It occurred to me...

....quite quickly actually the other day that I might not need to spend my summers in Chicago. Although it sounds quite catching and lovely, as CD and I have had a bit more time off to enjoy our home and our town, I've realized that I quite fancy spending time in Ann Arbor. Once proud to be a 'city' girl, I think I've discovered that I'm much more 'this city' girl. A2 and I...we get each other.

And what's not to get?


Foodies from across the state and alumni alike will tell you that A2 is the place to eat. Although we don't get out as often as we'd like to the nice(r) places around, we do still get to them occasionally and savor every nibble of food and every sip of wine when we do.

Our parks are amazing. CD and I spent a lot of time last Saturday playing around the Gallup Park area. It was great. We walked trails, watched people kayak and canoe and figure out how/where you put in and take out. We now just have to figure out when we are going to try it. Lonnie loved sniffing his way through the walk, being petted by the random A2 dog lover and hanging out in the great outdoors.

I find little more rewarding than working hard outdoors in our yard and then enjoying a good meal cooked on the grill and a refreshing nice cold beer. I feel very blessed to own the home we do, and it really does feel good and of value to work in it and at it - and live that life I've always dreamed of. There is something about a yard and a garden and doing landscaping that just makes it feel right and makes me feel complete!

While Ann Arbor doesn't afford me the magnificent view of the Chicago skyline, it does allow me to sit at night in the quiet of my yard and take in brilliance of a night sky not dulled by city lights. While Chicago always provided the air of excitement, challenge and adventure, Ann Arbor cradles me in a sense of being at peace and at home.

When I first had started to realize that summers in Ann Arbor spoke to me more than summers in Chicago, I told CD I realized that I'm more of a kayak the river girl than a lay by the beach one. And I prefer to spend money landscaping and getting my hands dirty than paying association fees, and the thought of owning an old beat up pickup and taking stuff to recycling and goodwill and driving off to the farmer's market on a Saturday morning really does make my heart sing. And what a happy tune it's singing.

My minds a racing..

Spring always sends my brain into over drive.

I want to do this, I want to do that, I want to, I want to, I WILL.

But where to begin? There are things I must do...yard work, clean the garage, clean out my car, find summer clothes.

Then there are things I want to do, BBQ w/ friends, Kayak the Huron, walk my doggie, relax, bask in the sun, hang out at a Tigs game, hang out a Wrigley, spend some time on the lake, bonfire at my mom's......and the list goes on.

This years trick will be figuring out how to do a few of the above mentioned things while working a lot, growing a business, planning a wedding, and trying to stay sane.

It will be a good challenge indeed. Thankfully, I'm mentally prepped to take it on.

I prob should hop over to Balance and blog a bit there, or I may just go cozy up in the chair for a bit and read a bit of "Leadership the Challenge" I want to make sure as I grow in business, I do so in a positive leadership role.

CD and I are really starting to 'get' our roles, what we are comfortable in, what we'll challenge ourselves with and what we need to respect about the other. It's hard work. It's worth it, but it's taking a lot of time and effort to get to the point of understanding.

Our moms helped out so much with our open house yesterday. It feels so good to have such love and support from the both of them. After the open house, we closed up shop a wee bit early and headed out to get a couple of drinks and some dinner. It was very fun to sit with my baby and our moms and laugh and talk about our business, our relationships and everything in b/w.

I'm obsessed with the Tigers this season. If I can't watch the game, I'm listening to it. I love baseball. I love it. I LOVE IT. The sounds, the smells, the mere idea of it. YAY yay yay baseball.

Oh and yay spring.

I'm fighting the "I miss my convertible" & the "I miss Chicago" feelings that happen this time of year. It's silly to waste time missing. I'm so blessed, I was so blessed and if I keep working hard and taking time to appreciate what I've got, I'll be able to look back and bask in the blessing that are currently upon me. (ie: see above paragraph about moms....a true blessing)

Mom said to us this morning that she is proud of us and that things will get easier, she noted that as we get busier and continue to grow right now, they may get harder first - but to know that there will come a time when we can breathe, sit back and relish what we've done. It's nice to hear moms say that she can see it too. Her vision and voice are so important in my life. And it's nice for CD to hear it from someone other than me. When you are in the day to day grind of our life right now, it's hard sometimes to remember what the really big picture is.

For us that is love and marriage and kids and fun! (Oh and Politico!) - It's good right now. We've made it 6 months. We've seen growth each month, we are taking the time to learn from each thing we do as a business and a couple.

E's wedding was a lot of fun. I'm so happy for my roommate and friend.

Ok...mind racing...word dumping...and still so much to do!

Looking forward to a night of fresh cut grass smells, grilled chicken salad for dinner and some good wine and conversation with my bestest buddy.

I'm happy. I'm working hard. I'm tired some days. But I'm happy. And I'm happy to be all of those things with CD. Our life makes me smile.

Audi!

Psssst...hey stock market

Just b/w you and me Mr. Stock Market - I think it's time you turn your ship around. Now I know you've had a rough year and are feeling beat up, but hey we all go through that from time to time. I hate to do the "tough love" bit here - but shape up man, for Pete's sake. We get it. You're down. No one is investing in you like they did before. That doesn't mean they don't still like you. It doesn't mean you're still not the next big thing.

See..here's the deal... no one likes to hang around people who are mopey and down all the time. That goes for big down jones industrial averages like yourself. If you want people to hang out with you again, party with you, praise you and build you back up, well then you need to start acting the part.

Stand up straight, stick out your chest - and be the DJIA that you can be. Be the DJIA that we all fell in love with in the early 90's.

You can do it.

Oh YES YOU CAN.

Now it's not going to be easy to change this mindset you are in. But, I have faith you in stock market. I have faith. I don't have any money in you but I'm faith a plenty.

So go ...start with that. Start with the knowledge that one lowly poor business person in the middle of Ann Arbor still believes in you. Still knows that if you are treated right - you can play your part in turning this country back around.

Huh...feels good right? Feel a little pride?

Now let's see you shake off some of this gloom and doom and give me a little bump tomorrow. Nothing huge...just nothing red. A little green. A point or two.. start small cause baby once your momentum builds - watch out, you'll be back on top in no time.

Sincerely,

Josie Ann Lee
Stock Market watcher, believer and friend.

The grass is always greener...

Oh is that so? B/c it's fricking WHITE here. That's right. The grass isn't green b/c it is, once again, buried under a pile of white precipitation - and I ain't none to happy about that cats.

So here's the deal. The other day when it warmed up a bit and the white all went away I thought, "Wow...it's so nice to see the grass again - I feel like a real person" And I did. It was lovely. Really. Lovely. I might have even skipped across my yard once and walked over and lovingly gazed at my garden and thought, "hey I can't wait to mow the lawn" - Ok..none of those things happened - but I WAS EXCITED to see green grass, and I did take a look to the garden and wondered about the lawn and such.

But this morning when I woke and looked outside I could see the limbs of the tree were covered with this white stuff again, and I was not pleased. It is hours later and I'm still at the same level of displeasement. Yes, I said it, "DISPLEASEMENT" - you don't think it's a word? SUCK IT. It's a word in my life when I'm left to deal with more winterness and my body is aching for spring.

WARMTH OF SUN

Doesn't that sound good? Wouldn't it be nice to go home tonight, crack open a beer and sit outside and talk about the day?

Big sigh inserted here

And another one here......

And still one more (maybe slightly less big) right .....wait for it..........HERE...

Soon enough it will be spring. Yay for that and for another Cubs season and for trees that green and for not wearing shoes outside and for convertibles (ok another sigh right there) and for all things good like smores and BBQs with friends. Oh and fireworks.

It's Valentine's Day today. And so it will be next year at this time. But will it be grassy?

How come we don't say grassy? We should. I'm going to. Heck, I just did.

I've taken a few minutes today to map out my five year plan. Literally did it in about 3 minutes. I'm good with it. Ready to lock and load it - just want to run it by my 5 year plan mate and see what she thinks. If I get support of it - it's a done deal. Which is rather exciting. I love plans. Also I threw in seven year goal and an 11 year goal just for fun.

11 year plan makes me feel reather old. However, I'd rather be rather old and accomplished than just rather old.

CD and I might be buying a new couch. We can't afford said couch. But...thank God the government hasn't realized yet that too much credit extended to you can be a bad thing. We actually can't afford anything so we figured we might as well get everything except married and vacationed. Apparently we REALLY can't afford those two for now. Or a puppy - we can' afford a puppy. (Shhhh.....it's on the five year plan....!)

I suppose - I recokon I oughta close this here dandy of a post and finish up the work that sits before me.

I'm so responsible it's daunting.

The Vessel

So CD and I have spent a lot of time lately talking about sales. Not so much 'how are we going to get them', but more like, 'how do we not want to do them"

I've seen a lot of salespeople in my day. I'm 100% against it. If you have a good product, good vision and good direction then your product will sell itself. Marketing and advertising are essential, however, 'the sales pitch' I've yet to warm up to. My style is conversational . So far so good.

I am first and foremost a skeptic. You want to sell me something. Good luck. If I don't need it, if I don't have a single need for it, I don't care what it is or what the deal....I'm not buying. And I have no problem telling you that. My funds are distributed based on my needs. It's a very simple equation that I'm hopeful will bring us success and riches at some point. I won't even classify it as frugal, just simply needs based purchasing. So far so good.

CD, however, has nary the ability to say 'no' to anyone or any product. It's interesting to me (in a very frustrating, 'what are you thinking' lovingly way). Ok, maybe not so lovingly. It is interesting though. We've been working very hard to learn what the sales process is. Every where we go we look to see who is selling what to whom and who is buying. For instance, while waiting for Pete and fam at the Joe in December, we say a gentlemen buying tickets off of another gentlemen. So we took the time to review the transaction and to take it apart. 1. Establish a connection 2. Hand the tickets over creating ownership 3. Ask for price, tell benefit 4. Create urgency. I find it FUN FUN FUN to look at process, knowing that I can control it at anytime, if need be. I like knowing I am leading the conversation even if someone else is trying to sell me something. It's not a control thing, again, it's a needs based response to a proposition.

I talk to CD all the time about leading conversations. I think she is starting to understand a little bit but there is so much to know and I know I still have a lot to learn.

It's fun when it's not as noted above....frustrating beyond all belief. So far..not so good on this one, I suppose.

So what's my point?

Well it's two fold and the ending will grab you.

This evening while reviewing a recent sales gone bad moment I was talking to CD about seeing someone as a vessel, and how to use them to get your needs met - even when they are trying to sell you 'something you must have and an unbelievable price" - you can even give them the power by having them call you back...use the vessel and lead them to lead. Be a step ahead of the game. But in order to do that, you first have to learn and understand the game and you have to be, sadly, skeptical.

Ok..so that's the part that sounds horrible. So far...so good.

Then tonight, I took sometime to take a nice long bath and relax a bit. So laying back in the tub, I took some time to pray. Before I knew it I was apologizing to the Lord for not being the vessel I know I can be. The vessel, the word came out probably b/c it's been on my mind, but it still hit the mark. I am my Lord's vessel. And a poor one I have been. He is leading me if I let him. He is leading me even as I try to seem like I have all the answers. However, I haven't been present in my relationship with my God lately. I haven't been active in church, I have been doing daily prayers and I haven't asked him to help me work though all the issues that go through my brain. He IS leading, I just have to give thanks and allow the knowledge to keep me grounded and directed.

So that is my challenge. And it is one I welcome. I want to get active in church again. I want to be the vessel I should be. The vessel I can be. While CD learns to be skeptical, I want to learn to give it all over. To be vulnerable before my Lord.

And there you have it. Two vessels...two thoughts....two things to continue to monitor and grow in. So far....so good.

I'm wearing a hat..whadya think about that?

I just realized that while I sit on the couch listening to Rachel, patting the dog on my lap and aimlessly wandering around facebook, that I still have my winter's cap on. It is winter. I have a cap. I keep it cool.

There is a lot going on. That is an understatement.

There is a lot going on.

But CD and I keep on. Keeping on...keeping on.

12 days till Obama becomes POTUS. I wonder what he and Michelle sit around and talk about? I bet it has something to do with 12 days until he is POTUS. But I'm no mind reader, mind you.

Maybe my winter's cap in also my thinking one. That'd be cool. I keep it cool.

People I like: Chucky T, The Killers, My mom, CD's mom, Chynna Phillips, Richard, The Sham Wow guy, George V, Mr. Clean, Benny, McBear & Nonami.

Adjective Of The Day: nondescript

Elvis would have been 74 today. He would have been 74 tomorrow too. However, I don't know why we keep track of age after someone has died, b/c isn't that what death means...you stop aging? Just a thought.

I told Blago that I'd give him free massages, a gift certificate to demon dogs, my old UM ticket stubs, one of CD's bras, the right to post to my blog and a big teddy bear hug if I could take over Obama's seat. I'm still waiting to hear back.

My cap is still on. At this point I think it has become my security cap.

I think I'm going to start taking longer to do things and pointing more fingers. It apparently works for Congress. I mean they have good wages and healthcare. Maybe I'll shake my fingers when I point them for effect. Or maybe I'll use one of them to pretend to tip my cap.

So I might stop writing now. Only because I think maybe I'm not saying anything.

Oh yea...I approve of Dr. Sanjay Gupta. Go Blue!

Oh I'd like to add Howard Fineman to the list of people I like. And maybe that guy from Fame that is on the confessions of a Teen Idol. I totally like him for sure.

Fame - I'm gonna live forever.....I'm gonna learn how to fly....HIGH

Btw, Elvis would have been 74. Isn't that crazy?

The year it was..

I can't believe it's already Jan 2nd....where did the year go?

So 2008 was a big year.

Here it is in a nut shell.

Crabby Ben learned to walk and talk and jog and run and is now our CEO. Mom put the house up for sale, lots of lookers, no buyers and that's ok with me. CD and I got our rings during an amazing weekend in Chicago, had our engagement dinner, planned our wedding and then unplanned our wedding. (When it happens it's going to be EFFIN fun). We got ready to sign the papers to become a franchise and due to errors and bad business we decided to walk. A trip to get my hair cut with Peter, a door knock by Harrison and fate met our hard work. In a few short months we went from being employed by others to running our own business. In other news, I sold my car, lost Tim Russert....gained Obama and got to hug my friend Pete for the first time in years.

So 2009...

I'm not going to ask of you anymore than you are willing to give. But nonetheless, I welcome you to our lives. I hope we don't take you for granted.