#News8 – The View from Lajeune

My Current Situation Part VII

I am writing this blog post on a semi-wet and blustery Sunday afternoon in the month of May. We are having a true Spring this year and it’s not easy getting used to. Also it’s been 14 months since the pandemic officially started in Connecticut and although some things have changed, others have not…

This is the 7th installment of a (hopefully) limited series of blog posts related to my Covid 19 experience – but 7 is my lucky number so I’m going to go with that (smile).

But first things first, I am still working hybrid — one day operating from home, the next day from my News 8 local sales office — which I absolutely love doing but I fear the end is near…

…the state of Connecticut is fully opening back up on May 19th which is a pretty good sign that things are moving towards what is being deemed, the “new normal.”

I can’t lie, I want the “old normal” back and I promise not to complain about anything anymore (double smile).

I’m also still attending my church home, Christian Tabernacle Baptist Church, via Facebook live. There’s something to be said about hearing “The Word” virtually and from the safety and comfort of your own home…

And I still work out 5 days a week at I Love Kickboxing in North Haven, CT. What has recently changed at ILKB is this: there are no more mask optional classes (just mask-mandatory) nor are there any more limits to class sizes. So with the arrival of earlier sunrises in Connecticut, these early bird class sizes will sometimes swell to capacity.

I’m also super excited to announce that I am now fully vaccinated so a simple mask is my new entry point to getting some of my life back, Yay!

I’m not going crazy though. I am slowly easing myself back into my new life. Pre-Pandemic I was Go-Go-Go, trying to cram everything in all at one time without once stopping to take a break.

Nowadays I’m learning to appreciate the simple things in life. Things that bring me love, peace and joy. I’m also planning for my retirement over the next 4 or 5 years where I will look forward to enjoying a much slower and leisurely pace.

My Current Situation – Part III

We are now entering the 6th month of living in a pandemic and needless to say, things have changed for me in Connecticut… here’s what I’m noticing:

Masks are still required when you walk into any workplace/school/retail store/restaurant/bank etc. (which, by the way, is not a problem to me…)

Gyms continue to operate at 50% capacity which forces me to work out from home on an online app 3 days out of the 5…and go to my gym I Love Kickboxing (at 5am) the other 2 days..

We Local Account Executives at News 8 continue to work from home every other day in a team hybrid fashion and to be honest, I’m not mad about it (smile).

Zoom calls (the way we now converse with each other and with our clients) are beginning to feel “natural” and “the norm.”

And I just returned from an actual vacay in Delaware where we drove to visit family and because I brought my latop with me, I did not miss a beat on my work load…

Virtual church is becoming “a thing” now, I can hear ‘The Word” from Pastor King at Christian Tabernacle Baptist Church right from the safety of my living room…

As far as golf goes, social distancing was already in place so other than having an electric cart all to myself, not much has changed there…

Self Care is becoming extremely important during this anxiety-ridden time…I am not feeling guilt at all about taking out quality time for myself as often as I need it…

And finally, my father and sibs mean the world to me so catching up with them via consistent family Facetime chats has become the best part of my week (smile).

Getting my game on: GFW 201 & 301

Yikes, it is hard to believe that it’s November already and 2019 is coming to a close. I feel like this year flew by and the top 3 goals I set for myself in the month of January were stabbed at but not completely realized…My Top 3 Goals in the New Year

I do, however, have something I’m particularly proud of this year: namely improving on my game of Golf.

Thanks to the Lyman Orchards Golf Center I spent the majority of my Summer and more than half of my Fall golfing. And Summer started late this year in Connecticut – remember the month of May?!? I had to count it out for starting play as it was rainy and miserable. Consequently I did not pick up my clubs until mid-June but then I made up for it by playing until the last weekend of October.

I learned a lot this year both on the course and off. I had previously taken Golf Fore Women 101 (last September 2018) so some of what I learned this year felt like a refresher course but in a good way Ready Fore Golf

However, the majority of what I learned I took and turned into real application on the course. And I had the added benefit of being taught and supervised by the award-winning LPGA Class A Teaching Professional Marissa Kulig Crow as well as her 2 trusty teammates Dan Hannibal and Andra Frappier…

LPGA Class A Teaching Professional Marissa Kulig Crow (in the purple Calloway Golf hat)

PGA Associate Teaching Professional Dan Hannibal

PGA Apprentice Teaching Professional Andra Frappier (in the lime green golf shirt and glasses)

June

Golf Fore Women 201 with LPGA Class A Teaching Professional Marissa Kulig Crow – club selection

Trying out my swing on the putting green

Getting good use out of my club on the course, as opposed to the driving range

July

Golf Fore Women 201 with Marissa Kulig Crow in black

Golf Fore Women 201 – learning how to stand correctly

It was a hotttttt one on the Apple 9 today! I’ll never forget this day: Saturday, July 20th!

Golf fore Women 201 – Marissa’s in black

Golf fore Women 201 – another fun day with my new lady golf friends

Ending the day with my old (starter) set of clubs

August

Golf fore Women 301 – The Apple 9 course is our classroom now (smile).

Coincidentally my workplace, News 8, held a client golf appreciation day at Lyman’s Player Course which I had the distinct pleasure of playing in (as opposed to volunteering to drive the bar cart)

I didn’t only play at Lyman this Summer – me and my bf managed to squeeze in 9 holes at Sleeping Giant in Hamden the last Saturday in August

September

Practice with a Pro x 2 with Dan Hannibal

Happy Surprise on the Apple 9: me and my bf (a 2some) had the pleasure of being matched up as a 4some with this young lady and her husband on a crowded Sunday in late September – we played a good match and made some new friends

October

Player Course this time with my new lady golf friend Mary Ann, one of *The Fab 4* (smile)

*The Fab 4* now at Player Course honing our skills – on an overcast and rainy day

*The Fab 4* at Player Course cutting up (smile)

*The Fab 4* at Player Course – photo shoot (smile)

On the Apple 9 – the very last day of the season for me

Margot me and Jill on the Apple 9, my very last day of Golf for the season- it was sunny but quite chilly…

Sooooo…I finally broke down at the end of October and invested in some new clubs. And I actually played with them the last 2 weekends of the month. I must admit that my game has improved with my new set of clubs (smile). Not trying to rush time but I sure can’t wait ’till next Summer (double smile).

Love my burgundy and gray Ping Golf clubs

9 things I do not want to give up in 2019

My good, good work friend and fellow CT blogger Jamie Taylor (jamieeverafter dot com) inspired me to write this blog today when she recently posted about the things she was not willing to give up in the year 2019. I “liked” her Insta post because this kind of thinking is the polar opposite of what you expect to hear from anyone in the early days of a New Year 😄.

At any rate, it got me thinking about my own will not give up list for 2019 so here is that list (in no particular order):

Coffee

I cannot leave the house without my coffee – nothing fancy, just a dark roast, completely black with natural sugar does the trick – I tried leaving the house without coffee once and it wasn’t pretty – I seriously thought I was coming down with something 😀

Edge Strong workouts

I cannot imagine doing what I do for a living without the benefits of a good workout each weekday morning. It is not only a stress reliever but it also keeps me physically fit: LJ: Stronger than before…

Social Media

Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, Twitter, Yelp, you name it – I’m on it and loving every minute of it 😀 R U Social?

Pampering (hair/feet/nails)

It’s no secret that I have a weekly standing hair appointment at the salon every Saturday morning so getting my nails and/or feet done on a monthly basis is par for the course: Put your slippers on…

Wine

I make my living as a TV/Digital/Social Media Account Executive in a highly competitive, pressure-cooker work environment. I do this all on 100 percent commission so a nice glass (or two) of red wine is more than welcome on the weekends 😀 10 things I cannot live without today

Movies

As I’ve posted about before in TVFL, Growing up Hollis my mother Jean would take her 7 children to the movies on Saturdays armed with candy and snacks: Movie Buff To this day watching movies on TV, Mobile tablets or even at the theater is a regular pastime.

Salad (with protein)

I loooooove salad any time of the year – not just the Summertime and I pile my salad with some or all of the following ingredients: romaine lettuce, fresh veggies, mixed nuts, cheddar cheese, hard boiled eggs, sesame seeds, chick peas, grilled chicken, homemade croutons and low fat dressing. The low fat dressing is a semi-joke considering what goes into building my salads 😀 New Haven, CT Fall(ish) eats!

Golf

I finally learned how to play Golf last Summer at Lyman Orchards Golf Center in Golf Fore Women 101 and I must say I’m truly looking forward to the Summer again so I can hit the links with my newfound lady golf friends! Ready Fore Golf

Beauty Sleep

Over the years I have alternatively read or heard that a good night’s sleep is overrated and you really don’t need that much rest for your body to function at it’s best. I disagree. When I get at least 7 hours of sleep at night I tend to be more mentally alert and better able to handle multiple tasks at hand the following day. What it means to be a woman of a certain age…

So that’s my list for 2019, what’s your’s?!?

New Haven, CT Fall(ish) eats!

I am writing this food blog post on a Fall day in New Haven, CT (that feels more like late Summer to me) so my restaurant lunch choices may reflect that (smile).

I also eat, dress and live for the weather as opposed to the season so if my good buddy and Chief Meteorologist Gil Simmons of News 8 (ABC) tells me that it’s going to be 80 degrees outside, but the calendar doesn’t agree, I go with the temps…

With all that said, here are just a few of my favorite places to eat lunch in New Haven, CT when the leaves start to turn and the temperatures finally cool down:

New Haven Salad Shop – don’t let the name fool you. This little gem on High Street in downtown New Haven also builds super hearty wraps that will easily fill you up until supper time. There’s little room to sit inside though so I suggest you find a space on the Upper or Lower New Haven Green to enjoy your lunch.

City Point Kitchen – a newer restaurant in the Oyster Point neighborhood of New Haven (beautiful water views!) with excellent, locally sourced food. I tried the crab cakes over a salad bed on the afternoon me and my gf Christine went. It’s cute and quaint inside and the small staff is friendly and very attentive.