Author: Diana

Waiting on Coffee, Hurry Up

By Diana

Today is the last day I am in Merrillville and I am sitting in the hotel waiting on Starbucks to open.  I am officially sick, my nose is stuffy and all kinds of snotty – YUCK!!

I have been up for a couple hours now because I am very happy to be going home today.  We have the two new puppies that I have not met yet and of course I do miss the little Penny Dog – oh and my human family :)

I think that in a couple days I will make a special blog to reflect back on this year.  I need to figure out how this website is going to be laid out, I am not sure that I have the travel blogs correct just yet.  I need to make sure to have them focused on the place I am and not just how I am feeling – that belongs in the normal blogs.

Anyway, Starbucks finally opened so I am going to get this coffee thing going and I will see about posting my 2015 Review on the site :)

Blogging is Hard :)

By Diana

So I am not good at blogging – I admit, but I am trying to get better.  I got all my travel ones done while I was on the trips which is nice.  I also seem to not want to blog when I am doing a specific page like that too.

I have been having a great time lately which is so much needed.  I am a little concerned about getting back to real life, but I have learned a lot about myself and about people and what I should accept from relationships – that includes friendships.

I have always really held back when it comes to meeting people, but I have decided to try not to do that anymore – again, this is friends probably more than romantic type relationships.  I have made a couple new friends recently through work and other places and I am experiencing all new things because of it.  I have a new friend who lives far away and it is just so free and fun.  There is no pressure because I am not able to hang out with them or anything.  I just want to get to know them.  I want to have more friends more people to share my life with.  There is a possibility that things will be hard for me in the future with relationships like this,  but I am never one to hold back on feelings and I am just happy to even be having this kind of feeling again.  I was really worried that I was going to be broken forever.

I just wanna feel like I am living :)

The Windy Rainy Scary City of Merrillville!

By Diana

So it has been very windy, rainy and scary in my current location!  I am happy to be here though got lots done with the group so far.  They did tell me scary stories of where the job actually is, which is Gary, IN.  I have been on the road for about 10 days now and am finally sick – not that I am happy to be sick, I just have come to expect it every time I travel on the planes :(

I am sitting in the hotel room now helping people in the field and on a conference call.  I was happy to not go out into the field today, it is just so different from the other two cut-ins.  I will have to be available to help them this afternoon so hopefully it won’t go too late.

I went out last night and grabbed me some Panda Express – because I am a sucker for that place!!  This morning was Panera – because I am a sucker for that place!!  I really wanted some pancakes, but didn’t feel like going to Cracker Barrel by myself, oh well maybe I can convince someone to go with me at home :)  There is a White Castle here, but I am not sure that I am down for that, might just be too bad.

I think I am going to have a pretty relaxed tomorrow, but it really depends on how much I get done with people today.  I am a little bummed that I don’t get to see the city, Chicago that is, but oh well :)

The Wild and Wonderful West Virginia!

By Diana

For the last week I have been in West Virginia for another cut-over and just support / training.  It has been a while since I have been to a place and was just overwhelmed with how many sights to see.  I can only remember a couple that were even comparable – Chicago, the first time I ever went and Canada, specifically Revelstoke.

I am still processing everything – it really is a beautiful place.  I got several good pictures, but I was so focused on absorbing it all that I really didn’t take enough :)

As usual with my work experiences everyone I met and worked with was great.  In m y experience, the railroaders – the ones out there everyday – really look out for visitors.  They want to make sure that you see good stuff and are having a good time.  So polite, I have said this several times, I really do feel very lucky to have stumbled into this career and being able to experience what I have is a real privilege.  I get to associate with very smart, happy, and wonderful folks!!

Well, I am kinda tired so I will edit this later to add the link to pictures.

Lovely Atlanta

By Diana

This week I am in Atlanta, well really just one full day and that was yesterday.  I had a training class at the REDI Center with the Construction Foreman for CSX.  It went really well and there were about 52 people in the meeting room.  Some were managers, but they all had a genuine interest in the new software.

When I got here I had rented a car because it is a little ways from the airport and about 5 miles away from the airport the car died.  Transmission issues was on the dashboard.  So the good news is that it was a Chrysler 200, which is what kind of car I almost got instead of my Dart!  The bad news was that I was sitting on the side of the interstate in Atlanta in a broken down car in the pitch black of 5PM.  Luckily my coworker was driving up and had not yet passed me.  I only had to wait about an hour and he was there with his wife to save the day!

I knew way more people in this class then I had thought I would which was nice and seeing some of them was very nice.  These people who I get to interact with are pretty nice.  I am very lucky to not only enjoy what I do, but get to work and interact with great folks.

Well, I am off to the airport now and then Saturday I leave for another adventure – Beckley, West Virginia!

My Dad is 85!!!

By Diana

Oh my gosh I can not believe it but my dad is now 85!!!  He has had such an amazing life, or lives is what I like to think.  He had multiple adopted families along the way which is why I like to think he has lived several lives.  I am so lucky that he has been so active and with me for so much of my life.  He is the man I love the absolute most and always will.  I am afraid no man will ever compare – and that sir is the sign that you are a great father!

I love you dad and happy happy birthday!

Dad's 85 - Couldn't get the camera to take the pic and he got tired of smiling :)
Dad’s 85 – Couldn’t get the camera to take the pic and he got tired of smiling :)
Dad's 85 - And finally I got it to work :)
Dad’s 85 – And finally I got it to work :)
Dad's 85 - My favorite part of this is my mom's "smile" hands :)
Dad’s 85 – My favorite part of this is my mom’s “smile” hands :)

Trips, Trips, Trips

By Diana

I have a ton of trips coming up, which I will be blogging while I am away :) but the point is that I am so happy to be starting to get back to normal.  Traveling was pretty much a huge part of my life a couple years ago and I can use some normalcy in my life right now.

My very next trip is only to Atlanta, but I am still very happy to be going.  I will be seeing some people who I like very much there and that is always good.

I put all the trips blogs here if you are interested :)

13. Acceptance

By Diana

Acceptance – meaning I like you just the way you are…

Is that such a strange concept?  To like someone just the way they are would be amazing.  I don’t think that it is something that happens on day 1, but when you begin to love someone and love them more and more I think it can be done.

I have bad habits, I have strange things I do, I am not perfect – I can still be accepted and loved, right?

What a Railroading Week

By Diana

This week was a big one for work.  We had so many people from all over the company down here in Jacksonville to do some training.  They were a really good group of people and I think that it all went really well.

We went to dinner one night, but I wasn’t able to really stay because I had a hair appointment which I was a little disappointed about, but you know how them hair appointments go – I LOVE THEM!!!!

Then last night we went to the HQ building and that actually turned out really great because 3 very important people in the signaling world were still there for the day and talked with the group for a good hour.  It was just really good timing, I was very happy.

After that we went to the landing to eat some dinner and then it got really fun!!  I had a bit too much to drink and was just laughing like I was a crazy person and having a great time.  It has been a long time since I had done that and it was much needed.  Like I said earlier, these were a great group of people and I couldn’t ask for better treatment from people who you just met (most of them I had just met this week).  They really took care of me, or maybe a better way to put it is watched out for me to make sure I was having a good time and staying out of harms way.

I wish I had taken like 1 picture to capture the moment, but to be honest I was really living in the moment – which is what we are supposed to do, right?

Great week overall and it has been a while since I could say that phrase!

Our Newest Family Member

By Diana

Today we welcomed a new family member, Penny Dog!

IMG_2512

She is pretty stinking sweet.  I love her already.  I think she is coming to us at a perfect time – for me at least.

I am headed to bed now so more later :)