boot camp?

I have often thought how fun it would be to work a different job each day of the week doing things I love to do. For instance on Monday I would have a bookkeeping job where I just reconciled bank accounts and cleaned up general ledgers on Quickbooks because those are my favorite accounting things to do. On Tuesday I'd cook a beautiful meal in a restaurant or make fancy cookies in a bakery. On Wednesday maybe create my own art and sell it. Thursday I'd be a docent at the Darwin Martin house. Friday I'd babysit a sweet baby. Saturday I'd teach an exercise class. Sunday work at a greenhouse. And on and on.

Recently I was looking through the Buffalo News Sunday job section. What a joke! But I saw an ad in there that stated "Get your exercise and get paid for it". Sandy of Bodyshaping by Sandy was looking for exercise instructors. I used to take classes from Sandy before I joined the BAC. I completely wore out two of her Pilates CDS. The ad said to show up at her studio on a Saturday at noon and audition. So that's what I did. Sandy told me that I have a strong body and good form and she thought I'd be good at teaching either Pilates or any of the body sculpt/boot camp classes. So I went to training class and attended a few boot camp classes. Tomorrow is my last training class. I thought Pilates would be best for me to teach because it is slower paced and more serious. But I love the body sculpt class that I have been taking for several years at the BAC. But again you have to be real upbeat, energetic and be able to call out moves before you do them without losing your breath.

Sandy sent out a list of the fall schedule classes that were still in need of a teacher. I was a little hesitant because I've never taught before. But there is a boot camp class held only one night a week (Tuesdays) at a church near my house. I emailed her that I thought I'd like to teach that class. I think I can do it. It's not a sure thing yet. Here so many of my friends who are teachers are retiring and me who has never taught anyone anything is thinking about becoming a teacher.

things i've read

One thing I like so much about reading is finding out that you are so not alone in the world regarding your thoughts and feelings. I have been reading along in a book too many times to ever count and come across a line that makes me think....omg I thought I was only person that ever felt that way, or had that thought or did that. It is a comfort and connection to the rest of the human race to find out that others have shared your thoughts and feelings.

Another thing that I love is when I come across a phrase or some wording that remains in my head the rest of my life. These often are not upbeat phrases and sentences because I am, whether I like it or not, a person who is draw to the oddity, the mysterious, the quirky, to sadness and unhappiness and unsettled endings. But I am not really a sad and unhappy person. I won't share some of my favorite lines here for fear of revealing too much of my dark side. Too much of myself.

Recently I read this line in a book and I thought...how true. "They had time on their hands nowadays, but they did and they didn't. They had more time and they got less done, that was the truth of the matter. And they weren't idle, either".

My weekends are usually fairly open. I could get so much done. And I used to. But now although I feel like I'm busy most of the time, I never seem to get much done and never get around to doing pleasurable things (things I used to find pleasurable and hope to find pleasurable someday again).

I've looked at life from both sides now. From win and lose and still somehow, it's life's illusions I recall. I really don't know life at all.

blu spa

Several weeks ago I attended an ASWA board meeting at Blu Spa. We usually just meet in a meeting room at someone's office but this time we decided to treat ourselves to spa services throughout the meeting. This spa is in West Seneca and is very modern and large. There is literally a maze of hallways that take to you to various meeting rooms, party rooms, massage rooms, hair styling, pedicure and manicure rooms.


this is a hair services room


and from another angle


one of the many little beverage service areas


our president in the middle and two board members in our party area.

We had several kinds of subs, two salads and key lime pie and cookies.


a couple board members receiving pedicures


this little baby doll joined us near the end of the meeting


my pedicure....Suzi Loves Cowboys

Last night I left the BAC, hopped into my car, turned the key and instantly set off a loud whirring, whistling noise. I let it run a minute and the noise continued. Then I smelled or imagined I smelled burning rubber. I am always terrified that my car is going to burst into flames whenever something doesn't seem right with it. I started it up again and drove it a ways through the parking lot. Worried that I shouldn't be driving it in it's condition, whatever that may be, I shut it off again and called B. He told me to drive it home and so I did. B took a quick look at it and couldn't tell what was wrong. He told me to take it to the dealership in the morning. I'm off on Fridays so that is what I did.

After two hours of coffee, two Timbit donut holes and two stories in the book that I'm reading, she came out to tell me I needed a new alternator and they wouldn't be able to get one or do the work until Monday. They offered to give me a ride home but I elected to walk so I could spend a little time in Goodwill near the dealership and treat myself to some lunch at Chili's.


At Goodwill I found this cute basket and a Patty Griffin CD


two blouses in shades of cream and black


a white tank top, embroidered black skirt and tunic sweater

Then I had house salad, enchilada soup, chips and salsa and a Margarita at Chili's. After the three mile walk home in the hot sun carrying my purse and bag of goodies, I felt a little sick for awhile. Feeling a little better now. Time to get up and attem. Laundry and cleaning wait for no man.

through the looking glass

Besides a collection of 1000 paperweights that I loved but didn't photograph here are some final things that caught my eye....I know you must be bored to death by now of glass objects.


a forest of trees made with drinking glasses sitting on glass shelves....there were even a few glasses with birds on them


glass dress


glass flower


modern sculptures


another modern aculpture


glass tire


glass curtain


no...it's not the lighting dept at Home Depot


stained glass window


cut glass baseball bat


glass beaded boxes

through a glass darkly

bowl made from fusing thin glass rods


grass bowl made the same way


cube made from thin sheets of glass


hanging knives


exploded torso


cityscape bowl


Roman Catholics vs the Jews chess set


octopus chandelier

no room at the inn

Wrapping up the Finger Lakes trip


Donna Carla Barb and me at the George Eastman Mansion

Donna Carla and I checked out of our hotel on Saturday morning and went to Barb's beautiful house in Webster. Stepping into Barb's house is like stepping into the pages of House Beautiful magazine. The lady has a knack for decorating. Barb offered to drive us around to give me a break from driving and because she knows Rochester better than I do so I took her up on it.

First we toured the George Eastman Mansion. I've toured a number of mansions and I have to say that this is one of the most impressive. George, you know, invented the Kodak camera so everyone (not just professionals) could take photographs. He was an extremely wealthy and generous man. There was also a Norman Rockwell exhibit at the mansion. It was fascinating to see how Norman took tons of photographs of his neighbors and friends and then used bits and pieces (a face here, a hand there) to paint and illustrate his pictures.



sisters Donna and Carla at lunch

We had lunch at a sidewalk cafe.


my grilled shrimp salad

Then we toured the Susan B Anthony house. Susan was quite a lady and I really appreciate all the hard work she did to ensure equal rights for everyone. One of the interesting things about this tour was the passion displayed by our tour guide. She could go on and on about Susan and she did. But it was all interesting and at the end of the tour when she told us about Susan's death, she got all choked up and her eyes teared.

Then Barb drove us up to Lake Ontario and we got out and walked onto the pier. We watched about a dozen swans swimming and listened to the calm lap of the waves.
We drove back to Barb's house after. Thank you Barb for driving. It was such a fun day.

Next I drove Donna and Carla to my son Jay's house. We took a little tour of the house and were entertained by the antics of Tess, his girl cat. Brody, his boy cat, did not make an appearance. We all went to Ruby Tuesday for dinner.

Then Donna, Carla and I drove back to Buffalo. I had made reservations at a Quality Inn by the airport. It was late when we checked in....around 10:30. These rooms were small and not so very nice. Carla called Donna and I into her room and asked us to check out the shower nozzle. It didn't have a spray thing on it. She went to the desk to inquire about getting it fixed or to change rooms. While she was gone Donna picked up the remote to turn on our TV. It didn't come on. Soon some young kid came in to fix the shower and brought us a new remote. It didn't work either. He set to work on the shower while we sat around waiting. We were tired and wanted to go to bed. Finally he was finished. Carla went into her bathroom and heard a loud noise. The whole shower head had popped about a foot out of the wall.

We marched to the desk and said we didn't want to stay there so convincingly that they didn't charge us for the rooms and we walked out.

Now to get a room. Three hotels by the airport were completely booked due to flights being cancelled due to bad weather in the Midwest. They told us that we probably wouldn't find anything in the area. So we went into my village to find that two hotels there were full also. I drove over to the group of hotels by UB.
Donna ran in to check on rooms. I saw her smile at the desk clerk. Success!! The desk clerk was taking a room cancellation over the phone while Donna was waiting to be waited on. The desk clerk told her it was her lucky day and she should buy a lottery ticket.

This room was spacious and nice. I was going to go home to sleep but after a bottle of wine the girls convinced me to stay the night.

Sunday we had breakfast at Milos by my house and drove around the village a bit. Then I drove the girls to the airport. I had a wonderful time with all my friends....Donna, Carla and Barb.