Secret Life of Bees: Pyramid Style

We're going to take a tiny detour on the wedding recaps here, folks, I hope you don't mind.  I've always liked the idea of these series posts, so the readers can get to know the bloggers a little better.  I mean, I'm reading about a very personal, important day of your life - I should probably know what a couple of your interests are, right?  And sure, we're getting down to some of my last recaps (*sniff*), but I think I'll still be referencing some of these points in upcoming posts.

So without further ado, The Secret Life of Bees, and some things you might not know about me!

THE GIRAFFE GIRL
Giraffes.  They're kind of my thing.  Or they're "up my alley" as my mom would say.

Are you familiar with the episode of Gilmore Girls where Sookie explains how she became "The Frog Girl" and now all of Jackson's family gets her frog figurines for gifts?  That's me, but with giraffes.  And it wasn't a random, nervous comment that decided my fate - it was a for-real obsession with these pretty animals.

Did you know there's a wildlife preserve in south Louisiana that's home to over 4,000 exotic, endangered, and threatened animals from around the world?  I'm ashamed we don't make a trip over to Global Wildlife more often, but it's a really cool place!

For the last ten years or so, I haven't had a December go by (Christmas + my birthday) without receiving at least something giraffe-themed from a family member or friend, and that is not a complaint at all.  There's plenty of reticulated paraphernalia in my home, office, and wardrobe, and lots of room for more.  Not long after meeting me, I've had people say "Oh...so you, like, really like giraffes, huh?"  I tried hard to push Giraffe Manor in Kenya for our honeymoon, but we decided it just wasn't the right time (we're going someday!).

At Disney, finishing up a "Drink Around the World" with BM Duffy, and I found one of my faves!

What can I say? I just think they're such magnificent animals!

TRUE LIFE: I WORKED AT DISNEY WORLD

I know I've mentioned this a time or two, but it's definitely one of my go-to facts whenever we need to share "something interesting about yourself" for an ice breaker (anyone else always freeze up at that question?).


I graduated college in December 2010, and signed up for the Disney College Program for Spring 2011.  I had a full-time job secured at that time, but they were nice enough to let me extend my start date out a little so I could go have a little fun (ahem)...I mean, fulfill my lifelong dream of having a mouse for a boss.

I worked as an attendant on the "Living with the Land" ride in EPCOT, inside The Land pavilion.  It's okay if you've never heard of it.  A lot of people haven't, even though it is one of the original attractions from the park's opening in 1982.  Having such a low-interest ride was actually quite a blessing.  We weren't as busy, so I was able to become friends with some of my amazing coworkers.

So what was it like working for Disney?  I wore horrible khaki shorts and white socks with black shoes (I swear, that was the dress code).  I worked long shifts on my feet with very short breaks. I got paid diddly squat and they took out a sizable chunk for the required apartment.  I started pointing with two fingers, even when I wasn't on the clock.  The word "folks" creeped into my vocabulary.  I spent my work hours answering hard-hitting questions such as:

"How do I get to Disney World?  No, I mean like the real Disney World.  Like with the castle" 

"How do I get to EPCOT?  No, I mean like the real EPCOT.  Like with the world stuff."

"Excuse me, miss, do you work here?"
"When will the rain stop?" 

And the ever popular - usually frantic - "Where is the Soarin' ride?"  (I used to know how to say, "Downstairs, then to the right," in 3 languages just for that exact question).

But I learned to be helpful even to the seemingly most obvious of questions, and do it with a smile on my face and a genuine desire to help improve that guest's day. I got to spend my days wishing little kids happy birthday, and older couples happy anniversary, and giving my input on where families should go grab lunch or stand for the fireworks.  I got to create a bit of magic.  And for a Disney dork like myself, that was pretty cool.

If you're interested in the program, I'll say this: what you put into it is what you get out.  It isn't glamorous and it isn't immediately a resume-booster unless you really do your part to make it worthwhile.

I went in needing a detox from nine grueling semesters of engineering school.  I came out with amazing friends, incredible memories, and a extra appreciation of how the "magic" is made.

SOMETIMES I GO TO WORK LIKE THIS

Okay, so "sometimes" is really, really stretching it.  These pictures are from my very first internship after freshman year of college.  I worked out on that platform for two weeks at a time that summer, mostly just learning how everything worked. And sometimes going for rides in personnel baskets.

Being lowered from the deck in the first picture, down to a supply boat with the crane.  Why am I looking down??

In my current position, I've only been offshore a handful of times, but I talk to the guys out there every day and work with them to coordinate our jobs. Which is pretty cool, in my opinion.  I could talk some more about my job, but most of my friends' eyes start to glaze over when I do, so I'll just drop another nifty (depending on your opinion) fact: I am technically trained on how to escape from a helicopter in the event of an emergency water landing (aka crash).  Even if that training was the most terrifying day of my life, I have a laminated card to prove I did it.

KICKBOXING
In my very first post on the bee, I mentioned that I had just finished up a kickboxing class at the gym.  I had just started at an MMA/Martial Arts gym on the recommendation of a friend and the availability of a Groupon earlier that summer, and I haven't looked back since.

Maybe this is, like, NBD for other people, but finding a physical fitness activity that got me this passionate and excited was brand new territory for me.  I've dabbled in classes like spin and pilates, kind of finished Couch 2 5K, and *****.  But this is totally different: my trainers are really good about making sure no two classes are ever the same.  Sometimes we'll focus on fitness with weight lifting or cardio circuit training and sometimes we'll work on defensive tactics or kicking/punching drills.  No matter what, I always come out dripping in sweat - literally.  The classes are usually pretty small - sometimes I'm the only one there which means one-on-one sparring time with fighters who are really good.  I'm still quite a beginner, but honestly, I'm not half bad!  Being tall and having strong legs from dancing all my life was a bit of an advantage early on, but hey, I'll take what I can get.

Pink gloves flying, sparring with the gym owner. (Please ignore the part where I'm not blocking my face correctly...)

Besides the awesome full-body workout, I love what it does for me mentally (obviously, punching a bag being one heck of a stress reliever).  But I'm focusing on how to do the moves correctly - not how much my arms hurt.  I'm focusing on keeping my gloves up and being light on my feet - not how tired I am after a long day of work.  Some days (especially while wedding planing) I would go in with the intention of really using my frustration and anger to fuel my punches and kicks...and after the warm up, all those thoughts had evaporated.  I'd leave the gym and realize that I hadn't thought about those problems for the last hour, and then I was able to disconnect easier and enjoy my evening.

I'd be lying if I said my dedication to the gym didn't slip some after the wedding passed (for a few reasons), but I'm still attending a few times a week, improving, and loving it.  

THE PYRAMID FAMILY IS GROWING...
Not in that way just yet!  Last October, Sphinx and I welcomed a furry little addition to our family.  Let me officially introduce Lady Riley Underfoot, First of her Name, Breaker of Gates, Shredder of Toilet Paper, Protector of the Ottoman, Herder of Ankles, and Mistress of Cheddar Cheese.

Or just Riley if you're cool with her like that.

How lovely is Sphinx's aunt's home on the bayou?  Riley was able to play with all her furry cousins at Thanksgiving this year.

We adopted Riley from a local rescue group, after she had a rough start to life.  She was found after being thrown from a truck with a broken leg while just a few months old.  The rescue did an amazing job of getting her patched up and put in a foster home, where she thrived under love and care until we came along.  Even though she's still a puppy (eight months now by their estimates), she's pretty well-behaved and it took no time at all to make herself at home with us.  Okay typing that totally jinxed me.  She knocked over my cup while I was writing this!  She isn't the biggest fan of me sitting on my computer and typing up blog posts...

"Is the clicky board just a toy for you, Mom?  I wanna join in the fun!"

Even though she has changed up our lifestyle, Riley is playful and loving and we're absolutely in love with this fluffy little gal.  There hasn't been a day that's gone by that she hasn't made us laugh, and that's worth any little problems that may pop up.  She's got us wrapped around those speckled little paws, for sure.

If you're wondering, she's a thirty-pound mixed breed.  Best we can tell is part Australian Shepherd, part Blue Heeler.  She hasn't grown too much in the last few months, so I think this is as big as she'll get.

And that's all I've got - thanks for letting me spend a post just talking about myself!  Your regularly scheduled recaps will resume shortly.

Do we have any other CP Alums, giraffe lovers, oilfield workers, kickboxers, or puppy parents out there?