Tara Griep Sends Out Her Ray of Sunshine

Special thanks to the very talented actor, model and MMP Team member, Tara Griep, for sending over the new theme song for our Sunshine Club.

It’s called The Sunshine Song and is performed by Jason Mraz. You can download it here from Amazon.  Enjoy!  -mp

“Well sometimes the sun shines on
Other people’s houses and not mine.
Some days the clouds paint the sky all gray
And it takes away my summertime.
Somehow the sun keeps shining upon you,
While I struggle to get mine.
If there’s a light in everybody,
Send out your ray of sunshine.

.

I want to walk the same roads as everybody else,
Through the trees and past the gates.
Getting high on heavenly breezes,
Making new friends along the way.
I won’t ask much of nobody,
I’m just here to sing along.
And make my mistakes looks gracious,
And learn some lessons from my wrongs.

Well sometimes the sun shines on
Other people’s houses and not mine.
Some days the clouds paint the sky all gray
And it takes away my summertime.
Somehow the sun keeps shining upon you,
While I struggle to get mine.
A little light never hurt nobody,
Send out your ray of sunshine.

Oh, if this little light of mine
Combined with yours today,
How many watts could we luminate?
How many villages could we save?
My umbrella’s tired of the weather,
Wearing me down.
Well, look at me now.

You should look as good as your outlook,
Would you mind if I took some time,
to soak up your light, your beautiful light?
You’ve got a paradise inside.
I get hungry for love and thirsty for life,
And much too full on the pain,
When I look to the sky to help me
And sometimes it looks like rain.

As the sun shines on other people’s houses
And not mine,
And the sky paints those clouds in a way
That it takes away the summertime,
Somehow the sun keeps shining upon you,
while I kindly stand by.
If theres a light in everybody,
Send out your ray of sunshine

You’re undeniably warm, you’re cerulean,
You’re perfect in desire.
Won’t you hang around
so the sun, it can shine on me,
And the clouds they can roll away,
And the sky can become a possibility?
If there’s a light in everybody,
Send out your ray of sunshine.”

Someone to Watch Over Me

This was one of my grandmother’s favorite songs.

It’s been 6 years since she passed away.  I still think of her often… especially during the summer.  That’s when we spent the most time together at her beach house.

We went to the movies, played bingo, watched Judge Judy, and walked the boardwalk every morning so we could eat like champs at night.

Grandma Dora seemed to have an endless supply of fresh mozzarella,  breaded veal cutlets, macaroni and perfectly- sweetened iced tea in the kitchen.

After mowing the lawn the other day it started to rain.  I looked up from the bottom of the driveway and saw this beautiful rainbow.  It was as if Grandma was letting me know that she’s still lookin’ out for me and my family.

Thanks grandma.  I really miss you.

 

 

Hot Town, Summer In The City: The NYC “Life Is Good” Bike Tour ’11

Once again- Tony, John and I tuned-in to our favorite radio station, WKIP (We Keep It Positive) and rode our bikes 35 miles to Brooklyn just to have a slice of Margarita pizza at Grimaldi’s.    This year- we were joined by my good friend and co-creator of the fictional feel-good frequency, Mike Walter.

It was sunny and 87 degrees in the big apple… this song kept playing in my head throughout our excursion. Everybody was outside doing their thang; running, walking, praying to trees, fixing the roads, sight-seeing, playing chess like they do in one of my favorite movies of all time, and lots of folks playing a little hooky.

As always, the highlights of the ride revolved around the food and the company.  Our friend, Terri, who couldn’t make the ride but joined us for breakfast at Le Peep, recommended  “The Spinnaker.”  It’s a delicious egg-white omelet with spinach, bacon, mushrooms, chives, cheese and tomato.  Yummy! The day was off to a great start.

Mike featured the trip route on his blog, so I’ll just focus on the pizza and the pics.

There’s something about Gramaldi’s home-made mozzarella, the perfect crust, and a red sauce so nice it should have a crayon named after it...  that will keep me coming back to Brooklyn on my bike year after year.

4 slices is usually just what the doctor ordered at the 17 mile half-way point.  But this time… John and I raced up the Manhattan bridge right after lunch…  that fourth slice wasn’t doing me any favors.       No unnecessary drama ensued, but note to self: next year you may want to wait another 15 minutes before challenging anybody to a race.  Especially someone like John, who is a ridiculously-strong rider and spins 8 days a week.

Throughout the trip… we joked, laughed and got personal.   We saw “every kind of people” and enjoyed a fun, alternative workout.

We all agreed there’s no doubt that being outside-  soakin’ up a sunny day & just livin‘, is a very good indication that Life- is indeed good.    See ya next year!    You are welcome to join us.   -mp

 

Encore Gallery:

The Catch Heard ‘Round The World

The Tampa Bay Ray’s 3rd baseman, Evan Longoria, makes a catch that’s worthy of ESPN’s Top Ten plays of the century.

It’s also worthy of being called an oscar-winning performance.

Kudos to Evan and the brilliant folks at Gillette. -mp

Another gem from Al Gerney.

Bikram: Hot Yoga, Cool People

With the exception of crack and bull riding, I’ll try almost anything once.  Case in point, Bikram. Bikram is a style of yoga that features 26 specific postures and breathing exercises in a room that’s 105 degrees.

I didn’t look anything like to the two girls in this picture, but I did reap the intended benefits of the Bikram yoga system; a post-class sense of wellness,  restoration, and rejuvenation of body balance.

Upon a recommendation from my friend, Alex, I attended a class at the Bikram Yoga Studio in Cedar Knolls last Wednesday.  After a nice workout and protein shake in the morning at the Y, me, Paul (another yoga newbie) and Alex took a little field trip to the studio.

I’ve always been a big believer that the teacher makes all the difference when taking any kind of class. Our instructor for the day was Shelley Some, and she was fantastic.  Shelley, who’s been teaching for three years, lost 22 lbs. practicing Bikram and most importantly, has kept the weight off for three years.  She shared her thoughts on Bikram in a follow-up interview.

SS “The biggest misconceptions about Bikram Yoga is that it is a gentle yoga and does not enable someone to burn calories and that it’s not the intense athletic workout that it is.”

mp: yeah… I can attest to this.  If you were expecting the downward doggie pose with a scented candle- kind of stuff like I was, you’d be in for a rude, sweaty and exhausting awakening.  (In a good way, of course.)  This was one of the most challenging physical workouts I’ve ever attempted.

SS “People think that they need to be flexible to do yoga,when in reality yoga will make you flexible.”

mp: As a former soccer player, cyclist and triathlete, strength and conditioning were always the focus.   Flexibility and balance was never a priority.  Bikram actually caters to all three, without the pounding on your joints.
SS “Yoga works your body from the inside out. Every cell, organ,  tissue, body system, muscle, ligament etc. in one 90 minute session. I have done every type of exercise available over the years. Bikram Yoga is the only type I’ve been able to do injury free…”

mp: The experts recommend swimming for the same reason.  A person can swim several times a week for years and not experience the typical ground and pound issues that avid runners and turf athletes do.

SS “It truly is a wonderful form of exercise for your mind, body and soul! “

mp: When you get past the self-consciousness of sweating profusely and not being as gumby-like and statuesque as the Yoga regulars in the front row, you’ll be in for a rewarding experience.

Since we like to change up our workout routines every month to avoid muscle adaptation and to keep it fun, we’ll be going back each Wednesday for the rest of December.   If you’d like to join us, the class begins at 9:30 am and costs $25.

My friend, Paul, is coming back for a second try and my friend, John, said he’s ready for the challenge also.

Special shout out to the folks at Zico, they make a delicious coconut and mango-flavored water that hits the spot after class.  It’s billed as “Nature’s Sport Drink.” Served up chilled and right out the box, it tasted great coming out of a cool-down shower.   If you are looking to change up your regularly scheduled Gatorade/Vitamin Water etc. routine, give it try.

Namaste!

« Previous Page — Next Page »