We are over a week into the new year so I think it is about time I admit that the holiday break is over and get back to the grind. I think the vacation feeling is lingering because I didn't get to relax as much this year as in year's past. Starting the new job in late October meant I only started with three days of vacation through the end of the year, which was a shift to my normal 2 week Christmas vacation. It wasn't so bad, but the time I did take off was full of family events: my family, Chris's dad, Chris's mom, my dad's side of the family, and then a trip to eastern PA to see my mom's side of the family. And we toted Olive along for all of this since she was only 3 days post claw removal operation and I had major guilt about it.
The trip to PA was a 7 hour drive across the state to spend Christmas in Bethlehem (how appropriate, I know). My aunt Jeannie and Uncle Don were the fabulous hosts to 17 people, 3 dogs, and one Olive - not an easy feat. We had a great time that included a Christmas feast, white elephant exchange, and a birthday fiesta for my cousin Matt. Thank you again Aunt Jeannie (my most loyal blog follower) for hosting all of us!!
Beautiful chocolates Aunt Jeannie shared (like Lily's!!)
We were only 2 hours outside of NYC, so my family decided to make the trek into the city for a day. We just happened to pick the coldest, windiest day of the year. So when we exited the train station we immediately followed the crowd into Macy's to raid their hat and scarf sales.
Modeling winter wear in front of Macy's
Our only real agenda item for the day was to go into the NY Public Library. My mother's grandfather was once the head librarian there and we found his name in the lobby under the benefactors.
Hint: look for my middle name
After that we spent most of the afternoon running around Midtown, including stops at the Chrysler Building, Rockefeller Center, window shopping at Lord & Taylor, Bryant Park, Times Square, Grand Central Station, and two stops at the Macy's on 34th. The city was really crowded the week between Christmas and New Years which made me really claustrophobic. But overall it was a fun family excursion.
The holidays are over and I am shifting my body from the feasting gluttony that is December to the shame-filled resolutions of a new year. Well, I don't have resolutions, per se, but I do have some goals for 2010:
Goal #1 Finish that damn kitchen.
Goal #2 My eternal goal of losing weight and getting in shape. I have two motivators to start the year: 1. I joined a weight loss challenge at work. In the vein of the Biggest Loser, we have all thrown $20 into a pot and whoever has the highest percentage of weight loss come March 31 wins the money. I am continuing to use fatsecret.com which I cannot say enough good things about. It is free and awesome. 2. I signed up for a sprint level triathlon at my alma mater Miami University on April 17. It is a 400 meter swim in the rec center pool, followed by a 13 mile bike and a 5k run. Totally manageable, but at the same time means I need to stick to my training schedule. Week 1 has started strong, even though I was slightly side tracked by the massive amounts of snow we have been getting. The snow itself I like, but the slow driving is really cramping my style.
Two goals, totally attainable. I'll keep you posted.
And so we begin a new decade. For myself, the last decade (what do we call it, the 00's, I still have no idea) held high school and college graduation, lots of moving my stuff from place to place, to Oxford, to Chardon, repeat; to Cleveland to new apartment, repeat; and now settled into a house all my own. It was the decade when I became a grown up with a real job and I am starting this decade with an even newer job. It was the decade I discovered a passion for cooking (I've always had a passion for eating) and travel and pushing myself to try new things.
The holidays are over and I am shifting my body from the feasting gluttony that is December to the shame-filled resolutions of a new year. Well, I don't have resolutions, per se, but I do have some goals for 2010:
Goal #1 Finish that damn kitchen.
Goal #2 My eternal goal of losing weight and getting in shape. I have two motivators to start the year: 1. I joined a weight loss challenge at work. In the vein of the Biggest Loser, we have all thrown $20 into a pot and whoever has the highest percentage of weight loss come March 31 wins the money. I am continuing to use fatsecret.com which I cannot say enough good things about. It is free and awesome. 2. I signed up for a sprint level triathlon at my alma mater Miami University on April 17. It is a 400 meter swim in the rec center pool, followed by a 13 mile bike and a 5k run. Totally manageable, but at the same time means I need to stick to my training schedule. Week 1 has started strong, even though I was slightly side tracked by the massive amounts of snow we have been getting. The snow itself I like, but the slow driving is really cramping my style.
Two goals, totally attainable. I'll keep you posted.
And so we begin a new decade. For myself, the last decade (what do we call it, the 00's, I still have no idea) held high school and college graduation, lots of moving my stuff from place to place, to Oxford, to Chardon, repeat; to Cleveland to new apartment, repeat; and now settled into a house all my own. It was the decade when I became a grown up with a real job and I am starting this decade with an even newer job. It was the decade I discovered a passion for cooking (I've always had a passion for eating) and travel and pushing myself to try new things.
I hope the next decade brings marriage and children for myself and many of my friends and all the excitement that surrounds those things. I hope I can go back to school to find a career that I am more passionate about and where I have more outlets for my creativity. But most of all, I hope this decade (do we call this the 10's, the teen's?) is as happy and fulfilling as the last.
