Meeting Prep ...

This week is going to prove to be a long one.  First we start daycare four days a week.  No more letting mom get up a few minutes later, we need to be on time if not early in order to drop-off the little princess and make the train.  For those that follow and are a bit confused let me explain.  I commute daily, well at least I try my damnedest, via the 'Sounder'.  A public transit train that unfortunately runs just three times each morning and night.  If I'm not on by 7:40am, I'm driving in.  Yuck.

Second I leave Sunday for a four night, five day trip.  Barring any unforeseen weather or mechanical malfunctions I'll be home Thursday to feed, bathe and put Lizzy to bed.  But wow ... did you read that ... five days away.  This week will be spent putting together presentations, sending samples out to reps, packing enough to last a week but still roll with carry on luggage.  No pun intended. 

I'm heading east ... so for all those that believe, say a prayer.  Hopefully this extra "terrorist" threat is over with, the weather cooperates and most importantly the flights are on time.  Here is the itinerary ... yikes!

SEA-PHI : PHI-ROC : ROC-MAN : MAN-ORD : ORD-OMA : OMA-DEN : DEN-SEA

Wish me luck ... both with my presentations and with leaving the munchkin for that long.

2,965 Miles Logged

Nothing beats a grilled portabello burger complete with caramelized onions and roasted red peppers at the Denver Chophouse.  Heavenly.  Pair that with a Cosmo and this mamma is in heaven.  Did I mention that this incredible meal was in the middle of DEN?  Who says you can't get decent food in the airport.  Okay most airports the food is absolute crap.  Next to a Starbucks the best thing you can get is Burger King or McDonalds.  But enough about food.  Seriously though, if you are ever in the Denver airport be sure to look for the Denver Chophouse.  Fabulous.

I pulled in about 8:30 last night and went straight to the nursery.  It is was crazy how strong the feeling was to wake up Lizzy and give her a squeeze.  I only saw one issue with that plan.  Once awake she'd want to eat and then her sleep pattern would be a disaster, aka she would wake up every three hours and both mom and dad would get no sleep.  It is amazing how you forget so quickly how you functioned while doing that the first two months.

So I gave her a kiss, turned off her nursery tunes and pulled up her blanket.  Snug as a bug in a rug as we tell her every night.  Kissed my hubbie hello and goodnight and I headed to bed.  Traveling is fun, meetings were good, but I was exhausted.  To my baby girl ... each city is a place we will someday visit.  San Diego we must see the zoo, Los Angeles we will of course head to Disneyland and in Denver we will spend some time on the slopes and try and visit Elitch Gardens.  Wow, mom needs to just keep racking up the frequent flier miles, so many places to go!

Mile High and Loving It!

There truly is nothing better than a cool, crisp fall morning in Denver.  For those of you who have never been here, come, it is gorgeous!  All times of the year in fact, one of the sunniest places to go and killer skiing! 

This trip has been a whirlwind but a few hot spots to note ... ate at World Famous right on the beach down in the San Diego area (hope that is correct, it was two days ago) and had the most delicious pecan encrusted warm brie with to-die-for garlic bread and mango chutney.  Yum-O.  Ended up having a fantastic meeting at Great News, which is pretty much the most intense kitchen store in California.  Yesterday made our way to Chefs Resource, great online resource for cooking/kitchen fun.  As well as Cooking.com ... another awesome kitchen website.  Both awesome meetings!  Ended my day at Bay City and this awesome Italian grocer, with a dinner sandwich called the Godmother that was AMAZING!

Now getting ready to head to an appointment out in Colorado Springs, CHEFS Catalog if you are wondering.  All these meetings have kept me busy and not thinking about what I'm missing out on at home.  Had a great text talk with an awesome lady last night who assured me that us mom's really can have it all!  Incredible job, fantastic family and amazing marriage.  It all takes work, don't get me wrong.  In talking to Ben last night he sounded exhausted, being a single dad takes its toll.  I'm looking forward to getting back to Seattle (although too late tonight to put my little one to bed) and taking over duties for a day or two so Ben can have a little break!

Chow for now!

San Diego Bound ...

I realized today that after six months of no flying, I did not miss the 3:30AM wake-up call.  Yuck.  Taking a 6:45AM flight should be illegal ... and here I was thinking while I was booking, this is going to be so much better than a 6AM.  Yeah right.

It winds up being one of those nights where if I go to bed at 9PM I'll still get six hours of sleep.  Gee it is now 11PM, well I can still get four hours of sleep.  Hmmm it is now 1AM, two hours should suffice.  2AM well crap, one hour, I think I can get by until I get on the plane.  3AM, might as well just get up.  At least then I'll be more productive and surely I will not miss my flight. 

So begins the start of flying again.  We had such a busy weekend I really didn't have time to worry about leaving my little girl until late last night.  This is a good thing.  I'm actually doing pretty well this morning too!  Not sure if that is due to lack of sleep or because part of me is excited to head from drizzly Seattle to sunny San Diego!  How can you really complain?  The only thing I can complain about is how people travel.  For how many years now have you needed to have your laptop removed (in its own bin, none-the-less) and your shoes/jacket off.  Get with the program people, there are signs everywhere and pretty sure this has been the norm for the last eight or nine years.

As far as travel goes, I think with men it is easier.  Not saying it is easy, just easier.  In my opinion men have this innate drive to provide for their family.  When Ben leaves for an overnight for work (last Thursday) it is very matter of fact.  This is what I have to do so why worry.  Fortunately or unfortunately I think I'm different from quite a few women in that I have that same innate drive to provide for my family.  My dad traveled a lot while I was growing up so in all honesty it is really nothing new to me.  I would say part of it is I do what I have to do, the other part of it is ... I truly love my job.  I work for an incredible company, selling awesome products, have some of the best sales reps in the country and fabulous co-workers.  How many people can say that?

For most though, they struggle with the idea of "How can you leave Elizabeth?" or "Why don't you find a new job?" The list of questions like this go on and on.  Part of me wants to slap these people upside the head and ask what time period do you live in.  But that would be rude.  The majority of mom's I know work in some fashion and those that don't, more power to them, but it is simply not for me.  So I work, I work so I can give my daughter anything she can dream of. 

My flight should be boarding in the next 15 minutes so I will leave you for now ... a note to my beautiful daughter.  Lizzy, mom's heading to beautiful San Diego!  Some day we'll visit the San Diego Zoo, it is spectacular!  In the meantime you be good for daddy and Grandma Muldary ... and NO TEETH until I come home.  I will write more from LAX tomorrow afternoon.  Love you!

It's all about Spo-Compton!

Leaving the house today I had the thought, how will I be able to share my joys of traveling with my family, friends and most importantly my daughter?  See today marks my first overnight away from her since she was born in June.  Sure we've had a babysitter for a few hours here and there, even had a babysitter last Saturday until almost 1am to celebrate a friend's 30th birthday.  But I've never left her overnight.  So here in lies my idea of a blog.  A way for my daughter to know where mommy has traveled to and why mommy can't always tuck her in at night.

While I'm not the type to become emotional, since having Lizzy my world has been turned upside down.  I love her more than I ever thought possible.  I will say that this did not happen overnight though.  While some mothers have this unmistaken bond immediately mine took time.  The first few weeks were filled with exhaustion, frustration, joy and pain. But now ... she is my world.  Outside of my best friend, my husband Ben, my world would not be complete without her and this is what makes traveling a tad difficult.

Thus, the birth of another sort of baby ... a blog.  Exactly what I said I'd never do.  Hmmm seem to be doing that a lot lately.  Eating my words that is.  I always thought I could handle this mom thing no problem.  If I saw another mom doing something I thought, I'd never do that or I could do that better.  What a joke that is.  Every mom, well almost every mom, does the best she can with what she has.  That being said I have to travel.  While some people see this as me neglecting my child I see it as giving my child every opportunity she could want.  See I probably could stay home, it wouldn't be easy and definitely wouldn't be fun, but it probably could be done.  I don't want that.  I want to have fun, travel and enjoy life with my family.  If that means I must work, than I must work!   Lucky for me I have one kick ass job that I love and unfortunately or fortunately that requires me to travel.  Not just a bit of travel but A LOT of travel.  Seeing as I enjoy my job and travel I wanted to have something that explained to Lizzy the joys of working hard and seeing the country, possibly the world.

Long of the short, first trip is tonight/tomorrow.  It is about 9:15pm as I write this from my lovely hotel room at the Hotel Lusso in downtown Spokane.  I will be doing a fantastic product demonstration at The Kitchen Engine here in Spokane tomorrow morning.  Should be fun but definitely missing my little girl and my husband.  Spokane to many is not very exciting, for me it is somewhat more fun as I used to live here.  My first job out of college placed me here as a sales rep for Newell Rubbermaid.  I spent day in and day out inside of a Lowe's Home Improvement center somewhere on the east side of the state building displays, working on selling in product and training associates.  Wow, that seems like eons ago!  Although I miss Spokanes' cost of living I'm not sure I'd move back here!

Well time to go to bed ... I need to be well rested for my product demonstration tomorrow.  I'll be showing people how to rice potatoes, french green beans, chop garlic, peel veggies and create salsa with our hand powered food processor!  If your in Spokane any time soon be sure to drop by The Kitchen Engine for great kitchen gadgets and tools.