Feeling Motivated

I am feeling motivated, in case my title didn't clue you in.  I thought I'd update again on my 30 before 30 because I'm making progress!

1.  Buy a home.
2.  Go Dancing
3.  RUN a 5k in under 30 minutes- train for a half marathon
4.  Dye my hair
5.  Host a dinner party
6.  Go 30 days in a row without fast food
7.  Save enough money to cover my bills for the summer Over 25% there!
8.  Crochet an adult size blanket.
9.  Make $500 on Teacher's Pay Teachers Just hit the $200 mark!
10.  Make my book review blog active again
11.  Read 3 non-fiction books (any suggestions?)
12.  Take a picture a day I wish I were doing better, but I have taken a lot of photos.
13.  Be published or at least submit my essay for publication
14.  De-Clutter my life Bedroom done!
15. Visit MOCA
16.  Find Love I'm in a relationship with a great guy!
17.  Spend quality one on one time with as many friends as possible
18.  Go see The Cleveland Orchestra
19.  Take or at least book an out of state trip (other than my already planned trip to CALI this summer)
20.  Join two professional organizations
21. Fly a Kite (Thanks KD for the suggestion!)
22.  Purchase REAL art
23.  Complete 30 Random Acts of Kindness
24.  Buy a VW Beetle
25.  Complete a 1,000 piece puzzle Bought a puzzle!
26.  Eat at a fancy restaurant
27.  Write thank you notes to people who have made a difference in my life
28.  Drink 2 bottles of water a day for 30 days
29.  Take a class- either art or dancing
30.  Go to Amish Country

I am so ready to move on so many of the things on this list.  I am feeling like my life is very much on the track I want it to be on!  I am thinking as I head into 2014 that it might be my best year yet!

5 months!

The clock just keeps ticking doesn't it?

Well I'm almost done with my 30 days without fast food.  I will say twice I got a quick sandwich due to 13 hr workdays and poor planning on my part, so I'm taking 2 days onto the end... that puts my end date at December 10th.  However, it's been easier than I thought so I'm going to still work at making fast food a truly last resort, and I will work on actually eating healthier food at home.

I've worked out once.  I know, not too great for training for a 5k, but I've got 5 months and I will get there.

I'm working on getting my finances together so I can get pre-approved for a mortgage and then I can really look into buying a home.

The 30 days of drinking 2 bottles of water has proven very very difficult.  So I'm going to start again.  I'm thinking tomorrow might be good for that.

My sales on TPT have been slower this month, but there's a huge sale tomorrow and Tuesday that I'm hoping will give me my biggest month yet!

With the amount of subbing I'm doing I've been able to put a couple hundred bucks every two weeks towards my summer savings so here's hoping I'll reach that savings goal ASAP!  I just need to get more days in and the districts that pay me just over $10 an hour.

Thanksgiving was great this year and I have so much in my life to be thankful for.

Hope the start to the holiday season is going as wonderfully for you as it is for me!


Here are some of my pic a day pics:

Nov 1: My boy Titus.

Nov 2:  I was clearly a sexy King Pig for Halloween.


Nov 3:  Driving home from Columbus- Instagram automatically flipped it so I left it.


Nov 16: (I have more pictures, just not posting all of them here.)  My first date surprise.  He got more dates :)



Nov 25: Months without working out.... I was not happy.

Happy Hour Happenings: Pier W

Last night two of my girls and I decided to do happy hour at Pier W.  I have gone several times in the past but for some reason have never written about it.  I LOVE this happy hour.

Drink Deals:

First of all, the drink deals are pretty on point.  Pier W is a very nice restaurant and therefore has very nice wines and spirits.  The vast majority of the wines are $5.75 for a sizable pour.  They also have a great martini list that goes for the same.  There are also deals on other drinks.  I always get the Lemon Drop Martini or a glass of Pinot Grigio.  Last night we all got lemon drops!

Food Deals:

Almost their entire bar menu is half off.  We shared their AMAZING bacon mussels, calamari, and sliders.  They have some of the best sliders I have ever had!  They have a great sauce on them and the buns are toasted perfectly.  They also let you order them cooked to order.  I've also had in the past their beef short rib perogies (love), and their tempura shrimp.  All good.

Atmosphere:

The bar is modern and classy.  A lot of the seating can be communal depending on the size of your group.  I like how it's cozy and intimate.  There are great views of the lake and the city from the main restaurant as well.  I feel very mature and professional going there.  It's a nice change of pace without breaking the bank from some of the more casual bars I go to.

By getting their food deals I always end up eating a meals worth of food.  My friend and I had two martinis a piece and split the three dishes and spent just shy of $30 each including tip.  Not bad for a gourmet restaurant that I normally can't afford.  If you like seafood and you want a nice meal, this is definitely a great choice for a smaller budget!

Enjoy!

Progress on My 30 Before 30

I'm doing pretty well on the picture a day goal.  And, I haven't had fast food since Thursday, November 7th so I'm on a roll with that.  I should have probably started the working out and drinking water goals at the same time, but they will be forthcoming.

I need to buy a puzzle to complete, and clear an area to work on it.

I'm really glad that I've decided to do this!  I think it will be good for me!

Thanks for the support!

6 Months 30 Things to get me to 30

Two days ago marked the six month mark till my GASP! 30th birthday.  Never mind the fact that even when wearing a suit while teaching at the local high school the security guards ask me if I'm a student- it's true, I'm getting older.  I probably should have thought of this idea six months ago on my golden birthday, but alas, I didn't.  So I'm doing it now.  I'm giving myself a list of 30 goals to accomplish before hitting this next milestone in my life.  Some of them are BIG some of them are small, some of them are just for fun and some are more serious, but all of them are important to me.

Before I get to my list let's look at some of the things I've already accomplished, tried, or experienced in this last year of my 20s.

1.  I quit a job that was making me unhappy.
2.  I got my Master's Degree!
3.  I started a new job doing something I've never done before!
4.  I dated multiple people.
5.  I took a spontaneous road-trip with my best friend.
6.  I took a not so spontaneous road-trip with a good friend.
7.  I volunteered at a charity event.
8.  I split a block of granite in half with some awesome people.
9.  I went to a geology lecture.
10.  I tried moonshine!

I'm sure there are things I'm missing but these were the things that stood out to me.  This is definitely going to be one of my best years yet!

So, in no particular order, here is MY LIST!

1.  Buy a home.
2.  Go Dancing
3.  RUN a 5k in under 30 minutes- train for a half marathon
4.  Dye my hair
5.  Host a dinner party
6.  Go 30 days in a row without fast food
7.  Save enough money to cover my bills for the summer
8.  Crochet an adult size blanket.
9.  Make $500 on Teacher's Pay Teachers
10.  Make my book review blog active again
11.  Read 3 non-fiction books (any suggestions?)
12.  Take a picture a day
13.  Be published or at least submit my essay for publication
14.  De-Clutter my life
15. Visit MOCA
16.  Find Love
17.  Spend quality one on one time with as many friends as possible
18.  Go see The Cleveland Orchestra
19.  Take or at least book an out of state trip (other than my already planned trip to CALI this summer)
20.  Join two professional organizations
21. Fly a Kite (Thanks KD for the suggestion!)
22.  Purchase REAL art
23.  Complete 30 Random Acts of Kindness
24.  Buy a VW Beetle
25.  Complete a 1,000 piece puzzle
26.  Eat at a fancy restaurant
27.  Write thank you notes to people who have made a difference in my life
28.  Drink 2 bottles of water a day for 30 days
29.  Take a class- either art or dancing
30.  Go to Amish Country

I will officially start TOMORROW!  So excited to see what the next six months bring.

Faith

I'm not a religious person.  I don't even really consider myself Christian- though I celebrate the secular version of Christian holidays.  But I feel moved to talk about faith and religion today.

This weekend was one of the most difficult times I've had in my life.  My cousin Patrick took his own life last week and we had to pay our respects this weekend.  On Friday my mom and I drove up to Michigan to help his family with last minute preparations and to provide our support.  That night, his sister, asked if I'd come to a youth service and grief support meeting that their church was putting on for the kids who had known him.  I had no idea what to expect but wanted to be supportive of my cousin so I agreed to attend.

I'm so glad I did.  The service was beautiful.  My favorite moment was when each of us present was welcomed to come up, light a candle, and place it in these planters at the front of the altar.  My cousin and I went up together and it was peaceful and beautiful and so overwhelming.  After everyone had a turn they turned all the lights off and we sat there, in silence, just remembering.  Later I accompanied my cousin up to sit in front of the candles and I was just amazed at her strength in that moment.  She knelt there and prayed and it was so touching to me.  I remember looking at her and smiling because I could tell how much comfort the church and her prayers were bringing her.

Several of these young people, from 15-20 years old chose to stay in the sanctuary.  Chose to continue to pray, and seemed to draw so much from it.  It was one of the most beautiful and emotional things I've ever witnessed.

The next day at the funeral mass the church made a point of inviting those of us who are not Catholic to participate in the mass by going up and getting blessed during communion.  I appreciated that so much. I was feeling so vulnerable and sad and there was just something comforting about being blessed by the priest.  I walked up, arms crossed over my chest as instructed, and I remember him setting down the host, smiling, and touching my head.

I have no idea what he said, and frankly it doesn't matter at all, I felt included.  Some people probably think it's weird for a non-believer to feel so strongly about a mass, but I knew how much this church meant to his family and how much it was helping them and I wanted to be a part of that.

St. John Neuman in Canton, MI showed me what I think a church should be.  It was welcoming and warm and supportive to it's members in the darkest of times.  I haven't been converted, but I have a deeper appreciation for what a strong faith community can give you- especially one that seems so open.


Not going to lie though- I still can't get over the whole Communion thing-- the songs about the body and blood of Christ made me think of Zombies... Is that something lifelong Catholics just get used to?

To my dear dear cousin E if you're reading this.  You are an amazing woman.  Your poise through all of this has been impressive.  I love you and wish you peace.

Reflecting

The other day a few people on my FB newsfeed posted this link to an article on The Huffington Post's website entitled How to Get Flat Abs, Have Amazing Sex and Rule the World in 8 Easy Steps (Kudos on the title btw, definitely encouraged people to read!).  Anyways, I went and read the article and a couple of things really resonated with me: 1. Stop believing your bullshit and 2. Be happy now.

The author's point with number 1 was that we all make excuses for ourselves.  We give ourselves reasons to not break out of comfort zone, to be satisfied with the status quo and not challenge it.  We believe we are capable of less than we are.  

If I'm being really honest with myself this can be a major issue for me.  "I have asthma I can't run a 10k." "I'm not smart enough for THAT career" and so on... The fact of the matter is I don't really know whether I can do these things or not because I have never ever tried.  I need to start trusting in myself that I have greater potential and reach out for more.  

The second step mentioned is "Be Happy Now."  I've written about this idea before... As people we often are waiting for our next step to happen before we allow ourselves to fully enjoy where we are.  

I think I'm getting a little better about this.  Dating casually this summer was part of that for me.  I decided to be happy with where I was right then and not worry about the future too much.  I think the bigger issue for me comes in my professional life.  I mean, I'm not going to lie, I'm not working my dream job right now.  BUT, I've actually been so much happier the past three weeks than I remember being in the past at my other jobs.  I've definitely been more consistently happy.  I need to let go, just a little bit, of the idea that I'm not doing what I'm supposed to be doing, because maybe I am.

This school year I am teaching four college research and writing classes at a career college in the late afternoons and evenings and substitute teaching for a local school district during the day.  I have never taught adults before.  I had never even taught college.  So far it's been pretty good!  My classes are small, the maturity is higher (for the most part) and I feel like the students are really responding to me.  When I see students in the hallway outside of class they greet me, they ask how my day or weekend was, and they actually seem genuinely interested.  My students have commented to me that I am "fun," that they can tell I "love" teaching.  They have even, wait for it, THANKED me for helping them.  I feel appreciated and respected (despite being young enough to be their child in some cases). 

By the same token I am having a great time substitute teaching.  I've done one day at an elementary school and the rest have been at the high school which is ideal.  I'm getting to use my brain whether it's for English or re-learning Algebra, or trying to recall Spanish vocabulary words from well over a decade ago.  There is almost no stress.  I grade papers from my night classes during my off periods and go home without extra work at the end of the day.  Even these students are starting to recognize me and say "hello" in the halls.  Today I saw a former student that frankly, often butted heads with me.  He was working at the school and we had a really nice, mature, conversation.  He showed an interest in what I'd been doing for the past several years and updated me quickly on his life.  It felt good.

I guess my point is this... I'm in a good place.  I may not technically have a full time job (sure wish I had benefits!) but I do have two jobs that are, most weeks, giving me a 40 hr load and, more importantly, are FULFILLING me.  So I choose to be happy with where I am and to stay happy.  It's time I refocused again and paid attention to all the good in my life because it so outweighs the bad.

Summer Wrap Up

At the beginning of the summer I posted my bucket list for the months of June, July, and August.  Now that we're at Labor Day it's time to evaluate my summer...

As a reminder, here is my bucket list...

Sara's Summer Bucket List:

1. Go to Bar Harbor, ME!!

2. Attend a Wade Oval Wednesday

3. See Shakespeare in a park

4. Go to the beach

5. Crafting!

6. Girls Nights!

7. Date Nights! I'm having a lot of fun dating and figuring out who really is a solid match for me!

8. Bonfires

9. Lay out at a pool

10. Cook out

11. Outdoor runs

12. Read fun books!

13. Go to the Zoo

14. See the summer blockbusters! - So far I've seen Fast and the Furious 6, Superman, Heat, 

15. Day drink!

16. Finish my MA Essay

17. Go to Cedar Point
18. Find a job!


I definitely didn't complete everything on this list, but I have to say I'm really happy with how this summer went for me.  My trip to Bar Harbor was amazing.  I saw whales, caught up with friends, went nature creeping, and ate lots of lobster.

Lobstah!

I had several awesome girls nights with margaritas, tacos, and gossiping that made me continue to appreciate the friendships I've been cultivating for years.  My ladies are truly awesome.

This was the first summer that I really made a point of putting myself out there and dating.  I kept things casual and it's been great.  Everyone I met or gave a chance too has been awesome.  Some have stuck around, some I've let fall away, but all have been good experiences.  There have been movies, hikes, dinners, parties, cook outs, and one lucky guy even got a home cooked meal.  Now that summer is over and my schedule is going to get crazy we'll have to see how everything works out.  But I certainly have no regrets.

Homecooked!

I got to hang out with several of my co-workers this summer which was super fun.  While my job wasn't the right fit for me last year, my co-workers were stellar and I'm glad to be continuing friendships with them.  Corn-hole, day drinking, night drinking, a play, and lots of stupid snap chats made it a fun time.

My spur of the moment road trip with my bff to Gatlinburg was a perfect little get away.  We saw the most hilarious things, got caught in tourist traps, and sampled lots of types of alcohol.

Moonshine!

Perhaps most importantly I finished my MA Essay and, as of yesterday, GRADUATED graduate school!  I'm so glad to be done.  And, because I now have an MA in English, I was able to complete #18 and procure a job!  This year I'm going to be teaching college composition classes at a career college downtown.  I'm excited for the challenge but nervous too.

Other random summer highlights:

Pole dancing class!
Oktoberfest!
Taste of Tremont!
The Lion King!

Sexy, I know.

Rock Star Accordion!

Goodbye Summer... Hello Fall!

Free in Cleveland: STEP Cleveland Public Theater

I just heard about this awesome Cleveland Public Theater program STEP (Student Theater Enrichment Program) that gets urban teens involved in theater!  They put together a show and then perform around the city outside for free!

The show is all original and apparently involves singing and dancing too!  This year's production is called And One Night which is based on Arabian Nights: One Thousand and One Nights.

It starts tonight!  Here is the list of performances, hope to see you there!

Performances

Thursday, August 1st
Herman Park (W 58 & Herman Ave I Rain Location:CPT) 7pm

Friday, August 2nd
Lincoln Park (W 14 & Starkweather Ave I Rain Location: Pilgrim Church) 7pm

Saturday, Augst 3rd
Tony Brush Park in Little Italy (Mayfield & Random Rd I Rain Location: Alta House) 4pm

Monday, August 5th
St. Stanislaus - Warszawa Music Festival (3649 E 65 I Rain Location: Church) 7pm

Tuesday, August 6th
Lonnie Burten Baseball Field (E 46 & Outhwaite Ave I Rain Location: Gymnasium) 6pm

Wednesday, August 7th
Kerruish Park (17000 Tarkington Ave I Rain Location: Harvard Community Services Center)7pm

Thursday, August 8th
Mercedes Cotner Park (W 95 & Maywood Ave I Rain Location: Denison Avenue UCC) 12noon

Thursday, August 8th
St. John's Church (2600 Church Ave & W 26 I Rain Location: TBA) 7pm

Friday, August 9th
Denison Elementary School (3799 West 33 St & Denison I Rain Location: Gymnasium) 7pm

Saturday, August 10th
West Park- Fairview Family YMCA (15501 Lorain Rd I Rain Location: YMCA Gymnasium) 12pm

Saturday, August 10th
Cleveland Public Theatre (W 65th & Detroit Ave I Rain Location: CPT) 7pm

Sunday, August 11th
Fairview Park in Ohio City (W 38 & Franklin Blvd I Rain Location: Westside UCC) 4pm

Free in Cleveland: Cleveland Shakespeare Festival

Last Sunday I went to see CSF put on Two Gentlemen From Verona in Lakewood Park for FREE!  I've somehow missed the last couple of summers of Shakespeare because of scheduling conflicts so I was super excited to attend this show.  There was a great turnout especially as it was a somewhat chilly summer night.  The show was quite amusing, and I really enjoyed the physical comedy as well as Shakespeare's wit.  I thought it was great that there were several children in attendance as well as a wide range of twenty somethings, senior citizens, and everyone in between.

I also always appreciate casting that disregards race though- and I'm assuming it was coincidental, all the leads were white (as far as I could tell).

EDIT: Female lead, Silvia, half hispanic, half white!  Love the extra layer of diversity even if I was dense and didn't immediately know!

The only downside was that it started raining and the show had to end about 10 minutes early.

This weekend I might try to see Measure by Measure one of Shakespeare's problem plays in Tremont!

Come on down and see the last weekend of showings!  And, don't worry if you don't know your Shakespeare, helpful summaries of the plays are provided in the programs!

Knock another thing off my summer bucket list!

Restaurant Review: El Carnicero

Viva The Lakewood Restaurant Scene!

El Carnicero has just opened this past week in Lakewood.  Run by the same chef as Momocho I was eager to try it out so when a friend suggested our girls night out take place there I was on board.

My ladies and I went this past Saturday.  Arriving at 7:30 we were told there would be an hour and a half wait for our group of five.  As we put our name in a hostess offered us a slightly unconventional solution.  Due to demand they had opened up their private party room that had a large table for twelve that already had a party of four seated at one end.  The hostess explained we could have the opposite end of the table with no wait if we didn't mind sharing.  Sounded just fine to us so we were seated immediately and honestly didn't even notice the other people as there were a couple of seats open separating us.

I will say that the service in that room was a  tad on the slow side, we had to wait quite a bit to order but I'm willing to chalk that up to them not being used to having an extra table back there.

In our group we ordered classic, pomegranate, blood orange, and cucumber margaritas as well as a glass of red sangria.  The sangria wasn't on the menu but our waiter checked at the bar and they did have white and red sangria.  I personally had the pomegranate which is my go to at Momocho and it was just as good here.  I tasted the blood orange and it was tasty but had a little less of the orange flavor than expected. I'd never been brave enough to try the cucumber before but I tasted my friend's and it was really refreshing and I'd consider ordering the next time I was a less sweet option.

To start we ordered guacamole and their red salsa.  The guac is perfection.  I will likely go back just for Margaritas and guacamole.  I love smooth guac with chunks of fresh ingredients and that's exactly what this was.  It wasn't so mild that there wasn't any extra flavor but there was enough to add just a touch of kick that made it extremely enjoyable! The salsa was good but wasn't exactly what I enjoy in a salsa.  It had a bit too much smoke and sweetness to me, though I'm very sensitive to those and everyone else didn't mind.  We also thought it reminded us of the flavor of Doritos.  Random, I know.

For dinner we each ordered either Tamales or Taquitos.

I ordered El Cordero Taquitos which is their lamb option.

As you can see it came as shredded meat with two sauces on the side.  The tortillas that came with it were off to the side and were perfectly warm and soft.  I did have to ask about dairy and the waiter told me that the onions/vegetables that come under the meat for their taquitos are made in cream so he told me he'd have them made without.  Though now that I'm writing this I don't recall any vegetables with mine.

This was a delicious dish.  The lamb was super tender, juicy, and seasoned just right.  It was slightly reminiscent of our family's Christmas Eve dinner where we serve lamb but soooo much better.  I prefer the green sauce that accompanies it.

One of the other girls ordered the Pavo- Roasted Turkey taquitos with a mole sauce.  When her order came out the first comment was "it smells like Thanksgiving."  I tasted it and I thought it was just O.K though I admittedly am not a huge fan of mole.  She also ordered a side of refried beans and couldn't eat them because they were quite spicy.  I tasted them, just a tiny bite, and my mouth was on fire.  I thought they were good but should be marked with a warning on the menu or the waiters/waitresses should tell you before you order.

The girl who ordered the Bistec taquitos, or steak really enjoyed her meal.  Hers came out with chunks of steak cooked to order.  She commented that the way the meat is cut makes it difficult to eat in the tortillas.  I've had this before and concur, however she had the same thought I've had in the past and just ate the meat because who needs a tortilla when the meat is perfect?

Lastly, my friend ordered the Hongo tamales.  This was a vegetarian option that had wild mushroom and zucchini in it.  The vegetables were placed on top of the corn husks filled with masa.  This was by far the prettiest presentation of the night.

Excuse the phone pic and cruddy lighting, but I loved how the corn husks stood up  for dimension and the contrast of the white sour cream over top.  She seemed to enjoy her meal but I got the feeling she wouldn't rush to order the same option again.

In short I really enjoyed my visit.  When my bank account recovers enough I'll go again and try some other options.  (We each got a meal 2 drinks and then the extra beans we got and we split the tab to about $40 or so dollars each with tip but I am currently trying to save some money so I shouldn't spend like that too frequently!)

How I look For Jobs... Systematically

I've become a pro at searching for jobs.  I go through this list at least once every 10 days but often try to do it every 3 or so.  Here's my breakdown:

West Side:
Bay Village
Brooklyn
Cleveland
Fairview Park

Lakewood

N. Olmsted

Parma

Rocky River

Westlake

Far West Side:

Avon

Avon Lake

Elyria

Olmsted Falls

Strongsville

East Side:

Beachwood

Bedford

Brecksville-Broadview Heights

Chagrin Falls

Cleveland Heights

Cuyahoga Heights
E. Cleveland
Euclid

Garfield Heights

Independence

Maple Heights

Mayfield

Orange

Shaker Heights

Solon

South Euclid

Warrensville Heights

Far East Side:
Mentor
Richmond Heights
Wickliffe


Where am I missing?  If you leave me links in the comments I'll add them to the list.  Happy Job Hunting!  Also feel free to correct my geographic categories- I did it from memory!

Another Summer Bucket List- Version 2.0

Reviewing the past year of blog posts (there weren't many, oops) I saw my Summer Bucket List for 2012... and realized not only did I not accomplish everything on it but most of it still stands so I'm reproducing it here with some minor tweaks...

Sara's Summer Bucket List:

1. Go to Bar Harbor, ME!!

2. Attend a Wade Oval Wednesday

3. See Shakespeare in a park

4. Go to the beach

5. Crafting!

6. Girls Nights!

7. Date Nights! I'm having a lot of fun dating and figuring out who really is a solid match for me!

8. Bonfires

9. Lay out at a pool

10. Cook out

11. Outdoor runs

12. Read fun books!

13. Go to the Zoo

14. See the summer blockbusters! - So far I've seen Fast and the Furious 6, Superman, Heat, 

15. Day drink!

16. Finish my MA Essay

17. Go to Cedar Point

18. Find a job!

As I complete these I'll bold them to track my progress.  Some are continuous but I'll still bold them if I've technically have done enough to consider them DONE!