Hello everyone...ahhh where do I begin?

Well it's another Thursday morning ( at least Wednesday is over) and just like all my other weekdays I'm starting it with stim and compression on my shoulder before the strength and all the other fun stuff begins.
If it weren't for the amazing writers in the New Yorker, or Chelsea Handlers humor I would be losing my mind by now. Just put me in a suit and I easily fit in to the everyday 9 to 5 workday hours, weekends off sort of deal. I've been progressing really well but its taking a lot longer than I had selfishly planned. Therefore my team and I decided to 'shut
it down' for the season. The clinic and team in Phoenix has been incredibly nice and supportive. ( Although they truly believe I have a phone and text addiction) The atmosphere is very united...most of the athletes here have similiar shoulder problems so we can all relate to
each other even though most of them are 6'4 heavyweight  muscular pitchers or quarterbacks (and I guess they're pretty darn good but
since I never finished that Football For Dummies book, and the only football games I ever watch is when I mistakengly turn on a sports channel, I am so clueless to who they are and what exactly they do.) Every other day we do agility workouts and footwork drills so its nice
to have company for a change. To be quite honest this whole experience has been quite the change to my usual yearly pace. On the weekends I have been able to go home and have a normal quiet life...which is so unusual because my days off during the year are so random. Next week
I am going to finally hit my first tennis ball and a few weeks after that my first serves.

I'm sure you have heard about my new partnership with Cole Haan that I'm so very excited about. I had my design meeting in NY and I was more nervous presenting my ideas than I was before a GS final. Its a bit awkward coming into a room full of designers that do it for a living...put in the fact that I'm 21 and it makes it that much more awkward.

All in all its a really big step design wise for me and I can't wait till next fall when it comes out...its full of everyday-life shoulder bags, flats, comfy boots, casual sneakers and of course a few pairs of killer heels.

Speaking of fall, I'm very ready for a few chilly evenings after being in the Phoenix heat for the last 6 weeks. You find yourself sweating profusely just getting in and out of the car. And they have these sprinklers coming out of the ceiling which I think are really unnecessary and only make the heat humid.

Not to be mean or anything but because I've been taking more runs on the beach I have been blown away by the amount of people that walk around with that E.T looking stick, trying to find coins or whatever else they believe they might find in the sand. Let's be honest here...unless you're at Club 55 in St.Tropez, who in their right mind is going to be bringing expensive jewelry or lots of coins to the beach? Waste of time if you ask me. Not sure how much that stick costs but I'm assuming it would take a while before you're making any sort of profit.

Even though Michael has been out of commission for the last few weeks because of a blood clot in his calf which lead him to staying in the hospital for a few days(don't ask), he's still able to get the quote. Everyone at the clinic were giving him a hard time for not doing the exercises with me to which he said 'This is the exact reason I retired...so I don't have to do this stuff anymore'.

Just a note on hospitals while we're at it...they are exhausting! Within the 30 minutes I was there visiting, about 5 different people walked in and out of his room checking charts, asking questions, making small talk. I'm all for tender-loving-care but if you're not coming in to give the person medicine and making him feel better, why bother? After all, the nurse call button is right next to his thumb if he needs any help.

Fashion week was great fun...Peter Som had one of his best collections yet! There is this one long blue dress that I cannot wait to wear! And I was so thrilled to see so many of the designers at my Vogue/Cole Haan event.

While in NY I also did a couple really cool photo shoots which will be coming out later in the year...those are always fun because I feel like I get to play a different character on each one of them...and I never get the chance to do them either so that was a change.

Till next time!! Maria