You Win Some, You Lose Some

Had two days of busy photography sessions that were quite a roller coaster of emotions.

Last evening, our undefeated Lady Royals played a tough game against the equally strong Pacelli team. We ended up losing in OT! Heart-breaking. But it's good to play a tough team so we can keep working on our skill-building.

Today I spent the day with my friend and former co-worker Colleen, whose daughter is a freshman at Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln High School and on their gymnastics. I think I first met Elsa when she was in kindergarten or 1st grade. To see her take first in the All-Around Competition today was a treat!

I've always been an Olympics gymnastics junkie, but seeing it in person at a high school level was pretty fun, too.

Now that I'm done with my pictures, I have 2 days of golf to catch up on. 

I know I made the social media cut yesterday. We'll see what else is happening. On a day when we just got into the double digits, I need some warm Hawaiian golf in my life.

Bundle up and be careful out there!

Dreaming of a White... Sand Beach

I think it's been established that I'm a dork. It's also been proven I like to have fun and don't care what people think. Thankfully, Mr. Deck Chair always goes along with it.

Today at work we had planned to have an Aloha celebration to get us revved up to the golf tournament we sponsor on Maui in January. By celebration, I mean a couple thousand employees wearing matching teal Aloha T-shirts and posing in a tropical photo booth – and eating cake. There's always cake for big work parties!

With the snow storm that was coming, a majority of us worked from home today. So we were asked to take pictures of what Aloha spirit in Wisconsin really looks like in December! 

You didn't have to ask me twice! Though I will admit I didn't last long in the flip-flops. 

At least it put me in a good mood. That and the fact that we didn't get nearly as much snow as they predicted. Maybe 4 inches? Light enough to shovel.

Don't worry, I put on boots and even a jacket for that! I may be silly, but I ain't stupid.

Be careful out there! Aloha! 

Being Strong

A year ago today our favorite part of Maui – historic Lahaina – was basically obliterated from an out of control wildfire. Since my company is a title sponsor of a PGA golf tournament there, all of us employees are pretty tuned into the happenings there. 

So today, on the one year anniversary of the fire, I made sure to wear my "Maui Strong" t-shirt to golf league tonight. 

It did not help my game, but I felt positive, nonetheless.

The past few days have been challenging for a few reasons. One, we're preparing for my mom's memorial service this weekend. Secondly, my good "friends" at Facebook decided to suspend my account again for going against "community standards."

I have no idea why, really. And it's aggravating.

But I do realize that a vast majority of my readers think they can only access my blog via Facebook. So the 8 of you who just follow my blogger website, thank you.

 You inspire me to keep going!

Fine, I'll Sign Autographs

I think I told some of you that if you tuned in to the Golf Channel and watched my company's tournament on Maui, you might see someone you know. 

And here I am...

I know. How many times do I have to have my face or name appear on international television channels this year to become famous. Or at least wealthy?

Ha. It was just fun to have the TV contingent on Maui care about what was happening in our Stevens Point, Wisconsin, office. We were all glad to be a part of it.

And even though I've been asked more than a few times this week "How come you're not on Maui?" I'm just going to guess that I'm too far down the totem pole...

And that I'll just have to stick with my Maui memories with this guy. And that's fine by me! Aloha!

And have a good weekend!

Fantasy Island

Today kicked off my company's golf tournament on Maui. The Sentry – which airs on the Golf Channel at 6 p.m. (central) the next four evenings. 

In order to give us a sense that we were there – on island – we had an Aloha Thursday event today since most of us are working from home when Maui actually observes Aloha Friday.

So we had cake, of course, for all our company locations. And an opportunity to show our island spirit with Aloha Thursday.

We got cake whether we dressed up or not. But it was still fun to kind of "feel" the island spirit even if we weren't there.

In response to the many efforts to support Maui after their wildfires last fall, we had "Maui Strong" t-shirts for sale this week. Here's some of us posing for a picture that may or may not appear on the Golf Channel this weekend. (FYI: I'm in front just left of our security dog.)

There's a couple of things I'll get to smile about this weekend from a marketing standpoint – a commercial script I wrote and several social media posts. That's just my job, but it can really be fun sometimes!

For now let's just close our eyes and pretend we're on Fantasy Island – which in this case, is Maui.

ALOHA!

Gratitude Challenge Day 22 :: Smell

Today's Gratitude Challenge is kind of a trick question. The sense of smell has become very important these days.

Day 22. A favorite smell.

While the delightful fragrance of a Farmhouse Pumpkin Patch is wafting through my house, we're all grateful we can smell anything since loss of smell is one of the common symptoms/side effects of COVID-19.

So I'm super thankful I can smell this and, knock on wood, will smell the pumpkin pies baking and turkey cooking later this week. 

I do really love the smell of certain things baking. Chocolate chip cookies, chocolate cake or brownies, my Hornets Nest Cake, and banana break. I'm thankful when I smell things baking because it usually means something special is about to happen – a birthday, a potluck for work (when I was AT an office), or a cookie exchange. (Looking forward to our annual family one this Saturday!)

I love the smell of lilacs because it means spring is here. The smell of fresh cut grass because it's a sign of summer. I love the smell of jasmine and ginger – but only on Maui, ha. The smell of an orange as you're first peeling it.

I'm grateful for the smell of buttered popcorn because that means I'm at a movie with a friend. Or about to sit in my recliner and relax for a bit (which may or may not involve a Hallmark movie).

I'm probably getting way too many food-related smells here. So I'm doubly thankful I do not have the double-whammy of losing smell and taste as part of the fun virus.

Be careful out there. And be grateful!

#gratitudemonth

Nice is Relative

It was a nice day today in central Wisconsin. Yes, the temperature was still below freezing. But there was no wind. Wind is to winter chills what humidity is to summer heat. No humidity is a perfect summer day. No wind in January means a pleasant walk outside – even with the lack of sunshine.

It was definitely trying to peek out when I went walking around the lake after work. Didn't last long, but yes, it was pretty nice. Until I got home and realized how nice the weather REALLY is ... in other places.

"Our" golf tournament started today. So it's traditional that the Golf Channel compare temps on Maui to those back in Stevens Point, where our home office is located. Even if we got up to freezing, we'd be still be 50 degrees colder.

Wish I was there! But with everything else in the past 9 months, numbers of actual people on the premises are pretty limited. I'd rather go when I can see players and shake hands and sneak hugs. (Ha – depends who's there!)

Instead we watch from our comfy recliners and spot our brand everywhere we can, ha. Hey, we marketing folks take pride in our work.

As a bonus, we're watching some great golf. The Sentry Tournament of Champions is a winners-only affair so these guys have to have won a PGA tournament this past year. Well, some exceptions due to the crazy year that 2020 was. 

So yeah, it's pretty cool. I will watch much more of it this weekend. Tonight I watched for an hour (TV coverage starts at 5 p.m.) and then went to shoot wrestling down in Nekoosa, then came home and watched the victorious end of the Assumption girls basketball game via livestream.

I call that a pretty nice day. 

Aloha!

Playoff Bonuses

Between the NFC Wild Card Game and the Sentry Tournament of Champions final round, we got some bonus viewing time today.

Even though the Vikings were playing the Saints at high noon, I still turned on the lights on our purple tree for good luck and made sure I had our flag turned to the "visitor" side. Now we gotta keep the flag flying and that tree alive another week!

It's kind of fun coming into a game as the underdog. There's an all or nothing attitude and we fans are just happy with anything good! It was nice to be surprised that we could pull ahead and keep that lead. Until the very end of course. Saints field goal tied us up at 20. Over time, baby!

From experience and much heartbreak, I never feel good about overtime! Thanks for proving me wrong this once, Vikes. SKOL! We live to play another week!! No, not the Packers. Yet.

After my heart rate returned to normal, I switched to the soothing game of golf. "Our" tournament in Maui started live coverage at 5 p.m. our time. That wasn't as calming to watch because there was back-and-forth leaders and a crazy three-way playoff in the end. (More time for our commercials to air. Yay.)

In the end, just before sunset there and way past my bedtime here, Justin Thomas won!

Might add value to my autographed flag! Or at least something I can add to the "story."

And it was a good day for happily ever after stories. The end.

Aloha Friday

At this year’s Sentry Tournament of Champions, the players and our staff and special guests observed Aloha Friday—a weekly Maui tradition when people unwind a little, don Hawaiian shirts, and celebrate pau hana together at the end of the work week. Pau hana means “work is finished” in Hawaiian—think of it as a Friday happy hour.

For those of us unable to be on Maui this weekend, we brought a Pau Hana Party to our headquarters in Stevens Point. Our Pau Hana party included yummy food like the cupcakes pictured above, plus a chance to watch the golf action...

I'm the short one!

And take selfies or group pictures at our photo booth areas...

My resting beach face to be sure!

It was fun and a great way to unwind after a two-day work week. Hey, somebody's gotta do it.

Aloha!

If the Office Can't Go to Maui, Maui Comes to the Office

Aloha! The Sentry Tournament of Champions teed off today in Maui. It's kind of big deal for us at work since our company is the title sponsor. And, many of us (especially in Marketing) put in a lot of work to prep for the main event and our side events. Some members of our team are there and for the rest of us, we just brought the island to Stevens Point!

To coincide with the start of the PGA event, we had our own putting contest at work today, plus handed out leis and pina colada cake! I helped with the golf hole – after sinking my own hole in one, of course!

The player has to putt it into the tube and from there it will veer left into the "ocean" or right across the island and into the hole. Or close to it.

You can see the volcanic craters come into play here. Not really. They are one-dimensional!

Just like at the tournament, people can pose in our famous Blue Chairs – used in our print ads and the TV commercials airing during the tournament!

Co-worker Andy and I taking our job seriously.

And we have miniature replicas of the chairs, too! 

I told hubby I was having a busy day at the office. Only I didn't text him this picture.

I sent him this one with our friend Tom instead. Pretty sure Jim understands a little more each day why I love my job! Still... would love to be on the real Maui. But hey, been there, done that. This way I can wear a Hawaiian shirt at work and still see my baby off to the opposite side of the other ocean.

Aloha!

Cheeseheads in Paradise

If you're a fan of golf and actually watch it on TV – yes, some of us do that! – then you'll want to watch the PGA TOUR's Sentry Tournament of Champions tomorrow through Sunday.

Why? Because I had a teeny tiny part in making it happen. Sentry became the title sponsor for the Maui event and will be basically running it for the next 5, possibly 6 years. Since we own a beautiful destination golf course – SentryWorld – right on our "campus," we know a bit about golf. Now it's our turn to tell the world what our little company in Stevens Point, Wis., knows about business insurance.

So any time, any where you see the Sentry logo, it is something that came through my department – marketing – to do. Pretty much every little sign or name tag or program had to be created, written, designed, approved, by us.

See the tee markers and the large sign back there? You will see our new logo everywhere. The quote marks representing the conversations we have with our customers to better help them.

This is where the action will start on the first tee. Since this is Hawaii time, it will air in the Midwest from around 3-9 p.m. Thursday through Sunday.

This sign has all the previous winners of this tournament. I got to write some of the media guide – including golfer bios. I bet you had no idea what all gets done behind the scenes of a major event like this. I didn't. Lots of i's to dot and t's to cross. That's for sure.

We do have some staff down there – obviously not the newcomer Robyn – and had people videoing everything from the course to culture to the making of the trophy. A glassmaker on Maui did the magic here, including a whale tail splashing in the ocean or, if you look closely, one half of our logo's quote marks. Crazy cool, right?

It guess they were posing the trophy everywhere today. Careful with that!!

I do look forward to seeing how it all goes so we'll be much better prepared for next year. So very many details!

I might just sit back and enjoy it this year while I can. And try not to get jealous when the bosses return next week with suntans and stories. Aloha!

Coconut Countdown

After a few months of looking forward to our first tropical island getaway, I can't believe we are now saying, "Hey, we're going to Hawaii next week!"

Since work has been crazy busy lately I had to start the countdown on my whiteboard – just to keep my sanity. After this weekend's snow, I had to make my 8 out of a snowman. Then, swear to God, I learned it snowed in Hawaii today! Did I do that??

Apparently it does snow on mountain tops during the "winter" so hopefully our low-level beach (top photo) will remain sandy and not slushy.

We are staying on Maui. Yes, just the two of us. Carter has finals that week. Haha. No really, he does. And really, we probably wouldn't have invited him anyway. We had actually planned long ago to go with another couple and it didn't work out for them. We will miss them but I have a feeling already I will want to go back.

Tonight, since hubby and I were both finally home at the same time and not otherwise distracted, we made a few plans. We are scheduled to fly out next Tuesday, Dec. 13, at 7 a.m. and get back home Monday, Dec. 19, at 5 a.m. In between there, we just booked our whale watching excursion for Wednesday and our Road to Hana tour on Thursday. Getting excited!

And despite the snow today – here and there – the long-range forecast looks to be non-wintery... partly cloudy with temps in the low 80s. Perfect. Won't be too hot where we'll want to head for shelter or A/C. 

Might need an umbrella, but definitely not a shovel.

Aloha!