Leaves and Cheese......2 more off "the list"

I am sure you are trying to figure out what I have crossed off my list with these two very different items...LOL.

In one day I managed to knock off another two firsts!!!!

The leaves.......I have so missed the fall and the leaves turning color since I moved south.  I have NOT missed raking the leaves once they have fallen.  In fact, that was the one job we had to do each year that I hated.  When we first moved to Pearl River, it was a fun family event.  We would rake the leaves into big piles in front of the house and would take turns diving into them or doing somersaults into them.  Even my Mom and Dad would take their turns.  The first home I owned in Pearl River had between 20-30 trees on it so you can imagine the amount of leaves I am talking about.  We had neighbors would would pretty much run out and catch each leaf as it fell from the trees so their lawn always looked pristine.  The Pizzolongo approach was a little different.......wait until every damn leaf was off the trees and then rake them on to sheets and drag them to the road. If it had rained before we got to rake them it was even worse.  Some times my brother's could get a hold of a leaf blower and that was great.

My first fall In SC, I asked a coworker when the leaves would change. She looked at me and laughed and said "you missed it".  It was around Thanksgiving and it had happened without the vibrant colors I had come to know.

Jenn and I had talked the last few years about going up to North Carolina to the Blue Ridge Parkway to see the leaves that had turned color.  Yesterday, we finally made the trip to Asheville.  First we stopped at the Biltmore.  It was built by the Vanderbilts.  It is the largest single family residence in the country.  We were going to go and see it but the $60 ticket price each made us decide against it.  We did go into the Biltmore Village to shop.  The village is where the workers and crafts people who worked on the estate lived.

Next, the leaves.  We headed to the Blue Ridge Parkway.  I was surprised the part we drove was only one lane in each direction.  It was a very curvy road!! There were look out points along the way.  The views from them were amazing!!! The mountains and valleys and colors in every hue.  I had found autumn......and the beauty of this time of year.  Jenn and I continued to point out trees to each other as if we had never seen a red or gold or orange or yellow leaf before....LOL.

Ok now to end the confusion about the "cheese" as part of this entry....LOL

Ok first let me say "I am a cheeseoholic!!!"  If I was told I could only each one kind of food for the rest of my life I would choose cheese.  My sister has promised when I die and am going to be cremated....she is going to throw a piece of cheese in the casket so I can go out of this life as a grilled cheese!!!! I have not tasted many kinds of cheese I do not like.

Oh but about the first with cheese......

I have really been following Weight Watchers very strictly and have been doing better than I have my last few attempts. Well as most of your know cheese it not really a good option and on Weight Watchers it is high in points so I am really cutting back on it...sob sob....

I am too embarrassed to tell you how much cheese I used to buy each week or eat each week for that matter.  But no more!!! No I haven't given up cheese totally but I am really eating just a fraction of what I did before.....that is huge for me!!!!

Oh but about the first......ready....drum roll......I bought some sliced cheddar cheese a few weeks ago (maybe longer than that).....and had to throw it out.  I pulled it out of the deli bag and yuk.......it had gone bad it the best way to say it and not make anyone sick.....it could have been used for penicillin.

This is a BIG victory for me.......I have never thrown out cheese before....ever.......another WW NSV (non-scale victory)!!!!!

While I do not have a picture of the nasty cheese....LOL.....

I do have a picture of some of the leaves we saw on our ride yesterday.....this was not in the Blue Ridge Parkway but in the way to Asheville.  Jenn will be sharing some of her pictures from the BRP on FB.

So Happy Fall to All and Farewell to the Cheese!!!!

See you next week!!!!

It's Only A Blip On The Map Of Life

I need to remember this.......so many of the things that happen on a daily basis.....what will they matter when I am old??

You know.....the rocking chair theory......."What will really matter at the end of my life?"  When I am sitting in my rocking chair reflecting on what was important and what was a blip on the map?

I love the movie Serendipity......there is a point in the movie when one of the characters says "the Greeks did not have obituaries......they would ask did the person have passion?"

The blips on the maps are not about passion........passion is something that lasts and leaves an impression.

My love of writing is a passion.......my love of the beach......my love of family and friends......my love of laughter........all passions.

A bad day at work......the pool at the gym being closed for repairs.....the unexpected car repair bill.......even Bob's recent bout with cancer.......all blip's on the map of my life.

There are more good days than bad at work......the pool will reopen this week.......the car repair bill will get paid off........and Bob will have his kidney removed and need no further treatment for his cancer.

But those wonderful days of beautiful sunrises or sunsets........the smell of the sauce cooking in the kitchen.......sitting at the beach and watching the waves........pure laughter.......the joy of looking at a Christmas tree all decorated.......and really good hugs from those you care about......they offset the negative blips of life.

I will remember  the kindness of others.......the small gestures that meant "I care"........the "I love you's"......the "I miss you's".......and the tears of happiness (and try not to remember the ones because of sadness or anger).

When I am gone and the question is asked "Did she have passion?"....the answer will be a resounding yes...........that is why I am working on "the list"........it will give me more things to learn, to love and to enjoy.....and maybe find new passions......you never know I might find something new that will excite me or make me laugh or open a new door for me......and that is what Chapter Three is all about.........

See you next week.....

PS #1 I continued tracking my points for Weight Watchers and was down at the scale again today!!!

PS #2 When I got to the gym yesterday the pool was closed for repairs.  When that happen in the past, I would go home.  Instead, I went in and did the circuit in the ladies gym ......twice!! It is what Weight Watchers calls a NSV (which means a non scale victory).

The Music Video and Me.....Item 5 Off My List

One thing I hate to do I draw attention to myself.......not surprised are you????

Twice a year my company, TD Bank, has town hall meetings across their footprint (from Maine to Florida).  At the opening of each of these company wide meetings they start with a video......of their employees.  The video has a cross section of employees  dancing and answering questions to fake interviews.  An example of a fake interview is asking me "what is your favorite food?" and I of course answer "cheese".  Well when the final product is done it will show someone asking me " what was your favorite gift on Christmas ever?" and then you see my response "Cheese".......get it......it's funny....

In a recent office email, employees were asked to volunteer to be in the meeting video.  Last spring, they used the "Happy " song and I have to say the video was very funny.  This time around it was Katy Perry's "Roar".  Of course as soon as I read the email I hit delete.  Not doing that I thought to myself.

And I didn't give it another thought..........

That is until I had my weekly one on one with my boss.......

She didn't ask about the video or my participation.......nope it was me opening my big mouth........when will I learn?

The conversation went like this......
Donna: oh that music video.....not a chance I am doing that...
My Boss:  wouldn't that be a great thing for your list of things you haven't done
Donna: I am not doing the music video
My Boss: you don't have to do it but you are the one who has been challenging yourself

I should have known then I was sunk......

Because she was right......I have been trying to push myself to do new things.

Then I pushed it from my mind......I had to be out of the office and work from home one day and thought I had missed video day....... I thought to myself that solves the problem....I missed it.

But NNNNNOOOO...........there were 2 days of video shooting and I was  lucky enough to be in the office the second day they were filming!!

One of my managing partners mentioned the video shoot was that day at 2:00.  She asked if I was going to do it.  I said no but then told her about my conversation with my boss.  She then said to me my boss was right and it would take another item off my list.....damn my list....ugh!!!

I thought about it through the morning and kept on saying nope not doing it.  But I could picture my boss sitting on my shoulder saying "you want to challenge yourself and step out of your comfort zone don't you?"

A little before 2:00 PM, my manager partner came and asked if I was doing the video and I said "I don't think so".  Then one of her team members joined us and said "oh come on do it!".  I explained why I didn't  want to do it by pointing at my body and saying something about how I felt about the way I looked.  Her response was "but you are beautiful".  OK a raving beauty I am not.......but I have to get it through my head how others see me and not how I see myself........when will I ever get that???

So as you have guessed at 2:00, I was in the room for the video shoot.  I came in saying I was not going to dance.  The person shooting the video was very accommodating.  I didn't dance.  I sat and worked with headphones in my ears......while others in all kinds of TD green and purple hats and boas and masks......and holding tambourines and other TD noise makers danced around me while I was oblivious to all they were doing.  Then they started to decorate me....with a green hat that had lights that flashed off and on....a green or purple boa....throwing confetti on me....as I continued to work.  Then at the end I pick up a green tambourine that had lights that flashed off and on and shake it.

The whole thing only took a few minutes and it was done.  There was talk of doing something else.......at that point I said I was done and fortunately it was the end.

I can only hope I end up on the cutting room floor.

So if you want to challenge me to do something it appears you only have to remind me of "the list".....LOL!!

The video will be shown here in Lexington this week.....unfortunately, I will not be in the office that day so I will miss my screen debut.....darn it....no red carpet.......no paparazzi.......I will just have to live without having that experience!!

The work I was doing during the video......here is a picture of what I was writing in my notebook:

P.S.#1- Another good week at Weight Watchers- I tracked my food again this week and had another good week.  Thank you Jenn for reminding me to track everything !!!!


P.S. #2- On another note:  most of you know Bob was diagnosed with kidney cancer last week.  I have not written anything but one post about this on my family's FB page because we don't know much right now.  We will be meeting with his Dr's this week and will hopefully have more answers. I will keep you posted,  Please keep Bob and Jenn and I in your prayers as we learn what is next...

See you next week.....