Still losing...

Fly for July 09 is still in effect. We've both checked in on Sundays for the past 3 weeks. We are both losing. She is losing more than I am but we are both succeeding. Even if I end up losing and have to do the penalty I don't care because I also still win and I know how to maintain for a long time.

Everyday

Did you ever notice how long it takes to go from bad mood to good mood, than it is to do the opposite? Something happens at work - boom, bad mood. How long before you get out of that?...probably not until you leave for the day, if even that early. You vent it out and let it go. Hopefully.

I never really stopped and made a conscious thought to start each day happy although some people do. I've always been a generally happy person. I enjoy making people laugh and laughing myself. Most times laughing AT myself. I try to learn as I go, from my own experiences and from my friends.

One of the things I think escapes us often are our surroundings. I think we get into a routine and don't take time to "smell the roses" so to speak. I am not a morning person but somehow I get up, get ready and head to work. Once I leave the house the chilly temperature hits my face and I am awake. I realize I am breathing deeper, grateful for the fact that I can breathe without a problem. Try to clear my head. And everyday when I walk east from my house to the PATH train, I see the reflection of the sunshine on the Hudson River. It makes me smile. While its bitter cold out, its still gorgeous and looks like Spring/Summer on the water. Which makes me appreciate its beauty, although having a close relationship with the Hudson knowing it isn't always the cleanest (living at Marist College) I put that thought aside. Water has always been a part of my life, everywhere I have lived. It will always, until the day I die, calm me. As will music. Guess I am just like my dad.

I follow the droves of commuters to the PATH train, take my 14 minute ride and as I'm walking up the steps out to the city streets I see the sun before it hits my face, glasses down, I walk into the blinding sun and am grateful for sight. As I ascend and reach the top step, I am grateful for my legs and the fact that I can walk. I feel the burn and think to myself, I've got to work out harder. Get to my building and realize I'm still breathing a little harder. Sweet.

Once I enter the office I still know in a few minutes I'll be talking to friends all over the states, they make me smile, every single day. I am grateful for them.

It's those little things we take for granted. Try to embrace them for we are only given one life.

That being said, today is my father's birthday. He would have been 63 years old. Still young.
Happy birthday, Dad. I miss you. Big hugs. Love, Becca Bee.

Fly for July '09

It was this time last week that a friend of mine and I met up and decided to motivate each other to get healthy. I, never ever wanting to work out, decided to take a "Total Body Conditioning" class provided by the Hoboken Board of Ed. So while I love supporting my local vendors, this one seemed beneficial to me. The class is perfect. It's a quick hour of cardio, weights, intervals and a teacher I'm slightly scared of (which means I will try harder when I know she is watching). The class is not intimidating. We are all there for a common goal, and all common people. Not those chicks who have fancy leotards or guys who grease up and over tan themselves.

So while being super excited after class we chatted over a protein smoothie & bean salad. (Who am I???) We decided to set some penalties for the "non-winner" and make it something that would keep us both on track. I wanted to train for an Alumni Rugby game at Marist and she is in a wedding for her best friend. Both of us wanted to slim down and tone up. We decided on 7 weeks - to INCLUDE Easter (so that we don't completely blow it on a holiday). We also figured it was enough time to see results and then continue and maintain our weight and new bodies until our events and then well past. No crash diets, just pure focus. Changes we can make for life, if even the occasional side step, something you can always come back to.

We're now on day 4 of 49. We're both still on track.

Train Dance

So I finally leave the house on time this morning, take a nice brisk walk to the PATH. (For those who don't know...GB will tell you EVERY TIME he says it, Port Authority Trans Hudson.) Once I get there I see hundreds of people on the platform and automatically go back to the horrid memories of the LIRR, Long Island Railroad. We used to shove so many people on a train when it was bad weather or running late or ya know, just for fun...and when we did this shoving I somehow managed to be lifted over the "gap" by the pushing. It's exhilarating, really. I've always found humor in these situations though because there is always the lady or man who is huffing and puffing that this is the worst thing in the world. It's great people watching. I guess I don't mind as much because it doesn't really matter if I'm late. Work understands. They also realize its not the worst thing.

There was a man who was so close behind me that I thought he oughta offer me a night out for a drink or dinner. We were definitely spooning, it was nice. I just positioned myself to embrace the spoon and to not fall while the train is running and laughed.

Some other women trapped this other girl in so close that she was basically breathing the hair of the woman in front of her. She didn't seem to like it. It made me laugh.

Somewhere across the train there were voices of girls retelling stories from last night that unfortunately the wold train had to endure. Again, I just laughed.

These people who are huffing and puffing over the crowded train or platform, or cold, or someone on their cell phone. Sure these things are annoying but again, they are not the worst thing in the world.

Maybe its because of my recent trip that I feel this way or maybe since my life has been kicked into a new reality, but I don't see the point in complaining about that. Honestly, you are only calling attention to yourself and unless that's your plan, you aren't making the situation any better for yourself.

So lighten up. Trains run late. People talk too loud on cell phones, in inappropriate places. Giggle to yourself and take the next train. Life is not that bad!

South Africa exceeded all expectations...

Hey there,

Well, this is new for me so "hello and welcome to my mind". I don't know if this will end up continuing or if it will be private or if it will have current events or photos or what. No idea. Let's just start out with a photo blog of my recent trip to South Africa and see where we go... I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. There are far too many photographs to let you just browse through without knowing where everything is. It was a learning experience that I tried to capture through the lens so that I could remember it. Perhaps you can learn just a fraction by what you see here...

So it's Thursday February 12th and I head home to Long Island where all my gigantic baggage is. Friday morning I wake up with enormous anticipation of the journey to come. I am crossing the world today. JJ is coming from Boston and will be at JFK shortly. We fly the rest of the way together. We meet and have eats, find some of our VILLAmates for the week and then board the plane.

First stop Dakar, Senegal.

JJ and I boarding...

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URGENT - THIS JUST IN!!!!!
Blogger kinda hates me so I am no longer doing the photos here. I'll post them somewhere else and put a link here to view them and some stories.

For now I'm going to blog more about everyday things...and so here we go!