I have this secret love for my refrigerator that has nothing to do with the food inside.

My fridge reminds me of the upcoming wedding celebrations of the people I care about most. I have 5 total this year, and I am just not ready to take down my friend Jessica’s wedding invite from New Year’s Day this year….it was that special to me!

I have my garbage and recycling schedule posted so I never forget when to put out my bags, it also has tips on staying green all year long. I like to be reminded of my grade report for my class–an A so far!–I feel like a little kid again with it hanging on the fridge, but I am proud!

I have my grocery list, courtesy of Arnold’s and Orowheat, from the HLS. As soon as I am out of something in the food department, I conveniently write it down here.

On the side of my fridge I keep a calendar to keep me on track for the month. I also have a 13.1 half marathon magnet, to keep me inspired to achieve my goal of someday running a half, a lovely thank you note from my friend’s mom, and a quick note from a funny story involving Jet’s QB Mark Sanchez that makes me chuckle every time I walk by.

My fridge reminds me of the sweet faces in my life that I love so much. These Christmas cards make me happy all year long.

What do you put on your fridge?

I was fortunate in my undergraduate work to never have to take a math class. I was able to do this because I took a Calculus class in high school through a University that allowed me to get three college credits before I even stepped foot on a campus.

I remember at the beginning of high school, I loved math. I had an amazing teacher my freshman year and I know that directly related to my high grades. Then, as I changed school, I became more social and less interested in the subject that had so many rules and definite answers. My teachers, until my senior year, paled in comparison to my freshman teacher, so that added to my complete dislike in the subject.

Somehow though, I still qualified to take the college credit Calculus class, which I somehow passed, even though I got a 55 on our final exam. (Mrs. Thomas, if you ever read this, thank you for passing me. I know that my grades did not have much to do with it!)

I’ve always proclaimed my love for English. I loved devouring the classics in my Independent Reading class in high school (still the best course I have taken…ever) and I so enjoyed my PR core classes in college that required me to write proposals and plans. What I found so desirable about reading, reading comprehension, and writing was that that lines of wrong and right were so blurry. I could design a completely different PR plan for a company as the person sitting next to me and both could be effective. I could read Pride and Prejudice and finish understanding the themes and characters, but what I felt about the book was not the same as my peer.

Through high school and college, the subjectivity of this was freeing and allowed me to express myself in a way that nothing else did. While there are rules of grammar, I was free to fill the pages with content, creating whatever ideas I wanted. For the most part, the opportunities were limitless. The rules, endless.

This version of me was drawn to that.

Good Morning! These ABC’s were floating around the blog world recently, so I decided to join the bandwagon.

I will be working all day, it is gorgeous here–get out and enjoy the sunshine if you’ve got it!

A. Age: 25 (a post on how I feel about turning 25 is in the works)

B. Bed Size: Queen…I love to just lay spread eagle in my bed and not touch the sides.

C. Chore you dislike: Laundry. I HATE folding it and putting it away…it takes me a week to finish the whole task and by that time I have to do it all over again.

D. Dogs: Charlie Parker, the best miniature daschund around. Look at that face!

G. Gold or Silver: Silver most often, but I’m learning to appreciate gold.

H. Height: 5’8”

I. Instruments you play(ed): I played the flute in elementary school. and the recorder…ha.

J. Job Title: Server and Administrative Assistant and Student currently. That will change eventually!

K. Kids: First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes a baby in a baby carriage.

L. Live: Upstate NY…nearish to Albany and Saratoga Springs.

M. Mom’s name: Eileen

N. Nicknames: Sing, Singer, Sing-a-ling (my middle name is Singer, a family name, and I have been called that most of my life…this See Sing Live!)

O. Overnight hospital stays: None to date!

P. Pet peeves: Self deprecation, passive-aggressiveness

Q. Quote from a movie: “Nobody puts Baby in the corner” rip patrick swayze!

R. Righty or lefty: Righty

S. Siblings: NONE…I’m an only child…any others out there?

T. Time you wake up: It varies from 7:00 – 8:00…sometimes it is so hard to get out of bed!

U. Underwear: Yes? How does one answer this?

V. Vegetables you don’t like: Raw onions have been my nemesis since I was born. Ick, I think they infest the taste and smell of anything they touch. But I like them very carmelized.

W. What makes you run late: Just about everything. I am generally late…my friends used to joke about how there is real time and there is “Sarah Time”.

X. X-rays you’ve had: Knees, knees, and more knees…mainly due to my frenemy, running…

Y. Yummy food you make: My cooking is best when I just randomly throw things together…I don’t have any special recipes.

Z. Zoo animal favorites: Penguins!

The last time I posted on See Sing Live was on November 7, 2010. I cannot believe that it has been almost 5 months. I needed to take a break from it all because it is my goal to share with anyone who stops at this site the most authentic version of myself. At the end of 2010 and beginning of 2011 my life changed so drastically and so quickly that I didn’t even know who I was or wanted to be anymore.

Now, I find myself in such a better place than I have been in years. After leaving a job and starting a new one, ending a very long-term relationship, living on my own for the first time, and starting my journey of changing careers–I finally find myself on the right road.

I have not been totally absent though! I have been reading and following my favorite blogs consistently and I am so excited to dive back into this community, if you’ll have me.

I feel like we need to catch up though! So I want to share with you some wonderful moments from the past 5 months, starting with my best friend’s wedding…

Jessica and I have been best friends since we were 15. I was so grateful to be in her wedding because it felt like a huge milestone in not only her life, but my life, too! I consider her family to by my second family, so this was a very emotional event for me!

When Jess and her fiance Will decided to get married on Jan 1, 2011, I was immediately thrilled because I love winter weddings and I knew that I didn’t have to worry about New Year’s Eve plans because of the rehearsal dinner.

We got out hair and makeup done and enjoyed bagels and mimosas. It was a wonderful morning.

When Jessica finally got dressed, I was in awe! Look at how gorgeous she looked. I hope that I am that beautiful and that calm if I ever get married. She looked so glamorous and so elegant!

I absolutely loved my dress, my hair and makeup, my gloves, and the flowers we carried. It was all so reminiscent of Old Hollywood. Did I mention how emotional I was? I woke up crying and was still crying the next morning when we had to say goodbye–I am just so happy for my friend.

I don’t have any pictures from the ceremony because I was in it, but it was amazing. The lovely minister was a woman who spent many months prior to the wedding developing a strong relationship with Jessica and Will–and she incorporated that into her sermon. It was the perfect balance of spirituality and the love that Jess and Will share for each other.

Next up was the reception!

Dinner, speeches, traditional dances and major partying took place.

The whole place was still decorated from Christmas–it was incredible.

We were all sad when it was over but the Franklin is so amazing that they make sure that they party continues at the hotel across the street. They brought over all of the extra alcohol from the bar to Jessica’s parent’s suite so we had a place to keep the party going.

I was obviously finished at this point–lack of sleep, all of the excitement and too many drinks sent me to bed much earlier than everyone else.

The day was incredible and I was so happy to stand next to my best friend on the most important day of her life!

I had a little run in with this old flame today…

(My gym doesn’t allow four legged friends, but how cute is this?)

For the first time in over a month I ran on the treadmill.
My goal was to give my body a much needed break from running until after Christmas, but I was feeling so stressed today that I hopped on the treadmill on the gym and did some sprinting. For me, there is no better release than a hard run. I only ran for about 15 minutes out of my 30 minute workout, but it felt great–just what the doctor ordered!

***

I eluded to the fact that my life has changed basically in the blink of an eye. While I am very comfortable in my decision to leave my day job, I am sad to say that John and I have decided to end our relationship. We have been together for a very, very long time and we both believe it has run its course. He will be moving out in a few weeks and I will be staying in our apartment. I am very sad to lose my best friend, I am scared to be on my own, and I am unsure about what the future holds. It is comforting to know that we are ending mutually and that we will always love one another. I literally have no idea what is next for me and that is terrifying and exciting at the same time.

Hey there!

Lots of changes have been happening in my world—I’m not ready to talk about everything quite yet, but some I’m ready to shout from the rooftops!

Monday marked my first day NOT working during the day. I was sure I would feel some sort of regret about leaving a job, that I did not love but that has yet to happen. I’m pretty proud of myself, actually. It took a TON of courage to quit, but I am so very happy that I did.

That being said, I have quite a bit of free time these days. I’m working about four nights a week as a server, but my days are very open. Because I have a history with depressive tendencies (I’m hesitant to say full on depression), I’ve set some rules for myself so I maintain structure and productivity in my life. The truth is that I could easily sit on the couch and watch reruns of Las Vegas on TNT and get sucked back into Days of Our Lives. Yes, I said “back”…another story for another day.

1. Maintain a reasonable bed time and wake time.

(One of my favorite morning shots, courtesy of Tom Panko.)

This is pretty easy for me to do because I love the morning. My natural alarm clock never lets me sleep later than 8:00 or 8:30, but I’ve been getting up these last few mornings at 7:30. Oh, and I’m usually falling asleep on the couch by 10:00 pm, like the elderly lady I am, so don’t expect me to turn into any kind of night owl now that I don’t technically HAVE to get up in the morning.

2. Stay away from the TV during the day.

I plan on enjoying a day here or there enjoying some quality couch time—everyone deserves this kind of relaxation once and a while. But, I know myself. I know if I put that television on during the middle of the day, all productivity will be completely over. So, you’ll find me watching some of the Today show in the morning and then shutting the tube OFF. We have an IPod speaker system, so I have Pandora wired up on speakers, it does the trick just as well. Now if only Pandora could come up with some sort of stream for this…

3. Making a List for everything.

My list from yesterday has kind of run into today as well…some of the things require loose ends get tied up. Simply, write it down, do it, check it off, feel accomplished. Nothing makes staying on task easier than an old fashioned list.

4. Shower.

Yes, I have to say it. No one likes a girl who lays around on the couch all day while watching Days of Our Lives..especially one who doesn’t bathe.

Do you spend days at home? What are your tips for maintaining mental sanity? I’m sure I’ll be needing them!

Hello there, blog world. It has been a while.

I have been busy working two jobs and living life. I haven’t been able to blog and truthfully, I haven’t wanted to until today. In recent weeks (maybe even months) I have been feeling so negative and in not wanting to share that with you, I have simply not blogged.

So, finally, I took some control of the things around me…and…

I quit my job.

I have worked at my current job for one year, I felt completely stuck and unhappy.

My current plan is to pick up some more hours at my waitressing night job, take a few minutes to breathe, and decide what is next…maybe school, maybe a move, maybe a new job in my field. Who knows?

I thought I would feel regret or be scared out of my mind after I told my bosses my decision….but I have yet to feel like this choice is anything but the best for me. And that is very empowering.

I can’t wait to have more time to devote to this blog–there are so many things I’ve wanted to improve, edit, and tweek and I KNOW I will have time to make it a true reflection of who I am.

So in the spirit of the eliminating the negative, here is a list of 5 things I’ve been LOVING lately.

1. Red Wine.
As far as alcohol is concerned, I like all of the major food groups. I love a thick, stouty beer; a crisp, refreshing vodka and soda with lime; and a citrusy glass of sauvignon blanc–it all depends on my mood. But lately I have been exploring red wine and I am in LOVE. I like a full bodied wine like this Penfolds shiraz/cab blend or any Zinfandel and Malbec. It takes the chill out of the air, I swear!

2. Not running.

I ran in the Susan G. Komen 5k in Albany on October 3, with the plan that it would be my last race and run until after Christmas. I have tendonitis in both knees and a heel spur in my right foot. In my opinion this means that my body is crying out for a break, so I’m taking one.

But I didn’t think I would like it. I thought they would have to tear me away kicking and screaming from that treadmill.

I was so wrong.

Hot yoga has completely filled any gap that not running would have left in my full workout heart. Now, don’t get me wrong, running will always have its place in my world and I fully intend to pick it back up when my body is ready. But hot yoga is challenging both mentally and physically unlike anything I have ever done. And I am loving every minute of it.

Fact: Every time I try to go into camel pose, I start to hysterically cry. Jennilee says it is because it is such a heart opener that everything tender around my heart rushes to the head. Oye. I don’t see anyone else breaking down in class.

3. These perfectly gorgeous ladies.

These are a pair of velvet and satin high, high heels that I bought for my friend’s wedding on January 1st.
Velvet…and…Satin.

I NEVER buy heels over two inches. I am 5’8” as it is and I’ve never felt comfortable in heels. It is even rare that I buy myself new shoes, I have weird feet issues and it is hard to find anything that is cute and fits well. But I tried these on today I knew I had to bring them home to live with me forever.
Can you blame me?

4. Glee.
Please refrain from making fun of me for jumping on the bandwagon later than most, but I JUST fell in love with Glee. It wasn’t until Idina Menzel, whom I LOVE from Rent, made a guest appearance and sang Poker Face with Lea Michele that I became hooked.

Fact: I have a sick obsession with Rent and the soundtrack, I know every word to every song. We used to blare it in my house in college.

5. My wide open future.
Leaving a job is scary business, but I was so very ready. I am loving the thought that right now, anything and everything is an option. I could start over from scratch if I want to. Usually that would make me feel sick to my stomach, but I am so embracing it right now.

What are YOU loving lately?   

I was not going to put in my two cents about the Hunger Diaries article “written” by Katie Drummond in this month’s edition of Marie Claire. I was going to leave it all to the eloquent reponses of Kath, Tina, Caitlin, Meghann, and Heather. Really, I was.

But then I got to thinking. And the more I thought about the out of context words and images that Drummond painted the more I got angry. Mostly, I’m angry because I was lucky enough to attend the Healthy Living Summit in August. I was able to meet awesomely amazing bloggers and blog readers who shared my common passion in living a healthy…and HAPPY life, with the word “happy” being emphasized. And if Katie Drummond did not walk herself right into the Healthy Living Summit with an agenda, then I’d like a better explanation of her words, because the positivity in those rooms could not be ignored.

I’m not saying that the issues that Drummond speaks about in the article don’t exist. ED’s are alive and real within this blogging community and I’m sure they have been triggered by blogs. Maybe we should be thankful to Drummond for drudging all of this to the forefront—it should NEVER be ignored. But I believe the we are all so outraged about this because Drummond’s article takes advantage of those extremely serious, life-threatening issues and uses them in a sensationalist manner, to gain readers. The hypocrisy cannot be ignored…flip the pages in Marie Claire and see airbrushed models, emaciated and pushing these images into the minds of our youth…something that we as bloggers work tirelessly to break.

So please, look at some of my favorite pictures from this year. I hope that you will see a HAPPY, healthy woman who gains strength and power from fitness and healthy foods. Since I started seesinglive in April, I have made new friends. I have had new experiences. And I have pushed myself to achieve things I never thought were possible. If that is wrong, Katie Drummond, then I don’t want to be right.  

Hey There!

This was the first weekend since June that I haven’t had a single thing planned. Nope, you heard right, not one. And it was glorious. Beyond glorious. Except it is over and I’m already feeling the Monday Blues. Anyway, here are completely random eats from Friday.

Look familiar? I have an addictive personality, breakfast foods included!

An apple snick-snack while I waited for lunchtime.

I try hard to at least bring my lunch to work 4 out of 5 days for all of the usual reasons (money saving, calorie control)—the other 1 day is reserved for delicious takeout cravings–ie:Chicken with broccoli and white rice. Confession: I have a sticky white rice obsession. The stickier the better. Right, Mom?

Don’t be alarmed by the following “dinner”:

Yes, that is a piece of bread. Yes, it has butter. And yes, it was a part of my Friday night dinner….
This piece of bread x 2, one bite of carrot cake, one handful of French fries, and one spoonful of risotto. Cleary not healthy, but when I waitress at night, sometimes this is as good as it gets. I do make an effort to order something healthy or eat before I go, but with a crazy, busy night like I had, this had to suffice!

When my alarm went off on Saturday morning at 7:30, my body very much wanted to stay in bed. I ran my butt off waitressing on Friday night and these bones really needed some extra rest. But, I knew that I would be disappointed in myself if I didn’t get up and go to my 9 AM Hot Vinyasa Class.

My favorite instructor was back from a three week hiatus. While I really liked the two instructors who filled in for her, Jenilee has an incredible way of pushing you mentally and physically outside of your comfort zone in the greatest way. I was very thankful to have her back. And she kicked my butt! I am so today, in that good, “I earned these sore muscles” type of way.

After yoga I came home and scrubbed the apartment from top to bottom! Having a clean house makes life so much better! I even sat on the floor in my bathroom and cleaned all around the edges of the floor. So rewarding to have a sparkling house!

The rest of the day was spent lounging, catching up on mindless tv, and napping. Since John won his first trophy as a XC coach yesterday, we went out for a mini celebration. We went to Applebees…which is really not the greatest, but as long as you know what to order you can have a good meal. We started with spinach and artichoke dip, and I had an Oriental Chicken Salad. It was just okay. My standard there is a Chicken Fajita Roll Up, but I was looking to get in some greens. Unfortunately the salad was mostly just coleslaw mix without any dressing. From there, we met some friends out for drinks.

I think I’ve talked about this before on SSL, but my body cannot handle alcohol the way it used to . Over the course of about 6 hours last night, I had one beer with dinner, one glass of wine shortly after, and I took about a two hour break before having two vodka and club sodas. I didn’t really feel drunk or buzzed when we went to sleep at 1 am. But I was mad at myself when I woke up at 6:30, wide eyed. Regardless of how tired my body is, my sleep is always interrupted when I drink. Now that I’m almost 25, feeling like crap and not sleeping is not worth having the few drinks I did. Don’t get me wrong, I love socializing and catching up with friends over a few drinks or enjoying the perfectly chilled beer or crisp glass of wine. But even with a slight hangover, my ability to make healthy choices is definitely compromised. This is all part of getting older, I suppose.

Today has been filled with football and more relaxing. The highlight of my upcoming week looks something like this…

I. CAN’T. WAIT.

Good morning bloggies! This will be a quick post as I am scurrying off to work soon.

I know that many bloggers out there use their blog space as a food journal, documenting their eats for the whole day in pictures. This doesn’t work for me mostly because I’m on the go a lot and can’t seem to remember to snap a photo before I eat anything. But as I’m trying to drop a few pounds that I gained at the end of last year and the beginning of this year, I’m going to attempt to publish my eats for the entire day for the next few days. I will use this as a tool for myself to see what I need to cut down on and what my diet is lacking. It will be a great way to stay conscious about what I’m putting into my body. So here is what was in my day, yesterday.

1/2 c Oats with one runny egg, a sprinkle of cheese, and hot sauce.

Half of a blueberry glazed donut in my office that a sales person brought for us (trying to woo us into leasing HER copy machine…and let me tell you, keep bringing donuts and you may have a deal.) I ate the other unpictured half of this donut later in the afternoon.

Pre-Lunch Apple

Steamed broccoli over a toasted 100 calorie “sub” with marinara sauce and cheese

Dessert: Piece of Adora chocolate

Since I didn’t work out in the morning yesterday like I usually do, I fueled for a short run with half an English muffin with pb around 5:00 pm.

Dinner was SO. GOOD. John made chicken and dumplings…doesn’t it look like soul food? It was perfect. So good I went back for seconds.

I also had a pumpkin spiced coffee from DD on my way to work.

Have a great Friday!