Merry Christmas... a little late!

To all of my dear readers (all four of you!) I hope you had the Merriest of Christmases and that there was much joy and laughter and good times had by all. :)

My Christmas was lovely. I was invited to Christmas Eve dinner with Matt and his family - we went to Mt. Fuji, which is as much of a dinner theatre experience as it is a great meal! On Christmas day Matt joined us at home, where there was a frenzy of traditional turkey and everything. Santa seemed to think I was good this year - I found some lovely things under the tree, such as sweaters, pajamas, gift cards (for B&N and the gas station!) a gourgeous pair of earrings and a gramaphone that will be interesting to play with!

I spent Boxing Day in Belmar - kind of strange to be at the shore in wintertime, but it has its beauty in solitude and quietness. Relaxing and skeeball (yes, there was an arcade open on the boardwalk!) were priorities, and I even had time to curl up and watch Jersey Girl, too. A good movie, and filmed in the town that someone I know grew up in! ;)

Now I'm being called on to assist in hosting a New Year's Eve party... should be some fun! :) Any ideas, readers??

Photography

I am in awe of people who are photography-gifted. I wish I was, and would like to be. Maybe someday. Anyway, while reading Michelle's blog (I connect to her through the Woods) I stumbled on someone that she reads... FunkyPancake. Basically a photo blog, there are a lot of interesting pics from this guy's life in London. I love it, and am quite jealous all at the same time! I'm adding it to the sidebar - it's too cool not to keep checking in on!

It's things like this that make the internet fascinating to me. :)

P.O.T.D.

Pictures of the Day: yes, there are two today. I promised such pictures a long time ago, and they are finally here. Sometimes things just take me a little longer than expected, but I get them done!!

Photo #1: Apple Picking. Warwick, NY, 10-16-05
A fun day to be sure. I posted about it, so if you want to go through the archives, you can find out what we did. Yay for apples!

Photo #2: The pie that I made with the apples. Home, 10-25-05
Mmmmmm.... yummy. A delicious pie, if I do say so myself. It was enjoyed, still warm, with vanilla ice cream. I loaded that baby with apples, so it was overstuffed and oh, so good!

Princess Ida Weekend

Yes, this weekend was the show weekend. Both performances went well, although I tend to think that Sunday's performance was better! It was a lot of fun, but also a lot of work. Friday was stressful at work - there was beautiful snow falling like crazy in the morning, which meant that we were dead... but as soon as the sun came out at lunchtime, so did all the people... in droves. We were so amazingly busy all afternoon. I didn't get home until almost 6 because I was elected to run work-related errand after I left... and I didn't get to leave until almost 5! Ahh!

But yeah, Ida was good this weekend. I had a fan club worth of people on Sunday, which was lovely and surprising and perhaps a little overwhelming, too - but in a good way. There were flowers and hugs and lots of good things, including cookies! Pictures will be coming - I took some on a digital, so hopefully I can get them up faster than with film. :)

Photo of the day

Now that I have the ability to scan pictures into my 'puter I have decided that I will try to post a "Photo of the Day" once a week. I don't know if it will be the same day every week or if it will vary yet, but I will figure it out as I go along. :)

P.O.T.D. Subject - a small creature named TurtleDuck on vacation in St.Georges, Bermuda, September 2005.

And it's begining to snow...

Just a few random fragments:
1. Work has been crazy this week. One of my coworkers has a concussion and another was just diagnosed with mono, and one is on loan. This leaves the few of us that are left going crazy.
2. Sent out a resume today. Will report if anything interesting comes of it.
3. In a few moments, I'm off to dinner with Marisa. Hurray!
4. My show is this weekend. If you live in the area and want to come, let me know. I need to sell some tickets!
5. When am I supposed to finish my Christmas knitting?
6. Went to a cool place on Tuesday night - Reality Bites. It's something like Chunky's, but less theatre-y and more restruaunt-y (but with big flatscreen tv's). We saw The Cutting Edge (it is winter sports movie week) and I had pesto pasta. Cool.

Snaps to the funny, the technological, the helpful

Kudos to the guy who played Norman in the one-acts at Ramapo this weekend. I thought he was very good... and cute! And yay for cheap live theatre! The $1-per-act price was easy on the pocketbook. Gotta love college-student prices!

I now have a regular computer setup in my room again. As some of you may remember, I've been using the laptop since the new computer died, but through the wonders of modern technology and the people who know how to use it, I am up and running again on a desktop. And now I am learning a new technological thing - burning CDs! I was learning to download CDs onto my desktop when the last computer died, so I lost all of that hard work, but I was able to pick that up again and add to it the concept of burning. I feel so accomplished! :)

My resident technological guru spent a great deal of Saturday hooking me up again and succeeded in overwhelming me by also cleaning off my desk (a great pile of junk with a few pieces of needed stuff in the mix), scanning a bunch of my pictures into the computer, and even fixing my toilet... most of this done while I was at work! Amazing, and so handy! I baked some special brownies as a token of gratitude, which he selflessly shared with others instead of eating them all himself. Impresisive!



Picture of the day:
The subject of this post at the Paulinskill Viaduct, June 2005.

Reasons that being a grown-up can really stink...

42. Realizing that with your new projected budget you will have a whopping $40 a week left for personal expenses, and that such a budget does not include any funds towards savings or rent or such things.

This leaves me with several observations:
- With such a projected budget, I will never be able to move out of my parents house or save any money whatsoever.
- It is amazingly frustrating that I am a competent college graduate who cannot make enough to support herself.
- I realize that I (yet again) need to go through the hassle of finding a new job with better pay.
- I will have to go into amazing amounts of debt if I ever am able to go graduate school.


…It really sucks to be an adult. :/

(And to make matters worse, there has been stress-eating of carbohydrates -Ritz, pretzels and Triscuts- and sugar - chocolate and cookies - which fail in making me feel better despite the attempt and leave me feeling more like a grumbling roly-poly with a stomachace. Such things make for a very grumpy and stressed Miss President. grr.)

Forget regret, or life is yours to miss

Hello there! :)

Just a few words about the weekend. Wanted to go to the movies on Friday after a rather uneventful day at work (although I'd been told it would be crazy-busy!) but by the time we got there, only super-late movies were playing. But while I was there, I popped into House of Tar-jay and bought two DVDs for a whopping $5.88 each on special sale! I took home HP3 and Shrek2. Woo hoo! Also went to Johnny's for a milkshake and fries. Yum.
Saturday, after working, I went up to Matt's. We decided to try the movie thing again and ended up going, but not to the matinee as we'd planned - it had already started, and so we decided that since a later showing was available we would wait. Luckily we bought tickets right then and there, since the line was huge when we returned!!! Went to get some food and wander a bit in the meantime, and then attended a showing of something that we saw two weeks ago in a different genre. It was great, and really cool to see both back-to-back. Now the songs are stuck in my head... I think I'll have to suck it up and buy the b'way CD's for my car! :)

viva la vie boheme!!

Jersey City

First off, before I forget, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to MOM on the 17th! Hope you had a great day - I love you!

Yesterday was our company's performance at the Loew's in Jersey City. It is such a beautiful place - and a wonderful place to sing - and I was pleased to play the role of Psyche instead of my usual role of Chloe! I had a lot of fun doing it, and it was a great day. :) This is a busy weekend - yesterday's performance, singing in church this morning, and then singing the role again in a non-staged concert version this afternoon. Busy busy busy - but good. I'll sleep well tonight!

click here. Enjoy your day! :)

Lunch with the Dutchess, Chocolate and paying Rent... in Manhattan on Veterans Day

This post has been in production for a few days. It should have been posted much earlier this week. Thank you. :)

Considering the fact that I had the day off, I was invited to go on an adventure. I was told very little about it, other than to be ready at a specific time and to be dressed in a) good walking shoes, b) a warm coat, and c) the "female equivalent of a suit."

And so it began. We got in the car and drove to the ferry. Being a beautiful day, we sat up on top, enjoying the view. Once at the opposite terminal, we picked up a taxi and went cross-town... to the place where we had reservations to have lunch. What a shock, a surprise... amazing! Delicious food, amazing service (from a waiter who didn't think we ate enough!), a fantastic view, interesting people-watching opportunities, and the Dutchess of York... who was dining in the same room, not with us, of course!

As if this was not enough, the day continued. We took the subway to the beautiful Grand Central Terminal to check out the Whispering Gallery. It was at Grand Central that I had to make a decision... flowers or chocolate. I picked the latter... but it was a hard choice! Very interesting - lots of people, lots of things to see, lots of samples to taste! Decadence, gluttony, indulgence... mmmmm...

Next, it was time to hop the tube again in order to get to a place where one can find virtually anything, including dinner. It was a lovely meal, followed by some browsing in a store that is more overwhelming than anything else!

But, oh, the day is still not quite over. One more trip on the subway took us to the heart of the theatre district. We crossed the street and were walking by the Nederlander Theatre when I found myself being led inside, just in time to see the evening's performance of... RENT!!!! What a fantastic surprise to end with, being that I know the music but have never seen it! ! We had AMAZING seats (3rd row!) and the show was, of course, so so great. It was hard not to sing along!

Amazing day. Amazing, amazing day. I'm a very lucky girl... I don't know what I've done to deserve such a day, but I won't ever forget it!!!

Soup: te amo.... and yeah, Hi.

Some Words On A Rainy Wednesday

Ok, a few things.

1. How happy am I at Becky and Peter's news?!?! I got a call on Monday and it made my day. Hurrah!!

2. Went to the city twice last week, which is much more frequently than usual, even though I live quite close and enjoy it a lot. Last Wednesday we went to the Jinx Athenaeum to hear a lecture on Urban Exploration. The Jinx people used to do a lot of exploration in unusual bits of the city before they declared a moritorium on such adventures after 9/11. Our speaker, Steve Duncan, was quite interesting and has some very interesting pictures at his website, undercity.org

2.b. The second trip, which was on Sunday, was less structured. One member of the adventuring party needed to visit the Hershey store in Times Square and there was money to be spent there... and samples to be had as well! We also visited the Nintendo World Store and walked a lot, stopping to try some dumplings at Mandoo and watch skaters at Rockefeller Center. Seeing loads of people in spandex and solar blankets added to the ambience of our surroundings (it being the day of the marathon after all!) and a good time was had by all.

3. I was much amused by the personal statements of my state's candidates for governor on Tuesday. The one I voted for did not win, alas, but while I never seriously considered voting for the person behind the Legalize Marajuana party, I laughed at the fact that he wanted to "give the finger to the Demo-publicans" (actual quote!!!) and thought that his was the most interesting read. So yes, I did my civic duty and voted.

4. I cannot wait until Friday. I don't have to go to work. Yay. You don't know how much joy that gives me. NO WORK NO WORK, woo hoo!!

Ok. that is all. :)

Happy Halloween

Today was a pretty good day at work. I got to wear a costume - cheerleader again! - and sneakers, which especially made my day. I had a surprise visitor stop by to take me to lunch (Hurrah for surprises!) and the day went fast. Soon I am off to rehearsal, in which I am just shadowing/understudying. And it was gourgeous today - the weather was beautiful and sunny and lovely. Amoung the trick-or-treaters that I saw tonight were a very large group of high schoolers dressed as.... PIRATES!!! With a pirate ship out on the street! I was amazingly impressed... and a little jealous! I would have loved to have done something like that with a huge group of people!

The one thing about this Halloween I regret is not getting a pumpkin. They were expensive this year, and I kept forgetting. So there is no pumpkin on our porch. Maybe I'll pick one up anyway, if I see them - it's a harvest-y, Thanksgiving-y kind of thing, too!

...and, oh... a good thought.... pumpkin pie... mmmmmmmm.........

good and not-so-good

I worked too many hours this week. I had to work the entire day on Friday (7:45-7:15) and it was long. Tooo long. And then yesterday I had to work 8:45-12:45, which included a drive down to Elmwood Park. Grr. Sometimes I think that this job is just not a good fit, and I am quite resentful at the fact that I was told that I would work every other Saturday, and the fact is that I get only one off a month. Which will coinside with performances for the show, so it won't even really be a day off.

Yesterday afternoon, however, I enjoyed the fall weather by spending time trying to go to resale shops in the area (all closed!) and visiting garage sales. In the evening, there was a halloweeen party to attend, and it was a great deal of fun. There were a bunch of friends there that I hadn't seen in months - and it was nice to catch up with them. It's funny - I don't think I've ever been invited to a costume party before! I went as a cheerleader - using my quite old cheerleading costume which strangely still fits.

I'm in a strangely contemplative state this morning and so I end with the the following musings - do you ever wish you could just leave your life and step out of it for a while, becoming someone different, or a better "self" or just someone annonymous? Would you like it there? Would you find it interesting for a while, and then want to go back? Would you never come back again, leaving "yourself" behind?

Several things

First of all HAPPY ANNIVERSARY to the Woods!!! They've been married three years now (I was there, and I remember!) and they are such a great couple. Here's to a lifetime of happy anniversaries!

Second. The special brownies. Yes, they were special. And no, not in an herbal sense! I'll not completely divulge the recipe here, but they contained bits of chocolate and peanut butter in them, for starters. And yeah, they were pretty extraordinary, especially when still warm. mmmmmm.

Third. Two bargains of which I am quite proud to share. $0.17 for a 30-something ounce bottle of water with a sport cap. Dirt cheap! And $1.00 for a big tubes of Colgate whitening toothpaste. Sometimes the bargains just seem to find me! (yes, I'm a bargain dork. but hey, I save money so it's a winning situation for me!)

Fourth. Cool mail. Got two things in the mail today that are noteworthy. One of the drugs I use sent me a toothbrush, toothbrush holder and a coupon. I also got a sample I requested, a razor to try. They actually sent me a whole package, with 4 reserve blades. That's got to be at least $6!! Cool and free!

Last. This past weekend, among other things, I went to see Elizabethtown. Although the critics seem to have hated it, I enjoyed it. It was interesting to intersperse such highs and lows together - death, falling in love, discovery - and I loved the road-trip at the end. Honestly, I didn't expect the ending that they gave us, but was certainly fine with it - although I would have been ok with what I expected as well. Anyway, I'd reccomend it. It's a good date movie, as it is not a chick-flick and will appeal to both sexes.

Technological Frustration

Ok, so I don’t understand computers. I know how to turn them on and off, how to do various programs with them, even how to write a little HTML code. (very little!) But anyway, my computer has died. Kicked the bucket. Is pushing up daisies. Finito. Yeah, that’s it... we’re planning a funeral. However, I am lucky to have my old friend the laptop with me again, here at home instead both of us to Florida. Bah for dumb computers!

I baked an apple pie today, with apples from my previous apple-picking excursion. It was amazingly yummy, if I do say so myself! :) I’ve just been quite the baker recently, making “Special brownies” on Sunday. Also a successful attempt. Just call me Betty! Hmm… but in that lies a name change to the site, from Miss President to Miss (or Mrs.) Crocker! :) Bec, I didn't wear my apron, though - I've been told that it is an "entertaining" apron, not a "kitchen" apron. (but I wanted to wear it anyway!)

Pictures of the apple picking and the pie making may be posted soon. They are about to be developed and I will try to get them up for curious readers! :)

Oh! In other news...

While typing my last post, I remembered that I didn't post about the previous weekend! I went down to Belmar and Great Adventure (to go to Fright Fest). Well, when we went into town to get some food, we saw a fall festival - and in the midst of it was a bloodmobile. So, for the very first time in my life, I gave blood. And I did a good job - I didn't freak out or anything! :) I'm proud of it, so I wanted to share. It's something I've talked about doing for a long time, but was afraid and didn't go... but now that I've done it, I know it won't be a big deal when I go again!

Apples, Apples, Poohsticks, Fall and FEAR (ce)..... take 2

Hi again. I mentioned that I would post about Sunday, and finally I am. :)

So... on Sunday, I went apple picking at Masker Orchards. The cool thing about them is that you can bring your car right into the orchard, which was tremendous fun in my Jeep! :) There were some great varieties that were ripe and we had a beautiful day in which to do the picking! Afterwards, we went into Warwick to wander and get some lunch - such a great town! While there, we played Poohsticks in the very swolen stream... what fun!
We then drove around a bit and enjoyed the beautiful fall day before going to investigate the Forest of Fear. (There were signs along the road that just said "FEAR" and had an arrow, pointing.) We got there when it opened, which was perhaps a mistake in that we had to wait on line for the haunted house in the chilly night air... but yay for Hot Chocolate! The carnival rides were looking sketchy, but we went on the gravatron and the scrambler, and listened to the live music, provided by Future 86.
It was a fun fall day, and now I am planning to make an apple pie with all of the lovely apples we picked. Who wants a piece??

Apples, Apples, Poohsticks, Fall and FEAR (ce).....

Those words summed up today's adventure. A beautiful fall day was enjoyed and I will post about it at another time because I am so sleepy after such a busy day that I know that tomorrow will come way too soon.

Why is it that you have to trudge through 5 or 6 days of work to get to 1 or a lucky 2 days of fun? It's just not fair!

mmmmm...... chocolate!

Finally, with a faster connection, I can share a picture that makes me laugh. Marisa took it during the girls' night dinner at the Melting Pot a few weeks ago. (more pics of the event are available for viewing at her blog) We had a great time, and my penchant for chocolate is evident!

...for anyone interested, it was dark chocolate with Amaretto and Oreos sprinkled on top... and came with a plate of goodies to dip, such as brownie bits, marshmellows, strawberries, banannas, and cheesecake. Yum.

Mr. Smartypants

My life has been made easier, and it is all Matt's fault. :)

Up until now, there has been one computer in this house... mine. It is in my room, and has been hooked up to dial-up since I moved back home, 4 (four?!?) years ago. The 'ol Gateway served us well, but last year I was given a reconfigured computer which was better. But now it wasn't doing so great, so in comes my technical genious to save the day (and the fair maiden from having her room be grand central for internet access!). Anyway, he brought with him loads of computer stuff and now "my" computer is downstairs (and running much better)and there is a different-and-better one up here. Both are networked and both are using DSL. Oh, I could write a whole post on the joy of DSL alone! I could write quite a lengthy post on the virtues of knowing smart, technological people. Especially those who are also cute and sweet and wonderful, and give up an unexpected free evening to be driven crazy with my computer problems...

... and bring me a cool ladybug-mouse. Te amo, caro mio!

Comments on comments

Marisa, I'd love to start a support group. :) We could knit and figure ourselves out. :)

Angela, thanks for the note. Yeah, while I don't necesarially have the confidence that I perhaps should, this incident was unusually severe in terms of my stress level. I'm not usually like that, even though I don't handle stress as I should. Thank you for the sound advice. :)

...Oh, and the dance lesson was a lot of fun. There were people of varying ages - I thought we'd be the babies of the class, but there is a younger couple, perhaps high school or early college? Unfortunately, we ended up next to people who obviously know how to dance, which was frustrating. But it was a good start, and we should be practicing as "homework". Our next class is this coming Tuesday - last week there was none because of the school holiday. We certainly won't become like the people in "Swing Kids" overnight, but we're making a start. :)

Musing...

Sometimes we stumble upon things in our lives that we realize we need to fix. Usually, it takes the thing happening to realize it, since we don't tend to think about things like that unless they are in front of us. One of mine is how I deal with stress.
I have had a stressful two weeks of training for my new job, which culminated in taking a test at work to prove I had learned and was competent to work on my own. I went into it confidently, knowing that I was comfortable with most of what would be expected of me. The test had two parts, a practical and a written - practical first. I had two hours, and so I got to work. The beginning of the practical was fine, and I was feeling like everything was under control. Things got harder as I progressed along, but I was handling it. Then I got to the last three tasks... and hit a wall. They were things I'd only read about, but never had the opportunity to see or do myself. And I realized how unprepared for that I was. I started crashing and burning and at that point, the built-up stress inside reached its boiling part. I felt sick and was sure of failure. I didn't know what to do and yet tried anyway, but felt that it was all wrong. Finally, I just had to give up and admit defeat, at which point I had to take the written part of the test. It was short, and I knew what I was doing, but I had lost all confidence and wanted to run as fast as I could out the door before I burst into tears. Strangely enough, they were kind to me and did not count the end of my practical, since I had not had a chance to actually do those things before. Which gave me a 92 on both sections, passing successfully. Yet I felt emotionally drained from the whole experience.
So, herein lies the problem. I get discouraged and frustrated and I take it all internally, which stresses me out completely. Unfortunately, it makes me lose my confidence and manifests itself in other ways in my life... which makes it all the more frustrating. I can put on a good front, but I guess I just don't believe in myself enough. I am afraid of too many things, the biggest of them being failure. I am afraid of change, and yet crave it. I want to do big things, and yet seem to lack the confidence to jump in headfirst and pursue them. I know some things that I want for my life, but can't seem to figure out how to get from point A to B.
I really don't expect to get any answers here; I just needed to vent.

Impatient

I'm waiting for some pictures to download on my poky computer. It takes too long. This needs to be fixed... and it seems like it will! After a talk with my handy technological genious :) and also the 'rents, we have decided that it is time to not only set up the old computer as a second working machiene in my house, but also get us a faster connection. Dial up is archaic and slow. It is time for DSL. :) Hurrah!

In other news, I had a lovely weekend - Friday night's dinner was fun and on Saturday I went on a day of adventures which took me from breakfast at the diner to outlet and yard-sale shopping to a nature walk to Friendly's to seeing the Corpse Bride* to vegging on the couch, watching SVU. It was a lovely day.

And, how excited am I? Tomorrow I get to start to learn to swing dance! With a partner! (Bec, you don't have to be the boy!) Yay!

*the movie was good... bizarre, but Tim Burton is a weird dude! I liked it, and although I really didn't know what to expect, I was still surprised. If nothing else, it is very interesting visually, and a musical, which was unusual!

Miss President is Braindead.

Oh, I am so glad it is Friday.

I started a new job this week. It's really been a tiring and stressful week for me, with orientation and the start of training. I have an additional week of training and then I have to take an exam on everything I've learned, both book and practical. If I pass, I go on 'probation' for 3 months to make sure that I don't make any really big mistakes before they let me loose on the world. There is a lot to learn. Most of it is repetition, which I know I will eventually get the hang of, but for right now some things just seem very overwhelming. In the affirmative, I will say, though, that the people I have been working with are really great and I discovered a very sweet and beautiful bouquet of daisies and flowers waiting for me at home on Monday afternoon from the same someone who also gave me an adorable Haloween kitty as a "congratulations on getting hired!" surprise. (Don't you think daisies are the friendliest flower?) :)

Today was particularly stressful in that the girl who is training me was out sick and they were rather short-staffed on a busy day. I wished I could help, but other than some menial tasks, I couldn't. Then, my new manager (I am being trained down the street from where I will actually work) came to say hello and threw me off-guard and into an awkward situation by asking me what my availability is (as in other than hours I was hired for) - and that means that I might have to work later on Wednesdays now in addition to some Fridays and some Saturdays... (which really bites!) ...but I'm going to see if I can retract that statement, because it's the only night out of the week that I won't have something. I think I will have to make up an excuse to save my mental health. So I ended up doing some major stress-eating today (bought myself Pringles and chocolate) and had to take a nap before going out tonight.

But really, all I have wanted is a hug. Are there any available out there?

Baby Sweater Project! 

Knit-wit

Finally, I am able to post a picture of my most recently finished knitting creation! Here is the sweater I knitted for Lauren Grace, my friend's daughter. The yarn is mostly cotton, and the buttons are little flowers! :) I know it's not the best picture ever, but you get the idea. The pattern I used was from Knitty, and it was called Daisy. Obviously, I didn't backstitch daisies all over it... at that point I'd grown impatient!

I actually have two more knitting projects in the pipeline at the moment, being the overachiever that I am. One is being made with uber-cheap yarn that I got for $1 a skein at Target! Woo hoo!

Beware the forwards

We all get them... Forwards. Some are funny. Some are stupid. Some are too sugary or sappy. Some make you think. Some make you do stupid things. Some you send on to others. Most, I think, we delete. Here is one I got today that made me think, realize some stuff and be appreciative, so I though I would share. Read it if you want, or do the equivalent of Delete by going to some other site on the web. Either way, have a splendid day. :)

You may not realize it, but it's 100% true...
1. There are at least two people in this world that you would die for.
2. At least 15 people in this world love you in some way.
3. The only reason anyone would ever hate you is because they want to be just like you.
4. A smile from you can bring happiness to anyone, even if they don't like you.
5. Every night, SOMEONE thinks about you before they go to sleep.
6. You mean the world to someone.
7. You are special and unique.
8. Someone that you don't even know exists, loves you.
9. When you make the biggest mistake ever, something good comes from it.
10. When you think the world has turned its back on you, take a look.
11. Always remember the compliments you received. Forget about the rude remarks.

Beautiful Bermuda! 

Do I really have to make my bed?

Hello, all... I have officially returned home again from my trip to Bermuda. We were on the Norwegian Crown, one of the smaller ships in the NCL fleet. Here's a brief recap of the trip...

SUNDAY: We sailed out of NYC on an ideallically beautiful day.
MONDAY: At sea. It was a little rocky out there in the Atlantic, and a lot of people got sick... but not us! :) Enjoyed sitting on a deck chair and reading... and getting very salty from the spray! (along with burning my shins... ouch!)
MONDAY: St. George's, the beautiful historic town which used to be the capital of Bermuda. We wandered a bit and took the ferry over to King's Wharf/Dockyard, which is about an hour by ferry due to the fact that it is the other tip of the island. There's not a great deal to do out there if you've seen it before, so we just made the return trip. That evening, we wandered back into town to see the street festival that was going on, but it was not tremendously exciting.
TUESDAY: Hamilton, the capital of Bermuda, and the closest thing to a "city" that they have. Most of the commerce is here, and we wandered the shops a bit and had lunch at Harley's at the Hamilton Fairmont Princess (aka the "Pink Princess"), which is a gorgeous hotel. Very posh and refined!
...Unfortunately, we were struck with a change of plans at this point of the trip. Initially, we were to stay in Hamilton on Wednesday and then dock at King's Wharf on Thursday and Friday morning, but Hurricane Nate was threatening Bermuda and so the country kicked all ships out of their ports as a safety measure... so we left Hamilton at 6pm that night and endured a rather rocky overnight.
THURSDAY: At sea. After the rockiness ended in the late morning, we had an amazingly calm sea and clear sky. I spent much time out on deck in the hot sun, something I never do. But it was nice for a change. :)
FRIDAY: At sea. Another beautiful day, a little cooler than the first. Again, was spent quite leisurely, reading on deck, staring at the sea, eating too much...
SATURDAY: Also at sea. Went to a crafty session in which the lady sung all of the instructions (strange, but bizarrely amusing!) and also enjoyed high tea in the midst of some sunning and other things.
SUNDAY: Docked in NYC again at 7 and was off the ship a little after 9. We had a rather handsome chauffeur show up in my sheep-in-a-jeep and then I ran away with him for the rest of the day! ;)

So, that was my adventure. I was sad that we had to leave early, but being that I've seen the country before it wasn't as bad for me as some. I was disappointed that I didn't get to take my sea-kayak excursion on Friday morning, or wiggle my toes in the pink sand, but I suppose that there is always next time. :)

... so now I have to go back to making my own bed and not just showing up for meals and cleaning and the mundane chores of life. But in all, it was good to be away, and is good to be home again!

Bon Voyage!

Tomorrow I'm off on a cruise to Bermuda, so you won't hear from me until the end of the trip... unless I happen to want to blow a lot of money in the on-board Internet Cafe on posting. (Sorry. You'll just have to wait until my return!)

In the meantime, you might find some of these interesting...
The Bermuda Sun
The Bermuda Triangle
Bermuda Weather
Bermuda Aquarium and Zoo (I hope to get here!)
Webcam

Ciao! :)

Challenge to all of my geek friends...

I stumbled on this quiz through the blog of a girl I went to college with named Jenny. It determines how Geeky you are. Supposedly, I am only 17.94872% Geek. (Which isn't as high as I expected it to be. I feel like the number should be much higher!!)

So, how geeky are you? Let me know.

Massachusetts, part 2

I just realized that I'd forgotten to talk about the rest of my trip!

On Sunday, the Woods and I went to Chunky's, a "cinema pub," to see The Brothers Grimm. It's a fun experience - I wish we had a theatre like that at home!

We hung out in the evening, popping in the DVD of a personal favorite - Shrek 2, and eating homemade watermelon sherbet. (yummy stuff!)

Yesterday, I drove home, but not before making a brief stop at Building 19 in Burlington. A bargain girl like me cannot resist such a stop! And, of course, I arrived in NJ with 12 1-liter bottles of Polar Seltzer... how could I be there and not buy some? :) Unfortunately they didn't have all of the flavors that you see at the website, but they did have a new one I'm curious about - pomegranate. And I'm still wondering about mint, but that one will have to wait until I find it in stock. Maybe I'll just have to take another trip soon!

And before I forget again, here's a link to pictures from Saturday. Don't you wish you'd been there, too? ;)

Daisy, Harry and Charlotte

Hello from Massachusetts! After a slight snafu this morning in terms of helping Mom with the stupid phone system at work (which ended up not working anyway! grr!) I headed up here and after a short time, the Woods and I headed into Boston. First was a quick tour of the Otis House, where Becky works. It was both educational and enjoyable!
Next, we wanted to go up in the Helium baloon in the Common, but it was too windy, so instead we went to eat at a place called B.Good, which is an unusual eatery in which I enjoyed an Asian chicken sandwich. Since it was still windy and the baloon was unavailable in such weather, we went to the Skywalk at the Prudential Tower - I'd never been! It really is a beautiful view, and I reccomend the children's audio tour instead of the adult one - much more entertaining and informative!
After that, we wandered down to the Hatch Shell and found ourselves a surprise - a teenybopper concert with Jesse McCartney. Picture a large crowd of screaming girls of various ages (and their parents) and all that entails. Then you might have an idea of our excitement. (The title of my post comes from the names we chose to scream out when Jesse asked everyone to introduce themselves simultaneously),
After all the pop music we could handle, it was back to Beverly to watch Ray, via Netflix. A very good film, and not just because I am a music person. Very strong.

After such fun, I am tres tired. Enough for today! More tomorrow...

mid-week update

Hi there! :) Just figured I'd drop in a few lines about my past few days...

Tuesday was tremendous fun, although sticking to the plan wasn't completely in order! We left here around two-something and made fine time down to G.A. - to find it quite crowded. We decided to leave the park and come back as it was getting dark in the hopes that the crowds would dwindle. This meant a sidetrip was in order, so we went to Turkey Swamp Park, and wandered around a lovely trail there.
Back at the (amusement) park, it was still crowded. We managed only one coaster - the Great American Scream Machine (a G.A. classic), because everything had 60-90+ minute waits! We wandered some and then decided, instead, to get some food. So off to a quite-late-night dinner it was, then to the beach and slurpees.
Wednesday brought some more gorgeous weather and the opportunity to spend some time in the sun! We went to Point Pleasant (check out the "surf cam"!) and wandered around, playing Skeeball, going to the Fun house, eating Fried Oreos (see below!), and seeing the rehearsal for an outdoor orchestra concert (Opera favorites, with soloists) that was last night!

A very fun few days - a necessary break from the "real world" for some adventures. :)

...and before I forget, a few words on commenting. I love getting comments on my blog. Keep doing it - they make me happy! Sometimes I will respond to the person either verbally or via email, sometimes I'll respond to comments in the form of a post, and lately I've been commenting back, in the comment section, below the person who commented in the first place.

To respond to Marisa's comments from the previous post:
1. Fried Oreos are really yummy. They are like Zeppoli with Oreos in the middle. The Dough gets all crunchy and hot, and the Oreo inside gets all melty. Cover those babies in powdered sugar (which ends up all over you, especially when eaten outside on a windy day!!) and they are very good. The only place that I know that makes them is on the boardwalk in Point Pleasant, right in the whole Jenkinson's area. But a serving of five Oreos is enough for two people, in my opinion, so I'd say order one serving and then if you're loving them and want more, get more.
2. I don't have a digital camera, but I plan on taking a pic of the sweater tonight. I'll hook up with someone with a scanner and try to post it so I can show it off. I'm quite proud of my accomplishment! :)

Fun and busy-ness ahead

This week is going to be busy. I'm going to hit the ground running and have a lot of fun while I do it!

Monday in iteself, doesn't quite call for fun. I have to go to the dentist for a checkup. But I'll call it fun if he says that I have no cavities, since I get sparkly clean teeth, a toothbrush and some floss in the process.
Tuesday will be fun. I'm going to Six Flags! Woo hoo! Screaming my head off!
Wednesday also will be fun. The shore is calling - skeeball, ocean, fried oreos (supposedly amazing?) and whatnot. Hurrah!
Thursday... well, don't know yet. Maybe recovering from the past two days. Or maybe some more fun... only time will tell.
Friday brings the possibility of lunch with a friend and the subsequent passing off of my latest knitting project to her little cutie, Lauren Grace (see a cute pic of her in the archives!) and such an outing would definately be considered fun.
Saturday and Sunday will find me trekking up to the north shore of Massachusetts, to see these fun folks.

...so, if you don't hear from me much this week, you know why. I'm busy having fun! :)

Jeeps Rock!

Jeeps rock. Woo hoo for Jeep!! (Not that I'm biased or anything!) Too bad I couldn't be a part of this - it would have been tres cool, although mine is "Garnet Red" not "Lipstick Red." Alas.

Jeep article MENC article

Jeep Flag from Camp Jeep 2005

(Jeep people, if you're ticked off because of my use of this image, let me know and I'll remove it. I just throught it was really cool.)

Love and Roller Coasters

Today, my friend Marisa posted about the subjects above. I agree with her musings, although I am sad to hear her vent. :(

To briefly comment on the subject(s) myself, I will state that I am in favor of love. Sure, it can be hard sometimes, but the gifts that real love gives tip the scale every time. It comes in the shapes and forms of many different people in our lives, sometimes surprises you, and helps to make us all better people - perhaps the people we are meant to be. I say we all try to gather up as much as we can, although not to keep it selfishly, but to give it to others! :)

...and on the subject of roller coasters, I must say that I am in favor of them as well. I'm not picky - all shapes and sizes, wooden or steel, flipping or not. In fact, I hope to visit some of these coasters next week. Yay. :)

My weekend

Friday, I didn't really do anything, at least not memorable. (?)
Saturday, I did some crazy cleaning in the oppressive heat, and then spent the rest of the day having fun - Matt and I had lunch at the Iron Horse, then decided to go and have some fun at Sportsworld (indoor. A/C. need I say more?) - but ended up on two interesting distractions on the way. The first caused us to follow a sign that said "Albums - $1". We found the street and house, and walked up to an open garage. In it was nothing but a table with two boxes. The large box held a collection of records. The small box was labeled "Album money." We left with two. Then, still on the way, we found a second sign - this one for a tag sale. We decided to take another chance, and ended up at a rather fascinating house. It looked like it was a comfortable size from the outside, but upon inspection it was found to be huge! The stuff was all over the house, so we were able to explore bedrooms, living areas, an interesting game room and retro basement. Another stack of albums were loaded into the car, along with a few other items such as some really old-school cameras and old board-games. Then it was off to the most challenging 9 holes of mini golf I've played yet! Sportsworld's course is inside, which puts it on a smaller scale than most, but they make up for it with evil terrain. Between that and the puppet-style bowling game, a good time was had!
Sunday afternoon brought some errand-running for Matt, but I ended up tagging along for fun. We ended up at the very crowded PPP, and wandered and accomplished what was needed just as a huge storm rolled in. After some Mongolian Barbecue for dinner, we hung out a bit before calling it a weekend... a good weekend. :)

The one darkspot on the weekend was my poor Mommy - she fell at work on Thursday and has been miserable and quite sore. A trip to the ER on Saturday assured us that she didn't break any ribs, but that doesn't mean she's not in a lot of pain. Bruised and sore and generally feeling icky is not fun! :(

Shopping, eating, playing, movie-ing

My friend Alisa and I hung out this evening - she had a random day off of work, and so did I! (Well, perhaps mine wasn't so random in the sense that all of my days at the moment are sans work!) We met up and headed out to the local mecca of money-spending and wandered a bit before eating at Dave and Buster's and playing some games. It has become something of a habit with us - lately, we've gone to enjoy meals and play games there on several occasions. She is the queen of video poker, let me tell you - in today's visit alone, she amassed over 1000 tickets! Impressive! I, supposedly, think too much and don't just play on impulse, as she does - which means I end up with far fewer tickets to redeem.
Then it was off to wander a bit more before going to see Must Love Dogs, which was a cute chick-flicky-date kind of movie, which strangely enough came with a 1 month free membership to perfectmatch.com - they are prominently featured in the film. The movie was cute and I enjoyed it, but if one is wanting to see a movie about people falling in love and the internet, this one is by far superior. (Not that I'm biased!) :)

Feel like you just don't fit in??

...well, do I have the book for you! I was shopping at one of our friendly local B&N stores on Sunday, and found an irrestistable book on the super-bargain-clearance table. Although I have read only the first few pages, I am confident to recommend.... Think You're the Only One? Oddball Groups Where Outsiders Fit In by Seth Brown. It takes you through various groups, societies, organizations, etc. of people who are a little quirky in their interests. Here are a few of the groups represented in the book. Trust me, it is worth a read (and a laugh!), and you might find yourself a new group of friends in the process!

One of the highly funny things about it is that one of my friends, Marisa, bought the exact same book on the exact same day for the exact same price... a whopping 99 cents! Woo hoo! We rock! :)

Moody

Frustrated. Stressed. Worried. Tired. Scared.
Grumble.

Island Adventure

Perhaps the first word of the subject makes you think of locales like Bermuda or St. Thomas... but that would be incorrect. I mean the island of... Manhattan. However, it was during tropical-like weather that the island adventure did occur, so in some ways it isn't that far off!
Yesterday afternoon, I was invited on an adventure to the city. After taking the ferry in (my favorite way to get there!) it was into the underground to take the subway to Ft. Tryon Park, and since we didn't see the bus, we walked through the park, up to the Cloisters. (Aside - the gardens in the park are lovely, as are the views of NJ!) I haven't been to the Cloisters in years, and it did not disappoint! It is so beautiful, so peaceful and contemplative. We actually felt like we'd somehow made a wrong turn and traveled much further when we entered one courtyard and the only voices we heard were speaking in French! From there, it was back to the subway and all the way to the other end of the island to the village, to Peanut Butter & Co. What an extraordinary place! They make the PB right there and serve it in a bunch of creative ways. I enjoyed a Peanut-Butter-Cup sandwich - wheat bread, crunchy PB and nutella. Oh, bliss! :) I must say that I was pleasantly surprised by the Elvis sandwich, complete with bacon, which was Adventurer Matt's choice. (hey - don't turn your nose up at it until you've tried it!) After such fun, it was off to the Strand for a quick browse and then to a debate - Is America a Meritocracy? - down in SoHo. It was put on by Jinx, an Urban Exploration group. Certainly was an interesting topic - the concept being something I'd never stopped to think about. I sat on the fence of the issue for most of the debate, finally deciding that no, I don't think America is a Meritocracy. (Meritocracy: government controlled by those with the most merit to do so.)

An enjoyable adventure was certainly had, and contained much fun and many surprises. But then again, I'm a sucker for random fun, surprises and anything involving Nutella! :)

On the road again...

Well, here I am in Petersburg, Virginia, taking advantage of a little wifi - hurrah for technology!

This week was long. Reeaaallly long. It's amazing how gloomy things are down in Dowling Park. My grandparents aren't well at all, and it is discouraging to see them like that. But, all in all, it was good that I was there, and I needed to go. But the words "fun" and "vacation" could hardly be considered for a trip like this.
And trust me, the area isn't any paradise, either. The little shops in the village take up a half-hour or so of browsing time, the library is teeny and geared towards the residents of the village (but there was an internet connection!!) and "civilization" is a half-hour-plus car ride away... through fields of trees and very little else. And the town of Live Oak has very little except for a supermarket, Wallyworld , various fast food places and a dollar store. But that's not why we were there, so it's really not important. We tried to make their lives a little happier for the week, and then we had to start to go home, but first stop in Lawrenceville, Georgia to see Aunt Babe.
We got to her with little diffuculty and then headed out to dinner at my cousin Gina's house. We had a lovely dinner with a bunch of family we barely ever see, and then stayed over at Aunt Babe's, leaving really early this morning. And so I am here.
Time for food, a shower and some sleep. Then tomorrow we get home.

It will be good to be home again.

Nowhere, North Carolina

Day One: We left a little after 6am and began the trek to Florida, driving and driving and stopping for a picnic lunch (surrounded by Boy Scouts!) and then more driving, then I drove for a while, then we drove some more, finally getting to the hotel. Which is in Nowhere. Seriously. We had to drive 10 miles for food (at which point there are a million other hotels and eateries, etc - civilization, really!) and then come back here, to a hotel that is this awful salmon pink with sad broken swings and an algae covered little fountain, near nothing except for the highway! And hotels.com - they are a bunch of dumbheads, way overcharging us for this room in advance. But - surprise! - they have wifi, so I can post about it.

More to come in future installments... but for now, I'm off to let this computer rest and charge (a laptop which was rather fantastically lent to me by a boy who has preferred in the past to remain Annonymous!) ... and I know I should probably do the same! :)

What a sweetheart!

Congratulations to my dear friends, Christie and Bud, on the birth of their daughter, Lauren Grace! She was born one week ago today! I got to see her this past weekend, and she is beautiful! But here, see her for yourself...

beautiful Lauren Grace! 

HarryPotterHarryPotterHarryPotterHarryPotter

So, yesterday was the day we've all been waiting for - the release of the newest -#6, The Half-Blood Prince. I'd preordered one at my local Barnes and Noble and went to pick it up after lunch. As soon as I walked in the door, there was the gigundo mound of green books, and some rather creatively dressed sales employees. They said hello, and asked if I was there for the signing. "What signing?" I asked, as I looked over their heads to the banner hanging from the ceiling. It said that Mary GranPre, the American HP illustrator, was upstairs, doing a signing, and if I went upstairs quickly with my newly purchased book I could get it signed!! Imagine my surprise as I went up and was next on line?!?! As soon as I'd said hello and had my book returned to me, the cell came out and I made a few calls, which caused me to buy two additional copies for others and get myself - and my father - in line (I couldn't go through the line three times, could I?) Really, how amazing is that? I was happy to just get a copy to read, but now I have a special one! :)

Shockingly enough, I have still not opened to page one... I am trying to save it for the looooong drive to Florida, one week from today. But I don't know if I'll last that long. I may break down within the next few days... no, it's not a matter of willpower, I just want to read it! ;)

Just to add to the festivities, check this out. It's good for a laugh - make sure you wait around until the third time you see Snape!

out of the past...

Yesterday I went out with mom for shopping and lunch. While waiting on line to be seated, I was surprised when the guy standing next to mom turned to say hello - I was in homeroom with him in high school, and probably haven't seen since June of 1997! How strange! We chatted for a moment before being seated about where life had taken us, etc. It's wierd when you bump into someone you really haven't given any thought to in eight years (8! eek!) Of course, mom made me dig out the yearbook as soon as we got home and look him up. Looking at yearbooks is such a strange thing in itself - high school was bizarre on so many levels. But things like this make me wonder what happened to other people as well...

Beware the rambling...

Isn't it strange how in some cases time goes really slowly and sometimes it flies by before we can know it? Take this for example: It's been one month since June 14. It seems like a lot longer ago, if you ask me. Not that such a thing is bad - considering a comparison to how fast the whole last year went - but... I don't know. I guess it would be best to have you just tell this tired girl to put her ranting and raving to bed. Sometimes I just think too much, and things always look different in the light of day after some sleep.

Pack your bags...

Been thinking about traveling. I do that often, but after last night's dinner-table discussion on this, now I find myself wandering to these sites and daydreaming.

Hmmm... I could be packed in a matter of a few hours...

Doing my part for science...

Waxing Philosophical...

Sometimes summer days are best spent

outside in the shade of a big tree,

with the sun filtering through the leaves

and a gentle breeze rustling the grass.

In such a state of (nature's) quiet,

bliss can be attained by something as simple as a nap.

What kind of girl do you think I am?

...hopefully the right kind of girl! :)


You're a romantic girl. You're kind, caring,
loving, and peaceful. You spend a lot of your
time dreaming and you're not afraid to express
deep emotion, whether it be in a poem, diary,
or words. You hope for love and affection from
your prince charming. I have a feeling he will
come around soon.

What kind of girl are you? (with pix!)
brought to you by Quizilla

Hmmm... not too far off track. And as for P.C.? I think he's nearby, although perhaps a little sleepy at the moment...
Thanks to Marisa (and the million and one quizzes she did the other day!) for this post! :)

Crash!! Bang!! Boom!!

Hope ya'll had a good day yesterday, celebrating our country and hopefully seeing some fireworks! I saw some in Ridgewood last night, and they were very beautiful - if you live in the area, go next year - but get there early! It was a fun evening, not without surprises! Matt returned from the shore early :) and we went to have some of this (I chose oatmeal cookie ice cream with strawberries and Oreos... an interesting combo), and then I was off to meet Alisa at the fireworks. But then - surprise! - my phone rang and our group stretched into three as Matt rejoined the festivities. I brought us glow-sticks (which were cooler than the ones they sold there - we had distinctive colors!) and a Gummi Lunch and we heard a little of the jazz band before the fireworks began. Good music, good fireworks, and good company - what more could you ask for on the Fourth?!

Talk about randomness...

LOOK OUT! ïòð

miss president is a radioactive squirrel!!

Username:

From Go-Quiz.com

Weekend, continued

To pick up where I left off, I did end up playing mini-golf yesterday... and winning! Par for the course was 47 - I got a 61 and Alisa got a 76. Woo hoo - we rock! :) Then, we went to dinner and saw another movie (three in three days! Unheard of!) The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. A good, girly movie - makes you laugh, makes you cry. Addressed some real issues and even took you to Greece, which is amazingly beautiful. A good contrast to Friday's movie, which was dark and loud. I'm actually curious to read the book now - although it is on a long list of books I want to read... and some that I want to re-read.

It's funny - when I post on here, I tend to write random things and wonder if people actually read them or if it just gets sent into a cyberspace void. I know of some who read my ramblings, either faithfully or sporadically. I'm guessing that there are others who I don't know who check out what I have to say sometimes. There are blogs that I enjoy reading (two are on my sidebar) of people I have never met before and never interacted with. I wonder if they think it's strange that people are reading their stuff. I am amused to find that someone who I read on occasion (and actually met once, at the wedding of these folks) also reads mine, since she ended up writing about something I'd talked about the other day! So, hi, Angela - glad you got an interesting post out of the deal!

Fourth of July Weekend, 2005

Well, unfortunately, I have no tales to tell of interesting destinations this weekend, unlike some that I know who are heading for exciting and exotic locales like Martha's Vinyard and Belmar (to name a few...). Alas, I am attempting to have some fun anyway.

On Thursday (I know, technically not yet the weekend), went to see Bewitched with Annonym.... er, Matt. ;) It was cute, and I enjoyed it, although one could spend a large amount of time showing the similarities/borrowed features to another film I enjoy. Yesterday, I ended up going to see another film (two days in a row! can you believe it!?) - War of the Worlds. It was better than I expected, actually, and fulfilled the big "Fourth of July Summer Blockbuster Movie" requirement. I ended up crashing at Alisa's, and then we went to a late breakfast at the diner. We're contimplating mini-golf later, which can always be an adventure in cheating and fun!

As to the rest of the weekend? Well, my guess is as good as yours. Maybe I'll run away and join the circus after all. Maybe I'll go trekking in the Alps. Maybe I'll end up watching a L&O marathon (there must be one - there is for every other holiday!).

Happy Fourth.

Interesting

Interesting website of the day:

http://www.paulsadowski.com/birthday.asp

Tells you stuff about how old you are and your birthday - and if you click on the link at the bottom and fill in your name, it tells you stuff about your name, too. Interesting how it appears to be fairly accurate....

Frugal Miss President (...or am I just cheap?)

Like some others that I know, I enjoy a good bargain. Take, for example, my last trip to see the Woods in MA. Bec and I went to the House of Target and, among other things, checked out their dollar section. There is always a lot to see, and we noticed one whole section that was on clearance - 75% off. Yes, folks, that means that all $1 items were a whopping 25 Cents! And, of course, we are all familiar with my shopping piece de restance - 12 Polar Seltzer bottles for free, plus a nickel! :) (original post on that is Thurs, Feb. 17, 2004 if you're interested)

I have made a new discovery in terms of frugalness and kitch... Below Five. They opened one up near me fairly recently, and I've just had the opportunity to visit this week. How much fun is this store? I could easily spend large amounts of cash on a million rather useless-but-fun items. I almost walked out of there with mini-paper-lantern electric lights and a tin lunchbox (for which the grand total would have been $10) but, alas, I did not.... but maybe next time. ;)

Road trip adventures, roller coasters and... breakfast in Vermont?!?

Yesterday was perhaps not the first official day of Summer, but it was the first official day of my summer, and an adventure was planned to commemorate the day. I was instructed to be ready at 5am (eek!) and was told that clothing appropriate for Six Flags was in order. Being that I live in the same state as this, I figured that the bulk of the adventure was to happen there, with perhaps a quick trip to the ocean included in the package. I get in the car and find myself sweetly provided with blanket and pillow. It doesn't take much convincing to get me to push the seat back and doze off for an hour. When I awaken, I expect to find myself fairly close to the shore... and instead find myself near Hartford! Tricky, tricky... it ends up that I live practically between two parks and the goal was to get to Massachusetts! Imagine my surprise! So, we keep driving and enter the good 'ol Bay State, and keep driving. And driving. And then we get to a sign that says.... Welcome to Vermont. Vermont?!? At that point, it was obvious that something wasn't quite right. We stopped at a beautiful welcome center and found two earthy-crunchy-Vermonters ready to help. Since we were already there, inquiries were made as to how close we were to the location of this, to find that it was "just up the road, at exit 6," and that breakfast could be attained fairly nearby. Back in the car, armed with a brand-new Vermont map, we started off again, only to discover that exit 6 was 30 miles away! So, the whole breakfast-and-shopping-in-Vermont excursion came to an abrupt stop as we turned around and headed back down to MA. Upon re-entry, we visited a second visitor's center, where the story of our adventure became the topic of the day with the ladies who worked there. ("...those foolish New Jersey kids! Don't they know anything?") Ended up getting pancakes bigger than my head for breakfast and then arriving at the park a little after opening. It's a fun place - we hit all of the coasters (one wooden one twice!) and thoroughly enjoyed the day. On the way home, I requested a stop to purchase some of this, and ended up amusing the check-out girls ("...they came three states just to buy seltzer?") before heading out to get some dinner... which ended up becoming another birthday celebration complete with a wait-staff serenade! Yes, it was quite the adventure.

Well done, Anonymous! Your sneaky scheming worked, perhaps better than originally planned! :)

PS: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DAD! Hope you've enjoyed your day!

Packing, and packing, and packing some more...

"Don't you love New York in the fall? It makes me want to buy school supplies..."

Packing up your career isn't easy. I'm finding it takes a lot of time... and a lot of boxes. Where those boxes will go when they get home.... well, such things remain to be seen. But I know that there will be a lot of them.

In the midst of all of my packing, I find myself thinking about the stuff in both of my desks, and how much I like office supplies. Paperclips - the big ones, not small - are vital. As are binder clips. And rubberbands. And Post-its. Oh, where would we be without Post-its? And Hand Sanitizer. Bless those dear people who decided to mass-market such a product.

...Ok. enough rambling. Back to packing.

Dad's Day

First of all, HAPPY FATHER'S DAY to my dad and all other dads out there. We appreciate you, even if we don't always remember to say/show it!

This weekend has been a busy one, even though it was a commitment-free weekend! After my final concert on Friday during the day (Cool weather! No rain! No big problems!) I ended up going to Barnes for a while after dinner to browse, buy and reserve this. Yesterday I went to a local town's sidewalk fair in the morning, took a long bike ride in the afternoon, went to dinner (pre-Father's Day) with Mom and Dad, and then went to see Cinderella Man with a friend. (I highly reccomend it - it's a strong film, well acted, and done well - even if I am not one for violent boxing scenes.) Today, we BBQ-ed (being that Dad received a "smokey Joe" for Dad's day and the fact that although a picnic had originally been planned, weather was proving to be too iffy for such an excursion), I went on another bike adventure and then returned home to watch this movie, which I found uber cheap at Best Buy last night.

On another good note, only one more full day and two more half-days of work! Tra-la-la, fiddle-dee-dee! I don't know how I'll pack up all of my junk in that amount of time, but will manage somehow - I'm determined!

Flag Day Baby

As probably discovered by the fact that this is http://junefourteenth.blogspot.com , yesterday was my birthday. It actually ended up being a very good day, even though I had to work! After work, I ended up going out for Thai food (chicken and mangoes... very good together!) and then to play some SKEEBALL! :) Then, it was off to our company's last performance of the season - an outdoor show at the bandshell, which was nice, but quite hot and sticky for those of us in costumes. I ended up having quite a late night for a workday, but it was well worth it. I find myself the recipient of some lovely presents, too - a bicycle, some spa-type stuff, an ice-cream scoop, makeup case, purse, candy, lovely earrings... all in all, it was a very good way to start off this upcoming year.

I only hope that the rest of the year will live up to the first two days!

good and bad, all mixed together... en flambe?

Bad first:
You know, I really need to start counting the minutes until I am done with this &%$#^@! job. I called on Thursday night about the fact that I was calling out sick for Friday, and somehow they did not get the message...?? So now I will have to deal with the fallout out first thing Monday morning... oh, what joy. I try to be responsible and prepared for Monday by checking my work email tonight and find 2 email about it waiting in my inbox. You know, really, what do I expect? Things to run smoothly? Not here. Not for me.

But some good from today:
Mom and Dad took me out for my birthday a little early, and we went here. At first, I was not sold on the idea, but.... wow. Especially dessert. And they lit it on fire! Very cool place. Great atmosphere, good food, even a little dinner theatre as they prepare things at the table. I need to go there again! :)

heat and humidity do not a happy Miss President make...

For those of you who asked, thank you for your well-wishes and whatnot for my Spring Concert. It went very well - for once, we didn't have to worry about rain, either! I am so glad it is over - it was so hot and miserable this week, and that combined with stress really knocked me for a loop.

We had a Pirates performance last night, and how thrilled were we to find the auditorium to be AIR CONDITIONED! Oh, joy, oh rapture! The audience was small and rather catatonic, but we had a good time and rejoiced at the fact that we didn't feel like we were going to die with heavy costumes, full makeup and stage lights! We will not be so lucky outside on Tuesday night (which also happens to be my favorite holiday!) but considering it will be the last performance of the season, we will take what we can get. What in the world will I do with my Monday and Thursday nights after this?

Stop the ride, I want to get off!

Wow. So much going on... my head is spinning!

This weekend was, well, insane. Friday afternoon brought Becky to NJ, and we went off gallivanting to these three places that evening. Saturday morning found me on the phone with these people for over an hour... and then I needed to go and visit one of their stores, too! Dumbheads! But then in the evening heat I had a performance and was greeted by quite the fan club of attendees, including a fellow blogger! I found myself the recipient of lovely daisies and roses and was thrilled with the concept of my own cheering section! Three of us indulged here post-performance. Mmmm.... mint with brownies. :)

Sunday I had another performance, which was unfortunately at the same time as my nephew's Confirmation. I was sorry to miss it, but I sacrifice for my art! ;) Post-show, there was a cast party barbecue, which was a fun time.

Monday was our Music Dept. pool trip. It was a perfect day - amazingly hot, which was great for the kids. They managed to get me pretty soaked, even though I did not get into the pool! All in all, the best work-day of the year!

Today, I had a looooong outdoor rehearsal in the morning. Again, heat and general rehearsal craziness caused for a tiring time - so tiring, in fact, that I fell asleep on the couch this afternoon for a while! Tomorrow is the concert - IT WILL NOT RAIN, IT WILL NOT RAIN, NO RAIN, NO RAIN!! The weather looks like it will hold out, for once! If only I can get to this time tomorrow night then I will be happier for the rest of the week, and not quite so frantic and overwhelmed!

In other news, go and sign up for the Baskin Robbins Birthday Club. It's cool, and free. Yay for cool and free. :)

There was an adventure to be had...

One day recently (I cannot specify here or I may incriminate myself), I went on an adventure. I only knew the where and when and what to wear... as to the destination, that was kept concealed until absolutely necessary... which succeeds in piquing interest even further! I met my adventure guide (at a hospital!) and we headed out in the sheep-in-a-Jeep on quite a long trek, almost all the way to Pennsylvania. We ended up in Blairstown, NJ - a true thriving metropolis of trees and open space. After lunch at a local diner, we proceeded to the mysterious location - the Paulinskill Viaduct. To enter, one has to climb up into one of the bases on either side of the river and then begin climbing, rung by rung, up and down the arches. There are a wide variety of styles of graffiti to be seen along the way, and "caves" to go through in the bases - some which have been made easier with the help of boards or ropes, others which involve climbing all the way into them and then back out - and all are definitely dark and creepy with extraordinary echoes! It is an amazing place on several levels - the view is spectacular, the climbing is good, some of the graffiti-artwork is beautiful, it is supposedly haunted, and of course, it is Weird! We climbed all the way to the opposite shore and then back again - although at about the half-way point we ended up climbing up and out on to the top, where there was a train track at one point. (I wish I could have taken my Jeep up there, now that I think about it!) Unfortunately, just before we climbed up and out, my guide's trusty hiking staff took a kamikaze leap off the bridge and into the river. We sadly watched it float away and then went searching the bank for it later, but alas... it is gone. Sadness.
But, all in all, a most successful outing, and quite memorable. Although the one bad thing about adventuring is that it leaves you wanting more...... ;)

Movie Meme

I actually read this on someone else's blog and then saw it sent to my friend Peter... who sent it to me. So here I go:

1. Total number of films I own on DVD/video:
probably close to 50 that are mine, but we must have about 200+ in my house!
2. The last film I bought:
Probably either Down With Love or Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets… it’s been a while! But the last one I received as a gift was Roman Holiday.
3. The last film I watched:
Big Fish (Sunday night with some friends)
4. Five films that I watch a lot or that mean a lot to me:
Roman Holiday, Beauty and the Beast, You’ve Got Mail, Pride and Prejudice, Annie
5. Ten things I have NOT done:
Learned to tango, been to Italy, smoked, run away from home, celebrated my birthday in another country, gotten a tattoo, lived on my own, written a book, learned another language fluently, and figured out what to do with my life!

Considering that I know few blogging people personally, the only 2 I can pick are Rebecca and Marisa!

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY!

Thoughts on a Friday

I realize that after a crazy two weeks of nonstop stuff I am in complete tired-and-random-rambling mode, and that my brain is completely full. But here are a few of my thoughts...

1. Why in the world have I been having all of these bizarre dreams lately? One of them last night involved being on the roof of a taxi and someone shooting at me.
2. Only two paychecks left. Both a great thing and a not so good thing. But I think more good than not in the long run.
3. Even though there isn't a plan in motion for the weekend, I am thrilled to have an extra day off. I truly wish I did have something in the works for Memorial Day weekend, but maybe I just need to sleep.
4. On this day in 1837, Wild Bill Hickok was born.
5. Got the Jeep magazine this week and now want to drive down to the Pine Barrens and go off-roading. It was one of 5 northeastern locations mentioned.
6. Also wish I could go to Camp Jeep in August... but probably would be my usual overachiever self and insist I could do something which would end up trashing my baby.
7. Sometimes, it annoys me to be me. I'm too blasted responsible to use up all of my sick days and not have to come in for the rest of the year.
8. Actually, I think this question about myself a lot. Don't you hate it that there are some parts of the foundation of who you really are which you can't change... and probably wouldn't want to, really, even if you want to this moment, in rebellion?
9. Got some herbs (to plant) today. Almost bought a "porch tomato" plant... maybe I will go back and get one this weekend. What is it that makes me want to dig in the dirt every spring and make things grow? Some organic impulse? (no pun intended!)

"...Sing, Eleanor!"

Oh my gosh. The girls over at Thread Bared have done it again. They consistantly have me laughing with their commentaries on patterns and kitsch and retro-whatevers... but this one takes the cake. Yes, in the early eighties, when I was but yea high, I was Annie. No, I didn't play Annie.... I literally thought I was her. Talk about obsesssed! I even went so far as to call my dad "Daddy Warbucks" and to not respond to my own name... even in public! Ask my parents... it is all true... sad, but true! I had the red dress. I had the curly red wig. I had the stuffed "Sandy." I had both the Broadway and Film soundtracks... on vinyl. I used to get out the pail and brush and 'scrub' the floor as I sang along with the other orphans. Check out ThreadBared's post from yesterday. I would have been all over that.

Birthday

to: ML
from: JSB
Happy 26th birthday. Here's to a great year! :)

Weary

Life is just too busy at the moment. I had three concerts in two days this past week (which is enough on its own, thank you very much!) and then took a Mental Health Day on Friday (you don't even know how completely necessary that was!) to recover from concerting and two rather late nights in a row (both past 12, on school nights!). Saturday actually found me missing my first performance in three seasons to attend a baby shower (under the circumstances, it had to take priority over the show) and then a performance today in a building that must have been a bazillion degrees. Went out to eat afterwards and then bumbled home. I am so tired I can barely type straight! And there is work tomorrow! Blast! ;?

One quick question/comment... logic says that highways with odd number endings (like 17 or 95) are north/south roads and those with even numbers (4, 84) are east/west... right? Then why does Rte. 287 start out east/west in NY state and then drastically change in NJ to north/south? This caused me much confusion today in getting to the performance site. That highway and I just don't seem to get along... I've gotten all jumbled on there before. Dumb road!

Yawn... bordom.

Being tired and a little bored leads me to this as a post. Do with it what you will...

1. IF YOU COULD BUILD A SECOND HOUSE ANYWHERE, WHERE WOULD IT BE? I’d like to have a FIRST house, thank you very much! But I think that one near the ocean would be wonderful.
2. WHAT' S YOUR FAVORITE ARTICLE OF CLOTHING? At the moment, my circle skirt.
3. THE LAST CD YOU BOUGHT? Mario Frangoulis – Follow Your Heart
4. IF YOU COULD PLAY AN INSTRUMENT, WHAT WOULD IT BE? I can play some, although none well. I’d have to go with piano.
5. FAVORITE COLOR? I like most, but I think pink is the dominant favorite at the moment.
6. WHICH DO YOU PREFER, SPORTS CAR OR SUV? Either my baby (Jeep) or a convertible!
7. DO YOU BELIEVE IN AFTERLIFE? yes
8. FAVORITE CHILDREN'S BOOK? Two Kittens Are Born by Betty Schilling
9. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SEASON? Springtime, but there are things I love about all of the seasons!
10. IF YOU COULD HAVE ONE SUPER POWER, WHAT WOULD IT BE? Never really thought about it. Maybe flying.
11. CAN YOU JUGGLE? With scarves, yes. Anything else, no.
12. THE ONE PERSON FROM YOUR PAST YOU WISH YOU COULD GO BACK AND TALK TO? My Grandmother (Dad’s Mom) – I never got to meet her, and my father says that we would have been real kindred spirits.
13. WHAT'S IN THE TRUNK OF YOUR CAR/TRUCK? A laundry basket with a hat, kitty litter, rags, car polish, some CD’s, fairy wings, a wand, and other various stuff… and yes, I can prove it all!
14. WHICH DO YOU PREFER, SUSHI OR HAMBURGER? I need to be brave and try more sushi.
15. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE FLOWER? Daisies, stargazer lilies, wildflowers, roses….
16. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MEAL? I think the company is more important than the food itself.
17. WHEN IS YOUR BIRTHDAY? Flag Day – June 14
18. SOUP OR SALAD? Depends on the weather – soup if it is cold, salad otherwise.
19. MOUTHWASH OR BREATH MINTS? Listerine, all the way - either liquid or the pocket packs!
20. COMPUTER OR CELL PHONE? both
21. POPCORN OR PEANUTS? popcorn
22. WINE, BEER OR WHISKEY? Wine, if those are the options
23. CABLE OR SATELLITE TV? I’ve never had satellite!
24. WHO DID YOU RECEIVE THIS FROM? Marisa

two unrelated things from a jumbled brain

Ug. Emotional hangover. 2 1/2 hour concert last night with about 200 performing kids and a standing-room-only audience. It was a great concert, though - don't get me wrong! I am tremendously proud of them, and got a little teary at the prospect that this was it, the last concert with these kids. And my wonderful and sweet accompanist got me flowers and had the kids present them to me. It's just heartbreaking to hear kids say "I'm definately doing choir next year!"... and I won't be there to see it! (Well, 4 spring concerts down, 2 to go.)

Now to go in a completely different direction... (watch out for the whiplash!) I love the fact that Loew's Theatres are doing this program where they are bringing back movies to the big screen - Fan Favorites. (Only available at 4 theatres, tho??) The shows are free - all you have to do is reserve a ticket. Each month has a theme, with May being "Disaster Flicks". I will definately have to try to take advantage of this concept this summer. It sounds like tremendous fun for a moviegirl like me, someone who loves the concept of the big screen and the dark and the popcorn smell... :)

here, bunny bunny bunny....

Your'e right, this is not my first bunny story. (see my post from June 3rd of last year for specifics).

Well, this bunny story starts with waking up to the sound of my father's voice outside, calling to my mother that there is a baby bunny on the grass. I go down shortly thereafter and mom shows me where the baby is... alone and out in the open! I go outside to look and see if it is still alive, and it was. It was so tiny and cute and fuzzy and still - I just wanted to scoop it up and bring it into the house! Mom and I were very distressed... we thought it was abandoned, or hurt! But thankfully the Mom came back once we went back inside and continually stared at us as we looked out at her with her baby.

We were still afraid that the baby was sick or hurt. Can bunnies that small hop? Or do their Moms carry them? Should they be outside like that? Finally, we called the SPCA people, who referred us to call our police station to get in contact with Animal Control. The policeman who spoke with Mom said that it was all right and that as long as it wasn't out there all day it should be fine.

A while later, I went out (very very slowly) to see the bunies. The Mom got a little scared and hopped sideways, at which point I saw that the baby was gone. We left it some lettuce and it stayed in the area all day. We just hope that the baby is now safe at home, and the Mom was just out for a snack.

...I just can't deal with another bunny death! This baby has to live!

Sew, sew, sew the dress....

(to the tune of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat")

We have two sewing machines in my house. One is my mother's, which has to be at least thirty-some years old. It's a Singer, which is a good, recognizable brand. She used to make a lot of her own clothing when she was young, so it's been put to good use. It's actually inside a table - you open the top and flip it out. Unfortunately, it's not working correctly, and then I tried to poke around inside it. In the process of doing that, I lost a miniscule screw. (oops!) So now it is really broken.

Mine was inherited. My Aunt bought it from a school that cancelled their HomeEc program, and then gave it to me when she moved out to Colorado. I tried to set it up months ago when I attempted to make a yoga-mat-bag, but it wouldn't work... and I don't have an owner's manual. It's a Necchi - which is Italian, and that is about as much as I knew. I have the model number, but as to its age or anything else? Nope.

I took mine to a repair shop. They told me what was wrong and fixed it, but said that it was in dire need of service. The cost of said servicing is $79.99... yikes! I thought that at the steep servicing charge I should perhaps invest in a new machine instead, but someone I'm in the show with said I would be making a huge mistake in doing that... that this is a quality machine and I should invest in it. (I honestly think she would have snatched it from me if I did decide to trash it!)

So, even in its needing-service state, I decided to take a chance and finally figured out how to use it... somewhat, anyway. (Being on a deadline - dress must be done by Saturday - I needed to do something!) I was able to add the piece to lenghten my costume, but if anyone actually takes a good look at the job I did, they will see I am no seamstress and that I have no idea how the machine properly works. At least from stage (and really, even up close) no one will know what I went through to get that dumb thing done!

So we cross one bridge and get to some others.... where's the $80 going to come from? And what about a manual? And I guess with all of this effort, I should really take the time to really learn how to sew, while I'm at it! ;)

Oh, before I forget - Sister update:
She's coming home from the hospital today! She seems to be doing well in terms of sensation and feelings coming back, and the lab report said the tumor is begign. :) So now we just wait for recovery and the 6 week scan to check that it hasn't returned. Good news is always something to share. :)