Michelle Jerson’s Blog

It’s been awhile since I’ve posted, as I’ve been traveling a bunch, but I couldn’t ask for anything more!  I just got back from a wonderful trip in Cancun, Isla Mujeres, Playa del Carmen and Cozumel.  I had been to the Riviera Maya a few months ago, so this was great because I got to go do a few things I had missed the last time around, such as the Mexican Spectacular show at Xcaret, which was amazing.  In the eco archaeological park of Xcaret, we also swam through caves and saw beautiful fishes of many colors in the ocean.

The part of the trip in Cancun was really romantic, as we stayed at the Bel Air Collection, which did a great job in putting together a spa package incredible enough to relax even me, who sometimes has a tough time unwinding.  This was the first trip my boyfriend joined me on, and they really made it a special one.

We took a ferry from Playa del Carmen to Cozumel, and had a great time.  Cozumel is so much more than a cruise port.  At Chankanaab Park, we swam with the dolphins and saw beautiful fish while Snuba diving.  It’s a combination of snorkeling and scuba diving…similar to diving, but without the tank on your back.  Cozumel has gorgeous beaches, especially at Punta Sur, which also is home to a lighthouse with a beautiful view.  Near our hotel, La Ceiba, we snorkeled and fed the sting rays, which was a lot of fun.   It was a definite challenge to get to the bottom of the ocean to feed the sting rays before the fish grabbed the fish food  out of our hands for themselves!

If your heading to Cancun, you must check out Isla Mujeres, which is a quick ferry ride from Cancun.  We took a moped around the island, which was a great way to see a lot in a short amount of time.   I could write so much more about our incredible trip, but I must finish packing, as I’m off to Daytona tomorrow.  Check back soon for the full travelogue on these and future destinations!

I recently was in Nashville and had a blast!  From the Grand Ole Opry to the honky tonks downtown, Nashville is definitely a fun city!  Check out my Nashville travelogue to the right. 

I am here in Music City…Nashville, TN, and having a blast!   I’m very excited to go to the Opry tomorrow night.  Craig Morgan is getting inducted, and there is going to be a great lineup of performers.  Today, I toured RCA Studio B, where Elvis recorded for so many years, and I got to bang out a few notes on the Steinway piano he played.  Our group also recorded one of his songs in studio.  It’s amazing how well we can sound with the right recording equipment!  I had the opportunity to visit the Country Music Hall of Fame and had a delicious bbq dinner at the famous Wildhorse Saloon in downtown Nashville last night.   Later tonight, we’re headed to the Bluebird Cafe, a real cool spot for local muscians and songwriters.  

The Opryland Resort is where we’re staying and it is huge!  With 2,881 rooms, it is the largest non gaming property in the country!  We took a boat down the 1/4 mile that runs through the hotel through the lush gardens.   Since eating is one of my favorite pastimes, I enjoyed the buffet breakfast at the Waters Edge…an omlet station, cereals, fruits, as well as the usual breakfast fare.  They even have a few fresh squeezed juices, like the detox drink for those who party it up a little too much the night before at their nightclub, Fuse, which has quickly become the hottest nightclub in Nashville.  I hope to check it out tonight and try their signature cotton candy drink.  Sugar and alcohol…should be interesting!   Tomorrow, I’m looking forward to spending time at the Ryman Auditorium and the honky tonks downtown.  No matter when you go into places like Tootsies, you will always hear a wanna be performer.  It’s pretty neat how many talented people are here in Nashville.   The city has a great energy…lots of entertainment minus the craziness of NYC or LA. 

My travelogue from my most recent trip to Los Cabos is complete.  Check it out on the right side of this blog.  Enjoy!  I had such a phenominal time in Los Cabos and can’t wait to head back to Mexico next month! 

Another gorgeous day!  I wish the weather would stay like this all year round!  I am sitting here with ice packs on my neck and ribs, as I had a nasty spill off my bike yesterday while enjoying this great weather!  I always say I’m not going to ride my bike in the streets on Manhattan, as I hate riding along side the cars, but I had an appointment downtown yesterday and figured, why not? I’ll get my exercise out of the way for the day and enjoy the weather.  Well, I was fine next to the cars, thinking how easy a ride it had been from 21st and 5th to the West Side Highway, which is where the bike path is.  I was almost there, when I rode from the street onto the sidewalk because there were so many cars on 11th avenue and 23rd.  I must have gone up onto the sidewalk at an angle and too fast, because I lost control and fell forward with my handlebar going into my left ribs.  I’ve fallen before, but never quite like this.  I couldn’t believe the pain in my left side.  I thought for sure something horrible had happened, as I couldn’t breathe, was dizzy, and thought I was going to puke. 

I got myself up, called my boyfriend (who also happens to be a doctor :-)  and got back to his office.  No cab would pick me up with my bike, but the crosstown bus driver was nice enough to let me take my bike on the bus and some wonderful people helped me take it on and off the bus since I couldn’t lift it.   I am so happy the Xrays came back negative for a fracture of the ribs.    What a scary pain!  Of course my mind was running in circles, did I puncture a lung, break my sternum?  But of course he sees injuries like this all the time and said I’ll be just fine.  Today I woke up and couldn’t move my neck and my shoulder has decided to join the other painful body parts.  But all I keep telling myself is, it could have been a lot worse!  I can’t even imagine what people go through who get into horrible car accidents.   So tonight will be another night of ice, epson salt baths, and pain killers!    I just hope I can carry my luggage next week for my trip to Nashville!

Since October is breast cancer awareness month, I thought I would share with you a charity that unites women with breast cancer and their pets.  I feel very close to this cause because my mom had breast cancer and my boyfriend’s mom, Alice, has battled with breast cancer for over 30 years.   She and her friend started the non-profit organization, Critters for the Cure, which aims to promote breast cancer awareness through the love of their pets.   Critters for the Cure helps uninsured or underinsured women with breast cancer buy the medicines and other items they need while undergoing treatment.    Here is a link to their site, where you can learn so much more about their organiztion, and buy cute items for your critter!

http://www.crittersforthecure.com/

I am posting this in hopes that there is someone reading this who may have a suggestion.  A few weeks ago, I heard a beeping coming from somewhere in my house.  It sounded like a weak smoke alarm battery.  So I went and stood underneath each alarm and of course couldn’t figure out where it was coming from.  Then I went into the walk in attic and could have sworn it was coming from in there.  My boyfriend was over the next weekend, so I asked him to see if he could look to see if there were any detectors I couldn’t see.  We found a hard wired heat detector high up in the attic, but of course when he was there, it wasn’t beeping.  The beeping went away for about two or three weeks.  Lo and behold, I came home from work two nights ago and it was beeping again.  It beeped all night, but stopped in the morning.  Again, I crawled all over my attic trying to locate the sound and couldn’t figure it out.  It didn’t beep yesterday during the day, but when I came home from work at night, it was beeping, and continued to beep all night, and this time, was still beeping in the morning…until I put on the heat.  I’m wondering if this beep is being triggered by the cold temperatures.  Is that why it only happens at night?  This morning it was chilly in my house and a few minutes after putting the heat on, it stopped.  Still, I cannot figure out where this is coming from.  I remember having a mystery beep last year too, and never figured out where it was coming from.  Eventually it went away.  I have tested all of the smoke alarms visible to me, and they seem fine.  I hope to figure this out soon because this little beep is driving me insane!!!

I just got back from Los Cabos, and had an amazing time! Los Cabos is on the tip of the Baja California Sur Peninsula where the Sea of Cortez meets the Pacific Ocean, and consists of Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo. I couldn’t have asked for a better trip. The tall waves of the Sea of Cortez crashing against the shore as we ate dinner on the beachfront was just breathtaking. The resorts in Cabo San Lucas are gorgeous and the spas, amazing. I had a wonderful sixty minute massage at the exclusive Esperanza Resort and Spa where I hear Lindsay Lohan and her girlfriend spent some time…ooh la la! Anyway, it was tough to come back, but my four day trip was the perfect amount of time to soak up the sun, swim with the dolphins, go snorkeling, enjoy the nightlife, and eat a lot of very delicious cuisine! I will post my travelogue as soon as I’m done writing it.

Today was workout number 6 and for some reason, I was not feeling my normal peppy self.  A bit sluggish, probably from lunch since I worked out in the afternoon instead of the morning like I usually do.  The workout wasn’t terrible, as he wanted to do a bunch of new core stabilization exercises with me today for my back.  A trainer who does his research…I love it!  However, this one exercise on the stability ball, the pike, drove me up a wall!  I could not go from having the ball under my ankles to my toes, no matter how hard I tried! I may have done two, but then the ball tumbled away from me.  He knows I’m not a quitter so he made sure I didn’t quit, until I acknowledged that some things are just better left for other days.  So we moved on… I also love a trainer who listens to my requests. ;-)  Of course, I don’t want him to always listen though, cause that’s why I work with him…so he can override that voice in my head convincing me not to do something.

Jason is very motivational and so it’s easy to get motivated for the most part.  In a few weeks, he’s heading back to his home town in Michigan to take part in the American Diabetes Association walk to fight Diabetes.  This is what he sent to me, so I’m passing it on to you:

Good Day,

On 12 Oct 08 I will be participating in the American Diabetes 
Association (ADA) walk to Fight Diabetes. This is a fund-raising walk, 
benefiting the ADA ’s mission: to prevent and cure diabetes and to 
improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes. With the current 
state of the economy I know times are tough, but this is a cause for 
which I believe in.  If you can spare a little extra in support of one 
of your own, I’d greatly appreciate it.

More than 20 million Americans suffer from diabetes, and another 54 
million are at risk for developing diabetes. Of these include my 
Mother and a couple of my Aunts and Uncles. For me, this holds a 
special place in my heart.

Thank you for your time and consideration. Have a great day!

Jason
Here is the link to his page: 

http://main.diabetes.org/site/TR/StepOut/StepOut325708010?px=3846115&pg=personal&fr_id=5381&et=px2XsZGLe4fwhN2n5G223A..&s_tafId=226874

Once again I am up way too late, but there’s so much to do!  Do you ever feel like your mind is always racing with so much to do but you never enough time?  I am gearing up for my trip to Los Cabos in a few days, so very excited about that, but of course that means packing.  You’d think I’d have it down to a science already, but of course I don’t. The big debate…do I check a bag so I have extra room in the suitcase or just try to squish everything into a carry-on so I don’t have to worry about lost luggage or the new charges for checking your bags?

Before heading to Los Cabos,  I made sure to write up my Riviera Maya article.  A copy of it is listed on the right side of the blog.  I cannot for the life of me figure out how to place it in it’s own travel category, so for now, it’s with my other fitness pages.    Here is the link from the radio segment that aired on WABC Radio in NYC.

wabc-riviera-maya