Wednesday, September 01, 2010

Strangeness of the "Recently Viewed" List...

While reading the online visual (addictive) disaster People of WalMart, I clicked a link to see their new book on Amazon.com... and laughed when I saw my recently viewed books:

1. People of WalMart: Shop and Awe (this was the reason I noticed the others)
2. A Tree Grows In Brooklyn (a classic and a favorite!)
3. Pickle Pickle Pickle Juice (I hear it's a great children's book!)
4. Birthing a Better Way: 12 Secrets for Natural Childbirth 
(A friend had a link for it on their facebook page and I was curious)
5. Raising Your Spirited Child (again, on a friend's reading list)


Don't read into this list - I am NOT pregnant!! I'm just curious about what friends are reading. Only two of these (the top two) were things I looked up for myself. I just think it is a funny and random list! 



Monday, August 23, 2010

Want to win some chips?

Dana, a girl I went to school with in the ye-olde days, writes a blog about her life called Lil Family Blog
She is very enterprising and has recently been having some cool contests on her blog. A lot of them are for babies and kids, which don't help me much right now, but some are cool for all types of people!  

This one looks tasty... I hope I win! Read Dana's post for the details:  click here!

(This picture is not mine. If it's yours, let me know and I'll take it down.)

The company's website: http://www.foodshouldtastegood.com/

Take a look for yourself. If you enter, please let me know (I'll get another vote!)   Good Luck!  :)

Ten Things, after a very long time.

Hello. I don't know if anyone reads this anymore, or if it's fallen off of blog-reading lists or whatnot. It appears I don't even have comments anymore, which makes me sad that such things are lost. Ah, well. C'est La Vie... or something like that. :)

So here I am, with Ten things that come to my head right now. Just text, nothing Fancy.




Ten things that I am enjoying right now.

One: The birds that are having a squwalky conversation outside my window.

Two: The quiet around me that allows me the opportunity to hear the birds.

Three: The pictures of a wonderful getaway and visit with a very dear friend.

Four: The hopeful expectancy of the volunteer plant outside yielding a pumpkin in a few months.

Five: Savoring the lack of a time restriction.

Six: The fact that I have all I need, even though I do still worry about it.

Seven: Enjoying being alone in this moment, while also looking forward to being with others.

Eight: Small accomplishments, which are better than no accomplishments at all.

Nine: Quiet. I know I said it before, but for some reason, it is resounding with me right now.

Ten: Knowing there is coffee in the pot, food in the fridge, and money in the bank.

Saturday, February 13, 2010

Maybe I can start again?

Hello, Blogosphere!

It has been a tremendously long time since last I posted. A million things have happened since then, perhaps the most significant being OUR WEDDING! :)

But seriously. I will make an attempt to get this up and running again.

the (now former!) Miss President :)

(maybe I should get a new name?)

Sunday, April 05, 2009

Germans, Phantom, Shrimp and Casio Keyboards.... only in New York!

Matt's school has an exchange program with a school in Germany (near Cologne). The American students went to visit them during the February break, and the German students are here in the US now. Among other things, such as going to classes and hanging out with students, they have been doing a lot of travel so that they could see as much as possible while they are here.

Yesterday was no exception. Matt was asked to chaperone the trip at the last minute and was luckily invited to have me come along as a "guest" chaperone as well. So we headed into the city for the day with 20 American students, 20 German students, 3 German teachers, the President (of the school) and his wife, and a partridge in a pear tree. ;)

Our first stop was Grant's Tomb. I hadn't been there in years! We weren't there long, but it was nice to see again. I wish we had been able to take the students to Riverside Church, which is right across the street. It is a beautiful place, and I've been in the belltower!! Unfortunately, people are no longer allowed in the Carillon. So sad.

Our next stop was to the USS Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum. Again, I was there when I was very young, but it has been completely refurbished, even leaving New York Harbor in order to do so! We were there for only about an hour, but it has whetted our appetites to return, and so we will!

After that, we went into Times Square, where the kids were allowed to wander a little bit in order to see the sights and have a quick lunch before a matinee. Teachers all ended up eating at Bubba Gump Shrimp Company on a very tight schedule. It was a fun experience-type of place, and the food was pretty good, too. We sat by the window and were able to see the goings on in times square, which is always entertaining!!

After lunch, we all met the students in front of the Majestic Theater... to catch a matinee of The Phantom Of The Opera. It's not a personal favorite, but still - I take theater experiences when I can get them. The story is a bit creepy in my book, but I suppose that it's a "classic Broadway experience" for German students.

Once the show was over, we headed down to Chinatown for some quick shopping, then walked over to Little Italy (which is right around the corner, for those of you not as familiar with NYC) to eat in a place called Puglia Restaurant on Hester Street. It was amazingly crowded with other large groups but we feasted and sang along with Jorge, the resident musician. He is such a lounge lizard with a dinky Casio Keyboard... but it's all in good fun! Matt, Jens (one of the German teachers) and the school's president all got up on chairs and danced!

This is not our group, but it's a hint of what he gets people to do with his "Napkin Song" (which you can get on iTunes if you're interested!!)

Once our meal was finished, we all headed back to the bus and home again. It was a very full day, and I was appreciative of the opportunity to tag along. It was fun to play tourist for the day!

George in Italy

When I worked at the bank (during what seems like a lifetime ago!) I became a really big fan of "Where's George?" a website devoted to tagging and tracking currency. I saw lots of "Georges" come through the bank and would input them into the system as I got them, often exchanging bills that I had for those so that I could send them back into circulation myself.

It's not often that you get an email that informs you of another person inputting your bill.... but I got one this weekend. Take a look and see where it's been! I must say that I'm a bit jealous of Mr. Jackson (it was a twenty, of course!)

Where did George go?

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Ugh. Pass the Pepto... I have a bellyache.

Dear Trader Joe's,

Please don't let me buy your Baked Cheese Crunchies anymore. Despite the fact that they are "33% less fat than regular cheese crunchies," it is unhelpful when you place the serving size as 33 crunchies. They are all different sizes! Which is the size with which you compare the others? Cup sizes are a better choice - "Serving size: 1/2 cup" would be easier to understand than "33 crunchies."

...especially when a serving size is really more like the entire bag. At least for me.

So please - put my picture up or something and don't let me leave the store with any more, especially at your great low price of $1.59.

Sincerely,
Miss President

Monday, March 23, 2009

Sailing away, four months from today...

(Oh, how cute! That rhymes!)

Yeah, so that means the HONEYMOON IS BOOKED!!! WOOOOO!
We're doing the cruise thing. Easy-peasy, fun-in-the-sun relax-fest. I know we'll both be fried, so it will be good to do as much or as little as we want, and I couldn't be happier.

So yeah, this means that the wedding is less than four months away. YIKES!
I'm excited, of course, but there is still so much to do.
Here's a list... if you see anything I need to add, please comment and let me know!

Church: check.
Officiant: check, I think. We need to re-confirm after our first choice wasn't able to do it. :(
Reception venue: check.
Sushi: check. :)

Florist: check. Soon will meet to see pretty samples!
Photographer: check.
Engagement photos w/Photog: Not yet. But soon. :)

Dress: check. Just need to have it bustled. All else is perfect!!
Shoes: check... maybe. Still looking, but have something in the running.
Veil: check, although I might be looking for a new tiara.
Hair: getting a haircut on Wednesday. Will talk to her then. (Cross fingers she or someone she works with is available!!)

Bridesmaids: check. :) Three awesome friends.
Bridesmaids "dress code": check. They have options, which what I wanted to do. I hate uncomfortable bridesmaids... been there, done that.
Mom's dress: Possible check. We have at least one option.

Transportation: NEED TO GET. I assigned it, but don't know if it is being dealt with. Grr.
Rings: NEED TO GET.
Church music: NEED TO GET. Anyone know a good classical guitarist for cheap?
Reception Music: Possible check. Not sure.
Invites: picked out. Need to sit down and order.
Hotel room block: NEED TO RESERVE. Gotta get up there with mom ASAP.
Registry: One done (BB&B), one to go (Macy's).
Groom's Gift: NEED TO GET. Have an idea, though.
Bridesmaids gifts: NEED TO GET.

I'm sure I'm missing some big things here. Let me know what they are!!

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Bring your straight jackets...

... 'cause we're gettin' married at the LOONEY BIN!

S E R I O U S L Y.
(you just can't make stuff like that up!!!)

So yeah. Our reception place? Very nice. People are great. Food was fantastic. The view? Beautiful. The buildings on the way in were very interesting, and in varying states of disrepair, which was intriguing for a curious and adventurous couple.

The sign at the exit lists a place called "Letchworth Village." I have now come to know that this is also referred to as "Letchworth Village for the Feeble-minded and Epileptics." So before we go further, I know that feeble-minds and epilepsy do not "looney" people make. But you get the gist.
It has not been active for over 10 years, and the pictures on the sites at the bottom are pretty amazing.

I'm itching to go with my camera... I got a teatnus shot less than a year ago...

Take a look:
Still Mirrors: Photography by Stephen Miller
Opacity: Letchworth Village
Hudson Valley Ruins: Photography by Rob Yasinac
Designed Breakdown