New Year, New Me

What an appropriate time to begin blogging again. Some of you are in the know of my 2010, some aren't. It's been a rough one. A little easier than 2009, for sure, but tough nonetheless.

I've been preparing for the new year by getting a head start beginning last week. I've been hitting the gym twice a day since Tuesday and have overhauled my eating habits. As some of you know, when you are depressed things sometimes get out of control. I've begun to get real with myself and accept what I've done and take the reigns to get my life back.

Let me start by recapping the 2nd half of 2010 for you all. I was lucky enough to get to visit my aunt in Baja Mexico in July. I also went to the US Open for the first time with Andreen. I spent Thanksgiving with a close friend from New York that has family in the DC area, so I wasn't alone and got to go up to NYC and visit friends on more than a few occasions.

My grandmother had a major stroke in November, so I went to California to see her in the hospital. While there I was able to see my 2 cousins Natalie and Cheyenne who I'd not seen in probably 20 years (or more). I also got to see my uncle Owen, who lives in Idaho, and my aunt came in from Baja. Even though the circumstances weren't ideal or even slightly agreeable, I was able to reunite and join with family during a somber time. My grandmother passed on the morning of Christmas Eve. This began a time of even deeper introspection.

I've made my attempts and it's just not clicking here. This past year has shown me what friends and family, and being close to them, really mean in life. Everything.

Today I write down my resolutions, I clean my house and therefore my mind, I reflect on my time and look toward an enriching and successful future.

So far in 2011.....

I already have events planned for 2011! I think 12 months from now I will be able to look back and say WOW, look what I did! I have high hopes.

Since my birthday wasn't the best of the best the past 2 years, I decided to go to Ireland on somewhat of a whim (I know, that sounds SO unlike me!). I invited a girlfriend of mine who lives in Amsterdam who is apparently as spontaneous and adventurous as I am, and she will be meeting up with me Friday afternoon.

I also have tickets to see AL PACINO in The Merchant of Venice on Broadway in early February. Al Pacino, live, on stage, WOW. That'll be something I'll always remember.

NEW YEAR'S TRADITIONS:

Did you know?

* Eating lentils and sausages (for good monetary fortune), and wearing red underwear are all good luck in Italy on New Year’s Eve.

* In Brazil on New Year’s Eve priestesses of the local macumba voodoo cult dress in blue skirts and white blouses for a ceremony dedicated to the goddess of water, Yemanja.

* In Ireland in the west the direction of the wind blowing at New Year would indicate the trend of politics in the coming year. If it blew from the west it would flourish, if from the east the English would have upper hand.

* In Austria, New Year's Eve is called Sylvesterabend which is the Eve of Saint Sylvester. They make a punch made of cinnamon, sugar, and red wine in honor of him. Taverns and inns are decorated with evergreen wreaths. Evil spirits of the old year are chased away by the firing of mortars called böller.

* In Korea, people place straw scoopers, rakes or sieves on their doors and walls to protect their families from evil spirit sin the new year.

* In Greece special dishes are prepared at New Year but the most important dish is Vassilopitta or St Basil's cake, inside the cake is placed a silver or gold coin. The first piece is for St. Basil.

Combine Women of the Congo, Generous Friends & Family, Road Trip, Good Wine and Stir

I took this picture on my Blackberry Curve yesterday afternoon at Corcoran Vineyard. What a great day! I was a little nervous waking up since it was cloudy with a forecast of 58 degrees. Nevertheless, I couldn't have lived with myself if I'd have sat around my apartment all day knowing I had a weekend rental car in the parking lot downstairs.

I visited 4 wineries total and bought some great local products. It was a little reminiscent of that road trip I did in 2007 before I started working at Cantor, except then I was gone 5 days. I love exploring new places and this gave me a great sample of what a long weekend might consist of later on.

The reason I had a rental car at all was for my 3rd annual Run For Congo Women . The last 2 years I ran in NYC on Roosevelt Island. This 5k was in Frederick, MD, and if I may say so, a very stark contrast. I'm VERY proud at the money I raised and the project it self, but I was disappointed in the organization of the actual event. In NY there were numerous sponsors and booths set up with live dancers and music. There were limited bottles of water in Frederick. THAT'S IT. After crossing the finish line, everyone just left. Went home. That's it. Like I said, fulfilling, yet disappointing. I do want to get more involved, so this might be a good segue.

Back at work today and I feel like I had a really long and good weekend. Ready to make some final decisions about the direction my life is heading and stick to them.

For Charity

I recommend HotelsCombined.com and sent $20 to World Vision!

You can shout and help too.

RUN BABY!

It's that time of year again!

I'm no longer in New York City, but that won't stop me for running for the Women of the Congo on behalf of WOMEN FOR WOMEN INTERNATIONAL. I've decided to participate in the run in Frederick, MD on Saturday April 17th, 2010.

I'm hoping and praying for all of your support and donations, large AND small. If you have $1, that's fine! $500, that's fine too!

Here is my personal fundraising link:
http://www.active.com/donate/RFCWfrederick2010/SWaller95

Please help in any way you can.

The Congo presents one of the world's deadliest emergencies to date. More than 5.4 million people have died since 1998. Gang rape and brutal torture are a daily reality for the women and children of Congo.

The direct assistance from sponsorship will help them to pay for food, medicine, and other lifesaving needs. Women and children are disproportionately affected in times of crisis like these. More women than ever will need the benefit of a sponsor to rebuild.

Thank you in advance for your generous contribution and pass this email along to friends and family!

http://www.active.com/donate/RFCWfrederick2010/SWaller95

FURIOUS FRIDAY!

Seriously? This Friday can SUCK IT!

I wake up excited to log on at 10am sharp to get my Citibank Private Pass presale tickets to Lady Gaga in NYC only to find that #1 the presale was OVER already and that the article I read was incorrect and #2 I spent over an hour, 1 iPod and 3 browsers searching for tickets for ANY of the 3 nights. NO LUCK. Only tix I could have purchased were in section 334 (aka double nostril nosebleed).

NEXT I log onto my Citibank account to see if a recent return has been posted to my account, only to find that there are multiple charges to Entropay . Don't know what that is? NEITHER DID I. Someone has gotten hold of my debit card # and is proceeding to clean out my bank account. The site is based in London. After calling the fraud department and filling out all necessary paperwork, they canceled my card and I hope to pick one up at a Citibank branch tomorrow before 2pm. Glad I didn't book that road trip I was considering this weekend! I feel majorly violated and just want to tear someone apart. I mean I've had one decent paycheck in 13 months and this is what I get? NICE! Bob at Citibank told me he'd credit my account the full amount minus the *foreign fees* pending the investigation. I won't see the money for 2-5 business days though. Awesome. Bright side? At least I'm getting it back at all and had the chance to pull what little I had left in my account out.

It's gorgeous outside. A warm 75 degrees and blue skies. I have a hair appointment on Sunday and still plan on having a nice sun filled day tomorrow. Mattress shopping! I envision nights of actual sleep followed by days of less pain. Is this unrealistic?

Importance of a Sound Sleep

1. A good mattress can provide a restful sleep helping to eliminate tossing and turning. A fitful sleep can bring about a lack of energy, depression, and inability to concentrate.

Stress Relief

2. A good mattress can lower stress levels brought on by lack of sleep. Medical News Today reports that individuals who have less anxiety and tension in their lives are happier, more fulfilled, age more slowly, and live longer.

Back Pain

3. Mattresses that conform to the contours of the body can help reduce back pain and other physical discomforts. A quality mattress can also help alleviate vertebrae stress.

Too bad I can't purchase one tomorrow!
But GOOD thing I didn't book the road trip I was considering this weekend! I'm still going, but putting it off for a few weeks. I want to rent a car and go to W. Virginia, see the railroads, have some unique meals and check out the little towns (maybe even Point Pleasant - yep, Mothman Prophecies). Fun!

Signing off for now. Hoping for a better night and great (ok, decent) weekend.

Besos!

Spring Fever!

Spring is finally here! It's supposed to be 68 degrees here by the time I get off work today!

Of course, I'm at work now, but with such a light day decided to browse around the net and put my thoughts on virtual paper.

I started my exercise regimen last weekend and have started eating as clean as possible in hopes of getting back in pre-unemployment shape by Memorial Day.

I haven't really been doing much here lately, but I'm starting to ease into getting out of the house. It's hard being somewhere you don't exactly feel like you fit in. I just feel a little out of place. It also feels more difficult to meet people. When I moved to New York, it just "felt" different. There are SO many places to go and anyone and everyone will talk to you. People walking down the street say 'hello' in NY. I still haven't had that here. I've noticed that the bulk of the population is very young and/or married. I'm not saying all of this to make excuses, rather explain where my mind is at. I'm going to give it another go this weekend and have a nice sunshine filled brunch on Saturday before running errands. Then I'm thinking about hitting the Zoo on Sunday.

My apartment is together, everything unpacked (except for a few pesky boxes of clothes hidden in the closet), furniture built, everything put away. Chhaya is liking the sliding glass doors and I'm generally content other than the lack of natural light in the apartment. I can see the sunlight on the hill outside, but it jussssssst won't reach me. NOW I NEED SOME VISITORS!! *hint hint*

Things I'm grateful for (and looking forward to) this spring:
1. Fresh flowers on the living room table
2. The Cherry Blossom Festival starting in a few weeks
3. The perfect flavored iced coffee4. Swimming in my new pool
5. The smell of lavender
6. Seeing the animals at the National Zoo on a sunny Saturday afternoon after a bloody mary brunch7. Long run/walks in Rock Creek Park
8. Crisp new cotton sheets
9. Spring dresses10. Saying thank you

It looks like Sarah might be visiting for the Festival at the end of the month, and not long after that I'll be in NYC for the weekend.

This weekend it's brunch in the sunshine with the location as yet TBD, mattress shopping (I MUST get this done this weekend!!!!!!), pedicure and lots of walking. A few calls to NY girlfriends to keep me (somewhat) sane are in order as well.

VACAY PLANS: Thailand with Jamie or NoLa/Savannah with Andreen or Alecia. One of these ladies better hurry up and commit or I'm about to head out solo!

OOH OOOHHH!!! Lady Gaga tickets go on presale on Friday and I'm snagging up a few seats at Madison Square Garden for July 6th. The first time I saw her was in NYC with Lisa, Felicia and Denis. Who will I go with this time?? Be nice and it might be YOU! The BEST time and the BEST show!! Can't wait!

Time to get back to LIFE!

Travels

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Sunday Sunday SUNDAY!

Okay, AWESOME massage yesterday at TuSuva. The neighborhood seemed just the slightest bit dicey at first, but once I walked in, HEAVEN! The office is SO nice, great music, peaceful, beautiful decor, dark candle lit massage rooms. 90 minutes of bliss, really. So much pain was alleviated. Yana is a miracle worker.

Update: I’ve done it!! I’ve finished unpacking!! Okay, that’s a lie. What I’ve actually done is put everything away possible, and now my 2 closets are STUFFED to capacity with clothing that needs to be folded or hung, and I need more hangers and closet organizers. A few drawers and shoe rack mainly. I suppose it’s off to Target AGAIN today.

It’s nearing transition time on the east coast, so I don’t want to unpack all my winter wears and now all my spring/summer clothing has to be unpacked, washed, ironed, what have you. It’s a nightmarish task really.

Now I'm off to drown my denial in an unlimited champagne brunch at Ardeo in my new neighborhood. Maybe I'll get lucky and meet another Molly... impossible :-(

The new place unveiled! Yes, I know I still have work to do.

Blossoming

Well, the 3,750 cherry blossom trees that line the Tidal Basin and surrounding national parks in Washington, D.C., survived winter blizzards and will again bloom during end of March/first of April!

I'm really happy for this because I've been looking forward to it since I moved.

The first trees were a gift to the city in 1912 from Tokyo Mayor Yukio Ozaki.

More than a million people each year attend the festival, which includes a parade, a fundraising gala, exhibits across the city on Japanese ceramics and garments and paddle boat rides around the Tidal Basin.

What I'm struggling with is missing the Cherry Blossom Parade on April 10th. :-( That's TARTAN DAY!! I'm meeting Mary in NYC and going to Stout as I have every year since moving to the east coast. (No comment on J&J!).

Oh well, I'm definitely planning on visiting a few 2010 National Cherry Blossom Festival® Cherry Picks Restaurants, where different restaurants offer "cherry-inspired recipes throughout the signature springtime event. During the two-week festival, diners can enjoy a variety of alluring entrées, decadent desserts and delectable cocktails with a special cherry touch at participating restaurants."

Delish!!

Update to Andreen: It's a work in progress, right? (Happiness, I mean). Always, in a moment, easily stolen away. I'm consciously trying to be more fluid and trying not to take for granted what I have, even though it's not, at this very moment, what I originally dreamed of. There could be monumental positive occasions and opportunities just around the corner.

For now I'm thankful, SO thankful, for the job, apartment, and friends who are really here for me, even at a distance.

Besos.

Happy Saturday!

It's the end of my first week of a shortened commute and the beginning of my first weekend living in DC. My first 4 nights were tough. Chhaya meowed up a STORM and I didn't get more than 3 hours of sleep at a time.

I've gotten a lot more unpacked than I figured I would, but I need to get a bunch of hangers and a few underbed boxes to get all of these clothes unpacked. This is going to be a weekend of just taking care of myself and relaxing.

Still REALLY liking my job and the people there. Every day I feel like I'm really contributing to the success of the business. The company is SOOOOO interesting and I really dig what we do. I'm still struggling, however, with not being in New York. My mantra has always been "things happen how they are supposed to happen" and "everything happens for a reason". I am staying true to these and trying to make every day a positive experience.

Today I'm off to a nice 25 minute walk to get a mani/pedi and then a massage, which I truly need. This evening I want to dive head first into the unpacking to get it all finished so I can get busy on other things. I worked out this morning downstairs in my gym, so at least I'm off to a good start!

Tomorrow I plan on visiting the National Zoo. I going to see the big cats and the great apes, my favorites :-). If I'm finished in time, I might try and catch Shutter Island at the theater by my apt.

By the way, here are a few pix of my building.

Baby, One More Time!

So I'm sitting here at my kitchen table surrounded by boxes YET AGAIN. I'm glad I didn't fully unpack when I got here. I've managed to shovel a path through the pile of snow we received during the "SNOWPOCALYPSE" that should enable me to move next weekend.

Should I start from the beginning, or should I say the end? I got a job offer the week before my birthday, when my parents were here visiting, but as all my wonderful readers know, the rug's been pulled out from under me more than a few times in the past year. I decided to just keep quiet and see what happened before I let you all peek in my window.

It's been 1 month now, and I LOVE my job. The people are fantastic and my company is REALLY interesting. One temporary problem, I have a 2 hour commute EACH WAY right now. 1 taxi, 1 bus, 2 trains. EACH WAY. But things are once again looking up. I got an apartment on Friday and I move in next Saturday. I have a pool, fitness center, 24 hour concierge, I live in a SUPER cute neighborhood in DC and I'm going to try and enjoy it. That will cut my commute down to about 25-30 mins door to door.

One thing to look forward to after the move:

The National Cherry Blossom Festival
March 27th-April 10th

From the website: "The NCBF is an annual two-week event that celebrates springtime in Washington, DC as well as the 1912 gift of the cherry blossom trees and the enduring friendship between the people of the United States and Japan."

Reality

Depression from Job Loss Is Long Lasting

Excerpt By Charnicia E. Huggins, Reuter's Health

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - While it may not be surprising that job loss and the resulting financial strain can lead to depression, new study findings show that this and other negative consequences of unemployment can last for up to 2 years, even after a person gets another job.

It is not simply the loss of employment that keeps individuals in a prolonged state of depression or otherwise poor health, the report indicates, but rather the "cascade of negative events" that follows that loss.

"It is the crises that follow job loss that are more damaging than the loss itself," study author Dr. Richard H. Price of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, told Reuters Health.

Price and his colleagues investigated the link between job loss and depression, impaired functioning and poor health in a study of 756 job-seekers who were involuntarily unemployed for roughly 3 months or less and had no hopes of being recalled to their former position. The study participants were 36 years old, on average, and most had completed high school.

Overall, the financial strain that resulted from the participants' unemployment led to what Price called a "cascade of negative life events."

For example, if someone loses their job, they may have difficulty making a car payment, which can cause them to lose their car, thus hindering their ability to search for a job, the author explained. In addition, losing healthcare benefits due to unemployment will affect the person's ability to care for a family member with a life-long illness, all of which can create a "huge strain on relationships," Price said.

Such negative events seem to have caused the study participants to have higher symptoms of depression and a greater perception that they had lost personal control, including lowered self-esteem, study findings indicate.

Further, this depression and perceived loss of personal control remained evident in follow-ups conducted 6 months and 2 years later, when 60% and 71% of the study participants, respectively, had been re-employed and were working at least 20 hours a week, Price and his team report in the current issue of the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology.

What's more, the study participants' perceived loss of personal control led to reports of poor health and poor emotional functioning in daily tasks, both of which also remained evident in subsequent follow-ups, the researchers note.

"Some effects reflected in disability and depression linger for some people," Price said. Also, the "sense of job security is eroded," which Price says is "another hidden cost of job loss."

Finally, the participants' depression appeared to affect their later chances of reemployment, study findings indicate.

"These people become 'discouraged workers,' not searching for a job, and the personal, family and societal costs are very high," Price said.

"Thus, chains of adversity are clearly complex and may contain spirals of disadvantage that reduce the life chances of vulnerable individuals still further," the researchers write.

Yet, much of these negative effects "can be prevented in many cases by helping people learn the skills of getting back into the labor market," Price said.

And to those who are currently exercising those skills, Price offers the following advice: "Help inoculate yourself against inevitable setbacks and turndown by planning your strategy beforehand for what you will do if this try doesn't work out. Always try to have a 'Plan B."'

The study was funded by the National Institute of Mental Health through a grant to the Michigan Prevention Research Center.

SOURCE: Journal of Occupational Health Psychology

Positive Reinforcement

I haven't been blogging due to being a little 'down' lately. I'll be back soon, I just don't want to bring negative vibes to the blog.
To sum it up, the job in the previous blogs didn't work out and my birthday is coming up this weekend. I'm working on myself so I can get back in my positive, fighter attitude.
Meditation, exercise and clean eating are on the grid.
Talk to you all soon.