Back to Work

Not only was it back to the job, it was back to work with my weight loss goals. Not that I was not working on it before, but holding steady was not cutting it, not so close to my goal.

This morning I had my oatmeal, and at noon I went to the gym. The images of the video of training of the  Rangers, SEALS, Recon, and PJs special forces of the U.S. military were fresh in my mind and I pushed myself much harder than normal. It was a terrific abdominal, and cardio work-out!

For lunch I grabbed the Vegetarian Powerhouse salad at Chop't ( broccoli, edamame, carrots, sunflower seeds, walnuts, craisins, and apples chop't with spinach and romaine lettuce).

The Art Students League of NY

One day, 15 years ago, I was whining to a girlfriend about the lack of meaning in my life and she suggested that I take an art class.  I have dabbled in drawing and painting all my life and even sold a couple of paintings...across a bar, of course (as romantic as that sounds, it was a far cry from de Kooning, or Pollack - who sold their paintings for rent or tabs at classic places such as McSorley's and the late, great Cedar Tavern). Actually, I sold a painting to an old bartender at P.J. Clarke's one night at about 3 A.M. for $20...my rent was secured for the month...please, not even my tab was covered!

Colonel Roosevelt

So, thinking back on that advice 15 years ago, and being motivated recently by the nurse's art class, I went today and registered for a weekly class at the famed 135 year old Art Students League of New York. Every Wednesday night through May I will be taking a "Painting from Life" class by the world renowned artist, Leonid Gervits. I am very excited, and quite nervous. I've been painting for years, only acrylics though, and even had a very pedestrian portrait of Theodore Roosevelt hang in the Forbes Gallery...OK, so it was an employee only show 4 years ago. Point is, I never took an art class and after looking at the required materials sheet I know I will be swimming in the deep end! What the heck is "Copal Medium" anyway?

So, it will keep my out of trouble, and I look forward to that! More importantly it is another step in this new lifestyle.