Back in September, I was able to get away for an adventure, the day after my son’s wedding. The timing wasn’t ideal, but it’s all I had to work with. Friends had already booked their trip when I learned they were heading to Iceland. I commented on how it would be a fun get away and the next thing I new, my ticket was purchased and the planning began.

This past weekend I was fortunate enough to spend a long weekend in Door County, Wisconsin with my oldest and dearest friend. We’ve been best friends since high school, through thick and thin, good times and bad. I’m beyond thankful for her tender heart, thoughtful ways and generous spirit.

At my son’s and new daughter’s recent wedding, a photo booth with absurd props was available during the reception, to capture all the wackiness and fun had by the guests. Let me tell you, this girl was so excited and had a great time dragging friends and family to pose any which way, but normal.

Earlier this summer, I was able to enjoy a weekend in Chicago with friends. There always seems to be endless things to experience and this trip was no different. One of the afternoons after enjoying brunch, my friends and I decided to walk back along Michigan Avenue (the magnificent mile), to the place we were staying.

We headed out, on foot, late afternoon to get a jump on the crowds. However, there were already motorcycles every where you looked. There were bikes of every color, new, and vintage looking their best and hoping to impress. As we glanced around, everyone wore black….black pants, boots, shirts, vests, headbands and any other riding apparel a person could think of wearing. My friend and I were very out of place in our “flowy” pants and brightly colored shirts. Anyone looking our way could tell we hadn’t arrived a hog…..LOL.

El loco describes how I’ve been feeling lately, in one word….crazy! My days and nights seem hectic and I feel like I want to lay on my couch for days…..well, at least for a full weekend….HAHA! In my mind there’s a good reason for my scattered actions and thoughts; my son will be getting married soon and there’s a lot to accomplish. The date has been planned for a year, but time seems to speed up faster the closer it gets.

My daughter offered a few locations that didn’t have parking restrictions, but after driving around and around, realized those locations are snatched quickly, and wasn’t a lucky recipient. Since I was waiting for a friend to arrive, I thought, no worries, I’ll park and set an alarm.

The weather forecast for the weekend wasn’t looking so good. Clouds and rain were headed our way. By the time we arrived at the event it was barely spitting any moisture, hoping to dodge getting wet. As fifty-five happy and excited rooftop goers boarded the private coach, it was announced the first stop on the tour would be an indoor/outdoor rooftop experience. Perfect! Somewhere that would solve any rain issue. It seemed like we were on the bus forever, as over thirty minutes passed before we arrived. All fifty-five wine enthusiasts piled out of the bus, then loaded by small groups using one elevator that took us to an inside, charming bar. Ummm…..unfortunately, the rooftop wasn’t open for the tour. Rats.

It’s a family joke that my daughter is the queen of card games. Sometimes, no….most times, when she’s explaining the crazy rules, you think for certain they’ve been made up. She claims otherwise, and has been taught by other friends. Hannah is rarely at a family gathering without a deck of cards. She actually started a collection.

I hadn’t heard of anyone attending this event before, and didn’t really know what to expect. With my daughter recently moving to Milwaukee, I thought based on the map she might be close to the park hosting the festival. As luck would have it, she was a ten-minute walk to the beautiful Veteran’s Park. I was coming with a friend from another direction, but we made plans to meet.

A few weeks ago people around the world celebrated St. Patrick’s Day. Coincidently, a couple of friends and I had a day planned in the city. We knew the traffic and the people celebrating would be crazy, on the “everything green and shamrock” holiday.

Recently, I came back from an extended business trip that was half way around the world, where the time difference was fourteen hours. Once I returned home, I anticipated a few days of being jet lagged, not only from the time difference but the long airline flight as well.

I thought I made an impact on most of them, well, that’s what I was hoping for. The night before I traveled home my team panicked when I started saying my good-byes. They thought I was staying one more day. I was only there a few hours that evening since I had to finish packing before my early morning flight.

Since we were only in Hong Kong for forty-eight hours, my friend and I decided eating dim sum was a must, but since our first evening had been occupied by the laser light show and getting to and from the heart of the city, we would have to somehow fit dim sum in on day two.

Last weekend I had the opportunity to visit Hong Kong. Once the plane landed, there was shy of forty-eight hours before the return flight. My friend and I had a lot of ground to cover, since I was confident I wouldn’t be returning any time soon, and wanted to make the most of the stay.

Since I’m working the overnight shift, it was February 13th when I brought the chocolates to the office. The hotel is close enough of a walk to and from the office each day, and this particular night the streets were mayhem. Traffic was crazy and almost got hit by a van while crossing the street. My colleague and I were perplexed at the amount of cars and people in the city, on what we thought was a random Tuesday night.

I’ve loved football since I was a little girl and would watch the games together with my Dad. This past weekend happened to be the Super Bowl, which is something I never miss. Even if I’m invited to a party, I’m usually the girl that’s focused on every play of the game while hootin’ and a hollerin’ at the TV. When I realized I was going to be out of the country for this year’s event, I assumed I wouldn’t have any trouble finding a place to watch the game.

Recently, while traveling for business half way around the world to another land and culture, I wanted to trust things would go smoothly. However, when they didn’t, I tried not to panic. I traveled to Manila, Philippines last fall so I felt comfortable to return. I knew the area well, was staying at the same hotel and felt confident using the currency. Last fall, the hotel was able to exchange my US dollars for Philippine pesos and planned to do the same this time around.