Getting ready to rock and roll out!

Well, last week and weekend wasn't the craziest in the world.  We did finally find an apartment to live in and cannot wait to move!  We are only heading 3 blocks away, but considering our time crunch to find a new apartment, we are ecstatic to start the process!

We spent the majority of the weekend packing (after I ran 21 miles for my marathon training on Saturday). 

We did take a break to go see Hubble 3D at the Imax Theater at the National Air and Space Museum.  Danny and I both love this museum.  Danny, because he is obsessed with space.  Seriously, he has such a man crush on Carl Sagan, it is not even funny.  I love this museum, because my very own Grandfather helped build the Minuteman III that is here.  He always tells me that rocket paid for my aunt's college tuition.

Anyway, here we are at Hubble, the glasses were so ridiculous, I had to take a picture.

Ohhhh Yeahhhhh....

Oh and Leonardo DiCaprio narrated (my lifelong celebrity crush), so it was twice as exciting!

We are back to packing and ready to move next Monday- wish us luck!

xoxo,
Jza Jza

 

First Comes Love, then Comes Marriage, then Comes Babies Everywhere!

Oh me oh my- are my girlfriends busy! 

Most of my friends are already married, but the last few have recently been getting engaged- In addition to three engagements at my office, my best friend Leah recently said "Yes!" to her long time boyfriend, Scotty.   They recently got engaged in Hawaii and I am the lucky lady to plan their wedding and be a bridesmaid.  The same weekend, our friends, Timmy and Tara, became engaged in San Fran and we are getting ready for a whirlwind wedding for Greg and Jeri- saving on those taxes!

Leah and Scotty

Timmy and Tara

Greg and Jeri!

On top of weddings, people are getting pregnant in Northern Ohio! (Must be in the water or something!)  Congrats to Brieanne and Jeff who are having their first in April and Celina and Glenn who are expecting their second!

Brie and Jeff

CeCe and Glenn

Congrats to all my friends who are expanding their families and taking on new ones- what an exciting time in your lives!! 

 Our family is loving our new little addition and as a proud aunt- here are a few pics of James!  I can't wait to meet him at Thanksgiving and spend some quality time with him right before Christmas!!

So Cute- I love love love him!

The Happy Family!

Congrats to all!!

xoxo,
Jza Jza

Blackbird Singing in the Dead of Night....

For some reason, I agreed to go camping this past weekend.  If you know me, I am not really the camping type.  I don't like bugs, I don't like dirt, I don't like the woods and I don't like the dark.  Seriously, The Blair Witch Project scarred me for life and I had to sleep in my parents' room for three nights straight after seeing that movie.  Give me a cabin and a hot tub and that is about as far as I go camping-wise.

Needless to say, our friends, April and Chris, convinced me to go camping this past weekend at The Treehouse Camp. Amy (Bama), my amazing friend from OSU, and her boyfriend, Travis, came to join us on this adventure.  It was Travis' first time camping, but he caught on pretty quickly.  Danny, an eagle scout, went very man in the woods-mode and took over.  Luckily, I could just sit back and try to relax!

Our Treehouse cabin- included 10 wood bunk beds

We were in Blackbird Treehouse

This place was a little odd- it had an 11:00 PM curfew and we almost got thrown out for one person talking.  Also, you couldn't bring in your own firewood.  You had to buy 5 pieces of firewood at the store for $8.00.  I mean, talk about a rip off.  Amy and I wanted to sneak some in and the boys decided to find their own in the woods.

Danny and Travis making firewood without an axe...

It kind of worked...

 As this clearly wasn't going to work for all of our wood, Amy and I went out in search of a gas station to buy some reasonably priced wood.  We couldn't and ended up "borrowing" some from an enormous pile on the side of the highway... we were too nervous to take a picture in the process, but here is what we "found."

Our stolen goods... (just the wood)

Amy (Bama) and Travis

Men being men!

Very manly, Danny!

The extent of my helping...

I was the official pefect marshmallow roaster...

A fine creation

The next morning, we of course had to go to Waffle House at Danny's request.

Danny is so happy right now!

All in all, it was a great weekend.  We got to hang out with our friends from Raleigh and experience the wilderness first hand.  I think I can wait another 10-15 years before I go camping again though!!!

Xoxo,
Jza Jza

Global Leadership Group- Chesapeake Bay Resort and celebration!

Last week I spent the majority of my time behind a very lovely registration desk at the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Golf Resort, Spa and Marina.  Although a beautiful location, I spent very little outside, as it rained for the majority of our evenings.  This delightful meeting was called the Global Leadership Group Retreat for the internal high-up directors of our company.  MC'ed by by a chairman and speakers from The Economist, MIT and PepsiCo, the directors were able to network and discuss best practices for their own programs. 

Chris Tassa is an amazing planner and he took the reins on this one.  I was able to hop along for the ride, manage the room blocks and co-pilot the onsite management.

View from my room- Early Rise!

Off for our Three Day Cruise!



120 Name tags- ready to go!



Chris at Registration- we spent a solid 4 days behind this desk.

Hitting our first of 6 red bulls over the next few days!  Preparing for early mornings and long nights!

Our Tiffany Giveaways

Full Table Setting Night One

Morning of Day 2: 120 Name Tents!

General Session

Lunch Day 2

Chris and I preparing for Cocktail Reception and Dinner no. 2

Cheese and Wine Pairing Station

Red bull No. 3 or 4

Dinner Night 2

Overall, it was a great event.  We got great feedback including "Congrats on a great event- the service was top notch."  Exactly what we were looking for!

The next day I was able to blow off some steam at the OSU game (literally steamed the whole/not so fun game) and met up with some friends, such as Leo Deluca and the Remnant brothers from my high school.  They did a great job in their performance! (This was all after a 19 mile run- getting ready for marathon!)

Started the Night watching Southeast Engine on their Fall Tour.

Hung out with Elizabeth and Alicia all night- we were a little overdressed for the 9:30 club!

Met up with Gwyn for a second time a little later- she is wonderful!

Obviously we were having fun.  Or making fun of Tony's beard! :)

 It was a great weekend and I ending it with a blast hanging with a lot of friends from here or there.  Thanks to Chris for a great event and to my girls for helping me celebrate!  I look forward to many more events and many more celebrations!

xoxo
Jza Jza

Six Months Later....

Check it off the bucket list.  I finally finished Atlas Shrugged, by Ayn Rand.  Although a very long book (with a 90 page monologue near the end), I am happy to announce that I finished reading a great novel. 

Thanks to Scott Gabriel, who I stole this from 4 years ago!

A few of my Favorite Quotes:

"Love is the expression of one's values, the greatest reward you can earn for the moral qualities you have achieved in your character and person, the emotional price paid by one man for the joy he receives from the virtues of another."
"Every man is free to rise as far as he's able or willing, but it's only the degree to which he thinks that determines the degree to which he'll rise."
"I swear by my life and my love of it that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine."
xoxo,
Jza Jza

Football Season is Finally Here!!

Minus the increasingly cold weather, college football season is one of my favorite times of the year.  My true passion is The Ohio State University and our football team is no exception.  Although we have had a rough pre-season, our team is a strong one and our fans even stronger (and a bit crazy).  Two of my favorite memories include seeing the 2002 Ohio State vs Michigan game with my brother.  It was truly a magical day.  My next was last year's sugar bowl in New Orleans (again with Peter) as we watched OSU take on Arkansas for their first SEC win in many many years.  Unfortunately that win was dismissed due to some big headed players from our previous year, but it was still a great weekend.

Every year,  I help run the raffle at The Rhino for one of our Ohio State Gamewatches. All of our proceed go to ourOSU DC Alumni Association Scholarship Fund for local kids going to OSU next year.  I am usually able to raise between 150-200 dollars a game.  This weekend, I was able to raise a whopping $217.00.  Pretty great for a pre season game. 

Danny and I at the gamewatch.  Danny rooted for Akron... a long story...

Mike Skeele and I

Adam and I- his hat and my glasses were the best Accessories of the day! 

The game was great- we won 42 - 0 and look forward to our season! 

Go Bucks!

xoxo,

Jza Jza

The weeks are flying by!

First of all, how is it September already?  I really feel like it was just memorial day not too long ago.  It is really crazy how time just flew by this summer.  It is even more depressing when the weather starts to turn.  I am one for the hot weather- so I am holding on to summer as long as possible!

Last weekend my cousin, Chelsea, came to visit.  It was her first time in DC and we enjoyed a day of monument site seeing, a day of relaxing (while the "hurricane" came through) and a day of museums.

Chelsea is representing at the WWII Memorial

Chelsea and I in front of the Washington Monument



We went out on the town in chinatown Friday Night.  Here we are at Iron Horse.



We all went out the next night- braving the hurricane to our favorite spot, the Blaguard.

It was so great to have Chelsea in town for the whole weekend.  Although it took me a while to recover from her College-style partying, she is welcome back anytime!! A perfect mix of site seeing and play time, we had an incredible cousin weekend!

xoxo

Jza Jza