Diantie's 365 days to ...

Nice weather here in NYC and there was a nice breeze too. I am heading off to join a birthday party already in progress.

Diantie's 365 days to ...

I decided to sleep in a little late today. The errands did not disappear; they still had to be done. Today I took a class and it was good. It was a refresher to a class that I took last year but this time round, I learnt a few more things. The weather today was changing! On my way driving to the class, I looked up at the sky and it was pitch black. I thought a tornado was on the way when I looked at the clouds. Yes, it was a little scary after hearing about what happened in Alabama. Sure enough the rain came down and luckily it stop in time for me to park the car, go to the class and head home. I had to deal with a few drizzles but that's nothing to complain about. Chores, yes, I managed to get a few of those done too. I wish I had more time to do other things but I guess that will be the weekend. Tomorrow I have big plans to do research for my business plan. Let's see how that will go. Yesterday I got a call from a company doing surveys so I decided to answer a few questions. Big mistake! The caller went on and on with more questions. Finally when I was asked who lived in my household, I had heard enough. I was promised a small gift but I am not the least bit interested in selling my life story for a cup of coffee. Today, another person called again and this time I said I had already answered questions yesterday and did not want to do the survey. The person went on and on about how useful it would be for me. I made it clear I was not sharing my personal information but the person was persistent. So was I; I said to go and said good-bye. Wow! I guess it is so easy for people to con you when you are trying to be nice. No more surveys for me. Yahoo headline - Kate Enjoys Her Last day Before Wedding.

Diantie's 365 days to ...

The weather her in NYC started off as muggy but turned better as the day progresses and finally back to overcast at the end of the day. So my migraine headache got the better of me today. I had some technical problems earlier in the day but by the time I got things under control, my migraine headache kicked in. Now is after 11.00pm and yes, I still have the headache. I took a little nap when I came home but the headache did not go away. Yesterday I got my hair blown-out by a professional stylist and it turned out great. I even got some compliments today from my train buddies. My sister did not notice when I came home last night so I had to point out to her what the change was. I think the stylist did a fabulous job and I am keeping the business card for the future. The month is almost over and I took sometime today to get all my bills together and review them before I miss the payment due dates. Yes, this is chore but it has to get done. What is in the headlines? The final preparations for the Royal Wedding on Friday. Will I get up at 5.00am to watch? Probably not, but I will get up at 6.00am and take a peek.

Diantie's 365 days to...

One of the things I wish I had time for is the Oprah Winfrey show. Whenever I fall asleep on the sofa and wake up, Oprah is on TV. Part of me wants to stay awake and watch the show and the other part of me is usually exhausted and in another world. The shows where Oprah was in Australia I actually watched during the early morning hours and they were all good. Yes, last night when I fell asleep and woke up, Oprah was on but I went to bed instead. I had several tasks to complete today and manage to get a few things done. I was planning to attend a seminar but I was not in the right frame of mind to go so I decided to pass this time. Later in the year I will probably get another chance to go. I have an event to go to tonight and it should be fun. Depending on my energy level, I may leave early as I have to do that wonderful commute to Long Island. I will save the trips home past experiences for another time. The stock market apparently did well today. The only headline worth mentioning is that the Aflac Duck gets a new voice. Yes, this is news on Google.

Diantie's 365 days to...

No rain today and the weather was nice here in New York City. I usually don't take any chances when I go outside; I am still wearing a winter coat and I am bundling up cause the weather can change drastically. I was trying to get to Penn Station this evening to catch a train but got stuck on the subway and missed my train to Long Island. The good thing about this is that I got a chance to see some of my former train buddies who were on the later train. It was nice to sit and chat and catch up on what's happening in each other lives. One of my friends told me that her relative is doing well with his graphics design work. I had nothing exciting to contribute to the conversation but sometimes it is nice to just listen to other people talk about their lives. I tried to watch Dancing with the Stars but fell asleep after the first few dances and just got up. The news is on now and I am brewing a cup of tea. I have no clue why I am so exhausted except that I need to get some exercise. As long as the weather is good this weekend, I will definitely get myself up and start walking and running again. Lots of headline so I don't know which one to chose. The Dow close down 26 points.

Diantie's 365 days to ...

Once more I have to say that it is raining ion New York City. Rain is good for the plants and keeping my lawn look nice and green. I had a few chores to do today and got them done. I still have several tops which need to pressed and my goal is to get it done before the day is over. Last night I stayed up and was watching the Food Network Cupcake Wars. And yes, I fell asleep and did not see who the winner was or see the display. Oh well, maybe next week, I will see a re-run. The kids came over again today and they had me on my toes running behind them. I need to put on my snickers and start walking and running again to get some energy to keep up with these kids. I tried to watch some TV this afternoon and feel asleep. I managed to stay awake for parts of the documentary on the royal wedding which was nice to see and reminisce. I am not quoting a headline today but I will say that the NY Knicks to the Boston Celtics in the play-offs. As a New Yorker, I have to support the home team and it lost. Oh well, maybe next year the team will do better.

Diantie's 365 days to ...

Rain in New York City again. Hopefully tomorrow we will get some sunshine. After a full day in the Manhattan yesterday, I was a little exhausted and slept in today. The kids came over and we had fun playing our usual games. Errands had to be done and I was hoping to buy some clothes but did not see anything that I wanted to purchase. I took some pictures last week and picked them up today. Hopefully I will be able to post my pictures some time in the future. The regular weekend chores had to be done and still more to do tomorrow. Maybe one day I will be able to get a housekeeper to help me out. No, I did not buy a lottery ticket but I should buy one for the next mega millions drawing. What did I do today to move one step forward? I decided how my 401K savings should be invested, Yes, it was a big decision and given the current swings in the market, I needed to make a good decision. What is on the agenda for tomorrow? I will continue to work on my business plan and read the books I borrowed from the library. Google headline for today "Tornado Tears through St. Louis, Shutting Down the Airport". Actually I saw on the news that the tornado hit the airport and tore off the roof. What a disaster. It makes me appreciate more the wonderful city I live in.

Diantie's 365 days to ...

Yesterday while I was waiting for my train at Penn Station, I noticed a greeting which said 365 days until the Sun circles the earth. I thought to myself how appropriate the words were for my blog. Yes, it will take 365 days for the Sun to circle the earth from the date I started this blog and I will be recording each day as I experience it. Today I had breakfast in deli/coffee shop. I ordered a bagel with eggs and a hot chocolate. In other words, I created my own breakfast sandwich because it was not on the menu. I did not realize that the cashier under charged me until I looked at the receipt tonight. How did I know I paid too little? I took a menu and put it in bag and on my way home I looked at the prices and realized a mistake was made. After my breakfast, I went over to Rockefeller Plaza to wait for a friend and went into Starbucks and bought a blueberry scone. It was really good. By the time lunch came around, I had eaten more than I can handle for the day. So did I skip lunch? No, I had a vegetable soup and it was awesome. Gotta give credit when it is due. My business plan is in the works and may take me a few days to type up but the real work starts when I have to document my research. I used to able to see the top of the Empire State Building from my former desk; today I saw a different view of the Empire State Building from Rockefeller Plaza and it was amazing and a much better view than the one I was used to. I learnt a lot of things today so I felt it was a day well spent acquiring knowledge. One headline from today on Google is the "Lindsay Lohan - On Her Way to Jail". I didn't read the story but right now I am too tired to do so.

Diantie's 365 days to ...

The weather here in NYC started off nice. I have no clue what it is like now but I am sure I will find when I go outside and head off to Penn Station. Yes, I am always at Penn Station as I use the LIRR to commute into NYC. No hanging out in the city for me today. If I feel up to it tomorrow, I will try to stick around to support a friend with his fundraising efforts for a charity. I like to support charities. Actually right now I have some time so I am trying to get some silent auction items for a charity event I will be attending in June. I have some ideas but I don't know if I will be able to execute them. On another note, I decided to see what is going on with my stock portfolio and saw that I had all these worthless shares I purchases years ago. Today I decided to do some cleaning up and get rid of these shares. Yes, I have tons of capital losses to carryforward but if I wisen up, I maybe able to pick a few winners. I should have said, I have to pick some winners. So what was the weather like? Nice sunshine with a little chill which is nothing to complain about. I tried to stay up and watch American Idol but I fell asleep through the whole show. Now it is time to watch the regular news and head off to bed. One of Yahoo's headline is "Obama's Surprising Effect on Facebook CEO". I am too tired right now to find out what that effect was so I will try to read the story tomorrow. My one step forward is that I found some nice pictures on the internet today to use for possible ideas in my business plan.

Diantie's 365 days to ...

Right now I can barely keep my eyes open and have a severe migraine headache. I started the day off by taking my Mom to a doctor's appointment. Then it was grocery shopping and back home for me. I did little chores and then it was time to get on the train and head into the city. I went to an event to hear some entrepreneurs pitch their ideas and it was great. Did I mention that I like Shark Tank? Well I do. The entrepreneurs were all good and the feedback was equally good. I am convinced that there were some investors in audience offering feedback. Do I have an idea to pitch? Yes I do. I talked about how I was preparing for my pitch in my blog yesterday. Now I have to practice, practice and practice some more. I am beginning to think that I need a video camera to tape my practice session and critique myself. While in Penn Station walking to my train, I ran into someone I had not seen in years. It is interesting how destiny plays a part in our lives. The odds of us running into each other are so slim and the timing we meet was not during my regular routine. So the meeting was meant to be. I am trying a keep a journal of my daily activities and so far I am doing well; yes, one more task to do daily.

Diantie's 365 days to ...

Even though I went to sleep early last night, I had a hard time getting up this morning. It was a busy day for me. I spent most of my day sending e-mails and responding to e-mails. Shortly I will be headed to a charity meeting in midtown. I took some time to educate myself as well and listen in on a webinar. Did I mention before that I like to take classes and keep my brain functioning? It would be nice to veg out but I was not wired that way. I also did some research for my business plan and will probably start typing it up as I have most of the information I need. My plan is to find an investor for my bright idea and pitch it. Speaking of pitching, I have never had to pitch an idea so I will be attending an entrepreneur event and hopefully, some of them will be practicing their pitches. I can use all the help I can get and definitely need some tips. My possible investor is one of those people who will not read my business plan but will skim it and give me a few reasons why I am not getting the money. Um! Some of you would say why bother with this investor when you already know the answer. Well I am one of those people who is determine so I am not letting anyone tell me no when it comes to my business plan. The idea to prove that my business plan is feasible and the way to go. Yesterday I discussed some of my ideas with a friend and I got some good feedback. Then again this friend has an MBA and more business acumen than I do. That is why I surround myself with all different kinds of people. You never know who will be able to help you when you need it. More to come ... One headline on Google today is - Trump Presidential Bid Shows Signs of Life.

Diantie's 365 days to ...

The weather today was fabulous. Nothing to complain about except not having enough time to go outside and enjoy it. Today was also the day where everything that could go wrong went wrong. I just finished filing my income taxes. Yes, I got it done before the mid-night deadline. I usually file early but this year I was waiting on paperwork to arrive so naturally, this task ended up on the back burner. I usually owe NY State money and this year is no exception. I think a lot of people are relieved that tax season is behind them. I am excited about starting my next project. I have been busy doing research and collecting data and now it time to put my findings into writing. What did I learn today? Some of my friends still use sayings from 1980's and did not change the meaning. I got caught off-guard today when I heard a saying I too used in past and had to ask for an explanation. Wow! I guess this means that I am getting old too. Right now Dancing with the Stars is on TV. I like to watch this show when I can and I don't have a favorite and I don't vote. Changing the subject - I have fallen behind in my CPE classes and have to get my act together and start catching up. I am sure there are lots of things happening in the accounting and finance world that I need to be aware of. Full moon I believe was yesterday and yes, I stared up at sky to see it. Now that the weather is getting warmer, I will be definitely be gazing up at the sky to see the stars. Actually within the next few weeks I will be buying a digital camera and will be putting my photography skills to work. I have none but I will still put my little know how to work and post pictures too. Oops! I am suppose to be posting headlines - one of the headlines from today is "Kenya's Geoffrey Mutai runs fastest marathon in history at Boston." There, that should do it.

Diantie's 365 days to...

Sunshine! I love the song by John Denver with the lyrics "Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy". What is it about sunshine and blue skies that makes us so cheerful? I was born and raised on an island so all I knew was tropical weather before moving to New York City. The weather today would be considered tropical by me. Ops, the laundry did not get done, well some of it got done and after writing this blog, I will definitely put the washing machine on. My family took me out for dinner this evening. We went to the Grand Luxe Cafe and the meal was fabulous. The kids had a nice time and we all enjoyed our meals. I have leftovers to eat tomorrow. Customer service - our waitress was wonderful and pleasant; she gets full points. She also earned a good tip too. Right now I am trying to ward off a headache. I suffer from migraine headaches and they are no fun. Hopefully this one will go away. In a few minutes, Celebrity Apprentice will be on. As an entrepreneur, I love to watch these shows. There is always one little thing that I learn as the teams compete against each other. One of my mottos is "Share Information". I know a lot of people don't like to share information but I do. What did I learn today? Don't give up on my printer just yet and hold onto that stapler; it still staples. A few months ago I decided to post on Facebook what I learnt each day. This task was too much for me and I could not keep up with getting on Facebook and posting my few sentences so I stopped. kudos to all those people who have the time to report their minute by minute activities on Facebook. Twitter is another story. I am not on Twitter and right now I don't have the time to do it. I am on linkedIn and once in a while I will comment on something. Social media is a job and you have to dedicate time to stay in tune and up to date.

Diantie's 365 days ...

Rain. Yes, and more rain. I feel like all I have been writing about recently is rain here in NYC. I just saw lightning flash and naturally the thunder followed. I had plans to go out but those were quickly changed when I saw the look of the skies earlier. Today was one of those days were I was extremely tired and did not get much accomplish. Tomorrow all the laundry needs to get done or else I will be searching for clean clothes to wear. I used to be diligent and get all my clothes prepared ahead of time. Now that I am getting older, I just grab what's in front my eyes when I get dress. If I have to go to a meeting, that is another story. I recall when I worked in public accounting and I had to attend meetings, my best suits came out of the closet. Why? I used to tell my friends that I can't have anyone judging me on my appearance. Changing the subject, I treated myself to a donut today. Eating treats once in a while can't hurt. So now I am thinking next week I will go in search of a new treat. There is this Cafe my friends have been raving about so I am going to check it out. Yes, I will report back all my findings too. Customer service is a big deal with me. A few days ago, I got a call asking about my recent customer experience. Normally I am always treated well when I go to this specific place but on my last visit I was not. There was only one customer service representative and she wanted to talk on her cellphone rather than work. I was stunned. So naturally, when I got the call, I answered honestly. So why is it that some people are so obsessed with their cellphone when they are work? More to come on this later ...

Diantie's 365 Days -

April 15 and what should have been the due date for filing your taxes. Take a breather procrastinators, you have until Monday April 18, 2011 to file both your Federal taxes and NY State as well. The weather was nice day today but there was still a little chill in the air. I took a walk at mid-day to run an errand and take in the sights. I almost got lost too cause I was busy being a tourist looking at buildings instead of paying attention to where I was headed. How many of us perform an act of kindness today? I am sure many. Someone I know needed a notary but unfortunately I don't always walk around with my stamp so I referred the person to a bank. My friend was grateful for this new found knowledge. Another act of kindness was to give a friend a ride home. We all perform simple acts of kindness without realizing it; however, the people we show that kindness to usually never forgets. I got a call today from one of my class mates whom I have not seen or spoken to in years because we moved, changed phone numbers, etc. I am so happy my friend decided to look me up on Facebook and found me. I tried to find her but it was not easy finding a person with a common name and no picture. We made plans to get together in a few weeks for brunch and catch up on all the missing years. Day 2 will definitely be a memorable one.

diantie's 365 days to ...

Yes, yet another blog. I had plan on starting a food blog but I am not quite ready for it so I am continuing my regular blogging. I am recording the next 365 days of my daily activities and the good thing is that I don't have to stick to one topic. My daily quotes was quite a challenge but I am so happy I was able to dedicate myself and get it done. The great thing about writing daily is the discipline required to be focus. Many times I had to search for a quotes and luckily found them. At times I was able to collect a few so I was prepared for each day but most times I was not. So how does my audience know whether or not I wrote the blog each day? At times I talked about the weather or how the stock market was doing. For this blog I will probably mention a headline from a major newspaper in New York City. Why 365 days to ... as the title? I have a lot of things to look forward to and I have lots of plans to put in place during the next year. At the end of the year, I want to accomplish all the things I set out to do, and, yes the list is long. One of the things I plan to do is start a food blog. No, I don't plan on becoming a Rachel Ray, but I am confident my blog will do well. Yesterday I took a photo which I will eventually post on this blog but more important will be the photo that I will take and post at the end of the 365 days. The before and after look. Day 1 - one of the headlines on Google is "Congress passess budget deal ...". The weather was gorgeous here in NYC today compared to the rain that we had yesterday. I had a busy day and didn't get a chance to pay some bills. My utilities bills are increasing so it is time to start contacting the competitors for better rates. It is interesting when you try to negotiate a discount, vendors usually ignore you. When you cancel your service and go with the competitor, everybody is suddenly listening. More on this to follow. A few weeks ago I purchased a nice designer sweater on sale and wore it for the first time today. I got some compliments on it too. Yes, when you buy quality things and pay good money (even on sale), you expect them to look good on you or else why would you buy these items? Compliments were definitely in order or else I would have been concerned if I did not get any. To be continued...