One thing I have always wanted to do was to run in the Freihofer Run for Women. Mind you, I had NEVER run in my entire life - though this race was on what I like to call my "Big Life List" as I refuse to have a "Bucket List."



So one day I decided, and don't ask me why, I said that this will be the year. I downloaded (for the umpteenth time) the "Couch to 5K" running program - but this time I meant it. And I did it.



I started the 3 times a week workout with more walking than running (and a lot of huffing and puffing and sweating), but then I got to liking running. And for someone like me, every time I went to the gym or a trail, it was a new personal best - I was actually running.



The 9 week program was perfect - the last workout timed out to be race day. I was so excited. I was ready. Along the way I had gotten on of my clients/friends/attorney to run with me and she signed up. Then I found out my banker was running. We three non-runners ran and cheered each other on and had a really fabulous experience.



I can't say enough about going out and doing something and living life to the fullest.



Have I run since - NAH! But I will. We three non-runners have signed up for our next 5K in July.



Better get running!

As you can imagine, I spend a great deal of time in the car, and local radio just wasn't keeping my attention.  Then I found Audible.com.  It's a site to download books onto cd or your ipod (or whatever your listening device is).  I have to say - it's one of the best things I have done for myself since the start of the new year. 

Audible.com works kind of like NetFlix - you can choose the plan that fits your needs.  Right now I am listening to about one book per month - and am loving it.  I go back and forth between something motivational, non-fiction and fiction.  So far I have listened to a motivational seminar on "Becoming Unstappable," "Eat, Pray, Love," and I am currently listening to "Atonement."

With so many books and so little time in my life - I am loving this and hope all of you with lots of car time, travel time, or sit on the patio time check it out, too!

 

Last week I wrote how excited I was to get free maps and a guide book for our upcoming rip to Montreal.  They were well worth it - we had a wonderful get-a-way.  Don't get me wrong - I absolutely love my business and taking care of my clients, but it can be exhausting and I have to remember to take care of myself.  And we have found that Easter weekend is great for travel - hotels are quiet and are practically giving the rooms away.

We left on Friday afternoon (Good Friday) and arrived in Montreal in time to check into our hotel, hit the bar for a couple of relaxing cocktails (that's how I know it's a day off - cocktails in the afternoon!), then we went for dinner.

Interesting at dinner - we went to a wonderful French restaurant right in the heart of the city.  We were some of the only diners not speaking French - and what was the word we could understand throughout the restaurant - SPITZER!  We did however manage to have a wonderful French dinner - lamb and veal and a very fine wine.

We spent most of Saturday at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts -- which was wise since it was about 15 degrees and 40 mile an hour winds.  This is a wonderful museum.  Everything from Egypt and ancient Greco-Roman, to modern day.  They had a few really beautiful galleries of Renaissance religious art - which we felt made up for not being in church on Easter Sunday - which a close friend of my husband's reminded us of prior to our trip.  Seeing the entire life of Christ depicted in outstanding paintings, sculpture (one from the year 1100!), and alters, we discussed the Passion in great detail and got our spiritual experience within the galleries.  After the museum it was a few hours of reading and napping at the indoor pool and hot tub.  VERY RELAXING!

Sunday we had breakfast and decided to head back home - feeling relaxed and refreshed to face the work week.

Any time you can get away and off the hampster wheel I highly recommend it.  You don't have to go far, or spend a lot of money to come home a new person.  Just get yourself out of the norm and have some FUN!

Very rarely these days do you get something for nothing...no strings attached, just plain old FREE. Well today I got FREE.



I went to AAA (yes, I am a member and pay dues) to get a map of Montreal. My husband and I are planning a little get away this weekend. They gave me two maps and a tour book for FREE.



The moral of this story is: Don't forget to use the memberships that you pay for and get the most out of them. It only cost me 15 minutes of time to pop over to the very friendly AAA office on Delaware Avenue.

As I sit down to write this entry, the vacuum cleaner is humming in the background.  And why this makes me so happy is that I am not the one operating the vacuum!

Even though I say I don’t make “New Year’s Resolutions,” one thing I did for my own well being and for the business in 2008 was to hire a cleaning person.  And needless to say, Niki is my new BFF.

But more than getting my house cleaned, the whole experience has made a little light bulb go on and has given me an insight into my clients’ thoughts.  I have always wondered why my clients will call with a request and apologize that they can’t do it themselves, or a potential client says “I would call, but I don’t want to bother you.”  OK, ladies – it’s now MY JOB for you to bother me and for me to help you!  No apologies necessary!

But as my new cleaning person was giving me a list of cleaning supplies to purchase (I really didn’t have many) I found myself apologizing for the condition of the stove when she asked for SOS pads, and I was apologizing when she asked for spray bleach for the shower.  Now I get it – we are women and we need to apologize – or at least blame our husbands for the mess.  

But I also had another breakthrough – if my business wasn’t booming and if I wasn’t crazy busy every day – I’d have all kinds of time to buy cleaning supplies and clean the shower, but I don’t!

So the next time you find yourself apologizing over something silly – DON’T!!!!  We are all way too busy, and it’s OK to ask for help!