July Photo Challenge Day 31: Toothbrush

Packing up for a quick mid-week getaway.

July Photo Challenge Day 30: Calm

One of our favorite beaches: Panama City Beach in Panama City, FL. During the "off" season it is one of the most calm, peaceful places to be. During Spring Break? Not so much...

July Photo Challenge Day 29: Last Thing You Bought

My past purchase was groceries. Which included all of the ingredients to make this delicious meal: Bacon-Wrapped Scallops with Thai Sweet Chile sauce and Red Pepper Quinoa/Rice.

Read about it here.

July Photo Challenge Day 28: Cup

Favorite purchase from our Boston Road Trip!

July Photo Challenge Day 27: On the road

Route 81 south, somewhere in Virginia

We just took an epic road trip. Back on July 9 we packed up a rental (small SUV) with more clothes and shoes than we needed, the dog and ourselves and hit the road. Destination: Boston, MA.

On the way we made strategic stops in Raleigh and Washington, DC to visit with friends and get some rest for the trip. We decided to take 95 up most of the way and at one point somewhere between the George Washington Bridge and New Haven, CT, we realized that this would not necessarily be the way we traveled back! (Tolls, traffic and trucks, oh my!)

After a week of visiting with family, meeting our brand new niece (her cute self has been featured on Day 15: Finger and on Day 20: Eyes), seeing old friends and colleagues and interviewing at an amazing ad agency, we hit the road to head back home to Georgia on Friday the 20th This time we did it in two days. Boston to DC and then DC to Alpharetta!

After doing some research (thank you Google Maps!) we decided to avoid 95 on our trek from DC to Georgia and take 81 south along the Shenandoah Valley. It looked like it would be a beautiful drive and might be fewer miles.

It was. No traffic, no tolls ...can't say there were no trucks but it was a wonderfully hilly and scenic drive through a beautiful section of our country. We'd drive this one again for sure! Maybe not to Boston but definitely to DC (we'll fly next time we visit Boston).

This shot was taken at a random point along the way - I thought the curve of the road disappearing into the hills was kind of pretty.

Not sure when our next road trip will be but for now, there's no place like home.

How about you? Have you taken a memorable road trip? Have you seen a part of the country that you otherwise would never have had you flown or taken a more popular route?

July Photo Challenge Day 26: Sunshine

July Photo Challenge Day 25: Heart

Yes, it was delicious.

July Photo Challenge Day 24: A Stranger

Ok it's July and this guy is dressed for winter, I know. That is because this is a photo I took in December 2009 in Boulder, CO. Other than the writing this photo is completely untouched and it's one of my favorite photos from that road trip.

Sometimes a good photo is purely the luck of the draw. As a rule I don't typically take photos of strangers - it feels awkward and voyeuristic to me. Nevertheless, that day I decided to be bold and see what I could do (a friend of mine and I were just talking to each other about how we never take photos of strangers).

As we were walking through Boulder on a very chilly winter day, we passed by this man. Here was my chance! I quickly lifted the camera and snapped and just as quickly replaced the lens cap and lowered the camera! So brave! ...he had no idea what had just happened. Our lives had just intersected.

When I got home and saw what I captured I was amazed. The color and snowflakes hanging in the window display balance the browns/blacks and whites outside and reflected his hat. This gentleman was playing his sax so earnestly in hopes of a few coins tossed into the velvet lining of his saxophone case. All of it captured in one snap of the shutter.

There is a quote on the building behind him. It's a shortened version of the following:

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.” ~ Mark Twain

I am privileged to have shared this man's little corner of the earth for this brief moment.

July Photo Challenge Day 23: Mirror

Sorry people. Fenway is my favorite model!

July Photo Challenge Day 22: Upside Down

An old photo of Fenway...she was sound asleep.

July Photo Challenge Day 21: 9 O'Clock

9pm. Sunset in Georgia

Epic Road Trip came to an end last night at roughly 9:30. At 9pm we made a stop to pick up some dinner and we enjoyed a gorgeous sunset. I had some prettier photos but accidentally set the iPhone to "movie" mode. So this one will have to do!

July Photo Challenge Day 20: Eyes

Look at those baby blues!

July Photo Challenge Day 19: Animal/Insect/Pet

BFFs

July Photo Challenge Day 18: Plate

Tupelo Honey Hot Wings.

This will be on my plate sometime this week.

July Photo Challenge Day 17: Your Addiction

The most anticipated meal of our trip to Boston. Anna's Taqueria. If you're from Boston or lived there, you understand.

July Photo Challenge Day 16: Sign

July Photo Challenge Day 15: Finger

July Photo Challenge Day 14: Building

July Photo Challenge Day 13: Open

July Photo Challenge Day 12: Texture

July Photo Challenge Day 10: Your Favorite Color

Spring green (with a touch of pink)

July Photo Challenge Day 11: Letter

July Photo Challenge Day 9: Big

Big storm's a brewin!

July Photo Challenge Day 8: Lunch

Everyone wants some.

July Photo Challenge Day 7: Garden

Container Herb Garden

It's a hot, hazy summer morning in Georgia.

July Photo Challenge Day 6: Chair

My Morning Coffee Chair

July Photo Challenge Day 5: On the floor

Watch your step!

These little numbers are the key to fitness! My husband got into Crossfit years ago and we've had a traveling gym with us ever since. We keep our kettlebells on the floor in the office and they range from 25 lbs to 45 lbs. I rearranged them here for photo purposes but I do make sure I turn a light on before walking around in this room lest I stub a toe.

(Photo bomb credit goes to Fenway who snuck up onto the bed.)

July Photo a Day Challenge Day 4: Fun

Earned Fun.

Pic on the left? I quickly snapped it while shuffling (A.K.A. almost walking) on a long run this morning (at this point I only had about 1.25 miles left). Pic on the right? Kind of obv, but yes, later that day I relaxed at the pool.

I do have to admit - I find a certain satisfaction in running and I currently have a great run route. Alpharetta excels in creating pretty roads. Our sidewalks are wide and twisty in a ribbony kind of way - which can be annoying when running but it also makes it kind of fun! Best part of running? Crossing the finish line! So today my "fun" started with a long run this morning which was followed by some earned fun time at the pool.

July Photo a Day Challenge Day 3: Best part of your day

I could listen to Phil Liggett all day, but Bob Roll will always be my favorite!

Best part of every day, for me, is spending time with my husband in the evening. This varies from evening to evening. One night it could be dinner on the deck, another evening, some time at the pool. Maybe walking the dog together. Whatever it is - it's the best part.

Tonight it rained so, alas, no pool, but it's July which means only one thing in our home: Le Tour. And so we sit, thunder rolling and much-needed steady and heavy rain falling, watching the Peloton race through the French countryside.

A book worth reading: Death By Meeting, Patrick Lencioni

Would you rather go to a movie or a meeting?

I'd be willing to bet that 100% of you would say a movie. And for good reason.

But consider this: a meeting (work or otherwise) has the potential to be far more interesting and engaging than any movie. Don't believe me?

Yet another great read during my Barnes and Noble escapades.

As the title implies, Patrick Lencioni tackles an ongoing and widespread business issue: meetings. I'm not sure I know one person who hasn't said at one time or another that they have to go to too many meetings that never begin or end on time and don't feel like they accomplish anything. This can be death to a company or organization. But here's the twist: it isn't the quantity of meetings, but rather the quality.

In fact, Lencioni makes the argument that more meetings with strict and well-defined purpose results in happier, more engaged participants who are excited, not only to set goals and strategy together, but also to actually attend the meetings.

I've been fortunate enough to work in an organization that did meetings "right" - they didn't start off that way but with a little effort and buy-in from the leadership staff, they got "there" - to that sweet spot where people actually wanted to attend. I must admit that I knew at least one of my colleagues at the time had read this book and applied it to his meetings.

On the other hand - I've worked in some organizations that simply did not get meetings. The worst part is that we were constantly in meetings. Some of the worst were the all-staff meetings, which were lengthy and often felt forced - like they were grasping at things to fill the meeting. The glazed looks in my coworkers eyes said it all. There was always someone who forgot to turn their cell phone on 'vibrate' and people would walk in and out of the meeting with no regard to who was speaking or what was going on. Simply put: no engagement whatsoever. My most memorable moment was at one meeting when someone answered their phone...and loudly said "Hello?...Right, I'm in a meeting." Hung up and put the phone back where it was. Just as if it was perfectly normal to do such a thing. (Note: Some of my other colleagues and I just about lost it right then. It took everything in us to keep our composure.)

This is a quick read. A page-turner, if you can believe it. The story, set as a fable, opens with CEO of fictional "Yip Software" bracing himself for a meeting that will make or break his career. The rest of the book is the back story, telling of the events that lead up to that point.

The book provides a fabulous explanation of a great meeting strategy for any organization - information can be found at www.tablegroup.com. Granted - some people just "get" how to run an organization and utilize meetings...but that's a rare CEO. So check it out. Read the book - I believe you will be invigorated to change your view on meetings and inspired to make changes to your approach.

How about you, do you have any good meeting stories?

July Photo a Day Challenge Day 2: Busy

What in the?

Not entirely sure if this is legal or safe - gonna hedge on "no." Photo didn't quite capture the chaos of these wires but suffice it to say we steered clear of it. (Right after I took a photo, of course!)

July Photo Challenge! Day 1: Self Portrait

I've truly enjoyed this past month's photo challenge so I've decided to do July as well. And I have about 5 or 6 friends joining me!

Here is July's list: 

And here is my Day 1 "Self Portrait"

Me!*

Most people use their iPhones and Instagram along with some photo editing apps. I have mostly used my Pentax K-x SLR and a mucho fun website for photo editing called PicMonkey. This challenge is intended to be fun - not pressured and not a competition. Here is a link to the original challenge with info on each day's assignment (go ahead and read her blog, too!) she calls herself "FatMumSlim."

Ok who's with me?

*For the record that's a photo of a Nantucket Lighthouse behind me. And a Pentax Digital SLR in front of me.