I am *TOTALLY* in love with Shawn!

My husband is one of the most SUPER COOL guys I know -- which is good thing, since I married him! He's practical and is blessed with smarts, looks, and a sense of adventure (which I share and would like to further exploit so we don't get bored in our old age). Simply put, I adore him!

This picture was taken on the twisty-turny Sugar River in southern Wisconsin. The day started out great (nice weather, nice water depth, I came head-to-head with a huge buck in the middle of the river as I quietly glided around a curve) and ended 6+ hours later with a paddle through a nasty mud lake where I had to get out and walk in mud past my knees to get my boat into a paddle-able depth. I was pissy and mad, but Shawn (as always) talked me through it and calmed me down. Everyone was BEAT after that trip!

Step One...Cut a Hole in a Box

I adore that Justin Timberlake is so willing to have some fun and make fun of the genre that's made him so much coin!

Step Two...put your junk in that box...

Liam Sullivan is Funny!

I'm a really big fan of the SHOES by Liam Sullivan. We showed it to some friends and they all wanted the URL - now we hear people doing Kelly quotes (hands of betch...).

He's got a new Kelly song out that's about text message breaking up that's pretty good, too (a word of caution - it's got swear words). Check it out, dog:

how many of YOU are there?

My sister just turned me onto this website where you type in your name and it tells you how many people with your name live in the US.

While I always knew I was one of a kind (my husband continues to tell me that God broke the mold when I was made!), it's nice to know that I am truly the *ONLY* Patty Fabulous in the world. And I have proof, see:

HowManyOfMe.com

There are: 0 people with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

Check it out for yourself and see how many there are of you!

My FAVE rock -n- roll photo

What can I say? I *LOVE* this picture!

I'm a fan of Johnny and Patsy (both for their awesome voices, great songs, AND karaoke potential!), but while Patsy Cline was the soulful sometimes-wronged sweetheart, Mr. Cash was ALWAYS a major bad ass - even when pushing 40 (when this pic was taken).

Is there even a contemporary who will enjoy the career longevity that Johnny Cash has?

I Want Snow Shoes!

I'm very excited because just got our first REAL bout of snow. I love winter sporting (sledding rocks, I like X country skiing, and just hiking with the dogs is a blast!). Now that we're in Wisconsin, I'd like to really get out into the winter wonderland!

A hint for all of you out there who are thinking of buying a present for little ol' me: I want snow shoes. Specifically, I'd like the MRS Denali Classic, which are available at REI for the very low price of $139.99 (if you knew anything about snow shoes, you'd know that this IS actually cheap!). I'd like these in Black, please.

Of course, snow shoes also require trekking poles (sort of like ski poles), so if you're making this purchase with a group and need to spend a tad more coin, I'd also like REI's summit trekking poles. Very low cost at $55 for the pair (and they come in a beautiful RED!)

If anyone out there would like to send these to me anonymously, I'd be real pleased!

Trip to FLA was BOFFO

Whew! My last post was from sunny Florida (yay!) and now I'm back in overcast Wisconsin (boo!).
FLA was great! I learned A LOT, had some family time, AND had ample time with the mouse.

I went to Disney World the Sunday night when I arrived on an "After 4" park ticket. It worked out perfectly - it was Extra Hours night, so the park was open until midnight for resort guests. I got there around 8, enjoyed a Dole Whip (the BEST frozen treat on earth!!!), went on Pirates a few times, did the Jungle Cruise, watched the fireworks, headed to the Haunted Castle, did Big Thunder Mountain and Pirates once more, and then headed back to my resort to rest up for some head-hurting learnin' on Mon - Weds at the Training Outsourcing conference. Two coolest things about the Con: 1) articulating the value of training using net present value, and 2) the Disney backstage tour conducted by the Disney Institute.

After Training Outsourcing, I spent some time at my sister's house (where my last posting was written!). I worked all day (yay!).

The following day I checked into my new hotel for Con #2 and went to EPCOT with my sister. I am always nostalgic for EPCOT because we went there alot as a family when I was a teenager. While they've really done A LOT to update the front part of the park (Future World has a new name and a ton of cool stuff like Soarin', Mission to Mars, and Test Track), my favoriate attraction at EPCOT is still the movie in France (I am SUCH a geek!), with the production at the American Pavillion coming in as a strong second.

Day after that, I went to the Magic Kingdom with her family, including my niece and nephew. We got to bypass all the lines and go in the back way for Pirates of the Carribean and the Haunted Mansion - I've never seen those parts of the park before - it ROCKED! We closed the day at the Hall of the Presidents, which was much cheesier than I ever remember - I swear I remember more dialogue between the prezidents - now it's mostly George Bush (boo!). What happened? Did I dream it?

From there, I started Con #2 (Learning 2006) and came directly home when that was over.

Some thoughts about my experience at Disney:

The war for talent is evident and it looks like it has taken it's toll.

• I heard alot at the back stage tour about employee selection and how they don't hire people who don't smile (apparently, cast members are required to smile and make eye contact with guests). I saw scowling cast members talking with their peers and ignoring guests.
• The parks are way dirtier than I ever remembering seeing them in the 1980s (especially the Magic Kingdom). We're talking TRASH on the ground and not a sweeper in sight. Amazing.
• Disney must outsource some things on property, because my very tacky waitress at a very high end restaurant told me so. She was relatively new and complained about having to abide by Disney costume rules even though she was not an employee. She then told us that she was 40 and had a daughter who was in her mid-20s because she didn't use her birth control pills correctly. She went on to tell us that she put her daughter on the pill when she turned 15 and reminds her about the importance of "not having a pill baby." Forgive me, but I CANNOT think of a better ending to a $250 dinner with friends!

I hope the guy or gal who came up with this princess thing got a hefty bonus. You can't go anywhere without seeing girls in $60 get-ups. They also have taken some very nice restaurants and made them "dine with princesses" establishments, which I'm sure means the food is quite marginalized yet more expensive. Way to go!

Fabulous at Five!

Even at 5 I was fabulous. Of course I didn't realize it then (and am sad to say that sometimes in moments of humanity I forget it even today!) but looking back, I know I must have had converse moments of clarity where I just KNEW I was emerging into fabulosity.

Ah....1975. In this pic I am 5 and taking a break (to pose - see? FABULOUS!) from getting ready to be the flower girl for the wedding of my aunt's best friend, Karen. I remember my pretty dress (white) and the flower petals (yellow) and I have some very cute pics of me holding hands with the minister as we walk down the aisle after the ceremony. I remembering playing my role well (no crying or whining, expertly distributing petals, moving down the aisle in step with the processional) and thinking how cool it was to have been asked to be part of the party. It was my only flower girl gig.

Being an alum to the flower girl club, I of course check out how the flower girls do at the weddings I attend. I'm sad to report that while I've seen some great flower girls, I also see a lot of crying and sobbing, which really destroys the mood for all involved. I'm inclined to believe this is the fault of the bride or parent for picking a kid who was too young or not precocious enough to handle and/or enjoy the spotlight that the role provides. In some cases, I'm sure the would-be flower girl was pushed into the role without being asked if she wanted to do it.


SIDE BAR:
So while I'm cute in a dated sort of way, looking at this pic again, I am SO THANKFUL for being alive today vs. 100-200 years ago. I started wearing glasses at 3, which totally saved me from having a crossed eye, and the magic of braces brought in a VERY "Melissa Gilbert as Laura Ingalls Wilder" overbite (why was is so damn cute on her?!?!?!?!) I can also say that it's one of the only times I've ever worn curlers in my life.

BLOGS AWAY...

So, not sure if anyone will ever read this, but thought I'd try this for fun. Will I have time for this? Will I have enough thoughts to compel me to write? Is this all bullshit? We'll definitely find out over the next coupla months, no?

Here's about me...