Celebrating my Birthday in Cleveland

            I returned to my hometown Cleveland for my birthday.  I truly needed a break from DC’s breakneck pace and dangerously hot weather.  Off of Lake Erie, the temperature was 75 degrees.  When I returned to Baltimore Washington Airport it was 93 degrees! In between the Wednesday when I landed and this Monday when I returned, I managed to reconnect with family, visit Cleveland State University, my alma mater, celebrate my birthday and 10^th year Master of Business Administration anniversary at Mortons Cleveland Steakhouse (after telling the waiter my story, he told another couple who paid for my chocolate mousse dessert!), relax at the Doubletree Cleveland hotel and eat at Mallorca and John Q. Steakhouse.  Enjoy my photos!

Lake Erie and Cleveland coastline 

Celebrating my birthday at Mortons Cleveland Steakhouse

Filet of Salmon with Crabmeat, Asparagus, 2 Shrimps Topped with Crabmeat and 3 Baked Shrimp

Chocolate Mousse with Whipped Cream, Raspberry, Mint Leaf and Birthday Candle

Happy Birthday Greeting on the Menu

Waterfront Line, Great lakes Science Center (Dome) and Rock N Roll Hall of Fame (right)

Cleveland skyscrapers

Cleveland State University Student Center

Cleveland State University Student Center

Cleveland State Campus District

Euclid Commons

Shubbery

Cleveland State University banner

Cleveland State University Art Campus off of East 13th Street

Mallorca Lobster Ravioli and Vegetables and Potato Chips

John Q. Steakhouse Sirloin Steak with Bleu Cheese and Broccoli Au Gratin

Brick Restuarant Fresno Review

I wore my teal Ann Taylor dress and gold Stuart Weitzman Itstybitsy sandals to Brick restaurant. The Fresno employees talked it up so why not go there?  The restaurant was a 2-block walk from the hotel. The green door greeted me.  I entered seeing the hostess and a waitress. I asked for a table for one. When the hostess asked if I wanted a booth, I agreed.  She seated me in the booth with the Ray Charles photo above my head. TCM played on three different movie screens above the sports TV screens showing MLB, ESPN, GOL and Golf channels. Though the booths had lights, the tables on the floor only had candles. I ordered the grilled chicken satays. It took so long that I asked the hostess about it.  The long wait was the only downside.  My satays were delicious.  There were four plus a salad with spicy peanut butter sauce.  I was so full that I skipped the entrees ordering the vanilla crème brulee for dessert.  After taking  a couple of photos, John, Brick’s manager, came over to my table.  I told him that I was from Washington, DC out here on business and that I truly loved his restaurant.  Brick had a nice ambiance and when I return to Fresno on future business I will dine here again.

Grilled Chicken Satays

Vanilla Creme Brulee

Ray Charles Photo on the Wall

                                                         Brick Restaurant Menu

Agenda: Lead!

            I have been accepted into my new agency’s leadership development program.  I am very happy about this achievement since I’ve been here less than 90 days (I will officially be there 90 days on July 23^rd.  I will be in Fresno, California at a conference.).  Even though I’m in the second installment, due to my not being here a long time, I am nevertheless happy to make the cut.  This makes me two leadership programs for two agencies!

            Acceptance has motivated me to restart studying for project management.  Today I’ve written down all of the PMP Practice Makes Perfect practice test c wrong answers.  I’ve scored 76.1% which is more than enough to pass the certification exam; but, I will score no lower than 80% on practice test D. Breaking 80% gives me the 10%+ cushion allowing me to walk into Prometric and pass the PMP exam the first time.

Earning my PMP certification has been a nearly one-year journey.  Though the frequent business trips have delayed my taking the exam, I am adamant about taking it in August.  My scores show that I am nearly there.  However, I am not relying solely PMP Practice Makes Perfect.  I will take the Farnsdale PMP practice paper exam while in Fresno.  Since it is a 4-hour flight from Phoenix to Fresno, I am packing it in my bag because this is a productive use of my time.  I am thinking about carrying the Oliver Lehmann paper test.  I am not going to the Fresno facility on Monday allowing me one day to work on project management. I will take full advantage of this. Obtaining this certification makes me the deadly MBA/PMP combination that I crave!  This combo increases my competitive advantage over other people.  This is what I call a productive summer!

My Personal Sabbatical

            I am very happy to take off five days for myself because I’ve worked on myself. I’ve written more episodes, completed Statistics for Dummies, two project management practice exams, and rested.  There is no running around crazy over nothing.  I also get to post photos and work on my blog.  I think I might do this more often because I have emerged refreshed and reenergized!

Independence Day 2012 Firework Photos

Enjoy my Independence Day 2012 DC firework photos!

Fourth of July Lunch at Lincoln Restaurant

I pay the $37.12 for Lincoln’s all-you-can-eat lunch and am not disappointed!  I’ve eaten beef brisket, hamburger, hot dog, potato salad, baked macaroni and cheese, a peach cobbler.  The food was so tasty that I only snapped photos of the brisket, potato salad, macaroni and cheese, and watermelon!

Unum

            I decided to go to Unum for a change of pace instead of Bourbon Steak (Opentable not having a 7pm Bourbon Steak reservation was a contributing factor). The restaurant turned out to be very good. I ate the burger and had the beignets with blueberry sauce for dessert. The atmosphere was welcoming and so was the bill: $5 cheaper than the Four Seasons across the street.

Adventures in Little Rock

            Now don’t get me wrong, I love Little Rock even with the 90+ degree heat and humidity.  I hate my work experience.   

Oh my goodness!  It was horrible!  I flew into Little Rock during the afternoon to avoid going to the work site; yet, I got conned into arriving there over dinner.  On top of that, I had to sit across from the center director’s husband who 1) went on tangents; 2) interrupted me and 3) had to equate everything to Brooklyn.  What an asshole!  Making matters worse was on Thursday after working 11 hours straight, I was forced to stand up and fix my own plate at a restaurant.  Freaking witch!  That’s not the worse part.  She leans next to me asking ‘Do I hear yummies?’ Don’t get slapped broad!  Though I thought everything bad was behind me, I arrived at Atlanta airport where Delta cancelled dozens of Eastern seaboard flights.  My 5:10pm plane to DC turned into a 8pm flight.  The man at the counter said that I missed my flight which was a lie because the 4:10pm flight was delayed until 6:30pm! Combining my 1:25pm Little Rock departure and 9:45pm DC arrival, I spent 8 hours in transit when I shouldn’t have! Not a good look!  Next time I visit Little Rock, I’m doing it for pleasure. I’ve missed Central High and President Clinton’s library.

Recommitting Myself to Project Management

           After returning from El Paso, I’ve recommitted myself to studying project management.  I’ve written down all 42 processes and all of the project management subsidiary plans. Not even two unscheduled meetings popping into my Outlook email can completely zap my energy.  All I’ve done is napped, regained my strength, and soldiered on because earning my PMP and PMI-ACP certifications are on my summer priority list.  Tomorrow I will rejoin PMI saving me money.  I’m ready and back in the saddle to ride again!

El Paso Chronicles

            I started my journey to El Paso by awaking at 5am EDT in Washington, DC. I left my apartment at 6:20am boarding the blue line for national airport.  I boarded United at 7:59am for Houston International.  This is the first of two flights. I arrived at 10:16am CDT laying over for an hour.  I walked to Terminal B but no one told me that B84 was in the basement! I nearly missed my flight fighting with a mobile wireless company over service that wasn’t working only in Terminal B.  Seeing the downward arrow, I unplugged my laptop running downstairs to the commuter plane awaiting me.  The plane flew at 11:28am CDT arriving in El Paso at 12:25 MDT, 2 hours behind Eastern. Peaking out the window, I saw a truck shoveling dust on the road, a sight I never seen in my entire life.  It hit me that this was the desert! There were more surprises to come.  Once I touched down, I saw an army of border patrolmen.  I concluded it was Texas and the state was near the border. Then I saw the mountains and Mexico from across the highway.  I realized that the city was literally on the US-Mexico border.  The whole 7-hour adventure made me thankful that I grew up in Cleveland, a top 40 airport because I could get a direct flight anywhere!

Overall I had a pretty good 3 days here in El Paso.  The atmosphere photos came from right outside my hotel.  I snapped photos of Mexico. You can see the marked prosperity difference between the two countries. When the team returned from Cattleman’s steakhouse at night, the differences were illuminated.  The Mexican side was the dark; whereas, the American was alit in electricity.  Only the green stoplights at the border crossing lit up the Mexican sky.  Speaking of Cattleman’s steakhouse, it housed a zoo replete with a baby buffalo calf. Here are the other photos:

On the Eve of My First Business Trip

            I am happy about preparing for this El Paso trip.  It’s my first professional one.  I’ve only be here for 6 weeks and out of the blue, the director asks me to join him, the Deputy Director and another employee.  The request is so fast that even with the GSA travel training and credit screening, I have to pay for my own room because it comes less than 10 days needed to process my stuff.  I will be reimbursed as soon as I touch down in DC. The only bad thing is that it’ll be 99 degrees everyday in El Paso versus 75 degrees in DC. 

This is my chance to prove my mettle by showcasing my statistical prowess.  While reviewing my total quality applications lessons, all of the advanced statistics knowledge starts returning.  I mean every tidbit: t-distribution, F-distribution, z-score, null hypothesis.  Everything which is the reason why I call all of the local bookstores seeing if they carry Statistics Essentials for Dummies.  None of them do forcing me to use Google Play.  I will still order the physical copy that I can hold, highlight and write notes in via Amazon that’ll await me upon my return. It lets me flesh out everything that I’ve read during the trip.