Check back in 10 days!

Tonight we are off to Alaska! We are both very much looking forward to some time away.

I won't be posting anything until we get back, but check back in September for some great Alaska photos!!

New Everything!

Ahhhh....I sit at my desk in my new office typing. It is a lovely feeling. I have pictures on the wall, lamplight, and flowers sent to me by Mike yesterday. What a happy space I am creating!

Yes...Mike sent me flowers yesterday. I reveled in every minute of it. Here is the moment by moment playback...I am sitting in here with the ITS guy setting up my computer. I hear, "Where does Melanie McClanahan sit?" My colleagues say, "In this office here." In walks the deliveryman holding a beautiful vase of flowers: Lilies, gerbera daisies, some carnations and greenery. Floating above it is a balloon that says, "Congratulations". I thought at first it was from my mom and aunt (sorry, hon, that I second guessed you!) but when I opened the card I saw it was from Mike in honor of my first day. Thank you honey, you made my day!

So, I am in "training mode" right now. Part of my day is spent milling around, the other part is shadowing people. There isn't a ton of new stuff to learn, so all I am really doing is waiting for the opportunity to have my own students. That will come after I get back from Alaska!

Alaska...we leave this Friday. I can't wait, both of us are in need of a vacation.

Words of Wisdom from Oprah

I read my September Oprah magazine. The last article in the magazine is always from Oprah, it is her "What I Know for Sure" section. This month's really spoke to me. Here is part of her article: "A mountain, I realized, is one of the great metaphors for life, reminding you that: 1. Challenges are often more difficult than they seem at the outset; 2. An ascent that at first looks smooth turns out to have unseen dips and ridges and valleys; 3. The higher you climb, the thicker the weeds; 4. You need a clear vision of where you're going if you want to avoid getting disoriented by the clouds that roll in and block your view; 5. You have to be determined to make it to the top. Otherwise, every step, stumble and fall will give you an excuse to turn around and head home." Oprah had planned on making it to the top of a mountain in one hour, but it was turning out to take her longer. After she reflected on her ascent, she slowed down and readjusted her goal so she could enjoy the climb along the way. This spoke to me because it was a metaphor that I could see in my life. Whether it be my new job I am eager to start, or some other aspect of life where a goal is in reach, Oprah reminded me to Breathe In. Breathe Out. Life already goes by way too fast. I need to stop, breathe, and enjoy the view.

Good Friends...to L and L

Last night we had a very nice dinner with our friends Liz and Lance. We went to Baker St. Pub (http://www.sherlockspubco.com/Main.aspx)in Bel Mar which is now my new favorite restaurant. We relaxed together, which is something I think all of us needed to do. Liz and Lance are the kind of people you just feel good around. No matter the time that lapses between visits, there are never awkward silences. They are the kind of people who naturally enjoy life which makes them so easy and fun to be around. They are both so caring about the people in their lives. They have been there for both of us in the tough times...When I didn't get into the MBA program at CU when I first applied, I spent the evening being depressed at a concert with them. After Mike's cancer diagnosis, they dragged us from the four walls of our house out to dinner, an evening for which we will forever be thankful...it helped us remember that we are loved...Thanks for dinner last night you two, and thank you for being the kind of friends who will be a part of our lives for a lifetime.

Countdown to Alaska!

16 days until we leave for Alaska! This will be a trip like no other. We arrive late Friday night, August 31st. We will spend a few days driving here and there. We will go to Talkeetna, Anchorage, Seward and Girdwood. In Seward, we are taking a half day cruise through the Kenai Peninsula. Girdwood is a little artsy hippie town which should be fun. Then we fly to Cordova and stay with Dave and Tanya. They are taking us to Hook Point via seaplane to stay in a little cabin on the beach. Dave will also take us salmon fishing and to visit the glaciers. I am so excited! This sounds like the type of vacation where I can go and just leave all my worries behind and just enjoy time away from the day to day routine and enjoy time with my husband!

To My Mikey

Dear Mike,
I think today is a good day to tell you I love you. No particular reason. We have been through a lot, you and I. And you know what? I wouldn't have it any other way.

The best news this week is that your scan looks good. See, you are a fighter even if you don't realize it. I am so happy this is the state of things, even though I know we have to live scan to scan. I hope this is a sign of good things to come.

You know what I love? Being awoken at 3am because you can't sleep and need your back rubbed. Even though I usually fall asleep in the middle of helping you fall asleep, I can't think of a more special thing to do for you.

I love you and am glad you are mine!

Love, Melanie

End of the Birthday Season

Sunday wrapped up the end of the Clam/McClanahan birthday season. Here is the schedule: Feb 11-Me, March 15-Mike, April 22-Robert, July 19th-Mom, August 9th-Dad. For Mom's birthday Mike and I made dinner and had the family over. For Dad's birthday we went to their house for Belgian Waffles with fruit and whipped cream. So now what do we have to look forward to?

The Cutest Couple

Even if I do say so myself!

Wish I were there...

This is a picture from F and MM on a recent trip to Curacao in the Caribbean. I could just stare and stare at this view!

Room of my own

I am at work and everyone has gone to a meeting except me. Since I am leaving the department I volunteered to stay back in case people call or walk in. There was an ulterior motive to that...I am very burned out on the same old conversations we have in our meetings. Numbers could be better, keep giving it 120%, a good fall could help relieve us of stress, generic sales tips, etc. etc. It is painful to listen to as an employee in the department, let alone one leaving the department.

This empty office is giving me a glimpse of my future...an office of my very own! My own 4 walls, my own space, a door I can close! I love my teammates, don't get me wrong. It is just that my day has continuous interruptions, from anyone walking in at anytime to hearing about every affliction, problem and concern known to mankind by my office mates. I am just looking forward to a little peace and quiet, lamplight, a personal call every once in a while, and a space that is mine. As Virgina Woolf said: A woman must have money and a room of her own to write fiction. I may not be writing fiction, but I will certainly be satisfied with money and a room of my own!

Books

I just finished Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows-Three weeks after starting it. It isn't like me to hang on to a Harry Potter book for that long. After Mike is done reading it, I can freely share my perspective on the book. Hopefully he won't take 3 weeks to finish it! The next read on my list is A Thousand Splendid Suns by the author of The Kite Runner. This book also revolves around life in Afghanistan, but more from the female perspective. Should be good. My book club is reading Confessions from an Economic Hitman but I haven't been able to fit it in yet. I may get it as a book on tape and listen to it on my way to and from work.

Fall...lovely fall...

As much as I don't want to think about it, fall is just around the corner. How do I know? I am SLAMMED at work! Phone calls, emails, personal appointments, registering students...it feels like fall in every way. But I don't want it to be fall! I love summer. I love fall, too, but I don't want winter. Sigh. Time just goes by so fast sometimes. Working in education I see my life wiz by me when it is based on fall, spring, summer. I think kids do that to me too. I see friends' kids and one minute they were just born the next they are walking. It all goes by just too fast.

Speaking of fall, this outfit at Anthropologie is just adorable...That is what I love about fall. Fall clothes and the desire to buy new stuff!