Pepper Bottos

This afternoon I rec'd a message from our friend Kendall. Her mother, Pepper, had passed away after a 12 year battle with Breast Cancer. My heart immediately dropped into my stomach while tears rolled down my cheeks. The first thing you think is "Why?" and "Life is not fair". My heart is aching for the Bottos family. I wish I knew the right words or the right thing to do, to make things easier for them at this difficult time. Unfortunately I do not have that gift or that power.

The following quote came to mind...

Do not stand at my grave and weep
I am not there; I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow,
I am the diamond glints on snow,
I am the sun on ripened grain,
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning's hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry,
I am not there; I did not die.

My heart and thoughts are with Kendall and her entire family.

V. xo

CMETrust-Hearts for Smarts!

Last night I attended an amazing event for the CANADA MATHARE EDUCATIONAL TRUST, headed up by none other then my oldest and a dear friend, Victoria Sheppard. It was held at the Oasis Spa in the Distillery District. They had an AMAZING turn out and the venue was Killer! Amazingly many of my old camp friends were in attendance-old campers and counselors alike! It was abs. awesome hanging out and catching up. I brought my friend, Cat along. We enjoyed many laughs and some delish glasses of vino! It was truly awesome to be supporting such an amazing cause and trust, while enjoying some laughs with some very old friends!


V.

The Ski Town That Aspen Used to Be Like

What a lovely surprise I received in my inbox today from a colleague...An article in The New York Times about my fave place...Eville!

"A travel writer and broadcaster Lowell Thomas visited tiny Ellicottville in New York’s westernmost cfavorite Rocky Mountain town. In the decades since, the Aspen of the West became, well, Aspen, while Ellicottville stayed a quaint, rural town even as more and more outsiders discovered the wonders of its winters.

Today Ellicottville is on the rise, one of only two genuine ski towns in New York State (Lake Placid is the other). It was ranked No. 5 by Ski magazine in its 2007 list of top resorts in the East, thanks to its two growing ski areas and the Victorian-era village of gingerbread porches and narrow brick storefronts.
The 1,400-acre Holiday Valley ski resort (716-699-2345; www.holidayvalley.com), celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, and its neighbor, the equally large private ski resort of HoliMont (open to the public Monday through Friday; 716-699-2320; www.holimont.com), fan out on the flat-topped, tree-covered ridges above the village, where the slopes hold tight to the lake effect snows that blow off Erie to the west.

The skiing isn’t Alpine but there’s a lot of variety for all abilities. Jane Eshbaugh, Holiday Valley marketing director, says the breakdown is roughly 30 percent each for beginner, intermediate and advanced runs, and unlike resorts at 9,000 feet in the Rockies, there’s a lot of night skiing, since the temperature doesn’t plummet after dark.

The population of Ellicottville, about 55 miles south of Buffalo, swells by the thousands in the winter with daytrippers and weekenders from Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Toronto and Rochester, all within a five-hour drive. There is no airport. The town center has only one traffic light, and cellphone service can be dicey, but when it’s time to get up the ski hill, a high-speed quad can get you there. Après-ski, several local spas offer such services as basalt hot-stone massages and herbal facials.

The village itself is in transition, with tourism and a still-thriving vacation-home market causing some angst in certain quarters. Longtime residents are experiencing property-tax sticker shock as their home values skyrocket, said the former Town Supervisor Norm Stocker, who lost his bid for re-election in November.

“That’s why I’m out of a job,” said Mr. Stocker, adding that the taxes haven’t slowed a booming market in luxury vacation homes, many going to Canadians.

But the atmosphere in E’ville, as its friends call it, remains downright down home. The only thing like a chain store among the restaurants, boutiques and galleries is Watson’s Chocolates, a family business with other shops around Buffalo.

Tim Hunter, a massage therapist, said he left New York City corporate life behind four years ago, taking over a spa called Earth Worn Body Company (9 Monroe Street; 716-699-2508; www.earthwornbodyco.com). Small-town life nurtured his sensibilities in the same way his customers unwind with a pomegranate facial scrub. “If I’m busy and someone wants a service we don’t have, I send them to Oasis,” another local day spa, he said. “Everyone is very supportive of each other, during the slow season especially.”

Slow is not the problem this time of year. Despite a warm and nearly snowless start last winter season, the resort reported having 470,000 visitors. The year before, like this season, saw earlier snow and brought in more than half a million guests. To keep up, Holiday Valley finished nearly $3 million in improvements to its properties before opening for the current season. A new quad chairlift serves three new runs (bringing total lifts and tows to 13, with 56 runs and trails for 28 total miles of skiing). The Rail Fun Park, one of four terrain parks for snowboarders, was rebuilt, even after being ranked in the top 15 in the East by Ski magazine’s readers. Its pipe has a 13-foot vertical slope and is 250 feet long; the new Fox Fire set is 1,000 feet of tables, rails and boxes, made so the growing number of boarders can move up a level.

Near the base, the Inn at Holiday Valley gave all its guest rooms decorating makeovers, with a homey, New England look. The lobby, with its soaring curved center staircase, is a cozy hangout in the evening with a fire burning and tables set up for board games near the indoor-outdoor swimming pool.

“It’s not the latest technology — it’s more about kicking back and hanging out with your family,” Ms. Eshbaugh said, summing up the whole atmosphere at Holiday Valley, which was founded half a century ago by friends in the Ellicottville Ski Club who saw a hill that got a lot of snow and put their clubhouse in the middle of it.

On the slopes, lift tickets are a bargain compared with New England and the West. Prices range from $52 for eight hours on weekends to $30 to ski after 4 p.m. during the week (runs are open until 10), with rates at HoliMont generally less.

Other recreation can still be a cheap date. Cross-country skiers and snowshoers have free run of the resort’s golf course, Ms. Eshbaugh said, where a snowcat packs a 10K track, and they can buy an inexpensive two-ride lift ticket to reach a 4.5-kilometer ridge trail that gives trailblazers access to hundreds of acres of state forest.

There are nearly two dozen restaurants in and around the village with a handful of bars continuing the party into the night with live music throughout the week. Balloons (20 Monroe Street; 716-699-4162; www.balloonsrestaurant.com) has dancing, too.

About half the restaurants are burger, wing and salad places. At the higher end, expect what is called “casual fine dining,” meaning they will serve you intriguing Mediterranean pasta and scallop salad on a paper place mat.

At the Gin Mill (20 Washington Street; 716-699-2530; www.ellicottvilleginmill.com), comfort food tops the menu, and almost all lunch dishes are in the $6 to $10 range. There’s a choice of burgers, including ostrich — “People order it because they think it’s healthy,” according to the server — along with specials like the roasted-garlic broiled haddock. There’s live music on weekends, a game room in the back for kids and a fun-house mirror in the ladies room.

Tips Up Cafe (32 East Washington Street; 716-699-2136) serves fresh seafood ($15 to $20 range) and steaks (a 16-ounce Delmonico is $21.95), although tired skiers can carbo-load on spaghetti for as little as $9. Four homemade salad dressings come in their own cruets with each salad.

Nowhere gets more in the spirit of the area than Ellicottville Brewing Company (28A Monroe Street; 716-699-2537; www.ellicottvillebrewing.com), where a sampler of five four-ounce micro brews ($5) is served on a Brew ski — a real ski.

Shopping in the village belies its comparison to Aspen, with most of the commerce tucked into four blocks, including a gas station, a grocery store and a lumber company. Although there’s no furrier or Bulgari in sight, shoppers can pick up the latest boot designs from Ugg or a $300 Brighton handbag at Daff, the closest thing to a Rocky Mountain-style boutique (17 Washington Street; 716-699-2293), or objets d’art and one-of-a-kind jewelry at Earth Arts (24 Washington Street; 716-699-2169; www.eartharts.com).

There are three full-service ski shops in town besides those at the resorts, and the cluster of shops carries most necessities.

The shops and the Quality Markets grocery are an easy walk from anywhere in the one-square-mile village, which is a good thing. Holiday Valley runs a free shuttle to its Holiday Valley Tubing Company (716-699-8823) on Bryant Hill Road, and from its mountain rental properties to the resort center. Otherwise, there is no public transportation around Ellicottville.

For Aspenites accustomed to door-to-door delivery via limo or private jet, it may seem primitive. For the spiritual descendants of the Ellicottville Ski Club, who once arrived by train and sleigh, it is just keeping it real.

DISCOVERED BUT UNSPOILED

The Inn at Holiday Valley (Holiday Valley Road and Route 219; 716-699-2345; www.holidayvalley.com) has rooms starting at $122.50 a person per night weekdays and at $174.75 a person per night weekends, double occupancy; suites have fireplaces, microwaves and a mini-fridge.

Prices include lift tickets and Continental breakfast. Rooms have exterior corridors and guests can walk to the lift. There is small spa and indoor-outdoor year-round pool.

The Ellicottville Wingate by Wyndham (11 Mill Street; 716-699-6000; www.ellicottvillewingateinn.com) opened two years ago in the heart of Ellicottville and is an easy walk from local shops and restaurants. Rooms start at $129 weekdays, $249 on weekends during ski season, including breakfast. Suites have fireplaces; all rooms have microwaves and mini fridges. There are an indoor pool, Jacuzzi and workout room. Ski packages include tickets for HoliMont.

The Sugar Pine Lodge (6158 Jefferson Street; 716-699-4855; www.sugarpinelodge.com) has five private suites, four with two rooms, with fireplaces (one suite accommodates families with children); breakfast is included. Ski weekends require a two-night stay; there is shuttle service to Holiday Valley. Winter rates start at $125 weekdays and $185 on weekends."

How Fricking cool is that? Full on shout out to Eville in the NY Times!!?? oh ya!

V.

The Saint, The Surfer and The CEO

I am 127 pages into the book, THE SAINT, THE SURFER & THE CEO. And my friends it is wonderful! Robin Sharma teaches and recites, how to live your best life now! It is amazing and life altering. Sharma recounts how to awaken your true gifts and shine powerfully in the the world. He reports how to transform your fears into freedom and your deepest wounds into wisdom. He describes simple methonds to have beautiful relationships filled with the truest love. Sharma's lessons help you to master your mind, open your heart wide and nurture your spirit.
So far The Saint, The Surfer and The CEO is Insightful and Entertaining.


Cannot wait to keep reading...
V.

I am Looney for LUNA!!

Ok, my newest latest obsession are LUNA bars. They are these amazing protein/energy bars made specifically for women. They have many different flavors, however I have only tried the Peanut Butter Cookie and Caramel Nut Brownie. And ya know what my friends, the name of the bars are not lying whatsoever...They actually LOOK and yes, even taste like what they are called. The brownie ones even have a caramel type top layer. They def. fill that mid afternoon sweet craving but also fill your bod with many of the nutrients you need on a daily basis!

"LUNA the entirely natural whole nutrition bar for women, was created to meet the special needs of our bodies. Along with nutrition, we strive to make bars that taste scrumptious, and are just a little bit indulgent. "

Some Key Ingredients used in the LUNA product are the following:
"
We feel it is important that you understand what you are putting in your body, so we pulled together information on some of the most important ingredients in LUNA. And now that LUNA bars are made with 70% organic ingredients, we are providing food that is even healthier for you, your family & the environment.

Protein
As the whole nutrition bar for women, LUNA provides just the right amount of protein for a snack that will sustain you during your active, busy life. We've chosen soy protein from food sources as it is approved by the FDA for heart health and some studies show that 25 grams per day may reduce cholesterol levels. In addition, the protein in our bars comes from soy rice crisp and organic soy beans.

Soy Rice Crisp
Soy Rice Crisp is puffed rice similar to what you find in cereals and it is made from puffed milled rice and soy protein. The soy rice crisps add texture and protein to LUNA and can be found in all LUNA bars.
Organic Soy Beans
A soybean is a legume with high protein content. A legume is any plant with a seedpod that will split on both sides when it becomes ripe, such as peas. Roasted and chopped, we add organic soybeans to our proprietary protein blend in LUNA. They contribute texture and flavor while adding complete protein with all essential amino acids to LUNA.

Fiber
Many women have a difficult time finding good sources of fiber and actually including sufficient amounts of fiber in their diets - LUNA is a healthy solution. Fiber is defined as a carbohydrate that cannot be completely digested and is classified into soluble and insoluble; both are important to a healthy diet. Soluble fiber is found in fruits, nuts, vegetables, oats and more and has been proven to help reduce cholesterol while slowing digestion in the stomach keeping blood sugar levels consistent. Insoluble fiber helps keep the digestive system moving and can be found in whole wheat, wheat bran and many vegetables.

Both forms of fiber can be found in LUNA in our organic rolled oats, organic oat fiber, organic flaxseed, nuts, dried fruits and inulin. (Inulin is a type of fiber found naturally in many foods such as chicory, onions, leeks, artichokes and garlic. Our inulin comes from the leaves of the chicory plant, or endive.)

Organic Sugar
Sugar is a carbohydrate that comes in many forms. They range from simple sugars, such as sweets and candy, to complex sugars, such as whole grains. We continue to use all natural organic sweeteners that make LUNA taste so great.


Organic Brown Rice Syrup
Brown Rice Syrup is a natural sugar made from brown rice and is less refined than white sugar. We use organic brown rice syrup in LUNA as it has a mild taste and is a good natural sweetener that goes through less processing than other sugars. Along with organic evaporated cane juice, this syrup contributes to that great taste of LUNA without providing too much sugar.
Organic Evaporated Cane Juice
Organic evaporated cane juice is sugar from sugar cane that goes through less processing than table sugars. Cane juice is added to the LUNA bar frosting to add to the creamy flavor. Along with the Brown Rice Syrup, LUNA bar has less than 3 teaspoons of sweetener and these contribute to the overall carbohydrate count of 24-26 grams.

Low Glycemic
LUNA bar is a low glycemic food due to the appropriate balance of carbohydrate, fat, protein, fiber and portion size. Anything below 55 is considered low glycemic – LUNA bars have a glycemic index of 32-50, depending on flavor.

The glycemic index (GI) can be a great tool for fine-tuning the carbohydrate choices consumers make, but it should not be an exclusive consideration for whether or not to include certain foods in a meal plan.

LUNA wrappers and caddies have a Low Glycemic call out.

Fat
Fats in small amounts play an important role in nutrition and LUNA is committed to whole nutrition for women, which includes small amounts of fats. However, we do not use trans fats of any kind nor partially hydrogenated oils which have been shown to contribute to increased levels of bad cholesterol thereby raising the risk of heart disease. So, LUNA fits right into healthy eating guidelines by not having more than 5 grams of fat per bar.

One of the fats in LUNA is Organic Palm Kernel Oil, a fat that is comprised of monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and saturated fats that goes through very little processing and is not a source of trans fats. The oil comes from the Palm Tree and we use it in our frostings to give it that smooth taste and to keep the frosting from melting. Palm Kernel Oil is a source of linoleic acid, an essential fatty acid that the body cannot produce and is a good source of the antioxidant vitamin E.

Seeds & Nuts
LUNA bars contain multiple types of seeds and nuts, depending on the bar, ranging from roasted cashews to toasted pumpkin seeds to pecans. They add crunchy texture and flavor as well as being a good source of protein and healthier fats. In addition, all nuts are a good source of vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant that contributes to good health and nutrition.

Vitamins & Minerals
Very often women are so busy that they lack the time to actually have a full meal, thereby missing the vitamins and minerals they need. LUNA is a great alternative as it provides women specific vitamins and minerals such as calcium, folate, iron and antioxidants like vitamin A, C & E.

LUNA includes about 350 mg of Calcium as it aids in building and maintaining strong bones and teeth and helps in blood clotting. This is about 35% of the Recommended Dietary Allowance.
LUNA includes 6.3 mg of Iron which is an essential mineral that carries oxygen through the blood to the muscles and is even more important to women who lose more iron every month.
LUNA also includes 100% of your vitamins C, E and folate, along with 20% of your vitamin A, and these are often labeled antioxidants which are important to maintaining overall health."


My advice... If you are heading our for a long run or hitting the gym and need that extra boost? Have a LUNA bar a few hours before...I promise you will not regret it!!

V.

SHARED Warehouse Sale

Our friend, Carlo, who owns SHARED, is having a WAREHOUSE Sale this week!
Don't miss it!
Killer deals of Killer comfy clothes! See deets below.



V.

Seven Years Together!

On Sunday, January 27th, Sam and I celebrated 7 wonderous, glorious years together!
In celebration we headed down to eville-just the two of us. We had such an amazing weekend together. Friday evening we headed to the depot for wings and long islands. My fave. Which we followed by our gift exchange and some wine. On Saturday we enjoyed a lovely sleep in and then hit the slopes. The conditions were abs Fantastic! So boarded like mad. We enjoyed a couple of small snack breaks in the chalet but boarded right until the lifts closed. Which we followed up with some Apres Ski Action. That evening we took a stroll into town where we, shockingly got a table at Dina's, right away! Our meals were fantastic. We washed them down with my fave-prosecco! Then it was back to the tralet for some serious relaxing. The weekend was perfection. On the Sunday I even fit in a 13K run...
As an anniversary gift, I made Sam a slide show of what I like to call "the year in review". It was instead of a card. I also gave him a bottle of Dom Perignon which represented not only the celebration of us but the successes he has had in the last year. It embodies all that he, himself has accomplished and illustrates the admiration I hold deeply for him. I told him that we would not drink it tonight but perhaps at the next momentous occasion or when he saw fit!
Sam had an arrangement of seven lillys delivered to my office and presented me with the most gorgeous Swarovski crystal ring. It is SO stunning and SO me!
I love Sam with all of my heart and cannot wait for all that is ahead of us...

Thank you, Sam...



V. xo

Snow Angels

Who doesn't love laying down in the snow and flailing there arms and legs around to create, none other, then a SNOW ANGEL? It is one of those things that make you feel like a child again and that make you feel warm and fuzzy all over.
So next time you are stuck in a blizzard and it is getting you down, drop down to the ground and do a snow angel...Believe me! It will change your attitude and make you feel good all over...

V.

Life

After feeling as though this week I may be in for a string of bad luck....I received an email forward which helped turn my attitude around and bring me some perspective.
I thought it was worth sharing:

Life is too short to wake up with regrets.
So love the people who treat you right.
Forget about the one's who don't.
Believe everything happens for a reason...
If you get a second chance, grab it with both hands.
If it changes your life, let it.
Nobody said life would be easy, they just promised it would be worth it.

V.

I rocked a 17K!

This weekend, due to the mild weather this week and this weekend, Sam and I decided to sit tight in the city. Because of this, I was able to run my long Sunday run with the Running Room. It was 17k and my friends, I rocked it! I felt great and I felt strong, so I kept my pace up and finished it in an hour and 25 mins. Along with keeping an average pace of 4 minutes and 58 seconds per km. Woot Woot! Though I was pretty pooped all day, it was well worth it.

I am getting super pumped for Race Day-7 Weeks of training to go!

V.

The Glass Castle

Over the last 24 hours I read the book, The Glass Castle. A memoir by Jeannette Walls. It was a truly outlandish tale which I could hardly believe was true. Needless to say, it was the definition of page turner. An incredible story of one family's true triumph against the odds and whom somehow stuck it out and made it through, together.
If you have not read The Glass Castle I definitely recommend picking it up and taking it for a spin! Here is the synopsis:

Jeannette Walls grew up with parents whose ideals and stubborn nonconformity were both their curse and their salvation. Rex and Rose Mary Walls had four children. In the beginning, they lived like nomads, moving among Southwest desert towns, camping in the mountains. Rex was a charismatic, brilliant man who, when sober, captured his children's imagination, teaching them physics, geology, and above all, how to embrace life fearlessly. Rose Mary, who painted and wrote and couldn't stand the responsibility of providing for her family, called herself an "excitement addict." Cooking a meal that would be consumed in fifteen minutes had no appeal when she could make a painting that might last forever.
Later, when the money ran out, or the romance of the wandering life faded, the Walls retreated to the dismal West Virginia mining town — and the family — Rex Walls had done everything he could to escape. He drank. He stole the grocery money and disappeared for days. As the dysfunction of the family escalated, Jeannette and her brother and sisters had to fend for themselves, supporting one another as they weathered their parents' betrayals and, finally, found the resources and will to leave home.
What is so astonishing about Jeannette Walls is not just that she had the guts and tenacity and intelligence to get out, but that she describes her parents with such deep affection and generosity. Hers is a story of triumph against all odds, but also a tender, moving tale of unconditional love in a family that despite its profound flaws gave her the fiery determination to carve out a successful life on her own terms.
For two decades, Jeannette Walls hid her roots. Now she tells her ownstory. A regular contributor to MSNBC.com, she lives in New York and Long Island and is married to the writer John Taylor.

V.

Yay Me

Last night, I had an amazing run! I ran 6.5 Kilometers in under 30 minutes. I ran hard and I ran strong. It reminded me why I love to run and how far I have come since the very first run of my clinic. It felt overwhelmingly awesome! Lucky for me I own the nike+ so I was able to upload it to my profile and watch a graph grow and the statistics become comprehensible :)

And so I must say, YAY, Me!

V.

Rich Bride Poor Bride: Your Ultimate Wedding Planning Guide

Rich Bride Poor Bride: Your Ultimate Wedding Planning Guide..."gives brides and grooms access to the same dream team of top wedding planners that have made the television show an international success."
Yes, you have guessed it, this is another shout out!
Congratulations is in order to the team, led by Sean Buckley, whom have captured the wonderosities of the fabulous television series into a book. This guide has been made for you. To aid you in pulling off the most perfect day. "Chapter by chapter, the book has invaluable advice on every aspect of wedding planning : invites, gift registries, cakes and, of course, finding the perfect dress."
Don't delay get to your nearest Chapters or Indigo today! Maybe you are not ready for marriage or even in a position to get married. However, I can just bet someone you know would REALLY benefit from the tips in the Rich Bride Poor Bride Ultimate Wedding Planning Guide...

V.

T-Buck

This past weekend T-Buck left this continent to embark on some adventures in Australia.
Fortunately, we will be seeing him in less then 40 days! We all know, absence makes the heart grow stronger. Unfortunately, we will still miss him.
But in this post I wanted to wish him well. These are my wishes for him...

May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back,
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields and,
Until we meet again...

May the sun shine, all day long,
everything go right, and nothing wrong.
May those you love bring love back to you,
and may all the wishes you wish come true...

May the good saints protect you,
And bless you today.
And may troubles ignore you,
Each step of the way.

Travel Safe and See you so soon...
xo V.

Eat Pray Love

At the moment, I am reading the most delicious book. And when I say delicious I mean it in every sense of the word. It is thought provoking, heart warming while heart breaking but truly amazing. It is titled EAT PRAY LOVE and was written by Elizabeth Gilbert.
"In her early thirties, Elizabeth Gilbert has everything a modern American woman was suppose to want-husband, country home, successful career-but instead of feeling happy and fulfilled, she felt consumed by panic and confusion. This wise and rapturous book is the story of how she left behind all of these outward marks of success, and what she found in their place. Following a divorce and a crushing depression, Gilbert set out to examine three different cultures: Pleasure in Italy, Devotion in India, and on the Island of Bali, a balance between worldly enjoyment and divine transcendence." And through her travels and her lessons, she is teaching us all a little something about our own love, loss and spiritual fulfillment. I am three quarters of the way through and I just do not want it to end. My thoughts on this amazing piece of work are not and could not do this marvelous memoir justice...
So pick it up today and allow yourself to drift away with Gilbert along her brilliantly rich spiritual journeys across Italy, India and Indonesia. You will not regret it!
V.

nike+ipod = GLEE!

With some of my Christmas money, I purchased a 4G nano ipod. Do you want to know why I made this purchase? Not just because of how cool and sleek the new 3rd generation nano is but because of the nike+ipod.
This is possibly one of the coolest gadgets I have ever owned. The nike+ipod consists of two parts: the sensor and the nano attachment. The small little tiny oval ball they call the sensor must attach to your shoe while the nano attaches on the bottom of the nano. Once the nano senses the sensor-you are off to the races...
The Nano then can track your work out in the following ways: 1. KM/Miles run, 2.Calories exhausted, 3.KM/Mile Splits. Then once you are finished, you plug the nano into your computer and it then uploads and tracks your runs to the nike website...BRILLIANT! ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT! Not that my motivation is lacking on the running front...But this has definitely added some glee to lacing those sneakers up to get out there and... run ving run!

V.

2008!

Well my friends, 2008 is finally upon us. It is a chance at a fresh, new start. A chance to wash your hands of old bad habits and start clean.
In keeping in tune with that it only appropriate that I let you in the loop on regards to what I have challenged myself with this year in terms of my resolutions. All are quite straightforward, if I do say so myself.
Here goes nothing...

NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS FOR 2008

• Continue to eat healthy
• Watch sugar intake in my diet
• Lattes are a treat only-not an everyday thing
• Cut out Diet Coke
• Less Party time
• Run my half marathon in 2 hours
• Run a full marathon by 30 (JUNE 2008)
• Do 2 cleanses a year-one in April and then in November
• Don’t Gossip
• Spend less
• Continue to laugh
• Take Mental Health days
• Learn from my mistakes
• Don’t take things personally
• Don’t be so sensitive
• Don’t take myself too seriously
• Don’t assume anything
• Treat everyone like you would like to be treated
• Follow Thru
• Be aggressive and stand up for myself and others
• Continue to grow as a producer
• Blame less and problem solve more
• Make more time for old friends
• Have more friends and less acquaintances
• Call someone I have not spoken to in sometime once a month
• Make more time for family

All are realistic and tangible! I hope to achieve and accomplish them all...
HAPPY 08!
V.

Holiday Time

I apologize for not being in touch. I have been laughing a lot, relaxing it up and letting my hair down! If you have not guessed I have been enjoying my holiday time, not only with my wonderful family but in Eville. Sam and I drove down there the day after Boxing day where we started our mini vacay with some delicious wings and delightful long islands at none other then the Depot! The next day we hit the slopes...and I am not going to lie, the days that followed were much the same. Relaxing mornings of refreshing runs or waking up late. Just what we needed. then packing up the car for a short drive over to Holimont to hit the hills.
It was amazing as it always is!
This year we decided to spend New Years down there in Eville, aswell. It could not have been more perfect. With no expectations or over zealous ideas, it came together in true perfection. A big group for dinner, whom made the atmosphere, fireworks, champagne, music from car speakers, surrounded by the outdoor beauty of what eville is all about, beginning 08 and ending the evening at Maddigan's!

Friends, love and excitement were all common threads through out the evening but Laughter, sillyness and Ridiculousness definitely did not fall far behind!
Here's to all that is ahead in 2008...Cheers, Friends!
V.