Jannx Journal (New York)

Braces - Day 4

2012-02-27T21:57:00.001-05:00

Today was the first day back from the midwinter recess. The strange thing is that despite sleeping most of the recess away, by the end of today, I was exhausted. However, I was pkeaed that I was able to leave early enough ( for me) to be home by 5pm. Unfortunately, having wasred the midwinter break, I had a couple of loads of laundry to do...or go clothes shopping. Unfortunately, with these braces, I'm broke until next payday, then I'll just be almost brokefor the forseeable future.

Speaking of braces the wax was a pain to try to put on, so I'll try to do without. Today was also the first day I was able to "field test" my braces. I don't think anyone noticed, no one said anything.

Tapping out this entry on my tablet was not the smartest idea, very time consuming. It wiyld have been faster on my desktop.

Braces

2012-02-26T22:54:00.001-05:00

This entry won't take long. I slept the day away. As for the braces, my teeth are less sore. The thing bothering me now is the eating. The sore teeth is one thing, but I am getting grossed out by the feeling (and look) of food getting stuck in my braces.

Day 3 with the braces

2012-02-26T01:58:00.000-05:00

Not off to a good start. I missed yesterday to blog about my braces. And now, it is well past the time I should have been in bed. I'll try to wrap this up quickly.

So far, the braces seem to be okay. Yesterday, I was still in my baby mode. To avoid any pain, I ate grits and sardines a couple of times and oatmeal another time. I was expecting the pain to be so severe that I would be losing weight because of the pain. I was told by a colleagues that she lost weight due to the pain. She said that it took her weeks to get over the pain. Others had my stressed out about how the dentist would need to tighten the wires causing pain. But so far, no pain. Oh, I received a call from the dentist yesterday, she just wanted to check up on me and asked if I had any pain or discomfort. Nice. I managed to go the whole day without any discomfort, so of course I had to be Mr. Risky. I thought that eating an ice cream bar wouldn't be a problem. However, while eating the ice cream, one of the wires on the left side of my mouth gave me a very small cut. Up until that point, I didn't think I would even need the wax, but now I know I will.

Today, I sleep most of the day away, but then I decided to go food shopping to buy some soft foods. I ended up spending about $140 on food. Things will be lean for the time being. I paid about $1000 to get the braces, pluse there is another $4800 remaining on my bill. My insurance will pay for some, but I'll have to pay the rest. Anyway, this evening on an impulse, I went for Chinese food at a local restaurant. Not the best idea. Saturday is their busy day. I ended up waiting about 20 minutes for a small wonton soup and a small egg drop soup. I also bought a Hostess cherry pie. I got through the soups with no problem, but esthetics. It was so gross looking at food caught in the braces that I think I won't be eating any solid foods for lunch. I can't see myself having time to get that food out of the braces in the usually limited time I have for lunch. I have a bad habit of using my lunch time like a prep period. I'm thinking oatmeal, grits, and cream of wheat as my lunch time meals. Much easier to rinse after those foods than some of the other foods.

What about the pie? Well, I'd forgotten the no hard food warning. The crust on the pies were a bit hard. Mild discomfort, but I was able to eat the pie....that is until I was about half-way through the second pie. My braces clicked on something. Luckily, no damage was done. I don't want this metal grill in my mouth not a second longer than it needs to be.

Well, I better go.

Day 1

2012-02-23T21:17:00.000-05:00

Well, the braces are in. This is also my first attempt to write a blog entry on my tablet.There was so discomfort being the big baby that I am, but most of the discomfort was in my mind. there was no pain. however, the dental assistant was a bit heavy-handed with putting the wires in. 90 minutes later the braces were in -- no pain just discomfort.the dentist told me that the pain won't arrive until a couple of days from now when my teeth start to shift. on the way home, I decided to stop and pick up dental materials so that I can start taking care of my teeth correctly. I lwft the store about $35 poorer. With a mouth full of metal, I decided to walk for an hour or so. Now home, I'm starting to feel my teeth stiffening up a bit. And they are starting to feel sore when I rub my tongue over my teeth.

Ramblings

2012-02-22T23:30:00.000-05:00

Wow, it appears Blogger has made some improvements. When last I was here, if you accidentally moved from the draft page, you lost what you were typing. However, it seems that now it is saved automatically. Great!

Below is original...skip it. I'll just delete the second one

It has been awhile. I've been so out of it that I seem to just be making matters worse. Also, there are the purchased that I wanted to write about, but as the list piled up, the procrastinator in me kept putting it off. There were shows that I also wanted to write about.

Well, this is getting long. Long story short, I'm going to try to resume blogging from this moment. I'll try filling in past comments as I remember then...if I remember them. I now have a tablet and a smart phone which will let me blog part of the way on my commutes. Also, tomorrow, I will be getting braces for my teeth and I thought that blogging about the pain might be useful. No, just kidding...sort of. I just thought it would be interesting to keep a journal about the process. I was told that until my mouth adjusts to the braces, I will lose some weight.

I saw a few Broadway shows over then last few months (including Adams Family with Brooke Shields, How to Succeed in Business..with one of the Jonas Brothers, and Sister Act).

Today I went to see The Lion King on Broadway. Below is a cut and paste of my review of the experience:

If you are a diehard fan of Broadway, then I don't think you will be disappointed. Since I'm learning to be a fan, I still have a way to go. I thought the production was great, the costumes too. I thought the actors also did wonderful jobs. Unfortunately, not being a big fan of musicals, I got a bit bored at times especially when the slow songs started. I also thought the finale was a bit of a let down when the previous number(s) seemed so much better. I thought the scene when Simba's father talks to him and Simba realizes that he has to return was a more exciting part of the show, more exciting than the finale. I was also a bit annoyed that in a modern theater that made the rows more spacious from the next row in front. However, they still designed the seats too closely packed together. Even when your hands are in your lap (and elbows are NOT on the arm rests), you are still rubbing against the person next to you. Crazy!

Something's wrong...I just don't know what.

2011-11-27T18:36:00.001-05:00

The title says it all. I can't seem to get my act together. Procrastination seems to be ruling my life and my decisions...or lack of correct decisions. With my research projects not completed or barely started, I've spent most of this weekend in my pajamas....doing nothing but sleeping.

Paper, paper, too much paper...not really

2011-10-16T12:00:00.000-04:00

I think I'm getting better at the titles. Last night (early this morning actually) I tried to check to see if I had a case of paper on the Staples order I had about an hour prior. Unfortunately, the website decided at that moment to be "unavailable". It was late and I was tired, so I just ordered another case. Now, I discovered that I did in fact have a case of paper on my first order. Now I have another case of copy paper being processed for delivery. No need to cancel the second order because it just means I won't have to reorder anytime soon. However, the way I go through copy paper, these two cases should last about 3 to 4 months (before I'll need to order more).

Money Earned...Money Spent!

2011-10-16T04:04:00.001-04:00

Yep, the title says it all. This past summer, I went to a few workshops. Well, a couple of weeks ago, I received a nice check (about $300) for the time spent. I haven't cashed it knowing that I would spend it on my classroom or on credit card bills. My Christmas club money has already been spent on bills. Returning to college was the reason for the loss of my Christmas Club money this year. Last year, I was determined to spend it on myself, but accidentally spending it on bill payments. This year the plan was to quickly take the club money right on the day it was due to be deposited. Unfortunately, a college bill and a change in my insurance premiums (I should have read the small print), made this year's club money disappear. Well anyway, with the $300 check, I wanted to buy something for myself. After thinking of various "toys/electronics(netbook, cell phone, tablet, etc...", I finally made a decision. I would spent the dollar amount online and deposit the check to cover the expenses. Below is my list:

Vaultz Locking Storage Clipboard Black
Collapsible Blue Fairshare Mug
Hi-Tec Men's Altitude IV WP Hiking Boot,Black
Trendy Military Fitted Cap- Black
Rubbermaid Blue Ice Flexible Ice Blanket
Alpha Industries Hooded MA-1 Flight Jacket- Black 2XL
BoxWave Capacitive Samsung Galaxy Tab Stylus (Jet Black)"
and
3 TIME For Kids The Amazing Fact and Puzzle Book

The clipboard was an impulse I bought trying to spend the full $300.
The collapsible cup was a impulse from a collapsible cup that's been on my Amazon.com "buy later" list for several months. During the summer I've been a bit annoyed at the low pressure of public water fountains. I also always wanted a collapsible cup.
The boots were a necessity. My previous boots had holes and always got my feet wet when it rained, but I was always putting off getting a new pair. Actually, the boots were never really waterproof. I really wanted to buy a pair of winter/rain boots, but a couple of reviews about the "clunkiness" of the boots turned me off. The fitted cap was an impulse after almost getting the imitation fur cap with the ear flaps.
The ice blanket is just a sheet of bubble wrap where the bubbles are filled with water. I already have a 9 bubble sheet for my Polar Bear cooler. I'm loving that bag -- this morning I woke up and realized that I had forgotten to open my PB bag. I was amazed that the water bottle that had been place (frozen) in my PB bag over 24 hours before, was still definitely cool to the touch. Amazing!
The bomber jacket was becoming a necessity. My current jacket is about 5 or 6 years old. I don't remember when or where I purchased it, but I do know that it was a cheap imitation bomber jacket that really lasted much longer than I had expected it to. Now, it has worn out holes and the fiber-fill seems to have slowly disintegrated over time. Lately, it seems as if the wind blows right through it. I like the style of the jacket. This one has a hood. I'm not really comfortable with a hood, but I said what the heck.
The stylus pen was a purchase to replace the one I had lost on the train platform a couple of months ago. I was so stressed out when I found out the last minute...(the very last minute [by rumor]) that I would be teaching 6th grade after a full day setting up my classroom believing that I would be teaching 4th grade. I like using the stylus because my finger coordination isn't very good, and I really don't like the finger prints and smudges on my cell phone. Also, I dug out my imitation tablet with the Chinese operating system. I'm going to take it to a Staples store or a Best Buy and see if their computer department can change the Chinese system to an English one. I've had it for almost a year doing nothing but collecting dust.
The Time for Kids puzzle books were extras. A couple of months ago, I purchased a class set for my students to have something to do during indoor rainy days when they couldn't go outside. Unfortunately, I hadn't purchased enough to go with my slowly increasing class roster. I now have 25 students in my class. I hadn't planned on spending any of my $300 on my classroom or my students, but old habits die hard.

Once I finished my personal online shopping trip, I had to log onto Staples to purchase a few items. My classroom personal printer/copier needs a new drum(about $200). I also know that the ink cartridge($100 will run out soon. The custodian that sweeps and empties the trash in my classroom told me that due to budget cuts, there was no money for paper towels, so I purchased a case of paper towels (about $25) and a paper towel dispenser (about $25). As I type this, I think I forgot to add a case of copy paper to my order(about $30). I'm down to my last pack. At my school, we have to provide our own paper, or seek admin approval for any copies to be made, fill out a requisition form and wait until the school aid can get around to it. It is just easier to use my personal printer/copier. I'm going to have to purchase another machine soon. My current printer/copier is about 5 years old. I've never had any real problems other than minor paper jams, but I know a break down is only a matter of time. Unfortunately, I've grown accustom to (maybe even addicted to) the convenience of have a copies at my fingertips (no lines, wait, or requests).

Well I think that's..

Oh, the exercise thing. Nope, I haven't been exercising. Last Saturday was the last time I did any exercising. So, my weight has been slowly going up. Right now I weigh about 211lbs. Last week, I was too stressed out about....never mind. Anyway, going for full days (hyper kids and evening class, as well as paperwork for both) on about 4 hours of sleep was taking its toll. Today I slept most of Saturday away. As soon as I finish here, I'm going to check to make sure I ordered copy paper, then I'm going to call it a night. I'm going to try to do a morning ride on my stationary bike. I also want to try and finish my laundry and lesson plans early, so that I can get to be at a decent hour. Hopefully, I can resume daily workouts on Monday. Oh, and I need to (one of these days) open my Total Home Gym, it has been sitting in my hallway still in the box untouched and unopened.

I'll try again, but old habits die hard...VERY HARD!!!

2011-10-11T01:13:00.000-04:00

Well, another weekend wasted. I slept most of it through. I'll try again tomorrow to get back into a workout routine. I wasn't consistant this past week and as a result, I regain about 5lbs. I'm currently weigh about 210lbs.

Oh, I'm loving my little black bag. I'm amazed at how it keeps things cold. Yep, cold. I fell asleep with the bag left open and to my surprise, the items inside were still chilled even though it was at that point almost 20 hours later. Yep, I'm impressed with my little bag.

Work...work...I could comment about work, but I won't.

College. I have several assignmens due. So that is another source of stress.

Well, I'd better go. I have to get up early to get on my stationary bike. If I manage it, I'll be depending on about 4 hours of sleep to get me through the day. Not a good start to the work week.

Another setback

2011-10-03T22:59:00.001-04:00

Another setback. This morning I rode my stationary bike for 45 minues. Unfortunately, today was another stressful day. Another schedule change at work.

I did try out my new lunch cooler. So far, I think it is great. It kept my food cold, not cool, but cold. It felt like I was taking my food from a refrigerator.

I'm falling asleep in this chair, so I'm going to end this entry now.

Quick Update

2011-10-02T22:46:00.001-04:00

This will be a quick entry. Today I did a bit of cleaning in my apartment. I got tired of stepping over, and around the mounds of old newspapers and other trash cluttering up my apartment. I also wrote out checks for my monthly bills, stuff them in envelopes ready to drop in a mailbox tomorrow morning. Writing checks is something I haven't done in many months. Up until today, I had gotten too comfortable with waiting until the last minute and then paying the bills at the local check cashing place. I also shredded some papers.

Oh, I weighed myself today. Although I haven't been too consistent with my workouts, I have been trying to eat better than I have in the past. Well, I'm now about 205lbs. I'm now days (I hope) away for falling out of the 200lbs range. I haven't weighed under 200lbs in over 15 years. I also dusted off my stationary rowing machine. I'm going to try alternating working out between my stationary bike and my stationary rowing machine. My TOTAL GYM is still in the box in the hallway, I'll take it out eventually.

I forgot. I also took out my IRON GYM and hung it above the kitchen jam. Yep, it too was covered in dust. I'm going to spend this month trying to do at least one pull up. To start off slow, I'm going to spend the next week or so just hanging. Waay back in high school I took a weight training class and the coach had those who couldn't do pull ups, just hang. He counted the seconds.

Gotta go.

205lbs.

Spiderman - Turn Off the Dark (Review)

2011-10-01T22:17:00.000-04:00

I thought the show was entertaining. I thought the sets were great. I think I would have enjoyed the show more if I had gotten better seats -- Unfortunately, I waited until the last minute to get my ticket. I was was in the back balcony in the second to last row, in the corner, with the guide rail blocking my view. If I didn't have my binoculars, I probably would have been really annoyed. As for the show itself, I thought it was nice. Not being a real Broadway goer, I'm not the best person to comment. Personally, I thought there were too many slow songs. At times, it was hard to tell if the cast were singing or if it was a sound track -- probably from being so far back. I thought the actors played their roles well. I thought the Green Goblin received the best lines/ moments in the show. I wanted to take photos, but no picture taking was allowed, not even before the show started. So, the photos I'm going to upload were taken from the internet. However, the outside photos are mine.

https://picasaweb.google.com/jannxb/SpidermanTurnOffTheDark#

Results

2011-10-01T01:18:00.000-04:00

I woke up this morning (Friday) and checked my Polar Bear Cooler. It was about 8 hours later. No, the ice didn't last. It was just about melted. However, I was pleased with the results. Deep-down inside I wasn't expecting it to keep the ice for 24 hours -- that was just wishful thinking. But, I did like that the condensation was kept down. I put in a room temperature bottle of water, and it was cool to the touch.

Today I went food shopping, but I mostly bought snacks and smaller portions foods. I'm starting to get the hang of better eating habits. I still have a very looong way to go, but I think I'm making good progress. I'm starting to get better at finding better substitutes (for me) that is keeping me from pigging out on junkfood.

Just some of the new foods I'm liking(getting used to):
Clear Delight Sparkling Beverage (I love this!!!)
Nabisco's 100 calories snack packs (from cookies to Cheez Its)
Weight Watchers Giant Ice Cream Bars
single serving boxes of raisins
Healthy Choices (and old favorite)
Thomas's "Bagel Thins" (110 calories as oppose to 270 calories)
V8 Low Sodium vegetable drink

I'm also getting better at creating substitutes. For example, I now reuse single-servings plastic bottles to bring orange juice and milk to work. I think it is cheaper to make my own "single-servings" than to buy a cartoon of juice each day. The same goes for cereal. Lately I've been making my own single-servings of cereal (just filling up a sandwich bag half-way with my favorite cereals). Now, when I'm rushing in the morning to not miss my train, I can eat my cereal on the train, or later in the morning. I've also gotten into eating fruit. I put in one or two pieces of fruit (peaches, apples, plums, etc...) along with my drinks and snacks, I'm covered when I have the urge to munch.

Although the weight loss is slow going, I am making some progress. I'm starting to lose my beer belly. Although I'm clearly happy to be losing weight, it is a bit strange to not have my belly to rest my hands on while I'm standing (especially when I'm reading a book).

Tomorrow (now today), I'll be heading to 42nd Street to see Spiderman the musical "Turn of the Dark".

Another Black Bag

2011-09-30T00:53:00.000-04:00

Yep, I bought another black bag. This one is the Polar Bear Cooler. Lately, I've been trying to avoid the junk food by bring my own food to work. I liked the previous green bag, but it just wasn't cutting it. Some days it seem to hold the cold better than other days. This new bag is a bit bigger than the green bag, but it is suppose to be better. According to its description, it keeps ice for 24 hours, and can withstand hot water of up to 200 degrees. Also, it is suppose to not "sweat" (meaning that condensation won't soak through). It is suppose to be easy to clean. If it really does keep ice for 24 hours, I could pack my breakfast and lunch the night before, so that I can just grab and go in the morning. I'm one of those people who is always running out the door in the morning, so I don't have time to eat breakfast and certainly no time to pack a lunch bag.

Lately, I have been working on my portion control. I've also been working on finding substitute foods for the foods that I like. Recently, I've discovered Ritz's 100 snack packs. A couple of snack packs and a couple of apples really help with the food cravings. Now, I just need to be consistent with the work out routine. Work related stress has been keeping me from exercising from time to time.

Well, I better go. I'm going to toss a few ice cubes in my new bag and see how they hold up overnight.

Quick Entry

2011-09-20T00:16:00.002-04:00

This will be a quick update. No, I won't make any comments about work at this time, so this entry should be fairly short.

Over the weekend I purchased an insulated bag to bring my breakfast and my lunch. I filled my aluminum water bottle with water and froze it. I then used my "ice pack" to keep my things cold.

After many false starts, I resumed my workout routine. I did 35 minutes on my stationary bike this morning, then I did 55 minutes this evening.

Wt. 214lbs.

First Day

2011-09-08T22:47:00.000-04:00

First day was a bit of a stressful start. The day started with rain coming down in buckets. I was soaked when I walked through the door. Luckily, I had brought my new shoes to work the previous day -- work shoes last longer if I only wear them at work.

Other than first day jitters, it was a nice day. Still waaay to early to say I like this new change. There are still kinks to work out in the schedule, but it was a nice start.

Since I had very little sleep, I left as soon as I could after 3pm. I was dozing off from time to time on the train ride home. I hope tomorrow is an equal or better day.

Still Awake

2011-09-08T03:08:00.000-04:00

Yep. I'm still awake. I spent much of the day lifting and moving things. I returned home about 8pm. After eating a Healthy Choice meal, I was out like a light minutes later. I woke up about 10pm. I told myself that I wouldn't have anymore days (and nights) like this. By the time I pick out my clothes for today, shower, and set up for the day, it will be time to leave for work. If I risk going to sleep now, I might oversleep. I sent off an email to the professor of my evening class. I cancelled because I'm too tired.

Stress is back!!!

2011-09-08T01:11:00.003-04:00

This has been a difficult week. This was suppose to be the year that I was going to do things differently. Unfortunately, that is no longer the case. The major hurdle is knowing what (and who) I'll be teaching. Today is the first day of school. Yesterday, I did find out that I would be teaching only science. Sooo, again, I'm got overly excited and over spent money on classroom materials that I don't need. I ended up spending about $800 on materials for 6th grade. Problem, most of that materials isn't science. The day before school opens, I spent moving and setting up things I didn't need. The books that I had brought down to my classroom had to be sent up to another room so that I could then pick up the science materials. As for my 6th grade materials purchased from Amazon.com, they are en route. Next summer, I think I might just rent a storage area to put all the extra materials away. I feel guilty about being so impulsive, so I don't want to return the things I bought. A part of me feels that I might raise a red flag if I keep buying and returning large volumes of merchandise.

As for exercising and dieting. I plan to resume on Monday. In the past, once I have a fairly confirmed start date for starting (or resuming) a workout routine, I will eat anything (greasy, fattening, or salty) with the idea that I will be starting a new exercise routine. This time around, I've been trying to avoid the junk food, and watching my portions. Yesterday, when I had a taste for some cake on my way home, I searched the snack rack at a corner delit until I could find a cake that didn't have a lot of calories. Most of the cakes had over 400 calories. I settled for a lemon iced cake that had 200 calories. It was small, but I was pleased with myself for my self-control. At the moment, my weight seems to be fluctuating between 210lbs ~ 214lbs.

My Vacation is Over

2011-09-05T23:03:00.001-04:00

My vacation is over. Today I just took things slowly. I slept late. I went to pay my bills and went shopping. I decided to try another drink just for the heck of it. I bought flavored seltzer water.

Yuck!!!! That stuff was NASTY!!!!!!

I haven't done any exercising at this time. Hopefully, I will be able to resume September 12th. This week I'll be too stressed out setting up my classroom, and dealing with first day jitters, AND getting used to my two evening classes.

2011-09-05T03:40:00.001-04:00

Crazy week. Stressful too. This was suppose to be a different start to the new school year, but everything seems to be playing out like a broken record.

Quick summary because it is very, very late. With relative certainty, I'll be teaching 6th grade this year. With that, I did what I do when I'm nervous about the coming school year, I went shopping.

Yesterday, I went to the teacher's store in Brooklyn. They (in my opinion) have a better selection of middle school materials. The plan was to get there at opening to avoid the crowd. I managed to be the second person to arrive before the store opened up. My plan was just to briefly look at the books --with the idea of not spending more than $100. Well, when I left, I was about $300 poorer. From there, my plan was to go home, drop off the purchased materials and then continue on to the mall to go clothes shopping. But since it was getting late -- the last evening bus from the mall is 7pm. The problem with depending on public transportation is that you have to plan around the bus and/or train schedule. At the mall, I needed to buy some "back to school" clothes for myself. Unfortunately, I tend to wear clothes until they are falling apart. By the time it was time to go, I was about $300 poorer. I caught a few sells, so I was pleased about that. I purchased a couple of pair of shoes, 3 slacks, 5 shirts (three color, and two white), and underwear.

Today (Sunday), the plan was to go to the teacher's store closer to where I live (Lakeshore). Lakeshore is a bigger chain of educational supply stores. I went to try and exchange the 4th grade materials that I had purchased. I thought it might be difficult to exchange, but it was very easy. I just said that I wanted to exchange....Before I finished my sentence, the person behind the counter just said, "don't worry, I can help with your refund." I also went to use their laminating machine. Wow, it was very convenient. It was a bit annoying waiting on the line. I was a bit annoyed at a couple of people on the machine when I arrived. One lady was moving as slow as molasses, another lady was making her (center) signs while she was using the machine. One lady on line complained about how slow the line was moving, and yet, when she got to the machine, she had about 15 or 20 hand-made charts that she was planning to laminate. AND, she was picking through her pile trying to decide what she wanted. The lady in front of me was nice, but she seemed a bit old. Not that there's anything wrong with an older person teacher. I just thought she seemed a bit out of it. Not to mention the very old poster she was laminating. It must have been from the 70's. The poster was of an African-American family (with Afros) sitting around and reading. Behind me, there was a guy complaining loudly about his new teaching assignment and how he wasn't spending any money now. He said he might spend some after he assesses his students. When it came my turn to use the laminating machine, to be fair, I offered to use it for 5 minutes, then I would let the next person use it. And then use it for another five minutes, and then let the next person go, etc... After laminating, I went to briefly look through the materials for 6th grade materials. And, I ended up leaving about...$300 poorer. Since I had to travel by bus, I decided to cut and trim the decorations and posters so that they would be easy to carry. It ended up taking about 2 hours of cutting. When I finished, I discovered that about 1/3 of the items didn't laminate properly. At first when I went the the person behind the counter, the manage was about to say it was my fault that I didn't have the machine on hot enough. However, when one of the cashiers mentioned to him that another person had the same problem earlier, he went straight to the machine, and tried to solve my problem. I was impressed that despite the crowd, when the manager said that he would return in a couple of minutes, he actually did! He used one of the two laminating machines that was broken to feed in my posters and decals one by one until the heat melted the plastic lamination. AND for my time wasted, he gave me 3 coupons for free laminating (15ft. each).

No exercising today. I hadn't eaten anything since I had a can of V8 this morning, so I was hungry. I went to Wendy's restaurant on the way home. I was thinking that a 1/2 lbs burger and medium fries would fill me up. NOPE! While I was waiting for the try, I ate the fries. I finished off the hamburger minutes later. I avoided the soda because I know it has a lot of calories. The strange thing was that it felt like I had eaten a White Castle burger. I was ready for dinner. I settled on a Healthy Choice sweet and sour chicken meal. I also drank a liter of ShopRite Zero Carbs and Calorie Free Sugar Free and Caffeine Free soda.

Well, that is ....

Oh, I almost forgot. I just finished looking at the materials that were in my Amazon.com shopping cart. When I first found out I would be teaching 4th grade, I went online to purchase 4th grade copies of the 3rd grade versions that I liked. Well, when I found out I would be teaching 6th grade, I did the same thing. Luckily, I was able to delete some of the items since I had already purchases them. In the end, I spent about another $200. My credit card is smoking like a five alarm fire. But there is one more thing I really, really, need to get.

Even more than a decent photocopy machine, I need a grading machine. My school is very, very big on "Data Driving Instruction". I was drowning in paperwork last year. I will lose my mind if I have to try to keep up with testing paperwork again this year. This machine (and others like it) can do in about 30 seconds, what it would take me 2 hours or longer to do (grade a class set of a single test AND provide a data analysis for each student).

Now, I think that's it...

2011-09-02T23:40:00.001-04:00

Short post. I'll just say that things seem to be "back to normal".

[....comment deleted ....]

Never mind.

This Labor Day weekend, I'll have to do some last minute errands. Tomorrow, I will try to do a double errand. Now that I'm fairly certain that I will in fact be teaching 6th grand. I need to buy some supplemental materials to make sure that I'm covering everything that I should. I also need to do some back to school clothes shopping for myself. I have a bad habit of wearing my clothes until they fall apart. Sunday, I want to go to the teacher's supply store to laminate some posters and wall decorations.

Exercising.
At the moment, I'm doing all of my exercising by moving and lifting large items. Today, I had to move all of the students textbooks and workbooks from the 3rd floor to the 2nd (about 6 ~ 8 trips). Hopefully, I will be able to resume exercising on Monday (Labor Day).

Feeling a bit better

2011-08-31T22:33:00.001-04:00

After spending a few hours moping in bed, I finally got up. There might be some positive aspects to moving to 6th grade.

I also had my first class of the semester. I was okay. I was surprised that a couple of the adults in the room were actually acting like the students in my 3rd grade classroom. They both seemed to spend a large amount of time whinning or complaining to the professor. The guy sitting next to me appeared (to me) to be a know it all. I was a bit surprised that he was actually acting like my 3rd graders act from time to time. It is understandable in a child, but very annoying a grown man huffy and verbalizing that he would rather read than do the assigned project, or telling us he's done 10 minutes into a 30 minute project. Then, complaining to the professor asking why he had to take that course. All the while I was saying to myself, "Thank God I don't have this guy in my class".

A bit of a set back...

2011-08-31T12:15:00.000-04:00

I went to bed about 1am. I woke up about 5am. I couldn't go back to sleep until about 7am. I got up about 10am. It is now 12noon. I should have been at school about 4 hours ago. I won't be at work until about 2:45pm (the earliest). And I have my first evening class for this semester. I was suppose to have been done with all my heavy lifting and moving yesterday. But now, I'll either have to wait until the other teachers arrive after tomorrow, Friday, or even after Labor Day. Yes, there are teachers who won't do an ounce more than legally required...if at all. Or, ...I will have to go to my classroom and remove all of the fourth grade materials (student textbooks, and test prep materials, etc...), go through my things to remove 2nd and 3rd grade materials. Since the other two 4th grade teachers already have their things, they will not be taking any extra materials. In other words, there won't be anyone to come pick up the 4th grade materials. The materials will probably have to be taken to one of the book closets on another floors (of course). I'll probably have to be the one to go up to the third floor and go through the contents of the unpacked 6th grade classroom to find the 6th grade materials, and then bring them down to my room. Then, pack away those materials. And after all that is done, figure out what I'll be should be teaching sixth graders.

Oh, and can I do this before 4:30pm and not sweat up a storm. I would prefer not going to my first class of the semester stinking to high heaven.

I better stop procrastinating. I have work to do.

When It Rains...

2011-08-30T22:24:00.003-04:00

Here in NYC, we just went through Hurricane Irene. Some people did better than others. I was one of the lucky ones. From my apartment, it seems like just a heavy rainy day. However, there was flooding in other areas.

I was suppose to see the Spiderman Broadway show, but it was cancelled due to Hurricane Irene. I ended up staying home and doing some long term organizing of my classroom curriculum. Finding out that I would be teaching fourth grade this coming school year (with the bulk of my students) had me stressed out. So, as most of you long time readers know, I went shopping. I ended up spending about $500 on various 4th grade materials. Each new item gave me a bit of peace of mind. My stress decreased as the summer when on. I also mentioned that I was taking summer professional development at my school -- optional, of course. One colleague found out the second week into the summer than his new teaching assignment would change. I smile, I tried to make him feel that the sudden change was a good thing (secretly being grateful that it wasn't me). Anyway, I continue to come the school during the summer. Since, I never got the call (or received a message) that my class assignment would change, I continued spending money (I didn't really have, going deeper in credit card debt), buying 4th grade teaching materials. I even managed to create an academic calendar to help with my long-term planning. I was able to do long-term planning for most of the subjects that I would be teaching. It felt good.

Today, was the first (unofficial) day back for me. Although the school was open for teachers who wanted to come to the workshop, the classrooms were not available at that time, so I couldn't really do anything in terms of setting up or moving furniture. Teachers official are suppose to come back the day after Labor Day. There may be a teacher that can fix up a classroom in only two days, but I know that I can't. Anyway, I've always returned when the school building official opens for administrators and other non-classroom staff (cafeteria, security, secretary, etc...).

Anyway, I arrived about 8:45am. I was about 45 minutes later than I wanted to be, but I was not stressed. I was determined to start off the school year differently than previous "Preparation" days. I was a bit annoyed that I hadn't returned yesterday, but since the train system near my home was suspended due to the hurricane, I didn't stress about it. So, how did I do for the first Preparation Day? If you look at previous blog entries entitled "Preparation", you would notice a theme (or similarity) among them. This time, I had the plan to unpack better than previous years. That meant trying to not let myself get distracted to the point of wasting time and accomplishing nothing (and end up stressing out and rushing at the end along with the late comers and poor planners). This time, I really don't want to be the first one in, and the last one out.

Day 1 was going fairly nicely for me. When I arrived I went right for the boxes and items piled up in the back of the room. An hour later that back shelf was cleared off! Next, I rearranged the furniture in my room. In the past, I've gotten stuck doing this too, but not this time. When I finished, I unpacked most of my boxes. Again, in the past, I've gotten stuck with this too. However, I managed to unpack and group and organized most of my stuff. In the past, I've done a sloppy unpacking, straightened up my room and then a day or two later, I would need to unpack a few more boxes, or closet, and then boom, my classroom would look like I hadn't done anything. Well, not this time. My classroom is a mess, but it is cluster of piles I know where I'm going to put them. My goal was to do all of the heavy lifting and heavy moving today, so that I won't need to do that (moving furniture or heavy objects). Just before the custodians rang the alarm letting us know that we had to leave...immediately, I had just finished moving the last shelving unit. And yes, I did clear out the cabinet before I moved the shelving unit, so I won't have to do any rearranging later.

With the alarm going off, that is the signal to all must leave the building. Normally, when that alarm goes off, I start panicking and rushing to leave. Today, I was pleased with myself. I strolled, briefly chatted with colleagues as I left (the way the others do).

Outside the building, one of my colleagues casually asked, "Soo, did you see the new reorganization sheet? It was emailed to us yesterday." The shocked (but curious) look on my face gave her a quick case of amnesia. It wasn't until I was on the train, that another colleague gave me the news:

I will be teaching 6th grade this school year.

F**K!!!

Sorry, I don't like to curse, but I was angry. Now, I'm just kind of numb. Did I mention that I have evening classes starting tomorrow and Thursday of this week?

Stress just can't seem to do without me.

East Coast Earthquake

2011-08-23T21:29:00.000-04:00

Well, you've probably heard or read about the east coast earthquake that happened today about 1:50pm. Luckily, there were no major injuries or damages. Where was I when the earthquake hit? I was on my stationary bike. I decided to do another 90minute/30minute workout. The quake struck just when I was nearly finished with ten minutes to go. At first, I wasn't sure it was an earthquake because I was on the bike; I had to stop peddling to check. The shaking lasted only a few seconds (maybe 15 or 20 seconds). Having lived in Japan, I did recognize the shaking motion. I wasn't too nervous about the quake. The crazy thing is that I was more nervous about having to leave in the condition I was in. I was soaked in sweat with nothing on but my underwear and undershirt -- both in very poor condition. Also, I was literally soaked and dripping wet. I really didn't want to walk outside in the condition I was in. A few years ago, I did buy an emergency pack from the Red Cross, and I do have my important papers on the same shelf like my passport. The only thing I don't have are my copies of important papers like birth certificate, social security card, credit card information, phone numbers, etc...I've been planning to get those documents copied to keep the copies in the emergency backpack, but I never did. At the time, it required me to take those documents to get them copied. However, now that I have a copy feature on my home printer, I really don't have any excuse. I'll see if I can do it tonight or tomorrow. Also, now that I'm thinking about it -- considering my first reaction when I thought I might have to leave my apartment dressed the way I was, I need to have an overnight bag packed also in case of an emergency evacuation (stashed on the same shelf of course). I think I might work on that this week too. But, I need to buy some clean underwear.

Wt. 219lbs.

A Visit to the Queens Museum

2011-08-21T22:38:00.001-04:00

The view of the Unisphere from the Queens Museum

Another short blog entry. Tomorrow my plan is to start going through the books I brought home for planning purposes. Since I'll be teaching 4th grade when school resumes in about two weeks, I want to make sure I have some clear understanding about the materials. Now, what I need to do is to start slowly readjusting to a work schedule. Hopefully, I will be able to set aside a few hours each day next week for planning purposes. I want to be able to focus on getting my classroom together the following week. For those who have been reading this blog for several years will see a very unfortunate pattern of procrastination and poor planning at the beginning of each school year. I really want this year to be different. Now, a quick summary about today before I call it a night.

Today was a nice day. I didn't do any exercising. Lately, I've been thinking about taking a break on the weekends, or at least cutting back on the weekend in terms of exercising. So without exercising, what did I do?

I participated in a social networking event. The group went to Queens Museum. It was a nice event. I didn't realize until I got there that I probably hadn't been there since I was in elementary school. After the museum, I went to MacDonald's and bought the Big Mac meal with apple pies. I think I consumed about 1,630 calories. After MacDonald's I walked to Grand Central Station to catch a Metro-North train home. Strange thing though, while walking, I stopped in KFC and ordered a Thigh & Drumstick meal. I told myself that I was going to be hungry when I got home. Well in GCS, I stopped by a bakery called Zaro's and ordered a carrot cake with cream cheese frosting to go. I ate as soon as I got home. That was 1,810 calories eaten. In total, in the span of an hour, I had consumed about 4,299 calories. The strange thing is...I'm not the least bit upset. Well, gotta go.

Wt. 223.2lbs.

2011-08-21T01:09:00.000-04:00

Short blog entry. Today I was feeling the effects of a two hour ride. I was sore! I didn't get on my stationary bike today. I'm going to the museum tomorrow, so I didn't want to push myself. I slept most of the day. I went to see my foster father this evening. Nothing to write about.

Oh, slowly the realization that school resumes soon here in NYC. As if I didn't need a reminder. While on the Metro-North train, a girl about 7 or 8 years old gets on the train with two adult women (one with a baby carriage [with baby]). As they are walking down the aisle, the girl is taking each of the train tickets from the chairs as she is passing. The tickets are placed on the chairs as proof that the person sitting there has paid. So what does the woman walking behind the girl say? "Noo, noo. Don't do that (smiling)". The girl keeps taking the tickets, and they keep on walking. No one seemed upset, but in my mind, I was. I wasn't sure if it was the idea that the girl thought it was cute to take someone that didn't belong to her, or if I was upset that the adult walking behind the girl didn't feel the need to correct the behavior. Well, moving on.

I started a new book. Stephen King's Pet Semetary. I only read Mr. King's introduction and the first 3 pages, so I don't know if I will get into it. Tomorrow I'm going to the museum, I read a bit more on the train ride to the museum and see if I can enjoy it. Awhile back, I wanted to buy the Stephen King book "The Dome", but I told myself that I wouldn't buy it until I read another King book cover to cover, just to be sure I would be able to read that book. We'll see if the sematary holds my interest.

Wt. 219.8lbs.

2011-08-20T00:44:00.002-04:00

Today (Friday) the plan was to get up early to do an hour on my stationary bike, but since I had to go for the professional development workshop (and I woke up too late), I didn't have time to exercise this morning. I decided to do a double workout this evening. The plan was to ride for 90 minutes straight, then take a brief break, and then continue for another 30 minutes. To do 2 hours straight for me was a bit of a psychological block. I had to break it down, or I don't think I would have been able to do it. Plus, having not eaten lunch today, I was hungry. I had a fried chicken wings and vegetable fried rice dinner (a takeout from a local Chinese takeout restaurant). Since I had the greasy dinner, I really felt like I had to get on my bike even though I was beginning to get tired. Well, I did manage to do the two hours. I burned about 1,008 calories on the bike.

Oh, I think I'm becoming addicted to the zero calorie seltzer drinks I mentioned previously. I bought about 8 more. Unfortunately, I drank three of them already. I also bought some snack foods that I hope will help me when I have the urge to eat, usually right before bed. I'm not sure because it is too early to tell, but the diet and working out might be starting to take hold. Lately, I seem to usually be satisfied with fruit, raisins, etc...

I'm going to call it a night now.

Wt. 219lbs.

School Shopping

2011-08-18T23:10:00.000-04:00

Below is an entry that was supposed to have been published last year, but it has been in my draft's folder. The new changes to Blogger causes draft entries to be listed with current entries. And, looking and rereading the entry caused Blogger to automatically reset the post date. Since I already typed -- and I haven't posted very many blog entries, I'm going to post (or repost) this entry.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thursday, August 27th

Well, she did it again. Ms. Across the Hall asked if I was interested in going shopping at the local teacher's store in Brooklyn. I thought it would be nice to meet a colleague outside of school. Having a not too successful attempt last summer to meet up to see a movie, I wasn't putting too much thought into meeting.

Meeting to see a movie

Ms. Across the Hall (ATH) is very nice, but can sometimes be forgetful. This time, I tried to keep the "meeting" informal. I emailed that the meeting shouldn't anything more than "if you're there, call and say hi". Well, I checked my email last night and this morning, and no messages. I went to the teacher's store anyway. Since I already had it in my mind that she probably wouldn't show, it didn't mess up my schedule.

So, I went, to the teacher's store in Brooklyn. I got there about 3PM, and I stayed until about 6PM. I had a shopping cart full of books, materials, resources, etc...
I had to take my shopping cart to a corner of the store and go through everything to see what I could put back. I ended up putting back about 15 resource books.

And after I finished...

Anyone want to guess what I spent?

...

My bill came to about $490.

School hasn't even started yet, and I've already spent about $1,000 on teaching materials and school supplies for my students. This year, my shopping focuse is on being able to differentiate my instruction and target specific skills for those students who need more practice. While I was shopping, an idea came to me to try "front loading" my classroom curriculum -- meaning to try spent the first three or four months really focusing on skills and drills, and the second half (or remainder months) applying the skills and/or practicing through enrichment activities. Only time will tell what comes up.

Post Date -

2011-08-18T22:42:00.000-04:00

Another slow start to my day today, but it was a bit productive towards the end. I managed to do two hours on my stationary bike (one hour in the morning and the other in the evening). I burned about 1, 040calories on my bike. I also FINALLY started to do a bit of cleaning in my apartment. I won't embarrass myself by mentioned how dirty I allowed my apartment to get. I made a To Do list of 11 things, and I managed to get to 10 of the items listed. I still have a long way to go, but at least it is a start. Tomorrow is another half-day professional development session at school. I'm going to try to get up early enough so that I can get on my stationary bike before I have to leave. The last few days I've been managing to keep up with doing a double workout on my bike, so I want to keep up the routine.

Wt. 217.4lbs.

Quick Update

2011-08-17T23:16:00.002-04:00

Today was another one of those days that has left me wondering what happened to it. I had a couple of bowls of Special K cereal; I like the fruit and yogurt one. I got on my stationary bike about 12 noon for an hour. According to the digital readout, I burned 531.5 calories. After I showered and napped, it was about 5pm. I watched the evening news, then the entertainment news. I had a Healthy Choice meal of Balsamic Garlic Chicken with a cup of instant Minute Maid Rice mixed in to help fill me up. For dessert, I had a couple of Weight Watchers' vanilla ice cream sandwiches. I got on my stationary bike for another hour. This time burning 563.4 calories. After showering, I weighed myself. I'm now 216.4lbs. I also made an entry in my LostIt.com account.

Random Thoughts

2011-08-17T00:16:00.003-04:00

Hello All. Yes, it has been a while. I just finished eating a rather unappealing container of Weight Watchers mint ice cream. Yuck. Lately, I've been trying to find substitute foods that taste interesting, but are less in calories (and sugar). The mint ice cream was a miss. However, I do like their (so called) Giant Ice Cream Bars. Two of those bars are usually enough to satisfy my cravings for ice creams. 240 calories for the two bars as oppose to a pint of Ben & Jerry's about 1,000 calories. Oh, and I'm really liking favored seltzer drinks. They are suppose to (according to the label) have zero calories, no caffeine, zero carbs, and sodium and sugar free. It tastes like a cheap imitation soda, but it does taste like soda. Before I discovered these drinks, I was buying liters of ginger ale at the local deli (about 450 calories each). I hope these aren't too good to be true.

Sorry for the lack of postings. I've been in my usual summer vacation vegetative state. Not doing much but laying around my very messy apartment. Today I finally got around to doing the laundry. It only took me about 7 loads to complete. Today was also the day I finally did two workouts in a single day. For the last few days I've only been able to get on my stationary bike once a day. And sometimes, I didn't even do that. Long story short, I fell off the exercise bandwagon around the end of July. Doing a single squat had my knees crunching like a bag of chips. After that, I've been very stiff in the knees and reluctant to run on them. So, most of this summer I've been riding my stationary bike off and on, trying to keep up the routine I started the summer with, but with little success. My weight has been one long inconsistent roller coaster ride. Finally, the last couple of weeks or so, I've been fairly consistent with getting on my stationary bike at least once a day. Oh, and I purchased a new digital scale. With my poor eyesight, I need the larger numbers. Unfortunately, this new scale is showing that I'm fatter than the old $10 scale. I went from thinking I was 116lbs. to discovering that the old scale was lying. On the new digital scale, I was 122lbs. And I've been yo-yoing around 122lbs for the last couple of weeks.

This evening, I'm now 119.4lbs. Before the spaghetti dinner and ice cream, I was 116lbs. on the digital scale. But then, I hadn't had anything but a Power Bar and 16oz of orange juice all day.

I'm going to have to wrap this entry up, so that I can get to bed to get up early enough to do the two rides on my bike. There were several near blogs I could have written, but since I didn't write notes for myself, I don't remember the details about those blogs. What I'm going to do now, is just jot down a few random thoughts about some of the things that come to mind. Hopefully with this blog entry, I will be able to get back into a regular posting routine.

Movies
I went to the movies a few times. Below are those movies that come to mind at this moment.
Captain America - I liked it. A bit long, but enjoyable.
Surfs - I should have hated it, but it was cute.
Planet of the Apes - Nice set up for a sequel. Enjoyable.

Broadway Shows
Wicked - Saw it. Liked it. Had to get the book to read it.
Spiderman - I just purchased tickets to see this in a few days.

Exercising - See above.

Reading
Wicked - I read it, but didn't really like it. It wasn't what I thought it would be. It tried too hard to appeal to adults.
Star Trek Voyager "Children of the Storm" - I liked it. It does a good job of continuing the series, but in novel form.

New "Neighbor"
Yesterday while chatting online, I met another "neighbor". After chatting for awhile, we discovered that we live very close by. How close? He lives in a building across the street. Can you believe it, right across the street?

Shopping
When school resumes in a few weeks, I will be teaching a new grade for the first time. I have been assigned to teach 4th grade. Luckily, it is close to the grade I've already been teaching. Luckily, or not so lucky (I'm not sure which), I will have most of my same students from last (school) year. Why is this in the "shopping" area? Somehow, I ended up spending most (if not all) of one of my paychecks on buying copies of 4th grade resource and reproducible books that I already have in 3rd grade. I wanted to make sure that I didn't fall into my comfort zone. I also purchased various baskets, for my classroom library, as well as a few other things for my classroom.

I could've rambled on some more, but it is time to end this entry. Hopefully, I will now be able to start getting good routines down. Tomorrow, I need to start cleaning my pigsty of an apartment. I also need to resume posting on LoseIt.com.

Quick Entry

2011-07-22T22:58:00.000-04:00

I was planning to call it an early night, but I decided to log onto the Loseit.com website to log in my calorie consumption and exercise. So far, I am still on my double workout routine. Yep, even in the heat wave we are in, I managed to do my two exercises.

Today was also the day of the professional development my school is providing....never mind. I was goin to go into details of the program that probably cost...never mind. I'll just focus on my workout routine.

I weighed myself today. I am now down to 210lbs. I started this summer weighing around 232lbs.

I better go, so I can get to bed to do my morning turtle trot.

My Park

2011-07-20T23:16:00.000-04:00

I'm going to have to learn to get used to the new layout of Blogger. Well, I'm going to try keeping this short. I haven't been doing much blogging lately.

Today was day two of my new exercise plan. I did my morning turtle trot for an hour. I went home, and slept most of the day away. However, I was pleased that I was able to get on my stationary bike. Yep, I did another hour of exercise on my bike. I am please with myself for being able to do about 2 hours of physical fitness today and yesterday. I burned about 1,100 calories. It is the first time I think I've ever burned more calories in a day than I took in. I ate about 900 calories today.

Other random comments. I received a message on my cell phone "offering" PD (professional development) for each Friday this summer for 4 hours. Unfortunately, I don't know how to say no. So, I'll be returning each Friday this summer until school opens getting "professional development.

Oh, and why is it that some people can be so careless with their dogs. This morning while I was doing my turtle trot, this guy brought his rottweiler for a walk. I've gotten so comfortable with having the whole park to myself that I was annoyed that the guy brought his dog to crap all over the place. The dog did his business about 3 times before the guy went home. And of course, it was too much for the guy to clean up after his dog. What annoyed me (other than the guy letting his dog run free off the chain forcing me to keep altering my running route) was that after the guy left, about 3 or 4 minutes later, I started smelling the dog crap as I was running.

I better go. I need to call it a night so that I can do my morning run. I took several photos of the park over the past couple of months, I don't have time to edit the photos and post them (with comments), so I'll just post one photo for now. The photo was taken from the northern entrance to the park. I run around the rectangular perimeter of the two baseball fields.

Day Trip - Staten Island

2011-07-15T16:06:00.001-04:00

Wow, it appears things have changed. Blogger has a new look. Anyway, sorry for the delay with posting. Yep, I'm on vacation. And yes, I'm basically doing what I do every vacation. I sleep. The only saving grace this time around is that I've been doing my morning jog most mornings. No, I didn't run this morning. No, I didn't run yesterday morning either.

Back on track. I planned an event for my social networking group. I asked members for a day for the event...I got one reply, so I posted the event for July 14th, thinking at least one person would show. Well, over the course of a few weeks, another member (who lives on Staten Island), suggested a restaurant that the group would enjoy. And he said that he was going to join us on the Staten Island exploration. Well, the day of the trip, I called to confirm a meeting spot. Unfortunately, Staten Islander was busy. He told me that his car wasn't working for an appointment that he had to go to...but moments later said he cancelled. I decided, I would do the Staten Island Day Trip on my own. Everything went according to schedule. I enjoyed the ferry ride over. The ferry ride was free. There wasn't much to see at the Staten Island 9/11 Memorial. Snug Harbor was enjoyable for its botanical gardens and wide open feel. There was a 9/11 educational center located in Snug Harbor. I thought the educational center should have been located nearer to the 9/11 memorial. The Staten Island Zoo at $8 was a bit pricey for what was there. The place was very small. In my opinion, it wasn't so much a zoo as it was an exhibition of animals and animal facts. The Staten Island Museum was also small. However, the $3 price seemed right. Beso's? It was a very nice restaurant, but it really didn't fit in with the overall theme of the "Day Trip". It was very pricey!! But since it was recommended by a member who I thought was going, I included it in the scheduling. Although it didn't seem to fit, I didn't want to seem like an uncultured cheapskate, so I went to the restaurant. I paid $30 for a pasta and meat dinner with an extra side order of spinach and two 12oz. glasses of water. Both the vegetables and the water were extra. Although the water was free, I had to ask for it. After I left, I wanted to go to Burger King, but I needed to catch my train. So, I settled for two donuts and a pint of Haagen Daaz.

I took about 200 photos. I will post some of them here. The attached photo above was taken from the Internet.

Shopping

2011-07-02T22:27:00.000-04:00

Quick entry. I need to go to bed so that I have the strength to run in the morning. Yesterday I didn't run, so today was a return to my turtle trotting running style.

As most of you already know, school is out here in NYC. Unfortunately, I didn't follow the other teachers who were packing up during school hours, so I'm not one ... if not the only one who still has to return to school to finish packing up for the summer. I thought I would only need the two extra days that admin is required to come in. But no, I'm still not ready. Tuesday will be the fourth day I will be in school packing. Why the delay? As much as I said that I wouldn't look at any of the materials that were sent to me, I couldn't resist (for one reason or another). So what have I been doing? Sorting and organizing the materials. This coming school year, I will be teaching 4th grade for the first time. I've been teaching 3rd for the past few years. I inherited the materials of a colleague who will be moving up to teaching 6th grade. The problem? She wasn't too organized in how she sent the materials to me. She had several of her students help with the move. Unfortunately, the timing and method of delivery was off. One, I was trying to maintain the learning environment until the very end. Two, I didn't really have the room for the 4th grade materials because I still had the 3rd grade materials. The monitors were a bit too eager to help, but they just basically made a mess. Textbooks were mixed up. Testing materials arrived in large trash bags. I really can't function with disorder. I went through the books and group them according to levels. I went through the test prep materials and organized it. Although I'm a bit annoyed that I'm the only one who is still packing up, I am pleased that I went through the materials and organized it. I've observed that several teachers tend to rush to pack up for the summer, but then rush to unpack in the fall. And then complain because they can't find anything, or don't realize what they have in terms of materials.

It is getting late. I will continue this another time...
Next time, I'll summarize my Saturday of shopping and movie viewing. I bought 4 new paperback novels. A new pair of sneakers, and some teaching materials from B&N.

A Mini Milestone

2011-06-27T21:53:00.000-04:00

Today I reached last stage (Stage 12) from the book "Run Your Butt Off. I ran for a full 30 minutes without stopping. Even though I went to bed late -- I had to finish up my students' report cards. Last Sunday, I took some photos of the park I where I do my morning run. It is nice to feel like I have the whole park to myself...oh and with the deer. Yep, that deer has been returning for the last few days. Yes, I managed to get a photo of that deer also.

Today was also the last full day of school. Tomorrow is a half-day. It will be THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL for the 2010/2011 school year here in NYC.

Well, I'm going to end this entry now, I want to go to bed to have the strength to get up early.

I'm back...sort of.

2011-06-25T21:20:00.000-04:00

Quick entry. After going hog wild a for a few days last weekend, I'm back to trying to get in shape. I had stopped my morning jogging for about three days last weekend, but I returned last Tuesday. Currently, I'm at Stage 11 following the "Run Your Butt Off!" plan. Today I ran for 14 minutes, walked for 1 minute, then I repeated again. The run was okay, so much so that I ran an extra three minutes. If the weather cooperates, I will reach Stage 12 on Monday. Stage 12 is running for a full 30 minutes without a walk break. Although it is taking some getting used to dragging myself out of bed, I do look forward to the morning run. And now that summer vacation is almost here, I really do need to keep up the morning run routine. My new plan is going to try to build up to running for an hour each day this summer. I really can't afford to return to my lazy sleep away the summer routine. Oh, and I also need to get a handle on my eating habit. Without the liquid diet, I'm slowing gaining back the pounds I lost. I'm now up to 222lbs. Right now however, my focus is on finishing up the school year. Next week is the last week of school.

I better go. I need to get ready for bed soon so that I have to strength to get up for my morning run.

Wicked

2011-06-19T15:03:00.001-04:00

Yesterday was my second Broadway show. I almost missed it. I was returning to my "eat/sleep away the weekend" mode. I wasn't in the mood to see the show. But since I already had my ticket and I was the one who had planned the social networking event, I decided to go anyway. Once again, no one signed up, so I was going solo.

I arrived with a minute to spare. I paid for an obstructed view, so my ticket was a bit cheaper than others. The view wasn't that bad.

Anyway, at 2hrs and 45minutes (almost three hours), I thought the show was very nice. I'm not really a musical kind of guy, but I thought it was a nice show. I enjoyed "Priscilla Queen of the Desert" more. For someone like me, I need a hook to enjoy a musical (for the "Desert" it was the songs). For "Wicked", I enjoyed the retelling of a familar story most know so well. Now, I want to read the book. After doing a Google search, I just discovered that there are about 40 stories of Oz adventures. From Wikipedia, I learned that the original author wrote about 15 of the first part of the series. Another author wrote the next 15 books in the series. And various other authors wrote the remaining books in the series. I had no idea this book was a series or a cash cow. I did a quick search on Amazon.com to see if they had a complete collection of the series. Yes, they did. However, the bound books are a collection minus the illustrations. I think I would like to have the series -- only the first part written by the original author. I'm not interested in the cash cow continuation. I'll have to try reading the original book I bought a few months ago. I was bored by it then. However, I'll see if I can get into the book again. If I can enjoy the first book, then I think this would be a good series to get on an electronic reader. I'm still holding out for an e-reader. The Stephen King book "The Dome" is also on my to read list. However, I don't want to get an e-reader until I finish reading the paperback books I already have. And yet, I keep buying more books. It will be quite awhile before I get an e-reader, unless I buy one on an impulse.

Anyway, I was entertained by the show. And I was lucky enough to have a seat right by the exit with the bathroom. With my second Broadway show, I'm learning that it pays to leave quickly to reach the bathroom, or you will have to wait on a long line (although not nearly as long as the women's line).

After "Wicked", I walked to 42nd street to see "X-men: First Class". I enjoyed the movie, despite the rowdy crowd in the theater. It has been a long time since I've been in a theater where people talk loudly during the movie, and making loud comments during the movie. As for the movie itself. I thought all of the characters were well casted. If you can get past the "creative license" the movie takes with the origins, then I think most sci-fi fans will enjoy the movie. It isn't a great movie, but I think it is an enjoyable one.

After the movie I stopped at Midtown Comics Shop to use the 25% coupon that was in the free daily paper. My last stop of the evening was dinner at Tick Tock Diner on 34th Street. I had their BBQ bacon burger with waffle fries, soda, and pie with ice cream for dessert. I won't even count the calories for that meal. Since I haven't exercised this weekend, and I've been eating nothing healthy for the last three days,

I guess you could say that (in a way), I've been Wicked.

I asssumed that picture taking wouldn't be allowed, so I didn't bother to take my camera. the only photo I took was during intermission when others were taking out their cell phones. I took a photo of the stage screen. The logo attached to this entry was taken from the internet. My photo is the small one.

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back...

2011-06-18T02:04:00.001-04:00

Quick update. Once again the title says it all. Thursday morning started off rainy, but I didn't let that stop me. I rode my stationary bike to keep up my daily morning exercising routine. Unfortunately, I've had a couple of setbacks in the dieting department. The day before, I had a spaghetti dinner with a 5 piece chicken tender appetizer (with BBQ dipping sauce). Friday evening I went to a retirement party for a couple of colleagues who will be retiring this year. I ordered a baby back ribs and chicken combo plate (with a large piece of chocolate cake). After returning home, I fell asleep on the couch and now I'm up at 2am. Old habits die hard. So far I haven't missed a morning of exercising since I started at the beginning of this month. I'm about to head off to bed, and see if I have the strength to run in the morning. If I do the run, I want to move up to a modification of Stage 9 (walk for 3 minutes/run for 12 minutes and repeat). If I can keep up with the running routine, I should be able to run for a solid 30 minutes by next weekend.

Later on today, I will be attending a social networking event that I planned. The event is to see the Broadway show "Wicked" and see "X-men: First Class" afterwards. Unfortunately, no one signed up, so I will be seeing the shows alone.

Quick Update

2011-06-15T21:59:00.001-04:00

Quick update. Yesterday, I didn't do too well with my calorie consumption. I did better, but still over my maximum daily goal. Yesterday I had a total of 1,790cal.

Today was a bit better. I told myself that I had to stop eating with my old habits of trying to fill up the belly. Results?

7am - 200cal. Quaker Instant Grits
11am - 70cal. V8
12pm - 200cal. Campbell's low sodium Chicken Noodle Soup
7pm - 730cal. Healthy Choice Steamer (Spicy Chicken), Minute Rice(cup), & Stonyfield smoothie.
----------------
Total = 1,100 calories

I am also still sticking with the running. I am currently at the 9 minute run / 3 minute walk (repeated 3x). Oh, and today, I saw a young deer walk onto the sport's field as I did my running. It keep an eye on me as I ran around the perimeter of the field, but it didn't run away.

Now, I'm going to head to bed.

Summer vacation is almost here. Yippee!!!

The attached photo was taken off of the internet. However the deer I saw was very similar.

The End

2011-06-13T21:49:00.000-04:00

This blog entry will be short. The title says it all. I knew it. Once I had the taste of food, the liquid diet was history. Today, I decided to end the liquid diet. I was dying for something hot, greasy, and fattening. KFC was calling. Once the idea popped into my head, I couldn't get it out. For dinner, I had a KFC dinner, and needless to say, I went over my daily calorie limit. Below are the damages:

1, 440cal. - 2pc. chicken dinner (leg and thigh with a biscut)
570cal. - mashed potatoes with gravy (less than1cup)
640cal. - Cole Slaw (also about less than a cup)
80cal. - Green Beans
250cal. - Soda (about 16oz.)
300cal. - Welch's Grape Juice (about 16oz. [I was still thirsty])
-----------
Dinner came to about 3,280cal. alone

Today I also had an imitation (store brand) Ensure and a V8
250cal. ShopRite Energy Drink (8oz.)
70cal. - V8 (11.5oz.)
-----------

Total Calories consumed today (assuming I don't eat or drink anymore tonight) is
3,600cal.

So, what is the next step now?

The liquid diet is dead for now. I will still stick with "being on a diet". My goal now is to count calories and grams of sugar. I will try to stick with the calorie numbers I've been working with while one the liquid diet. And barring any injuries, I will of course continue with the morning running.

Relapse

2011-06-12T22:11:00.002-04:00

I lost about 14lbs. I've been keeping up with the running, I'm now at Stage 6 (walking for 3 minutes, running for 7 minutes, repeating 2x). As for the liquid diet, I was doing okay until today, for some reason I couldn't take the liquid anymore. I had a bit of an eating binge. For dinner, I had 2 Healthy Choice Dinners, and one Stonyfield smoothie. In total, I ate about 1,000 today. I'm a bit disappointed, but not too upset, since I managed to stay within my target daily calorie intake goal. Hopefully, I will be able to get back on track for the liquid diet. My plan was to finish this Friday.

Quick Update

2011-06-05T22:20:00.001-04:00

Quick update. For those that are interested, I am still on my diet/exercise routine. To keep with the new schedule, I haven't been going online. In the past, a quick online visit would usually throw off my motivation, and a quick visit turns into several hours later. Even now, I should have just prepped for bedtime.

Quick Summaries:

I'm not doing my run/walk in the neighborhood park. I walk/run around the two baseball fields. My body has been adjusting to the walk/run a bit too quickly. By the second day, I start to lose focus and motivation. Now, instead of stickly with the book's pacing of one stage per week, I'm going to move up the stages every two or three days. Tomorrow, I'm going to go to stage 4 (30 minutes of 3 minute walk, 3 minute run [or what I've been calling the "turtle trot"])

On an impulse, I visited one of the old social networking sites and replied to a profile that I've replied to before. Much to my surprise, he responded. It turns out the guy lives in the very next block. We walked around downtown for a couple of hours, we had a lot in common. It would have been cool to have someone in the neighborhood who shared similar interests. Unfortunately, we had different ideas about friendship. After my refusal to see friendship the way he did, I think he lost interest. After first planning to do another walk around, the epal ended the last text message with "have a great day".

My new black backpack arrived within about 3 days. There was a bit of a mixup at the post office, but I finally have it. The bag looks nice, however, I am a bit put off by the number of buckles and clips on it. I'll try it out and see how it is.

Well, I better go. I should have been in bed, but I thought I should do a quick entry letting the two or three people who read this blog know that I am still in the game so to speak. I started my liquid diet on June 1st, and I still have managed to stick with it. The problem? Even though I am staying withing the suggested calorie intake of 1,784 calories per day, I don't seem to be losing weight. The morning walk/run really isn't burning many calories (probably due to my body needing to adjust to the running. I am going to try to use my stationary bike starting tomorrow in the evenings. Once I'm able to do a consistant cardio workout for 30 minutes or more, I think I'll start to see the results.

Day 2

2011-06-02T22:19:00.000-04:00

Day 2 of my diet and exercise program. I did my exercise (walking and running) in the neighborhood park. Bed time now...so I can be able to get up about 4:45am.

Day 1

2011-06-01T21:15:00.001-04:00

After a bit of a restless night, I was able to get up and start the running program. Stage 2 (walk for 4 minutes and run for 1 minute, then repeat four more times). I started about 5AM and finished about 30 minutes later. I'm glad I started at Stage 2, I don't think I would have had the strength to do Stage 3 (walk for 3 minutes and run for 2 minutes). Basically, I ran up and down the residential block I live on. There is a small park very near me, but unfortunately, it is on the side of a mountain, so the whole park is basically built on a slope.

After the walk/run, I decide to relax by soaking in the bathtub. With a full day to go, I didn't want to stiffen up. After the bath, I was moving slow, but I wasn't in any pain.

I also started my new liquid diet today. My goal is to use the liquid diet to break old eating habits. After the two weeks is over, I'm hoping I'll be able to retrain myself to better portion controls. In total today, I drank about 1,140calories today.

It is getting late. I need to end this entry now, so I can get to bed to repeat the workout for day two.

The Night Before....

2011-05-31T21:38:00.000-04:00

This will have to be brief. Well....

Tomorrow is June 1st. I am suppose to start a new exercising and dieting routine. Today, I picked up my order from the post office from Amazon.com. See the attached photo to get a sneak peak at my new exercise routine....

Yep, that's right. I'll be trying to run. Also,....

My plan is to do it in the morning before work. Too many times, I've had false starts with waiting until the end of the day. However, I'm always too tired. Actually, the main reason for doing the running in the morning is to minimize the embarrassment of running at 230lbs. Hopefully, I'll have the strength to get out of bed early to follow the program. AND...Be able to arrive to work early.

Basically, the running plan is a 12 step program that combines running with walking. By the end of 12 weeks, a participant should be able to run for 30 minutes. Stage 1 is walking for 30 minutes. Since I don't have any problem with walking long distances for an hour or two, I'm skipping Stage 1. I would like to skip Stage 2 (Walk for 4 minutes, Run for 1 minute. And repeat for four more times), but I don't want to over do it. So, I'll be starting with Stage 2.

The little red pad in the photo will be the notebook I'll use to help me keep track of the food and exercising so that I can put it onto the diet website mentioned in the previous blog entry. I'm not really good at counting calories, but I will try. The site computed that I will have to stay within about 1,780 calories per day if I want to reach my targeted goal of losing 60lbs by December 27, 2011.

I gotta go. I also need to be in bed by 10PM. Changing my bad sleep habits is also a goal I'll need to work on.

Another Little Black Bag

2011-05-30T17:24:00.002-04:00

I just purchased yet another little black bag. In this case, it is a back pack(pronounced "Molly"). I've tried the messenger bag, but I want to go back to the backpack. After a bit of internet searching, I purchased this pack from Amazon.com. It should arrive in about 2 weeks.

It has been a while since my last posting. And not much new. Oh, I do plan to start another exercise/diet plan. My appologies to those who received a strange email from a dieting website. When I registered (on an impulse), I added about 5 names and email addresses of those who I thought might be interested in the site/friending me as I went through the plan. I was planning to send another email to explain the diet site, but being the procrastinator, I never did. I thought it would be similar to Blogger, but now I think it is more like Facebook. With Blogger anyone can follow your blog entries, however with Facebook, you have to register to have access. No need to register, I'll keep updating my progress on this blogging page.

At this point, I could go into the new diet/exercise routine I'm planning to start on June 1st, but having done the "New Plan" thing for quite some time now, I'm going to just fill in the details as I go through them. I hope. However, I will mention that I also recently purchased a metronome. I've wanted one for years and I've finally purchased one. Why? In the past, I've been so easily distracted that I often lose focus with reps and pacing. Whether I was rowing, running, or on my stationary bike, I would often find myself barely keeping up a steady pace. Usually, programs will say to maintain a certain heartrate, but more often than not once I'm into a physical routine, my mind starts wandering and I barely seem to be doing much of any sweating. I'm hoping the metronome will help me keep a consistant pace while I'm exercising. It also has an earphone jack, so I won't disturb others.
I just did a quick YouTube search -- not really expecting to see the metronone. Imagine my surprise when the exact metronome I purchased had a video clip. So of course I have to attach it.

Military Pen Pal - Update

2011-04-26T22:27:00.000-04:00

Quick entry. Today was the last day of my spring break, so what did I do? What I always do. I waited until today to do 6 loads of wash at the laundromat. I went shopping for items to send my military pen pal in Afghanistan. Of course I went way over budget. I ended up spending about $300. My original plan was to send off a large box of snacks, food, and activities. But considering how much I spent, I'm now going to ration out the items so that I'll be able to ship a care package each month for several months. While I was shopping I was thinking about what the soldier might want. But Red Bull, did a really need to buy that. Since I waited until the last minute, I won't be able to send off a box until the weekend. I settled for writing an introduction letter. I'll put it in the mailbox tomorrow on my way to work.

I'm back...from nowhere.

2011-04-24T16:24:00.002-04:00

I think the title says it all. I wasn't in the blogging mood, so I stopped for a while. What did you miss? Well, minus work related topics, incidents, etc... nothing was missed. In fact, you could have reread any of the previous posts (substituting the date for the current date) and you would have a fairly accurate summary of the past 4 months. The only real change is my waistline. I'm now about 230lbs.

So, what else is new?

I just made another impulse purchase on Amazon.com. Once they have your credit card info, some of us are just one click away from the poor house. Latest purchase? The Total Home Gym 1800. I watched an infomercial that I've seen in on form or another. I got online to see how much it cost, and one click later, I'll have my machine in about a week. So what happened to the expensive clothes rack (exercise bike)? It has been collecting dust as a...a clothes rack.

Other new information? I adopted a soldier. Another impulse. Bored at the computer, having failed with the online pen pal request both near and far, I decided to try another route. I would try find a pen pal with a soldier. The other option was prison, but well,...I'm not that desperate. Anyway once I had the idea, I thought it would be no problem to find a program that would match civilians stateside with soldiers overseas. Well, nothing seems easy after committing to an idea. After searching various sites that just didn't seem right, I found one that I thought was exactly what what I was looking for. Well, being the slow person I am, it took me a while to register, a while to figure out how to enter the site, but I managed. I just assumed that the fee they were asking and the difficulty was to protect the soldiers. Only after registering (making my payment) did I guess that it was a dating site, I'm guessing to match soldiers with civilians. No one was interested in being pen pals. Oh, except for the 3 different women who posted seeking long-term relationship on their profile. Although two of the responders seem to have faded away, one woman seems to be a bit too eager to provide that she is only looking for a friend. Although she seems very nice -- I do wish her the best of luck with find a pen pal that will make her happy. Just from the few emails we've exchanged, I can tell we have ZERO similarities. I'll just leave it at that.

Well, I tried again, but this time I think I might have found the correct type of site. This one was fairly easy to register and has a fairly easy requirement. I only have to send one letter once a month to the soldier that I've been assigned to. There was another nice site, but it required one letter per week. I like the idea of sending a letter per week, but I'm too much of a procrastinator, and I would rather not make that kind of commitment.

Yesterday, I was approved for the program. I received my soldier's information. Considering they didn't ask much during the registration, I'm guessing my soldier was just a random pick from a list. So, what information did I receive? The soldier's name, age, rank, location, start and end dates of deployment, and the soldier's needs and wants list. Wow, kind of like a prison. Sorry about that.

Below is a cut and paste of the soldiers information:

> Rank:
> Branch: Army
> age: 28
> birthdate:
> dateDeployment:
> ReturnDate:
> Mail Stop Date: Jan. 1, 2012
> location:
> Hobbies: general
> needs: Batteries "AA" foot/body powder body wash razors baby wipes Q-tips sun block chap stick with spf
> wishes: sweets electic razor word puzzle books DVD's Beef Jerky books chips

Seems like very reasonable requests from a soldier on the front line. I left out the specific information about the soldier. Oh and no, I am not a war person, far, far, faar from it, but this seems like an easy way to show support for those men and women overseas.

Anyway, I wrote a quick letter yesterday just so I don't fall into the procrastinator's pit. Once I commit to something, then I tend to be dependable and reliable. Tomorrow, I'll head out and try to pick up as much of things listed as I can. I will also add in a few second-hand items I have -- I hope he doesn't mind the second hand items.

As you readers of my blog already know, I can waste money like there is no tomorrow. But if this program is legit -- to save myself the embarrassment in case it isn't, I left out the program's information. If it turns out to work okay, then I'll provide more information.

Oh, I just received an email saying that my registration is completely approved (I had difficult also with this site).

Laptop Tray

2010-12-30T21:25:00.000-05:00

My laptop tray arrived. I took a couple of photos and then cut and pasted them together.

And it is also a paperweight...

2010-12-30T19:20:00.000-05:00

Imitation ipad Update.

I ended up turning on the device last night. I was pleased that it worked. I looked more closely at the directions and was not pleased. The fonts are waaay too tiny. A large portion of the diagrams and the text are written in Chinese. The text is LOADED with grammatical errors. Either the text was sent through an automatic free online translation program, or the directions were translated by someone who hasn't quite mastered the English language yet. First time, I've ever had a manual be virtually useless. It doesn't so much gives steps as it tells you what the device can do. The touch screen is nice and very responsive. I was disappointed that the accessories didn't seem to work. I thought if I couldn't get onto the internet with the device, I could just transfer programs through the USB cord. Nope. I thought I could use the adapter for the micro SD card so I could use my memory card reader. Nope. The adapter is too big. It does fit in the reader, but it pushes the lock tab into the locked position, so nothing can be added. I'll have to wait until I can take it somewhere there is wifi connection. Right now, it is just a fancy paperweight.

I've Got Steam!!!

2010-12-29T20:02:00.001-05:00

Today I stayed in waiting for the apartment maintenance work to arrive. I had a leak in my living room radiator that was leaking out about a pint of water per day over the Christmas holiday weekend. I was a bit worried that after I made the report, the leaking stopped, but the guy arrived and recognized the leak and fixed it fairly quickly. I also reported the leak under the kitchen sink, also appears fixed. So far, the living room radiator seems to be giving off much better heat then it has in a long time. Now, I just hear the steady sound of steam rather than the clank, clank sound of pipes rattling.

Oh, and my imitation ipad arrived this evening. Not what I was expecting. Apparently, there are several imitation brands. I didn't get the one I signed for. The one I got looks more like the ipad. The one I ordered had the imitation logo on the front. I was happy with that. Unfortunately, my Apad arrived with an inspection label with the message, "Do not return to place of purchase after Seal is Broken". Problem? The seal was broken! That's a warning, but then I knew it was a roll of the dice when I ordered the imitation ipad. The reviews were 50/50 positive/negative. So how does it work? I have no idea. The directions state that the Apad should be charged for 10 hours before its initial use (and 10 hours for the second use, and 5 hours of charging time afterwards). I'm guessing (or hoping?!?) that some of the negative comments might have come from those individuals not following the directions (or even bothering to read the directions). Any other comments? It is possible that this "toy" might be too advance for someone of my limited intelligence. The directions were giving me a headache. Oh, and this imitation might be a touch screen meaning no stylus needed. However, I'll keep the stylus. Once the newness wears off, I'll probably want to use the stylus to keep the finger prints off. Well, I think that's about it. I'll see how it works tomorrow. This blog entry will be revised at some later date.

Santa was very good this year, but...

2010-12-28T22:43:00.002-05:00

Santa was very good this year, but I'll be paying for it next year. Today, I should have been cleaning up my apartment, but once again I went out for a walk after I finally dragged myself out of bed.

I went to buy myself a recliner. For the longest time, I've logged more hours in a very uncomfortable computer chair. I also have a futon, which I've been treating as a couch, but it really isn't. Besides, my futon is usually covered with books and papers. In other words, I don't own a comfortable chair. Other than my bed (which is a bit cheap anyway), I don't really own a piece of solid furniture. Nearly everything I own is cheap and disposable. I was raised on shopping at discount stores. I think I paid about $700 for my complete bedroom set (2 dressers, headboard, 2 night tables). It's cheap(by NYC standards), but since I'm very easy on my things, they usually hold up surprisingly well. Well, not my clothes, I tend to wear clothes until they disintegrate).

Anyway, I finally decided to treat myself to a recliner. I brought a rocker recliner at a local discount furniture store. The total cost (including taxes, and delivery fee) for the recliner was $346.63. See the attached photo. I couldn't find the exact style online, but the photo is pretty close. I ordered charcoal/black. It should arrive in 7 ~ 10 days. I'd wanted to go to the discount furniture place -- I wouldn't even call it a store. It was more of a store front. They have a few pieces of furniture, but mostly, you order from catalogs they have from a couple of companies. They call the warehouse and ship it to you. Since I was please with my bedroom set, I wanted to buy a recliner from them as well. Unfortunately, they didn't have any recliners. The salesperson told me that she didn't know when they would have anymore in stock. So, I went down the block to another discount furniture store that recently relocated there, and would you believe, there was a recliner sitting right at the front door.

Oh, and I also bought an imitation ipad. At first I wanted a Kindle, but then the ipad came out. I thought (to myself) why limit myself to just an e-reader. Then, I had my heart set on getting an ipad, but my finances made that a long-shot. I had to settle on an imitation ipad. It has a capacitive response system. I had no idea what that meant until I did a Google search and I found my answer on Wikipedia -- Yes, I know, Wikipedia isn't a reliable source for research, but I can't help it. Anyway, Capacitive means that you have to use a stylus pen, object, or your finger nail. The ipad uses a touch screen technology (meaning you can manipulate with the touch of your finger). I'm getting sidetracked.

Back to my Apad. The online reviews were pretty 50/50 with the positive and negative comments. I brought the imitation with the idea that a nice guy won't get screwed with a piece of junk. Well, if you've read this blog for any period of time, you know that's not necessarily true. We'll see.

Oh, while I'm at it, I might as well complete my Christmas list. I also bought a laptop tray, a pair of Dockers, DVDs (300, Meet the Spartans, and Superman/Batman: Apocalyse) and accessories for my Apad.

Happy Holiday!

2010-12-27T13:55:00.001-05:00

Happy holiday to all. Hopefully, Santa was generous to you all. I know he was here in NYC. I spent about $300 on gifts of others. What did I get? Two ties from one of my students. Yep, that's it. Luckily, Christmas is suppose to be more than the gifts. They say it is better to give than to receive. I certainly hope that's true. If Christmas was just about the gifts, I would be royally pissed. Oh by the way, I actually like the ties.

Since I knew I wasn't getting much, I decided to treat myself to a couple of gifts. I had planned to spend $600 from a Christmas Club account I had. Unfortunately, I accidentally spent that money on bills. Feeling the need to treat myself, I did a bit of online shopping. My things didn't arrive on Christmas, but that didn't bother me. So, what did Santa bring me?

Stay tuned....

What Were They Thinking?

2010-12-27T13:46:00.000-05:00

Just a quick blog entry. Just a couple of quick observations under the title of "What Were They Thinking?"

* In the middle of a blizzard this woman stops me to ask if the bus stops at the bus stop I was walking past. I told her that I know for sure that the bus she wanted stops a block back or a block ahead, but I wasn't sure about the stop we were standing at. I also told her that a good indication is that if the number of the bus isn't on the bus sign then it probably doesn't stop there. She told me that she didn't want to walk back a city block and didn't walk to walk a city block ahead. I keep walking.

* Out of the store, a couple of teenagers walked out. One of them decided to walk into the middle of a main boulevard to dance and lay down making snow angels.

* A procrastinator who knew that a snowstorm was coming kept putting off going to the grocery storm until the storm actual starts. Since he had no food, he had no choice but to finally go.

Happy Holiday!

Tron: Legacy 3D

2010-12-19T10:39:00.000-05:00

The movie wasn't great, it wasn't good, it wasn't bad, it was just nice. Many people might call it a bad movie. After a start time of about 35 minutes late, the movie started with a written notice: "This movie was orginally created in 2D. There are parts that are in 3D. Keep the 3D glasses on throughout the movie. I didn't. I just wanted to see how much of it was in 3D....not much. I'm not including the parts that really didn't need to be in 3D. As for the content, that is where the movie will lose a lot of points from the viewing audience. In my opinion, there were too many plot holes, too many plot points that seem to have just been added-on at the last minute. And a couple of plot strands seemed to have been left hanging (or not developed). The saving points were Jeff Bridges, and the special effects. After the movie, I took a couple of photos of the theater exterior and the city block. I'll post those photos later.

Funny!!!

2010-12-15T01:35:00.000-05:00

Joemomma, the Evil Little Kid - The most amazing home videos are here

NYC - Police Museum

2010-11-28T21:46:00.000-05:00

This past Thanksgiving really wasn't worth the time to write about it, so I will skip it.

On Saturday, I organized an social networking event. This time it was a trip to the NYC Police Museum. To my surprise, someone actually showed up, it was a 56 year old divorce father. The meeting spot was going to be in the lobby of the museum. However, we ended up meeting on the train platform at 42nd street. I was amazed. We actually rode into NYC on the same Metro-North train. I was in the fourth car, he was in the second. After arriving in Grand Central Station, I stopped at the bathroom, and then went to catch the #4 subway for downtown. 42nd street was crowded as usual. I always go to the front of the train or the back to avoid the crowds. Anyway, while I was standing on the platform, the was able to spot me from the description I had given him. It was a good thing we didn't meet in the museum because it was a pretty small museum (despite having three floors).

The museum cost was $8 dollars. I thought it was interesting. Basically, the third floor was for a 9/11 exhibition along with a Hall of Heroes (officers who lost their lives in the line of duty since 1845), the second floor was an exhibition on artist work related to 9/11 and other police activities, the first floor had a very small kids zone and an exhibition on the evolution of the NYC police force.

Although we took about 90 minutes to see everything, if you don't stop to read every caption and display, you can finish easily within an hour. I will post some photos at another time. After the museum, epal was ready to go home, but I wasn't. I went to the movie to see "Megamind in 3D". After the movie, I went to T.G.I.Friday's restaurant near Union Square Park. I was surprised at the prices. My chicken and shrimp pasta dinner cost $25.05 for a fairly small portion. I was finished eating in about 6 minutes. I would have had dessert, but they only had brownie with this or that, or cheesecake. I walked from 14th Street to 42nd Street before taking the train back home.

Quick Entry

2010-11-27T07:22:00.000-05:00

Since I lost my Christmas fund, I was a bit depressed. My goal was to treat myself to something nice for Christmas. I just discovered a couple of imitation ipads. If they work as reviewed, then I'll be satisfied with an imitation for now.

The Hobbit

2010-11-20T19:56:00.000-05:00

Not much to write about. I finished reading the prelude to the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, "The Hobbit". I really enjoyed the story. I thought the story was very well written. I'm looking forward to the planned movie.

Other than the Hobbit, there isn't much to write about. I lose my student teacher in about 3 weeks. Wow, I'm going to miss having that extra support in the classroom. I think she will make a nice teacher. She was reliable, eager, and personable. She will be missed.

One of my blog readers Jeff made a comment on his blog about doing a 3 week improvement plan. I liked the idea, so once again, I will try to jump-start my "get it together" goals with a 3-week time limit. According to Jeff, some bad habits need about 3 weeks to be broken. I believe that's what he said. Well, I'll see.

Quick Entry

2010-11-14T21:52:00.000-05:00

Yes, I'm still alive. I'm going to try to keep this short. It was a toss-up, I could jump on my stationary bike for 20 minutes, or do some planning. Quick summary of random things:

* Parent /Teacher Conferences were last week here in NYC. I stressed out about it, but in the end, everything worked out well.

* Veteran's Day, I went to the movie to see "Waiting for Superman". It was interesting. I also saw the owl movie Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole.

* This past Saturday, an epal had invited me to one of his men's group meeting. Knowing what it's like to have a group with little or no interest, I said that I would attend.....
....IT WAS BRUTAL!!!!

The guys were really very nice. I honestly hope the guy's group is a success, I thought it was a nice idea, and all of the guys were very nice. Everyone there really seemed into the group, and more than a couple of times the guys seemed eager for information about the next group. So if everything was so nice, what was the problem? It was probably me.

I felt like a fish in a fishbowl without any water. My epal told me the workshop would start at 11am. I ended up arriving at 10:30am. While waiting for the workshop to start, I over heard a conversation that the meeting would start at 12noon, but told the guys 11am because they knew some of the guys would be late. The group starts about 12:30pm with a prayer. And discussion about cortesy (from a religious) prespective. The conversation was also geared towards talking about why guys aren't corteous and to share how each of us must have been in a situation where not being corteous almost caused a fight.

At this point I knew I was in the wrong group (not including the conversation of failed states, and man controling the weather).

Then for the next hour or so, various guys would stroll in. One guy brought his teenage daughter. I was a bit annoyed that I rushed to be on time, and most of the others, were just casual about arriving late. Not a single person apologized for being late.

The main focus of the workshop was men's relationship with their fathers. Again, the guys really seemed to be into this group. As someone raised in foster care, I really didn't have anything to contribute to the discussion. I sat through various "confessions" and "complaints" of father neglect and incompetance. I was sooo bored. Two hours waiting for the meeting to start, then another two hours of listening to others conversations and monologs. At about 2:30pm, the group coordinator called for a break while we waited for lunch to arrive. That was my cue, I thank my epal for inviting me. I thanked the coordinator for organizing the group. I then left. I don't know what my $10 was spent on (in terms of lunch), nor did I care, I just wanted out of that place so bad.

It wasn't a bad group, nor were the guys anything less than polite. Unfortunately, I just didn't think the group was for me. I do like the idea, but I really couldn't relate to the guys, the topic, or the attitudes(one guy kept referring to his wife as wifie).

Quick Entry

2010-10-31T22:46:00.000-04:00

This has to be a quick entry.

* A couple of weeks ago I participated in a social networking event "Pumpkin Carving in the Park". The organizer of that event changed it to carving in his backyard. It was a nice event. My pumpkin lasted only a day before it started to decay. The guy said that we had to scoop out as much of the insides until the light could be shown through the shell. With that and the fact that I cut out large shapes caused my pumpkin to start to decay fast.

* Yesterday, I met an online epal in person. He suggested Manhattan, I suggested the comic book shop I've mentioned in the past on this blog. That worked out great. The epals plan was park or museum. Problem, the guy was very late. I didn't realize how late because I was really into the comics, so I wasn't watching the time. About 1:53pm I received the first text message asking if I was still at the shop and that he was around the corner. The meeting time was 1pm. After a few minutes of wandering around the shop, the guy didn't buy anything, or seemed very interested in the books. He knew the place(and a bit about comics), but he didn't seem to really be interested in comics.

We had lunch at Chipotle Mexican Grill. Nice guy but seemed to be a bit of a "conversationalist". At times, it seemed difficult to get a word. Asking my opinion seemed to be an afterthought. A good 5 minutes would past of him giving his opinion about something before he would ask for my opinion. After lunch, we walked southward (I don't know why). The conversation was nice, but nothing of substance. Then, he takes a call on his cell phone. For a good 7 or 8 minutes, I'm walking with a complete strange as he is laughing and talking on his cell phone. Along the walk, I stop from time to time to look at the small electronic stores along the way. At one point the guy is about 10 ~ 15 away before he notices that I stopped. In the course of our walk, the conversation turns to B&N Nook (their e-readers). E-pal is a big fan of Nook more than Amazon's Kindle. During the conversation on why the nook is better, we come across a Barnes and Nobles.

After a stop at the classics section (he wanted to show me a classic that (as a teacher he thought I would know). It wasn't there. And after a bit of wandering, I spotted the sci-fi/fantasy section -- I made a bee-line for the section. After hearing about how wonderful the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy was from epal, I purchased the paperback set ($29 with my membership discount). After B&N, we continue walking southward (I still don't know why). However again, epal is on his phone laughing and talking. I was annoyed! We continued to walk with epal on the phone and me walking along in silence. I slowed up walking hoping epal would get the hint...he kept talking. I finally stopped walking, epal also stopped, but...he continued talking. I sat down on the sidewalk...and yes, he still kept talking on his cell phone. I was on that cold concrete sidewalk for a good 3 or 4 minutes. Only when I dramatically looked at my watch did epal tell the person he had to go. After a bit more walking, we went our separate ways.

The guy really was a nice guy, but I don't think we really had much in common.

Missing Money

2010-10-17T03:18:00.001-04:00

Today on my way to the supermarket, I made a quick trip to the bank. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that I had spent my Christmas Club money. Yep, not keeping up with my finances has cost me yet again. I do remember last month at the last minute taking money out of my credit union account to cover some bills (not thinking at the time why I had a couple of extra hundred dollars in my savings). At the time, I just thought, "Oh, I haven't made a withdrawal in several weeks, so that would explain the extra money". I knew months before it would happen that the money would just "disappear" when it was rolled over automatically from my Christmas Club account to my savings account. I think I mentioned this happening in a previous blog entry. That money was suppose to be my "guilt-free spend on me" money.

Well, being a bit annoyed, I think I will withdraw the Christmas Club amount ($600) from my regular checking account before that money disappears as well. I have half a mind to stash it under my mattress until Christmas time. No, it isn't the safest place to keep money, but considering my lack of financial skills, the bank isn't much better. I'll see.

Well, that didn't last long.

2010-10-12T21:42:00.002-04:00

I think the title says it all.

Quick Entry

2010-10-11T20:51:00.001-04:00

Quick Entry. Really nothing to blog about. Same bad habits carried over from week to week. This three-day weekend was no different. However, I'm feeling a bit pleased with myself for finally making a greater effort to stick with my "To Do" List. I accomplished 7 out of 13 things that I had written down. If I get off this computer, I could do another 2(possibly 3) items on my list.

Sometimes you do things (or plan to do things) a hundred times and it just doesn't click, but then one day it does. I'm going to try using one of my extra pocket "anecdotal" notebooks as a daily "To Do" List. I'm going to try to keep a daily "To Do" List. Hopefully, if I can fill up one of the mini books with a bunch of lists, I won't need to be such a procrastinator in the future.

This week(at home), I'm going to try cleaning one thing in my apartment. And at work, I'm going to try to put 2 or 3 "items" on my list for completion by 5PM. I'm hoping that if I can feel like I accomplished something, then I will be able to leave work at a normal hour.

Well, I better go and see if I can check off another 2 items on my "To Do" list.

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UPDATE - I was only able to check one more thing off my list (homework sheet). Unfortunately, my computer is a liability. After answering a couple of emails, and planning a social networking event, I don't have time to do anything else from my list. The real test will come tomorrow. Hopefully, I will be able to stick with my new goal.

Shopping

2010-09-12T00:59:00.000-04:00

Today, I was suppose to go to a birthday party. However, my foster sister had another BBQ at her home. Since there have been several people sick, I went to the BBQ. I also decided to stop by the teacher's store to pick up a number line. Well, the store was still out of stock, however, that didn't stop me from spending. In the end, I spent about $204 on teaching materials. After the BBQ, I went to the mall to do some "Back-to-School clothes shopping (leaving about $350 poorer).

First Day

2010-09-10T23:27:00.001-04:00

Well, First Day has come and gone. Just a few random thoughts before calling it a day.
On the last day of teacher prep day(the day before the students arrive [about 2:55pm]) a group of (three) student teachers came to my classroom (in the midst of me trying to get my room together). They came to introduce themselves and let me know that one of them would be working with me. I was already stressed out trying to get my room ready, not have my lesson plans, so that wasn't good news. I called my principal to beg out of "the help". Luckily, she saw the positive of having the extra help. After the first day, I realize it might be a good idea to have the extra help.

Oh, luckily, my class size has shrunk just a bit. Now, my register is 27 students. Yes, it is still a big class, but (for me) 28 is the magic number between large and doable and overcrowded and stress inducing just thinking about the number. AND, having the student teacher for half the school year will be nice (I think). I've had college students who had course-work to do. It has been a toss-up (some are better than others). This one seems to be very eager. She was pleasant and professional. On the first day, she arrived at 7:30am ready to help.

The first day I was stressed for the usual reasons, but mainly starting the new year with new students. The day before, I was at the school until about 9PM trying to get the classroom ready. The first day went very smoothly (even for my lack of preparation). Due to the holidays that were coming the following day, about 1/3 of my students didn't show up. Here in NYC, the following two days are holidays, so no school. When the day finished I wanted to spend one hour for classroom prep work, and one hour for paperwork, but I was soo tired, I didn't really do much of anything of substance. However with that said, I was very happy that I resisted the old habit of loading up my shopping cart with teaching materials with the promise of spending part of the weekend planning. This time, I took only a couple of books and materials (just enough to plan for the coming week). No as of this moment, I haven't touched that bag. I pretty much slept away yesterday and today.

Diet and Exercising
At the moment, the plan is to start on Monday. My bike is still in the middle of the living room (unused). I also need to clean my apartment, it is started to get dirty again. Luckily, not even close to the way it was, but if I don't start with a cleaning routine, it is going to get that bad again.

Infinite Crisis - A Novel

2010-09-06T23:08:00.000-04:00

I almost forgot. I finished reading Infinite Crisis - A Novel. The book took a long time to get started, but once it did I enjoyed reading it.

Quick Entry

2010-09-05T22:53:00.000-04:00

More shopping. I went to the teacher's store near me. I needed a classroom number line. Well, I picked the wrong time to go. I was expecting the place to be very crowded, but it wasn't. However, the placed was fairly picked clean. I made a list of things that I wanted to get, but several of the items were out of stock. Unfortunately, that didn't stop me from spending money I don't really have. I ended up spending another $225. I really need to get a handle on my classroom spending.

Exercise
So now that my exercise bike is up, what's the plan? Starting tomorrow, or Tuesday, I will return to my (modified) liquid diet until October 31st. Right now, I'm only looking at short-term. Anything longer will seem to unrealistic. Actually, my original plan was to do the liquid diet during this summer, but we know how that turned out. Well anyway, the thinking is that if I can stick with the diet and (stationary) bike riding for the 8 weeks, I will be motivated to do another 8 weeks. If I stick with some kind of workout routine until January, I'll join the Y.....yet again.

Finally!!!

2010-09-05T01:23:00.000-04:00

I finally put together the exercise bike I bought back on July 16, 2010. I'm going to try the (modified) liquid diet (along with some exercising on my bike and rowing machine).

Problem? My back is bothering me a bit. This past week along with trying to get my classroom together, one of the APs at my school asked me (and another male teacher) to help another teacher with moving some things. On Thursday, it was moving 10 ~12 large plastic bins of science materials upstairs to another room. On Friday, it was helping a new teacher move 75 classroom chairs from the rented U-haul parked across the street to the third floor (no elevator). The new teacher said that the chairs were given to her if she was willing to move them. She said her plan was to just use 16 of the chairs and donate the rest to our school. She must be a new teacher if she thinks she will ever have a class with only 16 students in it. I didn't say anything, but I was thinking it. Not to mention the chairs stored....never mind.

Anyway, my back was feeling okay today. I didn't even pretend that I would do anything. I slept the day away. I was feeling okay, but the discomfort returned when I moved the box containing the exercise bike (disassembled) from the hallway to the living room. I'll have to be careful. I'm already exhausted with one more "setup day" to go. This year there is no weekend to buffer the setup days from the first day the students arrive. On Tuesday, I'm going to have to make sure I don't do any heavy lifting.

Well, I gotta go. Tomorrow, I will have to return to the teacher's store to make a couple of purchases. I forgot I threw away my old classroom number line.

Preparation - Day 5

2010-09-04T00:25:00.000-04:00

Somehow my blog entries for my preparation days don't seem to add up, but I'm too tired to care.

Today was the last day for unofficial preparation. And I'm still not done. This coming Tuesday is the official day teachers have to report to school. So, this year will be starting like all of the others; I'll be playing catch-up. The AP at my school informed me (as a group of us were leaving the building) that there will be a 3 hour PD (professional development) on Tuesday. Therefore, half my day will be gone. The very next day the students will be arriving. The following two days school will be closed. On the one hand I'm happy, but on the other I'll be playing catch-up. I will try to use the following week to stay afterschool and do the planning that I thought I would have started before the students arrived. It would have been so cool to to start school with my entire year mapped out.

Preparation - Day 3

2010-09-02T21:38:00.000-04:00

This will be short. Today was more cleaning. I arrived about 11AM to start cleaning and reorganizing the main storage closet in my classroom. I was (once again) bothered by the idea of just putting things back, and hopefully getting around to cleaning and organizing at another time. I know that if I don't do the cleaning and organizing now, it won't get done. So although I'm somewhat annoyed that those around me are all ready set up, and my room still looks like I arrived yesterday, I'm pleased with myself for cleaning out my closets and cabinets. I think I've done all the cleaning I need to do. Tomorrow, I will try to get to my room by 8AM (something I haven't been able to do for the last three days), and do as much setting up as I can.

Preparation - Day 3

2010-09-01T23:18:00.000-04:00

More of the same. Oh, and I received my class list....

if everyone shows up....

I'll have....

32 Students!!!

Preparation - Day 2

2010-08-31T22:03:00.000-04:00

Today wasn't as successful as yesterday. I woke up stiff and tired. I had to drag myself out of bed. Today I really wasn't in the mood for unpacking. I was hoping to be finished today, but no such luck. I'm going to try an earlier bedtime tonight (and breakfast tomorrow). Hopefully, I can get the burst of energy I had on Day 1. So, I'm going to end this entry now. Bye for now.

Preparation - Day 1

2010-08-30T22:32:00.001-04:00

I'll have to keep this short. I want to be in bed by 11PM. So, how did I do with my "To Do" List? Not very good. In hindsight, I wasn't realistic. In the past, the last minute rush usually involved me returning the following day (and in some instances, that day is a Saturday). So although, I didn't do too well with my list, I'm pleased with what I accomplished:

Day 1 - Results:
I managed to arrived at 7:40AM; I was unpacking by 8AM.

1. Unpack all necessary boxes (about 18 of them) - I unpacked about half.
2. Arrange classroom furniture - 90% Completed
3. Set up classroom library - 90% ompleted
4. Set up (and fill up) the brand new shelving units - Set Up Completed, shelving 40% Completed
5. Set up classroom computers - Not Done
6. Change bulletin board paper - Not Done

Well, that was Day 1. I returned home about 6:30PM. I then had to do my laundry. I also made sure to soak in the tub for about a half an hour. I didn't want to wake up tomorrow morning stiff and too tired to be at school by 8AM.

Well, I'm going to try calling it a night early (for me), so that I can have another productive day. I should be able to finish the unpacking and classroom setup tomorrow. That would give me three days for planning(long-term), and one day for prep work(short-term).

Vacation Ends

2010-08-29T23:23:00.000-04:00

My vacation is over. Today, my plan was to see a movie "Dinner for Smucks" and visit my foster father. However, doing the visiting first put the kibosh on the movie. By the time I finished "visiting", it was time to return home.

On my way home, I decided to once and for all try the Shopping Center I see while I'm riding on the Metro-North train. Since I don't have a car, I'm limited by my shopping choices. Weill with A Target, Home Depot, and a BJ's within my travel route, I now have some more options. Especially BJ's. BJ's is a bulk food and supply store.

Well, I better go. Tomorrow is the first (unofficial) day of work. Here in NYC, teachers are required to report back to schools on the day before the students do(this year it is September 7th. Most teachers will probably returned two or three days before. I like having the whole week to slowly adjust to work hours. Also, I really need more time to get organized. Each year I've failed with getting organized and spend the reminder of the school year stressing out. I'm hoping the that this will be the end of my losing streak. My goals for this year are actually the exact same goals as last year. Since I failed so miserable with my goals, there is no need to change them.

So, will this year be any different? Only time will tell. The first real test (I suppose) will come tomorrow. Each year, I've always managed to find something to distract me from unpacking until this last minute. Even though I'm usually the first teacher back, I'm usually the last one finished.

This year (tomorrow), unpacking will be the first thing on my To Do List. If this year is going to be different, I will have mostly finished my Day 1 Goals:

Day 1 "To Do" List*
1. Unpack all necessary boxes (about 18 of them)
2. Arrange classroom furniture
3. Set up classroom library
4. Set up (and fill up) the brand new shelving units
5. Set up classroom computers
6. Change bulletin board paper
*In the past, this has been my Day 5 To Do List. I've been able to get most of it done in Day 5, so I should be able to get it done on Day 1. I hope.

If I can get most (or all) of the above list completed, this would be a good indication that my year just might be different from all of the others.

My next posting will let you know if I succeeded.

To Be Continued...

Back to School Shopping (Part 1)

2010-08-29T00:31:00.001-04:00

Well, my vacation is just about over. As usual, I didn't do anything I had planned to do during my time off. A part of me is looking forward to returning to work....a part. : )

Today I finally got around to cleaning my living room floor. I finally swept, washed, and waxed the middle part of the floor. Now, I just have to do the hallway floor. I also have to put up the new shower curtains, then my apartment is as clean as it is going to get until next summer. I am happy that I will be starting the school year with a (relatively) clean apartment.

I was just transferring the photo of my back to school shopping trip purchases when I came across photos of my apartment taken July 5, 2010 (the start of this summer). If I get around to it, I might do a before and after series for the different rooms of my apartment. Now that it's clean, I don't mind. Hopefully, I'll never let it get that bad again. I hope.

Anyway, I went shopping for some back to school materials. Usually, I go to a store in Brooklyn, but I discovered that a larger store is located near me. It turns out the travel time to the teacher supply store near me is about an hour one-way on public transportation (not including waiting time). The store in Brooklyn is about 2 hours one-way on the subway.

So, was I able to show some self-control with shopping? A little.....very little. I ended up spending $380.07 on teaching materials, classroom supplies, and bulletin board decorations.

I settled on attaching a photo of the books I purchased at the teacher's store. I'll save the "messy room" photos for another time.

Slide Show - Rye Playland Amusement Park

2010-08-26T21:58:00.000-04:00

DMV

2010-08-26T01:01:00.001-04:00

I felt much, much better today. For one of the few times this summer (or any summer), I was up and out of bed before 7AM. I needed to get some cold medicine. Although I was feeling better, I didn't want to push my luck. I also decided to order a pancake breakfast from a local diner.

After a quick (unplanned) nap, I decided to go find out about the $509 bill my HMO sent me. I wanted to go in person. My thinking was that I get better results if I handle paperwork in person. Well, I was wrong. I was quickly (but politely) informed that they "don't deal will insurance claims...". I had to call a 888 service number. I never got around to it, I'll do it tomorrow.

On my way back home, my plan was to stop at a local downtown store to buy a floor lamp. Since I was downtown, on an impulse, I decided to finally get my driver's license updated. I've lived in my current apartment for about 4 years, and I've never gotten my license changed. I was planning to just pick up a mail-in application. However, the lady was very nice (and polite), I decided to get it over with. The waiting time was not bad (about 15 minutes). Unfortunately, my life wouldn't be mine if there wasn't confusion.

When I completed the application, I filled in the "Change Location for Voting Registration" section. The guy ripped that part off without looking at it. I wasn't thinking about it at the moment. However, when I received my temporary license ($18) it stated that I had elected to not register to vote. I went back to the guy and showed him the mistake. I had filled in the bottom part of the form for relocation of where I wanted to vote. He told me that I didn't need to worry about it. I just needed to go to Customer Service Desk and ask for a mail-in form. So I go to Customer Service (a different lady this time).

Me: Mr. J told me I could just pick up a mail-in form for voter registration.

NL: (New Lady) Who told you that? You have to wait in line.

Me: Mr. J. (as I pointed across the room).

NL: You can't skip the line. Tell him to just cancel the license and issue a new one.

Me: (back to Mr. J.) The lady told me to tell you that I can't get a form. You have to cancel this license and issue me a new one.

Mr. J: (Shouting to NL). "NL, just give the guy the mail-in form it's right there on the left."

NL: (Shouting to Mr. J.) "He can't skip the line (gesturing to the long line of people waiting). Just cancel the license and make the correction".

Mr. J. :(Sucks his teeth). Just a minute, I'll get you one. He doesn't go to NL, but to another area to look for the form. He can't find it, so he goes to ask another lady for the form (she sends him to another area).

I get the form. On my way out I see that it asks for me to fill in the same information I just filled in on the other form plus I had to write the correct address for my voting district (which I didn't know). Yep, I had to go back to Mr. J to ask. After that, I decided to fill out the form and mail it off then and there. I was just so annoyed at the lack of service for my $18, I knew I probably wouldn't do it once I left the DMV.

From the DMV, I went to buy my new floor lamp and headed for home. At home, I worked on the right side of my living room. I moved the furniture along the right wall so that I could wash and wax that side of the floor. Tomorrow, I will move the furniture back. I'm going to put everything back the way it was except for the bookcase. I'm going to reposition the bookcase so that I can get another one in that corner. Anyway, the perimeter has been washed and waxed leaving only the middle of the living room floor to be washed and waxed. The last area to clean will be the hallway. My apartment will be finished.

Oh, I also stopped by the post office to pick up my School House of Rock DVD.

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I got the cartoon from the internet. It just seemed to fit.

Easy Entry

2010-08-24T22:07:00.000-04:00

This will be short and easy. Today, I was too sick to do much of anything but sleep. I got up about noon, and was too tired to fix oatmeal, so I had a cup of milk and ate two $.50 cakes. I spent most of the day in bed. I was going to go out for some cold medicine, but I was too tired. I just had a bowl of Campbell's (low sodium) chicken noodle soup. I'm now boiling some hot water for oatmeal. I don't know what I had, but my appetite is returning. And my nose is no longer dripping like a runaway faucet. I still have a splitting headache. Tomorrow, I will go to get some medicine.

Almost Doesn't Cut It

2010-08-24T01:07:00.002-04:00

This shouldn't take long. I started cleaning my living room(he furniture movie kind of cleaning). I think it has been about 3 years since I last cleaned my living room. There was so much dust that I started getting an allergic reaction....And I only got to 1/3 of the living room. I had to wash down the baseboards. I washed then waxed the 1/3 of the living room floor. I used twisty ties to organize the various computer cords. The layout of the living room will stay basically the same, but I did relocate the lights. Hopefully I'll be in a cleaning mood tomorrow. I will need to do the other half of the living room. I also need to wash my blankets (yep, they are still out). I've just been moving my blankets from room to room. Once I finish with the living room, the hallway will be the last area to clean. After I clean the bathtub, my apartment will be officially clean...for the moment. If I follow through with the above plan, it will be the first time in years that my whole apartment will be clean at the same time. I will also try to put my exercise bike together as well as unpack that printer I bought way back in April of 2008(and never opened).

I almost forgot. I play the Mega Millions Lotto. Below are two sets of numbers. The one on top are the numbers I had, the numbers on the bottom were the winning numbers. If the numbers I had were the correct numbers, I would have won $10,000.

My Numbers - 03, 14, 28, 44, 48...34
The Winnings- 04, 13, 29, 20, 48...36

Bus Ride

2010-08-21T23:43:00.002-04:00

Today I scheduled another social networking event for my group. And, as usual, none of the members signed up to attend. So this was a solo excursion. The event was to Rye Playland Amusement Park. Although I went alone, it was a nice trip. Not great or exciting to go to an amusement park alone, but it was still nice to get out of my apartment.

What was the most eventful thing about the excursion?

The hour and 10 minute bus ride there.

This young mother and her son(3 years old approx.) and her friend (with her son [5 or 6 years old approx.]). The kids' behavior and attitudes were atrocious (the 3 year old much more so). The 3yr. old threw an open bag of Doritos in my direction. Yes, the bag hit me (spilling Doritos onto the bus floor). The mother yelled, pinched, and pulled the 3 year old, but he just ignored her. After about 3~4 minutes, the kid finally bends down to pick up the Doritos. The three year old picks up a single chip, and then he picks up the bag. After putting the single chip in the bag, the other young lady snatches the bag. They were speaking in Spanish, but from the body language, I'm guessing she didn't want the dirty clip in the bag. After debating what to do, she balls up the bag...and goes back to the loud conversation the two young ladies were having. The Doritos were left on the floor. The boys went on being loud, and too playful for a city bus. However,...the ladies conversation continued. After about 10 minutes, the mother of the older boy puts a plastic container (about the size of a five pound bag of sugar), filled with cookies and a variety of candy. The kid played with the junk food, picked at the junk food, and of course, he ate the junk food. And then when he finished, he decided to lay across two seats (shoes on[of course]) to rest. About 15 minutes later, the older boy is playfully taunting the little boy, who was from time to time screaming for his mother (who is sitting right next to the two boys). However, the "adult conversation" wasn't interrupted. The ladies kept on talking, and the kid kept on screaming. That is...until the 3yr. old decided to throw a plastic shovel at the 6yr. old (again in my direction). The mother of the 3yr old snatches the shovel, and slaps the boys hand. The boy's reaction?

He snatches the shovel back and stares at his mother. The mother mumbles something ....and continues her conversation with her friend. Yep, the boy kept the shovel.

Near the end of the bus ride, both ladies now have their sons in their arms smothering them with kisses and baby talk.

True Story(with details left out). The only thing that kept flashing through my mind was that I would eventually have both boys in my classroom (metaphorically speaking).

Sorry, I got to into wanting to vent about the bus ride, that I won't be able to upload photos. I will post those photos another time.

Social Networking Event

2010-08-20T01:54:00.001-04:00

Today I went to another social networking event. This one was on how to make friends. This was an interesting experience. I'm glad I joined. There were a couple of minor glitches, but considering the cost(free), I thought the event was well-worth it. I enjoyed myself for the experience and I'm looking forward to the next event. I did feel like most spoke to me because they had too, but the experience was a positive one. I got out of my apartment and made the attempt to make friends. No, I didn't make any new friends, but I still enjoyed the experience. I would have liked to have met everyone in the group. Next time, I think a speed round type activity (before or at the end) would be useful for those of us who lack the confidence or experience going up to strangers. I LOVED THE LOCATION!!! The location was in a penthouse apartment that can be rented out for local groups. After the event, I did a bit of walking by myself. I went to the Waverly Diner for dinner. Yes, I'm still on the "I'll start my diet soon" routine. I had a burger with an order of onion rings. For dessert, I had a doubled scoop of vanilla ice cream with a walnut and chocolate syrup topping. I also had a slice of warm cherry pie. After stopping off at Forbidden Planet Comic Shop, I headed for home.

** Oh, after I returned home, I checked my mail and would you believe that there was a bill from my healthcare provider for $509.00. That has to be a mistake. I have HIP health insurance with a 0% copayment. I'll have to call up tomorrow. I hope this is a mistake.

Quick Entry

2010-08-18T22:05:00.000-04:00

Today I received a call from my AP. I ordered a few items that I'm hoping will help me get organized this year($475). She suggested that I come to move my boxes from the office to my room. It wasn't until I arrived that I realized that the 4-draw file cabinet wasn't among the boxes. My AP told me that she would ask the delivery person to deliver the file cabinet to my room. The four boxes were easy to move, but a 4-draw file cabinet wouldn't be easy to move by myself up to the second floor. So what did I buy? I bought a couple of shelving units, a storage cabinet, and a file cabinet.

Bill Paying Day

2010-08-17T22:36:00.000-04:00

Not much to write here. I woke up tired, so I didn't do any cleaning today. I finally got up and out to pay some bills. Most importantly, I submitted my rent renewal lease. My rent will now be $1,090.00 per month. I signed for a two-year lease. I'm really going to try to put some money aside each month so that I'll have enough money to move when my lease is up. I really like where I live, but I don't like paying so much money for rent. Hopefully, I will be able to save some money each pay period for the next couple of years.

Cleaning - Part 1

2010-08-16T23:19:00.000-04:00

Today, I finally got around to doing a some serious cleaning of my apartment(furniture moving, wall washing type of cleaning). I tackled my bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen. The last room to clean will be the living room and the hallway. Once the living room is done, I will be able to put my exercise bike together.

Yep, that's the blog for today.

Salem's Lot

2010-08-09T17:39:00.003-04:00

Well, today was a bust. I wanted to clean my apartment so that I can unpack the exercise bike and resume my (modified) liquid diet. Unfortunately, I didn't do much today. I finished reading the last one-third of the Stephen King book "Salem's Lot". It was long, it gave a lot of details that bored me. It also took a very long time to get started. The strange thing is that the book wasn't in any way shape or form scary. It was interesting, and it did hold my attention. However, a part of me wonders if I would have finished reading the book if I wasn't on vacation. Instead of a roller coaster ride that "The Da Vinci Code" seemed to me. Although the "Lot" book was written nicely. I got the impression of it being more of a slow drag that started and stopped along the way. Now (before I invest in "Under the Dome"), I want to read "Misery". I'll read that book when school resumes. I want to see if I can get through it when I don't have a lot of free time on my hands. That's another book that is suppose to be scary, and the movie definitely leaves that impression.

Anyway,now that I've finished the book, I'm going to watch the 1979 movie on YouTube. There was also a 2004 movie, but my online search has told me that main parts have been changed.

My next summer read will be the novelization of the DC comic series "Infinite Crisis".

Post Date - Monday, August 9, 2010 6:00PM

Brunch & Another Black Bag

2010-08-08T22:04:00.003-04:00

Today, I went to a brunch organized by another social networking group. The brunch started at 11:30AM. It was nice. However, the organizer wants to charge $20 for membership to the group. One of the assistant organizers (who doesn't want the group to charge a fee) invited me. Although they were a nice group, I don't want to pay $20 to join a group, that I might not participate in very often. Besides, I have 3 groups of my own.

After the brunch, I wasn't sure what I wanted to do, so I walked around the area a bit. On an impulse, I bought yet another little black bag(see attached photo). I liked it because it it small and has several small pockets. Right now, my messenger bag doesn't have a pocket for my cell phone, so it is kept in the main section, but when it rings, I have to stop, dig, and search for the phone. Doctor Oz mentioned on his TV show that men shouldn't kept their cell phones on their waist to limit the radiation. That's only a minor reason for me, mainly I don't feel comfortable with it out. I worry about it getting stolen, but mainly I worry about losing it.

After walking around 14th street, I decided to walk down to the Staten Island Ferry Terminal at the tip of Manhattan Island (about 3 miles according to Google Maps). I took the bus back uptown.

Post Date - Sunday, August 8, 2010 10:26PM

Doctor's Visit

2010-08-06T13:47:00.007-04:00

Today it was time for my yearly medical check-up. I tried to schedule it during the summer. I also try to schedule it for as early as possible since I can't eat anything the morning of the check-up. I had my appointment for 10AM, and by 12noon, I was finished. Results:

* The results of the groin complaint yielded nothing. The test showed no damaged or any warning signs. My doctor suggested that it must have been a pulled muscle.

* I'm being put back on water pills to try lowering my blood pressure. It was also suggested that I start taking one aspirin per day to lower my BP. I'm still on the border. My BP was about 122/80.

* I gained about 5lbs. since my last visit (3 weeks ago). I was doing okay with the liquid diet, but after my doctor said to modify my liquid diet, I quit the liquid diet, but I've been lazy about resuming. Each week, I've been "going to start soon".

After the medical checkup, I went to visit my foster father. After the visit, I decided to go for a bus ride downtown. Since my air-conditioner isn't hooked up(it has been sitting in my closet unused for the past 3 years), and I didn't feel like sitting under a fan. I decided to take a ride on the city bus. Since I got on the bus near the beginning of the route, I was able to get a good seat. The air-condition was at a good temperature(not too cold). From about 125th street to 23rd street(the bus went out of service for some reason), it took about an hour due to traffic. But since my goal was just to sit in the air-conditioning, I didn't mind the pace. I was reading Stephen King's "Salem's Lot".

Salem's Lot.
Now, I'm about half-way through the book. The writing seems nice. I like the way he describes the characters and the settings. He gives a lot of details to help the reader create mental pictures. So why is this book so boring? At the halfway mark, the idea of vampires is only now just being suggested. Only suggested! There has been about 3 or 4 "disappearances" in the story, but nothing tied to vampires. Also, there are waay too many characters for someone like me to keep track off. I can handle a story with 5 or 6 characters in a single location. But, I don't have the mental capacity to keep track of an entire town, an entire cast of characters (past and present). King switches from present to past and back again, without any clues. It's after reading two or three pages that I have to stop and guess if this is past or present. Every time a character appears, I spend too much time guess (and searching previous pages) to find out who is this character. It's not a bad book. I just don't think it is for me. Strange though, it still seems to be holding my interest. I think reading this book during the summer was a good idea. I probably would have stopped reading it if I was doing my regular commuter reading.**

** I did take a sneak peak at a couple of clips from the 1979 movie on YouTube. I love YouTube!!! I resisted reading the summary on Wikipedia. I have a bad habit of jumping to the back of a book and reading the last chapter, or reading the summary on Wikipedia. And of course, losing interest after I know how it ends. I now know who the boy is traveling with the main character (mentioned briefly at the beginning of the book, then not mentioned [directly] again...at least not to the halfway point). I also know how the "love story" aspect will probably end. It is strange that a horror book that (to me) isn't scary; it is somewhat boring(to me), it seems way over my head in terms of readability, and knowing key parts of the story (from YouTube), hasn't caused me to want to stop reading the book. Strange.

It is also strange that I still want to read King's "Under the Dome". I've already decided to use my Christmas Club money to buy myself an upgraded cell phone with a touch screen. I'm also thinking about getting an E-Reader. I've had a Christmas Club account for the past couple of years, but each year the funds are automatically rolled over into my regular account and just seems to disappear. This year (October 1st), I either go Christmas shopping for myself early, or I withdraw the funds so it doesn't disappear. For those of you who might be wondering, why is he thinking of himself for Christmas presents? Because, I've always been more of a giver on Christmas, and my "returns" are usually much, much less than the amount I've spent on others. The exchange doesn't bother me too much (it is the season for giving). However, now that I'm getting older, I think it is time that I added myself to my own Christmas List. Last year, I spend about $300 on gifts. Last year, I don't remember, but I think I received $60(cash) and a cover for a weekly (or monthly) planner I didn't have. I did eventually buy a planner for the cover, but I haven't used it once. The year before, I think I got $100 (cash) and a thermo-shirt. This year, I want I gift that I will like, use, and remember.

Oh, and I need to put that exercise bike together. Yep, it is still sitting by the door (unopened).

Post Date - Friday, August 6, 2010 3:08PM

Dental Visit

2010-08-04T23:12:00.005-04:00

Today I had a dental appointment. I wasn't too pleased with the experience. Although I haven't had an appointment in about 5 years, I've never had an experience that was painful or uncomfortable....until now. I chose this dentist because I received a postcard a couple of years ago (yep, I still had it after two years.) I also liked the location of the practice (a nice office complex near my home).

Anyway, the visit started off nicely. I had to stand in a room with a lead bib under a machine that rotated around my head. That was cool. Then, I was escorted to the back room to the more familiar dental room. After the dental assistant had me prepped and ready for another x-ray???(including the lead bib). She informs me that the dentist wouldn't be able to start until I paid the $125 for the appointment. So yes, I had to get up and have the lead bib removed so that I could pay. Then everything was put back on. I do have insurance, but not all the paperwork is filled out, so I decided to pay now and be reimbursed later.

The cleaning.
In the past, I remember a white straw-like vacuum being hooked to the corner of my mouth while the dentist did the cleaning. Today, the dental assistant had a silver hose what looked like a dime in diameter (holding the silver part with both hands with the tubing coming from over her shoulder. It looked like she had dragged in a household vacuum slung over her shoulder. Question? Has dental surgery really progressed in the past five years where a simple hooked-typed vacuum is replaced by the need for a human being doing nothing but hold a vacuum? The problem? She wasn't really doing a good job. Occasionally she would dab the vac, but most of the time, she just stood there holding the vacuum. The saliva bubbled up and out of my mouth but she just stood there holding the vacuum in place. The dentist? He was digging and scrapping with the drill like a carpenter digging for termites. I guess basically, I felt he didn't have nice bedside manners. It seemed like my mouth was just a thing he was working on. I've never had that experience before. I felt the dentist was being too heavy-handed. Shouldn't the dentist have let the drill do the work? I don't think force was required to remove plaque or tartar, when you have a drill.

When the dentist finished, he told me that my wisdom tooth might need to come out because "food was collecting back there." He also told me that I have serious abrasions on several teeth. I told him it was due to me brushing my teeth too hard. Every dentist I've ever been too were the ones to tell me that. I was alway told to brush with less force. What did this dentist say?

"Do you want me to bond them? That looks serious. It could get worse. I'll charge you $50 per tooth. I normally charge $75 per tooth".

I said no thank you, maybe next time. When I got to the receptionist, she told me she didn't have change and could I go to the store a few doors down to get change". When I returned, she was finished typing a letter for me. Yep a letter. When I arrived I had mentioned that since I didn't have insurance at the moment, I would need a receipt so that I could put in a request at a later time. Well, what I got was a receipt on one of the slip from the cheap receipt booklets you can find at some $.99 shops. I know because I bought a receipt booklet from a 99 shop a few years ago. Anyway, I was given the none descript receipt along with the letter stating that I had received dental services. A business card was enclosed in the letter "just in case you have to send in more proof". The receptionist asked if I wanted to make an appointment for my next visit, but I said no, I had the check my schedule. I will make another appointment in 6 months, but I will try another dentist.

After the dental visit, I should have returned home and cleaned my apartment, but here in New York, the weather report was predicting another HOT day. I felt the heat waiting at the bus stop, so after stopping off at the post office (the property owner of the apartment I live in sent the new lease by certified mail). Anyway, after the post office, on an impulse, I decided to go to the mall to beat the heat. This time, I went to a mall I hadn't been to before. I went to the Galleria in White Plains. The plan was to walk around (in the air conditioning), and maybe see a movie.

The first thing I liked was that the bus ride was only an hour. The other malls mentioned here take about 2 hours (usually two trains, or a train and a bus) when factoring wait times. The second thing I liked was that it had China Max (formally Panda Express).

Unfortunately, this location is more "Americanized". There was a lot more grease in the food than the other locations. Even the green beans which were practically raw, still were dripping in grease. This meal didn't taste as good as the others. Also, I discovered that this mall didn't have a movie theater. The movie theater was actually located in another mall. I say another mall because
1. the place had a different name
2. it was located about two city blocks away with no connecting tunnel or bridge.

From a shoppers point of view, this is a great shopping place. I think all of the big names are in this area. I also think there are actually three (yes, three different malls) right near each other. There is also a transit hub nearby, so it is a nice place. I should have been wowed by the sight of the three malls. But, when it is over 90-something degrees, and one purposely goes out of his way to get out of the heat, one does not want to walk two blocks in blistering heat to hop from one mall to another. Well, that's just first impression disappointment. Instead of getting love at first sight, I'll have to learn to love this location.

I didn't event get a chance to explore. I get caught up in Barnes and Nobles (first in the hobby section, then in the teacher's section). I was really trying to not spend money I don't have, but in the end, I caved. So, some of my bills will be late again this month. Although I am please that I did put some things back.

Instead of listing the items, I'll just attach a photo.

After B&N, I wandered around Target Store. I did eventually find the movie theater. I was going to see Cats and Dogs, but I liked their movie prices. In Manhattan, I would pay $18 for 3D, but at this Mall (City Center), the price was $12 for a matinee(the price of 2D in Manhattan).

Post Date - Thursday, August 5, 2010 12:43AM

Lazy Summary

2010-08-04T22:26:00.006-04:00

I've been in my lazy summer mode. I'll try to recollect the past couple of days:

Monday
After sleeping most of the morning away. I decided to go for a walk downtown. I took the Metro-North express train into Grand Central Station (42nd. Street). I walked to 14th Street and Union Square. I went to see the movie "Despicable Me". Although I paid for the ticket, I did use points on my movie card to order a small popcorn($6) and a small box of candy($3). Yep, those two items combined would have cost $9.00. A single hot dog would have cost $6. Normally, I don't buy food at the theater.

Back to the movie. I really liked that movie. It was very entertaining. I liked how they threw in the occasional adult humor. Adults were laughing just as much as the kids.

After the movie, I walked back to 42nd Street, and went to visit my foster father.

**I forgot to mention the drunks who rode the trains. The subway had a single drunk who talked to himself and other passsengers, and cursed God. Asking passengers if they wanted to fight him. Finally, he decided that he didn't want the train to move, so he stood between the doors so that the train doors wouldn't close. Finally, the guy got off the train expecting to be arrested, because he told the the train conductor (who came to see why the guy wouldn't move), "You're gonna arrest me". The good news was the train went express to make up for lost time. From the subway, I got on the Metro-North train, and....I got on the train that had a group of drunk guys coming from a baseball game. One guy kept getting up to check what station he was at. Another guy kept going on about how he was going to fight the conductor if he (the conductor) asked for a ticket. Both guys were very loud.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tuesday
Another lazy morning. Today I have a social networking event that I planned. Only one person signed up for the panel discussion at the Museum of the City of New York. The panel discussion was nice. Not great, but nice. It lasted about 2 hours. One of the panelist seem to have some interesting stories to share, but it was difficult to hear him. Near the end, the audience had to remind the guy to speak up. Overall, the event was okay. At 2 hours, I was expecting something a bit more substantial. It seemed to just be a presentation of a group of individuals who seemed to be sharing a bit of past recollections. Although the stories were nice, there wasn't much substance to them. Sorry, I didn't take any pictures.

Slideshow - Maritime Aquarium

2010-08-01T22:22:00.003-04:00

Below is a slideshow of the photos I took at the Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk Connecticut.

Maritime Aquarium

2010-08-01T01:14:00.004-04:00

Hello All. I'm tired. I didn't finish the captions for the new photos, so I'll have to do the slideshow another time. To save time, I'm going to cut and paste the my review of the event.

I forgot to mention that this isn't the NYC aquarium but the one in Norwalk, CT.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A whole day isn't needed to see the aquarium, but with all of the exhibits (except for the very small African Penguins) in an airconditioned facility, it was a very nice experience. I didn't feel like I had to rush to "see as much as I could". It was nice stooling through the aquarium. The Metro-North ($24) ticket covered the admission into the aquarium(included the Classic IMAX show but not the 3D ride). I paid for the 3D ride, it was nice, but not worth $5.50. I was surprise at the $11 ticket price for the Shrek IMAX movie. All in all, it was a nice experience. The train ride at 47 minutes each way was also nice. I wouldn't mind going back again next summer. However (having seen everything), it won't be an all-day event. The NYC aquarium can be done in 30 minutes. This aquarium can be done in about 2~3 hours.

A Movie and Bookstore

2010-07-25T00:11:00.006-04:00

Today, I joined a social networking group event to see "Salt". I enjoyed both the movie and the company of the group members who attended. I thought the plot, pacing, and acting were all done very nicely. The ending of the movie does leave open the possibility of a sequel, a series, or a character franchise. After the movie, three of us went to a nearby restaurant "Chipotle Mexican Grill". I thought the restaurant was a nice selection, it was able to accommodate the vegans and the non-vegans (like myself). After lunch, each person went their separate way.

I went to Barnes & Nobles. Although I have a stack of unread books at home, I still decided to buy something. As I was brousing the sci-fi/fantasy section, I continued into the horror section. Normally, I'm really not a horror fan. However, for some strange reason, I want to read Stephen King's latest book, "Under the Dome". I read a couple of chapters just to see if the book would hold my attention. Much to my surprise, the chapters I read did hold my attention -- Yes, I know the book has 1088 pages. A part of me was worried that I would lose interest in the book and not finish reading it. Also, a part of me didn't want to carry around that heavy book. In a moment of strength (I rarely have to resist an impulse buy), I decided to hold off on buying the book. I decided to buy another (smaller) King book with the idea that if I could finished the smaller Stephen King book, then I would buy the much larger "Dome" book. After lingering in the King section for awhile, I narrowed down the selection between "Misery" and "Salem's Lot". I settled on "Salem's Lot". I also purchased "Infinite Crisis - A Novel" by Greg Cox. They took a 5 or 6 issue comic book series about Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman and made a novel out of it(404 pages). Interesting.

Post Date - Sunday, July 25, 2010 12:44AM

Preview

2010-07-22T23:37:00.004-04:00

Not much to write about. For the last couple of days, I've been trying to tackle the cluster of papers, receipts, and other clutter that I've lived in, on, and over for the last couple of years. I also need to clean up my living room so that I can unpack my exercise bike and start exercising.

The attached photos are a couple of "Previews". The first photo is my computer area/dining area, finally cleared off. I've had papers, and clutter covering these surfaces for at least a couple of years. Yesterday was the first day in at least two years that I've eaten at that table. The other photo is the exercise bike. Hopefully, I will finally be able to clean my living room. Once my living room is cleaned the other rooms will be easy to clean.

Finished!!!

2010-07-20T23:52:00.005-04:00

Another lazy day. Today was my FedEx wait day. I was waiting for my stationary exercise box. While I was waiting, I spent the day watching various court shows on TV. Is it me, or are the signals for the converter box getting worst. Sorry, I got sidetrack.

My new bike arrived about 4:30PM EST. Some assembly required. While waiting for my bike, I also FINALLY started to do some cleaning of my dirty apartment. I also finished the jigsaw puzzle "Comic Relief - The Great Escape". Yep, it was much easier on a flat surface. However, I would've had more difficulty if I didn't have the picture on the box to help.

Post Date - Tuesday, July 20, 2010 11:59PM

Lazy Day

2010-07-19T23:19:00.002-04:00

The title says it all.

Oh, I was surprised to get an email from Amazon saying that my exercise bike would be delivered tomorrow -- not a moment too soon. I was surprised because I qualified for the free shipping which gave the shipping time between 5 and 9 business days (and delivery date a few days afterwards). I placed the order around Saturday around midnight (Sunday morning). If the email was correct, then I'll receive my bike in two business days. Great!

Jigsaw Puzzle in Central Park

2010-07-19T00:23:00.002-04:00

Today was the first meeting of one of the social networking groups that I organize. I think I've mentioned a few times, that social networking groups are ways a person can meet others who share common interests. In this case, I started this group on an impulse during a moment of boredom. As I was "creating my group's profile page (choosing color combinations, and introduction page, etc...), I was planning to delete the group when I got to the payment options page. However, that page never appeared, so my group became a reality. I mentioned that it doesn't matter what interests you might have, there will probably be people who share the same interest, or if they don't, you can be placed on a waiting list until someone creates the group.

So, what is my new group?

Jigsaw puzzles.

The goal of the group is to find others who share an interest in completing jigsaw puzzles as well as building scale models.

Well, with my group now operational, I accepted the meeting time and place of the automatic scheduling. Today was the day. Even though no one has joined my "Jigsaw" group, I still went to the park to complete jigsaw puzzle I purchased yesterday at the mall.

Below is a slideshow of the results of my first "Jigsaw" social networking group.

Another Impulse Buy

2010-07-18T00:16:00.002-04:00

I think the title says it all. When it arrives, I'll try very hard to not make this just another expensive clothes rack.