Thursday, April 29, 2010

Rewarding

Speaking of the small things that get us excited, I've decided to reward myself tonight for all of the hard work I've been doing the last few weeks. While I do wish things were going a bit more smoothly as a result of all the effort I've put in to try to facilitate just that, they are going pretty well, and (THANK G-D) my schedule is starting to normalize. Hence, I feel I really deserve to treat myself to something nice.

So, I'm going for a manicure pedicure tonight at my favorite nail salon for the first time in months! Here are the colors I've picked out for my nails and toes (and yes I picked them out online because I'm so excited).


Toes:
Essie "Chubby Checks"


Fingers:
Essie "Cute As A Button"


Although they both looked much cuter on the website then they do here, and I'm the worst at picking my color so I'm sure I'll change my mind ten more times! I love Essie nail polish, and always have a hard time choosing!

I can't wait! SB

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Oh The Things We Look Forward To

I've found as I creep up in years, the things I look forward to and get excited about are more and more lame. I find that I relate very easily to my father, and all the things he looks forward to and gets excited about, and perhaps less to my younger sisters. Joy.

It can be anything as small as a great new flavour of yogurt or getting a new pan, but either way it's a little depressing. I don't really remember what it was that used to cause excitement, a new Barbie, maybe a new crush speaking to you in school, going on spring break perhaps, but for some reason I'm feeling like the reasons to get excited get fewer and far between as we get older. Hence, we get excited over things that wouldn't make other people think twice.

Is it because as we get older we get settled into who we are as people, as a family, in our careers? Life suddenly forms into a routine: gym, work, dinner, tv, sleep, repeat. We work for the weekend, we play hard, and look forward to anything that may cause a blip on the radar. Does that about cover it?

While I do I think it makes me a lamo however, I can't wait until I'm a home owner, because when I am I feel like I will be a "real" adult, and will start getting rid of some of our current things. There are a lot of items in Mr. B's and my apartment that I feel I make do with, and I'm ready to upgrade. Dishes for instance, I think it would be great to have matching dishes. There is nothing wrong with plates from the Salvation Army, they've served us well, but I would like having a set of dishes, with matching bowls, and salad plates, etc, etc, etc. It's the part of me that is ready to be an adult that wants these things, matching plates, nice pots and pans, stainless steel appliances. I can't help it, I just do!

So when all is said and done, I guess I'm just excited that I can be excited about these things. I'm sure there are people who don't, and they must find life boring. At least I have my dishes! XO-SB.

Friday, April 23, 2010

Over Worked

I'm so over worked right now, that I have no other life, and hence have found nothing interesting to blog about. I don't want to sob about how pitiful it is that I work some night until 12:30 am, or how my husband is feeling neglected, and how if I lived alone my house would be a disaster because I don't have time to clean, or how I'm developing a drinking problem because I'm so high strung that I can't even relax without having a drink!!! All I would like to say is I'm open and welcome to any suggestions for a stress free job!

I've been thinking a lot about that this week actually. I won't even go into the hell I've been going through the past few weeks (I think my little rant above keys you in a little), but it's got me at the point where I'm ready to throw up my hands and move on! The more and more I think about it though, what really is a stress free job? The only ones I've thought about are, house painter, personal trainer (but of course you must stress over personal appearance), gardener, ummm......Yeah, I basically can't think of many. The only thing I know is that being a successful career woman is becoming exhausting!

I don't want to gloat, but I'm really good at my job. So good, that I feel like I'm being taken advantage of for how much money I make (something I plan to discuss with my boss very soon), but I'm starting to think that work is over rated. I've discussed in this blog how I feel it's important to find things in life that make you happy and to let your job be your job, but for me it's so much easier said then done. Even though I keep urging Mr. B to get a full time professorship and finish is doctorate already so that I can become a house painter, I think I would feel like a failure for doing so.

Another thing I wonder if this is a generational problem? I know that sounds a bit cliche, but I do think about it that way. Our parents generation got jobs, and worked because that's what you did. A lot of people were miserable in their careers, but the did it anyway because that's what was expected. Does our generation just desire to much? Ask to much? Want to much? In a way, when I crave a career that will be stress free, and make me happy I feel a little selfish. No, I take that back, A LOT selfish.

That doesn't however mean I'm not still looking for that "golden egg" of a stress free work zone! Sign me up, I need a worry free career! Bring on the suggestions! XO SB.

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Trail Review: Abram S Hewitt SF, Bearfort Ridge Loop, NJ

Last weekend my husband and I kicked off the hiking season with a great hike in Northern New Jersey. Who knew that Passaic County in NJ was so beautiful!? In the past couple of years Mr. B and I have become pretty avid hikers, and enjoy doing weekend long trips, and strenous hikes. This hike was a perfect way to kick off our season.

Now, even though hiking is a "keeping it young" activity, I have to admit that this hike reminded me a little of my age. I'm not old, but as I get OLDER I find that I'm not as confident of a hiker. I used to jump off rocks more and expect my knees to just catch me, but that's not really the case any more. I find myself being a lot more catious. This post however is not going to revolve around my complex with my age, it's about this awesome trail! I hope those of you who love to hike will really check out this great day hike!

The Abram S Hewitt SF, Beafort Ridge Loop is a trail I found online, and is approximately an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes outside of Manhattan. It's approximately 6.8 miles, and was supposed to take us around 3.5 hours to do, even though it took us more like 5 -6 hours. It's a loop trail with amazing views, lakes, streams, rock scrammbles, and is a ranked at a moderate level. We also came across some great camping spots that we're thinking of going back to some time this summer.

I thought this hike was just challenging enough for us and really had a lot to offer. Check out this view:



Our trail may have varied a bit from what others reviewed online, but we parked across the street from the Greenwood Lake Maria on Lakeside Road, just before the Welcome to New York Sign, and took the following route: blue - yellow - white - orange - yellow - blue. All of the trails were fairly well marked, however I found the orange trail was the least well marked of all the trails. Case in point we found this marker had fallen off it's tree and onto the ground:


Where yellow turns to white we came across Suprise Lake, which of course would have been a suprise had it not been pointed out in all of the reviews and named on the maps as such. It was however very pretty, and it was here that we discovered a very appealing camp site (alebit not for the month of April). From the lake we headed on the white trail to the summit of the mountain, up rock scrambles, towards that beautiful view pictured above. It was a gorgeous clear day and we could even see the Manhattan sky line way in the distance.



Overall, I would highly recommend this trail to anyone!! Here is where I originally found the information, http://www.localhikes.com/Hikes/Abram_s_Hewitt_SF_5602.asp.. Enjoy! SB

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

What's up with That?

So I've been feeling really good about myself recently. I've been keeping up my work out routine, I've been running in a bunch of races, and eating right. I even made my best time yet in a 5k this past weekend (28:25), and came in 7th in my age group! Then why all of a sudden do I feel like I'm fat and starting to look old and squat?!

I've been a bit photo happy lately with my new camera at hand, and after putting the pictures on my computer, and seeing pictures others have posted, the other day I totally baulked! I look heinous! I'm sure this is very untrue, and my husband would tell me I'm nuts, but the truth is I feel hideous and frumpy! In all fairness, I normally hate myself in pictures, but after I was feeling so good about myself, I'm feeling a little bit let down by what's been captured on film.

Does anyone else feel this way about themselves when looking at pictures? Is it really true that as we get older, our bodies change and just don't agree with us anymore? If I was my best friend (and what I do tell my beautiful best friend because it's true), is that she's crazy, she's gorgeous, it must have been bad lighting, you are just being overly judgemental! But am I really? It's hard to get anyone to tell you the hard honest truth about this subject, and I must admit that when I ask my husband, "peoples bodies just change as they get older," is not the response I'm really looking for.

I work hard, and I mean really hard to keep in shape and be healthy. I will admit my self image is not the healthiest, but I've come a long way as I've grown up with handling my insecurities. I will for example now eat pizza on occasion, and love pasta, and eat bread (no joke), when I used to stay away from all of these things in my former years. So am I just supposed to surrender to my genes, and give in to what is my ultimate fate? Love handles, double chin, wrinkles! Or is there some way to avoid them, and if not avoid them then maybe except them?

What I can't except is that these things are happening already! I'm not even 30 for goodness sakes, aren't I supposed to get a few more years before I look short, fat, and old?!?!?!?! Tell me I'm not the only one going through this! When I run on the treadmill my face jiggles, literally bounces up and down, and I'm not just imagining it! And while someone (a model at my companies photo shoot, that was a great day for my self esteem) told me recently that I look really young, I still feel like I'm starting to look more and more old!

So, if someone could recommend and wrinkle cream, or maybe an article about how to dress for your body, or pose for a picture, or any other things that will help me age a bit more gracefully I would really appreciate it! Because I really don't wish this feeling on anyone, but I really hope I'm not the only one going through it! Here's to wishing you always look young. SB.

Sunday, April 11, 2010

We Got An Offer....

....for 40k under our asking price. Whoo hoo! Our realator prefaced the conversation with "don't shoot the messanger." Well at least someone was interested right? Right.

It's a Girl!!!

One of my closest friends had her first child today, a beautiful baby girl! I'm so sad that I live so far from her, and will have to wait to meet the gorgeous little baby, but I'm so happy for her that I could burst!

I'm trying to be patient and let Mommy, Daddy, and baby rest before I barge in with questions, and it's really hard! I'm so anxious to hear the whole story of the birth and delivery! My friend has been such a great source of pregnancy information, and she really is educated about all things pregnancy and baby.

I will admit that it does edge into my "I feel so old" persuasion that one of my party girl friends is now a Mom, but I'm mostly just excited for this next chapter of our lives. Our little crew is now plus one, and a little girl too so she can be a part of our little girls club!

Wishing all my love, kisses, and heartfelt congratulations to the happy little family! <3 SB

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Sellers Blues

With our apartment on the market, I feel like I'm constantly on a roller coaster of home owner emotion. Within a single day I can go from crossing my fingers to get an offer from a perspective buyer, to wishing we could take down our listing and live in our apartment forever. It can get to be quite exhausting!

Something I'm finding frustrating about the whole situation is that it seems like no one is looking! I find myself annoyed that our real estate agent hasn't even shown our apartment a handful of times, and Mr. B has to constantly remind me that the market is slow. I guess the truth is that I love our place so much, that I don't understand why everyone else doesn't love it and want to steal it away!

I also tend to get my hopes up every time our agent calls to say she's bringing someone by. This past weekend a gentleman who had already seen the apartment brought his wife back to see it. They are relocating to the New York area from Korea, and she flew in specifically to see some of the apartments her husband had pre-apporved. Our agent shared that the couple was very interested in our development, and they were pretty much deciding between our unit and another one on the property. So I got hopeful, of course, and now I just feel diappointed because it's probably not going to happen.

Did I mention that I'm also a complete nudge? I'm probably every real estate agents worst nightmare! I email our agent constantly to try to pry some feed back out of her on what people think of our apartment, why more people haven't come to see it, etc. However, I feel it's important to mention that when I appoligized (via email) for being a nudge, she urged me to never feel that way, and always ask her anything I want. Like I really needed the encouragement?

Well, I feel better already! I guess all I needed was a good rant, although it would be nice to get some more solid action on our listing. Perhaps I'm being to over eager though considering our abode has only been on the market for a month? In the end I just hope someone will love it here as much as we do, and that I'll actually be ready to move when the time comes, and they won't have to pry my fingers from the door frame to get me to leave! ;) SB

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Little Things That Made Me Smile Recently

*The amazing warm weather!.

*All of the beautiful blooming trees (even though they make my allergies wacko).

*The sun going down later.

*Moe Songs.


*My new camera.

Mudders and Grunters

Every year my husband, some friends, and I run in the Taconic Road Runners Club Annual Mudders and Grunters Race. For those of you who don't already know (and I'm guessing that's most of you), Mudders and Grunters is a 5 mile running race through the muddy woods, and is the oldest course race in NY State. As I've pointed out before, my husband and I are very active people, we run races often, and as per usual we started training for this one a few weeks prior to race time. I don't think anything could have prepared us for what met us at this years race though.

New York and New Jersey have had a lot of flood warnings recently, which those of you in the area can attest to. So this year was one of the muddiest years in the race's history! Not only that, but it was about 30 degrees and flurrying when we arrived to pick up our numbers! Did I mention that part of the course was submerging in a creek (which was more like a river this year)?

Now, I'm an asthmatic, and I'm also extremely hard on myself when it comes to fitness, and it's not always the best combination (a bit of a double edged sword). Especially when the cold is the worst thing for your asthma, and you would never normally sign up for a race that was going to take place when it could be 30 degrees out. So, it would be an understatement to say that this particular Mudders and Grunters was a struggle for me.

Nothing really keeps you young at heart like running through the mud with 300 weirdos, but nothing reminds you of your age more then doing it when it's 30 degrees out, and even though you're in the best shape you've been in in a while you can't run no matter how hard you try! I think next year we may need to find a new tradition, or make a game time decision based on weather. Perhaps though we'll just forget how we said at the end of the race that we're nuts for doing this, and sign up yet again! I guess you'll have to check-in, and find out ;) SB.