Things I Love Thursday--January 27th Edition

Another week....another dose of love! This week has been kind of a slow week. It started off poorly due to the New York Jets losing but did get better as the week went on. With that said, here is what is made me squishy with love this week:

~~The mix CD's my friend Veronica made me. I swear, she was a radio disc jockey in another life. The songs she put together just flow...love it.

~~Tacos at Chipotle Mexican Grill. Oh my goodness so yummy and filled with FRESH INGREDIENTS. After I read the Taco Bell story about the filling...um yeah never going there again.

~~A stranger at the Journal Square PATH train station sticking their hand out to help me get onto the curb where there was a mound of snow. Much appreciated!

~~Clear sidewalks. I hate walking in ice so this makes me happy!

--Cinnamon cherry tea. Warms my soul

~~Building my nest egg since I do not go out as much during the winter

~~90210 and Gossip Girl are back! Yes!

~~When snow is falling and fresh on the ground.

~~Having a snow day to catch up on cleaning and adding music to my iPod.

~~Planning outfits for Atlanta and springtime.

~~Wishing for the Groundhog to predict an early spring.

~~Thinking of different blog posts for the week. Right now I am toying with the idea of Inspiration Tuesday where I post a inspirational quote. Other bloggers do this too such as Charade and I figured I would try to lead in her example.

~~My funky colored mohawk hat. It looks silly yes but I feel so confident and warm while wearing it!

~~Randomly liking a Facebook page because it has a giveaway of a Chuck Palahniuk book & a Hello Kitty coin purse.

~~Being #31 on Gala Darling's Things I Love Thursday link list!

What has made you squishy with love this week?

Women Who Enjoy Football: A God Send or a Travesty?

Growing up there was a constant in my house on Sundays unless my mother had other plans--there were snacks galore on the table, cozy couch pillows strewn about on the floor, my father in his favorite chair, and my brother and I lounging on the pillows as I mentioned before. What were we doing?

We were watching Sunday afternoon football.

Now growing up, I watched mostly the New York Giants and the New York Jets games. My father--a diehard Giants fan, my brother grew to be a diehard Jets fan. I, who still thinks my brother is my best friend, rooted for the Jets and still do to this day. Here is a history of the Jets when I started watching with fervor and that is from 1990-1996 and then 2000 to the present day. I stopped watching football when I was in college because of my focus on my studies.

In 1988, the Sack Exchange era ended as Klecko failed his offseason physical and was waived, linebacker Lance Mehl announced his retirement during training camp, and Gastineau retired midseason, citing personal reasons.[106] In spite of these departures, the Jets managed to finish with a 8–7–1 record. They secured a winning record by closing with a victory over the Giants,[106] which cost the Giants a playoff berth.The team performed badly in 1989, finishing 4–12. On December 18, 1989, the Jets hired executive Dick Steinberg from the New England Patriots to take over as general manager.[108] Three days after the Jets' final game at home, a 37–0 loss to the Bills, Steinberg fired Walton and began to search for the team's tenth coach. The disastrous 1989 campaign cost Walton the chance to be the first Jets coach to complete his career with a winning record, a statistic he later admitted he cared about deeply.

Steinberg initially sought to hire Michigan State coach George Perles as Jets head coach, but the university refused to release him from his contract. Steinberg then hired Bengals offensive coordinator Bruce Coslet as the team's head coach. Coslet's offensive schemes, described as "state-of-the-art" by Sports Illustrated, had helped the Bengals to the 1988 Super Bowl. The Jets's poor record had given them the second pick in the draft; the team selected star Penn State running back Blair Thomas, who was expected to have a strong career with the Jets. Instead Thomas proved to be injury prone; he played four unproductive seasons and was cut before the 1994 season began. With the Jets leading late in the fourth quarter of a Monday night game against the Chicago Bears in 1991, Thomas fumbled and the Jets lost the game in overtime. According to former New York Daily News columnist Rich Cimini, the fumble cost Thomas his confidence, which he never regained.

Coslet's first season proved only slightly better than Walton's last; the Jets finished 6–10. In the 1991 NFL Draft, the Jets lost another opportunity to draft a star quarterback, as a draft-day deal which would have allowed them to select Brett Favre fell through.The Jets enjoyed more success in the 1991 season: with a 7–8 record with one game to go, they could clinch a playoff berth by winning against Miami. Jets kicker Raul Allegre (recently signed to replace aging kicker Pat Leahy, who had been kicking for the Jets since the days of Joe Namath) made one field goal to force overtime, and another to win in the extra period. The victory gave the Jets their first playoff berth since 1986. In the wild card game, an O'Brien pass into the end zone in the final seconds of the game was intercepted and the Jets lost to Houston, 17–10.

After a strong performance by rookie quarterback Browning Nagle in the team's 5–0 1992 preseason, Coslet promoted him to the starting lineup. Despite throwing for 366 yards against the Falcons in the opener, then the second highest yardage total for a quarterback making his NFL debut, the team lost 20–17; the Jets lost their first four games. Wide receiver Al Toon retired on November 27, 1992, having received the ninth concussion of his career earlier in the season.Two days later, defensive end Dennis Byrd collided with teammate Scott Mersereau when Chiefs quarterback Dave Kreig stepped forward in the pocket as the two players were about to sandwich him. Mersereau managed to walk away and continue his career with New York, but Byrd suffered a fracture to his C-5 vertebra that left him partially paralyzed.Inspired by Byrd's persistent high spirits, the Jets traveled to Buffalo the following week and defeated the AFC champion Bills.[121] The Jets finished the season with a 4–12 record. When Byrd was honored during the 1993 season, he was able to walk without the aid of canes.

Prior to the 1993 season, the Jets obtained Bengals quarterback Boomer Esiason, who had worked with Coslet in Cincinnati.Steinberg signed nine-time Pro Bowler Ronnie Lott to shore up the defense. O'Brien's career with the Jets ended with an offseason trade to the Green Bay Packers, and Freeman McNeil retired after twelve seasons.The Jets suffered another December collapse: they lost four of their last five to finish 8–8. The Jets would have made the playoffs by winning their last game, but were shut out at the Astrodome by the Oilers. Following the season, Steinberg fired Coslet and replaced him with defensive coordinator Pete Carroll.

Carroll's first season, 1994, started well. Going into a November home game against Miami, the Jets were 6–5; a victory over the Dolphins would tie them for the division lead. The Jets built leads of 17–0 and 24–6, but Marino and the Dolphins cut the lead to 24–21 and got the ball for a final-minute drive. Marino completed a pass into Jets territory with just over a half minute remaining. With the clock running, the Dolphins acted like Marino would spike the ball to stop the clock. However, Marino faked the spike and tossed the ball to Mark Ingram in the end zone for the winning touchdown. The Jets lost their four remaining games, completing another December collapse. Prior to the season finale, the Jets announced that Steinberg was ill with stomach cancer; he died the following September. The team fired Carroll after his first season and replaced him with former Philadelphia Eagles coach Rich Kotite.

At the press conference announcing Kotite's hiring, Hess told the media, "I'm 80 years old, I want results now."The results were not what Hess had hoped—the team posted a 4–28 record in Kotite's two years as coach.The Kotite era began with the Jets's sole national television appearance of the season, a Sunday night home loss to the Raiders, 47–10. Most fans headed for the parking lot after the third quarter; many of the people who remained chanted, "Let's Go Raiders". The Jets defeated the Seahawks on the Sunday after Thanksgiving after an inspirational speech by Hess, but again had trouble in December, losing all four games in the month to finish 3–13. In 1996, the Jets brought in veteran quarterback Neil O'Donnell, who had led Pittsburgh to Super Bowl XXX, to lead the offense. The Jets, for the first time since the merger, were in possession of the first pick overall in the NFL Draft, which they used to select wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson. O'Donnell proved injury-prone, and the Jets suffered the worst season in their existence. They lost their first eight games, beat the Arizona Cardinals in Tempe, then proceeded to lose their remaining seven games. Two days before the season finale, on December 20, 1996, Kotite stepped down as head coach of the Jets, effective at season's end. After the last game, a 31–28 home loss to the Dolphins, Kotite was hit with a full cup of beer as he left the field; another fan (fewer than 22,000 attended the game; almost 56,000 ticketholders stayed home) held up a sign, "The End of an Error".

On January 18, 2001, the Jets announced Herman Edwards as the new coach. Edwards, a former linebacker who had worked his way up through the NFL coaching system, had never served as head coach at any level. He was the first African American Jets head coach. Edwards lost his first game, two days before the September 11 attacks. In the wake of 9/11, the NFL had to decide whether to play its games the following weekend. Testaverde and the Jets spoke out against playing the games, and the Jets were prepared to forfeit the game rather than fly. The NFL decided to move the games to the end of the regular season. The Jets needed to win that game, in Oakland against the Raiders, to reach the playoffs, and John Hall kicked a last-minute 53-yard field goal for a 24–22 victory and a playoff berth.Edwards was the first coach to lead the Jets to the playoffs in his first year with the team. In the playoffs, the Jets again played at Oakland. The Jets could not stop the Raiders's passing game, and the Raiders won, 38–24.

The Jets began the 2002 season 1–4, but then put together a six-game winning streak. On the final day of the season, the Jets beat the Packers following a New England victory over Miami. This gave the Jets a 9–7 record, their second division title, and a playoff berth. Pennington had an outstanding day against the Packers and finished the season the top-rated passer in the league. The Jets began the playoffs against the Colts at home, and defeated them 41–0. The Jets then played the Raiders, who again defeated them in Oakland, 30–10. The Jets lost a number of key players to free agency in the offseason. Four signed with the Washington Redskins, including kicker Hall, Laveranues Coles, Chad Morton, and Randy Thomas. During a preseason game against the Giants, Pennington sustained a serious wrist injury, and required surgery. The aging Testaverde stepped in as starter, but led the Jets to only a 2–6 record, including losses to the Redskins and the Dallas Cowboys. The Jets split their remaining games and finished 6–10.

In spite of the team's poor 2003 record, Johnson retained Edwards as head coach and extended his contract through 2007. With a healthy Pennington at quarterback, the Jets began their season at 5–0 for the first time and then lost two of their next three games. During the team's second meeting with the Bills, Pennington suffered a tear in his rotator cuff that caused him to miss three starts. Pennington returned in a 29–7 rout of the Houston Texans. The team struggled toward the end of the regular season, winning only one of their final four games. Despite a final-game loss to the St. Louis Rams, the Jets reached the playoffs. The team travelled to San Diego to play the Chargers in the wild card round and upset them 23–20 on a Doug Brien field goal in overtime. The win sent the Jets to the divisional round against the 15–1 Pittsburgh Steelers. The Jets again took their opponent to overtime, as Brien missed a field goal with two minutes remaining and the score tied. He missed a second field goal in overtime. Pittsburgh kicker Jeff Reed proved more accurate, and the Steelers beat the Jets, 20–17.

In the third week of the 2005 season, both Pennington and backup Jay Fiedler were injured against the Jaguars. With both quarterbacks out for the season, third-string quarterback Brooks Bollinger started with the 41-year-old Testaverde brought out of retirement to serve as his backup. Bollinger played badly in a loss in week four, and Testaverde became the starter. Testaverde had little success, and Bollinger did not fare better when he was reinserted. Martin chose to have arthroscopic surgery on his knee with four games left in the season. The Jets finished 4–12.

On January 6, 2006, Edwards announced his resignation as head coach to take the same position with Kansas City. The Jets received a fourth round pick as compensation for Edwards, who was still under contract with the Jets. On January 17, the Jets announced the hiring of former Patriots defensive coordinator Eric Mangini. Three weeks later, General Manager Bradway stepped down in favor of his assistant, Mike Tannenbaum. Although Pennington took back his starting position, the Jets only managed to split their first eight games. They began the second half with a victory over New England in Foxboro, and lost only two games the rest of the way to finish 10–6 and secure a playoff berth. In the wild card round, the Jets visited Foxboro again, but this time fell to the Patriots, 37–16. For his success in leading the Jets to the playoffs, Mangini received the nickname "Mangenius" and had a cameo appearance on The Sopranos. Brett Favre in a 2008 preseason game against the Washington Redskins

After Mangini's successful rookie season, the Jets had high hopes of further improvement. Following the team's opening loss against New England, the Jets accused the Patriots of videotaping their signals during their practices. Commissioner Roger Goodell fined the Patriots and Belichick, and stripped New England of their first round draft pick in the 2008 NFL Draft. Struggling to a 1–7 start, the Jets benched Pennington in favor of backup Kellen Clemens. The Jets won only three games the rest of the way and finished at 4–12.

Following the 2007 season, Packers quarterback Brett Favre had retired. He wished to return several months later, but found that the Packers had given Aaron Rodgers the starting spot. The subsequent trade talks and rumors were a major story leading up to the 2008 season, and the Jets unexpectedly won the bidding war to trade for Favre. With Favre's acquisition, the Jets released Pennington, who signed with the Dolphins. Despite a good start to the season, the Jets began to falter in December after Favre tore his rotator cuff—he threw five interceptions in the next three games. The season came down to a final game against the Dolphins, led by Pennington, at Giants Stadium. The Dolphins won to take the division title and eliminate the 9–7 Jets from playoff contention.

On December 29, 2008, Mangini was fired after three seasons as head coach, with an overall record of 23 wins and 26 losses. Favre again briefly retired from football on February 11, 2009. Mangini was hired by the Cleveland Browns as head coach.

Most people know the history of Rex Ryan and the new stadium...so not going to post any of that. Now why I am quoting the history of the New York Jets? Here is the rationale--it seems that if a woman is a fan of football she either likes it for two reasons. One: the players are really attractive or two: the uniforms are flattering in all of the right areas. I want to dispel this myth.

Last night after the Jets vs. Steelers game, I needed to vent. I needed to talk. I needed to discuss the game. Now while I did that with David my fiance' I still wanted an outlet; to only be hit with these statements:

"Oh will you stop it already?" "The Jets will come back next year." "Okay can you talk about something else now?" "So you root for a losing team, so what?" The list goes on and on....but if the conversation were between two men, like I observed at work today, the statements were:

"Oh my goodness I can't believe Mark Sanchez almost broke his arm!" "If only the Jets scored a touchdown in the third quarter.." "Rex Ryan has a lot of rebuilding to do. What do you think he should do?"

I then proceeded to shake my head and walk away and these questions popped into my head--why is it okay for men to talk candidly about football but women are shunned? Usually in my dealings with the masculine, I would think they would welcome the opportunity to talk to a female about an interest of theirs. That does not seem the case and it sickens me. It sickens me that even in the year 2011, the American male still holds the 1950's standard of women are to be barefoot and pregnant and only worry about the "womanly" duties. Obviously by the research I did above and wrote, I can handle all of the history and statistics. Obviously I pay more attention to football than just looks and uniforms. So here is my question:

WHY CAN'T DIEHARD FEMALE FOOTBALL FANS BE TREATED THE SAME AS A DIEHARD MALE FOOTBALL MAN?

If someone can explain this to me, I would definitely appreciate it. Do not worry--I will not cry. ;-)

Heavy Metal Concerts: Then and Now

On Friday January 21, 2011 my really good friend Veronica and I went to Music as a Weapon V in NYC. The concert bill went like this: Disturbed, Korn, Sevendust, and In This Moment. In This Moment went first, then Sevendust, then Disturbed (which we were quite shocked about since Music as a Weapon is their tour) and finally Korn which we left two songs into their set as we are not big fans of theirs.

While we sang our lungs out and banged our heads like no other, we were mesmerized by how the attitudes and the way concerts have changed since we started going to concerts on our own. My first heavy metal concert was 1994 with my brother. Now in 2011, this is some of the things that we observed has changed:

--There is no smoking allowed in any venues anymore, but people still sneak in the weed.

--No lighters anymore for the slow songs, it is all about the cell phone light.

--Instead of singing and dancing/moshing and enjoying the music, most people are now taking a billion photos or videos for YouTube.

--No one has a sense of pit hospitality anymore. Lots of punches, kicks, and headbutts. This is why I sit in the balcony or mezzanine section. I do not need to worry about an injury at a concert. I am there to enjoy the music and the experience.

--It seems the rules of not wearing the t-shirt of the band you are seeing is gone. Everyone seemed to be "that guy" or "that girl" now.

--Since the invention of the cell phone, during intermissions you are now either texting your friends or checking your Facebook/Twitter. What did we do when cell phones were not around yet?

--The breaking down of sets between each band is still very tight. Waiting for the next band at most is 15 minutes. Take that Rihanna and your 90 minutes to hit the stage wait!

--It seems the slutty outfit of the heavy metal chick is gone. Yes we still wear our Doc Marten boots and jeans, but gone are the days of exposing your tits at the band or trying to get backstage passes.

What are your thoughts? Even if you are not a heavy metal enthusiast/fan like myself, has the attitudes at concerts changed for you?

Things I Love Thursday - January 20th Edition

It has been a whirlwind of a week. After a big fight with David that I really do not want to rehash and learning that I am going back to my old habits, I need to really focus on bringing the original Dani back--the Dani that is not so paranoid when her fiance' makes a phone call or says he wants some time to himself due to a hard day at work or constantly questioning everything he does/not trusting his judgement. Yeah, I was becoming THAT GIRL and lets face it--THAT GIRL is one ugly motherfudger. Thank goodness I saved my Love and Sequins response emails to Gala Darling so I can get myself back on track and back onto the track of positivity and love!

Speaking of which...this is what I am in love with this week, even though the week did not start off so great:

--My fuzzy Hello Kitty slippers that keep on my feet nice and warm.
--Staying home from work because I did not feel like ice skating down the street to my school building. For my new followers, I broke my foot last year which caused me to miss out on an amazing trip with David. We have plans this year to go to Atlanta in April and I am making sure I will be there!
--The Cajun fries at Popeye's. So bad for you...so good to eat!
--The New York Jets. Football is one of my favorite sports and I love how this team is proving everyone wrong this playoff season.
--Getting a homemade Valentine's headband made just for me with the numbers 4344 on it. 43 stands for David's initials (the letter D is the 4th letter in the alphabet and his last name begins with a C and it is the 3rd letter in the alphabet. My initials are 44 since my first and last name both start with the letter D. A little whimsical idea I picked up from Kat Von D.)
--Raisins and spice oatmeal with extra raisins.
--Using my Dunkin Donuts gift card to indulge.
--Music as a Weapon V on Friday with Veronica! It has been a long time since I have been to a concert, let alone a heavy metal one. Need it desperately...
--My observant students who noticed I was wearing my hair differently today.
--Secretly wishing for a time machine to bring Spring here now!
--Love this graphic and definitely need it:

--Having students who love challenging me to board games during recess
--My doggies Hudson and Sweetums.


What are you in love with this week?

Have Some DVD's for Sale!

Hey there friends and peeps. I have some DVD's for sale. I do not watch them, or I got special editions of them. If you want them and do not live near me, I ask that you pay for shipping and handling as well. Most of the DVD's are $5 dollars, box sets $10. Shipping and handling is $4.95 flat rate. We can either meet up in NYC to make the exchange or I can mail it to you after I receive your payment in my PayPal, which I will gladly give you if you want to do it that way. Here are the titles and prices next to the DVD title:

--Tru Calling (The Complete First Season) DVD Set: $10 dollars, $15 if mailed.
--21 JumpStreet (The Complete Fourth Season) DVD Set: $10 dollars, $15 if mailed
--The Rocky Horror Picture Show (25th Anniversary Edition): $15 dollars, $20 if mailed
--Good Eats with Alton Brown: $10 dollars, $15 if mailed
--Tromeo and Juliet (movie)-- $5 dollars, $10 if mailed
--V for Vendetta (movie)-- $5 dollars, $10 if mailed
--Spiderman (movie)-- $5 dollars, $10 if mailed
--Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (movie) -- $5 dollars, $10 if mailed
--Leslie Sansone Walk at Home Workout DVD --$5 dollars, $10 if mailed
--10 Minute Solution Knockout Body Workout DVD --$5 dollars, $10 if mailed
--World 1 Wresting (2/17/2004 in Philadelphia, PA) --$5 dollars, $10 if mailed, $20 if international mailing.
--Ring of Honor (Empire State Showdown 10/25/2003) --$5 dollars, $10 if mailed, $20 if international mailing.



Thank you!

Things I Love Thursday--January 13th Edition

Ahhh second week of the new year and it went better than my first week of Two Thousand and Heaven. You see, I was letting peoples negative conversations influence the way I deal with David and instead of trusting him, like I always have, I put his friends in an very uncomfortable position and thus created a lot of drama that was totally unnecessary for the start of the new year. Well all of that is behind us now and I have apologized for my actions and learning to accept things better. So what else have made me swoon and swell with love this week?

--Caramel Hot Chocolate from Dunkin Donuts. Oh my goodness is it so nummy.
--Listening to a mother and daughter planning their day and talking in Starbucks
--David holding my hand as we walk through snow and ice so I do not slip and fall. Okay everyone go awww now....
--Conversations in Starbucks involving old man type dogs.
--Flameless candles with timers that turn on and off after you set them.
--Golden delicious apples with feta cheese.
--Learning to wait patiently.
--Fresh fallen snow on the ground.
--Having tea and conversation with my mom.
--Good relaxing songs in my head.
--Rechecking the forecast for snow.
--Fruit salad with Honey Nut Cheerios sprinkled on top.
--Custom made tops with a fleur de lis on the back.
--Custom made stuff that no one else has but me!
--The time 930am and 225pm.
--Planning trips with David.
--Having my zombie book list retweeted by Flashlight Worthy Books. Here is the list: Run Zombies Ahead! Books if you Love the Undead or *Are* the Undead

What made you swoon and swell with love this week?

Things I Love Thursday - January 6th, 2011 Edition

Here is what my first week of 2011 made me bounce with glee and love:

--Getting a new calendar
--Fresh fruit salads waiting in the fridge for me to eat.
--Getting mass texts wishing me a Happy New Year from people I have not heard from in a long long time.
--Having a clean slate to make myself over, inside and outside.
--Finally seeing Tron Legacy with my friend Josy. So beautiful...I smell third movie!
--My dad going outside and warming up the car for my brother and I.
--Adding lemon juice to my water. So good for you!
--Naps after a rough day.
--Apples with feta cheese. Yum!
--Having a close knit of friends to call my own.
--The website Etsy for finding various custom and one of a kind items.


What made your week bounce?

Hardcore Metal (My Version)

As many of you who follow professional wrestling like I do are aware, Mickie James left WWE to pursue a country music career. She is now in TNA Wrestling and uses one of her songs as her entrance song. The song is Hardcore Country. You can listen to the song here: Hardcore Country by Mickie James

Now I thought it would be a genuine and creative effort to change this tune for us metal girls out there. I know that I am hardcore metal. Thanks to Mickie James for these great lyrics. Also thanks to Weird Al Yankovic for proving that parody is the most sincere form of flattery. Feel free to sing along!

HARDCORE METAL (My Version)

Hey, hey can't you see?
I'm a rockin' Jersey girl runnin' wild and free
Hey, you walkin' through the door
High-class metal to the core

HARDCORE METAL!
Bowery, Skid Row
HARDCORE METAL!
Rockin' your world with a thrill Motley sound
Docs and horns
Dio and Priest
One thing I'll always be
HARDCORE METAL!

Hey now, listen up
I'm not the kind of girl that ever gives up
If anybody tries to bring me down
They'll be pickin' themselves up off the ground
Cuz my black Doc Marten lace up boots
Will kick your ass back to its roots

HARDCORE METAL!
Bowery, Skid Row
HARDCORE METAL!
Rockin' your world with a thrill Motley sound
Docs and horns
Dio and Priest
One thing I'll always be
HARDCORE METAL!

I'm a sweet thing 'til you cross me
I can be a bad dream or your fantasy
Try to bring me down to your upper crust level
And you'll find yourself dancing with the devil
Don't matter if I win or lose
I'll be kickin' your ass back to its roots!

HARDCORE METAL!
Bowery, Skid Row
HARDCORE METAL!
Rockin' your world with a thrill Motley sound
Docs and horns
Dio and Priest
One thing I'll always be is
HARDCORE METAL!

Hey, hey can't you see?
A rockin' Jersey girl wearing leather and lace
Hey you on a Harley Fat boy
Silver in her heart
Metal to the core

HARDCORE METAL!
Bowery, Skid Row
HARDCORE METAL!
Rockin' your world with a thrill Motley sound
Docs and horns
Dio and Priest
One thing I'll always be
HARDCORE METAL!

2011--Year of Change. My New Routine

With the new year comes new routines. Like many writers, we read other people's writings to gain inspiration. This morning during my prep period I read Gala Darling's artilce about her morning routinesand felt inspired to write my own. Two Thousand and Heaven I have decided is going to be my big transformation year since I am not getting any younger and some things I used to do just do not work anymore. With that said, here is my new morning routine, even though my patterns and routine do change as I do not want my brain or my body to become bored.

I wake up during the week at 545am, just before the sunrise. I need to be at work by 8am and I am a mass transit girl so I need to be at my bus terminal in Jersey City, NJ no later than 640am. On Saturdays and Sundays, I will admit, I do tend to sleep in til 10am. When I wake up, the first thing I do is go to the bathroom and brush my teeth. Something about brushing my teeth really wakes me up. I can not explain it. I also wash the crud out of my eyes, check for any hairs on my face and pluck them, and go back to my room and get dressed. The night before I set out my clothes for what I want to wear that day. Even when I do not have work, I do this. After I do
this, I pack up my lunch for the day and then either have fruit salad or an egg white omelette with a glass of lemon water. When I get to work, sometimes I have an ice tea.

Speaking of food, I have learned that I have become lactose intolerant. The other night I felt like indulging in some black cherry ice cream and before I knew it, my stomach was in a cramp so bad I laid down in the fetal position. Being an Italian American, dairy is a big part of my lifestyle of eating. I did tell my mother who has agreed to only get me soy milk as well as use only goat's milk cheese. Goodbye Starbucks fruit and cheese plates...Goodbye Starbucks Vanilla Chai with whole milk. It will be an adjustment. Also, I need to limit my carb intake. I have noticed that the more carbs I eat, the less energetic I feel and with the job I have (3rd grade school teacher) I need to be Ms. Perky for 8 hours out of my day. I need to be always on. So I will go back to only having 1 carb a day, whether it is bread or cereal. Again, my family has agreed to this. Also, I think I will do another cleanse in the next week or so. Any recommendations please?

As with a lot of people, I am truly learning benefits of water. Another thing I need to up is my intake of water. Also, I started to put lemon slices and lemon juice from the fruit into my water. It tastes really yummy and it helps with my stomach which seems to be getting upset at me more now. I start my day with a glass of water in the morning and drink water throughout my day. I am always speaking so it is best to get hydrated. I have started to carry a water bottle to school/work now and put a
lemon slice in the bottom of my water bottle and fill it up overnight.

Also, I have given up soda. I used to be a big soda drinker. I remember the days of being addicted to Mountain Dew and the heart palpitations that came afterward. I learned that sods wreaked havoc on my stomach as well as putting on 50 pounds of weight! That will simply not do. I as well do not drink coffee anymore. Now I was not a big coffee drinker to begin with, but sometimes while at a coffee shop I would get a latte or a cappuccino. After drinking one, I would get so jittery and the shakes that I looked like I was spazzing. Not a good look. I still drink tea every day but it is a herbal tea or green tea.

On the point of exercise....well I am on my feet 8 hours of the day and I am constantly walking around. Granted it is not a continuous movement or a circuit workout, but it is still working out. I am thinking about getting those tone-up sneakers for work and I need to incorporate crunches/ab work into my days. I travel to work every day by bus and while on the bus I try to listen to some uplifting music or some heavy metal and I get off before my bus stop to add more walking into my day.

Another thing I have noticed for my day to be a good day is a good nap right after work. I normally come home at 330pm so I immediately change into my pajamas, get under my covers, get all nice and cozy and take a good 2 hour nap. I usually get up at 600pm, sometimes 700pm, and I feel so refreshed! Do not worry, I still get my sleep at night, which is a good 6-7 hours.

Here are some small things that I need to do to make sure I have a great day: Take apple cider vinegar pills before I eat. Here is an article about the benefits of apple cider vinegar: Health Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar, writing in some form whether it is for my blog or for my work, spending only 3 hours a day on the internet, reading for 30 minutes in the morning before work actually starts, petting and playing with my dogs, making my bed every day, having a lot of laughter throughout my day, and finally sending texts to David in the morning to say hello and I love you.

These are some things I would like to incorporate into my daily routine and that it will make my days (and life) better: Dry brushing my skin before I take a shower, meditation of some kind and stretching, putting lotion on my skin to keep it soft, doing more facial masks and facial scrubs during the week.

What is your routine?

2011: Two Thousand and Heaven--Goals

Here are my goals for 2011. Like I said yesterday, I am going to keep it to 20 this year so I can succeed. Here we go!

Dani’s 2011 (Two Thousand and Heaven!) Goals

Started: January 1, 2010
Ending: December 31, 2010

1. Read 52 Books
2. Watch 100 Movies
3. Visit 20 new restaurants
4. Get back into studying French
5. Go to 10 museums
6. Walk the Brooklyn Bridge in the Spring or Summer months (this has been on
my list for the past three years. I WILL GET IT DONE THIS YEAR!)
7. Save up for a professional massage and facial for my birthday present to
myself.
8. See 10 plays either on or off Broadway
9. Travel to 3 different states. (0/3) States already visited: Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maine, Maryland,Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio,Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Washington DC. States visited in 2011 will be in italics.
10. Save at least $40,000 by December 31, 2011 in savings account.
11. Call more often instead of texting
12. Try 10 foods I have never tried before, barring allergies.
13: Walk for 10-20 minutes outside every day.
14: Limit myself to one dessert a week.
15: Limit my time on the internet to 3 hours a day.
16: Only talk to people that I know want me in their life somehow. (Are you on this list?)
17: Write more in my notebook/journal.
18: Do more events/concerts for myself
19: Get 8 hours of sleep a night. Do not hit snooze button when my alarm goes off!
20: If these goals are not completed by 12/31/11, multiply it by 10 and donate amount to a charity.

Also this is the YEAR OF THE RABBIT in the realm of Chinese Astrology. In the Chinese Zodiac, I am a horse. Here is what my yearly horoscope says: The freedom-loving and passionate Horse in the 2011 year of the white Metal Rabbit will plunge into the ocean of their own passions, and even the most prudent and calm representatives of this sign will experience an overwhelming desire to plunge into all serious ones and go with the flow of love experiences. Do you think Horse will surely fail yielding to emotions? Far from it! It is too strong to give in to circumstances, while emotions and feelings will only fuel his positive desire to create and build. This year will be good for Horses both in the professional and in the love field, though there will still be some difficult situations present there. Horses need to be more prudent and cautious in making decisions: everything that is dictated by emotions and feelings must pass through a cold filter of reason, and then he will not have to make reckless decisions whose consequences will have to be correct for a long time. Since love in the year 2011 of the metal rabbit goes through the life of a Horse like a red thread, he will not rest on one romance, but will leaf through partners like an interesting book, with each page where the story will become more interesting. Well, the strongest is always chosen - and the Horse this year will be as strong as ever - he shines at social events and works for five people having inspired by his hot passion. For the Fire Horses, 2011 is simply magnificent in all respects. In your work, you excellently know how to make best use of available opportunities. In your personal life, there will probably not be any change, except that you will only stronger seal already existing relationship with a loved one.

What are your goals for the new year?