I have gratitude today for...
* a great day prospecting for the magazine. 
* my invisaline consultation at Simple Beautiful Smiles with my friend Jess. I am so excited to finally move forward with this. I've been talking about fixing my teeth for over 6 years and I'm finally doing something about it!
* lunch with Jess at Teikoku. Great food and good company. 
* a friend of mine coming over today so we could talk some things out. I hate confrontation although I'm thankful I'm able to deal with it reasonably well (I think) and I'm able to talk things out with people. 
* catching up some more on The Office with Andy---love, love, love that show!
* talking with Kerry. We made plans for her hair trial and a night for me to come over so we can make a music play list for after the reception.
* the Phillies finally starting to hit runs!

I have gratitude today for...
* being able to get up super early this morning and driving to the Monday sales meeting without feeling like I was about to fall asleep. 
* a wonderful girls night with Viki & Lori at Vik's house. She made a fantastic dinner! We sat outside, drank wine, talked and laughed for hours. I love these nights with them so much. 
* Trader Joe's wine. 

I have gratitude today for...
* spending time on the 2nd floor deck reading my book. 
* the beautiful weather we had this weekend. 
* another boat ride this afternoon, this time in the ocean!
* the Phillies sweeping the Padres.
* our trip to the Wildwood boardwalk; we went on two roller coasters, the big swing ride and had Mack's for dinner. 
* that I've finally started buying all of the Origins products I bought for my face. I've been intimidated because I've never really used a "skin care regimen" but I'm hoping this helps with the redness that I'm so self-conscious about. 

I have gratitude today for...
* having the day off, woo hoo!
* Andy going to the Stone Harbor sidewalk sale with me. We found Avalon t-shirts for $5 and I got a great new (comfortable) pair of flip-flops!
* our spontaneous stop at Stone Harbor pizza for lunch.
* a boat ride this afternoon with Joe, Christa, Andy, Jeff & Megan, Olivia, Aiden & Ali.  
* the Phillies win again!
* going back to the sidewalk sale with Megan and looking at all of the clothes on sale. Everything I liked didn't fit right but she got some great stuff and we had a fun time. 
* babysitting Jeffrey & James with Andy tonight. We had so much fun watching movies and playing with the boys. They have such great personalities and make us laugh all the time. 

I have gratitude today for...
* having Megan's help with cleaning this morning. We got 2 houses done in 3 1/2 hours!
* the salad with grilled chicken that I had for lunch, I need to start eating better (again!)
* spending the afternoon on the beach with Megan & Jeff, Jeffrey, James, Erin & Jeff. The weather was perfect and I finally started a new book (Mennonite in a Little Black Dress). 
* the soft serve ice cream cones we got on the boardwalk, I haven't had on all summer; so much for the eating better idea.
* eating dinner outside on the deck. 
* watching the Phillies and relaxing with Andy. 

"Turn difficulties into learning opportunities." -Albert Einstein

I have gratitude today for...
* setting up some meetings to hopefully set me up for some sales next month. 
* lunch at Cactus Restaurant & Bar in Manayunk with Adrienne.
* the short nap I took in the family room this afternoon with the windows open when I got to Avalon. I felt like I was going to fall asleep on my way here and needed to rest for a little bit. 
* going to Jeff & Megan's rental and hanging out with her family tonight. 

"We are not human beings on a spiritual journey. We are spiritual beings on a human journey." -Stephen Covey

I have gratitude today for...
* lunch with John & Brian at UNO's 
* a relaxing evening with Andy. We grilled filet mignon, watched the Phillies game and had a nice time hanging out. We've hardly seen each other lately. 

"Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That's why it's called the present." -Eleanor Roosevelt

Today I have gratitude for...
* Dad giving me a ride to the Honda dealership. Dropped it off for timing belt and water pump replacement, 90,000 mile service and for them to fix my gas tank, woo hoo. 
* Bagels 'N Cream bagels; you don't get bagels like that in PA
* my shopping trip with Kelly. We got a whole bunch of wine at Trader Joe's and I bought adorable dishes at Pier 1 for dips/salsas. TJ Maxx always has something good too :-)
* family time in the car on the way to Long Island with Mom, Dad & Kelly
* being able to attend Mrs. Scudieri's (my Uncle Tony's mom) viewing. She was almost 97 years old and was the sweetest lady. Seeing all of the old pictures of her was really cool, she was a beautiful lady and lived a fantastic life. I was reminded to keep living life and be happy for every day we have here on Earth. 
* going to dinner with Mom, Dad, Kelly, Grandma & Grandpa, Uncle Tony, Aunt Kathy, Chris & Brian. It was nice to have some time with them before we drove back to NJ. 
* things (for the most part ) going smoothly with my car today. They quoted me high to get my gas tank fixed but agreed to match the price of another dealership. 
* finally seeing Andy, I missed him :-)
* a crazy and exciting Phillies game. I got home in the 9th and little did I know we'd have 7 more innings to watch before the game ended. It was disappointing they lost but was entertaining to watch! It's times like these that I wonder how some people "don't like sports". 

"The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one." Elbert Hubbard

I have gratitude today for...

* getting a good night's sleep after a long weekend.

* talking with the nice guy at Hamilton Honda about my car and what it needs now that it's reached 90,000 miles. The best part was when he asked for me email address and afterwards said "for Dave Matthews Band?" He's the first person ever (in the 15+ years I've had cmdmb) to comment on my email address. We proceeded to have a 5 min. conversation about the band. 

* shopping and lunch at Panera with Missy & Dane.

* spending some time catching up on my blog.

* the dress for Kerry's fitting me (for the most part.) It only needs a few minor alterations. I am happy with the dress I choose and excited to wear it!

* a relaxing evening with Mom, Dad, Max & Moe

Bottled Up...

I have a list of "blog topics" piling up in an email I send to myself every so often. I have the intentions of writing about things that are on my mind and then don't ever follow through. I feel like I have thousands of thoughts bottled up but I don't have the time to let them out. 

No matter how much running around I do I can't (and don't) make everyone happy. I often feel I'm being pulled in several directions, and I don't even have kids yet. My relationships with the people in my life are very important to me, and I never feel "caught up." I also hate feeling like I'm disappointing friends/family.

I've fallen off the wagon with exercise (again.) My problem is I have no desire to do it---ever. I need someone to show up at my doorstep and make me do it, I just don't want to (and shouldn't) pay what it costs to have a trainer. I should be able to get my ass moving on my own. I want a flatter stomach and less flabby arms and it's not going to happen by just "thinking about" exercise. Why can't I be one of those people that "love running"---or are they all just lying?

We're almost 75% of the way through this year, hard to believe isn't it? I am pleased with myself for sticking with this blog (although I get wayyyy backed up sometimes.) But all of those other things I was aiming for have faded. Time to get back on track...

"Not everything has to mean something." Philippos

I have gratitude today for...

* getting to the Christening on time this morning. Always a challenge when I don't know where I'm going. 

* a beautiful ceremony for Dane and having the honor of being is Godmother. 

* visiting Chrissy, Ray & Bella. She is the cutest little thing!

* remembering what a great life my uncle's mom, Mrs. Scudieri lived. She passed away at 97 years old today and I hope I am as fortunate to live a life of love and happiness like she did. She was an amazing woman and now gets to be with her husband and sister in heaven.

 * having the flexibility to stay in NJ tonight and tomorrow so I didn't have to drive back and forth for the services.

* the Army Wives season finale---it actually had a happy ending!

* playing with Max & Moe and their funny toys; and especially the cat app I found on my phone with cat sounds, it was really funny watching them trying to figure out what was going on.

* the new issue of Eating Well magazine.

"Things turn out best for those who make the best of the way things turn out." Jack Buck

I have gratitude today for...

* the walk Mom & I took around the lake and the shops in Robbinsville. 

* lunch at The Landing in New Hope with Mom & Dad.

* laying down for a little while before I had to leave to go to Katie's house, I was really tired from last night.

* the nice lady working in bridal at Macy's. I was irritated because they had no help on the floor and the line was 10 people deep on a Sat. night and I just needed help finding an item. She was very friendly and made me feel bad for getting annoyed. I apologized for my impatience, it's not her fault all of these retail stores don't give a crap about customer service (even though they send surveys claiming that they do.)

* meeting Katie's fiance Eric (finally!)

* spending the evening with Katie & Eric. I haven't seen her in so long and it was so much fun to catch up. We had dinner, drank wine and talked until 2am---a typical evening for two girlfriends :-) Eric even gabbed with us for a while.

"The minute you settle for less than you deserve, you get even less than you settled for." Maureen Dowd

I have gratitude today for...

* my massage at the National Academy of Massage in North Wales.

* finding a top for Sunday at TJ Maxx so I didn't have to go to the mall.

* fun times tailgating with Jess & John before David Gray/Ray LaMontagne.

* John & Becca selling us their awesome extra tickets and getting to meet them before the show. 

* Billy & Laura parking next to us and hanging with us before the show. More friends to add to the tailgate list!

* the amazing show.  Both performances were really good and I enjoyed seeing someone new with a great talent (Ray) and someone old that I never doubt will make me smile the entire time he's playing (David.)

* I wouldn't exactly say I'm thankful for this, I experienced my first sobriety check point after the show. I felt like I was going to be sick even though I had no reason to be nervous but it was an interesting thing to go through. 
* getting to Mom & Dad's house safely and without getting pulled over for any reason since there were 100 police officers on Rt. 130 during my drive home. 

"That best portion of a man’s life, his little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and love." William Wordsworth

I have gratitude today for...

* going to Yardley Pizza for lunch just like old times

* Google Maps

* my visit to Diana Vincent (an incredible local jeweler) even though I didn't get to spend much time with them. It was nice to stop by and say hello.

* finding something I liked for Dane's Christening gift and not waiting until the last minute. 

* discovering that all of the toiletries at Bed Bath & Beyond are much cheaper than the drugstore (and you can use their 20% off coupons, woohoo!)

* going to Totaro's for .25 wings and Phillies! Mike the bartender is awesome and they have a pretty good bar crowd, plus DMB comes on every time we're there! If you are looking for a great family owned place to watch sports I highly recommend checking it out. Tell Andrew (the owner) I sent you :-)

* remembering LeRoi and what a fantastic musician he was. His tragic accident leaves a void when listening to the band but reminds us to live everyday to its fullest!

I remember like it was yesterday...

the day LeRoi passed away. I was thankful I was in attendance at his last show with the band at Nissan Pavillion in June 2008. I was tearful the first time I saw DMB after his passing (my 100th show) when they opened with bartender. I am happy for all of the things (and people) this band and their music have brought to my life.

These were my thoughts they day after his passing. I still feel the same way today:

Yesterday afternoon I lost a friend, along with all of the Dave Matthews Band fans out there. He didn't know me personally, nor did I know him personally---but I still feel a loss greater than what I normally feel when a "celebrity" passes away. I guess that's because LeRoi wasn't a celebrity to me, he was a fantastic musician with a big heart and one of the founders of a band that has been such a huge part of my life.

I can't imagine how hard it was for the remaining band members to take the stage last night, they truly did lose a brother. The Dave Matthews Band has been together for almost two decades and have spent more time together than apart. And the family that the DMB community is and has been for so long is what is so incredible to me---the band needed the fans last night to help them with their grief. I know some of you out there don't understand how us crazy DMB fans have gone to 70,80,90 (I've been to 98 and have a few friends that have been to over 200) shows, but it's like visiting old friends when you see those guys up on that stage, while getting to hear some of the best music ever written at the same time. I can't believe I have to say "I was at LeRoi's last show with the band" because none of us thought the ATV accident was going to end up like this.

If it weren't for Roi taking Dave's demo tape seriously and recruiting Carter to play with them who knows if the band would have ever formed? This band and their music have helped me through some of the hardest times in my life, years ago their concerts were the only things I looked forward to. As I grew out of that depressed stage after high school I continued to fall in love with their music, their attitudes on life and made amazing friends that are all somehow connected to DMB. I've visited some of the most beautiful places in this country with some of the most beautiful people I know all because of this band. And somehow I managed to meet the love of my life because I desperately needed to find tickets (the night before) to a show in Pittsburgh and bought them from him. I can't even imagine how different my life would be without the Dave Matthews Band.

May LeRoi rest in peace, he will be greatly missed both on the stage and off. I hope he forms another band up there in heaven with all of the other great musicians we've lost too early.

"The tragedy in life doesn’t lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach." Benjamin Mays

Today I have gratitude for...

* being able to help Kerry find us a hair stylist for the wedding day. My awesome hair dresser Erica is going to come to the inn the day of the wedding and do all of our hair for a fantastic price! If you're ever looking for someone let me know and I'll give you her info.

* making some sales calls and feeling pretty comfortable.

*  going to the carnival at MDP with Megan and the boys. Jeffrey went on a few rides, James was thrilled with a plastic ball Jeffrey "borrowed" from the fun house and the each won a lame stuffed animal when Jeffrey went "fishing" at one of the games. 

* appreciating the feeling of having no cell phone. I guess you can call it "letting go." I left my phone at work today which prevented me from getting calls/emails while I wasn't home. It's hard to believe that not too long ago, none of us had any of these things. 

* the new lotion I used today from Victoria Secret, I love the way it smells.

"You just have to do your own thing, no matter what anyone says. It’s your life." Ethan Embry

I have gratitude today for...

* Mrs. Roth getting us bagels for breakfast this morning, it was a nice treat.

* lunch at UNO's with John. We had a fun time and I was able to identify the way eating that kind of food made me feel. Hopefully I will remember next time and I will make better choices (although it tasted damn good in the moment.)

* going to the duck pond with Megan, Jeffrey and James. We fed them an entire loaf of bread and Jeffrey's reaction was priceless, he thought it was so cool!

* walking the trail and talking with Jeffrey about all of the fallen trees, the water in the creek, the animals and monsters that he insisted were in the woods. He is in awe of everything at this age. 

* getting the new Main Line Today in the mail and taking the time to enter the leads into MM.

*watching the Phillies game with Andy

* finding Susan's blog and reading all of her entries, it gave me some good laughs. If you'd like to laugh too check it out; shoestringsanddaydreams

"Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself." George Bernard Shaw

I have gratitude today for...

* getting our room in Avalon cleaned up after a crazy week.

* realizing I could get by without all of my "stuff" when I noticed that I left everything I intended to bring home for the next 10 days was left in the elevator at the shore (clothes, iPod, wallet, phone charger, computer--just to name a few.)

* a good meeting with John at an ad agency and feeling excited about getting back into magazines.

* dinner at Totaro's with Andy

* having some down time to lay on the couch and catch up on Army Wives

* the fun new Droid update I got this morning. 

"Each day is a new life. Seize it. Live it." David Guy Powers

I have gratitude today for...
* the way I was able to handle an uncomfortable situation with one of our cleaning customers. 

* deciding to renew our AAA membership this year since we've already had to use it twice. 

* a great week in Avalon with Andy and our friends that were renting in Sea Isle.
* talking with Missy this afternoon.  

* baby-sitting tonight for three 12 year old girls. It was funny to listen to and watch them interact with each other. 

* talking about Scream 4 and then all of the Scream movies with the girls tonight. It brought back memories of watching Scream with Kerry in her bedroom back in 1996. We were "those girls" that were actually scared! It also made me feel super old when the girls started telling me how years it was before they were born, haha.

I have gratitude today for...
* my ride over the bridge early this morning into Sea Isle, the weather was stunning.
* going to the beach this aftenoon with Andy
* having happy hour with the McSparrans. 
* meeting up with Julie at the Whitebrier for a couple of drinks. 
* spending some time at Leslie & Terry's tonight for the Phillies and games. 

I have gratitude today for...
* Lee & Rich being flexible about cleaning since we had a late night last night. 
* Andy's help today.
* playing Wii with Andy this afternoon.
* the cooler weather we had today. 
* a relaxing evening after such a crazy (but fun) week.
* deciding to make chicken marsala instead of ordering Chinese food. 
* watching the Eagles pre-season game, it's hard to believe football season is upon us!
* the beautiful picture frame I made for our bedroom in Avalon with lots of black and white photos from over the years. 

I have gratitude today for...
* making our chicken parm dinner early in the day so I could hang out when everyone got here tonight.
* Leslie dropping off the check for her Tastefully Simple order, I had forgotten about it.
* the boat ride Andy and I took this afternoon, just me and him. It was fun learning more about how to drive and care for the boat. 
* good times playing cornhole and card games with Bill & Erin, Mike & Deig and Tim. 
* being able to make a fantastic dinner for our friends. Chicken parm, sausage & meatballs, pasta, salad and garlic bread. Just as good as going out :-)
* the Phillies awesome comeback in the 9th inning vs. the Dodgers. 
* karaoke at Circle Tavern. 
* the band at Jack's 
* such an awesome night with good friends. 

I have gratitude today for...

* getting some work done for a few hours this morning. 

* Mack's Pizza for lunch

* going shopping with Andy this afternoon

* going to the beach and watching the Phillies game in Sea Isle with the Fry's

* the fantastic filet mignon dinner we had with mashed potatoes and ceasar salad. 
* the birth of Kristen & Tim's baby girl Hannah!

* the song "Details in the Fabric" by Jason Mraz. I love the lyric "Hold your own, know your name, go your own way. And everything will be fine..." I just love it!

I have gratitude today for...
* getting work done this morning for a few hours.
* Mack's pizza with Andy for lunch. 
* going shopping with Andy this afternoon, it was kind of fun. I found him an awesome Phillies World Series t-shirt. 
* going to the beach for a few hours with the Fry's---drinks, Phillies and beach games. 
* our awesome filet mignon dinner. 
* the Jason Mraz song Details in the Fabric. I love the lyric "Hold your own, know your name, and go your own way."

I have gratitude today for...
* finding a great pair of David Gray/Ray LaMontagne tickets on Craiglist for the show in Camden. 
* Andy's help with cleaning.
* wings and beers at the Deauville Inn and the fruity drinks at the beach bar next door. 
* perfect weather for an afternoon at the beach.
* having dinner with the Fry's again tonight. 

I have gratitude today for...
* sleeping in
* coaching myself to let something go that was really bothering me about the shower. 
* beers and Kubb, an awesome game (check it out) on the beach with the Fry clan.
* making taco night dinner with Deig. 
* going to the acoustic jam at the OD with Andy, Tim, Erin & Bill, Deig & Mike. We danced and sang along until 2am!

I have gratitude today for...
* a relaxing day in Avalon after a crazy weekend and 500 miles of driving back and forth between NJ & PA.
* finally getting to talk with Rachel today. I haven't talked to her since Brynn was born and it was so exciting to hear all about her becoming a mommy. 
* our healthy dinner tonight. 
* watching Extraordinary Measures with Andy & Mrs. Roth. 

I have gratitude today for...
* Andy's help with cleaning this morning so I would have more time to get ready for the shower. 
* staying calm as my anxiety was growing because we were running late. 
* great weather for Kerry & Jim's wedding shower. 
* people complimenting me on the dishes I made for the shower. 
* everything going smoothly at the shower. Kerry & Jim seemed so happy.
* seeing Lisa again after so many years and meeting her husband. 
* making it to Josh's birthday dinner in time to see the Jamaican Jerk Hut. It's a really cool BYO outdoor restaurant on South Street. 
* Ben being a good friend when I was upset about something tonight. 
* Kelly & Alex allowing us to stay at their place tonight. 

I have gratitude today for...
* a gorgeous day with no humidity. 
* pulling off the surprise trip (for the most part) to AC. The ride down was fun with Andy, Becker, Josh & Lauren. 
* $2 beers all day, everyday at Wild Wild West. 
* going to the AC beach. 
* dinner at one of the beach bars, although we should have skipped the Lemon Drop shots. 

I have gratitude today for...
* Chrissy having her little baby girl Bella. I know she was born to be a mother and I'm so happy for her & Ray.
* the awesome batch of homemade tomato sauce I made for Kerry's shower.
* grilled cheese and ketchup for lunch. I haven't had one of those in a long time!
* Ottis coming back to Kelly's apartment safely. When I got there she was frantically looking for him and I was happy to find him meowing on the porch. 
* spending a couple of hours with Kelly at her apartment sitting on the porch talking. 
* the cute leather purse Kelly gave me. 
* spending time at Josh & Lauren's tonight. Becker came in from Chicago and we all had few beers and dinner in the backyard to kick off Josh's 30th Birthday weekend. 
* a great time at Buckets with friends, good music and lots of drinks. 
* Andy starting his week long vacation. He deserves this so much, it's going to be a great week!

I have gratitude today for...
* the beautiful weather in Avalon this afternoon.
* getting most of our big cleaning job done tonight

I have gratitude today for...
* open-faced hot turkey sandwiches at Otto's for lunch
* Costco letting me in to buy a few things I needed for the shower since I didn't have a card and my name isn't on the account.
* the rotisserie chickens Costco sells; they're really good and priced fairly. 

I have gratitude today for...
* talking with Missy today. She asked me to be Dane's Godmother and I feel so honored by that. 
* lunch with John @ Totaro's even though our waitress was pretty awful. 
* Beckman picking me up and driving to Adrienne's
* seeing Jess, it's been a long time. 
* a fun time at Adrienne's with Jess & Beckman. 
* Santucci's Pizza! It was awesome; we managed to eat an entire pie and chicken parm sandwich between 3 of us. 

I have gratitude today for...
* spending a lazy Sunday at home.
* watching the Phils game and BBQ'ing for lunch.
* Lauren, Josh & his friend Nate coming over hang out this afternoon.
* playing a few games of cornhole in between rain showers.