My name is Summer Sattora and I am a movie whore. I have no shame. I will watch pretty much anything at any time. Except slasher movies. I like to be scared, not grossed out. Torture porn? Not for me. But I knew there were tons of movies out there that I had never seen. So I took a page from my friend Kellie and her list and decided this was the perfect excuse to finally see some of those movies. I was actually surprised at how many movies on the list I had already seen. But I picked out ten and am ashamed to admit I have only seen one. But here goes on the one I had seen.
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid I really liked it!! Young Robert Redford and young Paul Newman? Dreamy!! Their chemistry together was awesome. I didn't know much about the movie before I watched it except who was in it, that it was a Western, and they jump off a cliff at one point. Like with the books in the previous post, it's been a long while since I've seen it so details are fuzzy. But I would definitely recommend it. In fact, I may have to watch it again and rewrite this post since I can't give you much more than what is briefly written here. Hey, there's been a lot of Netflix between then and now!
Man, I suck! But maybe the mystery will make you rent or stream it. Again, I will be better from here on out about writing about a movie as soon as I see it so you are more informed.
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
100 Classic Books
I love to read. For anyone who knows me this is in no way a surprising statement. I have been reading since I was 3 and like my movie and TV shows, my interests in books are varied. Yes, admitedly I tend to stick to romance novels, I do read all sorts of books. I am in the middle of two on my Kindle and I have another one on my nightstand. But I figured there were a ton of books out there I should read but never had, so I decided to add reading 10 books to my list. I have already written about one book I've read, but since then I have read five more on the list. One I mayhave written about already, so if I have I apologize. Here goes:
Lady Chatterly's Lover D.H. Lawrence I don't know where I first heard about this book but you always heard about it being "scandalous" so it was one that stuck in the back of my head that I should read. It's been a while since I read it so I don't remember it quite clearly. I remember I kind of disliked every character in the book. I kind of felt they were all selfish and I kind of didn't care what happened to them.I apologize if I offend someone who loves this book, but that's how I felt. I can certainly see why it would have been scandalous for its time, because the love scenes are graphic. Not Fifty Shades graphic mind you, but for the time it was written I understand why people would have been horrified. Like I said, it's been a while since I read it so I'm sure at the time I had more intelligent insights. Then again, probably not.
Emma Jane Austen I do enjoy Jane Austen. I love Pride & Prejudice. I had seen the movie Emma in college (starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Ewan McGregor) and of course Clueless. But I had never read the book. I think I need to re-read it because I kept getting some of the characters confused. But I like it. She's a meddler who can't see what's in front of her face. But everything she does is because she cares. Haven't we all felt like we screwed up despite our best intentions? Definitely one to read again and again!
Alice In Wonderland Lewis Carroll Thanks to Disney this is one of those stories that is suck in your consciousness whether you've read it or not. So it seemed time to read it. I know there are scores of people out there who are obsessed with these stories and utterly devoted to them. I am not one of them. I think I was put off because the person who put it in ebook form wrote a lot of commentary after each story, and of course I had to read it, and he used an awful lot of exclamation points. I didn't think it was all that exciting. Honestly, probably not one I will read again.
Animal Farm George Orwell I loved this book!!! I thought it was clever and well written. And it makes you think about society and how much we really haven't changed. It's interesting to think about how the rebels and usurpers become the mainline and standard. This is one I will definitely reread.
Pickwick Papers Charles Dickens I hated Dickens as a teenager. I loathed Great Expectations, although I admit Christmas Carol was okay. Then in college I took a 19th Century Lit class and we had to read Great Expectations. I was not looking forward to it, but something my teacher said stuck with me. She asked who had read it and who had liked it and said it was crazy that they make you read Dickens in high school. He didn't write for 20th/21st century teenagers in America. So I read the story again and found I actually really liked it. So when I saw this on the list I remembered the March sisters in Little Women reading it and decided I should give it a whirl. Unfortunatley, Charlie disappointed me with this one. I thought it was really long and boring. I will read more of his stuff that I haven't and hopefully will enjoy it like I did Great Expectations.
Again, I apologize for the brief not very insightful descriptions of the books. All of these were read a while ago and I was trying to pull up my memories of them to write about. I will do better to write about the remaining books as soon as I read them so I can be much more intelligent with my thoughts on the books. And again, I apologize if I offended anyone who likes a book I didn't. That's why there are so many stories out there. If we all liked the same sort of books how boring and bland the world would be.
Lady Chatterly's Lover D.H. Lawrence I don't know where I first heard about this book but you always heard about it being "scandalous" so it was one that stuck in the back of my head that I should read. It's been a while since I read it so I don't remember it quite clearly. I remember I kind of disliked every character in the book. I kind of felt they were all selfish and I kind of didn't care what happened to them.I apologize if I offend someone who loves this book, but that's how I felt. I can certainly see why it would have been scandalous for its time, because the love scenes are graphic. Not Fifty Shades graphic mind you, but for the time it was written I understand why people would have been horrified. Like I said, it's been a while since I read it so I'm sure at the time I had more intelligent insights. Then again, probably not.
Emma Jane Austen I do enjoy Jane Austen. I love Pride & Prejudice. I had seen the movie Emma in college (starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Ewan McGregor) and of course Clueless. But I had never read the book. I think I need to re-read it because I kept getting some of the characters confused. But I like it. She's a meddler who can't see what's in front of her face. But everything she does is because she cares. Haven't we all felt like we screwed up despite our best intentions? Definitely one to read again and again!
Alice In Wonderland Lewis Carroll Thanks to Disney this is one of those stories that is suck in your consciousness whether you've read it or not. So it seemed time to read it. I know there are scores of people out there who are obsessed with these stories and utterly devoted to them. I am not one of them. I think I was put off because the person who put it in ebook form wrote a lot of commentary after each story, and of course I had to read it, and he used an awful lot of exclamation points. I didn't think it was all that exciting. Honestly, probably not one I will read again.
Animal Farm George Orwell I loved this book!!! I thought it was clever and well written. And it makes you think about society and how much we really haven't changed. It's interesting to think about how the rebels and usurpers become the mainline and standard. This is one I will definitely reread.
Pickwick Papers Charles Dickens I hated Dickens as a teenager. I loathed Great Expectations, although I admit Christmas Carol was okay. Then in college I took a 19th Century Lit class and we had to read Great Expectations. I was not looking forward to it, but something my teacher said stuck with me. She asked who had read it and who had liked it and said it was crazy that they make you read Dickens in high school. He didn't write for 20th/21st century teenagers in America. So I read the story again and found I actually really liked it. So when I saw this on the list I remembered the March sisters in Little Women reading it and decided I should give it a whirl. Unfortunatley, Charlie disappointed me with this one. I thought it was really long and boring. I will read more of his stuff that I haven't and hopefully will enjoy it like I did Great Expectations.
Again, I apologize for the brief not very insightful descriptions of the books. All of these were read a while ago and I was trying to pull up my memories of them to write about. I will do better to write about the remaining books as soon as I read them so I can be much more intelligent with my thoughts on the books. And again, I apologize if I offended anyone who likes a book I didn't. That's why there are so many stories out there. If we all liked the same sort of books how boring and bland the world would be.
Monday, January 28, 2013
After looking at my list I came to the conclusion that some of the items on the list were not feasible. Life changes, expectations change. So I made a short list of the items that I knew I would not do and came up with substitute items. Here is that list, with the reasons why I'm taking one off and replacing it.
1. Go to Hawaii- This is still on my bucket list, but with school and my income I don't see me getting there any time soon. So instead, 1. Take a Trip Somewhere I've Never Been. When I travel (I use that word laughingly) I tend to go places I've lived to visit friends or family or to places where I know somebody. I would like to expand this and go somewhere I haven't been before. Right now my sister Malinda is already planning on commenting inviting me to come visit her in Ohio. TECHNICALLY I have been to the state of Ohio, so.... We'll see.
4. Make Out With A Cast Member From Glee-I think this is self-explanatory. Now, 4. Own more shorts. What, you were expecting maybe "make out with someone. please God!"? There are just some things you don't blog about, people!! Delving yet again in to my issues, I don't like shorts. I am not a fan of my legs. It may be the blinding whiteness. It may be feeling like I have chicken legs. Have I mentioned my self-esteem issues? But whatever the reason, I am more comfortable in capris. I want to change this. I did actually buy a new pair of shorts last year, and may have even worn them out in public, although probably not. So my goal for this summer I want to buy a couple more pairs and maybe even venture out in to the general public with them on. But you still may want to have sunglasses on. My legs are very white.
34. Have All The Kids Over For A Sleepover- With one nephew in Ohio and another nephew and niece getting too old for this kind of thing this is just not going to happen. Now, 34. Have A Girl's Night a la Sex And The City. I want to get a few girls together, put on a pretty dress, and go have girly drinks out somewhere. Unlike SATC, we do not have to pick up guys. Discussions about our sex lives optional.
44. Go To The Roost For Line Dancing- I'm not much interested in line dancing anymore. And I don't know anyone who will go with me. It's been changed to 44. Try Online Dating. Again. Although fair warning, I may change this as well. I'm interested in dating again, I just don't know if I want to try this method again. But I can put myself out there without actually leaving my house. Which sounds kind of dreamy if you ask me. I can talk to a man AND watch my shows!
81. Watch Tes Do Gymnastics- Seriously, I can't keep up with this girl and her ever changing interests. 81. Watch Tes Do Karate Although who knows, she may get in to something else and this will change again. But I've seen her brother play countless hockey games and I don't want her to think I don't love her as much as Luch.
99. Go to the Opera When I created this item Rochester had an opera company. They have since disbanded. Now, 99. Buy A Full Length Mirror Maybe it's time I had an idea what I look like from mid-chest down. I need to stop being so scared of my flaws and embrace me. If I can't look in the mirror and think I'm attractive, how the hell do I think someone else will?
So there you go. I have to go work now, but I will do my best to update the actual list there next to this post later on my lunch.
1. Go to Hawaii- This is still on my bucket list, but with school and my income I don't see me getting there any time soon. So instead, 1. Take a Trip Somewhere I've Never Been. When I travel (I use that word laughingly) I tend to go places I've lived to visit friends or family or to places where I know somebody. I would like to expand this and go somewhere I haven't been before. Right now my sister Malinda is already planning on commenting inviting me to come visit her in Ohio. TECHNICALLY I have been to the state of Ohio, so.... We'll see.
4. Make Out With A Cast Member From Glee-I think this is self-explanatory. Now, 4. Own more shorts. What, you were expecting maybe "make out with someone. please God!"? There are just some things you don't blog about, people!! Delving yet again in to my issues, I don't like shorts. I am not a fan of my legs. It may be the blinding whiteness. It may be feeling like I have chicken legs. Have I mentioned my self-esteem issues? But whatever the reason, I am more comfortable in capris. I want to change this. I did actually buy a new pair of shorts last year, and may have even worn them out in public, although probably not. So my goal for this summer I want to buy a couple more pairs and maybe even venture out in to the general public with them on. But you still may want to have sunglasses on. My legs are very white.
34. Have All The Kids Over For A Sleepover- With one nephew in Ohio and another nephew and niece getting too old for this kind of thing this is just not going to happen. Now, 34. Have A Girl's Night a la Sex And The City. I want to get a few girls together, put on a pretty dress, and go have girly drinks out somewhere. Unlike SATC, we do not have to pick up guys. Discussions about our sex lives optional.
44. Go To The Roost For Line Dancing- I'm not much interested in line dancing anymore. And I don't know anyone who will go with me. It's been changed to 44. Try Online Dating. Again. Although fair warning, I may change this as well. I'm interested in dating again, I just don't know if I want to try this method again. But I can put myself out there without actually leaving my house. Which sounds kind of dreamy if you ask me. I can talk to a man AND watch my shows!
81. Watch Tes Do Gymnastics- Seriously, I can't keep up with this girl and her ever changing interests. 81. Watch Tes Do Karate Although who knows, she may get in to something else and this will change again. But I've seen her brother play countless hockey games and I don't want her to think I don't love her as much as Luch.
99. Go to the Opera When I created this item Rochester had an opera company. They have since disbanded. Now, 99. Buy A Full Length Mirror Maybe it's time I had an idea what I look like from mid-chest down. I need to stop being so scared of my flaws and embrace me. If I can't look in the mirror and think I'm attractive, how the hell do I think someone else will?
So there you go. I have to go work now, but I will do my best to update the actual list there next to this post later on my lunch.
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Massive Posting!!
I've been trying to update all of you on my goings on but with limited time and no internet at home, I've had to bring my little notebook computer with me to work every day and use the Target wi-fi on my lunch. So it's been slow going. Today, despite the single digit weather, I have ventured out of the house on my day off to sit in Starbucks (my Starbucks as I like to call it) and just see if I can bang out a whole shitload of things I've checked off. I came to the conclusion that I'm a Rochesterarian and just because it's a bit brisk, to put it mildly, I can't let that stop me from leaving the house. We were spoiled by last winter and it's not like it's never been this cold before and won't be again. Although I will state, for the record, I don't like it. Cold is not my friend. But I digress. So sit back, grab a cup of coffee (I'm enjoying a triple venti vanilla latte), perhaps a snack, and hopefully enjoy my blog.
24. Write in my journal every day
I've kept a journal in one form or another since I was a little girl. Not always consistently, but there was almost a notebook or diary of some sort sitting next to my bed. I have a lot of thoughts rolling around in my head, not always deep but there, and sometimes I think people don't necessarily want to listen to me babble about what's going on in there. Actually, based on some of what's up there, I know for a fact you don't want to hear it! So I write it down. I try to come across as someone who mostly has it all together.Mostly. But I don't. I freak out about a lot. I'm quite over emotional. I worry. I panic. For some of you, these are not new things to find out. So I journal and it's a way to get some of this stuff out of my head. Plus, I tend to not let go of things so I'll end up writing about the same problems or people day after day day. Rarely do I solve anything, but at least it's out there and even if just for a few minutes it's not dwelling in my head. When I added this item to the list I had gotten away from journaling. I would write for a few days in a row and then wouldn't touch it for three months. But I wanted to get back in to it, if for nothing else to improve my writing skills. In the past few months I have actually been really good about writing. I admit, it's not every day. Some days I don't have time. Other days there is truly nothing interesting to write about. Some times I'm just sick of my own head and can't bring myself to write about that subject ONE MORE TIME! I can guarantee it's not fascinating writing. But since I'm not the type to just call a friend or sibling up to discuss my crap it works for me. I hope it's helping me on some level, even if just five years from now I can read through it and wonder at myself.
28. Go to New Orleans Again
In the fall of 2010 I got to go down to New Orleans with Rochester Help to New Orleans, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, and Project Homecoming to do Katrina rebuilding work. This is truly and 100% the BEST thing I have ever done in my life. If I had the funds I would be down there all the time doing this. Being able to be just a small part of helping somebody to get back in to their home... I don't have words to describe it. I remember sitting on the floor in the kitchen my first work day down there, scraping at grout between the tiles, and turning to my mom and saying "I can't wait to come back and do this again." The trip wasn't just about work. We had some time our first and last days down there to be tourists, as well as every night. Walking through the French Quarter every night I found myself falling in love with this city. I am the first to admit there is much more to New Orleans besides the Quarter and I'm sure I haven't seen most of it, but just the places I had been to were enough to convince me this would be one of my favorite places. So once I came back to Rochester I was determined to go back down again.
Fall of 2011 I got my chance. Of course if you've already been reading my blog you remember I posted going to Cafe du Monde so you already know that I had been back down. This trip reconfirmed my love affair for New Orleans. I could go on and on about being down there, but I won't. Again, I can't describe the feeling of working to bring somebody home, what it was like to sit in The Spotted Cat and listen to amazing jazz music, to just absorb the energy down there. And on a more personal note, this second trip, although I didn't know it at the time, helped start me on my spiritual journey that has led me to enrolling at Colgate Rochester Crozier Divinity School in the Masters of Divinity program.
I want to go back. I've talked about it a lot since I got back. Unfortunately it didn't work out last year, but I keep hoping. It's probably at the top of the list of places to go to when I take a real vacation some time hopefully soon. I would love to go back and do work again. I would love to also go down for a purely social visit. If you can cross something off and put it back on the list, then this is the item I do that with. Laissez le bon temps roulez!
39. Stop Drinking Pop
I actually have debated whether or not I can truly cross this off. Technically, I haven't cut pop out of my life 100%. I will indulge once in a great while, especially at family gatherings if I can't drink wine (I'm looking at you Thanksgiving when I have to go in at work that night!). But those times are so few and far between that I say this has been accomplished. After all, it's my list. Are the list police going to come and arrest me?
41. Watch the News At Least Once A Week
I will be the first to admit I am not the most informed person on world issues. I am trying to do better, but at 6:00 if I have a choice between the news and a How I Met Your Mother rerun, I'm going with HIMYM every time. But as an adult, and someone who wants to be a minister, I know this is something I need to improve. And while, belive it or not, I do get a lot of info on Twitter, I know that can't compare with watching the news. Once I lived on my own and didn't have cable I found this a little easier to do. So every weekday work morning at 6:20 after I check my facebook I turn the news on and listen to it while I get ready for work. Some mornings the news is filled with fluff pieces. I get a lot of weather information. But watching the news has led me to follow the local ABC station on Facebook and Twitter so I do read updates. And having internet on my phone helps also. When I get a blurb about something going on in the news I can google it right away, like I did with Newtown CT. I know I have further to go with this, but I've made steps. I can only go up from here, right?
45. Go Out for Ice Cream On A Hot Summer Day/Night
This past summer I reconnected with a friend I had lost touch with. As a way to catch up we met up one night and walked to Abbott's (If you're not from Rochester it's a local frozen custard place that is absolutely divine) It was hot enough that our ice cream melted quickly, but not so hot that the walk was uncomfortable. We brought the custard back to the front steps of my building and sat and talked for a couple hours. It was nice to catch up and to be able to talk about what was going on in our lives. And who doesn't love ice cream on a hot summer night?
51. Jump On The Lost Bandwagon By Finally Adding The Series To My Netflix Queue And Watching It
I tried watching Lost when it was on TV. I adore J.J. Abrams and am a huge fan of Felicity and Alias. But for one reason or another I never stuck with it. Maybe because by the time I tried to watch it it was already season 2 and I was a bit lost (hahaha). Maybe it kept being opposite something else I watched. I don't know. But I sort of kept up on the goings on due to my Entertainment Weekly subscription so I was never completely out of the loop. When I lived with my cousin after moving back to Rochester three years ago she was a huge fan and I would sort of watch with her once in a while. That was about the time I first started thinking maybe I should watch the series and when the idea for this list came up it seemed logical to add it.
The first couple seasons were awesome. There were a couple in the middle I didn't quite care for. One season I only loved about half of it (three? four? I can't remember). By the end I certainly understood the confusion and anger fans felt over the end. It sort of answered questions but it sort of didn't. I liked it, but I don't think I'll be running out to buy the series on DVD. Maybe season 1. That is the one with Ian Somerholder in it after all.
53. Mail Christmas Cards
When I was in college and possibly for a few years after I came back after school I mailed Christmas cards. I remember my mom doing Christmas cards when I was a kid and I loved seeing if new cards came during the Christmas season. I would love to go through and read them, even if I didn't know who half these people were. When I became an adult I understood the desire and maybe even need of these cards. Christmas is a time of family and friends and love, of connecting with people. The cards were a way to reach out to people and let them know you were thinking of them, even if you had lost touch in every other way. But due to cost and motivation, I hadn't mailed them in quite a few years. So a couple Christmases ago I decided to mail out cards. A few came back because I had the wrong address. But by sending them I got responses from people I don't talk to any more. It maybe was a small thing to them, maybe even an annoyance (Man, Summer sent us a Christmas card so I better be polite and mail one back), but it meant a lot to me. It's kind of like when someone takes that 30 seconds to wish you a Happy Birthday on your Facebook page. It's a small thing, but it's nice to know that even just for that very brief period of time they were thinking of you. Unfortunately I was a little too broke this holiday season and couldn't mail cards out. But I hope to do it this Christmas. Much like with my gift shopping, I plan on trying to start the list a little earlier than I think I have to so I can get them out.
66. Eat Breakfast Every Day
Yes, I know all the speeches and lectures. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Eating breakfast helps with your metabolism. If you eat breakfast you'll eat less later in the day. Blah blah blah. Like with the exercising, it's not about eating breakfast so I'll eat less later to lose weight. It's for my crankiness. If I go too long without eating I start getting bitchy. And tired. And unhappy. And testy. But I'm really making much more of an effort. I try to bring a little container of cereal with me to work every day. Or buy a cheese danish. They're heavenly. And like with the pop, this is not something I actually do every day. Some days I forget. Some days I don't have time. Some days I just don't feel like it. But I'm doing much better than I was when I added it to the list. Go me!
71. Go To The Eastman House
I had actually forgotten that I accomplished this item. I had been to the Eastman House several years ago when one of my friends got married for a bridal show and then again when I lived with my cousin for a showing of Ghostbusters in the Dryden Theatre. But I couldn't remember the last time I had been there for an actual exhibit. But a couple summers ago, right after I got my glasses actually, there was a Norman Rockwell exhibit there that I wanted to see. So one very rainy Sunday after church me, my mom, and my stepdad went to the exhibit. It was really cool. There were pictures of the models that Rockwell used to base his paintings on. Of course there were copies of his paintings. I don't get out to do these artsy cultural things as much as I want or should. And George Eastman is such an integral part of Rochester history it's a shame I don't take advantage more often. I'm going to try to keep my eyes open for other exhibits and hopefully go again.
85. Make A New Friend
I don't make friends easily. Part of it is I'm not good at small talk. Part of it is I'm never sure if people and I are going to get along or if I'll say something or make a joke and they'll just look at me with that "Why are you talking?" look and I'll wish I'd just kept my mouth shut. (This happens more than you think it would). So I'd rather sit back and observe until I get a handle on people. Part of it is because I'm shy. Those of you who are laughing right now can stop. Once you get to know me this is not so true, but I can be rather uncomfortable around people, especially in group settings like a party. Part of it is because I'm a bit of a loner. I love my alone time. I'm a hermit who most of the time would rather be at home watching a movie than out socializing. When you also factor in how many people I once considered good friends that I never talk to any more beyond an occasional Facebook like or comment, is it any wonder I sometimes think the effort isn't worth it? I mean, you can only reach out so many times before you just assume your presence isn't necessarily wanted so it's easier to fade in to the background. So I added this to the list to try to force myself to reach out.
I don't know if it was my effort or the other person's effort or fate or whatever, but I have actually made a new friend!!!! We work together and she's my lunch buddy. We've hung out a few times outside of work at the movies and she was my plus one at a coworker's wedding this fall. She shares my love of hot male celebrities especially when they're shirtless. Sure we can be a little creepy and wrong when we hang out together, but isn't that what friends are for?
I don't know if the friendship will last only while we both work at Target or will continue on. Maybe one day she too will be one of those people I'll only communicate with on Facebook. But until then I'll continue to text her about seeing my ex-boyfriend at lacrosse games and letting her borrow books. Besides, we have a bet going and there's Sabres tickets (for her) and Bills tickets (for me) on the line. So she's stuck with me for a while at least!!!
88. Own At Least Two Lipcolors
To go along with my clothing post of a few days ago, makeup is something I'm working on. I didn't wear makeup until after college. My mom never sat me down and taught me how to wear it. I never had a desire to wear it until I started working in a retail job where I felt it would help to look a little better. While some people have told me I look just fine or even better without makeup, I wear it as a mask or a shield. I feel more confident when I have it on. I'm sure a shrink could have a field day with that issue, but whatever. I stick with pretty basic and neutral colors and it's been shocking that I've expanded my eyeshadow collection to include many colors and even eyeliner. But lipstick? That's a little trickier. You can hide your eyeshadow a bit more, especially since I wear glasses and a hat at work so you can't see much. But if you wear the wrong color lipstick you can look like an idiot and it's much more obvious. A year or so ago I bought a lipstick that was a little darker than my normal lip color and called it a day. It's just going to wear off and I don't reapply anyway, so what's the point? But I finally decided to take some cues from the fashion magazines I read and take a chance. I always get excited when they recommend a color that is a brand I can afford! Wouldn't it be nice of spending $25 on lipstick at Sephora wasn't a huge deal? But I cringe at even $8 for Revlon, so there you go. Speaking of Revlon, the two lipcolors I own are from their Lip Butter line. I think that's what it's called. I don't know, they're very soft and go on somewhat sheer. Which is good since one of the colors I bought is red. I guess every woman should own a red lipstick and at the age of 34 it's finally time. The other color I own is a very light baby pink that I wear most often. But I'm starting to wear the red a little more, especially when my eye shadow is very light. My plan is to buy a couple more shades so I can really expand my beauty routine.
97. Floss Regularly
I'll keep it short and sweet, because who wants to read about my dental routine in excruciating detail? I'm not 100% at it, but I do it more often than I used to. Sometimes it's only once a day. Sometimes I skip it. I'll keep plugging away at it.
And that's it. You are now all caught up on my list!!! And my butt hurts from sitting for the last almost hour and a half to type all this up. Next up I will analyze the items I want to remove and figure out what I want to replace them with. I'll keep my eyes open for when I do things outside my comfort zone and let you know what's going. I'll keep reviewing the items left and be open to the chances to knock those off. Thanks for sitting here this long and reading this. As my latte is almost done, I am going to head home and watch a bit more True Blood. Laters baby!
24. Write in my journal every day
I've kept a journal in one form or another since I was a little girl. Not always consistently, but there was almost a notebook or diary of some sort sitting next to my bed. I have a lot of thoughts rolling around in my head, not always deep but there, and sometimes I think people don't necessarily want to listen to me babble about what's going on in there. Actually, based on some of what's up there, I know for a fact you don't want to hear it! So I write it down. I try to come across as someone who mostly has it all together.Mostly. But I don't. I freak out about a lot. I'm quite over emotional. I worry. I panic. For some of you, these are not new things to find out. So I journal and it's a way to get some of this stuff out of my head. Plus, I tend to not let go of things so I'll end up writing about the same problems or people day after day day. Rarely do I solve anything, but at least it's out there and even if just for a few minutes it's not dwelling in my head. When I added this item to the list I had gotten away from journaling. I would write for a few days in a row and then wouldn't touch it for three months. But I wanted to get back in to it, if for nothing else to improve my writing skills. In the past few months I have actually been really good about writing. I admit, it's not every day. Some days I don't have time. Other days there is truly nothing interesting to write about. Some times I'm just sick of my own head and can't bring myself to write about that subject ONE MORE TIME! I can guarantee it's not fascinating writing. But since I'm not the type to just call a friend or sibling up to discuss my crap it works for me. I hope it's helping me on some level, even if just five years from now I can read through it and wonder at myself.
28. Go to New Orleans Again
In the fall of 2010 I got to go down to New Orleans with Rochester Help to New Orleans, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, and Project Homecoming to do Katrina rebuilding work. This is truly and 100% the BEST thing I have ever done in my life. If I had the funds I would be down there all the time doing this. Being able to be just a small part of helping somebody to get back in to their home... I don't have words to describe it. I remember sitting on the floor in the kitchen my first work day down there, scraping at grout between the tiles, and turning to my mom and saying "I can't wait to come back and do this again." The trip wasn't just about work. We had some time our first and last days down there to be tourists, as well as every night. Walking through the French Quarter every night I found myself falling in love with this city. I am the first to admit there is much more to New Orleans besides the Quarter and I'm sure I haven't seen most of it, but just the places I had been to were enough to convince me this would be one of my favorite places. So once I came back to Rochester I was determined to go back down again.
Fall of 2011 I got my chance. Of course if you've already been reading my blog you remember I posted going to Cafe du Monde so you already know that I had been back down. This trip reconfirmed my love affair for New Orleans. I could go on and on about being down there, but I won't. Again, I can't describe the feeling of working to bring somebody home, what it was like to sit in The Spotted Cat and listen to amazing jazz music, to just absorb the energy down there. And on a more personal note, this second trip, although I didn't know it at the time, helped start me on my spiritual journey that has led me to enrolling at Colgate Rochester Crozier Divinity School in the Masters of Divinity program.
I want to go back. I've talked about it a lot since I got back. Unfortunately it didn't work out last year, but I keep hoping. It's probably at the top of the list of places to go to when I take a real vacation some time hopefully soon. I would love to go back and do work again. I would love to also go down for a purely social visit. If you can cross something off and put it back on the list, then this is the item I do that with. Laissez le bon temps roulez!
39. Stop Drinking Pop
I actually have debated whether or not I can truly cross this off. Technically, I haven't cut pop out of my life 100%. I will indulge once in a great while, especially at family gatherings if I can't drink wine (I'm looking at you Thanksgiving when I have to go in at work that night!). But those times are so few and far between that I say this has been accomplished. After all, it's my list. Are the list police going to come and arrest me?
41. Watch the News At Least Once A Week
I will be the first to admit I am not the most informed person on world issues. I am trying to do better, but at 6:00 if I have a choice between the news and a How I Met Your Mother rerun, I'm going with HIMYM every time. But as an adult, and someone who wants to be a minister, I know this is something I need to improve. And while, belive it or not, I do get a lot of info on Twitter, I know that can't compare with watching the news. Once I lived on my own and didn't have cable I found this a little easier to do. So every weekday work morning at 6:20 after I check my facebook I turn the news on and listen to it while I get ready for work. Some mornings the news is filled with fluff pieces. I get a lot of weather information. But watching the news has led me to follow the local ABC station on Facebook and Twitter so I do read updates. And having internet on my phone helps also. When I get a blurb about something going on in the news I can google it right away, like I did with Newtown CT. I know I have further to go with this, but I've made steps. I can only go up from here, right?
45. Go Out for Ice Cream On A Hot Summer Day/Night
This past summer I reconnected with a friend I had lost touch with. As a way to catch up we met up one night and walked to Abbott's (If you're not from Rochester it's a local frozen custard place that is absolutely divine) It was hot enough that our ice cream melted quickly, but not so hot that the walk was uncomfortable. We brought the custard back to the front steps of my building and sat and talked for a couple hours. It was nice to catch up and to be able to talk about what was going on in our lives. And who doesn't love ice cream on a hot summer night?
51. Jump On The Lost Bandwagon By Finally Adding The Series To My Netflix Queue And Watching It
I tried watching Lost when it was on TV. I adore J.J. Abrams and am a huge fan of Felicity and Alias. But for one reason or another I never stuck with it. Maybe because by the time I tried to watch it it was already season 2 and I was a bit lost (hahaha). Maybe it kept being opposite something else I watched. I don't know. But I sort of kept up on the goings on due to my Entertainment Weekly subscription so I was never completely out of the loop. When I lived with my cousin after moving back to Rochester three years ago she was a huge fan and I would sort of watch with her once in a while. That was about the time I first started thinking maybe I should watch the series and when the idea for this list came up it seemed logical to add it.
The first couple seasons were awesome. There were a couple in the middle I didn't quite care for. One season I only loved about half of it (three? four? I can't remember). By the end I certainly understood the confusion and anger fans felt over the end. It sort of answered questions but it sort of didn't. I liked it, but I don't think I'll be running out to buy the series on DVD. Maybe season 1. That is the one with Ian Somerholder in it after all.
53. Mail Christmas Cards
When I was in college and possibly for a few years after I came back after school I mailed Christmas cards. I remember my mom doing Christmas cards when I was a kid and I loved seeing if new cards came during the Christmas season. I would love to go through and read them, even if I didn't know who half these people were. When I became an adult I understood the desire and maybe even need of these cards. Christmas is a time of family and friends and love, of connecting with people. The cards were a way to reach out to people and let them know you were thinking of them, even if you had lost touch in every other way. But due to cost and motivation, I hadn't mailed them in quite a few years. So a couple Christmases ago I decided to mail out cards. A few came back because I had the wrong address. But by sending them I got responses from people I don't talk to any more. It maybe was a small thing to them, maybe even an annoyance (Man, Summer sent us a Christmas card so I better be polite and mail one back), but it meant a lot to me. It's kind of like when someone takes that 30 seconds to wish you a Happy Birthday on your Facebook page. It's a small thing, but it's nice to know that even just for that very brief period of time they were thinking of you. Unfortunately I was a little too broke this holiday season and couldn't mail cards out. But I hope to do it this Christmas. Much like with my gift shopping, I plan on trying to start the list a little earlier than I think I have to so I can get them out.
66. Eat Breakfast Every Day
Yes, I know all the speeches and lectures. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Eating breakfast helps with your metabolism. If you eat breakfast you'll eat less later in the day. Blah blah blah. Like with the exercising, it's not about eating breakfast so I'll eat less later to lose weight. It's for my crankiness. If I go too long without eating I start getting bitchy. And tired. And unhappy. And testy. But I'm really making much more of an effort. I try to bring a little container of cereal with me to work every day. Or buy a cheese danish. They're heavenly. And like with the pop, this is not something I actually do every day. Some days I forget. Some days I don't have time. Some days I just don't feel like it. But I'm doing much better than I was when I added it to the list. Go me!
71. Go To The Eastman House
I had actually forgotten that I accomplished this item. I had been to the Eastman House several years ago when one of my friends got married for a bridal show and then again when I lived with my cousin for a showing of Ghostbusters in the Dryden Theatre. But I couldn't remember the last time I had been there for an actual exhibit. But a couple summers ago, right after I got my glasses actually, there was a Norman Rockwell exhibit there that I wanted to see. So one very rainy Sunday after church me, my mom, and my stepdad went to the exhibit. It was really cool. There were pictures of the models that Rockwell used to base his paintings on. Of course there were copies of his paintings. I don't get out to do these artsy cultural things as much as I want or should. And George Eastman is such an integral part of Rochester history it's a shame I don't take advantage more often. I'm going to try to keep my eyes open for other exhibits and hopefully go again.
85. Make A New Friend
I don't make friends easily. Part of it is I'm not good at small talk. Part of it is I'm never sure if people and I are going to get along or if I'll say something or make a joke and they'll just look at me with that "Why are you talking?" look and I'll wish I'd just kept my mouth shut. (This happens more than you think it would). So I'd rather sit back and observe until I get a handle on people. Part of it is because I'm shy. Those of you who are laughing right now can stop. Once you get to know me this is not so true, but I can be rather uncomfortable around people, especially in group settings like a party. Part of it is because I'm a bit of a loner. I love my alone time. I'm a hermit who most of the time would rather be at home watching a movie than out socializing. When you also factor in how many people I once considered good friends that I never talk to any more beyond an occasional Facebook like or comment, is it any wonder I sometimes think the effort isn't worth it? I mean, you can only reach out so many times before you just assume your presence isn't necessarily wanted so it's easier to fade in to the background. So I added this to the list to try to force myself to reach out.
I don't know if it was my effort or the other person's effort or fate or whatever, but I have actually made a new friend!!!! We work together and she's my lunch buddy. We've hung out a few times outside of work at the movies and she was my plus one at a coworker's wedding this fall. She shares my love of hot male celebrities especially when they're shirtless. Sure we can be a little creepy and wrong when we hang out together, but isn't that what friends are for?
I don't know if the friendship will last only while we both work at Target or will continue on. Maybe one day she too will be one of those people I'll only communicate with on Facebook. But until then I'll continue to text her about seeing my ex-boyfriend at lacrosse games and letting her borrow books. Besides, we have a bet going and there's Sabres tickets (for her) and Bills tickets (for me) on the line. So she's stuck with me for a while at least!!!
88. Own At Least Two Lipcolors
To go along with my clothing post of a few days ago, makeup is something I'm working on. I didn't wear makeup until after college. My mom never sat me down and taught me how to wear it. I never had a desire to wear it until I started working in a retail job where I felt it would help to look a little better. While some people have told me I look just fine or even better without makeup, I wear it as a mask or a shield. I feel more confident when I have it on. I'm sure a shrink could have a field day with that issue, but whatever. I stick with pretty basic and neutral colors and it's been shocking that I've expanded my eyeshadow collection to include many colors and even eyeliner. But lipstick? That's a little trickier. You can hide your eyeshadow a bit more, especially since I wear glasses and a hat at work so you can't see much. But if you wear the wrong color lipstick you can look like an idiot and it's much more obvious. A year or so ago I bought a lipstick that was a little darker than my normal lip color and called it a day. It's just going to wear off and I don't reapply anyway, so what's the point? But I finally decided to take some cues from the fashion magazines I read and take a chance. I always get excited when they recommend a color that is a brand I can afford! Wouldn't it be nice of spending $25 on lipstick at Sephora wasn't a huge deal? But I cringe at even $8 for Revlon, so there you go. Speaking of Revlon, the two lipcolors I own are from their Lip Butter line. I think that's what it's called. I don't know, they're very soft and go on somewhat sheer. Which is good since one of the colors I bought is red. I guess every woman should own a red lipstick and at the age of 34 it's finally time. The other color I own is a very light baby pink that I wear most often. But I'm starting to wear the red a little more, especially when my eye shadow is very light. My plan is to buy a couple more shades so I can really expand my beauty routine.
97. Floss Regularly
I'll keep it short and sweet, because who wants to read about my dental routine in excruciating detail? I'm not 100% at it, but I do it more often than I used to. Sometimes it's only once a day. Sometimes I skip it. I'll keep plugging away at it.
And that's it. You are now all caught up on my list!!! And my butt hurts from sitting for the last almost hour and a half to type all this up. Next up I will analyze the items I want to remove and figure out what I want to replace them with. I'll keep my eyes open for when I do things outside my comfort zone and let you know what's going. I'll keep reviewing the items left and be open to the chances to knock those off. Thanks for sitting here this long and reading this. As my latte is almost done, I am going to head home and watch a bit more True Blood. Laters baby!
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
17. See a show at Geva
If you don't live in Rochester then you should know Geva Theatre is a local theatre that shows straight plays and an occasional musical. They use a combination of Equity actors and local talent. They are most well known for their annual staging of A Christmas Carol. There. Background done.
While Geva Theatre is such a mainstay of Rochester, I haven't been since a field trip in junior high to see the aforementioned Christmas Carol. Over the years they've had many shows come that I wanted to see but I never motivated myself enough to go. But this past summer the musical Avenue Q came, and as a bonus I found out one of my classmates from University of the Arts would be starring in it! They had a promo where you could buy tickets for around $20 and I snagged myself one in the balcony. Since I couldn't remember what the theatre looked like one of my coworkers told me that the space was pretty small and there was no bad seat.
The day arrived. I put on a pretty maxi dress and took myself to the bus stop since it was way too hot to walk. My seat was on the side of the balcony and I admit I did have quite a lovely view of backstage. But being a theatre major that never bothers me. It's not like I don't know how things work.
By now you might be asking yourself "What the heck is Avenue Q?" It's the musical with the puppets. The one they tell you NOT to bring your kids to. It's hilarious and raunchy and fantastic and includes one of my favorite songs "There's A Fine Fine Line." It's the perfect breakup song. I highly recommend you go find a copy of it and listen. My ex-classmate did a fantastic job and she sang that song!
I've intended to go back but financial circumstances have kept me at home. One of these days I'll get myself in order and go see another show. I love live theatre. You all know I love movies and TV, but there's something about the theatre. There's such a charge, such a give and take between the performers and the audience that you just don't get anywhere else. I do miss performing, almost every day in fact, but being in the audience is almost as good.
"You've gotta go after the things you want while you're still in your prime."
While Geva Theatre is such a mainstay of Rochester, I haven't been since a field trip in junior high to see the aforementioned Christmas Carol. Over the years they've had many shows come that I wanted to see but I never motivated myself enough to go. But this past summer the musical Avenue Q came, and as a bonus I found out one of my classmates from University of the Arts would be starring in it! They had a promo where you could buy tickets for around $20 and I snagged myself one in the balcony. Since I couldn't remember what the theatre looked like one of my coworkers told me that the space was pretty small and there was no bad seat.
The day arrived. I put on a pretty maxi dress and took myself to the bus stop since it was way too hot to walk. My seat was on the side of the balcony and I admit I did have quite a lovely view of backstage. But being a theatre major that never bothers me. It's not like I don't know how things work.
By now you might be asking yourself "What the heck is Avenue Q?" It's the musical with the puppets. The one they tell you NOT to bring your kids to. It's hilarious and raunchy and fantastic and includes one of my favorite songs "There's A Fine Fine Line." It's the perfect breakup song. I highly recommend you go find a copy of it and listen. My ex-classmate did a fantastic job and she sang that song!
I've intended to go back but financial circumstances have kept me at home. One of these days I'll get myself in order and go see another show. I love live theatre. You all know I love movies and TV, but there's something about the theatre. There's such a charge, such a give and take between the performers and the audience that you just don't get anywhere else. I do miss performing, almost every day in fact, but being in the audience is almost as good.
"You've gotta go after the things you want while you're still in your prime."
Monday, January 21, 2013
Not Really On The List
This list was created as a way to challenge myself, to push myself to doing things outside my comfort zone no matter how small. I had recently mentioned changing some items on my list and while I still haven't done that, I managed to accomplish something that probably would've been on the list if I had gotten my butt in gear. Since I figured adding a list item after I had already accomplished it would be some sort of cheating I thought I would do a write-up and consider it not a list item, but still fulfilling the goal of the list.
I bought a pair of turquoise skinny jeans. I know, I know, you're thinking to yourself "How the heck does this push Summer out of her comfort zone?" Let me take you back to my past a moment. I was never the popular girl. Never the trendy girl. Growing up I either didn't care about fashion or couldn't figure it out (I'm still not sure which). Added to this was the pressure of having younger sisters who were the pretty trendy popular girls of school, and it just became easier to the artsy one who didn't care what she looked like. But the secret: I did. I went on to college and it was more of the same. During the time when you were supposed to be figuring out your "unique style" I couldn't do it. One day I felt like a t-shirt and jeans the next a flowy skirt. Plus, being on a limited budget, I couldn't really justify spending money on something that might only be considered cool for a couple months.
Cut to now. I love clothes. I love shoes. I read InStyle and Glamour every month and have the ability to drool over names like Prabal Gurung or Jason Wu. But the catch is I work a retail job where I have to wear the exact same thing every day: khaki pants and a black (or white) collar shirt. The excitement of my week is Monday's when I work in shoes and can wear a red shirt. And being on my feet every day it's easier to just wear a pair of comfortable sneakers. On my days off I usually just hang around my apartment. I don't have much of a social life so the need to wear clothes that look nice isn't a high one. And as usual, I'm on a limited budget so new clothes are not always a priority. But I'm getting tired of that. I'm tired of not feeling good about myself. Maybe it was buying my pretty girl dress back in December. Maybe it's the fact that I constantly open my closet and my dresser and say "I hate everything I own." But I want to make more of an effort.
Two recent trends that I've been wanting to try but too scared to are skinny jeans and brightly colored denim. The magazines are full of these styles. My own mother wears skinny jeans for God's sake! I decided to conquer the fear of feeling like if I try to wear "cool girl" clothes people will laugh and point their fingers and say "Who does she think she is trying to pull off that outfit? Go back to your jeans that don't fit and country concert T-shirt." But as I was wandering the clothing department of Target on pay day I came across a rack of brightly colored skinny jeans that were 50% off. I could finally be brave and only spend $11!!!! But then I started to think of the shirts I had at home and convinced myself I didn't have anything to wear with them and walked away. But thanks to two of my friends I got talked in to going back and buying them. Then I started to convince myself they wouldn't fit and I would probably bring them back anyway. They'd be too tight or too long. I got home and tried them on and THEY FIT PERFECTLY!!!! (At least I assume so. I don't actually own a full length mirror so I can only go by how they feel) I wore them to church on Sunday in fact. I think there's hope for me yet!! While not quite on the level of the Robert Rodriguez dress, I felt cool in them. I didn't think anyone was laughing at me. I felt like I could walk in to any room just about anywhere and not feel intimidated by the better dressed women around me. If you've never had self-esteem issues surrounding your looks then I'm sure you don't quite get it. And while one should be over all this crap by the time they're 34, the truth is that this is a constant struggle for me. I have more days where I feel good than bad. But you just can't quite get rid of that sad little 15 year old girl who only truly felt good when she was on a stage pretending to be somebody else.
Next trend: scarf?
I bought a pair of turquoise skinny jeans. I know, I know, you're thinking to yourself "How the heck does this push Summer out of her comfort zone?" Let me take you back to my past a moment. I was never the popular girl. Never the trendy girl. Growing up I either didn't care about fashion or couldn't figure it out (I'm still not sure which). Added to this was the pressure of having younger sisters who were the pretty trendy popular girls of school, and it just became easier to the artsy one who didn't care what she looked like. But the secret: I did. I went on to college and it was more of the same. During the time when you were supposed to be figuring out your "unique style" I couldn't do it. One day I felt like a t-shirt and jeans the next a flowy skirt. Plus, being on a limited budget, I couldn't really justify spending money on something that might only be considered cool for a couple months.
Cut to now. I love clothes. I love shoes. I read InStyle and Glamour every month and have the ability to drool over names like Prabal Gurung or Jason Wu. But the catch is I work a retail job where I have to wear the exact same thing every day: khaki pants and a black (or white) collar shirt. The excitement of my week is Monday's when I work in shoes and can wear a red shirt. And being on my feet every day it's easier to just wear a pair of comfortable sneakers. On my days off I usually just hang around my apartment. I don't have much of a social life so the need to wear clothes that look nice isn't a high one. And as usual, I'm on a limited budget so new clothes are not always a priority. But I'm getting tired of that. I'm tired of not feeling good about myself. Maybe it was buying my pretty girl dress back in December. Maybe it's the fact that I constantly open my closet and my dresser and say "I hate everything I own." But I want to make more of an effort.
Two recent trends that I've been wanting to try but too scared to are skinny jeans and brightly colored denim. The magazines are full of these styles. My own mother wears skinny jeans for God's sake! I decided to conquer the fear of feeling like if I try to wear "cool girl" clothes people will laugh and point their fingers and say "Who does she think she is trying to pull off that outfit? Go back to your jeans that don't fit and country concert T-shirt." But as I was wandering the clothing department of Target on pay day I came across a rack of brightly colored skinny jeans that were 50% off. I could finally be brave and only spend $11!!!! But then I started to think of the shirts I had at home and convinced myself I didn't have anything to wear with them and walked away. But thanks to two of my friends I got talked in to going back and buying them. Then I started to convince myself they wouldn't fit and I would probably bring them back anyway. They'd be too tight or too long. I got home and tried them on and THEY FIT PERFECTLY!!!! (At least I assume so. I don't actually own a full length mirror so I can only go by how they feel) I wore them to church on Sunday in fact. I think there's hope for me yet!! While not quite on the level of the Robert Rodriguez dress, I felt cool in them. I didn't think anyone was laughing at me. I felt like I could walk in to any room just about anywhere and not feel intimidated by the better dressed women around me. If you've never had self-esteem issues surrounding your looks then I'm sure you don't quite get it. And while one should be over all this crap by the time they're 34, the truth is that this is a constant struggle for me. I have more days where I feel good than bad. But you just can't quite get rid of that sad little 15 year old girl who only truly felt good when she was on a stage pretending to be somebody else.
Next trend: scarf?
Friday, January 18, 2013
9. Move out of Siobhan's
When I created this list I was living with my youngest sister and her two kids. I love all three of them, but I was feeling overwhelmed. Maybe because I'm the oldest of four, but I have a nurturing and mothering nature. I didn't intend to, but I started trying to take care of everyone. And then getting mad because I felt taken advantage of. Also, after living on my own for years I had spent the last year and a half or so having roommates and while financially it made sense for my sanity I had to be on my own again.
So due to need and desire to moving out and being kicked out, I moved out of Siobhan's. I spent a few months living with another sister and her family. I will always be grateful they took me in, but it was a bit uncomfortable for all of us I think. But August of 2011 I moved in to my own apartment. I love my little one bedroom apartment. It's very cute and cozy and feels more like home than a lot of other places I've lived in. It's near Park Ave, near my bus stop, a 10 minute walk from The Cinema and a 20 minute walk from my future school. I have been debating moving out when my lease is up in August, but I do love it if you don't count the frat boys who live next door. Plus, the kitties love the big living room window and the birds and squirrels and bunnies that play in the yard. So we'll see.
So due to need and desire to moving out and being kicked out, I moved out of Siobhan's. I spent a few months living with another sister and her family. I will always be grateful they took me in, but it was a bit uncomfortable for all of us I think. But August of 2011 I moved in to my own apartment. I love my little one bedroom apartment. It's very cute and cozy and feels more like home than a lot of other places I've lived in. It's near Park Ave, near my bus stop, a 10 minute walk from The Cinema and a 20 minute walk from my future school. I have been debating moving out when my lease is up in August, but I do love it if you don't count the frat boys who live next door. Plus, the kitties love the big living room window and the birds and squirrels and bunnies that play in the yard. So we'll see.
Thursday, January 17, 2013
8. Start and Keep Up With An Exercise Routine
For those of you that know me I'm sure you're picturing me in your head and wondering why in the world this would be on my list. Don't people exercise to lose weight? You, Summer Sattora, are already thin. You don't need to lose weight! It's true. I am thin. I am naturally petite. I am blessed with good genes that allow me to remain small and apparently a metabolism that allows me to eat crap and not gain weight. I am not saying this to brag, but it's fact. Actually, it makes me uncomfortable when people comment on how small I am, how I don't need to exercise, why am I eating that healthy thing when I obviously don't need to, etc. Maybe it shouldn't, but I feel like it puts emphasis on something I can't control to an extent. And believe me, I wish my body type was different at times. That I was curvier, a little taller, a little more meat on my bones, that I didn't resemble a teenage girl quite so much. I actually feel kind of crappy when I hear the phrase "Real women have curves," like someone who is, again I emphasis NATURALLY PETITE, is somehow not a real woman.
But I digress. Rant is over. To sum up, I do not exercise to lose weight. I guess maybe to maintain weight? Also, I live a very sedentary life style outside of work. I spend a lot of time sitting on the couch and I do love to snack. So as I started to get older I realized that I needed to get moving to maintain my health. Also, I was tired of being tired and sore at the end of the day. So I turned to yoga. I had dabbled with yoga on and off since college and found it was something I enjoyed.
Over a year ago I finally bought a yoga mat and a Jillian Michaels Yoga Meltdown DVD. That sucker is a bitch to do. This isn't some breathe in and out saying om kind of workout. You sweat. You burn. I often glare at the TV and once in a while I've even been known to mutter "I hate you" at the TV. But it's working. I can see results in that my body is changing and results in the way I feel. A lot of times I come home on a day I've designated as "yoga day" and the last thing I want to do is exercise. I'd much rather make some dinner and watch How I Met Your Mother reruns. But I force myself to do it and I always feel better after, no matter how sore I am the next day. About six months ago, when I was going through a breakup and needed some stress relief, I bought a different yoga DVD that focuses more on flexibility and stress relief. This is the perfect antithesis to Jillian. I feel like it balances hers out and helps to give me some mental relief as well.
So, my routine. Each routine is only about 30 minutes. I only do it twice a week, alternating between the two DVD's. My goal for 2013 is to work up to 3 times a week. I'm actually pretty impressed with myself. Except for an occassional week where I skipped I've been doing this since October of 2011. And any time I think about stopping, I just need to look at my butt in the mirror. Yoga butt doesn't lie!
But I digress. Rant is over. To sum up, I do not exercise to lose weight. I guess maybe to maintain weight? Also, I live a very sedentary life style outside of work. I spend a lot of time sitting on the couch and I do love to snack. So as I started to get older I realized that I needed to get moving to maintain my health. Also, I was tired of being tired and sore at the end of the day. So I turned to yoga. I had dabbled with yoga on and off since college and found it was something I enjoyed.
Over a year ago I finally bought a yoga mat and a Jillian Michaels Yoga Meltdown DVD. That sucker is a bitch to do. This isn't some breathe in and out saying om kind of workout. You sweat. You burn. I often glare at the TV and once in a while I've even been known to mutter "I hate you" at the TV. But it's working. I can see results in that my body is changing and results in the way I feel. A lot of times I come home on a day I've designated as "yoga day" and the last thing I want to do is exercise. I'd much rather make some dinner and watch How I Met Your Mother reruns. But I force myself to do it and I always feel better after, no matter how sore I am the next day. About six months ago, when I was going through a breakup and needed some stress relief, I bought a different yoga DVD that focuses more on flexibility and stress relief. This is the perfect antithesis to Jillian. I feel like it balances hers out and helps to give me some mental relief as well.
So, my routine. Each routine is only about 30 minutes. I only do it twice a week, alternating between the two DVD's. My goal for 2013 is to work up to 3 times a week. I'm actually pretty impressed with myself. Except for an occassional week where I skipped I've been doing this since October of 2011. And any time I think about stopping, I just need to look at my butt in the mirror. Yoga butt doesn't lie!
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
7. Go to Cafe du Monde
7. Go to Cafe du Monde for a beignet and cafe au lait
The first time I went down to New Orleans one of the very few things I wanted to do was go to the famous Cafe du Monde for a beignet and cafe au lait. Unfortunately, we were not able to fit it in, so when I decided to go back down for another mission trip I made sure that everyone knew this was what I wanted to do. On the last day of our trip we had hours to kill before we had to be at the airport so we headed in to the French Quarter to relax and shop and enjoy the gorgeous fall weather. I dragged the two other women on the trip with me. There was a huge line, as to be expected for such a huge tourist spot on a Saturday morning. However, the line moved quickly and we had a man serenading us as we waited. Finally we got in and made our way through the crowd of chairs and tables to a small table where the waiter/server was just finishing cleaning off the powdered sugar from the previous guests. We sat and placed our order and then sat back to enjoy the ambiance. Everyone around us seemed to be happy and not in a rush and I was getting very excited. I know this might seem silly to you, but do you know how you associate food with a certain place? Like, you should eat a baguette in France or chocolate in Switzerland? And keep in mind this was something I had wanted to do for a year. We finally got our order and I took that first sip of bitter chicory and milk and my first nibble of powdered sugar and fried dough. Fantastic! The sweetness of the pastry complimented the coffee perfectly and the mess of the sugar was worth it. I actually just printed out the picture I had someone take of us and put it up on my wall at home. I hope some day to get back down there and have this experience again. Yes it's touristy but so much fun.
The first time I went down to New Orleans one of the very few things I wanted to do was go to the famous Cafe du Monde for a beignet and cafe au lait. Unfortunately, we were not able to fit it in, so when I decided to go back down for another mission trip I made sure that everyone knew this was what I wanted to do. On the last day of our trip we had hours to kill before we had to be at the airport so we headed in to the French Quarter to relax and shop and enjoy the gorgeous fall weather. I dragged the two other women on the trip with me. There was a huge line, as to be expected for such a huge tourist spot on a Saturday morning. However, the line moved quickly and we had a man serenading us as we waited. Finally we got in and made our way through the crowd of chairs and tables to a small table where the waiter/server was just finishing cleaning off the powdered sugar from the previous guests. We sat and placed our order and then sat back to enjoy the ambiance. Everyone around us seemed to be happy and not in a rush and I was getting very excited. I know this might seem silly to you, but do you know how you associate food with a certain place? Like, you should eat a baguette in France or chocolate in Switzerland? And keep in mind this was something I had wanted to do for a year. We finally got our order and I took that first sip of bitter chicory and milk and my first nibble of powdered sugar and fried dough. Fantastic! The sweetness of the pastry complimented the coffee perfectly and the mess of the sugar was worth it. I actually just printed out the picture I had someone take of us and put it up on my wall at home. I hope some day to get back down there and have this experience again. Yes it's touristy but so much fun.
Monday, January 14, 2013
A Stitch in Time?
5. Start and finish my stocking cross stitch for Brodie
As you may remember reading previously (although it's been so long I don't blame you if you're rolling your eyes at me in frustration at having to either rack your brain to recall what I'm talking about or scrolling to figure out what I am referencing), I had finished a cross stitch stocking for my nephew Jax back in May. As I learned growing up with three younger sisters, what one child has everyone must have, so I intended to also do one for his older brother. When I finished Jax's I still had some vacation time left so I started on Brodie's.
Now, my family likes to make fun of me and the amount of time it takes me to complete a cross stitch project. This stems back to a project I worked on for my dad that took me about three years to do. Every Father's Day and Christmas/birthday I would pull it out and show him how far I had gotten. What they don't realize, and you may if you've done this sort of thing before, is that very often I'll park myself in front of a disc of some TV series and four episodes later I have about a one inch by one inch spot to show for my work. But I was determined that Christmas 2012 would not go by without stockings for my nephews. They are now 3 and 4 and may have figured out one should have stockings for Santa to put little goodies in.
The week before Christmas I did it. I stitiched the last stitch, tugged gently on the hanger to make sure it was attached (and gave my sister the warning that maybe Santa wouldn't want to put anything too heavy in there), and wrapped it up. I was going to see them at church on Christmas Eve and needed to have this done! I think having a deadline helped, and when I start my next project I need to keep that in mind.
I admit I feel a little lost now that I don't have any cross stitch to do while I watch TV. But I know the next one I want to do and should be ordering it soon. I promise, Maggie, you will have one before you're 2! Or maybe 3. I don't want to be TOO optimistic.
As you may remember reading previously (although it's been so long I don't blame you if you're rolling your eyes at me in frustration at having to either rack your brain to recall what I'm talking about or scrolling to figure out what I am referencing), I had finished a cross stitch stocking for my nephew Jax back in May. As I learned growing up with three younger sisters, what one child has everyone must have, so I intended to also do one for his older brother. When I finished Jax's I still had some vacation time left so I started on Brodie's.
Now, my family likes to make fun of me and the amount of time it takes me to complete a cross stitch project. This stems back to a project I worked on for my dad that took me about three years to do. Every Father's Day and Christmas/birthday I would pull it out and show him how far I had gotten. What they don't realize, and you may if you've done this sort of thing before, is that very often I'll park myself in front of a disc of some TV series and four episodes later I have about a one inch by one inch spot to show for my work. But I was determined that Christmas 2012 would not go by without stockings for my nephews. They are now 3 and 4 and may have figured out one should have stockings for Santa to put little goodies in.
The week before Christmas I did it. I stitiched the last stitch, tugged gently on the hanger to make sure it was attached (and gave my sister the warning that maybe Santa wouldn't want to put anything too heavy in there), and wrapped it up. I was going to see them at church on Christmas Eve and needed to have this done! I think having a deadline helped, and when I start my next project I need to keep that in mind.
I admit I feel a little lost now that I don't have any cross stitch to do while I watch TV. But I know the next one I want to do and should be ordering it soon. I promise, Maggie, you will have one before you're 2! Or maybe 3. I don't want to be TOO optimistic.
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