Pump it Up!

So today I went to a women's rugby match: Black Ice v. Glendale Raptors. It was awesome watching some good rugby again...of course I have lots of brushing up to do on the rules. Met a few of the girls from Black Ice, exchanged info and I begin practice on Tuesday!

That means I need to ramp up my current exercise regimen. More sprinting cardio, more weightlifting especially the quads so I can develop the burst of power needed for rucks, mauls and scrums. Should probably also look up what foods help build muscle power. So in the spirit of exercise, this is my current favorite pump up song. Matching my heart pulse with the drum beat just sends waves of adrenaline through me. What's your favorite workout song right now?

Glitter and the Gold

An author has always held my captivated audience when describing scenes of aristocratic elegance at the turn of the century. Depictions of society's pomp and tradition, the scintillating jewels and satin gowns women displayed at evening balls, the glimpses of wit and intellect from within the rigid mores of conversation, all invoke a sense of modern romanticism in me. Balsan's autobiographical account growing up within this cultural framework is far from the monotonous recitations of her social soirees that one would expect. Rather, it is a unique unveiling of an independent woman's thoughts, passions and innermost desires often suppressed at the time by social expectations. It's a great dichotomy between the concepts of American Democracy and European Plutocracy, the lingering Victorian conservatism versus the emerging modernism of a new century, and presents a unique vantage of the evolving role of women in Great Britain and America at the time.

The dwindling prominence of Nouveau Riche families and the rise of the middle class in our contemporary society has perhaps encouraged a negative opinion of those in history who "monopolized the economy" of the day and hindered the rise of the average American citizen, while the Vanderbilts and Carnegies built grand estates on Fifth Avenue. I am of the opposite opinion, not because of the romantic images that come to mind, but because of the depth of character we can learn from their personal lives. There are many different lessons that can be taken from their example; entrepreneurship or philanthropy are some of the most recognizable, but in reading Balsan's personal memoirs I come away with more personal illustrations of character.

As a young girl, her involuntary marriage to the Duke of Marlborough is instructive of the importance of virtues such as love, respect and trust in relationships, rather than the convenience of money. The sympathy one feels for her descriptions of the limitations of women at the time imbue a sense of gratitude for the freedom and opportunities we are blessed with today such as the right to vote, the ability to embark on a career or gain an education. Consuelo's life stories highlight the beauty and social benefit of inculcating personal virtues such as perseverance, patience, respect, integrity, selflessness, sincerity, tact and continued intellectual growth. She presents herself honestly and humbly, describing both her achievements and downfalls in life. Consuelo Balsan is a remarkable woman and most worthy of emulation.

If you ever get a chance to travel to England, I would highly suggest visiting Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire. As the Marlborough family palace, Consuelo played a vital role in its history, which is where my intrigue with this American heiress began. Its a gorgeous structure with beautiful rooms, a rich history, and acres of Capability Brown's landscape parkland to explore - a full day's entertainment!

Blase Day

Felt like this most of the day today... (minus the cigs of course)

Wish I felt as glamorous as these women. Preferably more like Joan.

Just one of those blase days, I guess. I hope your day is going swimmingly!

Straight, No Chaser

So last night I treated myself due to a grueling first week on the phones, yet two successful sales (and top sales in my class!) I bought a bottle of Wild Turkey's new American Honey Bourbon and it was fabulous. It was beautiful.

The honey balanced the bite of the liquor nicely and left a long smooth finish. There's no particular need for ice cubes or added water; I enjoyed it at room temperature, straight from the bottle. It was an enjoyable introduction to the world of hard spirits. Perfect for sipping along with some jazz music and reading Tolstoy.

I've always admired the suave appeal and classic tradition tied to drinking hard liquor straight or as a strong cocktail, like a Manhattan or Old Fashioned (both very good!). On one level it is attractively reminiscent of popular characters who are original, confident, and part of an educated elite class. Think Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Don Draper, Humphrey Bogart, Sean Connery... Rick's American Cafe in Casablanca, the Cotton Club or Hollywood's Brown Derby. A man took pride in his home liquor bar and how well he could mix a drink. Cocktail culture is a tale of elegance and austerity long forgotten by many.

The second half of my admiration is because it implies a refined taste. There is a sense of culture in the simplicity of preferring hard liquors overly sugar-laden cocktails that our bland American palates have become addicted to. One discovers a unique beauty in sorting out the complexity of flavors in a sip of Bourbon, Scotch, Whiskey or any other crafted hard liquor. Much like fine Wine and artfully crafted Beers, Liquor presents an experience that takes concentration, patience and appreciation. Very much like the quip "Less is More," drinking hard liquor not only enables you to consume less in volume or calories, but encourages consumers to focus on the balance of competing flavors like oak, molasses, caramel, smoke etc. It's something you experience. Rather than a means to an end, it can be an end in and of itself.

Old Fashioned

1 Sugar Cube

2 Dashes Bitters

1/2 oz Water

2 oz Rye Whiskey

Maraschino Cherry

Mash the sugar, bitters and water in a rocks glass until the sugar is dissolved. Fill half the glass with ice and pour in the Rye. Garnish with a cherry. Go forth and enjoy!

Support your local Hooker!

Get your mind out of the gutter! I don't mean street hooker, but a rugby hooker! Haha... I'd always thought that was an interesting bit of British humor since playing rugby at Oxford. A hooker is the player in the middle of the front row of the scrum who tries to capture the ball with the foot. I didn't actually play forward hooker, I usually played forward loose or tighthead prop on either side of the hooker. The scrum is my favorite part of playing rugby. I described it here in more detail after a Rugby 7's Cupper blog post while I was abroad.

So the good news is I found a women's rugby team in Denver I can play on! Sometimes these metro teams are only for experienced women, but this team, Black Ice, is fairly new and open to people of all levels of experience. I love working out, but nothing drives me to work harder than team participation. SO excited to join the team. I'm going to wait a couple weeks and see how things pan out with my new job, but I think this will work. Most practices are after I'm out of work. The season has already begun, so I don't know if they'll suggest I wait for next year, but here's hoping I can join soon. Cheers!

Sommelier School

Look what I found in Denver! The International Wine Guild is located in my back yard! Since completing my thesis on wine marketing, I've been thinking of pursuing some sort of continued education in my wine studies. This is SO perfect.

What makes me extremely thrilled about this is the quality of the institution. Named by both the Wall Street Journal and Wine & Food magazine as one of the nation's top five wine schools, the International Wine Guild is also one of few accredited programs focused solely on wine. I can't wait to take a specific course in French regional wines! I am absolutely determined to grasp the fundamentals of terroir and tasting differences between the AOC wines, especially Bordeaux and Burgundy.

So now I have a new goal for the year - achieve my Level I certification. Would love to go for Level II as well, but we'll have to see what time I have available for that.

Rrrringg, Rrrringg.... Hello?

Yup, telesales. I never thought I would get into this line of work, let alone have the stamina and aggression to make 80+ phone calls a day. One thing I've learned this week is never make assumptions about yourself! I'd always thought I was either a face-to-face person or more behind-the-scenes rather than driving sales. Well this week's training course has proven otherwise. I may actually have a chance at doing well in this line of work because I love the company and the product! Plus, all those years of theater have paid off well in accomplishing a confident sounding voice that controls the conversation.

What changed my mind about being able to do telesales? The integrity of Trulia. I genuinely empathize with people being "sold to" over the phone, but Trulia's Pro and Ad plans are legitimate. They have developed a product that works and offer an honest portion of the market that delivers results! With Trulia, I promote these valuable tools which could drastically improve the lives of real estate agents in today's lousy market. The knowledge that your sale could make a difference in someone's career is absolutely inspiring and does wonders to help you overcome sales obstacles. This is something I am comfortable with because I believe in it. How often can a sales person feel completely confident in the honesty of the product they're selling as well as the goals of the company they work for?? Looking at what I've learned this week, I have been truly blessed to receive a career opportunity with such a promising company! Check this out to see what real estate agents around the country think of Trulia. (Scroll down to "comments")

As a beginning employee at Trulia, they call us Newlians. Fun, huh? The company culture is relaxed, values the comfort and happiness of its employees and makes it exciting to come to work. I've never before found it so easy and enjoyable to get up at 5:30 am and be to work by 7am. And that says a lot about Trulia coming from me... the night owl who would rather stay up till 3 am doing work and sleep in till 11. I'm becoming a morning person, eeeek! One of the things that has made it exciting to come to work are the people in my class. There are 22 of us on track to "graduate" in 90 days and become Trulians. It's a great group of people, and I've already been able to get to know a good few of them this week. On Ash Wednesday a group of us went out for drinks after work and it was such a wonderful experience. Looking forward to the next time for sure!

So this afternoon was my first day on the phones. Most of the time was spent getting to know the system. When I did get around to calling a few numbers, it was mostly voicemail, one positive lead to call back on Monday and one reject... Monday will be the real test though. Shooting for 60+ calls! (Sorry if this is boring to read... I can't help being so excited! I've found the career jumpstart I had been dreaming of!)

All this week's work has definitely renewed my appreciation for the weekend! Planning on FINALLY ordering internet for our apartment (been too busy!) and other menial tasks that have added up over the week; still I take a simple joy in crossing all those little things off my list. Hoping you have as lovely weather as we've been having here! Spring is definitely on its way.

Just a little Michael

Going to watch the original Italian Job tonight. Who doesn't love some classic Michael Caine?

I love the style in many of his earlier photos from the 60's. Its a sort of upper-class Britain and Mad Men fusion of skinny ties, horn-rimmed glasses and three piece suits. Impeccable.

Teaser for tonight's entertainment. If you haven't seen the classic movie, its a must!

Never Stop Exploring

I think I just realized one reason why I am so attracted to the Land Rover brand - it encourages us to never stop exploring. Since its founding in 1948, Land Rovers have been used most famously for activities that involve four-wheeling and adventure. Wonderful images have been produced that evoke the sense of adventure: African safaris, the Australian Outback, hunting expeditions, perilous river crossings, and so much more. I've included some of my favorites throughout this post for your enjoyment. (Courtesy of Google Images)

Land Rover owners are mostly brand loyal. In fact, Land Rover once advertised that 75% of all vehicles ever built are still in use. I most definitely plan to hang on to mine as long as I can afford to maintain it. I remember walking down a street near my place in Oxford a couple years ago (has it already been 3 years since I've studied abroad?) and admiring an impeccably well maintained Defender 90, I'm guessing somewhere around 1987. It just seemed so... British! Not the make or model, but the pride in which the individual took in maintaining the beauty of a classic car. Even though my 2002 Disco II is nowhere near "classic" age, I'd love to take it to that point some day.

I've been doing some research for my Land Rover wish list and learned about Land Rover Experience Centre - its like Disneyland for Land Rover lovers. You have courses you can practice and learn on... What a great way to get the most out of my car's on and off-road capabilities. If you've invested in something this great, better make the most of it right? The closest one to me right now is in Carmel, CA. Something to possibly look forward to planning when I visit family this summer perhaps? Other things include a British license plate as previously mentioned, a roof rack, front bull bar, or lamp guards perhaps, but I don't think I'll be as adventurous as needing a snorkel. Pretty fun, right?

Changing direction now... I finally landed a job! It's been exhausting and somewhat disheartening these last three weeks, but now all my hard work has finally paid off. In retrospect, I can't believe I did it in 3 weeks here in Colorado when I had been searching for 6 long months in Michigan! It most definitely is worth moving for a job if the economy is doing badly at home.

So I am now starting training to begin my job as an inside sales agent for Trulia. Trulia is a home buyers and real estate search engine website. Its free for both users and real estate agents to use, has a great set-up, is easy to navigate and has awesome widgets available. I wish I could have used it for my apartment search before moving! I'll be working with real estate agents and brokers around the country selling them premier membership packages to increase the awareness and frequency of their real estate postings. Thank you all for your support and prayers while I've been looking - I genuinely appreciate it & now it has paid off! We celebrated by going out for Indian food last night and now I look forward to a quiet weekend to myself before I begin. Cheers!

Happy Thoughts

Happy thoughts are in dire need before a big interview today! So here are five of my favorite things this week.

1. Scotties - Aren't they so regal and dignified? I've been wanting one for the longest time. I love brainstorming great names too - you can be SO creative with a breed as distinctive as this one.

2. Metallic Sperries - Metallic is the new neutral. Wouldn't it go so well with nautical inspired clothes? Just talked my sister into a pair & can't wait to see her rock it!

3. A classic Burberry Trench - Spring poses a difficult in between zone between coats and light jackets for professional attire. I think a classic trench presents the perfect response to this seasonal dilemma. Thank you, Emma Watson.

4. Taking the time to write letters to loved ones. It means so much to them. Plus, I find it so cathartic for the dozens of thoughts going around in my head daily.

5. Exploring the wines of Burgundy. Need I say more? Burgundy has a depth of character worth exploring.