Out with the old and in with the new

It's New Years Eve 2010. Another year that just flew by. It's like Ma said. "You turn around once and you're 65". Well, next month I will turn around and be 59. Holy cow! How did that happen?

2010 was a wonderful year. I did my Yoga Teacher Training with Juliana even helping her with all of the paperwork. The training was scary but fantastic. I taught my first class subbing for Juliana when she went out of town. It grew from there. I started my own classes at Etro Salon with Courtney and I have regulars that come almost every week. Then Joy asked me to sub at the Yoga Source and then I was put on the sub list. After subbing for Joy again I was offered a gentle yoga class on Sundays at 9. It was a great yoga year for me. The best ever.

I'm starting my new yoga class at the Yoga Source and I am extremely excited about it. I will be teaching in the Kundilini room which is where the christmas party was. I love it in that room. It's carpeted and it is warm. I am going to TRY not to sweat the turnout. It is what it is. I just hope that enough students are interested in a gentle yoga class on Sundays so that I can keep the class forever. :)

I've decided to make 2011 a great year. I went to the track this morning for the first time in a long time. I walked 3 miles and it was really wonderful. The weather was perfect....cool and sunny. Just perfect. I felt really great when I finished. I set my towel down and did some yoga stretches. Some forward bends and twists and of course, downward facing dog. It felt great.

The best part came after I got home. I got undressed and hopped on the scale and it said 149. I couldn't believe it so I jumped off it, took a breath and got back on. It said 151.5 the 3 other times I got on but at least I got to see 149 on the scale again even if is a false 149. I know my scale and it does that but I have always have made the low weight that it gives me so it's only a matter of time now.

I must be diligent about my exercise. I must start going to the track on a regular basis like I used to do. I know I won't be able to get there on Sundays because I'll have to be at the Yoga Source at 8:45 or so but all the other days are good. I am going to be realistic. I also go to Joy at 9:00 on Wednesdays so I won't make the track that day either so what does this mean?

I really hate New Years Resolutions and so I'm not going to make one here but I am going to say that I am going to go forward into 2011 and be as healthy as I can be. I will exercise and eat right most of the time and this is the year that I will see the 140's on my scale again. I'm sure of that.

If I was going to make a resolution I would have said to get a class a the Yoga Souce and I've already done that and it's still 2010! It's gonna be a great year. :)

150 or 140 1/2

I am very proud of myself. Yes, I am. I stepped on the scale this morning and it read 150. That means that if I can manage to lose 1/2 of 1 pound I will have achieved an important goal that I have been chasing for a few years. Someday I will weigh less that 150 pounds. That's the goal and I'm so close that I can taste it.

HOWEVER....does it really matter? I mean isn't 150 pounds basically the same as 149 1/2 pounds (which would be below 150). I think it is but then again it isn't. When I weigh in at 150 I think it is same but when I finally make it to 149 1/2 I will think that there is a huge difference between those two numbers. Very interesting!!!

Anyway, whatever! I am really close and I am going for it. I've been really eating well lately. I've also been doing yoga almost every day. I taught Saturday for Juliana at the Yoga Source, Sunday at the Salon,and Monday at Juliana's studio. The rest of my week has lots of yoga in it as well. I really need to start more cardio but I'm feeling well and looking great or at least that's what people have been telling me. :)

So it's all in place. Now I just have to continue down the right path. :)

Getting Paul

While Kerry was home we went to Towne Center Mall in Boca Raton and it was great. Kerry wanted to go back to the Apple store and return an Ipad case that she had bought so I stood in line waiting to get in gazing at the 6 foot cardboard image of Paul in the late 60's drooling. It occurred to me that this store was probably going to throw that fabulous Paul in the garbage. I realized my reason for being in that store at that time.

As we left the store I found Mark and asked him if I could have that picture of Paul. He grabbed his manager Matt and introduced us as "his favorite customers". Kerry jumped in telling him how many Apple products she had and how she just bought her new Ipad the other day. Then Mark said "she really is a huge fan. She has Paul McCartney's driver's license with her". Matt whipped around and said to me "lets see it". I dug into my pocketbook and handed him Paul McCartney's drivers license and smiled. "Can I have it? PLLLEEEAAASSSEEE!!! He asked for a business card which I whipped out at record speed. He said that yes I could have it after it comes down around December 13. Yay me!!!

I'm not exactly sure where I'm going to put Paul but I'll have him in about two weeks. It's a perfect Christmas present for me!!! :) :)

It's a Mom Thing-Kerry's Birthday

I have to wake the kid up in a few minutes. We have to get to the airport on time for her to catch her flight back to Notre Dame. Crap!!!! She's leaving again. Just when I get really used to having her around she leaves again. I hate it!

It was a great Thanksgiving/Kerry's birthday visit. I picked her up at the airport last Wednesday and her boyfriend, Frank came over within an hour of her landing. They seem extremely happy together and he is a very nice guy. Pat and I were able to get to know him a little better this trip and we like him very much. I'm all about Kerry's happiness. If she's happy then I am too. It's hard for her to be living so far away from him. He's finishing up his PhD at UF in Florida while she is working on her PhD at Notre Dame in Indiana.

Kerry and Frank

Jon and Cousin Stevie came over for Thanksgiving dinner and we ate way more than we should have. Kerry wanted Frank to meet the family and I think it went well. I made Kerry's holiday favorite Tofurky. Dinner was served early so the kids could pack up and go to Frank's parents house for their second dinner. His parents live about an hour north of us so Kerry and Frank stayed there on Thanksgiving night.

Black Friday came and Kerry and I went shopping. So what else is new? :) I should have known that she was plotting a purchase but I was in my own world and I didn't pick up on it. Unfortunately while we were in the mall Kerry got a really bad migraine but refused to leave the mall. We went out to my car which has very dark tinted windows and she closed her eyes for a while and started to feel better so we went back into the mall. That was when I realized that she was on a mission.

After lots of pouting and making me feel guilty because it was her birthday and I only got her earrings (yep, only) she squeezed me for an Ipad. She said she would split the cost with me but I know I will never see that money. It didn't matter because she was so happy with her new acquisition that nothing else mattered...even the migraine. Amazingly it went away. :)

Frank met us back at the house and they hung out with her old boyfriend and friend Scott who I call Nerdly. LOL. He came by and it was great to see him. Just like the old days. Pat and I hit the sack early because I was whipped and the kids went to see Harry Potter.

Frank left to go back to UF on Sunday morning and Kerry was very upset knowing she would not be seeing him for a while. With tears being shed at the thought of being without Frank she looked up at me all pathetic and said "Do you want to go to the mall?" LOL. Needless to say we went to the mall.

It's amazing how easy it is to fall back into the old patterns. I do realize that she is no longer "a kid" but now I get what my mom was trying to tell me when I was Kerry's age. She used to say " You can't just stop. It's the "Mom thing". Now I understand what she was trying to tell me because now it's my "Mom thing".

A Good Exercise Day

Early this morning I was sitting on my butt in front of my laptop computer and I came across a video clip of none other than my bud Richard Simmons. He was talking about losing weight over the holidays instead of gaining weight. He was talking about portion control, exercise and loving yourself. It was good to see him and I knew what he was saying was true so I got off my butt, got into my walking clothes and went to the track. I had forgotten what a peaceful and special place it is.

I plugged in my Ipod (Paul, of course) and took off for a three mile walk. It felt really good to be there. I think I could have gone more if I wasn't wearing brand new sneakers that need to be broken in. I developed a blister on the back of my right foot but other than that I felt good. I even cooled down with some yoga on my towel. I'm thinking of offering a free yoga class at the park to drum up some business. A little Karma yoga is good for the soul. :) :)

A good exercise day!! Go me!!!

Thoughts on the upcoming holidays

I've been feeling good lately although I know some stressful times are coming. Thanksgiving is a stressful time for me as it's always at my house. I am so glad that Kerry is coming home for the holiday this year. Last year Pat and I packed up Rigby and went up to Gainesville to spend Thanksgiving up there with Kerry up at UF. We cooked Thanksgiving dinner for the 4 of us (Rigby included) and then went to the UF/FSU game. We had such a great time and it was good to get away from the stress of having Thanksgiving dinner at my house.

Kerry will be arriving on her birthday Wednesday in the morning and then Frank will be coming in later on in the day. They are planning to spend the holiday split between us and Frank's parents who live about an hour away. I don't mind sharing. I'm just happy to have them here. Jon and Cousin Stevie will be coming over for dinner and to meet Frank. It'll be Turkey for the carnivores, Tofurkey for the vegetarians and birthday cake for everyone. :)

Frank and Kerry

Kerry is going to spend Friday with me. We will be going shopping!!!!! Yay!!!!! It's been way too long since we have combed the malls for bargains. I'm sure we will be getting a very early start. There is nothing better in the whole world then Black Friday with the kid. :)

On Saturday we will be going to an engagement party in the morning and then I'm sure she will want to spend time with Frank before he goes back to Gainesville on Sunday. Kerry is flying out on Monday but she will be back in a few weeks to spend some more time with us during her winter break from Notre Dame.

The Grotto at Notre Dame

The three of us at Notre Dame Football Stadium

The golden dome at Notre Dame

I miss her. I can't help it. I just miss her and I'm so looking forward to spending some time with her.

Yoga Journal Conference 2010

Last Saturday Ruth and I went to the Yoga Journal Conference at the Diplomat Hotel in Hallendale Beach and it was truly a wonderful time. I am feeling sore now but I am so glad that I went. If I didn't have Ruth I never would have gone. Never in a million years. I am very lucky to have such a good friend to share all things yoga with.

Ruth and I so happy to be at the conference

Ruth picked me up at 5:45 am and we set off on our adventure. When we arrived at the hotel I was totally blown away by the beauty of the Westin Diplomat. We walked around for a while checking the place out and scouting out the room where our first class was going to be. Then we to the Cafe and had some coffee in this gorgeous hotel.

Arriving at the hotel

Hips and Twists with Rodney Yee was going to be our first class and we were extremely excited about it. We were the first ones to put our mats down and we made sure we had a good spot. I have been doing Rodney's DVDs for years and I was sooo psyched not only to see him in person but to take class with him. All of a sudden the door opened and there he was. The famous and fabulous Rodney Yee sat on the stage in front of us with his wife Colleen Saidman Yee.

Ruth waiting for Rodney Yee

I was waiting for Rodney too!!!

Rodney and Colleen

We worked hard in the two hour class that focused on hip opening and twisting. Rodney and Colleen took turns teaching and adjusting students in poses. When they brought us into downward facing dog with a twist Rodney came over and grabbed my extended let and helped me go further into the twist. I felt like I was just touched by......well....the Yoga God. LOL I was surprised by how down to earth and friendly he was. He taught us with a sense of purpose but also a sense of humor. It was an honor to be in the in same room with this amazing teacher.

Rodney in Side Angle

When class was over we met him and Colleen and he was nice enough to sit and pose for picture with both Ruth and myself. Both he and Colleen were very friendly. Ruthie and I were like groupies. LOL It was the perfect beginning to a wonderful day.

Rodney with my hand on his knee. Yeah, I had to touch him. :)

Rodney and Ruth

After taking pictures we ran to our second class which was a fun class about unstacking or decomposing postures. The teacher was Cindi Lee and she really taught us a lot about starting in simple poses and working up to more difficult postures. It really gave me food for thought.

Then it was time for lunch and shopping!!! We had so much fun walking around the yoga marketplace buying new shirts, mugs and of course, a shirt for Ruth's granddaughter, Emily. I managed to spend all the money I had allocated to this shopping spree. It wasn't hard to do. :)

We had an hour or so to relax and hang out so we walked around and went out to the pool area to find a place to sit and regroup. The weather was beautiful as was the pool at the hotel.

Ruth and I by the pool

We were pretty tired by this time but we managed to find a way to have fun and laugh. Boy, did we laugh.

Gangsta Yoginis

Our last class turned out to be a bit of a surprise. We thought we would be taking a class on how to teach beginner students but it turned out to be a beginner student class. We had a totally fun time in this class just being together. There was a lot more laughter in this class.

Then it was time to go home. We were both very tired but so happy we had gone to this conference. It was a time that neither one of us will ever forget.

Waiting for the car

I don't know about you Ruth but I am looking forward to next year's conference. If it is half as much fun and inspiring as this was it will be fantastic. :)

Where Does Self Confidence Come From?

It's the question of the day for me. Where does self confidence come from? Why don't I have any? Like today, for example. I am teaching at Juliana's which is always a wonderful experience. The students are always very complimentary when class is over. I've never heard one bad thing about my teaching but right now I'm sitting here nervous about teaching. Why don't I ever believe my own good press?

After class today, my best yoga bud in the entire world, Ruth is taking me over to LA Fitness to talk to the person who hires the yoga teachers for all the clubs in this area. I am totally nervous about this meeting. Now, not only am I a Registered Yoga Teacher certified by the Yoga Alliance and CPR certified but I also worked at Curves for a year and a half. I've lost 95 pounds in my life. I'M FRIENDS WITH RICHARD SIMMONS!!!! It seems to me that I would be a great fit for them but still I am nervous. What if they don't like me? What if they do like me? The idea of walking up in front of 30 or 40 people and teaching is making me sick to my stomach. Why am I even doing this? Yeah, I need to find my self confidence. Where is it?

Our Anniversary-Today or Tomorrow?

Ok, well there has been quite a lot of drama around me lately but I am happy to say that I have managed to come out the other side with my most important relationships intact. I am happy and peaceful again. It's how I need to be.

Today is a my 34th anniversary. Yep! I've been married to Pat for 34 years now. To top that off we had been together for 7 years before we got married. If you add it all up we have been together 41 years. Man, that's a long time.

I remember the day I got married. I remember thinking that it was funny that I woke up in the morning and said "See ya at the wedding". There was no-oh, don't see the bride before the wedding. It's bad luck-crap. That's pretty much how our marriage has been. Very laid back and very happy. Of course there have been some tough times but not many looking at the whole picture.

Even after all these years, I never know when we are going to turn off the lights to go to sleep and have something strike us really funny. It happened last night. My sides were hurting laughing over someone's last name on the PGA tour. It was Afabarnrat, which struck us hilarious sounding like half a barn rat. I know it's stupid but it's just the way it was. I was crying from laughter. He makes me very happy.

Pat and happy me

Scotty, Stevie's son, got married today in Chicago. Kerry was supposed to go but she got the first case of the swine flu at Notre Dame. I guess God struck her down with the Swine Flu for being the only Jewish student there. :) I'm glad that I got to speak to Scotty today and wish him well. It's a good luck day.

Kerry and Scotty

I miss Kerry very much today. She was the perfect addition to our family when she came. She ended up growing up with with Pat's and my sense of humor. I have so many wonderful memories of her growing up here, with me. Now, she's all grown up and living her own life at Notre Dame. I'm so proud of her but so sad that she is so far away. How did she grow up so fast? Where did the time go?

My baby Kerry

I was very happy to teach my Saturday yoga class today at Etro Salon. It was a small class with only two people but they seemed very happy when they left. Pat's nephew Johnny and his girlfriend Sherry are in town and we will be having dinner at Pat's favorite restaurant, Tijuana Flats. Not the most romantic day or evening but Pat has to work early tomorrow anyway. I think we will just make believe that our anniversary is really tomorrow. :)

Things are looking up!!

I am feeling much better than I was when I wrote the August 31 post. I have stopped the "self destructive behavior" that I wrote about and I am very proud of myself. I'm still being challenged in other parts of life but I can say that I have stopped the aforementioned behavior and I feel VERY good about that. Yay! Go me!!!

We just got back from visiting Kerry at Notre Dame and what a wonderful time we had. We are so proud of her. She has found the group of people she is comfortable with and has also found a lab that she loves. Her new advisor is friends with her UF mentors and seems to love her. He is sending her to EUROPE to collect samples. EUROPE!!! We are hoping that I can save enough money to meet her in England and finally get to go to Paul's house, stand outside and cry. LOL. Yes, we are so proud of her but also in awe of her. I am sure she is going to change the world. She has already changed mine.

The Notre Dame football game that we went to was so much fun. We won. Well, the Irish won, the Gators lost and we had to sit in a sports bar with drunken LSU fans in order to see the game. It was a heart breaker.

The leaves on the trees were changing with so many gorgeous colors. Orange, yellow, red, green and brown. The campus trees were exploding with different colors. It really is a gorgeous campus. It's like going to school in a museum. I miss fall. I guess I miss it because it was so beautiful but the temperatures were in the 80's. It's probably harder to deal with when the cold sets in. I think I may go up during WINTER for a weekend. You know, just a quickie.

Now I'm getting ready for my trip to LA. I leave on Wednesday for Laura's wedding reception. I am staying at her new house and I am so looking forward to this. I always love my trips to LA. We are going to go to 2 of Richard's classes (oy vey), a yoga class and help with Laura's reception. Beth and Ang are also going to be staying with Laura. Such fun. I can't wait.

So as you can see, things are looking up. Yay!

A heart to heart to me from.... me

I feel like I need to write but I don't really want my life out there on the internet. I have been..........how do you say it........engaging in self destructive behavior lately and it gotten worst this week. The sad part about this is that this time, for a change, I'm not talking about eating. I am eating too much and not exercising enough but that's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about other stuff that I am not going to put out there for all eyes to see. I used to spill my guts on Richard Simmons.com but I don't really go there anymore. Laura is quiting and I think I may too. It's been a long time since I posted there and I don't even go to chat anymore. I can't put this stuff on my yoga blog. I'm actually hoping that this post is not read by anyone. This really is a post to myself.

Listen up, Claudia. You need to get a grip on yourself. You are going down the tubes quietly and slowly. I realize you can't talk to anyone about it so here is the truth for you read, take in and act upon it.

No more self destructive behavior. You know what that is. You are not only hurting you. You are hurting Pat and Kerry too and you are damned lucky to have them. If you continue the way you have been going you won't be damned lucky and you won't have them. That's why you aren't talking about it. You are embarrassed and you know that you are wrong. So..... don't throw your life away and STOP THE BULLSHIT!!!

You have got to get back to working out!!! The track!!! Tommorrow!!! How long has it been? Months? Easily months. How about years since you used to go to the track no matter what? Remember that? It didn't matter if it was cold or raining or hot and sweaty. You went...no matter what. Where is that person? Not here, that's for sure. Your eating sucks too. I mean really sucks. The scale did you a favor today at 155.5. You are lucky that it's not 255.5.

You need to get a grip. If you don't you will go down with nothing. No family, no health, no yoga teaching, no nothing.

I love you. I wouldn't bother if I didn't. You could be so happy with just a minimum of trouble. You just need to muster up some will power. This is all powerful stuff but so are you and you can do it. Look at all you have to work with. Say it with me! "I can do it". Now doesn't that feel better?

Claudia's Yoga-My new yoga blog

I decided to start a blog dedicated just to my yoga life. I wanted to have a website that people could check schedules or see what's happening with my teaching. I'm planning on posting about all things yoga. Where I'm teaching, how to do certain asanas (poses), tips on meditation and just all things yoga. The addy is claudiasyoga.blogspot.com. I have it linked on the side of this blog so please check me out and click on the follow button. I'll try to make it interesting for everyone. :)

CLAUDIASYOGA.BLOGSPOT.COM

I'll still be posting here too. Wow! Two blogs...I didn't realize I had that much to say. :) :)

Yoga Teacher Training.

What an experience!! Yoga teacher training was more amazing than I ever could imagine. It started in March and we graduated last saturday night. I am very sad that it is over. We all learned so much from Juliana. We covered every subject you could possibly think of. We spent a lot of time on yoga philosophy, we covered swamis, asana, pranayama, mudras, bandahs, tratica, chair yoga, teaching technique as well as too many other things to mention.

When it first began I was very upset because I really thought that I would not be able to do it. We started every session with a class that was much stronger than the classes I had been taking. I remember crying to Ruth (my very best yoga bud) that I wanted to quit because I felt it was too hard. I was wrong. In the end my practice got so much stronger and not only did I finish the training I kicked it's ass. :)

I must say I am very proud of myself. I set this goal a long time ago and when I did that it was really more of a dream then a goal. There was a time there that I thought it wasn't even going to happen. I really had to work hard to get all the paperwork that was required by the Yoga Alliance in order for Juliana. I promised her that I would help her get everything that was needed by her school filled out and sent in because I knew if I didn't do it, it wouldn't happen. I was right. I did it and it happened. Now my dream has come true and I am a yoga teacher. Even Richard Simmons is proud of me. He said so in a really sweet email to me. Yep I am proud.

I taught class at Vatsu Yoga last Friday and I will be teaching at Juliana's studio when she goes on vacation. Joy also asked me to sub for her at the Yoga Source when she goes on vacation in August. Things are happening. Just not fast enough for me. :)

I have been also offering up very inexpensive or free privates on Facebook just to get started. I'm hoping Debbie Wolff will ask me to sub at her studio too. I need to get myself a weekly gig. That's the next thing to do.



Wish me luck. Namaste!!

My Happiness Journal

Keeping a happiness journal is a wonderful way to catalog the happiness unfolding all around us so that joy has myriad opportunities to manifest itself in our lives. Writing about the emotions we experience while contemplating joy may give us insight into the factors compelling us to resist it. Namaste♥

This was Juliana's Facebook status a while back and I'm thinking that it's a great idea. When life throws us a curve ball it's good to be able to look back on things that make us happy. I am lucky. I have many.

Kerry got into PhD program at Notre Dame-Now this one is interesting. Just the word Kerry makes me happy. All I have to do is think of her and a smile comes on my face. So many things make me smile about her. Memories of her playing soccer, as a baby in Fuddruckers, "Daaaie, I have to talk to you", clarinet performances, sitting at the table laughing with her and Pat, her high school graduation, spending Thanksgiving with her up at UF and going to Tim Tebow's last home game, taking her to see Paul with the second time a highlight of my life, the Dalia Lama, Coldplay, Hansen (twice)....just so many things make me joyous and happy. I could not have asked for a better experience as a mom. Kerry is the best kid EVER. Now she is going off to the University of Notre Dame. I am so proud of her I could just bust however I'm very nervous about her being so far away. I know she will become a fantastic biological scientist and save the world but I will worry day and night. I can't help it. It's just me but this is about joy and Kerry makes me feel that.

Pat-Another word that brings a smile to my face and is filled with memories. Over 40 years of memories. We were just kids when we got together. I was 17. I am now 58. That's a long time and years of great memories. Things like "no picks", "Flizbata", naked golf, the three of us lying in bed making 3 stooges noises, our trips to Vegas, hump day....just so many things that they are too numerous to write down. He has been a fantastic husband and partner to me. He supports me in everything that I do or say. I can count on him NO MATTER WHAT!! We were so different but we are so together. I guess it just shows you that you can be together for many, many years and still be happy. Pat makes me happy.

Pets-1) Mac. Oh my Mac. I loved him so much and I still do and even though he is gone now I still feel happy when I think of him. I would be sitting on the bed and he would jump up, walk on me, hold me down and lick my face until I screamed. He kept me company after hurricane Wilma hit us and Pat had to leave and go to work, he always made me feel safe because I knew he would rip up anyone who messed with me. He was the love of my doggie life and I suppose I will always chase him ie look for him in other pets. He loved me. He was MY dog.

2) Rigby- My Mac replacement. OK, maybe not so much as he is his own dog with his own personality. He loves me too. I call him my "Pea" which is short for Sweetpea because he is such a sweet dog. He is different from Mac but looks almost the same. He reminds me of Kerry sometimes too. The way he always has to bring around a toy is just like Kerry was when she was a kid. I love him madly but he is PAT'S dog. He loves me but he loves his dad. He's all about his dad. I'm lucky if I can get one little swipe of a tongue when Mac would given me a bath but I love my Pea too. His morning banana dance, his cocked head, the way he watches tv and has his favorite commercials. Very cool pet.

3) Jude-He is a great cat and he is totally in love with me. He comes up and lays on my lap while I am on the computer and messes with the mouse so I can't really write much. He's always under the bed covers when he is cold and we call him the Edward G Robinson of cats because of his meow.He hates it when Kerry comes and brings Elly. He spits and growls and then has it out with the paper towels in the middle of the night. It's funny really. He is orange and looks like Simba. He's a cool guy and I love him.



Then there are my friends old and new. Michele, Ruth, Laura, Beth, Wendi, Sandy just to name a few. I am very lucky to have found these ladies who are from all over the country. They are all great friends and I love them all. I have had great times with them all. I am lucky to have them.

My yoga practice makes me happy and how lucky am I to have found Juliana, my spiritual mentor? She has had the most profound effect on my life making me a more grounded, mindful and nonjudgemental person. Now I am taking yoga teacher training from her and because of her. I owe her so much but she would say that I owe her nothing.

Paul. I have loved Paul McCartney since I was 12 years old. I saw him on February 9, 1964, fell in total love and never came back. He was 21 then. Now he is 67 and I am 58 and I am still totally in love. His music has been the score of my life from A Hard Day's Night all the way to Dance Tonight with over 30 albums of music inbetween. He has been the source of so much love and joy in my life that I couldn't thank him enough even if I could speak with him. I finally was able to see him upclose and personal a couple of weeks ago and I felt exactly the same way that I felt when I first saw him in person at Shea Stadium in 1966. Yep, I'll always love Paul.








So there are some of the things that I put in my happiness journal. As I read over this list I realize that the name of this blog is very true. Lucky Me!!!!

Seeing Paul..My Dream Comes True..Part 2

After seeing Paul up close and personal Kerry and I had to run back to the Walmart to get the car. I was worried that it had been towed and I was really thrilled to see it in the parking lot when we got there. We went back into Walmart to get something to drink and I told everyone I saw that I had seen Paul. I told the people on line with us, I told the cashier, I told the air. All I could say was "I just saw Paul". It was hard to come down from the rush of the Paul encounter.

We grabbed the car and drove over to the stadium to listen to the sound check. It was so cool to be able to hear Paul playing with his band from outside the venue. I would have rather been inside but I didn't have the $2500 that I would have had to pay to get in. I was totally happy to sit in my car and hear him play. It was like getting two concerts for the price of one.

Now, a Paul McCartney concert is not complete without a trip to the tour merchandise stand. I'm fairly well known for spending up to $500 on shirts and other tour stuff but I had decided that I was only going to get one shirt for me and one shirt for Kerry. They had this really cute black tank with a flower and Paul's autograph that I had to have for yoga. It was the perfect item that joins my two obsessions. Paul and yoga. Then I saw this really cool yellow shirt that I also had to have along with the matching tote bag. Kerry picked out a really nice blue t-shirt. Although it was more than I wanted to spend it wasn't as bad as it has been at other shows. I got off under $150 which for me at a Paul concert is a pittance. We changed into our new Paul shirts in the car and waited to get in to check out the seats.

The gates into the stadium opened at 6:00 and after getting our field level wristbands we found our seats. Now I am a total Paul seat snot and if I'm not in the first 10 rows I'm unhappy. We were in the 27th row so I was not thrilled with my seats but they weren't really all that bad. We sat around and waited for the show to start.

At 8:30 the band came on stage and there he was. My Paul looking as fantastic as ever. He opened with Venus and Mars/Rockshow which was a fantastic way to start the show. Even though I have seen him 10 times it was the first time I heard him do that song. The set list went as follows:
1.Venus And Mars / Rock Show
2.Jet
3.All My Loving
4.Letting Go
5.Got To Get You Into My Life
6.Highway
7.Let Me Roll It / Foxey Lady
8.The Long And Winding Road
9.Nineteen Hundred And Eighty Five
10.(I Want To) Come Home
11.My Love
12.I’m Looking Through You
13.Two Of Us
14.Blackbird
15.Here Today
16.Dance Tonight
17.Mrs Vandebilt
18.Eleanor Rigby
19.Something
20.Sing The Changes
21.Band On The Run
22.Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
23.Back In The USSR
24.I’ve Got A Feeling
25.Paperback Writer
26.A Day In The Life / Give Peace A Chance
27.Let It Be
28.Live And Let Die
29.Hey Jude

Encore:
30.Day Tripper
31.Lady Madonna
32.Get Back

Second Encore:
33.Yesterday
34.Helter Skelter
35.Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band / The End

This was a dream set list for me because there were quite a few songs that I hadn't heard him perform like Highway, Foxy Lady, Nineteen Hundred Eighty Five, Two Of Us, Dance Tonight, Mrs Vanderbuilt, Sing The Changes, Oh-Bla-Di Oh-Bla-Da (this was a total fan favorite), I Got A Feeling and A Day In The Life. Most of the other songs I've heard every time I've seen Paul. He feels that songs like The Long and Winding Road, Yesterday and Hey Jude are must perform songs and he always plays them. When I heard the beginning of Live and Let Die I turned to Kerry and said "Oh no, not again". OMG!! I was so wrong. It was beyond words. There were huge explosions and because it was an outside stadium they had the most fabulous fireworks I've ever seen at a show. It was amazing. I've added a youtube video of it below.

Kerry and I stood up for the entire concert which was 3 hours long and after standing up all day looking for Paul when the concert was over we were whipped. Totally and completely whipped but the best kind of whipped there is. Paul concert whipped. At the end of the show Paul stood at the mike and said his usual "see you next time". I hope there is a next time. Thanks Paul. I love you forever!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Here are a few of the youtube videos of the show for your enjoyment.

Seeing Paul...My Dream Comes True....Part One

I want to get all this down before I forget it. Yesterday was a most amazing day spent with the Kid and it never would have happened without her. That's for sure.

We left to get to Sun Life Stadium early. Really early. We were on the road by 2:00 knowing that the concert was scheduled to start at 8:00 with parking opening at 5:00. We got there at about 2:30 and were promptly sent away by the stadium staff. They told us to go and find something else to do for 2 1/2 hours. NOT!!!!

We had noticed that there was a Wal-Mart across the street from the stadium so we decided to go over there and dump off the car. There were threatening signs all over the parking lot saying that any stadium cars would be towed. Kerry said that we should park in the busy part of the lot, go into the store, buy something and them hike over to the stadium. I thought it was a great plan so that's what we did.

We had to slip into the stadium though a break in the fence and just started scoping out the place. There were some people there milling around all wearing VIP necklaces. I wanted to see Paul up close, arriving to the show. It's a dream of mine that has alluded me up to this point. Kerry decided that we were going to make that dream come true so that I wouldn't be "that guy from The Alchemist" always dreaming and never doing.

We came upon some people waiting at an area that looked really good for a Paul entry point. We hung around for a while talking to the people one of who was also named Claudia. She was from Brazil and seemed kind of young to be hanging around waiting for Paul but she seemed to be determined to see him and we thought that maybe she knew what she was doing.

As we were waiting we saw a cop who was just standing around. Kerry told me that she was not afraid to go up to people and talk to them so I sent her over to talk to the cop. I heard her say that it was her mom's dream to see Paul and was this the place that he was going to arrive. I walked up and pleaded with him for any info that he would give us. He smiled and told us that he was sure that Paul was NOT going to arrive at this spot. He said he thought that the spot to check out was between gates A and B. We thanked him and I told him that I hoped something really great would happen to him for helping us. Kerry told the other people what the cop had said but they said not to believe him and they were going to say where they were. Kerry and I looked at each other and decided that we liked the cop and we believed him so we took off to scope out gates A and B.

When we got there we met up with Kelley from the Macca-L list and some other people. One of the women named Joanne said that her friends had seen Paul enter at that very spot the day before so we were feeling pretty good about where we were. We noticed cop cars parked around and lots of event staff hanging around as well. These were signs that we were in the right spot.

Then this really cute young guy came out with a video camera. I sent Kerry on over to see if she could pump him for info. She did an excellent job. She said that he was Paul's video guy and he was 100 percent sure that Paul was coming in this way. I was ready. I actually offered Kerry to the guy for the weekend for an invite to the after party but I was only kidding ( I think). He video taped all of the fans that were standing there with special interest in me and Kerry. I wouldn't be surprised if I see her in the video that will be released.

All of a sudden we saw flashing lights and black SUVs coming our way. The cop car that had been parked blocking the area moved out of the way and the cars started down the street right in front of us. The window on our side rolled down and there was Paul hanging out of the window, waving and pointing. He looked right at me and pointed at me. They slowed the car down to a slow roll so I got to see him for about a full minute. He looked great wearing a blue stripped shirt. I finally had my wish come true. I got to see Paul up close and personal in a non concert setting and Kerry got a great picture of the whole thing. When it was over I grabbed her, hugged her and started crying. She said to me "you see Mom? You're not that guy anymore". That guy was the guy from the book The Alchemist who owned the crystal shop, had big dreams that never came true because he never did anything to make them come true. She was right. I was no longer that guy and it was all because of her.

We were actually closer that this picture indicates. My dream come true!

Part 2 next time.......

Paul's Coming-AHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

Here we go again. Paul's coming to Miami on April 3 and I have to be there. There is no way that I am not going to be there. Yeah, ticket prices are loony but over the last few tours I got used to paying gobs of money for decent seats. Now there's the operative word. Decent. Let the mania begin.

Paul playing Jet

Tickets go on sale on Sunday and because I'm a member of the fan club I get in on the presale. In the old days the fan club seats were fantastic. Sixth row center would be the usual and 20th row would have been considered crappy seats. Now I'm fighting with everyone on the internet. It's hard to get good seats these days.

I love the blue backdrop

Now I absolutely must keep my head about me. It's easy to accept lousy seats just to be there and pay hugs prices for them. If I had $1500 I would go for the VIP tickets where you get to get into the sound check but alas I don't have that much. Money is tight these days so that option is out. I must remember that when I log onto Ticketmaster that the first seats that are offered are not necessarily the best ones. I want floor seats and if I have to opt to wait until something goes on Ebay then that's what I must do. The last time I saw Paul, which was in Tampa, I got my seats on Ebay and they were GREAT. I had to pay $100 more than face value but the location was totally worth it. I must remember that when I am trying to score tickets on Sunday. Yeah, right. LOL

Paul from behind 1993

Now here is my other problem. When I found out Paul was coming I was so excited that I told Michele. She is my usual partner for these concerts with me paying for both seats but when I told Kerry about it she said that she would come home for the concert and wanted to go. I remember the last time I took Kerry to see Paul. We had floor seats and she had such a great time. It did my Beatlefan Mom's heart good to see her singing along to every word of every song. She even knew the words to C-Moon which a lot of fans don't know. I was proud. Of course, I'm going to take Kerry but I need a way to tell Michele. I guess I'll just tell her Kerry wants to go. She knows Kerry trumps her.

Paul on a cherry picker going over the audience

Paul and Robbie in 1993

The concert is going to be at Dolphin Stadium. I really wish Paul would go back to the smaller venues like Bank Atlantic Center where I saw him in 2002. I hate these huge stadium concerts. It's really hard to get close and you end up watching on the video screens which is like watching it on TV. However, it's better to do that then not be there. I am going to be there. It will be the 10th time I've seen Paul and may very well be the last. He is, after all, 67 years old and how much longer is he going to be touring. Knowing Paul, his roadies will have to wheel him out in a wheelchair when he's 90. I can only hope. I'm coming, Paulie.

The Best Yoga Workshop EVER

I got up early this Sunday morning to go to Juliana's forward/backbend 3 hour workshop and I am so glad I did. There were 10 of us there so Juliana paired us up into 5 groups. My partner was Wendi who I've known for years. She is a fellow Coach freak as well as a yoga freak so we have lots in common. She turned out to be the perfect partner for me today.

Juliana had us sit back to back so that we could feel each other's warmth, breath and energy. Wendi did a forward bend as I did a backbend on her. Then I did a forward bend and she backbended on me. We spotted each other while doing alternating forward and backbends, triangle, tree and full forward and backbends. It was two and a half hours of Juliana teaching us how to spot our partners. In other words, she was teaching us to be yoga teachers. It was really wonderful. It made me really look forward to what is coming in March.

Full forward bend

We also did lots of work alone on our own mats. Hip openers, inversions, spinal twists and lots of down dogs. I really felt like it was the beginning of my teacher training. I think it was a dry run for Juliana's teacher training skills. She was fantastic. I can't wait to start up.

Downward facing dog

I worry about where I will teach once this is all over but the universe has a way of putting things in your path to make good things happen. I'm sure I will find a class to teach somewhere. I really feel that I can help beginners to start their practice and learn to love yoga as much as I do. Namaste!

It's been too long.

I was just fixing up Juliana's blog to reflect the teacher training that will be starting on March 19 and it made me realize that I have been neglectful of my own blog. It's amazing how quickly time passes. Here it is February 19 already. It really seems as if time is going faster as I get older. I remember my mom telling me "you turn around once and you are 65" and I see it's true. Well, almost true. I'm 58 not 65. :)

OK, let's see, what's been going on with me? Kerry came home to spend my birthday with me last month and it was the best present that I ever could have gotten. I am so in love with that child and I feel lucky every day to have her in my life. She has grown up into a wonderful, caring young woman and I couldn't be prouder of her.

Today she starts the interview process with the Masters program acceptance committee at UF. Her advisor, Charlie, has already made it very clear that she will be accepted into the program but she has to go through the process anyway. I think it will be pretty stress free for her. I would be thrilled if she decides to stay at UF.

Next week she goes to Notre Dame for her PhD interviews there. They want to meet her so badly that they paid for her airfare, hotel and food for the interview weekend. I know she is very excited about the prospect of starting her PhD at such a well known school but it's in South Bend, Indiana which is far away and VERY cold. I'm sure she will go there and knock their socks off. I'm still hoping for UF. I'm Mom. What can I say?

I start my yoga teacher training on March 19th and I am extremely excited about it. I finally will be learning to teach yoga from my guru, Juliana. Anyone who knows me knows about Juliana. She has changed me in a profound way. It's going to be about 4 months of learning about yoga philosphy, anatomy, asanas and teaching classes. I'm also thrilled that my very good yoga bud Ruth is doing it with me. I love Ruthie and it'll be nice to have her with me to study and practice with. I've started reading the required books and I am ready to go. I feel as if a new path is opening in my life and it's a very good thing.

I am also very excited about some upcoming things that I'm not ready to put in writing yet but I know about them and so do the people involved. I can't wait until March 24th.

Last month I decided to cut my hair really short. Now I know that this may not be a big deal to a lot of people but it was HUGE for me. I was upset about it until Pat came home the day I cut it and told me that he loved it. After that people started telling me that I looked 15 years younger and asked me if I lost weight. That was when I realized that I finally had the right haircut. LOL I will post some picture once Kerry brings my camera back from Gainesville.

As you can probably get from this blog entry, I am very happy and excited about life. I've got the most wonderful family and friends in the whole world. I am brimming over with joy. How lucky can one girl from Long Beach be? :)

2010-A new decade

Ok, well, here we are. It's January 1, 2010. It's hard to believe. I remember when I was a kid I would think to myself that I would be 48 in the year 2000. It seemed so old and so far away. Fast forward to now. It's 2010 and I'm 57 turning 58 in a few days. My mom was right. "You turn around once and you're 65". It seems that the older I get the faster it's going.

I'm excited about the upcoming year. I'm going to start my yoga teacher training in a few weeks and I should be finished and ready to teach at the end of April. I'm very excited about starting my new life as a registered yoga teacher. I truly feel that a consistent yoga practice helps ground you and allows for happiness and joy. I am always very grateful for what I have after a good yoga practice. That's why I'm going to Joy's class in a little while. In my opinion, there is no better way to start the new year.

Kerry's life is in flux but she will figure it all out this year. She is sending out application to University of Chicago, Colorado State, University of Michigan, Notre Dame and some other schools as well. She is hoping to get accepted to a PHD program somewhere. I'm thinking that someone somewhere will want her. She has so much to offer. She is very passionate about her research and her field. She's got good GRE scores, great letters of recommendation and lots of experience. I think she will be a huge success. I'm not real happy about her moving so far away but she promises that it won't be any different that it is now. She says that she will be more likely to come home because she won't have to make the 5 hour drive anymore. Let's hope so.

I have made 4 resolutions as Richard has asked me to do. They are as follows:
1) Finish yoga teacher training, obtain my certification and teach a class.
2) Stay positive
3) Do some kind of exercise 5-6 times per week
4) Continue to be happy

I think these are doable goals which is important when setting goals. They must be able to be acheived. I have decided to add one more resolution and that is to be more consistant with this blog. On looking back on this blog I realize that it's like a diary. I like having all this info to look back on.

I am looking forward to Tim Tebow's last game as a Gator tonight in the Sugar Bowl. Kerry is coming home from Ft Meyers to watch the game with me. What a fantastic way to start the new year. Yoga class and Gator football with Kerry. Go Gators!!

So that's it for now. I am looking forward to a wonderful 2010. Off to yoga class I go. Namaste!