I am so happy to finally be home. After 4 days, 3 different hotels and a slew of vendor shows, I am tired and my ass is numb from all the time I spent driving around. At least I was somewhat comfortable with my heated seats and XM radio, though.

As you can see, my grand [...]]]>

I am so happy to finally be home. After 4 days, 3 different hotels and a slew of vendor shows, I am tired and my ass is numb from all the time I spent driving around. At least I was somewhat comfortable with my heated seats and XM radio, though.

As you can see, my grand total was 868 miles, making Pam the big winner. Mark was extremely close with his guess of 874 miles, but he went just a tad over and going over doesn’t win the showcase showdown.

I’m going to see Pam next week, so I will deliver the prize in person.

Thanks for playing!

New content tomorrow, when I hopefully won’t have to prop my eyelids open with toothpicks.

It’s no secret that I have to travel a lot for work. A LOT. Most of that travel has me trapped inside of a car driving endlessly within a tri-state area. I do fly a few times a month as well, but then I have to pick up a car and drive to my final [...]]]>

It’s no secret that I have to travel a lot for work. A LOT. Most of that travel has me trapped inside of a car driving endlessly within a tri-state area. I do fly a few times a month as well, but then I have to pick up a car and drive to my final destination. How much do I drive you ask? Well, as an example, I have a 2007 Sonata and a 2008 CRV- the combined mileage is close to 100,000 miles. Maybe it’s just me, but I think that’s a lot for relatively new-ish cars. I typically use the Sonata from March-October, and then take the CRV for the remainder of the year. It’s the custody arrangement that the Hubby and I have worked out and it seems to be going well. Every now and then if I have to haul a lot of stuff, I’ll take over the CRV during “his” time. It’s OK, the CRV likes me better anyway.

If any auto makers out there develop a real-life K.I.T.T. , I would be all over that! Seriously. Also, an interactive GPS would also be great. I talk to Giles a lot, but he doesn’t have much to say. Even when I yell at him for making me go through the ghetto, all he can manage to say for himself is “re-calculating”, or “make a U-turn”. He’s British, but  his sexy accent doesn’t help when he directs me incorrectly.

Anyhow, I need to take a 4 day roadtrip this week that will span 3 states. I have too much stuff to take with me, so flying isn’t an option this time. So, I figured why not have a contest to guess how many miles I will be driving? I’ll bring the winner back some goodies from each of the 3 states that I will be passing through.

I don’t have my own butler, so the only person that I will disqualify from this game is The Hubby, because he knows exactly where I’ll be going.

Speaking of butlers, I could really use one though. I don’t have time to keep up with this self-hosted blog nonsense and I am most definitely not a computer person.

How to Enter:

1. Either @reply or DM me on Twitter.

2. Comment here with your guess. Please leave a valid email address so I can notify you if you win.

3. Send an email to: Pittchick [at] pittchick [dot] com

Rules:

1. Entries must be received by 7 PM, EST on Wednesday, February 24th.

2. If you comment on my Facebook, I will ignore it, because I hate facebook.

3. The winning guess will be determined by the person that comes closest to my actual mileage, without going over. (a la The Price is Right)

4. Each person may enter up to 3 times, but a different entry method must be used each time. ie. Once on Twitter, once on the blog, and once via email.

5. Use whole numbers for mileage guesses. If your guess contains a decimal, I will either round it up or down.

6. In the event of a tie, a duel will take place. OK, maybe not- but you have to admit, that would be pretty awesome to see.

7. Tiebreaker- Guess how may times I had to stop for gas. (I will be leaving the house with a full tank.) There is no need to include gas stops with your initial guess. I will email entrants if a tie-breaker is needed.

Helpful Information:

1. Mileage will be calculated door-to-door, from when I leave my house to when I return.

2. If you follow me on Twitter , it’s possible that there will be some clues as to where I’m going and where I’ve been.

3. This is not sponsored by anyone, just me. Any prizes will be provided out of my pocket. I am willingly turning my driving misery into a game for all of you. You’re welcome.

Here’s what I can tell you from a non-technical standpoint: it is awesome. What the Roku box allows you to do, is stream TV shows, movies, podcasts, etc right on [...]]]> I have had a ROKU box for a little over a year now. What is a Roku box, you ask? Well, click the link and learn more.

Here’s what I can tell you from a non-technical standpoint: it is awesome. What the Roku box allows you to do, is stream TV shows, movies, podcasts, etc right on to your TV. You don’t have to watch your favorite movie on your computer screen, you can enjoy it, along with as many people as you want, on your couch in your living room.

Do you have a Netflix account? Have you ever wondered what the “Watch Instantly” button was for? Any Netflix movies or shows that are in your Instant Queue can be watched on your TV set with the help of a Roku box.

Did you happen to miss the latest episode of Gossip Girl? Do you need your Chuck Bass fix? No Problem- go to Amazon, via your Roku box, and download the latest episodes of whatever you want to watch.

Do you want to rent a movie, but you’re stuck under 3 feet of snow? No Problem! Visit the Amazon link through your Roku box and with a few clicks, the movie of your choice appears instantly on your TV.

You also have the ability to pause, fast forward, or rewind anything that you’re watching. Recently Roku also added Revision 3 as a partner, so all of your favorite podcasts can be watched directly on your television.

The Roku box is very easy to set up and connect to a wireless router. My TV has got to be at least 15 years old and I haven’t had any problems streaming. I find the Roku to be a nice supplement to my TV, because I only get about 10 channels (super basic cable). As an added bonus, I already pay for my Mom’s Netflix subscription, and she doesn’t use the “Instant Download” option. I log into her account and anything that is in the Instant Queue, shows up on my end, while she still controls her traditional queue and still gets her disks in the mail.

It should be mentioned that extra costs are involved in renting movies and TV shows from Amazon. They are minimal, and Amazon also has free content available.

Follow Roku on Twitter.

Do you have any questions about the Roku box? Ask me in the comments or on Twitter.

THE FINE PRINT: This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are 100% mine. I did not receive any compensation from any of the companies that I have mentioned or linked to. Although, I would willingly accept any such compensation or gifts, because I think the Roku player is great.

If you’re from Pittsburgh, then you may recognize that this blog title was in fact the front page headline of the Post Gazette this morning. I realize that we got a lot of snow, but I assure you, the end of the world isn’t coming.

Even though your local grocery store may have run out of [...]]]>

If you’re from Pittsburgh, then you may recognize that this blog title was in fact the front page headline of the Post Gazette this morning. I realize that we got a lot of snow, but I assure you, the end of the world isn’t coming.

Even though your local grocery store may have run out of bread, milk and toilet paper, I think we’re all going to be OK. What do people do with all that bread and milk anyway? Those certainly aren’t the items I would be stocking up on if I was going to be trapped in my house for days on end.

We’ve been holed up at home since Friday night. I was very happy that I made it home from State College, before the weather got too bad. I stocked up on water and granola bars, just in case I was going to get stranded on the side of the road, or in a hotel in the middle of nowhere.

We did lose power for about 7 or 8 hours over Friday night, but it came back very early Saturday morning and it’s been on ever since. There are still quite a few people without power, and subsequently heat, so hopefully the electric company will get that sorted out very soon.

The Hubby immediately started researching generators- which he does EVERY time we lose power- but maybe this time we’ll actually get one.

My neighbor came over with his snowblower and dug out our driveway, which was AWESOME! As soon as I can get out to get them a gift and buy ingredients for cookie making, I will be all over that. I took a walk Saturday morning around the neighborhood and everyone that I passed was incredibly nice and didn’t seem too bothered by the snow.

I took some pictures, so click this Flickr link to check them out.

On the plus side, I have a lot of free time to clean my office and do laundry. Maybe I’ll start that tomorrow.

I occassionally look through my old posts, and in between my ranting, mindless dribble and soap [...]]]> Most of you probably don’t remember (or aren’t aware of) my previous blog, “This is Me”. The site still exists, but I have made all the posts private and I opted not to import them when I started this blog.

I occassionally look through my old posts, and in between my ranting, mindless dribble and soap opera-ish moments, I had some good posts. Periodically I’ll bring a few over here for you to read, so that you can get to know me a little bit better.

The post below was written several years ago, so I’ll update it accordingly. It’s funny to see how things have changed in just a few short years.

In honor of my 100th post (on my previous blog), I’m going to share 100 things about myself. Some of them might be interesting, others- not so much.

1. I’m 30. I’m not typing my age. I refuse.
2. I’m not really happy about that.
3. I was born on a Wednesday.
4. By emergency C-section.
5. 2 weeks late.
6. I have 1 younger brother.
7. He’s a lot bigger than me now, so I don’t pick on him anymore.
8. I’ve been married almost 4 years. In order to avoid divulging my real age, let’s say 4+ yrs, LOL.
9. I like college football.
10. I never expected to admit to that in my entire life.
11. It’s all the Hubby’s fault.
12. I’m stubborn.
13. I always find a way to get what I want.
14. I don’t like to compromise.
15. I’m a Duranie.
16. Nick is my favorite.
17. Followed closely by John and Roger. I’d have to say Roger is now my 2nd fave, followed by John.
18. I’ve been dying my hair for over 10 years.
19. Most of that time was spent as a redhead.
20. I’m now back to my natural brunette.
21. I’m a Daddy’s girl.
22. I’m not a girly-girl. Well, maybe when it comes to shoes and shopping.
23. I’ve never broken any bones.
24. I have had several stress-fractures related to running injuries.
25. I modeled nude for art classes.
26. I sometimes wish I was more focused in college.
27. I sometimes wonder if I should have gone to a different school.
28. I had a blast at Pitt, though.
29. I can row both Port and Starboard.
30. I can’t sing.
31. I wish I could.
32. I was miserable at my wedding.
33. The marriage is great, however.
34. I never knew what it was like to grow up with both parents in the same house.
35. Thankfully, I also never knew what it was like to have both parents screaming and fighting with each other all the time.
36. I don’t like family get-togethers.
37. I have a permit to carry a concealed weapon.
38. I wanted to be in the Army since I was about 15.
39. The Army didn’t want me.
40. I have bad eyesight.
41. I have my future children’s names picked out.
42. I still have no desire to have those children. I might have a little desire now.
43. I hope someday to change my mind. I think I’ve changed my mind.
44. I’m a procrastinator. I wish I could fix this!
45. I’m also slightly obsessive compulsive.
46. I’m deathly allergic to milk.
47. Broccoli is my favorite vegetable.
48. I’m a very picky eater.
49. I have known some of my best friends since the first and second grade.
50. I went to Catholic school for 12 years.
51. My high school was all-girls.
52. I never missed not going to public school.
53. I will never send my children to public school.
54. I don’t like flowers in general.
55. but, I love sunflowers.
56. I eat a lot of chicken.
57. But only the white meat.
58. When I was 14 (I think) I rode my bike 100 miles for St. Jude’s Childrens Hospital.
59. I did a triathlon at 16 and won my age group.
60. I like to travel by myself.
61. Alone time is very important to me.
62. I had a puppy named Gunner.
63. Turns out I was allergic to him and had to find him a new home.
64. I was very traumatized and still think about him alot.
65. I’ve never told anyone what my dad’s nickname for me is.
66. When I was younger, I always wanted a sister.
67. Now, I just wish I could see my brother more often.
68. I worry about him, but he does a pretty good job of taking care of himself.
69. My trip to Ireland with my Grandma will always be one of my best memories.
70. I have a crush on Dale Jr. I don’t really have a crush on him anymore, but at any given moment I am usually crushing on about 10 different people. I’d have a beer with Dale Jr. though. Just not a Budweiser. That shit is worse than boxed wine, and we all know how I feel about that.
71. I hate Nascar.
72. I would love to drive a racecar though.
73. I’ve been sky-diving.
74. I’m going to go again.
75. I like to get drunk at weddings.
76. I have a tendency to call people when I’m drunk. I don’t really do this anymore. Drunk-tweeting on the other hand…
77. I’ve been getting a lot better about that as I get older. I actually don’t even remember the last time I was drunk. Probably at the Whiskey Festival.
78. It doesn’t take much to get me drunk, I’m a lightweight.
79. Purple is my favorite color.
80. Forrest Gump is the only movie I’ve seen numerous times in a theater.
81. I sometimes wonder whatever happened to my high school sweetheart. I know now, it’s all good.
82. I don’t have cable.
83. I don’t really miss it.
84. I don’t have air-conditioning in my house.
85. That, I miss!
86. I rarely get stressed about anything. This couldn’t be further from the truth! I obviously had a different job when I first composed this list.
87. I sometimes wish I were more care-free about my life.
88. People lacking common sense really bother me.
89. I’m not a patient person.
90. Indecisiveness also bothers me.
91. I tend to keep feelings and emotions bottled up.
92. I have secrets I’ve never told anyone.
93. I think it’s OK for married people to have secrets.
94. I have more guy friends than girl friends. I’d have to say that the balance of power has shifted back to the women now. Due to “The Incident”, I’ve had to cut some people out of my life.
95. I am a very independant person.
96. I was worried about losing my independance when I got married.
97. I didn’t change my last name and I have no plans to.
98. I’m not so good with keeping plants alive. I am a champ at keeping Harvey happy, though!
99. I have learned from my mistakes.
100. I’m OK with being 30. Actually, I’m not very fond of this “getting older” thing.

There you have it, a little more about me.

Here’s to the next 100…

I loved Sex and the City. I thought the TV series was better than the movie, but I will probably see the sequel just for the fashion and shoes. I always thought it would be great to have a group of friends that you saw all the time for a standing date like the ladies [...]]]>

I loved Sex and the City. I thought the TV series was better than the movie, but I will probably see the sequel just for the fashion and shoes. I always thought it would be great to have a group of friends that you saw all the time for a standing date like the ladies in the show. This was never possible in the past, because 1. Most of my friends are guys and they aren’t into that kind of thing, and 2. the female friends that I do have live all over the place, so it would take a lot of plane trips to make a weekly brunch happen.

Thanks to the power of Twitter and the awesome  people of Pittsburgh, I am now able to have a monthly ladies night and it has been fabulous. We are also extremely efficient, so within a week of our last ladies night, the next one is already being planned.

We go out to dinner, drink wine and play board games. One time, we even had our Tarot cards read and that was pretty cool. I think it’s amazing that there are a group of Ladies that I probably wouldn’t run across in my daily life, but through Twitter and social media, we met, fell in love and the rest is history. well, not quite…

It is pretty amazing that completely different people can get along and have a good time and share life experiences. We are all at different stages in our lives, but when we get together we’re all just a bunch of women who support and listen to each other rant, rave, and everything in between.

In the past I have never been an open person. Especially when my feelings or emotions are involved. These ladies make it easier to open up, which is probably healthier in the long run. They aren’t judgemental, they just are. I love my fabulous new friends and I look forward to many more Ladie’s Nights in the future!

Also, they provide some pretty funny blog topics, much like my crazy trainer. If I made an effort to blog more regularly, you can read all about them.

The Brazilian Blowout is a relatively new hair treatment here in the US that is designed to leave your hair super straight, shiny and strong for up to 4 months. It doesn’t contain any harsh chemicals and in about [...]]]> I got a Brazilian last week. No, not that kind. The kind for my hair. On my head.

The Brazilian Blowout is a relatively new hair treatment here in the US that is designed to leave your hair super straight, shiny and strong for up to 4 months. It doesn’t contain any harsh chemicals and in about 2 hours, you can leave the salon with amazing hair.

My hair isn’t incredibly unmanageable, but it is incredibly thick and has a slight wave to it. It also has a tendency to get a little frizzy if I let it air dry. I would often air dry my hair, because it just takes too damn long to blow dry and I don’t like to waste a lot of time on my hair. Especially if it means I have to get up any early than I already do. Oh, and I don’t get up early, so that should tell you something.

Without this treatment, I would need to blowdry my hair with a round brush, hit it with a flat iron and then add a silicone serum on top of it all to finish it off. That would take at least an hour, not to mention all the thermal damage to my hair. I don’t have that kind of time to waste, so I opted to invest in this treatment.

It hasn’t even been a week yet, but I love the results so far. I’ll be sure to keep you updated throughout the process, but it’s very easy to take care of.

There are a few things to keep in mind:

1. It’s a little pricey, but it is an investment, so you have to consider what your time is worth and if the Blowout will really benefit you. The website has a list of salons that do the treatment in Pittsburgh, but my regular salon is MCN Salon and I see Jay there. Call your salon for prices, as they vary by salon and hair length, but expect to pay at least $300.

2. After you get the treatment, you do need to use special shampoo. My salon gave me a bottle of shampoo and conditioner that should last for a while, since I don’t wash my hair every day. You can’t use a shampoo with SDS. (That’s the part that makes the suds). I had been using another natural brand anyway, the Jason brand, so I will continue to use that brand for my travels and use the Brazilian Blowout shampoo/conditioner at home.

3. My hair is color-treated, and you can continue to color-treat hair with the blowout, but you need to wait 2 weeks between sessions. Heat can damage color, so it’s important to let the blowout set it before you color your hair. In my case, I scheduled the blowout first, and next weekend I will be getting a much needed color touch-up. Be sure that you remind the salon about your blowout, so that they will use the proper shampoo.

The process itself is pretty simple, and takes about 2 hours.

First, your hair is cleansed at the salon – shampoo only, no conditioner. It’s then towel-dried and combed out. (Which is actually quite uncomfortable without conditioner).

Then, the Brazilian Blowout solution is applied. It’s a proprietery blend, but it does contain keratin, which is a protein that your hair is composed of. The hair is then blown dry and flat ironed. It’s the ironing that really sets the treatment in your hair.

After that, you are washed again, but not with a shampoo, they use a sealing treatment and then it’s back in the chair to be blown dry again.

The second blow dry was much quicker and a flat iron wasn’t needed, as my hair was stick straight and shiny. It felt very soft and thinner, which in my case was fantastic, because I have quite a bit of hair.

If needed, there is a smoothing serum and deep masque treatment available, but my stylist didn’t use those products on my hair, and I don’t think I need them. I did the treatment on a Thursday, and I washed my hair for the first time on Saturday. I didn’t blow it dry, I let it air dry after combing it out to see what would happen. I am pleased to report that it was just as straight as the day I left the salon.

This will be a huge time saver for me and I’m excited to see if it really does last the 3-4 months that they are claiming. I only ever thought that my hair could look this good and polished on the days that I left the salon, but hopefully I will have salon ready hair for the next few months.

Disclaimer: I don’t think I have enough readers for this to matter, but I’ll add some small print anyway. The Brazilian Blowout company didn’t give me anything for free (although, that would be AWESOME!) My salon, MCN, didn’t ask me to promote this product, nor did they give me anything for free. My shampoo and conditioner were included in the price of my blowout. All opinions are 100% mine.

Ever since I switched my blog format around (which is still under construction, btw), I haven’t [...]]]> My friend Rafael has a blog that is focused on online marketing. He recently asked if he could interview me about my job. I agreed, and even though I think my voice sounds terrible, you can listen to it here.

Ever since I switched my blog format around (which is still under construction, btw), I haven’t really mentioned my job much. I really enjoy it, and I happen to think that I’m pretty darn good at it. A statement, which can in fact be backed up by my numbers.

Now, I certainly don’t possess a “magic sales formula”, and I think a lot of what I am able to do just comes naturally to me, but that could be due to the field that I’m in. I really don’t think that I could be nearly as successful if I sold cars, or some other entity that I couldn’t honestly stand behind and support.

So, take a listen- ignore my horrible voice, and if you have any questions or comments, I’d love to hear them.

If you would like to be interviewed by Raf and featured on his blog, hit him up on twitter or send him an email.

You can follow me on twitter as well, but it’s a protected account and not all requests will be granted. Sorry, but that’s just how I roll.