The New Car...and some goodbyes

Well, 'tis the season and all, but I can't help feeling that a lot of things that I've loved in 2006 have been coming to an end... the loss of the old car, but it was replaced by this:



This is the actual new car - parked outside of my office building. I'm really thrilled with it and am enjoying a much smoother ride to and from work. I've got one more thing to do for my new insurance company and then I'm free and clear to drive without obligation...of course, I'm off to home for eight days and can't enjoy the car until I return, but hey - no biggie.

The other big news for today is that I am now an official graduate of the Westchester Academy for Entrepreneurial Excellence. This is a course I've been taking for the last 15-16 weeks and it has been so much fun and so educational and has given me all of the tools to get the new business in working order. You can check out the new company at www.westchestermeetings.com I made the website myself - we plan on getting a designer when we have our first few clients under our belts. Until then, I'm really proud of the work. So, I'll miss my pals from the class, they are the neatest folks and great friends, I'll miss seeing them every Tuesday. Of course, we're planning to go on with our Alumni Association, so I won't have to miss them too much. I mean, folks dressed up for Halloween... yeah, that's me on the end in this group. I went as a bounced check (that class was on taxes!) What a great time.

So - now it's off to Pittsburgh for family fun and holiday cheer. I get to spend some time with my best girlfriends, Kelly & Dani and get to meet baby Molly and talk to Dani's baby (via the belly). It's going to be so great! I've got lunch with Darren and his new wife and hopefully my pal Pat. Things are coming to a nice close for the end of 2006. What an amazing year this has been for me. I wouldn't change much.

And on a personal note, I'm so thankful for Chris. He's my rock - the person who stands beside me when the chips are down or my emotions are up. He's the guy who I am more in love with every morning I wake up. I'm the luckiest girl in the world to have someone so wonderful to share her life with. Merry Christmas, honey!

So - I'll try to post from home, but if not - see you at the end of next week. And we will get back to knitting soon too!

K

What did I just do?

When I was in college my father bought me a car. It was a beautiful Pontiac Grand Am. I loved the car, I felt proud when I was driving in it - puffed my chest up a bit, if you know what I mean. My dad called the color "steal me red". Lucky for me it was never stolen, but I did fall in love with the car - I named her Ruby Too Fast Tuesday and she saw me through some tricky moments on the road. Some major events happened to me while that car was in my life. I've driven her for eleven years. And when my dad died, I drove her and drove her until I could sit far away and press my head against the wheel and cry my heart out. Ruby died yesterday and my ability to pay to fix her died too. Eleven years was a good run - and I bought a new car, but I can't help feeling like I've betrayed a dear old friend. I cried my heart out all over again in that parking lot yesterday - in front of all of the sales men and other holiday shoppers. It was a sad day. Hell, I'm crying my eyes out as I type this. I know the emotion has little to do with the actual car, but more with the fact that I desperately miss my dad. I'm taking the memories with me and believe that the true spirit of Ruby will come along for the new ride:



This isn't my actual new car - but a good picture of what it does look like. Mine is gun metal gray, really nice color (one of my favs), not silver like this one.

If all goes well, I can secure my insurance on Monday and drive the new car home that night. I'm planning not to name this one - I can't have my heart break over a car every time I need to get a new one. I'm a sap to begin with, so Chris knows I'll feel awful every time we decide to make a change, but maybe next time I can do it with some dignity and with less of a sense of loss. Now I'm just trying to figure out if I want lo jack installed. Never thought about it...

Knitting soon, promise.

It's Not You, It's Me.

I've been soooooooooo busy. You've heard this before from bloggers around the knitosphere, I know, but I promise you - it's not you, it's me. Between working full time, trying to open the new business and school, I'm exhausted at the end of every single day. This is not to say that there is no knitting happening. I've been doing some knitting for some new babies who are due to arrive soon and I've been doing some knitting for me and well, I've even been aquiring some yarn here and there.

The holidays are right around the corner and my business launches in January. I'm horribly unprepared. I've been working all weekend and feel no closer to things that I need to accomplish. I am somewhat freakishly calm about this and that has me worried. The class that I've been taking for the last few months has its last meeting before graduation this coming Tuesday. I dread it. I am fearful of not seeing my dear friends - the only people who understand me right now, for they too are doing the insane and trying to launch companies. It's good to be with your own kind. I'm thinking of launching another venture - the AAA. No, I won't be the one to call should your car break down, but if you're a member of our class (or any of the Academy classes) you can be eligible to join the Academy Alumni Association. The motto just might be - hang out with the other crazy people who are trying to launch businesses!

So, there's a lot on a girl's plate. You understand, don't you? Forgive me for being absent - I'll even take some pictures tonight and post them. There are a lot of things on my knitting wish list this year - we'll review the coolest of the cool gifts next entry.

Love ya!