Don't Put It Off - Travel Bucket List

I've been recently thinking about how important it is to live in the now, instead of wishing and waiting. I recently went on a cruise and had a wonderful time. I was 9 weeks post knee replacement surgery, so probably not the best timing. But the trip had been planned and I wasn't going to cancel. It wasn't the easiest, but I found ways to manage. During this trip, I visited Venice, Italy for the 2nd time. It had been 14 years since I'd been there, but I loved it just as much as the first time. 

 

Now, just a few weeks later, Venice is experiencing the worst flooding in 50 years and many priceless artifacts and buildings have been damaged. Venice is in serious trouble and it will cost millions to do what's necessary to protect this beautiful city.  (Photo credit CNN.com article)

I was talking to a friend who told me she'd always wanted to go to Venice and is now worried she'll never get there, or the city will be destroyed before she has the chance. I feel the same way about Petra, Jordan. I've always wanted to go, but it seems like it would be hard to get there. It's expensive, a long flight, few hotels, physically strenuous, etc. But if this is a city I desperately want to visit, why do I continue to put it off? There are ways to get around the roadblocks. I don't want to regret never visiting the place that's #1 on my bucket list. (Photo credit)

Don't let these excuses keep you from seeing the places in the world on your bucket list!

• When I retire, I’m going to travel to [my dream destination].
• I really want to go to [my dream destination] as soon as I can find someone to go with.
• Next year, I’m going to travel. (but then you don’t do it)
• A trip to your dream destination gets more and more expensive.
• You travel, but you go everywhere except the one place you most want to visit.

What can we do to make a dream a reality? 

1. Determine your obstacle. Is it financial? Is it deciding if you're traveling alone or need a buddy? Is it health related? Is it because you're afraid?

2. Brainstorm and make a list of ways to overcome that obstacle. If it's financial, find ways to start a travel savings fund or find inexpensive options for your trip. If it's health related, talk to others with your same restrictions to see what they've done, or talk to your doctor. Start an exercise regimen to get in shape. If it's because you're afraid to travel alone or the planning is overwhelming, start small. Find a friend to travel with you. Give yourself a deadline and work on a step each week or month. 

3. Apply your list. You have to decide if this dream location is worth overcoming the obstacles. If so, start today! You don't have to solve everything at once. 

I wish I had time and money to go everywhere. Literally everywhere. But I don't. So why am I procrastinating visiting the places I want to see the most? Now's the time to plan, save, and GO!

The Saga of Becoming Bionic

Here I am at week 11. It's been almost three months since my knee replacement surgery. As a relatively young joint replacement patient, I've certainly underestimated the length and ease of recovery. It's been a tough road that has tested my patience at every turn. Patience has never been my strength and I hate the uncertainty of waking up each day wondering how my knee will feel. A fellow patient recently sent me this meme, which sums it up perfectly.

Since it's been quite a few years since I've blogged, I'll share a bit of history for everyone. In July 2015 I had my first hip replaced and in July 2017 my second. While these were also major surgeries with fairly difficult recoveries, by 12 weeks I was mobile without a cane and feeling mostly back to normal. I was able to travel, there was no swelling, and no more need to ice and elevate. I remember feeling such a relief from the pain of bone on bone, that the recovery from surgery felt like something I could handle. Once my hips were fixed, it became evident that my left knee would be next. After years of compensating for my out of whack hips, this knee was crooked, weak, and completely void of cartilage. I had very little range of motion and got to the point where every day held some type of pain and stiffness.

It seems July is the month for my joint replacements. I felt very prepared for this one. Since I'd been through replacement of both hips, I figured this would be similar. My wonderful mother is a teacher, so she can take some time to come help me with the first couple of weeks of recovery. There really is nothing like having mom there when you're recovering from surgery. The early weeks were pretty similar. Ice, elevate, take pain meds, eat, nap, try to focus on TV or books. We had a major heat wave in Virginia, so I'm sure my mom was going stir crazy. But 100 degrees was too much for me and I wanted to be inside, close to my ice machine. But by the start of week three, I felt confident that I could be independent and my mom went home (my poor dad sure did miss her!). 

Other than the typical post-op blues and frustration of the slow healing process, I felt like things were  progressing at least. I had a wonderful vacation planned (a Mediterranean cruise!) at week 9 and my doctor said I'd be fine, just to take it slow. My vacation was amazing...hard at times with a lot of walking...but amazing! I even managed to hike up to the Parthenon in Athens! Ms. Knee was feeling great and getting stronger each week. Until week 11.

Here I am at week 11. Feeling new soreness and stiffness. My range of motion is still lousy. I still rely on my cane more than I'd like. I still have to ice and elevate every day (sometimes more than once). It feels like one step forward and a million steps back. So, I continue to cultivate patience. I pray for comfort and healing power. I listen to my body and try to find the balance between gaining strength and taking it easy. And have I mentioned I'm trying to be patient?

Something to post...

Yes, I know it's been ages since I've blogged. It's also been ages since I've caught up on my emails. Sorry everyone, but life has been crazy lately. Work is busier than ever as I'm trying to get a handle on my new job responsibilities. And in the middle of everything else at work, we decided to totally redesign our newsroom website. One good thing about that...I'm learning how to build and develop websites.

I'm also determined to get to the gym 3-4 times a week. So far, so good. I mean, the gym is IN MY OFFICE BUILDING. This should not be an issue (though I still have to talk myself into going every time).

I'm also trying to cook more often. I got a wok and some decent pans for Christmas. I'm on the lookout for recipes (so feel free to share!). I successfully made chili last week and my mom's chicken enchiladas this week. My ultimate goal is pie crust like mom and grandma. We'll see.

Here's a fabulous recipe that everyone should make immediately. Thanks Staci, for sharing! It's super easy, but be warned, it doesn't last long!

Baked Corn

Ingredients
1 15.25-ounce can whole kernel corn
1 14.75-ounce can cream-style corn
½ cup sour cream
1 cup butter or margarine, melted
2 eggs
1 12-ounce package corn muffin mix

Method
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the whole kernel corn, cream-style corn, sour cream, melted butter or margarine, beaten eggs and corn muffin mix. Mix well and pour into 9x13 inch baking pan.

Bake for 35-45 minutes.

Serves 10-12

Magical Night of Music

Last night Eileen and I had tickets to see Marc Broussard (w/Charlie Mars opening) at the Birchmere. For those of you not in Virginia, the Birchmere is a great little music venue with table seating. You line up for a number when you pick up your tickets at will call and then they let people in based on the number. We were 11th in line and ended up with seats in the very front, about a foot from the stage. And, it turns out, directly in front of Marc. :)

We started a conversation with the others at our table and learned that one of the ladies (Becca) was a member of Marc's fan club and had meet & greet passes for the show. She was a die hard fan and we found out we had both seen Marc in Pittsburgh a few years ago at Mr. Smalls. She left to go pick up her meet & greet wristbands and when she came back, she had 2 extra with her. She graciously offered them to us and we were thrilled! After a quick trip to the Birchmere gift shop to buy a CD for him to sign (since I didn't have one with me of course), we got in line for the meet & greet. While we waited backstage (only about 20 of us!), we heard Marc and his band doing a little rehearsing. Then he walked out, said hello and started chatting with everyone. We took photos, he signed stuff and thanked us for coming. It was over quickly, but he was amazing.

I knew he was fantastic live, but this show was the best I've seen. His guitar player (Joe Stark) is young and talented and amazing and I love him. The band (Marc, Joe and Chad the drummer) seem to be good friends and have a great connection with each other. It was the first show of their fall tour and I imagine they'll only get better as the tour goes on. If Marc Broussard is coming to your town...GO SEE HIS SHOW.

The opener was Charlie Mars...a great singer/songwriter from Mississippi. He's beautiful to look at and listen to. And he has a southern drawl that melts me. :)


A great night of music was enjoyed by all who were there...and it was finished off with a kickass version of Steamroller Blues...one of my favorites. Thanks to Becca for letting us join her backstage and thanks to Marc, Joe, Chad & Charlie for sharing your incredible talents!

Lesson of the Day

This is correct.

So is this.









And this will work too.










This, however, is NOT correct.










This is also incorrect. Rhinestones? Really?










And this is TOTALLY and COMPLETELY horrible.










To quote from one of my favorite blogs...
"I don’t care if your boyfriend/husband/whatever bought it for you. Shame on you if you bought it for yourself. We are the Pittsburgh Steelers, not some sissy team from Cleveland. You DO NOT look cute when you wear something like this, you look like an idiot who doesn’t know a damn thing about football! If your boyfriend/husband/whatever wants to buy you a team jersey, make sure he knows the official colors. The same applies to Pitt football, whose colors are Blue and Gold."


Listen to me people, the Steelers' colors are black and gold. NOT PINK. If you want to follow this team, you must wear their colors. If you want to wear pink, then pick another team to support. Yes, I know that the official Steelers store sells these monstrosities. Just because you can buy it, doesn't mean you should wear it. I mean, stores sell spandex in size XXL...does that make it okay for someone who's XXL to wear spandex? NO.

There is one exception to the pink rule...you may wear the pink Steelers baseball cap because proceeds from those sales go to breast cancer research. That is all.

I'm proud to wear the black and gold. LET'S GO STEELERS!!!

Blowin In The Wind

Such a loss. RIP Mary...your beautiful voice will be missed for sure.

Lists

It's been ages since I've updated the blog and I'm pretty sure no one reads it anymore, but I'm in the mood to make a few lists. And who knows, maybe if I start updating this more often, I'll get my handful of readers back!

Driving Way Too Much
1. The threat of rain and being on I-70 seem to be two things that make people forget how to drive
2. Yelling at stupid drivers makes me feel better, even though they don't know I'm yelling at them
3. Just because you flip on your turn signal, does not make it okay to cut me off at 70 MPH
4. EZ Pass is the greatest creation...EVER
5. The best Sheetz is in Breezewood...people should go there just to check out that Sheetz
6. Diet Coke, Junior Mints and Broadway cast albums are must haves when dealing with traffic

Current Obsessions
1. Any and all things associated with the current Broadway revival of Hair
2. Cooking shows (even though I don't cook)
3. Neil Gaiman
4. Finding the perfect shelves to organize the kitchen
5. Pushing Daisies: Season 2

Music I'm Listening To
1. Hair (New Cast Recording) (see above)
2. Ray LeMontagne
3. Marc Broussard (to prepare for his concert in October)
4. Otis Redding
5. Annie Lennox
6. U2 (to prepare for their concert in September)

Praying for Teague

My cousin Sara found out last week that her sweet little boy Teague has a brain tumor and he was admitted to the hospital on Saturday to have it removed. The surgery was successful, all of the tumor was removed (initially, they weren't sure they could remove it all). Now the waiting game has begun to find out what type of cancer they're dealing with. They found out today that he's healing well and the brain doesn't seem to be at all damaged. The tumor was attached to the brain stem right in the area that controls swallowing, but he's been eating ice chips and having no trouble). Please remember little Teague in your prayers (and if you're going to the temple, adding him to the prayer roll would be a great help!). No one should have to go through brain surgery, but especially not a 2-year-old who just wants to be haulin' dirt in his trucks!

Here's the blog that Sara set up - http://sweetteague.blogspot.com/

Thanks!

Reason #761 why I love Stephen Colbert.

The Colbert ReportMon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

Stephen's Angry Mob Will Crush AIG

Colbert Report Full Episodes
Political Humor

Mark Sanford
NASA Name Contest

My newest obsession.

http://www.earthcam.com/usa/pennsylvania/pittsburgh/falcon/

SIXBURGH!

I can't believe I haven't taked the time to blog about the BEST Superbowl EVER! The Steelers are now the ONLY team with SIX Superbowl rings. We have a lot of room on the "Steelers Nation" bandwagon if you'd like to jump on!

Here are some images from my mini-Superbowl party. I decided not to have a big party because I wanted to actually watch the game and not have to deal with people talking. Plus, I tend to get a little bit, well, insane when I watch a Steeler game...especially when it's a BIG game like this.

I have to admit, I was worried for a second, but they pulled through at the last minute (like almost every other game this season) for the win! GO STEELERS!

THE FOOD...which included Pittsburgh favorites such as Sarris candy and pierogies.
Ready for the 3D commercials!
Jen's 1st Superbowl party. Oh yeah, and I've turned my not-caring-about-sports friends into crazy Steeler fans. Yes, my job is done.

Staci's photo of me during the game. I'm on facebook, talking to my family and friends in PA. I really missed being in Pittsburgh for the excitement during playoffs. I was a bit nervous here and trying not to yell at the TV. We had to cover Liz's chair with a blanket because it's red and there was NO red allowed (Cardinals colors)!

Back to Blogging

Yes, it's been a long time since I've blogged. Things have been busy. First it was the holidays (which were fun...it was nice to be home for over a week and see friends & family). Then it was work. Then it was work again. And it's still work. I can't believe it's almost the end of February already! Yes, work is busy, but I'm really not complaining. I have a job. That's a huge blessing. I found out today that Ford had yet another round of layoffs this week. I'm so grateful I made that hard decision to leave 2 years ago. I've had great opportunities with Marriott and I hope that continues.

If you're interested in checking out what's been consuming my life for the past 3 weeks, go to www.marriottalohatour.com. We have our event at headquarters on Tuesday and then it's onto the next project. Though I think there will be a week or two of breathing room first!

I did manage to find time last weekend to go into D.C. to the National Archives to see the display of the Emancipation Proclamation. They had it on display for Lincoln's birthday. I'm sorry to say I'd never been to the National Archives, so we stuck around to see some other amazing documents...the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, the Magna Carta and the Bill of Rights. They we headed over to the National Gallery of Art (one of my favorite places to go) to see the Dutch Cityscapes exhibit (which was AMAZING). We finished off the afternoon with some gelato. YUM.

Here are some photos from the afternoon...

The actual last page with Honest Abe's signature.

Entire Emancipation Proclamation
Declaration of Independence

"We the People..."

Bill of Rights

Tina Turner is my Idol

I know it's been a long time since I've posted...and I couldn't pass up the chance to rave about how FREAKING AWESOME the Tina Turner concert was last night. She turns 69 tomorrow, but she's still got it. Wardrobe by Bob Mackey, stilettos by Manolo Blahnik and an attitude all her own. She still has the moves, the voice and the class that makes her "simply the best".

Over 2 hours of Tina dancing, singing, running around. In addition to rocking out to her own songs, she included covers such as "Let's Stay Together", "Help!", "The Acid Queen" and "Jumping Jack Flash". I'm sorry, but anyone (let alone any woman) who can successfully cover Al Green, The Who, The Stones and The Beatles is my hero. Especially when done in a red sequined mini-dress with matching heels. I'd kill for her legs. And did I mention she can dance?

Not only is she supremely talented, but Tina is one classy lady. Towards the end of the show she introduced her band (which is typical), then went on to introduce, by name, her back up dancers, her production crew, lighting & sound, hair & makeup and the stage manager (which is not typical). She took the time to give everyone their chance to take a bow. She could be difficult and act like a diva (she's certainly earned it), but she chooses to give credit to those who help her look good. And boy, did she look good! At the end of the show, as the lights came up, full credits ran on the screen onstage. Everyone, down to the bus drivers were mentioned. That's class.

I've been to many, many concerts in my lifetime and I have to say that this one is in my Top 2. Prince and Tina Turner are two shows NOT TO MISS. She won't be touring for long and this may be the last time, so if Tina is coming to a city near you, RUN don't walk to catch this incredible show. You'll thank me later.

Set List
Steamy Windows
Typical Male
River Deep, Mountain High
What You Get is What You See
Better Be Good to Me
The Acid Queen
What’s Love Got to Do With It?
Private Dancer
We Don’t Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)
Help
Undercover Agent for the Blues
Let’s Stay Together
I Can’t Stand the Rain
Rolling Stones Medley
Jumping Jack Flash
It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll
Goldeneye
Addicted to Love
The Best
Proud Mary
Encore
Nutbush City Limits
Be Tender With Me Baby

Losing my mind...

It's t-minus 12 days until I leave for Thailand. Guess who's still not ready. Yep, that would be me. Most of the International PR team is in "final exam" mode. For instance, right now, I'm wearing slippers because my feet hurt from running back and forth to the editing suite (which is 5 floors down and on the exact opposite side of the building). We've all been working late hours, trying to get it all done and somehow more work keeps being added on top of everything. My desk looks like a hurricane hit it and it's amazing that I can actually find anything.

Today is a particularly scatterbrained day. I think my brain is just sick of it all and threatening to shut down for good. It doesn't help that my diet today consisted of Diet Coke, half of a scone from Starbucks (I had a meeting in DC this morning), ice cream from the group b-day party in our department, Diet Dr. Pepper and candy corn. I might eat some pretzels soon because I'm getting a little bit shaky. Should I really wonder why I can't think straight?

Lesson learned: Stress + sugar = can't really function.

It's October

It's October, which makes me have a panic attack a little each time I think of it (which is why I haven't switched over my calendar yet). This means that I only have 3 weeks until I leave for Thailand. Am I ready for this meeting? No. Hence, panic attacks.

Things that have happened in the past 2 weeks.

• My baby sister turned 22. Yikes.
• I turned 34 + 1. Double Yikes. But I got a Kate Spade gift certificate from my roommates. Nice.
• I survived our crazy 4-birthdays-in-a-row weekend. And ate a ton of great food in the process.
• I took a day off of work and spend the afternoon at the spa. This decision caused me to have to work super late the rest of the week, but it was totally worth it.
• I scored tickets to see Tina Turner. I'm ridiculously excited about that.
• I taught my first Relief Society lesson in about 3 years. It was scary, but I think it went okay. I'm slowing getting into the swing of things, thanks in large part to our awesome RS Secretary. She's incredible.
• I saw the final Broadway performance of Rent on the big screen. Incredible. That musical never ceases to amaze me. Or make me cry. I really hope they release it on DVD. The stage version is so much better than the movie version.
• I went to the Kennedy Center to see the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. Then hung around afterwards and met the band when they did a CD signing. That rocked. I've loved PHJB since I was little (thanks Dad!) and it was a thrill to meet some of them.
• I get to go see New Kids on the Block at the Verizon Center tomorrow night. Don't make fun of me. I loved them as a 14-year-old and even though they're super cheesy, I still love them. You all have secret guilty pleasures too, so back off.

So there's a little catch-up for all you blog readers. Sorry no photos this time.

Confessions...

Hello, my name is Sara and I'm a blog-stalker. Yes, I admit it. Though it's not entirely my fault. I have funny friends who have cute kids. And these friends have funny friends, sisters, SILs, almost SILs, etc., who also have cute kids. Plus, they develop trendy ways to write blogs. It's too much to resist. I only wish I could be that funny...and maybe I'll make up some cute kids. :) I'm also too tired to be trendy, so I'm sticking with good old fashioned bullet points.

• It's been a LONG week. I've been at the office until 8:00 every night with no end in sight. Plus I have to teach (my first Relief Society lesson in two years) on Sunday. I'm not ready. At all. And yes, I am freaking out about it. It kind of makes me miss teaching in Primary where I could fill up the left-over time with coloring. Somehow I don't think that'll work in RS.
• When I'm stressed out I crave chocolate. My current cravings include Junior Mints and Ben & Jerry's cake batter ice cream (with a fudge frosting swirl...WOW).
• I'll be 35 on Monday. There, I finally said it out loud (well, not out loud, but you get the idea). That number makes me panic a little bit. It's my "scary age" and I never really thought I'd get here because it always seemed so far away. My life is nothing like I imagined it would be when I hit 35. In some ways it's better, in some ways, not better. But it's here so I have to face it. I know I still have some time to get married and have kids, it'll just be a little harder now.
• I wish someone would explain the traffic patterns on the beltway. One minute I'm cruising along with traffic at 70 miles an hour. Then, all of a sudden we all stop. Then we start and again, we're at 70 MPH. There are no accidents, no cops, no lights, no bad weather. Traffic just slows down randomly. It's painfully frustrating. I wish I could view it from the sky so I could see why this happens. And if there's rain (or as my dad calls it, "liquid stupid"), forget it.
• The only guy I've been remotely interested in over the last couple of years is 7 years younger than me.
• I think I'm addicted to Diet Coke.

Catching up...

It's been a while since I've blogged. My life isn't all that interesting right now, just really busy. We're gearing up for our annual PR meeting, this year it's in Phuket, Thailand. I'm ridiculously excited to go to Phuket. Plus I get to stop in Seoul on my way home to see my brother. Also very cool.

As you may have read in previous blogs, our stake was reorganized and I'm now in a new ward. With a new calling as the 1st counselor in Relief Society. This is both exciting and terrifying. I've actually done this calling before, both on a ward and stake level. But in a small singles ward, not in a huge family ward. It's quite intimidating. I have to teach next week and I'm a little rusty. I just hope I don't lapse into Primary-teacher mode and start talking to the sisters like they're 8-year-olds.

My latest little mini-vacation was to New York for a weekend with one of my roommates and a friend. We went to a Yankee game (last year for the old Yankee Stadium) and to see The Little Mermaid on Broadway. I got a sweet associate rate at the Marriott Marquis. Gotta love that. If anyone wants to go to New York, let me know. I'm in.

I'm NOT excited about my upcoming birthday. This is the "scary age" year and I seriously wish I could just skip it this year. 34 has been pretty nice. Can't I do it again? I know it's silly, but I'm still freaked out about it. I don't feel that old...where did the time go?

I have some fun concerts/shows coming up in the next few months. I love always having something to look forward to. At the end of this month I'm going to see The Preservation Hall Jazz Band, then New Kids on the Block (don't laugh, I'm reliving my teenage years and proud of it), then Tina Turner (can't even put into words how excited I am about that), then the revival of West Side Story that's previewing here in D.C. before it hits Broadway. Plus I plan on going to NYC before the end of the year, so hopefully I'll see something then. I have kind of a great life sometimes.

Enjoy the photos!

Mourning the loss of a great talent...

I've been very fortunate to have seen LeRoi perform many times wtih DMB. He was a brilliant talent and will be sorely missed. His spirit will most definitely live on in his music.

As best said by a fan, "Jerry just got one hell of a horn player to jam with up there".

RIP LeRoi Moore

From the DMB website...
08/19/2008
We are deeply saddened that LeRoi Moore, saxophonist and founding member of Dave Matthews Band, died unexpectedly Tuesday afternoon, August 19, 2008, at Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center in Los Angeles from sudden complications stemming from his June ATV accident on his farm near Charlottesville, Virginia. LeRoi had recently returned to his Los Angeles home to begin an intensive physical rehabilitation program.

From the DMB Road Crew notes...
As we sat this afternoon contemplating the loss of our brother, we wondered how we could possibly do a show today. Dave put it into perspective stating, "There's no place I'd rather be than here with you guys right now." We cherish special memories of our lost friend. Tonight, Dave told a story about LeRoi at a bar in Virginia where the cash register was near the stage and LeRoi leaned on the register because "standing had become a chore". Roi proceeded to play the most beautiful version of Somewhere Over The Rainbow. Dave said, "that was the day I fell in love with him. And I'm still in love with him." It's safe to say we all were in love with him. "It's always easier to leave, than to be left." -DM
The DMB Crew
Wednesday, August 20

Withdrawl...

I'm going through Michael Phelps withdrawl...this helps.