was peaceful and still, yet still bustling with the energy of other people out to enjoy the weather.

I took that one on the way back to my car, barefoot [my favorite]. It struck me as funny that there is such a clear definition of the the construction and the au naturale [ok, yes, I get that mulch is not a naturally-occurring element... just... shshshoosh, mk?], and that in three days, I'll be making a very drastic switch between the two, when I head out with my team to Panama.

Despite the overwhelming nature of the day, the evening proved to be the exact opposite. I'd made a strong resolve at the park at lunch to approach the rest of the day with a renewed sense of positivity and grace, to ensure that I ruled the day, and not the other way around. It's all about where we set our minds, really.

Thankfully, I had Paul, Martin and Beth to help re-focus me, when we rallied together for our first session run as a team in the sand at good old Grand Sands. It was a reunion of sorts, but the perfect second-to-last stop of the day.

grand sands.. we're baaaaack! ;) 

Rob, as always, was there to show his support, and afterwards let me accompany him back down to Northside to rendezvous with Becky & Co. for a nightcap at Northside Tavern. Karaoke night + quesadillas from The Comet? I think so. I think... so ;)

It shaped up to be a beautiful day. With the refresher course of humility and patience [hard-learned, self-inflicted] this morning, followed by the turnaround from the second half, I'd have to say I leave this one behind with no complaints.

Oh, and three days.
We have three short days remaining to take-off for Panama. Please continue to pray for us! :)

xo | cmd

Christmas Priorities... Pshhh... ;)

I can't believe Christmas Day is this week. The festive spirit got ahold of me this year and I'm on a roll preparing for it this year, more-so than the past few years, but I still can't quite grasp that it will all culminate this week. Phew!

Instead of staying home and diligently knitting away at Andrew's birthday/Christmas present like I should have tonight, I obliged Becky's invite to Comet for dinner, joined by Andrew himself [the ironyyyy], Jessica & Rob. While I lost several valuable hours of needle time, I wouldn't have traded it for the company, atmosphere and of course.. food!

quesadillas @ the comet.
'nuff said.

We're a funky bunch, I'll say that much. We eventually bid goodnight to Jess & Andrew, and followed Becky back to our house to hang out for a bit and watch the UC game. Sydni conned her buddy Becky into one of her endless endeavors as project manager in our house, and none of us were disappointed that giggles replaced the priority of watching the game.

little builders! 

The final countdown is ON! THREE DAYS! ♥♥

xo | cmd 

Brother Bear's Return!

It's #TBT, which was perfectly timed for today.

There is a handful of faces from my past to which I still make efforts to stay connected; this guy is one of them:

circa.... 2008?

Yeah, this guy was an older brother to me for a few years, and someone I considered [and still do] one of my favorite friends along the way. We ran in the same close-knit circle of friends for several years and then eventually strayed separate ways via life, jobs, moving and all that fun stuff that gets in the way of people living in their early 20's forever. He's now living in Texas and I'm now back in Ohio for the third [and hopefully final] time.

I hadn't seen him in probably almost 2 years.

say whaaaaaaat?!
today! 11.20.14

And THEN, I went to Northside for lunch with Elisa and Becky, and from the parlour at Melt in Northside, I spotted this dapper dude strolling down the sidewalk outside.

No. WAY! :D

Brother bear, it was terrific getting to see you today, even just briefly. What a small world! I hope Texas continues to treat you well, and maybe I'll swing through the next time I find myself that way!

one more from the archives, 2007 : family dinner!
nalom. james. me. ladd. catie.

^^ Love those people ♥

Small world we live in :)

Happy Thursday!

xo | cmd

And Off, Off We Go.....

Fridays are always so much better when they are BEAUTIFUL!

Today was just that; Carri, Elisa and I took advantage of the seasonal bliss and ventured out for our lunch hour. We decided on Northside, a zone we rarely frequent for lunch because... well, because we're dingos who didn't think before to consider it.

northside tour! 

Lunch of course was just.. terrible ;) 

yyyyeah right; lunch was incredible.
y-u-M.

We took the long way back to the office, shared some moments so funny that I was in tears [I've determined I have overactive tear ducts, anyway... ], and finished out our week on a high note of team camaraderie. 

Following work, it was only a few short hours before Rob, Sydni and I had our gear together and were piled in the truck en route for a weekend at my parents. 

Clearly, it was a rough journey for Syd: 

♥♥♥♥. 

Haha.
We're here, in good old Mt. Vernon, and ready to get to business tomorrow. Word on the street is that my dad has a list a mile long of things Rob and I get to do over the next two days. Then again, when is that new? ;) 

See you then! 

xo | cmd

Tunes & Blooms: The Finale

Today was one of those days at work; for the most part, everything on our plates usually runs smoothly. However, when there is a problem, it's usually a pretty big one, and today was no exception to that. I was challenged today.. really challenged to comprehend the breaking point that pushes some people to act so violently in an unprovoked situation. I now have an employee with a broken wrist because of the erratic outrage of a random person. It makes me furious to think about it, still.. but our employee is handling it better than I probably, and he's going to be okay. Right now, that's all that matters.

In other news, Rob and I both needed a bit of a breather, so we joined Mike & Becky at the last round of Tumes & Blooms at the zoo. We've only gone to one other one so far, but wanted to make it out for one last hoo-rah.

There of course were the tunes:


bluegrass @ tunes & blooms!

There were friends... 

hi, friends! 

love love love 'em.

... there were flowers...

beautiful!

.. and of course, there were friends and flowers!

goofball.

Oh! And there's a new baby at the zoo! We caught a tiny peek of little [by little, I mean 5'11" tall and 150 some lbs..] Nasha's head while we were there; she was in the giraffe den nestled up against a far wall, so no full shots today. I did however find a video of her from TWO days ago when she was born!

Yay, baby animals! (:
We wrapped up at T&B when our stomachs started growling, and made a getaway to Comet in Northside for dinner. Tofu quesadilla it was, and of course a selfie... because... well, because lumberjack hats and PBR. That's why.

duh. (:

I'm totally shameless about that hat. Yes, it's quite the furry head accessory, but we took the bike out tonight and I'll give ya one guess as to whose head wasn't cold on the trips to and from.. E|:)

Happy Thursday, blogbots!!

xo | cmd

Monday: Mare & Mini-Me

I woke up this morning, a little sad that our last remaining visitor would still be sleeping when we left for work, but would be well into her journey back to VA by the time we were home again.

Or.... this message that came across this morning:

well all right then!

I don't think I was overly surprised that she'd chosen to wander around the city some more before she headed out, so I took my lunch break to rendezvous with her at Sidewinder's in Northside.

sidewinder?
no no, it's actually sheehan / cori

^ I kid, I kid. Even though I literally lived in Northside, with Becky for nearly three months during my initial transition back to Ohio, I rarely explored the little gems that neighbor one another on Hamilton Ave. Marianne of course had her camera ready to go; we took advantage of the beautiful day and trekked a short couple of blocks both ways before I had to return to work.

obey... imelda marcos? | photog cred: marianne

Yeah. So we finally said our final farewells [for now] around 1pm, snagged a couple final photos and I was off to finish up my day back at the office.

sunny day coffee lunch break with this gal.

I don't know if or when I will ever learn to stop assuming things.

Like, in this case, when I assumed Marianne would be at least halfway through her drive back to VA at 4:30?

hahaha yes!



Niiiiiiice. She's really not unlike me in that this is probably something I have done and probably will do again at some point. I can't say I complained, though. I may have laughed a little - probably a tiny cackle when I read it, but either way, I'm not mad.

 

I did however, have to put off evening plans with M&B until after Sydni's gymnastics.

Fun fact here: This little girl is built like me, acts like I did when I was 4 and is more stubborn than a mule. I've seen the pictures and 8mm tape documentation of miniature me [actual me, not Sydni] in my little leotard and shorts, perched atop a balance beam and swinging from the low bar. Aside from the hair on our head, it's nearly identical.

 

Except she's definitely going to be better:

Yes. Most definitely better than  me. It probably has something to do with the fact that I was still throwing handsprings while she was doin' her time on the inside [har har], but who really knows. I LOVE that little athletic girl of mine!

After gymnastics, the three of us headed home to change, and then right back out the door to Dewey's to meet up with Becky & Mare. It's apparently been one heckuva day for all of us; I have to admit I was definitely ready to be home in sweats on the couch.

BUT, not before a chocolate teeth picture. This is another one of those photo moments that will go on repeat for the rest of our lives, I'm sure. We were only missing Ali on this one..

26 february 2013

10 march 2014

^ Some things probably won't ever change..  haha.

We're home now.
We're spent.
We're goin' to bed.

G'Nite!

xo | cmd

Opposites: National Donut Day & A Farm Outing

1. National Donut Day!

I'm being honest, and just a little sad, too, that I did not eat a donut today. The way I had it figured, someone out there would compensate for me. Haha. I borrowed an Instagram shot from my dear friend Ali M., and a capture of Willie & Phil from Duck Dynasty in honor of this minute yet sugar-filled holiday.

ig cred: @indiechick [miss ali m!]

donuts with duck dynasty?

Friday, other than being Nat'l Donut Day, didn't have much else to offer outside of that. Most of the things we'd had scheduled for the day didn't stick, which is as much a relief as it is a bad thing, since the numbers won't build if they don't happen. I took the opportunity to get caught up on the rest of the things I had scheduled for next week, so hopefully Monday will take flight without much hassle.

And then....
Farm time!
Mike & Becky took me out to Jen & Jordan's farm to pick up the trailer we'll use to officially move me tomorrow. It's been so long since I've been to a local farm; it was a breath of fresh air [literally, but also mentally] that I'd so badly needed. Everything I loved seeing on some of the farms back home was here, plus an adorable dog....

[I didn't take any pictures while we were there, but I went digging and found some that almost do justice to what I actually saw..]


gardens in full beauty... pretty much what i saw,
only j&j's was definitely better ;)

And their dog! Again, I didn't take either of these pictures, but it's the same type of pup, with the same gorgeous heterochromia iridum as this one. I wish I'd had my camera to capture his amazing features, but for what it's worth, this aussie shepherd again almost meets what I saw.  

aussie shep! | photog cred: karen moe photography

Ah. So adorable! On top of the multiple plots of blooming plants, a garden by the house itself and acres of plain old serenity if you ask me... there were goats, baby chickens and some sheep. We didn't have to travel to the end of the earth to find this escape either; I have to say I could've stayed all evening, just for the ambience.

... But we didn't. Haha. We hitched up the trailer to Mike's truck and headed back to Northside, where we ordered in from NYPD Pizza in Northside and finished the day just relaxing.

Tomorrow is the official moving day.
See ya there.

xo | cmd

Plugging In

First, I wanted to start off the day with some color:

hello! (:

I don't often go for the bright pops of color quite like this, but I thought it was fun, and coupled with the chair in my office, I couldn't resist. Spring is here and I was definitely feelin' it today.

I have been on a very gradual transition back into Cincinnati. In the past three weeks that I've been back, I've already had two mini trips back to Illinois, and have been making myself sparse around here, for the immediate time being.

Today I checked two more things off my Return to the 'Nati checklist: link up with a gym and decide how I want to continue with my banking. Well, for the sake of being a 'Nati-an, I'm going to stay local:


fitworks & wright-patt credit union | norwood, oh

Yeah, I took the plunge. I've been wanting to get back into some circuit training for a couple of months now, but with everything that's been going on, I never had time. Then I remembered that I have to make time if I want to see any sort of result [duh], so there ya have it. I'm invested. Haha. Tomorrow I'll jump in with a personal trainer and see just how out of shape I really am these days.

Back in Northside, I paused to take pictures of some of the simple, quirky beauty its residents have to offer. I don't necessarily consider myself a truly ecclectic person, but I always enjoy the manifestation of the more expressive faculties. 

pretty little northside (:

Fun. It may seem tacky to some people, but while I don' tknow that I'd paint a garden onto my car, it's fun to see random things like this speckling the neighborhoods across Northside.

Tonight I found myself back in the company of two of my favorite friends from Cincinnati. It's been a long time since I spent any time with them, but on a random fluke I found myself sitting through the last half of the Pacers-Heat game and half of an AnimalPlanet Mermaid documentary with Lu & Kyle [aka Goldy & Chester]. Lu's adorable girlfriend Ashley and Kyle's brother Chad were there, too. I've missed them, and it didn't hurt my mood to see some old familiar faces.


ky. lu. cori | circa2007

[Has it really been that long?! :( ]
Funny. The edge of transitioning back is starting to wear down some; I will finally move into my new digs effective this weekend, so once that's completed, I'm hoping to wake up feeling a little more "here" than I do now. I've got a great job, great friends who've supported me [literally supported me] through the process, a boyfriend who still puts up with me two states away [love. him.], and of course, the center of my world: the 3-year-old who certainly knows more about US currency than I did when I was 3... ;) ["Look! Waaaashington!!"] Haha.

I'm back in Northside and ready to put Monday to rest. I can't help but feel that slight emptiness that you get when you know you're missing someone but have no choice to power through it. He knows, though, and I know that it'll be okay. I'm just being a baby about it. Becky gets back tomorrow, so I'll have to catch up with her and see how the big Apple treated her on her first trip.

Random idea: Say something nice to a stranger tomorrow, and mean it. (:

G'Nite, friends.

xo | cmd

Back Again

After we slept in waaay too long this morning [though much needed], we were off in search of food, landing us at Jake's.

bbq grilled chicken tips. i'm not complaining!
jacobsmeyers | granite city, il

We had plenty of leftovers, since both of us were still halfway full from dinner last night. Go figure. Hah. We left lunch and made our way down to Fairview to pick up Sydni, then headed back to Rob's house for a little bit before Syd and I left for Ohio.

Fast forward through all the driving. I'm again swallowing that sorta-sad feeling I get whenever something's over - even if it is just a great weekend. I had a blast, and so did Sydni. We're back now, and it's time for bed. We've both got early mornings.

My thoughts & prayers go out to all of those hit by the tornadoes this weekend. It was scary enough just driving through the outskirts of the storm; I can't imagine being in its direct path. Praying for peace, for safety and for the means to put everything back together from the damage.

We have so much more than we realize.... I am blessed.

With Love...
xo | cmd

THREE DAY WEEKEND!!

*Whew! Another week down. This is the first full week we've been open as the newest Cincinnati office, and it was definitely interesting with Elisa gone for most of the week. I hope she's having a blast on vaca though, and maaaaybe she'll be sweet enough to bring back some Florida weather next week. Hah [drive safely!!]

Anyway, with Friday under wraps, let's take a deep breath and welcome the THREE DAY WEEKEND! Helloooo Memorial Day!

woooooo! three-day weekend!! ;) 

I went straight from work to Sandy's to pick up Sydni, and stayed there with the two of them talking for nearly an hour before we got back on the road. It was great to see her, and now that I'm back for good, it'll be a more frequent thing. Sydni and I made the haul back down to Northside to Becky's, where she and Mike were awaiting.

hello, mini!!

comet... mmmm!

Sydni wasted no time making herself at home and finding the water gun collection hidden throughout the apartment, and for nearly 30 minutes, it was an all out war between Becky, Mike, Sydni and me. It was hilarious. Once we'd settled down from that, we ordered dinner from The Comet, played some Angry Birds on the iPad, and called it a night. I have a feeling this is going to be one busy, BUSY weekend.

Syd's about crashed, and I can tell I'm not far behind her.
Here's the long weekend! Stay SAFE and have fun, friends!

xo | cmd

'Ello Again, CinCity. I Brought a Visitor (:

So Rob and I have been talking for a little while about taking a weekend break from Madison & St. Clair County, but outside of that just Illinois and Missouri in general. I figured a great first [& small] step would be a quick little road trip to Cincinnati. He's never really been, so we agreed to trek back to my stomping grounds for a change and let him have a change of scenery.


check out the obey posters!

This is backdated, in case you were curious as to how we got here in time for daylight [nope].

I saw this mural and I wanted to share it; we're in Northside at Becky's for the moment and I have a feeling it's gonna be a great weekend! Stay tuned... (:

xo | cmd

Ohio Bound [Again]

Here I am in Ohio, again. Haha.

I feel like I should highlight the fact that Becky introduced me to tofu quesadillas [thanks, Comet].


tofu quesadilla | comet cafe, northside, cincinnati

 This one's gonna be super short, since I'm currently parked on the most comfortable futon in Northside, and I... am... exhausted.

Thank you, Lord, for delivering me safely once again. That five hour trek is no joke!

Three day weekend, let's go.

xo | cmd