Sun Showers and Fog

Just enjoying a holiday weekend on call. 

But I did get the chance to see my little sister graduate college yesterday.

Such a happy, beautiful day with my sister, family, boyfriend, and boyfriend-in-law. 

Here was what most of yesterday looked like, on the long drive up and back to Albany...

Despite being on call, it's been pretty great here.

Hope life is treating you well, too.

Patty

Resolutions, an Update

(random picture I took last year when working in Harrisburg. Stopped traffic for it, I did)

 

Hi lovelies!

As I mentioned, before, 

I've recently been seeing a dietician.

And,

I think I'm in love.

I know that there are a lot of ED out there who have struggled with eating too little.

I think it's equally hard to talk about eating too much.

Or, what I'm learning about my own eating behaviors,

eating the wrong things.

It's not that I never understood the general concepts of eating before.

Simple enough, veggies good, candy bad. 

But I still found it very hard to manage my weight.

Until now.

So far, in three weeks of seeing a dietician,

who makes me very accountable for my weight,

but also acts like my personal cheerleader,

I've already lost 10 pounds.

I've never been so successful.

But it's not just that,

I'm getting better at making wiser food decisions.

Creating a diet that's high fiber, high protein, 

and, above all,

balanced.

Some things I've learned so far:

Spaghetti squash is a weird thing.

I will defeat you at some point. 

Though, I do not know if you will ever taste quite like spaghetti.

People don't even notice when you don't order a drink,

Go figure.

Sugar free Pickles are da' bomb. 

'Nuf said.

Everyone seems to have their own theory on how to lose weight.

I'm actually excited about the upcoming summer.

Eating better makes me want to work out even more!

Healthy changes inspire healthier changes.

Reading blogs about healthy eating has really helped me to:

stay on track,

stay excited,

and stay motivated.

A big thank you to all of you lovely blog friends that do this.

You keep me going :)

 

Zucchini's alias is green squash. Who knew?

Even having a boyfriend who is in culinary school,

who loves to cook with heavy cream,

make cheese sauces,

and fry everything,

will be supportive as long as he understands how much this means to me.

Plus, I've been eating TONS of good food.

I'm literally eating so much more than I used to.

And it's so tasty. 

My one (and only) attempt with spaghetti squash.

Guys, I need help with this. 

Any spaghetti squash recipe suggestions?

Albeit, a bit boring,

I cooked it up with mushrooms, onions, and orange peppers.

Added a little chili powder, paprika, and white pepper.

I also finally tried a recipe from GC's blog, Gliding Calm.

Brussels Sprout chips!

(She's right, btw, no one says BrusselSSSS sprouts, do they?)

Peeled fresh brussels sprouts. 

I sprayed the foil with calorie free Pam.

Then I seasoned them with Chili powder, paprika, and white pepper.

(My go-to combo)

There are no after-cooked pictures because I ate them all pretty quickly.

Such a light snack!

Definitely going to be one of my summer musts.

Thanks again for all of your support! 

I'm really happy I'm being proactive about my resolutions, well some of them.

(I'll get some more book reviews up here at some point.)

How are everyone else's resolutions going?

In other news.

Greys Anatomy season finale. ARE YOU FRIGGIN KIDDING ME?! 

What did everyone else think?

Meredith/Ellen Pompeo actually did the whole episode with a few broken toes,

which I thought was pretty hardcore/awesome/stupid of her.

And is anyone else loving this season of the Bachelorette?

Emily seems really genuine (so far). 

Who's your first choice?

I think Arie is still my favorite.

I'm really enjoying His Little Lady's interpretation of them all though! 

I hope everyone is having a lovely week so far! 

I'm so thankful to be a part of such a great community (blogworld!) 

of such talented and awesome people.

Best,

Patty

A Walk in the Park

I'm so happy it's Monday.

Weekends on call are always draining, 

regardless of how often I'm called in.

Which was four times, if you wanted to know.

But when I'm on call I savor every moment I'm not working.

This past weekend Lou and I went to one of our favorite places,

Fort Washington State Park.

In the summer we go a few times a week.

I used to have cross country practice there.

Clearly, we weren't the only ones who had a good time.

Zuzu was in heaven.

How did you savor this beautiful weekend?

Patty

Ps. I know I sound corny in those videos.
 Leave the teasing to a minimum :)

A Girl Date

I've mentioned my friend, Dani, before.

Well, she's one of those friends who isn't just a friend.

She's my 'person'. (Channeling all Grey's Anatomy fans)

Dani and I met at a rush party for her (and what would become, mine) sorority.

We were in the same major - biomedical engineering -,

and also shared the same interests,

which - in college - included drinking, frat parties, good grades, and surgeries.

But she was also just my moral support.

I can tell this girl everything,

without a sugar coat,

and she is there for me, and loves me.

And I her.

I'm so happy that her job brought her to NYC,

which is infinitely closer than Atlanta,

and that we are making an effort to keep our friendship together.

Sadly though, it had been two years since our last reunion,

but we made up for lost time this weekend.

We had an amazing spa day on Park Avenue, at Oasis.

It was my first time.

For having a massage.

I recommend one for everyone!

Seriously. Spoil yourself, it's worth it!

Then we went to this awesome bar -

where I didn't drink - yay!! -

but I can't remember the name - boo :( -

and then out to Pure.

It was a vegan/vegetarian restaurant in NYC.

 Isn't she so totally cute?

(side note, I can never spell restaurant correctly. ever!)

Dani was such an awesome host and was so accommodating to my diet!

Sometimes I get so stressed about how I'm going to stick to a diet while traveling,

but Dani, you guys, she's just so awesome, she made it work for me!

Did I mention the food was to die for?

That helped, too ;)

So we kinda love each other

and it had been a while...

No judging!

Then we went to this random play called 'Sleep No More.'

It's loosely (very loosely) based on Macbeth.

 Basically it's an interactive play that's set in a six story warehouse that is also the stage.

Everyone in the audience is given a white (SCARY!)  mask to wear throughout the play.

The audience is shipped off to random floors and are allowed to wander throughout the arena of stages.

Slipping up and down floors,

In and out of scenes,

we are able to view actors,

even stand next to them.

But it's quiet interesting because the play runs three times.

So you can choose to follow whichever actor you want,

and see their experiences,

or next time, follow someone else.

Me? I choose to cling onto Dani's hand for dear life,

because the whole place was rather spooky.

In fact, my own mask creeped me out!

Dani & I shared Mask love/hate

 We also made friends, pre-show

But all in all, even though we didn't get to see the more risque scences (Dani, I know you were upset ;) ) it was a very interesting experience. Though, if I'm honest with myself, was probably a little too artsy for me. And too scary.  Though I would still recommend it if you're into something different! Anyone out there been to it?

This past weekend made me realize what an amazing friend I have in my life.

A friend that is able to bend with me,

accept and appreciate my faults,

love me for who I am,

and most importantly, for what I want to become.

Someone I can grow with,

who has the maturity, grace, and intelligence to continue to grow with me,

and, let's be real, still be able to gossip, talk sex, clothes, and money, with.

Danielle, you're a rarity.

I am so lucky you're my person.

If you're out there reading, I love you lady!

Patty

A Little Bit of Everything

So a couple of Friday nights ago, 

post date night, 

Lou lost his computer to a glass of water.

RIP Macbook :( 

Soo we've been sharing... which means less blogging from my end.

Though I have been updating his blog,

Juice by Louis, if you missed me :-)

It's also been quite busy around here.

We went down to visit Vanessa and Dan for Vanessa's college graduation.

I seriously love these people.

And I really love Virginia,

 

(minus the drivers).

They are just so fun loving and genuine.

They also know how to fun.

And know how to drink - holy smokes!

Cinco de Mayo at it's finest, you could say.

But I also sort of had a 'Last Supper' Syndrome.

You see, after months of struggling with one of my resolutions,

I decided to see a dietician.

Now I've never been super chunky,

but I've always had a bit too much fluff.

And I just want to feel comfortable in my own skin.

 - Having a bit more energy wouldn't hurt either -

And I want to do it in a more natural way than I've tried in the past,

which formerly included running 2-3x a day,

unsuccessful cleanses, juice diets, grapefruit juice, dailyplate,

you name it, I've tried it.

So far, I've been on the diet for a week and I'm already feeling better.

I absolutely adore my dietician, Andrea Spivak.

So cute, so motivational, and so... honest.

The nitty gritty of the program is calorie counting,

but emphasizes on protein and fiber. 

There is also a psychologist to help us understand cravings and our behavior,

and while I feel as though I understand the concepts in theory,

clearly I have a hard time implementing them.

So maybe, understanding isn't enough.

Basically,

I'm excited to learn more about how I can feel better about myself and achieve my goals.

Pretty pumped over in these parts :) 

In other news.

I saw my person this past weekend.

I'll save a post specifically for her.

She's fantastic :)

I also need to find the cord that will let me get pictures off my camera.

Instead, I'll give you an iPhone update:

as always, my cuddle bugs,

 A single, lazy night. 

Visits with my cousin, Nicole, and niece, Hailey,

Mother's day - My mom is the coolest :) I want to be just like here when I grow up!

Anywhere out there on instagram? 

Hit me up at pkeenan1229.

Have a great day dears!

Patty

That Kind of Week...

Thank you for all your sweet replies to my last post.

You're all wonderful :)

Coming back from Austin I always am overly optimistic about my job.

And not that I'm not very very grateful for my work,

but it went from very high last week,

to very low this week.

Difficult team mates, difficult schedule, difficult environment.

The never knowing where I'm going the next day,

or when I'm going to get home wore me out this week.

And yet,

There are some really good things about a rough week,

It has kept me motivated towards pursuing future career goals,

it makes me so grateful for the life I come home to at night,

(like mr. banksy)

and it lets me not feel guilty about my little splurge.

Like last night, 

while I was being overly domestic and doing laundry,

I got my first pedicure.

It was right next door to the laundromat. 

I mean, how could I not?

It was pretty amazing. 

Isn't it?

Ignore my baby toes. 

They are little mutants!

I also fell on the maxi-skirt bandwagon.

I saw this skirt, reviewed by the cutie Megan over at Freckled Italian.

I'm going to need to get another one because there's no way I'm taking it off.

Target has some cute versions too, more budget friendly. 

I'm so happy it's Friday, and somewhat low key.

(knock on wood)

And I'm looking forward to this weekend.

Lou and I are headed to Virginia for our dear friend Vanessa's graduation.

Vanessa and Dan visited just last weekend. 

I feel spoiled to get to see them two weekends in a row!

When they were here last weekend we did the historical tourist Philadelphia thing.

We ate a lot of good food.

And played a lot of video games.

I can't wait to see them again this weekend.

What are you all doing this weekend? 

Any fun plans?

I hope whatever it is, it's lovely!

Patty

Lately and Letting Go

Hi Lovelies! 

And possible future travel buddies according to my last post :) 

I just got back from my last training trip to Austin. 

I think that makes 10 work trips,

totaling about 22 weeks in the past two years to Austin.

It's one of those stressful weeks with a job dependent test at the end of it.

I normally leave it feeling exhausted from studying and nauseated from caffeine.

But I spent the week with my dear friend, Anne, and another intern, Max.

Anne and I started out the interview process together,

Whispering in the lobby what questions we were just asked 

so we could prep the other for who they would see.

We've been helping each other through the past two years,

and she's one of the few people I trust entirely in the company.

Someone I can call in the middle of the case with an anxious question.

She always picks up.

So yes, there was quite a bit of studying,

but there was a lot of fun too.

Most of my nights looked a lot like this:

Or this:

We may or may not like wine...

And we finished our last ever night in Austin (for work), 

with a flight at 219 West. 

If you're in the area, it is so good. 

With an eclectic and varied menu that appeals to everyone. 

 

I actually even managed to get the highest grade on the test!

HOLLA'! 

The week was just fabulous. 

I realized what an amazing friendship I have created with a truly amazing person. 

I am so grateful for the love and friendship I have with Anne, 

and a few core friendships I have developed over the years. 

Then this weekend Lou and I had Dan & Vanessa up from VA visiting. 

Another great time with great friends.

Friends worth keeping.

I am typically one of those types of people who keeps friendships.

But lately I am realizing the immense difficulty.

Recently I've been trying so hard to maintain friendships with my highschool friends.

And while I will always wish these girls nothing but the best,

Their friendship is wearing. 

And when I do see them,

our interests are not aligned. 

Conversations are forced,

Stale and tiring.

They like going to expensive meals,

and talking about shopping and boys.

And, 

don't get me wrong, 

I love talking about all of those things,

I can't talk about it endlessly. 

Our visits have became more and more sparse,

Phone calls few and far between,

until they both just sorta stopped completely.

They're just not my go to people anymore.

I have tried and tried, called, emailed, texted.

But the truth is,

I don't even think of meeting up with them when I visit NYC,

let alone planning a second trip to visit them exclusively.

Somewhere along the line we both stopped maintaining the friendships.

And what it's taken me a long time to realize,

is that it's ok. 

I wish them nothing but the best, 

but I want to spend my time and energy pursuing friendships that give me something more back.

Work for the friendships that are worth maintaining.

Spend more time, 

with less people. 

(Jerry Maguire, anyone?)

I didn't write a memo that lost me my job.

But somewhere over the past few months,

I let them go.

And it's ok.

Anyone else know how I'm feeling?

Hope you all had a lovely weekend!

Patty