Here is the post from my first day. After my first day of Luxury SUV shopping, I changed my mind about what I wanted. I was really all set on having a 5 seater and then realized, that with 5 of us in the family, there was no room for an extra friend! I was all set on the Porsche Cayenne, but sadly…it only seats 5!

BMW X5 : I wrote about this on the first day of shopping, but went back to drive it. It was a blast to drive! What I really liked about it was that it was sporty, not huge feeling, drove like a dream, had storage where a tire in the tire well would usually go (you don’t need spare tires with their tire). Though the third row would not be comfortable for anyone for a long journey, it still gives me extra seating if I need it. A finalist!

Acura MDX : Again, I wrote about this on the first day of shopping, but went back to drive it. I wish I could say I loved it, as economically it makes the most sense. It was plenty roomy, drove like my former Odyssey, had many bells and whistles… but I still could not get past the Mommy van similarity on the exterior.

Infiniti JX35: This is a 2013 and Infiniti’s first smaller SUV with 7 seats. Fun to drive, lots of bells and whistles, great towing capability. The only thing I did not like is that it was not exactly easy to manipulate the 3rd row. Plenty roomy, sporty…a finalist!

Volvo XC90 : Plenty roomy, cool exterior lights. They only had a base model in (did not get a full feel of the bells and whistles). Not real fun to drive or much pep.

Range Rover Sport: I thought this was a great ride. Though overly expensive, I had a blast with it. Huge interior, big engine, bells and whistles a plenty. They only offer a 5 seater so they are not in the running. It lowered and I really liked that feature, so I did not have to jump in it.

Audi Q7: My neighbor loves hers, so hubby prompted me to go give it a try. I headed to the dealership on 2 occasions and they did not have one to drive. I finally got to look at one and the center “bump” on the floor of the second seat (I am sure there is some technical name) was so big, the middle passenger would have to straddle. It has 7 seats but I could not get past the hump. Nope – will not work for me.

Lexus GX: This vehicle did not miss a beat in the luxury department. I called this, “A luxury couch on wheels.” It has a V8, so plenty of power, quiet, huge 2nd row and 3rd row. Press a button to lower and raise 3rd row seats and to get into 3rd row was a HUGE love. The few things that keep me from wanting it are: I am a little sportier and though this would be nice for long rides, not great for hopping around on errands or to meet clients while kids are at school. It was higher than I liked to jump into and shorty me in a dress and heels had to make quite an effort to get in (would be nice if it really lowered). The third row could be a bit of a problem as the read seats when raised, went right up to the back of the tailgate. This left zero for storage room if holding 7 passengers, though they would be very comfy.

Cadillac SRX: I had no idea how much I would love this vehicle. Roomy, fun to drive, every bell and whistle, but sadly…only 5 seats.

I have left all this to hubby to make the final buying decision. I really wanted a used car, but the Infiniti is the 2013. A used BMW X5 will cost about the same and it is hard to find a used 7 seater. If you are reading this for shopping purposes, good luck and I hope it helped!

Breitbart had this link up about one of Louisiana’s own (not my rep thank goodness), who needs a combat boot shoved somewhere. Seriously, Rep Ortego from Acadiana, actually said that he doesn’t want to attract veterans because, “they have a lot of issues.” I do not want to make this political, this is about someone who is WAY off base and out of touch with the values of today’s society, where we EMBRACE veterans and help them!
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When asked to explain, the foot went in his mouth even further!

Man up, apologize and think about another career!

h/t Beth
c/p Hooah Wife and Friends

I have been wanting to ditch the Mommy Van for some time now. Trust me, it has served me well, but with 2 teens and a tween (one that will be driving this summer), time to move on. And bonus, when I cared for my Dad, I could toss his wheelchair in and not worry about scratching the crap out of the back as it was already scratched – LOL! Plus…who looks cool in a Mommy Van? NOBODY!

I was a little nervous about writing this post because I do not want in any way to appear uppity, by saying “Luxury.” Now, if you know me in real life or on-line (been here since 2004), you will realize that is a far cry from me. So now that I think I justified my stance…not that I needed to, I’ll give you my car ownership history. My first car was a Chevy Malibu Classic (my brother totaled it), next a Bronco II, then an Explorer Sport, Honda Odyssey van and I currently drive a Toyota Sienna van. Hubby has been on me for some time to go shopping and pick out what I want. I honestly would rather poke my eyes out or put bamboo shoots under my nails than car shop. But he has done his homework and driven me crazy enough that I am somewhat motivated to get this over with. I have quite a few Facebook friends (you better be one) and put out a post up the other day asking what everyone recommended for a 7 seater Luxury SUV (which I thought I wanted). The input was extremely helpful and helped me narrow my pickings even more. And I already told my hubby – gently used cars work perfect for me! No need to invest all that money with a used one that depreciates before the first shopping cart bashes into it!

I happened to be in Metairie yesterday, so tasked myself with checking out 3 vehicles to get some of this over with.

1.
Porsche Cayenne This dealer was on the way, so thought I’d give this a whirl first. I have always dreamed of being in a Porsche and actually getting behind the wheel…so what the hell. No – I do not need a V8 super turbo charged vehicle! Anyhoo, they only come in a 5 seater, but it was love at first sight and drive. They only make 12,000 a year so resale is good (or so the sales guy told me). I loved everything about it and they even had some used models on the lot that were still way pricey, but I wanted to check it out anyhow. And bonus…I could tow our boat or trailer with this bad boy – no problema (visions of getting rid of the eyesore truck were in my head). Luxury to the max, navigation in front of the steering wheel was awesome, very high tech geeky inside (warmed my heart) and could fit 3 adults in back comfortably. I had a great experience with my sales dude…no pressure, did not even ask for my info and gave me his card…that was all. He basically educated me and answered all my questions. Ugh – needed to keep shopping…

2. ACURA MDX: I figured this was the car for me since I loved my Honda so much. It pretty much reminded me of my Honda (maybe too much) with the cheesy wood grain paneling (I know – some of you may like that) inside and the look on the outside. Very luxurious interior and some bells and whistles if you liked the tech pack (me likey). As for the way back seats I thought I wanted, well…I am very tiny and I would be pissed off sitting back there. The only one who may find comfort in riding there in my house is my cat! I quickly crossed the need to have the 7 seater off my list (unless I find a used one with it) and looked at the same car with the 5 seat option. Also had a look at the RDX . I was running short on time, so did not drive it. The saleswoman was very sweet, knowledgeable and no pressure – loved that too. If I am to go this route, would buy a used one through the Honda dealer near my house as this dealership is quite a distance.

3. BMW X5 and X3. Looked at the 7 seat option, again, maybe my cat would like it – nobody else. Ya – if I had small kids it would be a bonus but not for me. Now here is what really ruled this car out for me…and I never even drove it! Having always been small, I was always forced to sit in the middle seat or the “bump” as we called it. Now, there is no bump in the BMW, but the center console from the front seat is so big, the person sitting in the back middle (thinking my daughter), is going to have to straddle and/or kick the console. Seriously? Now I may revisit this car with all 3 kids and make them sit in there to see if I was just imagining, but this poor feature really stuck out like a sore thumb. As for the sales approach, nice guy, but more high pressure, which made me want to walk away and never buy a BMW. Not really high pressure, just asked for all my info and I told him only my address. He really wanted my email and telephone number – sorry – no dice. I’ll call you when I am ready.

I am sure I have many painful shopping days ahead of me, in between work . But I know darn well I can accomplish this faster without the family. When I am down to the final choices, I’ll drag all their butts in there to terrorize some poor car sales place to see how they all fit in it.

Well this 44 year old, stiletto wearing mama of 3, just checked completing a Warrior Dash off my bucket list. And yep – already signed up for my next one in October (9:30 if you want to join me)! I have been on talking to a bunch of friends to get them to join me in the next one (one friend had already signed up – yeeha). They all had a ton of questions. One friend called me to ask if I thought she could do one with her excessively operated on wrist…we decided no. So here it is, my tips and observation from my very first adventure, mud run, Warrior Dash.

How did I train for it? Well…I trained my normal winter routine, either swam a mile or ran 3-5 miles a day- 6 days a week, walked my dog a mile every day and did my daily push-ups and crunches. I do not work out more than an hour and 15 minutes max a day (including the dog walk). In other words, if you are in some sort of non-couch potato shape, you can do this. It is only three miles (maybe a bit more)..easy peasy:) However, how good a shape probably will be an indication on how well you do and how long you will pay for it. I chose to run it, but lots of walk-runners were out there. I am not exceptionally strong by any stretch of the imagination, but was able to do everything with ease.

Below are a couple of glamour shots my son took of me.

So…what do first time Warrior Dash participants need to know?
* Sign up early as the events get filled up -seriously!!!
* Sign up as early as you can in the day as the course will be less trashed. No brainer there.
* Anything goes for dress – costumes etc…
* Bring your waiver form filled out and read all their instructions emailed to you ahead of time.
* If you allow the Facebook and Twitter app, your friends will know when you start and end. Very cool!
* Wear lousy sneakers to donate afterwards. I brought extra pairs to donate as had a few lying around.
* Be there as early as they suggest to park and take shuttles to the location.
* You will get a chip to lace through your shoes (don’t tape on – saw some on the trail).
* Duct tape your shoes on after you get you chip.
* You have a number you have to pin on somehow. Not sure a belt will work.
* STRETCH!!! You will use muscles you forgot you had.
* Get to the front if that is your normal strategy, but get there early. Race goes in half hour intervals so jump on it.
* Excess upper body strength is not needed to complete the tasks, most rely on lower body strength. I was worried about the vertical wall and rope, but had no problem with it as I just used the rope for assistance from my footing on the vertical planks.
* If you go with a friend or team, unless you are training partners and run the same, I say go solo. My pal and I had different attacks on the Dash and parted ways after 1/4 mile.
* If you are small like me, the low crawls are a breeze.
* If you can swim through something, do it (I did breast stroke).
* In the mud…proceed with caution. Can go from shallow to deep and catch you off guard. Also, no need to slip getting in and out.
* Don’t stress over the fire – 2 leaps at the end and you are done.
* Spectators are welcome – they might want to bring a garbage bag to sit on for the shuttle though. And certainly do not wear good shoes!
* There is a “Warrior Shower” unless you do fundraisers and get the VIP treatment. Think fire hose! (I was freezing so passed).
* Bring a towel!
* There is a party after but depending on the weather, you might want to rinse and change on site. We chose to go back to the hotel on the bus to shower up as it was unseasonably cold that day. We did not go back to celebrate, but I did enjoy my morning post-race complimentary beer.
* You get a cute viking helmet and t-shirt with your registration!
* There is Warrior Gear to buy on-site.

All the obstacles in the video were not the same as the one I did in Jackson, MS., but you get the drift.

Not sure…but who knows…may conquer a Tough Mudder soon. There is a great resource for other mud races here. Also, you can check out Active.com by searching for Adventure Races.

Woot woot for the finish line!

Competing in a Warrior Dash has been on my bucket list for a while. Of all weeks to get the crud – UGH! I was training pretty hard up until Monday of this week, then boom, no energy, and the little virus congested me up. Decided to not worry about trying to work out through this illness, but to lie low (if that is possible), Zinc it up and drink lots of liquids.

Off I head to Jackson, coaxing my oldest to get some “permit driving hours” so mama can chill. I am running it with my friend and he swears he will help me through the obstacles. The running part, even in the mud should not be that bad as I am in running shape, but not so sure about the 12 obstacles as I am not strong at the moment.

And techno-geeek me is very excited they offer an App that allows Twitter and Facebook updates and pictures when I cross the finish line…and I will! It is going to be a cold and rainy morning, but I’m ready Hooah!

Yep – I watched most of it last night. For years, I was hoping Saturday Night Live would return to be the funny show it was after being labeled as “not good anymore” by many. If you missed Sofia Vergara last night, she was fabulous.

You can catch all 17 videos on Hulu here or NBC here.

There are two job fairs coming to New Orleans for veterans looking for employment and potential employers looking to hire veterans.

1. Veterans and Military Service Members Job Fair
When:Friday April 13
Time: 10-2
Place: Delgado Community College Student Life Center 615 City Park Avenue, New Orleans
***Some participating companies: Bollinger Shipyards Ic. Edison Chouets Offshore, Entergy, General Electric, Union Pacific, Zatarains

2. Employer Support of the Guard & Reserve and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Hiring Our Heroes initiative
When: May 11, 2012
Time: 9-12
Who: veteran job seekers, active duty military members, Guard and Reserve members and eligible spouses
Where: Pontchartrain Convention and Civic Center, 4545 Williams Blvd, Kenner, LA.
***Employers must pre-register for the March 20 Hiring Our Heroes fair for FREE at HoH.GreatJob.net. Job seekers are strongly encouraged to register for FREE at HoH.GreatJob.net, as well. Walk-in jobs seekers are welcome. If you need assistance registering, please contact us at hiringourheroes@uschamber.com.

And while we are on the subject of hiring, let’s not forget about hiring Military Spouses too (they are specifically invited to the second one, but I would encourage them to go to both)!!!

Ya – that is me, center front with my rebel spikey haircut and my anti-frilly dress. Looking back now…what the hell was I thinking? But, I thought I looked good at the time and that was all that matters!
You would think we were Southern Belles, but we were as “wicked pissa awesome” as any Boston suburb girls were (I was not in this picture).

Surfing the news today, I came across this this article about proper prom gown attire and decided to post on it. There is a little dress shop near my house that displays dresses year round. It seems, Louisiana always has an occasion for a ball gown or formal gown/dress – whatever you want to call it. Now a little confession here, when we moved here in 2007, my husband called me and said we were invited to a ball. I had tons of ball gowns from being an Officer’s Wife – but this was my new life in Louisiana. I headed to a dress shop and was informed that “conservative” gowns were not “Mardi Gras” gowns. What a relief to hear! I quickly consigned all my gowns and had fun re-inventing my new formal attire look with dresses that made me feel like a princess or sexy…whatever. Cleavage showing, high slits, cut-outs..anything goes!

Back to prom talk – it may have been 1986, but from the pictures above, I would say we all looked gorgeous and frilly. We wore conservative and tasteful dresses, some even wore hoops (I still remember my friend getting stuck in the limo with her hoop). We looked like “teenagers” going to prom, not teenagers going to work at a strip club or to Mardi Gras! Back to the little dress store, the gowns displayed right now for from season, look eerily similar (may actually be due to inventory) of the Mardi Gras, tight fitted, cleavage hanging out, big slit dresses! Makes my head explode! I don’t have any kids old enough to go to proms this year (next year) but I hope the girls remember they can look beautiful without looking like working girls to prom this year.

Below is this year’s picture of my Mardi Gras gown. I went fitted with a high slit this year. I don’t think I looked like I was working in a strip club, but for 43 (just turned 44), I felt good and age appropriate!

Maybe you’ll want to beat me up after you read this post, but no worries, I own what I do and say (and I’m not perfect- see where this post is going). Since we moved to the greater New Orleans area in 2007, the Saints have become our home team and we cheer for them just like everyone else in the area. Hubby is torn when they play the Patriots, but otherwise, we have become a Black and Gold family. You may not know this about me, but I used to be an Athletic Trainer, BC (before children). Stood on many a sidelines for college and high school football games and also learned a lot what goes on behind the scenes. A lot of it is stuff you just want to turn your eyes and ears away from. With sports, unfortunately, even at the youth level, comes problems.

Regarding the Saints, Sean Payton, Roger Goodell, Jeremy Shockey, Warren Sapp and anyone and everyone related to this “bounty problem” one way or another, I say to you…let’s move forward. Who cares whether this goes on in other places and they have not been caught (give it time)? That does not make this bounty stuff OK. Was this the equivalent to having stickers on a helmet for a good hit? Maybe… Did the punishment fit the crime? Hard to say…because now the Saints are being made the example. What do we tell our children? This is where I give pause and think about the lessons we teach kids when they do something wrong: ownership, apologizing and dealing with the punishment dished out to them in a mature manner.

Making lemonade out of lemons is what we should be doing. We should bee positive and not hate or point fingers or act like children crying about this. Will this hurt the local economy? Sadly, it may hurt us, temporarily…but New Orleans always rises above adversity. That old expression, any PR is good PR is something we have to embrace NOW. If you have season tickets, go to the game (or give them to me), fill the stadium, book tickets to hotels and make restaurant reservations for home games, wear your Black and Gold proudly and let’s move together forward as the Whodat Nation!

Cheers to the Saints!

Going through all kinds of trials and tribulations that are just part of life, makes you who you are. Whether something I could not control or choices I made to set my balance off, there have truly been many challenges along the way. I’m so happy now, madly in love with my husband (been together 20 years now), have 3 kids who I adore and who also give me gray hair (thank goodness for hair color) and finally have my own company, Kickify. I make time for working out, friends, family, the pets and leisure the best I can. Sigh…how did it take me 44 years to get to this place? Better late than never!!! And as life goes on…I certainly expect something to knock my balance off again some day – but now I know what “my life balance” truly feels like and will hurry to get back to it!

Picture borrowed from here.