Thursday, October 31, 2013

I have gratitude today for...
* the funny videos Aunt Kathy sent of her and Aunt Colleen doing a dance to "Beautiful Morning" by Rod Stewart. We have a bunch of potential YouTube stars in this family!
* going to CVS and picking up a Halloween treat for Andy and me (5th Avenues and M&Ms). I said no to candy in the house because we only get a handful of Trick-or-Treaters. We were the house that gave out bags of pretzels- I think it will make parents happy, Andy says we'll get egged. I guess we'll see.
* doing the elliptical when I got home- I caught up on X Factor. 
* this cute pic I found from Halloween many years ago. It was '86 or '87. Me, Tina & Wendy. 
* making roasted tomato & garlic soup with all of the tomatoes I had in the fridge. It came out really good!

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

I have gratitude today for...
* meeting with Joel this morning to further discuss my investment accounts and the help he is giving me with getting them set up the way they should be for my age. 
* John helping me out and giving me a ride back to our house after I dropped off the Park Power car for inspection. 
* lunch at Baggataway's (yes, again) with John. I like it there but he is seriously obsessed. 
* dropping off a bag of clothes in the collection bins for the MS Foundation. I like knowing stuff I don't need anymore will be put to good use. 
* meeting some great people at the Allentown meeting tonight. We went to a restaurant called Roosevelt's 21st. The manager (& soon to be owner) was super friendly and we had a decent turnout. The food was good too. I loved meeting Kathy's friend Amber, we had a lot in common and it was fun talking with her. 
* finishing up all (we think anyway) of the paperwork for the mortgage company when I got home. We were up until after 1am but hopefully it's everything they need. 

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

I have gratitude today for...
* being able to help Mom with something she was writing. 
* talking to Cat about our 2nd deposit and starting to feel really excited about the house. I just wish everything was finalized!
* a fun time at the Flyers game with Andy. We ate dinner at home before we left for the game and still made it in time for the puck to drop. We've also discovered a $5 parking lot so it's nice not have to pay $15 or $20 to park. They were off to a great start with a 2-0 lead, but ended up losing. We were disappointed but it was still fun to go watch. 
* watching last night's episode of HIMYM when we got home. 

Monday, October 28, 2013

I have gratitude today for...
* getting a random on-line Tastefully Simple order today. 
* lunch with John at Baggataway's. It was good to catch up with him. He told more more about ID Life and I think it seems to be a pretty good program. 
* another good workout with Dave. We talked a little bit about my frustration about my stomach area (not really changing). He said I need to start eating more (good foods). I already know all of this, just need to apply them.
* seeing Wally Lamb's Christmas book Wishin' and Hopin' on the "for sale" shelf in the library. I was there to return a CD and I couldn't believe this book was sitting right there! I've been talking about Wally Lamb this week because of his new novel coming out. It's like the universe put it there for me to find. I bought it for $1 and can't wait to read it around the holidays. It looks brand new!
* catching up with Megan for a while this afternoon. I wish I had time to book a visit to Cocoa Beach. I miss them!
* meeting Kyle, our insurance agent, when Andy got home from work. He's a really nice guy and I might join the networking group he and Cat started. 
* getting a bunch more paperwork together for the mortgage company. I hope this is over soon, the waiting is killing me!
* an easy dinner tonight- Andy made stew last night so I didn't have to worry about making dinner. 
* going to bed early tonight. We went upstairs around 10, for some reason I felt tired all day today.

Sunday, October 27, 2013

I have gratitude today for...
* laughing hysterically with everyone watching Grandma's "webcam" video. It's a video of her trying to figure out how to use the webcam Uncle Gary bought for her so she could talk to the kids. 
* a great time at Mary's shower at a beautiful place in Spring Lake Heights. It was nice meeting Mary's mom and sisters. So excited for the wedding in Aruba!
* taking a detoxifying bath when I got home. I used my lavender bath salts, lit the candles, and put on some yoga music. It was awesome---I haven't used the jacuzzi tub enough. 
* watching Homeland with Andy tonight. After a few so-so episodes tonight's was excellent!
* getting an email from the Avalon library with a link to download "We Are Water" by Wally Lamb. He only writes books every 5-10 years so I've been waiting a long time for his next novel to come out

Saturday, October 26, 2013

I have gratitude today for...
* going to hot yoga this morning. I was feeling a little crappy from all of the wine last night but I made myself go anyway. The instructor, Steph, used to teach at Ryah. She's adorable and makes it fun. We had to go around and each say something positive about ourselves. I said "I am getting stronger." I've always thought of myself as weak (physically) and throughout the last few months of working out with Dave, I've been able to see myself getting stronger each week. 
* Andy picking up a Bertucci's for lunch while I got ready to go to the airport. 
* things going smoothly when I picked up Grandma from the airport. I haven't used short-term parking in years. It was so close to the terminal and they were great helping here on/off the plane and into the wheelchair. 
* a nice ride catching up with Grandma from the airport to Mom & Dad's. When we got there we had lunch and relaxed for a couple of hours laughing and talking. 
* spending some time with Mom while Dad & Grandma went to church. We talked about the house, I couldn't wait any longer. 
* a great dinner at Carlucci's with Mom, Dad & Grandma. The food was excellent! They served a crusty bread with garlic on top before our meals. I had their version of chicken saltimbocca and it was very good. The restaurant was beautiful. We'll have to go back some time when Andy, Kelly & Alex are around. 

Friday, October 25, 2013

I have gratitude today for...
* Andy dropping off the check for the stucco inspection- it saved me a trip. 
* Gary asking me to sit in on the website meeting this morning. We're pretty close to going live!
* meeting Megan for lunch this afternoon. We talked about the PR position and the Park Power business. I'm excited to work with her on both fronts. 
* reading about Maca Root from foodbabe's blog. I forwarded the email over to Julie and we're going to place an order together. I like that it's from a very small and family owned. Their website is http://themacateam.com/
* walking with CJ after work this afternoon. We did a little over 4 miles on the path. 
* making steaks again tonight. This time with mashed potatoes, green beans w/almonds and a salad. CJ came over and the three of us had a great dinner. We opened a couple bottles of wine and talked about all kinds of stuff, then watched the Whitney Cummings stand-up routine on Netflix. What a fun night!



Thursday, October 24, 2013

I have gratitude today for...
* working out with Dave this morning. Although I hate getting up early, it is nice to start out my day with a great workout. 
* getting a ton of stuff done at the office today. I stayed for the meeting tonight so I had a lot of downtime in between to get things done. The people that were coming for the meeting ended up cancelling so I was able to leave around 7:30. 
* catching up on Nashville- I just love that show. 
* the crockpot beer chicken for dinner. It came out good again, I added green beans this time and used the Shocktop again.

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

I have gratitude today for...
* going to Chipotle with Stephen for lunch. I actually brought my lunch but the power went out so I couldn't use the microwave. 
* our visit to CHOP. We met Neil & Matt there and they gave us a tour of a good portion of the hospital. It was incredible to see all of the services they provide for not only their patients, but the patients' families. Of course going through the oncology area was very emotional. We didn't see that many children but we did see their rooms, decorations on their doors, artwork they've made and the Ronald McDonald room that works to make them feel somewhat "at home". Of course it's hard to imagine being there with a very sick child, but they are the best children's hospital in the world and we are lucky to be so close. They are able to take VHS & DVD donations so now I know where I can donate the box of movies I have in our basement. 
* the cute boy scout selling popcorn outside our office when we got back from CHOP. He couldn't have been older than 7 or 8 and had his sales pitch down! It was pretty funny when he said "For the low price of $15, you can have this bag of popcorn. Oh, and we take credit cards." $15 for a bag of popcorn is pretty insane, but he was really cute. 
* deciding to skip yoga tonight. I lost the credit for the class but I was really tired and worried about my fall from last night, so I decided to take it easy tonight. 

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

I have gratitude today for...
* meeting with Gary this morning and talking about my role with Park Power. As we learn more about the market and how we can find our place in it, my role is changing. I understand we are figuring out things as we go and I am ok with being patient as that happens. 
* talking with Mom today and making plans to pick up Grandma on Sat. from the airport.
* Andy reaching out to the insurance guy Cat recommended for our home owner's insurance. He's done all of the legwork for the mortgage, insurance, etc. I feel very lucky that he is so knowledgeable about all of that stuff. 
* going to Hot Yoga at Aim High with Rachel. Her classes are challenging and hot, but I feel great afterwards and know it's good for me to keep up with going at least a couple times a week. 
* Dave being understanding about me only coming in one time last week and this week for training. 
* the amazing steak dinner we had tonight. Andy made the roasted potatoes and carrots. I made the NY strips in my new Le Cresuet grill pan. I started out by coating the steaks with seasoning and pepper, and then seared it on the stove. After about 8 minutes, I put the grill pan in the oven and finished cooking them through. I've heard before that restaurants make steak this way and I've always thought grilling is the way to go. Now I know to do it this way from now on, they tasted just like a steak house!
* being ok after falling down the steps tonight. I was coming down to get my phone and some water before bed and had "fuzzy socks" on. I slipped and went straight down. I was ok, but I'm going to have some major bruises. 

Monday, October 21, 2013

I have gratitude today for...
* going to the gym this morning at the hotel. They had a nice workout room near the pool. Of course I packed enough gym clothes for each day we've been away but didn't go until today.
* going to the pool for a while after the gym and then having lunch at Lulu's. We had a great table with an ocean view. I had a salad with crispy chicken, it was very good!
* moving to the pool on the "west" side of the hotel. There was a group of loud, obnoxious guys (from NY of course, way to keep up with the stereotype) that were so annoying to listen to at the other pool. We weren't the only ones to leave because of them. We had a great last few hours relaxing, reading, swimming and enjoying the FL sunshine. 
* the W's excellent customer service! We were able to use one of the hospitality rooms to shower before going to the airport.
* getting to the airport safely. Our cab driver was on the phone and trying to fix his computer in the taxi while driving. 
* a smooth trip home and John hooking us up with free parking.

Sunday, October 20, 2013

I have gratitude today for...
* the big comfy beds at the W. I love this hotel! I could have slept all morning but didn't want to waste the time I had to get to the pool. I saw there were magazines in the fitness center so I grabbed a Women's Health and took it to the pool with me. We stayed until noon and then left to get ready for the game. 
* finally seeing the famous Parrot (Eagles bar in Ft. Lauderdale.) It's a pretty cool place with tons of Eagles paraphernalia. Brad met up with us so it was nice to see him too. We ran over to Primanti Brothers for a slice of pizza before kick off. It was so packed we had to stand. Unfortunately the Eagles had a pretty crappy game. By the second half Brad left to go home and I was over standing and the heat so we went across the street to the Red Dog Cantina. We had chips & guacamole and chicken tacos. Everything was pretty good. It looked like the Eagles had a shot but they couldn't score and then Foles got hurt---it was all over.
* going back to the pool for a bit before the cloud rolled in. They were dark storm clouds and we made it back to our room just before it started pouring. It didn't let up for quite some time and I didn't feel like going out in the rain. We ordered take out from a local pizza place (it was terrible, we ended up throwing most of it away) and watched Homeland. After lots of beers and a late night last night it was nice to relax tonight.

Saturday, October 19, 2013

I have gratitude today for...
* a nice breakfast this morning at the hotel. They had really good fresh fruit and all of the typical breakfast buffet stuff. 
* the nice ride we had in an escalade from the airport hotel to the W. Our driver was super nice and is from the Bronx. We were talking about the schools there and I told him Kelly is a teacher. I gave him a good tip (more than usual for a cab) because he was so nice and pleasant. Plus, his car was immaculate and comfy. 
* being able to check in to our room at the W super early (around 11am). Gold status got us free internet and a room upgrade. When we got up to the room we found an awesome balcony with an ocean view. Woohoo. We dropped off our stuff and headed to the pool.  
* the gorgeous pool and view of the ocean from the pool deck. I already love this hotel! 


* lunch at a little mexican place called Beach Taco. It was set up like Chipotle. The chicken tacos were excellent. I was a bit disappointed in the guacamole (it was kind of watery and had way too much lime) but everything else was very good. The people working there were super friendly too. 
* spending the rest of the afternoon at the pool. We were going to hit the beach but it was $60 (PER DAY) for chairs and an umbrella. I'm sorry but that's crazy. I could see $15 or $20, but $60? Even If I was rich I'd still think that's insane. The pool was great. As it started to cool down we went in the hot tub. Eventually it was dark and time to figure out dinner. 
* having drinks in the room/on the balcony and listening to music as we got ready for dinner. We decided to check out the Sopranos Piano Bar (I was wondering if it's related to the one in Aruba, it is not.)
* having such a fun night at Sopranos! We were sat right in the front, directly in front of one of the piano players. We ordered wings and a burger (their menu was very basic and there wasn't much to choose from) and a bucket of beers. The guys playing were so much fun! People were sending up requests and they played a little bit of everything. There weren't just two pianos, but also a drummer and guitar player. We ended up talking quite a bit with two of the guys playing (one looked just like my cousin Timmy.) Another guy that came up on stage to sing a Bohemian Rhapsody looked like Uncle John.  During a break one of the guys sat down with us and insisted we do a shot. Out came shots of Patron (I regretted it immediately when it was just sort of cold and I had nothing to chase it with but warm beer.) We ended up staying until they were done playing, around 1:30am. I'd definitely want to go back next time we're in Ft. Lauderdale.



Uncle John look-a-like                            Tim McTague look-a-like



Friday, October 18, 2013

I have gratitude today for...
* the inspection at the house going really well. I learned a lot about what to look for and Mike was very knowledgeable. He gave me some ideas for the basement too! 
* lunch at Panera. I've been craving their tomato soup all week and I finally caved. 
* seeing Gary & Steve at the office this morning. We had a great conversation about the direction of PP and what we will be focusing on moving forward. I am excited about all of the good things to come with this company!
* talking with Stacie for a while this afternoon and then telling her about the bonus we'll be announcing next week!
* getting to the airport on time and having easy flights from PHL to ATL and then ATL to Ft. Lauderdale. 
* our shuttle ride from the airport to the Sheraton Airport hotel. Our driver was a friendly young guy who shared he was in the military. He was telling us that he's had back problems for five years and never received treatment. When he got back from Iraq they found he had herniated discs and several other back issues. Now he's battling with insurance and VA bills. It's so sad and disgusting to me that our military can't easily be treated for their injuries while they serve over seas. I thanked him for his service and then everyone in the van echoed what I said. I gave him a nice tip and wish him the best. He seemed like a hard working, genuinely good guy. 
* being upgraded to the club floor, and getting extra points and breakfast vouchers as a gold member perks. I like this gold status stuff!

Thursday, October 17, 2013

I have gratitude today for...
* getting up early to go to the WBA meeting even though I was really tired and wanted to sleep longer. I went to the wrong place which was annoying (last month's meeting spot was listed on the WBA homepage). When I finally got to the Main Line Night School, it was almost over. I did get an idea on how we might be able to work with them so that was worth going. 
* dropping off our first deposit to the RE/MAX office! I can't believe we really might be buying a house! I'm trying not to get too excited because so many things still need to happen but we're getting closer!
* grabbing a quick lunch at Baja Fresh today. There are only a couple left in the area and I love one of their salsas so I was happy it was along my route today!
* using my Groupon to get a pedicure and gel manicure at a salon in Lansdale. I was really annoyed they charged extra to remove my old gel nail polish when I could have done it myself at home. Most places do not charge if you're paying for a service as well. On top of that the girl didn't have me dry my toe nails and they were smudged when I put my shoes on. I know this sounds ridiculous to complain about on a gratitude blog but it felt like it was kind of poor service. Oh well, I probably won't go back since it's out of the way from where I live anyway. My nails turned out nice though and I'm happy they are looking so healthy. 
* visiting with Chrissy before the ICORP dinner. I was only able to stay for a little while but it was great talking with her and seeing the kids. Hopefully we'll be able to hang out for a bit next weekend when I'm in NJ.
* a nice time at the CJCA dinner. Steven wasn't able to make it so it was just me. I sat with a bunch of the AmTrust people and had a nice time. The bruschetta was an awesome appetizer. It was a wine tasting so we had a little bit of prosecco, red wine, white wine and champagne with the different courses. The champagne was a $200 bottle! The entree was fish so I ended up having a big plate of sauteed spinach w/garlic and olive oil without the fish and some more bruschetta. I learned the club has another restaurant, we'll have to try it sometime. 
* going to Mom & Dad's for a little bit before driving home. I told them a little bit about the house and we talked more about things going on at Mom's work. I'll get to see them more in two weeks when I go to NJ for Mary's shower. 
* talking with Debbie on my drive home from NJ. It was nice to catch up a bit. We talked a little bit about how I've been feeling about buying a house and she made me feel much better. I'm hoping we'll be able to see her when she is home for Christmas.

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

I have gratitude today for...
* Ardmore Acura giving me a loaner car today when I brought in Andy's car. His passenger side window was stuck and would not go up so we had to bring it in, even though we really don't want to put anymore money into that car. It has 250,000 miles on it!
* talking with John about possibly using/buying some of the flooring and granite trade from the magazine. 
* going with Viki to the outlets before heading to Lorin's for our girl's night dinner. We had a great time catching up and walking around. I have lots of places I'd like to go back to after we find our house, but today I was really good! Aside from some travel containers and an Auntie Anne's pretzel, I didn't buy anything!
* Lorin hosting our dinner. It was such a beautiful night with practically a full moon. We sat out back of her house with the fire pit going. Lori wasn't able to come so it was me, Viki, Lorin & Jane. We drank some wine and had a fantastic french dish (Coq au vin) that Gilles made. That's one I need to learn! As always we had great conversation, lots of laughs and enjoyed each other's company. I'm hoping our next get together will be for Christmas in our new house!
* an awesome quote I found today that reminded me of mom & dad.

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

I have gratitude today for...
* Cat calling this morning to let us know she was able to get us in to the other house on Far Hill Rd.this afternoon. I was absolutely sure I was going to like this one better than Cote Circle. I love the front yard and brick exterior. As we walked inside (around the back) we found the deck isn't in the greatest shape. After going through the house we found it's more cramped than Cote Circle, the two car garage cuts the closet space in the master bedroom in half and it wasn't as well taken care of. The kitchen needed a ton of work and although the basement was finished, it wasn't that great. In the end, seeing this house made me realize how nice and well kept Cote Circle is! Now I just pray everything goes smoothly. 
* going to Williams-Sonoma to pick up my signed copy of Relish by Daphne Oz. I also picked up a cute Eagles t-shirt for our trip to The Parrot in Ft. Lauderdale and went to L'Occitane to use a free sample offer I had. The sales lady Robin spent a good amount of time with me explaining their products. I look forward to trying them out, maybe they will be the answer to my redness problems!
* going to hot yoga at Aim High tonight. The class was with Rachel and it was a great class! I felt strong and was even able to do crow pretty well. We did a ton of high to low push ups and planks---it was a great workout!
* talking with John for a little while this afternoon. It was good to catch up, I miss working with him. 

Monday, October 14, 2013

I have gratitude today for...
* requesting information on a house that's on the market as a short sale. A realtor called me back about it and it turns out she is the realtor that sold the other house on Cote Circle, she had talked to Cat earlier today. She told me another house is coming on the market in the neighborhood. After lots of calls with Cat and emails we found out where the house is and who the agent is. We are hoping we can see it before we decide on Cote Circle. 
* after Cote Circle's agent coming back with a pretty crappy counter, their final offer price was more in line of what we were hoping for. Hopefully we can see the other house and then we'll know what to do!
* talking with Mom on Gchat and finding out her meeting went well. 
* working out with Dave today. I knew it would be hard since I hadn't done anything since Thursday. It felt good though, and I continue to see myself getting stronger!
* ordering the new Clairsonic Pedi Sonic. I found it on skinstore.com with a 20% discount code. They are never on sale so I decided to buy it now instead of waiting for Christmas or something. I'm excited to try it out!
* watching Homeland with Andy after dinner. 

Sunday, October 13, 2013

I have gratitude today for...
* Andy making breakfast while I laid upstairs praying to feel better. Those 9.5% beers, although tasty last night, were not the best idea! I do not know how we used to party several nights a week, that's for sure!
* Julie coming over to watch the Eagles game with us. It was a pretty good game, and we ended up winning again. Woohoo.
* making a nice dinner for the three of us- baby back ribs, roasted potatoes with rosemary and green beans with almonds. 
* relaxing after the game---looking around on Pinterest, realtor.com etc. We watched 60 Minutes and HGTV. Of course I wasn't tired until late tonight because I was basically laying around until 1pm. 
* finding out Jenn B. is pregnant with baby #2!
* filling out all of the paperwork to put our first offer in on a house. CRAZY!!!

Saturday, October 12, 2013

I have gratitude today for...
* it turning out to be a beautiful day for house hunting and Homecoming!
* looking at four more houses today. Not one of them was worth nearly what they are listed for---and none of them compared to Cote Circle. It has been a little frustrating to see all of the houses that have sold in recent months or are pending that are exactly what I was hoping to find. Inventory right now is so low. 




* the cute sunglasses I found at Kohl's for $3. I forgot to bring a pair with me today. 
* lunch with Andy at Buca di Beppo. 
* having Andy drop me off at Beckman's house. It was fun to hang out with little Beckman while Ed ran to the liquor store. He's such a little sweetie. We watched Jake & the Neverland Pirates and played with all of his toys. When Lora was done getting ready we had a beer and caught up for a while as we waited for Lori & Kossler to get there. 
* another fun night out in West Chester for homecoming. We had a good time at Alibi's and Barnaby's. The band at Alibi's was pretty good. It brought back lots of fun memories being there. Our group this year was a little smaller- Jess, Megan, Jen Cardonick, Beckman, Jenn, Kossler, Lori, Nicole, Adrienne & me. 

* Andy picking me up from West Chester. We gave Jenn & Paul a ride home, I was glad Andy met them. I'm excited about probably living closer to them and other friends of ours that live in the area. 





Wednesday, October 9, 2013

I have gratitude today for...
* keeping this blog. Honestly, today wasn't the best day. My mom got some bad news at work, I'm nervous about not finding a house before we need to move out of our place, and some other things too. The thing about keeping this blog is---it makes me realize there are always things to be thankful for. Everyday, no matter what. When I look back and read my blog I usually don't remember the bad things that happened that day. Instead I am reminded of the good things that happen, even on not so great days. 
* Chipotle for lunch---I've been getting the kids meals and they are just perfect for me at lunchtime. * our girl's night dinner being postponed until next week. I wasn't really in the mood after everything from today, and wanted to go to Richard's yoga class. 
* talking with Megan for a while this afternoon. I miss them so much and can't wait to see the kids at Thanksgiving!
* going to Richard's hot yoga class at Aim High tonight. It was challenging and I always learn something new when I go to his classes. The last time I had him as an instructor was at Ryah last year. It was good for me to go tonight, I worked on taking my mind off of everything that's going on for a while tonight. 
* talking to Mom after yoga. She told me more about what's going on. It was so hard to hear her upset but I'm glad we were able to talk.

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

I have gratitude today for...
* going to the 12pm yoga class at Aim High. It was a little on the easy/relaxing side so I didn't feel like I got the best workout, but it was still nice to go. 
* talking with Joel @ BIRE Financial today- he advised me what to do with my life insurance policies and a couple of other things. I am still annoyed that Chris Hussar pushed me towards an investment that wasn't exactly what I needed. However, I haven't lost money so at least I know what to do going forward. 
* going to the Flyers game with Andy. It was a great game and they won, woo hoo. First win of the season. 
* getting a call from Lea, we were texting back and forth a couple of weeks ago and she called to catch up. I wasn't able to answer because we were at the game but I'm excited to talk to her tomorrow. I miss my trips to Chicago!


Sunday, October 6, 2013

I have gratitude today for...
* finding another home on-line that looks like a decent possibility.
* finding out Wally Lamb has a new book coming out this month. He takes so long to put out his novels---can't wait to read it!
* going for a boat ride this morning. The marina gave us a boat to borrow since ours has been out of commission since the end of July. It had an awesome front "deck" area and I was able to lay out on it as we drove through the back bay. What a beautiful day!
* walking around Avalon. I went in and out of all the stores that were still open. It's All Good had almost everything 50% off. I got Andy two new bathing suits for Aruba. 
* watching the Eagles game. It killed me to be inside on such a nice day but it was a pretty good game. They ended up winning which was even better. 
* going for a long walk with Andy on the beach around sunset.

Saturday, October 5, 2013

I have gratitude today for...
* Megan allowing me to use one of her gym visits. I went this morning and did a workout on my own using everything I've learned from working out with Dave. After my workout I did about 15 minutes of yoga and stretching. I was there for an hour & a half and although I didn't want to "waste" time outside, I'm so glad I went!
When I first started working out with Dave, he tried to drive home the importance of working the legs, even though they aren't really the area I am "targeting". I thought this was pretty crazy to see on the board when I did one of these workouts on my own for the first time!
* walking to the library after the gym. I got a few People magazines for this weekend, some new CD's (Grace Potter, FUN, Mraz & a yoga cd), Michael Pollen's "In Defense of Food" and Daphne Oz's "Relish". That library is the best!
* Primos for lunch--it was a nice treat! I had the chicken cutlet with broccoli rabe and roasted red peppers. Yum!
* the awesome warm weather we had for most of the day. I was able to lay out on the deck after lunch in a bathing suit and read the People magazines. It started to get cloudy and chilly around 4ish.
* reading the first 75 pages or so of Daphne Oz's book "Relish". Reading the prologue made me feel like she is actually my friend---she was easy to relate to and everything she said resonated with me. 
* dinner at Circle Tavern with Andy, Chris, Henry & Mrs. Roth. I went with something different (for me) and got the chicken pot pie. It was awesome!

Friday, October 4, 2013

I have gratitude today for...
* getting all of the new PPL & PECO customers entered for Joe today. I entered about 80 and it took forever but I know it's been a big help. I had Grey's Anatomy on while I worked so at least there was something in the background. 
* remembering my first DMB show at Madison Square Garden. 17 years ago tonight...that is just crazy!! 
* talking with Gary today about my position with Park Power. We have lots of exciting things going on and I'm really happy to be a part of it all. He also agreed to help me out with something and I really appreciated it. 
* pizza from Via Mare for dinner. It's great to be back in Avalon for the weekend!

Thursday, October 3, 2013

I have gratitude today for...
* a great early morning workout with Dave. 
* watching last night's episode of Nashville while I entered customers to help out. Since El is away Mia has had to do them all and it's soooo time consuming. I was going cross-eyed by the time I finished but I was happy to help. 
* talking a walk around lunch time to the Chinese place on Fayette St. to pick up lunch. It was nice to get outside---this weather has been amazing! I stopped in a few places to drop off Park Power info and made an appointment for Monday too.
* a great Mexican dinner. I made fresh guacamole and pico de gallo. Andy & I watched the first three episodes of this season's HIMYM. I thought they were pretty good (with the standard cheesiness thrown in). 

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

I have gratitude today for...
*  lunch with Darlene at Whole Foods. We sat on the rooftop deck and had tacos from the taco truck. It was nice to catch up, I miss sharing an office with her!
* being able to go to my annual exam. Not that I love going to the doctor, especially the OB/GYN but I am thankful for my health insurance (through Andy's company) and the ability to go every year for a checkup. There are millions of women that do not have this option. 
* going for a walk with Andy after he got home from work. We did about 3 miles up the hill and back. 
* watching the first Flyers game of the season for a bit and then watching the X Factor upstairs. 
* chatting with Debbie on Gchat for a bit this evening. 

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

I have gratitude today for...
* texting with Bethany today and catching up with her. I feel horrible we haven't seen each other or really talked all that much. I'm hoping she is up for getting together soon. 
* briefly talking to Dan from Leadbox (through email) today. It was nice to touch base. 
* talking with Mastercard about the charges on my card from when I thought the auto-payments had been set up. They credited me and confirmed they are now set up correctly. 
* going to yoga nidra tonight at Aim High. It was so relaxing with the lights off and just candles lit. Some people fell asleep during the relaxation part, (they were even snoring, which of course made me want to poke my eyes out!) but I didn't. I actually find it very difficult to "stop thinking" but I do the best I can to just let the thoughts come in and out without really focusing on them.