Category: Random

Three Little Letters

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M. B. A.

Those three little letters mean the world to me right now. A little over two years ago, I decided I wanted to make sure I would always have the opportunity to advance my career, even in the slump of the economy. I took the GMAT (pretty sure it was the hardest test ever) and applied to one school. Baldwin-Wallace College. Two years later, here I am. I officially completed the program, as of last night, and now have my Masters in Business Administration, my career focus being Marketing.  I’ve learned a lot about myself, how the “real world” works and how to be a better businesswoman. It was a lot of hard work, time and effort, all worth it in the end. Honestly, I’m not even sure what I’m going to do with all the extra time or energy. (Insert marathon training)

Moral of this post…..I’m glad I pushed myself to do this. If it ever crosses your mind to go for higher education, do it. No matter what program, what field, it will help you advance your career and even help you learn more about yourself. The warning: Exhaustion will appear, time will disappear and your social life may have to take a back seat. But worth it, and maybe give BW a look 😉

Straight down that country road

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As much as I love the west side, I spend many weekends in the city of Wooster. Most people think that Wooster is just a small town in the middle of no where. Well, you’re right. But it also has a lot to offer. Passing through on 83 you’ll see the regular franchises, McDonald’s, Starbucks, Red Lobster, etc. But if you take time to go down town, to the old down town, you’ll find another part of Wooster that comes alive on the weekends. Fall, winter and spring bring out all the college students, but they aren’t too much of a bother. So if you happen to pass Wooster any time, here are a few places I definitely suggest!

The Faithful Little Cupcake: I just found this little gem over the weekend, but I happen to love cupcakes so I was quite alright with it. They offer 12 fresh flavors each day and they’re all hard to resist. Not only do they have cupcakes, but they have cakes of all sizes and flavors. Best thing about the shop, they have cupcakes all day, and don’t run out as soon as they open!

City Square Steakhouse: This is a two for one. The steakhouse is a great place for dinner, expensive dinner. But it is well worth every penny. They also have a great bar with a huge TV for all you sport fans. It’s a classy place to go for drinks after dinner out on the town.

SoMar Wine Cellars: A newer place to Wooster, SoMar has every kind of wine that you could possibly think of. Choose from either inside or outside seating, comfy couches or curl up next to the fireplace. They also have local artists that come in and play on the weekends. It was definitely perfect for those cool summer nights.

Broken Rocks Cafe: This is my absolute favorite place. They have the best pasta, and best drinks. Hello carb load! Not to mention it’s a great atmosphere. They even have a private room in the back if you’re looking to have a party.

Of course there are other great places in Wooster to check out, but these are my top favorites!

A Win for the Buckeyes

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The Friday before Labor Day we received free tickets to the OSU game. While it seemed like an exciting thing, and of course you can never turn down free tickets, neither of us really wanted to head down to Columbus for the long weekend. But we did anyway. I’ve never been up so early for a football game. We were up and down to the tailgating spot by 10:00, which they said was late compared to usual.

Ready to go!

I’d say it wasn’t ideal weather. It was about 95 but felt like 100+. And I’d felt a little off all week, so the heat definitely wasn’t making me feel any better. But it was great to see the Buckeyes play for the first time. And they won so that was a bonus…..Here’s to football season!

A little slice of Heaven

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A few weeks ago we headed to Indian Lake for a small weekend getaway. My grandma owns a house, so it’s a nice way to get together to see family and spend some time away from the city. If you’ve never been there, it’s a great place to go. It has a community feel and everything you need is close by. Growing up within minutes of Lake Erie, this was always a nice treat to have a small change of scenery. Not to mention, I spent many summers fishing on the banks of the lake with my grandparents.

I highly recommend taking the drive to the other side of the state just for Indian Lake. And this is why:

  • It’s in the middle of no where, which at times is absolutely great
  • Fishing, boating and swimming are things you can spend all weekend doing
  • Cranberry’s Resort, great food, great drinks, and usually some live entertainment.
  • Froggy’s is a restaurant/bar on the opposite side of the lake. Better yet, it has a pool with a swim up bar.
  • Both sides of my family grew up near the lake, these are my roots

Pretty nice to wake up to

Seasons Change

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It is finally the end of wedding season this year. Five out of five weddings complete….and already two on the calendar for next summer. This past weekend we headed out to the country for my cousin’s wedding on one of my uncle’s farms. The weather was beautiful, the ceremony was short and being able to see the whole family was a bonus.

My 14 year old sister…who is as tall as me

As soon as the ceremony was done, we headed back up north to Cleveland to see the Browns take on the Packers….I’ve been waiting for this for months! Football season is here! We barely made it in time, and I was excited to see I wasn’t the only who wasn’t wearing orange or brown. Although I did hear some fans calling me out for carrying around my giant cheese. Overall, it was a great game. I’ve always wanted to see the Packers play in person. Regular season and in Lambeau Field would be ideal, but I’ll take what I can get. It was an exciting game, and even though we lost, I know it will be a great season. Afterall, the Browns beat the Packers last year in preseason and then they ended up winning the Super Bowl…maybe history will repeat.

Are you a Browns fan?

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If you are, then you are like many other Clevelanders who have been waiting all year for football season. To some, it is the best time of the year. And the fact that it lasts through February, makes it even better. And this is the year, right? The Browns will win the Super Bowl?

Well……

I fully support you and your dedication.The most important people in my life are Browns fans.

But….

I am a proud Green Bay Packers fan, and now I lost most of my readers. I have been a Packers fan for as long as I can remember. I am more than excited that they will be in Cleveland tomorrow. So you can bet that I plan on being at that game. I’ll be leaving my cousin’s wedding early (don’t worry they’re already married, it’s their second ceremony) driving three hours back to Cleveland, just in time to see the game. So I apologize if you can no longer read my blog, but hopefully my choice won’t be too upsetting for too long. And don’t worry, I still love Cleveland!

Don’t forget to breathe

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I meant to write this last week, but I’ve started doing one of the hardest things to date. Yoga. I took a Pilates class back in high school and it really helped with my breathing and running. I’ve always wanted to start up again, but either didn’t have time or I just couldn’t let myself spend $20 on one class. But one of the perks with my new apartment is that there is a free yoga class once a week. So Thursdays nights, while I have free time in between semesters, I’ll be working on my breathing and stretching.

I didn’t know what to expect, it was a lot harder than I thought. I’m not flexible so many of the positions weren’t perfect. And half of the time I forgot to breathe, instead I would hold my breath. I’ve realized this  is the hardest thing to do. I felt great after the class finished, and I’m excited to keep going. And with it being free, there isn’t a reason not to go. I still would love to find a Pilates class around that isn’t a bank breaker, but my schedule will be way to hectic until December.

Which do you prefer, yoga or pilates?

Just a night in the country

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Living in the suburbs of Cleveland for most of my life, I have to say I didn’t think I’d ever be at a wedding on a farm. But I spent a few weeks each summer growing up in the country visiting my relatives when I was younger, so it was a nice reminder of where my family came from. This is number four of five weddings, and number one of two on a farm. One of Darren’s closest friends from College of Wooster had their wedding in Louisville outside of Canton, and it was absolutely beautiful. The ceremony was outside (and hot) but the reception was inside a barn. It was gorgeous and nothing what I had expected. We also had surprise guests…some cows in the field next door. But it was a beautiful time and I wish them the best!

With the lovely bride and groom

In a week and a half we have our final wedding of the summer to go to, then start the races!

Moving On Up

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I apologize for being a horrible blogger. I’ve tried to write posts multiple times, but this time I plan to finish it. This past month has been crazy, and here’s the best way to break it down.

  • I started my new job and LOVE it. I get to go to California next month for work…yes!
  • I’m one semester away from having my MBA!!
  • I’m really excited for the fall because I have some amazing races coming up…..and I’ll actually stick to the race calendar this time
  • I’ve moved into my new apartment, which is fantastic, and is only a few minutes from the city where I grew up so I’m back in familiar grounds
  • I’ve finally found some great running tanks for summer (Target & Nike) I don’t like to run in shirts, so this is a first 🙂
  • I’m really sad about Borders closing. I loved going there for hours, so I had to stock up on some running books before the doors are shut.
  • I’m doing the WooMan Tour this fall, the 20 mile, in Wooster. Everyone should do this, make a weekend out of it, I know some great places to eat down there!

I’m hoping that I will pick things up again in the blogging area of my life. Things are slowing down a bit, but exciting things are right around the corner!

Once a Muskie…

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Always a Muskie. I’m proud to be a Muskie and I’m sure there are a few readers who would agree. Many people have never heard of Muskingum or can even pronounce it. One of the best things I’ve found from going to Muskingum are the friendships. Sure everyone has their college friends they still keep in touch with, but there’s a special connection coming from a small school. I’ve ran into random people who went to Muskingum, and you instantly connect. You can pretty much talk about anything, and usually find out you both know many of the same people, even if you graduated years apart. Another bonus, I walked uphill both ways to class in snow. I could go on and on about Muskingum, but it’s just something you have to experience for yourself.

While I’m on this Muskie kick, I got to spend some quality time with some of my favorite Muskies this weekend. Not only did we live together on campus, but we ran those crazy hills together. We headed on over to Legacy Village for some Cheesecake Factory, I’m not a fan of cheesecake, but I’m a fan of food. It’s great to catch up with these girls and know they’ll always be an important part of my life!

These are Muskies

These are Muskies

These, are also Muskies