Now I know I made a comment earlier in the week about the boots I bought last weekend.....but now I've worn them 4 days straight I think it's time for me to gush about them.
They have a 3 inch heal....but they are so, so comfy. My feet don't ache - even if I walk a mile.
I'm going back this coming weekend and buy 2 more pairs for storage.
Oh yeah - and they cost $35!
Thanks Penny for this...agreed, it reminds me of the I never drinking game. It's the opposite of the I Never. So below you'll see in bold all the things I've done and in italics all the things I want to do.
Thanks to Bob for this meme... Bold means I've done it; Italics means I want to...
Phil - This sooo reminds me of a certain night playing drinking games. I'm thinking you and I might have a ton of unusual things we could add to this - i.e., present when woman admits to current boyfriend that she'd had sex for cash... etc.
01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said “I love you” and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Played touch football
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken (not yet anyway)
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight (I have absolutely no idea what D&D is...)
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an “expert”
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Kissed on the first date
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror
96. Raised children
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds (well maybe not 100....but 50 would be good)
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Touched a stingray
110. Broken someone’s heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Touched a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad - and the Odyssey
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head (but I'll never have the nerve)
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life
Time has flown by - I had every intention of putting a Thanksgiving update through, then the weekend, then work but it's been so crazy and busy I've not had time. So grab a drink, some snacks and don't get bored:)
Rachel flew in on Thanksgiving morning - we didn't do much other than hang out and eat a full roast - lamb, veg, chocolate cake. We did get some movie watching in - saw Mission Impossible 3 for the first time. Complete crap. I can't believe how awful it was - not that the first 1 or 2 were brilliant but they were worth a watch. It was nice to do nothing. We exchanged gifts too - it was lovely to receive things where a lot of thought had gone into them. Carrieanne sent me a clock that stainless steel...and goes with our decor perfectly. I love it. Rachel gave me an Elton John room scent for the wall socket - love it. Also got a book "The world of Karl Pilkington". If you've not listened to the Ricky Gervais pod casts...then I urge you to - they're so funny. This book is by one of the guys on that. Saving that one for my holiday.
Friday I worked in the morning, Trev and Rachel headed into Manhattan. They walked around Central Park and stuff. We then braved the crowds in the shops as Rach wanted to go to Tiffanys. There, she bought a ring for herself - she was so proud, it was her first completely frivolous purchase! Way to go. We went down to Union Square and shopped - I didn't find anything but Rachel found shoes and a coat. We ended up going home and watching the Davinci Code. Good movie - not as good as the book, but as movies go it was pretty good.
Saturday we headed into Manhattan again - this time to a place called Pomme Frites in Greenwich Village. This is a place that has Belgium fries....with mayo and loads of other sauces (I had Irish Curry - damn good). Pretty good chips they were too. After pigging out on that we went to a wine bar to chill out for a bit before heading uptown to go and see a show - Avenue Q. It's basically muppets for adults - pretty flipping funny. Seats were blinking uncomfortable too.
By this time I was exhausted.....but with a visitor who wants to see NYC we kept going. On Sunday we headed out to an outlet mall. This time it was my time to spend money - they had Ann Taylor - who's clothes I love for work. Got a great deal - 3 twin sets, 3 turtle necks and 1 sweater. All for $250. While that sounds a lot, usually a twin set will run about $90-100....so getting them for $50. Awesome! I'm set until the summer now. I also managed to find the most comfortable pair of boots going....and they have a heal too. Rach didn't find anything at all to buy....a real shame.
Great weekend had by all - am completely exhausted, but well worth it.
Back at work yesterday - and back to working on performance reviews for everyone, all 57 of them. Oh joy. Good job I love my job. I walked past the Macy's Christmas display last night - while completely amazing my walk to the train is hindered considerably. Sucks. But the display was very cute. Guess I'll be getting the subway for that 10 blocks.
A slight rant. I remember being brought up when on buses on trains to give up my seat to someone who's elderly or clearly in need of a seat. It blew me away tonight that a lady who had to be about 75 walked onto the train and not a single person offered their seat up. Well, apart from me that is. I hope people are nicer when i'm 75....although I'm mouthy enough to actually ask to sit down!
I did manage to get some exercise in - I met my trainer early Friday morning and did pilates on Saturday. I felt pretty noble eating the fries that's for sure!! Mind you today....I actually ordered a burger at work for lunch........I must have been hankering for red meat coz it tasted fabulous. I did get my butt kicked at the gym tonight; 20mins on the ski machine thingy....and then Billy made damn sure that I worked enough to pay for it. At least tonight I didn't fancy much dinner and just made a fruit smoothie (my latest "thing"). So...pretty healthy!
The other thing I've done is finally ordering an IPOD Nano. My MP3 player has given up - it craps out after about 30 mins and occasionally lets off a high pitch buzz. So - I did it..... I joined the ranks of the IPOD. Yeah to me.
OK, that's it!
So, working off the Thanksgiving dinner, I went to the gym this morning early so I could meet up with Trev and Rach in the city later.
While I like pilates and getting my butt kicked by the trainer, I have never really liked the cardio portion of the workout - that's the bike, ellyptical, stairs, ski machine etc. I find it tiring and boring all at the same time.
However, the new machine I found (see http://www.technogym.com/cardiowave/default.asp?pc=0&lng=2) is different. Not only does it feel like it's working every muscle in your lower body, I don't get bored at all. It helps there's a TV to watch at the same time, although I don't do that too much. Usually I stay until I've done 10 minutes, but with this I can knock out 20 minutes no problem. And don't think I'm doing it on an easy level.....of the 1-25 levels there are, I chose level 15 today.
The best thing about it is the calorie burning part. Today I did 22 minutes and burnt 350 calories.
Now, there's a reason to do it. That means I can eat a Twix completely guilt free today! Yeeeeha
Dude....one day I'll have a gym-body.....if it kills me:)
OK, so yesterday I had a 2.30pm doctor's appointment about my cough. Trev also had a doctor's appointment to have his stitches out (he had a mole removed a week or so back). The plan was to meet up with a friend for a beer before heading home. I figured i'd be done by 3.30, and he'd be done shortly after.
Yeah...right! I didn't get done until 5.30pm....I couldn't answer my phone as I was the doctor's office (and my bag was in the doc's office so i couldn't call), so when I got out i called immediately and left a message. He called back and we agreed to meet at the train station as our friends had gone home. I ran to the subway, got stuck for 15 mins underground, and then when I got outside for whatever reason the train was 6 blocks from where we're going to meet.
I ran my ass off (literally I might add!). When I finally got the station I got the "where the
Whatever....we got to Hoboken in silence, I put in a prescription and we went to dinner. At least I got an apology. But flipping heck....was it really necessary?
No...it wasn't
While this is not a holiday I grew up with, Thanksgiving is a time I use to think back on the year...
- I'm glad I took this job in NYC
- I'm glad Mum's surgery was not cancer...and that she's around to tell the tale
- I had a great vacation in Scotland in August with my family (pity Trev wasn't there...but we had fun anyway)
- I'm (almost) glad we're in debt up to our ears for our condo....I feel so much more settled
- I'm happy that Rachel graduated from college and found a job
- I'm glad Carrieanne has found happiness and that she's settled with Chris - him proposing to her with her family around her was so cute
- I'm thankful that both of our full physicals came back with minimal issues (I have to lose weight, Trev had a mole removed)
- I'm glad I'm finally getting to go on holiday, albeit right before Christmas
- I'm glad I got a "OK" payrise to move out here....we would never be OK without it (even though I think I should have stuck out for another $20k)
- I'm glad I've persevered at the gym and am making paying for a trainer a priority (luckily I get bonuses too!)
- I'm glad Trev found a job he enjoys (although you wouldn't think so most of the time)
- I'm glad i get buckets of vacation....and am forcing myself to take time off
Other stuff
- I miss seeing friends and family more often. I feel like we've got back 10 years now we're in NYC, and we're creating that environment with friends all over again
- I hated moving. 3 temp apartments, several weeks in a hotel and almost 6 months without our stuff was hard on us individually and as a couple - it put a strain on everything, but now it's much better:)
- I hate the fact that I'm so close to finishing my MBA and can never find the time to finish. 2 electives, 2 exams and a dissertation is all that's left
As I head into next year and another decade comes upon me it's exciting. I like being older....I am more settled, know what I want and don't waste time procrastinating (well, not too much anyway).
OK, so I finally, finally succumbed to Fresh Direct. This is a company website (freshdirect.com) where you can order food online and they deliver for a nominal $5.95. You get to pick the time they deliver. Coming off the train I got a coupon for 2 x $25 off...so I figured - what could I lose?
So far, I'm impressed. The produce was incredibly fresh - and while it was a little more expensive, most importantly I didn't have to go to the store to get it.
Now I have one more $25 coupon to use up - not actually sure what for yet as now my fridge is busting at the seams..but i'm sure I can think of something before Christmas:)
The question is - will I use it going forward or will my miserly ways come out and I'll go to the cheapo store:)
It's back...with a vengeance. Anyone who's known me for more than a year will know that I get a hacking cough for about 3 months every year. In Iowa it was between November and March, in Missouri it was July to September and now in New York it appears that it's back to November to March. It sucks.
I haven't found a doctor yet - so I'm eating cough drops til they go out of fashion, I've tried cough medicine and it's still there. The only respite I get is first thing in the morning - until I get up i don't cough. Weird eh?
I know now I'm going to have to find a doctor..... and go through the battery of tests I usually do, and quite frankly don't have time for.
Woo flipping hoo
Weird, but when frying eggs for dinner tonight, have you ever seen 2 double yolked eggs.... one after the other. Check out the pic:)
Ok this was really weird. It was on the train last week about 8pm (I'd gone for dinner with a friend). I'm sitting in my seat listening to loud music as always...the guy opposite me has clasped in his hand a teddy bear and he's rubbing the feet of the bear over and over and over....all the time his hands are in his lap. I know it sounds stupid....but it was really really weird - he seemed to really like it. The guy was probably 35.
Spooky....
Tonight, for the first time I rushed onto the train (it was departing just as i got there and I saw a seat - the ONLY ONLY reason I would ever run - and it was 10 paces!) took off my backpack as I sat down......
.... and all my stuff went over the floor of the train. Can you believe that?
Luckily I had my blackberry, my makeup bag, sweater and a hairbrush...that was all. Even so, I felt like a complete idiot.
This week has been a complete blur - I'm helping out at one of my clients because between the client, my team and the account team they couldn't organize a p*** up in a brewery. Luckily I'm a project manager at heart....so have them all organized already. All I'm doing now is making sure that my team lead follows through. Hopefully my magic will work!
Trev's been away most of this week again, although he's home tonight which is nice. Not sure what we have planned this weekend, but we've decided we have to "do something" every weekend. We're spending way too much time at home doing nothing and quite frankly i feel like i'm 90.
We have tickets booked to a show, so we'll see how it goes.
The gym is driving me nuts. While I saw my trainer again, all the coaches and stuff are starting to quit - they're not getting paid regularly which sucks. My pilates teacher who i love is leaving in 2 weeks, and that's terrible. I'm so upset as I really like that class. Hopefully i'll find out where else she's teaching and i'll go there instead. For Billy (my trainer), I'm hoping he'll hang around. Mind you, I've been swearing about him as my thighs are hurting like crap right now.
Ok, more later
| Your Political Profile: |
| Overall: 25% Conservative, 75% Liberal |
| Social Issues: 0% Conservative, 100% Liberal |
| Personal Responsibility: 0% Conservative, 100% Liberal |
| Fiscal Issues: 50% Conservative, 50% Liberal |
| Ethics: 25% Conservative, 75% Liberal |
| Defense and Crime: 50% Conservative, 50% Liberal |
| You Are 56% Pure |
 You're usually the typical girl or guy next door... But you also have a secret naughty side! |
| You Are 50% Boyish and 50% Girlish |
You are pretty evenly split down the middle - a total eunuch. Okay, kidding about the eunuch part. But you do get along with both sexes. You reject traditional gender roles. However, you don't actively fight them. You're just you. You don't try to be what people expect you to be. |
| You Are: 50% Dog, 50% Cat |
 You are a nice blend of cat and dog. You're playful but not too needy. And you're friendly but careful. And while you have your moody moments, you're too happy to stay upset for long. |
Hmmm....so, I've got to the point where I like my classes (yoga, pilates), I like my trainer, and I'm starting to see results. So why, couldn't it run beautifully?
My trainer called tonight about 30 mins before my class and it turns out that the staff at the gym haven't been paid in weeks. It's awful - it's not like they just didn't get paid - they got actual checks written out that bounced. I totally understand why he called to say he couldn't work - I'd do the same.
I'm so upset about that. I will be so bummed out if I have to change trainer or gym. I'm in a groove - I don't think I'd ever say I love it, but the saying is true - "you never, ever leave a gym feeling bad".
The gym is relatively new, and i guess not getting enough business. It sucks.
Trev had a mole removed today, it looks pretty horrible, but hopefully he'll recover soon. He had a local injection so by the time we'd eaten he was asleep. Hence why I'm writing this on a Friday night.
Ya know, having a blog is all fine and dandy - but nothing replaces the real time exchange of information.
Penny's got her IM back....yeah! Only 2 days in and it's better.
Mum and Dad are back from Turkey soon and they'll have IM again too.
Yeah - what would we do without technology?
Things always come in threes...right? I've had 3 days compliments in the last 3 days.
1) My eye makeup
2) I look thinner.....(I ALWAYS love this one)
3) My eye makeup
On #1 and #3 Caroline and I (when she was visiting) spent a couple of hours at the Clarins counter at Macy's while her friends were shopping and got made-up. I liked it so much I bought the eye shadow. I guess it works. Who knew?
Now, I know that #1 and #3 are technically the same.....but c'mon - it was from 2 different people on 2 different days.
On #2 - I guess paying for a trainer is helping. I'm not losing weight, but my shape is definitely changing. I guess all that working out, yoga and pilates is paying off. I now easily can do 3 lots of 50 crunches.....who'd have thought?
hahahahah
| Your Quirk Factor: 34% |
 You have a few little quirks, but you generally blend in well with society. Only those who know you well know how weird you can be. |
I tell ya - why isn't anything easy? Why is it that I feel I'm doing the organizing for a vacation, and then it all backfires. Drives me absolutely nuts.
I finally convince Trev he needs a vacation, and we agree that we'll take a week away sometime between Thanksgiving and Christmas. The dates originally were around Dec 11th.......then it was the 12th, then the 13th, then the 14th.....
I find a secluded island in The Grenadines...to go and lie on a beach for a week. yeah! Takes a while to get there (4.5 hours to Barbados, then about another 90 mins - 1 flight and 1 boat trip). Should be worth it though!
Anyhow...I digress. So all this week while nagging Trev to get approval for his vacation, I've been looking at flights from NYC, ideally direct. I find an AWESOME ticket - about $325 return each, I give him all the details and he agrees. Just as I'm about to click the purchase button, he throws this huge hissy fit because it's not the 14th. Oh good grief....it was ridiculous. "I have a big rollout, why don't you ever listen?, why don't you just go on your own". I think the last comment was the best, don't you? What a wally. Ruined the mood for the evening....if you know what I mean.
Anyhow - we managed to get tickets (more expensive though) for the Friday....and we should have Palm Island booked in the next day or so. Here's the link if you're interested.
http://www.eliteislandresorts.com/site/resorts.asp?resortID=15&islandID=4#top
I'm so glad my bonus is paid quarterly and I get accelerators. I'm also glad that I'm getting a 2006 vacation. You never know, it may be as good as Heron Island in Australia!!
