tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1205550270995061812024-03-14T08:47:36.916+00:00A Traveling BanditaAn attempt to document my life with the Lap-Band and all of the fabulous places the Band goes with me (and just about anything else on my mind).Norahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02266265752622289708noreply@blogger.comBlogger139125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-120555027099506181.post-75244815658957389732012-09-25T15:56:00.003+01:002012-09-25T15:56:50.127+01:00Our Recent Travels- Part 1Seeing that I am (or was, not sure how this traveling thing will work out now that we are in the States) a Traveling Bandita, I thought I should talk about our travels over the past few months. We knew that our time in Europe was coming to an end, so we left London whenever possible. Anyone who has followed my blog knows that Kenny and I don't need much of an excuse to travel; once we were pretty certain of our move back date, we had a real incentive to fly away on a (near) weekly basis. <br />
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In early June we spent a long weekend in Milan and Lake Como. We had heard terrible things about Milan from just about everyone but thought it would still be worth seeing. Plus, Lake Como is an easy drive from the city. We only spent two nights in Milan, and that was honestly enough time. The main thing I wanted to do was see the Last Supper. Unfortunately, it is nearly impossible for people who don't plan their trips months in advance to view the Last Supper. Tickets are inexpensive but book up very quickly. The easy alternative is to take a group tour of Milan that includes the Last Supper. Sorry, but I don't like being trucked around like a bunch of cattle. Instead, I arranged a few hours with a tour guide in advance, and we were able to have a private tour of the Last Supper. <br />
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<em>Our guide was a very chic Milanese woman who loved my dress. She incorrectly assumed that I had purchased it in Milan-- a compliment I was happy to receive!</em></div>
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From Milan we drove to Tremezzo, in Lake Como, for the weekend. Milan was wonderfully warm and sunny; Lake Como was significantly cooler. It was still beautiful, but I would have welcomed a slightly warmer experience.<br />
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We had a wonderful lunch at <a href="mailto:Vill@%20D'este">Vill@ D'este</a> on our first day... we enjoyed our visit so much that we had lunch there on our way back to the airport as well. The property is amazing-- click on the link to see how perfectly manicured the grounds are!<br />
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<em>The obligatory photo after lunch:)</em></div>
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Multiple towns sit on the lake, connected by a fantastic ferry service. We spent a cold, rainy day hopping from town to town. The owners of our hotel suggested a little restaurant for lunch. It consisted of four tables, a little glass-enclosed kitchen with the chef and one waitress. The establishment was so small that the wine was kept at a neighboring property! In true Italian form, we started our meal with pasta and then moved onto a fish course. I loved my pasta but could sadly (or happily?) only eat a little. Thank you Band. The chef cleared our plates and incorrectly assumed that I didn't enjoy the dish. I have refined the art of complimenting the dish/meal immediately rather than explaining, defensively, that I really enjoyed the meal but just don't have much of an appetite. </div>
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<em>The view from our hotel</em></div>
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We had such a great time and were thrilled that we missed the madness surrounding the Queen's Jubilee. We ate well and drank like fish. Still, I came home weighing the same amount as when I left!Norahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02266265752622289708noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-120555027099506181.post-72081832339811747142012-09-24T17:58:00.000+01:002012-09-24T17:58:42.282+01:00I'm BAAACCCKKKK!Hi there Blogland. I am back, or at least I think I am back. Sorry I have been MIA since May, but I have just had too much going on to focus on blogging. Here is the short of my spring and summer...<br />
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Remember when I was all happy about the house Kenny and I planned to buy? Well, that became a debacle. One week before the closing my attorney called (yes, I was in London, and yes, the house is in New Jersey) to tell me that the seller was $50k light for the closing and that the house would be going to a shortsale. Fun times. Luckily his bank was willing to proceed with the closing on the condition that we agreed to give up a small credit the bastard seller had previously agreed to. As annoying as this was, giving up the credit was a lot cheaper than losing the house entirely. So a month later than expected we flew home and closed on the property. The next morning we had locksmiths come in so Senor Shady couldn't get into what was by then OUR home. This was the last weekend in June. <br />
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Since then I have been flying back to NJ for about a week a month to deal with housing issues. We had to change about 90% of our electric from aluminum to copper, we've redone the hardwood floors and installed wood where we had really ugly tile, installed new garage and fire doors, and so on and so on. Luckily my mom has been really helpful with letting my contractors in when I have been in London. Without her, only a fraction of this would have been accomplished.<br />
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The exciting conclusion is that Kenny and I moved from London to NJ on September 15th. We are not yet in the house, but I spend most days here dealing with contractors. We hope to be moved in by the middle of November. We shall see. <br />
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I have a lot more to catch everyone up on, but this is a decent start. Most importantly, I am OK and I am back in the States. I did not fall off the blogging wagon because I was gaining weight (promise- my weight is pretty stable). Balancing travel, life in London and the house was just all I have been able to focus on. Now I need to catch up on all of your blogs. I have something like 15,000 posts to read, and that just isn't going to happen. I will try to figure out the big things that I've missed in the last few months. <br />
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More to come:) Norahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02266265752622289708noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-120555027099506181.post-83349004559636019492012-05-17T14:33:00.001+01:002012-05-17T14:33:26.743+01:00Who Says You Can't Go Back<div style="text-align: center;">
Been all around the world and as a matter of fact</div>
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There's only one place left I want to go</div>
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Who says you can't go home?</div>
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Yesterday I mentioned that Kenny and I are buying a home. We are, and we are VERY excited! <br />
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When we initially moved to London on Halloween 2009, I made Kenny promise that we would leave in two years. His contract was for two years, and I thought that would be more than enough time living overseas. Kenny had never liked London (he had done frequent business here in his former role), and my mom and I are too proudly Irish to think that anything good could ever come of living anywhere near the queen (lack of caps done for emphasis). I moved to London with great hesitancy, and Kenny thought for a while that I would likely live at mom's for two years and just fly over to see him on occasion. But I was a good wife. I packed up my stuff and moved- more like I had corporate movers come to our condo while pointed at everything and told them A. air shipment, B. boat shipment, or C. storage, but you get the idea. <br />
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Two years came and went, but we didn't. It just made sense to stay here for professional reasons. We are now in our third year and have decided that it is time to move back to the States. If we stay here any longer, we will really have to commit to living here for a minimum of 5 years. We need to start focusing on having children after all, and I don't want to be disrupting a small child's routine if it can be avoided. I also want the support of my family, mostly my mother, with the whole baby thing. Kenny works obscene hours, and I would be stuck in our flat alone. <br />
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Enter- stage left- house hunting... we still don't know when we will be moving, but Kenny suggested that I schedule time out with my realtor during my March trip home. He had initially said that we would not consider purchasing anything until September, so I had no interest in bothering my realtor. I already receive daily MLS emails from her listing all homes in our price range, so I know the market. I also know what I like. I told him that I would go out with her when we were closer. <br />
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Clearly that changed. Interest rates are very low, and the town we want to live in has very little on the market. Towards the end of February, Kenny told me again that I should go out with the realtor and said that we should buy something if I find something wonderful. Music to my little ears. So I had my realtor book some appointments, and I started my house hunting extravaganza. I found a home I liked on the first day (mom came to see it with me), and the following day I brought in my builder to give me an estimate of what it would cost to make some very necessary changes to the structure. I put a bid in, a bidding war ensued and we lost out to a cash buyer (damn you people with that much cash). I found out that we lost the home the day before we went to the Maldives, and I was very bummed. Luckily two other homes came on the market one week into the Maldives trip. Mom went out to see them with the realtor; she then gave me a report and told me to fly in to see them both. This is what precipitated my one day trip home between the Maldives and Portugal. <br />
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I have typed A LOT and have written absolutely NOTHING about our soon-to-be home. The structure is somewhere between an expanded ranch and a cape (I might post a picture after we close, but I feel that doing so now is a bit premature). It is just over 4,100 square feet. It has 5 bedrooms, 4.5 bathrooms, a formal living room, formal dining room, great room (kitchen and family room area), a sun room, a large office for Kenny, a multi-colored slate patio, and a two-car garage. The master bedroom suite is downstairs, as is a second bedroom with its own bathroom. The office is also downstairs. The seller's realtor kept telling me how we could convert the office into a bedroom (it was originally a bedroom) if we were so inclined, and I reminded her that I am 33 and have yet to have an occupied uterus. Unless I wind up needing in vitro and give birth to a litter, I am pretty confident that 5 bedrooms will be more than sufficient. The house will wind up needing a lot of work in the next few years, but it is in move in condition. The kitchen is dated for my taste, as are most of the bathrooms. These are just cosmetic changes though, so I am not going to let them worry me.<br />
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As for the location, we will be back in New Jersey!!! I know that poor NJ is the butt of many a joke, but I still love it. My area looks nothing like the NJ Turnpike or Newark-- and Tony Soprano is nowhere in sight. Our home will be 5 minutes from my beach club, and Kenny will be just a bit over an hour from work. It is one town over from where I grew up and shares the same zip code. My private elementary and public high schools are located in this town, so there is a good chance that our child/ren will attend the same schools that I attended. I will consider going the public route for elementary school-- we have years to figure that out. We will be 15 minutes from my mom and just about 10 minutes from my office (assuming I go back to work). And for the BIGGEST news of the day, we are set to close on May 29! Kenny is scheduled to fly back to London that evening, so I do hope we can close on time. <br />
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Now that this is actually right over the horizon, I am having anxiety (not bad anxiety, just anxiety over making such big changes). I will save that for another post. Norahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02266265752622289708noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-120555027099506181.post-12884460048177784652012-05-16T15:56:00.000+01:002012-05-16T15:56:41.923+01:00Pour Some Sugar On MeWell hi there, Blogland. It has (again) been a while since I have posted. First, I am busier than usual and have been traveling since March 12 or so. Second, I am not losing weight. Combine these two reasons, and we see why I have been MIA. <br />
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I just started working out this week after a two month hiatus. Some of you probably read that I really messed up my body earlier in the year due to excess exercise. It took me a while to get that sorted out, and during that period I was exhausted. My body cried 'uncle'; luckily I listened. From there I started traveling and really didn't have time to exercise (I am always active, but I mean gym/elevated heart rate exercise). Just in case you don't really believe that I have been out of town for two months, here is my itinerary:<br />
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March 12-20- in NJ to deal with my doctor, sort out my body and start house hunting-- more on that later. Land in London on March 21, unpack and repack, and fly to the Maldives via Dubai on March 22. Arrive in the Maldives on March 23- stay until April 1. Arrive home in London at around 11pm on Sunday, April 1. Unpack and repack. Have car service collect me at 7:30am on Monday and fly to NJ. Land in NJ at 12:30 that afternoon, view a home I like at 1:30, put in an offer at 4, negotiate the price by 6:30 over dinner with my mom and some of her girlfriends. Agree on price by 7pm and enjoy what is left of dinner. Run some errands on Tuesday before catching a 7:30pm flight back to London. Land in London Wednesday morning, unpack and repack, and fly to Portugal for Easter weekend the following day (Thursday for everyone who is completely lost). Return to London late on April 8 (Easter Sunday). See friends for a day or two before unpacking and repacking to AGAIN return to NJ the morning of April 12. Mom and I went to PR from April 15-20, and Kenny and I attended the fundraiser for his boarding school on April 21. He left for London the following day, but I decided to stay in NJ. At this point we started to run into some issues with the house we were scheduled to buy, so I was busy looking for replacement houses. Kenny came back to NJ on April 27, and we were in NYC from April 30-May 4. Then we FINALLY flew back to London on May 7, arriving on the morning of May 8. A friend visited from the US from May 11-13, and that brings us pretty much current. <br />
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So now I am back to the gym but am operating at a much lower intensity. I did 1 hour of cardio on Monday and 50 minutes on Tuesday. Today I went to my first Body Pump class, and the girls in the class actually shrieked when they saw me after so long. What a great feeling! I will increase my workouts at some point, but for now I am just getting back into a routine. <br />
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As for the sugar title, SUGAR is the devil and is another reason I am not losing weight. When I became sick in February and March, I pretty much listened to my body. When it wanted salmon, it got salmon. When it wanted white beans, I served them up. And sadly, when it wanted chocolate... I obliged. That was fine for a while, but sugar is a slippery slope. The same way a crack addict cannot smoke even the slightest bit of the stuff without risking a full relapse and an alcoholic can't have a sip of vodka tonic without (more likely than not) waking up next to a full bottle of tonic but a much less full bottle of vodka, I cannot bring that sweet goodness into my home. <br />
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Up until recently I was SOOO well-behaved. I would have desserts occasionally when I was out to dinner or at/hosting a dinner party. Apart from that, I stayed away from sweets. I stayed away from them for so long that I thought I was now fine with sweets and I could eat them responsibly. More importantly, I thought I would save money by buying a larger quantity of that sugary goodness and rationing it out over time. Rational Nora thought this was a great idea- a little bit of sweets per day- no more. Sugar Addict Nora also thought this was a great idea- trick Rational Nora into thinking she was in control before diving head first into the sweets Rational Nora bought. Sugar Addict Nora definitely won the battle. Rational Nora WILL win the war.<br />
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I am back to life without my daily sweets. I won't buy them on the fly or rationalize that just a bit would be A-OK. Once I get the taste for sweets, it takes time to ween myself. Today I had tuna salad and sauteed zucchini for lunch. No chocolate, no ice cream, nothing to ruin the hour I spent Body Pumping. Today is a new day, and today is going in the right direction. <br />
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**One thing on my weight, it is surprisingly stable given what I have been doing (eating) and not doing (working out). I got down to 193.4 for one day, but that was a fluke. I was up to 196.6 the following day. I am bouncing between 195 and 200. I don't like seeing any number starting with a 2, but I know it is temporary. Blah. Norahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02266265752622289708noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-120555027099506181.post-84980499668344412392012-05-01T14:58:00.000+01:002012-05-01T14:58:31.059+01:00I Got Chills, They're Multiplying, And I'm Losing ControlGood morning blogland. I have mentioned that I constantly have 'Nora theme songs' running through my head. I wake up singing (quietly, I promise) and continue throughout the day. So... I figured that I should start using song lyrics for the titles of my blog posts. Let's see how long this keeps up for. <br />
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Today's topic is being stuck. It has happened to almost all of us, and we can all agree that it sucks. I was banded for 6 months before I ever experienced being stuck and PBing (you can read about that trauma <a href="http://atravelingbandita.blogspot.com/2011/06/finally-swimming.html">here</a>). In the beginning PBing was very violent and unpleasant. Now I know why- I did not know what being stuck felt like, and I did not know what my body's little warning signs were. Because of this, I would continue to eat slowly, so I had food on top of my stuck stuff. When I PBd, it could take up to an hour to get fully unstuck- yuck! <br />
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Now I know almost immediately if I am going to have issues, and it is because I get chills when stuck. I can be eating a lovely meal, be 100% OK, and then poof- chills up and down my spine. This is my body's little warning. Once I get that feeling, I simply stop eating. My one issue is that being stuck invariably leads to a PB. I read that some of you can just wait a few minutes to become unstuck. I am not one of those people. Whatever is stuck will come up; this is just how my body likes it. At least my PBing is much less traumatic than it had been. It just takes a few seconds, and it is over. I am very thankful for my chills! <br />
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How about for everyone else? Does your body give you any indication that something is wrong? Are your PBs much more tolerable than they were in the beginning?<br />
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Continuing on today's topic of being stuck, I only get stuck right before or during my TOM. My band is SO loose for most of the month, and then my period comes and changes things. I have been contemplating a fill for two months and do have an appointment on Friday just in case. I have not had a fill since September and think it is about time. I haven't been losing much weight recently, and a little fill might help that. Still, I don't like TOM tightness. I am conflicted. At least I have a few days before I need to make up my mind. Norahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02266265752622289708noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-120555027099506181.post-72878483282978924402012-04-27T12:53:00.000+01:002012-04-27T13:10:45.489+01:00Big Lights Will Inspire You-- Let's Here It For New York<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Mom and I headed into New York yesterday, tickets in pocketbook, to see the musical that almost everyone wants to see. For the non-New Yorkers, B*O*O*K of M*O*R*M*O*N is the hottest thing on Broadway. Tickets are completely sold out for about the next year. Luckily my credit card sent out an email last week offering tickets along with a pre-theatre cocktail party at Ruth's Chris. How could I not take them up on such an amazing offer?<br />
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The cocktail party was a wonderful start to the evening. I wasn't in much of a eating mood, but the food was fantastic and plentiful! Four well-known Broadway actresses attended and participated in a Q&A before signing autographs. <br />
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<em>I snapped a photo for the blog (of course)</em></div>
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Mom tried to take a photo of me in front of the theatre, and this really nice stopped and took a photo (three photos actually) of us together. I have no patience for people who say New Yorkers are unfriendly. It is frankly untrue. New York is one of the only cities where locals will take pictures for tourists, help tourists read maps and guide them through the subway system. But I digress...</div>
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<em>Just to prove that we were actually there!</em></div>
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<em>Look at how cute my mom looks:)</em></div>
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We had really great Orchestra seats, and I felt the need to take a picture. Unfortunately one of the workers there threw a bit of a fit. I caught her in a left-handed heil Hitler salute, but at least I also got the stage.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidEzFgCYCXdmaUGcapByhvdYaIHHP4Id-nKCKVHYj9-5FgFaePQ9vxTrl5P6-LuIv8DvwSDuZ-UlEfsSA7e8vj3wSsALkvIYOHoPVQ9hbNlL8AmO4qJwprbeulngNm7B0ZkPszNIU9B0U/s1600/inside.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidEzFgCYCXdmaUGcapByhvdYaIHHP4Id-nKCKVHYj9-5FgFaePQ9vxTrl5P6-LuIv8DvwSDuZ-UlEfsSA7e8vj3wSsALkvIYOHoPVQ9hbNlL8AmO4qJwprbeulngNm7B0ZkPszNIU9B0U/s320/inside.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<em>She who takes her job very seriously</em></div>
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The show itself was laugh out loud funny. From the first number to the end, the audience was convulsing in laughter. It was also one of the most offensive things I have seen, but that is to be expected given the creators. Other than the wow factor of seeing such a popular show, being there really made us feel like 'insiders'. It was apparent that others felt this way as well. Everyone I spoke with was a regular theatre goer-- still everyone felt almost honored to be part of the event! I am not going to discuss the musical itself, lest I ruin it for anyone who has tickets. What I will say is this: book your ticket to see this musical (as long as offensive religious humor doesn't offend you). </div>Norahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02266265752622289708noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-120555027099506181.post-62699862607089834492012-04-26T11:52:00.000+01:002012-04-26T11:53:06.354+01:00If You Like Pina Coladas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Mom and I had a fun week in Puerto Rico. Our hotel wound up only being so so, but we made it work. The place clearly caters to vacationers who want to go through their holiday piss drunk. The pool bar was the most popular destination at the resort. Not our scene. At least we know to go elsewhere next year. On the subject of drinking, the pina colada was created at a bar inside this resort in the 1950s. It is the hotel's claim to fame. And yes, the pina coladas are pretty damn good there. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrCEJTTECyqIKAjCQoC6bXfrGjoUdu8FwL9yvsrqS_eaexmsoQfQwFpigwaa03BsvwxsS7oG_J9WvaQbKoUUEvta9QqUQwXtXlxKQq6M5KNRNrhsQm_aIq22v3D587yjJZXjby0WLDY-U/s1600/beach1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="183" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrCEJTTECyqIKAjCQoC6bXfrGjoUdu8FwL9yvsrqS_eaexmsoQfQwFpigwaa03BsvwxsS7oG_J9WvaQbKoUUEvta9QqUQwXtXlxKQq6M5KNRNrhsQm_aIq22v3D587yjJZXjby0WLDY-U/s320/beach1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<em>View from our bedroom</em></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT7ozjl8e9HjBHkKAbfKcNRmwmuUuzPbaFIcJnckEo8sjpdC4Cp7LXniFD_MRiSp9gtrBB1NMN4V0wlDK2jAHT5vK3gMr71f4xoATqkYuBmPfJlZr0TKDwHPCh7IYoxIPxW8eUYTJfyDg/s1600/eyes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT7ozjl8e9HjBHkKAbfKcNRmwmuUuzPbaFIcJnckEo8sjpdC4Cp7LXniFD_MRiSp9gtrBB1NMN4V0wlDK2jAHT5vK3gMr71f4xoATqkYuBmPfJlZr0TKDwHPCh7IYoxIPxW8eUYTJfyDg/s320/eyes.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<em>Really ugly art at a local restaurant</em></div>Norahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02266265752622289708noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-120555027099506181.post-21643862564744687432012-04-11T10:09:00.000+01:002012-04-11T10:09:45.236+01:00Easter Travels & Back On TrackKenny and I really enjoyed our golf weekend at the <a href="http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/PenhaLonga/Default.htm">Ritz-Carlton</a> in Portugal. I am only a beginner golfer and was very anxious about playing for three days in a row. This anxiety grew when I learned that we would be playing with others. I usually only play with Kenny and wasn't thrilled that I would have to keep up with much better golfers. Luckily the husband and wife duo we played with on day one were very nice. We had a great time with them, and my confidence improved after that round. The mother and daughter pair from day two were decidedly less pleasant, but Kenny and I still enjoyed ourselves. The caddie master let us play by ourselves on Sunday, and that was just fantastic. My game is improving-- I just need to take more lessons.<br />
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I am happy to report that my body is now back on track. I haven't made it back to the gym yet but am remaining active. My schedule has been hectic, and I just haven't had the time to exercise. I have started losing weight again, and I am no longer craving crazy foods. I do have a strong desire for these little suckers though. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_IpcEcavhFWMVMqeAoWaf1DBrC0VeuIcBF95MpULf_e9G_aOIOxbSGm_sgKH8aGOLSWsl-6v9KctucVrQhx6-YRMBiglU58vR6F3CNWFA1lUC_y6B7f9Ya3oKkOI5WTlgKYel7J-CeAw/s1600/Cream+egg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_IpcEcavhFWMVMqeAoWaf1DBrC0VeuIcBF95MpULf_e9G_aOIOxbSGm_sgKH8aGOLSWsl-6v9KctucVrQhx6-YRMBiglU58vR6F3CNWFA1lUC_y6B7f9Ya3oKkOI5WTlgKYel7J-CeAw/s1600/Cream+egg.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Now that Easter is behind me, I must stop with the chocolate!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I am going to New Jersey tomorrow and will stay for about a month. Mom and I are heading to a <a href="http://www.caribehilton.com/">resort</a> in Puerto Rico this weekend for our annual 'a mom and her kid' vacation. Even though I see my mom pretty frequently (especially considering that I live over 3,500 miles away), I always look forward to having an excuse to spend more time with her. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I seem to always be packing, unpacking or repacking. Today is no different. I need to unpack from my last three trips in order to repack for tomorrow. Off I go. Toodles. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Norahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02266265752622289708noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-120555027099506181.post-48283698911991547352012-04-05T10:15:00.001+01:002012-04-05T12:38:13.777+01:00Marvelous MaldivesI. Love. The. Maldives. I love travel, love vacations and love beaches... but I REALLY love the Maldives. It is a simple as that. <br />
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When we arrived at the airport, we were greeted by a porter who brought us to the boat. Our resort is on a private island about 15 minutes from the airport. After flying from London to Dubai and Dubai to Maldives, hopping onto a boat for a little ride was so much easier to handle than being crammed into a car. As our boat approached the dock, the front desk staff was standing on the dock waving to greet us. It might be a bit cheesy, but it was a nice first impression.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBbxw5Kub71pkcHACMW6nxZJcPCbHzGyKwWfKpPNfQmn8Y66f6xpjXoJ8pDQe6U9Dc9de6TfVWq9RPT0yOjhYZESrZdXwN6-qewKrN4Q5qLSmw-iVetg2gs_eQSXia75LzzZYuREFqMh4/s1600/016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBbxw5Kub71pkcHACMW6nxZJcPCbHzGyKwWfKpPNfQmn8Y66f6xpjXoJ8pDQe6U9Dc9de6TfVWq9RPT0yOjhYZESrZdXwN6-qewKrN4Q5qLSmw-iVetg2gs_eQSXia75LzzZYuREFqMh4/s320/016.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em>From our boat- pulling into the resort</em></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">We were given this amazing room on the beach and were very lucky to be on the quiet side of the island. Some days we had the beach entirely to ourselves. At most we shared with 5 or 6 people! </div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj3IL0FGjJL8e6jVC6exu-tSW8nzuhh0Zsx0IdRKvxZoYaKlpa0KFSVSnuH4E3MO8UX55e5Xn95GqD9H9xHN5RX919F_vcD6mQ4h92CLij2fqUrPHK7GcqcdE_er0-qjpTNYyxgkx5qNs/s1600/018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj3IL0FGjJL8e6jVC6exu-tSW8nzuhh0Zsx0IdRKvxZoYaKlpa0KFSVSnuH4E3MO8UX55e5Xn95GqD9H9xHN5RX919F_vcD6mQ4h92CLij2fqUrPHK7GcqcdE_er0-qjpTNYyxgkx5qNs/s320/018.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em>View from our room</em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtqQAmITeOjS-pKeghyphenhyphenqF5gAoRfVwvXfkdw-Y9FjPWwRoxSz51nSUiyjz1eCJrJxVG8rRr5K15uijq6s41f2nnsqjXxkoCVLfWmUsRuZx9Pe_3oW27Y1nYayTZbiVGV3CmQoeBAPvd4Lo/s1600/027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtqQAmITeOjS-pKeghyphenhyphenqF5gAoRfVwvXfkdw-Y9FjPWwRoxSz51nSUiyjz1eCJrJxVG8rRr5K15uijq6s41f2nnsqjXxkoCVLfWmUsRuZx9Pe_3oW27Y1nYayTZbiVGV3CmQoeBAPvd4Lo/s320/027.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">Our anniversary was on March 28- three years and counting! We decided to relax during the day and take a sunset dolphin cruise before dinner. We were on a traditional Maldivian boat and saw a load of dolphin. Unfortunately I didn't bring my good camera, so the dolphin pictures are lacking.<br />
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</div><div align="left">All of the restaurants were great (no, I didn't gain weight), but we wanted something special for our anniversary. We arranged for private dining on the beach with a five-course menu. I ate so little of what we ordered but loved every single bite!<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><em>In addition to two desserts, the restaurant made this cake for us. </em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em>After we cut it, they sent it to our room along with a bottle of bubbly!</em><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsk8bYaYv_bZ1ofhUmUADTyRhkHc7iCsHMN0ILfpynrdm0cokwjiz0yMHAarSyh00eBgSPviTOj8JeHDRTuUPuajyF1Dco8eM_HvAbo0XSH_N_dUEBRdoP_ksKWoceL6tMB-_u4DzPsWo/s1600/125.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsk8bYaYv_bZ1ofhUmUADTyRhkHc7iCsHMN0ILfpynrdm0cokwjiz0yMHAarSyh00eBgSPviTOj8JeHDRTuUPuajyF1Dco8eM_HvAbo0XSH_N_dUEBRdoP_ksKWoceL6tMB-_u4DzPsWo/s320/125.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>What amazing staff to do this for us!</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em> </em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgikCdwv4ikPWl_zUcmQUJPgu-ld92CBCZxnHi463fLc58OjVoVirT9qPwNpbFcyhpascqYe28sdgMyY_r2y2kBcpfSoN_XT9kkZFeD_5vDADjhq12m3b0IdnP6UMxggD3hx6l1u-TvDAQ/s1600/160.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgikCdwv4ikPWl_zUcmQUJPgu-ld92CBCZxnHi463fLc58OjVoVirT9qPwNpbFcyhpascqYe28sdgMyY_r2y2kBcpfSoN_XT9kkZFeD_5vDADjhq12m3b0IdnP6UMxggD3hx6l1u-TvDAQ/s320/160.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Evening shark feeding</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em> </em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8DrfLMJSRO0kTZHPuUTdaZqyg3Sqfbp11nXo4TKJPupumWIzY7GkULT2ZBgQ4fXtGHiGn5D7OAV3vcoZIOeocs8vXldIUjKpY0Y5ucac2s3s-2suv01KCWYtF7wilq9lJwaZQC1P92bk/s1600/135.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8DrfLMJSRO0kTZHPuUTdaZqyg3Sqfbp11nXo4TKJPupumWIzY7GkULT2ZBgQ4fXtGHiGn5D7OAV3vcoZIOeocs8vXldIUjKpY0Y5ucac2s3s-2suv01KCWYtF7wilq9lJwaZQC1P92bk/s320/135.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left">Kenny and I were talking about my weight loss over drinks one evening, and he said some of the nicest things I have ever heard come out of his mouth. He said that if I want to lose more weight, he completely supports me as long as I do it for myself and don't hurt myself in the process. But he stressed that I should NOT do it for him. He said that he is more attracted to me now than he has ever been and doesn't think I need to lose more. How sweet! We all know that I had a bit of an issue last month with working out too much and not getting my period, and he doesn't want that to happen again (nor do I). On that note, I got my period over vacation. While this would normally be exceedingly annoying, we were both very happy. My body sorted itself out without the need for taking the 10-day regimen of pills prescribed by my OBGYN. When I start working out again next month, I will be much more balanced in my approach. </div><div align="left"></div><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr8iamRmnXkdjG6lOqxCiz7C3zCXNKbyepH9vXktEtcVJy4gJTBvz6zLwEipcP6wlDGSpK7Nntc9WkC7TLsvY9SxF-5Rb3AnMB5t48oDHflTt8VOWJXHOKcTcXOS7A2IgItn6PcGph90U/s1600/203.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr8iamRmnXkdjG6lOqxCiz7C3zCXNKbyepH9vXktEtcVJy4gJTBvz6zLwEipcP6wlDGSpK7Nntc9WkC7TLsvY9SxF-5Rb3AnMB5t48oDHflTt8VOWJXHOKcTcXOS7A2IgItn6PcGph90U/s320/203.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em>In lieu of my progress picture in gym clothes</em></div><div style="text-align: left;"><em></em> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjelCLTqzOXkmYEkBcG3npYLvYEnWPj7NNEyX6MIRzTfSHnMO6XZFd9QPEVGRyrh04nRDs-otI_ukt0AUpK6JDP5iWvEDAJBkpe2x5vYE4BsqVUrutmAtsGTDMKqysVPV6u91Gyo4TCZFQ/s1600/218.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjelCLTqzOXkmYEkBcG3npYLvYEnWPj7NNEyX6MIRzTfSHnMO6XZFd9QPEVGRyrh04nRDs-otI_ukt0AUpK6JDP5iWvEDAJBkpe2x5vYE4BsqVUrutmAtsGTDMKqysVPV6u91Gyo4TCZFQ/s320/218.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em>Getting ready to leave:(</em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em></em> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8wIrv4u6tJ6bXToAOB5W6K2LZp6XQ8EE6eQodBHIKFHEXOOWPhF63lGJgpgSeesQd9slpZIaaBru3cg4E9hON4_haNHQCN-cVR3MwG7AeR7IaCliLVxsEMN84dx0MgHeGWUalZjT8klQ/s1600/221.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8wIrv4u6tJ6bXToAOB5W6K2LZp6XQ8EE6eQodBHIKFHEXOOWPhF63lGJgpgSeesQd9slpZIaaBru3cg4E9hON4_haNHQCN-cVR3MwG7AeR7IaCliLVxsEMN84dx0MgHeGWUalZjT8klQ/s320/221.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em>Parking lot-- Maldives style</em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em> </em></div><div style="text-align: left;">Now I am packing for our golf weekend in <a href="http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/PenhaLonga/Default.htm">Portugal.</a> I have more to report about our vacation and my trip home, but it will have to wait until next week. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Happy Easter! </div><div style="text-align: left;"></div>Norahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02266265752622289708noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-120555027099506181.post-49445034342917425512012-04-02T06:12:00.000+01:002012-04-02T06:12:13.243+01:00Back From The Maldives- For Another 4 HoursI wanted to let everyone know that Kenny and I are back from the Maldives. We had a FANTASTIC time and were (not surprisingly) very bummed to pack up and take the boat back to the airport on Sunday. I have a lot to report and will post pics at some point, but I don't have the time right now. I am flying back to NJ this morning for one night and have a car picking me up in 90 minutes. I am still sitting in my pink marshmallow-looking robe even though I should really be getting showered and out the door. I land back at Heathrow on Wednesday morning, and we then go to Portugal for Easter on Thursday evening. This is all a long way of saying that I don't know when the Maldives post will be forthcoming-- but I promise that it will be:) <br />
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Happy Monday!Norahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02266265752622289708noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-120555027099506181.post-48994537092775796212012-03-21T08:20:00.000+00:002012-03-21T08:20:58.831+00:00The Perils of Excess ExerciseRemember how I was working out like a mad woman... and how I was loving (just about) every minute of it? Well, all good things must come to an end. First, I got an upper respiratory infection in the beginning of February that I just couldn't kick. I'd start to feel a bit better only to feel like hell only a day or two later. Then Valentine's Day came but my period didn't. I kept working out and wound up going what I can only describe as bat shit crazy. I became a bottomless pit of food- all food. After making veal cordon bleu for Valentine's day, I proceeded to eat it like a sandwich for the next few days (as in, I cut a veal cutlet in half and chomped into it until it was gone). I also ate cookies, brownies, the raw filling for key lime pie- minus the yolk- and on and on. For about two weeks I just couldn't control myself. My body was out of control. I was also exhausted! My weight was a mess, and I gained 4-5 lbs in days. For the record, I was not pregnant.<br />
I spoke with some of my gym girlfriends prior to my trip home, and they all implored me to go to the doctor. I wound up going to my gyno last Tuesday and explained my situation: that I hadn't had my period since January but wasn't pregnant and that I increased my workouts significantly in January and February. She felt that I probably stressed my body too much this year. Because ovulation is not a necessary bodily function, your body (or my body in this situation) can decide not to ovulate if it senses more stress than it likes. In my case, my weight loss and excess exercise could have caused this stress. She ran some blood work, and all of the tests came back fine. Now for the fun part. I have to take 10 days of pills to try to jump start my period. After I take the pills, it is anyone's guess when my period might come. So now it is like being 14 years old all over again.<br />
I guess the moral of the story is that moderation is key to just about everything. I will continue to work out 6 days a week (except for when I am traveling) but will limit my workouts to no more than 2ish hours a day. Most days I will stop at the 90 minute mark. I will also vary my routine so that I am not always working out at such a high level. I love the workouts, but I have actually stalled my weight loss by doing too much. My body knew something was up and did everything it could to get me back on track. Now I just need to rely on modern medicine to do the last little bit. Fun times! Norahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02266265752622289708noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-120555027099506181.post-10918349005457053092012-03-20T13:07:00.000+00:002012-03-20T13:07:09.804+00:00Unpacking and RepackingHola everyone. I have been a terrible blogger and am trying to make amends. Here is a little update of what I have been up to:<br />
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Two weeks ago The American and I, along with our husbands, saw Z.a.c.h. B.r.a.f.f. in <a href="http://www.allnewpeople.co.uk/">All-New-People.</a> I LOVE ZB from his days on TV and was thrilled to get to see him live. If anyone is passing through London in the next few weeks, see this show! <br />
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Earlier that Friday Kenny called to see if I wanted to golf at his club over the weekend. I immediately said yes and then froze. After doing a quick mental inventory of my closet- 3 jeans, 3 dresses, 12 cashmere sweaters, and gym clothes, I realized I had a problem. I had neither the mandatory collared shirt nor the khaki pants, and this caused immediate anxiety. The sizing in the UK, like the rest of Europe, does not cater to heavier members of society. The GAP only goes up to a US 14, whereas the US stores carry up to 18 or 20. Scary stuff. I told Kenny that I would go shopping, and off I went. I had trouble finding much in a 14 and asked one of the managers to help me. We found a few pieces to try on, and they were all-- -- -- BIG. Actually, the cropped/skinny cut size 14 was tight in my freakishly muscular calves, but other than that I swam in the 14s. I had grabbed one pair of khakis in a 12; they fit like a glove. I suppose vanity sizing is catching on. Nora is no size 12. <br />
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We did golf on Sunday, and I looked the part until I tried to hit the ball. I don't have pictures of me on the course, but here is Kenny's club:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdN04brrcG0Xjjd5aCo0Mxj72o1G-_QurtYPCCW6WMyszne6j9Ja-ryZ3IiMWfk3JE_89dGPrXV3tj3aSX_rcRXJ8JtBgFUdiO5hrcRYAFNJqjizB-yoVMdDRm8g6A584p_NogtEm8fp8/s1600/club.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdN04brrcG0Xjjd5aCo0Mxj72o1G-_QurtYPCCW6WMyszne6j9Ja-ryZ3IiMWfk3JE_89dGPrXV3tj3aSX_rcRXJ8JtBgFUdiO5hrcRYAFNJqjizB-yoVMdDRm8g6A584p_NogtEm8fp8/s320/club.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwiVRiKKlsbZy7nWvK2B8daY19N2rSE-2S30oikT1VZj8FVVjCPi6UuOjfJ3OwnODcAFLeEKJqXPF9W5SkqZ0N0Ldx_bf5yPEC4HmP7VI8txtqAeYcg4oXR0OT4Vd1-1n_id1nllaj5_Y/s1600/club2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwiVRiKKlsbZy7nWvK2B8daY19N2rSE-2S30oikT1VZj8FVVjCPi6UuOjfJ3OwnODcAFLeEKJqXPF9W5SkqZ0N0Ldx_bf5yPEC4HmP7VI8txtqAeYcg4oXR0OT4Vd1-1n_id1nllaj5_Y/s320/club2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
The following day I flew to New Jersey for the week. Between seeing my mom and dad, catching up with friends and handling some personal matters, I felt like the Tasmanian Devil spinning from one event to the next.<br />
<img height="480" id="il_fi" src="http://images.wikia.com/looneytunes/images/8/88/Taz05.JPG" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="640" /><br />
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Before going home, I ordered an obscene amount of clothing. I never know what size I am and wind up ordering EVERYTHING in at least 2 sizes. My mom's living room looked like a UPS shipping facility. Here is the damage after I had tried on and sorted everything!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1XmBPL1vyuOh4BG20O-eOkRQtLTnGFnSIFbaxIPuwd1GnD7vCrHjfpC57HGXkVAuiplO5hWKZLKsKs4VYSkIGHnA7IUhsV4QAMJo4FYMNGdDz7VeqqNFSdEUt3pLBSR6ZXaBhhaHHv20/s1600/boxes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1XmBPL1vyuOh4BG20O-eOkRQtLTnGFnSIFbaxIPuwd1GnD7vCrHjfpC57HGXkVAuiplO5hWKZLKsKs4VYSkIGHnA7IUhsV4QAMJo4FYMNGdDz7VeqqNFSdEUt3pLBSR6ZXaBhhaHHv20/s320/boxes.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <em>This picture does not adequately capture the number of boxes</em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em>piled up, but it was the best I could do!</em></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I kept a few dresses (depending on your definition of a few), some jeans and two bathing suits. I also bough new gym clothes because everything was getting baggy on me. The jeans were all size 12- the dresses 14. All hail vanity sizing!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I met a friend of mine for lunch on Saturday, and I just had to share the view with everyone in blogland...</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVLmD9hisOdEiQyiS1tfmZuFsCl-jaqu8GSNWcQfK-4U2mHGLKhFhkCYeRfdJJdtJflb5vBLzF-cWLVht78XS6LdBVsQfRFYsZWbxRb9il18ELefhrgorNTnxnUESfA4BEXYegiaYgmRc/s1600/barnacles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVLmD9hisOdEiQyiS1tfmZuFsCl-jaqu8GSNWcQfK-4U2mHGLKhFhkCYeRfdJJdtJflb5vBLzF-cWLVht78XS6LdBVsQfRFYsZWbxRb9il18ELefhrgorNTnxnUESfA4BEXYegiaYgmRc/s320/barnacles.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Now I am back in London and am doing a quick unpack, along with some laundry and dry cleaning, before flying to the <a href="http://www.starwoodhotels.com/sheraton/property/overview/index.html?propertyID=3442">Maldives</a> via Dubai on Thursday evening. I am very much looking forward to some fun in the sun but will try to get a bit more blogging in before my departure! </div> Norahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02266265752622289708noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-120555027099506181.post-45651055780611425622012-03-08T08:36:00.001+00:002012-03-08T19:32:00.197+00:00Scary PicturesI've been trying to come up with an anniversary gift for Kenny, as we will be celebrating three years of marriage on March 28. We each have difficulty coming up with gift ideas for the other. We pretty much have what we need and buy what we want, so choosing the 'right' gift can be very stressful. I also have the added anxiety of being uncomfortable spending the money Kenny has worked so hard for to buy him a gift (hey Honey, glad you worked all of those late nights and weekends so I could buy you this golf club that you probably don't even need). <br />
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Now I opt for what I hope to be thoughtful gifts. For Valentine's Day I gave him a gift certificate for a face and head shave and a ritzy men's grooming salon. For our anniversary I have been creating photo albums on S.h.u.t.t.e.r.f.l.y. I made a Year 1 album and a Year 2 album. I will make Year 3 as well but will have to wait until April to do so. We travel frequently and have such amazing pictures, yet they frequently remain hidden on the hard drive of our computer. <br />
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The Year 1 album is pre-WLS, and Year 2 pictures end only 2 months after WLS. Seeing some of these pictures made me cringe. I considered NOT putting them in the album, but hey, those pictures are still of me and of our time together as husband and wife. It is the reality of the beginning of our married life together, and they should be in the albums. <br />
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Now let's take a peak. And feel free to cringe as well.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRqg6Wu3jKJcKnDbnpgsYm3-E3oe4huMA3g7SRxH4FkoG3i-b37gfchQ0pevh8YctZuw5oDeF_BMo71qwE6r-P3_QJHJVDMjKE4fiCNIQ4W8ijCFvba-3u0efNKinT5CUhu0ZYdjoFjA0/s1600/IMG_0509.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRqg6Wu3jKJcKnDbnpgsYm3-E3oe4huMA3g7SRxH4FkoG3i-b37gfchQ0pevh8YctZuw5oDeF_BMo71qwE6r-P3_QJHJVDMjKE4fiCNIQ4W8ijCFvba-3u0efNKinT5CUhu0ZYdjoFjA0/s320/IMG_0509.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em>Mauritius- April 2009</em></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7eQ_a_WMyVdUnUXssjgQzwvCKxRearTnmS_wIu85MAusHxhDGRH_rEVOFjyFu35X6d1RjsyiyykFoeaBBRPQh5TuEYgFjxpTjuSaboQx3sbTZf8QGTe84yvwWEdUmW8h5lZS6OHcr3I4/s1600/IMG_0653.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7eQ_a_WMyVdUnUXssjgQzwvCKxRearTnmS_wIu85MAusHxhDGRH_rEVOFjyFu35X6d1RjsyiyykFoeaBBRPQh5TuEYgFjxpTjuSaboQx3sbTZf8QGTe84yvwWEdUmW8h5lZS6OHcr3I4/s320/IMG_0653.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em>Lisbon, Portugal- May 2010</em></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho95imi2vzQtZA-awxkd7yhiLFaVytFyY7l1pmddRZEZq3yTTCjrZGy32DYm74PvcZZrnFN5vgX39VomxiFTUtlN4h4IRhWQXTKx9mG87jJlZhJyv8N2t7hzAECoUqmAB4vMHsnNmqUWg/s1600/IMG_1804.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho95imi2vzQtZA-awxkd7yhiLFaVytFyY7l1pmddRZEZq3yTTCjrZGy32DYm74PvcZZrnFN5vgX39VomxiFTUtlN4h4IRhWQXTKx9mG87jJlZhJyv8N2t7hzAECoUqmAB4vMHsnNmqUWg/s320/IMG_1804.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em>Elounda, Crete- August 2010</em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">As Lap Band Gal recently commented, " I can't get over the ginormous size of my calves. Yikes.". It is amazing to see how differently I stood when I was carrying all of that extra weight. I so clearly leaned backwards-- I guess to keep myself from falling forwards. I wonder how much differently I will stand when I shed some more of these excess lbs. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I know I've come a long way, but I also know I still have further progress to make. Come on Nora, let's do this!</div>Norahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02266265752622289708noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-120555027099506181.post-5538786410779746862012-03-07T08:37:00.001+00:002012-03-08T19:32:38.913+00:00March MadnessI had intended to write a wonderful post about Prague and my birthday week (I didn't intend for the celebrations to last for a week, but hey, I'm not going to say NO either), but I waited too long to do so. Now Prague seems so distant and talking even more about my birthday a bit too silly. <br />
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Instead, let's talk about my freaking weight. I have had a lot of trouble maintaining Onederland. After my low of 196.6, I am now hovering between 199.0 and 200.4. This isn't the end of the world, but it isn't making me too happy either. I was doing my crazy workouts (2+hours a day, 6 days a week) until Saturday. I have been feeling a bit run down and just couldn't see myself suffering through my third spin class of the day. So I unclipped my shoes after two classes, went to a mini-abs class instead and proceeded to come home and take a way-too-long nap on the couch (after a shower, I promise). I am starting to regain my energy but feel that I am still dragging a bit. Until I feel 100%, I am going to scale back on my gym routine.<br />
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My eating has been very erratic. I was a bottomless pit for at least two weeks in February. I was always hungry, and nothing I ate made me full. Then on Saturday (when I was feeling run down), I had just about no appetite. That proved to be a good thing, as my band decided to tighten up on me. Now I am back to being loose. VERY annoying. I am scheduled for a fill next week and really don't know what to do. Most of the time I feel that I could use one (0.05 maybe), but I am not sure. I have started craving some foods that I only crave when I need a fill, so I am leaning towards visiting the wonderful Dr. K for a little liquid lovin. I haven't had a fill since September, so it is probably time. At the same time, Kenny and I are off to the <a href="http://www.starwoodhotels.com/sheraton/property/overview/index.html?propertyID=3442">Maldives</a> at the end of the month and I would hate, hate, hate to be too tight. Oh well, I have 9 days to figure it out. <br />
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Here is my monthly comparison photo. I might (sadly) weigh one or two pounds more than I did in the February picture. Blah.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsF7fKJMAkMMcwZ_friUkkc9dDoUXzEkUIAs9nkc0OgKev1JbQkXJWkNBiFyCjOZc1xBDbBuml0ikJv-ZLEDcB5ruLjfyKWoh9VJyBSO3Vi7EE9kp8weifOgKKBlfLwG9sYKaMvaFAuuI/s1600/March.2.comp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsF7fKJMAkMMcwZ_friUkkc9dDoUXzEkUIAs9nkc0OgKev1JbQkXJWkNBiFyCjOZc1xBDbBuml0ikJv-ZLEDcB5ruLjfyKWoh9VJyBSO3Vi7EE9kp8weifOgKKBlfLwG9sYKaMvaFAuuI/s320/March.2.comp.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Norahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02266265752622289708noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-120555027099506181.post-34818635466207188132012-02-28T14:25:00.000+00:002012-02-28T14:25:39.230+00:00Happy Birthday To ME!!!<div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Happy Birthday Tweety Bird" src="http://images.pictureshunt.com/pics/h/happy_birthday_tweety_bird-2003.gif" style="height: 423px; width: 350px;" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;">Today is my birthday. I am now 33 years old. I woke up to the cutest birthday card and a new Salvatore Ferragamo scarf. I've become a bit of a scarf gal, and Kenny is happy to purchase these wonderful pieces of silk for me!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju0i6t2RpFrSWd8xgIOROmswRynjCe0X5-hPOkZXZkniU2V6N8-SjW7AGnnRuleZQPw5q3m1n34z9Yuh5lxQZyrfH-PLsUv7pSrRokvR4NGA2Jvipfi9CxyK94MDP8HNLlNVYWCi78xjw/s1600/Card+(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju0i6t2RpFrSWd8xgIOROmswRynjCe0X5-hPOkZXZkniU2V6N8-SjW7AGnnRuleZQPw5q3m1n34z9Yuh5lxQZyrfH-PLsUv7pSrRokvR4NGA2Jvipfi9CxyK94MDP8HNLlNVYWCi78xjw/s320/Card+(2).jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em>Kenny wrote that he knew Muldoon, mom's dog, would want to </em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em>say Happy Birthday, so he picked this card:)</em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I completed my normal Tuesday gym routine and got LOADS of Happy Birthdays from my gym ladies. I love that I have become part of such a great community! Upon returning to the flat, I was greeted by these fabulous flowers-- courtesy of my mother:)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-rfok_WR7vGmiqgDnoEaarS61CGUfjmmicvaMFwW9GdwAKU-9DrRsl0KxhBMQrrZoKC_uMpcUC1uNyAMLObCVM5isSg8rIILYvAnj85K2pn283SHd0szSRJwTERn4Tz0xz1TCEcbKinc/s1600/bday+flowers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-rfok_WR7vGmiqgDnoEaarS61CGUfjmmicvaMFwW9GdwAKU-9DrRsl0KxhBMQrrZoKC_uMpcUC1uNyAMLObCVM5isSg8rIILYvAnj85K2pn283SHd0szSRJwTERn4Tz0xz1TCEcbKinc/s320/bday+flowers.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Tonight we are celebrating my triple threes over a tasting menu at a Michelin-starred <a href="http://www.lautrepied.co.uk/default.asp?V_SITE_ID=16">restaurant</a> in town. My real birthday celebration was in Prague, but I am never one to say NO to an evening out with Kenny. I will post about Prague separately in the next few days. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I thought a nice way to end my birthday post would be to show some pictures of how I looked in past birthdays. Kenny started a tradition of bringing me away for my birthday when we moved to London, so here we go...</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Dubai 2010- 31st birthday</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiubvJuRQwF4LtxFiu2xSRCbecmZi2jvW6jGb17bP7MC-hDRG5kjNcudMK4gnzkaNfutso47Aw3Td4Apn6vgYDhZknX3BL5lhWBfesAE-yM5TJjORb5zdi9rcKwIAJeLyQQsZISsJhhIsg/s1600/IMG_0170.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiubvJuRQwF4LtxFiu2xSRCbecmZi2jvW6jGb17bP7MC-hDRG5kjNcudMK4gnzkaNfutso47Aw3Td4Apn6vgYDhZknX3BL5lhWBfesAE-yM5TJjORb5zdi9rcKwIAJeLyQQsZISsJhhIsg/s320/IMG_0170.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div align="center" style="text-align: left;">Sevilla 2011- 32nd birthday</div><div align="center" style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZt1OeiFwSkIz7k9S_xN8YFmW-BG75o-xQBFpqGIx-SIr9uhBwsShd26_XCEbgH0rhF1VrbA98CD2zEubcW1CQSdK4QDbRUg9AdurncEuZ3nn0lNvoHryNFML1tju27xXr-bdcJPX4Jok/s1600/IMG_2216.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZt1OeiFwSkIz7k9S_xN8YFmW-BG75o-xQBFpqGIx-SIr9uhBwsShd26_XCEbgH0rhF1VrbA98CD2zEubcW1CQSdK4QDbRUg9AdurncEuZ3nn0lNvoHryNFML1tju27xXr-bdcJPX4Jok/s320/IMG_2216.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Prague 2012- 33rd birthday</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh7k8dFR-hCe0B6d7GHdIek4umYIpqaRq3A6gzSNKSCONLbdqAVVFT6nTCDSj1e9JQz0cou4mKeFnBLAY5HqgNNjp8TW92CcY5S9TzZDOZ8gkYKlF5BIv3rfdW_Cyjmhz3cGRdJR2nThs/s1600/IMG_4328.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh7k8dFR-hCe0B6d7GHdIek4umYIpqaRq3A6gzSNKSCONLbdqAVVFT6nTCDSj1e9JQz0cou4mKeFnBLAY5HqgNNjp8TW92CcY5S9TzZDOZ8gkYKlF5BIv3rfdW_Cyjmhz3cGRdJR2nThs/s320/IMG_4328.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO6VdANx2yNBpaZhVYutZhtryPiN7_S4NqgWJ7ZYIZepezZoEWB1cCsUDHQ0K3FWM2UgUH-QH51TBxQPNpBIUHhU3YbfZ4IfGQHuDwEJYipJu1yNlNdqBwYw0OuxFDq3Kt2Hy_iE2X9vU/s1600/IMG_4334.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO6VdANx2yNBpaZhVYutZhtryPiN7_S4NqgWJ7ZYIZepezZoEWB1cCsUDHQ0K3FWM2UgUH-QH51TBxQPNpBIUHhU3YbfZ4IfGQHuDwEJYipJu1yNlNdqBwYw0OuxFDq3Kt2Hy_iE2X9vU/s320/IMG_4334.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWmotKG2VQLzLMHlqe0NQ-ik7vqRXvNCYbjoTak9Jj6QFmxaYL_9jUSyZZIskHR8KmkNbW-5ppuWuSa5cC1j7_jeBcrwws6-Xv43DMvtGZ3l63GxlZBTITVQ5eJP_rFfOtZAeEwxisH50/s1600/IMG_4444.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWmotKG2VQLzLMHlqe0NQ-ik7vqRXvNCYbjoTak9Jj6QFmxaYL_9jUSyZZIskHR8KmkNbW-5ppuWuSa5cC1j7_jeBcrwws6-Xv43DMvtGZ3l63GxlZBTITVQ5eJP_rFfOtZAeEwxisH50/s320/IMG_4444.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div>Norahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02266265752622289708noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-120555027099506181.post-89600706618758539452012-02-24T14:32:00.000+00:002012-02-24T14:32:40.271+00:00A Quick Update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Ahh, I have been absent for too long. Sorry Blogland. My schedule has just been hectic, and I took a blogging break. I also don't have much to report. I am off to Prague in 40 minutes and am (almost) packed, so here is a little update from me. <br />
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Last weekend I was lucky enough to meet up with <a href="http://lapbandgalsjourney.blogspot.com/">Lap Band Gal</a> during her visit to London. We had a great time catching up over coffee/tea, and I was thrilled to meet such a successful bandster (NOTE, Lap Band Gal is also an amazingly enjoyable person to spend time with)! Thanks for carving some time out of your very busy weekend to see me:)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmWgW1xQlEkSXeAJ9PnAemhVv9MAz50oeB-gA3w5H5UF6uPhKrXHNbtXQX7i8Gx2-vab4Rubi6xX6kvLUQa8ebnpfGaXdvE87MLzvarVjThrHe5IGGIwlwIXmIKe9009ahTcsG4HkIuv4/s1600/Lap+Band+Gal" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmWgW1xQlEkSXeAJ9PnAemhVv9MAz50oeB-gA3w5H5UF6uPhKrXHNbtXQX7i8Gx2-vab4Rubi6xX6kvLUQa8ebnpfGaXdvE87MLzvarVjThrHe5IGGIwlwIXmIKe9009ahTcsG4HkIuv4/s320/Lap+Band+Gal" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">That evening Kenny cooked me Valentine's Day dinner. He has about ZERO ability in the kitchen, so I was pleasantly surprised that he prepared a wonderful meal-- cheese and crackers to start, a Greek salad, seared swordfish, sauteed spinach, and Whole Foods desserts. Good job Kenny:)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcmI_64gazjmhPCYyEK522vFjt_TiAViTsZtWwGllLXyJtEIU6MLrRfOTwSLdLT16prYFWmzqWRbPMu0xiYT2kLS-oq0eZ_b0kjOdZkFUtV_z93UwGvBkLqdxtgIfG7f6UaMTezOWMa8I/s1600/Kenny+cooking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcmI_64gazjmhPCYyEK522vFjt_TiAViTsZtWwGllLXyJtEIU6MLrRfOTwSLdLT16prYFWmzqWRbPMu0xiYT2kLS-oq0eZ_b0kjOdZkFUtV_z93UwGvBkLqdxtgIfG7f6UaMTezOWMa8I/s320/Kenny+cooking.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div> <br />
This week I have been gymming a lot, but my weight is still all over the place. Part of it has to do with the fact that I was a bottomless pit last week. Part of it is probably due to the muscle I am building with Body Pump and Spin. Still, if this eating keeps up, I will certainly be visiting Dr. K next month. I don't use my band to control my portions, but I do think I am feeling hungry before I should. Oh well... I have until March 16 to figure that out. <br />
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Have a good weekend!!!Norahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02266265752622289708noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-120555027099506181.post-90781372253605547892012-02-16T19:44:00.000+00:002012-02-16T19:44:18.206+00:00The Coolest Thing Happened At SpinOn Saturday I did my triple spin. Only a few of us stay for all three classes, so I get to see everyone filter in and out of the sessions. For the first time, I wasn't the chunkiest lady in at least one of the classes. Two other ladies were much thicker than I. Their arms were round and fat where mine have definition, and they were generally more puffy than I am. I am not saying that I wasn't the heaviest, as they were both shorter than I (and I am bad at using visual clues to figure out what people weigh). Regardless, it was so nice to not be the biggest woman in the room for one day! Norahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02266265752622289708noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-120555027099506181.post-1950034026382245772012-02-15T15:13:00.000+00:002012-02-15T15:13:27.669+00:00Cardio Comparison, Etc...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM44LkB1ycuJvcJvxTXDOBq2ofnMfsg8ql2FdC64SROdZFU4Li0GACka-9iWh4l-Z1Xn1YdS91WI8LesKoQXfq1AYszf0AWWPZEEKgipCVVo4LHNC0e7zcNbhAulbvoEnGhgybAm1lL3A/s1600/polar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM44LkB1ycuJvcJvxTXDOBq2ofnMfsg8ql2FdC64SROdZFU4Li0GACka-9iWh4l-Z1Xn1YdS91WI8LesKoQXfq1AYszf0AWWPZEEKgipCVVo4LHNC0e7zcNbhAulbvoEnGhgybAm1lL3A/s1600/polar.jpg" /></a></div> <br />
I started using my Polar monitor on January 3rd. I performed the Polar fitness test, which measures my VO2max and determines my aerobic fitness, before my first workout. From there I can compare my results to others of the same age/gender to see whether my results are very low, low, fair, moderate, good, very good or elite. My first VO2max number was 31, meaning that my aerobic fitness was in the 'fair' category. I re-ran the test on February 13th, and my number shot up to a 47. My aerobic fitness is now ELITE, the highest possible level in the Polar manual. I might still be obese, but I am heading in the right direction!<br />
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Yesterday was Valentine's Day, or, as I call it, the most overrated day of the year. People who almost never go out feel like they just HAVE TO go out to a (frequently overpriced) meal and sit with a lot of other people who are in the same boat. Men are pushed into spending a fortune on roses to make their wives/girlfriends feel 'special'-- even though the same roses are available every day of the year. Sorry to be the Debbie Downer of blogland, but I just don't get it. Wouldn't it be better to receive flowers on a random evening just because your partner wants to give them to you... or go out to dinner as a surprise rather than because social convention mandates it? <br />
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Because neither of us feel strongly about Valentine's Day, we avoid going out to dinner. I met Kenny for a quick sushi lunch near his office between his meetings. In order to make it to sushi and prepare dinner, I woke up at 5:30 to hit the 7am spin class and do some additional cardio work. I hate waking up early, but it was nice to be showering off by 10am!<br />
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After our 35-minute lunch, I went up to Whole Foods to pick up the lobsters I had ordered for our appetizer, <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Lobster-Newburg-11057">Lobster Newburg.</a> The fishmonger forgot to set my lobsters aside, and (my luck) Whole Foods was out of lobsters by the time I got there. Luckily the manager was working at the time and did his best to help me out. He gave me a ton of crab legs and 500 grams (just over a pound) of crabmeat. I would have preferred my lobster, but getting over $100 of crab for FREE made me a bit less annoyed. It pays to be a good customer sometimes:)<br />
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So our Lobster Newburg turned into Crab Newburg--<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-cZ-zD5tMHHDgePrC8_GGJozn4lSb6ev9S2DhSme7qntq-ygfb5bDgssW_j6nyoS-4Ce4QOFQMmHxq_umNxaJDHU6tQZ2tT6YZfF8JD_Oo9TkDJKaRIFEz8AE4d0burRng3JJfoN4nK0/s1600/hiscrab.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-cZ-zD5tMHHDgePrC8_GGJozn4lSb6ev9S2DhSme7qntq-ygfb5bDgssW_j6nyoS-4Ce4QOFQMmHxq_umNxaJDHU6tQZ2tT6YZfF8JD_Oo9TkDJKaRIFEz8AE4d0burRng3JJfoN4nK0/s320/hiscrab.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <em>Kenny's plate</em></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlmZK6slKPCgvfFw6bIewlShLkEC5SiBjvcNrpcqI3AS8l98bJayruEGR6fgq0oVdaceMhl_aH4qyKqE-Uw6Epe7A51J8SnnnoldVSxkcQ_2iW9ZJFx2S0AC9AaAb_9FyWXzQ8_riH_HA/s1600/mycrab.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlmZK6slKPCgvfFw6bIewlShLkEC5SiBjvcNrpcqI3AS8l98bJayruEGR6fgq0oVdaceMhl_aH4qyKqE-Uw6Epe7A51J8SnnnoldVSxkcQ_2iW9ZJFx2S0AC9AaAb_9FyWXzQ8_riH_HA/s320/mycrab.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <em>My plate-- I only ate a few bites </em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em>but still wanted a nice, full </em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em>plate to look at:)</em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em> </em></div><div style="text-align: left;">For our dinner I made <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Veal-Cordon-Bleu-233551">Veal Cordon Bleu</a> and roasted asparagus. I cook so much fish that I felt the need to make something rich and meat-based. The dish was more work than I had expected, but the effort was worthwhile in the end. The veal was fantastic-- and none of the stuffing exploded in the frying pan:)</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaoBKpkasxcakW0oxot9YPnyJt5RIFksJ3F7Nb6f5T3-ldDAgSMpg8kXW0g3hgjGtatqk5ATDRPmWNiGgMNDzcslXSNobTQk0tkLkbv4qZZ59vVihxkYiN0_9LHzkbTh2tQ9YlrHie9n8/s1600/Veal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaoBKpkasxcakW0oxot9YPnyJt5RIFksJ3F7Nb6f5T3-ldDAgSMpg8kXW0g3hgjGtatqk5ATDRPmWNiGgMNDzcslXSNobTQk0tkLkbv4qZZ59vVihxkYiN0_9LHzkbTh2tQ9YlrHie9n8/s320/Veal.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Lastly, I made a mango and almond cake for dessert. I was very nervous to attempt this cake. My mom is an amazing baker, but I had never tried baking on my own before. I love cooking things that I can do by taste, but baking is just a chemical reaction-- and chemisty is not my thing. Also, this recipe is from a healthy cookbook, and I was worried that the thing would taste like sawdust. It wound up being VERY good. <br />
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And last but not least, we are not complete anti-Valentine's Day. I do get flowers, and we do exchange gifts. I just make Kenny promise me that the flowers won't be roses:)<br />
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Norahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02266265752622289708noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-120555027099506181.post-76720985637455118022012-02-10T14:50:00.000+00:002012-02-10T14:50:19.346+00:00She Couldn't Do What You And I Do...I love my gym ladies. They are so great at providing support and motivation, and the crazy thing is that I actually provide the same to them. One pushes me to try the back-to-back spin classes, I nudge another to do cardio before Spin when all she wants is to sit in the cafe with a juice and the morning paper and then she screams NORA across the gym to make sure I don't skip out on our abs class. So far we are really good for each other. At this point just about everyone who works out daily knows how much weight I have lost. We discuss what we all eat, what our favorite cheat foods are, how our workouts are going, and so on and so on. Still, the Lap Band remains my secret. <br />
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One of my gym girlfriends and I were chatting earlier this week, and she said, 'I just cannot see you like that' when discussing my highest weight. She only knows me as a healthy gym rat, so picturing me at 300+ just doesn't work for her. She wound up telling me about a girlfriend of hers who had gastric bypass. The girlfriend is not having much success losing weight, mostly because she still eats all of the heavy Middle Eastern food she ate pre-surgery. Because of her poor eating habits, she spends a lot of time throwing up. My girlfriend was concerned about her friend and a bit annoyed that she wasn't making the changes necessary to lose weight. She looked at me and said that her girlfriend 'couldn't do what you and I do' regarding working out 5-6 times a week. <br />
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Her friend seems to be stuck with one of the main problems WLS patients suffer from-- a brain that it is not dealing with reality. From what my girlfriend told me, her friend expects to rely on the surgery for everything. Why eat differently? Why go to the gym? Didn't she have this surgery to make losing weight a breeze? Even with WLS, losing weight is not easy. We need to work for it. My gym girlfriends are fit and trim, and even they work out 5-6 days a week. If these women work out like this when they don't have to lose weight, then certainly those of us who are still overweight should be doing the same. I know it is preachy, but exercise and diet are the keys to success-- NOT focusing on the fact that we all underwent some sort of WLS. <br />
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Part of me thought that I was a bit of a fraud for not fessing up about my little helper, but then I thought better of it. At this point I am losing weight because I am eating well and working out more than religiously. Between January 3 and today, I have worked out for 64 hours 4 minutes-- that is 3844 minutes in 39 days! Yes, the Band helps me control my portions, but this just puts me on a level playing field with everyone else. If I chose to eat chips and sweets, the Band would be useless. It is only an aid for me because I am doing my best to use it correctly. I don't rely on it to police what I eat, as this is not the job of the Band. More importantly, I am working out intensely and consistently.<br />
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Tomorrow I have another triple Spin session. I just bought Spin shoes and clips today, and everyone I speak with says they will make a huge difference with my sessions. Very exciting! Norahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02266265752622289708noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-120555027099506181.post-23440454200661406732012-02-06T23:02:00.000+00:002012-02-06T23:02:37.262+00:00Snowpocalypse- London StyleIt doesn't take too much for London to all but shut down. A bad rain storm can stop the entire Underground, and the effects of snow on the city are much, much worse. I don't have much to report, but we did have a whopping three inches of snow on Saturday evening. Luckily I booked dinner within walking distance from our flat, so we didn't have to deal with the annoyance of finding a taxi.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWS2ewjxNxeyKvZYLsbmdAg0npL6GHpY1Ldr7bDIPmuVweXnkq7nwrRX1WDF6FhYGDFQsmDq6SQgGx8xh0bGYt486LxwOG8K4X5EFQfV6v62AORU2gnSOvm5USi0Ruxb_OtnmuXD8IvUQ/s1600/Snow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWS2ewjxNxeyKvZYLsbmdAg0npL6GHpY1Ldr7bDIPmuVweXnkq7nwrRX1WDF6FhYGDFQsmDq6SQgGx8xh0bGYt486LxwOG8K4X5EFQfV6v62AORU2gnSOvm5USi0Ruxb_OtnmuXD8IvUQ/s320/Snow.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em>Down the street from our flat</em> </div> <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpIXIkz1XDGB2_n0yt2KE-oUCoW5upxxE6l1ut1QcKZdkAYemY2nmYqInus9KvhLW1pffYb7Lq4qysClBPEYXIxVI7wZdqFF1DmM7ranTbIyTaOj9AV0ZdcjThlMqHvcMynCE_SIht3rY/s1600/hat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpIXIkz1XDGB2_n0yt2KE-oUCoW5upxxE6l1ut1QcKZdkAYemY2nmYqInus9KvhLW1pffYb7Lq4qysClBPEYXIxVI7wZdqFF1DmM7ranTbIyTaOj9AV0ZdcjThlMqHvcMynCE_SIht3rY/s320/hat.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em>My favorite hat, Boris. </em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em>Dad gave him to me for Christmas years ago,</em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em>and the only good thing about this weather is getting </em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em>to take him out on the town:)</em></div>Norahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02266265752622289708noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-120555027099506181.post-15212935755851932512012-02-04T18:04:00.000+00:002012-02-04T18:04:59.107+00:00One Month In And A SpinathonI am very happy with my 2012 progress. I am on a pretty amazing gym schedule and am making good food choices. Shockingly, I am having a fantastic time at the gym. I have become friendly with a little group of women who frequently work out at the same time and take similar classes. We chat in the locker room and stand/bike in the same area during classes. I really like The American (TA) who helped me with my first Body Pump class. She pushes me to take additional classes, and we even text in the evenings to psych each other up for the following day's schedule. <br />
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Last week she mentioned that she attends three back-to-back Spin classes on Saturday mornings. I did not go last weekend, and on Monday morning she said that she missed me at the Spinathon. Even though I work out for 2+ hours a day, I was concerned that I could not make it through three classes. She promised me that if I make it through two classes, I CAN make it through the third. So... I signed up for and COMPLETED all three classes this morning! It was so much fun. We both arrived early to get 'our' bikes and were the only two lunatics who did all three classes.<br />
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TA knows all of the instructors and told ours that she and I were both staying for all sessions. He almost turned a ghostly white when he saw me. I looked at TA, said that his reaction was not all that encouraging and laughed it off. After the first class the instructor saw me eating two wedges of a peeled orange, and I think he understood at that point that I DO actually work out. We looked at each other and laughed as he decimated his banana and I sucked on my orange. His laugh was also probably a bit of a Holy $&*%, this gal is actually staying for a second class! <br />
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In the middle of the second class TA tapped me on the arm and mouthed that we only have one more hour left. The countdown had started! Most people left after the second class, but we remained. A few minutes into the third session we were listening to the same B.r.i.t.n.e.y.S.p.e.a.r.s. song that we use for our Body Pump triceps routine. It was my time to tap her, and I acted like I was working out my triceps, with my hands coming to my forehead. A few seconds later we looked at each other and said SINGLES, mimicked the triceps routine and burst out laughing (I realize that this is probably only funny for some of you who do Body Pump). The instructor thought we had lost it, but it just helped keep us going. <br />
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The best thing happened at the end of the class. Because our gym has wireless receivers for Spin, the studio is not at all loud. We just plug our headsets into the receivers and adjust our individual volumes. We had finished our last climb and were cooling down. The instructor looked directly at me, nodded and said 'good job'. TA and I left the studio with the instructor who again said that I did really well. I joked that he didn't look all that convinced that I would make it in the beginning, and he just laughed. Getting a compliment from this guy was very gratifying! <br />
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I am learning that having a gym buddy is SO important as long as that gym buddy is really serious with his/her workouts. Another girlfriend flits in and out of the gym and only comes if it easily fits into her schedule. That is fine for her but doesn't work for me. I will stick with TA and the other women for my gymming. <br />
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Lastly, here is my January vs. February comparison picture. It is hard to see much difference, but I think my thighs and waist have come in a bit. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBc5em3G-0rNRQ2_0i3VcBUeP9F29wgerURrvrkI1wIvWOytzbfbMA4ktThpksesBqtRB0Ca40yx5Cfsx5ZzvRUAocOm1yjsoOP-g5tB259y6snUb9ApGYW3rkQqoI2kL7fnSsyPqYz4E/s1600/01.02.comp.final.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBc5em3G-0rNRQ2_0i3VcBUeP9F29wgerURrvrkI1wIvWOytzbfbMA4ktThpksesBqtRB0Ca40yx5Cfsx5ZzvRUAocOm1yjsoOP-g5tB259y6snUb9ApGYW3rkQqoI2kL7fnSsyPqYz4E/s320/01.02.comp.final.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div>Norahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02266265752622289708noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-120555027099506181.post-52956585375631716072012-02-02T14:27:00.001+00:002012-02-02T15:01:56.854+00:00My First LuluThe wonderful Catherine gave me one of her old (and much too big for her) Lululemon shirts over the summer. I knew it would be small at the time but was amazed that it looked like black sausage casing on me. Not a good look! It was not even close to being wearable. I threw Little Lulu into my gym drawer and accepted that it would be quite some time before it would ever see the light of day. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLN4_75UHZ61w6ahXK23u9lkOPS_1-t_lC57IXj65qTp__kAIzNUemrQg509N8bnNo3gVR9NZPPb6tolk0KpiLKPbvW7tekU0ZwNHwovld-5wznm-e-rOAdnZmcvJCZ553EkL0e4Pdtr8/s1600/Lulu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLN4_75UHZ61w6ahXK23u9lkOPS_1-t_lC57IXj65qTp__kAIzNUemrQg509N8bnNo3gVR9NZPPb6tolk0KpiLKPbvW7tekU0ZwNHwovld-5wznm-e-rOAdnZmcvJCZ553EkL0e4Pdtr8/s320/Lulu.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Today the shirt saw light and experienced more sweat than it could have possibly been ready for given how long it had been relaxing in my bedroom. I think it looks cute, and I am very excited that I am finally small enough to wear some of the more boutique gym brands:)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div>Norahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02266265752622289708noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-120555027099506181.post-32875483921636405852012-02-01T18:47:00.000+00:002012-02-01T18:47:41.946+00:00Finally A Cool Kid<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBDQsLV0IRvo8XWdwOYj1LBO1_asSrFvD0VpWNushBlBNXLA_qXejIkPBc50KjGaYMhIEifSWtI7rVM3Ha6lKlZRBB0Sq2PLM4O5PKppY89aol_-XAYwo0YwpTBqCyzeey9T_IZ7L0oa8/s1600/198.8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBDQsLV0IRvo8XWdwOYj1LBO1_asSrFvD0VpWNushBlBNXLA_qXejIkPBc50KjGaYMhIEifSWtI7rVM3Ha6lKlZRBB0Sq2PLM4O5PKppY89aol_-XAYwo0YwpTBqCyzeey9T_IZ7L0oa8/s320/198.8.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div> <br />
Today is my first day in ONEDERLAND!!! Very exciting I must say. So I am now with the cool kids on the better side of 200lbs:)<br />
<div> </div><div>I also felt like a bit of a cool kid last night. My Dubai friend and I met at his hotel for wine and then spent the the remainder of the evening, night and early hours of the morning clubbing. No, that was not a typo- Nora went clubbing. I actually enjoyed clubbing in my younger, single days, but Kenny flat out hates it. The last time I had a clubbing night was two years ago... in Dubai with the same Mr. Dubai. </div><div> </div><div>When he saw me he very matter-of-factly looked me up and down and said 'You've lost A LOT of weight' just like that. So many friends really dance around the subject of weight, and it was quite refreshing for someone to be rather blunt. It probably helps that he is appearance conscious, body conscious and generally on the vain side. I don't mean that as a criticism, merely some added context. Because image is important to him, he really analyzes these things in other people. Knowing this, I wanted to make sure that I looked as good as possible. He hadn't seen me since February 2010, and he deserved to see the new and improved Nora. I think he was impressed.</div><div> </div><div>After drinks at the hotel we hit the first club. Then we made it to the second. Then we went to the third. The third was a popular Mayfair club, known for snooty people working the door. It is more like multiple layers of people working the door, sigh. The people in front of us were turned away and I thought, oh crap, we aren't going to get in. How embarrassing. Mr. Dubai dealt with the door people, who obviously looked us up and down (and then down and up) to determine whether we 'fit'. Apparently we did, and in we went. There is absolutely NO way I would have been allowed in even a few months ago. Even though the opinion of door women is something I would typically not care about at all, I liked the endorsement!</div><div> </div><div>We stayed at this club for an hour or two-- long enough that my ears only stopped ringing when I started typing this post. Men were very nice to me, and the club's promoter even gave me his details so he can invite me to a club opening. Not like I will go, but again I liked the endorsement. Mr. Dubai got way too drunk, and I decided that it was time for me to leave. I finally got here at about 3. Impressively, I still got up at 7:30 and was at the gym before 9:)</div><div> </div><div>My night with Mr. Dubai was really enjoyable, but it made me appreciate my life a little more. Going out and being part of that scene is fun once in a blue moon. When I haven't been out I miss it and can envy my friends, such as Mr. Dubai, who are single and free-- who can just do what they want when they want and party like it's 1999. I know that I won't need another night out like this for quite some time. More importantly, it reminds me that my life is great and that I wouldn't trade my relationship and my stability (albeit boring at times) for the flexibility to go back into Party Mode. It only took a little dose of actually experiencing my former life to remember all of this! </div>Norahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02266265752622289708noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-120555027099506181.post-5054037725436531292012-01-30T23:05:00.000+00:002012-01-30T23:05:58.294+00:00How My Perspective Has ChangedMy lightest weight as an adult was 188lbs-- 12lbs less than I weigh now. I was in law school and had a healthy appetite for Adipex (doctor prescribed, for all of you who just gasped). Even with the drugs, it was impossible for me to maintain that weight. I held below 190 for a couple of weeks, and then I never saw a number starting with 18 again. I was able to stay in the 190s while I kept popping Adipex, and then POOF, I got up to 324.6lbs. Ok, ok, it wasn't quite that fast a gain, but yes, it was that dramatic.<br />
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I was on the phone with Kenny last night (the bum is enjoying Florida while we are experiencing painfully cold weather in London), and I mentioned how my perspective regarding my weight is much different than it was the last time I lost. In 2004/2005, I felt HOT when I was around this weight. I was on the top of the world. I was also in my 20s, which might have had something to do with the opinion I had regarding my hotness. I feel much different this time around. I know I look good, but I feel that I still have a long way to go. And while I am comfortable saying that I look good, I am realistic enough that I have not elevated myself to the level of looking hot. <br />
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I feel that this change in perspective comes from different places. Some stems from the reality that I compare myself to others much more than I ever did before. I spend a lot of my day at the gym next to women who are in much better shape than I. Then I come home from the gym, log onto blogger and read about all of you successful bandsters-- most of whom weigh less than I do. I was bigger than most of you when I had surgery, and the sad reality is that I do still have a journey ahead of me. A lot of the change is probably that I know I can lose more this time around. I am not starving myself to lose this weight; I am working out and eating a healthy diet! I don't know what my final weight will be, but I do know that I am not at the end of the road yet. I never want to get overly obsessed with my weight, so I will continue to take my weight loss in 10lb increments. <br />
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Now back to my conversation with Kenny. I pretty much said the above to him (and said that I still see myself as fat), and he was kind of stunned. He is so proud of/pleased by my drastic transformation and made it abundantly clear that he would be fine if I never lost another pound. He is fine with me continuing to lose if that is what I want to do, but he doesn't think it is necessary. He also said that he just wants to make sure the I am healthy, lose weight in a healthy manner and that I really see how far I have come. I think he was a bit freaked out that I might be getting some sort of body dysmorphia or other condition where I see myself as much heavier than I am. This is certainly not the case, but I am still obese. I won't be for much longer though:) <br />
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Anyway, it is funny to see how I now view myself much differently than I had. I'd like to think some of this is because I now have the confidence to know that I can do better than my 2004/2005 low.Norahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02266265752622289708noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-120555027099506181.post-41084020015044558142012-01-29T11:58:00.000+00:002012-01-29T11:58:07.970+00:00The Plans That Weren'tKenny is in Miami for work and won’t return until Wednesday, and a university friend living in Dubai was supposed to come for a quick visit on Saturday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everything was planned- and everything was cancelled.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My friend’s passport got held up at the Italian embassy, so he won’t be landing here until Monday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I almost booked a flight home to see mom for a few days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I almost booked a flight to Miami.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead, I decided to stay in London (remember a few months ago when I blogged about how I always have theme songs for my life?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This weekend’s song is, not surprisingly, All By Myself).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t want to spend so much money on a flight for such a short trip and miss two or three days at the gym!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who am I???<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I skipped going somewhere because I didn’t want to miss the gym!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyBjE-AyTvcY-PPmGD0TwrfNS371b03wj1uRZszOzmDgN4gr5NGgkixeyfjerFW6ibUsp1Oxa-ClAZLqahMvzJCD0UVsG1P5TyxuJUseNJHlncGPmdBYq4aXrhqDkoLfMTuPceOENIHcQ/s1600/phantom+of.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyBjE-AyTvcY-PPmGD0TwrfNS371b03wj1uRZszOzmDgN4gr5NGgkixeyfjerFW6ibUsp1Oxa-ClAZLqahMvzJCD0UVsG1P5TyxuJUseNJHlncGPmdBYq4aXrhqDkoLfMTuPceOENIHcQ/s1600/phantom+of.jpg" /></a></div><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Yesterday I saw Phantom of the Opera for the first time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was an amazing performance and was such a nice way to spend a few hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many shows start in London before making their way to Broadway, and I didn’t know until yesterday that Phantom is one of them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has been playing here for 25 years!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>London is known for the theatre, and I really don’t take advantage of the great access I have.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will try to go more frequently this year!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Last night my gym buddy and her fiancé (who also works for Kenny) adopted me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We went out for drinks and dinner with a group of their friends and had a great time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the many wonderful things about being smaller is that I am so much more comfortable meeting new people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am social by nature and have always been more confident than many, but things are just so much better now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I blend in, and I actually fit in the seats/around the table.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were at a popular Notting Hill pub and did a fair amount of drinking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Getting to the bathroom required a lot of maneuvering around people at the bar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was great to be able to squeeze through groups of people without completely displacing them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now when I shimmy behind a guy, I know my boobs will hit him rather than my belly (and not too many guys in a pub have an issue with a woman’s boobs knocking into them).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I still need the belly to shrink, but it is heading in the right direction.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">On the subject of getting the belly down, I had a great week at the gym.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I went to Body Pump on Monday, Wednesday and Friday AND did Spin on Tuesday and Thursday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is in addition to my normal cardio routine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am going to try to keep to this schedule.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The classes are a way for me to push myself and do exercises that I would never attempt on my own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Several women attend these classes every day, and I am slowly becoming friendly with them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think this will help keep me going, as they will notice if I slack off and skip a class or two.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another great thing for my accountability is my new Polar monitor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can accurately chart how long I have worked out for and how many calories I’ve burned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gone are the days of saying that I worked out for about an hour when I only completed 45 minutes of exercise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I combine the classes, the cardio, the women, and the Polar monitor, I am pretty convinced that this is going to be a great gym year for me!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More importantly, this will be my goal year<span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>Norahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02266265752622289708noreply@blogger.com6