Making More of an Effort

As you know, I love exercising. I have mentioned this in previous entries. I do have to be honest, though, my workouts haven't been as steady as I would like them to be. It is a combination of being sick every month, stressing out over work, and just plain tired. Even though I have lost a total of thirty pounds since I've moved down to Miami, I've been doing more maintenance than anything else. It would be two years in August that I have been living here. There should be more of a weight loss.

That said, I have to say that my body looks better than it did when I got married almost five years ago at the same weight. The big sacrifice came about this week. In order to loose a pound of fat you need to burn 3500 calories. Easier said than done. My new commitment is to burn 3500 calories a week, which would ensure (unless I pig out every day) loosing a pound a week. Theoretically, if I reduce my calorie intake by 500 calories a day I will loose an additional pound a week. Normally, I take in anywhere from 1200 to 1800 calories a day (at least I try).

I officially did burn 3500 calories this week. My workouts were, to say the least, intense. In fact if it weren't for the fact that I have a mixture of allergies and a cold, I would feel excellent. My goal is to loose another 35 lbs. in order to reach a healthy weight. If all goes as planned, I should reach this weight by October or November. I will also keep you posted on my success. If I blog about this I will be forced to continue my workouts even when I feel like sleeping in.

Monday is Always Great When It Flies By!

I cannot complain about today. It flew!! Before I knew it, it was 10:00am. I feel like the kids do about the school year; I just want it to be over with it. My patience level is slowly diminishing and for that matter, so are the kids. On a better note, I officially resigned from my position at work. I advised my boss that I would not be returning for the next school year. She was sad and told me that I was actually on her good list. She also told me that I'm welcomed back whenever I wanted to. I was satisfied. Now I just hope the weeks fly by like today to start off my new life.

The next big thing I'm waiting for is the townhouse. As soon as that sucker is constructed, we're slapping a "for sale" on it. Hopefully it will still be a seller's market and we'll have the house sold in no time. Then it's off to house or apartment hunting in NJ or NY, whichever is better. All of this will happen in due time.

I guess all of this is pretty official now. I resigned, I'm booking my one-way flight to NJ this weekend, and I've been job hunting for about a month. The wheels are in motion and hopefully will remain that way until both Dan and I are settled into wherever life will take us. The one thing that will be very hard on me is being away from Dan. I really intend to have a job before the summer ends that way Dan will be up with me in no time. Otherwise, we'll be apart for a while and I'm not looking forward to that. I hated it when Dan moved down to Miami while I was still finishing some classes. Anyway, I must remain positive!!

Energy Booster

Dan and I stayed home from work today because Dan woke up with yucky eyes and my right eye was yucky again. I guess it was a relapse on my part. I decided to take some Allegra because my doctor recommended that I do so to see if it would clear up my eyes. I'm very sensitive to medication, especially any allergy medicines. Allegra gets me going and then I crash.

It is a beautiful day here in Miami with a bright blue sky and a breeze that caresses your body to sleep. Needless to say, I chose to take a nap outside in the backyard. I grabbed a throw and fell asleep almost instantaneously. I have no idea how long I slept. I just know that it was a damn good sleep. Since I'm still under the influence of the allergy medicine, I was pretty groggy when I got up.

This is where being Cuban comes into play. And I know once I mention this I'll put smiles on your faces. I prepared soda con leche condesada (except I used diet Pepsi since that's all they drink in the house). For my non-Spanish speaking friends, I prepared soda with condensed milk. I know it doesn't sound appetizing, but don't mock it till you try it. My mom use to prepare it for my sister and I when we were little kids, and it always hit the spot.

The mixture of caffeine and the huge concentration of sugar got rid of my grogginess. Now I feel as if I could go out for a bit. My eye looks spectacular and I think I finally nipped this in the butt. Moral of the story: when you think you need an energy boost and have the above mentioned ingredients mix them together to feel better. Or for that matter, have it just as a treat. I do have to warn you that too many of those will make you gain weight faster than you could imagine.

Exercise

After five days of pink eye, I'm back at the gym tomorrow bright and early (although it's not bright since I'm there before the sun rises). Since the last time I was at the doctor's office, which was last month, I've gained 2.5 lbs. I told the doctor that I had begun weight training and recently had been on vacation, which probably is the result of the scale inching up. Either way, it freaked me out. I've been very careful with my weight for the last 1.5 years. One great thing about Miami is that I worked out a lot and lost 30lbs. I stopped working out after the New Year because my mother-in-law's hours changed at work. I use to take her to work and keep her car. Before we left to work we would go to the gym. She happens to have a membership to Bally's like I do. I began taking Dan to work and that made me loose interest in working out. The reason being that I spend between 3.5 to 4 hours in the car a day due to the new driving arrangements. Yeah, I don't think you could blame me.

Although I hadn't worked out since January, I decided to tough it out and begin my workouts again. This happened after I came back from NJ. Now I wake up at 4:30am to be at the gym at 5:00am. I cannot not workout. It just depresses me. I feel so much better after I hit that gym that totally amazes me. If I'm feeling good that means I'm attracting good stuff. I even have enough energy to deal with the kids and all those hours I spend in the car.

Now I know some of you think I'm crazy, but if you've ever done anything you like religously you know the feeling. You also may ask yourself why I don't workout at nights. The reason: I love spending time at home with Dan. We may not even hangout together, but we're under the same roof. Dan is not up that early in the morning, which means I'm not missing out on him. Not to say that I haven't worked out at nights because I do rollerblade at night (although I fell really hard during xmas and haven't since then). But I do it when I know that he's involved in something and won't be able to hangout with me. I think I'll start rollerblading on the weekends, though. My plan is to lose another 10lbs before I move back up. I have a big goal to achieve, but it will be all worth it.

Public or Private?

Should you send your kids to public or private school? This is a tough question. I remember public schools were shun by my friends who went to private schools. Maybe this was the case because they knew that my parents were poor and had no choice but to send me to a public school. Actually, I did very well in school. I was in a high reading group and for about a year in gifted and talented. I was also placed in gifted and talented for music since I played the clarinet. High school was a different story. I decided to rebel and didn't care about school. Then I realized I was only hurting myself once I became older and began going to college. I graduated Cum Laude from school.

My friends who went to private school did well for themselves, too. So the question comes which is better? I ran across an article in Yahoo that states that public schools outperform private schools when socioeconomic status is taken into account. I guess it depends on what kind of private school you go to. The private school I teach at in no way shape or form compares to the schools I went to. My children would not for the life of me go to the school I teach at. But I'm being biased.

What I believe it comes down to is the parents doing the homework. First of all you can't automatically assume because it's private that your child is getting a better education than he or she would at a public school. You have to remember that public schools run many types of tests on children to make sure that he or she will succeed in the environment he or she is placed in. Chances are if you're not allowed inside the school, your child will not learn much (as is the case in many private schools). If your child is falling behind at a public school, you will be notified. This is not the case in some private schools.

You have to see what kind of programs the private school offers. Do they provide counseling for the students? Is tutoring offered? Are there music classes, arts and crafts, and clubs? These are all very important. Always listen to what your child is saying about the school. Kids like to talk and they will talk about anything. You just have to listen. I find out more about home life than I would care to know. I don't even ask.

I know I sound as if I am against private schools, which I kind of am. That said I cannot say that every private school is horrible because I'm sure there are great ones out there. My concern is that people usually assume that a private school is far better than a public school, which of course is not always the case. So, do your homework. Find out what kind of schools are available where you live. Or if your planning to move, always find out how the schools are in the area you're moving to.

I made the mistake of not finding out about schools in Miami. The fact is that most of the schools don't do as well, private or public. There are A+ schools available so it's not hopeless. Dan and I haven't been concerned about schools in reality because we don't have any children. Now that we're getting older we have to worry about this type of stuff. Within the next couple of years we will be having children. So we have to start concerning ourselves over the kind of schools will be best for our children.

Good News

I know I'm taking too long between posts. The fact of the matter is that I haven't been in the best of moods. When this occurs, I rather not blog. I won't be positive and I'll keep on attracting all the bad stuff. Other than that I do have to say that Dan and I had a blast on our vacation in New Jersey (I can't believe I actually put vacation and New Jersey in the same sentence; things have changed). We even got a snowfall, which was beautiful. It was great seeing family and friends again. We didn't see everyone we wanted to, but the trip was worth it. I definitely didn't want to leave, and for that matter neither did Dan. Since we're responsible adults (I'm not sure why), we decided to come back to Miami.

On that note, I do have to announce that Operation Move Back is in order. We decided that New Jersey is in fact our home, which I never believed it to be true until I left. It caters to the lifestyle that Dan and I love. I'm not saying that Miami sucks because it's a great place, but two years of struggling is enough for me. We need to settle into our lives and live alone. Not that living with my in-laws is horrible because they are beautiful people, but as everyone knows, every couple needs their own space.

The plan is that I will move up first unless Dan gets a job in the next couple of weeks. My last day at work is June 03. I will fly up that weekend and continue my job search. I'll probably wait tables while I'm searching for a job just to have cash on me. Once I'm settled in, I'll find an apartment and move in, and then Dan will come up. By then though, we should have been able to sell our townhouse down here and we'll use the money to purchase some type of home. Just in case things get delayed, we'll rent a place first. I expect us to be settled in by the fall or early winter, which will be in time to enjoy the bitter cold.

Now all of this could happen sooner if either one of us gets a job in the next few weeks. Either way, I'll keep you posted on what's going on. I'm very excited about this. I know Dan and I will get back into the swing of things. Better yet, I just realized that we'll be back in time to celebrate our 5 year wedding anniversary and my thirtieth birthday. It will be great to be able to celebrate up in NJ with family and friends. With a new decade for me comes a new life and I tend to enjoy it to the fullest!

New Jersey

There's nothing like being in New Jersey and seeing dreary weather! It is very nostalgic. For the rest of the week Dan and I are vacationing in NJ. We're leaving on Saturday. As you could imagine, we already have the week planned out. If there are some of you that we don't get to see, there will be a next time. Unfortunately, we can't stay longer than a week. But, I do plan to come back in the summer to see my brand new nephew!! So, we'll get to catch up then. Besides, you never know when we'll be back permanently.

Sunrises

I love sunrises. They give me an unimaginable energy level when I witness one. The sky looks so beautiful and peaceful. I could stare at the sky all morning long while the sun is taking its rightful place. Dan and I decided to go to Key Biscayne, which is south of South Beach to see the sunrise. We wanted to lay on the beach while the sun was coming up. Well, we didn't make it, but saw it rise while we were driving. Either way, it was absolutely breathtaking. We stopped to get some breakfast and took it to the beach. Once there we sat in our beach chairs, wrapped ourselves in a blanket (it was chilly!), and stared at the bay.

It was such a great morning that I wish everyone could experience this. We talked, laughed, watched dogs play in the water, napped, and even saw a dolphin swimming around. By the time we decided to leave it was around 9:30 am. We spent three hours having a blast. I need to do this more often.

Shakes

One of the great things about living in Miami (or for that fact living in Union City) is the discovery of new favorite Cuban treats. In fact, I should rephrase it and say one of the great things about living with my mother-in-law is the discovery of new treats. Either way, I can't go wrong. My mother-in-law, Marta, loves drinking shakes. If it were up to her, she would drink one every single day, and for that matter so would I. My favorite shake was chocolate. I love chocolate anything, but shakes are the best. Now I would pass on the chocolate shake for un batido de mamay (and I have to say it in Spanish because my Cuban friends know what I'm talking about) Mamay is a fruit that is readily available in Florida. My father use to make me mamay shakes when I was a kid. I remember liking them, but the fruit came frozen. Not much fresh mamay action in Jersey. So the shake wasn't anything out of this world. But here in Miami, you could get mamays practically all year round and damn they're good. Maybe, it's the way Marta makes it, but I can't get enough of it.

Everything changed today. I have a new favorite--batido de trigo (wheat shake). It just doesn't sound the same in English. My father-in-law bought puffed wheat the other day for shakes. I looked at the bag and didn't think much of it until today. Marta decided she wanted to make herself a wheat shake and offered me some. I told her that I never had a wheat shake, but I would give it a try. It doesn't hurt trying new things, which is part of my renewed philosophy. My God was that shake good! I can't believe I never tried this sooner. It's so good that I feel like asking her to make me another. This is better than any chocolate shake I ever had. The best part of these shakes that Marta makes is that they have few calories. They are not made with ice cream. It's just milk, ice, sugar, a pinch of salt, and whatever fruit or wheat product you want to add to it. And if you're really calorie conscious you could substitute the sugar with Splenda and it's just as yummy. In fact, I think I'll be making myself some wheat shakes for breakfast in the mornings before I go to work. At least I'll be in a good mood in the mornings!

Luck Anyone?

I was going to blog about how sick I am again. I began a few sentences, looked at them, and signed out. I felt so drained just seeing what I wrote that I couldn't even deal with it. Yes I am sick, so what? I have to move along. I decided for some unknown reason to search the word luck. So I came across a website called Fast Company. It is actually a magazine. Anyway, the article that I found is called "How to Make Your Own Luck." I found the article to be inspiring.

As you know I've been trying to be on a positive mode. At times I find it very difficult to remain positive. This is especially true now that Dan and I are at a culminating period in Florida. To leave or not to leave? Who knows? At any rate, reading this article reminds me on how to look at things differently. I have to remember not to focus on the negative, which is very easy to do.

Here are four principles that Wiseman (I do wonder if his name is real), head of a psychology research department came up with:

1. Maximize Chance Opportunities
Lucky people are skilled at creating, noticing, and acting upon chance opportunities. They do this in various ways, which include building and maintaining a strong network, adopting a relaxed attitude to life, and being open to new experiences.

2. Listen to Your Lucky Hunches
Lucky people make effective decisions by listening to their intuition and gut feelings. They also take steps to actively boost their intuitive abilities -- for example, by meditating and clearing their mind of other thoughts.

3. Expect Good Fortune
Lucky people are certain that the future will be bright. Over time, that expectation becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy because it helps lucky people persist in the face of failure and positively shapes their interactions with other people.

4. Turn Bad Luck Into Good
Lucky people employ various psychological techniques to cope with, and even thrive upon, the ill fortune that comes their way. For example, they spontaneously imagine how things could have been worse, they don't dwell on the ill fortune, and they take control of the situation.

I suggest you read the article. Whether you believe in creating your own happiness or not, it doesn't hurt to look at things positively.

Vibrate?

I just ran into an interesting article about masturbation on Wired News. The author of the article, Regina Lynn, states that she has tendonitis on both arms. Due to that, she no longer masturbates by hand. She can't! Pain starts shooting up her arms, which obviously prevents her from using her fingers. She needs to use a vibrator or any other device that would allow her to masturbate pain free.

The point of her article is not that she masturbates but that in the state of Alabama the selling, production, or distribution of sexual devices is against the law. Can you imagine that? What about those poor people that have disabilities? What a violation of your privacy!! This thought may have never crossed your mind (honestly, it never crossed mine), but should people with disabilities not be able to enjoy themselves in Alabama?

Even if you could use your own hands, should you not be allowed to buy a sex toy because the law prohibits it? I personally find it odd. Why should the government care about what you do in the privacy of your house? As long as you're not hurting anyone and there are consenting adults involved, who cares?

Read the article. It makes a great point for sex toys, and how these sex toys should match the need of the person. There are even advocates for sexual rights for people with disabilities. I don't care what you think, but sexual activity is a very important aspect of our lives. The people who decided to make this law in Alabama should have realized this.

Embarrassing Moment

Today we had a field trip to the Miami Metro Zoo. First time I've been there and I thought it was pretty neat. The kids were super excited that they were visiting the zoo (some had never been there). I was walking with another teacher and her students (21 kids and only two teachers, but that's a different story). We stop in front of the Asian elephants. These animals are impressive looking. Their size is a bit surreal. Well as the kids are in awe looking at the elephants, the male one decided to show us his stuff. Yup, totally out so that everyone could see. The other teacher quickly walks towards me and says "Do you see that?" Not only did we notice, but of course the little ones noticed. One of my students runs to me and says, "Mrs. Diaz he's showing us his thing, ill!" Once one kid mentions it, it's like a chain reaction they all start pointing to the elephant's penis. All I kept on hearing was, "Mrs. Diaz his pipi is out!" Needless to say, we moved the group out of there very fast. After the fact, I couldn't stop laughing to myself. But at that moment I wanted to hide.

Get This Off My Chest

Did you know that duck rhymes with fuck? That's what an eight year old told me the other day. An eight year old!! Best of all, he came up to my desk giggling when he decided to share this wonderful knowledge. I didn't slap him because I would go to jail for it, but I scolded him enough to make him cry. After all was said and done he gave me the middle finger and grabbed his crotch. When I spoke to his father the other day because he doesn't do any class work or his homework for that matter, one of the things I mentioned was that his son was caught stealing at the museum the kids went to for a field trip. His father's response, "Oh that's kids' stuff, I though you were going to tell me something more serious." Of course the next day the kid still didn't show up with any homework done.

I tell you that most of the time if the kid is messed up, the parents are worse. I see this everyday at the school. For instance, a grandmother came in the other day screaming that we give the children frozen food and that her grand daughter can't have lunch that way. Meanwhile, her grand daughter eats lunch upto three to four times because the medication that she's on makes her eat. The girl is overweight, but we give her frozen food. I feel as if I live in the twilight zone.

Not Writing Much

My writing is dwindling and that is because I haven't been watching the news much. Not that I'm not aware of what's going on, but not in much detail. As I'm focusing on remaining positive (which sometimes it's hard to do), I find that watching the news does not help. I've also been busy crocheting my brains away. I'm still working on the baby blanket I'm making for my new nephew (who's coming very soon). I'm done making the granny squares, but now I'm sewing everything together. I must say that it is a very tasking project, but it's coming out beautiful. I'm not allowed to buy any new yarn until I've gone through all the ones I have (I'm driving Dan crazy, but he has his hobbies and I have mine). So while I've been making the blanket, I've made a purse and I'm working on a shawl. Throughout all of this, I've been studying my vocabulary for the GRE.

So there you have it, now you know what I've been upto. I actually have only been going on line to check my email. If you don't hear from me, feel free to drop an email. Talk to you soon!!

TGIF

I've never been happier that it's Friday than today. What a week! Between school, the dog incident, and my topper the battery dying in my car, I have to say that I need some rest. Although I can't complain because even though everything seem to be going wrong this week, every situation has worked out. Yesterday when the battery died, I had one of my coworkers give me a jump. I made it to Dan's job and the car died again. But there was a gentleman that had parked right next to me and he helped me out. Dan came dowstairs with his coworker/friend, Tiannie, and she was going to follow us to the auto shop just in case the car died again. As we're making a right onto the main road, the car just stops. Luckily there was a police officer behind us and he helped Dan push the car to the side. He was really nice. Dan and Tiannie left to buy the battery and the officer said he didn't have any flares to give me. But he called in another officer who did and sent him over to me and I got my flares (that way I wouldn't get killed by a Miami driver). At that moment Dan's boss came downstairs to remove the battery. Long story short, the battery got installed. Then Dan and I went to dinner (we both needed a drink).

I have to look at the bright side of things because I would go crazy. So thanks to everyone that helped, our evening turned out to be relaxing. TGIF!!!!!

Only Me

I sometimes wonder if stuff only happens to me. I went to walk my dogs this morning at 6:00am. I reached the end of the driveway when a big dog started running towards my dogs. Now I wasn't so much afraid that the dog was going to attack me, but my dogs aren't the most cooperative little guys in the world. Needless to say, I had the dog on top me while I was trying pull my growling dogs away from her. As I'm pulling the dogs into the house, the big dog runs into the house. At this point I start yelling for Dan and had everyone out of their bedrooms. This dog started running around the house. Dan came down grabbed our dogs and took them upstairs. My mother-in-law stood on the top of the stairs looking as if she was about to freak out and Sandra came down to pursuade the dog out of the house. I ran to grab treats and finally got her out of the house. Now we're waiting for animal control to come and pick up the dog. Exciting morning!

Walmart

Walmart is at it again. The giant super saver store wants to expand from the retail business.
Aside from banking, she lists travel services, healthcare, fuel refining and publishing as a few of the most appealing new businesses for the retailer although some industry watchers say they're skeptical about those growth areas.
That's what we need, Walmart taking over everything. It's ultimately upto the consumer to allow this type of growth. I know I'm doing my part by not shopping there.

Who Reads?

An article that I found did a test on which cities read the most and the least. Here are the winners and losers:

The most literate U.S. cities:

1. Minneapolis, Minnesota
2. Seattle, Washington
3. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
4. Madison, Wisconsin
5. Cincinnati, Ohio
6. Washington, D.C.
7. Denver, Colorado
8. Boston, Massachusetts
9. Portland, Oregon
10. San Francisco, California

The least literate U.S. cities:

70. Garland, Texas
71. Fresno, California
72. Arlington, Texas
73. Long Beach, California
74. Anaheim, California
75. San Antonio, Texas
76. Santa Ana, California
77. Corpus Christi, Texas
78. Hialeah, Florida
79. El Paso, Texas

I figured I would see New York City in the top ten. I guess I was wrong. The best one is #78: Hialeah, Florida!! I love this one. Guess where I work? This explains a lot. Now I know why most of the students in the school cannot write a sentence. If the parents aren't reading, neither are the children. In all fairness, they probably didn't count Spanish newspapers when the survey was done. I have to say that California and Texas aren't doing well at all (except for San Francisco). The bottom ten are all Texas and California except of course for Hialeah, Fl. I still can't fathom why people don't read. I understand if you're working tons of hours a week. You kind of don't have time for any leisure activities. I'm sure this is a factor in the bottom ten. I love reading and can't get enough of it. The good thing is that my students do love reading. Almost every afternoon (unless we're behind on work), the children sit down and read their books. They even read it to each other. And those that don't read well get help from the kids that do read well. There is hope!! I developed the love for reading because my mom read a lot when I was a kid. I would sit next to her and read while she was reading. Kids learn by example. If the grown ups aren't reading, chances are the kids aren't reading. Something to keep in mind.

Quite Busy

Besides getting sick again this weekend and trying to become clutter free, I've been keeping myself busy. I'm crocheting a baby blanket for my new nephew, who will be born in June. It's actually a big project because it will end up being three feet by three. I'm enjoying making it. I'll have to take a picture of it and post it. Other than that, I've been fine. I haven't been up to date on news or anything that's going on. I'm trying to stay away from negativity. I need a break to center myself. I'm doing good with keeping positive except at school. Well, it's kind of hard when a third grader throws a fit and tries to choke you. Yeah that's what happened to me yesterday. I was actually trying to get the kid away from his teacher of whom he was trying to hit. In his fit, he grabbed me by the neck and began choking me. This is while five teachers (including me) were trying to carry him down the stairs without hurting him. Anyway, the kid saw me today and growled at me. Whatever, I can't focus on that anymore. Maybe now that I wrote about it, I'll be able to relax. I'll keep you up to date.

On a Positive Note

Looking back at the past year, it seems to me that there's been a lot of negativity. This is true to me personally. A few of my relatives passed away last year, Miami wasn't doing well for me, being broke, and I could go on. I've decided that this new year, I'm going to look at the bright side of things. I've always been a firm believer of positive energy. I was in Borders the other day and I stumbled upon this book called "Ask and It Is Given: Learning to Manifest Your Desires" by Esther and Jerry Hicks. I figured I give it a try. The book focuses on surrounding yourself with positive energy. However you feel is what you attract. For example, if you feel that your life sucks, then it will continue sucking because that's the kind of energy you're surrounding yourself with. It made me think on my attitude towards living down here. There's a lot going in this book. I read it in three days and I love the message it sends. So, if you're one of those people that are always looking at how bad things are, pick this book up. You'll change your whole outlook about the way you think. It's great! I recommend it.