Turkey Dinner!

This past weekend I tried anther new 2 recipes!  I made my very first turkey and sausage stuffing.  I have never made either of these things before and it's amazing the amount of advice that people will give you.  I was told to brine, not brine, stuff, not stuff, season, use butter, use olive oil, baste, don't baste....the list was endless.  In the end, I did not brine.  I seasoned with salt, pepper, rosemary, sage and olive oil, made sausage stuffing that I put in the bird and in a casserole and basted it and little less often than recommended.  Well, I should amend that.  I was at a performance in Yonkers, so my wonderful BF basted the turkey for me.

I had 4 performances last weekend.  Thursday was the COPD Foundation awards dinner, followed by the Roerich Museum Friday, Bronxville Library on Saturday and The Hudson River Museum on Sunday.  They were all great shows...and considering the personnel issues that we've been having with Sing We Enchanted, that was an accomplishment.  We had some fantastic substitute tenors and it made all the rehearsals worth it.  I remembered how much I enjoy the performances, something that has gotten lost in past years because I was so much busier.

So...even with the turkey, potatos and minced meat pie, I was down another .6% this week.  My cardio workouts have been increased (yay!) but the food stays the same.  If I can stay controlled this weekend in NC I think I'll be good.  I woke up this morning with sore shoulders thanks to Trainer Mike and I'm looking forward to tonight's workout.  I think I may have crossed into the insanity zone!  I have to say that it's nice to know that I have actually LOST weight this holiday season so far.

I am off to Raleigh tomorrow morning for Amanda Watson's wedding and I'm excited.  I picked up jewelry from my mom's last night (it's great having family to share with) and I think I know what I'm wearing.  With the rehearsal and wedding itself being very dressy parties I had some stress.  Oh, and I'm singing at the wedding so that makes me nervous too.  I just want to help make her day perfect.  The plan tonight is to figure out how to pack everything in one carry-on bag.  I'm flying back Sunday morning because I have my last concert Sunday night in Nyack and don't want to have to waste time in the baggage claim.  I HATE packing!

Next week...my b'day and Christmas!!!

Let the season begin!

The holidays are DEFINITELY here!  The kids are nutty at school, the cookies are everywhere and I have singing galore.  School is the biggest challenge...you don't want to crush their holiday spirit, but no, we can not have a "day off" because Hannukah started yesterday.  Nor, can we sing about Santa and his reindeer every day.  We have a concert in January that we're preparing for!  Anyway, rant over.

Life outside of school is good.  I was down 1.8% at the gym this week and feel like I'm finally making progress.  My goal is to have another good week before the insanity really hits.  (Wedding, b'day and Christmas all in 1 week!)

Saturday was my first concert of the weekend.  The Hudson Voices is a small a cappella group associated with The Rockland County Choral Society.  We sang for 3 different nursing care facilities in the area.  It was both wonderful and sad.  It's nice to bring some holiday spirit to the seniors in our area but also sad to see how many were alone.

Sunday night I made a really yummy stew with venison that was a gift from a friend.  I don't hunt myself, but I have to say that it is nice to have friends who do!  I prefer not to actually see the source of my meal...I know it's a bit wimpy but that's how I am.  Venison is great because when it's cooked well it has a nice mild flavor and is REALLY lean.  It's almost as lean as chicken so it makes for nice variety on the diet plan.

My big accomplisment for the week was getting into the gym 5 days and going for a good walk on another.  I think 6 sessions in a week is part of the reason I was successful.  I also tried another new class at the gym.  (Finally getting moving on that resolution!)  Solutions is a circuit training class for a half hour.  You get a quick strength training workout and there is someone there to assist if needed.  I did that Saturday morning followed by a half hour of cardio.  Yay!  I am hoping that along with my 2 sessions with the trainer I'll start to see even more results.

I have 4 concerts this weekend with Sing We Enchanted and will be cooking my first turkey on Sunday.  Wish me luck!!  We're having a small "holiday" dinner with some friends that we didn't see for Thanksgiving and won't see for Christmas.  It's sort of a 2nd family type thing and I'm looking forward to it as well as being terrified.  I'm doing the turkey, stuffing and a mincemeat pie.  Everyone is bringing something else to make the dinner amazing.  I'm really looking forward to trying some other peoples traditions.

Have a great week everyone and I'll check back next week with another update!

'Tis the Season

Happy belated Thanksgiving!  I was lucky enough to start that day with a (slow) 5 mile jog at Rockland Lake with my sister and end it with an amazing dinner with my family and Officer BF.  The Turkey Trot is an annual event here and I think they said there were 2900 people running!  It's such a great way to start off a HUGE eating day and I love that even though I haven't run in ages I got out there anyway.  I'm proud of that.

I'm now getting ready for my busiest time of year, which I'm sure can be said for just about everyone.  I am singing two performances every weekend between now and Christmas including a wedding in North Carolina.  I'm so excited for Amanda and Nick!  It usually means that I put on a few lbs because I'm running here and there and don't think about what I'm going to eat.  The parties and receptions don't help either.  Have I mentioned how much of a sweet tooth I have? 

For my local peoples...Nyack Library, Dec. 19th @ 7pm  BE THERE!! 

To combat the food and insanity involved, I've started something to help myself be a "better me" this holiday season.  I have committed to working with a trainer at the gym twice a week and I'm working with a nutrionist as well.  I haven't lost much in the last 2 weeks since I started but I can feel a difference in my muscles and my energy.  It also keeps me honest.  When I have a "bad" week (Thanksgiving leftovers??) I know it and have to be accountable.  My only issue at this point is that I'm a little bored with the menu.  Last night we discussed some different dinner choices and the plan is to add different lunches next week.  It would be nice if this helped me finally reach my 20lb goal for the year but I don't think that's going to happen by Dec. 31.  I'll take 10 and be happy with that...and promise not to re-gain it next year.  Hopefully I'll have some good "recipes" to share in the coming weeks.  Tonight I'm just looking forward to sweet potato instead of brown rice.  Yippee!!

There is one downside...the stupid calipers I have to subject myself to each week.  I hate the damn things!  I try to think about the people on Biggest Loser and remember that their journey is way harder than mine so I have nothing to whine about, but it doesn't help me hate it any less.  Who really wants to know exactly how fat they are?????

So, I'll try for another entry this weekend and then on Wednesdays in December I'll check in with my fat % loss for the week.  Here's to a great last month of 2010!!!

Catching up

I really, really liked the Education Law class I took.  I HATE writing papers.  The discussions and reading was usually fairly interesting but writing about it is the worst.  I have a 18-20 page paper due at the beginning of next week and though I understand what I'm supposed to do, I can't get past the first paragraph.  UGH!!  Any ghostwriters available?  (I totally stopped the blog here and picked it up tonight.  Just finished above paper and will mail it out in the AM!!)

Officer BF and I have gotten to see the nieces and nephews twice in the last week which was wonderful.  They really are 4 of the nicest kids I know, and I know quite a few.  We got to have them for Veteran's Day which made my vet extra happy.  We hung out at the house, played Wii games, had a great lunch at a Chinese buffet (everyone can find something they like!) and ended the day with burgers from a great place in town.  According to Officer BF, it's mandatory to have burgers on Memorial and Veteran's days to celebrate being American.  I can't argue with that logic, he's served in the Army and I haven't.

This past weekend was paper writing and rehearsals.  I also had an eye doctor appt so I'll have some new specs in the next week or so.  Pic will follow, promise.

I am continuing to be back on track with the workouts and weight control.  I won't call it loss at this point but I'm definitely tighter than I was a month ago.  I'm trying to focus on different goals, not just a number on the scale.

I tried a new chicken marinade (new recipe that was healthy!!) Friday night which turned out really yummy.  It's sort of asian in flavor, I had to combine a couple of things I'd found online and adapt to what I already had in the house.  I used light soy sauce, lime juice, vinegar, thai chili sauce and some oil.  It was just spicy enough to keep me interested without burning my mouth.  I made up some wasabi soy sauce to go along with that did!  I made this with brown rice and broccoli for a yummy healthy meal.

Saturday night was dinner out with my girls Linda and Heather.  We went up to Oliver's in Katonah for an excellent dinner.  It's sort of an upscale casual type place with the most amazing looking burgers and sandwiches.  I had a chicken burger with mushrooms and brie...awesome.  We split an apple crumble for dessert that was almost as good as mine, but not quite :)  We had great talks about school, guys, life, diets, all the usual girl stuff.  I am so lucky!

I am going back to work on chairing the Junior All-County chorus here in my county.  I don't know why I volunteer for this stuff...it's insane.  The selection meeting was seriously stressful but I haven't received any kooky e-mails yet so hopefully that trend will continue.

I'm happy to have more of my life back...just in time for the holiday performance season...

Law Class Kicks My Butt

I know I haven't written in forever...but the graduate class I've been taking is seriously HARD!!!  Educational Law is very interesting and I like it but it is more work than I have done in a long time.  The reading, the research....it's insane.  Then, to really throw me for a loop, the teacher suggested that I go to law school.  Yikes!  (P.S.  I want a cake like this one...or to be able to make one for myself some day!)

So, the weight loss has halted so I'm going back to the gym big time!  I've been doing strength training a couple days a week and trying to up the running.  I did 4 and half miles on Sunday and felt pretty good afterwords.

I'm in the middle of another good book, The White Queen by Phillippa Gregory.  I love her writing and the way she takes history and gives it a little twist. 

Officer BF has been away a lot lately and I'm trying to get myself ready for when he's gone for most of December.  We set up Skype accounts this week and I'm hoping that this will help us stay in touch.  It was fun to actually see him while we were chatting last night, even when he was making silly faces at me.

Okay, back to homework so that I can finish this class sometime in the near future!

I hate dress shopping

So, I have a wedding to attend next weekend and I could use a new dress.  I spent 3 hours tonight trying on what felt like a hundred dresses...with NO luck.  I feel totally awful.  Everything was just so unflattering and really not cute.  I don't want to look fat (difficult) or like an old lady!  I am soooo upset right now.  Time for some sit-ups...

Busy bee!

Two great weekends in a row!

Last weekend I went to the Oktoberfest at Bear Mtn with my friends Linda and Heather.  We had great food and the weather was perfect.  It really felt like summer again and reminded me how much I appreciate that time off.  We saw some great crafts, including clocks made from recycled liquor and wine bottles.  Who doesn't want to be reminded that it's always happy hour somewhere?

Saturday was spent just spending time with the bf.  He was away the whole week before in class so we just relaxed and enjoyed the day.  We watched Revenge of the Nerds, which I'd never seen.  It was pretty funny.  We went for a walk into town for lunch and ate in the park which I love.  It was like a mini-date and we enjoyed just catching up and planning the next week. 

Yesterday was day 1 of my Educational Law and Policy class.  This is NOT going to be easy, but the other people in the class are great so that should help.  I have some good friends now that I've been in the program for a while so that's nice.  We all try to help each other out and keep each other awake when we hit the "tired time" at 3:30 in the afternoon.  Yesterday's was particularly bad because we were going through the syllabus...which just couldn't keep me interested enough.  8-4:30 is just a loooong day to be sitting in classes!

This morning I managed to get myself up and out for a run.  3 miles that were certainly not spectacular but I'm proud of doing them.  I just needed to enjoy the fresh air and sunshine.  I also tried to really get into today's music to keep my mind occupied.  Proud Mary from Glee is a GREAT running song!  I also realized I need to update my playlist and will welcome any suggestions!

Officer BF is off at work tonight, so I get the TV all to myself.  I'm tempted to check out the new show about sister wives on TLC.  I love Big Love and find the whole lifestyle fascinating...definitely NOT something I could ever imagine doing.  I do NOT share.  Haha!

Whirlwind Week

What a week!!  I'm sitting on the couch this morning trying to enjoy my one lazy morning before it's back to a full week of school.  I have work to do on that later but for now, it's coffee and Project Runway DVR time!

Labor Day was nice and relaxed...hahahah!  I ended up making dinner for 10 and having a great time.  We invited our friend Michele and her 3 younger kids over for dinner and it blossomed from there.  Her hubby is away for a 6 week training class so we wanted to do something nice for them before the start of the school year.  It was the oldest boy's birthday so I had some serious work to do.  I ended up making arroz con pollo, fried chicken cutlets (at the request of the b'day boy!) spicy black beans and a big green salad.  For desert, a 3 layer yellow cake with chocolate frosting.  I think it was good meal, and I love having place full of friends.

Tuesday and Wednesday was back to school.  It was exhausting and a feel a little like I'll NEVER learn all their names.  However, there were many bright moments.  I have some very cute students and one of them is the son of a girl I worked with my senior year of hs.  Candy was talking about starting her family then...and now her little boy is in my class.  It's wonderful how that happens sometimes.  She was a GREAT person to work with and I'm excited that her son is in my class and made a point to introduce himself.  I could talk school for hours so I'll stop here.

Thursday was an errand running day that ended with a drive up to Little Falls.  Tristan turned 1 on Friday and we had a great time celebrating his b'day.  We had a great lunch with the family and the party on Friday nigh was fun.  Watching all the kids play together is always fun, and seeing Officer BF with them is so great.  We left right after breakfast yesterday to be home for a bridal shower at 2pm....more fun, friends and great food.

Today I'm singing at a local street fair with the Hudson Voices (1pm in Nyack if you're around!) and then home to help the man pack up for his week.  He's heading out to a class for work tomorrow morning and will be gone until Friday evening.  I'm gonna miss him...but won't miss having to share the TV!  I think I have enough going on this week with lessons, a new yogilates class and trying to get back on the workout plan that the days will fly.  I'm trying to be back on track with Sparkpeople, too.  Happy Sunday Funday!

Getting ready...

So I spent time Tues in my classroom and then had 2 work days Wed and Thurs at school.  I walked out at the end of our day Thursday with another teacher and we were both saying that though we felt as though there were more to do we didn't know what it was.  That sums up how I'm still feeling!

I've set up some music for each of my 3 grade levels.  I'm working on seating charts this weekend, though I know they'll change throughout the first week or two.  I'm trying to focus in on what the "other" stuff is that I have to teach in each grade level during the first quarter.  What are the music reading skills I'm supposed to teach?  How much sight reading is realistic to expect?  How can I tell (in a class of 50!) which kids are giving 100% and who needs to have the "more effort needed" comment on their weekly feedback slips?  This is the part of my job that I'm finding stressful this year. 

Considering this is my 10th year of teaching it's odd to be this much anxiety about the new year.  I know it's because I'm teaching new grade levels in chorus and a general music class I haven't taught before...but seriously?  When I am going to start sleeping through the night the week before school??  I'm like a kid on Christmas Eve but instead of just being excited I'm worried I'll forget something important....gggrrrrrr!!!! 

New Adventures!

So, today I learned some basic rappelling and rock climbing stuff!!!  It was a great morning out with Officer BF and our friend Jim.  We were up on the mountain near TZ Rock (for all my locals!) and I got to learn about knots, carabiners, harnesses and who knows what else.  I did two descents and managed to get myself back up the slope both times.  It was a great time but I want gloves next time!  My hands are sore and tired...I used lots of muscles that haven't been used like that before.

Friday night was girls night with Heather and Linda.  Wine, cheese, crackers, fruit and Wii..it was so much fun.  I'm so lucky to have great friends at work.  They were a long time coming but totally worth the wait.  Question of the night: what is Mr. Potato Head's first name??  We think it's Matt...

Saturday morning Officer BF and I took the motorcycle up to the Renaissance Faire for his sister's birthday.  We had a great time with her and the kids and I tried mead for the first time.  Yummy!!  I was not aware that the first glass was such a big deal and there's an embarrassing video floating around somewhere of it...but it was fun.  Hands free drinking is NOT my strength!  The people watching at the Faire is half the fun and the Birds of Prey exhibit/show was a big hit.  The kids are so much fun to do stuff with...Danielle has GREAT kids!

It's back to school Wednesday for teacher meetings.  We have assigned seats at our staff meeting...I'm still not sure how I feel about that.  What do you think?

More trips!

What a whirlwind the last week has been!

I drove up to Shrewsbury, MA last Saturday to see visit Christine and her hubby Mike for their son's christening.  I stopped by their house Sat. evening and got to see her for the first time since Thomas and it was such a great time.  Little Thomas is a sweetie and I even got to hold him for a few minutes!  How is it that babies always smell so good?  I've known Christine since kindergarten so seeing her always feels like coming home a bit.  There is something about friends who have known you forever...

Our friends Jackie and Don were at the Christening on Sunday with their little girl Eva who is 11 months old.  It was great to catch up with them and Eva and I had a nice time together while her parents got a chance to eat.  Jackie is another friend I've known forever so the two days were just fantastic for that reason alone.

After our respective busy weekends, Officer BF and I drove up to Point Judith, RI and took the ferry over to Block Island for the week.  It was such a great vacation, we haven't really gone away like this together.  Block Island is about 10 square miles total, they advertise as the smallest town in the smallest state!  We left the car at the ferry and spent the week on bikes or walking everywhere.

Monday afternoon we pretty much crashed at the B&B we were staying in.  We'd been up since 6:30 and were just exhausted!  We took a siesta and then headed out for our first dinner.  The dinner was good (clam chowder!) but the bike ride after was the most memorable!  We decided to take a night ride up to Mohegan's Bluffs but somehow missed the turn off to get there.  Oops!  We ended up taking a 4-5 mile loop and had a good laugh about it.  At least we worked off some of dinner, right?

Tuesday AM we made it to the bluffs...not an easy ride!  It was almost entirely uphill and I was tired when we got there.  The views were instantly reviving, simply gorgeous!

There is also a section where you can take a giant staircase down to the beach.  Again, gorgeous views and it was nice to wade in the ocean.  The shore is very rocky and it was a little cool out so we didn't swim, but took some great photos.

Wednesday we stayed nearer to town.  We rented chairs, sat on the beach and read.  It was a Hobday-style beach day.  Again, no swimming, but it couldn't have been more relaxing.

Thursday we rode out to a nature preserve on the north end of the island.  There's a lighthouse you can walk to from the end of the road, about a half-mile down the beach, which we did.  It was a fantastic view and great workout.  I bought some local honey on the ride back which I'm looking forward to enjoying in tea and some other recipes.  (I have to get moving on the healthy recipe resolution!)

Thursday afternoon I went for a massage (lovely!) that was included in our 2nd hotel package.  I love massages!  It was followed by my favorite dinner out of the week.  The food was amazing and the view was even more so.  I had lobster mac & cheese.  I couldn't resist trying it.  It was outstanding and not nearly as heavy as I thought it might be.  The lobster was sauteed with mushrooms and the sauce was more of a sherry cream sauce with a little cheese.  It was perfect.  The whole night was perfect....

Until Lauren the klutz slipped and cut her big toe open on the jetty outside the hotel.  A night reading on the ocean turned into a night reading in the room.  Still nice, but not quite what we'd planned!

 On this vacation I'd say that I tried one new workout, riding the bikes, and we tried more than 5 new restuarants.  Back to reality this week and back to work next week!

Book club!

As a kid my sister Erin nicknamed me "Read-y Head"  I'm pretty sure it was in retaliation for something mean I said to her, but it stuck because it was true.  I love to read and there are times when it's all I want to do.  This year I did a lot of reading for school so I didn't read as much for pleasure as I would have liked so this goal is good for reminding me to do something I really love.  My beach trips gave me time to catch up on books I'd been wanting to read, and I still have a stack on my bedside table waiting to be read (or finished.)  Here's my list so far of the books I consider "real literature."  I will admit to some pieces of brain-candy in between some of these, I do love a good trashy chic-lit read now and then!

The Sharper Your Knives, The Less You Cry by Kathleen Finn
     A great memoir from someone who attends the Cordon Bleu in France.  I love the stories about the teachers, the successful (and some failed) recipes and how much work it takes to learn the classic French techniques.


House of the Seven Sisters

     Pretty good story,  a quick read.  The relationships between the sisters, their lives and the family bakery that they run...I really like it

The Wise Woman by Phillipa Gregory
     This one creeped me out a bit but was good.  I got hooked on Phillipa Gregory with The Other Boleyn Girl a few years ago and will read just about anything she writes.  The Virgin Earth is still my favorite by her, I think.

The Girl with The Dragon Tatoo and The Girl Who Played with Fire by Steig Larson
      These  are two of the biggest summer hits so I won't say much.  I loved them both, they're very intense and were GREAT beach reads as well as being well written!  Now I just need to wait for the 3rd to come out in paperback

The Spanish Bride by Laurien Gardiner
    Another Catharine of Aragon story.  I am ADDICTED to novels about Henry VIII, his wives and daughters.  This was a great one, though it's always a sad story. 

The Winter Prince by Cheryl Sawyer
  I love period English stories...can't really tell you why.

Saving Fish From Drowning by Amy Tan
    I really didn't love this as much as I wanted.  The story is well done, but I think Amy Tan has written better books. 

Whitethorn Woods by Maeve Binchy
    I really enjoyed this.  It wasn't a challenging read, but the intertwining stories in the books are so great.  I loved that it took me more than the first half of the book to really see how all the short stories were starting to touch on one another.  I don't think I've read anything by her I didn't like.

Little Bee by Chris Cleave
     There is nothing on the book to tell you what it's about...so I won't ruin it.  Just read it.  The book is great and really emotional.  Thanks to Erin for passing it on!

Okay, so there are the first 10 books.  I'm going to try to do a better job of tracking books because I know there have to be more than these...I'm just blanking at the moment.  Also...do you think I can count books that I read for my grad classes but was surprised to like?  If so, I'll have 2 more to add...Gung Ho! and The Outsiders.  

I'm off to do some more relaxing.  I'd love some recommendations for what to read next...I'm planning to start Racing in the Rain this afternoon.

Week in review

It's been a great week overall...even though it didn't always feel like it!

First:  I finished my 2 summer classes!  6 more credits finished, which puts me at 12 total so far this year.  I spent almost 8 hours working on stuff Wednesday but it's ALL done.  I'm not sure I'll make to the 20, I've heard that the class I'm registered for this fall is really tough.  But, I'm more than halfway finished with this goal which is HUGE.  P.S. I got As!

2nd:  I am completely moved in, though not entirely unpacked and organized.  Things are moving slowly in the right direction.

3rd:  Another new restaurant!  We went to Iron Horse in Westwood, NJ on Wednesday with a friend of Officer BF's from the army.  It was a good time and the food was good.  We had sandwiches (yummy Reuben!) and the boys split wings.

4th:  I made it to the gym 3 times and went running this week!  I went to spinning twice and cardio kick-boxing.  The kick-boxing is fun and a great full body workout, I think.  I am back on track and have officially lost all the weight I gained on vacation and then some.  Yup, that's right, I'm officially down 10lbs.  That's the halfway point!!!

We're leaving in a bit to go upstate to spend some time with bf's family.  His nephew is getting bigger by the day so I'm looking forward to some baby time while he's still a baby.  There's a pool at his mom's house so I going to work on my tan as much as the upstate sun will allow.  My running stuff is also packed and ready to go....can't lose momentum on the workout streak!

Have a great weekend!

It's August already?

Okay, so it's been almost a month since I've written, but it's been a busy one!  I've moved, been to 3 different beaches and plenty of other stuff as well.  On the goals front, I've been to 1 new restaurant, will be dropping 3 bags of stuff off to Goodwill today and tried a new class at the gym.  I've read 7 books as well, I'll have to start a list of what I've read this week to check how I'm doing on the "literature" resolution.  Not too bad all things considered.  I dropped another lb, only to gain 2 back during my last beach trip.

So, here's the brief overview of July.  The week after the party I spent 2 days on LBI with my mom and aunt Eileen.  We had a lot of fun talking, swimming, reading on the beach, the usual beach activities.  It was nice to get a jump start on the summer with a couple of days away and I bought a new beach chair.  I think it's the first one I've bought that was actually worth buying and it's been well-used already.

After LBI it was home for a couple of days then off to DE with Officer BF.  We had a fantastic time...and totally forgot to take a single picture!  It rained the first day so we had time to relax, watch movies and unwind.  The next few days were spent taking a bike ride, going out to eat, visiting the beach/boardwalk and just enjoying being away for a bit.  We had a particularly funny lunch when I decided to teach the man how to crack crabs.  It did NOT go as planned...he wouldn't even try it after watching me start it off.  Turns out he's not a fan of do-it-yourself seafood.  So, that was a half dozen crabs just for me, YUM!  We stopped at the outlets on the way out of DE and did some serious damage.  We both needed some staples (tanks, Ts, etc) and picked up an ipod player for the condo as well.  I think it maxed out his shopping time for the next few months, but we made it fun.

The yearly family beach trip to NC was the next week.  I'll post photos instead of detailing what happened.  It was a great week, and a little crazier than expected...but that's another story entirely.  The highlights were the beautiful beach, Mom's b'day celebration, really hot morning runs and the fishing boat trip.

The fishing boat

Bluefish...the star of dad's ceviche

Electric Lemonades on the last night

The week since OBX has been spent moving.  All of my stuff is now out of Nyack and in PR.  I have my work cut out for me this week.  There are boxes and bags of stuff in the condo that need unpacking, more stuff that needs to be tossed or given away as I go through things and LOTS of organization to finish.  We're doing well with compromises so far, here's hoping that it continues!

BBQ Fun

I'm keeping Hazel!!  Right now I've gotten an agreement for a least a trial period but I'm really happy.  She'll continue to stay with her wonderful sitter until I get back from NC at the end of the month but then she'll get to come to our new home.  Yea!!!

I had a wonderful 4th of July weekend with a good balance of work and play.  Friday was a work bbq with Officer BF, Saturday we cleaned, moved furniture and reorganized the condo and I made cake and then Sunday it was the friends bbq.

I was interrupted Sunday morning when finishing up my cake to do PT with Officer BF.  We've been working hard to tone up, etc and Sunday was no exception.  I was informed that the push-ups and crunches were necessary before the party...so we did them.  It was funny and I don't know how helpful they were, but my arms still hurt.

Andy was a wonderful host on the 4th!  He just moved into his first house so this was part house-warming as well.  The pool was beautiful and sooooo necessary; it was hot!  We had so much fun and I definitely ate too much but I'm back on track already.  Lots of people came out for the fun, including Katie, Ted and Linda. 

Gym update...I've taken 2 new classes!  Zumba last week and spinning yesterday morning.  I enjoyed both so it's nice to know that I have some new options.  Spinning was seriously butt-kicking yesterday!

Today it's off to LBI with my mom and Aunt Eileen for 2 days.  I love the beach and this is the first of 3 beach trips this month.  I love my summers off!!  It's also supposed to be 100 here today so I'm glad for an excuse to not be packing and moving stuff...it's too darn hot!

Good news, sad news

I have absolutely no idea how it happened...but I'm down another pound!  That makes for a total of 9 with 11 more to go for my resolution goal.  And this was before I ran this morning....nice!

It's a beautiful day here, lots of sun and very little humidity.  I went for a great 3 mile run this morning and purposefully left my watch at home.  Now, I'm procrastinating the packing I should be doing.

For those of you who aren't aware, the bf and I have decided to give living together a shot.  We're going to take the rest of the month to slowly combine households, figuring out what to keep, what to store and what to get rid of.  I'm hoping it will be fun, I know that there will be stressful moments as well.  The saddest part of this is that Hazel is in need of a good home.  She's not invited to move with me, and I know that many people will think I'm in the wrong for choosing him over the cat but I have to choose my shot at happiness.  That said, I've got her a great sitter for the next few weeks but really need to find her a forever home.  She will NOT go to a shelter again under any circumstances!

Alright, shower and then let the packing begin!

Summer vacay!

It's the first day of summer vacay here and I'm ready for the relaxation to begin. This past weekend was a whirlwind!

Officer BF and I went to a graduation and then boys/girls nights in Portchester on Friday.  Congratulations to Tishauna and her family!  The girls went out to dinner on City Island for Michelle's b'day.  So...check off one more restaurant.  Johnny's Seafood was a cafeteria style place with great fried seafood.  So much for the diet..but the fried shrimp and strawberry dacquari were well worth it.  YUMMY!!!

Saturday was Adam's B'day BBQ.  It's an annual event and this was my first year.  Heather and I made him and awesome Thundercats cake....it was a big hit!  I have to say, I'm so glad to have this people as friends, they make work more fun and have become real friends outside of work.

Sunday was a family BBQ at my sister's house.  It was her first time hosting the whole family and it was a great time.  Everyone always brings something and the menu was outstanding!!  There were chicken kabobs, dad's ribs (he even smokes them himself!), deviled eggs,, corn and green salads, yummy appetizers...a feast!  Erin commented that she loves hosting the family because she has so little cooking to do.  Everyone always brings something different....we're lucky to have a family of great cooks!  I made yellow cupcakes with chocolate ganache, a double duty new recipe this weekend.  Ganache is super easy and I think I like it better than chocolate buttercream for cupcakes.

This week begins the moving process.  We talked last night about moving furniture and storing extra stuff in the attic and basement of bf's building.  We're going to take the whole month to move me and I'm hoping it will be fun and not all work and stress.  I hate moving so much but I am excited about taking this next step.  Packing begins tomorrow!

Quick check on goals

It's the last day!  Summer vacation is finally here, so it's time for a quick check up.

1. Lose 20 lbs
        I have lost 8 so far and kept it off.  The summer is good time for me, running outside, fresh fruits and veggies, etc.  I'm hoping that July and August will get me much closer to this goal!
2. Cook 20 new recipes, 10 of them must be healthy.
      Defnitely getting close to the 20, not sure about the 10.
3. Run a 10k in under 1:03
      I'm at a 1:07.  I just printed out a training schedule for myself that will take me to October which is perfect running season!  I'm running more regularly which is step one.  Now the real work begins.
4. Read 20 books that qualify as literature, not brain candy.
       Hmmmm....I think I'm at 4.  This will change dramatically in July because I have 3 beach trips planned.  That usually translates to a book every 2 days.
5. Try 10 new classes at the gym or workouts
       Oh....I need to get on top of this one!
6 Complete 20 credits towards my 2nd masters degree
       I've completed 9, currently taking an additional 6 and have signed up for one more class in the fall.  I have to get in more class in the fall semester to make this goal!
7. Be able to play at least 10 chords on guitar
       Haven't even started....
8. Give away at least 10 bags of stuff to charities
       I think I'm at 3.  I'm moving in the next month so this should get completed sooner rather than later!
9. Try 10 new restaurants
       I think I'm at 4 or 5.  Not too bad
10. Spend 10-20 minutes every week working on budgeting in an effort to save more and spend less.
       Definitely made huge strides here.  I've managed to save a chunk towards my graduate classes and put some more into the "someday I'll own something" account.  Quicken online has been a great tool for this!

Now it's off to final meeting at school, brunch with the school gang, cake decorating with Heather and then graduation and birthday festivities with the Washingtons....yea for summer vacay!!!  (That list also says: sleep in on Saturday)

GWB Run a Success!

What a great day!  I started the morning at 5am (which was NOT the great part) and left for a run over the GWB with my family for the American Cancer Society.  We ran in support of my brother-in-law and had t-shirts, buttons, bandanas...we looked amazing.

I ran the 10K 5 minutes faster than the one I did 3 weeks ago, oh yea!  I don't know if it was the weather, the adrenaline of running over the bridge or a less-than-accurate course but I had a great run.  I felt good and had a good time.  There were a lot of hills in the 2nd half of the course, the last of which actually made me swear out loud.  It is just sadistic to put the steepest hill in the last mile of a run!

Post run we got together at my parents house for a BBQ.  Burgers, dogs, potato salad, taco salad and cake,  how can you go wrong?  It was nice to have Greg's family, our family and friends all together to support him.  I think he and Erin were both really glad to have everyone together at his halfway point.  I made the cake with a black ribbon (in support of beating melanoma) for each person who ran or walked today's course for Greg.

Dinner tonight was with the Will and Michelle over in Port Chester.  It was drill weekend for the BF so we always try to have dinner with them on the Sunday night after he and Will get home.  Michelle made meatloaf, roasted potatoes and a salad.  Her food always tastes so good!  The company was great and I got to eat dinner with my man in uniform.

Tomorrow is the last full day of school, yea!!   Then it's 9 days of finals, assemblies, study periods and locker clean-outs. 

Last Full Week is DONE!

The end is in sight!  We have finished 170 days of school and have 1 full day and 9 half days left.  And, in a humid building without air conditioning...this is a VERY big deal.  Oh, and this building is filled with 2300 students from 6-8th grade so it smells amazing.  Love Spell, Axe and that special middle school scent...yuck!

Anyway, it was a very good week at school.  We watched Drumline with the band and Fame with the 8th grade chorus.  I think the kids liked the movies and some of them might even have found the idea of continuing music beyond middle school a good one.  I like that they both show how much work it can take to be successful, how reading music is important and that sometimes there are sacrifices that need to be made to achieve your goals.

Office BF is off to the army this weekend and I'm looking forward to a quiet day at home tomorrow.  I have to head to the gym and make a cake for a family BBQ Sunday but otherwise I don't have anything to do.  Catching up on DVRs, cleaning, playing fetch with Hazel are all on my list of stuff that I want to do.

Sunday morning we're heading out as a family to run across the GWB to help fight cancer.  We're running and walking in support of my brother-in-law Greg who is currently fighting melanoma.  It should be a good morning, though I am not looking forward to getting up at 6am!  Grossness!!  Then again, I shouldn't complain about getting up early with everything that cancer patients live through, I have it pretty good overall.  Guess it'll be early to bed tomorrow night...

And just in case anyone who reads this would like to lend their support to our cause, check out my website.  I love their idea that we can cure cancer and celebrate more birthdays, which is a reason for more cake!  And we know how much I love cake, more specifically, the icing.  There's an awful pic of me running (sort of) as inspiration, haha!  DetermiNation: Running to Save Lives!

HOT!!!

In my next life I want a job with air conditioning!  Working in a school, with 8th graders, the day that yearbooks are handed out, with no a/c is just torture!  I'm hot and grumpy, they're hot and grumpy....it's NOT good for anyone involved.  Oh, and did I mention how bad it smells in this building??  I totally need the weekend!!!!!

Tonight is the Greek Festival though...one of my favorite events of the year.  I'm going to look forward to a gyro and a cold beer!

Great Holiday Weekend!

The Watchfire in Orangeburg is a beautiful, dramatic event.  I met up with some friends and got a ride to the top of the mountain around 11 and got to watch Officer BF in action with the honor guard.  There was a nice ceremony followed by the lighting of the GIANT watchfire.  The watchfire is lit every year to help guide the souls of soldiers home again.  We were out with veterans (the BF included) from the Army and USMC and I know that it touches them in a way I will never understand.  I can appreciate the job that the men and women do but can't imagine what it would be like to lose someone in the ways these men have.

I'm adding before and after pics which aren't great because it's dark, but you'll get the idea.  Officer BF joined us after the ceremony was completed and we stayed out with a variety of friends until 4am.  Long night, but for a wonderful reason!

Yesterday was spent recovering from the long night...Officer BF and I are slowly working our way through Rescue Me and Lost.  I've seen all the Lost episodes so it's great to review after the finale last week.  He's seen Rescue Me and won't even "let" me watch them alone.  He went off to work last night, I organized my closet!  This is leading to another bag for the donation boxes so it's all good!

This morning I was up early to meet up with my band students for the Memorial Day parade in West Nyack.  The kids did a great job in the hot, hot sun!  I think the community and veterans really appreciate them coming out on the holiday weekend.

It's back to work tomorrow...only 4 more weeks until summer!   To be even more specific, 10 days of regular classes and then 9 days of finals/make-ups.  Woo hoo!!!!

Zucchini chips are awesome!

Last night's dinner was a total success!!  I met up with Heather and Linda at Blue Fig in New City.  The food was delicious and though it's not everything, the price was just about perfect.  There's an outside area so we got to enjoy the beautiful weather with our dinner.  We split an appetizer of zucchini chips with tzatiki sauce and I had grilled shrimp with rice and veggies for dinner.  There is sort of a Mediterranean feel to the menu though it's not exclusive.  Heather's penne vodka and Linda's chicken portobello sandwhich both looked amazing as well...and we all became members of the clean plate club.  Linda and Heather both had desserts that look yummy, I did a good job of sticking to my healthy eating plan.    I'm pretty sure this is as close to a picnic as I'm going to get this weekend so I'm glad it was this good!

Tonight it's off to the Memorial Day Watch Fires on Clausland Mountain.  I've never been and will be going with a group of Officer BF's friends.  It's a giant bonfire that's watched all night in honor of all the lives given.  I read an article today and they date back all the way to the American Revolution.  I couldn't believe that I didn't know about them before this year.  It should be a good time and I get to see the man in his dress uniform, which I will admit is something I love!  Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

Bon Jovi

Who doesn't love girls night...especially when it involves going to see Bon Jovi!!  Wednesday night I was the 'official" opening of the new Meadowlands Stadium watching a great concert.  Overall, Bon Jovi was awesome, the stadium needs some work.  Their sound and video systems experienced some glitches so I think the stadium wasn't quite ready.  At one point the speakers where we were sitting cut out completely!!  The screens around the stadium were finally working by the encore but up until then it was watching from a distance  Livin' on a Prayer and Wanted Dead or Alive are sooooo much better live! 

Thursday brought PJ day at school (excellent timing after my late night) and grad class #3.  This class focuses on the development of curriculum which is something I enjoy.  We are currently working refining and rewriting some of the music curriculum at my school and it's been an interesting process to be a part of.

Today starts my 4 day weekend....love it!!  I have very few plans other than marching band on Monday.  My biggest goal is to do a workout every day.  Last night was push-ups and sit-ups and I've done the same today.  I actually did 80 push ups today!!!  Okay, so they're girl push-ups but that's 70 more than I was able to do a month back.  That along with more than 200 crunches, twists and bicycles is a decent start on today's fitness.  I'm feeling a walk coming on later.

Tonight I am having dinner with a couple of the girls at yet another new restaurant.  I've heard lots about the food at Blue Fig but have never been there.  Pics and an update tomorrow!

I love the weekends!

What a great weekend!!

Friday night was dinner at Garrison's in Montgomery.  (One more new restaurant!) Paddy, Heather and I shared homemade fried pickles and soft shelled crabs as appetizers and I had a very yummy skate wing for dinner.  It was accompanied by basil pesto mashed potatoes that were out of this world!  All the food was absolutely delish and made the hour drive well worth it.

Saturday was my morning to lounge and I did just that.  TV, fetch with the cat, good coffee.  I'm very easy to please most of the time!

I did a bunch of errands Saturday afternoon, bought a new nose ring, got a mani-pedi (french toes to spoil myself a bit), stopped at the farm market for some fresh produce and did a mini-workout.  Had to keep it easy to prep for Sunday morning's 10K.  Which I did...and then ruined by going out with Megan, Linda and Heather for dinner at The Captain's Table in Monroe and ended up being out until midnight!  Silly girls!  But, had a good time and even got to see some of my friends from Orange Cty later that night at the Right on Red show at GW's in Chester.

Sunday was 10K time!!  I did alright, thought not as well as I'd hoped.  It was the Marisa 10K at Rockland Lake, the proceeds go towards finding less damaging cures for cancer.  I ran a 1:11 which is a bit slow but better than not running at all.  I guess the 1:08 was really more like 6 miles even, not 6.2.  Possibly the best part of the race was when I was finishing my first of two laps and got passed by a flying green tank top....the man who won.  He ran the whole race in the time it took me to do the first half!!!  Totally insane and something I'll never be able to do, but I do admire that talent in others.  I often say that I'm not a great, fast or naturally gifted runner, I'm just stubborn.  BTW, who came up with mid-race photos as a good idea?  I look like death in all of the ones taken of me!!!

Sunday night officer BF came back from his weekend in the reserves and we had dinner with friends in Port Chester.  Can't tell you the name of the restaurant, but it was great!  It was Spanish-style cuisine, so we had ceviche to start and some stuffed clams and my chicken with mushrooms had tostones as a side.  I love those things!  Officer BF had a perfectly cooked steak with blue cheese sauce...heavenly!!  The company was excellent, we always have a good time with Will and Michelle.  Side note, looked up the name...it's Brisa Marina Bar & Grill.  I highly recommend it!!!

Today it's back to work.  It's a short week and I'm going to see Bon Jovi Wednesday night so hopefully it will go quickly.  Long weekend here we come!!

Coffee, Couch and Kitty Time

All good things this morning.  I got up and made coffee (my favorite!) and swept the floors while it perked.  I love that little bit of productivity.  It totally counteracts the lazy sitting on the couch I'm doing now.  I'm watching DVRs and playing fetch with Hazel.

Yes, I have a cat who plays fetch.  I don't know where she learned it, but the little mice toys are her favorite to play with.  We'll do this for a while then she takes a break for a little nap and then gets back up again.  There are nights I actually have to hide the toys when I go to bed if she's in this mood.  It's not easy to sleep when small, brightly colored mice are being dropped on your head!

Today's plan is a mani-pedi, trip to the gym and then dinner with the girls.  Nice and relaxing which is just what I need before tomorrow morning's 10K.  It's my starting race for the year and will give me a better idea of how to meet my 10K time goal.

No loss, no gain

Yup, that's the weight loss update for today.  No loss, no gain.  After 6 days of workouts in a row that was a bit dissappointing but I'll just have to keep working hard and I'll start dropping again.  Let me just say that in stressful weeks I wish that chocolate was a healthier choice.  Clif and Luna bars are tasty, but just not the same thing!

Tonight's dinner is a chicken and veggie stir fry with sesame noodles on the side.  I use whole wheat pasta so they're healthier and I can't have a carb-free dinner.  I just don't know how people do those Atkins diets...I'd go crazy!  The BF and I have some catching up to do on The Pacific so it should be a snuggly night on the couch which I always love.

NYSSMA week is rolling right along, keeping me busy trying to make sure that all my kids have the right music, accompaniments, information and directions...yikes!  I will be so glad when Saturday gets here and it's all over.  There will be tears in the next week when students get scores (there is always someone) but it's a downhill roll for the rest of the school year.  Marching band, moving up ceremonies and then I'm pretty much done.  Yea!!!

I have almost another entire bag of goodies for goodwill packed up.  I've been trying to be good about this as I switch over my winter-summer clothes.  Stuff I didn't wear and stuff I won't wear goes right in the big shopping bag in the living room.  Shocker...there are even 2 pairs of shoes in it!  I am a shoe addict so this is a BIG deal.

I'm looking forward to a yummy dinner with my friend Paddy on Friday night.  We're going up to Montgomery to try a restaurant where a friend of ours is the new chef.  I should have great pics and an amazing dinner.  It's my reward for making it to Friday this week.

Family time and NYSSMA time!

I did another 6 miles yesterday and am down to a 1:08 for close to a 10K.  Only 6 minutes to shave off between now and the end of the year, haha!  I ran at Rockland Lake yesterday to prepare for this weekend's 10K which is a little different than my recent route.  It was much sunnier that my usual shady riverside run, but there was a nice breeze.  I love this time of year!

Yesterday afternoon was Mother's Day with the fam.  My parents were away for the actual holiday so we postponed it a week.  My parents, both sisters and their guys were there for snacks and dinner, and Officer BF got to stop in for a quick dinner while working.  It's rare that he's posted where I happen to be so it was an extra treat.  (I fall for him all over again every time I get to see him in uniform!)  Anyway, we made it a point to have diet-savvy food for our meal.  Katie brought veggies, reduced fat potato chips, pita chips, hummus and onion dip for snacks.  My dad made these amazing tuna-avocado rolls.  They were kind of like lobster rolls but with seared tuna, avocado and a lime vinaigrette.  Yum!  Erin made a great tabouleh salad and sauteed green beans.  I contributed a fruit salad for dessert which is something I love but never bother to make for myself.  It was an awesome dinner and best of all, it was guilt free!

For those of you who teach music in NY or went through a music program in the NY public schools, it's NYSSMA week at my school!  This means a lot of stressed out (high strung/dramatic/anxious) young musicians are running around looking for extra help and time.  Our entire department works through lunches, stays after or comes in early almost every day to make sure the kids feel ready for this weekend's solo experience.  It's Monday afternoon and I'm already beat.  I saw 4 kids for solo work today with many more to come.  I have 2-3 lessons scheduled with my private student who is singing at NYSSMA this weekend, on top of regular private lessons. Great for the wallet, not so great for the work-out schedule. 

This will be one of those weeks where I'll be squeezing in activity wherever I can.  This morning, 15 minutes of marching in band to prepare for our Memorial Day parade next weekend.  I should mention I was marching in 4 inch heels which has to count for something!!  I'll have to work extra hard too keep my eating under control this week.  Stress and being busy usually aren't good for my food plans.  I tried to pick up stuff this weekend to keep in the house so I'm not tempted by quick junk food.  Apples, oranges, string cheese and Clif bars will be my go to snacks!

Officer BF has me hooked on Clif Bars. They're my new favorite snack. It's like a treat, but there's enough protein in them to keep me full for a few hours. And, once I start trying all the flavors, I'll have variety built in too. I was gifted a box of 24 bars, 3 different flavors, so I'll eat most of those before I buy more. I really like the chocolate chip peanut crunch flavor. I'll keep you posted on what else I try that I like!

Another loss and something gained

I'm down another 1.6lbs as of this morning!!  I was nervous getting on the scale and I think I actually said "Yes!" out loud when I saw the numbers.  Yes, I talk to myself and the cat when I'm home alone.  It's dorky but it keeps Hazel and I happy. 

Hazel woke me up in the middle of the night with an upset tummy, gross!!  I hate it when I get woken up because it's so hard for me to get back to sleep.  My mind starts spinning and I can't turn it off.  Anyone out there have that same issue?  Any suggestions to make it stop??

I've been working hard the past week to stay on track with food which is my biggest weakness.  I love it!!  I've tried to stock up on fresh fruits and veggies and avoid the bad stuff.  This was made more challenging by birthday parties, leftovers and social gatherings.  But, if I keep up with the workouts some of the little slips seem to be forgiven.  So, not as big a loss as last week, but still a very respectable number.

I had another shooting lesson and I'm really starting to enjoy it.  It's amazing what success will do for your confidence level.  I'm lucky to have a very patient teacher in Officer BF.  I'm not a good student because I get frustrated easily when I don't have immediate success.  He keeps me focused and has really helped me feel more comfortable with what I'm doing.  I'll be honest, I love the Sig!

I'm working on finishing up my last paper for my 2nd graduate class.  Educational Supervision and Accountability is a real challenge and trying to write from the perspective of an administrator as opposed to a teacher is proving tough.  I'll get it, just need to keep plugging away at it.  I'm still not sure what I'm going to do with this degree when I finish it I'm hoping that I'll get some clarity as I keep working.

Off to finish off my school day, teach a lesson and then hit the gym.  It's rainy and gross so I'm hoping for a nice run tomorrow.

2 minutes can mean so much

Happy Mother's Day!

I cut 2 minutes off last week's time for my 6 mile run!  I know that I took it slow last week and that was the original plan for this morning.  However, I was feeling so good that on miles 4 and 5 I really felt like I could push faster, so I did.  Maybe next week I'll get to cut another minute off in preparation for my first 10K of the year on the 23rd.

Not too much going on with any of my other goals, just trying to have a good week and stay on track.  I have turned down cake 3 times in the last 4 days which is HUGE for me.  I absolutely love desserts.  Yesterday I spent a few hours icing a Dora the Explorer cake with my friend Heather for her niece's birthday.  I managed to avoid the cake scraps and the icing even.  Last night at a b'day party, Officer BF and I left before the cake (we'd already been there 3 hours, we aren't THAT rude) and I'd made a healthier apple crumble that I left there for the other guests. 

I do have a new recipe update...not healthy at all.  Buffalo chicken dip was a hit!  I had a couple of bites but made sure to sit as far away as I could.

Fresh Start

So week one of the diet "take 2" was successful. 2lbs down! Now, to keep it up without losing momentum. The Biggest Loser was inspirational last night. It was so great to see how amazing everyone looked, I love makeover week!! Michael and Daris' hair, Sunshine's whole look, so much improved.

Today I taught a great lesson, went for a 3 mile jog and then made dinner. Grilled honey-ginger salmon, carrots and a whole wheat roll. Yummy and healthy! And...a new recipe to add to the list.

The budgeting is going well...I have enough money saved up for my 2 summer classes already. It'll hurt when that bill comes in and I have to watch the numbers go down.

Tonight, catching up on DVRS (This week's Glee is great!) with my feet up. I'm avoiding housework but I'll get around to it tomorrow I'm sure. If not, there's always the weekend. Dusting and laundry just have no pull when it's so gorgeous out.

6 mile mark!

I ran 6 miles yesterday! It's the first 10K (almost) run I've done and I'm a little achy today, but I finished. Now, I just have to keep up with workouts the rest of this week and I'll be onto something! I did my run on the path that runs from Nyack to Piermont and it's just gorgeous. It's so inspiring to run along the river. That, and Nyack Beach are my 2 favorite places to jog. When I hear "The Hudson" come on the ipod while I'm running it's even better.

New restuarant update: Went to the Sidewalk Bistro in Piermont last week with friends and it was a fantastic dinner! We had a salmon tartar and pizza for appetizers and I had scallops sauteed with homemade spinach pappardelle for my entree. AMAZING. The sauce had saffron infused into and was so yummy. Desserts were delicious as well, the apple tart was topped with rich vanilla ice cream and the cheese plate was a great savory dessert with grapes and apples.

I'm trying hard to get back on the diet wagon. I'm reading 'The Runners Diet" and hoping that helps me stay on track. Sparkpeople is helping with the calorie tracking...but does require me to actually do it. I actually tracked all weekend which is a big step in the right direction.

My biggest success, and a great time, was brunch with the girls on Sunday. My closest friends from HS were all in town the same day (a minor miracle!) and we got together for coffee, fruit and cake. I filled my plate with fruit, had a small piece of the apple tart and stayed "well-behaved." I focused instead on getting to be with some of the best people in the world. We've know each other more than 25 years and there's something comforting about being with people who know who that well!

Grad classes: I have finished 2 classes and signed up for 2 more. That will have me at 12 credits by the end of July, I'm looking for one more summer class to balance out the summer.

Time to get back to work...lessons and a mani-pedi this afternoon. My feet deserve it!

Spring Break, Easter and Grease!

My spring break was wonderful. I had time to relax, went upstate to visit Officer BF's sister and her family, went for a couple of runs, and went with Heather to visit Carlo's bakery. I also finished cake class #2, which I brought to Palm Sunday afternoon with the BF's family. I don't know that it qualifies as a new recipe but I can now make royal icing...and lots of different flowers.



I also managed to get to 2 new restaurants. Casey's up in Little Falls, NY where I had AMAZING scallops and Quinta Steakhouse in Pearl River where the steamed mussels were really great. Can you tell I love seafood? I think that puts me at 4 restaurants for the year....well on my way to the 10 I'm aiming for.




Easter was a great day with lots of family times on both sides. I sang 2 masses in the morning and then Officer BF and I had lunch with my family. This was followed by drinks with the cousins since it was such a beautiful day. I love being outside in Nyack on a gorgeous day. I am lucky to live here!


After my family time we went and picked up BF's nephews for a boys night with a stopoff for some dinner with their grandma and great-grandma. Those boys ate EVERYTHING "snacky" I had in my house that night. A box of Cheez-its, caramel popcorn and a 5lb bag of baby carrots! They're great boys and I loved having time with them. We played Wii games (love the Raving Rabbids!) and enjoyed the most recent installment of The Pacific


I went for a nice 3 mile run on Saturday morning and have another planned for this afternoon. I also have some new walking buddies which will help keep me motivated on non-running days. As additional incentive, I'm signed up for a 10K on June 13th. I'm hoping to add one on May 23rd as well.



This past week was show week at my school, which meant a lot of pizza, piano playing and time stuck inside on beautiful days. The show, Grease, turned out wonderfully and I couldn't be prouder of the kids involved. After a week of Easter break it was a long and tiring week so I'm vowing to get back on track with this whole running thing and weight loss (which should go hand in hand) this week.


And away we go!

Restaurant and Grad Class #2

Well, restaurant #2 was Joe & Joe's in Pearl River. Big portions of food, mostly Italian style, and it was yummy! The BF and I enjoyed it but think we still prefer the food at another Italian place up the road.

I had a great time this past Sunday at the Pearl River parade, my friends are great! I can't say I watched a lot of the parade but the social aspect of the day was fantastic. Plenty of Guinness and sunshine. Diet...what diet?

Tonight Officer BF and I will be heading upstate with the possibility of a 3rd new restaurant. (Yay!) There will definitely be relaxation time, which I desperately need. It was tech week here for our middle school show so I'm tired. Staying at school until 8 is wearing on me but it's almost spring break!

Plans for this upcoming week off...running, gym time, catching up on DVRs, healthy cooking and rest. There's the possibility of a trip to Cake Boss in Hoboken and hopefully some time with the girls also. Oh, and that all gets ended with 2 days of graduate class #2...woo hoo!!

Restaurant #1

Finally, a new restaurant!

I went out with Katie last night, to Woody's Parkside Tavern in Sparkill. It's restaurant week so for $28 each we had an appetizer, dinner and dessert. The food was excellent and the company was outstanding! I had steamed clams in a red curry broth, homemade papparedelle in a duck ragu and a spiced pear and ginger bread pudding. (Not such a good meal for the diet!) We also had a waitress who cracked us up, she was so chatty and conversational about everything. She was also very focused on "her boss" who she referred to at least a half dozen times. It was refreshing to hear an employee talk so nicely about their employer.

I made it to the gym Monday...Thursday is looking like my next chance to get there. Thursday is also parent-teacher conferences at school so it'll have be a quick workout. Saturday is going to be New Class day! Not sure what it's going to be yet, but maybe spinning.

Diet is going alright. I haven't gained any lately, just trying to get through this week with that goal. Starting Friday it's back on the "losing" track.

One more bag going to Goodwill is in the car and ready to get dropped, just have to do it.

Oh, Deer?

March 2nd Update....February go the best of me but I'm back on track. However, I made some awesome cakes (Andy's b'day cake is the pic today.) went on a great mini-vacation with the BF and ate EVERYTHING! I'm starting to feel much better today so I'm here for an update at the end of month 2. The BF is very supportive and we're trying to support each other. My resolutions 1-3 line up with stuff he wants to accomplish as well so it's nice to have a partner. Maybe it's time to share this blog with more people...

1. Lose 20 lbs
I'm still at 6 down...14 to go. I started back at the gym today after a week's break.

2. Cook 20 new recipes, 10 of them must be healthy.
So far I've cooked 6 new recipes, the icing for class is definitely NOT healthy, but it's useful. The brussel sprouts, beef burguignone (sp??) chicken spinach wraps and

3. Run a 10k in under 1:03
I've had pneumonia the last week or so. I got back to the gym today and have started strength training on top of cardio. I'm hoping that will help me in the big picture but I HATE it right now!

4. Read 20 books that qualify as literature, not brain candy.
"Gung Ho!", "The Spanish Bride", "The House of the Seven Sisters", "The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry" I'm also trying to start a book club which will help in this endeavor. Next up...The Winter Prince. I've actually been trying to get through it for a few weeks but reading for grad class and life overall gets in the way.

5. Try 10 new classes at the gym or workouts
Starting some strength training....

6 Complete 20 credits towards my 2nd masters degree
I am in the middle of my first 3 credit class and registered for the next. I'm hoping to take 3 more classes over the summer to get myself to 15 credits by the time school starts in the fall!

7. Be able to play at least 10 chords on guitar
Oh lord....so totally haven't started on this one!

8. Give away at least 10 bags of stuff to charities
I've given away 1, started a 2nd bag which I'm hoping to give away soon.

9. Try 10 new restaurants
Very behind on this one...mostly because of resolution 10!

10. Spend 10-20 minutes every week working on budgeting in an effort to save more and spend less.
I'm doing pretty well on this one! I still look upside down because of the classes I paid for so far but I'm planning to be better about saving and have opened a 2nd savings account to help me organize my $ better. I'm feeling better about my finances even though they don't show improvement quite yet.