Start spreading the news...I'm leaving today....

Not really.
But I AM going to my second favorite city in the world - Manhattan.

We were supposed to go for the Zab Judah fight, but the card got moved to April due to injury so...it looks like we'll be heading back there in the Spring! (That stinks, right?)  But we decided to keep our plans to spend two nights in the Big Apple (yikes!  I've never spent two nights away from the kiddies before....) and we just booked our flight and room at the Ritz.   I've never stayed there before either, and we love the Four Seasons so I'm thinking this is going to be pretty much the same.  Some people go on cruises, others buy jewlery - we stay in luxurious hotels.  It could be worse.

I'm fighting a cold...it's teetering on the edge of being full blown but between Zicam and ColdEze, along with yoga - I've kept it at bay.  I'm hopeful it stays that way!

Today was a balmy 36 degrees...you know you're a New Englander when 36 feels like it's too warm to wear a coat!  I felt like it was Spring!  And tomorrow is supposed to be even better, creeping into the 60s.  Say it isn't so...and yet it is.

I don't know if you all realize but when you're a wine shop owner, you're a professional taster - of sorts.  You kiss lots of frogs before you find princes in each price point for each style of wine.  Today, I tasted a lot of really solid wine.  It's amazing when I think about what I did or didn't like when we first opened the second store; and I thought I had a solid palate then.  Not sure what I was thinking because it's just amazing at how much I've learned and how much my palate has grown.   Some days, the reps bring wine that's just...eh, at best.  But today, there were some really exciting and interesting things.  

So here's my question for anyone out there and wanting to participate:
What's your favorite wine, and why?  What's your least favorite - and also, why.
Just for giggles...

It's been such a long time....

...or at least it feels that way.
Since I've blogged.
So here's the latest/greatest with this girl!

1.  Been quietly back to my mat.  The reason why I stress quietly is because I've done so much "stop/start" over the last 18 months I hesitate to announce it.  But I've been going for 3 weeks now and have quickly gotten back into the wanting to go all the time mode, so I'm feeling cautiously optomistic to publicize that I'm getting back into the swing of things.  Besides, I've got lots of goals this year that I'm going to accomplish and this is just one part of reaching many of them.

2.  I am totally crushing on OWater.  Mkay, so outside of the Metromint peppermint water and home made cucumber water - I'm sort of a plain jane when it comes to my water.  I like nothing sweetened or artificial tasting and there are very few water products out there that fit the bill.  My son had brought home a bottle of OWater that he bought at school and he didn't care for it.  I was surprised because it was peach flavored and he typically loves all things peach.  So I tasted it....and I'm the opposite, I don't love peach flavored things unless they're fresh peaches.  But now I get why he didn't love it.  It reminded me of Metromint in the respect that there was absolutely no sweetness, just a peach flavor that tasted real and a texture that was refreshing.  I never in a million years thought I'd be interested in peach water and yet...I'm thinking of buying a case.  Who knew?

3.  Counting down the days until G and I head to the Big Apple.  I'm trying to think of where to go for dinner while we're there and Bobby Flay's Mesa is on my list.  If anyone has any great suggestions for Manhattan "must eat" places, feel free to share.  I'm pretty sure that our 2d night will be a Peter Luger night since we'll be hanging in JayZ's crib Brooklyn.  I've yet to go but I hear great things about it from friends of ours who have.  Rumor has it - best steak sauce, ever.  I think the best steak restaurant we've been to is Shula's but we shall see....

4. Baby it's cold outside!  Listen, we're practically Floridians here since we haven't had a series of cold days strung together like this in about 3 years.  C'mon New England, suck it up!  You know it's going to be 50 in a few days.  Cold like this doesn't stick around for long....  By the way I felt like a true New Englander today when I was carrying cases of wine to a customer's car without a coat on.  It was a balmy 20 degrees out which, compared to yesterday's 5 - was practically summer!

5.  Ah yes, football season is over.  Well, there's always next year.  No worries NE Patriots - we still love you.  Besides, the game was probably fixed.  It's a much better media story to see two brothers coach against each other for a Superbowl win, along with the fact that Ray Lewis' "all drama day and all drama night" about his retirement (yada yada yada) is a much more interesting side story than seeing the dynasty of New England win once again.  Did we get beaten?  Hell yes.  The Baltimore defense was tough and they were on fire.  Did we lose calls that were game changers?  Hell yes.   But we'll live to see another day.... and not every organization truly has the opportunity to say that each year.  So we're really sort of lucky that way...

6.  And finally.... the weekend is here.  Basketball games, family visits, and relaxation.  I'm glad it's here and I'm looking forward to enjoying it!!

Signs, signs..everywhere are signs....

Last night I attended an International Night at Princess Petunia's school.  It was so much fun; basically families of different nationalities set up tables complete with everything from ceremonial garb to photographs of their countries, to their favorite foods.  I was amazed at how such a small school houses people from the following countries:  India, Pakistan, Egypt, South Korea, Dominican Republic, Brazil, Vietnam, Canada, France, Greece and China.  I might have even missed one - but the point is that we're a small school and it was fascinating to see the diversity, especially since I think the conception of the community from outside is that it's very non-diverse.  It was such a fun and interesting evening.

Some people did traditional and ceremonial dances from their culture.  One that really struck a chord for me, was one that reminded me immediately of my mother.

When I was younger, whenever there was a wedding - my mother and her two sisters would always get a circle together and do the Greek dance.  When I was little, I loved it!  And I would try to do it with them and while I got the jist of it, I never really got it quite right.  Last night, watching the people up on stage, it's funny how I remembered how to do it....

....and how much it brought me back to me being small and wishing I could dance like my mother and my aunts.

Finally, Friday...

If there was ever a night that I wish I was staying in - it's tonight.
I am tired today.
I would love to stay home in pajamas, snuggle up with a toasty glass of wine with my kiddies playing in the background, but tonight - I'm basketball Mom.

Tomorrow, my son has a friend over - my daughter and I are probably going to do food shopping -  and then my son has his first night time birthday party!  I'll be dropping him off because then I'm going to be seeing the "Aunties".  It's been a year since we've had our last gathering of the girls; funny, until about 5 years ago we met monthly and now we're all so busy - it's down to once a year.  So it's a fun night of catching up with laughter, stories and good times.  I'm really, really looking forward to it.

Sunday it's all about the Patriots.  And wouldn't you know, my son has a basketball game at 3:45!  Well, fortunately I think kickoff is 4:15 and it's a home game so we should be back somewhere around the 2d quarter.  So it's going to be a spaghetti and meatballs kind of day because he'll be starving when we get home - and so will everyone else at my house watching the game.

And then we're back to the track on Monday.

However your celebrating your weekend - enjoy.
And remember....GO PATS!

Easy Breezy Cover Girl....

Yesterday I finally got my hair cut & highlighted.
Yup.
Feeling like a supermodel I am...

I can never, ever in a million years get my hair to be this straight, smooth and bouncy.  It flips, it waves, it shines.  I'm a freaking Pantene commercial - and I love it!

I'm thinking I could get used to it.  I could potentially go to the stylist and get a "blow out" as it's called - for when I have special occaisons to attend.  (Except, that would have to quantify the fact that I actually attend things and that is something that sadly, I do not....sigh....)

Hmmph, I don't want it occasionally - I want this hair every day!
Clearly, this girl needs a personal stylist like the Housewives have.
What? Why can't I have someone come and do my hair every day?  I don't understand, do I have to have a reality show to look fabulous - that's so not fair.

Well, I would never even entertain the concept of a reality show at our shop, though I'm SHOCKED the idea hasn't come up somewhere along the line.   I like my nice, normal life.

Though the idea of having a stylist and fabulous hair everyday is tempting.....

Music, the connection to your soul

I've written so many times about how profound of an effect music has on me - and of course - on most people.  It's a portal to your memories; you hear a song and instantly you're brought back to a certain time and place, where you can almost smell the food that might have been cooking in the background at one of the times you may have heard it.

I have quite the eclectic mix on my IPOD for running; it runs the gambit of 80's music to modern rap and electronica.  And truth be told, it's rather outdated because while I have a ton of songs on my library, I don't update my IPOD all that often.  I download them but play them on my laptop or give them to my kids for their MP3 players.  So my running mix is definitely, out of touch.

But I recently uploaded them to my phone via ICloud.  And even better is that I can have them playing on my bluetooth while I'm driving.

Here is just a sampling:

1) Rebecca - The Pat McGee Band.  Needs no explanation.  The only song that has my name in it!
2) Shake Ya TailFeather - Nelly, Murphy Lee, et al.  Fantastic song to run to!
3) Fighter - my girl, Christina Aguilera.  That song has been my anthem, esp. during difficult times.  When I'm running and feeling like I want to stop, I play it over and over again until I get through that portion of my run and can coast again.
4) The Story - Brandi Carlisle.  Again, an anthem of sorts of mine.  I really like songs I can connect with.
5) Took the Words Right Out of my Mouth - Meat Loaf.  Talk about quintessential songs of my youth!  I hear this and wow, I'm 12 years old all over again.  How can you not love Meat Loaf?  He practically invented the lyrical rock opera in a 3 minute song!
6) It Takes Two - Rob Base.  Complete 90's throwback and the best song to start a run to.  It's the perfect beat to track with.
7)The Time of my Life - David Cook.  Talk about inspiration and nostalgia all at once.  Not only do I love this song, I loved the American Idol finale where he sang it live.  I use that version rather than the studio one.  The passion and emotion in his voice just keeps me moving...
8) Fergalicious - Fergie.  It's fun.  'Nuff said.
9) Jolene - Ray Lamontagne.  Fabulous to slow down to...and who doesn't love a little Ray?
10) Please don't leave me this way - Thelma Houston.  I'm ten years old or so....at Senior Pizza with my Mom and my Aunt, playing the jukebox and this was the song they'd always play.  (That, and "When will I see you again" by the The 3 Degrees - which is not on my IPOD, but I digress...)

What songs do YOU listen to?

Love, love, love....

Fleur de lis anything.  Peppermint candles.  Robin's Egg color blue.  A hint of smoke in the air.  Silver/Platinum/Pewter.  Words that mean something.  Spicy, sweet and salty chicken wings.  Laughter and cheers over sporting events.  Soft fleece blankets.  The warmth of a hug.  Sunny days.  Goat milk soap.  Fresh flowers and greens.

My New Year's Hopes & Wishes..

I'm hopeful for a year full of love, laughter and happiness - not just for myself - but for all my family and friends.  I hope that this year brings those who have struggled this past year, into a better place in all aspects of their life.

I'm wishing for a year full of softball games and cheerleading, pool parties and barbecues with friends and family, basketball games and drama camps, football Sundays and holiday dinners, quiet nights and busy days....

I'm hopeful I will find my mat once again.  I've wished this the last two years and been incredibly inconsistent but I'm determined; I'm wishing for myself to find my interest in doing something that I love for me, just 2 hours a week.  That's not overly selfish, and I shouldn't feel badly about making the time to do it.

I'm hopeful that I can detach myself from my business just a teensy bit.  I have this overwhelming sense of responsibility to my business and that's not a bad thing - but I need to learn to relax a little bit more. 

My farewell to this year is... Some of the goals I'd laid out for myself this year, I didn't quite reach.  And that's okay, because sometimes you think you want to go in one direction, but end up in another.

 “I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.”

 I'm always happy - that's just my general disposition - but I wish for those around me to be happy as well. So while I toast to the Old Year as it leaves - I toast to the new one as well.

“To laugh often and love much; to win the respect of intelligent persons and the affection of children; to earn the approbation of honest citizens and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to give of one’s self; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to have played and laughed with enthusiasm and sung with exultation; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived—this is to have succeeded.” 

Happy New Year!