Catching Up Over Coffee - October, 2017 at J Rene in West Hartford

My sister and I decided a while back to meet up once a month at a different coffee shop in Connecticut in order to catch up and see the state. This blog series serves as a review of the coffee shops we visit. 


October, 2017 - Now that all of the wedding stuff has quieted down, my sister and I have tried to get back into meeting for coffee once a month. However, that is proving difficult. She has started working a more steady schedule at a restaurant, which means a lot of nights and weekends. With my office job, I work a Monday through Friday office schedule. 

Four months since our last date, we finally found some time that worked for both of us. This was mostly because I was already planning a trip up to pick up an end table from a friend's mother who lived a town over from where we decided to meet. It was raining by the time I was down putting the table in my car and heading to the cafe, but I didn't really mind. On the other hand, my sister ended up sleeping in later than she expected and was about an hour late meeting me (not for the first time). 

Finally! My sister and I found a coffee place that actually does designs with the foam! This is what I have been waiting for! Fortunately, the lattes were tasty because I was not impressed with the food. I was excited when I saw bundt cake, but it was dry and not very flavorful. My sister said her pastry was good at least. 

It was really cool to visit a place that added the designs to the foam. It was also fun to be in a coffee shop that served coffee four ways - drip, pour over, French press, and siphon - I believe. Walking into their cafe looks a little like walking into an old-timey laboratory. There are copper pipes everywhere and the staff wear aprons. The limited seating that there is lends itself to meeting new people, which is nice, but my sister and I were trying to spend some quality time together. The two top tables that they did have seemed to be the first to be filled. All of the people where were there seemed to be studying for some class or other, so we felt we should try to be a little quieter than normal as to not disturb them. 

Overall, I could see myself popping back in there to grab a coffee while walking around the area if I ever find myself back in that part of the state. I'm looking forward to trying out the next location.

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This post is one in a series of monthly posts. If you are wondering why I am writing this series, head on over to Catching Up Over Coffee to read the explanation. 

Then, check out the other places we have visited so far: 

Catching Up Over Coffee - January 2016 at Landmark Cafe in Manchester

Catching Up Over Coffee - February 2016 at Focaccia's Cafe in Shelton
Catching Up Over Coffee - March 2016 at Half Moon and Mr. D's in Wallingford
Catching Up Over Coffee - April 2016 at Cheshire Coffee in Cheshire
Catching Up Over Coffee - December 2016 at Caffe del Mondo in Southington 
Catching Up Over Coffee - January, 2017 at NIX in South Windsor

NaNoWriMo 2014 Has Begun - Day 2

It is day 2 and I am already behind by a couple thousand words. I can already tell this is going to be the toughest year yet. Between professional, volunteerism, and personal events and issues, I have already lost 4 days of writing. I am going to have to work really diligently to find time and always be prepared to write.

My grandmother, the relative I was closest to, passed away in her sleep sometime between 4 and 5AM on November 1st.

Living an hour and a half away, I was not able to get up there to see her one last time and will have to live with that for the rest of my life. I do not regret it and said my good byes each time I was up there over the past few months just in case. I know that she knows how much I love her and I know how much she loves me. I also understand that she would have wanted it this way. She wanted to be alone and not have anyone see her in that state.

I have not shed any tears yet, though I know I will. I have so much going on and it does not yet feel real, so I have not been able to cry. That in itself is a difficult emotion to deal with.

Last year I had to put my dog down during the month of November. It was the worst feeling ever. She was my baby and my love for her is still unmatched.

I have learned that there are many different kinds of love and none of them are less than any other. Though time might not heal all, with time comes higher levels of understanding and acceptance.

I am not excited to starting the grieving process again, but at least I have a lifetime of good memories to look back on and a better understanding of the process.

My grandmother was adopted. Her adopted father passed away shortly after she was in his life. For most of her early life, it was just her and her mother. She had two sons, though one was killed in a car accident in his early twenties. Her one living son had five children, all of whom love her to no end. She has many friends and family members now.

She was the strongest and most independent women right up until the end. Those traits will live on in me.

Grandma Margaret Niles, I love you.

Winter Blues

This winter really seemed to get to me. Not only did we get a lot of snow, it also seemed very dark and long.

Spring is right around the corner and the days are getting longer, but I still feel drained and lethargic most of the time.

There have been moments when I felt motivated and ready to take on the world, but there were also many times when I felt like doing nothing.

Winter blues, go away. I need to make sure this is my year!

Book Update Read in 2013: The Importance of Being Earnest

The Importance of Being Earnest 
by Oscar Wilde 

4 of 5 stars

bookshelves: 2013

Read in October, 2013

A local organization, Center Stage, was putting on a production of The Importance of Being Ernest, which was one of the classics that I had downloaded on my nook. "What better time to read it than now", I asked myself.

It was a very quick read and I found myself enjoying it more with each page. The plot, two men fall in love with two women, the men each tell the women their name is Earnest, and the women both state that they will only marry a man with the name Earnest, was fun and funny.

This is definitely not a story for someone who is looking for something serious!

Overall, I enjoyed this book and appreciated its shortness. It made me want to go see the live show.

Monday

Today was Monday. It was also a good day. In fact, it was one of the best days I have had in awhile. I just had to post about it so I can remember how it was.

First, I walked into work and everybody said, in unison, "There she is. Good Morning!"

Then, I found out that I was on my own in my department, which is my preferred way to work.

Next, I found out that my job is not only paying for my leadership and community training class that I was invited to, but they're paying for my time so don't have to use PTO time.

After that was lunch when I realized that the city if finally repaving the road I work off of.

The meeting I was running after work went smoothly and was fun.

Finally, I came home to dinner in the oven. My boyfriend had gone doing and was making dinner for us.

Now thats what I call a good day. Tuesday, bring it on. Let's see what you have in store.

Google+ Hangouts Are Pretty Cool

I have had the opportunity to participate (and manage) a couple of Google+ Hangout video chat meetings for a not for profit organization where I sit on the board.

Hangouts have these special effects that can really liven up a meeting! The photo above is a photo that I took during a meeting, well after the meeting when there were only a couple of us left playing around with the special effects.

I really think Google has finally created a good social media network. There is a lot to do between Communities and Hangouts. I still have not explored it as much as I could.

Once I learn some more, I will incorporate it into my lesson plans for my social media training classes for my business Cloud Media Marketing.

A lesson on gmail is already in the works!

-Kayleigh

Things to be Grateful For

I have a Tumblr that I keep up. It is very simple. Each post consists of a list of 5 things that I am grateful for.

I call it Grateful ForThe Small Things.

It is a great exercise for anyone to do and I encourage others to do it too. Having started almost a year ago, I now have a list of over 400 things that I am grateful for.

Check out the blog and if you have a Tumblr, follow me!

Books I Have Read in 2013

Brisingr (Inheritance, #3) 
by Christopher Paolini 

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Coming to the end of a series is always bittersweet. I finally found out how the story concluded, but since it was so great, I did not want it to be over. 

In this third book, Eragon and his companions finally get to confront the villain. The only part of this book that did not surprise me was that Eragon was able to find a way to defeat Galbatorix. I was a little surprised that he did not get the girl (Arya) in the end.

Besides those two points, Paolini was able to keep me guessing. I did not know what would come next.

I looked forward to the times when I was able to read this book, which says a lot about it. 

Books Read 2013 #3

The third book I have finished in 2013:

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green  (Goodreads review)  read in January, 2013

When I picked up this book, I had no idea what to expect. I was visiting my sister, who had this book on her desk and recognized the title from a "best of 2012" book list. I asked her about it and if she would recommend it. Her response was without hesitation, "Yes!" We chatted for a couple of minutes about it and I decided to borrow it. My sister is 16 years old, but it never occurred to me to ask if this was a YA book or not. She just seemed to enjoy it. That being said, I am in my mid 20's, but still enjoyed this book. As I mentioned, I had done no research or heard anything about The Fault In Our Stars. I had simply recognized the title and needed something to read at the moment. A couple of chapters into the book, I realized that it was a little young for me, but I did not mind. I found the writing to be interesting and engaging. It was an easy and quick read. I did not regret picking it up. I had never read about "cancer kids" and therefore found the story to be a bit refreshing. Even with such a grim plot - young adults with terminal cancer - it was not too depressing. It did challenge some of my ideas about life and death, even though I had come to terms with my lack of believe in an afterlife long ago. From the many quotes that I pulled out of this book and posted to twitter, you can safely assume that I found John Green's words acceptable if not, at time, inspiring. Now for the real question - Would I recommend this book to others? The answer, for the most part, is yes. I believe the younger high school-aged crowd will relate to and find more meaning in it than the rest, but if you are looking for a quick easy read, then why not?

My Epic Fail of a Morning

So, I woke up this morning to the sound of my alarm. I turned it off and promptly fell back to sleep. Now, this is not unusual for me, but I don't usually stay asleep for more than five minutes.

Not today.

The next time I opened my eyes, the clock read 7:25AM. I panicked and jumped out from under the nice warm blankets.

Thank goodness it's Friday and I can sleep in tomorrow, I thought to myself only to realize a moment later that it was actually Thursday. :(

I grabbed some cereal and returned to my bed. Recently, I have started to sit on my bed while I eat my breakfast while I check my email and Facebook messages.

As soon as I finished eating, I rushed around to complete the other morning rituals: put on makeup, pick out an outfit, feed the dog, get dressed... That sort of thing.

By this time, it was 7:48 and I had to be to work at 8. Granted I work 7 minutes away from my apartment, but I normally try to leave by 7:46, just in case there is traffic or something.

I prepared my bag lunch with a salad and yogurt from the fridge and placed it on the kitchen table along with my purse, book, and everything else I needed to take with me. Then I put my earmuffs, coat, and gloves on then grabbed the dog leash. A recent cold spell had plunged the temperature down to the teens and below the past couple of days and it was almost impossible to get too bundled up.

A new wave of panic rushed over me. Where is my cell phone? It is supposed to be right here! My cell phone had seemed to vanish. Normally I place it on the table next to my purse, but it was not there.

For the next 5 minutes, I ran around the apartment searching desperately for the small device. Time was something I could not waste at the moment.

Finally, I decided that I had to leave. I put my lunch back in the fridge and made a mental plan to come home on my lunch to search for the phone again.

I took the dog on the quickest walk ever, then darted back inside to drop her off and grab what I needed.

It was 8:00 by the time I pulled out of my parking space. Being late to work by a couple of minutes was not completely unusual for me, but I still disliked it.

One of the tires on my car had a slow leak and needed to filled with air again. This meant that I needed to be more cautious about taking tight and sharp turns, which slowed me down.

At the second stop light on my trail to the office, which is about a quarter mile away from where I started, I was stopped by a red light. There was one car in front of me. I did not feel good about this.

Sure enough, the light turned green, but the car in front of me did not move. I tried to honk, but my car must have been too cold. It did not make a peep.

Finally, just before the light changed again, it started rolling forward slowly. Of course, it was headed in the same direction I was.

We continued on the same path, traveling at 25 mph in a 35 mph zone.

About a mile later, we entered the highway and I was able to pass the snail car.

At 8:06 by my car clock, I pulled into my spot in front of my office building. I shut the car down and bolted inside, heading straight for the time clock to punch in.

I ended up punching in at 8:07:40, which meant that I was officially late by 40 seconds. Instead of getting credit for working 8 hours, I would end up with 7 hours 45 minutes. That meant Accounting would allocate 15 minutes of my PTO (paid time off) to cover this 15 minutes automatically. I was planning on leaving a couple of minutes late for lunch and returning a couple of minutes early, but that doesn't ever seem to matter.

Now, I do not mind that so much except that they change my hours each day to make it easier for payroll. Say I punch in at 8:01, out for lunch at 12:00, back in at 1:03, and out for the day at 5:02. My hours would be changed to be 8:00, 12:00, 1:02, 5:02 (or something comparable . In that case, I always wonder why they would not change my hours to say that I got to work on time.

After punching in, I walked to the coat rack and began removing my coat and accessories. I checked the pockets once again for my phone, but to no avail. I placed my gloves and hat on the top shelf, wrapped the scarf around my coat hanger along with my coat.

As soon as I saw what shirt I was wearing, I remembered what had happened. This shirt has a front pocket like a hand warmer. I reached in with one hand and felt it. My hand came out of the pocket clutching my cell phone. I felt like an idiot.

As I walked back to my desk, I realized the full extent of the situation. I had left my lunch and book at home because I was sure I would have to go back to get my phone. Now I had my phone, but nothing to eat or read!

I sat down and shook my head. What a morning!

Fortunately, the rest of the day went fairly well and was uneventful. Thank goodness!

Books I Read in 2013

Reading is a fun pastime for me. This year, I want to write a little something about each book that I finish. At the end of the year, I will be able to see how many I was able to get through. I highly doubt that I will reach 300 like some of my friends, but it will be interesting to see how many I can fit into my schedule. Here is my 1st review of 2013 from Goodreads.com:


Eldest by Christopher Paolini
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Following the story from the main character's point of view alone would have made this book a few hundred pages smaller, but not nearly as interesting.

Every few chapters, the plot is advanced by a different character. First we follow Eragon, then his cousin Roran, then the leader of the Varden, Nasuada. Fortunately, it is easy to catch up with each of them no matter where they last left off.

Although the book is 651 pages, it is an easy read and there are very few boring sections. The last 50 or so pages are jam packed with plot twists and excitement.

View all my reviews

"Carol Of My Car"

I really hate my car
I can't go near or far
Each time I turn the wheel
Something inside it squeals

There's always something wrong
Oh no, now what was that gong?
It's just a hunk of junk
Or is it just my bad luck?


The dash is lit like a tree
This always happens to me
No matter what I do
There's always something new

A trip to the store
Is never a bore
From underneath the hood
Never comes anything good

Please just get me through winter
I'll be sure to treat it better
Or by summer I might
have a new car in my sights

Okay, well I will definitely not be able to afford a new car by summer, but a girl can dream. It's January 2nd, and a tire on my car popped. The last one had to be replaced on Halloween. That makes 2 new tires in less than 3 months and I think another one is about ready to die. Hopefully, this will be my bad luck for the year and it will be all uphill from here.

Here Comes 2013 - Happy New Year!

Hard to believe Christmas is already over this year and New Year's Eve is almost upon us.

Here are a few of my New Year's Resolutions:

1. Be happy more often. 2012 was a trying year, but I am really looking forward to 2013.
2. Work on time management. January is already booking up quickly, so staying on top of my schedule will be key.
3. Make fitness a habit, not a chore. Walk more, make healthier food choices, learn more about nutrition, and choose fun activities that include being active.
4. Stay organized. I have set up some good systems this year. Now the trick will be to keep them up.
5. Get more involved. I am already on the board of a young pros group, but in 2013, I have also agreed to help out a non profit called My City Kitchen. Hopefully, I will be able to learn a lot from the experience while using my skills to help them get their word out.

Here's to 2013. May the new year bring you health, wealth, and happiness!

Sincerely,
Kayleigh Apicerno

Something For Everyone To Remember

Hello,

I found this someecard today and wanted to share it because it is so true. And I really do wish everyone could be happy. When you are happy, and I mean actually happy, everything seems better and brighter. 

I have been depressed and I have been truly happy. Let me tell you, happy is always better. And this goes for everyone. I want everyone to be happy. What a wonderful life this could be.

Happy Day,
Kayleigh

Fall Is Here

Dunkin Donuts has pumpkin coffee and there is a slight chill in the air! This can only mean one thing...Fall is here! I know Labor Day isn't until Monday, but why not start now?

Happy Day!
Kayleigh

Bye Bye Draw Something

So I uninstalled Draw Free/Draw Something. Now that Zynga took over, the app takes forever to load and there are way too many ads. Not to mention the limited amount of bombs and color packs you can get now that they are trying to make more money.

I was so disappointed when I learned about the Zynga taking over. I knew this was going to happen. Draw Something was such a fun game; one of the only games I ever played on my phone. The game is just no fun anymore.

Oh well.

Unhappy ex-customer,
Kayleigh

I Took A Walk

Today, I took a walk with my dog. We ended up at the local farmers market about half a mile away from the apartment. I picked out a couple of onions, and only ended up spending 90 cents!

Lizzie was so good on the leash during the whole walk. I am proud of her. On our normal walks, she sometimes pulls and does not pay too much attention to me, but today was different. I think she enjoyed our walk.

On the way home, back up the hill, Lizzie did not slow down too much like I thought she would. We do not normally take such long walks and I was afraid it would be too much for her. But she did it, and so did I. We did it together.

Back inside, Lizzie gulped down 2 quarts of water and I turned on the Wii for my daily workout. I am so much stronger than I was a month ago.

Happy Days!
Kayleigh ♥

So I Don't Forget After Work

I have one of those jobs where having my phone on my desk is frowned upon. So I keep it in a drawer and look at it a few times a day (breaks and lunch). If I were able to keep it out, the note apps would be put to good use. It seems I always think of something that needs to be done later while I am sitting there doing my work.

By the time I get home after work, I want to forget about my day and focus on everything else that needs to be done at home. Fortunately, I have come up with a great and simple way to keep organized.

When I come up with something that needs to be done while at work, I write it down on a sticky note (aka Post it note). Then I stick that sticky to the back of my phone the next time I look at it. This way, I can write notes to myself for later and will not even be able to forget the note, since it will be stuck on the back of my phone.

For example, say I am at work and I realize I need to call my friend to ask about something. I will jot it down on a sticky note and then place that sticky on the back of my phone, throw the phone back in the drawer, and remember to take care of it after work.

I bet this tip would help many people such as myself who work and need to remember things.

Happy Days
Kayleigh Apicerno

The Happiest Woman Alive

It is amazing how wonderful life can be when you are in love. I am in awe each day that I am lucky enough to wake up next to the most amazing man on the planet. He loves me so much and I love him even more. We have our share of arguments, but they never last long. For over a year and a half, I have been fortunate enough to share my life with the love of my life. I can't wait to see what the future has in store for us.

Sincerely,
Kayleigh Apicerno ♥

Tumblr is Cool - My new blog about things I am grateful for

I started a new blog on tumblr. It is a very short daily blog where each post consists of just 5 small items that I am grateful for. In fact, the blog is called Grateful For The Small Things. 

Each day, I post just 5 items that I am grateful for. For me, it is a great way to stay positive and remember that life is full of little surprises. Remember the little things and the big things won't seem so bad. 

A friend of mine started doing this on Facebook awhile ago and is now well over 1000. That means she has already been able to fill up over 200 days of things she is grateful for. That is inspiring. 

Here is the link to my tumblr blog: Grateful For The Small Things 

Stay positive!

Kayleigh Apicerno