Friday Confessions from Me to You

-I'm having some serious road rage tendencies lately. I just don't get the people who drive in the left lane of the Interstate while not passing people. I do NOT want to pass you on the right OR tailgate you - so GET OVER! (If you are a left lane driver, I'm sorry but I don't think we can be friends anymore.)

-For the last two nights, I have had a Coke Zero later in the evening and then couldn't get to sleep for anything. Could these two things be related? Hmmm...maybe I will stick to water at 8 p.m. on work nights. (Yes, I'm officially old.)

-I'm absolutely dreading the day my sisters call up and want to use the pool in my neighborhood. Mainly (only) because I have a couple extra rolls in my mid-section that were not there last year. On top of that, the stark whiteness of my skin may scare young children. Oh well, have to bite the bullet and break out the swimsuit at some point, right?

-I'm thinking about trying a Pilates DVD. I was watching E! News (yes, I know it really shouldn't be called news) and saw a segment about the trainer who has been working with Miley Cyrus and she has a DVD (Flat Abs Pilates) - of course. I'm sure I can look like a 19-year-old singer/actress after a few weeks of Pilates at home, right?

-I'm on a bit of an Amazon kick lately. Just ordered this book - Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking - after reading a review on another blog. My friend, Bathtub Mama, often laugh about how we are both content to sit in the same room and not talk to each other when we visit! 

-I'm so, so ready for the weekend. I have a rough 3-4 weeks of work travel, meetings and deadlines looming so I'm looking forward to a couple of quiet days to get geared up.

Linking up to A Blonde Ambition's Confessional Friday.

NOTE: The links above are affiliate links. I haven't given my opinion on either of the products but when I do, they will be my own!

Where's the Beef

Once I stopped bowling blogging (was totally watching Big Bang Theory right now and it's the one with Will Wheaton and the bowling alley...oops) earlier this month, I have had a difficult time starting again.

So, I decided to ease into it with a simple post tonight.

Have you seen the Wendy's television ad where the guy puts on the vintage "Where's the Beef?" t-shirt and everyone notices?

A t-shirt like this one...

via

I love the throwback to the classic "Where's the Beef?" commercials with these ladies...

via

The ad made me smile...and made me want a Baconator...guess it did it's job, huh?

BTW, my local Wendy's started carrying Coke Zero. Yeah!

Ending the Week OK

I've had a long week. I'm getting to the end of a really big project at work that is going to be awesome (more about that later) but there's still a lot of work to be done.

Take a heavy workload add a looming deadline and that equals STRESS!

But no matter how much stress I have at work, I need to keep it all in perspective.

So here are a few things I learned at work today...

First, that I have some AWESOME coworkers. On my desk this morning, I found a pick-me-up card and this...

What can I say...they get me! (Also, I'm loving Instagram on my iPad.)

Second, don't order 8 milkshakes and a Coke Zero in the drive-thru during Happy Hour at Steak 'n Shake and expect to get them in sooner than 20 minutes.

Third...

Source: wanelo.com via Megan on Pinterest

Fourth, a 20-minute wait for milkshakes is worth it when you surprise people with a Friday afternoon treat.

Fifth, I have always known that my brain works in a different way and that I have a habit of starting a conversation somewhere in the middle, not the beginning. However, I never realized how bad it is until we got a new intern and he point blank tells me - repeatedly -that he doesn't understand what I'm talking about.

Source: None via Megan on Pinterest

I guess he just doesn't get me!


Finally, I love the work I'm doing and that I get to things like this and consider it work!

TGIF, my friends!


Enjoy your weekend.

My Ode to Coke Zero

I don't think I've kept my love of Coke Zero a secret on this blog OR in real life.

I just heart my Coke Zero.

Source: images.google.com via Margi on Pinterest

A long time ago, I told myself - and anyone else who would listen that I'd rather give up soda than switch to Diet.

Then Coke Zero came along and changed my mind. It tastes just enough like Coke to fool me into thinking that I'm still drinking the regular stuff!

I know which restaurants and gas stations have fountain Coke Zero...there's nothing like a fountain soda, huh?

Did you know that Chick-fil-A and Chili's and Ruby Tuesday's all have Coke Zero? There's even a local restaurant near Cincinnati, Ohio that carries it but no one but me orders it (it was a bit flat)!

I even know when the McDonald's along I-65 in northern Indiana start offering Coke Zero...I know, it's an addiction.

Now the Steak 'n Shake right down the road from my work is my favorite haunt for a Coke Zero at lunch or on the way home (especially if it's Half Price Happy Hour). Nothing better than a cold Coke Zero on the long drive home.

Imagine my surprise earlier this week when I rolled up to the drive-thru and was told that they do NOT carry Coke Zero. I informed him that it was on the menu and I ordered one just last week but he was adamant.  Well, not so much adamant as blatantly unconcerned with my panicked voice.

This may just curb my stops at Steak 'n Shake, just sayin.

Starbucks better NEVER stop carrying peppermint syrup...not sure I could do without my Peppermint Mochas in the morning!

What I'm Loving Wednesday...Chicago

I'm loving that Coke Zero is offered at McDonald's in the Region. And I'm loving that my taking a photo of this sign outside the restaurant made some guy roll down his window and flirt with three cute gals in a mini-van...I think we made his day.

I'm loving that I have a job that lets me have all kinds of new experiences, including hearing some fascinating research from some incredibly smart people while sitting in a room on the 80th floor (that's the top folks) of a high rise in the Windy City.

I'm loving the view from my hotel room of Michigan Avenue.

I'm loving that I stayed on the KISS floor of the Hard Rock Hotel Chicago and this is what greeted me as I stepped off the elevator.

I'm loving that the hallway decor didn't continue into my room. Instead these Fab Four were waiting for me in my bathroom.

I'm loving those two gents in the middle so much that this is my new wallpaper on my phone...

I'm loving the street art around Chicago. I didn't take my camera so all of these photos are from my Blackberry...sorry. There were hearts up and down Michigan Avenue and they were all different. The one below is the first one I saw so I snapped a quick shot. The goal of the project was heart disease awareness, I think. At least that's what I walked away with! 

I'm loving that the day after Valentine's Day the St. Patrick's Day items were on the shelf at this Walgreens. Chicago unabashedly loves to celebrate the Day of the Irish!

I'm loving the view at night from my hotel room in Chicago.

I'm loving the fact that I get to visit the big city every once in a while and then mosey home to my quiet existence in smalltown USA. It's truly the best of both worlds! Now if only the McDonald's at home would offer Coke Zero...then it would be a perfect world!

Lessons Learned on a Solo Road Trip

I headed to the big city earlier this week - Chicago. If I can make it there, I can make it anywhere.

Oops, sorry that's New York, isn't it?

I still think the line applies to Chicago, at least when it comes to navigating the city streets. Now, don't get me wrong. I know that driving in NYC, LA and London is probably crazier, but Chicago traffic isn't a Sunday drive in the country!

I've driven in Chicago many times before but there was one big difference this time. I was ALONE. So, I learned a few things during my drive and I want to share.

1.  A four-hour drive seems like an eight-hour drive when you are traveling during drive-time and don't care about the weather, traffic and news from cities you are just passing through. There was the Chicago traffic but even if I listened, I wouldn't know where they were talking about! I never wished for satellite radio more than during this drive. A stop at Meijer allowed me to pick up the newest Little Big Town CD and alleviate my boredom.

 2. A co-pilot is needed even if you have a navigation system. The car I was driving had a built in navigation system that got me exactly where I was going, but a co-pilot would have been so useful in having the correct change at toll booths, keeping an eye out for my exit and reassuring me that the navigation system was not lying to me. I also missed having someone to joke with...like when I saw the billboard for Fair Oaks Farms (Have you been there? If not, go.) that said "Cheese. Grate Stuff." Isn't that a hoot?

3. You can blow right through toll booth (via the i-Pass lanes), honestly. I feel as if I need to explain myself here. At the second toll booth on the Illinois Tollway, ALL of the Cash lanes were green as I approached it. When I entered my chosen lane, the light turned RED! What's a girl to do? Continue forward and hope the toll collector (right term?) takes my money? Back up and choose another lane. I chose the latter. Thank goodness it wasn't rush hour! After telling this story to some folks at the conference I was attending, I learned a great tip. You have a 7-day grace period on unpaid tolls. Don't believe me? Check it out. Just pick the toll booths you missed, enter your credit card number and you are set.

4.  Blind spot alert systems are a great tool in bumper-to-bumper traffic. I normally drive a Corolla and it so doesn't have this feature (but it gets 35+ MPG, so I don't complain about lack of extras - much), but I was driving a Buick Lucerne that does have all the bells and whistles. The blind spot indicator saved me many times when I needed to change lanes quickly but also had to stay aware of what was happening in front, behind and to the other side of me.

5.  Northern Indiana is a test market when it comes to fast food. Now, this doesn't really have anything to do with a solo road trip, but I did learn it and really wanted 5 items on my list, so it's in. I love Coke Zero - it's Diet Coke masquarding as regular Coke. I really love a fountain Coke Zero and can tell you every restaurant in Central Indiana (and some gas stations) that offer my favorite drink. McDonald's isn't one of them. So imagine my surprise and utter delight when I pulled into the drive-thru in Crown Point or one of those cities in the Region (Side note: Mishawaka is NOT in the Region.) and Coke Zero was on the menu. I can only hope it tests well and becomes available everywhere!

Those are my lessons learned. I'm headed back to Chicago at the end of the month, but luckily next time I have company! I may still see if I can drive the Buick...