Not Your Typical Week

Can you believe it's already Thursday? I certainly can't. I've been on a roller coaster ride this week but, in the end, it's turned out to be the best week anyone could ask for.

I left early Sunday morning for Ontario with a brain full of numbers and a stomach full of butterflies. I was spending the afternoon preparing for my Monday operation review with the Regional President who was flying in all the way from Seattle to see me (okay, he was not just coming to see me but I knew that this was a great opportunity to showcase myself). I had waited for this day for nearly three months and no matter how much I prepared, I was convinced that I would be asked questions that I didn't know the answer to which drove me nuts! I stopped in Bakersfield on my way down and enjoyed a nice lunch with my best friends Julie and Gabe and their two boys, Zack and Bradley. It was nice to catch up and to make fun of the walker that Julie was using due to a back injury. I can assure you she will be fine and that she laughed with me.

I arrived in Ontario in the late afternoon and met up with my co-worker and friend Megan. She provided a great audience for a run through of my presentation and even interjected with challenging questions to which I promptly responded. I was feeling pretty good. With that said, we enjoyed a light dinner before heading out to find some workout pants for her. Needless to say we stumbled upon a Kohl's and I put my extra discounts to work. I found two pairs of jeans and two pairs of work pants for the bargain price of $23. I couldn't pass it up! At around 9:30pm we stopped at the local Hooter's for some wings. Trust me when I say there was nothing worth looking at in this particular Hooter's; the "B" staff apparently works on Sunday nights. I swear they have the best chicken wings! It was then back to the hotel for an hour workout in the gym before crashing for the night.

Monday morning arrived quickly but I was thankful that I didn't go on stage until late in the afternoon. Megan and I spent the morning crunching more numbers and relaxing in my hotel room. We were joined by our friends (and co-workers) Julie and Cindy for lunch before attending a 1:30pm Town Hall meeting with the Regional President, Fred Devereux. I spend the entire hour and a half in the meeting with sweaty palms and what seemed to be a look of fear on my face....yes, the nerves were back and were taking control of me.

It was time. I sat around the boardroom table with six other presenters, and once the first presenter began talking a calm came over me. I was completely relaxed, fine, excited, and now upset that I had to wait for three people to present before I was the final presenter (batting "clean up") for my peers. I was ready to go and knew that I "had" this! Two words...I ROCKED! I interacted with the other presenters and the executive team and felt confident in my words and actions. At the end of the night, I quickly ran to shake the hand of the Regional President and thank him for his time. As soon as he saw me he smiled and said "Pam, I want you to know you made my day!" Wow!! I was elated. The feedback from the night was positive and I received accolades for the next 12 hours. I was on an absolute high. The preparation and stress were well worth it! What better way to follow up this high than to take a trip to....DISNEYLAND!

Yes, yes, believe it or not this crazy lady packed up her things on Tuesday morning and drove 32 miles for a day of fun at everybodys favorite place on earth. The best part is that I met my dear friend Pam for some one on one time. We had so much fun! The park was not crowded so we were able to ride everything we wanted before the day was half way over. The employees there were even kind enough to put us on Splash Mountain just in time for the ride to break down. It's always nice to be stuck for 20 minutes and have to be escorted off a ride. Especially since I was already soaked and the place that we got stuck was right underneath the A/C. The cast members were nice enough to give us a fast pass for our troubles which we cashed in on Indiana Jones. Little did we know that we'd get stuck in a dark hallway on this one for 5 mins or so since the cars were backed up. Pam was not very happy and was trying to climb out of the car. Two rides in a row?? We will laugh about that day for a while, but in the end I enjoyed her company and can't wait to see her again.

I arrived at my mom's in Bakersfield just after 10pm on Tuesday and quickly climbed into bed. I was anxious to get Wednesday over with so that I could get home to the boys. After four days away I was ready for some hugs and kisses. We opted for a trip to the pizza place for dinner so that I could catch up with my friend (and babysitter) Cynthia and the boys could run around and get their energy out. What a week! I'm thankful it is Thursday, my day off, even though I have a myriad of things on the calendar today. Dentist, doctor, classroom, etc. And oh, by the way, can you believe that Thanksgiving is in a week? I better start my shopping and get the house in order. My sister and her family are coming this year!!!!