Hope everyone had a fabulous holiday and new year!
 
I was reflecting on 2008 with my mom and brothers the other day, and I have to say... it was quite a challenging year! Not to say that there weren't a ton of wonderful experiences last year (living it up in India, Eugene completing his EMBA program at Columbia, reconnecting with my dad in China, exploring Thailand with my brothers, helping my mom turn the Green Papaya a popular hangout), but with a move to a new city far away from family and friends to the loss of a beloved grandfather to embarking on new business amidst a tumultuous economy and stock market, I have to say that I am glad to be getting a fresh new start.
 
This year, I'm doing something new... I'm broadcasting my New Year's Resolutions to all of you so you can keep me accountable. And I hope you'll also share your resolutions with me so we can support each other in reaching our goals! Here are my top three resolutions for 2009:
 
1. Get Healthier
This is doosie of a resolution because it involves so many different things! First, I want to learn cook so that I can stop eating out as much. If I can whip up meals at home, then I'll can control what goes into my food and cut out all the junk. Second, I've been pretty good about remembering to take my new vitamins, and it's such a simple thing to do that I really need to make sure I keep it up -- especially since I can feel a positive change in just a few months! Third, I must figure out a way to fit in fitness on a more regular basis. Tennis, salsa, and swimming lessons are on my list of to do's and that will definitely help keep up my activity levels. Last but not least, I am also going to follow my mom's advice on how to lower my stress levels and boost my mental health -- I am going to try to create something every day. It doesn't have to be a masterpiece (which is often why I never complete projects... or even start them!); it can be just a cute, little crocheted something, a new dish I learned to cook for dinner, or a drawing on Illustrator. By the end of 2009, I will be a happier and healthier me!
 
2. Be Greener
I've learned that the best way to lead is by example since I've picked up on the habits of others and am delighted that some of my own actions have influenced others. So I am committed to making my life more green! There have been occasions when I realized that my reusable tote bags were at home while I was in the checkout line at the grocery store, so I need to make sure I always carry them with me. I've already started carrying my own travel set of silverware, but I also need to bring my own BPA-free food storage containers so that I can take leftovers from restaurants home. (Ooo, since I'm learning to cook, I will hopefully be going out and getting take out less often which also means reducing the number of plastic take out containers I use!) I am also house hunting now, so I'll have plenty of opportunities to build in green features like solar panels, an organic garden, and maybe even a greywater system! 
 
3. Help Others
Back in 2007, I accomplished my goal of raising $4000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and training with their team to complete a half-marathon in San Francisco. Last year, in honor of Grandpa Wu, I created the Mission:POSSIBLE! Team for the American Cancer Society's Relay For Life in Orlando. My goal for 2009 is to recruit 8 more team members to relay with Eugene and I for 18 hours starting on May 1st (we can run, walk, or crawl!). Since I've also stepped up as the Luminaria Chair for the event, I'm also committed to helping to make this Relay event a shining success! If you are interested in joining my team or making a donation, please visit our team page: http://main.acsevents.org/goto/mission__possible (perhaps this will help you fulfill one of your resolutions as well!) I am also going to make more time to do volunteer work at soup kitchens and homeless shelters.
 
So, what were your New Year's Resolutions? Let me know and let's make 2009 the best year yet!

It wasn’t until after I moved to Orlando that I realized just how good I had it when I was living in NYC. No one can beat our bagels and pizza! I only recently learned that the secret is in the water! Despite the cold, I’m looking forward to heading back up the NYC for the holidays so that I can see my family and friends, and so I can eat really good bagels and pizza again! I’m thankful that I get to go up north frequently to enjoy my favorite carb delights!

Well, it seems that I may have to really eat up on this next trip because Senior Mining Analyst Dusty Horwitt testified before the New York City Council Committee on Environmental Protection on proposed natural gas drilling in the New York City watershed. Mining companies want to use a process called hydraulic fracturing, which involves injecting water laced with toxic chemicals into the ground. The technique threatens environmental health and the safety of public drinking water and has aroused opposition from, among others, New York pizza and bagel makers who depend on the purity of the famed New York City water for their high-quality pies and bagels. 

For the full story, check out http://www.ewg.org/node/27441.

Okay, as often happens around the holidays, life has gotten crazy and I haven’t been able to keep up with the daily postings, but always have at least one thing that I’m thankful each day in my head (it's often food since I love to eat, but not always!). Today, I’ve got a triple whammy -- I am super thankful for chickpeas, yogurt, and soybeans!

Ever since I discovered hummus in college (what a deprived childhood!), I’ve been hooked! Now that I have a mini food processor, I can make it myself and control how much olive oil, tahini, salt, and garlic go into it! (Lots of garlic please!) That was the only way I ate chickpeas for years, but it recently hit me that there are so many more uses! I always have a few cans of chickpeas in my pantry now. I like to use them in my salads or in my slow cooker chili recipe. Yay for chickpeas!

Many of you know that I have yogurt (usually 0% Fage Greek yogurt) nearly every day for breakfast from the recipe I shared a few months ago (if you missed it, you can read it here). I also started using it as a cream cheese replacement by spreading a thin layer on whole grain toast with fruit preserves from the farmers market. It’s so good – like a bagel with cream cheese and jam! I’ve also made a yummy fruit and veggie dip by mixing yogurt with an apricot fruited horseradish concoction called Nip ‘N Tang. I’ve been serving it at parties and folks just eat it all up! I sure love yogurt!

And lastly, now that we are trying to stick with our Meatless Monday schedule, soybeans really help trick E into thinking he’s getting something “meaty.” We’ve always had a tofu-rich diet, but I’ve added soy burgers and soy crumbles to the mix. Soy crumbles can be found in the frozen section of the grocery store and is convenient to have on hand because you just toss some into pasta sauce, omelets, or in chili without even thawing. Thank goodness for soybeans!

I've been away from NYC for two months and I really missed walking! I always considered myself lucky when I lived in NYC that for several years, I lived close enough to my workplace that I could walk there. For a while, I lived 1.5 miles away and had a great 30 minute walk each way. Then I switched jobs and the office was 1.8 miles away, so I got even more exercise (in addition to training for a half-marathon!) plus time to ponder the meaning of life and other important matters.  

I've been known to walk over 4 miles from my downtown office to dinner with friends up by Lincoln Center. Some say I'm crazy, but I just love to people watch and see the hustle and bustle of the city, so when given the time, I walk everywhere. Of course, I also loved the ability to just hop on a bus or the subway to get where I need to go as well. Just in the last two days, I've taken the bus/subway combo to and from NYC to my mom's place in NJ. It took me 1.5 hours each way and I was able to read and crochet during the ride. This is one of the perks of the city that I miss when I'm in Orlando.  

Back in Orlando, I walk and bike everywhere that I can... which isn't much. It's too bad that I now have to own a car, make regular trips to the stinky gas station, and drive alone to places all the time -- usually in traffic too! I haven't been able to figure out our bus system yet, but that's next on my list of things to tackle. Still, regardless of where I am, I am thankful for alternative transportation!

Happy (belated) Thanksgiving!!

It's great to be back in the NY/NJ area and I had such a wonderful time with my family yesterday! We certainly upheld our tradition of eating straight through the day and into the wee hours of the morning! Somewhere in between lunch #4 and dinner #3, my cousin Alice said something that sparked an idea in my head. I gave it a lot of thought this moring during a brisk walk through the park (not meant to work off what I ate yesterday, but to make sure I can eat even more today!). I feel so blessed and happy with my life right now, that I've decided to post at least one thing that I am thankful for each day on my blog--starting today!  

After a fun-filled day yesterday, that I really wished would never end, I have to put my family as my first entry. They make me laugh, help me through my troubles, are always there to just chat, and I wish that I didn't live hundreds of miles away from them, but it's my secret hope (ok, maybe not-so-secret now!) that they'll all move down near me =) Even if they don't, I am so thankful that I have them in my life! I am one lucky, lucky chica!

You don't have to publicly announce what you're thankful for in a blog, but I suggest you give this little exercise a try too. It's bound to lift your spirits even when you're down!

Talk about the event that keeps on giving!

I was thrilled to find out that I won a free month of yoga classes at Shine On Yoga. I've never really tried yoga before even though my mom is a super yogi and has been trying to get my to try it for years! Well, I have been taking classes for two weeks now and love it! The instructors are awesome, the class is a good challenging level, and the people in the class are so friendly! Thanks Shine On Yoga!

Also, I just got an email from OurLando with some photos and the video from the event. Check it out! =)

By the way, I don't come up til the third minute in the video because I didn't see the booth til late in the afternoon! ...and in case you can't read it, my board says, "i <heart> jogging around our LAKES!"

What’s worse than wasting food, gas, paper, or natural resources?
...Wasting your VOTE!

So get out tomorrow and make your voice heard -- America is counting on you! Every single vote really does count. The 2000 presidential election was the closest election in the United States to date, and polls indicate that the upcoming election could be even closer yet.

For me, one of the first things that I thought when it finally hit me that I was really moving to FL was… YAY, I’ll be in a swing state for the 2008 presidential election! So assuming that my vote actually gets counted, it may really make a difference! But even if you’re not in a swing state, it’s still so important for you to vote!

See you at the polls!

I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about how to cut down on paper use in my life. Back in the good old corporate days, I always had to print millions of documents to review with different teams. And I was famous (or infamous, depending on who you talk to) for shrinking down each page to 50% so I could fit two pages on each sheet of paper, and of course I’d also print on both sides of the sheet. One client in particular often complained that the type was too little for him to read, so I’d print a “special” copy for him that was at 100% but still printed on both sides. Once, I tried to pull off a review with no paper copies and just projected the document on a large screen… while this saved several trees, it required me to shut the lights and I heard several people snoring!

So in addition to shrinking pages and printing on both sides of each sheet, what else can we do around the office to reduce the amount of paper we use?

First, change your Word settings (in the normal.dot template).  Why Microsoft decided that we’d need an inch on the top and bottom and 1.25 inches on each side is completely beyond me, but it’s excessive. You can reduce your margins significantly with no impact to your documents. I set mine to be a quarter of an inch on each side and half an inch on the top and bottom to allow for a quarter in for headers and footers. You can also change the margins in Excel files too.

Second, I also always use font size 10 instead of 12 and up.

Third, unless your document is going somewhere or to someone really important, I find that Title pages are completely superfluous. Just include the information in header or footer instead.

Fourth, while we’re at it, a lot of networked printers are set to print out a cover sheet to distinguish the owner of the print job. Let’s get rid of that too. We’re smart enough to figure out which documents are ours. (And let’s face it, even with the cover sheet, we’ve all accidentally stolen other’s printout before!)

Fifth, (this one requires a little more effort and coordination) dedicate one network printer to draft copies and other non-important printouts. Since there were people that were against printing on both sides, they could drop off papers that still had a blank side into this printer and we would be able to use up the blank side before sending these papers off to their final destination to be recycled. This was also great because we could set the printer to economy mode and use up less toner too.

Sixth, in Powerpoint, print in Handout mode and include several slides per page. If you’ve got an effective presentation, then there should only be a few bullets per page, so it will still be readable when you shrink it down.

Lastly, think before you print. Do you really need hard copies of your emails and TPS reports? Probably not – so don’t print it! If you really must have a hard copy, then see if someone else has already printed it out. If not, then at least try to share your copy when you’re done to save someone else from printing it also.

Now take these ideas to your office manager and demand change! …And while you’re at it, ask for a raise too -- you deserve a reward for helping to cut costs and go green! :-)

It’s been a week since I attended VegFest in Orlando, and I’m still processing all the great info that I got! For one thing, it reinforced my decision to make at least a few days a week meatless and buying organic meat for all the other days (see previous post). As I see it, you get three chances a day to do something good for the planet… or in my case, five or six chances (did I mention that I’m constantly eating?!).

In addition to learning about vegetarianism at the event, I also connected with lots of great people who educated me on the happenings in Orlando. Here are a few of my fave findings:

- Audubon Park Community Market opening on December 3rd! (It’s so close, I can walk there! Yay, no car needed!)

- Critical Mass is also here in Orlando (but I missed the ride on Halloween)

- We’ve got some great organic, raw, veggie and vegan restaurants that I have to check out! Ethos, Z-Café, Café 118, Drunken Money, and Infusion Tea, and the Dandelion Communitea (which I’ve been to before).

- There’s a cool organization called Ourlando that strives to create a vibrant and sustainable local living economy.

It was a beautiful day in Loch Haven Park, the sun was shining, and I just loved talking to random, but friendly, strangers at the event and wish I had room in my stomach to eat more of the goodies that were there! (I definitely would have had room for cupcakes, but they ran out, so I’ll just have to visit their store.) Plus I met up with Karla and bumped into Karen there, so it was the perfect Saturday afternoon. (I knew Karen wouldn't want me to put her picture up, so it's just met and Karla here! BTW, I wore my Buy Local tee that day, which some guy really liked and asked me where I got it... ironically, I didn't get it locally, it's from Martha's Vineyard up in MA!)