So Much Has Transpired!

And I'm not just talking about time, although I am a little embarrassed to see that it's been over two weeks since I last posted anything. Has everyone given up on the Sassers? I promise that we're still here! Maybe just a little frazzled and a little exhausted from the past few weeks (and from getting up at 5AM this morning to watch the Royal Wedding - I'm still in awe of how beautiful the new Princess was!)

How do I even start a post that requires so much catch up? I think the only thing to do is to jump right in and try to summarize. This is when my being a consultant and being able to rock out a Powerpoint deck would come in handy.  Fortunately for you, I'm too decked out from actual chargeable work, so I'll give you some pictures instead.  

As promised, there were over 400 photos from Hawaii.  Because I don’t want anyone napping, I’m decided to put 50 of my favorites in a quick slideshow:

And then there was France! Some colleagues and I went over a day early for our meeting in Paris, and used every waking minute of that Sunday to explore the city. So many beautiful sites, on such a gorgeous Spring day. I can’t wait to go back with James and actually tour the country (although I will attempt to learn some French before doing so.)  Again, another slideshow, in case you're scrolling to the bottom and saying "okay, Sassers, I'm done with pictures, what else is going on...":

Lastly - the most exciting news of all – when I landed from France I was greeted with a wonderful call from James: we closed on the house! Not many knew there even was “the house” until the actual closing day, as it was all a bit sudden and we didn’t want to jinx anything with preemptive announcements. We had decided it was time for us to start thinking about the future, including some roots, more space, and our (hopefully growing) family. Once we found this charming bungalow, everything beautifully fell into place.

In case you're trying to figure out when all this went down, it was in the midst of all that crazy travel. James and I managed to do almost all paperwork via email, fax and Powers of Attorney, with our signatures and legal papers flying to our location of the day via cyberspace. Close date was April 15, move date was April 19, and as of today we are almost completely unpacked. It's beginning to feel like home... :)

I bet you can already anticipate what the next few posts will be?  I promise pictures of the house (if I haven't bore you to tears with photos from the travels).  :)

More Travel Adventures!

I am SO BEHIND on posting Hawaii pictures, but mostly because I have not finished going through all 400 hundred of them (not to mention any slight editing that many - eh, most - require).  I would say that I'd spend this afternoon completing this daunting task, but instead I'm going to be somewhere over the Atlanta ocean!

That's right - last week I was over the Pacific, this week I'm going over the Atlantic.  Just when I was bragging about a good travel schedule lately, I've been hit with some craziness this month: 10 days in Hawaii last week, home for 36 hours, quick trick to St. Louis this Tuesday / Wednesday, home for 54 hours, and then 6 days in Paris.

BUT, I am not going to complain at ALL about the locations (just a little bit about the sheer craziness of the timing).  :)  I am so excited about Paris!  I'm going over a day before my meeting, and some teammates and I will explore the city.  This means when I get back I'll have both Hawaii and Paris pics to post.  How does one say "woo hoo!" in French...?

I'm going to miss my honey, though.  We were so spoiled in Hawaii with 10 days together!  Posting one of our Hawaii pics below, just because he's so darn cute / sweet:

Vacation Reading List

I wholeheartedly believe that vacations should be about doing whatever the heck you want, so I don't feel guilty for a second when I spent some (okay, a lot) of our Hawaii time doing the following:  watching way too much trash TV on Bravo, going to sleep at 9PM like a dork, and devouring three really good pieces of non-fiction.  Although James teased me a bit for burying my nose in a book when I could be looking out over the blue waters, I couldn't resist. When do I ever have time to read something for fun!?  (In case you're wondering, the answer to that rhetorical question is NEVER.)

Because I thought all of the books were fascinating and unique in their own right, I wanted to share in case anyone was searching for a good recommendation:

The Other Wes Moore, by Wes Moore

Two guys with the same name, the same age, the same difficult upbringing in the same rough Baltimore neighborhood: one became a Rhodes Scholar and one is serving a life sentence for murder.  An anecdotal analysis on how personal responsibility for one's decisions and actions has a profound impact on the outcome on one's life.  Maybe I could not relate to the gentleman, but I felt his message was powerful.


Franklin and Mrs. Rutherford: Lucy and the Other Remarkable Women in Roosevelt's Life, by Joseph Persico

My dad reads a LOT of presidential history, and I can't get past the back cover of some of the books he reads. I don't get as excited about the founding fathers as he does, but the WWI and II eras have always intrigued me.  This author reviewed (what appeared to be) countless love letters, diaries, and interviews to write a tasteful - for the topic - piece on the 20 year love affair between FDR and a girl who was once Eleanor's social secretary.  It also provides a lot of insight into the other strong women in his life who shaped the man that he was.  It. Was. Fascinating.  I couldn't put it down! This book was almost like sneaking vegetables into a baked good:  you walked away with a solid history lesson within a love scandal.  Brillant!

Kate Remembered, by A. Scott Berg
This author previously took two topics that I had zero interest in - Charles Lindbergh and early aviation - and captivated me for a good two week several years ago as I worked through his Pulitzer prize winning biography, Lindbergh.  (Again, another great suggestion by my father).  I saw this book at my parent's house before our vacation, and was so excited that it was by the same author AND was actually on a topic that I did have previous interest in:  Katharine Hepburn.  I've read 2 other biographies on her, but I would classify this more as a memoir by the author based on his long, intimate friendship with the film written.  Beautiful, easy read that made me want to run out and rent The African Queen.


I forgot how much I loved reading!  I almost want to take another vacation so that I can have the pleasure of another good book.  

What, Vacation is Over?!

Well, not quite, but today is our last full day on vacation here in Hawaii. It has been 10 great days of sunshine and beach and adventure, plus some much needed fruity drinks and relaxation. I think I have fallen asleep by 9:30PM every night, and slept at least 8 hours a night. That does not even include my naps. I feel like a sloth...albeit a very content sloth.

But, now it is time to go back to reality and head back Stateside so that we can return to work and real life. Part of that task will be to download and post the 500 pictures I took in the trip, so I can remember such a great trip!