What a different summer from years past! Lots of great memories and new experiences shared with many of the best people I know. Of course along the way good things happened along with some less than good times some big changes, and some lifelong memories. However looking back on the summer now, I can do nothing but smile. Here are some of my highlights....
I met some great new people and made some new friendships!
I met a special someone who I ended up spending a lot of time with and got to know while sharing in some great experiences :) Jen
I watched my best friend, and brother from another mother, marry his beautiful bride on a cliff overlooking York harbor in Maine. Congratulation Mike and Maggie! <3
With the summer light on DMB concerts, I still managed to hit the local caravan with some great people and rock out hard! KB, Chris, Vin, Stacy, Randy, Vito, Pat, Troy, Boss, Tot, Kelly, Ana, MAR, Melissa, Jordon, Kim..... so many more!
I said goodbye to the beach house with one last hurrah and get together! CT Crew!
I bought a condo!
Had a house warming party for my family and had so much fun renewing the laughs and smiles that only family can bring :) <3
Visited some new restaurants including Bobby Flay's Bar Americain for Mike's Bachelor night! Amazing!
Attended my first Big Apple BBQ! <3 Mom, Dad, Aunt Brenda, KB
Played lots of golf, including the executive course at Foxwoods! surreal
Spent countless hours relaxing on the beach and rocked VIP with the Milford crew! Jeff/Maggy!
and the best part is all the planning for so many fun things happening this fall!
And so another summer ends, and another school year starts.... As I begin year 7 of teaching, wow has it been that long, I am more cognizant of how time flies. This past summer was so much fun and different from years past and now its already over. Here we are in September and already gearing up for fall plans and Thanksgiving. I hope this year I can improve in some ways and meet the challenges and needs of my students a little better than last year. Only time will tell...........
New Albums have dropped for Mat Kearney and Matt Nathanson.
Young Love and Modern Love respectively.
They have both have also announced tour dates in support of their new albums. I will be seeing Mat in NYC and at Toad's Place in New Haven, CT. I will be seeing Matt in NYC and Boston.
What a surprise! BMG, DM, with KB talk about winning!
Never seen the Blue Man Group before and no better night like this to start. Special 20th Anniversary reunion show featuring the original 3 members performing with special guest opener Dave Matthews made this a once in a lifetime experience.
Kristine and I made it into the city at approximately 5pm. Grabbed a quick bite to eat as we walked passed the venue and the hotel hosting the after-party. At 6pm the doors opened to the theater and we joined the other 297 generous and lucky souls to be a part of this reunion fundraiser. The night was to support the Blue Man Group's Blue School, a charter school in NYC with a specific mission and focus. The presentation by the new schools architect, the literature received, and the Blue Men themselves made this something definitely worth reading about! http://www.theblueschool.org/
Kristine and I fully expected Dave to open with 3-4 songs but were so excited when he played 8 songs including a cover song he had never played before, "A Whiter Shade Of Pale" by Procol Harum. Dave's voice was sounding great given the time off. He was chatty and funny as usual and brought even the attendees who didn't know him well to a rousing applause.
Full set:
Bartender
Stay Or Leave
A White Shade of Pale
Gravedigger
You & Me
Rye Whiskey
So Damn Lucky
Some Devil
I really enjoyed the Blue Men Group's performance. It was witty, funny, and current. Their skit about technology and social media and its impact on people, was funny yet extremely informative and eye opening. I highly recommend anyone who hasn't seen their show yet to go visit one time. I was hesitant and so glad this opportunity came along to open my own eyes.
Towards the end of the Blue Man Group set, one of the Blue Men walked side stage and pulled out a violinist, and grabbed Dave's guitar. He then proceeded to walk down the front of the stage and found Dave sitting with his family in about hte 10th row. He handed Dave the guitar and grabbed his hand to bring him on stage. Dave followed suit and joined the Blue Man Group on stage where they first backed him on his own song "Little Thing", then a backup vocalist joined the stage for the Blue Man Group's song "Sing Along" which Dave had previously recorded with them as lead vocalist. What a treat! Dave then departed to go back to his family as the Blue Men finished up their strong show. Everyone came back out after the encore for one final bow and a well deserved standing ovation.
After-party? umm yes!
straight up BANANAS! Because the event was a fundraiser and the high cost of tickets, everything was free. While surrounded by many NYC bigshots and important suits Kristine and I got there fairly soon after the show ended and saddled up to the bar near the stage where ELEW would perform his after-party show. After a few cocktails and living large with the big wigs, I looked over Kristine's shoulder as Mrs. Dave Matthews walked up to the bar 5 feet away with a friend. After telling Kristine and saying "we might be drinking with Dave tonight" for the tenth time, I figured I would go use the restroom now. As soon as I got 5 feet from the bar and looked right, down the hall we walked into the party from, Dave was standing there with a few fans greeting and saying hi. I quickly ran back and got Kristine and we then waited near Dave for a quick photo op. After getting our shot, we went right back to the bar to continue our drinking. After returning to the bar ELEW came out and as we turned around to watch him perform, Dave was standing right in front of us with the Mrs., and his sis. This not being a meet and greet, or a DMB concert the audience was very chill and the exact opposite of crazed fandom, from this point on we only saw two or three people come up to say hi to him and grab a pic. Also with Dave was Eric Krasno, founding member and guitarist for Soulive. So for the rest of the night and our time there we sat right behind that group within arms reach and enjoyed the performance of ELEW who was really good, definitely worth seeing again.
Unbelievable. The ride home was bittersweet and the next morning was rough, but this was truly an unforgettable experience.
The Garden Of Dreams' kids put on a spectacular array of performances from artists such as the Beatles to Michael Jackson to Nelly. The evening started with a performance by Oscar on Firework and rocked all the way to the 3 M's performing Live Your Dream. Throughout the evening there wasn't a dry eye in the house as these extremely talented children rocked Radio City like never before. I feel honored to be invited and in attendance to not only support these great kids, but to support one of my best friends Kristine who's foundation helps make these dreams come true.
Now that I have a had a week to decompress and get back to life up here in Connecticut, I feel I can write about one of my shortest yet best vacations ever. For the past several years my parents have spent the month of March in Florida. Their chosen destination has been the Clearwater area on the Gulf. The last 2 years I have managed to go down and visit for a long weekend. This year was the best yet. By far the most relaxing and stress free weekend and trip that I can remember. Nothing but my parents and one of my best friends from Long Island.
Justin and I flew in Thursday night. We arrived and my parents were waiting with tans and smiles and even a chilled 6 pack in the car waiting for us. We decided to hit the local pub for some food as it was getting late and we had an early start the next morning. Food and drinks were stellar, there’s nothing better than fresh seafood and although Duke lost and my bracket was shot I was over it in seconds and ready for fun.
Friday morning Justin, my Dad, and myself woke up and hit the charter boat for some fishing. Since my parents have been going to the same boat and skipper the last couple of years they always take care of us. Last year when I visited it was during the worst winter Florida had seen in years, this year was the opposite. Many consider it the best in years. So after catching no fish last year, this year the setting was set for a massive haul. Between the 3 of us after 4 hours of fishing managed to get about 30 fish. We told the deckhand to only give us 2 dozen and give the rest to someone who didn’t catch as many. When we returned to the dock, the deckhand Derrick, filleted all of our fish for us. Mom was there and joined us for the best part as we took all of our fish to a local bar a block or two away for a feast. Places like this bar, Cooters, are all over the area. They will charge you a small nominal fee but will cook all of your seafood for you. All you have to pay for are the sides and the drinks! WE had our fish fried and blackened with sides of cole slaw and French fries and a pitcher of beer. What a great meal. Farm or Sea to plate in a few hours :)
We spent the rest of Friday first at the beach and swimming in the Gulf, with cocktails in the cooler, and then back at the condo pool and beach there, again with cocktails :) For dinner we dined at the Bonefish Grill, a favorite of my parents, where we all had some incredible meals and celebrated Justin’s birthday with a special dessert which happened to be his favorite.
Saturday day was going to be a relaxing day at the beach. We woke up, packed the car, and took our time as we ventured to down the area of Pass-a-Grille beach. We were there early enough to pick out a nice spot on the perfect sand near the jetty where the fishing was going down. On the way we picked up some live bait and were ready to just catch and release. Shop was set up on the best sand ever and off we went to the jetty. There were already a bunch of people there off the jetty and even a dolphin in the water chasing everyone’s catch. Soon enough the fish were biting and we were reeling in some nice catches. The majority of people there were keeping their catch for their own consumption so we got a few looks when we threw back ours. We considered the good karma from the day earlier J After a few hours and many more dolphins checking out the action it was time to retire to the condo. After pouring some cocktails the pool side party resumed from the previous day until it was time for dinner. Since my parent s were leaving in a few days we took this night to help clean out the fridge and have a leftover special. Everything turned out great and the last night was spent with cocktails on the beach watching the sunset.
Sunday came and it was time to say goodbye to paradise. I cannot wait to back again next year. Sure it was only two days, but two of the most relaxed days I’ve had in forever. The pictures posted here and online don’t even do it justice.
my additions to the "15 facts about yourself" thread.............
sorry i went with 20....
1. I love to travel. I think Anthony Bourdain has the best job/life.
2. I love to cook! I need to do this more and share it with you all.
3. I don’t think I could live anywhere not near water. I grew up on Long Island and have been near water my whole life. I don’t think I could survive anything but a major body of water.
4. I tend not to trust people even myself sometimes. I give them 1 shot to keep it but if they lose it, it’s usually gone forever.
5. What you see/hear in confidence is the exact opposite of my lack of self-confidence.
6. I have never broken a bone.
7. Has no problem presenting or teaching in front of my kids but still get nervous when in front of peers.
8. I love logic, strategy, and puzzle games
9. Loves being on a boat or swimming but the movie Jaws has haunted me since I was a kid.
10. My middle name is Andrew, so Joseph Andrew is named after both of my Grandfathers.
11. Surprisingly I can be shy. Only when surrounded by friends and fueled with some beers do I come out of my shell.
12. I have only told 2 women (non friends/family), “I love you”. Somedays I wonder if I will again.
13. I love my parents and just like school and education, the older I get the more I appreciate them. I love spending time with my parents now more than ever.
14. I don’t mind cleaning or folding laundry because I hate a mess or clutter.
15. I enjoy chick – flicks and happy endings, but also love the dark and evil endings. Must have balance.
16. I’m a math person and good with absolute’s and hated English
17. I used to go to the movies all the time, now I can’t remember the last time I went.
18. I love to shop and spend money, but need to learn to love saving equally
19. I played the saxophone in HS
20. Unfortunately I am corrupted to live with regret. While everything may happen for a reason, I question certain choices I have made DAILY. And although part of me knows better, I still let it eat away at me.
Ive decided to publish here, some important letters i have drafted, dreamed up, or otherwise never had the patience and courage to write previously. It will be a series of open letters to some important people who have impacted my life on an immeasurable scale.
In order to keep track of my goals and progress I'm going to update them monthly and talk about where I am at.......
2011 Resolutions and Goals list.....
1. Get in better shape!
Well the holidays are officially over and I’m slowly getting back into the routine of going to the gym and refocusing my diet to include better foods and beverages. I joined a Biggest Loser competition but am doing more for the self motivation than anything else. So far I’m down only a few pounds. That is however, due to my inability to control my eating habits and the portions of food that I do eat. For me it’s easy to fall into the lazy mode and cook something less healthy but more convenient and the second part is that my lunch this school year is at 10-1030am, so when I get out of school at 2pm and head home I’m hungry. I’m going to have to incorporate a healthy snack then or switch my gym routing back to stopping on the way home instead of late at night to counter act the hunger. All in all I’m fairly confident that once the spring gets here and I can be active outdoors more, that I will be able to shed some more pounds and get closer to my target goal.
2. Begin a detailed family tree.
This is going to begin at some point during a school break when I can sit down with my parents and get a lot of information from them. I have already begun to reach out to family members via facebook and will share this plan with them soon.
3. Begin the process of purchasing a home.
I have made some great strides in the area. I have spoken with 2 good friends in real estate and have done a lot of research. I will be set up with a good buying agent at the referral of my friend Mandy and will begin actively shopping sometime around April 1st. I have reviewed all my finances and have that in order but my major hurdle now is that I am locked into a lease with my roommate currently till Sept. 1st. The lease could possibly be broken earlier but that would take him finding a place to live with his fiancé as well as I can’t leave him hanging. So I am currently stuck in this window of being ready to buy and finding something I really want but about 3 months too early.
4. Better fiscal responsibility
I have taken a long look at my finances both long term and short term savings as well as long and short term debt. I decided to pay off my car in full, mainly because it will help in the home loan process when I’m ready to buy. I have also cut 80% of my CC debt away too.
5. Write more
Well with the start of this blog, my beginning and increased use of Twitter and Facebook, I am definitely writing more. The blog will be my main outlet and the other 2 just to share the blog and random thoughts with whoever is listening.
6. Travel more
this is a tough one. I had planned to travel for both my February & April breaks from school. One for personal reasons and one for the wedding of 2 good friends. Sadly I had to cancel both. Financially I couldn’t swing either and have to save as much as I can for the first half of the year so that I can comfortably move into my own place. I am however planning on travelling locally to see some friends and maybe a concert or two provided the cost is minimal but cannot afford to travel abroad for the first half of 2011 :( By August I should have a more clear understanding of what I can do for the second half of 2011. Ireland is still tops on the list, followed by a long weekend in New Orleans......
7. Eat healthier & cook more
While I have been eating somewhat healthier, as I mentioned earlier, I am still taking the easy way out and not cooking for myself enough. More Vegetables! More Salad!
8. Learn something new every day
As much as I want this one to happen, it doesn’t happen every day. More effort needed. I need to start with a good book and/or reading the paper.....
9. Volunteer
I know WHAT I want to do, I just need to get off my lazy ass and find the right opportunity. I plan on volunteering an hour or two on the weekends at a local soup kitchen to help feed the homeless and less fortunate.
10. be more positive!
I am failing hard on this one. I am going to blame this long and miserable winter we are having! must.get.better.
11. Use a reusable water bottle rather than plastic bottles
this one seems easy so far, I just keep forgetting my reusable bottle at home! But I am done with plastic bottles for the most part.
12. Take more pictures!
Another miserable fail here. Had several opportunities at some gatherings to bring my new camera which I got for Christmas but alas I forgot :(
13. Take a photography class
this too is a fail and I’m considering removing it only because if I can’t remember to take pictures at gatherings and on random treks I will surely not build enough interest to effort taking a full course.
I officially own my car outright! This is the first automobile to which I have gone through the process of owning, paying for, and financing myself. The title should officially be in the mail now :)
On a more important note, this is the first step towards securing the financial flexibility I will need to get a solid mortgage quote to purchase my own place! So it goes from one large payment to a lifetime of more payments lol. It's definitely worth it though!
Next stop to sit down with some financiers and discuss my adjusted and updated purchasing and lending power.....
One big resolution for this year has been to begin the process of finding and purchasing my own place. As my roommate and I begin the last months of our lease on the beach house and he begins his new life with his fiance, I have to start looking for a place to live come September 1st.
For a long time I always thought I could afford a house on my own, and figured that is what I actually wanted. But after taking a long look at my current financial situation and talking to multiple financial people it became apparent that there was a big difference in what I thought i could afford and what I am actually able to sustain on a single income. This has led me to begin look at condo's that would serve the purpose for myself and the lifestyle I want to live in the coming years.
This was my epiphany the other day, that due to my constant desire to travel the world and see new things and my financial situation, owning a condo is probably my best decision.
So now as I begin the process of first-time home buying I am at ease with what I am looking for and what I can afford. This armed with a great support system, having 2 friends who work in realty, to answer all of my rookie questions and concerns, and support me with their vast knowledge and experience, has led me to actually feel more excited than nervous in what is easily the biggest decision and commitment in my life till this point.
I have lived in here in Connecticut for most of my adult life. I have also worked and spent a lot of time in New Haven over the past 6 years and when i think about it have actually scene and tried very little of what New Haven has to offer.
Despite the general "stigma" that New Haven is an inner city with a lot of baggage, it actually has so much to offer. It is a melting pot for culture, cuisine, and experiences that range far and wide. Besides the famous(?) Pepe's and Sally's Pizza wars, with Modern and Bar throwing their hats err pies in the ring, and the first hamburger at Louie's Lunch, there is a plethora of fine dining options afforded to me. So now I begin my list of all the places I wish to try, but please bear in mind that I am no critic or culinary expert, just someone who loves good food and good wine and cocktails.
If you have any suggestions, PLEASE drop me a comment!
The older I get, the more I am learning to appreciate the finer things in life. Good food, good wine, and good friends. I know one of my New Year's resolutions is to cook and eat better but I'm also adding into that, that I plan on trying new restaurants, cuisine, wine, and recipes that I haven't tried before. Not only am I generally tired of "same ole stuff, different day" but there's so much more out there that I haven't tried yet. So as I embark on 2011, I will dedicate a few posts on this site to new and interesting food, wine, and experiences along the way!
ok im joining again. Had some major success with this through my schools version last year and am doing it again.
Starting Weight: 216
Goal: 8 %
Target Weight: 199
I have already started with a major diet adjustment from the holiday season and the usual fall comfort food classics and have rededicated myself to the gym, planning on going at least once a day during the week.
I wont bother posting a new blog for every weight but will rather just update the comments on this one with my progess.
Again this year my parental units will be vacationing in Florida for the month of March. I will be visiting them again this year for a long weekend at the end of March. CANNOT. WAIT!
