Life by Storm!

ATTN: Check out MY NEW WEBSITE & BLOG!

2010-08-26T15:22:00.001-04:00

Hi friends! I know, I know...I haven't been around in a while. This is primarily because there are some new exciting changes are going on in my life. I have been working on a new webpage and blog and will no longer be blogging here on blogspot anymore. I've decided to kick my professional life "up a notch" (a la Emeril Lagasse) and expand my passion to the masses.
The new blog will still pretty much be the same (although, now entitled "The Hip Yogini") with a lot of extra goodies and a lot more information about what I do and why, along with tons of helpful tips, information and resources. So basically, better. ;)

The new site is still completely under construction (don't judge), and will probably be changing quite a bit from the way it is now.

But for now, you can visit:

www.thehipyogini.com

Feel free to comment and let me know if there is anything specific that you would like for me to add or any information that you would like included! :) Thank you all for your support and patience!!! Much love to all! xo

LO
VE,

Mischelle

Lychees! No, not leeches!

2010-07-07T17:28:00.002-04:00

Don't panic, I don't have leeches. I bought lychees! It's Summertime and I have been eating my share of fruit. It's incredibly refreshing, hydrating, and tasty on a hot 100 degree day like today! On my trip to the Asian market, I bought a big bag of fresh lychees. Yes, again, this another delicious fruit that I had in Thailand, but also ate a lot of growing up. My Mom always used the fruit in Thai desserts and yum, it's soooo good! Trust me.

Just in case you've never heard of it...

(According to Webster's Dictionary)

Lychee - li·tchi also li·chee \ˈlē-(ˌ)chē, ˈlī-\ 1 : the oval fruit of a Chinese tree (Litchi chinensis) of the soapberry family having a hard scaly reddish outer covering and sweet whitish edible flesh that surrounds a single large seed—called also lychee nut.

Most people that have tried the lychee may have tried it in a martini at a Thai or sushi restaurant or sometimes you'll see it as a sorbet. Lychee martinis seem to be a trendy thing right now. A lot of times restaurants use the canned version for their popular libation. While I won't pass up a lychee martini if its presented to me, the fresh, real-deal is the best! They have a sweet, almost floral, tropical flavor with a grape-like texture. It truly has a unique taste of its own. I say a lychee tastes like...lychee.

Lychees are low in calories - only 63 in 10 average-sized fresh ones, which also provide about 69 milligrams of vitamin C, more than you would get in a small orange or half a grapefruit. Awesome, right?
I have also seen the fresh lychees at Whole Foods Market, and sometimes you can see them at your fancier grocery stores from time to time. If you come across them don't be afraid to try it!

So this is how it's done. (please excuse my photos - they were taken with my iphone)

Rinse the lychees under cool running water

Peel about a quarter off of the thin leathery skin at the top. Squeeze the bottom and pop the fruit into your mouth, being careful not to eat the seed in the middle.

The seed, or lychee nut. Looks kinda like a kalamata olive, huh?

Here's a little spread I made for the hubby. I like to have fresh fruit ready for him as a snack when he comes home from work. It keeps him from snacking too much before its time for dinner. I stuck with a red theme: red cherries, dragon-fruit, and lychees!

Yay, he loved it!

Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of ... Dragon-fruit?

2010-07-04T18:00:00.003-04:00

Happy 4th of July!

Penn's Landing

So, yesterday, Allan and I went to Penn's Landing to watch the amazing fireworks display that were over the Delaware River. We packed our bikes in the back of our car and parked at his work, allowing us to just ride around the area and avoid all of the messy traffic. It was a great idea. We were able to maneuver around herds of people and look at things in the area. Allan showed me lots of ships and boats in the area and told me a little about each of them. He is becoming quite the mariner. ;) We had a fabulous time; the night, water and fireworks were gorgeous - and it was very romantic! :)
Beforehand, I made Allan stop by the Asian Market to get some things. We saw that there were lots of fun exotic fruits that Allan had not tried (that I love) and had to get! I purchased a few other things, including these seaweed snacks that I'm ridiculously addicted to, roasted black sesame seeds (so I can make more of that yummy cabbage salad), and some candied ginger (great for a sore-throat or nausea). Random, but fun nonetheless.

seaweed snacks/chips: another not-so-normal (but great for you!) addiction of mine (Thanks, Nancy!)

I bought ~~some~~, well "a" dragon-fruit, which obviously isn't local (we payed $7.00 for one piece of fruit!). I joked with the lady at the register that we must have been paying for the shipping, but I don't think she understood me. Then I felt old saying that - ugh, it sounded like something embarrassing my Mom would say! The dragon-fruit doesn't fall far from the tree...haha!
Anyways, I try to buy local and seasonal things as much as possible, but Allan really wanted to try it, so we got it. I think I've told him a couple of dozen times about how it was one of my favorite types of fruit that I had in Thailand. It may just because of the name. Dragon-fruit. Oooh...how exotic.
When you go to the Asian market, there are just some things that you can't get anywhere else and you just have to try it.

So this is the Dragon fruit. Gnarly looking fella, huh? The outside is a pretty red with wavy tendrils, that sort of resembles a dragon's beard. Well, at least all of the dragons I've seen. ;)

Cut it in half, then scoop out the soft, white flesh with a spoon. Notice the black seeds in the middle - it's similar to the seeds in kiwi.

I like to dice it up and put back in the halves for a pretty presentation. I used little bamboo knotted toothpicks for easy pickin's.

The flavor has been compared to a strawberry and pear mix, also melon and kiwi. It really has its own distinct thing going. For a fruit that looks so fantastically exotic from the outside, it is actually quite... bland. Not bad by any means, just simple and delicate. I think it tastes best chilled. It mixes really well with other fruit to make a beautiful fruit salad. I think it would be awesome mixed with freshly cut pineapple, mango and papaya for a tropical feel. Shock your friends by adding this to your fruit salad!

Dragon fruit is extremely high in anti-oxidants and are a rich source of Vitamin C. Its also low in calories and high in fiber, while the seeds are high in polyunsaturated fatty acids. They are great for lowering cholesterol and blood pressure as well as excreting heavy metal toxins from the body...no, I'm not talking Metallica or Iron Maiden here. This fruit is great for you, try it if you ever get the chance!

LO
VE,

Mischelle

Orange Sesame Cabbage Salad

2010-07-02T10:27:00.000-04:00

Try this yummy Orange Sesame Cabbage Salad in place of your boring old cole-slaw this summer. I give it two thumbs up! It's super tasty, simple, and healthy (no fatty mayo). Its great to take along on a picnic or use it to top a salmon burger - like I did! (I used the combo orange-pineapple juice carton and toasted white sesame seeds because that was all I had, and it came out great!)

A zesty summer salad recipe from the Gaiam Café Kitchen.

Serves 6 to 8

Salad ingredients:

1 head Napa cabbage, chopped
1 head red cabbage, chopped
1 red pepper, cut julienne
1 scallion, chopped
½ pound bean pods, cut in halves or thirds
1 cup slivered toasted almonds
2 T black sesame seeds

Dressing ingredients:

1 cup orange juice
¼ cup pineapple juice
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
1 nub of ginger, thumb size
1 orange (to zest)
1 lime (to zest)
4 T sesame oil
1 cup vegetable oil

Directions:

Combine all prepared salad ingredients into a large bowl and set aside. Once dressing is prepared, mix it in thoroughly with salad. Best served chilled.

Dressing preparation:

Zest nub of ginger into the blender. Add rest of the ingredients to blender, excluding the oils. Blend for 2 minutes. Slowly add sesame oil, then the vegetable oil. Season with salt and pepper.

TBC (The Birthday Challenge) Starts Today!

2010-06-23T16:32:00.001-04:00

I thought I'd elaborate a little on The Birthday Challenge just a little bit.
So, the challenge is 2 months long, ending August 23, which happens to be my, ah hem...32nd birthday.

Here are the guidelines:

1. Eat at LEAST one salad a day- I figure this will be one easy way to get most of my daily servings of veggies in per day. (You should have at least 3-5 servings per day) I try to eat as organic as possible. Here is a cute little graphic that I have obtained that can help you decide what is high in pesticides. I thought I'd share.

I add many other veggies into my salad such as carrots, bell peppers, tomatoes, or broccoli. You get the point.
If you are trying this too, I recommend not using iceberg lettuce, which is mainly water and little nutrients. Try some of the great leafy greens that contain way more valuable nutrients such as vitamins A, K, D, and E. Some of my favorites are arugula, dandelion greens, and thinly chopped kale. A box/bag of spring mix or spinach will work too.

2. Eat at LEAST one serving of fruit a day- Now, this one sounds so simple, but I can't even begin to tell you how many days have gone by without having even one piece of fresh fruit! One piece is only the minimum, but shoot for 2-4 servings of fruit per day. This can easily be done by adding cut fruit to your morning oatmeal or fiber rich cereals, making a delicious and healthy morning fruit smoothie, or adding some berries to some greek yogurt. This would be a perfect time to take full advantage of all of the yummy fruits that are in season for the Summer. Try some fresh berries, peaches, nectarines, watermelon, and citrus. Get brave and try some of those fruits that you never dared to try before! I love going to the Asian market and getting some dragon fruit, jackfruit or fresh lychees. It immediately takes me right back to Thailand. Yum! Have you ever tried fresh guava or papayas? If you haven't you are totally missing out!

3. Get at LEAST 30 minutes of exercise a day- This can be walking the dog, practicing yoga, swimming, getting on the elliptical, or on a bike (Those will be my personal preferences for right now). I'm still in post-surgery recovery so I have to take it somewhat easy, but just getting out and moving for as little as 30 minutes a day will make a significant difference in my health. My home yoga practice is usually about an hour and and fifteen minutes to an hour and a half. I'm going to try to do this as many days as possible to work on gaining my flexibility, strength, and mobility back. But really, anything goes here, you can dance, jog, weight train...It's all about just getting off your ass really.

Today has been great! I started the day with some detox tea instead of coffee, and practiced yoga (also watched some great football games - its World Cup Mania over here in the Storm household!) I made a large dandelion salad and cut some watermelon for lunch, and still have more salad to have for dinner. For dinner, I will have some veggie soup to go with that salad. I'm staying away from the "whites" too...no white bread, white rice, white potatoes, white pasta, etc. Too many starchy sugars!
I'm not forgetting to drink tons of water--shooting beyond the 8 glasses per day general rule. I just have a refillable water bottle basically in my hand at all times.
I'm feeling better already! haha!

Its all about making behavioral changes. Research says that you have to do something 21 times to form a habit. So after these two months, I should be in good form! With these simple steps, hopefully, you will too!

Signing off...here's to happy health! (I'm "cheersing" you with my water.) ;)

LO
VE,

Mischelle

Fruits & Veggies Need Love too & The Birthday Challenge!

2010-06-22T20:50:00.000-04:00

It's official! I'm off of the post-surgery blood thinners and can eat all of the Vitamin K enriched fruits and veggies that I want! Woo-hoo!

To some this may not be all that exciting, but to me it was torture not being able to freely eat broccoli, kale, kiwi, salads, and all of the delicious greens that Spring had to offer.

I am now so appreciative of the power that fruits and veggies have on our diets and what they can do. I now have to get my self back on track by eating well, exercising with this healthier hip, and slowly getting back into my yoga routine. In celebration of this, I am making a pact to have at least one salad a day, at least one piece of fruit and participate in at least 30 minutes of some form of exercise until August 23 (my birthday). Yes, you heard it here, folks! I think this will be simple as long as I always keep my refrigerator stocked with fruits and veggies. I do have a farmer's market right down the street (within a bike ride), just in case of emergency, so that's a plus. A weekly shopping trip should do the job as organic boxes of salad are always readily available at the stores. I'm sure I will have to get creative and will post some fun salad recipes as they come along. Anyone out there want to join me in the same? We can swap recipes and encourage each other to stay on track and keep healthy. Fun! On August 23, 2010 I can celebrate being 32 (yes...shush) and healthy! I hope someone else out there wants to celebrate too!

Email me or post me a message below if you want to join in this fun challenge!

mischellestorm@gmail.com

2010-06-10T21:41:00.002-04:00

I've been recovering nicely. Almost too much so. My nurse and physical therapist might even say that I need to slow down a bit. I am just anxious to get back on my own two feet and practice yoga again. I have been told that I am ahead of the game in recovery but behind in strength. It has to do with the fact that I had two back to back surgeries. Go figger...

In the meantime, I've had a lot of time to think...I need to vent and reflect...

Things that I dislike about post-surgery rehab:

Getting shots--thank God, my home nurse finished her last blood draw from me on Tuesday! (I have been giving blood 2 times a week since surgery...yuck!)
Always having crumbs down my cleavage from eating my meals on a tray on my lap
Sleeping on my back all the time
Getting my 32 staples removed--eeek!
Being cooped-up in the house all day
Not being able to let the dogs out
Being on a vitamin K restricted diet due to the Coumadin (blood thinners). That means no green tea, kale, broccoli, lettuce-no leafy greens at all. No salads, what?! Blasphemy!
Not being able to properly shave my legs or put lotion on my feet--not being able to bend over in general. You don't realize how much you do that everyday.
No physical yoga practice...ahhhh!!!!
Not being able to drive
Missing out on a lot of fun Philly Springtime events
Having a giant, fresh scar down the side of my leg (I know someday I will proudly appreciate the battle wound, but right now it really sucks)
Being sucked into the black-hole that is Facebook and Twitter...more often than I would like
ridiculous muscle spasms and pain in my hip...especially when I sneeze!
Not being able to go on bike rides or walk the dogs
Painful and extremely humbling physical therapy sessions
Not being able to drink alcohol--this girl needs a margarita!

Things I LOVE about post surgery rehab:

Lots of cuddle time with the pups (I truly think they know I'm hurt and try to make me better)
Having both my Mom and Genny here to visit and help take care of me
Allan being my live-in murse (man-nurse)
Having others cook for me
Plenty of time to journal, write, and daydream about the future
Getting to practice a lot of reiki on myself
Allan doing all of the grocery shopping ;)
All of the wonderful care-packages, flowers, and cards! FUN! xo
Catching up on my Netflix queue (I've been really diggin' documentaries lately)
My comfy couch
Meditation
Downloading fun music/playlists to use when I teach classes again
Lots of popsicles!
Giving my new hip the nickname "Shakira" ...yes!
Cute Band-Aids such as: Hello Kitty, Curious George, Sponge Bob, Mickey Mouse, and the box of various Mustaches--Nurse Sherri's favorite!
WWF, no not the old-school wrestling federation. That would be Words With Friends--a Scrabble application on my iphone that I'm addicted to. Aimee Bolton, I will beat you one day! ;)
My three gals: Martha, Ellen and Oprah (I can't help it)
Time to read, catch-up, and reflect

xoxo

yeah, i'm hip

2010-05-15T21:58:00.005-04:00

Yup, thats my new hip (the Shakira model, I think) ;)

Surgery #2 has come and gone... I am now in recover-mode and by this Tuesday, it will have been 2 weeks since my surgery. The surgery was successful, with a few obstacles. My blood levels were extremely low--apparently I lost a lot of blood during the surgery. I had donated two units of my own, but they still had to transfuse two more units after that! The surgery took double the time, due to some of the hip abnormalities that I had that were God-given. I was pretty sick at the hospital, nausea...vomiting...no energy...all due to the fact that I was low on blood. The medical staff considered transfusing two more units after the surgery, but Dr. Valaik put his foot down and said, No.
What a great Dr. I am fortunate to have! He told me that because I am so young (although weak at the time), he wanted me to build my blood levels back up on my own, rather than risking the 1 in a million chance of contracting something through someone else's blood. I really thank him for that. It was a wise decision. The whole staff there at John's Hopkin's Good Sam. was amazing! Kevin, the P.A., Berny, Dr V's coordinator, Megan from physical therapy, David "Davey" Jones, Nurse Lakita...I mean really, these people were the best!

I even took the time in the hospital to jot down on a notepad how I felt at my worst:
At my worst, I felt as if I were totally drunk and wasted, trying to strap my adult self into a child's car-seat in the backseat of a very hot car on a Houston's summer afternoon.
I remember that feeling vividly--tired, sweating profusely, my face, lips and tongue a pale whitish grey. It was awful. Surgery #2 was much different from the first. It really isn't any better knowing what to expect.

Allan slept on the little window couch all week! :(

Allan and I spent our 7 year wedding anniversary in the hospital when I was feeling my worst! Johns Hopkins didn't have penthouse suites, so Allan did the best with what we had. He was so awesome. When I woke up that morning, he surprised me by decorating my room with a banner that read, "Happy Anniversary", and had balloons, plants and flowers everywhere. It was so very sweet, and had me teary-eyed. How did I get so lucky?
Allan showered me with gifts, getting me a beautiful, silver, LOVE necklace that resembles the statue in Love Park in Philly. I love it, and have worn it everyday since! He also took the time to burn our wedding and honeymoon films on to dvd's for me.
So, that evening, after eating our delicious orange jello (haha!), we got as cozy as possible in the hospital room and watched our wedding videos--it was absolutely perfect.

So here I am, at home now and still currently getting poked and prodded by needles. Ugh, I loathe needles! I have a home nurse that comes by twice a week to clean my incision site, draw blood, and make sure that I am comfortable and doing my physical therapy (my PT also comes to my home). For the first several days after I came home from the hospital, my poor husband had to give me injections into my stomach (blood thinners, so I wouldn't get blood clots)...that was crazy! Nerve racking, to say the least. He would start, then we would giggle a bit (nervous laughter), then he's have to stop, then we'd both take a deep breath then he'd poke the needle in my tummy...then, I'd CRY! No...just kidding. It wasn't actually that bad. The pain of the medicine would sting afterwards and the fact that it bruised and left leopard spots on my stomach sucks.
Allan is once again, a great murse (man-nurse).

My little Mama :)

My beautiful Mom came up from Houston and spent a week taking care of me. Allan had to get back to work so it was super helpful. It was so great having her around. She made her delicious homemade Thai food, which was the only thing I could keep down for the first week out of the hospital. She helped with the laundry and dishes, letting our dogs out, and getting me dressed, etc. I'm on crutches, and it is really hard for me to do very much of anything due to the precautions that the Dr. gave me. Well, that, and the pain. Having Mom here was great! I loved being able to finally spend a Mother's Day with her, and enjoy a little one on one time. We can bicker like siblings, yet she cracks me up and has such a nurturing spirit about her. She left yesterday, and I miss her already.

Tonight, my mother-in-law comes in from Colorado to take her turn at helping me get around. I can't wait to spend time with her too. She said I'm out of luck if I'm expecting all of the cooking like my Mom did. Haha! That's okay, we already have plans to do some knitting and crocheting. I think I want to make Romeo and Kekoa winter sweaters. ;)

So far, I seem to be healing nicely. I'm already off the heavy pain meds and my incision site looks great. As great as 32 staples down the side of my thigh can be anyways...

I'm in great spirits and I'm even going to hobble my way to the Yoga Unites for Living Beyond Breast Cancer event tomorrow morning. My team has raised over $3,000 dollars for this cause--I'm so proud. I have to go and support my team, and be the cheerleader for them, as so many were for me while I was in the hospital. Allan is going to participate in the actual yoga class "in support of me". What a guy--I can't wait!

Thanks to everyone for the cards, flowers, balloons, facebook messages, emails, energy, prayers and thoughts of wellness. I am so privileged to have such a support system of loving arms around me when I need it. Believe me, that's what kept me pushing forward.
I love you all! xoxo

LO
VE,

Bionic Storm

Every Ending Has A Beginning

2010-04-22T17:49:00.005-04:00

some of my beautiful yogini sisters

I'm happy to say that I'm back to attending a couple of yoga classes a week and teaching Allan at home (best student ever!). My yoga teacher training ends this weekend, and its going to be extremely bittersweet. I've been on this journey since the beginning of October, and still have a little make-up work to do (because of the ol' hip hurdles). It's been a long road, and I can't wait to put all of this knowledge to good use. I've met some of the most amazing women who have inspired me, lifted me up, challenged me, opened their hearts and shared their stories with me. They will always have a near and dear space in my heart. I thank them for that.

I've had lots of time to think lately, and it has brought me back to what made me love yoga in the first place. What got me here?
It all started in Puerto Rico, 2006 . I was a bored, military spouse, living on base with nothing to call my own. I knew that yoga was supposed to be good for me, and I knew that with all of my hip pain--it couldn't hurt. So, I started out doing random yoga dvd's in my living room with my girlfriend, Carina. We laughed and joked and took none of it seriously. I later decided to give it another try and moved on to local classes that were only in Spanish. That was quite funny. I could swear that the handsome Puerto Rican yoga teacher was walking past me was telling me that I was excellent, only to find out he was telling me to exhale. Yeah, I know. My ego was crushed, and my spanish got a lot better after that. ;)

Yoga friends in Puerto Rico

The Secret Garden

Then I started going to this place in Rincon, PR. A place called the Secret Garden. Yes,it was as magical as it sounds. It was an art gallery, guest house, and "yoga studio". There was a giant, wooden, yoga deck outside that faced the ocean and was canopied by luscious green tropical trees and plants. Random dogs would come by and you never knew if they belonged to the owner, or if they were just strays that wanted to hang out there as much as I did. I didn't blame them. The setting was serene and peaceful. Cool ocean breezes randomly gusted at you while practicing and no music was needed--the sound of the ocean was enough. It was amazing. I was hooked. How could you not be?

After practicing there for a bit, I decided to take some workshops and I did a teacher training when I went home to Houston to deepen my practice. I was not really sure if I'd ever teach, but I knew that I needed to know more. The thought of teaching had always appealed to me, I just don't think I ever had the confidence to do it. Its not like when I was actively involved with theatre. Teaching yoga is not like doing a play, you have to be yourself, and if you're not--it really shows. No masks, no stage-makeup or costumes, or script. Just you--bare bones, open-hearted. That's scary to me for some reason.

a temple in Northeast Thailand

Things really changed in the Spring of 2008. I visited Thailand for the first time with my Mom and her husband. It was supposed to be a trip of a lifetime--getting to meet my family for the first time and see where my Mom lived, grew up and eventually met my Dad...
Those things did happen, but it ended up being a really hard and emotionally challenging trip for me. Luckily, I was able to tap into my yoga and meditation practice to ease my pain. I knew that it could calm me, and put my mind at ease. I knew it was a safe comfortable place for me to be when I was sad, couldn't sleep, or simply missed my husband. It allowed me to control my anxiety and find peace. Thats when I really realized that it was more for me than just some exercise.
Thailand, in general, is a very spiritual place. It was everything I imagined--beautiful, exotic, full of smiles, and I felt comfortably at home there. We spent a lot of time visiting beautiful golden wats (buddhist monasteries) and temples with large buddha statues, and even met with a monk. It hit home for me not only spiritually, but in a weird deep-rooted, these-are-my-peeps kind of way. I had never been to Thailand, and although the trip was not easy on me emotionally for various reasons, it was just what I needed to fill an empty void in my heart. I had a moment of, ahhh...I understand. That "other" half of me made sense now.

We soon thereafter transferred to Philadelphia, and a lady had recommended that I go to an "amazing yoga studio" called Yoga Schelter. I came home, looked it up, and it was literally around the block from me--walking distance...SCORE! It was meant to be. She was right, it is amazing, and I have been a regular student there ever since.
This leads me to where I am now, in the Yoga Schelter/RYAH yoga teacher training. I have decided that it is now time for me to take this whole "yoga thing" to a whole other level. Its been an interesting experience--some days sweeter than others.
Everything seems to fall in place, though.

During this journey, I have realized that it's okay to be who you are, that I can't do everything alone, but yet, I can do a lot on my own in the same. I have learned that I am incredibly emotional (many of you know this already--I cry at the drop of a hat), and truly care about other's well-beings. Also, through this YTT I have come leaps and bounds with the healing of my hip and getting on this hip surgery(s). This was a huge discovery for me, considering I may have waited years to feel better. All of this had to happen when I was ready, and I feel that I am. I do believe that the universe has set this up for me, and that there is a reason why I am here doing what I am doing right now. I just have to trust it and go with the flow, count my blessings and put out what I want in return.

My yoga teacher training may be ending soon, but I feel like its just the beginning...

Yoga Unites For Living Beyond Breast Cancer

2010-04-06T15:38:00.007-04:00

I am blogging to let you know that I am participating in a very important event on Sunday, May 16, 2010 on the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.(Since this event is right after my 2nd hip surgery, I will not be participating physically in the yoga class, but I will be there in spirit and support.) This cause is truly important to me since I have personally witnessed many friends and family members who have been affected in one way or another by breast cancer. I'm the team captain for Team Yoga Schelter, and we are trying to set our goals high this year and raise $4,000.00 all together! I think it can happen. :)
Yoga Unites for Living Beyond Breast Cancer is an annual fundraising event that provides an opportunity to join the community in celebrating the lives of those who have had breast cancer and try an activity that promotes a sense of well-being and a healthy lifestyle. You can support me, our team, and Yoga Unites/LBBC by making a contribution today!

Click here to donate!

Pics from: YOGA UNITES for LBBC 2009

This is a beautiful event--class led by founder of Yoga Unites,

Jennifer Schelter.

Please consider participating or donating.

Thank you, & much gratitude!

Your work is to discover your world and then with all your heart give yourself to it.

~Buddha

To show your support click here!

Juicy!

2010-04-05T18:05:00.007-04:00

I've been juicing quite a bit since I've been in recovery from hip surgery #1. I'm attempting to flush out all the toxins that are in my body from the anesthesia and medications. It just feels good to drink fresh, organic juice that you make on your own, knowing that there are no added sugars or preservatives.

A lovely friend of mine that I met while doing a vinyasa yoga teacher training workshop in Puerto Rico, Mary McGuire*, recently wrote a book called The 7 Day Total Cleanse. It is absolutely perfect for anyone considering a cleanse for health, weight loss, or just ridding themselves of the everyday toxins that we all encounter. The book has a holistic approach, which incorporates yoga, meditation, juicing, and even daily beauty regimens (Mary calls them indulgences--and ooh, they are!), with an addition of creative inspiration exercises. You don't have to be a skilled yogini to do this cleanse--she explains everything to you. I haven't done the full cleanse and won't until after my second surgery, but I'm so excited to do it full-out!

I've been tinkering with some of the recipes in the book, and here I tried some of the "yellow" and "green" juices. The juices are cleverly categorized and coordinated with each of your body's chakras. Yellow juices in the book are representative of the third chakra (located in your solar plexus) and Green is focused on your fourth chakra (your heart chakra), and so on... If you are not familiar with the body's chakra system, Mary does a fine job explaining it to you simply.

You could also go to http://www.sacredcenters.com/chakras.

I feel this website has some helpful explanations.

Each juice has qualities that help to open up that chakra. Its pretty profound, yet very simple to follow. You should give it a try. Maybe we can do it together once I get out of the hospital. I know my guinea pig, Allan, is game. ;)

All organic, pineapple (rind intact), green apple, lemon, celery, ginger and cilantro

The 7 Day Total Cleanse

by Mary McGuire-Wien

This one was sooo good! Pineapple, celery, cucumber, lemon, and yes, jalapeño!

The jalapeño in this juice adds the perfect little kick. Its actually very refreshing! I use my Breville juicer which to me, is the best. It really could juice a baseball, I think. I juiced the pineapple rinds (scrubbed well, of course) and everything! Its well worth the investment if you think you might like to make your own fresh juice.

I've been juicing kale, apples, carrots, ginger, oranges, pears, herbs, well...almost anything I get my hands on, really. Its a great way to clean out the fridge! :)

It is yummy-goodness, I swear!!!

(Who knows some of you may be lucky enough to actually look cute in a pair of Juicy sweats after drinking enough of these! ha!!!--I think those things are horrible!)

**Mary also is the owner of American Yogini, and a beautiful eco-retreat "hohm" located on the East End of Long Island, near the Hamptons. Check out her website--its incredible! (Definitely on my bucket list!)

Spring is in the air!

2010-04-03T22:06:00.001-04:00

Just in case anyone out there was wondering...I haven't been blogging in a while because my computer was "out of order". I had to get a new internal and external hard-drive and blah, blah, blah...(All I have to say is, God bless the people at the Apple Genius Bar). Anyways, I'm just happy that I didn't lose any of my photos or music. My babies. :)

I did lose some contacts, but these days, with Facebook around, I don't think that will be too hard to retrieve.

Enough about that. I've been doing really well since the surgery. I am no longer using two crutches, and only using one when I know I will be walking around more than 100 yards or so. I seem to have it down around my home and down the hallways in my apartment building. I skim the perimeter of the building or rooms like an uncoordinated child ice-skating for the first time. It's pretty funny. One hand on the wall at all times. I just never know when my leg will give out. I feel stronger every day.

Actually, today, the husby and I went for a bike ride. Weird, I can totally bike, but walking seems to be a problem. I biked 11.4 miles! I thought that was pretty amazing--considering. It was just way too beautiful outside, and I wanted to keep going.

We had a couple of breaks here and there. Pit stops for water ice (I had cherry and Allan had watermelon), and lots of photo taking of all of the beautiful Spring colors outside. Today was a sunny day in the low 70's, and the yellow daffodils were standing tall everywhere and pink and white cherry blossom trees were canopying picnic-goers all up and down Kelly Drive. It was just gorgeous! Ahh, I love Spring...ahh-choo!

What a romantical day...

Love that Philly skyline!

Boat House Row

Mr. Goose (I'm guessing its a male???)

Now, I am just awaiting my May 4th surgery date (for surgery #2). Yes, and my 7 year wedding anniversary (May 6th) will be spent at the hospital...ooh, lucky us! We will be staying in the penthouse suite at the Johns Hopkin's Inn. At least there is a gift shop where Allan can get me flowers! HA! I just had a visual of rose petals splayed all about on my hospital bed...sexy! Hmm...maybe some champagne in my I.V.?

Happy Spring and Happy Easter, everyone! xo

It's hard out here for a gimp.

2010-03-06T17:37:00.003-05:00

Me, post-op. So it's an awful picture, but you get the point.

(photo skills by Allan)

My surgery was Tuesday, and unfortunately it didn't go as planned. Allan patiently waited for me in the waiting room, and at about hour 3, Dr. Valaik came out to speak to him. He let Allan know that he had been spending the whole time trying to get a piece of hardware out of my hip that had been there since my last hip operation (from when I was 3 yrs old!). So much bone had grown over and around it, that it was almost impossible to get out. The Dr. had to use some kind of diamond head tool to basically chisel the plate out of my bone. Ew. Terrible, I know.

The doc said that it would be wise to wait for the actual hip replacement surgery for two reasons:

1. So my bones could mend from the holes and chisels that were taken from my bone. (This still gives me the eebie jeebies.)

2. There were tiny bits of metal remnants that are still left in my leg (apparently, he got out as much as he could) that could interfere with the new materials that he would be putting into my hip. Therefore, resulting in a hip replacement that would wear out much more quickly and only last half of the time that it is supposed to.

Dr. V said that 6-8 weeks would be in ideal time for me to come back for the surgery and get the new hip. Poor Allan, he had to tell me all of this just after I got out of surgery. Good thing I was still extremely doped up, because I don't think I actually "got it". I still don't really. I mean, I understand why and all, I just wish it could have been done and over with. The more I ponder on it, the more it bums me out. So, I am trying my best not to linger on it and move on. This is something that is out of my hands. I know that this is all happening for a reason, I'm learning a valuable lesson from it, and blah, blah, blah...it's just hard.
I need to stay postitive and think of it as phase 1 of a 2 step process...yeah, that's it. (sigh)

Practicing walking with crutches the day after surgery!

(Note the fancy socks)

This leads me to where I am now. Home. Recovering. Rehab. I'm actually very glad I am home. No more nurses jabbing me with needles and making me their living, breathing pin-cushion (getting the IV in my vein took 3 tries, ending in a blood bath on the floor that was wiped-up nervously with white towels making me extremely teary-eyed right before they wheeled my into my operation. yeah, no bueno.), AND no more tubes and catheters making me feel all sorts of uncomfortable.

Anyways, I hobble around the house on my crutches, taking tours of the rooms in circles, and I am already learning how to do lots of things by myself. I have a cool claw-like device that helps me pick things up on the floor--I've been having tons of fun with that. But you know, they need to invent something that picks up your claw from the floor when you drop that too! That's a dilemma. Hee, hee...
I also have this other stick/lasso device that helps to lift my leg up onto the couch or bed without having to have another person physically lift it themself. Thats helpful. Damn, I'm such a granny!

Allan has been an amaaaazing murse (man-nurse). He has been changing my dressings and bandages, helping me put on my TEDS (these awful thick ugly white stockings that I have to wear so that my legs dont get blood clots). He's been making my meals, letting the dogs out, and making sure I have plenty of things to read and movies to watch. I don't know what I am going to do when he goes back to work on Monday! I am so grateful for having such a great husband. Honey, I am not saying this because of the oxycodone, I swear. xo

All in all, I like to think I am in good spirits. I'm determined to get around on these gimp-sticks, and my physical therapist is coming again on Monday to help me with new exercises to practice at home. I may not be able to physically practice yoga like I used to, but I can still do as much as I can seated, just to stay sane. I think this will be a good time to practice yoga "off the mat". I will still practice my pranayama (breathing) and meditation, read lots of yoga texts that I never had the time to get to, and do whatever minimal movements that I can do with my limited mobility.

I can do this. I will do this.

Thank you everyone for the well wishes and love. You have no idea how nice it is to read facebook messages, emails, and texts from all the people you love, knowing that they are all behind you 100%. I thank my lucky stars everyday that universe has blessed me with such awesomeness.

Love & Namasté.
~Mischelle

Going in!

2010-03-01T23:48:00.000-05:00

Ahhhhh! Okay, tomorrow I'm going in to surgery! Wish me luck, send me prayers...soon I will be Mischelle "Bionic" Storm! haha!

Love you all! xoxo

Being sick sucks.

2010-02-25T14:17:00.000-05:00

Well, I caught a bug. I have a cold and I'm feeling kinda grumpy and yucky and I'm totally blaming Allan. He had it first and I did my best to stay clear, but when you live with someone, things like this are hard to avoid. I tried to fight it and deny it, but the little bugger won.

What really stinks is that I can't take any medication since my surgery is next week (OMG, my surgery is next week!). So here I am drinking lots of fluids, using my neti-pot, inhaling eucalyptus (I fill a large bowl with hot water, swirl several drops of eucalyptus oil in it, and cover my head and bowl with a towel to inhale the steam). My nose is raw from blowing it so much and I sound like Fran Drescher--okay, I don't sound THAT bad.

Its snowing today (AGAIN), and many people have a snow day (as do I), but Allan had to go in to work. I'm thinking he needs to stop by the Vietnamese restaurant on his way home and get me... I mean, us some pho. haha! Mmmm...that sounds so good right now. My throat is killing me! Starve a fever, feed a cold, right? This cold needs soup, stat!

Tuesday is the big surgery day and I can NOT be sick! I have so much to do this weekend too! I have my level II reiki practitioner certification on Friday and Saturday. I wanted to get this done before the surgery; lets hope it doesn't get cancelled due to all of this snow. Friday night, Allan and I are headed to King Of Prussia Mall (the largest mall on the East Coast) to get a few things. Sunday, I work. Monday, we drive to Jersey to take our pups to the doggie-sitters, our friends Erica and Joe who used to be our neighbors in Puerto Rico. Crazy, huh? Thank goodness they are willing to take care of our babies for us! Big thanks to E and Joe for opening their home to Kekoa and Romeo. :)

Tuesday is the big day. I probably won't sleep at all on Monday night. My nerves will be all over the place!

My girlfriends Kori and Karen sent me the funniest care package ever! It was filled with a ton of goodies! Some of them being: bags of Jelly Belly's (with the labels changed to "Sh"elly Bellys), dark chocolates, crossword puzzles and games, a Harlequin romance novel titled, "Showdown With The Sheriff" (haha!!!), a personalized blanket with a picture of Kori on it wearing a Snuggie™ (I will have to post a picture of that later--I about pee'd my pants!), a karate book (don't ask) and other silly inside jokes and things to comfort me pre and post surgery. Thank you, ladies! I love you so very much, and I'm still laughing at all of the fun goodies! xo

Well, thats about it for now. I'm going to drink some orange juice and take a nap in desperation to kick this cold!

Hips Don't Lie

2010-02-17T21:23:00.001-05:00

So, with my March 2nd right total hip replacement surgery quickly approaching, I'm beginning to feel slightly nervous. Last week, I had issues with my hemoglobin (iron) being low, the Dr.'s diagnosed me as anemic. They told me that if this did not change, I couldn't donate my own blood (in case I need it for a transfusion) and I would have to delay my surgery. I quickly started taking iron supplements, vitamin C (for absorption), and adding a little bit of meat to my diet--yes, you read this right! (of course making sure that its the organic, grass-fed good stuff...and boy, I'm not gonna lie, its pretty damn good). I know, I HAD to do it. I needed to raise my hemo. levels significantly so that they wouldn't postpone my surgery date. My Mom already got her plane tickets to come up here and everything! The doctors expected that it would take me a month or two to raise my numbers to where it needed to be, and it actually only took me one week. So, Monday I was able to donate a pint of my blood, and proceed with my pre-op physical exams. Everything went really well. I guess my body was really needing that extra iron.

I also met with the physician's assistant at Johns Hopkins that will be there during my surgery. He was extremely nice. I felt like he would have been a friend that I grew up with or something. To my surprise he was the same age as me! At first, I wondered if he was too young for this job, then I quickly realized that it is I that is not as young as I thought I was! hahaha! He answered ALL of my questions and assured me that I made the best choice with Dr. Valaik. He told me that the doc is very meticulous, takes his time, and won't leave the O.R. until everything is just right. That's exactly what I needed to hear.

My throat seemed to be in the pit of my stomach the whole time, and the only way I could remedy that was to make dumb jokes the whole time. That's my nervous habit--bad jokes. At the blood donor office I taught the ladies some yoga--tree pose to be exact. I joked with the sweet Romanian lady, Anca, who took my blood, about people calling her Dracula (what? C'mon she had a very thick Transylvanian accent!). It just seemed like an obvious, yet ironic joke. We were both doubled over laughing! I even asked the P.A. dude if he thought the Doc could carve a lightning bolt design while cutting into my hip, honoring my last name. Uh, yeahhh... He laughed and said that he'd bump the surgeons arm on accident so that it makes a squiggle. That's when I realized I probably should stop joking around...

Wow, less than two weeks to go...I'm a nervous wreck.

Why do they call us patients, anyways??? I don't feel patient at all.

ANOTHER Snow Day!

2010-02-10T15:05:00.003-05:00

Here are a few pics from last weeks snowstorm. The snow never really melted and we are expecting another 12-24" today! I've NEVER seen anything like this. The snow is blowing sideways and it is dumping! This Texas gal seriously needs to get some snow boots! Snow Angels/Snowmen to come soon. ;)

Hmmm...makes ya think.

2010-01-28T15:05:00.000-05:00

Check out this interesting article I found.

http://planetgreen.discovery.com/food-health/foods-unsafe-doctors-eat.html?smid=FBPLG-FBS-ART

AHH! I did it!

2010-01-21T16:19:00.000-05:00

I just thought I'd share that yesterday I spoke with the Dr.'s office and have a tentative surgery date set for March 2nd. HOLY COW! That's like tomorrow!

I'm actually glad and feel relieved that I at least took the first step.

My friend Amanda and I joked that my new superhero name will be:

BIONIC STORM...she's "hip"!

haha...I definitely need a tee-shirt!

The next steps are blood tests, pre-operative classes, and figuring out how to use a wheel chair/walker/crutches...I'm excited about the great parking that I will get (only kidding! kind of)... Where's my lollipop?

I Mean, Seriously.

2010-01-18T19:35:00.003-05:00

Check out my husband's blog. He kicks ass!

http://theunreasonableartist.blogspot.com/

Romeo & Kekoa need this shirt!

2010-01-15T14:18:00.005-05:00

My "children" Romeo (the yorkie) & Kekoa (the toy manchester terrier) have a decent-sized wardrobe, but this t-shirt would make them verrry happy! :) I think the character on the doggy t-shirt even looks like my boy Kekoa! Too cute!

Cafe Press Downward Dog Dog T-shirt

Fearless

2010-01-13T21:39:00.001-05:00

This past weekend, during Yoga Teacher Training, I found out that we all had to present a 15-20 minute class. Apparently, everyone knew and I didn't get the memo. I was scheduled to go on Sunday. This was the very first time that we actually had to teach each other. All of the ladies are very skilled yoginis and I couldn't help but feel inferior and limited due to my hip issues (hip meaning the physical body part--not me being cool or uncool). Needless to say...I was a nervous wreck! I had two days to prepare and I had nothing! I plotted it out in my head Saturday evening, then I woke up super early Sunday morning to roll out my mat and prepare my "class". The feeling in my stomach felt familiar--It felt like the feeling I had in the pit of my stomach before I went to an audition (in case you didn't know, I was once a theatre major). I put together a simple vinyasa flow and decided to test it out on the hubby. Allan has some yoga experience so he was able to give me some helpful constructive criticism. Although, I don't think he was taking it too seriously as he was passing gas and laughing part of the time. (sigh) Men...

I pretty much had it done, made myself some notes, and decided I wasn't going to do it again before I had to so that I could keep it somewhat unscripted and fresh.
When I arrived to YTT that day, I had the grin of fear on my face. I mean, I've taught friends and family before, but for some reason teaching a room full of yogis that were training to be teachers scared the #$%! out of me! I guess its just the fact that they were really going to catch it if I did something wrong. I don't know? I know they would laugh if they heard me say these things...
You see, I've become really close with my yoga sisters that are taking the training with me. We began this journey in October and are "graduating" in April, but I feel like I've known many of them forever. They will forever be part of my life. These women are strong and amazing, and have endured some seriously incredible things in their lives. Each one of them have inspired me in so many ways.

Okay, anyways...yeah, the class...So here I am Sunday morning, and I was the 3rd person up that day. Everyone before me did such an amazing job! I felt like the odds were against me. I mean someone has to screw it all up, right? I went up in front of the 13 or so bright-eyed ladies, put a smile on my face, and began my class. Before I knew it, I was in a zone. I just went through it, and honestly couldn't remember some of the things I said. I tried my best to create a good atmosphere, set my ego aside, and just go with the "flow".
Phew...those 15 minutes went by pretty fast. I was pleasantly surprised. When I was done, there was the critiquing. I was dreading that! I am definitely a person who can take constructive criticism, but I was bracing myself for the worst. To my surprise, apparently, I did a good job. I mean, during my feedback I actually moved people to tears (and it wasn't from some sort of suffering), which moved me to tears. Me??? Woooow. I had no clue I could do that? My critiques were painless, and it all gave me an all new boost of confidence. My mentor and yoga teacher, Jennifer, said some of the kindest most touching things that I have ever heard. I was flattered. It reassured me that I am in the right place, and that I should stay right where I am. I had one foot out the door as far as teaching yoga was concerned, but the feeling I had on Sunday was irreplaceable. I can't give up now. I know that this is still a very long journey and I'm not there yet but, hip surgery or not, I'm sticking with this. Its already burnished in my heart.

In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure. ~Bill Cosby

I'm addicted!

2010-01-07T20:54:00.003-05:00

To KALE. Yes, kale. The green leafy stuff. Its in season and readily available at all grocery stores. It a great source of Protein, Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), Thiamin, Riboflavin, Folate, Iron and Magnesium, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, Calcium, Potassium, Copper and Manganese. This is my new favorite way to make it; you HAVE to try it! Its sooo fantastic and very addicting--you actually forget that its healthy! The recipe is from Whole Foods Market website, but I like to make it my own by using different spices, like garlic powder and red pepper flakes, curry powder and salt, cajun seasoning, or sometimes only using a little sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper. When you bake it, the kale becomes crunchy, almost like salty chips minus the complex carbs. Any way you make it is sooooo good! :) Trust me. Try it and tell me what you think!

Oven Roasted Kale - Whole Foods Market Recipe

~Oven Roasted Kale~

(Serves 4 as a side dish)

Ingredients

2 bunches kale

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 to 3 large cloves garlic, minced

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Method

Preheat oven to 375°F. Rinse kale and pat dry thoroughly. Remove and discard thick ribs and roughly chop leaves. Pat leaves dry again. Toss with olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Spread on a large rimmed baking sheet. Kale does not need to be in a single layer, as it will shrink in volume as it cooks. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring every five minutes or so, until leaves are tender, crisp on edges and slightly browned. Sprinkle with sesame seeds before serving.

Nutrition

Per serving (About 3oz/83g-wt.): 100 calories (80 from fat), 9g total fat, 1.5g saturated fat, 3g protein, 5g total carbohydrate (2g dietary fiber, 0g sugar), 0mg cholesterol, 160mg sodium

So we went to Baltimore...

2010-01-04T17:53:00.031-05:00

Okay, so today we went to Johns Hopkins, Good Samaritan Hospital and met with Dr. Valaik. I came out of there feeling a little confused, sad, and hopeful...

I asked the Dr. plenty of questions, but I still feel like I have a huge question mark over head. Now, I am home trying to sort out my thoughts (Allan just made me a martini. Maybe that will help? hahaha...).

Dr. Valaik was very helpful and I asked him questions about teaching/doing yoga, recovery time, types of replacements, risks, having a child...oh, my brain is spinning. His answers were mostly clear, with the only vague answer being the big question, "Should I do this or not?" He basically said that this is an elective surgery, and that if I am suffering from so much pain, then--its up to me. Wow, it's up to ME??? Can't you just tell me, "Yes, Mischelle, you need this NOW". Or, "No, sweet child, I'd wait a while for technology to speed up. Lets give it a year or two and then we'll talk". He did say that yes, I am young--this is a serious surgery, and if I was 60 he would be signing me up right away. My x-rays showed obvious deterioration and he said its clear that I should suffer from major pain. He seemed pretty shocked when I told him that I don't take any type of pain medication. It was probably a little too "woo-woo" for me to tell him that I count on breathing techniques, meditation, and yoga--so I didn't.

I did ask him one powerful question, "If I were your daughter, would you want me to go through this?" I didn't know at this time that he has 3 daughters of his own. It seemed to me that I caught him a little off guard when asking this. Dr. Valaik told to me that it really all depends on the pain that I have and if it was taking away from my quality of life. He said that its inevitable that I'd be having this surgery either now, or in a few years, and it all depends on when I want to have this done. No matter what, I will have to have at LEAST one more hip replacement in my lifetime just to maintain. (Apparently, these bad boys don't last forever.)

I have a lot of pros and cons to weigh. I'm sort of an emotional mess right now. I came out of there trembling. I shed a few tears, which was expected--I'm scared. They gave me a binder full of information to look over and we watched a 5 minute video that Dr. Valaik made with some valuable information. His secretary/coordinator lady, Berny, told me about an orientation that we can go to before I make any major decisions. I can guarantee that we will be there for that. There seems to be no question in Allan's mind that I should go ahead and get this done. I just want to know, for myself, that this is the right time.

In my heart, I feel like I trust this doctor. It was by chance that I came to him, and I feel like there is some strange reason why this has all been paved out the way it has. The ride home from Baltimore seemed long. I just sat in the quiet car while the rows of barren trees seemed to speed by me a million miles an hour. The snow flurries hypnotized me while I recapped all that happened in our meeting in my head. I trust that God will help me make the right decisions, and be strong and come out of this with a better, fulfilled life (without pain).

I thank my lucky stars for the amazing support that I have from my friends and family. I'd like to specifically thank Allan, Mom, Jon, Loui, Christina, my In-laws, Kori, Amy, my yoga sisters in YTT...without you, I don't know how strong I could be. I love you all!

Pray for me. xo

Namasté.

2010!!!

2010-01-03T13:59:00.027-05:00

Yay! So, the new year is here and I'm ready to conquer it! Not in a big, new year resolution kind of way, but I do have a lot of things going on right now.

I am currently working on a documentary (currently titled, "Heart of the Matter") for my yoga teacher training practicum. Yup, all by myself. Well, ok, not really. Allan is helping me film and I am interviewing lots of interesting people and basically directing it all. We will be following my journey during my yoga teacher training along with all of the mess that I am having to deal with about my hip, weight loss, being away from family, etc. Tomorrow is our first day of filming, AND it is my first "official" appointment in Baltimore (about a 2hr drive) with an orthopedic Dr. at Johns Hopkins. So much has been going on, and since the last post, I found out that I will more than likely need to get a hip replacement (yeah, I know, bad news). We have decided to go to the best possible doctor on the East coast. I did some research, and this is where it has led me--Dr. Valaik. I'm really counting on this guy. I hope we have a connection and I like him. We'll see (apparently, he's an ex Navy Seal, so that encourages me to think that he'll at least be a meticulous, and I'm assuming, an anal person) haha!

My yoga teacher training seems to be at a halt right now due to all of this "new news". I really don't want to let it stop me, but I am going to talk to the Dr. tomorrow and see what kind of advice he has to offer. For now, I am trying my best to stay positive. Maybe he will let me film some of the appointment, I don't know?

I am vowing to blog more about this whole experience...more or less just to get it off my chest. Its a great outlet for me to just let it all out. I also want to start incorporating some new things to my blog (school related). In case some of you don't know, I am going to school studying holistic nutrition (Complementary Alternative Medicine), and would love to start posting some of my recipes, holistic remedies, nutritional facts and findings, etc...

I have resorted back to my strictly Vegetarian lifestyle, bordering Vegan. Crazy, I KNOW! I mean, I am from TEXAS! I was practically raised on BBQ'd meats, and brisket. I've been a vegetarian for the past 5 years, and only in this last year have I been cheating and sneaking a filet mignon, or turkey burger or two...I know, BAD! hahaha! Hey, I am human, and now, (sigh) I know what I need to do. Plus, no lie, it makes me feel so much better...from the inside, out.

Being a veg is the only way I can guarantee the health and nutrition that I need to:

1. Keep my weight down, for the sake of this damn hip!

2. Ensure that I am putting the healthiest, cleanest foods possible into my body

3. Keep my cholesterol in check (yeah, an unfortunate genetic blessing that I have inherited...yay.)

My last blood test showed that my cholesterol went back up after I had incorporated meat back into my diet (yes, even lean meat...No, I wasn't noshing on bacon.) Believe me. I LOVE the stuff, I just know that it doesn't work with my system. I'm finding it a great challenge to cook amazing meals that don't make me miss the meat at all.

I will start adding some of my favorites to this blog. Try them out, you may even like them too! ;)

Tonight--since football is on (GO COWBOYS!), we are making vegan "bacon cheddar burgers" (a la 'Five Guys' style) and oven baked fries. Yummmtastic! :)

Peace out, and Happy New Year!!! xo

Fall Update!

2009-11-18T11:22:00.009-05:00

Cat in the hat, Dorothy, Misch"elvis", and Ballerina

Beer wench, Rag doll, and Jem

Redneck, and Charlie (from 2 and a Half Men)

The Bear #$&!er from Super Troopers (I personally never saw the movie)

Mrs. Lovett and Sweeny Todd

Little ___ in a box, Shaggy, Chuck Norris, and Big ___in a box!

Ok, I haven't really found the time to update, so here is a quickie! This fall has been pretty crazy/hectic...
Let's see...here is what's new:

-My family came to visit, it was awesome! Of course they came while Philadelphia was having its first Nor'easter so the weather sucked. Rainy and cold the whole time! It was just nice to sit and talk, and just be with loved ones. I miss them all so much. Next time, I want them to bring my nieces and their wives. The girls would love it here; its so kid friendly!

-Danny came and we had our Halloween party. It was a blast, with an interesting mix of people--neighbors, coasties, and yogis, oh my! :) Danny really seemed to enjoy his time here in Philly. We showed him around a little, but his stay definitely wasn't long enough.

-Yoga teacher training is going well. I've met some incredibly amazing women and just know they will be part of my life for a very long time. YTT is also humbling at times (dealing with my hip issues makes it a bigger challenge). I keep pushing through and refuse to give up, even though sometimes I feel like crying in the corner. I have such wonderful support from my friends and family and know that I am doing the right thing.

-Allan is doing his first ever marathon here on Sunday and I am making a sign and will be cheering him on all the way! I am so proud of you, honey! YOU CAN DO IT! xo

-I've already gone through two prolotherapy treatments and the second one was much better than the first. This time, Dr G. added some glucosamine to the injections. Oh, and I did take the valium. (Maybe that's why it was more bearable than the last) Again, Allan was there holding my hand and I only cried a little. I didn't even get a lollipop. Wth?

-Oh, speaking of lollipops, my "diet" is going really well. I cheated for a bit when we had company, and had a gluttonous Thanksgiving dinner with our neighbor friends on Sunday. Other than that, I would say I've been pretty good and have lost about 11 lbs so far. I am still a work in progress. I hate that most of my Halloween party guests brought me tons of chocolates and wine! So tempting! Whatever, wine and dark chocolates are good for you anyways! ;)

Not a fan of needles.

2009-10-08T13:56:00.009-04:00

Ok, so I had my prolotherapy procedure done yesterday, and all I have to say is, OUCH, and Wow, I LOVE ALLAN! He deserves the Super-Duper Husband Award. Poor guy, he held my hand the whole time while I was crying like a baby (bawling, nearly screaming) enduring some of the worst pain that I have ever felt in my life, ever. I was a ball of nerves before we even got there, which probably made it so much worse! Yep, I was a mess. I didn't want to look at the needles, but when I did, I nearly fainted! I think I may have even grabbed the Dr.'s hands and moved them away from me at some point. Allan said at some other point, I screamed, "OUCH", and he hadn't even injected the needle yet. Whatever. :P Dr. Greenberg (who truly is amazing, and extremely patient) stuck me with these long needles on the bottom of my left foot (the issue is with my right hip--weird, I know), on my "good" left hip, my right and left inner thighs, all over my right BUTT cheek, near my bikini line area and around my right pelvic bone. Ugh! I am sore, bruised, and so worn out from the stress of it all and the fact that I haven't slept well in two nights. (If you're confused about the procedure here is a link to my Doc's website.)

http://www.drmagaziner.com/Medical-Services/Prolotherapy&PainManagement.asp

So, he does the needle thing, and honest to God, I got up afterward and walked without limping for the first time in my life ever! I've always had a slight limp, sometimes unnoticeable, but it has been getting a bit worse as I get older. My hips have always been misaligned, and when he was done with the injections, they were balanced again. It seriously was miraculous! I truly feel so much better already--although, I will have to go through this process several more times (every 3 weeks for maybe 3-6 months). Dr. Greenberg even prescribed me some Valium for the next time I come in. I don't know if I'll use it yet. I try not to take any unnecessary drugs at all cost. I hardly ever even use Tylenol. The pain that it takes to make me better is way better than the pain I suffer on a daily basis, and the pain it would be to get a hip replacement (that was the alternative). I'm just so glad that I found a Dr. who really knows what he is talking about, seems to really care, and take the time to explain everything thoroughly. I hope that I keep seeing improvement. The only thing that stinks about this type of treatment is that our insurance doesn't cover it. You pay a lot these days to get torture by Dr's! Seems like insurance companies don't want to cover anything that actually works. Dr. G also put me on a pretty intense weight-loss program with lots of fun vitamins, meal replacements, and stuff. Any extra weight at all can cause unwanted pressure on the hip joint and make it worse. I've been in so much pain that working out cardiovascular-wise has been hard for me. The pain apparently makes me produce more cortisol, the number one factor in weight gain. I know I have gained more than a couple of lbs. and need to get on it-quick. So here I am--ready, starting a new life for myself, getting serious about getting fit, and healing my hip so that I can live a normal life again. So, if I blog about the wonderful chocolate brownie or french fries that I had last night, you have my permission to kick. my. ass! LOL! :)

I can't thank my friends and family enough for all of the support that you have already given to me. With you in my life, it makes it easier for me to push through the hard times, thanks! Love you all! xoxo Wish me luck! (This new eating regimen might make me a tad bit cranky! BEWARE! Grr!!!)

Autumn, a time for change

2009-09-30T11:06:00.015-04:00

This is a picture I took from Fall of last year.

The cool weather is here, and I'm loving it! The windows are open, the crisp air is coming in, and I'm freshening up the blankets. The leaves are beginning to change, and I feel like its a metaphor for my life--a little bit of revamping, change, and new things to come. This Fall is a very exciting and hopeful one for me.

Here are somethings that I'm expecting to happen this Fall:

- My Mom is coming up to celebrate her 60th birthday along with my two older twin Brothers. They haven't been up here yet, so I am thrilled to have my family here--I can't wait! :)

- I am starting another yoga teacher training. This time, here in Philadelphia with Yoga Schelter and RYAH yoga. It should be a very challenging yet rewarding journey. I can't wait to challenge myself mentally, physically, and spiritually. I'm sure I will be blogging all about it!

- I am having prolotherapy done on my hip (next week!). Its an alternative orthopedic procedure to non-surgically reconstruct joints, ligaments, and tendons weakened by trauma or arthritis (for those who don't know, I have a bad hip--born with congenital hip dysplasia, had several surgeries as a child, which has caused me to now have arthritis). This procedure makes me extremely nervous because it looks incredibly painful (think flavor injecting a turkey with a big ass needle)! It looks awful, but it is about time I do something about all of the pain that I have on a daily basis. Pray that it works! Apparently my other alternative is a hip replacement--no bueno. :(

- Our dear friend Danny is coming to visit on Halloween weekend from Florida! He has been to Puerto Rico to visit us a couple of times, but hasn't been to Philly yet. Its always a fun time when Danny is around. He is one of Allan's best friends and like another brother to me.

- Apparently, I am in charge of making Allan and Danny's Halloween costumes this year. God help me. Lol!

- We are having a Halloween cocktail/costume party at our place this year. I've realized that I really don't entertain as much as I'd like to and I just looove to dress up, so...why not?

- I am also making our dog's halloween costumes for the annual doggy halloween costume contest in my apt building. Yep, busting out the sewing machine and all. They will be winners for sure. I have some ideas and will tell you what ALL the boys will be later. ;)

- I just started a new semester of school for my CAM (Complementary Alternative Medicine) degree. I still LOVE it, and it is going very well. I will be a student forever it seems.

- I am doing a major overhaul of organizing and cleaning our apartment. One bedroom down, two more to go, plus two bathrooms...oh, and the kitchen! We have collected too many things move after move and some of it will just have to go to Goodwill or donated elsewhere. I don't even want to think about all of the stuff that is in our storage facility...good lawd!

Hmmm...Well, thats all I can think of right now. Hahha! If anyone has any good ideas for halloween costumes (pet or human), party recipes, or decorations, leave me a comment! :)

Blue Hill Fair

2009-09-23T18:47:00.010-04:00

I was just thinking about all of the fun that we had at the Blue Hill Fair in Maine. I thought I'd post some of the pics that I took. We seriously felt like it was something out of a movie. Everyone was holding hands with their family members, riding rides, playing carny games, holding big, pink, puffy cotton candy cones, and entering contests (quilts, crochet, produce, pies, etc.). It was a nice break from the city life. It screamed Americana. Almost too much. I couldn't believe it.

Howdy! :)

This lady made yarn from her own sheep.

I think everyone in town entered a flower from their garden to be judged.

The 3 Horse Hitch Pull (talk about horse-power!)

I really felt like we were in another era.

The farm that inspired Charlotte's Web

The sheep were super friendly, and so fluffy

This dude looked so sad. (He had GREAT hair though)

The Ferris Wheel

Sweet piglets (they were so adorable!)

We said no to fried dough,

and opted out on the Bologna Burgers...

and had Thai food (of course)! LOL! (small cart on the left)

Ciao bella!

2009-09-13T08:08:00.004-04:00

Our trip has come to an end and we are on the road again tomorrow morning. I really didn't expect to get so attached to Maine or the people like I did. I included some photos of the guest cottage that we have been so fortunate to stay in. This place is incredibly wonderful! I see us coming back again someday. I feel like the Bianco family have become family to us, and I will never forget them. I think I may have even asked if they wanted to adopt me. :) My heart is full and I feel so blessed to have been able to visit this beautiful place. We stopped by their house tonight to say goodbye and shared our last glass of wine with each other...for now. They gave us a nice bottle of french wine and some homemade blueberry jam that Mrs. Bianco made this summer. I made Mrs. Bianco (Diane) promise that she'd send me a signed copy of her cookbook that will be released later in the fall if not, early winter. We traded hugs and swore to keep in touch. They will definitely be on my Christmas card list for years to come. :)
I am now ready to head back to Philly feeling fulfilled and ready to go about my routine and everyday life.
Ciao, Bianco's and grazie mille! xoxo

She's a Maine-iac...

2009-09-10T08:16:00.018-04:00

Allan and I are in Brooklin, ME right now on vacation. Well, not really vacation. Allan is here for work, attending the Wooden Boat School (a school where they build, yep you guessed it--wooden boats), and I am just living the life of leisure along with our two dogs. :) Not bad. We only have a couple of days left, and it makes me sad.
We took a 2 day roadtrip to get here from Philly and it was a blast! I must say, Allan and I are wonderful travel partners. He puts up with my obnoxious, "Ooh, I LOOOOVE this song!", and my, "OOH! What's that???"...you'd think I had never been anywhere before. Then when you top it all off with my obnoxious singing voice, wow. I'm lucky to still have Allan in my life.
We have a perfect snacking pattern in the car. First, we enjoy something salty like, Chex Mix. Then we move to sweet, my favorite being Fiddle Faddle. Later we will end it all with a nice handful of sunflower seeds to spit in plastic cups while talking about our dreams and options of where we could live next. Our little salty-sweet rotation. Its a routine, we love it, and we do it well. No one said it was healthy. ;)
While driving up to Maine we went through Vermont. Now that's a place that I could live. It was GORGEOUS! Burlington, Vermont to be exact. It reminded me of an Austin, TX in the mountains. Its a college, bohemian-artsy town with a lot of character, great shopping, and cool pubs. I wish we could have visited there longer instead of just driving through and staying one night. From what I could tell, I'd definitely move there. I NEVER thought I'd say that. Honestly, I never even gave Vermont a chance...it wasn't in my radar. Now I know.
Although, I do think the winter's would be way too harsh for me. I like the warm tropical climates. Scarves and boots are nice, but the novelty wears off quick.

While in Vermont, we stopped at a cute, old General Store so that I could get some maple syrup--because that's what you do in Vermont. I don't even really eat pancakes or could even tell you the last time that I've made them, but I did watch a Martha Stewart episode where they tapped syrup from maple trees and was pretty amazed. This image stuck in my head, hence why it was a mission of mine to find 100% pure Vermont Maple Syrup! So we did. I hope it's good, the stuff isn't cheap. I see french toast in my future. :)

Once we got to Maine, we settled in our beautiful, oceanfront guest cottage and immediately felt right at home. Ahh...the fresh air and cool breezes...
Since we've been here we have partied with the owners of the guest house, The Bianco's, a family that distributes meat and Italian sausage products to all of the local restaurants...possibly mafia related??? haha! Who knows, and who cares--they are great! Laughter and Limoncello, a great combo. We also went rowing along the Maine coastline (Um, well, kinda. poor Allan--long story), went to The Blue Hill Fair (the one that inspired the book Charlotte's Web), did some hiking, biking, shopping, sampled lobster ice cream in Bar Harbor (Yes, ew. This is also something I saw on tv and HAD to at least try), and have seen some of the most amazing sights ever! I will be sad to leave, but have met some incredible people and will take this trip with me forever. I will always have a sweet spot in my heart for little ol' Brooklin, Maine, population: 722.

Today Is My Birthday! :)

2009-08-23T22:40:00.005-04:00

I had a wonderful birthday weekend with Allan. Saturday, we went to the museum, had lunch, went to see Inglourious Basterds (which I thoroughly enjoyed, btw), then had a wonderful Thai dinner with quite a few sips of sake. It was great. :) This morning Allan went for a 12 mile run, and yes, I BIKED along with him. Hahaa! The rest of my day was very chill and consisted of going to the grocery store (and buying myself some frozen yogurt), since Allan had to leave for work. :(
I am looking forward to our trip to Maine which is right around the corner. Road trips are so much fun to me!
All in all, it was a fabulous weekend, and I am pooped. I have a looong week ahead of me. Lots to do! More manana...I'm sleeepy...

This Made Me Laugh Today! :)

2009-08-10T16:27:00.004-04:00

After being at the hospital ALL DAY just to get some x-rays and a scanogram on my hip, I needed a little giggle. This is what did it for me. :) I heart Jason Mraz.

Spring is here, and so are my allergies!

2009-04-07T10:52:00.003-04:00

It is GORGEOUS out, but I am dying a slow death of snot and phloem. Yup, I said it. Gross, ew.
I will soon post pics of Allan and I on our first bike ride out this Spring! Pink cherry blossoms are blooming, yellow daffodils are everywhere and it sure does make Philadelphia beautiful! I haven't had allergy or sinus issues this bad since we've lived in Houston. Puerto Rico spoiled me...for real. But enough of that...I have 4 full, beautiful seasons now! How cool is that? I've never had that. :)

Yoga + Tea Ceremony = Ahh..Sunday

2009-03-15T22:37:00.011-04:00

Today was a very mellow day. I slept in, had a banana blueberry smoothie, and did some school work online. I went to the studio for a yoga/tea ceremony workshop that was held by Pamela. It was fabulous! We did a very soothing yoga vinyasa with an extra long savasana (it was better than sleep), then followed with the tea ceremony. Today's delight: Oolong. Mmm...I had no clue that teas were so fascinating. It was so delicately prepared and sipped like a fine wine, savoring every last drop slowly so that you could let all of your senses absorb its goodness. Pamela made us a little sweet treat that she referred to as a "sunflower butter blondie" (like a brownie, but a blondie, w/out peanut butter--instead, sunflower butter). It was a nice little tea cake. There is a fine art to a tea ceremony, and I will no longer look at tea the same. Hey, coming from Texas, I think I've come a long way from Lipton and Luzianne! I had many teas in Thailand, mainly green and jasmine, which are very popular there. Now, I wish I would have brought more home with me! I guess I will have to go back...this time with Allan, and minus all of the "baggage". I am now jonesing for a cute little tea pot so that I can experiment at home.
Pamela read a verse from a poem by Lu Tung, each time we had a cup of tea, which I thought was really beautiful.

"The first cup moistens my lips and throat. The second cup breaks my loneliness. The third cup searches my barren entrails only to find therein some thousand volumes of odd ideographs. The fourth cup raises a slight perspiration - all the wrongs of life pass out through my pores. At the fifth cup I am purified. The sixth cup calls me to the realms of the immortals. The seventh cup - ah, but I could take no more! I only feel the breath of the cool wind that raises in my sleeves. Where is Elysium? Let me ride on this sweet breeze and waft away thither."Lu Tung

All of this just reminds me to take pleasure in all of the small things in life, take everything in, and savor it, little by little. Each small cup of tea I had today, reminded me to slow down, breathe deep, and take pride and joy in all that surrounds me.

I'm in PHILLY now y'all!

2009-03-14T21:19:00.005-04:00

We have relocated to "The City of Brotherly Love". Which totally cracks me up because ironically, my brothers' both lived only a few blocks away from where I live now. They both went to college here and played soccer for Philly U. It really amazes me how small this world can be at times. It makes me real happy to know that I am now living in my brothers old stomping grounds.
Okay, so I have lots of catching up to do...so far, we have moved to Philadelphia, lived in a 2 bedroom apartment in the city, went to a Madonna concert, I got a part-time job, while doing a work exchange at a nearby yoga studio, I've had my 30th birthday, had multiple girlfriends from Houston come visit (along with Allan's parents), moved to a large 3 bedroom apartment (in the same building), still taking online classes, and have since quit my part-time job to focus on school whilst working only at the yoga studio. Whew...yea, 8 months in a nutshell. ;)
Hahaha! Hope you were able to take that in, because I still don't think I have. Moving from Puerto Rico, where its sunny all-day everyday, to now living where its STILL winter and I have to wear socks--is just plain weird. I called my trainer the other week asking her if I still had to go in because it was snowing...yea, she laughed at me. I had no clue!? I don't know what to do with all of this white stuff?! I'm just a Texan living out of her element in a crazy, cold city, that at first, was reminiscent to Gotham City. Now, I have fallen in love with this ancient city, truly. I have so many incredible projects coming up and I am sooo excited for the adventures to come. None of which I will bore you with now. You will get reports from time to time now that this blog is back up and running. Woooo-hoooo!!! My online therapy sessions are back!

Adios PR!

2008-06-09T15:16:00.005-04:00

So here I am, staring at all of these Puerto Rican, Daddy Yankee-looking dudes packing away my things. I'm wondering if they are like, "Wow, this chick sure does have a lot of crap." Today they are packing our things into boxes, and tomorrow they will packing those boxes into crates. They will then go to the shipyard to be shipped far, far, away...and I won't see any of it for about a month. This week has been stressful, and hectic to say the least. Allan and I are "trying" to make the best of our last moments here without making it all about moving. Yesterday morning we went to "our beach". We nicknamed the little secret spot 'Kudda Beach' because it has lots of little baby barracudas in the water, and that name has funny high school reference that some of you readers may know. ;) Hakuna Matata! Ha,ha... I hate making inside jokes on this thing, but I had to... It was a lovely morning full of fun in the sun, then we had to come back only to realize we had SO much to do. We are at least trying to balance it all out. Its a tad overwhelming.
AN-Y-WAYS, once again, like in Thailand, I am figuring out that I am really good at charades. I think it might be the actor in me, who knows? Either that, or the fact that I enjoy running around like an ape trying to get my point across to people who don't speak Ingles. Its loads of fun. Yay. These dudes could care less about what they are doing. You can tell they are hungover, and they are wrapping my stuff up in brown paper like its a race to see who can finish first so they don't have to buy the first round. There is no motivation...I just want them to take care of my things as if they bought it themselves with their $5.25/hr paychecks....Geez, that's all I'm asking for! My back aches, and I am a fancy Vegas-style buffet to the mosquitoes. Sorry, I am crabby. Guess I need to get to the grind and contribute my energy to something useful. I can't wait until this is over with. Buh.

P.S. I think one of the guys is super hungover and puked in my backyard.

Update from the PR

2008-05-13T16:23:00.007-04:00

- I am back from Thailand, and I made it alive! No malaria.
- I FINALLY reunited with Allan, so you will no longer have to hear me whine and bitch.
- I have permagrin.
- Allan graduated from OCS, and looks incredibly handsome in his whites.
- We are back in PR getting ready for our move to PA.
- Its taking longer than we thought.
- I got a tattoo while in Houston
- I miss my dogs like crazy (seems that I am always missing someone these days)
- I will post pics of everything soon, promise.

Sorry So Short...Longer Letter Later! xoxo

4/6/08 BFD!!!

2008-05-03T16:38:00.006-04:00

Can I go home now???….I am having a BFD! (Bad Fred Day)

4/5/08

2008-05-03T16:38:00.001-04:00

We spent most of the weekend in Nong Khai. We hired a chauffer with a nice huge van, and my Aunt, Fred, my Mother, and I all headed northwest. We made the trip so that I could meet the rest of my family. It was about a 4 hour drive there, Thai time (with many relaxing stops). During the first couple of hours driving, the skies were sprinkled with a bunch of yellow confetti-like butterflies. It was beautiful! On the way there, we passed the town with all of the cantaloupe, another broom and handmade basket town, and the coconut town. I had many “Elaine” moments in the van on the way there; if you are a Seinfeld fan you may get this. (If not, there was an episode where she was on a crowded bus, and she gets very annoyed and was screaming her thoughts in her head-very funny stuff.) We finally get to Nong Khai and go shop at the outdoor market and had lunch. Fred was extremely hot and annoyed with the idea of shopping, so we took him to the hotel and checked him in. We went back shopping afterwards. The hotel was The Royal Mekong Hotel. It was okay; it is right on the Mekong River and probably equivalent to a Holiday Inn. It had an incredible view of Laos and the Mekong River and had a nice pool area. I crashed with my Aunt again, and hung out downstairs and attempted to use the Internet in the lobby. My Uncle and his family were staying there as well. It was so nice seeing my Loong (Uncle) Suchat for the very first time. I have heard so many stories about my Mom’s brother. When we first met, we both couldn’t stop staring at each other and we were giggling like little school children. He has a smile that beams like the sun. We all went to dinner: My Aunts, Uncle, his children (my cousins), and his grandchildren. We had a very nice time. At dinner my Uncle gave me a very special Buddha medallion that he wears around his neck, and told me to keep it to protect me. It was a very sweet moment; I thanked him in Thai as my eyes welled up with tears. I was so frustrated that I couldn’t really communicate with him, but I think he knew and could tell how grateful I was.

My cousin, Neung, married an older Englishman (she’s 33 and he’s 61!) that is an actor, writer, and teacher in the U.K. (Side note: Okay, this was odd because he’s a year older than my Uncle…Does he call him Dad????) Anyways, his name is Alex, and we spent majority of the evening talking about theatre and different shows that we have done, etc. It was so nice talking to someone that has similar interests as me. He is a very smart, and witty older man (old enough to be my Dad), and has an incredible resume at that. He has a book out on Amazon.com called, Bilingual Shakespeare: A handbook for teachers. If you know anyone that use this text- spread the word! He comes from a family of actors and artists, and says that Helena Bonham Carter is a 2nd cousin of his (that he “never keeps in contact with-but should”) Uh, yeah. You think? He uses great words like, stodgy, fellow, lovely, pompous, and says “right” all the time. I love it! He said that I need to come visit him and my cousin in England, and I just might have to take him up on that offer!
On the way home, we went a different route. We passed the corn town, the banana town, the Dr. Seuss-looking tree town, the pineapple town, the rubber tree farm (which my Mom kept calling out, ”Hey honey, look at the tire trees!” Ha, ha!!!! Every time we passed an Esso gas station, I’d miss Allan, Puerto Rico and the infamous papas wedges (aka: drunk food). Then we passed the Eucalyptus tree farm, and then last but not least, the live lizard, locust, and ant egg stand!!! Mind you, this is all for FOOD! Oh yeah, we pulled over--I’ve got pictures!!!! Don’t worry; I wasn’t THAT BRAVE!!!! YUCK!

It was a great trip; I shopped a little, ate a little, and played with my “new family” a little. I wish Allan were here to enjoy all of this with me.

4/3/08

2008-05-03T16:37:00.000-04:00

So I have about 1 week left in Thailand (not counting the traveling days back to the States), and I have learned these things so far:

- Even though I have met my family for the 1st time at the age of 29, I love them unconditionally and feel like I have known them forever.
- This journey has been a true testament to my own strength, control, patience, and will power. Something that I have always needed to work on.
- I spent a couple of lazy afternoons reading Eat, Pray, Love. Thank you Amy for giving me such a perfect book to read on this trip. It was incredibly inspiring, and I will pass it on to you next. J I love you.
- Thai people are amazing and generous people, even when they don’t have much, they have so much to give.
- I have no qualms with drinking wine out of a box, but I do not like Thai wine.
- Distance really DOES make the heart grow fonder. I knew this before, but I feel I truly know it now.
- Mosquitoes love me whether they are in Houston, Puerto Rico, or Thailand.
- My Mother is like the earth, with so many layers that have yet to be revealed to me. This trip has caused me to be able to reach depths that I have never seen before, and a longing to learn and understand her more, until I reach her core.
- I want to travel the world, and see places that only I have dreamed about. This is only the beginning.
- Cold showers aren’t that bad.
- I am a far braver person than I had ever believed myself to be, or given myself credit for. And damn it, I’m giving myself credit NOW.
- I’m too happy in my life, and don’t have the time or energy to be angry with petty people. I’d rather focus on the one’s that I love, and want to be around. Mai pen rai. (No worries.)
- My hair is a curly pubis-like afro in Thailand, much as it is in Puerto Rico, if not more so.
- The empty place in my heart has been filled, and now I have a greater understanding of that “other half” of me.
- Not to sound all deep, and NO, I haven’t been smoking the “Thai stick”, but no matter where you are in the world, when you get to the root of it, we all speak the same language. We sleep under the same stars, we cry the same tears, and feel the same kind of love. <3 <3 <3

4/2/08 Wednesday

2008-05-03T16:35:00.000-04:00

- Last night, I prayed, meditated, and listened to music before bed. It felt great! J
- Today was a cool, rainy, day; the breezy air feels so nice!
- I worked on my blog and watched a few slideshows from PR on my computer. I don’t know why I did that. It made me even more homesick.

- Today was a good day, I let all negative energy bounce off me as if I were a concrete wall and all of those negative thoughts or energies were those 25 cent super rubber bouncing balls from the candy machines. They are all bouncing off of me at great distances to never be found again. Just like the bouncy balls I had as a kid.
- Mom and I have been watching Indian folk-tale stories on TV. I find them interesting and extremely melodramatic; they could be easily mistaken for SNL sketches.
- My Aunt brought home the BEST Khao Phat (fried rice) today. It really pains me to say it, but it was even better than my Mom’s.
- My new favorite Thai dessert, which has always been Allan’s, is called Kanom Kok. It’s a sort of coconut custard that has a crispy edge and a gooey creamy middle, similar to a Crème Brule. They are made in little cast iron pans that have little half-moon cups that you pour the custard in. It looks like a cast-iron deviled egg holder. It is considered street food and is soooo yummy! For some reason it tastes way better here in Thailand than it does in Houston. Go figure.
- Chi Yo means cheers in Thai. It’s very fun to say aloud while pretending that you have a beer stein in your hand…Try it…Chi Yo!
- We went to dinner tonight at a place called the Green Corner, which was funny because it wasn’t green and it was in the middle of the street. My cousin P’Sang ordered the ant egg stir-fry. Yup, you read it right! I about gagged! This was something that I didn’t even want to look at. I didn’t want to be rude, and my Aunt asked me to pass her a bowl of it, and as it passed my face across the table, I think I may have puked in my mouth a little. I don’t think I could ever be brave enough to try that one. I’m sure its full of great protein, but again, umm…no thanks. I had the vegetarian soup, and a vegetarian rice noodle salad.
- I tried my first taste of Thai wine. I don’t think wine is their forte. It was very sour, almost vinegary, and fell completely flat for my taste.
- After dinner, we drove over to the Wat (temple) in town, and it was BEAUTIFUL! I have never been to a temple at night, and this place was beyond words to look at. The architecture of the structure was old, and part of it was being renovated. It still stood strong and tall, as if it was just built that morning and was ready for the whole world to enjoy its glory. There were multi-colored, ornate, mirror mosaics all over the temple, and multiple Buddha’s gilded in gold surrounding it. They all sparkled like glitter reflecting from the night sky, almost mimicking the stars and moon. It was like a small piece of heaven on earth. There was a funeral going on across the street, and you could hear the echoes of monks chanting across the whole temple. It was incredible!
- All in all, it was a great day.

4/1/08 Tuesday

2008-05-03T16:34:00.003-04:00

- Today is April Fool’s Day…whatever; holidays like this don’t count in Thailand.
- Allan called this morning, I LOVE HIM SOOOOO MUCH! Ugh, I can’t wait to see him. It’s been way too long! This trip would be so incredible if he was here to appreciate it with me.
- It’s already off to an incredibly HOT day. It’s gonna be a scorcher!
- I’ve made the conscious decision that today WILL BE a good day.
- It was.

3/31/08

2008-05-03T16:34:00.001-04:00

I woke up early this morning to the most AMAZING thunderstorm ever. The rest of the day was crap. I wrote about it in my travel journal, but wish not to share. Let’s just say that I think God is testing my will power and strength at this time. This trip is becoming increasingly hard on me, and I don’t want to let anyone, or thing ruin it for me. 13 more days to go. I can’t believe I feel this way today. I want to just let it go and start new and fresh tomorrow. “Mai pen rai” …no worries, right?

3/30 Sunday

2008-05-03T16:33:00.002-04:00

- I woke up abruptly to my Aunt screaming in Thai to me saying something about Alien! (That’s how she says Allan) I stumbled down the stairs to catch his phone call. It was soooo nice to hear his voice. He puts me at peace. Allan knows exactly what to say to make me feel better. He is in St. Petersburg, FL right now. We both are having a difficult time with the distance thing. In the end, it will be all worth it!
- Pure example of my Mother: I told her that Allan called, and that he was sweet and said that it was weird how the other Coastie OC’s said that being away from their wives was good for their relationship, and that Allan said that he couldn’t understand that because he could spend every moment with me. Her response was, “ Oh Mischelle, he’s just telling you that to make you feel good.” Thanks Mom. (sigh)
- It just might be 150* degrees outside today.
- My Ba Dang feeds the chickens scraps and leftover food. I just watched my Mom feed the chickens- chicken bones.
- Today, I want to go “home”.
- I need to meditate.
- Thai TV has a laugh and gag reel that is insane! Wah-wah, boing, and fake laughs every two seconds, I have no clue how anyone watches the show without being completely annoyed!
- I spoke to Allan again tonight; I love that man!
- My Aunt compared me to a cow today.
- I went to bed early because the heat was just unbearable. I just read, and slept.

3/29/08

2008-05-03T16:33:00.001-04:00

- Traveling to Loei today in a paddy wagon, well, a Thai Police Van with about 9 other people.
- It is 7:30 AM and they are already drinking! Oh yay…I’m riding cross-country with a bunch of drunken cops!
- I saw a baby elephant walking on the side of the road as if it were a stray dog. No one said a word about it! WTF? I may have been the only one who saw it. I am going to pretend that the little elephant made its appearance just for me. It was an adorable fella.
- There are rice fields everywhere
- We passed the hand-made basket town, sugar town, broom town, coconut candy town, and flower town, baby-banana town, all the way to Loei.
- We went to lunch with a posse of my Thai family, and I watched people eat live shrimp, or krill, or something that was still jumping in the bowl like jumping beans…Umm…no, thank you.
- We went to Gaeng Koo Koot Park. It’s right at a border town that features an outdoor shopping market with Thai goods. It is on the Mekong River and you can see Laos just on the other side. It’s a pretty amazing spectacle. I took some incredible pictures from this place.
- The Mekong River wasn’t as impressive or as vast and mighty as I thought it would be. The water was quite low, and I guess they said it has been so low because the Chinese has built dams (to which they deny) that slow the flow of this historical river. The river starts at China, through Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Southeast Asia History 101.
- We went to my Cousin’s house and sat around the front yard, while the drunken police officers (and Fred) attempted to play the guitar and sing American, John Denver-esque songs.
- We then went to dinner in downtown Loei; I was so not hungry…I’m SO over food at this point.
- I miss Allan terribly; he starts his 2-week cruise today- I think.
- I am sending him sweet thoughts and safe dreams…Whoa, I AM TIRED…reverse that.
- After a long drive back to my Aunt’s…Good Night.

3/28/08 Friday

2008-05-03T16:32:00.001-04:00

- TGIF, right? 1 day closer to seeing Allan!
- Mom and I went for our morning walk, and listened to the community morning announcements over the loud speakers. There are speakers on the light posts all around the village.
- I put make-up on Ba Dang and my Mom this morning and made them “Suay Mak” (very beautiful!)
- We then went into town and had lunch with their pretty new looks.
- We went to the tailors to check the progress on our custom-made outfits. Mom’s stuff looks great so far! They were still working on mine. It’s amazing how quickly they whip this stuff up. Its true craftsmanship. We just showed them pictures, and they made it!
- We went to the grocery store because I decided to make spaghetti for my Thai peeps. They never eat that kind of stuff. I made spaghetti; with a 2 very small, dusty jars of spaghetti sauce that I found way up high on the shelf at the store like no one had ever considered buying such a thing. It was Heinz, and it said spaghetti sauce, it just happened to taste more like the Heinz ketchup than anything else. It was awful! So, I added some fresh tomatoes to the mix, and a little bit of tomato paste and water to it, along with fresh basil, garlic, and diced red peppers. It still was too sweet and was an embarrassment. Oh well, I tried. I made a meat version for the rest of the family and they seemed to think it was fine and gobbled it up. I also made garlic bread and salad with homemade vinaigrette. They seemed to like the garlic bread best. (I mean really, who doesn’t?)
- Fred bought about 50 ice cream cones and popsicles from the ice cream man today. He must feel guilty about eating mine. Or he’s just hungry. I’ll choose the latter.
- My Mom was crying today because my Aunt washed her shirt and skirt, that should have been dry-cleaned; needless to say, they are ruined. She was upset because they are her favorites, and they were expensive. She was really bummed, poor Mommy. (I felt bad, but I couldn’t help but laugh) My Aunt kept saying, “Mai Pen Rai” which basically means, No worries.
- I bought more Tiger Balm today.

3/27/2008

2008-05-03T16:31:00.000-04:00

- I slept well last night; I spoke with Amy, which made me very happy! J That girl can lift my spirits faster than a vodka drink!
- Today, I took a cold shower and headed downtown with my Aunt and Mother.
- Mom got me the prettiest Thai gold necklace with a Quan Yin charm on it.
- I saw crickets for sale (to eat) in the market, and I forgot my camera!!! Damn!
- We went to the bank to exchange our American money for Thai baht.
- We got plane tickets to fly to Bangkok before we head home, instead of driving. Thank Goodness!
- Fred ate the ice cream that I bought for myself from the ice cream man yesterday.
- I used the neighbor lady’s internet today (her brut daughter scared me, and sat over my shoulder and stared at me, and gave me the one handed sawadee ka…creepy)
- I miss my friends and family back home.
- My Aunt cracks me up!
- I need to work out.
- They don’t use tampons here… just pads.
- Mosquitoes heart Mischelle 4/eva!
- Fred said that there aren’t any zoos in Thailand. I have a travel guide, and it says that there are many zoos throughout the country.
- I went to P’Sang’s police station in the countryside. It rained so I didn’t get very good pictures. (I went with Sang, Fred and Boss)
- I saw a 1,000 year old tree, that stood tall and proud and had a small spirit house in front of it. It was an amazing sight.
- There are fruit trees everywhere in Thailand; no wonder my Mom thinks every tree or plant is edible!
- Malaria pills give me crazy-ass dreams!
- I really miss Allan today- BAD.
- Loui sent me a nice email today; it cheered me up.
- Thai candies and gum often taste like menthol cough drops.
- Thank Buddha for Tiger Balm.

March 26, 2008

2008-05-03T16:30:00.000-04:00

- I woke up, showered and went to the Internet café in town, with Boss my cousin’s 9 yr old son. Again, everyone stared. I’m getting used to it.
- I spent 2 hours there and have no clue if the emails that I sent out went through or not…it said they “failed”
- I am homesick today.
- Every time I see a Toyota Yaris, I think of Allan (inside joke)…I see them A LOT!
- The ice cream boy is rich from this household.
- We had rice noodles and som tum (papaya salad) for lunch today…yum! J
- I spoke to Allan this morning and he got our cells hooked up with International calling, YAY! We had a great conversation, and I miss him more than any word in the Webster’s Dictionary could ever describe.
- We went to the Big C grocery store tonight and everyone stared, AGAIN. I feel like a zoo exhibit. I thought I was getting used to it, but this was just funny!
- I saw the BIGGEST spider today in the kitchen. Ba Dang killed it (Thank God).
- I had fresh baby corn for dinner tonight and it was delish! It’s much better than it’s canned cousin.
- I really would love a glass of red wine right now, and maybe a Boca burger.
- I heart Allan. <3
- I wish Fred wouldn’t talk to me like I am a 5 year old.
- I also wish he wasn’t so jealous of me and my Mom’s relationship-I AM HER DAUGHTER (that should be the name of my book)
- I miss my dogs. L This has been “ruff”…Okay; I think I may be delirious.
- I haven’t been drinking enough water.
- My nails look like crap.
- I think I am going to bed early tonight- I am grumpy.
- P.S. I am also sick of Fred saying that he’s a “happy Buddha” and calling my Mom “Mama” all the time…ugh, so annoying! It’s the worst when he says,” Mama, I’m a happy Buddha!” Ahhhh!!!!!!
- I love all of the girly-boys in this country! They all make me smile.

March 25, 2008

2008-05-03T16:29:00.000-04:00

- I smother myself daily with 15% Deet Mosquito Repellant Lotion, and I hate it! I still get bit!
- All the time, is naptime.
- I still have cramps.
- Fred snores SO loud!
- I just wrote Allan another postcard.
- I miss Allan like crazy!!!
- I forgot my f’n ipod charger…grrr…
- Thai girls want their skin to be light and white, while American’s work hard to get a good tan. Hmmm.
- New nickname: Farang Noi (a little bit white)
- We went to the market and shopped a little today, I got some pretty cool bags, and some of the best Thai tea ever!
- I’m thinking that I am going to invent Thai tea ice cream, if it hasn’t been done already

March 23, 2008

2008-05-03T16:28:00.002-04:00

Monday March 24, 2008

- I went for another long walk with Mom today (the scenery is so rural and different than what I am used to, it’s a beautiful change of pace.)
- We took the bus to the post office and went downtown to shop a little.
- Everyone looked at me like I was an alien. It is very unnerving.
- I got fitted today for a custom-made silk skirt suit.
- The ice cream man loves me. J Ha, ha!
- The She-man a few houses over, isn’t kidding anyone!
- Fred got Ba Dang a brand new propane “Thai stove”.
- I had Gwit Theal (Thai noodle soup) for lunch
- I miss Allan!
- My cousin P’Sang asked me to go to a cockfight with him, and I strongly declined making an aww hell-no look, while drawing fake tears on my face with my finger.
- I went walking in the town park (which is amazing), with my Mom and Thuc-Tha. We watched the most hilarious display of people doing aerobics! Especially the gay guy in spandex with the cute bubble-butt. J HA!!!
- I have cramps. Buh.

Sunday, March 23

2008-05-03T16:28:00.001-04:00

Sunday, March 23

- I love the sound of rain falling on a tin roof (wow, that was very Norah Jones of me)
- I love the bathing ritual of Thai women. They take pride and care of their skin powdering and lotioning (another one of my made-up words), and they wear these sarongs that they switch before they shower, the dirty one- and after, the clean one. It is almost an art form all on its own.
- The toilet situation here is no fun.
- Fresh Thai fruit is unlike anything else!
- Money, my Aunt’s rottweiler, is infested with fleas, BAD. L
- I’m not sure if my Aunt and Mom are kidding with me about the arms length long lizard that lives in the house. (It makes tapping noises at night)
- Mom and I went for a long morning walk around the ‘hood this morning.
- Fred “put mak” (it’s Thai for, talks too much)
- We had a Thai breakfast of sticky rice and fried eggs…enough to make you fall back asleep again!
- I named two of Ba Dang’s nameless Min Pins; the female-Honey, the male-Houston
- Exotic flowers grow like weeds here (orchids, lilies, azaleas, etc.)
- I love watching my Mom and Aunt pick on each other just like kids. It’s easy to picture their childhood of pestering each other.
- I want to go shopping; I’m bored.
- It has been raining all morning long-YAY!
- I wish Allan was here- I love him.
- I wish my Aunt had internet access! What is a girl to do without internet for a whole month!?

March 22, 2008

2008-05-03T16:27:00.000-04:00

-I’ve come to realize that I get my magazine obsession and naturally wavy hair from my Aunt.
-I spoke with the MIL, Genny, today and it was really nice and made me feel somewhat closer and connected to Allan.
-Fred’s feet still look like footballs (they have been swollen this whole trip)
-I’m living pretty primitively for my own taste, but my Ba Dang has a refrigerator that plays music when you open it. J
-Bugs love me
-Frogs around here sound like Puerto Rican Coquis, only with a Thai accent
-I’m BORED. Everyone wants to sleep all of the time! (Except for Ba Dang, who just does laundry and sweeps)
-Everyone in this country stares at me like I am a mystical creature; like a unicorn or something. I can’t even imagine if I was blonde!
-Thai game shows are exactly what you expect them to be- RIDICULOUS!
-In Thailand, life revolves around food. It’s not helping me lose weight, that’s for sure.
-I miss Allan.

March 21, 2008

2008-05-03T16:25:00.002-04:00

So far, not so good. Allan called early this morning, and told me that we will be transferring to Philadelphia. It was sooo nice talking to him, although it was the hardest conversation I’ve ever had with him since he’s been gone. I think we both had our hopes up for Houston, and with us being so far apart; it was a very emotional phone call. I stood in the kitchen at my Aunt’s house, tears running down my face uncontrollably. I know that everyone was wondering WTF?
Forget the Philly part, the worst thing about this conversation is that I failed to tell Allan Happy Birthday! I feel like the worst wife ever!!! I can’t believe I did that!!! Not to make excuses, but he called right when I woke up, I was disoriented, and still had no clue what day or time it is, and I was still jet-lagged and confused! Ugh, that is no excuse… I CAN’T BELIEVE I DID THAT! I never forget these things, and I feel so terrible that I can’t even explain. I pre-sent him a card, and some gifts before my trip, but I actually spoke to him on “The Day” and didn’t say a word! I feel so awful. He had to call back after we hung up, to say, “Did you forget to say something?” I was like, “I love you???” I AM SUCH A SCHMUCK!!! I hate the way I feel right now. I wish I could just snap my fingers and magically appear before Allan, and hug and kiss him all over, and tell him how sorry I am. I know it sounds like I am beating myself up over this. It is just hard being on the other side of the world, and not able to talk to your husband when you want to, because he is at Officer’s school, and they only have half-assed working pay phones. L I just need to vent. My heart aches right now. I could tell he was bummed; my poor hubby spent a lonely birthday in CT, while his wife forgot to wish him a good one. Way to go Mischelle.

I am lying in bed right now, and there are too many things around me that make me uncomfortable:
- The bed comforter is super itchy…no sheets.
- The mattress is rock hard.
- There are several large spiders above my head.
- The fan squeals like a cricket each rotation
- There is no reading light, just a long fluorescent bulb across the room opposite of those damn spiders.
- My hip hurts
- There is no clock in here
- Allan is not next to me.
I know that I sound like a bitchy-puss, but this is really hard for me. At this point I am having such a bad day, that not even Tylenol PM can make better. I need to sleep and just pray that the next day will bring me sunshine.

Thursday, March 20th 2008

2008-05-03T16:24:00.002-04:00

I got, well we got ripped off at the Amari Hotel in Bangkok. We were told at check-in that the cost would be $60.00 per night, so we stayed for 2 nights. At checkout we were told it was over $300.00 a night and that there was nothing they could do about that. I was so angry that I was shaking! I did my best to stay composed, and realized that without anything written on paper, I could not prove this statement. I sucked it up, paid, and left.
After we left the hotel, we went to the Royal Palace and temple in Bangkok. It was incredibly beautiful! The King’s sister recently passed away from cancer, and everyone was there wearing black, and was there to pay his or her respects. Well, my Aunt warned us of this and we prepared by wearing black. Little did I know that it could not be sleeveless? So it was a small fiasco finding the farang some type of cover-up to hide my shoulders. My Aunt’s BFF’s daughter (did you get that?), works at the Royal Palace, and found me some light blue work shirt to put on so that I could even enter the grounds. It made me stick-out like a sore thumb even more! Here, we did a quick 2-hour tour (apparently this should be an all-day event), and I was able to see the infamous Emerald Buddha. This is a gorgeous Buddha that is inside a temple that is made completely of the precious stone. It was breath taking. I prayed, donated a few baht, and left feeling a little more cultured and schooled in Thai history.

We left the Royal Palace and started our trek over to my Ba Dang’s (my Aunt) house. It was about a 9-hour drive, and at this point I have no clue what day it is or what time it is. All I know at this point is that I miss Allan so bad that I want to cry. We finally get to my Aunt’s house safely in Sakkon Nakhon, and I go straight to bed and crash.

Thailand Trip! (finally)

2008-05-03T16:22:00.003-04:00

Okay, so it’s been a while, once again, I need to get better at this. I am currently in Thailand visiting my family. This trip is a trip of a lifetime, and I am terribly sad that Allan is not here to share it with me. I want to copy some of what is in my travel journal to give you all an update. Let’s see, this trip has been pretty grueling and unbearable at times, and completely amazing and unforgettable others. I arrived in Thailand on March 17th (having left on the 15th…somehow we missed Sunday altogether).
My travel partners are my Mother, and her husband, Fred. We had a very long flight of over 20 hours that seemed to last a decade. The entire time I was wondering whether Fred was going to make it. He is an extremely large man with terrible health conditions, and probably should not have been traveling in the 1st place. We have a very hard time communicating with each other (okay, who am I kidding, we just don’t get along) and felt that maybe during this trip, we would turn a new leaf and start fresh. YEAH, right!!! I was hopeful in this pursuit, and I know the trip isn’t over, but I feel this is a lost cause. More than anything, I want this for my Mom. She doesn’t need to be stuck in the middle; it just happens. This is just a little intro to how my trip has been so far. I am halfway through at this point, and pray that it gets better.

Anyways, here is my journal entry Day 1:

It’s March 17th (I think) and I am so friggin’ tired and starved. It’s my 1st day in Thailand, and it’s already off to a terrible start. Never mind the 20 something hour plane ride it took to get here, and the fact that Sunday was completely skipped, Never mind all of the family drama that ensued the whole way here… Ugh, I am too tired to even write about it…just never mind.
I’m over it.

In between these entries we stayed in Bang Saen, Thailand, and Bangkok. We stayed on the beach one night in Bang Saen at a pretty low-end, dirty, beachside, “hotel” with no AC. It was a pretty eye-opening experience. I may be exaggerating a tad, but it kinda reminded me of the motel that Leo Dicaprio stayed at in the beginning of the movie The Beach. That evening, we ate at an amazing seafood restaurant with prawns the size of lobsters, and some of the best Tom Yum Goong (shrimp soup) I have ever tasted. My Aunt (that I had just met) and her best friend ended up bunking with me that night in my room, and we all three slept together like sardines in a can. It was interesting- two Thai women who speak no English, and little ol’ me, the farang (white-girl), who speaks hardly any Thai. If only I had it on film, so you could see the cave-man way of playing charades to get our points across.

The next day, after our complimentary breakfast of rice soup, and fried miniature fish, we headed to Bangkok. We went to a beautiful (that is understatement) temple on the way. I have never been to a temple like this before. It was sort of an outdoor temple. There were wild monkeys, amazing Chinese-style artwork, and beautiful bright colors of red and gold everywhere. This was a special place for me, and I don’t really even know why. Incense fumigated the air and there were flowers everywhere. I knelt down on my knees and prayed and prayed. I was full of emotion, not only from the trip, and Fred, and just about to start my “lunar flow”, but because I had finally made it. I made it to this place that has always left my heart a little empty. Tears slowly fell from my face, as sweat dripped from my forehead. Something overcame me as I wiped my tears so that I could see the beautiful, peaceful, shrine that was in front of me. I don’t even think I could explain what it all meant. I just know that, for that small moment in time, all I could think about was Allan, all of the people that I love so dearly, and everything that I am most grateful for. Most of all, I was grateful for being there, at that moment.

Busy, Busy, Busy...

2008-02-26T21:04:00.005-05:00

Long time no blog...Let's see. To make a loooong story short, since my last post, I have had the MIL in town, experienced Valentine's Day without my hubby, Mother-in-law left with my dog Kekoa :(, I've been to a few parties (one of which I threw for myself), and have been trying to take advantage of living this wonderful island-life before I head to Houston. There is so much going on in my life right now, and not enough time to type and keep up! Tonight, well, tomorrow (real f'n early)I am headed back home for a couple of weeks before I go to Thailand. I'm up because I do not plan on going to bed before my 4:00 am flight, which causes me to be at the airport around 2:30 AM! UGHHHH! I am so tired and drained from trying to "close down shop" and get packed and ready for my 3 months worth of travel! I'm so stressed right now, excited,and anxious. I am toting 2 extremely large and heavy pieces of luggage, a backpack that is stuffed to the brim (turtle-style), and an 8lb. yorkie in a duffel bag. Yes, this is gonna be interesting to say the least! If there was a way I could film this all for your viewing pleasure, I'm sure it would make for a top 10 youtube video.
Let's go back a little, Allan's Mom and I had a nice time together. We didn't do everything that we thought we would do while she was here, but we did eat a lot and were extremely lazy. I'm sure that was heaven for her, she needed the vacation. She takes care of Allan's elderly Grandma and deserved a break. One whole week was probably a little too long for a DIL and a MIL to be hanging out w/out the son there; but, we made it through. Barely. I think if it were any longer, we may have strangled each other. Now, I say this on both of our behalf's. I'm not gonna lie, I had a few Ally McBeal moments, as I like to call it. You know, where you picture all of these things in your head, like a big comic bubble above my head and inside I can see a big anvil falling on someones noggin, or me wrapping duct tape around an overly talkative mouth. I think this is natural for a daughter-in-law to feel, right? Anyways, all in all, it was a nice visit and I think she only mentioned me getting pregnant like 213 times...way less than I expected. I never saw the money for that. I kid. I only kid. :) I love her.

Tony (the toad) is gone, the bastard took my quarter and ran..err..hopped! I haven't seen him around, and I think he got scared when I decided to start leaving him dishes of water to drink. There has been no sign of him, and the quarter that I used to compare his size, really is gone too! He probably bought a better place down the street, with a nice ocean view. I don't blame him.

So, last Friday I decided to throw myself a surprise going-away party. Yes, you read that right. It was tons of fun, and a lot of interesting people showed up. My neighbor, and dear friend Amanda, was well lit and made the night very fun and entertaining. I'm really gonna miss that girl. We drank lots of versions of rum punch, gallon jugs of misc. mixed drinks, played card games, and even managed to dance the night away at another party down the street. I think it all played off successfully except for the fact that the last person didn't walk out of my door until 4:00 am. I'm too old for that crap. I surprisingly wasn't hungover at all (I think because I was hosting the thing, and kept the alcohol to a bare minimum), and somehow kept the house in one piece. I will post many pictures of these events later.

On another note, Allan and I have been able to keep in pretty good touch with each other lately. We email back and forth and have been able to talk on the phone quite a bit over the past couple of days. That may sound great, but the reason we have been able to talk on the phone a lot is because he has the flu. He is basically quarantined in the medical facility at the academy. There is a phone line there that he is able to use that has NO static!!! AMAZING! My poor guy has some nasty virus/bug that has been going around. Everyone please keep in your thoughts and prayers and hope that he gets well soon. He is having to miss out on his daily activities with the rest of his platoon, but at least he is able to have a small break and rest. I'm sure his immune system has been sacrificed because he is so tired and working non-stop all of the time. Times like this make me wish I was there to take care of him. :( It kills me knowing that he is so sick and I can't be there.
So, now I am headed to Houston and sooooo excited about seeing my friends and family! I have 2 little nieces that I haven't even met yet! Its all very exciting, but terribly stressful at the same time. I feel like my brain is going a million miles an hour and I can't relax for shit. I think when I get there, I will want to sleep for 2 days straight! Although, my Step-dad's snores can be heard all the way to China. I may never get that well-deserved rest. (sigh) Here goes another adventure...I'll add more later, I'm gonna try and relax a little before the long day ahead of me. Stay tuned! Wish me luck, and safe travels! See my H-town posse soon! XOXO

MIL

2008-02-13T08:51:00.009-05:00

its a total joke, people...i love my mother-in law! <3

My Mother-in-law is coming in tonight!!! I haven't had a houseguest since Kori, Andy, and Danny last came in December. She is staying with me for a week, then she is taking my dog Kekoa with her back to CO. It makes me sooo sad to know that I will be apart from yet another family member. I can't fly back to Houston with two dogs, so she will be watching one for me until Allan graduates. Kekoa is going to really hate me now! Poor little fella. It will probably be harder on me than it will be for him. She has two small dogs that he adores and loves to play with.

Anyways, this little visit should be interesting. My MIL loves the idea of me being pregnant...and I mean, LOVES. To the extent that she said that every time she brings it up, she will give me a quarter. I said, hell no!!! I get a dollar! I'm gonna be rich by the end of the week!!! She needs to realize that there is no possible way I'm getting pregnant, unless someone invents some kind of telephone-conjugal-visit-machine. She's probably working on that right now. Seriously, she acts like I should be pregnant NOW. She even jokingly threatened to poke holes with a needle in Allan's condoms! I think it was a joke?

That will be the trick of the week. Lets see if I can manage to tip-toe around the whole pregnancy issue. Mother-in-laws...you gotta love 'em! :)

Well, I just wanted to shoot out a small update; I have to go clean now for the white-glove inspection. Ha,ha....I'm kidding...kinda.

My Guard Toad, Tony!

2008-02-11T13:04:00.000-05:00

Hello! I know what you're thinking...GROSS! But, just wait, give him a chance. This is my new friend/guard toad. I named him Tony. He's been hanging out right outside my front door for the past few days now. I really don't know how long he's been there. I was taking my dog Kekoa for a walk when I stumbled across this beauty. I put a quarter on the ground beside him so you can get an idea of how HUGE he is! He's a a big boy!..or girl, then she will be Toni. Anyways, I named him Tony because I think that if he were to be able to talk, he would sound much like Tony Soprano. He's a tough guy. Wha?
I like to think he is my front door guardian; making sure that no one passes who shouldn't, etc... (even if it is a few mere flies and mosquitoes) I pretend he is the replacement for my handsome prince (Allan) and is protecting me while he is gone. :)
Isn't he cute now? Don't get me wrong, I don't want to kiss him, but it is kinda fun having him around. Every time I check my mail, I say hello and he sits there in his spot chillin', not scared at all. Today I even set a little glass dish of water out for him (in case he gets thirsty?). I really don't know what to feed a frog, but as you can see, it doesn't look like finding food is a problem. Anyways, I just wanted you to meet my new buddy Tony. Maybe I should make him a cute outfit, like a pinstripe suit or a crown. Hmm...

Emails are a wonderful thing!

2008-02-09T20:27:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was the official day that Allan was able to start emailing me! I am soooo excited!!! He sent me an email saying:

Hey babe,

We now have email privileges! We did good today. I have to poop then go eat dinner. I miss and love you so much. Email me!

I love you,

Allan

xxxxoooo

Ha,ha! Yea, my man loves to talk about poop...isn't he romantic? ;) Its pretty incredible what you take for granted. This little email made my day! Hell, it made my week! Its nice to know that if I have something that I want to say to him, that I don't have to wait and mail him a letter anymore. By the time I get the snail mail out, whatever I had to say doesn't matter anymore. All I have to say is YAY to emails!!! :)

"Thai Night"

2008-02-07T22:00:00.000-05:00

Ooh, 2 in one day...lucky peeps!
Woo-Hoo! I just got off the phone with my honey!!! :) It makes me so happy when he calls. We didn't get to talk for very long, but it was great to get his unexpected phone call! He never calls on a Thursday. (Not that I've had too many phone calls) Ah, I love him.
I'm so glad that I didn't go out tonight. I did go to "Thai Night" here on base for dinner. Funny stuff... They offer different cultural food nights at the Community Center, like Thai night, Mexican night, All-American night...haha, it cracks me up. None of it is really authentic, or all that good, unless you like mashed potatoes in your tacos, or Thai food that isn't spicy. I mean, really? What is that about? I guess that it is nice that it exists though. It keeps me from having to cook. I have been hating cooking for only one these days. I've been just boiling edamame and calling it dinner; but hey, that makes for a fine dinner to me! Everyone was excited about the local pizza joint called Jimmy's having micro-brew now. See, that is AMAZING stuff considering there is only one brewery in PR and its in San Juan. So, everyone went there after "Thai Night" to partake in the lovely goodness that is a frosty beverage. I really wanted to go but, my ride bailed on me. I guess it was a good thing because I may have missed Allan's call. I guess that gives me no excuse to miss aerobics tomorrow. Better go to sleep now so I can sweat my ass off and do the Jane Fonda bright and early! I will sleep better now having heard Allan's voice. :) Nighty, night. xoxo

Super Bowl Pics

2008-02-07T10:30:00.001-05:00

My super-duper Vegetarian Chili (that didn't win, but should have) ;) It was really good but I doubt I could ever duplicate it since I never go by a recipe! Not smart, I know.

there were three large banquet tables full o' crock-pots (mine is the silver one on the end...I arrived early and still got a sucky spot!)

Eric loves chili! :)

Still reperesentin' the Dallas Cowboys!

Two half Thai Mischelle's (she's a no s'er)!

Houston Texans in da house! (sorry Brady boy)

Looks gross, but I swear it was divine...ask the Navy guys who never knew there wasn't meat in it! ;) Muahhahhhahaaaa! They were shocked and appalled when I told them! In the end, there was no chili left. I made a full crock pot and not a single bean left for me. I guess that was a good sign! Yay, for being Texan and being able to improvise!

Super Bowl!

2008-02-03T12:08:00.000-05:00

Well, its Super Bowl Sunday and I am writing this while my Vegetarian Chili is doing its crock pot thing... I am waiting to see how it tastes before I decide to enter it into the base Super Bowl Chili Cook Off early this evening. I really don't know too many people that prefer vegetarian to the usual fatty, meat-laced original. I will see if I can pull it off and get enough "meaty" flavor in it to impress those carnivores. ;) Maybe they will be so drunk that they won't be able to tell the difference.

I just had an amazing 30 minute conversation with Allan! It's crazy how fast 30 minutes can go by! I am so proud of him. He sounded okay. He is still incredibly busy, tired, and homesick. He said missing the Super Bowl was like missing Christmas. Poor guy! I can tell he is in much better spirits though. Missing him drains me. It makes me so friggin' tired. Maybe its a slight depression (I wouldn't doubt it). All I know is that my days have been up and down...a major roller-coaster. Thursday was bad. I was bummed, didn't want to talk to anyone, and I watched sad movies all day. Friday was good. My girl Poppy and I went to get our hair done and got pedicures, which was a blast! Then that evening, we ordered sushi and hung out at her house with some wine and mucho laughs. She is one of the few people here that can instantly cheer me up. I really truly appreciate her genuine friendship.

Yesterday, was another blah downhill kind of day (I guess you can't win 'em all). Our power went out last night and I was hot, and lonely, and sitting with my dogs by candlelight just wishing Allan was there. When the power goes out (which is a very common thing here in PR), Allan usually makes me what he calls a "chillow" or "chillanket" , which is basically a cold wet rag. :) He puts it on my head or under my neck so that I don't die of heat exhaustion. I could have really used an Allan chillow last night! I guess I could have made one for myself--but, they never are the same. Well, I'm going to go tend to my chili and get ready for the festivities. I will take pics and post them!

BORING. I know...

2008-01-31T15:55:00.001-05:00

(a beautiful red hibiscus from my backyard)

Everyone seems to ask, "What do you do while Allan is away?"...well, here you go. This is the jest. Please don't fall out of your seat with excitement.

Some things that occupy my time while Allan is away:

read
blog
aerobics
write letters to Allan
walk the dogs
yoga
lay in my hammock
meditate
daydream about Allan
watch movies(lots of them--girly ones too!)*if you have any Netflix suggestions please send them my way!
clean the casa
cook foods that Allan doesn't like
attempt to socialize and party w/ people on base
hide from people on base
think about Allan
listen to music
feed my addiction of being a magazine whore
crafts (make jewelry, scrapbook, and sew)
talk to my Houston friends on the phone (they keep me in check, and make sure I'm still alive and sane) Thank you!
beach time
dream about Allan
watch the sunsets
talk to Amy in between her hectic-ass schedule (she talks on the phone way too much while driving--but I appreciate it) ;)
retail therapy
i play games on my Nintendo DS (yes, I AM a dork.)
drink wine (lots)
eat dark chocolate
miss Allan :(

What tha?

2008-01-25T18:16:00.000-05:00

Yay! I had a 20 min. conversation with Allan last night! It was so awesome getting to talk for more than just a few minutes. Hearing his voice, although muffled, made me so happy! :) This time, it sounded like he was talking in a barrel--no Cheeto's.
He said that things were getting a little bit better, that he was extremely busy, and that he was really homesick. My poor man. He told me to enjoy Puerto Rico while I am here because "it is a real gem". I knew at that moment he was really missing it here, and freezing his tooshie off in CT! I will do my best-- for him, and my own sanity, to enjoy what this island has to offer before I leave.

Kekoa (our Manchester Terrier) is really mad at me. I think he thinks that I killed his Daddy or something. He keeps looking at me across the room, glaring, and seems to be thinking, "what the hell did you do to my Daddy, lady?". He will sit there and look at me and whine, cry, then start howling. I take him for 2 walks a day, feed him a thousand scooby snacks a day, and give him SO much attention. I have no clue what else to do? I've told him," Daddy is away, and will be back...I promise." The damn dog just snubs me. Maybe I should make a giant cardboard cut-out and leave Allan standing in the living room so that Kekoa feels reassured. Hmm...thats a great idea! That might sooth me as well. :) I can bring him into the kitchen when I'm cooking, or in the backyard when I am laying in my hammock...ahh, just like if he were home. Bed time might be awkward, but I'm willing to give it a shot.

Oh, and today I had the oddest thing happen to me. I was sitting on the couch reading a People magazine (my favorite guilty pleasure), and I got up to check the mail. When I got up, literally within seconds, my magazine disappeared!!! I mean, disappeared. Really. Then my friend Amy called, and I was on the phone with her looking for it. I looked under the couch, behind the couch, and even under the cushions like Amy said. NOTHING. I had one little quilt on the couch, and the magazine, and me. Where the hell could this thing have gone??? I didn't carry it with me to get the mail...I seriously looked EVERYWHERE. I got off the phone with Amy, and it was driving me batty! I HAD to find out where it was. It couldn't have disappeared into thin air...or could it have? Possibly?...Nah! But, what if? What if someone or something was playing a cruel joke on me. No one was home but me and the dogs...Kekoa? Well, there I was, thinking that I was going insane tearing the couch cushions off like a mad-man and...VOILA! There it was! No, not the magazine, but a tiny surgeon-like slit in the couch underneath where the cushion would lay. I lifted the slit only to find a treasure trove of goodies! There were scrapbook markers, a cd case, coins, pens, hair ties, and of course the shiny gleaming face of various celebrities staring right at me! Alas, I found the never-ending black hole that was in my couch. I'm not insane after all. Just think after all of these years, my couch was silenced by my ass and didn't say a word.

FINALLY!

2008-01-19T23:28:00.000-05:00

Well, I finally got to hear from Allan tonight! It was definitely bittersweet. I knew we only had a little amount of time to talk, so I let him do most of the speaking. He sounded sad, tired, and worn-out. I could tell in his voice that it was a tough ride so far. He sounded hoarse and like his spirits were little down. It broke my heart to hear him sound so sad. It was hard for me to clearly hear what he was saying because the pay phone he was using was crappy and had so much static. It was like someone was crinkling a plastic grocery sack and eating cheetos in my ear. Hey, maybe he was eating Cheetos! I'll have to ask him about that...haha! No, I'm kidding! It was so good to hear his voice, though! I kept saying I love you...I miss you, and muttered a few other things that I don't even remember. I knew that would happen!
He said that he had been made squad leader and lifeguard...I'm not really sure what that means, but I'm pretty sure thats a good thing. He also said that he was sore, had blisters on his feet, and that his tail bone was bruised from doing so many sit-ups. He also said that he was in good shape compared to many of the others, so thats good. He made it very clear that he wanted me to send lots of letters, so I am definitely writing him once a day! My poor love...I miss him so much. Its just so hard having so many restrictions when it comes to talking to your own husband. I'm not sure when I'll hear from him again. He just told me that he'd call whenever he got the chance. Vague, I know. He said he wanted to write me a letter but every second of his day is filled. Thats ok, I'll keep sending letters from home so he knows how much he is missed and how proud I am of him. This is so hard. I just don't know of any other jobs in the world that put their employees through so much hell just to get a promotion!? I mean, really?
Gosh, I miss him so much... I wish May was here already.

This MAY be the day...

2008-01-19T09:40:00.000-05:00

I think I'm supposed to get a phone call today! Keep your fingers crossed! I found out late last night that one of the wives got a 3 min. 45 sec. phone call with her husband. Crazy, huh? I guess I need to really figure out what I want to say to him since we have such a limited amount of time. I have a feeling its gonna be like," I miss you....aww, I love you..." all in between sobs. I'll post back later and give everyone the 411 on that.

I heart hallmark

2008-01-17T21:12:00.000-05:00

(trying to sleep...not gonna happen...so congested, ugh!)

Allan sent me a hallmark e-card this morning! Well, not really this morning, it was one of those deals where you can "pre-send" cards at any given date. It really cheered me up this morning (well, after I cried a little bit). Umm, I mean, I had the sniffles 'cause I'm sick...right, Amy? ;) He is so good to me. I am so lucky to have such an awesome man in my life. (sigh) I can't wait to (hopefully) hear his voice come Sunday! I will be glued to my cell-phone all day! He told me not to do that--but, whatever!? I would DIE if I missed his phone call!
So, today I feel a wee bit better. I am still congested and my head aches, but I conjured up enough strength to take Kekoa out for a nice walk. When I got home, that little bit totally wiped me out. I felt like a wheezy old lady who had smoked cigars in her closet her whole life! I borrowed a movie from my neighbor called, "Hanging Up". It was apparently Walter Matthau's last movie before he passed. It was okay. Nothing special...I guess it didn't really hit home for me.
I have no special plans for the weekend, although tomorrow I told my neighbor Jade, that I'd take her out to lunch for her B-day. It should be fun, just nice to get out of the house...I've felt like a crazy cat lady (minus the cats) being all cooped up and sick in this house.
Well, I'm going to try and sleep. 'Til next time...

La Cucaracha

2008-01-15T20:07:00.000-05:00

I'm STILL sick! Blah, I just wish it would go away. I want to go to aerobics tomorrow but, I still have a very runny nose, and my head feels like its going to explode. I SO wish Allan was home. Times like this make it even harder. I just want someone to be here to take care of me and cuddle when need be. :)
Speaking of missing my honey, I had to get rid of a cockroach by myself last night! Yes, ma'am. It was the freakiest thing ever! I woke up in the middle of the night (to go to the bathroom and blow my nose), and I saw this thing scatter across my bathroom counter. I squealed with whatever voice I had and began to spray it with glade vanilla mint. It scurried onto my comb, and it sat there wiggling its nasty antennae at me. It was all foamy and white because of all of the Glade "perfume" that I doused it with. I grabbed a Puffs Plus and scooped it up and threw it into the toilet. I flushed the toilet, but the darn thing was a trooper and kept trying to swim to the top and wouldn't go down! I had to wait for the potty to fill back up with water, watching this roach doggy-paddle for its life, before I could flush it down again. Finally, my enemy was in sewer heaven. Yes, another reason why I miss my man...and yes, I threw away the comb.

I'm sick of it

2008-01-14T20:58:00.000-05:00

Ugh, I'm sick. I don't have much else to say. I took two Sudafed PM's and I will be asleep shortly. I think some runny-nosed, petri dish of a kid got me to this point. I'm achey, sneezy, and my throat hurts. I really miss my man right now. I wish he was here. Hell, I just wish I could hear his voice. Hmm, good night.

I'm baaa-aaack!

2008-01-13T07:18:00.001-05:00

Okay, things have been crazy busy since I've lasted posted anything. Lets see, the holidays have come and go (which were amazing by the way)--Happy New Year! My sweetheart husband just left for OCS (Officer Candidacy School) in CT. He will be gone for 17 whole weeks! I'm only on week one and finding it extremely tough. I had to take him to the airport to send him off and it was a complete nightmare. I couldn't be happier for him and his accomplishments (it takes a whole lot to get where he is) BUT...I had no clue how much I need him in my everyday life. The evenings are the hardest, and at this point, boy do I miss having TV to watch! I go to bed, spray a little of his cologne on his empty pillow and try to find an ounce of comfort. I think about what he might be doing, and I know he has it much harder than me. Apparently, the first few weeks are like going through boot camp all over again. He's on a very strict schedule and cannot call me or write until he earns those privileges. I'm supposed to hear from him maybe next Sunday, but the time is allotted for 5 minutes at the most. This is going to be the hardest part for me. Sometimes you just want to hear their voice. I write down things to tell him, so that I don't forget when he calls. I write dumb things like: Romeo (our Yorkie)fell off the couch today...it was funny, or I heard that country song International Harvester by Craig Morgan, and it cracked me up (jokingly, he always says it's "his song"), or that the book he has left for me to read is really great. Just anything...I so desperately want to talk to him.
I'll be okay though. I just have to stay busy and remind myself that in the end, this is all going to be the start of a whole new amazing beginning for us. They say absence makes the heart grow fonder, I never thought my heart could grow any fonder...

Techno-Hippie

2007-10-03T21:21:00.000-04:00

Ever since I've been living in PR, I've noticed a lot of things have changed within myself. I am forever morphing into this stronger, better being--or at least I hope so. Living here has humbled me A LOT. I don't mind buying a purse at K-mart, or eating food from a truck on the side of the road, or even losing electricity and water from time to time. I've learned to deal. I've learned that there are so many other things to worry about in life, and material possessions and luxuries are not on the top of that list. Don't get me wrong, I love to be pampered now and then, and I'm not saying I live a life of struggle by any means. I just think that this experience is something that I can learn from. I hope that I can bring these things back with me when I move to the states again, and not resort back to my old way of thinking. I used to care too much about what others thought of me, and didn't focus on what was real and important in life.

A few short weeks after moving here, I realized that there is a huge problem with stray and abused animals here in Puerto Rico. I'm talking dogs, cats, pigs, horses...and of course, the ever so loving sport of cock fighting is numero uno here. This has completely changed my outlook on life and has somewhat helped guide me into becoming a vegetarian. Ok, so I am not a full-on vegetarian, I guess I'm a pesca-vegetarian because I eat seafood. I know, I'm a cheater, but it is still a step in the right direction. At first, I made this choice for health issues (high cholesterol is a family trait I didn't ask to inherit). Then, a year later, it soon became more apparent to me that it isn't just about health, and that I just don't like eating animals (not with four legs anyways). ;) There are so many cases of abuse and neglect when it comes to animals here and it has literally made me sick to my stomach. I am huge animal lover and I find it quite hypocritical to be eating something that I love so much. The benefits seem to out weigh my selfish reasons for eating it. Look, I am from Texas and was basically bottle fed meat and bbq, so it has to be really bad to make me not want it anymore. If you don't believe me, feel free to go to www.saveasato.org to find out for your self. Sato is the slang term that Puerto Ricans give to the stray dogs here. Some people call them pincho's too, which is a name for the various meats on a stick that they sell on roadsides throughout PR. Ummm, yea, nice.
I'm sorry if this sounds preachy...that is SO not my intent. I don't want to be one of those friends who is trying to change everyone's lives or make them feel guilty about their lifestyle. I am just talking about some of the major changes that I have made over the past few years.

Let's see...So, I recycle now (everyone should), which I never did before. I use as many organic products as I can (make-up, soap, detergent, dog shampoo, household cleaners, food, and so on). I started back at school over a year ago and I'm studying to be a holistic health practitioner. I am slightly addicted to acupuncture. I've learned to knit, sew, make my own jewelry, and kind of surf. I gave up our cable tv so that I could enjoy the outdoors more and spend more quality time with my sweetheart hubby. I became a yoga instructor over a year ago (not that I have really used the certification to my credit). I meditate, and I am an advocate for animal rights, and think that it is very important that we clean up our beaches...Oh My God, I'm becoming a HIPPIE!!! (not that there's anything wrong with that)

Okay, wait. Let me go on by telling you that I haven't changed in the fact that I still love technology, hence my cell phone, computers, digital camera, and the oh so un-hippie and greatly loved ipod. ;) I don't sit around campfires tokin' it up while strumming to folk music, and listening to my bohemian, flower-child best friend Wisdom Skye tell me how she plans on accomplishing world peace. I still love to get pedicures and manicures, I love a fancy martini, and have no qualms with staying in a 5 star hotel. I don't wear Birkenstocks, and I shave. So there.

I think all of these changes have been for the better. I am still who I have always been, just slightly wiser and more in tune with myself and what I want to accomplish. Puerto Rico has been an eye-opening experience for me. I've learned that it is okay to have a simple life. I've learned that I don't need fancy things to be happy and to live at life's fullest. Although, I do love my everyday modernism's, and I think that is fine. I mean, I'm not a hippie....
I think I will coin the term techno-hippie. ha,ha! PEACE OUT! :)

AND, ... que techno music: boom cha, boom cha...

To the Max

2007-09-05T21:39:00.000-04:00

So, this is day two of my blogging experience. Yeah, I feel good about it. I think I can get used to this. Today I woke up and went to aerobics. Yep, in a sweaty-ass gym with no AC, and few fans that feel like someone is blowing hot breath on you. Nice, huh? It was a good workout with some fun music and what not. Although, the instructor did a routine to U2's Vertigo, (U2 is my all time fave group ever) and I didn't care for it much. I think I am slowly realizing that I am kind of a control freak when it comes to certain things. The whole time while I was bouncing around to "uno, dos, tres, catorce", all I could think about was how I would have choreographed the whole thing differently. Ugh, I need to let it go and learn to enjoy it for what it is. Free aerobics.

Living on a military base is sooo strange. I never thought I'd marry someone in the military. I'm glad I did, but this lifestyle is definitely one of a kind. I have a small group of girlfriends here. Some closer than others. We all go to aerobics together, go shopping, walk our dogs together, go to Coast Guard sponsored events, and frequently have dinner parties. Sounds fabulous, right? Not so much. We also all live practically on the same street, see each other every day, and know everyone's business. It's way too much for me. I like a little privacy and solitude in my life. I hate that I can sneeze and my neighbor says bless you. Okay, so that's an exaggeration, but not much of one. Currently, I am watching Our friends/neighbors labrador retriever named Max. You see, that's what we do here. A neighbor goes out of town, and we are fully responsible for their dogs, cats, house, etc. Max is a handful. He's still a puppy, but he's an 80 lb. puppy. I have two small dogs (a yorkie, and toy manchester terrier), and walking Max is totally different. Not to be gross or anything, but his poo is like a thousand times bigger than my dogs, and I nearly gagged and made a huge spectacle of myself at the park today having to clean it up. I don't think those little eco-friendly doggy bags are big or thick enough. I need to get an industrial size GLAD garbage bag to pull all the way up my arm for that mess. I can just see myself...walking Max tomorrow with a huge black glad bag, and a gas mask.

Anyways, I gotta run, gotta let Max out again before he leaves a disaster of poo and chewed up magnets in their house. Tomorrow morning calls for extra time during meditation. ...Peace, shanti, right?

No TV = Yoga, Aerobics, and Blogging, Oh My!

2007-09-04T09:41:00.000-04:00

Ok, I'm trying out this new thing. Although, not quite by choice. How do I put it??? Well..."He" got rid of the television! Not actually the tv's per say, but the cable (Tivo, HBO, etc...). So, now I'm left in my two bedroom home with 4 televisions (yes, four) and nothing to watch on them. I live in Puerto Rico (husband/"he" is in the military), and the local channels that I could try and pick up are all in Spanish. And to my shame and humility, after living here for a over three years, I do not speak it. I get to stare at the bare, black, dusty screen and it's actually becoming quite the eyesore. Now, I don't want to sound like I was a tv crack-addict, but it was starting to get that way. I started to find myself loving the disturbing, self-satisfying addiction that was reality tv. You know, the kind where someone is striving to become all that they can be, and they fail. Yep, that's it. I loved it! I think personally it is all a boost of confidence for all of us people at home. We can sit back and laugh and thank God that we don't live like that.
My husband, Allan, let go of the cable only a few weeks ago for multiple reasons. For one, the cable company here is awful! And I don't mean they're just slow, but they are "slow" (language barrier included). After several callous phone calls, and a few times with them hanging up on us; we gave up. We figured we shouldn't be watching it so intently anyways. This must be a sign. I'm all about signs. We both felt that we should be doing other things like taking walks with the dogs, hiking, enjoying nature, focusing on our hobbies, and bonding.

So now, I have moved on to bigger and better things (supposedly). I'm going to aerobics, trying to fine tune my at home yoga practice, and now I am blogging. Now there is a little bit of "blah" when I say blogging but that's because I was never sure if I liked the idea of it. Letting the world see your personal thoughts written across the world wide web. I mean really, who cares? And beyond that, why do I want to spend my precious free time doing it? Well, now that I have so much more free time not being zombified (yea, I made that word up, so?) by my television, why not? I think it's a great way to document my time, experiences, my travels, and life being a military wife always on the go. So here I am. Take it, or go look at someone else's blog about their broken relationship or failures they have run into in life. OMG, this IS a reality tv show, just via computer. See, I can't get away from it. *sigh*