One More Time, With Feeling

Chillin with Sauvignon Blanc

January 26, 2012 in Everyday Life, Musings with 0 Comments

I’m not exactly certain why this title popped in my head but I’m going with it. I suppose I actually was chillin with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc when I was writing this post as I was in route to Washington, DC from Boston.

Drafting this post was a bit of a challenge logistically as I was on a tiny plane and the passenger in front of me was in recline mode. But I managed to sit with my arms scrunched and carried on.

My TV didn’t work on my JetBlue flight so the flight attendant kindly comped a drink for myself and the lovely lady next to me who had the same issue. I requested a glass of Chardonnay but no such luck. He told me he was bringing me a Grand Reserve from 1929 and I believed him for a split second. A little while later he asked us if we would like a refill and also offered to accompany our drinks with a cheese plate. We kindly declined, as we wanted to arrive fresh and said we were saving ourselves for dinner out on the town– damn dairy intolerance, which I didn’t announce.

I’m traveling for business this week but I don’t discuss work on this blog.

During my one day stay in Boston pre-flight, I took the opportunity to learn something from each person I came in contact with on my brief visit.

Everyone who worked at Fifteen Beacon hotel took the act of top tier customer service very seriously. I felt like royalty during my one night stay.

The housemaid walked into my hotel room thinking I had checked out only to hear me (giving myself a pep talk for the day ahead) in the bathroom. Yes, I tend to give myself pep talks, out loud. What’s a woman to do? She graciously excused herself immediately. That wasn’t awkward at all.

My lunch dated confessed she just began running and wanted to do a half marathon by November of this year but didn’t know where to begin. We instantly had a new bond over running and I sent her a few links on training plans and suggested running with a local group.

I admired the woman whom I had coffee with earlier that morning. She was friendly, warm and approachable. She does it all and has the most adorable two children who by the looks of the photo I saw have bursting personalities. On a side note, she went to culinary school in France years ago and also published a cookbook. She also co-writes travel books with her husband. I love hearing about creative ambition.

My ride to the airport filled me in on his love for surfing. His first-ever try was in Hawaii of all places with his sister. It wasn’t until he surfed a wave in Providence, Rhode Island a few years later that he got the hang of it and became forever hooked. He prefers surfing in the winter months on the East Coast as the waves are much bigger here. He seems to have this beautiful surfing family community around him now.

My very kind and sweet airplane seatmate sitting next to me took the opportunity to visit DC for the evening on a work trip consisting of a complimentary dinner, a cozy hotel stay, free flights and the opportunity to meet colleagues from all over the world. She works for the state government.

The flight attendant was very kind and definitely took the act of customer service up a notch as mentioned in the beginning of this post.

Overall, my trip to Boston was a positive one, work-wise and personal learning-wise.

#9: Write a Two Year Career Plan

January 25, 2012 in Goals & Lists with 0 Comments

While writing out my goals for 2012, I decided one of them would be to create a two year career plan. I’m pleased to report that my first draft is complete. I say “draft” as things may change throughout the course of two years. Writing down my intentions gives me a clearer picture of where I’m headed. You never know what new opportunities may transpire along the way and this makes it all the more exciting.

In devising my plan, I broke it down into sections. I started with “Top Priorities” listing out those intentions I wished to finalize by the end of the two year mark. Secondly, I broke down my plan into a category called “Scheduled Process” which consisted of selected timeframes such as “January – May 2012.” Within these sectors I dissected even further, naming each goal I planned to finalize within each top priority.

This entire project made me realize that my goals are obtainable and I have the ability to see results at the end of the two-year period.

Here’s an example of my layout:

In other news, I’ve entered into the lottery for the 2012 TD Five Boro Bike Tour.

Dear Registrant,

You have successfully entered the 2012 TD Five Boro Bike Tour lottery registration system!

I’ll find out my status by March 1. It’s about time me and this guy below become reaquainted.

Central Park Running

January 24, 2012 in Running with 0 Comments

This past Sunday I went out for an afternoon run in Central Park. This was my last run before the start of my half-marathon training which began yesterday.

New York City was a mini winter wonderland over the weekend.

Before heading out, I informed New York Road Runners via Twitter that I would be running on the bridal path in Central Park. That was before I got there and saw that it was covered with snow. They must have though I was insane or forgetful that we just had a little snow coverage.

Running is so calm and peaceful in the park when there is snow on the ground.

I made a little pledge to myself while I was running as well.

I’m excited about training for a half-marathon. This is the first time I’ve ever trained for this distance.

Running truly does make a difference in my day.

Facing My Fears (Week 3): Sticking to a training plan

January 23, 2012 in Facing My Fears 2012 Challenge with 0 Comments

During my third week of the Facing My Fears 2012 Challenge I decided I would properly train for a half-marathon and stick to the plan. In all my life, I’ve never followed a training plan to a T and realized this would actually be a significant challenge for me. I’m also excited to see the benefits of the follow-through since I usually wing it.

I’ve decided against running a marathon this season, so I’m making the More Magazine/Fitness Magazine Women’s Half-Marathon my main race for the springtime and it’s on April 15. I’m following a twelve week training plan beginning today.

I’m looking forward to taking on a fitness project outside of my element and seeing what sort of results culminate.

On a completely unrelated topic, I’m sort of in love with this hairstyle below.

Random Thoughts

January 18, 2012 in Musings with 1 Comment

Last night while simultaneously watching my new favorite show Covert Affairs on my computer and writing out some plans/ideas, I heard the faint sound of jazz coming from my neighbors apartment. It warmed my heart a little. Maybe they were having a romantic dinner date over wine and fresh pasta, enjoying each others conversation while the music played in the background. Or maybe I assume too much.

Did I mention I am in love with Covert Affairs? I rented the first season on Netflix on a whim and am now addicted. It doesn’t take much for me. Just recently I talked about my love affair for the movie Friends With Benefits and I actually watched it back to back one night. Also, it took me awhile to get over the series finale of The O.C. which I also rented on Netflix. I now follow Ben McKenzie and Peter Gallagher on Twitter, thank you very much. Oh, and good news. Peter Gallagher is on the show Covert Affairs and now I get to see him in a new light. I also read that Ben McKenzie stars in the series Southland so that may enter my Netflix queue in the near future.

One might think, how do I have time to write and be productive in my spare time while watching all of these series? I have the answer for you. I multi-task. I rarely sit still so sometimes I have the TV on while writing or other times I’ll be watching a show via my laptop and I’ll pull out my notepad and brainstorm away.

Moving on, I was recently reading an issue of Health Magazine. I came across the cover story on actress Eva Longoria and I was intrigued.

I observed is that she is 36 years old and taking the world by storm. She’s an actress. She’s pursuing her master’s degree. She runs a nonprofit in which she founded. She also co-owns two restaurants, wrote a cookbook and produced a documentary. It was interesting that I was reading this particular article at this particular time. I was just thinking about my life the other day and wondered if I was “too old” to pursue some things I had in mind for this year. Yes, this was my thought process. Am I kidding myself? Who am I? People run marathons when they are 85. I finally told myself to get real. I never plan to stop dreaming or pursuing my passions in life.

I decided I would explain myself to myself in the same manner I described Eva’s contributions above. I work in beauty PR. I’m a writer. I created The Gumption Project. I’m a runner who competes in races. I will become a certified health coach one day soon. I’m writing a novel. I like to remind myself to stop selling myself short from time to time.

Speaking of books, I recently finished reading My Life With Eleanor by Noelle Hancock. I cried at the end. It was a brilliant ending to a honest, touching memoir. I first spoke about the book in a previous post. What I took from this book were a few points of interest. The author made a pact with herself and followed through. She spent every day for a year facing a fear. Secondly, she made me realize I want to know more about Eleanor Roosevelt. Next, I caught myself googling hiking trips to Mount Kilimanjaro. (Seriously? I don’t even like a two hour plane ride.) I took notice that this particular author has a distinct writing style that really drew me in as if I were a part of the experience with her. Back to my first statement, the ending really did it for me. The book was all I hoped it would be.

So, my final thoughts from me to you today in summary would be to watch Covert Affairs if you haven’t yet, think about climbing Mount Kilimanjaro if you enjoy hiking, know that you are never too old to pursue your life, listen to jazz as it may warm your heart unexpectedly and never judge me for watching too many romantic comedies and teenage-inspired TV shows.

Have a great day.

Facing My Fears (Week 2): A Colonic and Nixing Cheese

January 17, 2012 in Facing My Fears 2012 Challenge with 0 Comments

Two weeks ago I began my yearly documentation of facing my fears. I missed writing my post last Friday so I will do so today.

Last week I conquered the act of taking cheese out of my diet. My stomach was a wreck, my allergies were off the charts and my ears were so clogged I could hardly hear out of them. I decided that was the sign I needed to give myself a break and stop destroying myself.

I feel much better already from just one small modification in my diet. It’s amazing. Now I just need to remember this feeling.

Around the same time I decided to axe cheese (most dairy for that matter) from my diet I also scheduled a colonic. The procedure can be costly but I noticed the location I had visited previously was having a sale. I couldn’t pass up the offer.

I’ve gotten a colonic once before about three years ago at a center in the city called SanaVita. The location was recommended to me through a friend who knows I am a complete neurotic person when it comes to worrying about cleanliness and safety for myself. Having not been too familiar with the process of Colon Hydrotherapy I didn’t quite know what I was getting myself into at the time. Ultimately, I’m glad I moved forward with the experience. Now with the knowledge behind me, I realize I was doing something positive for my body.

Colon Hydrotherapy is the practice of gently infusing water directly into the rectum to internally cleanse and restore balance. Colon Hydrotherapy works by softly flushing out that which can’t be naturally eliminated. A colonic also hydrates the body and helps to restore the body’s optimal PH balance. The basic concept of colon irrigation remains the same today as in antiquity, but medical understanding and technology have evolved dramatically.

I’ve also been including more green tea in my diet and less coffee. I’m integrating even more fruits and greens on a regular basis. A new frame of mind and a few small changes is all it takes to head in a positive direction for oneself.

This may not sound like too much of a dramatic fear for me to face but in all honesty it was easy for me to sit in comfort and eat foods that didn’t agree with me. I even became immune to my body being uncomfortable and bloated. I’m being patient and more mindful of what foods work best for me in terms of feeling my most energized, positive self.

**Author’s note: I realize I sound part-robot in the above post. I’ve been suffering from a case of writer’s block but decided I needed to push through it so it didn’t continue on to infinity. Please be patient. My fabulous self will shine through again shortly. Promise.