I wish

I wish there were a way for me to search on Blogger for other people that I know that blog. Like a Kevin bacon game of blogs. I'd like to read other people's blogs but they don't always post them in places where I'd see them, and probably there are some that don't post at all, and those I suspect I would most enjoy reading.


regardless... is there a function I can use to do this or am I left waiting and looking forward to someone volunteering their blog info for me to peruse.

BIG BROTHER!!!

BIG Brother starts on Thursday,,, its one of my most favorite shows of the summer and its totally fun and entertaining! If your a BB watcher let me know so we can compare thoughts!

Set your DVR!
Thursday,,,,

woot woot
D

Glen Falls

About 3 miles from our new apartment is a local park that was the photograph location for my prom pictures approximately 10 years ago. Because its so close to where we are now, and because its nestled behind a village of fun shops and restaurants, Kevin and I spent a beautiful afternoon walking through the village and making our way to Glen Falls Park. It was a gorgeous day and we wandered through all the little shops (and managed to not buy anything!), and then sat watching the falls for awhile and enjoyed the outdoors. Its a big deal for us because we tend to be ships passing during the weekdays because our schedules are misaligned and weekends seem to always be booked with like 100 things for 100 different people so it doesnt always lend to us being outside in nice weather as often as we'd like.

Gorgeous huh?

Graduation!

So little sister, aka heather, aka the baby of the family graduated from SUNY Geneseo in May. It clearly takes me a long time to load pictures for anything but now that I have both the computer and camera working, and I'm all caught up on things to be done,,, well new postings occur.

She's the last of four of us Caiola kids, all of which spent some time at Geneseo and all of which have now completed undergrad educations, most of which are headed or completed more. What can we say, we're an education family.

Heather's degree is in Education! If you notice in the next few pictures she is wearing a yellow cord around her neck which means she's super smart. She was .04 points away from Summa Cum Laude, but instead is Cum Laude, which I think is super impressive all around.,, mostly ridiculous but impressive.

Anyway here are some pics with the grad and the fam !!

Crock Pot Receipes

My friend and I are attempting to save money and learn how to cook meals that last for a few day, and we got crock pots.. So in an interest of not buying a crock pot book (that would hardly save money),,, and also in the interest of having good tasting food not just the random stuff I can find online that might be nasty or processed junk...

I need some suggestions! Anyone ever use one of these crock pots for dinner? What do you make and will you send me the recipe!?
D

The Trifecta

So I am convinced there is a trifecta of things that cause me angst/stress during the day. Perhaps you may think this is job, home, traffic or something trivial... perhaps a year ago it might have been train delays, roomates and air travel..

The trifecta is in fact three things that if I could get them all under full control and maintain control of them all other stresses would slough way and be much more manageable. (or so I believe).

The trifecta contain the following

1) Food- the eating or attempting to cook of good healthy food and the avoiding of the pizza and things that make me go MMMMMMMM..

2) Exercise- the maintaining a schedule of doing it more than once weekly and being consistent and not quitting so easily.

3) Money- to work harder at saving and not wasting my money on junk food or useless crap around the apartment or life. To be a better checkbook balancer and budgeter so that I have a nice cushy savings and follow all the Suze Orman rules to better finances.


I feel like overall I can usually have one or maybe two going well, but I don't think there was ever a time when I had all three without my parents making my meals and driving me to practice and not having any of my own money. Independence comes responsibility I suppose but how do you balance the trifecta in order to be healthy, fruitful and happy! Yikes.

All in a year's time.

So a friend of mine is currently traveling in Aruba right now. This may not seem significant to you but this is her second vacation to Aruba and during the last one she was kind enough to let me stay at her apartment for two weeks (and make me feel like I was saving her money by feeding her cats instead of me saving money by not having to pay for a hotel)..

In April last year I lived in a crappy apartment in lovely Astoria with three roommates. When I moved there circa August they were sane and friendly people, but by April I think one stopped taking her meds and one just completely lost grasp of any hold he had on life. To be fair,, the one was still normal and sane and kind. Regardless they're change in emotional stability made for an increasingly unstable home life in the city that was not what I called home. So when the instability became life-threatening, I packed up my stuff and moved it into storage and became a nomad for the month of May. This Aruba-traveling friend was traveling during that time and replied to my cries of help and panic when I was saddened by other friends that didn't reply at all or replied with 'cant lend you my couch'. I understand those that said what they did but it didn't help me out of the dark cloud that was following me a bit.

Regardless.... that was a year ago and it doesn't seem that long ago in some respects (I still feel like I talk to my NYC friends as often as I did when I lived there,,I just don't see them as often),,, but it seems like 100 years in other respects (like I have gotten settled in a new apartment with Kevin and we have our own washer/dryer)...

When I saw the new pics of Aruba from my friend, it made me feel SOOO grateful for my life now. To be able to drive over to my house and have dinner with my family,, and go to a movie (angels and demons tonight at 12:01!) with my brother and Kevin , or to help my parents fix their computer, to sit at home with my mom on mothers day without worrying about a plane trip scheduled or taxi ride into the evening. To be able to drive to get groceries,,, to meet my friends from home to go for a walk instead of hesitating cause I know I have at least a 45 min trip home still with walking and sitting and waiting if everything goes perfectly.

As much as I miss a few friends from NYC, my life is 1000 times happier and better now and if I could get those friends to move to buffalo.,,,, well there is not much more I could want.

amazing what a year will do huh?