Manage this

Pause the positivity for a sec. I'm hopping back on my soap box.

Today I unleashed my inner witch at the gym. Here's the sitch. Knowing I had to stick around the town I work in for a mandatory evening event, I planned a long swimming workout to rid myself of nervous energy. The pool schedule, both online and posted at the gym, said it would be open for lap swim with one lane for family swim from 3:30 to 5:00. I hopped into the pool at 3:25. I was the only one. A few minutes later a guy jumped into the lane next to me. There was one remaining lane open, which is the one normally used for family swim. I was 14 laps into my routine when I was tapped, oh yes tapped, on the shoulder. I lifted my head, grabbed onto the pool ledge, and was greeted by a blurry male figure (my goggles were still on). He asked me to move to the middle lane where the other guy was swimming because he would be teaching a lesson in my lane. I said no. I asked why he couldn't use the family swim lane. He said there was another lesson going on there. I suggested he share the lane. He said he absolutely could not. The lanes in the teeny pool are so narrow that it's very uncomfortable to swim laps in a shared lane. These are not regulation sized lanes. In a fit of rage I jumped out of the pool, gathered my stuff, and walked to the lifeguard. I expressed my frustration, listened to her try to explain why the schedule would say lap swim when in fact it is not if lane priority is given to swim lesson instructors. PRIVATE instructors. Which means they are instructing NON-MEMBERS of the gym. I showered, dressed, blow-dried my hair, and practically ran to the front desk to make a "suggestion" to the pool manager. Guess what? He was in a meeting! Should I have expected anything else?

(Needless to say I left my phone number and said I expected a phone call this evening. As of right now, there hasn't been a phone call.)

**Update - I received a return phone call this morning. I aired my grievances in a polite manner and I felt they were well-received, however I know nothing else will be done. Too bad, it's a good gym...if only it were run better.

Functional Fashion

I know I've mentioned this before, but it's necessary to note again for this post: I like to dress. I like to look nice. It makes me feel good. I'm pretty good at the clothes part of dressing and the accessories, but the area in which I'm falling short is SHOES! I cannot find cute, trendy fashionable shoes that are also functional! As a teacher, I am on my feet for most of the day, and I'm usually walking (around the classroom, to and from the office, bathroom, and meetings). It just boggles my mind that there are a lack of comfortable shoes that don't also make me look like I'm thirty years older than I am! I have spent countless hours in shoe stores searching for the perfect pair of shoes. Sometimes I've thought I've found them, but when I've actually worn them for an entire day I've been disappointed. Blisters on my heels, sore toes, aching heels! Flats only make the heels of my feet throb, and heels bring great pain to the balls of my feet. My left foot is 1/2 size bigger than my right foot, so that hinders my success rate as well. Now that I think about it, my problems aren't limited to dress shoes. Finding a pair of running/gym sneakers that fit properly is extremely time-consuming and difficult. I've even gone to stores that specialize in fitting people for the correct shoes. Failed. Does anyone else suffer from the same dilemma?

I'm tired of buying shoes and being uncomfortable in them, or worse, depositing them in my closet to pile up because I don't want to get rid of a brand new pair of shoes even if THEY DON'T FIT RIGHT!

Suggestions?

What will 30 get me?

This year leading up to my 30th birthday has me contemplating many things, but one of them keeps resurfacing as I observe the daily goings on around me. What will 30 get me?

Throughout life we hit "milestone" birthdays and there usually seems to be something that comes with that new age. Thirteen brings becoming a teenager, and though in hindsight that isn't all it's cracked up to be, it's an exciting birthday year for a twelve year old. Sixteen brings the legal ability to drive, along with the promise of a driver's license in the near future. Eighteen brings the permission to buy cigarettes (even for a person that doesn't smoke it's still a liberating purchase) and lottery tickets (has anyone ever won on their first lottery ticket purchase?), as well as the freedom to enlist in the military. Twenty-one is the big one, allowing the purchase and consumption of alcoholic beverages.

Between 21 and 30, there are no birthdays to really "look forward to". And everyone makes such a big deal of turning 30, even coining such phrases as "dirty thirty" and "flirty thirty" to help add to the anticipation. But what about turning 30 is dirty? I looked up the phrase "dirty thirty" in the urban dictionary, but nothing I found relates to actually turning 30 (don't look it up, I'm warning you). I am mystified at where the phrase came from and what it suggests.

I don't know how I'll feel when the day actually comes for me to turn 30. What I do know is this: it will just be another year in my blessed life, and I hope it will promise to be a good one. I don't know why many people act like turning 30 is so dismal. Why is aging a bad thing? It's part of the natural course of life.

As a society we are obsessed with anti-aging serums and lotions and creams to rid our bodies of the visible signs of cellulite. We have dye to keep our hair the same color so we won't notice that we're actually getting older. We wear trendier clothes and try to look young and cool. I'm just wondering, what would happen if we embraced our aging years instead of trying to defy (and deny) time? Maybe we would take the time to enjoy every day and prioritize what's really important to us, instead of racing around trying to beat the clock (or just keep up with it), doing activities we'd rather not.

As I approach 30, my goal is to slow down. I don't want to spend the rest of my life trying to recapture my "lost" youth. I'm going to remind myself that even though it's a good one and I enjoy it, my job is just a job. I cannot breathe and live it. I will place more importance on my family and my friendships, because really those are what make life so enjoyable. I'd like to smell the roses, but for now I'll focus on stopping to breathe, because sometimes I think I forget. I will try hard not to let life spin out of control because I've become obsessed with trivial things. I will focus on what I think is important, not on what society's billboards, magazine ads, commercials, television shows, celebrities, politicians, and music tell me I should think is important. I have a mind of my own, and it's damn time I used it. My life is mine to live, no one else's. So, bring it on, 30!!!

Let's not share THOSE!

Share, share, that's fair......right? Sometimes. But that's what we teach kids, that it's good to share with others. Except when that sharing extends beyond toys, pencils, loose-leaf, kind words, and snacks to GERMS! Especially when I am the recipient of the sharing. It has been less than 15 days into the new school year and I am already feeling the effects of being sick. I have a scratchy throat, achy bones, and an overwhelming desire to climb into bed and pull the covers over my head. (But instead I am awake watching Forrest Gump for the umpteenth time and sharing my cold with you!).

I have kept my classroom window open to replenish the germy air with fresh, have washed my hands practically raw, have used hand sanitizer when hand-washing wasn't an option, have made sure not to touch my face, and refuse to sign passes with students' writing utensils. And this is the thanks I get! $%^(*&!!!!!!

Let's hope my immune system kicks in and does a better job for the rest of the year.

How dirty is your window?

I'm sticking with this happiness thing for another post.

We've all heard the glass half empty-half full bit before, so I'll go in another direction. No matter how much good there is in our lives, we can always find something bad about it. And then focus on it. Over and over again until all we can see are the negative things in life. The same goes with relationships: co-workers, friends, significant others, spouses, parents, siblings, neighbors, etc.

But we can choose to look at people in a positive light. Sure, there are things about people that probably annoy us, irritate us, or upset us in some way, and we can choose to focus on those weaknesses or find and focus on the strengths of the people around us. Not only will it improve our mood, but it might also improve our outlook on the world, our lives, and the various relationships in our lives. Nobody is perfect, we all have faults, but I think it really is important to look for the good in everybody. I think that by doing that, soon we will notice that we are happier and more content with our circumstances in life. It's so easy to be critical and see the negatives and dwell on those, but what if we chose to do the opposite? If we focus more on what's good and right, won't our attitude eventually change to positive rather than negative?

I think this is why the Power of Intention works. According to the Law of Attraction (The Secret), a person's thoughts become his or her reality. So if we start seeing, thinking, and believing in the positive things, doesn't that mean our reality will consequently reflect those thoughts? I am confident that this works. If we only send negative thoughts out into the universe, what can we expect in return but negative things?

When I am having a bad day or I can only see the bad things, nothing goes my way. I walk into tables, I stub my toe, I drop things, I am unproductive. But when I feel good and I'm laughing and enjoying my life and the people around me, things go well. Very well. I sometimes even have a bounce in my step!

So, while it's easy to fall in and succumb to the negativity (because let's face it, it's all around us), try looking for the positives. Instead of critiquing your neighbor's refusal to mow his lawn, appreciate that his yard is so beautifully lush and green! If the glass window you're looking through is dirty, clean it and start looking for the positives. Focus on the strengths instead of the weaknesses. We all have faults, but shouldn't our strengths outweigh those? Write a list of all the things you like about each close person in your life. Then, next time you find yourself complaining about one of their faults, reflect back on that list and instead focus on a positive. Isn't it worth improving relationships? Isn't it worth improving your outlook? Isn't it worth improving your life?

Here's to thinking positive!

Mr./Mrs. Universe

I can't believe I am admitting this in a blog, and I'll probably regret doing so later, but I went to a psychic recently and she told me that she saw more education in my future. I'm still paying off student loans from undergrad and grad school, so this was not news I wanted to hear. She must have sensed my displeasure because she followed this up with more information, implying that it didn't look like formal education. So maybe life education, like through experiences? Maybe.

At different times in my life I have felt the universe aligning for me in funny ways. Perhaps this counts as education when the universe teaches me a lesson? (And it's free!) For the past couple years I have been reading a lot about spirituality and the interconnectedness of everyone and everything in the universe. In January I went to a lecture given by Deepak Chopra, in which he outlined the function and importance of meditation, as well as his beliefs that not only are all humans connected to each other, but that our bodies actually change with our environments. Apparently we exchange atoms with people when we shake hands, and also just by being around them (think about this next time you are contemplating going to the NYS fair!). Very interesting.

So my husband and I had a small conversation about this this morning, and then I get to school, flip the page on my Dr. Wayne Dyer desk calendar, and read these words for today: "When you eliminate the concept of separation from your thoughts, you begin to feel your connection to everything and everyone. You'll have a sense of belonging, which enables you to scoff at any thought of being separate." Thank you, Universe! Once again, thank you :) My life teacher....

Yankee or Rebel?

I've always felt a strong tie to the South and Southern life. Maybe it's because my dad was born there, or that I spent a lot of time with my Georgia-raised grandfather as a kid. Or maybe I spent a past life living there?

I love most country music, although I will say that the slow, whiny, twangy songs make me turn the station. Upbeat country rock songs are my favorite. (Song of the South gets me singing every time, so does Sugarland, Carrie Underwood, and Shania). I love the idea of Sunday chicken after church, fishing with a cane pole (even though I am allergic to fish), and driving on a red dirt road. Somehow, southern living seems so much simpler than the New York rat race. Of course, I could be romanticizing the south, especially since I've never spent much time there. A week here or there, but nothing more. This is probably naive, but southern people seem to be more friendly, more welcoming, and more family-oriented. But I could never live there. I have an intense deathly fear of tornadoes! Give me the snow, sleet, and ice any day over a tornado. Maybe. Probably.

The key to happiness

Today I spent some time outdoors reading and relaxing on a blanket under the warm sun and next to a babbling brook. This is what I read: Happiness is not a feeling, it's a decision. I thought about that for awhile today and I decided that it does indeed make sense. Every day we are presented with a choice to be happy or unhappy.



I think it's definitely easier to choose to be unhappy, especially if we aren't feeling well or if we're worried about something or if things just aren't right in our lives. But if we choose to be happy, that's the tougher decision because we then have to make a concerted effort to think positively, react positively, and behave positively. That takes so much more effort than choosing to be unhappy, but it would make us feel better in the long run. Our mood improves, our appearance improves, our relationships improve, our productivity and morale improves, our overall health improves. So I'm going to give it a go. Whenever I am feeling stressed or upset or disgruntled or under the weather I'm going to try to decide to be happy and see what happens. Hey, it can't hurt, right?

If you're happy and you know it...

Someone asked me a question recently that made me look at myself in a way I never did before. It was like I was looking at myself as a book, delving deeper to find hidden information. The question was: Are you happy? I feel happy. But I know I'm not happy every minute of every single day. Events cause my feelings to fluctuate throughout any given day, but I'm sure that I am generally happy. I'm happy with my life. I have a good, supportive, and loving family. I have a husband that I adore, who is also my best friend. I have a small group of friends that I consider close confidants. I'm healthy. I have a good job. I have a nice home. I have what I need to survive, and I've been blessed with extra. I am happy. But what I realized after thinking about that question for many hours, is that there are areas of my life that I could improve to make me happier. For example, I want to give back by volunteering in some way. Since they built the Golisano children's hospital all I've wanted to do is volunteer to read to those kids. Giving makes me happy. I also need a creative outlet. I like taking photographs, so I enrolled in a photography class so I can learn how to really use the new camera my husband gave me. About five years ago I learned to knit. Since then I've made countless scarves and hats, but now I want to venture into something bigger: my goal for the fall is to make a sweater! Obviously, I enjoy writing. I want to develop my writing to create something that can be enjoyed by others. I feel like I have a story to tell, to share with the world. So, that's my promise to myself for the rest of this year before I turn 30. I am going to work on bringing more happiness into my life by doing things that challenge me and bring me joy. I'm going to break out of this rut I've fallen into of "should's", and I'm going to do things that I want to do, that will bring more joy and fulfillment into my life.

Measure twice, cut once

Aiming for success in life is a good thing. But isn't life more than just a list of successes? Accomplishments feel good, but are they really a true measure of a person? Can a certificate or award represent what's in a person's soul? Or is life more than just paper awards and accolades?

As I prepare to write down this next thought, I am reminded of a saying about how people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. I by no means think I live a flawless life, but I would rather be surrounded by a few humble, honest, and caring people than by those who like to boast about the wonderful things that they do on a daily basis. My time on this earth has been short, but from what I've witnessed it seems like the boasters are most often telling false tales (even though they are the ones whol ultimately gain recognition for their wondrous deeds), while the ones who remain quiet are the ones actually contributing to society in phenomenal ways.

President Obama gave his educational address to students across the country today, and one of the things he said that really struck me was to be the best person you can be. I think we could all benefit by living by these words, no matter what our political affiliation. I think if we all tried to be the best version of ourselves we could return the United States to a better place. And, I think we'd all be genuinely happier. Because after all, isn't that what life should be about?

A person's life should be measured not by how successful they were or how much money they made, but by the friends they kept, the people they helped, and the love they gave and received. That's my opinion.

Whose life?

Addictions are scary. Watching someone close to you suffer from an addiction is terrifying, especially when they refuse to recognize the effects of their reckless behavior. When pleas to stop, along with multiple shed tears, are ignored, what else is there to do? "It's my life, I can do what I want." True, to an extent. But what happens when the effects from the decisions of that life infringe on the lives of others? It's a selfish argument. I won't buy it. But I'm out of ideas. My heart hurts and my head aches. I thought I could wipe my hands of it and say, "Not my pig, not my farm." But I can't. My heart won't let me. So what now?

Do you serve the Lord? (this is not religious, I promise)

My husband is fascinated, well, maybe borderline obsessed is a better way to describe it, with The Lord of the Rings. He's read all of the books and has seen the movies at least a gazillion times. Lucky for me, there is a marathon on T.V. this weekend. I've watched the movies with him, but I've never really gotten into them like he has. I'd like to, but it just hasn't happened. They seem to lose me as soon as they get dark. I also might have fallen asleep while watching. At the theater. I don't understamd what all the hype is. He says it's the story. So, I guess I'm going to have to actually buck up and read the trilogy this winter. Who knows, maybe I'll get into it?

Is anyone else out there in my boat? Who has read it and has something to offer me? Liked it, disliked it? Reasons?

American as apple fritters

I woke up to reminders that today is the ninth anniversary of the September 11th attacks. My Facebook page had many posts from friends stating they would never forget that day. I could never forget that day. On the morning of September 11th, 2001 I was driving to campus (SUNY Binghamton) from my Riverside Drive apartment when a news report broke through my music channel to say that a small plane had possibly hit the World Trade Center. About ten minutes later I walked into the library and saw my then-boyfriend and now husband, and he told me that a second plane had hit. We walked to the union and watched the events unfold. The towers came down and people around us started crying, some dropped to their knees, and others jumped on cell phones to connect with loved ones that might have been in harm's way. Classes were canceled for the day. The whole thing seemed so surreal, and many people were sure that we were in the beginning stages of World War 3. That day will forever remain a vivid memory for me.


So today I decided that in memory of the events of September 11th, I would do American things. I started off my day at the farmer's market, making sure to be extra friendly to my vendors. I wanted to spread cheer and positive energy today. After that I did some mundane chores around the house, like hanging the laundry to dry outside. I love that we have the freedom to do that, unless you live in a neighborhood that doesn't permit that sort of thing. In the early afternoon I met my mother-in-law for some apple picking and apple fritters! What says America more than apple pie? (I can't make that, so I hope apple crisp can suffice?) What a beautiful day for some down home American living!


God bless the USA! And bring tolerance, understanding, and peace to our world :)

Massage to the rescue

I was excited for today because it is, well, Friday and who doesn't love the promise of the weekend? Fridays are typically dress-down (a.k.a jeans) days at my school, and today I made the ultimate mistake. Knowing that it was picture day (when will I stop getting excited over that?) I wore a dress. I barely got into my classroom when my teammate (whom I love dearly, by the way) slid into my room and gasped. She gave me the third degree over wearing a dress instead of jeans. I tried explaining that it was picture day, but she wouldn't take that as an excuse. It was at this point that I took a deep breath and explained to her the pleasure I get from dressing up. I love to dress, and in recent years I have also taken great pleasure in accessorizing. It's almost like a game to me - how good can I make this outfit look?

I blame this seemingly sick fascination on my grandmothers, actually. From the time I was little I can remember both my Italian grandmother and my Irish grandmother dressing up before leaving the house. Even my Italian grandmother's housecoats were beautiful. They both wore jewelry - my Italian grandmother wore gold and my Irish grandmother wore mostly costume jewelry (I can still remember sitting on the carpet in front of the big boxy television watching Mr. Rogers and playing with the Cool-Whip container of clip-on earrings. My two favorites were lavender and orange.). I loved wearing dresses and perfectly matched outfits to elementary and middle school, but in high school I tried the grunge thing. Turns out it wasn't my thing. College was a different story because it was easiest to wake up and throw on some jeans or "lounge pants" and a sweatshirt and run to class. But once I started working in the real world I couldn't wait to get my cash on some clothes.

I'm a total bargain shopper (this I attribute to my mother, who would never buy us regular priced clothing. I HATED being dragged straight to the clearance racks to look for school clothes. But now...)... If it isn't the right price I won't buy it, even if I think I love it. Because the reality is that it's just clothing, and I can't love it enough to justify spending too much for it. I look for clearance and sale signs only. Again, it's like a game for me to find high quality clothing for screaming deals! I love the thrill of chasing down that perfect item of clothing.

Dressing up gets me up in the morning, plus I think it's important for teachers to dress nicely to impress and command the respect from students. My kindergarten teacher always had the best outfits - I even remember a specific pair of silver flats that I would find myself hoping she would wear every day, which of course she didn't because she had a different pair of shoes for each outfit. In fact, I saw her a couple years ago and she showed me the bag full of shoes she keeps in her car so she can change them throughout the day. She's in her 70s now. I love her. However, I haven't mastered the shoe obsession yet, only the clothing collection.

Anyhow, after this long and stressful week, I treated myself to a massage this evening. Massages are heavenly. I love the feeling of knots being released from my back muscles. Many times, if I'm lucky and focus only on my breathing, my muscles will relax and I will go into a state of awakened sleep, if that makes sense. Luckily that happened to me tonight and I am looking forward to a good night's sleep!

Fundamentally Wrong

So, I have to admit that I haven't been watching television lately because I've been too engrossed with reading, which I am finding to be much more entertaining. Why do I pay for cable? Anyway, this shouldn't come as too much of a surprise then when I mention that yesterday was the first I had heard of an extreme Christian fundamentalist pastor from Florida planning to burn Qurans on the anniversary of September 11th. I am sure that my jaw dropped open when I heard. Naturally, today I googled and youtubed and bbc'd everything I could find on this situation. I saw the request from President Obama on Good Morning America to cancel the plans, and I read the comments underneath the online articles detailing the situation. W.O.W. Some comments literally threw me decades back in time. I found myself thinking questions like: Can people really be that ignorant? I can't bring myself to repeat or copy those comments on this blog because they were so full of hatred and ignorance. We are a country that was founded on the principles of freedom and tolerance, so why is it that some people don't get that? I'm thinking we need to redesign our educational system to make sure those elements of our nation's history are embedded into people's brains.

FML

For me, today started at 11:50ish last night. The first day of school is always exhausting, so I went to be on the earlier side. A few hours into that sleep a thunderstorm rolled through, waking me slightly. I surmise that I drifted back into a light sleep, but soon after a gigantic, house shaking BOOM woke me up. That's an understatement, actually. I nearly jumped out of my skin. It turns out the BOOM wasn't caused by thunder. Already sweating with a racing heart, I went to the bathroom and got a drink of water. I stumbled back into bed and started to fall asleep again. Until I heard sirens and voices outside my window. I jumped to the window to check things out and saw a firetruck parked outside our neighbor's house. Several neighbors were outside shining a flashlight into the tree-covered power lines. I saw smoke. After a few minutes the firemen got back in the truck and drove away. So I returned to bed, but not before noticing that our alarm clock was off. Great, no power! (It's a good thing I'm neurotic and always set my cell phone alarm, also.) I climbed back into bed and attempted to sleep. No dice. Two National Grid trucks roared down the street about a half hour later with their spotlights shining and CBs (I'm guessing?) blaring. Greeaaat! They left around 3:30. The alarm went off at 5:30. Two a little more hours of sleep for the second day of school. Yippity skippity!

Fortunately our power was back on when it came time to dress for work, otherwise there's no telling what I would have stumbled into school looking like. I left early so I could get a jump-start on my day. Apparently the universe had other plans. When I appoached my classroom door, I realized I left my ENTIRE school bag at home. With my room key. Fantastic! I ran all over the building trying to locate a custodian. Luckily our custodians are unbelievably kind and he let me within without a problem. I vaguely remember saying something about how I hoped forgetting my bag and key weren't an omen for how the rest of my day would unfold. Ha ha ha.

Yesterday a student brought me flowers so I had them standing in a glass vase of water on the counter by my sink, which happens to be right next to my classroom window. Things were getting a little stuffy during my third class of the day, so I opened the window to let in some fresh non-germy air. When the period was over the students opened the door and began exiting the classroom. I felt the immediate breeze from the window and turned toward the window. In what seemed very much like slow motion the vase fell over, throwing the flowers to the ground and leaking water all over. Then the vase started to roll...right off the counter onto the tile floor. SMASH! Water and glass in a million pieces. I picked up the phone and called the custodian. Again.

When the custodian finished cleaning up my mess (I offered to help, but he insisted I stay away), I walked across the hall to my teammate's room to tell her the story. As I walked out of her room, things fell off her shelves and a stack of clipboards fell to the ground. What the heck?

I immediately went to the phone and texted my husband. It went something like this: Forgot my bag, computer, and key, along with rings so hands feel naked. Vase of flowers crashed to floor with glass and water everywhere. FML.

I get a charge out of using FML. I have never thought it to be appropriate, but sometimes it just makes a story sound funnier.

I finished off the day with a trip to the movies with a girl friend. Eat Pray Love. I thought it was o.k. Liz's trips to Rome and Bali were more interesting to me than the trip to India, although I'd love the opportunity ( I think) to meditate at an Ashram. Here's the best part. The cell phone of the girl behind us rang three different times during the movie. And SHE ANSWERED IT all three times, each time having a rather long-winded conversation. Did she miss the public service announcement before the previews that orders people to silence their cell phones? That's why I love teaching. If I can get 75 kids a year to grow up being able to choose correctly between good and bad behavior, then I'll consider the year a success.

Over and Done

Well, today was the first day back to school for teachers and students here in upstate New York. All in all, I would say it was one of the best first days I've experienced. Things were chaotic and seemingly disorganized, but ironically things flowed smoothly. I am optimistic about this year!

Normally, I am so exhausted at the end of the first day that all I can think about is going home and putting my feet up. Today I found myself tired at the end of the day, but not exhausted. My feet and legs hurt from standing for so many hours, but for once I found the necessary energy to hoof it (well, drive it) to the gym and work out. I did my cardio workout on the bicycle, though, for fear that my legs might actually turn to jelly and give out on me. After my workout I raced home for some leftover lasagna and then went for a fifteen minute walk. I followed this with some quality garden watering time and some games in the yard with Moe. NOW I'm exhausted! Good night's sleep, here I come!....so I can do this all over again tomorrow. Lather, rinse, repeat. Gosh it's hard to get back into a routine after being so free for the summer!

Goodbye, Summer!

Well, today marks the end of summer. For most people, summer ends on September 21st, but for teachers and students (at least in the northeast) it ends around Labor Day. I'm always sad to say farewell to summer, but this year it's a little different. I had the BEST summer I can remember. It kicked off with a trip to Denver, Colorado with my mom to visit my brother. A couple weeks later my husband and I spent a week in the Adirondacks with his family. And we just returned from two weeks in Maui, Hawaii! Basically, I was on vacation for half of my summer break. Who can ask for a better summer than that? Certainly not me!

Here's to a wonderful school year!

Hawaii 1-0 continued

Okay, so those "teaser" pics from the previous post, in order, are of Honolua Bay (great for snorkeling, although I did not do it for fear of fish swimming in my face and touching my skin), Olivine Pools (I also did not swim here because, hello, the bottom is invisible and the fish were BIG - plus there were jumping fish that would jump from one little pool to another. No thank you!), and the Nakalele Blowhole (where some complete morons were not only standing OVER the blowhole, but were allowing their kids to play around it as well, even though there were clearly marked signs detailing warnings to NOT go near the blowhole for risk of injury or even death. There must be something wrong with me because I was definitely disappointed when I didn't get to witness a drowning.)

So, in addition to visiting those three places on a tour of West Maui, which consisted of driving extremely slowly around hairpin turns on the edges of cliffs with no guardrails (not kidding), we did some other stuff, too. One day we took a helicopter tour of West Maui and a neighboring island, Molokai. Our pilot's name was Glenda (seriously!) and she even kind of looked like the Good Witch. More ironically, one of the characters in the book I began reading that very evening was named Glenda. Don't tell me the universe didn't set that up.

On the same day of the helicopter tour, which was amazing and allowed us to see the 3,ooo foot cliffs of Molokai caused by landslides many years ago and the 180 foot waterfalls, we drove the Road to Hana. Again. And probably never again. Remember the hairpin turns from West Maui? Well, these are worse, and there are more of them. It's an all-day event, in fact. Fortunately there are gorgeous waterfalls, pools, overlooks, and dense rain forest sights to see on this drive, which makes it all worthwhile. We also went to Black Beach and ventured through the naturally formed lava tube. Some guy with a snorkel mask and bathing suit (no flippers or flotation device) swam out pretty far past the dangerous shore break to explore the black lava rocks jutting out of the water off shore. He swam like a fish, very fluid and never struggling, even through the strong currents. Needless to say, we were impressed!

My favorite day, however, was probably the day we rented boogie boards and took them down to Wailea Beach (South Maui) to test them out. Note to everyone: bikinis are no good for boogie boarding. Not only did my sorry New York butt get tossed, tumbled, and dragged through the Hawaiian sand, but my stomach had sand burn for almost the entire two weeks we were there! I'm actually convinced that there are real sand particles embedded in my skin. No joke. As an after thought, I'm not really sure one-piece bathing suits are suitable attire, either. My mother-in-law had some difficulty with sand getting into her bathing suit, particularly between the liner and actual suit. We called her Linden for the rest of the day ;)

Since we stayed in a condo we had a full kitchen and made most of our meals. However, we did venture down to Lahaina for some grub on a few occasions, and we found ourselves quite smitten with Cheeseburger in Paradise. I fell in love with the guacamole burger and accompanied it with a mojito. Yum, yum, and numb ;) It was here that we got to gaze at the ocean and watch the sun set, paying particular attention to the reefed sailboat in the distance. Apparently the story is that a man sank all of his money into a sailboat and then didn't moor it properly. The ocean waves pushed it toward shore, banking it on a reef. The Hawaiians are very protective of their reefs (some places don't even allow you to use sunblock before going in the water), so they refused to rescue the sailboat from the reef, insisting it would do more harm to the reef than good. Better luck next time, buddy?

Jay and his dad went surfing; I did not. Instead, I took some pretty captivating photos and lived vicariously through him. I love being at the ocean, love the sound of the waves, and even enjoy swimming and boogie boarding when I can touch and feel in control of my body. But the surfing area was filled with rocks and supposed sea urchins and I wasn't having any of that!

We had a fantastic vacation and are very grateful to have had the opportunity to visit Maui again. I hope we are able to go back one day!

Some things I learned in Maui that might help you if you ever get the itch to go there:

1. Wear 60+ sunscreen at all times. You will still get a tan. (I disregarded this little bit of information on the last day visited Maui four years ago and I ended up sitting up straight as a board for the entire 8 hour flight home because of a really bad burn. Not fun.)

2. Don't even attempt to go in the ocean at Big Beach if the waves are mild to moderately rough - it will toss you out and laugh in your face as it drags you through the sand trying to kill you. If you make it out without drowning you're a lucky S.O.B.

3. Wear a shirt over your bikini when boogie boarding and tie the bottoms SUPER tight! If they make suspenders for bikinis, even better!

4. If your child needs a flotation device (life jacket, swimmies/armies/water wings, tube, etc.) in the hot tub, THEY DON'T BELONG IN THERE!!!! Especially if they still wear a diaper. Ew.


Aloha and Mahalo!

The Great New York State Fair!

I just came back from the NYS Fair, which if you've never been, is an experience in itself. There are people form all walks of life there, AND there is a MULLET count board. When I walked past today at about 5 o'clock it read 204 mullets had been sighted. Wowie! I believe it, especially after attending the Lady Antebellum concert there this evening. Today wasn't the most ideal day to visit the fair: the temperature was in the 90s and the sun was blazing hot, Justin Bieber was playing at the Grand Stand, and Lady Antebellum was playing for free at Chevy Court. A triple threat at its finest! There were teeny bopper girls dressed in homemade Justin Bieber "I LOVE YOU" shirts, and one girl even had one that said "The future Mrs. Bieber". Yah, O.K.

We got to the fair at about 4 o'clock, even though the Lady A concert wasn't set to begin until 8, but Chevy Court was already packed to capacity. We walked around, ate some Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, bought a Smart Cart for my Regional Market trips, and jockeyed for a spot. The closest we could get was the very back and we stood the entire time. Of course, everyone around us was a smoker and naturally blew the smoke in our direction. Fun times! The concert was good, although I only recognized a few of their songs. It seemed like they sang a a few songs by other artists, especially Tom Petty ("Free Falling"). That was interesting and unexpected. I still had fun! Our feet started to really hurt and my second hand smoke tolerance level was dropping rapidly, so we headed for the exit in an attempt to beat the crowds to the shuttle buses. Now it's time for bed!

I'll pick up with more Hawaii stuff tomorrow!