New Job

I have a new job. I started working at the YMCA as a Health and Wellness Director a week ago Monday. I am very excited to start the new job. Right now I am trying to get organized. I hope to continue doing what I like at the YMCA for awhile. The facility is very relaxed. Completely different from my old position. I have very little direction from my superiors with little restriction. I love the new position. I hope I feel this way in about a month.

My staff is a whole other story. I like being in control of a group of people but I did not get to choose my staff. I have had a lot of cancellations, no shows, and changes. Hopefully, I will be able to get everyone on the same page. It not only make it easier for me but for future employees.

On Saturday, I got certified in Silver Sneakers Manage of Motion/Muscular Strength. I now will be able to teach adults 65 and over. I am excited to take on a new challenge of group fitness classes.

I am very tired currently. I am having a hard time sleeping but I know when I get more comfortable in my job I will be better off.

The Next Top Chef

I love the show Top Chef. The challenges combined with crazy contestants leads to great food. Whenever I go to a town with a Top Chef contestant's restaurant I try to go. I have not been too successful in getting into the restaurants. Some of these places are real ritzy or require a significant reservation period. However, I have been to a great Top Chef restaurant in Washington D.C. called Good Stuff.

Good Stuff is brainchild of Spike Mendelsohn of Top Chef. He was one of my favorite contestants because he was overly confident, loud, and he loved his red meat. Good Stuff is best explained a a high end fast food restaurant. The menu consists of All-American classic hamburgers and french fries. However, like all great chefs Spike adds twists to his food with great burgers such as the Prez Obama, Good Stuff Melt, Michele Burg (a great turkey burger), and many many more. He has several different types of french fries. The sauces that are available are incredible. Dip your fries into them or add them to your burger. The mango mayonnaise and the chipotle mayonnaise are my favorites. However, a great splurge is the shakes. My first shake was the black and white which has chocolate sauce dripped all along the sides of the cup. It is so good I cannot give it up to try another.

I have been to Good Stuff three times. On one of my trips I was lucky enough to see Spike. Since it is like a fast food restaurant you pick up your food at the container within 5 minutes after ordering. The place is always bustling and good luck finding a seat. This is a great time to make new friends. My Spike meeting occurred with my good friend Katey. Her and I love a deep love for Top Chef and Spike. When we walked in that day, I was so excited to see Spike handing out the food. I ordered my burger (I do not remember which one, I like to try something new every time. Plus the burgers are always changing.) and fries, and waited patiently for my order number to be called. I was so excited. How could I be so lucky to be handed my food by Spike? My number was called and I walked up very confidently and Spikes, "Please enjoy your food and have a great day." My response: "Is this all for me? I can't wait to eat." I did this all while giggling like a school girl. Such a great response. I made such a impression. So proud of myself. Katey and I could not stop laughing or stop eating. The food is good. (The pictures at the top are a sign with Spike at Good Stuff and Spike serving the great great Good Stuff.)

This now leads me to how I am going to be the next Top Chef. Katey gave me for my birthday the cookbook: The Good Stuff Cookbook by Spike Mendelsohn. How exciting. I could not wait to jump right in and good. But what to try first? I needed to make Spike proud with my first recipe. I chose the Good Stuff Melt with Village Fries. Let me tell you: this was tough work. I did everything from scratch. I pureed the sauces, cut the fries, caramelized the onions, sauteed the mushrooms, chopped the herbs, grill the burgers, and in the end ate everything. The Good Stuff restaurant makes it look so easy. Your food is out in five minutes at most and nice and steamy. It took me almost two hours. I am not complaining. Good food takes time. However, I learned Good Stuff takes a lot of good people. I will continue to cook Good Stuff but not all the time. Not the healthiest recipes but everyone deserves a good/saturated meal every once in awhile.

Because I want you to go and buy Spike's cookbook, I will not be posting these recipes on my blog. However, I am willing to cook you a Good Stuff meal. Reservations are required at least 7-10 days in advance. The restaurant is casual dress. Bring a big appetite and lots of napkins (Good Stuff is only good if is messy). See you soon :)

New Year in My Life

I turned 26 years old on Saturday June 5. I am not on the backside of my twenties. I am not so sure how I feel about this new year. I can already tell my body does not react like it did in high school or college. I have some aches and pains. The aches and pains seem to linger more than they use to. Also, the fear of 30 is creeping in. I still have four years till I turn 30 but it feels so close.

I also start to think about goals and dreams. Thinking back now, I know I use to say what I like to have accomplished by 25 but I do not remember what it was. I was never a person who really wanted a career. True be told I would rather be playing golf everyday, eating lunch with the ladies, and cooking dinner for my family and friends. In reality, I have accepted the fact I need to work. I feel finally I am on my way to a career that I could be possible enjoy. I start a new job on Monday as a Health and Wellness Director at a YMCA. I do not have to listen a stupid boss anymore. I have more control, and more ability to develop and lead.

Now that I have fewer years left in my twenties, what do I want to accomplish? That really is a good question. I hope to develop a good career. I want to develop and gain more responsibility. I want to join a nice country club. I like country clubs because they have golf, dining, and a lot of social opportunities. I grew up in a country club setting and feel very comfortable. In the future, I would like my children to have the same opportunities I had at a country club. I hope to save enough money so I can buy a house. Yes, I hope to marry and have children but that will happen when it happens. It does have to be before 30. I know right now I am not ready for marriage. I am still very selfish, and I am still trying to figure out how to live my life.

I still would like to be a PGA Tour wife. My career as amateur golfer is pretty much over. I will still play in some tournaments throughout the year but not like I use to. I love being around golf tournaments. I do love being a spectator of the game golf. It is fun to watch people play and see how they react to the course. Hahaha. A girl can dream.

As I start a new year of my life, I am ready for the challenges. If I can get through the last year I feel like I can get through anything. New challenges maybe hard but I just need to power through. So here it goes........

Golf Still Makes Me Cry

This past Wednesday I played in a golf tournament outside of Pittsburgh, Pa. It was not fun. I would call it a disaster. I was so embarrassed. I have been playing a lot of golf and have been able to work on my game more than in the past. However, I do not have a good practice area, and my confidence in the game is gone. It terrible to think as I get older the competitive nature of my game is disappearing. Work and life is more in the way, and golf is taking a backseat. I hate that I can not be as competitive as I use to be. It was such a huge blow. I am now learning that golf is going to be in my life but in a whole different way. I feel sad about that. I know that I have to grow and take life changes but it is hard. Golf will always be there but I will have to learn to appreciate the new aspects of the game. I can still do tournaments but I have to pick the right tournaments for me. Some lessons are harder to learn than others.