Positive Train - Spreading the LOVE!!

Check out the fun quote that mrsmfc sent me after she read my last post:

I love it.  WHOOO WHOOO!!  hahaha I think I'm delirious.  Sugar high.

Blue Monday vs the Positive Train

This past Monday was known as Blue Monday here in the UK.  I woke up to the BBC Breakfast team telling me it was the most depressing day of the year.  And it's scientific:

According to a press release by a mental health charity,^[3] the formula is:

where weather=W, debt=d, time since Christmas=T, time since failing our new year’s resolutions=Q, low motivational levels=M and the feeling of a need to take action=N_a. 'D' is not defined in the release, nor are units.

(from Wikipedia)

Anywhoo, I thought it was funny because I felt the opposite of depressed.  For the first time in a few weeks I woke up feeling like I was in a really good mood!  I think I just finally got myself into the swing of the new year.  It was a good feeling!  Well when I got to work, I realized that people basically take this whole Blue Monday thing and use it as an excuse to be a dick.  Everyone was in a bad mood.  People drive faster, are less polite, push past you...this has been a trend I've noticed since I got back after Christmas, but it's totally been maximized this week.  Tuesday was the same.  

Finally, on Wednesday, I woke up and thought, you know what?  This is it.  Everyone in my office has the blues, and I'm tired of walking out of work feeling like I need a cocktail and a punching bag.  I'm bringing the positive train back to town.  I got to work on Wednesday and announced that I am making an effort to single handedly turn the office attitude around.  I vowed NOT to complain during the hours of 9-5:30.  Even in post work drinks, I'm going to try and stay above the nastiness.  If people complain to me, I'm going to listen, and try and show them the bright side, or help them understand the other side of the argument.  

SO FAR SO GOOD!  Wednesday was good, everyone was smiling more when they saw me.  Thursday I continued (although I did have a minor fall off the train when I made a factual, yet slightly snarky comment about someone), and today I'm bringing others on board.  People are smiling more, laughing more, and all in all seems like they are in a better mood!  Just goes to show that one person really CAN make a difference!!  

So friends, bring the positive train to your office!  ALL ABOARD!!!!!

My dress is famous!

When I was home in November after a work conference (had a long layover in Jersey to pop by and see the fam), my mom had a gala for the charity that she is on the board for.  My sister and decided to go shopping for dresses.  This is how shopping goes when I'm with my sister - she picks out expensive dresses, I try them on and buy them.  She's essentially my stylist.  Anyway, I ended up buying this saucy little number from BCBG:

Liz just emailed me and said that Amanda Holden was caught wearing the same dress!!  You may not know who she is, but over here, she is famous.  She is most known for her role as judge on Britain's Got Talent.  I know the American equivalent isn't very popular, but over here they LOVE it.  Anyway, you can see the full article in the Daily Mail: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1343844/So-HAS-Amanda-Holden-hiding-baby-bump.html

But here is picture if you don't want to bother:

Note to self, next time, before I wear the dress, get a tan.  Then I'll totally look like she does!

I'd like to thank my stylist, Liz, for her ability to shop outside of her (and almost my) price range.  Clearly, it paid off!!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!  I am back in Londres and not digging this whole "going back to work" thing.  After two weeks out of the office, I think I forgot how to work.

However, I had a great time at home.  Christmas was not without it's family excitement (read: craziness), but it went by very quickly, as it always seems to do.  Sunday I woke up to tons of snow, and it just kept coming (that's what she said)!  My dad was very happy because he got to use old Bessy.

In total, we got about 20 inches of snow!

  It was crazy.  So Sunday was pretty much a bust, but by Monday the streets were all cleared!  I love America.

The rest of the week was filled with adventures to the mall with my mom and Liz, lunches with friends, dinner with family, etc, etc.  On Thursday, Katie came down from Boston and spent the night.  We watched Inception.  It was the first time I had seen it.  Katie thinks in the end it was reality.  I think it was a dream.  I think this highlights our opposing views - she is more optimistic, I'm a little bit more cynical (I'm working on it!).

Friday we took the train into the city for new years.  We went to Margy's house to get ready, and then headed over to Maura's for a party.  Here's just one picture (photobombed by my brother..thanks Mike!):

I think we all had a great time.  Low stress, lots of laughs, some dancing.  Then a few of us went to meet Lindsey and her bf at a club in the west village.  Around 4 am, Katie, Margy and I headed back to Margy's, complete with pizza in hand (my first meal of 2011).

The next morning we went to brunch, then Katie and I headed back to Jersey, and shortly after I headed off to the airport. I always think 10 days is such a long time, but it really flies by!