Update: Sweet baby Avery passed away on 4/30/12. Rest in peace, little angel.
Avery Lynn Canahuati, the 5 month old daughter of my childhood friend Laura & her husband Mike, was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) last Friday. SMA is an incurable genetic disease that will likely take Avery’s life before age 2. Instead of spending their time being sad & angry, Laura & Mike decided to make every minute of her life here on Earth count. Please join me in praying that Avery has a full & wonderful life. Let us lift up her parents as well, that they have the strength and courage to continue sharing their difficult story to inform others so that one day there will be research for SMA and God-willing, someday… a cure. Follow their blog and watch Avery check items off of her bucket list!
In January 2012, a full two years after my big move to the NE we finally booked a winter trip to Bromley Sun Mountain in southern Vermont. (backstory: The first and only time i participated in snow sports was in 2004, during an APO national convention. We took a train from downtown Denver to Winter Park Colorado. I skipped my beginner lesson because i was a natural on skis and was up on some pretty decent Blues by the end of the day!) Will & Lenny have snowboarded before so i decided to give that a try this time. As an added bonus, Claudia planned a visit just in time to join us!
Snowboard Bunnies
We all headed to Vermont around 4pm on a Thursday. Arlington, VT is supposed to be a 3 hour drive from where we live. However, due to snow/icy weather & questionable narrow/dark roads we arrived at our cabin around 9pm. Scates, John Louis & their ladies would be joining us the following night but we wanted to be up early on Friday for a “Snowboard Starters” group lesson so we arranged to be at the cabin the night before. The next morning, we lucked out and got placed in a small group with two very talented and helpful instructors: Tony & Ollie. They taught us the basics and had us making turns by lunch time. After lunch, we got up on the lift and made several passes down a mild course. Will happened to be the snowboarding all-star in the group and he was connecting his turns like a pro!
The boys all bundled up!
Even the guys (who had taken lessons before) were surprised at how great our instructors were. We were all doing very well on our boards. On day one, we had about 5 full hours of instruction and even though we were all exhausted and ready to call it a day… we were still very much looking forward to day two.
When we got back to the cabin we got cleaned up, made some dinner and waited for the rest of the group to arrive. Once everyone arrived we partied a little bit, some more than others (ahem, CLAUDIA ha!) but we were all up the next day and back at Bromley for more.
It was a fantastic weekend, and two days of snowboarding was all that it took to get me hooked. Our friends who live in Norwalk (the Lackey’s) are avid snowboarders and they inspired us to buy our own equipment. When we got home, Lenny introduced us to Joe (the owner of Capsule Board Shop in Cos Cob) and less than 2 weeks later I was a proud owner of a new beautiful Signal Snowboard! Will’s board came in a few weeks later… it took a little longer to arrive since he had to special order one in his size. We are now itching to hit the slopes again ASAP. We’ve got multiple friends who want to take weekend or day trips with us, so i’ll continue to post about our new fun hobby!
It’s almost that time of year again… time for me to “fly south” for Christmas. It’s the only trip i ever get to take sans the work laptop so i’m pretty pumped about that. BUT, additionally… this year my best childhood friend, Crystal Orr, is getting married on New Year’s Eve. So my trip home is being shifted back a few days (i arrive in Texas on Christmas eve), but that just means i get to stay a few days later. Will & I will celebrate together on Friday before i leave, but we wanted the chance to enjoy all our friends too before the holidays take us in different directions. So we hosted a party at our apartment. An intimate gathering of our favorite people – it was a blast!
Our Tree 🙂
I had originally ordered Delicious Tamales from San Antonio for the party. I even paid $40 extra for 3 day shipping, but when i called to confirm the delivery date they told me it would take 10 days, bummer! So my foodie co-worker (& local celebrity blogger), Chris Preovolos, had this bright idea: “Why don’t we just make them ourselves??”… Ummm, because i have no idea how to!! Could we pull it off??
Thanks to Chris’s cooking skills & about 8 hours of assembly & steaming we ended up with some amazingly “delicious tamales” here in CT. Having access to La Marqueta (the chain of Spanish grocers here in Southern Fairfield County) was a huge help as well. Oh yes, and we also had a festive photo booth set up. Here are a few of the highlights from Santa’s Studio:
Exactly 12 months after we met Lucas in DC, he planned another east coast Halloween trip… but this time, he landed in Stamford, CT!! He’s been talking about visiting ever since i moved here and finally he made it a reality.
We started the weekend out with dinner & drinks in lower Manhattan. Then Lee took him out all night in search of some NYC ladies. On Saturday, we were back in CT for a Pizza Crawl. To make it even more interesting, Old Man Winter showed up a few months early in the form of a freak snow storm! But that didn’t stop us from enjoying a surplus of pie at the 4 most famous pizza establishments in New Haven, CT (arguably the best in the nation).
A Priest and a Spaniard walk into a bar...
The snow storm shut down the metro rail so we had no way to get into the city for a friend’s party… but we still got dressed up and hit the streets of downtown Stamford. Per usual, Lucas was in fine form for Halloween (see 2010 archives). And even though our original NYC costume party plans were hindered by the extreme weather, we still managed to have an incredible time that night in below-freezing temps.
Brooklyn Bridge
Sunday morning we went to SoNo for a phenomenal brunch at The Brewhouse. We met a married couple from Texas (Brandon & Amanda Lackey) who live in Norwalk. They just moved here this year and they also joined us for brunch, so it was pretty awesome having a table full of Aggies! Sunday evening, Lucas and I went back to NYC to do a little sightseeing. I got plenty of pictures of him, but he hates taking normal pictures. So it was a struggle finding something worthy of this blog post. This is the best i got outta him –>
The weekend was a blast and we’re hoping to make “East Coast” a Halloween Tradition… Maybe Boston next year 🙂
foreword: i wasn’t going to write anything about the earthquake, because everyone in Cali was making fun of the East Coasters for our “over-reactions,” HOWEVER, then along came Irene & her annoying little brother Lee. so this indeed deserves an entry. also, Mary Scheske quickly messaged me on GTalk and said “Did you FEEL it? You better blog about it!” So Mary, this one’s for you… sorry for the delay 🙂
Aug 23, 2011, approx 2pm EST: My co-worker Cyd and i are at our desks minding our own business when we feel the building rumble. My first thought was “Whoa! Is that the wind shaking the building?” Cyd responded with “Must be! Do you feel that??” Then here comes Juakeena, walking in the office…
[The room is still rumbling at this point]
Me: Juakeena, do you FEEL that??
Cyd: is it crazy windy outside?
Juakeena: no, i just went on a walk… it’s not windy at all.
I looked out the window to confirm that trees were in fact, not swaying. And then i hit the world wide web. It took me all of 2.3 seconds to confirm on CNN.com and then again on Facebook & Twitter that we just felt the earthquake all the way from the Virginia/DC area!! There was no damage at all here in CT, but i definitely got to FEEL my first earthquake!
Then, Tropical Storm Irene was a’brewin’… and about 5 days later she showed up on our doorstep as a Category 1 Hurricane. NYC & Stamford (where i live) seem to be the only places around here that did not get tore up by Irene.
Trees down in Greenwich, CT
Greenwich was without power for almost 2 weeks, and many streets were completely blocked by downed trees. Norwalk had plenty of flooding. But the major devastation occurred along the central coastline in Milford & Fairfield. Waterfront homes were swept away, neighborhoods were under water, and there were even a few deaths caused by Hurricane Irene. If you’re interested in seeing more pictures of the damage, click here: CTPost.com Slideshow
Right after Irene hit, I had to travel to Texas for work again (not complaining!!) and that’s when Tropical Storm Lee showed up. I was lucky enough to be able to extend my work trip to include some aggie football. I made my glorious return to College Station, Texas just in time for the 1st game of the season: A&M vs. smu… which resulted in a Win, duh! The only negative was the hurricane-like winds that Lee was churning up in the gulf. Tents were blowing over, EZ-ups were taken down and my hair was just a dang mess 🙂 But the tailgatin’ went on!! We were all set up at 8am and drinking beer well before noon. We didn’t get a drop of rain in Texas, but the east coast got pounded again with tons of rain, courtesy of Lee.
Now here we are in the last week of September, and temperatures are in the 60’s & 70’s during the day, and in the 50’s at night. Yup, it’s officially Fall. Not gonna lie, i really like this time of year here 🙂 It’s hard to believe in two short months we’ll be knee-deep in friggin’ snow. I’m gonna enjoy this while i can!!
Between my sister’s wedding, traveling to Boston, traveling for work TWICE, Will’s 30th birthday, Claudia’s visit to the East Coast and Hurricane Irene… i haven’t had a chance to give any diet updates. But given the success Will & I have both seen, it is incredibly important that i devote this blog post to the amazing Slow-Carb Lifestyle.
To give you an idea of just how awesome it is…
Will lost 23 lbs in the 45 days prior to the wedding in Cancun
I lost 11 pounds in the 45 days prior to the wedding in Cancun
Both Will & I have been back from Cancun for 4 weeks and only loosely following our diet but i’ve managed to keep all the weight off and Will has lost an additional 3 lbs
I’m not proud of this, but: I have only worked out twice in the last 28 days.
I’m not to my goal weight yet, but the bridesmaid dress fit and that was the short-term goal!! I’d like to lose another 7-10 lbs of fat and maintain that weight while toning up some more. I’m not getting any younger, and staying in shape isn’t getting any easier. But with the help of the Slow-Carb lifestyle, i’m able to indulge occasionally while still eating only the stuff that is good for my body and that won’t make me hold on to excess fat.
To some people, it might seem like a very restrictive diet. But to me, it seems like the food choices i should’ve been making all along. Slowly, we all develop bad habits. It starts out as a treat every once in a while. A sweet iced tea at Starbuck’s on a hot summer day. A handful of M&M’s after lunch, from the vending machine at work. A bowl of popcorn after work while you watch tv and unwind. Slowly, the treats become habits. And eventually, these habits turn into thunder thighs and extra belly rolls.
While on the Slow-Carb Diet, there is no need for snacking because you are allowed to eat all the lean proteins, veggies and legumes that you desire. You fill up on all the stuff that is good for your body and leave no room for the things that make you flabby. Even if you don’t think you have the will power to stick to it for a long period of time, i recommend you try it for at least 2 full weeks, if you are interested in losing fat. Unless you break the rules of the diet, i guarantee you will see results in that short time period. If you add a gym regime to the mix, you will be blown away!
Ok, i’ll stop preachin’… if you’re interested, google: “The Four Hour Body”… it’s the book by Tim Ferriss. He is the creator of this diet, and all the other tactics he uses to stay fit & excellent in all realms of life. Buy the book. Read it. And decide how you want to apply it to your life. You will not be disappointed.
Robyn & Eric were married on Saturday, August 13th at the Gran Caribe Resort in Cancun, Mexico. This was my very first “tropical” vacation, can you believe it?? Twenty-eight years of life… and the only beaches i knew about were Texas Gulf beaches. (Well, we did go to Panama City Beach, FL when i was a little kid… but i was like 12, i barely remember it!)
The wedding party on the beach
The ceremony was held in an open-air chapel facing the water and the view was incredible. Everything about that day was perfect… even the 10 minute surprise thunderstorm that briefly interrupted the evening reception! The girls wore short, strapless red dresses (with pockets!) and the guys wore tan guayaberas with red embroidery. Robyn looked absolutely stunning, and the white sand, bright blue water and clear skies made for an amazing backdrop.
A few things i learned about Cancun…
1) it’s the hottest/most humid place on earth. like, i was literally dripping sweat just loungin’ on the beach. and the minute i stepped foot outside our villa, my curls would fall and my hair would be damp with sweat from my head. i think i styled my hair 3 times each day. maybe next time i visit Cancun, it won’t be in the middle of Summer.
2) all-inclusive is the way to go! obviously there are different rates for upgraded rooms, etc… but the average cost was approx $100/per person, per day. and this price included all restaurants & bars on the resort (alcoholic drinks too!), free room service, and an awesome villa! it was pretty neat being on vacation and not having to “spend money” – everything was taken care of for us.
We all lucked out, because about a month after Robyn & Eric decided where the wedding would be a “groupon-like” special surfaced on EverSave.com. The deal was $299 for an all-inclusive 3-night stay for two, at the Gran Caribe resort! Even though Will & I had already booked and paid for our stay through the wedding coordinator, we quickly purchased the voucher and canceled 3 of our 4 nights. Since that saved us over $400, we were able to upgrade when we arrived. Our villa was incredible. We even had a private, two-level balcony with a jacuzzi!
It was an awesome trip, my sister married an awesome man… and i promised myself i’d take a tropical vacation every year from now on 🙂
oh yes, the Boston Beer Marathon happened again…and this time we showed up with 9 more people! we started at the House of Blues just like last year, but this time we actually made it to Allston for the last 8 bars or so <– major accomplishment!
us with the Beer Marathon Founding Fathers!
i think the best part about this year was having a few Texans in tow… a college buddy of mine, Lee Bernhoft, recently took a job in Stamford, so this was his first chance to get to really party with me, Will and company on the East Coast! Lee had a FANTASTIC time to say the least… and he even started a bro-mance with the charming Mr. Martti Thomas. I even got a call the next morning from Martti and had to text him Lee’s digits! LOL Those two were a match made in heaven! Watch out Southern CT: Lee & Martti are on the prowl! oh yeah, so Lenny has been calling me “T-Toast” (short for Texas Toast) since we met… so it was only fitting that Lee got his own nickname as well: Lee Toast.
Even more Aggies/Texans met us in Boston – Amanda & Brandon Lackey are a couple who recently moved to CT from Cleveland. (Funny story actually: on lee’s 2nd day in CT he was walking the streets of Stamford and he saw a guy unloading stuff from his vehicle which happened to have an “A&M” sticker on it. Of course, Lee was wearing his maroon Aggie shirt so he stopped and introduced himself. Thankfully, since we’re just a friendly bunch of people… Brandon and his wife joined us a few weekends later in NYC for the Lonestar Chili Cook-off. And the rest is history…) Despite Brandon’s horrific case of food poisoning in Boston on Friday night, he was out on the streets with us like a champ on Saturday. It was great being around other Aggies in Boston.
*The Great Boston Experience is becoming so successful that they are planning on duplicating it in other major US cities. It is official… the Big Apple Beer Marathon is scheduled for Saturday, September 24th! The Beer Marathon is coming to NYC 🙂
Will and I started following the “Slow Carb Diet” in preparation (read: out of desperation) for my sister’s upcoming Cancun wedding in August. This diet is one part of the “Four-Hour Body” lifestyle made famous by Tim Ferriss, in his book by the same name. The main rules are: no white carbs, no flour or wheat products, no dairy, no sugar/fruits and NO CALORIE COUNTING. *i like that last part So we can eat all the lean meats, green veggies and legumes our heart’s desire. (oh, yippie.)
The only GOOD rule this diet has is: cheat day! Cheat day is not just encouraged, but it’s actually REQUIRED on this diet. Because you deprive your body of (let’s be honest) everything that is delicious in this world all week long… you can actually benefit from eating whatever the heck you want one day a week. This spikes your insulin and boosts your metabolism, and quite frankly, it’s the one thing keeping me sane these days.
Here are a few of the delicious treats from our last cheat day:
copious amounts of mashed potatoescheesecake brownie!
And what cheat day would be complete without excessive alcohol consumption?? We abstained from eating hot dogs and drinking beer on the 4th of July, because it didn’t fall on a cheat day. So the following Saturday was my way of making up for lost time 🙂
BEER
We are 3 weeks into the diet and i’m down a total of 7 lbs. I believe the last time Will weighed in, he was down 13 lbs! Oh, and did i mention i’m only making it to the gym once a week on this diet?? We also took measurements of our arms, thighs, waist and hips, so we’re excited to track all the progress! Overall, i HIGHLY recommend this diet for anyone who is interested in rapid FAT LOSS. This is not a diet for people who just want to drop a few pounds (of water weight) and gain it all back and then some in a couple months. You have to seriously alter your eating habits, and your lifestyle in order for this to work. In the past, i would just hit the gym hard if i wanted to drop some weight. This is my first time seeing success with DIETING!
May 27th 2011 – Mom and Bellum booked an extended weekend stay in Stamford, CT. Saturday we enjoyed the 1st Annual “Stamford Harbor Live” which was occurring right outside my building. There’s a canal that cuts through our neighborhood and leads into the Long Island Sound. Some very smart individuals anchored a barge in the middle of the harbor and got some good bands to come entertain us. They had vendors selling ice cream and other goodies. But the best booth was Fairway Market’s setup – complete with free chips, salsa and guac! (Fairway Market is an NYC based supermarket that just opened a store here in Stamford. They are the only thing around here that holds a candle to HEB.) This was the first year the event has been held, but it’s such a fantastic idea… so i’m sure the crowds will keep coming back year after year.
Sunday we took the train to NYC and enjoyed our first Broadway Show. “Baby It’s You” was dubbed “a baby boomers delight” by the New York Post, so i figured mom & bellum would love it. And we all did!
"Baby It's You" - on Broadway
It was very entertaining and now i think i’m totally hooked. I have a long list of shows that i want to see very soon. After the show we walked to Carmine’s. In case you haven’t heard of Carmine’s (because i sure hadn’t before i moved here)… it’s this fantastic family style Italian restaurant with a location right in the theater district/Times Square. OMG. don’t ever go there with less than 5 hungry, grown-ass adults. The portions are enormous and the food is absolutely delicious. The food is so awesome that it makes the 1-2 hour wait worth it.*
Rock Center Cafeinside NBC building
On Monday, we went back to the city to do some sight seeing. We had lunch in Rockefeller Plaza. (They turn the ice rink into an outdoor restaurant during the summer months.) Then we took the trek up to the very top of the 30 Rock building. The “Top of the Rock” observation deck as they call it has fantastic views of the city. {Plus, Bellum loves the show 30 Rock. So he was pretty happy}
Central Park - looking North
I was able to talk mom out of a tour bus – it’s so much more fun walking and stopping wherever you want to. Our last stop was at Canal Street in Chinatown. I’ve heard from multiple people that they were able to purchase designer handbags and discount knockoffs from vendors on Canal Street. So i just wanted to see what this was all about!!
Carmine's
It was such a treat to get to have my family here, even for just a few days. Mom and I shopped, Bellum drank beer with the locals at “Bobby V’s” and i got both of them to try Middle Eastern food at Layla’s Falafel!! Mom and Bellum had to fly out on Tuesday morning at 8am. So i woke up around 4 to see them off from the hotel. I was heading home two weekends later for my high school reunion, so mom held it together as we said goodbye (sorta) … “See you in two weeks… Mommy loves the baby!”
