Monday, September 30, 2013

I have gratitude today for...
* thinking about Uncle Scott today and asking Dad for his address so I can send a birthday card to him. It's been so many years since we've seen or talked to him and it makes me really sad he has almost no one. I want him to know I think about him. 
* Lori answering my questions about the quarterly taxes for 1099 employees. She made me feel much better. 
* another great workout with Dave. I know I write the same thing every week, but I feel very fortunate to be able to spend the money on these sessions. I really need them to keep me on track and to hold me accountable. It's much harder to blow off the gym when I have a training appointment scheduled. 
* eating the leftovers from Saturday's dinner. I enjoyed the food more tonight than I did the other night!
* watching the first episode of this season's Homeland. It was very good, as expected!

Sunday, September 29, 2013

I have gratitude today for...
* getting a good night's sleep last night and sleeping in this morning. The last few nights I haven't slept well at all. 
* going to West Chester to see another house with Cat. I was convinced from the pictures on-line it was going to be "the one". The downstairs ended up being too cramped and the family room was too small. We decided to look at the one on Cote Circle again, I definitely liked it much more after seeing it for a second time. 
Top: Waterwillow Circle   *   Bottom: Cote Circle
* the chicken taco dip coming out great to bring to Erin & Bill's. I layered refried beans, chicken baked with fiesta dip mix seasoning, salsa and cheese. I will definitely make it again as an appetizer. 
* a fun time at Erin & Bill's for the Eagles game. Liam is getting so big! The Eagles played pretty well in the 1st quarter and then it was all downhill from there. It was nice to spend time with them even though the game ended up being a blowout. 


Saturday, September 28, 2013

I have gratitude today for...
* cleaning up the house this morning and then going to yoga at the gym. I loved today's class with Maura. I'm definitely going to try to go to more Saturday morning classes.
* making lots of good food for today. I started the turkey breast in the crock pot before I left the house this morning. After I got back from yoga and the store I made fresh guacamole and homemade peanut butter pie for dessert. I'm glad I did the potatoes and stuffing last night because just those two things took forever. 
* Mom, Dad, Kelly & Alex coming out to visit today. We were celebrating Dad's birthday a few days late. We hadn't seen Kelly & Alex since their wedding--hard to believe it had been that long! We had appetizers in the living room and spent some time catching up. 
* Mom helping me make the salad. I made the parmesan-garlic broccoli and carrots and heated up the stuffing and potatoes. Mom & Dad brought awesome Dolce's bread and a made a garlic spread with the roasted garlic I made the other night. 
* everyone enjoying dinner and the peanut butter pie. I love cooking and love it even more when people like what I've made for them. 
* watching the first episode of this season's Parenthood. It actually wasn't as good as I was expecting but the previews for the rest of the season look great. 
* giving Kelly & Alex their wedding gift. We bought them a gorgeous Le Creseut dutch oven and gave them money towards their wedding album. I wanted to give them something special that they'd have for a long time. Now Kelly just has to start cooking!
* the awesome Italian cookies Kelly brought from NYC. Yum!
* Andy cleaning up everything from dinner. It was a huge help!


Friday, September 27, 2013

I have gratitude today for...
* being able to reschedule my doctor appointment for next week instead of today. Usually it takes months to get a rescheduled appointment. 
* ordering my Le Creseut grill pan. I've wanted one forever and finally decided to go for it. 
* lunch with Marissa at Panera. We talked about Park Power and what a great opportunity it would be for her & Chris. 
* grilling burgers for dinner. I made sliced potatoes to go with them and a salad. Easy and good dinner!
* watching a few episodes of X Factor. Even Andy was kind of into it.

Thursday, September 26, 2013

I have gratitude today for...
* another awesome session with Dave this morning. I secretly hope every time I have to go early in the morning that I'll get a text from him cancelling. I really just wanted to sleep this morning, but...I went and it was a great workout.
* Andy finding a way to get me to Gold status on Starwood Rewards! Hopefully we'll get some upgrades in Aruba. 
* placing an order with Sweaty Bands. Supposedly they're the best headbands ever and it would be great if they'd actually stay on for running and yoga. We'll see. 
* Kathy inviting me to the BEN FM "Women of the Week" event at Rosemont College. I met some of the people she works with and listened to a couple of good speeches. I thought it was going to be more of a networking event---sometimes you never know until you get there. 
* talking with Steve about the non-compete agreement he wants me to sign and him alleviating some of my concerns. 

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

I have gratitude today for...
* breakfast at AmTrust going well this morning with Steve & John. We met a lot of the adjusters and I think it will result in them sending us more cases. 
* walking to the gym with C.J. before yoga. I hope she joins so we can go to classes together. Yoga was good tonight but I think I pinched a nerve in my neck again. I am going to really try to start doing yoga 2-3 times a week at a minimum. 
* finding some cute new tops for work at TJ Maxx, and the candle from the yoga studio that I've been looking for from Marshall's. 

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

I have gratitude today for...
* lunch at Chipotle. I started getting their kids meals and they're the perfect amount of food for me. 
* going to the CJCA Golf Outing dinner tonight. The weather today was gorgeous! I met some more AmTrust people and got to talk with Steve & John about some short-term goals. The dinner was pretty good too. 
* being able to go to Mom & Dad's tonight after the dinner. We celebrated Dad's birthday with a few presents and I treated them to Halo Pub. I was bummed because they were out of peanut butter soft serve, it's pretty much the only reason I like to go there. It always brings back good memories going there. 
* laughing and talking and catching up with Mom & Dad back at the house after Halo. I haven't seen them since Kelly's wedding---it feels like forever! 

Monday, September 23, 2013

I have gratitude today for...
* working out with Dave today. I'm really starting to see results!
* C.J. making dinner tonight. She made pork chops in the crock pot and mashed potatoes. I made an awesome parmesan garlic broccoli dish too. I hung out there for a little bit. 
* watching an episode of Damages with Andy. 


Sunday, September 22, 2013

I have gratitude today for...
* beautiful weather for house hunting today!
* meeting Cat today in person. She's so nice and found some great homes for us to look at. I forgot to take a picture of the last one so I had to use what was on-line but took pictures of the rest. I think it will be fun to look back once we do find "the house" to see where and what we looked at and where we ended up. Although none of the ones we look at today were "the one", they were a great place for us to start. It's amazing how every place had one or two negatives that made us say it's not the one. 
My favorite was the one with the red shutters.
But it's located near where a gun club practices shooting, could never take the noise!

* driving through Chesterbrook, I liked the single family homes in there too. We didn't see any for sale though. 
* going through my clothes and getting rid of a ton of old shirts and summer clothes I don't wear anymore. 
* making an awesome stew and a bunch of meatballs today for dinners this week. I love fall cooking!
* watching a couple episodes of Damages. I can't believe how good that show is!

Saturday, September 21, 2013

I have gratitude today for...
* Andy giving me a ride to the office so I could pick up the Park Power car. 
* treating myself to a Wawa French Vanilla cappuccino. I don't drink them often but they're a nice treat. 
* the Fall Kick-Off Meeting going well today. I am excited to start growing my team again.
* dropping by Jude Plum to drop off their magazines. Therese said she'd run their profile in Phila Life for $500 in October. Woohoo, more trade.  
* a fun time at Gary & Gail's for lunch and cornhole. Steve & I were partners for most of the time and only lost a couple of times. The weather was perfect to be outside!
* watching a few episodes of Damages and ordering take-out Bertucci's for dinner. We tried the lemon & rosemary grilled chicken wings, I loved them!
* finalizing the homes we're looking at tomorrow with Cat, the realtor. I'm excited to start looking!

* reading about the Le Cresuet grill pans- I think I'm going to get one to match our red dutch oven. 

Friday, September 20, 2013

I have gratitude today for...
* an amazing massage at Cortiva. I feel so lucky to have a place I can go to for an affordable massage. 
* working out with Dave at the gym today. I appreciated him being flexible yesterday when I had to postpone. 
* walking with CJ on the trail. We did about 4 miles--it was so nice out!
* making fresh guacamole and salsa for our taco dinner. The avocados from BJ's have been really good!
* (I know this sounds silly), but keeping up with my nails. I've NEVER had nice nails- they don't grow quickly and they break easily and I pick at them when I'm stressed/nervous. I got a gel manicure for Kelly's wedding and got another one about 3 weeks later. I took off the gel tonight and tried to do it myself. They came out pretty well. I hate paying for it but I do feel nice having nice nails, especially when I have meetings and presentations. 

Thursday, September 19, 2013

I have gratitude today for...
* going to the WBA monthly meeting this morning. This month it was a breakfast at the township building. I meet some good people and learned more about the local businesses. 
* a great lunch at The Capital Grille with Ian and Steven. The food was very good and we had a good meeting. 
* the cute leggings I found at Nordstrom Rack for $7. I can't believe it's almost time for leggings and boots. 
* being able to lie down before the Eagles game for a little bit. I was so tired I would have fallen asleep halfway through the game. 
* watching the Eagles game with Andy and reading more of the Lady Googoogaga blog. She is freaking hilarious. When I read what she writes I can picture saying those things myself. 
* making plans to go see some houses with a realtor on Sunday! We are excited to start looking!!!

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

I have gratitude today for...
* another good event for Park Power today at the Radnor Health & Safety fair. The attendance could have been better but it was still good exposure. Steve met me there so I wasn't there by myself the whole time. 
* the veggie and fruit trays Jim gave me to take home. There was so much food left!
* going for a walk with CJ on the trail. I was just going to do the elliptical but it was so nice out it was better to get outside!
* the chicken pot pie for dinner being a hit. CJ came over for dinner and we even sat at the kitchen table. I was happy it came out as good as it did!
* watching X Factor and looking for recipes on Pinterest. 

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

I have gratitude today for...
* thinking about our beautiful wedding day all day today. I kept looking at the clock and remembered what I was doing at whatever time two years ago. I wish we could do it all again!
* putting together these pictures of Kelly & I. A special moment between sisters, on our wedding days. 
September 17, 2011 & August 2, 2013
* another great work out with Dave this morning. I only have a few weeks left of sessions but I'm definitely considering buying more. It's really helping me stay on track with working out, I'm learning a lot and I'm seeing results. 
* doing another day of the meditation challenge. It's been making me so relaxed I want to go to sleep afterwards but I do like slowing down, even for just 15 minutes. 
* all of the anniversary wishes on Facebook and text messages, and the beautiful card from Mom & Dad. I was surprised at some of the people who completely forgot our anniversary. I try so hard to send cards to other people for their life's events. It's ok because I send cards because I like to, I just think it's sad that no one really sends cards anymore. They always mean so much to me when I see one in the mailbox. 
* creating a low fat healthy version of chicken pot pie to make in the slow cooker. I'm making it for tomorrow night's dinner. I've been trying to plan out dinners so I don't go crazy trying to figure out what we're eating every night. 
* the beautiful roses Andy brought me tonight. 
* a great dinner at Maggiano's with Andy, just like last year. They brought us a piece of cheesecake for the occasion. I wore a dress I've had in my closet since last winter and felt great in it- I'm usually so critical of how I look and I actually felt good. 
* talking with Mom & Dad when we got home. It was nice to talk to them and I'm excited for them to visit next weekend!
* watching an episode of Damages after dinner. 

Monday, September 16, 2013

I have gratitude today for...
* talking with Steven about some things for ICORP and scheduling lunch at The Capital Grille for Thursday with Ian. 
* making a pot of fresh sauce today while I worked from home. It came out great- I used Giada's cookbook recipe.
* going to Rachel's yoga class at Aim High. Yoga is hard when you only do it once every week or so! I have to start going to classes more regularly. 
* watching the Season 2 finale of Newsroom. It was so good! I am disappointed this season only had 9 episodes. Last night's episode was by far the best of this season. 
* thinking back to our awesome rehearsal dinner night two years ago. I can't believe it's been two years already! 

Sunday, September 15, 2013

I have gratitude today for...
* sleeping in this morning. Too many IPAs last night, but at least I slept for 12 hrs. before having to get ready for our work event today. 
* working the Radnor Fall Festival this afternoon. I was disappointed to miss the entire Eagles game, but it was a beautiful day. We had a good spot in the center aisle. I talked to a ton of people and got contact info for about 50. I learned a lot and it was good exposure for us. 

* making some homemade guacamole, watching football and relaxing for a while when I got home.
dinner at City Tap House---it's one of my new favorites. They food was excellent again! I had the hanger steak and Andy had a burger. 
* going to see Popejoy's band play at World Cafe Live tonight. They played upstairs, I've never seen a show upstairs before. Ben was there so we hung out with him most of the time. It was a CD Release show for Richie Allen---he was good too!

Saturday, September 14, 2013

I have gratitude today for...
* french toast for breakfast
* organizing/cleaning out the basement. We're trying to get rid of stuff we don't need/use anymore so we don't have to bring it with us when we eventually move into a new house. I had the iPad down there so I was able to keep up with my Grey's Anatomy obsession as I worked. 
* doing some of the exercises I've learned from training as a mini-workout. My neck was still bothering me so I wanted to take it easy.
* a great time at Gary & Gail's Crabfeast party. They had an awesome selection of craft beers and lots of good food. We started playing cornhole and after almost losing to Gary & Gail in the first game, we went undefeated for 4 HOURS. That's a lot of beer and a lot of games. We played in the dark under the lights and still won. By 10pm I was ready for bed. 

Friday, September 13, 2013

I have gratitude today for...
* getting an online TS order today. I haven't done anything to reach my $400 in quarterly sales yet. Hopefully the Phi Sig chapter wants to do another fundraiser. 
* deciding to cancel my training appointment at the gym because my neck has been hurting since last night. I didn't want to make it worse, I have to be feeling ok enough to play cornhole tomorrow!
* excited about the new promotion that we'll be announcing next Saturday at the fall kick-off event.  
* ribs for dinner. I baked them for in the over at a low temp for 4 hours today and then I grilled them right before dinner. They came out great!
* watching a few episodes of Damages- we went all week without watching. Season 3 is just as good as the Seasons 1 & 2. 

Thursday, September 12, 2013

I have gratitude today for...
* doing the elliptical today. I actually enjoyed it because I haven't been on it in a while. Of course I watched Grey's Anatomy while exercising. 
* Vanessa's email today about Kieran. She sent an email out to family & friends to let us know he has been diagnosed with CF. Because of Ben's brother, I know a little about the disease. It's fitting this is the first year Andy & I will actually be able to attend the "We Will Rock CF Event". We've donated in the past, but now it will have a whole new meaning. You could hear her optimism shining through in her email. I can't wait to meet the little guy.
* not really somethig I'm grateful for, but I had to mention the Seaside boardwalk fire. My heart broke for those business owners- just a few months after they were able to get back on their feet from the Hurricane Sandy damage, they had to endure another catastrophe. I guess things like this teach us to be grateful for firefighters and other first responders who risk their lives to save others. And to cherish life's experiences, because you never know when things are going to change.
* getting home earlier than expected from our meeting tonight. 

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

I have gratitude today for...
* taking a moment when I work up this morning to remember 9/11. What it felt like that morning, arriving home early because my class was cancelled, and walking into the house to see the horrific scene in NYC on TV. I had turned on the TV to watch 'Rosie' and instead it was coverage from NY. It was devastating and scary and impossible to understand. Every year, I feel the same way. Today I wrote this as my Facebook status, and it's how I've felt every year since that horrible day. 
I feel like I write the same thing every year, as if, when this day arrives, no time has past since the calendar last said 9/11. It really does feel like yesterday---the shock, the fear, the sadness. Yet, we saw hope and love and the greatest humanity has to offer in the minutes, hours and days following the attacks. My thoughts and prayers are especially with those who lost someone that day 12 years ago. And like every day, I am grateful today for those who keep us safe and free.
* having dental insurance again. I went for a cleaning for the first time since last August (embarrassing!) I've been so bad about wearing my Invisalign trays and I was ashamed so I didn't go for my 6 months cleaning in the beginning of 2013. I am getting back on track and was thankful everything looked good. 
* completing Day 2 of the meditation challenge.
* picking up the new tablecloths for Park Power events. They look awesome and will be good for exposure. 
* making tomato basil soup in the crock pot. It came out so good---kind of like Giant's that I love so much but with much less fat. 
* dinner at CJ's house. She made my crock-pot fajita chicken recipe in the crock pot along with sauteed peppers & onions and Mexican rice. 
* watching the first episode of the new X Factor season. There were a few good stories. Especially the 54 yr old woman and the young girl that sang the Carrie song who has a handicap. I'm probably rooting most for the young couple who sang "Toxic". They were awesome. 

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

I have gratitude today for...
* an awesome workout with Dave this morning at the gym. They got a
whole bunch of new equipment. I especially liked the Jacobs Ladder.
I've never used one before--it was a little weird but I look forward
to trying it again.
* catching up on some more Grey's Anatomy tonight. I'm almost through
Season 2! I loved watching the beginning seasons. So many things make
more sense now.
* a great dinner tonight. I grilled chicken and sliced potatoes and
made a salad and veggies. Since summer decided to reappear I figured
we should grill instead of cooking something in the oven.
* the cute workout clothes I found at Marshall's today. I especially
love the Eagles pants. Sometimes it's hard to believe I get excited
over workout clothes.
* even though I shouldn't eat it, Andy bringing me home a crumb cake from the Entenmann's outlet.
*getting a $25 gift certificate at The Palm for taking a survey. Now we can go back!
*cleaning out the bathroom closet, putting away clothes and getting the upstairs cleaned up.
*Sarah's anti-bullying song that Bert sent to me today. I'm so happy for her and everything that is happening with her music career.
* completing Day 1 of  a new 21 day meditation challenge.

Monday, September 9, 2013

I have gratitude today for...
* a good meeting with Gary & Stephen this morning. We have a lot of exciting things happening like our move into NJ, PECO rates going up and ramping up the MLM team!
* lunch from Yangming. I love still having gift certificates and being able to pick up lunch every once in a while.
* a fun time watching the Eagles game with Andy tonight. We couldn't believe how great the offense looked in the first half. Of course they gave us a scare in the last quarter but they got the W. I hate that summer is essentially over but I do love having the windows open, watching football, yelling at the TV and making yummy food.
* placing a Vitacost order tonight. I've had KIND bars a few times and I really like them for protein. After having a new flavor on Sat. at Wanderlust I decided I wanted to order some. They are a little expensive but they're one of the best out there. I ordered the almond/macadamia/walnut and dark chocolate & peanut butter.

Sunday, September 8, 2013

I have gratitude today for...
* walking to Reading Terminal Market for an early lunch. We walked around for a while and then split an Italian sausage with peppers & onions at DiNic's. I kind of wanted the roast beef but the sandwiches were so big that we were better off splitting one. They were packed and everything looked amazing! We didn't know they're known for their roast pork or we would have tried that. Next time!
* visiting the historic area of the city towards Old City. It's hard to believe I've lived so close to Philly this long and never done any of this stuff. We did the Liberty Bell tour and the Independence Hall tour as well. I was impressed all of these exhibits are free--I think it's great that anyone can come and see such historical sites. 
* asking for a late check out at the Le Meridien, we didn't have to check out until 4pm. We watched some football and most of the first episode of Season 3 of Damages. 
* finishing up our time in Philly by going to the City Tap House on Penn's campus. It was awesome! They had a great beer selection and the food was very good too. The rooftop deck was closed for an event but we'll definitely have to go back. 
* a relaxing evening at home. I watched a few episdoes of Grey's and then we watched the new Newsroom and the end of the Dallas/Giants game. 
* a really great weekend! We went to new places and did some new things. I really enjoyed walking around the city and our mini-golf outing on Friday. Of course our meals at The Palm, Reading Terminal Market and City Tap House were all really good and a lot of fun. 

Saturday, September 7, 2013

I have gratitude today for...
* having a relaxing morning. We slept in, I made french toast for breakfast, and we finished Season 2 of Damages. 
* beautiful weather for the Wanderlust Yoga Festival in Northern Liberties. Mom, Dad, Cliff, Stacie, her sister Jackie and I all went. It was a little different doing yoga with such a large group but I'm glad I went.
* finding $15 parking at The Phoenix after driving around for about 40 minutes in Center City. I was extremely frustrated because all of the lots were $35-40/night and I refuse to pay that. I ended up giving in and parked in a lot on 18th & Arch that was $28 but I wasn't thrilled it was unattended. As I was walking to our hotel I past The Phoenix and saw their valet parking was only $15 for 24 hrs. on weekends. Although spending that much time made me want to pull my hair out, I'm glad we know about The Phoenix parking for future visits!
* having time to get shower, get dressed and do my makeup without feeling rushed. Our reservations weren't until 8pm and it was nice to be able to take my time. 
* Andy bringing our last bottle of Dreaming Tree. We had a glass of wine in the hotel lobby before leaving for dinner. 
* a fantastic dinner at The Palm! It was our first time there and we were not disappointed. Everything from the bread basket to salad to the sides and steak was incredibly good. We shared a bottle of red wine and really enjoyed our dinner. The green beans with pine nuts and pancetta were out of this world. Now I'll be trying to find a way to copy that recipe. 
* visiting Steve at XIX after dinner. When I planned on The Palm for dinner I didn't realize it's at the bottom of the Bellevue. We went up to XIX and had a beer at the bar. Steve opened up the doors for us so we could go out on the balcony---Andy had never been up there. 
* Andy suggesting we go into the city for the weekend and stay over. He wanted to do this last year but it didn't work with all of the traveling I was doing for work. We had a great time tonight and it was nice not having to worry about taking the train home. We're looking forward to a fun day walking around the city tomorrow. 

Friday, September 6, 2013

I have gratitude today for...
* Andy making breakfast this morning. 
* making an awesome beef & vegetable stew in the crock pot today for dinner. I hate that summer is ending but I do love using the crock pot!
* finally going to Tee's Golf to play miniature golf. I've been saying we should go there for years and we finally checked it out. The grounds were beautiful and we had a fun time playing. I almost got a hole-in-one and I kicked Andy's ass!
* going to Rita's for an ice cream cone. I sort of felt like we're 12 years old tonight but it was a lot of fun!
* watching a coupe episodes of Damages after we got home. 

Thursday, September 5, 2013

I have gratitude today for...
* working from home today and getting a ton of stuff done!
* getting out of the house and walking with CJ for about 4 miles on the trail. I love that we've become friends and enjoy talking with her. 
* the crock-pot chicken coming out great for our fajitas. I put the chicken frozen in the crockpot with two packets of taco sauce and TS Fiesta Seasoning and it came out great!
* watching a few more episodes of Grey's Anatomy and of course our nightly episode of Damages. 
* going grocery shopping with CJ. She is doing Weight Watchers and I am helping her with learning to cook. I'm might be the only weirdo out there who loves to grocery shop!

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

I have gratitude today for...
* making it to the gym on time this morning. I didn't sleep well at all last night but I made it through. 
* John giving me gift cards to The Palm for our anniversary dinner this Saturday night!
* Bringing good camera into the office so El & I could take new head shots of each other. I really didn't like the one from a few weeks ago and was having anxiety about it being on our website! I think this one is much better!
I'm going to be on our company website! Scary!
* an impromptu lunch with John at Baggataway's. I was disappointed all of the outside tables were taken, it was so beautiful out today! We had great conversation and he is going to help me with the Gretz account. 
* finding out from Gary that PECO's rates are going up again in December- this will put us in a really good position to earn new business. 
* starting Grey's Anatomy from the beginning. I only started watching it when Private Practice "crossed over" with Grey's about 5 years ago. I've already found there is so much I didn't know about the story lines.
* grilling burgers and watching our nightly episode of Damages. 
* signing up for another 21-Day meditation---maybe I'll actually do it this time. 
* John's phone call this afternoon about an idea that Ed had. It made me feel good that he still values my experience and knowledge. I really thought Ed was never going to want to talk to me again after I made my decision to leave, but I have learned that's not the case. It made me feel really good to know that.

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

I have gratitude today for...
* trying a new class at Aim High tonight. It was a TRX class, and it was really hard! Working with Dave at the gym has been challenging but this class still seemed insanely difficult. I did my best to keep up and will definitely try again. I liked Melissa, the instructor.
* making chicken marsala with the leftover roasted chicken for dinner. It came out really good! We ate in the living room and watched an episode of Damages. 
* going to bed early since I have training at the gym in the morning. I watched a few Friends episodes---I love watching the old ones that are running on Nick at Nite. 

Monday, September 2, 2013

I have gratitude today for...
* Joe asking Andy to go fishing on the Miss Avalon. They haven't been able to fish most of the summer because of all the boat problems. I got to sleep in after another late night out and he caught a keeper flounder. 
* reading last week's People on the upstairs deck (my guilty pleasure.)
* one last Mack's pizza for lunch before the season ends. 
* watching Diana Nyad finish her swim from Havana, Cuba to Key West, FL. Makes you think about what "not giving up" really means. I love that she said her mantra was "Find a way." Incredible!
* organizing all of our cleaning stuff, cleaning out the dust busters & vacuums and putting everything away in the upstairs closet for next summer. We learned the hard way to move it from the garage. Lots of our stuff was ruined last year during Hurricane Sandy. 


Sunday, September 1, 2013

I have gratitude today for...
* enjoying the morning today. I started cleaning a little later than usual but it was worth it to relax this morning. 
* finishing the last cleaning job of the summer. I say it every year, no more cleaning next year! 
* the gang from 69th street coming down to our house for some drinks and cornhole. It was nice to have company at our place. After cornhole we sat out back---the weather was perfect today!
* an awesome dinner at La Vecchia Fontana in Avalon. We brought a bottle of Dreaming Tree and the food was excellent as always. 
* going to The Windrift with Andy, Mrs. Roth, Joe & Christa, Donna, Leslie & Terry and Jacqui & Tim. BLT was playing, it was the first time I've ever seen them after all these years of hearing about them. The Benderz were playing upstairs and they were good too!