20- American Heart Association Heart Walk

For a few years now, Medco has participated in the Tampa Bay Heart Walk for the American Heart Association. This year, I participated on a friend's team, and I really enjoyed the experience. It had to be one of the coldest mornings of the year, but the chill was no match for the 10 cups of coffee I had!
I arrived early to help set up our tent, and I ran the PLINKO game for those who wanted to play. We had great giveaways, and the kids enjoyed the balloons and our mascot "Lippy". (see pic below :)

We had the option of doing the 1 mile or 3 mile, so naturally I did the 3 mile. There were so many people, and you couldn't help but to engage others in conversation with that many smiles in abundance. What made me enjoy this day was that I felt surrounded by motivated people who came together for a great cause. If there is one thing I have been looking for in Tampa, it's like-minded people......those who care about others and the community. What a great way to be!


Overall, the event raised $1,758,535!!!!!!

19- After Work at the Bar

I'm back!

Soooo much to tell you about, so let's see how much I can remember!

For this little adventure, it was pretty much an impromptu thing.......and I was hesitant about it at first.

One of my "duties" at work is to organize Continuing Education programs for our pharmacists and technicians. Normally, we hold these programs at our facility, but the number of attendees increased to over 300 this time around, so I had to move it to the Embassy Suites hotel. Little did I know that this hotel was frequented by a lot of people, specifically for happy hour. The program started and 7pm and ended at 9pm, with dinner having started around 5:45pm, so you can just imagine how much the party got started during the dinner hour! I had some last minute things to do, so I didn't arrive until a little after 6.

I'll just say this was probably the most interesting CE program I have done :)

There is always a mad rush at the end of the program because 98% of the population has worked a full day shift before the program. My day is usually 7am to 10pm on these program days. Naturally, after it being my first off-site program, and after it being a huge success, I gladly accepted an invitation to hang at the bar after it was all over.

The food was surprisingly very good and I only had one glass of wine. It was very entertaining  to sit back, relax, and watch my co-workers get loose LOLOLOL. I tell yeah, personalities come out when the drinks go down the hatch! I couldn't stop staring at some of them......and stayed long enough to have something to hold over their heads! (JUST KIDDING). I did get some great laughs out of the night and I really did enjoy hanging out with some of them. It was good to be able to chat and chew longer than the 30 min lunch we get during the day!!!

Hmmmm.......maybe the next CE could be there as well????

Stay Tuned!

Alright! I think I have about 6 activities to update you on, but I have included them on the list to the left. I am almost at 30! Time is FLYING by, and next week is December????? It's hard to believe, especially since it's still 80 degrees and fabulous in Tampa. Perhaps the weather Gods are trying to get me to like Tampa more?!

I'll try to catch up on my entries this week. This time of the semester is always hard since it's the end. I am actually working on making a book for one of my classes! We'll see how that goes!

So stay tuned...................

18- Hyde Park Arts Festival

On Sunday Oct. 31st (Halloween!), Cherie and I went to the Hyde Park Arts Festival, which was right down the street from my place. The festival started at 10am, and we arrived around 10:30, but it was still very crowded. The weather was great, but the prices of the artwork was too high for me! Like I mentioned in the last post, I love unique, one-of-a-kind items, but there's usually a nice price to pay for stuff like that. 

From the hundreds of vendors that showcased their work, I probably found 2 or 3 items I really liked, but I didn't think I should spend $300 for something to put on my bookcase. I'll just leave my bookcase as it is for now! Cherie and I both liked this one booth that sold leather-bound journals that were unlike any we'd ever seen before. I am actually trying to find the card that the vendor gave us so I can post it for you guys to check out. 

Along the stroll at the festival, we stopped to get coffee at Indigo Coffee shop, and I never knew that shop was in the area. I like finding new places to chill. At least if I am going to be the nerd that I am, I can get out of the house and "post up" somewhere else where I can still be productive. 

Nice day...............

17- Antique Shopping

I live in South Tampa, and this area is like most Tampa areas in that it is pretty old. What is unique about South Tampa, though, is that there is a lot of expensive real estate, especially along Bayshore Blvd, and deeper into the small neighborhoods within South Tampa there are old mansions that have been converted into condos and apartments. Pretty cool.

With the old-vibe here comes streets aligned with unique shops, restaurants, and boutiques. There is also a large health food market, similar to a Whole Foods, right across the street from my place. On Oct. 30th, Cherie and I walked over to the market to purchase some healthy snacks for the day. We were walking to restaurant called Pinky's for breakfast when we stumbled across some antique shops. Most of the shops were primarily full of furniture, but we found one right next to the restaurant that had some great accent pieces for the home. Cherie actually found some binoculars that she had been looking for to set one of her shelves. (Not like she needed to buy anything to squeeze into her carry-on with everything else)!

The thing I love about antique/vintage shops is the one-of-a-kind feel when you buy something. It's not like when you pick up a vase at Target, knowing that the other 50 vases just like it would be purchased by other people within the same day. If you have the time, get out and find some antique shops and support small businesses!

16-Hard Rock Hotel and Casino

On Friday, October 29th, my twin came into town and I took her to the Hard Rock to meet a few of my friends. We arrived around 8:30p and were greeted with the usual casino vibe of smoke-filled rooms and loud music. One of my friends suggested the Council Oak Room of the casino, and it was a great recommendation. Away from all of the noise and "interesting" crowd, there sat a restaurant towards the back of the casino that had just the vibe we were looking for. Council Oak is a restaurant/bar and "grown" person's type of place to listen to live music, drink, and converse.  

We ate some food that was just "okay" and enjoyed wine. The singer that night was named Monique and she did awesome renditions of Sade, Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, and more. During a break in her performance, she came over to chat with us and told us her real name was Dominique, but for her Gospel album (which she was selling that night) she called herself Monique because she says that name is a bit more soft, quiet, and refined. I had to laugh at that because I definitely didn't agree! 

After a couple of sets, "Monique" remembered that my name was Monique and called me out to help her sing. I think she was just joking though. 

After we left Council Oak, we walked towards the front to go back to our cars, but not before stopping to see people getting the party started in a small area that I guess was a club of some sort. I haven't seen that kind of dancing in a while! It was like they thought they were at their prom from 30 years ago. VERY INTERESTING!

All in all, it was a cool way to start the weekend, but the cigarette smoke was way too much!

15- Massage Shoppe

I will just get to the point on this one, because I am still a little ruffled by my un-relaxation massage.

On Sunday 10-24 I treated myself...............WELL, I attempted to treat myself to a relaxation massage because things have been so hectic for me lately. I mean, what better way to release tension from the past and be relaxed for things to come than a massage? I normally get a deep tissue massage, and they hurt a bit, but I didn't think there was much difference between that and a relaxation massage. Heck, I was SUPER relaxed after my last deep tissue, so I thought the relaxation might just be a deep tissue minus the "ouch".

Hmm, not so much. I don't know if it was the therapist or the type of massage I selected, but I really could have paid a friend to do what that person did. As a matter of fact, I probably could have done it to myself since I have such long arms (insert laughter). I felt exactly the same when I left as when I cam in, but with more shock added to it.

The website states:

• Ten Treatment Rooms Geared for Your Relaxation (Soft Music, Dim Lighting)
• Tranquility Room for before and after your Massage

HOWEVER, the "shoppe" is located on a busy street, so you can hear the cars pass by, AND the music was not so soft, AND there was no tranquility room that I can remember. What I do remember is being entertained while waiting for my massage by the two therapists yapping back and forth about one's brother trying to find a date and things to do in Tampa. I do realize that I may be on the same page as that brother, as we are both trying to explore Tampa, but for whatever reason, I was in no mood to jump in and start yapping. I think I was ruffled by the fact that they robbed my peace and tranquility! I wanted to relax and think about myself!

So finally, they remembered why they came to work that day and one called my name and showed me to my room. The table was hard and the towels were pretty rough, and the therapist couldn't stop talking about the ring I had on my finger..........and she even touched it! I normally am not bothered by the admiration of my very inexpensive fashion jewelry, especially when dim lights make my rings look like I'm married to P. Diddy or Dwayne Wade or someone like that. But, she really (insert your word of choice) me off because she was talking to me like I was her homegirl and I have never been one for getting "too comfortable" when there is a job to be done. Do you know what I mean?

Needless to say, I will be returning to my other massage studio within the next few weeks to get the relaxation I deserve.


I have been going back and forth with whether I will name the establishment, but I don't really think it matters. If you call me and ask me, I tell you LOL!

14- Denim and Pearls

On Sat. 10-23, I attended an event called "Denim and Pearls" sponsored by the Tampa Alumnae Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. This "elegantly casual" affair (as the flyer suggested) was packed with men and women from their 20's to 60's!

The first part of the event was held at the IMAX Theatre at Channelside (Downtown shopping/dining venue), and the second part was held at one of the restaurants below the IMAX. I didn't even catch the name of the restaurant because as the party moved from one place to the next, I just followed the crowd and the music!

Open bar + spoken word + smiles & hellos + a DJ from Atlanta + the electric slide = A GOOD TIME!

I have to say this is exactly what I have been looking for since I moved Tampa.........if you really know what I mean. As the DJ gave a "shout out" to those HBCU grads, mostly FAMU and Bethune Cookman, I really felt like I was in the right place.

The only downside was that we were supposed to receive complimentary movie passes for the IMAX, but I was told they had all been given out. Guess that goes to show how many people supported the event!

Nice job ladies....we had a great time.


*** I didn't take any pics at the event, but I am including these pics to show Channelside.

Cafe` Delta

October has always been an extremely busy month in my life. From midterms to homecomings to birthday parties, and the struggle to try to save money instead of spending it because I'm usually trying to travel for the holidays, I've always been a busy bee during this time.

Recently, I have found ways to spend money that I can justify to myself, and that's on some fun activities (including a cruise in January- YAY!). On Thursday, October 7th, I visited the campus of the Univ of Tampa for an "open-mic" type night hosted by the Delta Sigma Theta sorority. For a donation and a few bucks, I got a great show.

I'm not usually a fan of spoken word and poetry, so I was happy to see that the performers brought more to the event than those men-bashing, self-proclaiming poets that I run away from! As each performer was announced to come to the front, an artist made a drawing of each of the performers in her own unique way. As far as the performers go: some fraternity guys did a rendition of one of their organization's songs, one guy played the guitar and sang, there was a dance performance, a rap performance, an "I hate BET" poem, and much more. My favorite was the guy who read a children's book and made us participate by saying "choo choo" and chugging our arms like we were train conductors. It was silly, but fun.

There were, however, two poems that did some male-bashing and talk of the "other woman". I hate that stuff!  I don't want to hear about how you are better than the other woman because he's still with you.....blah blah... It's really annoying!

On the sunny side of things, two singers sung inspirational songs about strength and beauty. I thought these songs were very fitting to the environment we were in. It's highly important, this day in age, to remind ourselves about the importance of inner beauty and the power in loving oneself. Yes, easier said than done, but I'm sure the message through those songs was received by someone who needed it that night.

It was a very chilly night for Tampa...heck I even had a scarf on, so you would think the packed house and free hot chocolate is what kept me warm. But, I would have to say the warmth of the spirits in the crowd and the postitiveness in the performances (minus the male-bashing) is what blanketed the room and reminded me that amidst all the negativity in our world, there is beautiful energy that can still bring people together.

Great job Delta Sigma Theta!

12- One Nation Rally

Ahhh! Washington D.C.!!!!

Through the One Nation Working Together organization, I marched on Washington for true hope and change. I went to DC last Friday with 3 friends and we had both an amazing and sleepless time. I was trying to finish my darn shoe project before I left, so by the time I went to bed early Sat morning, I had been up 22 hours straight. I wasn't a morning person at all on this trip!

We arrived Friday night around 11pm and hopped in a cab to NW DC to Howard Univ. to see if anything was going on. Nope- nothing! It was about 56 degrees and we came with our Tampa gear on. My 3 friends are sorority sisters, so the Howard visit meant a bit more since their sorority was founded on the campus.  At least they got to get the pictures they wanted out of that late night adventure.

Going to bed at 4am Saturday morning was followed 4 1/2 hours later by us waking up to go to the mall to buy boots, scarves, and coats! Well worth it. We were warm for the rest of the trip! Sleepy, but warm.

After the mall trip, we packed up and headed on the Metro into the city. At first, we got on the right train but headed in the wrong direction!  After the Washington Monument disappeared from our view, we kinda figured it out. We had to transfer to two different trains, and each transfer was accompanied by greater hoards of people. I won't say how I almost got into it with a lady with her double stroller because that would take away from the bigger picture, which is the March itself.

The purpose of the March was to promote a message of hope, not hate as we approach midterm elections. It has been said that these elections are more important than the Presidential election. This rally allowed people to speak out for jobs, justice, and education for all. It was really motivating to see like-minded people being focused on working together to push our country forward into the right direction.

We can all admit that we need change, but we cannot get this change if we do not get up, get out, and do something about it.

Please understand the issues and get out and vote. For more info, try this link

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate_elections,_2010
or
http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,2023181,00.html

If those don't work, just google or wiki!


********

I have to say that although this event was not in Tampa (which was the point of this blog), I learned about this event through Tampa connections, and everything I've learned from this trip is being used to support my community service efforts in Tampa. 

********

Here are just a few of the tons of pics I took! Gotta love my new camera! Woo hoo!

11- Garage Sale (9-25)

Going to this garage sale made me come to realize that I am officially a morning person! My twin used to think that I would need to be on medication or something to get me out of bed in the mornings.  But you know what, at that point in time I really had nothing to get up for (don't stretch this saying too far). I didn't have a job that required me to get up early and I really had nothing going on. Why not sleep in?! Interestingly enough, at that point in time, I also felt very "here and there" and I really didn't have a focus. That was right after I graduated college and I really didn't know what to do with myself. I was happy and having fun, but I always felt something was missing.

Nowadays, I find myself getting up at 6am...... on the weekends! Can you believe it?  I have completed all of my "to-dos" by the time the mall opens!

 There's nothing like coming back to my crib from my morning power walk to a cup of vanilla coffee, my classic rock station, and school work (yes, the nerd in me reigns supreme).

But, I digress - back to the garage sale.

My coworker is putting down some new carpet and buying some new furniture for her home, so it was natural to go with that "out with the old, in with the new" spirit of having a garage sale! She had some great furniture and smaller items to sell. Two other co-workers helped by working the sale, but I was busy shopping. I only left with one thing, but I tried for more. I scored a leather ottoman for 5 bucks! Can't beat that!

I was there about 2 hours and she ended up doing very well. I have to say that it was pretty entertaining watching 5 people try to get a bunk bed set (with mattresses) into two minivans. They made it fit somehow!

10- Tampa Bay Rowdies Game

Oh back on Friday Sept. 24th I went to a minor league soccer game here in Tampa at Steinbrenner Field. I guess you can call the team "minor league"... I mean, it's not baseball or anything.
My bff works for the FC Tampa Bay Rowdies and I got the chance to sit behind the scenes. I actually didn't even make it out of the box office to watch the game, but more about the game in a moment. She worked the will call window which kept me very entertained. Most people were family members who kinda felt a little privileged (As if this were a Yankees game or something). It was pretty busy, but all those fans and family couldn't fill up half of the stadium. I hear that it used to be packed in the summer, but I had to remind them that football season is in and even on Friday nights, high school football is the entertainment of choice in the South.
The will call window was pretty uneventful until right before halftime when a group of drunk college boys came up the window. One guy came up to the window like he was the "big shot", telling his friends he had tickets reserved for them. They stood behind him and let him do his thing.....you know, pick up the soccer tickets........"really" I say to myself?  My bff wanted to mess with his ego a bit and joked like she didn't have the tickets. That didn't go so well! He started cursing with his slurred drunk language and his friends had to get him to calm down. Even when she told him those were his tickets, he couldn't understand what she was saying. Her coworker who was working a couple windows down leaped out of his seat and yelled at the guy for cursing at her like that. He is an older gentleman who is super sweet- put that guy in his place real quick!!

After that fun mess, we hung out a bit more.

About the game- when halftime approached, we saw a lot of people leaving. It was most likely because the team had scored nothing against their opponent, Minnesota. As we walked the stadium, it was pretty sad. I really couldn't stand to stay, so we left to grab a bite on Davis Island.

I hope drunk guy had a blast and enjoyed all the festivities!

(Say no to alcohol people if it affects you like it did that guy- trust me, it's not super sexy)


(See pic below) I was told that the fans got to vote on the mascot some time ago, and the sock mascot won. Pretty cheesy, and I have a hard time believing that the people who voted were over the age of 10!

Maybe next season the team will come around and really kick something with those cleats. But until then, football is in effect and basketball is on the horizon.  Go Falcons! Go Celtics! I heart Rondo!

9- Passport Time!

I am definitely including my adventure to the passport office in my 30 things because I have been trying to get my passport for 5 years now. I guess I never had a reason to have one, really. I always felt kinda "behind the times" because the only country I have visited is Mexico, but I have to remember that I haven't had any money to go anywhere! Paying for school pretty much soaks up all my change. I try not to beat myself up about not having taken a trip across the world yet- heck, I still have time.

So, I am no making a bigger effort to travel abroad. I love to travel, whether it's on my own or with my friends and family. What better time for me to get that darn passport?

Besides the passport lady not believing that my birth certificate was certified, thus keeping it to send in to be verified, AND me having to ask my mom to go get me a couple copies from the records place in OKC in case someone further questioned my certificate's validity......the process was very smooth!

We'll see what I have in my hands in about 4 weeks LOL!


FYI- My top 5 cities/countries (in no particular order) to visit are:
1. Tokyo
2. Thailand
3. South Africa
4. Brazil
5. Germany

Wanna go? Let me know!

8- Champions for Children Breakfast

I am on the Community Involvement Team at work, and we do a lot of fundraising for the Child Abuse Council/Adopt a Child Program here in Hillsborough County.  We initiate christmas gift donations for Bay Area children by hanging names in our employee breakroom (like on a paper stocking cutout). Our employees come and pick out a name, which has a list of items that the child is asking for, and the employee will purchase all of the items and bring them into work. Towards Christmas, we gather all of the items, wrap all of them, and distribute them to the centers as elves, or the centers come to pick them up.

The breakfast I attended last Tuesday was an appreciation event for those in the community who have put forth their time and energy to assist with this cause. I normally wouldn't attend any recognition events, because I don't expect any recognition, however, this was more of a "thank you" breakfast. There was one award given to a local news anchor who has been working with the program for many years.

It was nice to be in such a huge ballroom full of those who have good hearts. The music was a bit sad for so early in the morning, and I was a bit afraid of the puppets (see pic), but I'm glad I went anyway!


 I'm already prepping my elf costume for this season......

Christmas 2009

Breakfast

Ella's Folk Art Cafe

This past Sunday in Tampa brought beautiful breezy weather and sunny skies that made me think I had all day to spend reading the paper and thinking about life. Truthfully, I made the stop to Ella's in between trying to shoot pictures for my project and trying to finish running my errands for the new week. 

I read quite a few reviews about Ella's Folk Cafe, and after checking out the website, I knew I had to check it out. From what I read, Ella's reminded me of the Little 5 Points/East Atlanta area I had frequented when I lived in Georgia (ahhhh, Atlanta!). The environment seemed as if it would be full of wonderful people to meet that were "my kinda crowd".......Funky, hip, cool......young and good-hearted.

I just had to see what Ella's was all about....

I arrived for Soul Food Sunday Brunch just before noon and the parking lot was already full. There was a lot next door, so I parked there and was surprised that I was able to be seated immediately. I asked for the patio area because I wanted to take advantage of the great weather. Seated under a huge tree, I found myself jumping a few times at leaves falling- mistaking them for bugs! (You never know here in Florida). I did rush through my meal, unfortunately, because there were bugs and they were too much for me!!!! Even the peeps at the table next to me felt the same way. But, what do you expect sitting outside with such yummy food all out in the open??!!!

I had the REAL soul food Sunday brunch: fried chicken and waffles and a mimosa. Superb. The meal arrived with both pieces of chicken being dark, and I completely forgot to ask for white meat only. Nonetheless, the flavors were on point, and I was pleased. I am really not a bone-picking kinda gal (well, in the meat way), so I would have also liked just a boneless breast....but hey, I'm not going to be picky.  Overall, the food and atmosphere was what I expected, and I even had a super cool server (hi Caitlin)

who told me there are cool people in Tampa lolol. 

I also read on the site that there was live music from noon to 4 on Sundays, but I only experienced satellite radio music, which was still a good mix of blasts from the past. I was sad about not hearing someone totally rock it out on such a beautiful Sunday, but I will definitely return on a Fri or Sat night to experience the crowd and live music.  

To my daddy......this is our kinda place! You'd LUV it lol!

Summary:

Fav: the food and cool people

Least Fav: Darn bugs

Advice: Try to go on a Friday or Sat night and check out the music

Found out about it: From reviews in various papers/magazines

**pics from tbo**

Pinarama Bowling

Yeah, just the name of the bowling alley sounds like a good time, doesn't it??? PINARAMA! Woo hoo....pins for everyone!!
I have to admit that bowling is usually hit or miss with me. Either it's a really good time, or I'm so annoyed by the crowd that I swear I'll never go bowling again. I have been bowling once here in Tampa, and it was a definite miss. I liked the cosmic glow-in-the-dark bowling, but the teens, tweens, and pre-teens were a bit much for me. I tried to stay focused on having fun, but every time my friend went up to bowl, I was left tapping my feet to Justin Bieber and rotating in my chair to watch my purse and my one shoe for fear that a tween would take a dare to see if he could sneak up on me. Not happenin'.

So, I decided to take a gamble again and I ended up bowling last night. I decided to do so because my brain had been super fried by that darn project of mine I had submitted an hour prior. I was deciding between the movies and bowling, but I am really not a movie person and I just know I would have fallen asleep in the theatre. Besides, I only have free silver passes, so I can't even see anything that just recently came out. Bummer. Well, I guess I could have paid, but why would I do that when I have free passes? I just have to wait until the new movie gets old before I can see it. LMAO.

Anyway, back to bowling. I grabbed a friend and we tried out Pinarama in my neighborhood at around 10:30pm.

(Mind you I had been up since 7am working on that project and finished up around 9pm)

Way closer to my apartment than the Beiber bowling....... and way emptier too........ I was ready to release my energy!  I tried to drive by the window at Pinarama to see the hours of operation because the parking lot was so empty, but I couldn't even see anything. When we parked to walk up and check the hours, they weren't even listed. So, we just opened the door and hoped for the best. There was a teen working the counter, but he didn't bother me. In fact, he looked like he wished he worked at the Beiber bowling where the rest of his friends probably work! I kinda felt bad for him LOLOL.

Out of about 20 lanes, 15 were empty, but I was so excited about the cosmic disco bowling that I didn't even think twice about it. I liked that I could sing and listen to the music and not have to listen to tweens arguing over who stole whose boyfriend via text and posted it on Facebook. Seriously.

If you know me, you know I love music from the 70's and 80's, but you might also know that I love magazines. It just so happens that the first magazine subscription I ever purchased was back in high school (circa 1996- from the money I made working at Long John Silver's), and it was Entertainment Weekly. The reason I purchased the magazine was because the one year subscription  came with a double disc CD called "70's Dance Machine". I love the 70's!!!!

And yes, I still have the cd's and I still listen to them.

Bowling night was full of my favorites from that CD and that classic era of disco!!! I knew all the words to every song and was okay tapping my feet to the beat as I waited for my turn. I heard Donna Summer,  Diana Ross, Gloria Gaynor, Sister Sledge, Alicia Bridges, Barry White, and more. I really had a good time, and the music helped. My wrist hurt a bit from all of the work I had done on the computer earlier, so I had quite a few gutter balls, but I still won! 


Overall, this bowling trip was a hit. So, I guess I'll try it again :)

Black Arts Heritage Festival

Community service and volunteer work has always played a significant role in my life. Whether on a small scale, like volunteering at a school event, or on a large scale, like building a home with Habitat for Humanity, I have enjoyed supporting others and helping out in the community. As I have grown into the "real world", I have found opportunities to volunteer my time that are sort out outside of the "normal" scope of volunteering that I've known in high school and college. 

Opportunities that have been laid out for me in the past have quite often been tutoring, mentoring, teaching, coaching, etc. Since I have been in Tampa, however, I have found that I like more "behind the scenes" work like organizing, planning, and designing. There is a great need for support behind the scenes. I enjoy that I am still doing a part to help out - even though I am not on the front lines. 

A friend of mine came across the Black Arts Heritage Festival event and brought it to my attention. The event is held in January (this will be the 11th year), and by helping with this event, I will meet other people like myself that are ready and willing to promote diversity and cultural sensitivity. There are plenty of areas that need help to get this festival rolling, but I have zeroed in on the marketing division. 

I did miss the actual meeting this past Monday (um, because of that project I had to work on- you know with all the photos), however, through email communication, I have learned that the team has been put together, the meetings are twice a month, and I am a part of the team that will be helping with the design work.

Wish me luck!

Photo Shoot-My Apartment

  
   If there's one thing I can say about myself, it's that I love to do everything on my own. It's not pride that keeps me from asking for help, but it's just that I think I'm capable of doing whatever it is I need to do on my own. A lot of times, I find myself not even welcoming the input of others because I want to figure things out myself. This could be seen as a bad thing, you know, because by not letting others in, I am really doubting their expertise. I mean, they could know more than I do about something but I would never know because I choose not to let them in. It really boils down to me not being able to decipher what information I receive is worthy versus what is just bad information. I am learning that I can still figure things out on my own, even after I ask for help or advice, and just because I ask doesn't mean I am completely ignorant or that they are 100% correct! I can take a little from here and there. (This will make sense in a moment).

   Yesterday (9/18) I submitted part one of a three part assignment in my "Making Ideas Visible" course. That one part took me three weeks to complete. These are the pics you see here. The idea of the project is to show 50 ways that someone can see a particular object. I chose a sneaker, whereas some students chose a paperclip, water, penny, etc. The technical stuff (lining things up, color, font choice) was the most difficult, however, finding images was pretty hard as well. The new policy is that we cannot use any internet or other images that are not our own. We can take other images and combine them with ours to create one image, and we must really think outside of the box to come up with 50 different images.

    I am pretty much a digital art gal. I can sketch and draw stick figures, but I am truly a beginner when it comes to photography, painting, drawing, etc. After spending a week bouncing ideas off a couple of co-workers, I realized that photography was going to play a major role in this project, and I realized that my cute, little digital camera was not going to do the trick.

Here's where my intro paragraph to this post ties in..........

   One of my coworkers is a videography/photography student who actually does videos for our company. He's pretty good. He has all the fancy lighting and zoom lenses that I know would work well, but at first, I didn't want to ask him if he could help me because I just wanted to work on things on my own. You should have seen me in Best Buy trying to figure out what $1000 camera I needed to buy to make my pics look like what I needed them to look like! I had no idea what I was doing. Anyway, after about 5 days of trying to work with horrible shots taken from my digital camera (and a few tears), I realized that I needed help. But, did I ask for it? Nope. I pouted and got frustrated and had a couple of sleepless nights trying to figure out how I was going to pay for that fancy camera at Best Buy.  My coworker (the videographer) happened to stop by and ask how school was going. I told him how much trouble I was having with the photography and that I had no idea what I was doing. At that moment, I just had to ask if he could help me figure out what I was doing wrong and how I could fix it. Again, notice how I didn't ask for help! I asked how I could fix what I was doing wrong. Geez louise Monique!

My coworker did more than tell me what I was doing wrong. He offered to take some pics for me and he gave up his time on a Sunday- while he had projects of his own to work on- to show up wherever I needed him to to help me out. Wow. I was super surprised. But, why was I surprised- I wondered?

  How have I come this far thinking that people aren't willing to help? I help people all the time. But turn the situation around, and I am very quick to think others are too busy to help me. Is that really it, though? Or, is it that I have a fear that what I am doing may be critiqued and I am afraid that my work isn't good enough or that my skills aren't up to par. That's it.

 Crazy huh? I am one of those people who thinks that if I don't do something well the first time around, that something is wrong with me. Why can't it just be that I am learning.....why can't I just learn!?

Well, I am learning. I am learning to give myself time and space to develop my skills and to understand that I do not know everything and if I did, I wouldn't need anyone. But I do need people. I love my friends and family and I am learning that we all have a lot to offer each other.

To my friends and family, and future friends and family...... thanks for the love, advice, and support and KEEP IT COMING!!!!

Still Counting!

Hi! I hope you didn't think I've fallen off the 30 day wagon! Last week was one of the most hectic weeks I have ever had. Work was crazy and my school projects had me working from sun up to sundown. So, bear with me as I try to catch up with myself and post these activities........

Jazz Dance Class

Hello all!

I just walked home from my new jazz dance class. Yes, I have been searching for a jazz dance class since I moved to Tampa, but all the studios were either for kids, had ballroom dancing only, or were located 25-30 minutes from my home. The last thing I want to do is go home after work then drive 30 minutes-or longer-in traffic.....no matter how badly I want to dance!

This new studio, called Joni Marie Dance Academy, is literally a block from my home. It is a very small studio that has only been open for 3 weeks. As a matter of fact, I am the only one that showed up tonight for the adult jazz class and it was SUPER AWESOME! I received one-on-one personal attention without the price of a private lesson. Yes! I scored sweetly today!

Joni informed me that people have been coming and she is trying out various days and times to see what works best. I told her I would be glad to be a student, as I used to take jazz dance a few years ago and LOVED it.

Have you ever had one of those moments where you just knew something was so right for you and you had been searching and hoping and praying and finally your moment had come?? Well, when she turned on the warm-up music and it was Michael Jackson's "Beat It"............I thought I had died and gone to Heaven. If you know me, you know how much I love my Michael. Then, she taught me dance moves to Lady Gaga's "Paparazzi". I really had to pinch myself on that one. I am goo-goo for Gaga!

After 15 minutes of toning with weights, tummy crunches, push-ups (yes, I slipped once...), and stretching my body in every angle, I spent the rest of the hour practicing turns and other moves I can't remember the name of.

Joni said she could tell I had taken dance before and that I was a born dancer. She was really impressed by how quickly I picked up the steps. I told her I had only taken a few classes, but dancing has always been at the top of my list of things to pursue intensely. I am, however, taking it one "kick ball change" at a time.

So, you can see I have found one thing that I will be keeping up with! Go T-A-M-P-A! (I guess)


**P.S. Apparently, I will be dancing like the silhouette above by the end of my classes Joni says!**


Summary:

Fav: the rockin' music!

Least Fav: I learned the moves so fast that we had to keep doing them over and over. She has to make up the rest of it for next week for me. I still loved it.

Advice: Um, maybe stretch everyday so your legs won't shake when you get to class!!!

Found out about it: Driving by on S. MacDill

Change of Events

I am spending Labor Day weekend in Tampa.......and here's the story.......

For the past few weeks I had a recurring bad feeling about driving to Atlanta for Labor Day weekend. This overwhelming feeling was something that I just could not put my finger on, and it was a strong gut feeling that I should fly or just stay in Tampa. EVERY single time I started to think about making this road trip, I would get this bad feeling. As I searched for tickets online (@ 300 bucks each way), I decided to ignore my gut feeling and pack up to drive to Atlanta anyway. I did my normal road trip routine (getting plenty of rest, packing snacks, charging my phone, checking the oil...and this time, updating my blog) however, when I started out on my road trip this past Friday, that bad feeling came back again- stronger than before.

I'm definitely not an Oprah fan, but Cherie, my mom, and a few of my co-workers reminded me that the feelings I were having actually meant something, and I should consider not making the trip. I was forced to think back to the time that I was robbed in downtown Atlanta......I had a strong, similar feeling.............that which I obviously ignored.

I got about 30 miles north of Tampa when I called Cherie to tell her my bad feeling came back stronger than before. She looked up last minute flights, but came up with nothing. I ultimately made the decision to just go back home. Normally on my road trips, I am able to time myself very well and visualize at what point I will hit every city on the route, but this time was different. I was drawing a blank and started to not be able to visualize the end point of my trip. I was almost confused. I honestly could not see myself making it to Georgia. I know, it sounds weird, but something was definitely telling me not to continue.

As soon as I turned back around to head home, a rush of tears came down my face. Where was this coming from?!  I still have no idea. All of a sudden I was relaxed and drained at the same time, and that made me just want to curl up in my bed- which I ended up doing when I got back home.

Unfortunately, I missed seeing my younger sister and my niece. But, they came up with the great idea to Skype me! That made me happy :)

Turning around was a blessing in disguise, as I am using this rainy day to work on my design projects. You know, because I am really a nerd.

Thanks for reading and listen to your gut!

September is jam-packed!

I will be away from Tampa this holiday weekend, so stay tuned for September activities to come! Fall semester started for me yesterday, and I am already swamped with projects to get started on. I have 6 events/activities lined up so far for this month, but this will be the first time in a long time that I have had a school life and a social life at the same time! Now, I have a full-time job sandwiched in between. I am one of those students that just likes to focus on my work and that's all that I do. However, I feel like I cheat myself by shutting out the outside world. I miss everything when I do that!
So, have a safe holiday weekend and I'll be chatting again soon!

Day 2: Tampa Bay Water Ski Show

Day 1- Bella's Italian Cafe

Activity number one happened on Friday, August 20th. I read earlier in that week that Bella's Italian Cafe's "after-hour-happy hours" were kinda happening......and word of mouth had it that Bella's has the best Italian food in Tampa. After a long day of work, I went home to get things together....only to get ready to go out at 11:30pm. I was pretty much ready for bed by 10:30pm. In the past, if I had planned on going out on the weekend, I would have already been out by 10pm, but happy hour @ Bella's doesn't start until midnight. So, I grabbed a friend and we ventured out to give Bella's a try.

The food- AWESOME! I think that was the best cosmo martini I have ever had, too. The satellite radio music was good- a mix of stuff like Lenny Kravitz & music I love from the 70s, but I don't know who the artists are. The crowd, however, was not what was happening. It was mostly older couples who were holding hands and sitting on the same side of the table, and younger couples who were kissing by the candlelight and obviously drinking too much (heck, they made me a little afraid to get back on the road even though I only live 2 minutes away). Had my friend and I had nothing to talk to each other about, and just went out for the sole purpose of late-night mingling, the night would've sucked. Yet, the mix of the great convo, great food, and people watching made it okay.

I'd do Bella's after hour-happy hour again, but only if I wake up in the middle of the night hungry and have friends available to ride along with me!


Summary:

Fav: the food

Least Fav: I ordered before the midnight mark and missed the happy hour discount!

Advice: Bring a friend and an appetite

Found out about it: Through word of mouth and Bella's website

Hello World!!!

My biggest pet peeves are when a person complains about something, but doesn’t do anything to make a change, or when a person complains about something but hasn’t even put in any effort or given that something a try. I fall into the latter category, and therefore, have been getting on my own nerves. Last weekend at my birthday celebration, I found myself yapping about how boring Tampa has been in my two years of residency. Geez, for the past two years I have been comparing Tampa to Atlanta and reminiscing about how much fun I used to have. What have I been doing? 

I have been thinking that the hardest thing about being a college grad is quite possibly the lack of "fun" that used to be shoved in my face via flyers under my door, postings by the cafeteria, and word of mouth in the dormitory. Life outside of college, especially in a new city, forces you to do your own research to find things to do, network on your own, and make use of friends of friends and family of friends in whatever area you are in in order to stay "active".  

I am guilty of waiting on the "fun" to fall into my lap, so I have decided to get off my rump and do something about it. I have picked 30 days over the next four months to do 30 different things at my new age of 30. I am making use of local newspapers, websites, and friends who have lived here forever to find random and interesting things to do. Sounds like fun, huh??! I will try to step out with an open mind AND abstain from comparing Tampa to Atlanta....at least for as long as I can. :) 

I have set my own guidelines for this adventure as follows:

- If I go to a restaurant, it must be one I've never been to before and at a time of day in which I normally would not dine.

- No more than one bar and/or one nightclub

-I must attend at least two networking events 

-All activities should be activities that I would enjoy doing all on my own, without the requirement that I have to bring someone with me. But, I can bring a friend if I want (especially if it's like a 2 for 1 discount or something lol)

Ok, so.................if you've ever been to Tampa, or know anyone in the area, and have some ideas for me, let me know. In the meantime, check in and see where I've gone and what I've done!

Woo hoo! No more weekends soaking up the sales at the mall!