Mid Year Recap

So at the beginning of 2010 I resolved to do a few things I wanted to or knew I should do for either physical or mental well being.

1- knit a vest.  Ok, I did not do this yet.  HOWEVER, I knit a short-sleeved cardigan, which in my book is at least as hard as knitting a vest.  While I wasn't thrilled with the results, I completed it.  I cast on, I worked my way through it, I had help from a fantastic knitter  who helped me understand the math and gave me the confidence to not rely completely on the pattern.  More importantly, I learned from this project.  I haven't knitted any other cardigans, but its given me some confidence to try some more "difficult" patterns that I was too intimidated to try before.


2-knit a cardigan-Done!

3-plan two long weekends away- ok, Rhinebeck, NY here we come!  In late December 2009 I reserved a room at the Rhinecliff hotel in order to enjoy the views and scenery of upstate NY (or at least upstate to me!) and coincidentally be around the area for the NYS Sheep and Wool Festival!

UPDATE:In December, when I reserved the room at the Rhinecliff I got an e-mail back saying

"We currently accept reservations 4 months in advance and have not yet opened our entire 2010 reservation book. I will tentatively "hold" a room for you for next October and will follow up with you in late spring to confirm this reservation."

Of course no one got back to me, so I called the hotel directly today and made reservations.  I then got an an e-mail back saying "We can not accept your reservation because we are fully committed already for the dates. The person you spoke with did not know this at the time you were on the phone, and again I am extremely sorry for the confusion. As previously stated I will keep you on the top of our waitlist, so should someone cancel we can go ahead and give you that room."

Wow, what a way to run a business.  Talk about lack of customer service.  That will be the LAST time I even attempt to go to this place.  You would think I was trying to score a free room from this place!  Very annoying.  Oh, well..I TRIED, TWICE - does that count towards my new year's goals?

As an aside we just got back a couple of weeks ago from a week in Cape Cod.  It was just restful and gorgeous, as only Cape Cod can be!  Here's some photographic evidence of our relaxation:

Here's just eye candy of the lovely vistas in Martha's Vineyard

Black Dog Tavern in Vineyardhaven, Martha's Vineyard, which according to my husband who is not allergic to shellfish has the most AMAZING chowder (or is it chowdah in New England?)

Gay Head Cliffs in Aquinnah in Martha's Vineyard.  Breathtaking clay cliffs.

Of course, prior to the Cape I had to go to a meeting in arguably on of the prettiest places I have ever been- Banff, Alberta, Canada.

The was so gorgeous it almost looked fake.

..and yeah, we managed to do touristy stuff as well!

ok, ok, back to my mid year review...

4-work out or go out for a long walk at least twice a week.  EPIC FAILURE!  Between  changing jobs and stress eating I put on weight AND had the gall to NOT do any exercise.    

5-Blog- So far so good.  

Thanks for keeping me honest, out there!

Blog-less Blog

This fellow blogger has the right idea.  " Here’s the plan for the August break: you simply share one photo per day on your blog – Monday to Friday, or every day. Or whenever you want. Using any camera – DSLR, compact, Polaroid, Holga, iPhone (my choice), Instax, 35mm, video – with or without words – anything goes – for the whole of August. No pressure -  just looking at August through your camera lens as a way to be more present this summer. And to have a little break from the pressures and expectations of regular blogging"


So starting August 1st, there will be a daily photo with just a caption or photo title, meant to convey my mood, what I find appealing, or anything I please.  Very freeing!  Please feel free to comment on any photo!

Dog Days of Summer

It's too hot for words.  It's 103 degrees.... and humid... at 4:00 pm.  No one should ever endure that.  I stayed in the a/c all day long as did my dog.  Despite that, she still felt hot.  I think it's all the fur.  This is her best "I'm hot and I blame you for that" look.  Yes, she's getting a haircut on Sat.

25 Things You May Not Know About Me...

Here ate 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about me.

1. I never learned how to swim despite having almost drowned in Sesame Place when I was 10.

2. I’ve lived in NY since I was 4. I always wanted to live somewhere else and experience new things. However, when I finally moved away and lived in PA for 3 years-it ended up being a very bad experience.

3. The only good thing to come from living in PA and going to law school was meeting my husband.

4. The older I get the more cynical I am about people and their motives for doing things. I don’t have a large circle of friends, but the ones I do have I am thankful for and their friendship means a lot to me.

5. I am not a huge fan of chocolate, but I love apple or key lime pie and anything with caramel.

6. I am a die hard Mets fan and have been since I was in elementary school. I always find it funny when fans of other teams feel compelled to criticize the Mets due to their “underdog” status—get a life!

7. I lost 2 pregnancies in the past 12 months and can't decide whether I can go through that again, both physically and emotionally.  This decision keeps me up nights and I think about this daily.

8. I kind of fell into the career I have, but it never felt like it was the right fit for me-I just feel it’s too late to change now.

9. I am a dog person and really love having my dog. I’m always amazed at how happy she is to see my husband and me every day when we get home. No matter how bad my day was, she always makes me smile.

10. I hate long car rides. Any more than three hours in a car and I go stir crazy.

11. I measure how good any vacation is by determining whether or not I could see myself living in that location. So far, San Francisco, Napa, and Paris are my top destinations.

12. I can easily sleep 10 hours a day, but I can never fall asleep earlier than 11:30 or take a nap throughout the day.

13. I was obsessed with Wonder Woman when I was a little kid and really believed that if I tried hard enough I could somehow “channel” her superpowers. As a result, I lost a baby tooth by leaping off a very high concrete front stoop and have had many other lose calls.

14. I really enjoy photography and always regretted never having taken any photography classes.

15. I like how massages ultimately make my stiff muscles/joints feel, but I hate it while I’m getting them.

16. In case time travel is ever an option- I would love to meet my husband as a little kid. He’s led a very interesting life and it would be cool to meet him in his formative years.

17. I had been dating my husband for one month before we moved in together-which lead to us eloping 2 years later. This was definitely out of character for me, but it was the best decision I ever made and I have never regretted it.

18. My favorite color is a deep brick red.  For any fellow knitters out there, Madelinetosh's colorway, tart, is the best red ever.

19. Whenever I crave comfort food my mom’s Cuban food is exactly what I need.

20. I don’t go to church nor do I consider myself a religious person, but I always say a little prayer in my head when my flight takes off.

21. I’d rather watch a movie in the comfort of my home than be stuck sitting near someone who won’t shut up during the whole movie—or worse yet, getting stuck having to sit in the first row because there aren’t enough seats.

22. English is not my first language. To this day I still have trouble saying certain words in English.

23. I suck at making small talk with strangers, which is why I always hit the nearest bar before being stuck in those situations. Alcohol truly is the best social lubricant.

24. Since falling down the subway stairs and breaking my wrist I have ridiculous fear of falling and as a result go down stairs so slowly you’d think I was 90.

25. I can’t stand the taste of liver, onions, or capers. 


Currently reading:The Girl Who Played with Fire 
Currently listening to: Lost


Just returned from Banff and it was amazing.  More on this trip later, but I'll leave you with a few lovely pictures: