Totally Behind

I'm sorry.... totally behind on the blog because of life's varying circumstances. I promise the rest of the NYC trip is coming as well as the 2011 Fitness Challenge and other great things. Stay tuned for more...
Celeste

New York City - Day One

It always amazes me why people think New Yorkers are unfriendly. I would use a lot of words to describe the Big Apple. Words like busy, bustling, thriving, poor, rich, energetic, cutting-edge, artsy, cosmopolitan, strong, imposing, multi-faceted, daunting, culinary, hot and humid topped the list for this trip to the city that never sleeps. However, I have to admit with the exception of a few moments, I slept like an old man propped up in a chair. Out cold.

I managed to make it from Newark Liberty International Airport to New York's Penn Station to the hotel, with the monster suitcase, and didn't end up in Harlem, Queens or the Bronx. I thought I was doing pretty good as I hadn't navigated the subway on my own before. There are so many lines and choices... Shoulda taken the F-train instead of the C-train because I would have been closer to the hotel. Lesson learned. However, after a 30 minute wandering around the platforms and tunnels, I came up "close enough" and took a taxi the few blocks to the hotel. Smart move. As at that point, the suitcase was HEAVY and the heat and humidity had me drenched in sweat. I'm sure I was attractive. I got to the hotel.... and showered and even washed out my clothes so they wouldn't stink up the room or the suitcase. Line dry is a great thing.

This is the room I stayed in at the "Chelsea Inn." Trust me when I say there is nothing fancy about this room. This is one of the guest rooms where you have to share a bathroom with another room. In this case, I stayed in room 303 and had to share the loo with the occupants of 304. For the most part, this wasn't a problem as we both cleaned up after ourselves. However, the downside is if you really have to pee, you can't really yell at the person to hurry up as you would a family member or close friend. You have to wait it out. Waiting it out definitely isn't enjoyable.

And speaking of the bathrooms. These have obviously been redone as this style and such wasn't present when the brownstone was built in the 1880's. However, let me explain an oddity. There is a window in the shower that sits above the faucet. This means the shower head actually shoots down on the faucet and getting in the shower takes a little more unique effort. However, this window has an interesting view....

This is the ventilation shaft that runs up the building and all of the bathrooms have windows that face this shaft. No worries about people looking in at you while you are showering because they are staggered. However, I distinctly heard a gentleman singing in German. It actually sounded like Adele's "Rolling in the Deep." Who knows?

My first night in New York was the "surprise" for my sister's birthday. As it was a milestone, I worked it out with my brother-in-law, John, to arrive at the apartment so when they came home I would be waiting there. John was walking Romeo and Christina, I believe, had the bird. She didn't see me when she came in the living room and when she did. Massive freak out. Which is what I was going for. Score! (Two weeks of planning and preparation made for a good event.)

We went out to dinner at "Petite Abeille" which is right next door to the Chelsea Inn where I stayed. This is pretty close to Christina and John's apartment. The Belgian food was amazing. I had mussels for an appetizer and then fish and chips for dinner. I have to say New York is THE place for fish and chips (outside of England...) John and Christina had a couple of Belgian beers and some amazing food. I have tried to remember exactly what they had; however, exhaustion was setting in at dinner and that didn't go too far.

Shortly after dinner, I actually went back to the Inn and crashed to gear up for day two. This trip to New York was different from the other trips I have taken in that I can say with the exception of a Broadway show that ROCKED, I didn't really do any of the touristy things that people do in the city. I actually spent some time wandering around between 10th and 23rd streets between 5th and 6th Avenues. There are some amazing stores and the architecture just can't be topped. More on that to come....

Day 136 - The Latest...

Why do I keep starting my blog titles with Day #so and so? Well, at day 142, it will be June 1st so this is the the number of days from when I started this blog up again. There's no other rhyme or reason and after June 1st, I may or may not continue the practice. I hope that answers the question for you. Now on to other more important things.

Sun. I love the sun. I can't say I'm a sun goddess because I believe to meet that definition, I would have to live in Malibu and walk around as a size 2 in a teeny, weeny bikini. However, I am solar-powered and need to lie in the sun to recharge every so often. While many would tout the cancer-causing effects of the sun, I would tout the fact I'm less bitchy and far more fulfilled on my vitamin D requirements. The goal today is to grab some of that vitamin D because I just like a better attitude and a little less pastiness. And if you need a few other reasons to catch a ray...

"...it has been proven that getting sufficient sunlight aids in preventing chronic ailments such as seasonal affective disorder (SAD), osteoporosis, mental depression, type 2 diabetes, and cancers affecting the bladder, breasts, cervix, colon, ovaries, prostrate, and the stomach. To put it more succinctly, sunlight serves as the perfect medicinal pill in promoting a healthy lifestyle."

Speaking of healthy lifestyles...

Dancing with the Stars had their season finale last night. Hines Ward took hime the mirrorball trophy. The Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver was in pretty decent shape when the whole thing started. Competitor Kirstie Alley - not so much. However, with all of the dancing and training, Kirstie has whittled away 38 inches of her body from when she started. 38. That's a big number and rumor has it she's dropped approximately 60 pounds to wear almost an American size 6 and . I'm seriously wondering if I need to start dancing for a few hours every day... I'm willing to do so. Meanwhile....

I'm breaking out of my well-padded comfort zone and trying a bunch of new classes at the Amarillo Town Club. They are changing the class schedules in a couple of weeks, but I have to say that at the moment, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE yoga. I'm not a fan of group exercise, but for that, I am willing to bear with it. Other classes I'm going to be trying out include the Les Mills "Body Pump" and "Body Step" and maybe even "Body Combat." I'm also planning to test my coordination (HA!) with Zumba and even things out with pilates. Time to try something new and different.... and time to get back to work. More later from the flip side.

Day 126 - Memory....

....All alone in the moonlight
I can smile at the old days
I was beautiful then
I remember the time I knew what happiness was
Let the memory live again


I've been going though a lot of memories lately and why not pick a song that fits, eh? Katie's junior prom was last night. She was STUNNING and it made me feel strangely old. I remember mine and that's just a little weird. One of her friends put this crown of fresh baby flowers in her hair and it was all done up etc. She was a princess.....

So now and abrupt change of subject:
I'm being a good girl and drinking a Nature's Plus: Spiru-Tein High Protein Energy Shake for breakfast accompanied by an orange. This is day 3 of breaking old habits and getting healthier. Again. But this time, it's actually working. The goal is 30-60 minutes of exercise daily, 8 glasses of liquid (no sodas or anything like that) daily, and eating right. I'll admit the small handful of Chex Mix I ate throughout the day yesterday lured me into the depths of temptation, but I fought back. Obviously, I'm a little carb sensitive and need to leave ALL processed carb-loaded foods alone. Last night I went walking. 1.9 Miles. My right knee hurt and the bone chip floating around in the bottom of my left footie didn't feel so well. Losing weight is NOT fun. I just want to state that for the record. However, I AM the one who let herself get in this condition and I AM the only one who can get myself back out. The good news though... the scale budged just a little bit this morning. Woot!!!

One of the reasons for getting in shape is I've grown out of the clothes I love to wear. I have some AWESOME clothes stashed away and can't wear them. Yet. One of the things stashed is a mini-suit. I love this thing and can't wear it. I'm hoping to be able to in the next few months. It's going to require the loss of a solid 30 pounds though. Yeah... I said 30. Add that to the other 30 I would love to lose, but would be happy with 20. 50. Fifty pounds is the goal. Sixty is "idealistic." I'm carrying around a small extra person that's NOT supposed to be there. My knees and feet definitely feel it.

And with all this said, I must get busy for the day. The busier I am, the more weight I'll lose. Yes... even cleaning house and yardwork burns calories. The only thing I really miss this morning is Starbucks.

Day 121 - What Not to Wear

In the overall scheme of things, there are many things a person shouldn't wear, even though it sounds like a great idea at the time.

Do not wear light colored pants if you are wearing underwear that has polka-dots or a dark-colored, floral design on them. I'd say someone got dressed in the dark to miss that or they didn't realize their pants were that "thin." However, I've seen it twice today and in one of those instances, my eyeballs need to be flushed with NAPALM and even that won't get the image out of my head.

Along the lines of clothing disasters, I know I'm among the minority and want clothes to fit, but I don't want them to actually hug my body. There are several comfy reasons to this, but primarily I don't need everyone in any kind of radius counting the bumps and bulges my body has collected. Yesterday, there was a woman who was wearing a tight shirt. I know this is all the fashion rage, but when I can count three ridges above the muffin-top, something is wrong. Let's leave the tight fitting clothes to movie stars who always seem anorexic to me.

And let's talk glam... prom season is here. I actually like prom season because there are some gorgeous dresses out there. And there are some that make you wonder what the heck happened?
Case in point:

I would have to say this poor thing was attacked by someone who wanted their bed linens back. Honey, Paris Hilton couldn't pull this look off.

And when talking about bad prom dresses. Does anyone besides me remember the 80's? I actually still have my senior prom dress (at my parent's house, where I am NOT living.) But if you don't remember some of the horiffic creations, either watch "Pretty in Pink" or "Never Been Kissed." I prefer the later because of Josie Geller's dress. It's prime 80's material as evidenced here:

The big sleeves and puffy dresses aren’t my ideal of “fashion.” And I have to admit, I can’t stand when attending 80′s throwback parties because I can never seem to find something to wear that I actually LIKE... (Another blog all together, I'm sure.)

Hopefully you have not fallen into any of these fashion traps and if you have, I would recommend you seek professional counselling and a stylist immediately.

Day 109 - Idol, White Wedding, and Sleep

Let's start with my fodder from Idol. Last night's performances of Carol King tunes, which is ALL the rage with hipsters these days, was interesting. I have to wonder if this theme was chosen to keep the two remaining females in the competition as it really doesn't make much sense no matter how you look at it. There were 6 solos and 3 duets and I have to say at this point - not really a fan of any of the duets last night. But one contestant stood out from the rest of the pack, again. James Durbin. He totally slayed "Will You Still Love me?" and was by far the best of the night. So... predictions on who I think will be in what position after the votes are tallied:

Top 3
1. James - that was outstanding. Bar none the best.
2. Casey - It wasn't as good as past performances, but not much competition tonight
3. Scotty - All things being equal, parts were really good and it was nice to see him not rely on the LOWs in his voice.

Bottom 3
4. Lauren - She sang it safe and predictable. I'm still confused as to how one's voice cracking qualifies one as a good singer.
5. Haley - So-So performance.
6. Jacob - Has got to go. And whoever dressed him like a spastic golfer had to have been drunk.

In other news, tomorrow there will be a new princess in England. While many really don't care, I'm looking forward to seeing this little event. I don't know that I will get up at 0300, but I do want to see bits and pieces. It's a cool day for Great Britain and I hope they enjoy the show.

Because of the wedding, I will experience a lack of sleep. I don't know about you, but my functionality of this week is already waning and I need a nap even as I write this. Somehow, there is a great force in the universe that has put up a blockade against my efforts to snooze, but hopefully, I will go to bed a wee bit early and get a few good hours in. I hope.
More later...

Day 107 - Part Deux

The Hayes side of the family hasn't been known for it's fabulous health for a long time. I try to keep the complaining down to a minimum, but today I have to say I feel crummy. Massive upset tummy for the past two days, pain in my tummy and I ended up with a migraine at work this afternoon that took 3, count them, three Excedrine migraines to flush out. Not even Billy Joel could help that one... in fact I want to blame Billy Joel and using massive amounts of brain power to try to remember the lyrics to that stupid song. However, I was saved by a friend of mine who posted the entire song on my Facebook page. God bless you, BJ!

We are having a family dinner at the in-laws tonight. I love them and want to see them. I do not however wish to consume much in the way of food. I have a feeling my body will reject any and all attempts to get some vital nutrition in it. So far today I have had a large cup of chocolate silk, an egg with a little bit of wellll drained sausage, some rice, an orange and a 6 pack of Oreos to eat when I took the migraine meds. Not overly healthy, eh? (Long drawn out sigh here.) Hopefully dinner will be light.

"Deadliest Catch" is on tonight. Woot!!! I love that show. I know I have mentioned it before, but I'm sure that after I watch it, I will consider my aches and pains a little more trivial. I can't imagine what it's REALLY like up on the Bering Sea, but based on what I have seen... those men are truly men of steel.

Time to leave for dinner... Hugs!