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!