"If you want to call me baby, just go ahead now. And if you like to tell me maybe, just go ahead now. And if you wanted to buy me flowers, just go ahead now. And if you like to talk for hours, just go ahead now."
Photo stolen from here.
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Friday, March 30, 2012
Office Bliss
I've been meaning to write a post about this for a while now, and today seems like the perfect time to do it! An article just came out in Business Week that features my company's beautiful Dallas office. Although some of the statements in the article are incorrect (we don't have a happy hour in the office every Friday), most of them are pretty spot on.
Here's a link to the article: See Why My Office Rocks
And here are the top ten reasons I am so blessed to work where I do (commenting on non-work perks only - tacking on why I like my actual job would be another list of ten reasons!):
10. My company pays for my cell phone bill. Thank you, BCG, for my beautiful iPhone 4S. Yes, this might mean you expect me to read and respond to work emails beyond the set 9-5 hours, but it also means I am less one personal bill each month!
9. Proximity. My office is in walking distance of: my apartment, my favorite sandwich shop, the American Airlines Center, and the Katy Trail. Talk about turning Dallas into a "walkable city." Going to a Mavs game? Park and walk. Running after work? Walk straight there. Pretty day outside? Stroll to work on two wheels instead of four. It's great.
8. We have a fully stocked beer fridge. Whether it's been a hard week or it's a pretty day outside or you need a little pre-game booze before heading to a Mavs game, it's nice to pop one open on our terrace after work.
7. Speaking of...our terrace. High above uptown Dallas on the 23rd floor, it's beautiful and conveniently located directly next to my desk. On pretty days we'll pull out the cornhole or eat lunch outside or even set up our laptops for an afternoon of working in the sun. We have a direct view of the downtown lights, so it's not a bad view after dark, either.
6. Summer Retreat. Every summer our whole office (significant others and children included!) take a Friday off and hit the road for the hill country. What ensues is a three day retreat full of costume parties, cocktail hours, lounging by the pool, and going to the spa. Not a bad way to spend a "weekend at work!"
5. Special events. We also have other events throughout the year like our annual Holiday Party or our Bring Your Kids to Work Day or our Halloween Party. We have March Madness parties with pizza and games blasted up on the big screens. We have a community service day that the whole office participates in. And we have a staff appreciation day where we take a half day off work to do something fun (this year it's a cooking class!). Work hard, play hard, right?
4. Food. Oh, the food. People warned me when I started to beware of the BCG Fifteen. I thought it was a joke. It twas not. Besides the fact that I eat about 1/5 of my meals for free because there is always some sort of training going on and I always snag the left overs, we also have snacks galore in our cafe and break out kitchens. There is cereal (5 kinds!) and popcorn and candy bars and goldfish. There is trail mix and beef jerky and gummy snacks and soup. And two days a week, fresh fruit is delivered. Fatty alert.
3. Continuing with food (because more than one bullet point is necessary for this), we have lunch catered in every Friday. As a treat to those who are out traveling Monday-Thursday and as a way to bring our office all together to socialize, we dine on everything from Indian food to burritos, hamburgers to Italian food. Today we had pizza. It's Beer Cart Friday so we figured the two coincided.
2. Oh, have I not mentioned Beer Cart Friday, yet? This is one of my absolute favorites. I've talked about it before but just in case you need a refresher...the official, organized Beer Cart Friday happens about once a month. People sign up to push the cart filled with wine, beer, and desserts around the office. Starting around 3:30pm, it's hard to find a desk that isn't alive with booze. Not a bad way to bow out for the week.
1. Cake Meetings. Surprised I'm talking about food again? You shouldn't be. Once a month we have a thing called a "Cake Meeting." Sounds fake? It's not. And we actually DO work during this meeting. All of the non-consulting staff gets together for a training or a presentation or sometimes just a fun team-building exercise. And while we do it, we enjoy cake. It's a way to say "Happy Birthday" to everyone with a b-day that month. Our cake meeting for March was yesterday. Guess who had a slice of the Red Velvet and the Toffee Crunch? This girl :)
As you can see, it's more than just a beautiful office and awesome job that makes me love coming to work every day. I feel truly blessed to work in such an awesome environment! Showing you appreciate your employees really goes a long way. And it's a lot easier to work long hours during busy season when you know you're being treated well :)
Here's a link to the article: See Why My Office Rocks
And here are the top ten reasons I am so blessed to work where I do (commenting on non-work perks only - tacking on why I like my actual job would be another list of ten reasons!):
10. My company pays for my cell phone bill. Thank you, BCG, for my beautiful iPhone 4S. Yes, this might mean you expect me to read and respond to work emails beyond the set 9-5 hours, but it also means I am less one personal bill each month!
9. Proximity. My office is in walking distance of: my apartment, my favorite sandwich shop, the American Airlines Center, and the Katy Trail. Talk about turning Dallas into a "walkable city." Going to a Mavs game? Park and walk. Running after work? Walk straight there. Pretty day outside? Stroll to work on two wheels instead of four. It's great.
8. We have a fully stocked beer fridge. Whether it's been a hard week or it's a pretty day outside or you need a little pre-game booze before heading to a Mavs game, it's nice to pop one open on our terrace after work.
7. Speaking of...our terrace. High above uptown Dallas on the 23rd floor, it's beautiful and conveniently located directly next to my desk. On pretty days we'll pull out the cornhole or eat lunch outside or even set up our laptops for an afternoon of working in the sun. We have a direct view of the downtown lights, so it's not a bad view after dark, either.
6. Summer Retreat. Every summer our whole office (significant others and children included!) take a Friday off and hit the road for the hill country. What ensues is a three day retreat full of costume parties, cocktail hours, lounging by the pool, and going to the spa. Not a bad way to spend a "weekend at work!"
5. Special events. We also have other events throughout the year like our annual Holiday Party or our Bring Your Kids to Work Day or our Halloween Party. We have March Madness parties with pizza and games blasted up on the big screens. We have a community service day that the whole office participates in. And we have a staff appreciation day where we take a half day off work to do something fun (this year it's a cooking class!). Work hard, play hard, right?
4. Food. Oh, the food. People warned me when I started to beware of the BCG Fifteen. I thought it was a joke. It twas not. Besides the fact that I eat about 1/5 of my meals for free because there is always some sort of training going on and I always snag the left overs, we also have snacks galore in our cafe and break out kitchens. There is cereal (5 kinds!) and popcorn and candy bars and goldfish. There is trail mix and beef jerky and gummy snacks and soup. And two days a week, fresh fruit is delivered. Fatty alert.
3. Continuing with food (because more than one bullet point is necessary for this), we have lunch catered in every Friday. As a treat to those who are out traveling Monday-Thursday and as a way to bring our office all together to socialize, we dine on everything from Indian food to burritos, hamburgers to Italian food. Today we had pizza. It's Beer Cart Friday so we figured the two coincided.
2. Oh, have I not mentioned Beer Cart Friday, yet? This is one of my absolute favorites. I've talked about it before but just in case you need a refresher...the official, organized Beer Cart Friday happens about once a month. People sign up to push the cart filled with wine, beer, and desserts around the office. Starting around 3:30pm, it's hard to find a desk that isn't alive with booze. Not a bad way to bow out for the week.
1. Cake Meetings. Surprised I'm talking about food again? You shouldn't be. Once a month we have a thing called a "Cake Meeting." Sounds fake? It's not. And we actually DO work during this meeting. All of the non-consulting staff gets together for a training or a presentation or sometimes just a fun team-building exercise. And while we do it, we enjoy cake. It's a way to say "Happy Birthday" to everyone with a b-day that month. Our cake meeting for March was yesterday. Guess who had a slice of the Red Velvet and the Toffee Crunch? This girl :)
As you can see, it's more than just a beautiful office and awesome job that makes me love coming to work every day. I feel truly blessed to work in such an awesome environment! Showing you appreciate your employees really goes a long way. And it's a lot easier to work long hours during busy season when you know you're being treated well :)
Thursday, March 29, 2012
The Time I Ran A Race That Had The Word 'Marathon' In It
Well folks, I did it. I accomplished one of my life goals: to run a half marathon. And it feels fantastic. Well, my body is sore and it was hard to walk Sunday afternoon, but inside it feels great :)
It feels great to know that just a mere few months ago I couldn't run 1/2 a mile without stopping. I hated it. No, despised it. And now? Now I just ran 13.1 miles, crossed that Finish Line, and checked "run a half marathon" off my bucket list. How sweet is that?
Accomplishing this goal means a lot more to me than the 1700 calories I burned on Sunday or the 2 gallons of sweat I poured out. Yeah, it was a great workout, but more than that it was knowing that I pushed passed something that was mentally hard, physically draining, and took a lot of time and effort on my end. It means missed happy hours with friends, getting up early on the weekends, numerous blisters, money spent on new running shoes, and even some tears along the way. It means proving to myself that I can. And I will.
It feels great to know that just a mere few months ago I couldn't run 1/2 a mile without stopping. I hated it. No, despised it. And now? Now I just ran 13.1 miles, crossed that Finish Line, and checked "run a half marathon" off my bucket list. How sweet is that?
Accomplishing this goal means a lot more to me than the 1700 calories I burned on Sunday or the 2 gallons of sweat I poured out. Yeah, it was a great workout, but more than that it was knowing that I pushed passed something that was mentally hard, physically draining, and took a lot of time and effort on my end. It means missed happy hours with friends, getting up early on the weekends, numerous blisters, money spent on new running shoes, and even some tears along the way. It means proving to myself that I can. And I will.
Steph and me before the race.
Steph and me as finishers!
My supporters.
This journey to the finish line started way before that first gun blew at 8:00am on Sunday morning; It was a few months in the making and it took more than just me to get there. It took my numerous running buddies (shout out to you, GP!) along the way, all the encouraging comments and texts these past few months, and my awesome parents for coming out and cheering me on at the different mile markers! I was so lucky to be able to cross my first half marathon finish line with my best friend. Steph and I started "running" (if you call one 1/2 mile lap around the pond at a 14 minute pace running!) together about a year ago. We knew we both wanted to run a half marathon eventually (it just took me about six months longer than her to really get serious, commit, and dig in to this goal!). I am so blessed to have had so many awesome supporters along for the ride - thanks to all who made this journey an awesome experience for me!
Friday, March 23, 2012
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Happy Guiness Beer Drinking Day
I had an absolute blast this St. Patty's Day. Best one so far. I share with you evidence of such via photographs:
7:45 AM: Tatted up and ready to roll.
9:00 AM: Tailgating with green beer.
11:15 AM: Find prime location for parade viewing.
11:30 AM: One-upped for prime location.
12:30 PM: Still catching beads. Longest parade ever.
12:45 PM: Take a break from parade watching to document friendships.
1:15 PM: Green beer intake begins to show.
1:30 PM: I focus attention to my favorite love birds.
2:15 PM: Seek food and find friends.
Take a photography hiatus. Walk 2 miles down Greenville. Discover a Mardi Gras-like crowd. Decide that's not my scene. Dread the return walk. Call a friend to pick us up instead. Drink beer and play washers at Zac and Cody's. Eat sausage. Throw the frisbee for Jack. Go home and swap shorts --> jeans. Go pick up Evan and Joel. Meet Oreo. Head out in Uptown.
10:00 PM: Find a table at The MAT. Ballin.
11:45 PM: Final picture of St. Pat's Day.
12:15 AM. Conclude that I am in fact exhausted and entirely too old for these all-day shenanigans. Walk 1.2 miles home. Crash.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Countdown Update
Three days. Another (and last) run tonight before the big one.
I tried GU for the first time. Verdict? Disgusting but extremely helpful. I'll be packing three for the big day.
I'm extremely nervous albeit less so after tonight's piece of cake run. (Thank you weather and good company for perfect running conditions! I needed this boost of confidence before race day!).
My goal: To finish without stopping. I don't care about time. I don't care about pace. I don't care how pretty I look while doing it. All I care about is finishing.
Monday, March 19, 2012
Friday, March 16, 2012
And the Countdown Begins...
Nine days until my half marathon. Am I ready? I can't not be.
96.1 miles of running, 3 races, and one knee brace in preparation.
What I thought was once near impossible for me, is about to become very real.
The countdown begins...
Photo stolen from here.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
LOVE vol.1
"Won't you kiss me on that midnight street. Sweep me off my feet. Singing ain't this life so sweet."
Photo stolen from here.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Pullin' on My Big Girl Pants
The list of things that I accomplished today include:
- Renewing my driver's license and changing my address
- Registering to vote in Dallas county
- Ordering an alumni sticker for my new car
- Becoming an organ donor
- Submitting my yearly donation to A&M
I'd say I definitely pulled my 'big girl pants' on today.
See? I have 'big girl' written all over me...
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Most Recently.
I'm not gonna lie...my life has been pretty cool lately. Cool for me at least. Let me review:
Saturday 3.3.12
I woke up Saturday morning and spent four hours laying in bed and reading. Feel like heaven, much? My mom met me at my apartment that afternoon and what followed was the most perfect mother-daughter day. I had purchased tickets to the comedy club for the two of us for her birthday a few weeks back and we had decided to cash those in last weekend. Before we booked it out to Fort Worth, however, we spent the afternoon shopping at Urban Outfitters and eating dinner at Rock Fish. Awesome. The show was decent, although not the best I've seen from that group and only slightly uncomfortable when they re-enacted the "When Harry Met Sally" diner scene. Yes, the one you're thinking of. After returning to Dallas and saying bye to my mom, I met up with some friends at one of my new favorite bars, The Quarter Bar:
Sunday 3.4.12
I spent the first few hours of my Sunday cheering on my co-workers in our annual BCG vs. McKinsey flag football game. Although we were ahead for the majority of the game and made some awesome plays (including quite a few interceptions), we couldn't quite pull out the W. That's ok. It was definitely disappointing but still made for a fun Sunday morning:
Yes, I'm wearing the same sweater as the night before. Call me lazy.
After the game a handful of us brunched at ColeVines. It was my first time there and well folks, it did not disappoint. From their $3.00 mimosas to complimentary cinnamon toast to the peanut butter and caramelized banana pancakes I got, it hit the spot for sure:
We decided it would be a crime to not continue taking advantage of such a pretty day so Katie, Gretchen, and I headed to the pool. That's when Sunday Funday truly began. Although I refrained from most of the festivities because I know the damage Sunday Funday can cause me, it was nice to sip on a mimosa while catching some March rays and reading my book. We rounded out our Sunday Funday with a trip to Jake's for dinner and a casual perusal through Target, where I surprisingly limited myself to only the essentials (huge pat on the back to myself for that one). I ended my night by sitting on my couch and finishing the last installment of The Hunger Games trilogy. You can read what I thought about it here.
Monday 3.5.12
Monday after work I ran the Katy Trail with Lauren. Although we spent our work out battling gnats and humidity, it was a good run nonetheless. Right after my work out I headed out to Steph's to hang out with these precious girls:
We spent the next four hours watching the Bachelor (judge away), playing with toys, and drinking our "coffee":
Tuesday 3.6.12
I left work right at 5:00pm on Tuesday and met Zach, my college roommate, at my apartment. Our hopes of going rollerblading were quickly crushed given the chilly, high winds. So what did we do instead? Go get margaritas and mexican food, of course! Mia's has become one of my new favorites (thanks to Taylor and Alan for introducing me a few weeks back!) and it lived up to expectations yet again. Our trip to get margs was quickly followed by a pre-game tailgate for my kickball team. Carrie, Lauren, and I stopped by Sonic on the way so we could kick it old school with vodka infused Route 44s. It was a nice touch. The night ended in what I believe was (quite sadly) our very first BACCA WIN! Two seasons of softball and a half season of kickball under our belt and we were finally able to pull out the W:
Not sure how we did it (or why we haven't been able to do it before), but leaving the field as victors felt good. Felt real good:
Wednesday 3.7.12
So in an attempt to amp up for my big half coming up (which I'm incredibly nervous about, by the way...) but not kill my knees in the process, I'm mixing up my work-out regimen a bit. This included a trip to Barre Amped Pilates on Wednesday night with Gretchen and Katie. A mixture of ballet strengthening, pilates stretching, and some incremental weight exercises, this class was legit. It pushed my body just to the point of breaking without it being absolutely miserable. And the best part? The lavender scented towels and lemon water we were served after class. Can you guess the demographic of the studio? Yes, all rich Dallas women with nothing else on their agenda but to eat out, work out, and shop 'til they drop. Let's just say they expect nice things. And this place delivers. And my poor, first job self gets to reap the perks as well. I dig.
I don't have a 'picture of the day' for Wednesday because my post-workout self is less than beautiful and my Taco Diner dinner of guacamole and water after said workout wasn't really photo worthy. I'm sure you'll forgive me.
Thursday 3.8.12
Thursday meant show numero dos in our Dallas Summer Musicals line-up! We headed out from the office to enjoy an awesome dinner at All Good Cafe in Deep Ellum. I got the grilled cheese with tomatoes and grilled green chilis. Yum. This restaurant was so awesome. Very hip, very trendy, very Austin-ish. I recommend.
We washed down our food with our second musical of the year, Million Dollar Quartet:
Photo found here.
I love oldies music so you know it hit the stop. Although I wish they would have played a few more of their upbeat songs as it was a bit dry in the beginning, the end of the show with their 'concert' set landed them my stamp of approval. Not something I would spend a gazillion dollars on, but not too shabby for an inexpensive, mid-week, girls night out!
Friday 3.9.12
Speaking of girls nights, Friday was one of my favorites so far! I had found tickets to the ballet for a good price a few weeks back. I've been severely missing dance in my life so this was a much anticipated night for me. Like most other things in my week, luckily this did not disappoint. We decided to get all fancied up because, well, it's the ballet.
We started our night by grabbing some dinner at The Commissary in the Arts District:
After a delicious meal of gourmet burgers and beer, we walked the few blocks to the gorgeous Winspear Opera House:
This place was seriously gorgeous both inside and out. And I've never seen so many mink stoles and floor length coats in my life. Men in tuxedos, women in pearls. People do it big for the ballet in Dallas:
The show was absolutely wonderful. There were eleven pieces total and a great mixture of classical and modern ballet. I was quite literally on the edge of my seat for half of the show. Simply breathtaking.
After the ballet we met up with some of our friends at The Quarter Bar. Yup, two weekends in a row! What ensued was a fun night of booze pops and creating our own shot. Ballin:
Saturday 3.10.12
We decided to take a break from the hustle and bustle of Uptown and head out to Cow Town on Saturday night. It ended up being an absolute blast! Everyone met up at Gazebo Burger in Carrollton before booking it to Fort Worth. I tried a black bean burger for the first time and...loved it. A mere 45 minutes later and we were in downtown Fort Worth with fifteen of our friends at The Library:
We soon transitioned to Lonestar under the false pretense of there being country dancing. Although we were at first severely disappointed, we were quickly caught up in the club atmosphere and proceeded to dance our butts off all night. Given how much sweat was poring from my body and how sore my legs were, I in no way regret not running on Saturday. I for sure got a hefty work out in that night. And my friend Bobby singing karaoke to "Copacabana" might be one of my favorite memories ever. Ever!
Sunday 3.11.12
I spent my Sunday getting things done around my apartment and watching Gone With the Wind on my couch. I thought it couldn't get much better than that. And then it did. I went to dinner at Torchy's Tacos (which is awesome) and then followed that up with a trip to the carnival. An hour and a half playing carney games and riding rides you haven't since you were ten, and devouring a funnel cake? I'll take it. Sounds like the perfect night to me :) And I got to check "carnival" off my Dallas bucket list. Holla.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Scrump-diddily-umptious
Last Friday I went to happy hour after work with four of my best friends. What started as a casual drinks and app date quickly turned into a night of enjoying the most delicious cocktails I've had in a while.
Proof:
Proof:
Skittles and Fruit Vodka at The Common Table. This was followed by a Chocolate Stout (not pictured. obviously).
Tiramisu Martinis at The Londoner.
Ending the night with Hot Chocolate and Peppermint Schnapps.
What did I tell ya? Scrump-diddily-umptious.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Birthday Bash
This is also coming to you quite delayed. I think you'll begin to see a trend of this throughout the week as I'm so behind on posting! But anyway...
A few weeks ago one of my good friends, Stephen, was on the brink of simultaneously turning 24 and packing his bags for his six month stint in NYC. Well, Brooklyn, to be specific ;)
This was obviously grounds for a celebration. And what's the best kind of celebration to have? A surprise one with all of your best friends.
On a Sunday evening a few weeks ago, ten of Stephen's best friends sat squatted in my living room in surprise formation anxiously awaiting his arrival:
The only problem? No Stephen. We had (very surprisingly) managed to get all of us together in one place on the same night. Such a rarity for our group. However, there was one guest who looked like he might not be making an appearance...the birthday boy.
Apparently my ploy of trying to coax him into doing my taxes with the promise of a home cooked meal at my place didn't win him over. (Not that I blame him, given my cooking abilities. Or complete lack-of. But what other excuse did I have for him to show up at my place by himself on a Sunday night?!) Uh oh. With a lot of guilt tripping (about the time I'd put into purchasing and preparing the food) on my part and most likely some pure laziness (of not wanting to cook or spend money) on his part, he was finally on his way!
What ensued was an evening filled with lots of laughs, recalling of old stories, drinking of beer, and a nicely prepared frozen lasagna and bagged salad by your's truly:
And as no surprise party is complete without decorations...party hats, streamers, balloons, and "happy birthday" plates were supplied as well. And a cookie cake because the kid doesn't like any dessert besides chocolate chip cookies:
A few weeks ago one of my good friends, Stephen, was on the brink of simultaneously turning 24 and packing his bags for his six month stint in NYC. Well, Brooklyn, to be specific ;)
This was obviously grounds for a celebration. And what's the best kind of celebration to have? A surprise one with all of your best friends.
On a Sunday evening a few weeks ago, ten of Stephen's best friends sat squatted in my living room in surprise formation anxiously awaiting his arrival:
The only problem? No Stephen. We had (very surprisingly) managed to get all of us together in one place on the same night. Such a rarity for our group. However, there was one guest who looked like he might not be making an appearance...the birthday boy.
Apparently my ploy of trying to coax him into doing my taxes with the promise of a home cooked meal at my place didn't win him over. (Not that I blame him, given my cooking abilities. Or complete lack-of. But what other excuse did I have for him to show up at my place by himself on a Sunday night?!) Uh oh. With a lot of guilt tripping (about the time I'd put into purchasing and preparing the food) on my part and most likely some pure laziness (of not wanting to cook or spend money) on his part, he was finally on his way!
What ensued was an evening filled with lots of laughs, recalling of old stories, drinking of beer, and a nicely prepared frozen lasagna and bagged salad by your's truly:
Happy Belated Birthday, Stephen!
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