Welcome back, GA!

Well, i am currently sitting in Terri and Jesse's apartment in Atlanta, GA.
I have not lived in GA for almost 10 years, but everytime I cross that state line... it's like I am home. :0) Doesn't matter what city I am in - all I have to do is look around at the red earth and pine trees and smile!

The Christmas season is coming up. I have, very efficiently, NOT wrapped any Christmas presents. They have all been purchased, though. That is a bonus!
I am at T&J's helping them pack as they are moving to Wisconsin next week. A move that I am sooooooooo excited about, but saddened by the fact that I am losing some of my bestest friends to the snow. AND my new God-Nephew... who is now the size of an envelope. ;)

Well... I know this is short and doesn't really say anything of worth... but Terri got onto me last night for not blogging regularly. (Maybe I need some blog-fiber?) So, Terri... here is your post! Off to pack some boxes!

About to Channel Paula Deen!

Today, I joined a group of beautiful people (the UT Opera gang) and we went apple picking at the Apple and Berry Patch Orchard here in Knox.  The trees had pretty much been picked through, but we found a good bunch down towards the front.  I will post pictures soon!  We got some apples, ears of sweet corn, FRESH apple cider and some local wildflower honey.  Yummmmmmm!

On our way home, we then found a Kroger that was going out of business - we saved 11.50 with our card through all of the sales that were going on.  We bought a cinnamon broom and now our living room smells delicious!

Happy day!

Now, we are back home and have looked up Paula Deen's apple pie recipe and are going to attack some sticks of butter in a few minutes!  We have the bluegrass playing, the apples peeling and the doors and windows open so that the cool fall air can come in!!

Now you wonder why it is my favorite season......

Day 5 - uuuuuuuuuugh

Last night I went to my first cardio class.  It was called Zumba.  It's a new fitness craze sweeping the nation.  It is latin cardio dancing.  Though, in our class, we did Latin, Bollywood, Hiphop and a little jazz.  It was great!  It is a 45 minute class.  Here's a little rundown of how it went for me.

6:45pm - Arrive at T-recs (Yes, said like T-rex... it is one of the many gyms at the University of Tennessee)

6:50pm - FINALLY found the correct studio and met up with Corinne and her roomie Stephanie.
                 Attempt to do some sort of stretching while checking out all of the other girls.  I have this self-                 conscious thing  where I do NOT like being the largest girl in a class.  I always feel like people are staring and judging. Luckily - There was a huge mix of people - big, small, fit, not fit... I felt perfectly comfortable.

7:00pm - Class begins, we are all giggling at ourselves because we look silly.

7:10pm - My legs are on fire and I feel like i want to die.  I then look at the clock, realise we have been dancing for only ten minutes... Then I want to die more.

7:30pm - I have made it halfways through the class.  My legs are numb, my ankles are swollen.  We start a jumping sequence and my right leg gives out from under me.  The first thought in my head is, "I'm done!"
I go over to the back of the room and sit on a window sill and start shaking my leg so that I can try and get some of the feeling back.  When my legs start feeling better my brain switches (something it rarely does!!) and I start telling myself, "Get back out there!!!!  What are you doing?!?!  You can feel your legs!!  Pansy!!"  Yes, I actually called myself a pansy.

7:33pm - I get up off of the window sill and work my way back into the group.  My legs are tired - but I do it!

7:45pm - Class ends with a very nice cool down and I promptly sit on the floor gasping for air and massaging my calves.  I feel awesome!  I did the whole class!  I didn't quit!  That is a huge step for me. 

I have been working very hard on telling myself that I can do it.  That i am not a quitter and that nothing can stop me but me.  I know, I know... self help genie on my shoulder!

The sad news is that today - day 5, I was unable to go to the gym this morning.  I woke up at 5:45 ready and raring to go.  Unfortunately, my stomach was not ready.  Holly was so sweet and got up and found me the pepto.  I texted Corinne that I was unable to make it BUT - I promised her I would work out at home tonight, and I will!  Valerie was brilliant and created a free weights workout for us, so I can do that at home!  I also have a mini trampoline that I can bounce around on.  I wiiiiiiillllll work out!  Day 5 will not go past with no activity!
All of our friends are going to Jazz for Justice tonight, so Holly and I are going to have a little date night at home! :0)  I am very excited!!

The Biggest Loser, Knoxville Style

Ok.  First off... I am a bit lame for not having posted in over a MONTH!!!  Sorry about that!  Life kind of got in the way.  Not in a bad way... more like a "I am enjoying spending time with friends and family and lounging outside so I don't want to be in front of a computer" way. :0)

Which is precisely where I am at right now.  It is a crisp 76 degrees outside and I have set up camp in a comfy green camping chair with my feet up on the railing - leaning back just far enough that I don't go crashing through the screen door!

The only way that it could be more perfect were if there no mosquitos.  Also, if I could let Maggie out onto the balcony with me - but alas, she will never know the outdoors all because of the Jumping Off The Loft Incident of 2008.  Yikes. 

Anywho, back to the title of this post.  The Biggest Loser, Knoxville Style. 

As you should well know by now, The Biggest Loser is one of my favorite shows.  There is nothing more inspiring that seeing a show full of people who are trying to better themselves, health wise.  It's all about the diet and exercise.  No plastic surgery.  No liposuction.  No extreme makeovers.  Just people working out in a gym like *I* work out in a gym.  Ok, I don't have a Bob and Jillian to scream at me... but, still!  It gives me hope that I could have that kind of discipline and willpower.  

This brings me to my current life decision. My buddy Corinne and I have decided to start this hardcore workout regimen.  We awaken every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 6:00am so that we may meet at the gym for a full body resistance workout and cardio.

Tuesdays and Thursdays will be consisting of Cardio.  The weekends will be full of fun stuff: hiking, racquetball, walking the dog at the park.... just as long as we are moving. 

Today was DAY 1.  We woke up. We met up. We worked up... I mean out.  It was awesome.  I was half asleep at work until about 10am... but still, awesome.  Or for you Office fans, should I say... "Dawesome?!" :0)

I weighed myself.  I will not reveal my weight on this blog.  No one needs to know that much about me.  But I will chronicle any loss I have.  Let me just say, scary.  scary scary scary.  I was a little appalled at what I saw.  BUT... I will never see that number again. There. Now I have said it and so it shall be. 

We will see if I make it through the first week.  They always say it is the first two weeks that are the hardest.  12 hours after workout #1... I say it can only get easier.  My body huuuuuuuurts!

Corinne - if you are reading this - you are HARDCORE my friend!   I was a little bit in awe this morning by the way you pushed through everything! Bravooooooo(a). 

Home Sweet Home...

After 26 hours of driving, many stops at disgusting fast food places, smoky hotels and driving, driving, driving.... I AM HOME!!!  I arrived in Knoxville tonight to they happy surprise of my love, my roomie, one of H's old friends AND... I hate to admit it, my puppy being so excited that she jumped in circles and my kitten who just stared at me from the floor like, "mom.... is that you?!" and then got up and proceeded to meow nonstop.  She is still going.

The car is unpacked.  The laundry is going.  I am catching up on facebook while H. and Liz are playing Mario Kart.  The southern heat and humidity is suffocating and amazing!  :)  I missed my smoky mountains and am so glad to be back!

Tomorrow... I finish unpacking, update my resume for my job interview on Wednesday AND.... buy a tennis racket.  Valerie and I are going to start playing.  Exercise, fun... and hopefully not hurting myself.  too bad.  :0)

Summary of My Summer

Today was the Family Performance of Rinaldo.  That is where the Young Artists get to actually perform the roles that they are covering.  Then school groups and summer camps from all over CO drive to this Tiny Town in the middle of nowhere to see opera.  Today it was Baroque Opera... as the speaker said today, "if it ain't baroque... don't fix it!"  hahaha... very amusing!

Well, apparently during this show some woman demanded her money back saying that she brought her daughter and if she knew what kind of shows we put on up here, she wouldn't have come.

Situation:  Mezzo-Soprano playing a man.   Soprano playing the love interest.  Soooooo, 2 girls make out on stage.  It's THEATRE!!!  People in this day and age make me a little sick with their ignorance. *sigh*

The theatre was also an icebox.  It got to the point where we were all so cold, we were walking around wrapped in blankets.  It's July and it is 52 degrees outside.  Explain this to me.

TO top it all of, working on a WWW that is 50 pages long and the bane of my existence. Which, I should really be working on right now, but YouTube proves to be much MUCH more exciting.

Tip of the day:  Don't watch cliffhanger episodes of LOST right before bed... it does not lead to restful sleep.

Here we go...

Wilkommen, Bienvenue, Welcome.

I searched and searched my inner soul for a catchy blog name and this is what I came up with.  

Belle of Babble.

I am a Southern Belle by birth.  I babble by choice. :)

I signed up for this in May - hoping that I could inspire myself to do more things, and also as a way for all of my friends and family to keep up with where I am and what I am doing at the moment.

I procrastinated putting anything because I thought I needed to have that stellar introduction.  

What I have realised is that I just miss writing.  I found my old live journal (from 2004-05) and got a kick out of reading my old posts.  I just need to start doing it.  So, here goes.

I am currently in Central City, CO.  I have been here for 2 months working with Central City Opera. (www.centralcityopera.org)  I am the calling SM for A Little Night Music and ASM for Rinaldo.  We leave in TEN DAYS!!!!!!  I hate to admit that I am so excited to go home, but I am.

When I leave, I head back to Knoxville, TN where I will rejoin my fiancee, my kitten, and beautiful puppy.  I miss them more than I have words for. 

As I sit up in the Stage Management office, I remember why I am actually here.  To finalize paperwork... sooooooooooo, Thanks for reading and goodnight.

(phew..... that wasn't so hard.)