A trip to NYC, and a new routine.

Hey Blog Friends.

Sorry for the lapse in posts.  I just got back from a late night jaunt at the gym which felt really good.  I haven't gone since last week, so this was definitely important for me to do.  I got lots of activity points this past week, mowing the lawn, and walking around Manhattan for example, but I didn't make it to the gym.  This was also my final vacation of the summer and I maintained so that was a small success.  Mom and I hit up the city Sunday-Monday and as she put it, put a nice dent into the city's wine supply.  :)  Our Sunday night meal was epic.  We ate at a place called Angus McIndoe's which was literally up the street from our hotel.  We split this meal for two that was 32oz of prime rib, 3 sides, soup/salad, dessert and (get this) unlimited wine.  The wine was the house wine, but the house wine was a Carmenere which is from Chile so I was happy.  Oh man that food was excellent.  We also saw "Catch Me If You Can" which was simply phenomenal thanks to the performances by the leads.  Norbert Leo Butz and Aaron Tveit are star quality performers and to see them at their craft in person... oh man there is nothing like live theatre! 

Monday was just as great a day as Sunday, starting off with breakfast in Times Square (literally, at a little table in the pedestrian area!) and right on through massages, manis, delicious lunches (a pitcher of sangria), and the top of the rock.  We made it home, promptly crashed and have the pictures to show a great time was had.  These pics, as with the others from trips this summer, will be on FB so you can check them out there. 

I start school in less than a week.  I am starting to wrap my head around this course I'm teaching, and I think my schedule is pretty much set for SU.  What I have to do now is figure out exactly when I'll be going to the gym, and how to fit food into my life.  I really need some deliciously simple recipes.  I make cooking really complicated sometimes when I have to remember that meat and starch is all I really want most of the time.  Anywho, if I can knock out some fruit for breakfast, a smart lunch, and have stuff ready for dinner, then I fill in with snacks, I'll be golden.  This is the kind of routine and schedule I think works best for me.  I will hopefully find out soon because I do not want to go back to how I was.  I've still only lost about 12 lbs but it's enough to see and feel a difference.  I just wish I had more exciting news to blog about in the world of weight loss.  For 2 months now I've been saying the same things.  Well for that, I apologize and hope to bring some exciting news of pounds falling off in the near future. 

Changing the Course

I had a lunch meeting with my mentor this week.  (How professional does that make me sound??)  It was an amazing couple of hours that left me feeling revitalized in my research for DMA programs.  I thought I was searching for great faculty and I still am.  But at these great schools that I will be looking at, there will be great faculty.  What I want to focus more on (ha, moron) are the individual programs.  What are the courses like?  Is there a focus on voice classes?  Vocal pedagogy?  What other kinds of opportunities might there be for me?  At a school like Indiana, they do 9 operas a year.  Maybe there's a chance for some directing there.  At a school like CCM they have a ridiculously strong musical theatre program.  Maybe there's room for some music directing.  If I can leave school with even more skills than I entered with (not just stronger skills) that makes me way more marketable.  I could keep going but it's more of the same.  Talking this out with someone who's been through it really helped me realize where my focus needs to be.  It's helped me reignite my search and hopefully settle on 5 or 6 schools to apply to. 

Speaking of schools... I start teaching in just over a week.  This really has been the best summer I have ever had.  I have done so many awesome things this summer and I've had simply the best time.  I feel like I've gotten to spend time with a lot of people and I've even strengthened some friendships which I hope carry on into the school year.  I digress though.  As much as this summer has been awesome, I really have to buckle down on the upcoming semester.  As it stands, I have 22 students and 4 hours of a performance class I accompany at SU, and 2 courses at Oswego.  I will be singing in Oratorio Society, and hopefully maintaining my private studio.  As always, I typically ease into the semester as my other shows don't start rehearsals for awhile but this course I'm teaching at Oswego, I really need to prepare for.  It's a music appreciation course (I have no idea if I've mentioned this before on here) and I'm pretty excited for it.  It's going to be a whole different dynamic than I'm used to teaching, but I'm ready for that.  Now I just need to solidify the schedule on my syllabus and start creating some lessons.  I have some great ideas in my head.  We'll see how it all pans out. 

Anywho, I have to go save the day for a new theatre company because that's what family does.  Ta-ta!

A small goal met, an easier few weeks ahead.

I made it to the gym 3 times last week!  I managed to lose .4 lbs.  I was in NH for 3 days and NYC for one day so I have finally accepted that I suck at vacation eating, and I consider any trip away from the cuse to be a vacation.  I have one more trip planned before back to school and it's going to be as fun as all the rest, I just know it.  This one is a trip back to NYC with my mom (I went on Saturday with Dad to watch the Yanks OBLITERATE the Rays.  It was awesome, but sadly, no Sandman necessary.)  and we're going to see a show, get a massage, eat out, be tourists... we have to talk wardrobe before we leave so I know Mom's on the same page as me.  :)

But I digress.  I made the goal last week of hitting up the gym 3 times and I did just that.  Once was even in NH so that was a small victory.  I just got back from going today and I rocked out my hour on the elliptical and added 20 minutes on the treadmill.  Hopefully gonna make it 4 times this week as I have no other big plans.  This summer has been one of the absolute best for me, but I am ready for a bit of a routine so I can continue on this health-kick I started back in May.  With just one big trip left, the rest of the weeks are mine to start losing weight again and get prepped for how to fit this lifestyle into the school year.  When I started this in May at the end of last school year, I knew having the summer would help because I'd have a lot more time for work outs and eating well.  It has definitely given me the time for adjustment I needed so now I'm hoping to stay excited and inspired to keep this going into the school year.  These are the plans, and now to execute!

The gym is the answer. Ugh.

I knew it all along.  I'm not an idiot.  I just pretend not to know things sometimes.  I know eating better plus exercise = weight loss but I still like to try one or the other, or just a small change and see what happens.  I lost quickly in the beginning because I was at the gym 3-4 times a week.  The show I was playing helped keep me on a schedule and I thought after that was done the flexibility would help.  Well, read every single damn post from July and you'll see how THAT helped.  I feel back in control, even though I'm going to NH on Wednesday I'll still get 3 work outs in this week and pray for the best come Friday.  Then I have a couple trips down to NYC with my parents but those are on weekends so really I can get back into a gym routine.  I just have to avoid going at 12:00pm.  There is absolutely nothing to watch on TV and it gets unbelievably boring.  The 2-3 slot was just awesome as I watched an episode of "The Protector" and really liked it.  You know, crime solving plus personal life problems all inter twining... Anywho, I've known all along that I need to keep the gym a part of my routine otherwise I'll plateau.  It's good to know for my future that I'm making some good changes in the world of eating but if I want to keep losing (and boy do I) I have to get back to the gym more than I have been. 

So, anyone wanna come with me?  I could use a bit of motivation to get there. 

Oh I also want to officially share my goal of reaching a loss of 15 lbs by Labor Day.  It was the first little challenge I signed up for on the WW website and I rocked the first 10, now just wanna get through these last 5 in just under a month.  I can do it, I've been close, I just keep dancing around these current 5 lbs.  Getting back to the gym will definitely help but I was watching Jillian Michaels (from Biggest Loser) on some other show while my detective was at commercial and she was throwing out tips to keep yourself on track, one of them being let your friends know your goals.  So hello friends!  Here's my goal:  another 5 lbs by Labor Day putting me at the 15 lb mark like I signed up for.  Then it's another 5 to be at 20lbs by Vegas, and another 10 by Jamaica in November.  It should be interesting to see how I work all of this into school.  It's been nice (and a bit challenging) doing this over the summer but I know what needs to be done so hopefully I'll work this into a routine. 

Um, I feel really boring so I'm going to end this.  Thanks for reading!  Let me know if you wanna come to the gym with me! 

A sore body is a good time.

I just spent a few relaxing days up in the Adirondacks.  My friend's (Jim) family goes up for a week every summer and we went up for a few days.  It was as close to an all-inclusive mountain resort as I may ever get.  To put it plainly, it was amazing.  Absolutely amazing.  The "cabin" (quotes used because it was on a lake and happened to be in a summer-vacation area, but let's be honest, it has nicer amenities than my house.) was huge and beautiful, tons of space, great kitchen and right across the street from the lake.  So any window on the lake side had a clear view of gorgeous Schroon Lake.  The water was beautiful and so refreshing, there were countless places to sit and relax, or float and relax, or sleep and relax... Then I'd have to mention the company and the food.  Jim's family is a loving and welcoming group of people.  I felt so welcomed the moment we arrived (even when we arrived at the wrong house.  That nice woman was welcoming too.) and I don't know, it was just easy.  They are easy people to hang around with and definitely easy people to talk to.  They also happen to be great cooks.  Every last one of them!  Granted, there were about 21 people being fed so there was always copious amounts of food but dang if it wasn't all delicious. 

So I know what we're all thinking.  A relaxing few days away from the control of home, no gym, (just Jim, haha...ha..eh-hem) and tons of delicious food.  This is a recipe for disaster.  Well it wasn't.  In fact, I lost weight whilst gone.  Official weigh in is tomorrow so hopefully I'll keep it up today but now I shall fill you in on just how awesome this relaxing trip was. 

After arriving Monday and floating/swimming/scrambling up the side of a big ass tube that had no ladder, Tuesday was the day we went tubing.  I haven't been tubing in years but I remember exactly why I love it so much.  I fell off almost every time.  Epically at that.  There were two tubes going, one that could hold up to 3 riders, and a small one that held one or two.  I was on the smaller, Jim and his cousin were on the larger.  Part of the fun of this adventure is when the tubes collide and it's every man for himself to stay on.  (This is typically how I departed the tube, except this once...)  The very first run we did after the trial we were flying around, jumping the wake, crashing into each other, and on one such collision I was no longer on my tube, but lying face up on Jim's tube with mine on top of me, as I was still holding on.  Yup, instead of colliding, I merely rolled over and joined the larger tube.  Hilarity ensued as those left on the boat wondered where I had gone and Jim explained he had me, just fine.  The rest of the day involved everyone falling off multiple times, except Jim's uncle, (with whom the similarities between the two are uncanny) who is a champion at all things.  He rode the small insane tube with no hands, using his feet to keep him on.  He joined the large tube on purpose and then got back on his tube without missing a beat.  The man is amazing.  I nearly let go right at the end, the last run was grueling after a full day of holding on for dear life, but I made it to the end.  After more relaxing and floating, we ate ourselves silly again, watched Uncle Buck, (a family favorite) and went to bed.

Wednesday was fun day as another of Jim's uncles takes the family out for something fun.  This year's adventure was zip lining.  I got all sorts of excited as I've zip lined before in NH and will be doing so again in about a week.  The zip lining I've done involves about 6 trips down the line where you're all harnessed in, you jump off and ride for anywhere from 30-60 seconds.  It's amazingly beautiful and so much fun and there are mountain men out there to save you should you get stuck.  So I'm all talking this up to everyone, telling them what a good time it's going to be, making sure everyone has sneakers on... yadda yadda yadda.  When we got there, I realized this place was a little different than what I had experienced before.  We ended up at the Adirondack eXtreme outdoor course with 5 different courses each at a greater difficulty than the last with challenges for the mind and body.  Yeah this was no zip through the mountains.  We were climbing across bridges made of 3 foot horizontal logs individually attached by wires so they were all like trapeze swings, or swinging across a 10 foot gap with your foot in a hoop, or a zig-zag bridge that swung with your own momentum, or other crazy activities I can't even remember because fear and determination blocked them out.  Every now and then, you got to zip.  That was obviously the easy part.  Check out their website!

I made it through 3 of the 5 courses.  Of this, I was exceedingly proud because as Jim put it, my hobbies include wine and camping (and music of course) so to put myself through something that physical, well, I was proud.  Now Jim, as well as 4 of his family members, made it through ALL FIVE COURSES.  You will NEVER understand what that means unless you've done this.  The guide I spoke with says he never does the final course for fun.  He only does it when he has to because he's working.  It was insane to watch from the ground and I can't even believe they all survived.  Not only survived, but survived with smiles!  My language changed from polite to... less so during the 3rd course and that was my cue that I shouldn't go on.  They did all five.  All five.  Oh it was just so cool to watch.  I'm not scared of heights, I am scared of my own limitations.  My own physical limitations, to be specific.  I used as much upper body strength as I could muster after a day of tubing.  I don't think I used my harness at all to catch me, I think I was able to recover with balance and grabbing onto the red wire we were connected to, but I knew I was reaching my limit.  If there were a disappointing aspect to the entire adventure, that would be it - that my own fear of being too weak kept me from trying the next course.  Once I made my way onto a section, I got a rhythm going and did pretty okay.  Looking at the next one I had to conquer made me suddenly aware of every single muscle ache in my upper body.  I knew I could push through to the end of the 3rd course, but I was too scared to try the next and find out I was too weak.  So I stopped, and I'm proud of what I accomplished, but will wonder if I could have completed them all if I had more upper body strength, or maybe if I just wasn't scared.

So needless to say, after a day of tubing followed by a day of zip-lining, my entire being is sore but I am so happy for it.  This was truly an amazing few days and I can't thank Jim or his family enough for letting me be a part of it.  I'm uploading pics onto FB so you can check those out if you like.