Back in the saddle

Okay, so it's time to really start writing again.  Only 1 problem, I don't feel like I know where to go with this anymore.  Any suggestions??

In lieu of something great to blog about, I'll just tell you about life.  We have had 2 snow days in the last 2 weeks of school and I still have NO interest in going to work.  One of my 2 concerts has been snowed out twice and rescheduled for Feb. 17th!!  Ridiculous if you ask me...which no one really did.  I'm frustrated about it and there really is nothing I can do.  I'm trying to keep the kids motivated when I'm completely uninterested myself which makes every morning that much less motivating.

I am continuing to go to the gym.  I did well last week, with a 1.2% loss.  I'm just about done working with the nutritionist, I don't think that the same meal plan for 12 weeks is what I want my life to be.  It's a great basis for most days and has helped me in eating breakfast and lunch every day as well as portion awareness/control but not realistic for me.  I like to cook and try new things way too much!

I love my new Kindle...I hate wanting to buy books all the time.  I'm trying to read the free ones and use that resource but am finding that most of them are "inspirational" which can get old quickly.  I don't mind an occasional reference but the last one was a bit much for me.

Okay...so I would love recommendations for blog topics, new recipes for healthy eating and cheap/free books that are Kindle compatible.

2011 Goals

Ok...here goes.  Goals for 2011:

1.  Continue working with my trainer and lose 16 pounds.
2.  When I have lost this weight, give the "fat clothes" away so I have no excuse to grow back into them!
3.  Finish the application process and coursework for my administrative certificate.  Start the internship in the fall even though it scares me.
4.  Make it to MA+60 by August
5.  Try another 10 new recipes this year...aim to make them healthy!
6.  Get back into running and run a half marathon this fall.
7.  Paint 2 rooms in the condo and pick out window treatments I like.

Something like this for the living room windows???

There may be a few more coming, but I think 7 is a good start on this year.  I have the feeling there will be some changes on the horizon as well so I'm going to leave some room to add to my list as the year continues.  2011, here I come!

Year in Review

I feel good about this year's resolutions even though I didn't meet all of them all the way.  I have been LOVING working with a trainer and I think that's the step I'm most proud of.  It's expensive but worth it because I've stayed motivated and actually lost a little bit over the holidays instead of gaining!  And I'm talking miniscule amounts, but still WAY better than previous years.

So...let's see how I've done.


1. Lose 20 lbs
       I have lost 20lbs...but not at all once.  I think I'm at a solid 7 right now from the beginning of October.  I believe the rest of these 20lbs will be found on my resolutions for 2011.  What I have done that is more important is making lifestyle changes over the last 3 months.
2. Cook 20 new recipes, 10 of them must be healthy.
     Absolutely!  I think the venison stew was the most recent "big hit"

3. Run a 10k in under 1:03
    Not even close.  Oh well, maybe another year.

4. Read 20 books that qualify as literature, not brain candy.
    I think so...the Kindle I got for Christmas from my parents this year should help me read even more this year.  I stopped counting which probably means I'm over 20...  I'm starting this year with Emma by Jane Austen and Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain

5. Try 10 new classes at the gym or workouts
     Absolutely yes, mostly thanks to my trainer.  Spinning, Solutions and stairmasters were all new for me.  Kettlebells are seriously a tough workout and I really love it when we do "caveman" workouts.  Sledgehammers and big tires can be very empowering!

6 Complete 20 credits towards my 2nd masters degree
   21!!!  Oh yea!  I have 4 more classes to take between now and August to make it MA +60
7. Be able to play at least 10 chords on guitar
    Nope...decided I like my long nails a little too much for this one.  Also, I live with a guitarist now so I'm much less motivated to need this.  He plays all the time and I much prefer listening!
8. Give away at least 10 bags of stuff to charities
     Absolutely!  I dropped off one last bag on the 28th and it was great.  I even gave away SHOES!

9. Try 10 new restaurants
    Thanks to some traveling and friends this was the easiest one.  Blue Fig in New City, Oliver's in Katonah and Garrison's in Montgomery were some of the highlights!

10. Spend 10-20 minutes every week working on budgeting in an effort to save more and spend less.
       I don't know that I met the time requirement but I have definitely saved more.  I haven't had to dip into long-term savings to pay for grad classes and I raised my 403b contributions so that I won't be broke when I'm retired.  I want to be able to enjoy that time of my life even more that I'm enjoying this time.

This has been a great year.  I am so thankful for my amazing friends, my dependable and wonderful man and especially my family.  There were definite high and low points but I think that 2011 has even more potential to be great.  I'm in a great place with my family, relationship and career and I don't know that I've ever felt that way before.   Next post will have 2011 goals...not sure if they'll all relate to "11" yet.

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...