Is that Ommmmm or Ummmmm?
This is kind of gross but I was walking up some stairs today and went to take a deep breath and had chest pain - I touched my ribcage (breastbone) and it popped! Ahhh, I can breath again. The reason it popped is because I'm allowing stress to accumulate in my body. It's time for yoga, a massage, something - anything that I can do on a regular basis to help my body relax (get your mind out of the gutter).

We have a second bedroom with vaulted ceilings that I am tempted to turn into a yoga and meditation room. Right now it is pink with lipstick kisses on the closet wall from the previous owners teenage daughter. I wonder if other people have converted a similiar space and if it could work well for me as a place to be.... or will I just be thinking of the dishes that need to be done in the room below.

G, that's not so nice

After living in a g-string world for the past 10+ years I've finally had it. These are a fad that women must give up. Are they functional and appropriate? Sometimes. But for the most part, these strings have got to stop dominating the lingerie drawer. Stripper style has dominated our society and I've reached my breaking point. Do you recall a couple years back when Abercrombie and Fitch attempted to sell g-strings to the pre-teen crowd? Parents are outraged enough that they pull them off the shelves although they were probably worn by the Moms. On Tuesday night, my co-worker was out on a match.com date with a 50 year young woman that was reasonably attractive and wearing hip huggers. They enjoyed dinner and drinks and when she stood up, her g-string was exposed over the top of her jeans. No second date there. I told this to my husband and his face cringed like he had just sucked a raw lemon - heebe jeebies indeed.

I remember walking the streets in Rome seeing women with beautiful clothes and some had panty lines. I was talking with a Roman woman about the panty lines and she suprisingly looked at me and asked "why would I want to look like we're not wearing underwear when it is so beautiful?" Yes, indeed.

So, ladies, save them for the gym and the occassional sheer outfit that undies just won't do. Put those g-strings in the back of your closet with your legwarmers and acid washed jeans. It's time to rediscover full on lingerie.

Oh, now I get it!
I realized yesterday that part of my singing wouldn't be possible if I were still in an apartment in a city (Seattle, Chicago or New York). I feel safe in our basement music studio with all of its sound proofing and being tucked in by the drums and amps. I appreciate that I can sing "I wanna be your dog" by Iggy Pop without judgement. On the flipside - I've also been reading fashion magazines (my version of a cigarette addiction). I gave them up after living in NY & working in the same building as InStyle magazine. I realized that the fashion industry is pretty much made up of men and women that live rather pathetic lives that want you to believe they are somehow superior because they are wearing of the moment fashions and know all of the new places to go. Anyone who lives in a major city can walk around and find new & interesting places - big woop. I realized that just because you live in New York, that doesn't make you cool. You're either cool or not and being 'cool' means doing you're own thing regardless of what others are doing - that is NOT what people in publishing or fashion do. They're so desperate to be heard they try to tell the world how they should be thinking (about fashion). I realized this and felt freedom as a woman, for the first time. Anyhow, I now live in a suburban/ rural area and have felt that I need to somehow connect to something more fun and inspiring than literally waiting for the grass to grow and, well, snow to melt. I've picked up a Vogue and Elle magazine. I actually flipped the pages and then got annoyed, all I really need is a night in the city with some good music, cocktails - and of course the best accessory any girl could have: good friends.

Finding my voice

I don't know what has happened but at the age of 36, I actually opened my mouth and a song came out. I wouldn't exactly call it a dulcet voice but it was a tone I have not heard before. It was strong. So, I pulled out one of my favorite songs and with hubby on guitar, played a goth version of Sour Times by Portishead. I'll keep practicing and perhaps step on stage at Live Band Karaoke at Magnetic Fields in Brooklyn one night. Stay tuned.

The day before the BOD meeting is always craaaazy. I have 5 instant messages flashing on my screen, my phone is ringing off the hook and emails jamming up my in-box. Ugh. No lunch today.

On the bright side of things, we're starting to book our vacations. I've got surgery lined up in early April and vacation just prior to that, we're hoping for some time in the sun with friends; Chicago in August for a friends wedding and a quick trip out to Seattle to visit friends and family. All that and a new roof too.

CONGRATULATIONS CONNIE AND JASON! Connie gave birth to a beautiful little girl, Dakota Noir Nap on Saturday, February 11th! Jaxon is now a proud big brother! I cannot WAIT to meet her.

It is so easy to go through life with some big things to do but on a day to day basis it is just too much to deal with. So, I've decided to keep with my new years resolutions and start chipping away at these things. I'm booking my surgery AND my vacation AND calling in some people for quotes on a new roof AND take a certification exam to get back into Personal Training. Will we be strapped for cash and time? Probably. But if we don't do these things, we're going to go out of our flippin' minds.

Ahhh, that's better (dreaming)

I nixed the CoQ10 last night and stuck with the Folic Acid & Chlorella before bed. When I woke up, I just finished a dream where I was hanging out with some new friends and we were all laughing at something and it felt so comfortable and healthy. This couldn't have anything to do with the fact that I FINALLY booked a vacation for next month. Marbella and Barcelona was hovering over me... it is too expensive and too far when we need a new roof on the house. I canceled that trip, booked Cali with our friends Karen & Dietrich. We'll be playing tennis, laying around, playing golf... mmmm I feel warmer all ready.

What's up with the nightmares??

Ugh. In the past two weeks, I have had terrible nightmares (when are nightmares ever good?) that involve two of my best girlfriends being violently raped - I was struggling to help them but couldn't get anyone to notice. I wake up crying - its so strange. I'm not reading or watching anything violent but maybe I'm mixing too many vitamins before bed. Good news is that my friends are well and dandy. :D

Ahh, we DO have friends!

It seems that everyone has been in hibernation since mid-December. The weather changes and the days are shorter and I don't hear from anyone. To be fair, I haven't been in the right mood to call friends either. What would I say, what to go hang out and... I don't know. It's just the mid-winter blahs. I don't downhill ski so I end up hanging around just waiting for springtime. I've even resorted to paying $60/hour to play indoor tennis (the going rate in the northeast). At least that is something... otherwise I feel like I'm just hanging out watching my dark hair grow in (as opposed to sunbleached). So, today must be the day. The day after the groundhog did not see his shadow. Today 5 friends from around the country contacted me to comfirm that we'll be seeing each other or will make plans to over the next few months. This, in addition to our awesome friend from Chicago is flying out (right about now) for the weekend so we can go see the Lilys at our other friends bar, Magnetic Fields, in Brooklyn. Ah, life springs up when I seem to need it most. Have a nice weekend!

Squeeze This!

So I did it. In keeping with my new years resolution to eat healthier, I bought a juicer. I shopped around and of course was looking at the aesthetically appealing juicers at places like Williams Sonoma and other kitchen shops but one kept calling my name: Champion. I ended up going to Mrs. Green's and shelling out $240.00 for this 'made in California since 1955' V1/3 powered by a General Electric motor, juice a cedar tree juicer. I LOVE IT. Is is 'pretty'? Not really. Does it work well? Let me just say that the kitchen lights dim when I turn it on.

The Champion is easy to clean and really easy to use so I'm hooked. Paul said 'oh no, you're going to obsess over this like you did the panini grill.' Well, yes. Some people like grilled cheese and tomato soup, I can now make gazpacho and prosciutto & Gruyere panini in about the same time. Paul still grumbled a bit so I made him a bloody Mary with organic tomatoes, cucumber, parsley and garlic. He now asks for it like a child would his favorite meal.

The reason I really wanted the juicer is because the vitamins that you get from raw juice is so much more than what you get from pasturized juice. Regardless of the type. Just as people who have traveled to Europe will say the dairy is so much better overseas than in the US, raw juice is incredible tasting. So, here are a few favorites that I've made from whatever is available:

-1 pomegranate
-1 small leg of ginger
-4 apples
(easily feeds 2)

-tomatoes
-cilantro
-jalepeno
-red pepper
-cucumber or celery
-1 part vodka
-garnish with olives
(feeds several)

-apples
-ginger
-cucumber
(feeds 2+ for breakfast)

Or, simply 2 oranges and a grapefruit (mix with vodka if after 5pm)

Cheers!

Hip night at the Stop & Shop in Ridgefield

Last night on my way home, I realized that I needed to pick up some coffee, yogurt, milk and chili ingredients (easy dinner). I went into the store, easily found a parking space up front (unheard of) and walked in. It was hipster night at the Stop & Shop. Where are these people from? Who is that couple with the tattoos and disheveled hair? Who are those guys with knit caps on? Adidas? I haven't seen those for a while. We all walked around this store everyone looking comfortably surprised to see similiar types. I walked out thinking that I had been shopping on Saturday mornings with all of the families which was the wrong choice. The other thing I realized was after I got out to my car and started it up, NPR was on with Bushie giving the Presidential address. Ah, that's what was missing, the Republicans.