You know a great speaker within seconds of them stepping in from of the audience. So that is the goal… I spent an evening in Northern Kentucky with my mentor, eating the longest pizza slices of my life – seriously. (I need to find out where it was from!) But I was there for officer training for Toastmasters. Little did I know that the position I was placed in was the second behind President of the club, but I’m really looking forward to the duties of Vice President of Education and informing our group of ways to excel and propel ourselves towards awards and achievements. Since it’s required of us, and everyone is so busy, it’s difficult to hone in on where we’re there and what the ultimate goal is. It was great to receive guidance on these items and to think about how we can make the best of the experience for our professional endeavors. In college, I always thought Toastmasters sounded so cool. I knew I wanted to join a club when I graduated and it’s amazing how the opportunity eventually presented itself. It will be interesting to see what our club can achieve and I’m excited to have the chance to contribute to our growth and learnings.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
René of the Day // 8.30.11 // Reds vs. Phillies
As the season winds down, it's just as fun to spend an evening at the ballpark to watch the boys wind up. Even though I've been blocking out my evenings with events and plans through the week, per usual, I took up an offer to go to the game with Sid, Michelle and Beth. We had great seats under the smoke stacks and got to visit with MR's sister and brother-in-law who were also at the game.
It was an adventure riding the bus - public transportation in Cincinnati is much better than it used to be but it's not a highly regarded form of getting from A to B. But how can you beat round trip for less than $5? Parking downtown is at least double that. There's nothing like a tall boy from the UDF store inside the gates, warm summer breeze on the river and line drives and loud cheers. Only thing missing was a Skyline cheese coney - my only regret of the evening. The evening was a great escape from other obligations and I'm really happy Sid made it possible for me to squeeze one more game into the season.
It was an adventure riding the bus - public transportation in Cincinnati is much better than it used to be but it's not a highly regarded form of getting from A to B. But how can you beat round trip for less than $5? Parking downtown is at least double that. There's nothing like a tall boy from the UDF store inside the gates, warm summer breeze on the river and line drives and loud cheers. Only thing missing was a Skyline cheese coney - my only regret of the evening. The evening was a great escape from other obligations and I'm really happy Sid made it possible for me to squeeze one more game into the season.
René of the Day // 8.29.11 // Give people more...
“Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.”
What a fantastic thought! I believe I caught this in my Twitter stream and it’s an adage that can be applied to our professional and personal thoughts. It’s so easy to think, “That’s not my job or responsibility” or “Do I really have to do this?” But when we choose to make less-than-exciting tasks a good experience for all involved, the outcome is entirely different. How often do we consciously make an effort to do this? I’m going to make it a goal to think about this every day.
René of the Day // 8.26-28.11 // The 'Villes
Another wonderful weekend spent in Tennessee… I must admit, I’ll miss Rocky Top when MR eventually makes his way home for good. Friday night we had a delicious dinner at a creole restaurant –boubon chicken, grilled asparagus & grits with cheese and Yuenglings - in Cookeville with a really nice stone patio with bricks walls and ivy and sparkling lights in the trees. It was nice to catch up and enjoy a quiet evening – the challenges of long distance love. After dinner we had drinks on the deck and listened to music – it seems to be our Friday night tradition. As we went to bed, MR made a comment about the earrings I was wearing. They were just simple CZ studs – so of course after a bottle of wine I retorted with a snarky comment and before I could find, a box appeared in his hand across the bed. My jaw dropped and a huge smile spread across my face and the first thing out of my mouth was, “Where did that come from?!” and he just grinned at me. I started to untie the little black bow on the box and he laughed and told me to pull up… I was too excited to figure out the mechanics of the packaging, I just wanted to see the treasure inside! Sliding off the top, I found a pair of gorgeous diamond earrings – what a sweet surprise – just because. He seemed to enjoy my reaction – I put them on and jumped up to look in the mirror… Of course I put them back in their safe place for the night but I slept very happily.
Saturday we had lunch at their favorite spot, Broad Street Deli. Rebecca does a great job – her chicken salad with Craisins and pecans was delicious and she uses Boars Head meats and cheeses so we filled up for the afternoon. Then we hit the outlets on the way to Nashville but didn’t see anything we had to have.
We arrived at the Opryland and I was so ecstatic when I heard we had a Garden View room. The view was spectacular, looking over the gardens and the little river in the Delta wing. We had planned to stay there since we came for Ice last Christmas time so it was really fun to finally make it happen – thanks Kenny! We had a few drinks and got ready then MR’s co-workers picked us up to head downtown. After hearing about each other every day, it was nice to finally meet everyone and put faces to names. Dinner at Big River was good – awesome beers brewed on site. Then we walked across the bridge and saw the Nashville Bang This twins! Killer club level seats at the Titans vs. Bears game at LG Stadium – Charlie Daniel’s seats were at the end of the row but that night his son was there so we missed the ole devil ;) After the game we were exhausted so we had drinks on our balcony and relaxed – it was hard to justify not spending time in a room that has a price tag for one evening that’s close to what I pay for rent each month!
Sunday we had brunch at one of our favorite places in Nashville, Ellendale’s. The food and service didn’t hit the spot as it usually does. We tried to go to a movie and learned that showtimes on Sundays are 1:30 or 4:00pm so we just decided to head home. One more packed and playful weekend under our belts… It’s fun when every weekend is like a vacation but it is quite exhausting. It will be neat to look back on these days eventually… Until then, we’ll just keep hangin’ and bangin’.
 |
| My gorgeous surprise! |
 |
| Titans vs. Bears game |
 |
| On the Delta River gondola |
 |
| Our Garden View room |
 |
| Our balcony was the third up on the left |
 |
| View of the Delta wing at the Opryland from our balcony |
 |
| View of the Delta wing at the Opryland from our balcony |
René of the Day // 8.26.11 // Free Your Mind
And the rest will follow. C’mon – SWV had it right in the 90s. When we open our minds to ideas that are uncomfortable or foreign to our current knowledge, your horizons expand and you have the opportunity to embrace ideas that are generally not bouncing around in your head.
I hadn’t been to the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center since college, shortly after it opened. It’s free to the public on MLK Day and having the day off of school, it was a cool way to spend the free time – pun sort of intended. For our Junior League Provisional welcome event, we spent the evening at the museum. It’s an incredible space – great for hosting events like this one. We split up and toured different exhibits and I was amazed at how much it has grown and expanded in what the NURFC had to offer. My group went through the modern slavery exhibit which I believe is the most relative, informative and mind blowing area of the museum. Ultimately, slavery did not end with civil rights. Chattle slavery – of the South – did cease but day to day, I don’t realize how many humans are trafficked in our own “free” country. There’s an island off the States that is U.S. territory where women from Asian countries are literally chained to sewing machines and make clothing every day that is then labeled as “Made in the USA.” People feel good about buying things that say this – and who knew that they’re made off shore by slaves. Sickeningly sad.
There are fishing boats off of Africa where 12-year old children work during the fishing season to swim under the boats and untangle knots. When the season is over, they’re shot and pushed into the sea. Human sex trafficking is the second largest black market behind drug trade. Young women have a period of 6 months from the time they’re placed in captivity and abused until they are beyond psychological return when saved. Can you imagine? That’s all the time it takes to ruin an innocent life. And many poor families sell their daughters or nieces into the business. It’s unbelievable and makes one so appreciative of the hand we’ve been dealt.
I understand the museum needs funding and return visitors. They’re revamping their YP program and I’m interested in viewing the new Civil War exhibit that will be shown though January. Many people think it’s “just about American slavery and black people” – it’s not. There’s a lot of really interesting history and art to be seen and stories to learn. It’s a humbling experience and one that everyone in Cincinnati should see and feel. We live on the cusp of freedom on the Ohio River. One challenge I do have with the museum is that it is a niche that is hard to bring new content to often – I can’t image visiting more than 3 times a year or having a membership. The new exhibition director seems to be doing a great job of keeping it fresh and interactive, though. The other challenge is the guilt – so I’m a fairly well do to (by global standards) young white female without a large sum of disposable income. How can I help? Here I am, affected by these horror stories – especially the modern day slavery – but I’m powerless when it comes to making a difference, right? It’s a dirty market and if governments cannot save, I surely cannot. I don’t have the power, the force, the funds, anything it would take to make a dent in these wrongdoings. So it’s depressing. But I still think it’s important to be mindful to the reality of what is going on in our world. And I know we could all feed our culture create a little more.
René of the Day // 8.25.11 // Purging
I don’t have many “addictions” but when I begin to let go, I let it all out. Every few months I find a drawer or space that must be thoroughly cleansed and it makes me feel phenomenal. Living in a small space, I feel the need to eliminate clutter and keep “things and stuff” to a minimum. When I eventually move out of here, I want it to be an easy, compact mission. I’d prefer to do the purging before I have to haul it all out. Recently, my big purge contributed a few bags of clothes to Goodwill. Let’s be honest – I still fit in to quite a few items from my days of working at the Gap in high school, but I’ll never wear a lavender cordoury skirt again. It’s hard to get rid of things with great memories sewn into the fabric, but it makes space for one new fabulous fall item in my closet. But nothing feels better than getting rid of old crap that just cramps your style – literally.
It’s so refreshing to receive that jolt of organization and simplicity. Cleaning is my favorite stress reliever and even as a kid I would do it in my bedroom. I know it’s an addiction because I cleaned our friend’s kitchen and dining room during a party in full swing this weekend because I felt too tired to drink but I just couldn’t sit still. It was a problem I could solve. Perhaps some day my entrepreniual venture will be a professional home organizing – “Helping you get your shit together.” Sounds like a plan.
René of the Day // 8.24.11 // Bruce's Sweet Potato Pancakes
I don't "know" Bruce, but Kristin’s mom introduced me to these sweet potato pancakes one weekend when I crashed at their house in Loveland. They are absolutely delicious and remind me of a great Southern brunch. The mix can be bought at Fresh Market and will last you for quite a while if you use them a special treat as I’ve chosen to. They’re very easy to make – just mix with water, let sit to rehydrate and dollop onto the griddle. Wonderful with a bowl of grits. I tend to prefer savory over sweet for breakfast foods and these tip toe the line between the two quite nicely. Butter and syrup are not even required to make them enjoyable. I also love the nostalgic bag that the mix is packaged in. They have certainly become a favorite for mornings when I have the urge to cook a big breakfast or to cook a batch on Sunday and grab one out of the fridge every morning before work. Ooh or an awesome main course for breakfast for dinner nights… and a decent diet staple, too. Try them already.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)