Happy After Holidays

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and joyful NYE.  The last few weeks of the year flew by for us.  We didn't even get a chance to send out Christmas cards!  Please forgive the lapse this year in exchange for the VERY long post here.


First, the taxi game show project, Fare Play, I did with some folks at work ended up winning!  To date we've had over 2700 views on You Tube.  I also had my first experience at presenting to nearly 600 people during the competition show on 12/16.  Even though I had a few nerves, it all went over pretty well.  I even got some laughs!  The best part though - now we have more money to keep making more episodes.  

The Fare Play team after our win.

That weekend, my dear friend Kathy took the train up from Richmond for a girls trip.  We enjoyed some yummy food, traditional Christmas shopping at Macy's and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  I introduced Kathy and her friend Nicole to the real price of the MET tickets - whatever you want to pay.  Not that $25 (recommended) fee.  They didn't believe me until I walked up and paid a dollar. 

Interior courtyard in the MET.

It's kinda magical.

Fortunately I had a few days off before we left for the South, so I got to fit in a couple pilates classes.  I'm pretty obsessed with them actually.  I love the reformer classes.  For anyone who hasn't done reformer pilates, it's basically pilates with springs and ropes.  It's more entertaining mat pilates and plenty challenging.  It's also been great for my back and hips, which I'm still healing from my old college injury.  


I also finished up a 3 week vegan diet.  I certainly fell off the wagon a few times, mostly due to holiday parties.  But overall I feel pretty good about it - give myself about an 85%.  I juiced everyday (rather than the every other I usually do) and found giving up dairy easier then I thought it would be.  Meat wasn't too rough since I only eat that occasionally anyway.  Sugar was hard to loose (and I sometimes gave in), but the results were worth it.  Giving up caffeine wasn't too hard, I just drank herbal tea instead.  But I did miss red wine!  

Mmm Mmm Good!

I'd love to do it again - preferably during a non holiday stuffed month.  And I'm probably going to continue juicing almost everyday and limiting dairy.  Although sometimes a girl just needs a slice of NY pizza.


On the 22nd, Shane and I flew to Tupelo, Mississippi to stay with his mom and dad.  They've had a pretty rough couple years.  While we were there, Butch was recovering from his latest chemo treatment.  He has one more to go this month, then hopefully his scans will come back better.  Nancy is continuing to recover from her chemo for breast cancer last year.  They are fighters though and are steadfast in their faith.


We'd hadn't even been there 24 hours, when Shane got a phone call.  His Granny's sister had passed away and he was asked to be a pallbearer for the Saturday funeral.  It wasn't a very sad funeral though.  Great Aunt Jo was in her late 80s and lived a wonderful life.  It was an honor to be there for the sudden celebration of her life.  


Despite all that, we had such a lovely visit.  We played cards, decorated the house, and cooked some yummy, healthy meals.  And there was a dishwasher to clean up!  


Granny came over almost everyday and on Christmas Day Shane's Aunt Becky and her family joined us.  

Shane finally got the toe shoes he's been dreaming of for Christmas.  You may join me in referring to them by the more appropriate name - Gorilla Shoes.

I love Granny!

On the way to the Airport.

The following Tuesday, we continued our tour of the South, this time to see my family in Charleston.  They were so sweet, they all waited to have Christmas morning until the one after we arrived, on 12/28.  Traditionally, we all sit in a circle and take turns opening presents.  I love this process so we can focus on one gift at a time and it draws the whole thing out.  


I also just loved being back in Charleston.  It had been about 9 months for me. 

Night out in Charleston.

The Witte men and Knight man went disc shooting.   

Our gift to Evelyn this year was a Lobster Killin' and Eatin' Fest with Top Chef Shane Knight.  


Now I don't eat lobster and neither does Shane, but he used to be a cook at Red Lobster so he has lots of experience.  We figured this was one gift E was bound to enjoy since it combined 3 things she loves:  lobsters, spending time with Shane, and violence!  See, Shane doesn't boil the lobsters alive, he actually does the more humane thing and puts a knife through their head.  I use the word humane loosely.  I couldn't even stay in the room.


We got the whole thing on video for posterity's sake, but I can barely watch it.  I did manage to pull a few stills out.  Evelyn loved it and ate all 3 lobsters.  Note to everyone - Evelyn would be handy in the wilderness.

We flew back to NY for New Year's Eve.  Several friends joined us at our apartment since you can see the very tiny ball drop in times square from our window.  It was really fun to watch it from afar and not deal with any crowds.  It was also the first time we'd had so many folks in our little hotel suite.  It served as a better entertaining area then I thought it might.  We'll have to ask people over more often now.


I'm looking forward to the start of this new year.  For the first time in 2 years, I hope we don't have to move towns or apartments!  Happy to stay put in this grand city for a while.

The bright light on the left is Times Square.  It was crazy to see the fireworks coming out of the middle of the city.

Happy 2012!