KimmersLI

I know...I know...

2008-05-23T09:18:00.003-04:00

I know...it has been a really long time since I've blogged...I haven't felt like doing it much and work has just taken to using up a lot of my time...some things in a nutshell..
-got my forth star towards my second degree...I am now eligible to test for my second degree...My Sensei and I have set a target date of the September/October test. I am also going to do the grapplinhg...my opponents are going to be carefully selected and told about my issues...it is keeping me busy.

-I am going to be secretary of my Kiwanis Club.

-My professional association is keeping me busy...we are busier than we've ever been with lots of stuff going on.

-My apartment building has gotten the approval to go condo...we should be closing within the next 2 months...it is exciting because we've been waiting for so long. I had a ceiling fan put in yesterday for my bedroom.

-One of my grandmother's passed away. She had been suffering, so it was a blessing. My brother and I were beneficiaries of a life insurance policy, so that will help me to re-decorate my living room when the time is right.

-I bought a macbook and am using it to write this post.

I hope to enjoy the beautiful weather this weekend...it is the start of summer here in Long BEach!

Old Friends

2008-03-10T06:23:00.002-04:00

This past weekend provided an interesting opportunity to go to New Jersey and see old friends at the Circle K District Convention because Ron was retiring after 12 years as administrator. It was interesting to see who looked the same and who had changed and where life had taken some people. I was able to reconnect to some folks with whom I was close to during my college years and my time in New Jersey. I gave a couple my business card with my email and will now be interested to see who gets in touch. I would love to reconnect with some of the old crew...it may mean a few more trips into New Jersey but that isn't such a bad thing.

Black Belt Test

2008-01-13T19:35:00.000-05:00

Today was the black bet test where I was going for my 3rd star out of the 4 that I need to be eligible to test for my second degree. When I got my number the other night at our school, my limitations had been taken off. My Sensei told me not to worry since I am usually in his ring and I emailed him Friday morning to give him the limitations again so that he could take care of the issue. Of course, get to the test this morning and Sensei is not in my ring. There are 3 other instructors, one of whom is a former instructor of mine. Sensei talks with them regarding my physical limitations and I get told that I am going to have to box another star candidate in order to get my star. I was nervous but folks from my school told me it would be okay because my skills are there. I did 2 rounds with a break between the rounds. The Senseis told me that I did a nice job. I went up to my Sensei after the test and thanked him for making me box. He told me he did it to prove to me that I could do it. I told him I need to work on my stamina in free fighting and work with a variety of partners. He also informed me that one of his goals for the year is to get me to start grappling...that should be interesting. I will try it because I trust him and the other instructors in my school that they aren't going to let me get really hurt. We'll have to see how that goes...

My first priority is to let my ankle heal a little since it is really messed up right now and has been for the past few months. I'm going to reduce my training over the next 3 weeks and come back strong in February.

Some Bad News

2008-01-09T06:25:00.000-05:00

The ELA is going okay...we are starting day 3 of 5 today. I have been doing my biking in the mornings for 15 to 20 minutes.

Found out Monday that my friend Dave's mother was killed Monday morning when s he was hit by a car. I'm sending good vibes to my friend down in NJ because I know how rough it is to a lose a parent.

Got the preliminary results of my MRI...I have severe tendonitis on the lateral side of my ankle...I am wearing a brace at all times now on my ankle which is helping. I am probably going to need some good PT and we'll see...it really hurt the other night when training.

My grandmother has decided she wants to come home from Florida. She has been passing out and is scared (understandably) and wants to be where her family is. Mom will be returning to Florida on Monday (she just got home on Monday night) and bringing grandma home on Friday.

Tonight I have my LISHA (Long Island Speech-Language-Hearing Association) budget meeting. It should be an interesting evening.

Never a dull moment in my world...

Proud

2008-01-07T06:21:00.000-05:00

I am proud of myself...I had gotten out of control with my eating and had stopped getting up in the morning to ride my exercise bike as I read my newspaper. I knew I needed to get myself back under control. I have been biking every weekday morning for the past week as I read my newspaper, so the time may vary, but at least I'm doing it. I am also making an effort to eat healthier. I have also gone back to eating lots of little things throughout the day since I know that is how to boost my metabolism. It helps to have a friend who is trying to get herself back in control as well. she and I can talk and we understand each other and what we are going through.

Friday night's pre-test lasted 4 hours - a new record for our school. Next week is the test.

I get my MRI results today from the doctor. I've got all the films to give him but he should have received a report from the MRI place by today.

I can't believe how warm it is going to be this week...it feels as if it is more like spring or summer rather than winter...should be fun as we administer the ELA at work.

Ankle Issues

2008-01-04T06:21:00.000-05:00

So sometime in late November - early December my left ankle started to really hurt...I went to the doctor and for about 3 weeks, I used an aircast which can be a real pain in the butt...I stopped wearing the aircast right after Christmas, but the ankle still is not right...it hurts if I turn certain ways on it and if I wan walking lots...it hurt during the really cold temperatures of the past 2 days as well...so, I will be going for an MRI after work today to see if there is a tear or something else going on...should be interesting...

I also have the black belt pre-test tonight which should be interesting...I'm hoping he's determined a way to speed it up a little because last time it went until nearly midnight...needless to say, I will be sleeping in tomorrow morning...

Brrr...

2008-01-03T06:16:00.000-05:00

wow...the temperature suddenly got really cold. My apartment which is normally on the warm side was cold when I got home last night. I put an extra blanket on my bed, put on my flannel pj's and had to use the space heater all night...I looked at the thermometer that I keep in the apartment and it was closer to 60 degrees rather than the usual 80+ degrees. It doesn't feel as bad this morning thankfully (granted the space heater is still going in the bedroom) and I was still able to peddle 20 minutes while I read the paper in the office without complaining much (of course, that is usually the first room that I open the window in...now time to shower and then brave the elements...I think some hot chocolate will be coming to work with me today....

Been a While

2008-01-02T08:40:00.000-05:00

Wow...where does the time go...I can hardly believe that it has been so long since my last update/post. I have been busy at times and just not in the mood during others. Happy New Year to all I guess is the first order of business. I have made a resolution to continue on my healthy lifestyle - eating right and working out. I also want to continue to take time for me. Over the past week, I finished a needlepoint I had been working on for a while. I now have one to do for my friend's in Florida who had their second child in November.

I have been frustrated by the lack of dates I've been going on and not being able to meet lots of new people. I am going to try and change that.

I got to spend a bunch of time with my nephew during the past month. He is just adorable and I want to eat him up. He is generally a good boy.

I will try to post more often even if it is just to discuss my feelings or whatever floats through my mind.

Travel Buddy

2007-10-08T17:23:00.000-04:00

I thought this was pretty cool and I would share it with all.

Unable to Sleep

2007-09-24T03:43:00.000-04:00

Here I am having to go to work in the morning and I am unable to sleep. I was sleeping soundly until 3am when my body decided it was time to get up. I waited around for about 30 minutes before getting out of bed and coming to the computer...figured I could do a little productive stuff. Maybe getting some of the emails that are on my mind out will help me go back to sleep. My alarm doesn't go off until 5:30am...I hope I am able to fall back to sleep because otherwise I am going to be very cranky by the end of the day.

Weekend in Review

2007-09-17T06:32:00.000-04:00

I had a great weekend...

It started with the Jewish New Year - Rosh Hashanah...We had dinner Wednesday night at mom's with my sister in law's family there. I got to spend time with my nephew. Thursday morning I went to temple with mom and then spent most of the day at her house with my grandma and her. It was a nice relaxing day overall and I got laundry done. After a great dinner, for a second night, I went to train at karate since the Black Belt Test was this weekend.

Friday was a busy day. I was running around for LISHA get some details taken care of for the Fall Conference at the end of October. I met with the catering hall...went to one place looking at flowers. I also went over to my old karate school to pick up my number for the black belt test. I haven't trained there in over 2 years but for some reason, my test number keeps getting sent there. Not a big deal...I should probably go over there to train one night. Maybe that will happen one night next week when I have a meeting and won't make it over to Plainview for the 8pm class.

Saturday was my relaxing day. I went to babysit my nephew with my mom. He is such a delight. I got to give him one of his feedings. He slept well. He likes to be held a lot but did do some sleeping in his crib. I took it easy at night because I had to get up early Sunday morning.

Sunday morning got me moving nice and early in order to make it out to NJ for the black belt test. When I got into my car, the low tire pressure warning light was showing. I took it and get some air into the tires. It was still showing the warning, but I went on my way to NJ. Halfway through my trip, the warning light went off. The Black Belt Test was awesome. I totally feel like I fit again. I did my push ups (35) straight, without stopping and the Sensei counting didn't even question me using the kick shield for my feet. I did 70 sit ups in one minute. Someone I knew from the old days was the one to hold my feet. I felt awesome. I have now earned my second of four starts needed to be allowed to test for second degree. If things stay on this course, I would be allowed to test for the second degree in a year. I've got a lot of work to do on my boxing skills but I think I am going to make a push for it. My training partner went for his second degree and did great through the first 8 rounds of boxing (he had to do 12) but then he took a hit to the ribs and that knocked him out. I am still so proud that he made it so far. I didn't get home until 7pm. I was so exhausted, I actually climbed into bed at 10pm and went to sleep for the night. If I thought I would have slept through the night, I would have gone to sleep at 9pm.

Sorry

2007-09-08T07:41:00.000-04:00

I just haven't felt like blogging...not sure why but over most of the summer, just didn't do it.

My new car is great...I love the Honda CR-V...in less than 2 months, I have put over 2,000 miles on the car.

I worked the summer program and made nice money...the girls I worked with were great this year.

I interviewed for an administrative job in Wantagh...I didn't get it but told I interviewed really well...the concern was my lack of secondary experience...we talked about ways to get that experience.

I did some traveling for Kiwanis...convention was a blast and the new site for my Key Leader event looks amazing.

School started back up again and it looks like it is going to be a great year.

I've been training really hard with karate and will be going for my second start next week. I've started training on Sundays in a different school and love that as well. Last night we had a 4 hour black belt pre-test...didn't end until midnight...

Saw Stardust last week with Chrissy...great movie...highly recommend it to all.

Became an aunt to Spencer Lance on August 6th...he is an absolute cutie...I can't wait to spoil him.

Today I have the Merrick Festival and am going to see A Chorus Line with mom and one of her friends in the city...should be a great day!

New Car

2007-07-30T06:36:00.000-04:00

Friday morning, I took my car to be greased and oiled at Bar San. I figured that nothing major was going on with the car...well, that all changed when I got a phone call telling me that the catalytic converter needs to be replaced shortly. That is an approximately $800 part when you add in the labor. Add to that the fact that I know my air conditioner is starting to go as well. The car is 9 years old and has over 137,000 miles...so, that means time for a new car. Mom and I went looking Friday evening. We looked at the Jeep Compass and Liberty and the Honda CR-V. I really liked the way the CR-V looked and drove. So, after a little number crunching and dinner at home, we went back and I bought the car. Tomorrow evening, I will be picking up my new silver, with black fabric, CR-V. I am so excited...especially since this is the first time in 9 years that I will have a new car.

Movie and Book Review

2007-07-26T06:31:00.000-04:00

I went with mom opening night to see Hairspray - the Movie. I have always loved the Hairspray story and this was no exception. they did a great job with the movie. The new songs are great and the slight changes to the plot were acceptable as well. The cameo appearances were noted by some and see to see John Travolta dressed as a female was interesting. Definitely something I would recommend to others.

The book review is the 7th installment of Harry Potter. While slightly annoyed with UPS since they wouldn't leave it on the Saturday since no one was home and the doorman wasn't on duty yet, I got the book Monday night and read it as much as possible over the next 3 days. What an amazing story. I wasn't disappointed at all. Rowlings kept readers in suspense until almost the very end about whether Harry would live or die (no, I am not going to spoil it here). It was very interesting to learn some of the background of Dumbledore and the other characters. I found it a very quick read and one that I couldn't put down. I highly recommend the series to others if you haven't already read them.

Decisions...

2007-07-18T06:18:00.000-04:00

The Kiwanis International Convention was great! I got to see some old friends...experience a great convention...hang out with New Yorkers and ride a bull!

I returned home from the convention to go to work on Monday and find out that my director was leaving, having accepted a position in another district. This means that there will be changes in the special education administrators in my district. What a decision I had to make - did I want to submit for the Director position or just the supervisor position...this is something I was pondering as I headed off to Pittsburgh for the ASHA Schools 2007 Conference where I was a presenter.

At ASHA Schools 2007, I was there with someone from LISHA. It made it nice because there was someone to go to dinner with each night and someone that I hung out with during sessions, in the exhibit hall, etc. Sunday morning, I did a poster session presentation on the staff inservice that my colleague and I developed to explain our role in the schools. It went over really well. People were very interested in the presentation and I have about 4 pages of email addresses to send it out to since I ran out of my handouts.

I have submitted my application for Supervisor of Special Education and am trying to submit for Director of PPS but there was a little glitch in the computer system. I have e-mailed the Assistant Superintendent asking for assistance in what to do in order to get that one filed as well. I figure, and others have told me, I have everything to gain and nothing to lose by applying for the positions.

Week in Review

2007-07-11T05:48:00.000-04:00

So, last week I was in San Antonio for the Kiwanis International Convention. This was my first time attending the convention and I had a blast. I got to see a bunch of old friends from my Circle K Days and also shocked a bunch of folks who hadn't seen me in years. It was a great opportunity to learn more about Kiwanis and hear about what goes on in other parts of the Kiwanis world. The New York District had a great time. I was "adopted" by the Governor of the District. We also went to a ranch one night and everyone got to sit on a bull. When I download the photos, I will post one. There were thankfully no travel issues when I was returning home.

I started back at work on Monday to some interesting news...my director is leaving Wantagh for a bigger position in another district. It is going to be very interesting to see what comes down the pike in terms of a job posting and the whole interview process.

This upcoming weekend, I am off to ASHA Schools 2007. I can't wait for the conference because I had such a great time last year. I am also presenting a poster session on Sunday morning. I am both excited and nervous.

Travel Adventures

2007-07-03T08:26:00.000-04:00

So, I spent most of yesterday traveling to San Antonio for the Kiwanis International Convention. It was quite an adventure. My friend Christine picked meup and took me to the airport in the morning. We went the back way to JFK, something neither one of us had ever done and all went smoothly. I got my ticket, checked my bag and got through security with little fanfare. I spent my time on all the lines talking to a nice guy who was going to San Diego. We board the plane to Dallas and the pilot comes on that they are running behind when it comes to loading the plane with the baggage and mail. It took nearly 45 minutes for them to finish loading the plane and then to get a push back for the plane. Okay...one hopes to make up time in the air. Nope. We were in a holding pattern a couple of times because of bad weather around Dallas. We land on the ground 2 hours after we were supposed to only to find out that there is another plane at the gate and it will be about an hour before we would be able to get to the gate. So, we sat on the plane. At one point the flight attendants came on with the phone number for American Airlines in order to find out about flights and all. I immediately called because I had missed my connection. I got the last seat on the next flight which was also delayed a couple of hours. When we finally got off the plane, I walked to the next gate, got my new boarding pass and then went to get some food since I had barely eaten during all that time. I sat down next to a gentleman with a Kiwanis hat and jacket on. I learned the man's whole life story, which was a lot since he is 90! I went to go to the bathroom and ran into people from East Meadow. I excused myself from the 90 year old man and went and hung out with the gang from East Meadow. We got to San Antonio at 9:30pm. A lot of folks on the plane were on their way to Convention which was neat. Once we got to San Antonio - almost thought my bags didn't make it - but thankfully they did. We got a cab and went to the hotel. After settling in to our rooms, we went down to the bar and had a drink. A whole bunch of Kiwanians gathered and we had a great time.

Today, the plan is to register for convention and to do some sight seeing before the convention festivities begin at 4pm.

Movin' Right Along

2007-06-27T06:32:00.000-04:00

Things are moving right along towards the purchase of the apartment. I sent a ton of papers to my mortgage broker so that he can start the process of getting me a loan. He is a great guy to work with. I also spoke with my attorney about what still needs to be done in my apartment. I am going to put it in writing and fax it to him in the next day or so just to confirm and make sure it makes its way to owners since I want to make sure it gets done.

I am also excited because it looks like one of my closest friends is going to move into the building. He came by last night and we went in and explored the 2 possible apartments that he is looking at. He has a tough decision to make but I know he'll make the one that's best for him. It will be so cool for him to be a mere three floors away.

So, we look to be on track for closing to occur in the late summer/early fall.

School Year Over

2007-06-23T11:11:00.000-04:00

It has been a hectic couple of weeks with the close of the school year and stuff going on with my building. Let's see if I can fill y'all in.

-I signed my purchase agreement and gave my list of concerns. They have already started to address my concerns. We have meet the percentage for the conversion to go through. The attorney thinks we will close around Labor Day. I have a close friend who might be moving into the building, which would be so cool!

-I am working with a lot of private/agency clients. I picked up another one for twice a month for 2 hours total. I am trying to save as much money as possible. I just keep working and putting the money away. I have splurged though and bought a couple of things I wanted. My goal now is to save money this summer so that when I do close, I might be able to do a couple of things in the apartment right away rather than waiting a year.

-I purchased an iPod. I finally decided that I wanted a music player with a lot of storage space so that I could put more music on it. I think my upcoming trip to San Antonio encouraged me to do so. I went after school ended yesterday to Best Buy and purchased it. I came home from training last night and starting playing with it. I was up to 2 am and therefore decided to sleep in this morning and not go and train. (I just woke up a little while ago).

-The school year was crazy with meetings at the end of the year. I got everything done that I needed to for my room. I also prepared the schedule for the summer program PARISS that I work. I did the scheduling for 3 speech-language people.

I can't wait to go to San Antonio in a couple of weeks. The summer is going to fly by before I even know it. I'm going to make the best of it.

Skinny Pants

2007-06-07T06:15:00.000-04:00

I am so very excited...I have clothes that I had purchased when I lost the weight the last time and they haven't fit in nearly 2 years. If you read, you know I've been working hard to lose the weight...well, I've done it...I fit into what I call my skinny pants!! I am so psyched! I look awesome in them. What's even cooler is that I am 13 pounds away from my target weight, which is the weight I was the last time I fit into them. what does this mean?? It means that this time, I have built a ton more lean muscle mass from all of the strength training my Sensei has me doing. I was so pumped last yesterday that I barely snacked (although that might have been from my cold too). I am still planning to work on losing the remaining 13 pounds - this just gives me a real good boost.

Stupid Cold

2007-06-06T06:18:00.000-04:00

My body is so predictable...I feel fine during high periods of stress but the moment the stress is gone, I get a cold. So last week, my high levels of stress kind of ended with being finished writing my IEPs for all the annual reviews. Over the weekend, I started feeling the cold coming on and by Tuesday I was miserable. I was going to work because I had some of the annual review meetings and didn't feel that they could be missed. So, I muddled through the day. Saw only one of my after school clients and then dropped Kiwanis stuff at mom's and went home. Someone else ran the Kiwanis meeting for me because I just needed to get home and rest. I was miserable last night just sitting on the couch watching tv, drinking orange juice and blowing my nose. I was figuring that I was going to take half a sick day this morning to stay home and sleep and then go in for my meeting this afternoon but I woke up this morning feeling a lot better. I am going to take a shower now and see how I feel after that before deciding what I am going to do...I will probably go to work for the full day because that's just the way I am. We have our Special Education Department end of year get together today and then I have to decide if I am going to go to karate tonight...we'll have to see how the day goes.

Positive Reinforcement Helps

2007-06-03T08:47:00.000-04:00

So, I was training yesterday morning and trained with a partner that I hadn't worked with in a while. She was so shocked at how much I'd improved over the past month or two. I kicked butt on my sit ups and then really maintained and did just about all of the drills with strength/power. Even Sensei came over at one point and commented at how on my techniques were. It really makes one feel good when you get positive reinforcement like that. I am pushing towards the finish line of the 90 day challenge. I've lost a bunch of weight during that time and really developed a bunch of muscle. I have a little more fat to get off around my midsection but I am thrilled with how I look and feel. I am going to participate in picture day in 2 weeks because I've never had the chance to have pictures taken as a black belt and figure now is a good time to do it because I look so good.

Interessting Conversation

2007-05-30T05:50:00.000-04:00

I had a call tonight from one of the growth team members for Kiwanis here in New York. It started as a conversation about the Key Leader program and a request for me to call someone from her area who had questions. The conversation spun into what do "young people" think of Kiwanis and is Kiwanis meeting their needs and what do they want from Kiwanis. It was really quite an interesting conversation. It turned into an invitation to become a part of the growth team for the District (I didn't say yes or no to that one). So, for any of you out there, if you could answer a few simple questions, I'd appreciate it. You can leave it in the comments here or e-mail it to me.

1. Why have you or why have you not joined Kiwanis?

2. What are you looking for in a Kiwanis Club?

3. What can Kiwanis be doing to attract younger members?

Thanks in advance to those who help me out!

Key Leader Program at Camp Stella Maris

2007-05-27T11:17:00.000-04:00

Last weekend, I attended a wonderful leadership program for students that I help coordinate in New York called Kiwanis Key Leader. The following is the slide show of the weekend.

10 years

2007-05-26T10:20:00.000-04:00

It is so hard to believe that it has been 10 years since my father passed away. I sometimes wonder what life would have been like if he was still around. Things would certainly have been different. There are still little things in my life that will trigger the tears - especially when I see something on a tv show. I miss him every day but know that he is looking down on me and is proud of all I do and have accomplished in life. It still doesn't change the fact that I miss him....

Great Day

2007-05-06T22:36:00.000-04:00

Today was a great day...I was at the black belt test in order to test for my first star towards my second degree (I need 4 in order to test for second degree). I earned my star today by doing 40 push ups and 57 sit ups in 1 minute. I am proud of myself for coming back so far in 6 months time. My Sensei is awesome as well.

Friends

2007-04-30T06:13:00.000-04:00

It is amazing sometimes how one can be friends with someone, not talk to them for at least a year and then when you connect with each other again, it is like no time has past. Unfortunately, due to my crazy schedule and many of my friends being far away, there are some that I have lost touch with. This week brought me to reconnect with a friend that I made in my CKI days to the point that I was a bridesmaid at her wedding (tells ya how close we became despite the distance between us - she lives in South Carolina). We chatted first via IM for a while one night and figured out that we are both going to be in San Antonio this summer for the Kiwanis Convention. Then, we spoke on the phone the other day. The way we chatted was like no time had passed between chatting.

I promise to try and be a better friend when it comes to keeping in touch with old friends. Let's see with my crazy schedule if I am able to do that.

Setting Goals

2007-04-21T07:39:00.000-04:00

Before Sensei went away a few weeks ago, we said that we would set some goals for me when he returned. Last night, towards the end of class, he pulled me off the mat (didn't have to sit 500 crunches at the end of class). We decided that we are going to focus on strength training first. I think he would of wanted me to work on cardio via running but when I told him I had to do it with 2 aircasts, he decided against it. I will continue to ride my bicycle 30-45 minutes in the morning as I can. In addition, 5 days a week, he wants me doing 10 sets of 6 push ups and 500 sit ups. He allowed me to take home a kick shield so that I can do the push ups the wa I need to be doing them. In one month time, he is going to be testing me to see how well I'm achieving the goals. If I do as instructed, I should really build the muscle definition on both my arms and in my abs.

Was also psyched because a friend came with me to train last night and he was so excited about how we are instructed, he is thinking of coming back to us on a more regular basis.

Feeling Great

2007-04-05T11:18:00.000-04:00

I went to the doctor's this morning for my 6 month check up with regard to the PCOS. It is really cool when the doctor comes in and says "wow" because she can't believe the weight loss that has occurred in the 6 months after a year of not losing anything. In addition, my blood pressure is down nicely to a level where it should be and best of all, I feel great. She couldn't believe how much I train and that I sometimes do it for 2 hours but it is working and so I plan to keep it up.

So far this week, I have trained 4 hours. Tonight and tomorrow I plan to do 2 hours each night. I also think Deshi has figured out a way for me to do my push-ups. I had the opportunity to speak briefly to Sensei last night and we are going to try it and Adam is speaking to HQ to see what can be done if I can't do the regular push ups (which I can't due to pressure on my ankles and ball of foot). Sensei also commented last night about how good I look - makes ya feel good.

So, things are going well...time for me to get some work done today before going to an appointment and to see my client.

Update

2007-04-01T00:00:00.000-04:00

Things continue to progress. I am probably picking up another client. trying to save all the money I can.

I started the conversation with my karate instructors about the push ups. I wanted to go for a star this test (the beginning of May), but I haven't gotten an answer back from them and the applications are due Monday. I am planning on taking the Monday morning classes so we'll see if Sensei is there or if Deshi can answer it for me. My ankles were completely shot Friday night while I was training to the point that I pretty much had to stop. Here's an interesting visual - me sitting with a towel and an ice pack on each ankle...I did that for 15 minutes when I came home.

I am glad to be on vacation this week although I have plenty of work to get done. I brought a bunch of stuff home and there is just a bunch of stuff that I want to take care of. We will see what gets done with the holiday and all.

Today was nice...slept in late for me and then went looking at apartments with my neighbor. We were just walking around and seeing what was out there. We then decided to go to the Islanders game tonight. In between, he saw his parents and I made a run to Target. the game was fun although the Islanders lost.

Mid-March Report

2007-03-24T06:14:00.000-04:00

Okay...so it is more to the end of March, but what are you going to do about it. Work is keeping me busy and at some points making me crazy and stressed. Professional Association stuff is going well for the most part. A few small glitches here and there. It is the reason I'm up so early on a Saturday morning. I'm off to a full day workshop that I need to be there at 7:30am. It is especially painful because I didn't go to sleep until nearly 1am. Can we say someone is going to come home and crash afterwards?? Kiwanis stuff is moving along nicely. We have our Mets raffle this week and I just had a board meeting. It amazes me how some people really try to dominate the meeting and it makes it difficult to keep it running smoothly. I'm more than half way done. I am happy that they agreed to fully fund my trip to San Antonio and the International Convention this summer. All I will have to worry about are my food expenses.

Karate is going great! I try to go 3-4 nights a week but sometimes meetings get in the way and I may only get there one or two nights. apparently when I missed a kickboxing class this past Thursday, it was noticed by Sensei and he wondered where I was. They have me doing the 90 day challenge for changing body appearance which should be interesting. I am trying to make sure that I bike in the morning as I read the paper and that I do sit ups and push ups each day. I need to have a conversation with either Adam or Sensei about testing for a star (need 4 of them to get the second degree) given that push ups seem to be extremely painful on my ball of foot and ankles.

Time to hop in the shower and get ready for the conference today.

Down 12 pounds!

2007-03-02T23:36:00.000-05:00

Since January 1st of this year, I have lost 12 pounds. I am looking and feeling great. My mother saw me today for the first time in 3 weeks and she thought I looked great. She also made a comment that my butt has disappeared :)

Weight Loss

2007-02-21T22:30:00.000-05:00

It is really cool when you see someone you haven't seen in about 3 months and the first thing they notice is the weight loss and muscle toning that you've done...really made my day today :)

25 West Broadway

2007-02-18T12:09:00.000-05:00

A very interesting thing happened at the end of January. The insider prices on the apartments were revised and mine is now within buying reach aka more reasonable price. I have decided that I am going in with the group that is going to be buying. We are having an engineer come out later this week to evaluate the building and what would be needed in terms of a reserve fund. It is an exciting prospect. I even got my brother to come down to a meeting with the attorney to hear how we need to proceed. I'm not taking any chances. Exciting things are moving forward.

Hockey Game

2007-02-17T23:24:00.000-05:00

Tonight I had the opportunity to go to the Islanders game with my friend M. My brother has season tickets (which have been a part of the family forever) and since he was going to be away (another long story which I don't need to get into) and I'm watching the dog (Nikki has been delightful)I got the tickets. M picked me up and off to the game we went - both wearing our Islander jerseys. The Islanders played the Devils - a relatively local rivalry. The Islanders were shut out but there were 3 amazing fights during the game. M and I both agree that because of our training in the martial arts, we look at fights differently. It makes it rather humorous at times. After the game, we went to the diner to eat. Another fun night with a good friend.

The Producers on Broadway

2007-02-17T13:39:00.000-05:00

On Superbowl Sunday, mom and I went into the city to see The Producers with Tony Danza. It was a great show. The story line is classic and some of the one liners and facial expressions were awesome. What was even better was that we got the tickets through tdf.org which usually means that you will be towards the back of the theatre in the upper level. We had dead center orchestra seats!! I highly recommend this show to anyone who hasn't seen it yet. I recorded the movie a while back and now need to actually take some time to sit and watch it.

Sick

2007-02-07T23:16:00.001-05:00

SO much has been going on that I want/need to post about but I have been feeling a bit under the weather for the past 2 weeks...hopefully this will resolve itself in the next couple of days and I will post a couple of more detailed posts...thanks for understanding (the few who read).

Weekend Report

2007-01-21T14:18:00.000-05:00

Well, this weekend has turned out better than it started Friday night. Yesterday, I had to take a Defensive Driving class all day. I do it every three years to get a reduction in my insurance rate. It sucks because it is getting up early and listening to boring lecture all day long. I got to the class not too excited to be there but then in walks a group of other folks from my school. We made the best of what is a relatively sucky day. Afterwards, I went to my mom's house to get some laundry done and get some Kiwanis stuff organized. She also provided me for a background stitch for my needlepoint (an important thing). We talked about the Gray's Anatomy episode from the other night and agreed that it hit somewhat close to home despite all the years. We had a nice dinner at the diner together and then I drove home to what was a relatively chilly apartment. I worked on my needlepoint quite a bit and also got my Kiwanis meeting and board meeting agendas taken care of. I went to bed around midnight. This morning, I first rolled over around 7:30am and was kinda annoyed...next thing I knew, it was nearly 11am!! I had a late breakfast with my friend M. I always enjoy when I get to hang out with M (which isn't too often). We always have great conversations. This was the first time he saw my apartment. We had some deep conversations and he gave me some things to think about in terms of acting on my feelings for someone. When he left, I went food shopping. It is going to be a healthy lunch week for me - salads! I've now prepped the stuff and am all set to go. I am going to head out to Michaels to get some stuff and then home to needlepoint and maybe work on the class I've decided to teach for the teacher's center (pending its approval). As I said, a decent weekend.

Emotions Abound

2007-01-19T21:16:00.000-05:00

I missed Gray's Anatomy last night so I caught it tonight since I was home. The part with George's father really hit home. It is hard to believe that this May it will be 10 years since my father passed away and Christina's comments really range true. I found myself crying while watching the family be told that there was no hope and as he passed away. I lost it even more as Christina went and found George to tell him about being a part of the Dead Dad's Club. The comments about not knowing how to live without him are so true. Even now there are times when I wish my father was around. I still miss him so much As I sit here and type this, I can barely see what I am writing because of the tears. When will the pain go away? It lessens, but does it ever really go away??

Weekend Update

2007-01-15T09:03:00.000-05:00

This weekend was a good one (although not completely over since I have today off). Friday night we did family dinner. My mom, brother, sister in law and I went to dinner. There seems to be some exciting news in the near future. We went to this great pizza/Italian place. Everyone but mom was exhausted and barely talked in the car but it was nice to go out with the family.

Saturday, I got to see an old friend who was up for the weekend. I haven't seen this person in a couple of years and she came down to LB to see my place and we went out to lunch. We then went back to the apartment and continued to just talk and catch up on life. We both have the same medical condition and we shared information including tips for losing weight, which is something that is difficult for us to do. Saturday night I went with another friend to the movies. We saw DreamGirls. Definitely a movie that I would recommend to all. Great story and awesome actors in the roles.

Sunday was a day for me to get stuff done around home. I did laundry, went food shopping and did work. I even got to needlepoint. I am really making an effort to do that more often.

I'm also proud because each day I am also exercising. I get on my exercise bike each morning as I read the newspaper. This gives me 20 to 30 minutes. I need to continue to work on my sit ups and push ups. I did get the opportunity Thursday to speak with Sensei about my issues. We have come up with a plan to get me back into kickboxing and work on things gradually.

Week in Review

2007-01-13T08:54:00.000-05:00

I am glad that the week is done. There is something about state testing that makes life crazy. I want to know what these tests prove - especially for our special education students. this week we gave the ELA (English Language Arts) test. Many of our students have difficulty with reading - hence why they are in special education. They have to sit and take the test and we cannot read to them since it is a reading test. These kids can't read the test on their own! Their frustration level rises and they know that they can't do it - what does this do to their self esteem?? In 2 months, we will repeat these events with the state Math test...the only difference, we can read for them on that one but still...what is the point of all this testing??

Glad to be a Friend

2007-01-08T06:26:00.000-05:00

It is nice to know that a friend believes in me as a professional that he would call be for advice regarding family members and communication issues...now if only I could get this friend to hang out. We both lead such busy lives it can be difficult...

New Year

2007-01-06T10:19:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year to my readers! This year has gotten off to a good start for me. I spent a great New Year's Eve with some good friends. Returning to work also was relatively uneventful. It was a productive week at work. I also spent a bit of time over the vacation training and continue to enjoy the workouts. I am also working hard to drop the weight I want to lose...I want to look good for swimsuit season *grin*. This week in training, I feel like I was hit by a ton of bricks. I trained 3 hours in total but Sensei had us doing some awesome leg exercises and boy do I feel it! It hurts to walk up and down stairs! Now that's the sign of a good workout. I am been sparring again in a format that is more conducive to me but I think I am going harder than I should - probably evidenced most by the fact that I have a red welt around my eye. I need to talk to Sensei but am almost afraid to. I think I will drop him an email tomorrow or something and ask to arrange to talk to him about my physical issues and/or arrange to talk to the manager of the school because I am afraid of starting to bruise too much.

I've got a bunch of little things that need to be taken care of this weekend and am planning on getting through them. I have laundry and a bunch of work - nothing too painful to have to do. I also want to try and get together with a friend or two and maybe catch a movie or enjoy what is supposed to be a beautiful day today.

Wishing everyone a happy and healthy new year!

Okay

2006-12-26T14:28:00.000-05:00

Okay...again...I know it has been a long while. Life just has a way of taking over and burning the candle at 4 ends is what I've been doing as of late. Between LISHA, Merrick Kiwanis, Karate and work, I have been especially busy. I am proud to report that my Kiwanis Club donated food to 30 families in need and provided toys to nearly 60 kids. We also did our annual gift wrapping at Roosevelt Field. Due to the corporate sponsorship of Volvo (not that we had a choice) we will have raised a little over $30,000!!! That will allow us to do a whole lot of stuff for our community. I am proud of my club. With my professional association, I have secured the final 2 speakers for our Fall Conference and it isn't even January 1 yet. This week, we go to talk to Leonard's about the things that need to change for this upcoming year. I need to do a little prep work in order to be ready for that meeting.

Karate has been going well. I train between 2-5 hours a week depending upon my schedule. I am happy because Sensei is teaching more of the classes and I like his style of teaching. We've also talked about nutritional stuff and I am awaiting my shipment of supplements and custom made shakes. I am hoping to be able to knock the 30 pounds off by the summer. A big goal but between training and maybe actually getting back on the exercise bike here in the apartment, I should be able to do it.

So, that's the little update.

Today, I took myself to a movie in the middle of the day. I saw Rocky Balboa. I enjoyed the movie. There were times when I was crying and times when I cheered. I am a fan of fighting, what I can I say. The story really touched home for me about getting up and fighting the fight. The whole non-quitting spirit thing. It was certainly better than the last Rocky movie and I am glad that this one was made. The saga ends on a much better note this way. I am going to try and get to see at least one more movie during this break.

Way to Wake Up

2006-11-22T08:30:00.000-05:00

I was all excited...the school district I work for had given us the Wednesday before Thanksgiving as a day off. I was going to sleep in and not worry about rushing around this morning. I had set my alarm for 8am but when it went off, I hit the snooze button. then I heard a buzzing/beeping noise. I got up and first thought it was my smoke detector playing some games on me (it does that from time to time). So, I got a chair and pulled it over to take a look. It beeped a few times but the buzzing sound was still there. I opened my door to get my newspaper and saw the hallway filling with smoke and I heard one of my neighbors telling his wife to get the kids ready. I quickly came back into my apartment threw on a sweatshirt, garfield slippers and a jacket and headed out. I first tried to go down the stairs right next to my apartment but they were filling with smoke. I went to the other staircase and proceeded down with my neighbors. I called my neighbor to get him awake and get him out of the building. Kudos to the Long Beach Fire Department for arriving so quickly and coming around the building and getting the fire out. The fire was in the garbage can on the first floor by the mailboxes...so, we were outside for about 25 minutes...what a way to start a morning!

Getting Away

2006-11-10T22:39:00.000-05:00

Today was a nice day - no work on a Friday! I was able to sleep in after running a very successful workshop last night for LISHA. I was so pumped afterwards that I didn't go to bed until after midnight (late for me) after walking in around 11:00pm. I spent a good part of today working on Kiwanis stuff...it seems like it never ends. I put out the newest of the newsletters and prepared my agendas for this week. I took a little nap today...not intentional, it just kind of happened but it felt really nice. I spent some time in Merrick as well. Tonight I trained and then hung out a little at the karate school. It was a small class and I got a chance to speak with the manager about my physical stuff and so we are thinking that I might start kickboxing again - we have to see...I would almost be more comfortable doing a private lesson for it first but we'll see what happens.

I am taking "me" time this weekend. In the morning, I am headed down to NJ to see old friends. I am excited to get away, even if it is just overnight. I haven't seen some of these friends in a long time and it will be a nice change of pace for me. I need to try and make more me time, which is difficult given some of my commitments. "Me" time is important to help keep me grounded and focused on my goals - it allows me to recharge which is important.

Life Goes On...

2006-11-05T19:35:00.000-05:00

Where does the time go...I can't seem to catch a break with anything these days. There is just so much going on.

LISHA ran a successful Fall Conference. The exhibit hall got good reviews and I think the exhibitors who were selling things did well. The only major glitch was lunch and we should get that solved for next year.

Kiwanis has got me running in circles. I can't seem to catch a break with anything. I have been busy with something every weekend this past month. I even spent most of this weekend working on Kiwanis stuff (if I wasn't sleeping). I need to get a better handle on it so that it doesn't totally overwhelm me.

I have loved being back at Tiger Schulmann's. I am training twice a week as a minimum and if I can, get in a third session. I am trying hard to get myself back into shape and knock off some of the weight that has been put back on. I wish I could get there more often but there just aren't enough hours in a day and/or week. This has become my "me" time which has its pros and cons to it.

Next weekend, I am planning to make a trip to NJ. Anyone want to get together for lunch or the afternoon? I think I have plans for at night, but others would probably be able to join for dinner.

Personal life on the frustrating side again...still not finding anyone...spending time with the neighbor playing pinball...not going out much...how does one get this to change? Anyone know any good, single, jewish guys in their late 20s or early 30s? I am going to be 31 this month...*sigh*

Kiwanis Installation

2006-10-16T05:55:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I was officially installed as the President of the Kiwanis Club of Merrick. It was an absolutely beautiful day. A lot of people came out for my special day. My friend Matthew came as my guest which meant a lot to me. A few colleagues from my professional association also came which was great. My brother wrote a wonderful speech introducing me and I got tons of compliments on my speech. I hope we have a great year!

Awesome Key Leader

2006-10-08T22:48:00.000-04:00

I came home this afternoon from an amazing weekend. I am involved with a program called Kiwanis Key Leader which is a weekend leadership development program for high school age students focusing on the ideals of service leadership. I am in charge of the program in New York and for this weekend served as the Site Coordinator who is in charge of all the logistics for the weekend. We had approximately 35 students and we had a blast! The kids seemed to take a lot away from the weekend and the chaperones enjoyed themselves as well. My mind is already racing on how we can improve the program and what we can do in the future.

First however, sleep is in order...

A New Beginning

2006-10-05T06:20:00.000-04:00

October 1 has come nad gone and I am now President of the Kiwanis Club of Merrick. I ran my first meeting this week and it was a blast! We did our monthly birthday celebration and I announced a bunch of events and upcoming things. I know it went well.

I have been burning the cnabdle at all ends this week because of the upcoming Key Leader program. We have close to 50 people attending this weekend and it should be great fun! I am looking forward to being able to sleep in a little bit tomorrow morning before driving up to Warwick.

I have returned to Tiger Schulmann's - this time training in Plainview. I took my first class last night and despite being totally out of physical condition, it was great. I picked up with many techniques right where I left off. I have to get my push ups and sit ups back into decent condition but I know that will come with time. Many thank to Sensei G. for arranging for me to return. I am forever in his debt for it.

Celebrity Look-A-Likes

2006-09-22T20:46:00.000-04:00

End of Summer

2006-09-05T06:18:00.000-04:00

Yesterday marked the official end of summer being it was Labor Day. After a week of disgusting weather, we had a beautiful day. I spent some time outside but spent the bulk of the day cleaning. I went through my huge file cabinet and cleaned out files that I haven't used in years...It amazed me what I had saved and done over the years. It felt good to clean it out.

In the past week, I finished my fish needlepoint. I was proud because I had been working on it for over 6 months. I started a beach scene and have vowed to myself that I am going to continue to work on my needlepoints throughout the year. A few minutes here and there makes a difference.

Today marks the first day for students in the school. I had my usual morning jitters. This is going to be a hectic week ending with the Kiwanis District Convention in Saratoga Springs.

The Phone Call

2006-08-16T12:20:00.000-04:00

Well...as many of you might know and some of you may not, one of my grandmother's has been mentally deterioriating for quite some time. It has been a little over a full year that there has been a 24 hour aide living with her. During this time, we have watched her deteriorate to the point that we could not bring her to family gatherings any more because it had become too much for her. She could no longer engage in a conversation to any great extent and often would talk to her husband and/or my father (both have been gone for quite some time). She was falling - even with the help and even with a hospital bed - she was still climbing out of bed. My mom just called me that she got the phone call from the agency that was providing the aides that they can no longer take care of her and that she needs to be placed in a nursing home. Apparently she has been doing strange things in the home and keeping the aides up all night because of getting out of bed and the like. I knew this day would come and knew it was approaching but it has hit me hard. This is my grandmother who was always super active and involved in a variety of things. It saddens me terribly that it has come to this. There is no real quality of life and now we are going to have to take her from her home and put her in a nursing home. I shouldn't be crying but I can't seem to make the tears stop...

Stupid Me

2006-08-12T22:38:00.000-04:00

Okay, so today I was stupid...I went and sat on the beach for an hour without any sunscreen....I am red like a lobster...the legs hurt the most...should be interesting to try and move in the morning...

Ready to be done

2006-08-10T06:26:00.000-04:00

So, it is August and I've been working 4 days a week all summer...not that my work has been difficult since I have an intern aka student teacher who is doing most of the teaching. I am ready for it to be done though...I am tired and want to be able to sleep in a few mornings...I want to be able to ride my bicycle on the boardwalk a couple of times a day...I want to be able to go and just sit on the beach or go to mom's and sit poolside. Tuesday's end to the program cannot come soon enough. it has been a good program overall and my intern has been good overall. I certainly lucked out with the summer because I have been able to sit by and watch her teach and I get paid for it.

In the couple of weeks before school starts for the fall, I have to do a site visit for my Key Leader event; get my car inspected; and set up my classroom for fall (spend a couple of mornings/days at school). I am also taking time for me to just relax and unwind.

Been a long time...

2006-07-31T06:11:00.000-04:00

So lots has been going on. I have been working on stuff for the Long Island Speech-Langauge Hearing Association. Hosted a BBQ for 30 people at mom's house. Starting to organize myself in terms of Kiwanis. I need to start putting my committees together. I attended officer training this past weekend. I've been working a couple of agency cases after my regular work day which has been fine since once is really no pressure (I go swimming with the kid) and I have a graduate intern during my regular summer program.

My big question - Will this heat ever break??

Friday was a great day. In the afternoon, mom and I went to see our old neighbors Patti and Jenny. It was nice hanging out with them for an hour or so. Then we walked back up to the theatre district where we had dinner at thr 50s themed diner where they sing. We did the unusual in terms of having dessert. After dinner, we went and saw Mama Mia...it was amazing! We had 6th row orchestra seats. I can't remember the last time I have sat so close in theatre. The performance was great and I'm glad that I finally got a chance to see the show. Another broadway show to cross off my list...

Happy 4th of July

2006-07-04T08:45:00.000-04:00

I hope everyone has a safe and happy 4th of July! I am scheduled to go to the Mets game today provided it doesn't rain. I also have an invitation for the annual bash at a friend's house that I will decide if I will go after the game and all.

Yesterday was a good day. Spoke to mom from Italy. She seems to be having an absolute blast...I'm glad for her. My grandmother made the aide call me Sunday night because she was starting to worry about when mom was going to be home. I'm impressed she lasted as long as she did. I have a feeling the aide kept putting her off on calling someone. My grandmother did show some of her old spunk by calling the aide a smart alec. Yesterday I took care of pool and plant care at mom's house and then took in an afternoon showing of "The Devil Wears Prada" which I really enjoyed. Now I want to get the book to read and see how it is different from the movie. Maybe I'll do that for my trip to Phoenix in 2 weeks. I figured going to an afternoon movie was a good way to spend the time since getting onto the beach is a little on the difficult side. I also decided that if I want to sun in the next week or so, I can go and sit in mom's backyard by the pool where I can take the brace off and cool off at the same time. In the evening, I ended up going next door and having dinner with my neighbor. It was sweet of him to offer to share his leftovers and he told me that he still owes me dinner out. We talked about the proposal for the condo conversion and the meeting that is going to occur on Thursday evening. It should be interesting.

Well, time to eat some breakfast and get some stuff done around home before being picked up for the game.

Parrotheads abound

2006-07-02T07:01:00.000-04:00

Last night I had the great opportunity to go and see Jimmy Buffett again. What an amazing show that he puts on! The Jones Beach Theatre was rockin! It was interesting getting from the parking lot to the theatre and then to the seats with the boot...I did it. People were real nice when it came to walking down the stairs to allow me to keep behind my friend which is helpful because if there is no handrail, I try to hold on to someone cause going down steps can be tricky. I tried to stand as much as I could but there were times when I just needed to sit. I'm glad Dave ended up with the extra ticket at the last minute cause his friend had to work. It made for an awesome night! I'm up way too earlt however because Dave had to leave to be back in NJ for work at 10am...time to read the paper and then maybe get dressed and go and get some bagels.

I've done it again...

2006-07-01T14:03:00.000-04:00

Wednesday, while walking in the city, I took a hard step into a pothole. I didn't think much of it at the time since I didn't fall or twist my ankle. The past few days, the ball of my foot has been really sore and hurts when I move it or put full weight on it. I decided I should go to the doctor at the start of this holiday weekend rather than waiting and it getting much worse. Well, I refractured the bone in my foot that I broke a few years ago while doing karate. So, back to the big cam walker brace for me...trying to figure out how to get myself down onto the beach and all with it....should be interesting!

Busy Week

2006-06-30T15:41:00.000-04:00

Well, the school year ended last week. Another year comes to a close...in September, when I walk back into school, I will have tenure.

I have had an old friend visiting this whole week. It has been an interesting adventure. On Tuesday, we went to Ellis Island. It was such an interesting place to see all the exhibits about immigration. We also went by the Statue of Liberty - didn't go on the island but still got some great pictures. After Ellis Island, we walked around the Time Square area. As we were walking around, we heard someone mention that they had Letterman tickets. We stopped because we had been interested in seeing a taping. The person had tickets if we could answer a trivia question. We did and so on Wednesday, we headed back into the city to see a filming of the show. It really was a great time. Thursday, I had some stuff for work and LISHA. My friend hung out and in between my appointments, I dropped him at the train and he went back into the city to take an aikido class. I had a rough night of sleep (was up half the night) and ended up sleeping in really late. My friend has gone across the street to the beach and I am just hanging out inside since I don't feel totally up to speed just yet. I had another friend call and ask if I was interested in going to see Jimmy Buffett tomorrow night (does a bear sh*t in the woods?) I am so excited! I will see an old friend and see an amazing show! My house guest is going home tonight. I am planning on enjoying the holiday weekend. I have a little work to get done but not much. Tuesday brings a baseball game..what a great way to spend the 4th!

It's Official

2006-06-14T06:15:00.000-04:00

So, it is now official, as of October 1, I will be President of the Kiwanis Club of Merrick. I am both excited and nervous at the same time. I know that there are some of the old guard who did not want me to be President now. I think part of the problem is that they have known me since I was little and they don't see me as an equal who has been a member of Kiwanis for 7 years now. Ir is going to be exciting because I think that there are many things that we are going to be able to accomplish in the next year and we can keep the club going on a positive track.

Last night at the Kiwanis meeting, we presented our annual scholarships. It was really nice to see all the students get awards. Many were very polite and came up to me afterwards to thank me for giving the scholarship, since I was project chairperson and handed them out. It was also nice to get a little thank you card from the student who had been Key Club LtG last year from my home town for my support over the past year. I had driven him home from some stuff and also did a lot to try and support him in his role whenever I could.

It is hard to believe that another school year is coming to a close. It seems like only yesterday that it was September and the year was first beginning....now a week and a half left. I am well on my way to getting my room cleaned up the way I like and have my end of year progress reports taken care of. Now to get things organized and selected for use during the summer program.

Evolution of Dance

2006-06-01T21:05:00.000-04:00

I know this video has been circulating around the internet. Jud is an amazing guy and an overall great person. I've had the opportunity to meet him personally a few times. He is going to be on the Today Show on June 6 doing the dance live. In addition, he is working on a second version with new songs and the like.

ACK

2006-05-16T06:12:00.000-04:00

I know it has been a while since I updated...but life has been going well overall.

I have been hanging out tons with my neighbor.

I have the first Key Leader weekend of 2006 in Rochester this weekend.

I've run a really successful conference for the speech association.

I put my hat in the ring to be president of my Kiwanis Club for the next administrative year.

I finished my administration certification program.

...more to come at a later point in time...

Let's Go Ride a Bike

2006-04-29T12:48:00.000-04:00

First, you know it is sad when the doorman at your building comments that it is an early night, when on a Friday, you return home from work at 5:20pm.

Although a bit on the cool side today, I decided to go out and ride my bicycle. It was great! I enjoyed being able to ride the entire boardwalk from one end all the way to the other and back to my starting point. I am sure once the weather is nicer I will probably do 2 runs of the boardwalk, which depending upon the wind would take about an hour. I rode today without any music but it was still delightful. Of course, it probably didn't hurt that there were relatively few people on the boardwalk.

Well, time to finish off the brownies I baked for Chrissy and Joanne's gathering tonight as well as get to some cleaning before hitting the shower.

Spring Break

2006-04-19T18:42:00.000-04:00

So, this week has been Spring Break. Although schools are closed, I have been taking care of lots of stuff for me and doing some work as well. I have also enjoyed the beautiful weather that we have had by taking time each day to enjoy the Boardwalk. I take myself on a little 30 minute or so walk. It has been really refreshing. I am determined to take off the weight that I have put back on during the past year. So, to continue to help me do that, I have decided to purchase a bicycle. I already have an indoor exercise bike - I am purchasing a regular bicycle that I will be able to ride on the boardwalk and streets. I went in to buy it today and it is going to be ready Friday afternoon. I am excited about this great opportunity to change up my personal exercise routine.
Before going to buy the bike today, I spent time with mom shopping. I needed to get some spring/summer wardrobe items that I could dress up or dress down. I picked up a couple of nice capri pants, a skirt and tops. I am excited about my purchases. I probably should get a pair or two of shorts as well, but that will be for another time...I have spent my load this go around.

I have also been getting stuff done around my apartment in terms of reorganizing (it never seems to end) and working on stuff for the various organizations that I am involved in. I need to get some more things taken care of before vacation comes to a close, but I know it will get done.

Passover is quickly coming to a close and I cannot wait to eat regular food again. I love matzoh but after a week of it being the only bread choice, it gets pretty boring. I have been doing a better job of watching what I eat and not snacking as much. Something that is definitely key for me to lose the weight.

The final thing for this post...I was talking with a friend about how much I miss Tiger Schulmann's and wondered if they would consider letting me back in. This friend trains with the organization and suggested that I write a letter to Shihan asking to be allowed to train and explaining my side of what occurred. I took some time last night to write the letter and emailed it to my friend for his feedback. He wrote me back today saying he thinks it is perfect and I should send it. I will probably send it out tomorrow. I don't want to get my hopes up too high but it would be nice to be able to go back to Tiger Schulmann's and train a few hours a week...I am out of condition but I would look forward to the challenge. I'll keep my readers posted (if anyone really even reads this) as to if I get a response from the organization.

Made Time for Me

2006-04-17T09:47:00.000-04:00

For the first time in a long while, I needlepointed most of yesterday. It felt some awesome to take time for me and do something totally relaxing and artistic in nature. I love to needlepoint but in the past 2 years because of my certification program, I have not had the time to do some of the things that I so love. Needlepointing is one of those things. I had made a needlepoint for friends who had a baby in October and it took me way longer than it should of because I just didn't have time. In the end, my mom did the background so that it could get finished since it was already January and I hadn't had the time. I am looking forward to finishing my certification program in a month and being able to devote more time to needlepointing again.

Friday, I had 2 friends over for lunch. I really enjoyed getting to spend some time with them and they suggested that I get a bicycle. I am going to have to look into the prices and all before I decide if that is something that I want to do. This past weekend, I also spent time walking on the boardwalk and spending some time sitting on the beach with a friend. I really enjoyed these opportunities. to just relax and not feel any pressure.

Being off this week, I plan to combine errands and relaxing with some work that I need to get done. I don't feel a ton of pressure surrounding it because there is time to get it done while I am not working. I also want to maintain if not increase my daily exercise regimine a bit since it is very upsetting to me that all the clothes I bought last spring no longer fit me. I need to knock the weight off.

Tenure

2006-04-12T07:08:00.000-04:00

I got my letter stating that I was being recommended for tenure before the board of education and was invited to the reception/board meeting. Go job security....

A little more than a month left until I finish my educational administration certification program.

A Bit Better

2006-04-10T06:04:00.000-04:00

Last night brought some news that made me feel a bit better. My friend Phil from Colorado called asking if my offer for him to come and visit was still open. I told him it was and so he is looking to try and plan his vacation at the end of June to include a visit to New York for a couple of days. He hit me both on a sad note last night (I was crying on the phone) and even offered to fly out now if I needed him (told him not to) and also made me laugh by the end of the conversation.

Emotional Mess

2006-04-09T21:16:00.000-04:00

So, over the past few days, I seem to be a bit of an emotional mess...I cry at the slightest drop of the hat...and it can be over nothing really. On the good side, I think I know some of the reason for being down in the dumps like this.

I realize that I really do miss Tiger Schulmann's. I know to some this might sound strange but I haven't been able to find another place that challenges me the way they did and pushed me to achieve. I have joined a place that incorporates part of what I loved but the classes are earlier in the evening which I am finding difficult to make and they don't push the same way. Week after week, it seems like we do the same thing. I wish there was a way that I could return to the Tiger Schulmann family. If anyone can think of one, let me know...

I spent another weekend with no plans at night. I know that is part of the being down in the dumps. I wish I could expand my circle of friends and/or have friends that look to include me in their weekend plans more.

This time of year always seems to be a downer for me. Could it be because it is around this time that things started to go really downhill for dad? That is definitely a possibility...it is hard to believe that it will be 9 years at the end of May since he's been gone. I wish that he was still around. I need to bring myself to be able to go to the cementary to visit him. I find that so hard to do.

Okay...think I should stop typing because it is only making me cry again...

All Alone

2006-04-08T22:54:00.000-04:00

Feeling down...feeling alone...another day with no plans...need to find focus...need to find direction...need to find the happiness that I once had...

tomorrow is another day.

New Computer...Old Friends

2006-03-26T21:29:00.000-05:00

This weekend was a blast!

My new computer arrived and my friend Dennis came up to visit from New Jersey. A perfect combination since Dennis is also very good at computer stuff. He came Friday night and we went and had dinner with my friend Chrissy. Good italian food is always in order. We then ran around trying to find a piece of additional equipment that I needed. We didn't get to all the stores before they closed, so we knew in the morning it was going to have to happen. When we got back to my apartment, we set about getting the new computer up and running and obviously, moving the old broken one out. Dennis and I hadn't seen each other in over a year, so it was nice to be able to catch up. It is the latest I have stayed up in a while.

Saturday brought sleeping in...well, sleeping until 10am. We got ourselves going and went up to Merrick. I took Dennis to the MaryBill Diner. I think he enjoyed the food. We then went to get the piece of additional equipment that we wanted and came back to my apartment to set it all up.

I was happy that Dennis and I got to hang out. It has been far too long between seeing each other and something that I am going to need to make sure doesn't happen again.

Crawling Out...

2006-03-19T17:47:00.000-05:00

Wow...it has been nearly a month since I last posted. Where to begin...so much has gone on yet it isn't all that much...let's see what I decide to recap.

I saw "Jersey Boys" with mom. What an amazing Broadway Musical. It is the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons and what a great story it was. The whole place was rocking like a concert, yet it was a show.

I've agreed to Chair the 2007 Long Island Speech-Language-Hearing Association (LISHA) Fall Conference. Although no one has officially told me, it means that I will be the Vice President that year and in all likelihood, President the following year. It should be interesting. I have enjoyed scheduling workshops the past 2 years and have a couple of big ones coming up. I'm a little frustrated that I am being limited to the number of attendees because I feel like I can get more and it isn't a big deal to manage. I'll wait and see what the registration looks like and hopefully can push the registration numbers.

Work has been insane. Part of the reason for the insanity is my internship. I've been doing a lot of work on a certain project and getting pulled from my classroom. Thankfully I have an amazing intern myself who is amazing with the kids. I trust her enough to leave her alone to teach the kids while I take care of some of the other stuff that needs to get done. I have to get myself out from being buried this week because I am in the height of Annual Review season and have a bunch of IEPs to write.

I've gone to a couple of amazing conferences and just wish I had the time to implement all that I want to from these conferences. I am going to try to start doing some of it. I've also decided to buy some pre-made materials that I can use rather than continually saying that I can make it because I just don't seem to have the time. I have also decided to purchase a higher quality laminator for home use because the one I have just isn't cutting it anymore.

I ordered a new desktop computer today and will hopefully have it by the middle of next week. It will be nice to be able to go into my office and do work in there rather than doing it in the living room. I am really going to try and get my life more organized.

Personal relationships have been going well. Trying to continue to connect with old friends and see my friends. I am also putting myself out there on the dating scene. I am talking with a couple of guys now.

Graduation is a couple of months away. I can't wait for my CAS program to be over because that will take a load of the stress off between the class and the internship.

I will try to do a little more posting if something exciting comes around...

Loving my Accountant

2006-02-24T07:13:00.000-05:00

I am loving my accountant...besides him being a long time family friend - he was a childhood friend of my father...I went and saw him on Tueday and yesterday I got my return in the mail. Let's just say I am getting a nice refund from both the state and federal government. I have the papers all ready to mail back to him so that he can efile my return. Twas a happy day last night when I got home and opened the mail...

Vacation??

2006-02-21T12:09:00.000-05:00

So, this week is our midwinter break. It is nice to have the week off but I am not quite sure that I am on vacation.

Yesterday, I had a meeting with the certification office at Hofstra in order to submit my paperwork for getting my administrative certifications upon graduation in May. I also went to get some things copied for Kiwanis Conference this weekend for the Kiwanis Key Leader program.

Today, I am waiting for Cablevision to come in order to set up the additional TV in the second bedroom. Hopefully with that hooked up, I will get on the exercise bike more often. After they come, I have an appointment with my accountant to get my taxes taken care of for the year. That is a good thing. Tonight, my Kiwanis Club isn't meeting, so we are going to another club for an interclub. I have already pritned off a bunch of pictures for the Kiwanis Key Leader booth at MidWinter this weekend.

Wednesday and Thursday, I am attending the PECS training conference. I am being reimbursed by my school district for the cost of the conference which is a benefit. It should be an interesting two days but it means getting up early each morning since the sessions start at 8am and I have probably a 45 minute drive to get there.

Friday morning I leave for the Kiwanis Midwinter Conference. I want to get up there in time for the board meeting. I have a carload of stuff that I am bringing. It should be an interesting weekend and I am looking forward to really promoting the Kiwanis Key Leader program. I am also looking forward to being able to attend other sessions to be able to bring things back to my club, since they are paying my way.

wow...before you know it, I will be back at work on Monday...

BLIZZARD!!

2006-02-12T10:41:00.000-05:00

We are in the midst of a blizzard. I can't believe how long and how hard it has been snowing. We have been spoiled this winter with the weather being so warm. I guess we were due for this storm. I have an issue in my apartment...beside it being cold even though the heat is blasting...one of the windows leaked in snow. Thankfully, it is in the second bedroom, not a room I'm in often these days since the desktop computer died in November. It is still the principle of it. The windows should not leak. I went in that bedroom to look out the window to see the parking lot and see if they did any plowing. I looked at the other window and through the blinds, I could see there was snow on the ledge and all. It is frustrating since there is no reason why there should be snow inside. Hopefully the snow will stop in the next couple of hours and I will be able to get outside to dig out and clear off my car. I also hope that school is not cancelled tomorrow. I have too much to get done at work and wouldn't want to have a snow day (yes, I am strange like that).

Hairspray and Billy Joel

2006-02-04T10:00:00.000-05:00

Okay, so I haven't been posting much but my life is pretty routine...nothing too exciting to report.

However, in less than a week, I saw both the Broadway musical, Hairspray, and Billy Joel at Madison Square Garden. I went to see Hairspray with my mom. What a fun night. We took the train into the city after work and walked up to the theatre. Along the way, we stopped for dinner. there are so many places to choose from in the Time Square area. The show is a fun type of show. I knew the music because I had bought the soundtrack ahead of time, something my father had always done. When the show was over, we walked back down to Penn Station and caught a train home. This past Thursday, I went to the Billy Joel concert with my mom, brother, sister in law, aunt and uncle. He put on an amazing show as always. I enjoyed the older songs that he played as well as the newer stuff. The entire Garden was rocking. I purchased a poster and shirt at the concert. I was extremely tired at work on Friday.

I started my last semester at Hofstra this week as well. I cannot wait to be done with the program for multiple reasons. There is always so much work to be done. It will be worth it in the end regardless of whether I decide to make the move to administration. I will have 60 credits beyond my masters degree and will get a salary increase in the fall.

My graduate student intern is great. She is building a nice rapport with the kids. I have let her start taking over some of the periods and will work on increasing the number of periods a day that she is working with until she takes the caseload over towards the end of the semester.

Key Leader is keeping me busy. I have a number of tasks that I need to take care of this weekend for the program. We are trying to develop a number of things for the district and I am also running the International reflector. Never a dull moment.

Change is Good

2006-01-16T12:20:00.000-05:00

What an awesome weekend! I have come back from Texas rededicated and motivated to make a difference with what I do with Kiwanis. There is a need for change and I can be a force behind some of those changes. The Service Leadership Programs are amazing and we have huge potential to make a difference one child, one community at a time. I hope that I can inspire others to be agents for change.

My flight last night was delayed due to the weather in New York. Mom was so good and picked me up at the airport. When I got back to my apartment, it is so cold. I've been running my little space heater in a effort to warm the place up. I am thinking that when the temperature falls below 30 degrees, I am going to have a problem with the heat. I'll have to keep monitoring the situation.

Mom picked up my framed needlepoint gift for my friends in Florida. It came out beautiful. I hope that they appreciate it. I completed the needlepoint with loving care...and a little assist from mom.

I am going to finish unpacking and get some other "chores" done today. I slept 11 hours last night...my body was so exhausted because we had so much fun partying at night. Totally worth the weekend.

Deep in the Heart of Texas

2006-01-14T08:06:00.000-05:00

Well, I arrived safely yesterday in Texas for my weekend of the Service Leadership Programs of Kiwanis International. This is the group formerly known as Sponsored Organizations and Programs. What has been really cool is that I have seen many old friends. It is amazing the number of former Circle K'ers who are now either Circle K Administrators or involved with another program as a District Chairperson. I've spent a bunch of time catching up with old folks and finding out what has been going on in their lives. Another nice piece of it is that the conference center that we are staying at has individual rooms.

We've got a packed schedule today. You can tell that we are on Kiwanis time because breakfast is at 7:30am. Thankfully after a busy weekend, I will still have Monday to sleep in.

Back to Kickboxing

2006-01-07T12:30:00.000-05:00

As you might of read, I had joined Curves. Well, it just wasn't for me. The routine quickly became boring for me and I didn't find it challenging enough. I also didn't feel a sense of "togetherness" with the other women working out. I guess this was in part because I was so much younger than them. In addition, the women who worked there were always complaining about how tired they were and other things...just not motivating to me. Needless to say that after a month I quit. I knew that I needed some other type of workout. I want to lose the weight that I've put back on after leaving TSK. I would say that I have between 15 and 20 pounds to lose. I want to get some of this off by spring so that I will fit into the clothes that I bought last spring when I was at my lightest. I decided that it was time to look at other martial arts schools. I am not someone who is in it to get another black belt or really learn another style. I am looking for a good cardio workout that will tone my muscles at the same time. So, I've joined a place in Merrick that teaches Kung Fu, Krav Maga, and kickboxing. For $139 a month, I can take unlimited classes of any type. I am starting with the kickboxing, which is non-contact. I took my first class on Thursday night and it kicked my butt! I realized how out of shape I have gotten. I loved the class though and can't wait to take another class. They have classes 6 days a week and the latest the classes end is 8pm. I hope to be able to get in and take at least 2 classes a week. I figure that once grad school is done in May, I might be able to increase it to 3. I also don't feel that guilt if I have to miss a class. I know I got a good workout on Thursday because last night, my abs started to feel all tight - a great feeling knowing that I worked them hard on Thursday.

Friday night turned out to be fun. We did a happy hour from work and then a couple of us went to dinner.

Missing in Action

2005-12-31T17:55:00.000-05:00

I know I've been missing in action and haven't posted recently. Between work, grad school and Kiwanis gift wrapping time has been scarce. I have spent much of my vacation cleaning my apartment and getting myself rested.

I'm off to a New Year's Eve party. Wishing all a happy and a healthy!

First Snow

2005-12-04T10:09:00.000-05:00

This past week or so has been great. I saw the NERDS last Friday (day after Thanksgiving) and had a good time hanging out with an old friend. We started our holiday gift wrapping at Roosevelt Field Mall with Merrick Kiwanis - I will be there on Saturdays from now through Christmas Eve. It is a great community service project. Progress reports and Parent Teacher Conferences are also done - a big relief.

Woke up this morning to snow. I can't wait to go outside and see how much there really is. I am probably going to do a little grocery shopping before mom comes over and we go out for a family dinner.

I've been working out with more consistency. I am really making the effort. Curves is okay...same thing day after day. I'm trying to augment it with things that I know and then also using the gym in my building.

RENT - the movie

2005-11-24T11:12:00.000-05:00

We must of been out of our minds...a group of us went to see RENT on opening night. We arrived at the theatre 30 minutes before showtime to find a huge line already waiting. Thankfully, we had purchased our tickets earlier in the day. The theatre ended up showing it in 2 theatres simultaneously which was interesting as people were trying to find seats. We ended up sitting in the 4th row - not my favorite place to be...a little too close. I missed the opening song because I was out getting snacks from the concession stand. I was a little annoyed by that fact but such is life.

The show was AMAZING!!! The way they took the Broadway musical and converted it to a musical movie was genius! There were many familiar lines and some new interpretation. It was absolutely amazing. I would definitely go and see it again!

Happy Turkey Day!

Awesome Birthday

2005-11-20T22:37:00.000-05:00

My 30th birthday was a blast! Mom threw me the most amazing birthday party. I am so lucky to have such a great mom and family. I have a bunch of leftovers to eat. I am so glad that my family and friends came together to celebrate. After mom's house, a couple of us went to Mulcahy's to see Unforgettable Fire - a U2 cover band. It was a great night.

Got up this morning after only a couple of hours of sleep because I wanted to go to my Kiwanis Club's pancake breakfast. I felt that despite the lack of sleep and that it was my actual birthday, I should be there. I talked to a bunch of folks and guarded the raffle prize table. It was a good move to be there...towards the end of the morning, I decided to spend $10 on raffle prizes...figured it was a good contribution. Well, I ended up winning a 20 inch RCA TV. I have it set up in my bedroom. It is great and saves me from having to buy a new tv for the living room so that I could have a bigger tv in the bedroom. So for now, I am going to see how I like this new tv and hopefully it will all work out right and I won't have to spend my money on a tv.

The New Me

2005-11-19T09:10:00.000-05:00

So, I finally had it...I was tired of continuing to put on weight and not exercising. I have finally joined Curves. I know it is very commercial but it gives me a means of consistency. The workout is decent in 30 minutes. I am committed to going on a regular basis. I have actually started to write in my planner when I am going so that I make sure that I am going. The price isn't bad either. I'll keep everyone posted.

I was back at the endocrinologist the other day and of course, the weight hasn't come off at all and I've actually put on a couple of more pounds. So, she is having me double the medication. I was a bit nervous because of the fact the first time a doctor tried me on a higher dose, I was getting sick. So far, it has been fine...no problems...in a week, I will be at the full dosage and we'll see how that goes.

Last weekend, I spent Saturday at the New York District Kiwanis Family Board weekend. I made a well received presentation on Kiwanis Key Leader and spent a lot of the afternoon just talking with various folks. Some were upset that I was leaving at 8pm at night to drive home. I explained that I just can't afford the prices for staying overnight.

Tomorrow is my 30th birthday. My mom is hosting a party for me this evening. I'm kinda bummed over a couple of my friends who are unable to attend. These are some of the folks that I'm closest with although I do understand the reasons why some of them cannot come. Mom has gone above and beyond in the fact that she has made chocolate covered pretzels, strawberries and bananas. It is going to be so yummy.

SPAMALOT!!

2005-11-10T23:28:00.000-05:00

What a blast last night was! I went with Chrissy and Joanne to see SPAMALOT along with a whole group of folks. Here's what happened...one of Chrissy's friends organized a group outing to see it. We had nearly 2 full rows of folks seeing the show. What a great show! While knowing the "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" movie certainly helped, it was not necessary at all. The whole show was funny...I highly recommend it to all. Well worth full ticket price. Joanne and I also had a blast driving in together. It has been a little while since we've had the opportunity to hang out and it was fun...we play perfectly off of each other, almost to the point of scary.

I am however exhausted...it helps having tomorrow off although I have tons of errands to run and things to do. I've got to get myself organized and ready for the drive and presentation Saturday. It really should be interesting.

I've got curls!

2005-11-06T01:28:00.000-05:00

So, I had been frustrated with my hair as of late...the friz was a bit on the excessive side and my stylist had suggested that I would look good with curls. I was hesitatnt because I remember the perms that I had when I was 12 and 13 that were tight. In retrospect, I don't know that I liked them that much. Well, I decided earlier this week to try it again and on Friday after work, I went and had a perm done. So far, so good...it looks great and natural! I've been getting compliments on it. The challenge will now be to see what happens after I wash it for the first time (my past track record is that it would take 2 perms to get it to hold). I'm hoping that I don't run into the same problem again.

Great night seeing the Nerds..what an awesome cover band! What great friends I have too.

Time to get some sleep cause Mike is coming up from NJ for a visit in the morning. I haven't seen him in a couple of years now. I'm excited...should be a fun day!

Halloween

2005-10-30T19:09:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow is Halloween...I am not a huge fan of the day but because I work in an elementary school, I need to wear some sort of costume. This year I had three choices:
1. Poodle Skirt
2. Mickey Mouse
3. Karate

I don't want to wear the poodle skirt because it is a bit bulky and I'm not sure that I have the right shirt for it.

I wore Mickey Mouse last year and could wear it again but the gloves and the head part gets annoying after a while.

That leaves the karate uniform. I think it is kind of ironic for me to use it as a costume considering all that has gone on. I am going to wear it though cause it is the most comfortable of the costumes and the easiest for me to put together. I actually had to ask mom where my bag was that I am storing in her garage because it had the gi top (I had the pants because they are comfortable to wear around the house and to exercise in).

I am planning to do what I was always planning to do which is write my Sensei a letter thanking him for all he did for me approximately a year after I passed my test. I am going to be interested to see his response. Does anyone think this is a really bad idea??

Questions

2005-10-23T22:46:00.000-04:00

Columbus Day was good...besides going to the doctor, I got to hang out with Matthew again. We went to an afternoon movie - "Two for the Money". Another movie that I must recommend to people.

Work has been going well. Got through my first observation of my tenure year and the second one is/was scheduled. Found out on Friday that the class will be on a field trip. Our email system has been down so I haven't been able to see if my director has written back.

I decided to have a gathering at mom's for my 30th birthday. We are going to bring in kosher sandwiches and stuff. I am wondering who is going to come and who isn't going to come.

My big question is where is my money going? Can I find a way to save some of it or pick up some more independent work to bring in some extra cash? How am I going to pay tuition for my final semester?

Life can be so difficult.

It's Raining...It's Pouring..

2005-10-12T07:54:00.000-04:00

I wish the rain would stop...it has been raining since Friday and it looks like it is going to keep raining through Saturday...over a week...yuckers.

This past weekend was awesome. I took time for me and to hang out with friends. Friday night I needlepointed. I am working hard to get done the project for my friends Dan and Sabrina since the baby is due any day. I feel that if I get it to them by early December, it will be good. Saturday night, I had dinner with Patricia. It was nice to catch up and talk about non-school things for a change. Sunday, mom came over to finish hanging the last framed things in my apartment. She had been with Lindsay just before doing the same. So, it became a girls night for dinner especially since my brother was at the Bruce Springsteen concert. We went to the yummy seafood place just over the bridge. I had fried shrimp and lobster bisque soup. Very yummy. They dropped me back home and I spoke with Chrissy and I was off again to see a movie. I highly recommend "In Her Shoes" to any woman...yes, it is a bit of a chick flick but it was real good. We went to a diner afterwards to continue chatting - you have to love not having to work on Monday. So, Monday is Columbus Day and the only things on my agenda are a doctor's appoint and a Kiwanis Divisional. I IMed with Matthew and we ended up catching a movie in the afternoon. We saw "Two for the Money" which is another great movie. This one can keep chicks engaged as well as guys. It is about a sports gambling thing and the power of things...well worth seeing...highly recommend it. Doctor's appointment went well. I went shopping before the divisional but didn't buy anything. Kiwanis divisional went well. I spoke a bit about Key Leader and had the opportunity to arrange some other things within the world of Kiwanis.

Life would be so much better if it would only stop raining....

Life Update

2005-10-09T17:22:00.000-04:00

Life has been good...had a great time at the baseball game with my friend Matthew...I really have a good time when we hang out. I am going to work on getting some Islander tickets from my brother so that we can go to a game together.

I have been working slowly on the needlepoint for my friends in Florida. The baby is due any day now...I can't wait to get a phone call to tell me that they've had the baby. I need to finish the needlepoint but mom even offered to do the background for me...we'll see if I take her up on the offer.

I've decided to have a little gathering for my birthday. Mom has agreed to host the gathering and bring in heroes and dessert. I am working on the invitation and invite list.

Work is going well now that the caseload seems to have finally settled. I am working on getting to know all the kids that I haven't had in the past. I have an observation coming up soon for which I have to do the plans for. I have also been enjoying my internship and learning lots. Although, I must say that I cannot wait to be done with school in May.

I started with an agency case. It is going to be a definite challenge to say the least. We'll see how long I last working with the student. Let's just say a very low functioning child with autism.

Mom is due over shortly and she is going to finish hanging things in my apartment and then we are going out to dinner with Lindsey. Should be fun.

Which Peanuts Character are you?

2005-10-09T17:19:00.000-04:00

Another online survey...What do people think of my result?

You are Charlie Brown!

Which Peanuts Character are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

Another online quiz

2005-10-02T22:12:00.000-04:00

You will be famous for writing a national bestseller

You are very observant and tend to be the wallflower at parties. You are intuitive and know just how to communicate everything that you are feeling to those around you.

Take this quiz at QuizGalaxy.com

Got this quiz from Teresa...interesting...

What a sick week

2005-10-01T07:42:00.000-04:00

So, I posted last Sunday how I felt crappy and they thought it was strep. I felt a bit better on Monday and went to a conference that I was supposed to go to. I really am glad that I dragged myself to the conference because I learned a bunch of different things for a software program that I use on a regular basis...now to only have the time to be creative. I had a fever again Monday night but decided as long as I felt okay on Tuesday I was going to work. Well...I woke up Tuesday morning and felt worse than I had felt and was having a difficult time swallowing. I obviously couldn't go to work. I called the doctor's office and went later in the morning. This time, the doctor tells me that my throat looks worse than on Sunday and he thinks it might be mono. I stayed out of work on Tuesday and Wednesday and even cancelled the observation that was scheduled with my superintendent for tenure. I was not happy about having to do that, but I felt real crappy and wouldn't of made it. By Wednesday afternoon I was feeling better and found out that it wasn't strep or mono...just some other sort of viral infection. I decided I felt okay enough to go to work on Thursday because our contract SLP was coming in and we had to work on redoing the schedule. I was barely functioning as I was trying to redo the schedule...it was just nutty. I rested all Thursday night.

Friday I felt more like myself again, which was a good thing because I had to see students all day and I had tickets for the Mets baseball game with my friend Matthew and I didn't want to have to cancel. I had an awesome time at the game with Matthew. We were both in rare form because of crazy days at work (he is a school psychologist). He had me laughing most of the night away. We need to make hanging out a more regular occurance.

Today I have an eye doctor's appointment in the morning and then I've got to trek out to suffolk county for an articulation evaluation on a 3 year old that should take all of about 30 minutes. You've got to love county reps at meetings sometimes - decided that the articulation test that was used is not good enough and wanted a different one done. Since I have the other one, the agency asked if I would do the evaluation...it is decent money but not sure if really worth it given the trek. I reserve judgement on that later...

Sick

2005-09-25T20:48:00.000-04:00

I have spent the entire weekend being sick and it sucks. It started with a sore throat and an ear hurting Thursday night and progressed to a fever by Friday night. I went to the doctor this morning and they think that I have strep throat. I am now on an antibiotic which I hope starts to work soon. It has been a miserable weekend...I have spent most of it curled up under a blanket and either shivering or sweating. I missed going to dinner at my mom's house with my brother and sister in law...so, overall, it has been a shitty weekend.

30th Birthday

2005-09-22T23:03:00.000-04:00

So, In under 2 months, I will be turning 30. The big question is, what should I do for the birthday. Here are some choices...please vote in the comments section....

1. Go see a Broadway Show with mom, brother and sister in law

2. Have a gathering of friends at mom's house for dessert

3. Do nothing special

I am so confused with what to do and want to decide soon so that if friends from out of town want to come up, they can have time to know about it...

Bad at Posting

2005-09-22T07:50:00.000-04:00

I know...I have once again been bad at posting but the first couple of weeks of September have been hectic...I know, my life always seems to be hectic. The start of the school year was crazy, especially with all the work I was doing for my internship. I have also been out almost every night of the week at workshops, class or meetings. There never seems to be a dull moment.

My Key Leader event was last weekend. It went really well. We eneded up with 25 students, who were amazing! They got so into the whole program and I hope took a lot away from it. We are already starting to plan for next year. We should be hosting 2 events in NY - one downstate and one in Western, NY. Now, when I say downstate, it will be somewhere outside of the city but south of Albany.

Work is going well. I've started seeing kids and am slowly getting back into the swing of things. One of the hardest things is balancing the real job and the internship responsibilities. There is just so much to get done.

The grad class is also going well. There is a lot less work this semester which is nice to have happen finally. I feel like a lot of what we have been learning about I've learned over the years through my involvement in the Kiwanis Family. It gives me a lot of opportunities to relate what we are learning to things that I've experienced.

This past Sunday, I got to see an old friend for a couple of hours. He was up on Long Island for work and stopped by on his way back to NJ. The amazing thing with this friend is that no matter how long between seeing and/or speaking with each other, we always seem to pick up right where we left off - on many fronts. It certainly makes life interesting.

The needlepointing is going well. I picked up two beautiful canvases a couple of weeks ago at a sale. I am working on the needlepoint for my friend's in Florida who are expecting their first child in the next month. I really need to get moving on it so that they will have it sometime in December...it just isn't going to be finished for when the child is born. Once I finish this canvas, I need to decide what I want to do next. I have about a dozen canvases to choose from. Part of me says to do one of the new ones but I also know that I should probably work on one of the older ones.

I am going to try and update more regularly again...I know I keep promising that but I am going to try this time around.

Some Motivation Found

2005-09-04T21:37:00.000-04:00

Well, this past week has also found some motivation to workout. Not to the level that it needs to be, but it is a start. I have decided that I am going to keep a record of my weight on Mondays and Thursdays and what exercise I do each day. Seeing things in writing usually helps me to see what I am doing and what I'm not doing. I have also realized that if I put some music on and have a book to read, I am willing to go onto the exercise bike in my apartment. I have also done a ton to reign in the eating that I do. I am trying to snack less and/or eat healthier snacks. So far, it has been working. I still think I might need to join a gym or something but we shall see. I have a friend who is trying to help motivate me to get moving more than I have been.

Thanks to those who have IMed me with comments/suggestions. Do not hesitate to leave them here as well.

Devestation

2005-09-04T10:15:00.000-04:00

I have watched in shock this past week of the devestation in the areas hit by Hurricane Katrina. It has made part of our country look like a third world area. I have had contact/communication with a couple of my friends who live down in that area and they are physically okay but do not know yet about their homes and belongings. In all likelihood, they lost everything. There are still many friends from the Kiwanis World that I have not had any contact with or word about. I just hope that they are okay. I've gotten some interesting emails from other professionals talking about how the Red Cross isn't helping in all reality. If I am going ot make a donation, I will end up doing it via Kiwanis International Foundation - Disaster Relief Fund. Although the money may not be put to use today, the money will go towards helping children and rebuilding things for children. If anyone wants more information, let me know.

Motivation Lost

2005-08-26T23:21:00.000-04:00

So, I've got a bit of an issue going on...I have realized that I am lacking the motivation to exercise. Some might say that this is not the end of the world, but for me, it isn't a good thing. I have put back a portion of the weight that I lost and I am not happy about it. I know that I need to workout daily, but just can't seem to find the motivation to do so. I have a stationary bike in my apartment, a gym of sorts in my building and the boardwalk across the street but I just don't seem to want to use it. I also know that my noshing has gotten a little out of hand again. I am at the point where I am eating just for the sake of putting something in my mouth, not because I am hungry.

What should I do at this point?

Part of me thinks it is time to hire a personal trainer for a bit to help get me motivated and create a routine for me.

Part of me thinks about joining NY Sports Clubs (NYSC) but I wonder if I would actually go.

Part of me wonders if I should find another martial arts school to get involved with. I don't know that this is the answer because I have gotten invovled with a variety of other activities and don't know that I want to be tied to the martial arts again.

I know I have to get the eating under control and have vowed not to buy the junk that I've been attracted to lately and put more healthy things in my fridge.

Ideas, suggestions, advice all welcome.

Kiwanis Convention

2005-08-26T23:18:00.000-04:00

Kiwanis Convention last weekend was interesting. I had issues with the hotel and conventions just aren't what they used to be for the most part. Kiwanis as an organization has changed and sometimes I wonder if it is for the better or not. I did 2 workshops on Key Leader which were well received. I just wish our event was a little later into the school year so that we might get more participants. As it looks now, the majority of our participants are going to be from the Key Club District Board - not a bad thing, but I just hope they aren't too clicky as I know they can be. Seems like we will have approximately 20 students at this point in time. I will have a lot of work to do in the next 3 weeks to get everything prepared for the event.

Sunday morning was the most like the old days. Our division was a bit on the rowdy side and we had a blast. I also drove home our Key Club LtG...not a big deal since he lives about 6 blocks away from my mom.