28- Transitions Golf Championship

Ahhh, golf. Watching a tiny ball fly through the air right outta my sight is not my thing, really. However, on March 18th, I was invited to attend the Transitions Golf Championship at the Innisbrook Golf & Spa Resort. I had to get to the dentist that morning, but right after that I was on my way out to Palm Harbor to experience something new. Palm Harbor is about 45 mins away from me, and I found a new mall along the way that is actually now my favorite! I found a lot of new places to visit out there, so I learned a little more about the Bay area.

But once again, I digress.....

I had to ask around about the rules of golf in order to understand what I was watching, and after awhile, I was getting the hang of it. I was seated on the 10th hole, and it was neat to see people from so many ages out to enjoy the sport. I'm glad I didn't feel much like an outcast. I even got the full experience by going to get an autograph from this special area, but I still can't figure out who the golfer was that I got an autograph from! I didn't want to ask him his name because everyone was going crazy, but now I'm stuck looking at player's pics trying to figure it out. 

He had killer blue eyes from what I remember :) 

After some small talk, a couple of Mich Ultras, and a Maroon 5 serenade from a guitar player, I was super satisfied with my experience. The food wasn't so great, but that's what local restaurants are for :) (my friend paid $10 for like 5 chicken fingers!)

It was a beautiful day for a newly admired sport!

27- WMNF Meeting

I finally had the opportunity to attend one of the volunteer meetings for the local community radio station. Yay me! I have been looking forward to supporting this station, WMNF, because it supports a non-mainstream way of thinking....and there is nothing better than that. This station is run by approximately 2,000 volunteers, and only a handful of paid staff members. As a registered 501(c)3 organization, WMNF looks to its volunteers to do everything from office duties, to running errands, to producing, to fundraising, to just simply working hard! Since 1979, when volunteers went door to door to raise money for the station, the station has grown into a Tampa powerhouse, and it's influence on the community is nothing but positive. 

What's cool about the station, is that they have setup an online shiftboard where volunteers can signup for various shifts for various events and activities. What a great way to keep things organized! 

I am volunteering my graphic design and PR services, and I am absolutely THRILLED about all of the opportunities available. 

www.wmnf.org

88.5 fm Tampa Bay

More about the station- from the website:

WMNF is a listener-supported community radio station that celebrates cultural diversity and is committed to equality, peace and economic justice.

WMNF provides broadcasts and other forums with a grassroots local emphasis, that promote creative, musical, and political vitality. WMNF advocates for peace, social and environmental justice through independent media and programming neglected by the mainstream. We embrace diversity, tolerance of others’ opinions and freedom of expression. WMNF celebrates and promotes the creative, cultural and political vitality of the local community.

Our music, arts, and cultural programming cover a wide spectrum of expression from traditional to experimental, reflecting the diverse cultures we serve. We strive to foster an appreciation of music and cultures we serve. We strive to foster an appreciation of music and culture that is not generally available to listeners in the Tampa Bay area.

Our news and public affairs programming emphasize controversial, neglected, and non-mainstream points of view on important local as well as national or world issues, illuminating our values particularly regarding peace, human rights, and environmentalism.

We are committed to the values expressed by our mission, especially as they relate to issues involving the various ethnic groups living in our community, women, the economically disadvantaged or challenged, and other groups who may be disenfranchised in our society. We offer safe haven for expression by members of these groups, regardless of their social status, race, gender, or sexual orientation, and by our activities hope to promote peace, goodwill and a sense of community beyond the walls of this radio station.

26-Watch Party

So, I've made quite a few friends at work, and for a few of them, I really do consider them to be my friends-more than just my coworkers. Lucky them.

Well, I have a friend from work who became my friend in a way I can't even really put a finger on. But, isn't it interesting how some of the most special people in your life, outside of family, come into your life in some way, but you can't really put a finger on how the relationship blossomed. It's not that you don't remember when you met, it's just that your energies connected in some great way that you and that person, over time, became good friends.

....but back to the story.....

This great friend invited me to her home one night for a watch party for her husband. He was being featured on the reality show, "Pitchmen", on the Discovery Channel. I had never seen the show, but I knew it was a big deal! The show featured inventions, and the inventors had to pitch their ideas to the infomercial king, Anthony Sullivan.

The show was pretty funny, and I guess I thought it would be super serious or something. It had an American Idol feel, as there were inventors who came up with utterly ridiculous inventions, kinda like those people who audition for American Idol who can't sing! I guess their families told them they had a good idea for an invention, but they were wrong. Well, if my friend's family told her husband he had a great invention, they would be on the money......because I think it's pretty darn fab.

And of course, his invention got picked up and promoted by fitness celebrity, Jennifer Nicole Lee.

Way to go!


Check out some of the articles below, and of course check out the website and buy yours today!

http://www.baynews9.com/article/news/2011/january/202482/Local-man-takes-invention-to-TVs-Pitchmen?cid=rss

http://www.beacononlinenews.com/news/daily/3522

http://news.usf.edu/article/templates/?a=3152

buychestmagic.com

25- Lifestyle Family Fitness

What else can I say? I've joined the gym! After a year of being in denial about the weight I have gained while here in Florida, I've snapped out of it!

I am in the process of looking for a trainer right now, but as of mid-Jan, I have been in the gym about 4 times a week. I've always liked working out, but I guess when you're out of it for a while, it's hard to get back into it.

I think I'm ultimately getting prepared for an all-inclusive trip to Aruba, or that Celebrity Cruise to Italy!

The gym is about 2 miles from where I live, and I pass it on the way home. Sometimes I go to the gym before I get home, but I have also enjoyed going later in the evening. A really good workout equals a good night's rest!

Well, wish me luck and we'll see where I am in the next few months!

22- Academy of Art Meetup

I originally moved to Florida back in 2008 to start work towards an Art degree (MA) at the University of South Florida. After taking some intro courses, I quickly realized that the path I had chosen was going to take me too long to complete. Through prior research, I thought it would have been best to have a strong art foundation before pursing graphic design, but that isn't necessarily the case. In those intro courses, I was learning everything that I had already taught myself in previous years! It was interesting, but not so much a waste of time. I learned new things, but most importantly, I learned that I had enough knowledge to pursue an MFA in Graphic Design.

"Heck....I can hang with the best of them", I told myself!

After about six months of research, I applied and was admitted to the Academy of Art in San Francisco. It was HIGHLY important to me to find an accredited program where top companies recruit and where top professionals mentor and teach. I was also very fortunate to find that this school had a complete online program and that my employer would reimburse a certain percentage. Perfect, huh?

I am currently in my 3rd semester, and I have about 2 years or so to go. It depends on if I take summer courses what my actual completion date will be. But, I am not worried about that right now, as I am completely wrapped up in my learning and connecting with other students. I can say that online studies is much harder than on campus studies, but I am a nerdy student who LOVES to do work outside of the classroom. I am very independent, and in undergrad I had a hard time physically going to class! I just wanted to tell the professors, "give me the syllabus and I'll reach out to you if I need anything"! I walked away with a 3.9 GPA in Philosophy, so I thought I would do well on my own in a Master's program that was completely online.

The hardest part about being online is not actually being online. It's being online AND being on the other side of the country....... away from my school. There is a TON of online support for me, but there is something to be said about being around like-minded individuals. Even if I lived in San Francisco, I believe I would still take courses online, but I would have the luxury of attending events, networking, and being completely immersed in design culture. There are also a ton of jobs available for students in San Fran, but I'm not quite so ready for that move just yet. :)

Thank goodness for the Online Student Groups on Facebook. The Academy has reached out to thousands of students, all over the world, to connect those online to other students online. Isn't that neat? 

Way to go facebook! Another buck for Zuckerberg, huh? LOL

Anyway, there is a Florida online group that I have joined. In December, emails went out to the group announcing a "meetup" so students could meet other students. I was thrilled. They planned three meetups: Miami, Sarasota, and Orlando. I knew Miami and Orlando would bring larger crowds, but I had just gotten back from Miami, and Orlando's event was late on Sunday. So, I left work on a Friday and drove the short 45 mins to beautiful Sarasota (for the first time).

There was a good turnout, and I met some new peeps. I was the only graphic design student, but it was GREAT to share stories about similar experiences, and I actually gave great tips on succeeding online! Other students were in the schools of New Media, Architecture, Photography, and Fashion.  With food, drinks, and camaraderie, I was glad I didn't miss out that night. 

I mean, I only had plans to go to sleep!

In the weeks after, my new peeps and I started to make plans to get together again, and I even got feedback on my new website (if you haven't seen it, check it out: www.wix.com/PhearsCreative/Monique-Phears).

I'm making progress, I would say :)

23- Carnival Cruise

Man, I don't know if any of you know.....but I am deathly afraid of large bridges & any other man-made monstrosity that is supposed to get me from one point to the next. Needless to say, I am a little freaked out by cruise ships, even more so because there is a cruise port down the street from where I live. Cruise ships never bothered me when I would see them on TV, but when I got to see one up close and personal last year, I  freaked out! I could stare at that ship for days. How the heck does that thing stay on top of the freaking water?! I started to think, "there's just no way that all that fun can go on in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico, without the ship sinking!" 

I just didn't get it............ 

After some convincing by coworkers, I did some research and invited my twin and friends for a cruise. We chose to cruise out of Miami because we wanted to spend some time shopping and hanging out before going back home. 

I did get pretty excited when I got a Carnival email saying, "Hello Monique, 8 days till cruise!" This is probably because when I booked the cruise, the first email said, "Hello Monique, 88 days till cruise"! 

Whoa baby!

Now, I have to say that  I never thought much about cruises until I moved to Florida. I am assuming because there are like 5 cruise ports down here, people rave about them because they are so convenient. I remember people thinking cruises were some extravagant and expensive vacation, however cruises are pretty darn inexpensive. For the food, entertainment, lodging, and destinations, cruises are a great option for vacation. 

I chose Carnival Cruise Line because I was told that it was more fun and young. I was concerned about young meaning being under 18, but we really didn't experience any issues with kids running around because Carnival has a kids camp. Thank Gawd! We did, however, see quite a few kids walking around on their own. Now that was just crazy.

I'll try to sum up my experience as best as I can. Wait, I'll do a countdown!

10- 10x10 is how much I paid for parking for 5 days

9-  nine is for the number of times the DJ played the Cupid Shuffle song (and I still don't get it)

8- eight is for how many times I visited the casino (I had a pretty good return, though)

7- seven is how many times we enjoyed the "sit-down" dining

6- six is for the number of towel animals we found in our room every now and then!

5- five is for the time we had to spend in Grand Cayman (felt like 5 mins!)

4- four is for the number of guys that ran to help us with our bags. So sweet. 

3- three is for the number of times I ordered room service

2- two is for the dollar amount left on my cruise account by the end of the vacation

1- one is for the motion sickness patch that actually made me more sick than the ship itself

It had a really good time, but I would really want to spend more time off the ship than on because the activities were pretty much the same after the third day. Hence the eight trips to the casino!

I know for a fact that I would try Celebrity Cruise line next. It's more expensive, but I hear that it's probably more of the experience I am looking for.  (It's kinda like how I love the Grand Hyatt more than LaQuinta Inn. )

I'm just saying :)

Just a few pics:

22-Ladies Night

Back towards the end of November/beginning of December, I started to itch for something new to do. Speaking with a co-worker (and good friend) of mine, we came up with having a "ladies night" at my apartment. I had been hesitant about inviting people over because I like to keep work life and home life separate, but I have to say that I have met just a handful of chicas that I think are super cool. Meaning- they are cool enough to hang with me and my super-cool self, you know? LOL

So, the plans started for ladies night, and by the time the night rolled around, my apartment was full of six gals, champagne punch, wine, FANTASTIC appetizers, games, flameless candles, and laughter! The fun part of the evening was that I ended up having to bring out some games, but none of my games had all the parts! I guess I never noticed because I never play with them!

We played OPERATION, and I think I was missing the rubber band or something. We played UNO, but I would say there was a good 10 cards or so missing. How can I tell? They told me. I pulled out a silver case with a poker set in it, but the deck of cards was missing. Lastly, I pulled out some dominoes I had from who knows where, but there were only like 10 dominoes in it. Needless to say, after all of that and after losing the games we did play, it was obvious that I should just stick to drinks and food from now on!

I'm definitely looking forward to having another shindig, especially since the weather is getting warmer.
:)