Supermarket Man

Ok. Only one response to the "analyze the shopping list" game. Too bad for the rest of you. You lose!!

Here's my thought on the scenario:
One of two types of people are coming. Either the girlfriend or the parents. Makes sense, no?

click me!

'Tis a puzzlement....

I often find it interesting to people-watch in the checkout line at the supermarket. You can sometimes learn a lot about a person that way - whether they have kids, live alone, are on a diet, etc, just by what they buy. As is true everywhere, sometimes someone is just more interesting or noteworthy than the rest.

Take a look at the items purchased below, and see what you make of the man in the line next to me last night..... then hit the "comment" button below and tell me your thoughts on his story. (I'll share my ideas about him tomorrow.)

A toilet brush
Fumigation spray
Carpet deodorizer (the sprinkle-and-vacuum kind)
Air freshener/neutralizer
Shaving gel

...hmmm. I have two theories on the items, although both are related...

Two links for the start of the week...

#1. Tee hee hee. I agree with the tiger. :)

#2. Free. A good deed. Takes two seconds. And is appropriate for October. What more could you want?

Knitting and Murder

(interesting combination, no?)

Now that the weather is turning cooler, I am in a knitting mood again. It's not easy to knit in the summer... too hot for all that yarn. But fall makes me think of chilly days and bundling up in cozy things, which makes me want to be crafty. This summer, I had an early inspiration - I was going to take on the big project I'd been afraid of - a sweater. I had a recipient in mind and was ready to start searching for patterns and yarn... but alas, the road of life threw me a nasty blind curve, and that project has been scrapped. I still like the sweater idea, but need a person if I am to make one, since I am not ready to put that much effort on something for myself at the moment. I guess I need some inspiration. Anyone have any ideas for a project?

Oh yes. Now to the "murder" portion of the post. I saw the movie Mystic River last night. I had no inclination to see it when it had been in the theatres, even after it was nominated for Academy Awards. Anyway, saw it last night and found it to be very interesting. Basically, it's a murder mystery set in Boston involving three men who had been childhood friends who ended up taking very different paths in life, and how their lives intertwine again through the murder of one man's daughter. I thought it was well done, with some strong performances (Sean Penn and Tim Robbins won Oscars for it, and I thought Marcia Gay Harden was very good as well) and an ending I didn't anticipate. My dad had wanted to see it because it was directed by a favorite of his, Clint Eastwood. I recommend it, but suggest that if you're not a fan of excessive use of the "f" word, you may want to avoid it.

One last thing: almost bought the "Law and Order" book today at B&N. It was on sale for $4.95! Had a lot of interesting stills of crime scenes they created and the making of the series. Maybe I'll go back for it, being the addict I am... like I need another book! (doink doink!)

"...We are fairies down to the feet."

Today was a day-long rehearsal for Iolanthe. Such days are both a blessing and a curse - good, in terms of getting a lot done - bad, in terms of the looooong hours. I came prepared for what I thought would be a lot of "hurry-up-and-wait" time... a knitting project, notecards to be written, the score on CD to practice, etc... only to get to none of it. We didn't even really get a lunch break! They kept us uber busy a large majority of the time. It was a good rehearsal, though - costume fitting, pretty much solidifying the finales of acts 1&2, etc. However, considering the lack of a proper lunchbreak and the overabundance of goodies brought to rehearsal, I must confess that I am guilty of consuming half a bagel, two donuts (chocolate and Bavarian creme), a brownie and coffee (and triscuts and carrots I brought from home). How is one to remain in fairy form with such things around?? (any friends of Atkins would have had a coniption fit!)

However, I became the joke of the day after an incident between my derriere, a bench, and a cup of mint tea. (You're smart, figure it out.) Hey - at least I was minty fresh?

Uy. Yeah, it's time for bed. Night night.

Interesting Observation

I am eons behind in filing any of my 'important paperwork' and discovered some recent cell phone bills in the pile of file-able things. Compare and contrast two bills... August and September of this year:

Plan: 300 general minutes, unlimited nights and weekends.

7/21-8/20: used 223 general, 447 unlimited. (670 min.)
8/21-9/20: used 28 general, 148 unlimited. (176 min.)

...interesting how things change...

vineyard photographic moments

Peter was not as prolific as usual with photos this weekend, but some nice ones can be found here. I like this one of my 'brass ring ride' on the Flying Horses, and this one in Edgartown at the bus stop.

Can't I just go and live there? Or at least hide there for a while? The idea of running away from home is rather appealing these days...

Columbus Day 2004

It was a very good idea to get away for the weekend. With the way that things have been going, some kind of escape was overdue. Here are some tidbits and observations from the past 3 days:

1. I have decided that I really must live near the ocean. I don't care how. It needs to be done. I want a beach house. And I really don't care if it is my only house, either. I guess I'll have to start buying lottery tickets or something... that's the only way it will work, knowing that anything, anywhere with a ocean view is going to cost more than I could ever make in a lifetime.
2. I hate driving by myself. Locally/short distances, fine. Long distances... absolutely not. Especially when you get stuck in endless miles of traffic in Connecticut on the way home. There is no one there to distract you, so instead you go insane. (this must be amusing for other drivers to watch, however.)
3. Went on the Flying Horses on Sunday. Guess who caught the brass ring? :) woo hoo!
4. Next time I go to the Vineyard, (if it is not the summer) I am bringing my Jeep. I'll suck it up and pay the $70. I want to drive around.
5. It really really bites that my closest friend lives over 200 miles away.
6. My favorite mode of transportation really is by boat. It doesn't matter what kind. Rowboats, sailboats, ferries, cruise ships... heck, I'd even love a raft made out of logs. The water and the wind and the salty air are lacking in my life.
7. I really don't like being a third wheel. I got spoiled for a little while, but my old place has returned. Grr... blast and wretch. (B&P, I adore you and do honestly like hanging out with you... please don't take this grumpy girl's words the wrong way!)
8. Forgot to buy some fudge to bring home today, but did eat some. Yum. Fudge and salt water taffy are such 'beachy' sweets.
9. Thank you, Peter, for the books. It was sweet of you to think of them after reading my book post the other day. :)
10. How did the Lowe's know that wallpaper removal yesterday morning would be just the therapy I needed after the craziness of last week? It's amazing how satisfying it can be to rip things off the walls...
11. How much do I really want to just run away from my life and go back and hide here in a lovely blue house called Five Gates ? Especially since I know where they hide a spare key?

Thank you, Lowes and Woods, for a lovely weekend. I really did have a good time, and it was so necessary. Thank you thank you thank you!

Yawn. Time for a hot shower... my bed is calling my name, and unfortunately there is work tomorrow. (at least it is a short week and there is a payday at the end of it... it's the small things.) How many days until the next day off??

Good, Not-so-good...

Good: Today was Lee Denim Day at work. Donate $5 to Breast Cancer Research and get to wear jeans to work. yay. Another good way to do something for Breast Cancer Awareness Month is to click here. Free and helpful to others... definately good.
Not-so-good: I should be watching the presidential debate. I should be trying to educate myself on the political front. I should care about voting for a president. But I really don't have the energy to care... and would just rather move to Canada. Or maybe England. Or maybe start my own country.
Good: Educator Appreciation weekend at Border's. They had a reception today - raffle tickets for baskets of books and things, free coffee and cookies and cake, and a 'goody bag' with a load of promo stuff, a book of poetry, a children's book, 2 CD's, etc. And 25% off books and music. Muy Bueno.
Not-so-good: The fact that in recent weeks my personality has come to resemble that of a favorite children's character... Eeyore. Grey cloud and all.
Good: Columbus Day weekend. No work on Monday. Leaving to go to Martha's Vineyard tomorrow morning. Actual socialization with friends, a big novelty when you find that all of your friends live far away. An escape from the monotony and humdrum existence at home. Very necessary, even if I don't look forward to the long drive by myself.

I could keep this up, but I am dead tired and need to get a good start in the morning. It's been a long week, both emotionally and physically. I dragged myself through most of it rather reluctantly, practically counting the minutes until 3:00 this afternoon. Well, here's to the weekend - and hopefully a better state of mind when I return... which would be good.

Book stuff

Time to update the whole book thing. I decided to add a new catagory of books I've recently finished. Lately I've been doing a lot more reading, for various reasons, and figure I should share. A lot of it has to do with faith and religion and relationships... hmmm. I wonder why. (It's a long post. So beware.) Let me know if any of the links are screwy.

Wrestling With God. This one was excellent. Among other things, it compares The Wizard of Oz, The Matrix, Star Wars (the original ones) and the story of Jesus in the desert (being tempted and tested) - with how we all end up with some kind of crazy catalist in our lives (the "tornado") which spins us into a strange, frightening and lonely place of self-discovery and crisis and questioning (the desert). It's not preachy. I've read other "Christian" books before, and this one is quite different. It inspires you to seek actual faith, not just rely on 'religion' as a crutch.

The Christian Culture Survival Guide. This was amusing, from the same publisher as the one above. It was written by a guy who grew up in a real strict Southern Baptist Bible thumpin' family and has since explored many other genres of Christianity as well. He finds a way to explain things that only the 'church kids' have experienced. Really, the subtitle says it all... The Misadventures of an Outsider on the Inside. (I can relate!) I got this one out of pure curiosity - and it was on sale!

The Dirt on Breaking Up. This one was sent to me by my aunt, who I adore and think is wonderful. It had some helpful information, but was geared more towards a much younger crowd (as evidenced by the website.).

Two more on the "Currently Reading" front:

Mere Christianity, by C.S.Lewis. I was required to read it in freshman seminar in college, and honestly remember nothing about it except the title and author. Now, I find it is much more interesting, and appropriate. It's not big in size, but amazingly dense... it argues Christianity and principles/doctorine from an interesting angle - Lewis was a staunch Atheist for most of his life, and then became a man of faith through personal searching, questioning, rationalizing, and through conversations with other intellectual and literal friends like Tolkien. So much of what he has said (so far) resounds with me. I highly reccomend it to both people who agree and who disagree with Christianity... I think it provides interesting food for thought.

Define the Relationship (A candid look at breaking up, making up, and dating well.) Also from my dear Aunt E.. I am still only in the midst of chapter 1, but I will be able to report more at another time. So far, it has started to open the can of worms called communication (or should it be called miscommunication?). I just hope it won't be too preachy... I hate that.

Still reading Things You Should Know By Now (see sidebar for the link) but I will probably put it aside for a while since my dearest pal Rebecca wants to borrow it... and I will see her this weekend, on Martha's Vineyard! :)

(In looking at this post, I see a big need to read some fiction. Any good suggestions as to non-depressing good lose-yourself-in-them-books?)

Answer

Well, congratulations are in order to my mystery comment person... Someone plagued with harpaxophobia suffers from a fear of thieves or robbers (or thievery/robberies).

Anonymous... if you are indeed so smart, then why hide yourself?

strange tidbit

I learned this word at dinner last night...

HARPAXOPHOBIA

Do you know what this is a fear of? Leave a comment if you do. Answer to follow...

Hmm. Kind of scary, if you think about it...

I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deson't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh?

(Yes, this was a forward that I got. I'm sure you've gotten it, too - but it's just so strangely fascinating to me, so I shared.)

Strange combination of stuff...

First subject: I saw the strangest commercial today for an LG Refrigerator. It seems like a nice refrigerator and all, as far as refrigerators go - stainless, sleek look, ice and water in the door, etc.... and a TELEVISION! Who in the name of all that is good and normal needs a &$%@&#! tv in the door of their fridge?!? Oh, wait. That's right. Market a stupid product to the obese Americans!

Next subject: our house. It's leaking. No, not because of the post-hurricane rain we're experiencing today, but internally. Something is terribly wrong upstairs, and the downstairs bathroom and closet and basement ceiling are all wet. The plumbing is the problem, and the super isn't coming until Saturday or Sunday. Meanwhile, we're taking amazingly fast showers and praying that the walls don't come apart. What joy. No wonder our basement has been getting mustier smelling.

Last subject: Back-to-school-night. Remember mom and dad heading out to school one night in September to talk to the teachers and read the cute note you left in your desk for them? Our school's BTSN is tonight. And I so don't want to be there. It's not like anyone cares to come up and speak to a "special area" teacher. You just sit there and eat cookies because you are so bored. And it's raining, which makes the commute and parking issues a joy. Yay.

...I know, I know - I'm all sunshine-and-flowers lately... you may not believe me, but I am trying to improve!

well, at least I know I'm consistent...

This afternoon, being the fine afternoon that it was, my parents decided to get outside and asked me to come along. We ended up going mini-golfing... at a place I hadn't been since May 24th. (yes, I do remember the date I was last there... although not because of the golfing!) Well, my previous visit yielded some sketchy scoring... many retries and quite a few balls ending up on the gravel instead of the 'green'. However, none of that mattered in the least, as it was hilariously fun.

Well, this time I must say that my scores were probably similar to the previous run on the course, had actual scoring come into play. Par for the 18 holes was 47. My score was 59... the loser of the group. However, I came into my own in the back 9, only 2 above par, and the winner of those holes. (being 10 above par on the front 9 is what killed me!)

At least I wasn't the only one in the group that ended up with 'gravel balls'... although I did rack up the most! I guess eye-hand-putter coordination is not a strong suit of mine...

four random thoughts for saturday

1. Happy Yom Kippur. Too bad it didn't fall on a weekday, or we'd have the day off. :(
2. Last night, went to Queens with mom and dad to meet up with a bunch of family for a big dinner (my great aunt was visiting from Georgia). V. nice time.
3. Random poetry I found...
Roses are red, violets are blue,
I'm a schizophrenic, and so am I.
4. Waiting.... waiting... waiting... waiting... a week of waiting! :c/

I'm now off to spend my morning at the supermarket. Oh, Joy! Do Saturdays get any better than this?

regression?

Recently, I was reminded of something I used to say in college. It is funny, sure, but also perhaps holds a bit of sense in it as well. One can never be too careful, you know...

Boys are dumb, and we should throw rocks at them.

Is it obvious that it's not a good day? Grr.

100 things

A very long time ago, Becky made a list of 100 things about herself. (I forget where the inspiration came from.) I was inspired by this... and thought that it would be an interesting thing to do myself. Well, I started one once, and found it again recently. I had to change some things, but I still am only up to 61! I'll have to keep working - it's harder than you think to come up with 100 random facts about yourself. Here are a few from my list....

9. I was 'dethroned' from my position of Supreme Queen of "The Club" on 04/30/04.
18. One of my apartment-mates in college was born on exactly the same day as me. (yay for Flag Day babies!)
26. I want to learn to tango.
29. I also want to learn how to fence. (yay for swordfighting!)
39. I crave triscuts.
41. I can fold my tongue in three. (like a W.)

I know. More than a little random... but I'm scrounging for something to post about. (shrug)

hello, space cadet...

This is sad. Really really sad. Yesterday was one of those days with a lot of deep thinking and stressing and obsessing and worrying and whatnot... which is awful, since it was also a day off from school (yay for Jewish holidays!). Anyway, my brain was swirling with so many things as I drove to rehearsal last night that I missed a turn and ended up getting lost. LOST... on the way to a place I'd driven to twice a week all winter and spring, and several times already this fall!!! How incredibly awful is that?! And it made me late! Grrr.

(at least I was able to figure myself out and actually get there... but not before pandemonium ensued!) Stupid girl! :/

odometer milestone and books

Yesterday, on my way to rehearsal, I happened to look down at the odometer of my Jeep and was happily surprised to observe a milestone (palendrome, really) - 011110. (you can now ooh and aah appreciatively...) I know. I'm a dork. Whatever.

Thought I'd update the "currently reading" catagory as well, since I have found a new book... actually, several. Things You Should Know By Now is a lot like Quarterlife Crisis, but lighter and funnier. It has chapters with titles like "First Dates are Hard, Except on TV," "Financial Procrastination Will Eat You For Lunch," "How To Buy Groceries," and "How To Cook Eggs a Bunch of Different Ways." I have a few others in the pipeline as well, (has anyone ever known me to actually read just one book at a time?) but thought this one might be worth sharing.

Remember

On days like today, we realize that so many of our own personal concerns and problems seem almost petty and unimportant when we remember that others have had such amazing tragedy enter their lives. I'm not downplaying the fact that we all have valid problems and concerns in our lives, because we do. It's just that I think there are some things that supercede us all.

Reflections like this make you so thankful for what you do have - the people in your life that you care about, the opportunities that you have, the ability to love and laugh and learn and give. Count your blessings. Be thankful. Remember to tell people that you love them. Don't take things for granted. We can't let tragedy corrupt the human spirit and only bring us down... use it to find the good, to learn from it instead of being destroyed by it.

So my friends, I leave you with this - I love you and am thankful that you're a part of my life.

Grumble.

First day of school. Pouring rain, like the shower. All day. Crappy schedule for the year. Two lunch duties and line duty. An 8-minute prep one day. Principal switch at the two schools. (how many days are left????) Health insurance claim chaos letter in mail. Lawyer letter for car accident in mail. Damp. Tired. Grumpy. Angry. Disappointed. Lonely. Heartbroken. Frustrated.

... so, how was your day?

Labor Day Weekend 2004

Hope you all have good plans for the holiday – I don’t. I can’t believe that the summer is over. It was, honestly, the best summer of my life. I played, I had great adventures, I lived life fully, I fell in love. The past two weeks, though? Well, the highest highs go with the lowest lows, I guess.

I hate to say this, but I fear that the hope I’ve been clinging to is slipping away from my clenched fists. I hoped and prayed that this week maybe things could start to mend, or at least questions be resolved… but silence proved me wrong. I will continue to hope, continue to pray… but as hard as it is I need to try to scrape myself up and try to plug along as best I can, try to figure myself out – who I am and who I am meant to become.

I still hurt… I still hope... I still pray… I still love.

Stuck in my head

Track 3 of the CD I mentioned the other day is stuck in my head, and feels strangely appropriate, given the current circumstances. Guess I just have to keep plugging along and praying. Lots of praying.

Kamikaze Squirrel!

I met my mother at the mall today to help her buy a gift for her friend's birthday. On my way home, I watched a squirrel dart out onto a four-lane street, while the one chasing it decided to stay on the curb and wait for me to drive by. Well, when squirrel #1 realized it wasn't being followed, it turned around to run back... and ran into my car. Sadness!! This is the first death associated with my Jeep - although it is the second vehicular-roadkill-death I am responsible for. (the other was a turtle... and in little Bing, the poor thing was like a speedbump!) :(

How sad. Poor dumb squirrel.

Two things for Saturday

Thing #1: Last week, I auditioned with the same operetta company that I performed with in the spring. Early this week, they called to offer me the role of Celia in their upcoming production of Iolanthe. Never had a real role in anything before... exciting and more than a little nerve-wracking!! Hope I can live up to their expectations... Rehearsals actually start already on Monday. I'll keep you posted.

Thing #2: I was lent a CD a week ago (which is now on permanent loan, I think), that I swore I could never listen to again... but ironically, I have been able to listen to only this cd when I have been in my Jeep. Especially track #1, which was specifically pointed out to me. The cd is Sea of No Cares by Great Big Sea. Check it out. Read the lyrics. I like their style. (for different reasons, it both makes me happy and very sad to listen to it, but that's my own kettle of fish.)

Can you tell I'm trying to be a little more positive? It takes an awful effort... but I'm trying.

The end (?) of an eternal week

Two quotes. Very different. Read them, don't read them. Take them seriously, or don't. Comment, argue, agree, ignore. Whatever. Take them or leave them, I don't care. I'm just putting them here. Maybe someone who thinks too hard will try to analyze me... maybe I need to be put in Bergen Pines, maybe I need a swift kick in the butt, maybe I just need a hug.


Deep down, I'm pretty superficial.
-Ava Gardner

A 'no' uttered from the deepest conviction is better and greater than a 'yes' merely uttered to please, or what is worse, to avoid trouble.
-Mahatma Gandhi

Question into the void....

Why is it that in listening to what my heart was telling me I have now lost everything? ...direction, purpose, happiness, contentedness, my best friend, my heart itself... gone.

God, why is it that you had to ask me for everything? Where is there love in that? Where is the reason? Why must I have to make such a sacrifice? What is the point?? What lesson am I supposed to learn in having my heart tear in two?

Why is this so?

Do you ever have moments of self revelation/insight (brought on either by personal soul-searching or with the help of others - or both) which lead you to question everything about yourself? It's really frightfully scary and leaves you with no real sense of clarity... at least it seems to be the result I get. All I get is a lot of sturm und drang and then an emotional hangover. Personally, I don't like the lack of control (which is part of the problem, yes I know.). I know that such moments really are beneficial in the whole scheme of things, but at the time, there is an enormous chasm between diagnosing the issues and actually solving them.

Well, there's nothing that can be done about it right now, so I might as well go to bed.

Two more days!

Woo hoo, woo hoo... two more days left of the summer job! It's been a good job, but I will be glad to have it done with. Met some good people, had some fun, ate some cake, answered too many phones... well, I am thankful for it and how it fell into place. I'm sure I'll miss the monotony when I'm back in the classroom again. But at least that won't start just yet... I have a little time before I have to go back! :)

This summer has gone by so amazingly quickly. Didn't I just start this job, not finish eight weeks of it? It's been a fantastic summer so far, though - despite the job, I've been really busy and done a lot of fun things. I guess it's just how it goes - work hard, play hard and then miss president is a happy girl. :)

I've heard of a lot of wierdness....

...but this takes the cake.

My friend Kirsten told me about a blurb she saw on the news about something called Cuddle Parties. Supposedly you go and cuddle with people to help make you a better and more contented person. It's nothing sexual... just cuddling. Interesting and aggreeable in concept - but also kind of skeevy, considering you probably don't know the people!! Look at the site and decide for yourself whether a Cuddle Party is for you. I think I'll pass.

Cliccate su junefourteenth, punto, blogspot, punto, com!

For Christmas 2001, I got a page-a-day calandar of Italian words and phrases. This was something I'd really wanted (since the year before when they sold out around us!) and actually kept it after the year was over. I figure that when I eventually get to Italy, I can use some of the more interesting phrases... just to confuse the locals. Here are a few of the more creative ones....

Dove vai in quel vestino? (Where are you going in that skimpy dress?)
Mi stanno bene questi pantaloni con la zampa d'elefante? (Do these bellbottoms look good on me? - literally: Do these pants with elephant legs look good on me?)
Hanno torvato l'assassino? (Have they found the assassin?)
Smetta di provarci! (Stop hitting on me!) (wait... that one might come in handy with those cheeky Italian men!)

Aren't they fun?! Ciao, bambinos!

Is tomorrow already Monday again?

Why do things like that happen? It's depressing when you realize that one-seventh of your life is actually spent on Monday. Scary.

On Thursday evening, I went to see De-Lovely. I thought it was a good movie - a little lengthy, perhaps, but good. I've been well aware of Cole Porter's music, of course - I sang several of his pieces in college and have heard countless others. It was interesting to learn about his life, at least in the Hollywood storytelling of it. (I should really now investigate to see how truthful they stayed in the retelling.) Kevin Klein made a convincing composer, and Ashley Judd is annoyingly beautiful as Linda Lee Porter, which makes you happy and angry at the same time. The music, of course, was very good - interesting use of the songs, some in the typical movie-musical everyone-joins-in-singing-and-dancing scenarios, but others woven into the story at parties or events or whatnot. Interesting use of people singing, too - pop artists, jazz people, Broadway people, untrained people, etc. I've been loving the soundtrack as well - actually bought it before I saw the film.

Other than that, the weekend was busy. Highlights include painting ceramic pottery, a shoe expidition which yielded no shoes, but instead a book and some dishes, vegging and watching movies, a bridal shower and a girly nails/movie/takeout kind of evening too. I am sleepy - do I really have to go to work tomorrow? Oh, the injustice, the insanity, the unfairness of it all!

New York, New York, a wonderful town...

...The bronx is up and the battery's down, and people ride in a hole in the ground...

On Sunday, Matt and I went on a day trip. I love day trips – especially ones in which there is no real plan, just some suggestions or ideas. The main idea of the day was Manhattan.  So, we took the ferry into the city and from there the bus to Times Square. There we visited TRU – a fun place to see, but very crowded on a summer Sunday! By then we were hungry, and Matt had the brilliant suggestion to hop on the subway and go to Gray’s Papaya for an essential New York lunch, which I had never had before!! (Oh - and that link's home will make more sense as you keep reading...)  Then, to my surprise, we walked to this park (another link), which is as lovely in person as it looks on the silver screen, in one of my favorite movies. After that, it was on to the MET, but by the time we walked there it was near closing, so we quickly changed the plan, and went off to Chinatown! Had some interesting drinks with tapioca beads in them (interesting and strange to chew your drink, let me tell you!) and wandered around, up and down and in and out of streets before going to Little Italy for some gelato. Mmmm….. hazlenut gelato…. (happy sigh)
…but I digress. Our last stop of the day – by this time evening – was to the Empire State Building to see the city all lit up in the dark. Absolutely amazing, and worth the security/ticket/elevator wait, let me tell you! :)

What a lovely day it was.   Don't you love New York in the Fall (er... Summer)?

Back to work and the phones...

Well, the joy of returning to work was just so... joyful... that I had to comment. The receptionist is away...again, meaning that I am back at the switchboard for four hours every afternoon this week. (can't you just feel the excitement radiating off the screen??)

People need to learn this little tidbit about calling an office- the person you first speak to in an office is probably not knowledgable about anything that you have to say or any question you might have. Don't try to explain it to them. Politely ask for someone to help you, and don't get mad at the receptionist if said person a) does not pick up their phone, even though they are sitting at the desk, or b) they get someone's voice mail. There is nothing that the receptionist can do about such things. AHHHH!
 
On the other hand, sitting there has afforded me a few minutes to learn to play Spider Solitare, which I thankfully do not have on my computer at home. I am fairly awful at it, but it is addictive.  :)

In other news, I finished Piano Shop before I went to CO. It was very good, and would be a good choice for someone interested in pianos - musician or not.  I was lent the book Lizard, by Banana Yoshimoto as an airplane read. I'm still working on it, but it is interesting. Yoshimoto is a Japanese author of contemporary fiction, and the American translator's flow is very easy to follow.  The short stories are interesting, if not strange, and have to do with various young Japanese characters and a general theme of love and relationships.  Next up on the list is Eragon, by Christopher Paolini, the uber child who wrote a bestseller.

Home again, home again, jiggedy jig....

Hello, and greetings from Colorado! I arrived home late last night after a whirlwind 4 days there and back. Here's the trip in a nutshell (well, maybe not a nutshell... maybe more like a coconut shell, since I'm wordy...)
 
Friday: At 6am, Matt came to take me to the airport. :)  Then I flew from here to Minneapolis, and from there on to Colorado Springs.  Met Aunt E at the airport, and had to wait 2 hours for my suitcase - we all made it off the plane, but the luggage didn't, due to an amazing lightning and waterfall-like rainstorm outside.  Ate lunch at the airport, then finally went back to Aunt E's before meeting Tracey (my cousin) and her two kids for dinner and a movie.  I was amazingly bushed when my head hit the pillow that night!
Saturday: Everyone went to breakfast at Mimi's (New Orleans style decor... humungous amounts of food!) and then Aunt E, Brianna and I went shopping... three generations all together. Aunt E spoiled us two girls by buying us clothes. Then we went to a girly movie before taking Bri home. Aunt E and I went to a cute 50's diner for dinner, then vegged out with movies at home.
Sunday: Outdoor adventure day! Took the cog railway up to Pike's Peak (which is visable from Aunt E's house!!) and then went to Garden of the Gods. Both were spectacularly amazing. I hope my pictures come out half as good as the views actually were! Then we went to a cool place for pizza and on for some ice cream at Coldstone Creamery. Mmmmm! (cake batter ice cream with snickers... yummy!!)
Monday: Breakfast with everyone at Perkins, then Aunt E and the kids and I went to the third movie of the weekend before heading off to the airport. Uneventful trip back, thanks to the loan of a DVD player and the three-seat row that was mine alone on the longer leg of the flight!
 
Fun times! I might have pictures to post in the coming days... we will have to see! :)
(If any of the links are faulty, let me know. I didn't check them all!)

Is this thing working right?

This is a test.... this is only a test. :)

Kids are funny!

I'm going to be off to Colorado in a week and a half to visit my aunt... which is very exciting! My cousin lives in the same town, and her two kids are looking forward to my visit, too. I've only once met my cousin's daughter - the eldest - when she was a baby, and I've never met her brother. (Obviously, I've seen pictures, tho.) My aunt was telling them about me the other day and mentioned that I teach music. This was supposedly cause for joy - their music teacher is supposedly the nicest... except when she doesn't sleep well. Then she's mean. But it doesn't seem to happen often, so as long as I get some sleep while I'm there, I guess I'm in the clear. :)

Happy Fourth of July!

yes, I know it is the fifth of July now, but I hope you did have a happy Fourth. I know I did! Saw fireworks twice, did loads of other fun things (like initiate my Jeep to the world of off-roading!!) and generally had a great weekend.

For those of you who are pyros but want to keep your fingers intact, here are some fun fireworks that you can play with safely.... (thanks, Matt!)

http://www.lavta.org/wheelskids/firewrk4.html

http://www2.aristotle.net/july4th/fireworks/show.html

http://www.crayola.com/kids/games/console.cfm?game=fireworks&ok=true

Enjoy! :)

New Job

I started my new (summer) job on Monday. I work for a local insurance company, as a mail-girl/assistant receptionist. It's a good job, but it will take some getting used to.
The mail-girl part isn't going to be so hard, as soon as I get the schedule down. There is a specific time of the day for everything - filing, going to the post office, sorting mail, picking up mail, inter-office mail, etc.... and I need to get the hang of the well-used inter-office mail system. For a small place they run it very efficiently - as long as I can remember the order that things go, that is!
The phones, however, may be the true challenge. I consider myself to be a well-educated person, but this takes a special skill. There are a million lines, or so it seems, and everyone has a specific extension - but some people are not supposed to get the calls (even if you ask to speak to them) and others go directly to voice mail, and others.... oh, I don't even know. The first person I spoke to got hung up on.... oops!
I'll get it all eventually.... I hope.

Wind in my hair, sand between my toes...

... oh, bliss. :)

Took a roadtrip yesterday to the shore. Yay!! It's fun to go on a day when they say there will be massive thunderstorms for several reasons: (1)Not as many people go, due to the threat of rain (2)The ocean gets really moody - which I love (3)It leaves all plans up in the air - you don't know what will happen next!

Well, the day started off far away from the ocean - at the DMV. (or the Motor Vehicle Commission, as it has been renamed.) Two stinking hours wait to renew my license! Oh, the joy! But at least it is done for another 4 years.

So, back to the beach.... drove down and did fun things, like eat taffy, drink slurpees, play skeeball (beginners luck made me fairly good!), walk on the sand, hang out. Fun times! Makes me want to ditch it all and blow everything on a shore house for the summer! :)

HB WJB,JR!

Happy Birthday, Dad! :)

Kind Deed Award!

Today was the last day for students in our school district, and both schools had awards ceremonies, which meant I sat through 2.5 hours of name-calling and clapping (and there was more, actually... but luckily I could skip out of that!) Anyway, at the elementary school they have Kind Deed Awards - the kids can nominate each other for acts of kindness, teachers can nominate students (or teachers), etc. It's really sweet, usually - you get things like, "This award goes to James for lending me snack money when I forgot mine, from Danny." Really cute. Well, imagine my surprise when they called my name today and I got an award for being "a great music teacher." from a cute second grade girl. Something like that is enough to make not just your day, but your whole week! :) grin (:

Retro fun!

Last night, Matt and I went to a drive-in theatre to see Shrek 2. I didn't know drive-ins were so much fun! The concept is obvious, of course - you bring your car and watch the movie. There were so many people there - tons of them, everywhere! The place we went to has 3 movies running simultaneously. Most people don't even stay in the cars - you bring chairs or blankets and sit outside, leaving your car doors (or back or whatever) open to hear the sound. It's like picnicing with a movie! Tres fun. And not at all the skanky make-out pit that some people want you to believe, although I'm sure you can make of it what you want, like most things. A fun, retro experience, and a cute movie to boot. :) If you live nearby, I say - go!

An added note: HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!! :)

Flag Day festivities

Well, now that june fourteenth has come and gone, I will hopefully get a few minutes to breathe. I have had something each evening for one week straight! Friday I was in the city, Saturday night out with Alisa (and the show in the daytime) Sunday a wedding and birthday dinner with the folks, Monday (the actual Flag Day) there was rehearsal, Tuesday night was the last show, last night was another birthday dinner (with Matt) and tonight is the end-of-the-year dinner for work. YAWN! But for the most part it has all been lovely. This year, I think, will be one of the best. :) Hey - it's all ready better than some other years, and I'm only four days into it!!

Unintentional Driving Adventure

This morning I went to the wedding of two people who met while doing a show with the G&S company I'm a part of... They met there, started seeing each other, and he supposedly proposed in the middle of a rehearsal. It was a very nice wedding, and in a beautiful location - directly across from the NYC skyline.

...But that's not the adventurous part. Driving home was. I missed the turn to get me back on the road I'd taken there and ended up on a scenic tour of towns along the Hudson... Starting in Weehawken (home of the Arron Burr-Alexander Hamilton duel that I wrote about in 7th grade), then in West New York (NJ), Guttenberg, North Bergen, Fairfield (?), North Bergen again, and who knows where else... nerve-wracking? Yes. Confusing? Sure. Typical for me to be lost like that? Absolutely. But at least my inner compass told me that if I kept Manhattan on my right I would be going the right way. That worked, actually, and eventually I met up with the road I wanted, just much further along it than I had anticipated. sigh. At least I made it home again. :)

Note to M.L. - If you're reading this, then I guess you found me out. Well, we all have our secrets..... :)

Manhattan Adventure

Last night there was an adventure to be had in Manhattan. Matt and I went in to see an advance screening of The Terminal(go and see it... I highly reccomend it!) and then took an urban hike, wandering around in big circles, everywhere from Times Square to the Empire State Building to Bryant Park to right off of Resturaunt Row, where there is a fantastic bakery - Amy's Bread. (Their cookies are enormous and yummy... and the breads look incredible as well.) It was a nice night to be wandering the city and riding on the ferry, and a lovely evening altogether. I've not often gone on night-time pedestrian adventures in cities (usually the idea is not a good or safe one - this was a first for me in NYC) but this one was tres fun.

Randomness of a Friday

Wish you were here? I do! But I will be somewhere around here later on this evening... and that works in the meantime! :)

It Did Not Rain!!

...well, it did, a little drizzle. But we pushed ahead anyway, and went through the concert like we were on speed... 45 minutes and everything was done! Whoosh!
I don't think I have ever been so neurotic about the weather before... Weather.com said rain from noon on (which it didn't do) and Accuweather.com said partial cloud/sun between 7 and 8pm, and the radio station I listened to in the car told me 40% chance of rain. My principal was constantly looking at updated Dopplar radar graphs and other colorful map/chart/whatevers... and the stress was on. But I said we should try it anyway, and we did, and it is OVER!

...the rejoicing and merriment can now begin....

It Can't Rain Tomorrow!

...well, it can. Just not when I am supposed to have this stinking concert. I spent two and a half hours outside this morning in preparation (not to mention the rest of the week as well) and afterwards found myself all hot and bothered... literally!! I don't care if it pours tonight. I don't care if it pours tomorrow morning. I don't care if it pours after 8ish tomorrow. Just not when we need to do this stupid concert. Grr.

And why are half of my sidebar things all the way at the bottom of the page? Everything looks ok in the template... did I mess up the html somehow? (especially since I don't know what I'm doing, really?)

Potter, Patience, Chaos, Craziness and Thunderstorms?!

'ello. Weekend update:
Went to see Harry Potter at the IMAX on Friday! Very Good movie, and a fun night all around. :)
Saturday brought the Woods on a little road trip. We went to Ikea and puttered around before I had to get ready for the show. Pics are available for viewing via World Wide Photography for both events. After the show, Becky, Peter, Matt and I all hung out a little bit, which was very good. Everyone seemed to enjoy the show, and it was nice to have people there to see me! :)
Sunday - another show, more people to visit with. Mom and Dad came to the matinee, as did other friends Christie and Bud and also Laura, the accompanist extrodinaire. What a busy weekend!!

Chaos and Craziness abound this week at work as we prepare for the Spring Concert - the Woodstock of Elementary school. Pray that there are no Thunderstorms (or rain or anything like it) Thursday night - the concert needs to be outside and if it rains it will have to be on June Fourteenth... which we all know is this girl's favorite holiday!!! It should be a law that no concerts are to be on that day!! A make-up concert on Monday will make Miss President one VERY unhappy person. :c/ Oh, Stress!!!

Mourning

As I was pulling into my spot today as I came home from work, I noticed a big bird sitting on the grass right next to my car. A BIG bird... not a sparrow or songbird, but a big one - maybe a hawk or a falcon?? Since we don't get too many of those here in surburbia, I was intrigued. It was brave - did not flinch as I shut the windows of my car, turned it off, and opened the car door. When I started to get out of the car, it moved... and I saw the sadness. A very dead bunny in its claws. I think it is our bunny, the little friend who lives in the brush by the cars and nibbles on the grass. So then I got mad at the bird and said something articulate like...
"You stupid bird! You killed my bunny!"
...as it dragged its lunch away. I think my neighbor heard me.

Dear Bunny, you will be missed. How sad. Stupid bird.

Strange Bits of News...

Strange things are always happening... but these two just have bizarreness written all over them.

1. This one is more than a little strange. A woman named Alberta Martin died on Monday at age 97. But that's not the weird part. She married a Confederate Veteran in 1927 when she was 21... and he was 81. And then they had a child. And he died 4 years later. Then she married his grandson. (it all reads like a soap opera!)Read about it here.

2. What about this one? There's a woman that just gave birth to her 15th child. Fifteenth. Does she want a family or a team? Michelle Duggar of Arkansas is 37 years old and now has 15 children... 13 births, since there are 2 sets of twins. And they say she might want more?!?! Is she crazy? I think children are a good idea, but not fifteen! Uy! (and Ouch!) Don't believe me?

Happy Memorial Day!

Another busy weekend! Yesterday was quite an adventurous day... 7am (yawn!) start to drive down to Six Flags to hit all the coasters we could handle, then a little side trip to dinner at a place on the beach (the beach!!) :) before heading back home. A very long day, but a very good one that left me a tired girl with sand in my sneakers, but with a smile on my slightly sunburned face.

Then today the operetta company sang the National Anthem at the Jackal's game. What an amazing experience, and I even had the honor and surprise of conducting!

Tomorrow will be a girly catch-up day with Alisachka (in lieu of a barbeque or mad sale shopping)... and then by the time night rolls around I will be able to say that this will be the best Memorial Day weekend in memory!

addictive stuff.... may lead to procrastination!

Went mini-golfing again on Monday night (there was much cheating and tampering of scores... but it's all in good fun!) and then found the following link in my Inbox the next day...
Mini Putt... and, of course, addiction has ensued. And now this one today: Bookworm, of which there is a similar version found at MSN Games. Oh, the ways to procrastinate are endless!

giddeyup, horsie!

Busy weekend. On Saturday, Matt and I went horseback riding! Fun stuff to go trail riding, even if your horse (Bandit) only wants to eat and not listen to you until he realizes that you might actually know what you're doing. But fun nonetheless. Although I am a little sore! :o
After riding, we picnic-ed at one of my favorite places - a State Park, which is actually near where he lives. And I learned the rudimentary concepts of how to drive a manual car. Luckily I wasn't too bad a student and had a patient teacher. I didn't make the grinding noise once! :) And I hear that it is quite a step for a guy to let you drive his car... especially when it's a fancy, shiny red one!

Today was a G&S performance at the Loew's theatre in Jersey City. The theatre is very interesting - all guilding and scrollwork and drapery - built in the 20's. It is being restored, but taking a long time, due to the way city governments work. But still a great place to sing and perform. And we had a fairly decent sized crowd, too, which is always good!

And now I am tired and didn't get done what I needed to for work... so I'll have to bust my butt tomorrow morning. O well. You can't be all-work and no play all of the time! Sometimes you need to ditch the work and just PLAY! :)

A Few Thoughts...

1. I know it is the point, but I hate the fact that shows leave you in a lurch when they end their "season finales". ER has left me wondering who (if anyone) is dead after the tunnel car chase. And is Neela going to somehow end up back at County? And Gilmore Girls - How happy am I with the Luke thing, but disgusted with the Dean thing?

2. I need to find a summer job. But I am so tired of retail and the million night closings you have to do as the lower-than-low-girl on the totem pole. Any suggestions as to a summer job? Maybe I'll try to see if I can follow Smacky's footsteps and find a bank. Bank hours are good.

3. Date #3 (4 if you're like mom and count coffee) is Saturday... to go horseback riding. Supposedly he knows how... interesting. Puts a lot of thought into things, I must say. Now if I could just figure out what to do/how to approach/recognize the fact that his birthday is this coming Monday... very stressful thoughts for the relationship challenged.

4. A little German phrase for you: ich bin eine handpuppe (I am a hand-puppet) :)

Happy 17 May!

For those of you clueless people out there, the 17th of May is Norwegian Independance Day... the Norwegian equivalent of the 4th of July. It's cool - there are parades and authentic costumes and stuff. I was actually in the parade in Norway when I was two. Pretty cool, eh?

If you want to find out more about this really cool country (which my mom is from!) check out this website... I still need to check it out myself, but I'm sure it's a good diving board for information on Norway. :)

Happy Syttene Mai!

feels like choir tour...

Today was a performance with the G&S group in CT - we hopped on a bus and went up, did the show (on a teeny stage!) and came home. The experience reminded me of choir tours in days gone by - hanging out on the bus, random rooms as dressing areas (this time a gym), etc. It made me miss it all!

Last night and tonight have been girl nights with mom, as dad is off fighting the battle of Gettysburg with men from church again. Yesterday we went to dinner at California Pizza Kitchen (a favorite!!) and then some shopping. I got a cute summer shirt at Old Navy for $7.99!! After returning home tonight, we had salads at Wendy's and rented Calendar Girls. Fun with mom. :)

But I'd better get off this contraption now that it's thundering outside...

How true is this?

Came accross this today and had a little chuckle. :) Deep stuff, and true! I love them! (And I actually know someone who has played Calvinball! I want to play!)

PS: I meant to say it sooner - my Jeep has come home! It's been a week now and I am tres happy to say that it looks like new again and drives wonderfully. Even though we had a glitch with the radio/cd player when I got it back, even that has been ironed out... and all is right with the world. (Except that the insurances are still fighting - but at least I have my baby!!)

Thank goodness for the Gap Outlet!

Quick post on my morning. We had "teacher caper day" at school, which involves the student council kids in 8th grade coming down to the elementary school for the morning to shadow a teacher. I, of course, got a non-musical student... even though there were no less than EIGHT of our band students there. Well, luckily she only had to deal with three of my classes (before I had to leave for the other school) and vice versa - she wouldn't even sing with the first graders!!

Anyway, I unintentially ended up decorating my white shirt with coffee splatters from a defective travel mug and had to deal with it until I had my very early Tuesday lunchtime (more like a late breakfast, if you ask me! The curse of seeing choirs at lunchtime!). Lucky also that the school is two blocks away from a small shopping mall with a Gap Outlet in it. Run in, try on a shirt, go to the register. The friendly guy cashier asked "Only one thing?" as I placed the shirt down. I pointed to the shirt I was wearing and he nodded understandingly, sending me off with a "No more coffee for you today!" as I paid and left.

Well, at least the shirt was on sale - 20% off! :)

False Alarm

So the car place called me at home today (when I was conveniently at work) to tell me that my car wouldn't be ready... so when I got to the repair place I got the whole spiel. So tomorrow it is. For real this time. But not until after Fiddler on the Roof (with seventh graders! in the cheap seats! woo hoo!)

A blessing on his head, mazel tov, mazel tov! To see a daughter wed, mazel tov, mazel tov! And such a son-in-law, like no one ever saw, the tailor Motel Kamzoil!

Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love 'ya, tomorrow...

Oh, Joy!! Tomorrow at 4pm my car will come home again! It has been six long weeks of insanity - two car payments, two rental cars, one (regular) insurance payment, and many many headaches over the state of insurance in New Jersey. But at least my car will be mine again! I've missed it! :)

PS.... as an answer to the question I posed on April 27, the quote is from Anne of the Island. I thought you might get it, smacky!

Red Herring, Vintage Board Games, and an end to Vacation!

The scoop on Friday is this: We went to see a play titled Red Herring, done by the 12 Miles West Theatre Company in Montclair. Very interesting - a 50's era complicated love story/murder mystery/McCarthy-era 6 person play. Funny, different and interesting. Then, we wandered down the street and stumbled on the coolest retro ice-cream/soda shop that featured vintage board games on the walls and a menu with traditional soda shop items and crazy ice-cream concoctions. I actually had a fluffernutter sandwich, if you can believe it! It was a very nice evening and we had a good time... especially judging from the fact that he called tonight and we're going to do something again next weekend. :)
Other than that, I am lamenting my vacation's end, especially since it means a week of craziness, with 2 different concerts and a field trip with seventh graders into NYC to see Fiddler on the Roof (looking forward to the show, but it is a bad week for it in terms of scheduling!). It's late! g'nite!

If it's a sickness, then I am terminal!

Peter sent me a link to this article from the Onion. Boy, I am in trouble! :)

Can't I be on vacation all the time?

Oh, why is it already Wednesday night? I like this being-on-vacation stuff. Yesterday I spent hours by myself at B&N - joy. Today, the most taxing stuff I did was...
a) get a haircut
b)meet mom for lunch
c) go to "free scoop night" at Baskin Robins (yum)
This is a good life! I didn't even mind cleaning or laundry!

So, as for Friday - the suggestion is a play. Interesting, thinks I. Not a typical suggestion... this was thought about. Hmm... more to come.

Guess Where It Is From...

I'm in an interesting mood and thought that this would be a fun activity for a too-late Tuesday night. I'll provide a quote from a well-read book and you see if it can be placed. Who knows... maybe you'll get a prize if you're right! :) I know, I'm a dork, but if that wasn't already obvious, then you weren't looking hard enough! :)

"I think she felt pretty all-by-herselfish, too. Several times I saw her make a motion as if to cross over to us, but she never did it - too shy, I suppose. I wished she would come. If I hadn't felt so much like the aforesaid elephant I'd have gone to her. But I couldn't lumber accross that big hall with all those boys howling on the stairs."

What will they think of next?

I took a quick look at LJC's blog today and, lo and behold, saw that he post from Saturday, April 24th was about.... musical furniture. Can you believe it? Coffee tables, porch swings, toyboxes... all with tops like marimbas so you can introduce your children to pitched percussion by having them bang on the furniture! Good musical concept, but realistically tricky. "No, no, sweetie - you can't hit mommy's china cabinet.... go play with the coffee table instead!" I personally like the porch swings myself... but without a porch or $1000 for the swing I will just have to tuck that one into the back of my mind for now!

v-a-c-a-t-i-o-n!

I'm on vacation, I'm on vacation, la-la-la-la-laaaaa-la! :)

After this last week, I am so glad that I don't have to go to work tomorrow! It was just so busy. Had the Women's Club concert on Thursday night with my chamber choir and they were all right... but it's hard when you have only 6 and out of your 2 girls, one is home sick with the flu! But they did fine, considering, and it is a good "dress rehearsal" for their real concerts to come. One down, nine more to go.

Friday went quick, thankfully, and had some good points: it was a friday, payday, day-before-vacation, dress-down-day, assembly-in-the-morning, breakfast.... on the whole, the ideal type of day. Of course it means that the kids were crazy, but you deal. I started not to feel well, though, so I actually spent the night on the couch with a cup of tea and a movie - Nicholas Nickleby, which was very good. Saturday, I ended up seeing Home on the Range with Katie and two of her family friends.... cute but not something I would have just gone to see on my own. Still not feeling well today, I did not go down to the water to see the QE2 and QM2 and the fireworks by the Statue of Liberty... I wanted to, but it's cold and damp and when you don't feel well and the weather is like that, you don't want to be stuck in traffic with a million people.

However, the Queen Mary 2 is supposedly beyond a lot of adjectives... mom and dad had a smashing time on board and I am hoarding my pennies so I can take a trip across the big pond one day. You can check out all that Cunard has to offer here - including a virtual tour of the QM2. I am tres jealous, but determined that I will sail away to England again.... someday!!!

Tomorrow I'll turn in the big blue beast... it has already been a month of renting. But we also will sign paperwork so that my car will get finished, even if we don't know who is ultimately paying for it. (cautious cheer.)

Update: after much telephone tag, the next meeting is Friday. Don't know where yet, but it sounds like it might be a date?

beans yesterday...

Well, coffee was fine yesterday. He is a nice guy, and we had a good chat. He has my number, so we'll go from there. There was no thunder-and-lightning "yes" or "no"... which I doubt exists, anyway... so I'll leave it at "we'll see."

And I'm still waiting to hear from the %&$*#! insurance people. Come on, already. I'm a patient person, but yesterday was one month since it happened. grr.

beans tomorrow...

OK. Tomorrow at 7. Coffee. With Matt. Starting. to. get. a. little. crazy.
(which is stupid, I know. But you know me. This is me. I over- obsess and over-analyze, which is not good.)
Uy. Get a grip! It's a stupid cup of coffee!

Tra-la-la, Fiddle-dee-dee

Hola, amigos. Estoy muy cansada esta noche, pero yo quiero escribir antes de dormir.

Not bad, eh? :) Well, after another all-day rehearsal, I am wiped. Too much hurry-up-and-wait will do that to you. But at least I got to dance - I am the "dance understudy" for the entire dance trio... and perhaps I will be taking over for one of them? (yay for me, but not for her - due not to lack of talent, but live taking a big roadbump on her.)

AH! Before I forget to mention it and have to back-post, TUESDAY looks like the day for coffee with the e-mail boy. On paper, he seems like a really nice guy - normal, age appropriate, funny... let's hope the flesh and blood version is the same. I'll keep y'all posted. Interesting to me that I said I'd make a change this year and try to actually do things like this - and I am! Not that meeting 2 guys for coffee in four months is any real noticeable progress, but you have to start somewhere!!

Still waiting on the dumb insurance people. I think they are trying to freeze us out so we cave and get off their backs. Little do they know I'm not the giving up type!! I've realized that me and three friends (four if they are small) could take a long trip in the big soccer-mom-truck. There is ample space for luggage in the back, and it even has a trailer hitch. Too bad I can't go farther than the tri-state area... but that still means the shore is within limits! ;)

Tomorrow the parents and I are off to the Island of Long to see some "almost-family" (the kind that you wish you were related to, act like you're related to, but there is no biological match?). For those of you who knew me at Gordon, these people drove up to school and back in the same day for my recital - that's how awesome they are. So that should be a fun day - with gorgeous weather to boot!

Happy Easter!

I know. I have become a sporadic blogger. Lo siento. Learn to deal. :)

Well, to do some quick updating...
1. I am now driving a Chevy Trailblazer... a big honking truck, but my new pals over at Enterprise gave me a deal that I can live with. Sad it's no Jag, tho.
2. My claim to driver #1's insurance co. was DENIED due to "vehicle malfunction/defect." (translate: he is not at fault and rates will not go up for causing $4000+ damage to me and who knows how much to Driver #3 - yet my rates could go up $1000 a year for 3.5 years for doing nothing. ) Seem fair to you? We're investigating it... with the help of some friends.
3. Silence on the other end of the email from the doctor-in-training. Puzzling.
4. Keep me in your prayers due to some 'abnormal' bloodwork that I got back. New test results to follow.
5. Appear to be losing chunks of every weekend until June 12th to the operetta. Not that it is so bad, but all at awkward times, like 2 in the afternoon. Very inconvenient.
6. Saw 2 DVD's this weekend - Radio and Secondhand Lions. Both were really very good. I highly reccomend both.
7. Have you noticed that it seems that Keri Weaver on ER has become the new Mark Greene? Sadness, sadness, sadness! How is this whole gay mother/but not legally/greiving "widow/they've-stolen-my-child thing going to work out?
8. know there is more, but brain is too tired to think.

Time for bed.

Weekend

Have you ever realized how eagerly we wait for the weekend and then, by the time we know it, it is already Sunday afternoon? **sigh** Murphy's law, I guess.
Well, after a long all-day rehearsal yesterday for Patience, I was tres tired. So I did very little except watch Law and Order: SVU on TNT. But that's ok. A little vegging is good for us all. :)
On a different front, the emailing set-up is going very well. He's smart, but funny, a movie person and seems like a good guy. I am looking forward to seeing how this progresses. :)

Happy Palm Sunday!

Rental Car

Got clearance from the guy's insurance about getting a rental car today, so after work (Panera at lunch and then the cool inservice with Susan... aka Dr. Loretta Young) I went with mom to the rental place across from the hospital. They told me how much to spend per day... which was more than I expected, since I didn't realize I'd get a bigger "allowance" because of my "suv". Since there were no 4WD's on the lot, they gave me this..... in green.

I KID YOU NOT. Leather, sunroof... I felt like I was doing something illegal taking it off the lot!

What a good day for a Monday!

Anniversary, sailing, shopping, griping, updating...

#1 - Happy Anniversary, mom and dad, this past Friday! :)
#2 - Beautiful weather this weekend brought joy to my tired-of-winter soul! Hurray!
#3 - No real update on the Jeep yet. I got my estimate of repair... $4000+... and am waiting to hear from his insurance company's person on their estimate and what they are doing in terms of a rental car for me. More will follow... eventually.
#4 - Tomorrow is a half-day of school and half of inservice... but it will be a good one, for once! Susan from Sesame Street is coming and we all get signed copies of her new book! Yay!
#5 - got an email back from Matt, (the new set-up boy). He seems really nice - I think Christie did a good job! :)
#6 - Mom and Dad get to go on the inagaural NYC sailing of the Queen Mary 2 next month! And it's FREE... (long story short) because my brother and dad have the same name! It's just a Thursday pm - Saturday am thing, but how cool is that?! (well, good and bad, depending on which side of the dock you're on... it's the land side for me!)

My Poor Baby! Sadness!

Sad news. Yesterday my poor little Jeep was smacked from the front and behind as it took me safely home from work. Now it is taking a rejuvinating vacation... at the dealership. Here's the backstory:

Driving home from work yesterday I noticed a car in front of me driving really irradically... so I slowed down, hoping that it would leave me alone... but it didn't. Supposedly, this guy's rear left tire came off the car - he slammed in to me (at that point he had been in the lane to my right, but took a tight swerve into my car) and he ended up in the opposite lane of traffic... except for that tire, which ended up wedged under my car. Of course, the guy behind me slowed down, but still ran into my trunk. We called the police, of course (can you believe that the first time I dialed 911 it was busy?!?) and they came. We got the tire out from under my car and the Jeep was drivable, but not pretty. I'd already called home and both of my parents eventually made it to the accident, after getting stuck in all of its traffic on the way. We won't get the estimate from the dealership or the police report until tomorrow, so until then it is just a waiting game. I know that the repair estimate will be no less than $4-5,000 and probably about 2 weeks until I see my baby.
Luckily, on neither end am I at fault, so I am going to put my claim in to the front guy's insurance company. They'd better get me an allowance to rent a car... I need one to get to work! I am fine physically, other than a little sore, and so is everyone else from what I know, but the cars are all another story.
Part of me is so mad and another part is sad and another part is thankful that I am fine (it could have been a lot lot worse) and another part is sore, and another part.... I can't even think that much. I'm tired and achy and going to bed. More when I know what to write about. Can you believe this, though? Never even a fender-bender with my good 'ol Bing, and now with this less-than-a-year-old beauty, two dumb things in a week! At least the first was really nothing. (I did have a professional look at it and he said there was nothing at all.) But this time, I pulled up to the service entrance and the guy came out and said.... "oooooohhhh......" Then you know it's bad.

Snowy St. Patrick's Day

Snow, snow go away! Don't come back another day!

Normally, I like snow. I do. Especially since I got my Jeep. But yesterday it started snowing and got all messy on the roadways. On my way home, I got rear-ended by a Snapple salesman (no joke!) whose leased car is a mess... and needs to be turned in on April 01 for his lease. Luckily, the Jeep is fine, except for needing a new tire cover, which got ripped.

Well, fast-forward to today. Of course the kiddies were going crazy, between the snow and green bagels that they all devoured, so work was hectic. Then I went to an Irish place for dinner with my parents and some family friends. Not memorable. O well. Even though I am 25% Irish, I don't identify with it, so it's no big deal. I just want the spring to actually come and the flowers to grow and things to turn Green... not just celebrate the color in the middle of snow!

The busiest of all weekends

Wow... to even talk about this weekend I must break it into sections:

Friday: Took off from work for the Arts Day at a local school. The G&S people do a workshop for the 3-5 graders. It was a fun morning. Then Becky arrived... and made amazing time, I must add! We hung out, went to the preview for the auction to browse and register (#'s 12 and 14, woo hoo!). Chatted with a prop master and the auctioneer. Took notes. Then, it was off to Ikea to browse, buy, eat meatballs and ride on the fun flat carts in the warehouse. (I highly recommend it... the carts are tres fun!) After a quick stop at the Old Navy accross the road, we came home. A busy day!

Saturday: After some breakfast, we decided to wander in the local town a little... but it was deceptively windy and chilly, so that was short lived. Anyway, we picked up lunch at Ronnie's (some have seen it as the "Pie Shop" on Ed) and then off to Stuckeybowl for the auction. What a crazy, insane experience! Becky was much more bold in her bidding - I only bid on windows... but now I am the proud owner of one of Ed's house windows! Becky got a steal... this chair, from Ed's office, went for the same price as a $10 bet!! After the craziness there (we left after several hours, and it was ongoing still!) we returned home for dinner and then went out to do.... what else.... bowling! You can see Becky's photography skills of the day here.

Sunday: Well, after all of that tremendous fun, my dear smacky had to return home. I ended up at the Big Mall to run an errand and ended up spending the day... mom and dad joined me and we lunched at my favorite Stir Crazy and then ended up going to see The Passion of the Christ - an amazing movie. Horrible, amazing, necessary, beautiful, painful, unforgettable... really, words don't come close.

So you see, I probably had the busiest and most memorable weekend that I've had in a million years. (and the most complicated post I've attempted... loaded with links.) And now I hear it might snow tomorrow???

quick update

Ok. need to be quick because it is late and I can't be cranky for the kiddies tomorrow....

One: Oh, this is exciting, in a kitchy-dorky-but-I-don't-care kind of way.... This weekend I will actually be stepping into STUCKEYBOWL!!! Yes, it is true! Sadly, the show is cancelled (although NBC won't say that...) and there is an auction of all things "ED" on Saturday at the actual Stuckeybowl set. I will be there (and you, dear reader...readers? will have a full report!) And, to make it even better, my darling Smacky will take the trip down here and come, too! Oh, joy!

Two: It appears that people are taking it upon themselves to play "yente" on my behalf. In this vein, a dear friend of mine (who is more like an older sister) wants to set me up with the son of one of her patients... but only email first, if it pans out. Emailing, I think, is good. And there are no strange shadows of expectations here, which is v.good. Again, if there is anything to report, it will be found here. :)

'Tis all for now. Sleep is in order. Children and a cranky Miss President do not mix.... there is screaming and tears... usually mine.... :)

Happy Oscar!

First, I'd like to thank the acadamy....

Well, tonight is the big event for all of you entertainment-types out there. OSCAR. I am tres jealous of people who are having or going to Oscar Parties... but alas, I have work tomorrow and to go to an Oscar shin-dig would be not good for the Monday morning alarm. I'll watch for a while, and see what happens. It seems that this year many catagories seem pretty solid in terms of favorites, so I don't think there will be many surprises. I hear that there are no time limits on speeches tonight, which will be super annoying in terms of length... but I do enjoy the fashion end of things, and Billy Crystal should be amusing. Off to the couch I go!

Randomness for today.

Can you figure out where this is from?

How sweet to be a Cloud
Floating in the Blue!
Every little cloud
Always sings aloud.

"How sweet to be a Cloud
Floating in the Blue!"
It makes him very proud
To be a little cloud.

Yada yada yada...

Well, my days in Massachusetts were lots of fun. Too short as always. Drove home Wednesday, and then spent all day Thursday and Friday at a music-teacher convention here at home. I'd never been, so it was an adventure... tons of people, tons of vendors, but good in terms of choral reading sessions, (some of the) workshops, and networking with people. I'd better get to bed early tonight so I can muddle through a work week again! No fair! Breaks should be longer than this! :)

Bargain Hunting Girl spies a Victory!

After a lovely day today with my smacky and two adorable babies, the Woods and I went out to dinner. In the same parking lot is a supermarket, in which I had to go before driving home. Since I have been lugging around bottles from my favorite Polar Seltzer (not available at home!) since my last visit in July, I wanted to redeem them. While I was in there, I thought to buy some more. As I approached the display, I saw, to my miraculous wonder, that they had coupons attached to the bottles, making them FREE (5 cent deposit only). So I bought 12. :)

to recap:
I redeemed 12 seltzer bottles (plus one other soda bottle) for a total of 65 cents.
I bought 12 seltzer bottles at 4/$2, plus deposits... $6.60
I had six coupons that said "Buy two, get $1 off", for a total of $6 in coupons
I got a total of -5 cents... so they gave me 12 liters of seltzer and a nickel! What joy!


...maybe I should go back tomorrow on my way home and get more....

Interesting Quiz

I'm the lai, with no sort Of grave, solemn thought, And I Will never be caught By miseries sought, Nor sigh; Where battles are fought Or arguments brought, I fly. What Poetry Form Are You?

Update on Coffee with Kevin

...well, it was interesting. He is a very nice guy - tall, nice looking, very personable, a good conversationalist. Coffee itself was fine. But, I will not see him again, I think. I enjoyed talking with him, but felt no "spark" at all. It seemed that we had very little in common, and both of us are in different places in our lives - he is settled with house and job, and I am virtually as unsure as a person in Twentysomething Crisis Mode can be. Someone who is 34 is not looking for friendship or someone new to hang out with, and that is the path I see that this relationship would take. Well, I am tres proud of myself for actually going through with letting someone set me up, and it was good to take a step like that, for someone like me.

W.O.T.D.

Today's website is from the magazine Woman's Day. They do lots of giveaways, and they have a webpage that has links to all of their current ones. How easy! I entered to win such things as Diamond earrings, underwear, perfume, chocolate, and girl movies (can you tell it was the February issue??) Hey - it's free and this is the kind of a chance I am happy to take! :)

ps on the set-up front.... we're meeting tomorrow at 7 for coffee. I have the same reservations as before, but we'll see. It's just coffee, right?

New Book

Finished Girl With A Pearl Earring last weekend. Very good - the ending was different than I anticipated. When she got to the crossroads of her life, I didn't expect that she would have picked the path she chose. But that was fine, and it is a wonderful book.

I hope to start a new one this weekend - The Piano Shop on the Left Bank, by Thad Carhart. It intrigued me in the store, so I impuse-bought it. It was a national bestseller, so at least there must be others who liked it! :)

Update

So he called me on Thursday night, but I was at rehearsal... so that means I have to call back (blast and wretch! I barely like talking to people I know on the phone, let alone strangers!). So I called this evening, early enough that I hoped he wasn't home. He was. So we chatted... for quite a while. He is a talker. Seems nice enough, but now that I am separated from it (and my ear is not aching anymore) I think the age thing is going to be a big difference. He did not know I was 10 years younger (Dian, the setter-upper thought I was at least 2-3 years older than I am, at the bare minimum) and I think we will find that we are really in very different places in our lives - me, the quarterlife crisis, I-don't-know-what-to-do-with-my-life twentysomething and he the homeowner, golf nut 10 years my senior. But I'll meet him on Wednesday and we will see.

Boy is this thing so not my style....

Set Up

A woman that I work with came up to me on Monday to tell me about someone that she wanted to set me up with. I thought about it, and asked several opinions (girl friends and mom, of course). So I gave her my number to give to this guy. She says that she has known him for most of his life... since he was 3 or 4.

I am internally bugging out about this whole scenario. I've never been set up before. Ever. And it frightens me. My mind jumps to all sorts of unlikely scenarios and situations... but I did it. The ball is in his court. He calls, he doesn't call, whatever. I'll meet him someplace neutral and try to make conversation with a complete stranger... something I'm not good at, but I guess it's a learning experience if nothing else.

I'm such a baby about things like this.....

knitting quandry...

I've bought yarn at different places on clearance in quantities of only one skein. I have several of these random skeins floating around in my big 'ol knitting box. I want to use said yarn... but have no patterns of interest. Don't want to make more mittens. Don't want to make a hat. Don't really want to make a scarf. Don't want to make a baby thing.

Don't know what to make.

**frustrated sigh**

Bec, do you have any ideas? Know anyone who does? Anyone out there?

........Bueller?........... Bueller?......

Literary commentary...

Ok, so I know the book Ticket Home has been on my "currently reading" list forever. I had it on there before I actually started reading it, to be honest - and then it did take me while to finish. It was a good book - interesting storyline which takes place during WW2 - identical twin brothers, a pretty girl, trains, conflict (both personal and war related), history, etc. The battle explinations and sequences were long and drawn out, but justified.
The author's website: James Michael Pratt

...Now to a new book: Girl With the Pearl Earring, by Tracy Chevalier. It was recommended to me by my friend Alisa. Actually, what she said was "...this is the next book you need to read." She's not the only one who recommended it, either. A woman I work with loved it, and when I was talking to my mom about buying it at Barnes & Noble, some guy overheard me stumbling on the artists' name (Vermeer) and said that he'd read it... but that it's not a guy book. I've already started it and like it so far. There's a movie, too - which I'd wanted to see - but I'm glad to read it first.

Gilbert and Sullivan

Well, I did it. Auditioned for a G&S company nearby. Took mom to the audition with me, for moral support and directions. Got there and was the youngest by probably 10 years, although most likely 20 on average. The audition itself seemed to go fairly well. I was the only one who did not know the score, which made me feel somewhat stupid, but I sang something else and it was fine, although the piano was tremendously loud. Then I did a reading with this man and that was fine. Then the director asked me questions. Don't ask me questions during a deer-in-the-headlights moment. My IQ bottoms out and I can't think. Well, as mom says, I was not there to be personally articulate. We'll see what comes of it. I hope the second audition date brings about more people, (younger??) since there were few there. More on this as it develops....

(...and maybe we'll get a dumping of snow and no work Wednesday??? stay tuned.....)

Inside the actor's studio

During the surprise 7 inches of snow today I did much channel-surfing, stumbling on Bravo's Inside the Actor's Studio, which I find fascinating. At the end of each show, James Lipton asks the celeb du jour a series of questions (can't remember who originated these... someone French?) and I thought that I would post them here and see if anyone cares to share their own answers. I will, too.

What is your favorite word? home
What is your least favorite word? lard
What turns you on? creativity, friends
What turns you off? stress
What sound/noise do you love? ocean/beach sounds
What sound/noise do you hate? overabundance of noise
What is your favorite curse word? damn, blast
What profession other than your own would you like to participate in? actor, photographer
What profession wouldn't you like to participate in? cleaning really disgusting things (large animal poop, really nasty bathrooms)
If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say to you at the pearly gates? "Well done, thou good and faithful servant"

Give it a try! It's not as easy as it looks!

good thing it's not real....

One of the links on this site is the Hollywood Stock Exchange. It's a game - no actual money changes hands. When you sign up, you get $2mil H-dollars. You buy stock for the actors you like - Julia Roberts, Tom Hanks, etc. (there are moviebonds, too, but I don't do that). If you lose it all, they'll give you more. So I started sometime in college and did ok, but lost some. I bought people I liked and when finally some of them made me lose tremendously (like George Clooney!), I sold. But I don't do it that often, so it's not a big deal to me.
A long time ago, while reading about the making of Star Wars Episode 2 (which I never saw), they talked about Hayden Christenson (sp). I happened to go to hsx a short while after that and bought 20,000 shares of his stock, (normally I buy 2000, but it was a deal - $5.67 a share.) knowing the movie would be popular. Then, I forgot about the website for months - maybe a year. I checked in again and couldn't believe my eyes. The stock skyrocketed. Overjoyed, I bought little bits of other people I liked, at all various prices.
Just checked my stocks today. I had a down day - net worth down $18,467. But, net worth total: $4,221,372.85, with over $3.6mil invested. And that cheapie Hayden? Now worth $87.05/share... an increase of 1,434%. (on the flip side, Julia's lost me 61% since I bought.... v.bad, but how can you sell her?) Good thing I don't take real $$ risks like this!!!!

ice, snow and cold.... and NO SCHOOL!

So, this morning, the Presidential parents left in the car for Florida... in the midst of an arctic blizzard. Luckily, it was slow going, but they are safely out of the snowy area now. It's so cold... dangerously cold, but really beautiful! And the best was the phone call at 5:15am that there wouldn't be any school today! **wild cheering**And on my busiest day! :) Too bad they won't just call it a week!

Sheep in a Jeep

Got a great book the other day titled Sheep in a Jeep by Nancy Shaw. I thought it was an appropriate thing to keep in my baby! (note: that shiny one in the snow looks like mine!)

Oh - another thing of interest - it thundered today during a very quick blizzard! Wierd weather... go figure!

Random Poetry for Wednesday

The Red Wheelbarrow

so much depends
upon

a red wheel
barrow

glazed with rain
water

beside the white
chickens

-William Carlos Williams

Back again....

So I'm back. The retreat was interesting. The main speaker, Denny Henderson, was good - contemporary and thought-provoking. The band was great too. It was a little wierd being there, though, since most people seem to have been going to Tuscarora forever, or so it seems. Whatever. I went, I saw, I learned, that was good, and I'll probably not go back. Oh - one last thing - there was a concert Saturday night of this fellow Gordon alum.... surprising but good. I have the CD.

happy weekending!

In a little bit, I'm off for the weekend. It's a "young adult" retreat... we'll see how it goes. After several retreat experiences in High School I am wary...

but anyway.... HAPPY NEW YEAR to one and all! Here's to hoping that 2004 is happier, more peaceful, more healthy and great for adventure, good memories and fun. (anyone got any good ideas for resolutions? I haven't made any yet...) :)