The End of An Era

Around nine years ago, I began my professional career with my first full-time job at the League Office in New York City.  As I've recounted in the last five years on this blog, there have been some amazing adventures and experiences over that time.  A multitude of memories made and people met that I will cherish forever.  Definitely an exciting and unpredictable ride!  Today, I say goodbye.

Andrea :)

Thursday Thoughts

Between watching the Oscars nominated films, reading books for the ABC Reads Challenge, and cashing in on my Broadway ticket Christmas present, I haven't been around here much in the past couple weeks!  Here a quick recap of the everyday happenings in life while I've been away!

1 - Making A Murderer is a must-see Netflix documentary!  If you aren't sure what I am talking about then you have most assuredly been living under a rock.  The buzz has died down a bit at this point, but I still highly recommend giving it a watch.  A truly fascinating tale of the injustices of our country's justice system - regardless of guilt or innocence.

 
2 - Chris and I have been loving the theater this month!  We've seen three Broadway shows since Christmas including the highly acclaimed Hamilton - which we LOVED!!!  We have a list of several others to see this winter.  The theater truly is my favorite part of living in New York!

3 - I have been reading like crazy since January 1.  I can't wait to link up with all of my fellow ABC Reads participants on the last day of January.  Looking forward to seeing all the wonderful books you have read so far this year!  For more info on the Challenge, click here!

4 - We also finished the final season of Parenthood on Netflix - cue ALL the tears!!  This series is fantastic!  I love everything about it!!  We even rented the DVDs from the library to check out all the deleted scenes and commentaries.  I think we are both sad to not have the Braverman's on our TV any longer.  What series do you suggest we start next??

5 - The Oscar controversy has me all twisted up inside.  I am a lifelong fan of the Oscars, but I definitely agree that something needs to change.  I haven't seen all the movies (yet) with nominations in the top categories, but I have seen Creed.  And if Sylvester Stallone deserves a nomination for best supporting actor then Michael B. Jordan should hands down have a nomination for best actor.  They were both wonderful in the film.  I'm not sure who in the best actor category he should replace because I haven't seen all the films (yet), but I do know the system is broken.  I am not familiar enough with the system of nominations to claim to have a solution, but I do know that actors (and directors...and writers...and etc.) of all races deserve to have a fair shot at this glorious honor in the acting world.  I am happy to see so many individuals speaking openly about the issue at hand - that is certainly a step in the direction of a proper solution.

6 - I'm making progress on the scrapbook front!  I ordered photos from Shutterfly via a promotion they ran after the holidays and plan to dive back into scrapbooking as soon as I return from Hawaii.  Did I forget to mention that I'll be shipping out to Hawaii for a Pro Bowl work trip in just a few days?  Well, that's also been keeping me busy!  I'll certainly be looking forward to some beautiful sunshine after this massive snowstorm that we are supposed to receive this weekend.  Maybe I'll just stay out there forever...or at least until winter ends!!

What are your Thursday Thoughts??

Andrea :)

Off the Beaten Path

Maintaining perfect attendance from kindergarten through high school graduation.

Off the Beaten Path.

Experiencing the uniqueness of all 120 counties in my home state of Kentucky.

Off the Beaten Path.

Becoming the first of my siblings to give the Valedictorian Address at MCHS.  My brothers would follow in subsequent years.

Off the Beaten Path.

Going to college away from home when everyone typically stayed local.

Off the Beaten Path.

Making more memories with my football buddies than my sorority sisters at Georgetown.

Off the Beaten Path.

Squeezing three perfect strangers to a room in a London flat one summer.

Off the Beaten Path.

Moving to NYC with only a suitcase, a small bag, and a backpack with a place to stay for approximately one week.

Off the Beaten Path.

Working for the National Football League...on the football side...as a female.

Off the Beaten Path.

Traveling to all 50 States with my parents and brothers.

Off the Beaten Path.

Living on the brink of Times Square.  For six years.

Off the Beaten Path. 

Marrying the love of my life regardless of his race.

Off the Beaten Path.

Creating a home in Queens.  Even if it is trendy Long Island City.

Off the Beaten Path.

Andrea :)

Sir Fidel was a Phi Mu

Most people don't realize I'm a sorority girl.  I'm not entirely sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing.  But I do know that others are often quite surprised when that fact manages to find its way into conversation.  Maybe it's because I'm not a girly girl or that I often feel most comfortable in conversation with men about sports or current events rather than women about fashion or gossip magazine news.  Not to be stereotypical or anything.

Regardless of the reaction (and stereotype), the fact is still the fact - I am a sorority girl.  A Phi Mu.  And Sir Fidel, our mascot, is a lion.  As a new phi, I was assigned a lion pal.  Along with lots of support and encouragement, I also received lots of lion items - stuffed animals, notepads, toys, posters on my door...you name it!  I have fond memories of the pledging stage of joining a sorority.  So many new and exciting opportunities and people!

While even during my college years I wasn't your "normal" sorority girl, I really loved circling up.  What's that you may ask?  Well, for the Delta Eta chapter, it meant we headed out to the quad (surrounded by all the fraternity/sorority houses) after each meeting or event to bust out all our fun and ridiculous songs or chants.  One of my faves started with Sir Fidel...

Sir Fidel was a Phi Mu.  (Dundunda)
Was a sister of mine.
You'll never understand the bond we share
until you're a Phi Mu, too.

Joy to the World!
All the Phi Mu girls!
Joy to the sisters that you see
And joy to you and me.

If I were the queen of the world, I tell you what I'd do............Go Phi Mu!
 

Joy to the World!
All the Phi Mu girls!
Joy to the sisters that you see
And joy to you and me.

King of the jungle and queen of the world...not a bad combo, huh?  And now you know why I can't possibly see a lion - photo, statue, at the zoo - without thinking they just might be Sir Fidel.

 

Did you join a sorority in college?  

Any fun songs/chants that stuck with you?  

A mascot that will forever hold a piece of your heart?

Andrea :)

With All Due Respect to History

I love history.  Always been more into the big events than the actual time periods themselves.  I was borderline obsessed with the Titanic movie - a truly fascinating event in history.  I remember listening to my Mamaw tell stories about the bells ringing to alert the town when WWI ended.  Can you imagine?  On our honeymoon, I was adamant we visit the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam...and it was truly a moving experience.  I've been astounded for two years in a row by Academy Award nominated Best Pictures, 12 Years a Slave and Selma.  Each telling remarkable true tales of an incredible dark time in this country's past.  And then there is the age of technology.  We've come a LONG way since floppy disk Frogger games and the Oregon Trail, right?

However, as I recall so many different time periods throughout the years, I can't help but realize that most of them would not afford me the life I live today.  The freedoms, the responsibilities. But mostly I realized they wouldn't allow me a life alongside Christopher.

Our union would not have been legal in the United States before 1967.

Along that vein, we recently watched a modern play - Buzzer - down in the East Village.  And speaking of history, the playhouse - The Public Theater - happens to be the former Astor Library.  Founded by John Jacob Astor...who had a great-grandson by that same name on board the Titanic many years later.  But back to the play...

 Here is the synopsis:

Jackson, an upwardly-mobile black attorney, has just bought an apartment in a transitioning neighborhood in Brooklyn. He sees the potential of his old neighborhood, as does his white girlfriend Suzy…at first. When Jackson’s childhood friend Don leaves rehab to crash with them, the trio quickly becomes trapped between the tensions inside their own home and the dangers that may lurk outside.

We weren't particularly impressed with the play...mostly because it unnecessarily intertwined infidelity into an already complex enough situation surrounding racial tensions and the power of the almighty dollar.  It *could* have been a very impactful showing of the gentrification issues in this day and age, but instead it was sort of all over the place.

However, the play caused me to reflect on the status of our current time period.  And then a day later, I saw Mia and Shelly's WODW prompt asking which time period would I have loved to live in...and I was stumped.  Is there a "better" time period to have lived in?  I am naive to think that we truly live in the best of times right now even with all our many shortcomings?  And most importantly, will there ever really be progress for all humankind?

Will there ever be a time period when women are paid equal to men?  Will we see an era where "minority" Americans aren't viewed as less than?  Is there hope for the poor people in our country to turn things around?  Because, with all due respect to history, that is the time period that I want to call mine.

Andrea :)

And then there was one...

Since I don't commonly dwell on my negative attributes, I must admit this prompt caught me a tad off guard.  I found myself hemming and hawing over which of the seven deadly sins was my most common vice.  It wasn't easy.  I found parts of myself that could identify with all...well, most all.  I'm not much on lust or greed and envy isn't really up my alley either.

Envy

Gluttony

Greed

Lust

Pride

Sloth

Wrath

So...that left me with four others to confront.  And I found as I examined myself, each of them had a shot at topping this sinful list.  Of course, you all know I am a cupcake fanatic.  And I'm not entirely sure I have ever been one to say "no" to dessert or really anything that I wanted to eat.  Now, that's not to say I eat way TOO much ALL the time though I certainly have been gluttonous from time to time.  Ultimately, it didn't come close to outweighing the others so off the list it came.

Gluttony

Pride

Sloth

Wrath

Next, I contemplated sloth.  I love me some sleep.  And many times I would rather sleep than do absolutely anything else.  But, I don't do that.  I mean, yes, on occasion I sleep until noon when there isn't anything else to do.  However, these days, there is almost ALWAYS something else to do.  So I happily rise and do those things.  In the end, sloth doesn't rank high enough either.

Pride

Sloth

Wrath

With the list cut in half, these two battled it out for top spot.  Both are tough.  And find mysterious ways of hiding in the shadows...lurking.  And, to be honest, they are both shameful.  Especially pride.  The anger I can ultimately reel in for the most part.  But the pride...it's hard.  Real hard.  Though one that has experienced my wrath in its full fury would likely argue otherwise. Even though there are very few things that will bring out that wrath.  Like I can count the things on one hand.  But intrude on one of those things and it. is. over.  Especially if it has to do with my family.  Or lying.  This lioness can be fierce.  

Pride

Wrath

But, taking a breath and moving on, I think pride is my number one vice.  I didn't want it to be.  I feel bad about it to tell you the truth.  Perhaps because I don't usually see the ugliness in pride.  Being proud can be a good thing, but letting pride rule your life will truly bring you crashing down.  My plan is to reflect on these thoughts and attempt to better understand the why behind the what.  An exercise we could all benefit from during this Easter season.

Which of the seven deadly sins do you most identify? 

Andrea :)

A Day in the Life of ME

If there is one thing you need to know about me, it is that I am NOT an early bird.  AT ALL.  The morning is actually my enemy.  That's a safe way to refer to it.  I am a highly functioning night owl.  My best work and most creative ideas occur to me right around 2am.  That being said, here's a look at my typical work week day.

7:15am - First alarm goes off.  I promptly shut it off and tell Chris to wake up.

7:30am - Second alarm goes off.  I nudge Chris to get up.

8:00am - Chris wakes me up.  There is no alarm - just Chris' encouragement.
 
8:10am - Upon insistent (and requested) encouragement, I finally get out of bed.  Ugh.  I sleepily run through the morning routine.  A quick bowl of cereal so I can take my vitamins.  A dash of make-up.  And the beyond necessary straightening of my hair.  Seriously, if I didn't have to do this every morning I would totally sleep an extra 15 minutes.

9:15am - Get lunch together.  Along with anything else I'll need for the day.  And head for the elevator.

9:25am - Walk to subway.  Pray it's not raining...or the day will most certainly be ruined!  This is not a joke...if there is one type of weather I can't handle in NYC, it is rain.

9:33am - Get on subway train.  Hopefully, I make the first train that stops at the station.  Some days, I wait for multiple trains to pass before there is enough space for me to squeeze in there amongst the thousands of other commuters.  Oh, and preferably, I get a spot at the front of the train so I have to fight through less people to make my way up the escalators after just one measly little stop.

9:36am - All that fuss for a three minute ride.  Definitely doesn't do much to add cheer to the mornings!

9:42am - Finally, I am at my desk.  Still not totally ready to be awake, but I am getting there.  I change out of my tennis shoes into my dress shoes, put my lunch in the fridge, and login to my computer.  My work day has officially begun...

12:30pm - Take a break from the conference calls, emails, and other work for lunch.  My colleague (yes, the same one that made our Save the Date video...check it out here!) and I head upstairs to the Huddle Cafe.

1:00pm - Back to work.  More meetings, calls, and emails...

5:45pm - Begin to pack up and change back into my tennis shoes.  Say my goodbyes and head out for the subway.

6:00pm - After being completely squished by strangers from all walks of life both on the platform and once I finally managed to get into the train car, I am back at the apartment complex.  I check the mail and head upstairs on the elevator.

6:15pm - Changed and ready for my run.  *This portion of my day varies based on my training schedule.  If I have an off day, I use this time to read or work on blog stuff.  Or just relax.

I ran across the Queensboro Bridge to the East Side of Manhattan and back for a short 4 miler.  On the bridge, there are cars on one side of the running/bike path with a fence and the subway train on the other side.  Quite an experience!

7:15pm - Back from my run and ready for dinner.  We have been keeping a schedule of dinner meals to help us ensure we include healthy options and also so that we are sure to use all the groceries before we make a trip to the store for more.  This particular day, we veered from the schedule.  Chris opted for soup while I fixed some breakfast for dinner.

8:00pm - Catch up on the DVR.  In honor of all the March madness, we watched the 30 for 30 called I Hate Christian Laettner.  It was very good!!  Definitely recommend checking it out.

11:00pm - Shower and get ready for bed.  Call my parents to chat for a bit...they are on a different time zone (and also night owls).

11:50pm - Read in bed until I get sleepy.  Since I had the run today, I was probably out by around 12:30.

So there you have it...a typical day in my life.  At least at this point.

Are you an early bird or a night owl?  

What is your favorite part of each day?

Andrea :)

My Legacy...

Legacy.

A familiar term...and one that carries a huge weight.  I remember hearing it so many times at sorority meetings in college.  Being a legacy is a major deal when you went to a college that was at least 85% Greek.  So...since I wasn't one, maybe it lost a bit of its relevance for me during those years.

But now...far too removed from college to admit...I've given it a considerable amount of thought. 

Who am I? 

Better yet, how would I like to be remembered when I'm no longer able to be whoever it is that I am?

It's heavy.  It requires much thought.  Far more than I have given it, but I do have some ideas.

I want to be known as one that kept her word.  If I said I would do it, then count on it to be done.  Dependable, Reliable, Consistent.

I want to be known as thoughtful.  Someone who gave gifts with meaning.  Someone who cared about those around her.  Someone who was searching for a way to help others.

I want to be known as creative.  Innovative, Unique, Thinking outside the Box.

I want to be known as loyal.  Particularly when it comes to family.  The family that Christopher and I recently formed and the one that has been mine for the past 31 years are my very backbone. The bonds are thick...and tried...and true.  I am fiercely loyal in general, but also specifically to this group.

I want to be known as a learner.  Always reading, curious, motivated. 

I want to be known as a traveler.  Interested to see new places, try new things, experience new cultures.  Never afraid of the unknown.  Always looking for another adventure.

Most of all, I want to be known as a Christian. I hope that people would know that He is the reason for my kind heart, giving spirit, and loving nature. After all, there is no greater legacy than Christ.

What legacy do you hope to leave?

Andrea :)

My Top Ten

I thought it would be fun to share a little bit more about me with you today!  I've had this top ten list of important things on my about me section for quite some time, but I am changing up that page a bit and wanted to share these things once more with you all.

[ONE]

I am a Christian that is so thankful for my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Without His love, grace, and forgiveness, I am not sure where I would be right now.

[TWO]

Christopher is such a blessing in my life.  He helps me stay positive and focused on the big picture.  We have a great time together pretty much no matter what we are doing.  I am so happy to have such a wonderful man in my life.  I know things won't always be rosy, but after 3+ years of long distance dating we've gotten a good handle on working through issues and problems.  We always find a way to make things work in the end.  That's really all that matters.

 

[THREE]

 

I love my family and friends. I am a loyal and protective gal. My family is very important to me.  I am sad that I don't live very close to them right now, but I try to be a part of as much as I possibly can especially now that I have an awesome little niece and nephew.  My friends are a close second to family for me. Some of them still live in Kentucky so I don't get to see them nearly as often as I would like, but I love them all the same. I have a great crew of NYC friends that have been there through the trials and tribulations that this city brings to all. I have other friends I met through internships and studying abroad and just general life spread out all across the country. And through Christopher I have a whole new set of friends that I truly adore as well.

Celebrating my 30th Birthday with fabulous friends :)

 

[FOUR]

I am quite passionate about football - the game, the camaraderie, the fanfare, the atmosphere, the discipline, the players and coaches. Seriously, I love it! I like other sports, too, but nothing compares to football though. I have a goal of attending all 32 (technically 31) NFL stadiums. I do a pretty good job of knocking out a couple of these each year. I have a little less than a third left to go! Check out my bucket list to see all my Sunday Stadium Review recaps under item #1!

 

Super Bowl in NOLA - February 2013

 

[FIVE]

 

New York has fed my love for the arts. Mostly going to the theater for a show. I love Broadway (as evidenced here, here, and here)! The movies are insanely expensive here, but that doesn't stop me from trying to see as many of the Oscar nominees as possible! 

  

[SIX]

I am an avid traveler.  I have been to all 50 states with my family.  We finished our journey in 2010.  I have also been to a handful of countries and briefly lived in London, England, while studying abroad for my Master's in 2006.  Check out my travel page for recaps of most of my trips abroad along with a handful of US cities.

Checking Hawaii off our list in January 2010

 

[SEVEN]

 

I enjoy scrapbooking. I have done a number of handmade scrapbooks, but I have also tried my hand at the online version. Both have positives and negatives, but serve their purpose well.

 

[EIGHT]

 

I run.  I'm not that fast, but I enjoy the thrill of preparing for and then running in races.  I had the running adventure of a lifetime when I completed the NYC Marathon last year.  Check out my running page for recaps of all my races!  

 

 

[NINE]

Cupcakes are a reason to get up in the morning.  In fact, I love them so much that Christopher even incorporated them into his proposal.  Such a smart man!

 

 

[TEN]

Photography is one of my hobbies that I long to delve deeper into, but fear I would spend entirely too much money if I did.  Doesn't stop me from capturing some awesome shots with my regular old digital camera and iPhone though!  Maybe someday when I have more space and more money I can fully indulge, but until then...

Enjoying Vermont (Fall 2012)

Andrea :)

Never have I ever....

...said no to a cupcake.  Seriously...I love cupcakes!!

...missed a day of school.  At least not K-12.  Pretty hard to believe, right?  They gave me a plaque at graduation.  I missed a few days here and there in college, but was still pretty consistent.  I figure if I paid the money, I might as well get the most out of it! 

...had multiple piercings.  I have earrings (one in each ear), but I never got into piercing everything.  Though I did have a phase where I was attracted to guys with eyebrow piercings. Glad that phase passed!

...not collected penguins!  My parents started a collection for me right after I was born.  I probably have over 500 penguins now...stuffed, ceramic, posters, etc.

...read through the entire Bible.  This is something that I have always wanted to do....and I'm currently working on completing the task...but it seems like I get to a certain point and then manage to find myself distracted and it gets pushed to the back burner.  Definitely have to be more disciplined with this one!!

...been interested in fashion.  To be honest, I just don't get it.  It's always changing...and expensive.  Just never been my thing.

...been the tall kid.  I wish though!  Funny enough, I was the center on my middle school basketball team even though I wasn't the tallest by any means.  Guess I got had hops!

What have you never done?

Andrea :)

ABC's of Andrea

Congrats to Abby from The Makings of a Mess for winning my first ever giveaway! Yay!

It was really fun to meet so many of you who participated via your comments and twitter.  I thought this would be a perfect time to give you a few more details about me! I recently saw that Ricci at A Beautiful Mess was using this ABC method of introducing herself to new readers...and I just had to snag it!  It is the perfect way to learn a little more about me without seeming too overwhelming!  Hope you enjoy!  And check out the rafflecopter at the end for the giveaway I am participating in with Ricci and all her other lovely sponsors!  We are giving away $75 cash...totally worth it!

A-Age: 29 and a half...almost exactly!  Starting to get a tad leary of turning the big 3-0!  And realizing I still have quite a few things left to check off my 30 before 30 list.

B-Bed Size: Full - if you saw my midtown Manhattan shoebox apartment, you would understand why.  Enough said.

C-Chore You Hate: Cleaning.  Especially the bathroom.  Ugh!

D-Dogs: I'm not really a dog or cat person.  I grew up with goldfish.

E-Essential Start to Your Day: Checking my phone, but I don't really wake up until I wash my face.

F-Favorite Color: Black.  I know that is kind of weird, but it is true.  Close second is red.

G-Gold or Silver: Silver. No question.

H-Height: 5'4" - I'm short...it's sad.

I-Instruments You Play: I took piano lessons for a few years when I was younger.  I didn't like practicing.  Makes it tough to learn that way.  Wish I would have stuck with it now though!

J-Job Title: Manager, NFL Football Operations.  So happy about the title change that came with my promotion :)

K-Kids: None for me...yet!  Looking forward to having a couple someday though.  Enjoying my niece for now though :)

L-Live: New York City - sometimes even I can't believe it.

M-Married: Hopefully sooner than later!  Chris and I are headed that direction...eventually!

N-Nicknames: Dre, Drea (work peeps); Anda Panda, Vashti, Sharona (Mom/Dad); Andi (a couple of people used this one, but I don't like it)

O-Overnight Hospital Stays: I suppose I stayed overnight when I was born, but otherwise I've been pretty fortunate in regard to health.

P-Pet Peeves: Rude people - you know, the ones that exclude others or think they are better than or above others.  Also, people who think their plan or way is perfect and can't adjust or see why you don't agree.

Q-Quote: It's really more of a prayer.  "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."

R-Righty or Lefty:  Righty.  But I have tried to become ambidextrious a few different times.  Didn't work.

S-Siblings: two of the absolute best brothers ever - Jordan and McKinley (Bubsa); we are TTBSTACH (the three best siblings that anyone could have) - ever seen The Hangover?

T-Time You Wake Up: If I had a choice, it would be around 11am....but during the weekdays, I usually wake up somewhere between 8:00-9:00 depending on the day.

U-University You Attended: Georgetown College.  I bleed orange and black.  Go Tigers!!

V-Vegetables You Dislike:  Lettuce.  Is that a vegetable?

W-What Makes You Run Late? Sleeping in.  Almost every single day.  I just can't get up in the mornings.

X-X-rays You Have Had:  About a million on my teeth.  I think I've had them on my foot/ankle as well.

Y-Yummy Food: CUPCAKES!!!

Z-Zoo Animal Favorite? I absolutely LOVE penguins. 

Now that you know me from A-Z, take advantage of the chance to win some free money!! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Andrea :)