TGIF and ANOTHER birthday!

Happy birthday to Amie, my "Little Sister" is 18 today! We were matched when she was just 9 years old...crazy to think she's 18 already. I'm very proud of the person she has become. During my last trip back to Albany I got to see her very briefly. She looks fabulous and is a confident and happy young woman.

Somehow I managed to run 4 miles on very sore calves...stupid 1,000 lb. challenge yesterday. Even more impressive is that I ran it in 40:30. Don't know where I pulled that out of. I have to run 7 miles tomorrow and spin on Sunday...glad Monday is an off day!

Busy day in front of me so its time to focus and get motivated...HAPPY FRIDAY!!!

Happy Birthday!

Today my Mom would be 66! Happy Birthday Mom!!! Miss you every day, miss you even more today!

Yesterday I went to Philadelphia with my boss for a presentation and training session with one of our clients. It was a LONG day but it went REALLY well! It was nice to meet the people I have only emailed or spoken with on the phone in person and it was great to be able to interact with my boss outside of the office.

Since I was out of town, I missed my run yesterday and I definitely paid for it today. Chris (my trainer) made me try his 1,000 lbs challenge. The challenge is to carry a total of 1,000 pounds up and down 2 flights of stairs in 20 minutes. My goal was to go for the full 20 minutes and move 500 lbs. I achieved that goal and then some. I moved a total of 700 lbs. in 19:46. I think he should either modify it to be 5% of your body weight or give women an extra 2 1/2 to 5 minutes. I can't move 2 45 lb plates up and downstairs, but I can move 2 25 or 2 10 lb plates. I didn't even try the 35 lb plates...I stuck with what I knew I could do. Oh and this was after a 30 minute strength workout with him. I'm thrilled with what I did!

If I wasn't tired after my trip yesterday, I sure am now!

Happy Birthdays!

Couple of quick shout outs for birthdays...

Yesterday my cousin Randi turned 36! She is a fighter and a kind person. I don't know if she knows how much she means to me, but it I had to call someone my sister, she would be it (along with her sister Jill of course). When I am with her, I just feel at peace and such a strong connection with my family (both those who are still with us and those who have passed on). She just amazes me!

Today my Grandma would have turned 87. I truly would have loved to see how beautiful she would be at 87. Grams was intelligent and full of style, class and grace. They just don't make women like her anymore. I can still hear her Boston accent and smell her perfume and cigarettes. She was taken from us all too soon, but we never doubted her love and all the joy her grandchildren brought to her life.

Happy Birthday to 2 of my favorite women! I love you always!

That big dog park in the sky...

I found out yesterday that a friend of mine is putting her dog to sleep today and my heart is just broken. Sydney is a beautiful white shepard who has graced her family with love and affection for 14 1/2 years. I've spent a lot of time with Syd since I first met her a few years ago. I would often house and dog sit when the family was out of town. Lupe and Syd were fun together...big dog and little dog just hanging out together. Recently Syd has stopped eating, had issues with UTI's and bladder control and is really unable to support herself.

Its not an easy decision to make, but I am always amazed about the strength of the bond between animals and humans...they have a way of letting us know its their time and its okay to let them go.

So to my friend Miss Sydney, I thank you for all of the smiles and happiness you have brought. Lupe thanks you for introducing her to "doggy crack". Go find your friend Riley in that big dog park in the sky and play like you've never played before...

5 years

Can't believe its been 5 years!!! I think of you every day. Sometimes it makes me smile. Sometimes it makes me cry. Sometimes it makes me feel loved. And sometimes it makes me feel so alone. Things weren't always perfect, we definitely had our differences. You wanted the best for me and I wanted to be able to experience things. You were right, of course.

You loved me unconditionally from the moment you first held me. I never went a day without knowing how much you cared for me and for Jay. I keep that love with me always and I miss it so much. I learned so much from you, you were my mentor, my best friend, something and someone you can never replace. I am who I am because of all that you did for me and all that you taught me.

I bought a new necklace to remind me of you. Its a simply heart inlaid with diamonds. Wearing it for the first time today. Everyone tells me that you are always with me. I keep you in my heart and now I have a physical representation of that. Forever in my heart. How appropriate.

I love and miss you Mom.

I would have preferred snow!

So the snow has stopped, but its been sleeting or raining since mid-morning. YUCK!!! So the snow is melting and we are expecting a flash freeze tonight. Really not looking forward to trying to get to my car tomorrow morning and driving to the gym on wicked icy roads.

Still thinking about what was happening 5 years ago this week. I'm not one for living in the past, but there are key moments in your life that will always be with you. I can say that I'm glad the weather wasn't like this then. Jay and I wouldn't have been able to get back to see her nor would Steffi been able to be with us. Jill wouldn't have been able to come up for the funeral. The weather was cool, but not freezing, especially for February standards. Things just came together for us, as best as the could considering the circumstances. Crazy how things happen that way sometimes.

My horoscope the last few days has been really spot on...

"The Moon enters your eighth house of sex, death and power, turning your mind to deep thoughts. The nature of life and death may perplex you when you try to understand it intellectually, so let go of any neurotic desire to make sense of what is not meant to be logical. Open your mind and heart if you want to be let in on the mysteries of life."

And yes, I still use the traditional dates and look at Gemini...there is no WAY I'm a Taurus!!! :)

Yet another snow day...

Sitting at my dining room table watching the latest round of snow falling...this is the first of 3 potential storms that is supposed to hit in the next 5 days. As of this storm, we had over 60 inches of snow. So that would mean if it was all still on the ground, I would be almost buried. This storm would definitely bury me though :) My landlord had his wife call me to see if I needed to get out today so that they could arrange for me to be plowed out. I'm lucky to be able to work for home, but it was nice to be in the office yesterday...maybe I can go back in on Thursday.

Five years ago today we decided to let Mom go. She needed dialysis, oxygen and probably either a feeding tube or iv nutrition...but that's not what she wanted. It was a hard decision emotionally but we all knew it was the right decision, there was no deliberation...we all knew it was time.

I've been in a funk about things, pretty emotional and just beating myself up. Its to be expected but I also know that I need to keep going forward. She would want me to remember her but she would want me to live. Just hard when your biggest cheerleader, best friend and mentor is gone. I keep going to keep her memory and legacy alive. My brother and I are her legacy and I'm so proud to be that...