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. :)

squeaky

Today was such a beautiful day that I felt I could not spend all of my afternoon inside. So I combined being outdoors with doing something productive... I vaccumed all of the junk off the floor of my Sheep-in-a-Jeep, cleaned the inside and windows, and took my baby for a bath. It looks so much better in the nice, shiny Garnet Red it is supposed to be instead of a mixture of grime and green pollen! :)

Salt Lake City

My sister lives in SLC. We don't get to see her too often because of it, but she likes it out there and I hear it is a beautiful place, if not run over with Mormons! :) Anyway, the reason my parents are there is because my sister had a tumor on her pituitary gland, which was affecting her balance and vision. So she had it out today, and as far as we know (from the update phone call I just got) they were successful in getting it all. The good thing is that her chances of it being benign are excellent - at least 80%. But no matter what, brain surgery is serious stuff. As is the recovery. But we're thankful for the good news. Keep her in your prayers, though - every little bit helps! :)

Mother's Day 2005

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to one and all!

This mother's day has certainly been the most unusual one in memory. Usually I spend it with my mom (of course!), although for four years it was a day to crazily study for finals (college, of course), and one year I was at a resturaunt with others since my mom was away.

My parents left the house at 5am this morning to go to Salt Lake City (more about why tomorrow) and so I woke up at 4:45 to say goodbye and then crashed back into bed. Woke up for real at 10:45. Went downstairs. Read the paper, made some food (an omlet with aspagarus, green pepper, tomato, mushrooms & cheese... yum), watched some TV, did some yoga and weight training (to try to get my slothlike self back into shape, hopefully I can keep it up), watched more TV, ate some Triscuts, washed the dishes, came up here to futz on the computer... yeah, that's about it! I haven't left the house. I haven't put on real clothes or even taken a shower! I have done little that is productive.

... but sometimes days like that are necessary. :)

Some kids are just awesome.

Today is National Teacher Day. So even though you will probably be reading this tomorrow, it might be a nice idea to tell teachers that you know (or remember fondly) that you appreciate what they do. Believe me, it will make their day. I found the cutest home-made card in my school mailbox today. The outside had a little person and a guitar on it and said "Music Rocks!" The inside continued - "...so do you! Happy National Teacher Day!" How cute is that? In the midst of my work-related strum und drang, a little ray of sunshine... which was just what I needed.

Dr. Seuss writes about the Quarter-Life Crisis!

...I'm sorry to say so but, sadly, it's true that Bang-ups and Hang-ups can happen to you.

You can get all hung up in a prickle-ly perch. And your gang will fly on, You'll be left in a Lurch.

You'll come down from the Lurch with an unpleasant bump. And the chances are, then, that you'll be in a Slump.

And when you're in a Slump, you're not in for much fun. Un-slumping yourself is not easily done.

You will come to a place where the streets are not marked. Some windows are lighted. But mostly they're darked. A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin! Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in? How much can you lose? How much can you win?

And IF you go in, should you turn left or right... or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite? Or go around back and sneak in from behind? Simple it's not, I'm afraid you will find, for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.

You can get so confused that you'll start in to race down long wiggled roads at break-necking pace and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space, headed, I fear, towards a most useless place. The Waiting Place...
...for people just waiting. Waiting for a train to go or a bus to come, or a plane to go or the mail to come, or the rain to go or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow or waiting around for a Yes or No or waiting for their hair to grow. Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite or waiting for wind to fly a kite ot waiting around for Friday night or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake or a pot to boil, or a Better Break or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants or a wig with curls, or Another Chance. Everyone is just waiting...

... maybe a little of both?

Ok, so perhaps my post from this morning was a little harsh, making it sound like no one ever writes me back. Some people do reply in a timely fashion and I appreciate that. It's just hard when you are trying to plan something that ends up falling apart at the last minute because of a lack of communication, or when you're wishing that people would listen to you because you need someone to be an understanding ear/shoulder. I guess it boils down to the fact that I'm quite discouraged with the hand I've been dealt lately. While Frustrated and Gloomy might not become me, they seem to be like annoying guests who always stay too long at the party.

Why can't they just go home already?!?

Am I right or am I wrong?

Perhaps I am just spoiled by technology, but I appreciate email for its speed and efficiency. Being that I am not a telephone person, email is convienient and easy - often I can fire off an email in the amount of time it would take me to dial and leave a voicemail saying "Call me back so I can tell you what I need to tell you." It contacts people wherever they are without having to physically track them down. Responses can even be sent in the middle of the night without disturbing people.

So why is it then that people don't respond? I write to people - to say hi, to check in, to try and plan things - and either get no response at all or get one too late. It's not a one-time occurance and it's not pinned on to just one person... I get this a lot! Come on, people, it's not hard. It's quick to check and send, especially for the modern world that doesn't have to deal with dial-up, like me. Dumb people. Am I being too harsh here? Or am I just expecting people to be curteous? Or is it just that people don't want to talk to me? I know that email is an informal and casual form of communication, but still...

Let me know what you think.

Headcase...

Do you ever wish you could get inside someone else's head and see what they are thinking? I do, even though it really is a double-edged sword... you could find out that they are thinking exactly what you suspected, or it could be something so completely different and surprising... and either of these could be good or bad. Some people are just harder to read! You think that you know where you stand with them and yet the little voice of doubt makes you panic and think otherwise. And then people sometimes just do things that so confuse you that you're just caught up in a tailspin of questioning and uncertainty. Grr! Frustrating! And finding myself in a whole labrynth of transition yet again doesn't make it any easier. I think my brain just goes into doubt-overdrive over everything, myself included.

I think I really just need some happiness. Anyone got any to spare?

Job Counselor? I have a question....

Spring break is a wonderful, wonderful thing... especially after last week's hideousness. I like being at home. (Of course, I would enjoy a vacation more, but if it comes down to home-vs.-work.... home wins.) I think I need to find a job that lets me stay at home. There's a lot less bureaucracy here.

Kick her while she's down....

This week has been atrocious, for many reasons - none of which I'm going to write about here. The crowning jewel in the hideousness was yesterday, making the week one for the record books. If you know me and want to know what's up, get in touch with me.

One last thing... a question, really...

Do you think that the people in life who find it their job to make your life a living hell actually find satisfaction in doing so in the long run? Or do you think they wake up one day and realize how they have ruined others and, in that action, ruined themselves?

some things are just amusing...

The other day at school I was futzing around with stuff on my cart and a teacher in the "tenement" (where several of us non-classroom teachers - or at least our carts - have been placed) was talking with a student who needed to have some baby teeth removed. She called me in to chat about it, considering my recent experience with teeth. The kids and I chatted about it, and the topic of the Tooth Fairy came up. I mentioned, tongue firmly planted in cheek, that I had wanted to ask my oral surgeon for my teeth so that the Tooth Fairy would come, and several kids gave me their feedback on the idea: (paraphrased)

Student #1 - "You would have gotten $4!"
Student #2 - "You would have gotten $16!" (4x4)
Student #3 - "You would have gotten, like, at least $50!" (my guess is that grown-up teeth are worth more to the TF?)

I like student #3's opinion. I then mentioned that I thought the oral surgeon kept them for himself so he could collect on the money. All students assured me that the Tooth Fairy would know that the teeth were not his and that there would be nothing but teeth left under his pillow in the morning. ;)

Before I forget.... These two websites are really funny. I found them from reading LJC. Both made me laugh on a day when I was much more apt to cry. Enjoy!

words

frustration. communication. silence. longing. uncertainty. faith. doubt. hope. anger. love. tears. flustered. awkward. confident. forget. remember. snow. rain. broken. weak. fear. hurt. empty. year. fate. coincidence. future. past. lost. adventure. magic. rocks.

Rambling

Do you ever wish you could step out of your life and look at it from a new perspective? Actually back up and see things objectively, with bits of the past and future to help you understand the here and now? Yeah, I know we all do sometimes. I guess it just has to do with the fact that I feel like a hampster in its wheel - running, but really not getting anywhere. Maybe I actually am moving forward, even though I can't tell at the moment. I hope so. Maybe I'm not, and an objective look at the situation could help me figure stuff out. I'm not so good with so many unknowns at once - perhaps others like that kind of existance, but I'm better with some things in (relative) order to help me through the unknowns. It's the on-all-fours-and-stumbling-in-the-dark-without-a-flashlight kind of existance that gets to me. I know it's not always like that, and that we do need that sometimes in order to become who we are supposed to be. But that doesn't make it any easier.

sleep. yeah, sleep would be a good idea. goodnight.

Lucky Number.... 32?

Last night, our school's PTO hosted a Tricky Tray at a catering hall. This is the second one I've been to, and they are quite the social events! There were over 300 people there last night and loads of prizes to try for - some of the ones I tried to win included tickets to Great Adventure, the Bronx Zoo, Crayola Factory, etc - gift certificates to Old Navy, Container Store, the Melting Pot restaurant, Applebees, manicures, massages, etc - and even big items like a hotel weekend and a mini Ipod. Did I win any of those? Sadly, no. But I did win something I wanted, and perhaps this is a sign that I need it - a month of unlimited visits to a local chiropractor!

It might not be as fun as some of the others, but I'm happy with my prize and hopefully will benefit from it! :)

it might not be a big deal to you...

...but it is to me.

Yay to me for figuring out how to change the colors within the confines of this humble little blog. I was getting tired of the day-glo pink-and-green motif... so I went for softer colors. Note that I went for a tri-color concept and the fact that sidebar links that are normally black are now purple when you get near them and then blue once you've used the link! woo hoo!

(Ok, so for you computer experts, such drivel is child's play. But I had to do a lot of trial and error and bumbling through html code to make it work!)

Bah for work. Dumb work!

Tomorrow, I have to suck it up and go to work. Bah. I've really enjoyed being home... even with the all-liquid-diet, meds-every-six-hours, ice-or-heat-several-times-a-day, feeling-a-little-loopy, kinda-lonely-ness of it all. I was talked out of work today by several people (the winning vote coming from Nurse Mom) and I think it was a great choice... my jaw was just too sore to have done all of the singing I would have to do. Tomorrow will still be interesting... I'll have to play it by ear and see how it goes. I get the stitches out on Thursday, which I'm looking forward to... they feel strange! :)

"It would be a shame to miss New York in the Spring."

(can you place the quote???)

Having been born and bred in the area surrounding the Capital of the World, I've spent some considerable time there. There are an unspeakable number of places to go, things to do and experiences to experience - some of which I already have (and want to do again!), others that I plan to do, and still others that I am just finding out about here and there. Here is a short list of things I'm currently curious about/interested in... but beware, such a selection is quite short in reality! (hmmm... most are food places... I guess I must be hungry!)

Chinatown Ice Cream Factory and Grilled Cheese NYC (which I just heard about from reading LJC!), Dylan's Candy Bar and Serendipity (Marisa reminded me of these), The Library Hotel (you always need a place to stay!), Gray's Papaya, Zabar's, Kate's Paperie, Amy's Bread, 91st street Garden, Central Park Carousel and Zoo, Ferrara's, the Strand, Midsummer Night's Swing, Empire State Building, the Cloisters, the museums, etc, etc, etc.....

I'm lucky - I've had some exceptional trips into the Big Apple. I hope to have some more. It's strange that I have such fond memories of adventures in a place that scared me when I was little! :)

mmm.... ice cream for breakfast!

Kisses and hugs and much thanks to those who have called, emailed and visited over the past weekend. Your concern and wishes (and jello!) are much appreciated by this girl. Thanks for helping me feel better!

Update

Greetings from the toothless wonder! :) I went in yesterday morning for the surgery, and was more than a little nervous when I got there... but then they put the needle in my arm and told me that I would start to relax... I remember thinking, "wow - this stuff does make you feel better!" and then the next thing I knew, they were waking me up and saying it was all over. I spent a little time in recovery and then mom took me home.

My wonderful oral surgeon gave me some happy drugs - Vicodin and an antibiotic, and I spent most of yesterday icing my face and sleeping. I've been lucky to have such a fantastic "nurse" - my wonderful mom. She has been wonderful to her sick daughter!

I went back to see him for a follow-up this morning and he said everything looks great - honestly, I think he did a fantastic job, since I have very little swelling and feel pretty good. I've been eating more today - all soft things, of course, but he said that whatever I feel comfortable with is what I should have. I might swell more tomorrow, he says, but I don't think it will be anything I can't handle.

So I'll just take it easy for the next two days - he'd suggested that I take off Monday and I have already done so. I'll be happy to veg and sleep and watch movies and do very little. Just wanted to let people know that I made it through! :)

Will I now be dumb?

Well, tomorrow is April 8th. The day I lose all of my wisdom.... teeth, that is. Part of me is strangely at peace with the whole thing and the other part of me (surprisingly smaller?) is freaking out... so you can imagine what I'm like internally! I'm just thankful for the opportunity to do it now, while I can, and get it over with. I'd appreciate any good wishes, thoughts, prayers and the like.

...See you all on the other side of this, when I'll hopefully still be smart enough to write cohesive sentences! ;)

Sheep-in-a-Jeep invite #2!

A few minutes ago, I was sitting here, checking my email, when I see that I got an email today from my pals at Jeep. What I found was another invitation! This time, I was invited to an advance screening of Sahara, an action-adventure movie with Matthew McConaughey, Steve Zahn, and Penélope Cruz... and, of course, the new Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara.

Too bad their timing wasn't better. The screening is tomorrow night at 7:30... just as my rehearsal begins. What's up with the not-much-advance-notice? Blast. But hurrah for Jeep and free things! :)

So what am I, really?

While at the Auto Show, I took a quiz from Land Rover to discover my AQ- Adventure Quotient. They told me I was Passionate Investigative Pioneer. I went to the site yesterday to investigate and took the test again. This time it was longer and more thorough. I found out that I am really a Inward Inspirational Seeker, whose secondary AQ is the P.I.P.

Here are the descriptions:

Having the AQ of an Inward Inspirational Seeker, you are interested in the internal rewards adventure has to offer. You seek the emotional rush more than the physical when engaging in exciting pursuits.
Your style of adventure is unique because you emphasize improving the self through experience - you are not interested in the instant gratification that adventure can bring. As your name suggests, you seek inspiration from within, not from sources outside of yourself.
You learn best by placing yourself in new situations - stretching your comfort zone helps you develop a clearer picture of who you really are. You are a rare breed who places equal importance on having physical and mental adventures - you are conscious of their distinct benefits. As a thinker and experiencer, you take precautions before engaging in potentially dangerous activities. Above all, Inward Inspirational Seekers are interested in the intrinsic rewards all adventure has to offer - peace of mind, perspective and personal growth.
Traits: curious, open-minded, low-maintenance, cautious, sensation-seeking.

The AQ of a Passionate Investigative Pioneer is that of a classic adventure seeker. When people think about adventurous personalities, this combination of traits is exactly what they envision. This AQ is spontaneous, energetic and broad-minded. P.I.P.'s are willing to forgo comfort for the sake of experience. They want to touch, taste, smell and see all there is, and nothing much that can stop them. The pioneering spirit is something that also separates this AQ from others. They don't rely on trends or guides in deciding where to go and what to do. This AQ is one of the rare few that can feel comfortable in any situation.
Secondary AQ traits: courageous, spontaneous, low-maintenance, sensation-seeking, curious, open-minded, energetic, extroverted.

Comment below and tell me if you think this is a good discription of me. Take the test yourself and then let me know what you are, if you want! :)

Merci! Gracias! Grazi! Thanks!

Kudos to Marisa for her help with the picture posting, and for the Woods for the offer of help. Yay for smart technology people to help us bumbling wannabees! :) A sticker for each of you!

Greetings from The New York International Auto Show 2005! 

Technical Help Needed!

To the few technological people out there who actually read this little blog:

I want to post pictures. I have some to post already. I downloaded Picasa and Hello as they requested, and can't seem to get to the next step. In Picasa, I select a pic and then click on the little "Blogger" button, which always takes me to the page to download Hello. Which I've already done. So it's a big viscious cycle.

Help, Help!

Crummy weather, crummy miss president

Although tremendous fun was had at the Auto Show, there was one thing which manifested itself into something not fun. I didn't know it at the time, but I was in the process of getting sick. I started to lose my voice that night and by the middle of the night, I woke up all scratchy-throated. Luckily, I had called out sick - I needed a "mental health day", and this ended up working out well since I just laid low and did minimal things. I went to work yesterday - perhaps not the best idea, but since I have to take off a few days in the very near future, I figured one would have to be enough for now.

Yesterday after work, we had to get in the car to drive Dad to the airport... on Long Island. We got out there in good time, but the homebound traffic was a beast, as expected. I was amazingly beat after that drive, and crashed on the couch for the evening, dragging myself to bed after sleeping through two hours of television.

So today I'll lay really low in this monsoon of rain. Maybe I'll drag myself out on a few errands, maybe not. Bah for sickness!

Vroom Vroom....

Over a week ago, I got an invitation in the mail from my dear friends at Jeep. They invited me to come to "Camp Jeep NY" at the New York International Auto Show... for free! So I picked a day, rsvp'd, and went - last night.

Picked up Matt at work (the ticket being for "you and a guest") and drove to the ferry. The terminal is conveniently accross the street from where we needed to be, so we crossed over and walked to the big building that said "JEEP" on it. We were directed where to sign in, received light-up-magnet pins, and went in. The Camp Jeep Pavillion was incredible! There was live music, a rock wall, remote-controlled Jeeps, video games, an area for kids to ride the little power-wheel Jeeps, and the most amazing thing.... an indoor off-road course!!!!! Of course, we immediately got on line to wait our turn.

Obviously (and unfortunately!) you were only able to be passangers on the ride - but we hopped into a Wrangler and set off. They showed off how they handle on uneven terrain, inclines/declines (45 degrees!), water, etc. It was amazingly fun! :)

Other highlights of the show (once we stopped playing with the Jeeps, that is!) included:
* getting little pen holders in the shape of a VW bug convertable
* finding out that I am a "Passionate Investigative Pioneer" from Land Rover (What are you? Check here to find out!)
* a Volvo driving safety simulator
* getting golf umbrellas and waterbottles from Suzuki after the 1st bottle broke!

* getting another manual-driving-lesson.... including freaking out on a real road and not being able to get the car to start moving again!

I'm sure I'm forgetting things, so I may edit later!

Coolness

I got a present today... a shirt. Now, normally a shirt does not warrant such excitement, but this shirt isn't normal! :) Go and check out the website of the designers - David and Goliath. The site is pretty cool... but one that makes my sad dial-up connection spaz out. (I'll just have to rebel and check it out at work!)

The one I received says something bound to make college roommates and friends laugh...

Boys are stupid, throw rocks at them!

Thanks, Matt. :) I love it!

Vacation woes...

Being how I feel, this post is going to be appropriately green... with envy.

I am tremendously jealous of several friends and acquaintances right now. People all around me are away, going away, or planning to go away. One is in Myrtle Beach as we speak. Two are going to Russia at the end of April. Others are going to a veterinary conference in Aruba next month. My brother and father are leaving on the 1st to fly to Nice and cruise in the Mediterranean for a week.

I want to go away! I want a vacation! Where's my trip? :c/

Stamp! stamp! stamp! NO FAIR!!

One Year

One year ago today, my poor little Jeep and I were in an accident. The stupid %$@*&! that hit me claimed no responsibility for it and his insurance company refused to pay for my claim. So my insurance company sued him. (Extra info: He got booted from his insurance after our accident... especially since it was his third accident at age 21 and the previous one was just a few days before...) I ended up being without my baby for 6 weeks while insurance companies duked it out - but at least I got a Jaguar to drive for a week (woo hoo! Talk about posh!) and then a TrailBlazer as a replacement rental while I waited. All in all, I am certainly thankful that only cars got hurt, not any people. But I was still angry about it!

So after a long wait, I finally got word the other day (Monday, I think) that it was finally settled. The stupidhead's insurance company finally agreed to pay, after lawyer intervention. I got a check from my insurance company for my deductable... minus $175+ in lawyer costs.

... I consider that a small price to pay for my insurance not going up. :) I'm just happy that it's over.

"Do trees have sex?"

...this was the question of an eighth grader today at our middle school. From what I know, he/she asked the question of their science teacher during class. I overheard a follow-up conversation on the subject during choir. One person said the answer was yes, another thought trees were asexual. Not a tremendously surprising question for an eighth grader, but random nonetheless.



BTW, I think the teacher's answer was yes. (strange mental pictures!)

Randomness of the day

1. LIVING ARRANGEMENT? back at home
2. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW: The Inner Voice by Renee Flemming
3. WHAT'S ON YOUR MOUSE PAD: enlarged water droplets
4. WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE BOARD GAME: Monopoly
5. YOUR FAVOURITE MAGAZINE: InStyle
6. FAVOURITE SMELLS: baking, vanilla, lavender, the ocean
7. FAVOURITE SOUND: certain voices, ocean sounds, laughing
8. WORST FEELING IN THE WORLD: feeling that your life has completely fallen apart!
9. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU THINK OF WHEN YOU WAKE UP IN THE MORNING: Do I have time to hit the snooze alarm?
10. FAVOURITE COLOURS? Pink, red, lighter blues
11. HOW MANY RINGS BEFORE YOU ANSWER THE PHONE? usually four, I think... if it's a phone that rings.
12. NAME OF FUTURE CHILDREN: I keep changing my mind. Currently, I'm liking Sven, Giovanni, Neville, Petunia, Stella.... ;)
13. MOST IMPORTANT THING IN LIFE: Finding your calling and your soulmate
14. FAVOURITE FOODS: oh, too many. Triscuts, Nutella, gilato.....
15. DO YOU LIKE TO DRIVE FAST?: sometimes
16. DO YOU SLEEP WITH A STUFFED ANIMAL? I'll admit that there is one rather well-loved old friend lying around
17. STORMS ARE: usually wonderful, unless I'm stuck driving in them!
18. WHAT TYPE WAS YOUR FIRST CAR?: a 1991 Toyota Tercel named Bing
19. IF YOU COULD MEET ONE PERSON DEAD OR ALIVE WHO WOULD IT BE?: tough question. Don't know.
20. FAVOURITE DRINK?: Polar Seltzer, but if you're talking alcohol, Amaretto Sour
21. ZODIAC SIGN?: Gemini
22. DO YOU EAT THE STEMS OF BROCCOLI?: of course
23. IF YOU COULD HAVE ANY JOB YOU WANTED WHAT WOULD IT BE? when I figure it out, I'll get back to you!
24. EVER BEEN IN LOVE?: Yes
25. IS THE GLASS HALF EMPTY OR HALF FULL?: There's a glass? And there's stuff in it??
26. FAVOURITE BOOK: Don't know, I've done a bit of reading
27. WHAT'S UNDER YOUR BED: Dust, a keyboard (piano, not computer) and maybe a rogue sock
28. FAVOURITE NUMBER: um, maybe 14?
29. LEAST FAVOURITE SPORT TO WATCH: most of them!

Reason No.497

(aka another reason why I can't wait until June 22)

In the world of teaching, as in many other fields, we are expected to accrue professional development hours within the field. This can be done in a number of ways, like taking graduate classes ot through workshops. Being a music teacher, the workshops that are of any use to me are few and far between, making me want to jump at any opportunity when it arises. I went to the state music educator's convention last month to rack up some hours (I think I got 14 or 15?) and while there I saw a thing for a workshop next month, sponsored by the book publisher that I use. The workshop is completely FREE to attend - and they feed you and give you stuff to take home. I was pretty psyched, especially since my district didn't even pay for half of the convention's price. So, I put in the paperwork request to attend.

I got denied. When I asked why, I was told that because I had gone to the 2 day workshop, I was not allowed to use any other professional days this year. Now here's the kicker... the second day of the convention ended up being a snow day at work... so they didn't have school and didn't have to get a substitute, meaning that I only took one professional day instead of 2!! I brought up this fact to the big boss (in a 'second request' note), hoping that the light would go on and they would give me the OK to go.

Nine days later (nice and prompt,eh?), I got a typed response back, dening me yet again and saying I was already had my 2 days. Don't they understand English? Now I am going to get jipped out of my second day because they say I can only have the two due to the budget crunch. And at this point, if I took a sick day on that day, they would know I wasn't sick. And, best of all, that note got sent to my principal and put into my personnel file.

Oh, June, please come quick! It doesn't matter that I don't know what June 23 will bring!

What does it all mean?

I stumbled on this website while pondering things like names and if names suit the people who own them. I think it's bizarrely interesting, and not too far off, really. My name was too long to put in first, middle and last, but I tried several variations of my name and found it all quite intriguing. Try it sometime. Try your own name, see how it works. Try the names of others you know. Try my name and see if what you gets really suits me.

...it could lead to hours of distraction if you let it. :p

History Lesson

On this date in 1887, a man by the name of Chester Greenwood patented a useful winter-wear item.... earmuffs.

Useful and functional... although sometimes a little silly looking. Hurrah for Chester and his earmuffs!

Poetry for a Wednesday

This poem showed up at work last week. Very appropriate for Read Accross America Day (aka Dr. Seuss' birthday) - a holiday among the elementary-school set.

I'm sure that most of you will relate. I certainly did.

Dr. Phil

I'm not a huge fan of Dr. Phil, but I've gotten this test as a forward before, and wonder if those of you who know me well think it's done a good job of figuring my personality. For those of you unfamiliar with the procedure, you answer the 10 questions and then tally up points for each answer. I ended up with a score of 48... so this is what it says about me:

41 TO 50 POINTS: Others see you as fresh, lively, charming, amusing, practical, and always interesting; someone who's constantly in the center of attention, but sufficiently well-balanced not to let it go to their head. They also see you as kind, considerate, and understanding; someone who'll always cheer them up and help them out.

Comments? If you want to take it too, just let me know and I'll send it along.

Adventure

I went on a surprise adventure last night. I haven't really been out adventuring in a while, which made me remember just how much fun adventuring can of be.

Here are some highlights:
therapudic nighttime sledding, a broken bike helmet and a snow stick ball game
a mysterious parked car that drove away as it realized it was not alone
someone removing their pants in the parking lot of Trader Joe's
lobster tails and hot chocolate (a good combination, if done correctly!)
technical support questions and brownies
ending up with two sleds and a tie at the end of the evening!

Hurrah for adventures! ;)

Wound tighter than a....

... I don't know! What best fits in that phrase? I forget.

You know that something is terribly wrong with your work environment when it starts stressing you out when you're home on a snow day... which in itself is an amazing gift! I decided to be good and do some catch-up work when all of a sudden this wave of panic came over me about a stupid concert I have to conduct on Thursday - it was thrown at us very last minute and due to the weather we've been having (and other circumstances), I have not seen this choir since February 18!! I have to have an emergency rehearsal tomorrow (which involves so much stupid work - informing all teachers last minute, making sure the room is free, letting a million others know, and providing lesson plans for whomever covers my classes at the other school...) and still I don't know when we are scheduled to leave for this luncheon on Thursday - or if we have transportation - or if the teachers even know about that yet! AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!! I should be relaxing with a book and some hot chocolate, not feeling this deer-in-the-headlights feeling!

... only 8 more paychecks... 8 more paychecks... 8...