Choclolate Extravaganza

Went to the Chocolate Extravaganze benefit gala tonight. The benefit was to raise money for the newborn intesive care unit at Utah Regional Medical Center. And no I did not blow it.

The benefit started with Chef's tables set up around the entrance to the ballroom and a silent auction. I bid on three items and actually won one. Here are some pictures of chocolate fountains that were set up in the center of the area

After about an hour of silent auction and chef's table's the program began. We watched a touching vidio of the NICU. It tugged on the heart strings to see the tiny babies hooked up to all of the machines. The the real fun began...the auction! There was a trip to France, several chocolate cakes, a Vespa, a rocking horse and much more. One of the cakes went for $160 dollars...that better be a good chocolate cake. I bid on a few things, and won the smiles basket (along with everyone else that bid on this basket). The basket is for kids in the hospital, it has a lot of fun things for them to do and a cute teddy bear. I tried to win a few other things, but finally my husband took away my bidding number. I think he suspected I was going to go over the limit. :-0

This is Mark he is the CFO at the Daily Herald. What you don't see is up on the screen is the item of the trip for France, and Mark's bid number folded up and stashed in his jacket.

After bidding was a great piano show by Jon Schmidt. He is a very talented piano player who can play the piano upside down and with his toes! I loved his music and we got to take a CD home! I lucked out getting to go to this benefit, I hope I get so lucky next year.

I Blew It

So for some reason last week I decided that I no longer needed to watch what I eat, and I went to town. I ate two 1 lb boxes of See's Chocolate. I am not even that fond of chocolate, but for some reason I had to stuff my face with it, and I actually ate one box in one sitting!!! I ate 2 mini strawberry shortcakes...okay, those were delicous, but still. And finally I drank at least 4 diet soda's a day. I haven't had soda since last June, and soda messes me up with my excercise induced asthma, and it did. I have been wheezing on every ride I have gone on this week. Serves me right for totally blowing it. I feel like a big blog when I ride my bike. I don't know if anyone else has ever had a binge like that, but this was my first, and by the way I feel this week my last.

Thanks AF Trek Store

I knew, but did not quite understand to what lengths it took to get my Superfly replaced. I just read Vegas's comment and all I can say is Thanks AF Trek Store, you guys are too modest about what you do and need to brag more. Here is what Vegas wrote.

Hi Kendra! I can't wait for spring to come! I am going through riding withdrawals. :-) I am happy you got your bike back and trying to ride in the snow. I'm going to try Lambert park tomorrow morning. Hey I don't know if you now this but Kris and Jeff got your bike replaced for you. Fisher said your bike didn't qualify for warranty replacement so they got involved when they went to a Trek meeting in WI and made sure you got a new bike. Pretty cool huh? That's why I love working for them--they care about their customers. Hopefully we'll be able to start a riding group in a couple of weeks. Ride safe!

I have always known how great this store was and of course most of you that know me already know that, but here is another reason why. I think I would have died if I didn't get my bike replaced. Once again, thanks you guys!!! :-)

Have fun on your ride Vegas. I hope I see you out there.

I'll admit I'm a chicken

I haven't been riding much lately due to work and weather, but I had to get up and ride yesterday. I just couldn't take it anymore. So, I got up and left and went to the meeting point. No one was there and since I was a little bit early I rode up the hill, then back down. Back at the meeting point I saw a blue light coming up the hill...it was Steve. Apparently we were the only ones that were going to take advantage of the great weather.

We took off to ride water tower. It had snowed the day before, so we weren't quite sure what we would find. When we got to the top of the road we saw snow, but it looked pretty rideable, so we took it on. The first was not too bad, but eventually we got to a part that had not been plowed. Steve did great he kept riding and going. I slipped and had to get on my bike, rode for a bit and then slipped again, rode for a bit and then slipped again. Riding in 5 inch snow is not as easy as it looks. As I was riding I saw Steve ahead of me and all I could think was "go Steve, go" how awesome he plowed through the snow like it was nothing. After getting to the top he came back and we decided to go back and do some hills in the neighborhoods. Funny thing I ended up going slower down than up. I am such a chicken. It was slippery, and I didn't want to fall, so I went about 5 miles an hour. Whoever said going downhill is faster than up has not ridden with me.

After getting to the bottom we climbed some really great hills, and I learned I am in not the best of shape. Oh well, that means I can only get better from here.

The Circus

A little over a week ago my daughter went to the circus, and this is how she returned.

Too bad it wasn't Halloween, I could never do a make-up job this good.

It Fits

I got my bike back! Actually Gary Fisher sent a new frame because the other one couldn't be fixed.

After riding my bike once on dirt I took it down to Racer's Cycle Service to get fitted. Getting your bike fitted can be quite the process. Racer had me pedal my bike, and then he did some measuring and adjusting. Then there was some more pedaling, adjusting, measuring and tweaking until the bike fit perfect. And now it does.

A Day Full of Whiners

It's been a long time since I have posted. I was put in a new position at work and have been working long hours to learn my new position and to organize and research the places I need to go. There has been a lot of clean up of the position. My predecessor only gave me information on 5 clients. There have been more, as I have researched and looked, but it has taken me a little bit of time to find them, and sometimes I don't know until I get an email. Anyway, I like it and the reorganize and figuring things out has not been too bad. What has been bad has been all of the whiny people I work with.

There have been a lot of changes at work lately. We no longer print our paper, and have hired media one to do the printing. There have been a large number of people laid off and a few firings. There have been a streamlining of our weeklies, and needless to say a lot of people are concerned. Good & bad I am not. I understand the change and think it is smart others have seen the change as we are going under. I guess they will focus on whatever they want. I prefer to stay positive.

Anyway with all of those changes the latest has been pretty big. Our publisher had a sudden, major health issue and is now going to be away from the office anywhere from 4 to 6 weeks. Our CFO, marketing director and a manager from south county offices have taken over the position of ad director while we wait for our new ad director to come on the 23rd and while our publisher is recovering. They are doing a great job considering most of us are not selling much, and we have publishments coming out that are going to be empty which is honestly quite embarrassing. They have even tried to find different incentives to motivate us to get our ad spaces sold. However, instead of taking on the challenge all they do is complain about what they can't get and the advertisers don't get it, or the advertisers won't advertise.

Honestly it's hard for everyone. I am responsible for jobs, but right now there are so many unemployed employers are not looking to advertise, because they don't need to. That's okay though, because there are still some that need to and I will find them. The funny thing is I got a day to sell retail, and I did cold calls and I got sales, so I although it's hard I don't think you need to complain.

Well, today it went past the whining and complaining. It became being disrespectful and gossipy. Most of the sales staff was in a webinar today, and unfortunately most of us know the information and so instead of paying attention to the webinar people were talking. The talking turned to making rude remarks about our CFO and marketing director and then actually turned to being disrespectful of them. I was quite for part of the time, but after a bit I became ill listening to what was going on and couldn't keep quite any longer. So I called them out on what they were doing. I am glad I said something and yet at the same time I know I will now be talked about and the target for some sales people in the office. It wasn't an easy thing to do, because of the a strain I knew it would create with some people. But I couldn't have lived with being a silent contributor and not saying something. Sometimes doing what is right doesn't always make for the best situation, but at least I can live with myself.