itching

We signed our lease and now the waiting starts. In case you didn't know, I'm not a patient person. I'm just itching to decorate our new place with pretty things!

I was a little hungover and overall unproductive this afternoon so my sister and I snuck out to HomeGoods to check out the wares. As my first time there, I was really impressed. I was hoping they'd have some larger pieces, but the accessories and accent furniture are really solid. I can see us getting a small table, ottoman and lots of cute little shiny and pretty things after we move in.

Let the day dreaming begin!

post-bday post

Well all in all we had a really amazing trip to the West Coast. It was so wonderful to see our friends (the first visit to NYC folk since the big move - in this case both ours and theirs), meet their puppy and explore their new home town.

It was the first real vacation (real meaning somewhere we had to fly) we've taken since our trip to Mexico a few years ago so it was totally overdue and worth it. We spent most of our visit in Sonoma and Napa Valley. Both were breathtakingly beautiful and so so much fun!

Because of Evan's job we got a tour of the grounds at Chalk Hill winery in Napa. It.Was.Gorgeous! There was one point where we were literally standing at the top of a mountain and our guide told us they owned everything we could see. Evan joked that he felt like a Cuban drug lord, I however, started spouting Lion King quotes and calling everyone Simba.

We had a private driver all day and were SO proud of ourselves for pacing the day and being good drunks that we decided not to nap before dinner. Then we got to the hotel, had cigars and champagne in our rooms, traveled out to the fire pit by the pool and finished off two more bottles before stumbling a quarter mile to Bouchon in a gold lame maxi dress and platform heels. We pretty much all blacked out and don't remember the walk home, but we still had a blast!

Needless to say we were slow moving the next morning and all opted for breakfast in bed and a late start. I ended up eating breakfast on an ostrich leather ottoman. Seriously. This hotel was SICK! I mean, how many times in your life do you get to eat breakfast on the most expensive leather in the world?! Just crazy.

Unfortunately my dear readers, I got used to being spoiled very easily and am now in a little bit of a funk because I'm no longer living the life of a rap star. I need some ideas for getting to rap star status permanently....

birthday weekend day 1 recap

Saturday was our first day in SF. We had a lazy morning with Andrew while Mel went to work then headed into town to check out the embarcadero. If I spelled this thing right, it's really cool. It's a giant farmers market in an old ferry terminal and it's filled with awesome local vendors. (photos below)

We lucked out because there was a Food Festival going on that showcased award winning vendors from all over the world for categories like coffee, chocolate, cheese, pickles, jams and charcuterie. It was pretty awesome and then I saw someone I knew at the Sour Puss pickle stand. For those of you that know me well, you know I've always wanted to be that person who knows people everywhere they go. I'm getting so close now!!!

Last night our lovely hosts and amazing friends Andrew and Melanie (and their adorable pup Lola - pictured below) surprised us with a note saying they've arranged for a private driver to take us to the private winery tours Evan set up, a night in a fancy hotel in Napa and dinner at Bouchon! I could seriously cry. I feel so loved and lucky to have such wonderful an thoughtful friends. I can't wait to start the day and remember this weekend forever!

Friday the 13th

Well my dear reader(s), this has been an eventful Friday the 13th for your Goldfried's.

We rose early to bid adieu to the Brott's prior to our trip West and their trip to the mountain for the day.

We then went to an apartment viewing and what is to become our new home. Yes! We've finally found a place to live. It's a very spacious half house duplex in a town called Williston. About a 15 min drive to work for Evan and it has a third bedroom to use as an office for me!

It's a quick drive to downtown and equidistant to my sister a where we live now. We're very excited for our March moving date and even more excited to settle in to our lives in VT.

Another piece of good luck is that the Brott's got home from the mountain in time to drive us to the airport saving us around $70 in long term parking fees!

We're now waiting to board our on time flight to JFK where we'll spend about 5 hours at T5 before our final flight to SF to see our dear friends and their new puppy.

1/13/12 has been a happy so far!

multitasking

I like to pretend that all of the multitasking I do while working is preparation for making me an awesome mom someday, but days like today make me glad I don't actually have kids to add to the multitasking list. At the risk of getting fired, please see the below list of items I did while working today. And yes, I did actually do a lot of work while doing all of these things.

- Viewed 2 apartments
- Set up 2 additional apartment viewings
- Unearthed 3 Craigslist scams
- Pinned 3 images that had 28 repins!
- Got my bangs trimmed
- Had the worlds most horrific conference call while driving home from said bang trimming
- Made 1 really good joke involving magical vaginas

We're off to look at another apartment. Fingers crossed! 

sunny side of the street

I feel like I'm coming down with something and I don't want to be sick for my trip to SF this weekend. So I'm making myself matzoh ball soup (ie: Jewish penicillin) while I work. Score one for working from home!

stay positive

One of my goals for 2012 (aside from magically obtaining Kate Middleton's hot bod by next January) is to be more positive and more patient. Ok I know that's like 3 goals but shut up.

We officially started our apartment hunt today and viewed our first unsuitable pad. Unlike most BK apts, it was clean, quiet and in a desirable neighborhood, but like most BK apts, it was criminally tiny. I mean, it didn't even have a tub!

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not much of a bath-taker (I think they're unsanitary. Judge me), but committing to just never having that as an option is kind of crazy to me.

So now comes the part where I force myself to stay patient and positive that we'll find a good home at a reasonable price that allows us to save for a downpayment on a house.

FYI- being patient really fucking sucks

a little reflection

As I sit in the airport on my way home from my first trip to a city since our move to the country, I can't help but reflect on how much my life has changed, the decisions I've made and whether or not I'm happy with my choices and my situation.

It was definitely a great feeling to be back in a real office environment with my peers and people I hope to be able to call my friends someday. I think the work at home environment was one of my biggest compromises with our relocation.

It's funny what you realize you do and don't miss when you leave a situation. I never thought I'd miss working in an office and I thought I'd miss the city-living vibe a lot more. I do miss the easy access to people, socialization and conversation, but right now I'm chalking that up to the office environment and less city life.

Being back in the hustle and bustle of a city was less comforting than I expected. I really thought I'd feel 'home' being back in a city but I actually found the crowded streets and bars a total turn off.

As I sit here drinking Yards, a local craft beer, at the airport (point for you Philly) and chatting with the bartender about craft beer and small-gone-big breweries I realize I'm really happy with my life. Don't get me wrong, it didn't take an attentive barmaid to make me realize I'm happy, but it made me realize I'm proud of where I live.

For so long I hid behind the allure of living in Brooklyn and I never had to talk to anyone about why I like where I live. Telling people why I love Vermont is one of my new favorite hobbies and honestly, I'm really happy about that. I can see how that statement may seem totally obnoxious. But it's not. I promise. I'm not constantly getting everyone to move to my great state. Only a select few people and you know who you are... But truth be told I don't want everyone in my state. Just the people who love it for what it is and make it the great and special state it is. And that's part of what makes Vermont special.

I'm off to finish my mediocre breakfast burrito and wash it down with great local craft beer then board a flight to y home. Vermont is my home and I couldn't be happier.

from the land of cheese to the land of cheese steaks

As some of you may know I've been in Philadelphia for the past week for work. It's been a short but fun trip to reconnect with my teammates and set goals with my boss.

While I was here a couple of rambunctious Flyers fans beat up a Rangers fan in front of Gino's. If it weren't so tragic it would be really hilarious. I mean, Philadelphia sports fans are known to be quite rowdy, but to gang beat a man on the street in front of a landmark crappy restaurant then to find out said Rangers fan is a DECORATED WAR HERO is just amazing. And by amazing I mean absolutely ridiculous.

culture isn't costly

I found this article about how to get that Google culture without spending Google money. I just LOVE it! I'll be working to cultivate this kind of culture in my one-man office in 2012.

Culture Isn't Costly

BY FC Expert Blogger Arshad ChowdhuryTue Dec 27, 2011

This blog is written by a member of our expert blogging community and expresses that expert's views alone.

Successful company culture can make the difference between a workplace people dread and one they brag about. You don’t have to have a Google-sized budget to offer great culture. Many culture-changing initiatives have no direct costs to the company. In fact, when properly executed, culture-improving initiatives can lower company costs in both the short and long term.
I’ve spent the past 10 years learning about and implementing solutions to make work better for employers and managers alike. I’ve touched hundreds of companies large and small and have seen many distinct cultures. Based on this experience I offer these simple initiatives to encourage a peaceful, productive workplace that people love.
Make Rules for the 95%, Not the 5% 
Most of your employees are hard working, motivated, and professional. Workplace rules should be designed to give maximum autonomy to the vast majority of your workers. Don’t burden people with rules designed to control the 5% of employees who are constitutionally unmotivated or undisciplined. From dress code to work hours to meeting attendance, fewer rules in the workplace are better.
For one, fewer rules can start saving you money right away. Get rid of expensive firewalls blocking Facebook and YouTube. At the same time, access to these tools can help your employees research and network faster.
Celebrate Going Home Early
It’s not true that the longer you work, the more work you will get done. According to a 2010 study, flexible work hours can lead to increased retention and productivity. You can quickly improve culture by focusing on work output instead of hours of input. If you’re going to leave the office early, go ahead and announce to your coworkers that you just closed a mega account, sent out that TPS report, and are now heading for the golf course. There’s no shame in going home after hitting a home run.
Stop Swearing
Not all rules are bad. Implement a "no swearing" rule today: no swearing about or at your coworkers or customers. By cutting out swearing, you will elevate discourse to expression of thoughtful ideas instead of base emotions. An environment where people swear at one another can quickly turn toxic. The no swearing rule can save you millions by avoiding costly lawsuits where disgruntled employees--with good reason--strike back.
Cultivate Experts
Imagine if every one of your employees was an expert in what they did; if, no matter how mundane their subject, they could teach it with passion. The benefits to you, your company, and your employees would be profound. Encourage people to become experts by having them research best practices in their field and share those with their colleagues on a regular basis. At my companies, we encourage book clubs for every level of employee. We incur cost here by buying every book club member an e-book. The $79 e-book, however, pays for itself twice: once when employees brag about their incredible work environment with their coworkers, and again when employees learn to do their jobs better through ongoing learning.
Talk About the Future
Start taking people out for coffee, one at a time, to ask them where they want to be in five and 10 years. Armed with this information, help them achieve those goals, even if the goals aren’t related to your company. If an employee tells you he or she wants to be an actor, support them when they want to take acting classes. This way, in the time that they are with you, they’ll be loyal, committed, and thankful for the support.
Let Employees Manage Their Own Energy
Our metabolism is guided by our bodies’ circadian rhythms. We all experience peaks and troughs of energy throughout the day, and the highs and lows differ for each person. One-third of your employees experience a dip in energy so steep that between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. each day they need to nap.  So let them nap. According to a NASA study, a nap of just 26 minutes can boost productivity by 34%.
Recognize Your Team Every Day
People don’t work for just money. They work for recognition, too, so don’t deprive your employees of this vital form of compensation. They are working to build your company every day. As such, give them specific words of thank-you the moment the occasion calls for it. You should be thanking each person you directly work with at least two times a week. As my mentor Chester Elton (coauthor of The Carrot Principle) says, reward behavior you want to see repeated.

http://www.fastcompany.com/1801014/culture-isnt-costly

nostalgia be damned

A friend sent me this link of 48 ads (why 48 we'll never know) that would never fly in today's world. I find most of them hilarious due to the absurdity, but I won't lie, some of them are kind of awesome.

I won't lie, some of the fashion is amazing. I totally already dress like the hot dog sweater lady. Bangs and all and I will likely be like the beer chugging breastfeeding mom someday. Don't judge

http://owni.eu/2010/11/08/top-48-ads-that-would-never-be-allowed-today/

Resolutions

I started my first day in 2012 running a 5K with my sister. We started the day saying we were going to try for a personal best of around 30 minutes OR break 30. Honestly, we were a little worried we could break 30 so that's why we left the "or" in place. Luckily we didn't need it because we broke 30!!

It was a really gratifying and emotional achievement. We crossed the finish, checked the watch and immediately started hugging and crying. It was a challenging run full of people in costumes, dogs and strollers. It also didn't help that we unintentionally started at the very end of the lineup. Even with those challenges, we hit our goal and it was one of the most rewarding things I've ever done.

I'm really proud to have started my new year off on the right foot and having met some of my many resolutions. I made a healthy choice to run a race, lived in the present and made a a dedicated effort for self improvement.