You learn something new every day...

Today I learned how to spin plates. At work.

The gym teacher has a unit on Circus Skills and teaches things such as plate spinning and juggling. Being naturally curious, I had to try it.

So now, if I DO run away and join the circus, at least I have a skill. Which is good, since my elephant-riding dreams have been shattered by the cold truth that they train the elephants through fear. Grr.

(ps: I love the dress in the picture. I would totally wear that.)

grumble.

I got a speeding ticket on Sunday. The police officer wasn't nice to me. Yes, I admit I was speeding... I didn't realize it at the time, but I was. But he also didn't have to take such a power-trip over it.
So now I'll go to court and beg for leniency... pointing out my clean record and that I am willing to take a "Safe Driver" class to reduce points on my license. I hope they will be understanding.

Meh.

I heart SLIPPERS!

I have been infamously quoted as saying, "I love socks." And yes, it is true. I do love a good pair of socks, being that I have constantly cold toes. But little do most of you know...

...I also love slippers. Specifically, shearling slippers.

I had a pair that I stole from my mom in college that I still have as a backup, but my favorites are LL Bean's Wicked Good Moccasins (in Brown). I got a pair of these angels two Christmases ago and they are my constant companions when I am not wearing shoes (I even wear them during the summer... sometimes!). They have been so well loved. But, to my dismay, they started to come apart on the side! I was very sad, but the good people at Bean rock my socks... er, slippers. They have a 100% satisfaction guarentee and therefore were happy for me to send my sad friends back to Maine and get a replacement pair with no fuss. The one problem is that they told me they were BACKORDERED UNTIL MARCH! Oh, horror! To be without my slippers was tantamount to disaster and very cold feet!

So it was a joyful surprise to get an email the other day stating they had been shipped, and today we had a box on the porch. They came! Hurrah!

My feet are happy (and warm!) once again. LLBean, I am devoted to you.

Shopping Victory

I went to a big outlet place this weekend... yes, in the bitterest of cold!
However, there were great bargains to be found.

Pants, fully lined, made really well.
Original price $89.00 - then outlet price, then markdown to $39.95.

Cashmere sweater. Amazingly soft and very luxurious.
Original price $139.00 (I think?) - then outlet price, then markdown to $39.95.
(which on its own is an amazing, amazing steal.)

Then the MLK weekend promotion.... buy one item, get one 50% off.

...so it came to $60 for both. (plus tax)

WOO HOOOOOO!!

Friday night excitement

I've just spent a Friday evening watching High School Musical 2.

... something is wrong here.

Speechless.... and a little afraid.

I've never watched it. I said that I couldn't. Tonight was the premiere.

So I decided, "What the heck?"

And I must say that I am literally speechless.

How do people watch American Idol? It's hideous!

A Kathleen Kelly moment....

I was in Borders over the weekend with a group of friends on our way to feast on amazing Indian food. While wandering away from the group, I found myself in front of the customer service desk when a young mom asked the associate, "Do you have Matilda?" She further indicated that it was a children's book.

The young man at the counter said he thought so, but he would check it out. He started to type in the title into the computer, but was unsure how to spell it, so he hesitated.

Before I realized, I said, "Matilda was written by Roald Dahl."

"Roald Dahl??" said the vague voice of the sales associate, deleting his typing from the screen.

"D-A-H-L. That's how you spell it."

The mom and I then chatted for a moment about how great the book is - her daughter loves it and has borrowed it twice from the library, but now wants her own copy. I love that. :)

I walked away and had to laugh to myself about the circumstances. I think it might be fun to own a children's book shop.

Just some Oak and Some Pine and a handful of Norsemen...

Most of you know my love of Ikea. I own several items from the store, and have helped Matt furnish the little house with many kitchen gadgets, picture frames and whatnot.

Months ago, I was thrilled to discover the Ikea Song by Johathan Colton, another fan of the big blue and yellow box. (He's a crazy songwriter who writes a lot of songs on a variety of topics!)

Now there's a new fascination. A guy named Mark is going to live in MY local Ikea for a week, starting today! Check out his adventures: www.marklivesinikea.com
(The first episode is below)





Matt is going there today to buy a bed. I wonder if he'll bump into Mark?! (perhaps not, since Mark will probably be swarmed by a million news camera crews. He was in the paper yesterday and I saw him on the 6 o'clock news, too.)

It's really an interesting idea. I don't know if I could do it for a week, but it might be fun to camp out there! There is definitely enough to do and see!

A Great Big MEH!

$30 tickets for $160. Bah.

This is why I should jump on things when I see them instead of saying, "Oh, I can do it later."

Meh.

2007 - A Year in Review

This has been an interesting year. There were lots of great things, lots of crazy things, lots of everything. Here are a few highlights for you to see. All in all, a very memorable year!

J A N U A R Y . . .

... found me with a 3-day stay at the hospital for pneumonia, my first hospital stay since I was born. I was actually very relieved to be there, since it meant I wasn't going crazy and really was sick!

F E B R U A R Y . . .

... led to a sad time. My grandfather passed away on Valentine's Day. He was a great man and a rock in our family. We all miss him.

M A R C H . . .

... put me into a new sense of wealth (?) when I finished making payments on my car. What a relief that was! (Pic is from later in the year, but since I don't take pictures of my car, here it is with sweet Catherine!)

A P R I L . . .

... was a busy month. I went to Massachusetts and saw several friends, helped celebrate Jenny's birthday at Great Adventure, and also went on an adventure in New York City during which I got to see Great Big Sea!

M A Y . . .

... found us back into the city for Beethoven's 9th (and Arron Copland's In the Beginning) with Matt's parents. Other highlights included Memorial Day down at the shore!

J U N E . . .

... is my birthday month! I had fun celebrating, but a highlight of the month was my nephew's graduation from high school! He is now enjoying college life and all it entails.

J U L Y . . .

... had lots of adventures. One of them was getting to see Blue Man Group! I also went on a movie-kick and saw six movies in a short amount of time!

A U G U S T . . .

... involved more travel. I saw Becky and Catherine in Mystic, CT and then got to see Great Big Sea again in Freeport, Maine - home of LLBean! (and Kate, but she was away!)

S E P T E M B E R . . .

... was crazy-busy in terms of starting the new school year. I spent much of it stressing out and trying to get on track! Matt showed his automobile prowess in changing the brakes on my car. You're so handy!

O C T O B E R . . .

... included some fall-harvesty-Halloween type adventures. I got to wear one of the most comfortable Halloween costumes to work - Scrubs and sneakers!

N O V E M B E R . . .

... brought me back to school - High School, that is! It was our 10 year reunion, and what a trip it was. Strange but good to see people after 10 years.

D E C E M B E R . . .

... helped the year to a close in a busy way! Daytrips to Sandy Hook and New York City, Holiday concert craziness, Christmas celebrations, fun with friends and abundant good times. A wonderful way to end the year, If I say so myself!

I wish you all of you much joy, happiness, wonderful memories, laughter
and peace in the New Year. Thank you, my friends, for putting up with my
ranting and raving and reports of the goings-on in my little part of the world.

H e r e ' s T o A G r e a t 2 0 0 8 !

Christmas Vacation... part 3: Morocco!

On Saturday night, Matt and I met up with Marisa and Eric for dinner. I've known Marisa since we worked together at my previous teaching job, and we've managed to keep the friendship going! She is a sweetheart and we all had a wonderful time - the boys exchanging jokes in their best Scottish accents, Marisa and I bellydancing (yes!!) in the restaurant, enjoying amazing Moroccan food and good company.

We went to Marakesh in Parsippany - smaller than I thought it would be, but cool - you sit on couches and are encouraged to eat with your hands! There was a bellydancer and live music, too... loud, but a lot of fun. If you remember back in February of 2006, M & I went to a fantastic Moroccan eatery in... Morocco. In Epcot. It was amazing and we ate so much food that we were still full the next morning! I tried to take him to this place (or one in the city) for his birthday, but we never got to go... at least we went now!

It was great to get to see Marisa and Eric and hang out... we want to do it again soon!

(Marisa - I want some of your pictures!) More pictures are here.

Christmas Vacation... part 2: Christmas!

Christmas was nice this year. On Christmas Eve, Matt and I went to the service at church and then back to my house for dinner with my parents - yum! On Christmas Day, I was home with Mom and Dad, eating French toast, opening presents, relaxing, then it was off to have dinner with Matt and his parents at their house. It was a really nice day.

Santa was good to me - I got some lovely gifts, including a massage (well, a gift certificate for one, anyway!), a date with my mom to go and see Audra McDonald in April (Yay!), and a Zune, already loaded with some of my music! Woo hoo! (Sneaky Matt, stealing my CDs!)

All in all, two very good days. Hope your Christmas was just as Merry! :)

Click here for more photos.

Christmas Vacation... part 1: Kate!

Last Saturday, I had the opportunity to meet up with my dear friend Kate in New York City. She was down from Maine, meeting up with lots of friends and staying with her brother, Alex. I was so happy to get to spend some "alone" time with her - it has been YEARS since we've done that, and the last time I saw her was at our college reunion in October 2006!

I took the train in by myself - a first! I've done the train a ton of times before, but not alone. Very liberating! I was a little early to meet her, so I wandered into Macy's on 34th.... what a nightmare jumble of people and craziness! I fought my way up to the 8th floor to see Santa - as a kid I insisted that I had to go and see the real Santa, who was holding court at Macy's - the movie told me, and therefore it had to be true!

I met Kate at American Girl Place - a store that I would have gone crazy for as a girl... heck, I still want to buy everything in it! It was insane, of course - but I had to buy a Christmas gift for my niece, and was able to do it fairly easily. We then bumped into her brother and grandfather outside for a few minutes, leaving them to go and get some dinner. We wanted to go to John's Pizzeria, but it was obnoxiously crowded. So we walked to Times Square and went to the Olive Garden... still crazy busy, but at least we had a place to sit and talk while we waited, which is what we wanted anyway! (And our table came with an excellent view - worth the wait!)

After dinner, we both needed to use the restroom, and Kate remembered hearing about the Charmin Holiday Restroom in Times Square... so that's where we went next! It was hilarious - the people were so perky and friendly, there was a little dance you could learn while you waited on line, the mini-bathrooms were immaculate and outfitted with all of the necessities, and there were photo opportunities galore! We laughed and laughed - it was a perfect surprise adventure for us!

She walked me back toward the train and we went on our merry ways. Kate, it was so wonderful to see you and get to spend time with you, eating, chatting and having adventures! Yay!

More pictures are here.

Christmas Roadtrip!

When we last went to Sandy Hook, we talked about coming back to see the History House all decorated for Christmas... but with the whole pneumonia thing last year, we weren't able to go. So I surprised Matt with a road trip on Saturday. We had so much fun! The house was beautifully decorated, there was a live jazz trio, and they even had cookies and hot chocolate!

We had the opportunity to climb the Sandy Hook lighthouse as well - a delight for Matt, since he was never able to go there as a kid. (It was run by the Coast Guard until a few years ago). We then took a quick sidetrip to the Twin Lights as well and picked up a sticker for our NJ passports!

We then drove in to Matt's hometown, Atlantic Highlands. We stopped into the public library and browsed in a vintage shop, but the highlight of the trip home was the Memphis Pig Out. This place serves up great food in HUGE quantities. We ate ourselves silly and then hit the road, as we were expecting a Nor'Easter late that night.

View a bigger slideshow at the Photo Gallery!

Do you think I'm Super-girl?

First, a disclamer. This is written during Holiday Concert Craziness. Thank you.

How am I expected to turn the world on its head by Friday? I have a budget (which I got today) that I need to return on Friday. And plans for this week and next week, also due Friday. And another budget will be handed to me tomorrow, to be returned probably on Friday as well. And a jam-packed chaotic day of work tomorrow, followed by a dinner which I must attend. And preparation for two concerts back-to-back on Wednesday and Thursday. And a program to finish.

Do I look like I can leap tall buildings in a single bound?

AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!


And to top it off, yesterday I had thousands of dollars worth of drug injected into my arm which could still put me into anaphylaxis within the next 24 hours, so I'm carrying an EpiPen. (Although the fact that I didn't react during the 2 hours I spent in the Dr's office is a good indicator that I'll be fine.) The drug will hopefully be a blessing, though - but they do their best to scare the poop out of you before they inject you, just so you're aware. Then they teach you how to stab yourself with the EpiPen just in case you do react. Woo.

And I'm stress eating. Oh, the carb and chocolate cravings.

Maybe I can be you for a change?

But now I am going to bed.

Ten years

I went to my high school reunion last night. To quote a song of the time, "How bizarre. How bizzare, how bizarre."

My sweet Matt came with me, despite the fact that he knew no one there but me!
(Doesn't this picture look like we're going to the prom or something?)

It was strange - some people looked very much the same, some better, and some were not so recognizable! Funny to see people working the room, yet still mostly associating with their same cliques... I sat with more musical people, a lot of the popular ones were together, jocks, etc. I guess some things never change, eh?? It was good to have gone, though - fun to see what people are up to. Here are a few... the only pictures taken with my camera!


Nadia, who I've known since we were five!!


Christina, musical and athletic, who now teaches Phys.Ed in Ohio


More of the music nerds (er...gang) - Dave, me, Danae and Ken


Danae, Meghan and Me

It's funny to have gone, and such a rush of memories. Some great, some I had forgotten, some I wish I didn't remember! It was good to touch base with some of the people of my past, and also wonder about some others I hoped/thought I might see. I went through the yearbook after I got home. So surreal. That was me. In so many ways I am exactly the same, yet in others I am so different - but then again, do we ever turn out the way we thought we would?

Yummy soup

When it gets cold like this, I tend to want something warm and comforting to eat. Soup like this fits the bill nicely, is easy to make, and freezes well. I found the recipe in one of my mom's magazines, and I share it with you!

Carol's Carrot and Dill Soup

1 pound carrots (about 2.5 cups)
1 medium onion
2 cups water
2 cups low-fat chicken broth
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 bunch fresh dill (about 2 tablespoons)

Peel carrots and cut into 1/2 inch coins. Peel and chop onion. In a 2.5-quart saucepan, bring carrots, onion, water, broth, salt and fennel seeds to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, covered, 30 to 40 minutes till carrots are very tender.
While carrots are cooking, rinse and chop dill, reserving several sprigs for garnish. Add dill to cooked carrots and, using great care, puree in two batches in a blender. If you plan to serve the soup cold, let it cool in the pan first. Garnish with fresh dill.

(Recipe from Guideposts magazine, Sept. 2007)

This time, I put in less onion (we don't like a ton) and instead put in a big spoonful of chopped garlic. Next time, I think I might try fresh ginger instead of dill (and perhaps the onion.)

Movie Time

We went to the movies tonight... and saw this!



It was tremendous fun... neither Matt or I have seen it before. We loved it, and the 3-D was really cool! (And we got to keep the 3-D glasses, which were much less dorky than the huge IMAX 3D ones for HP5.) The songs are quirky (and get stuck in your head!) and it's visually interesting - but what do you expect from a Tim Burton film?
Unfortunately, it appears to be slated a very limited release, and we're caught it on the closing weekend... but who knows, maybe they will extend it so you can go if you'd like!

PS: I think Matt should be Jack Skellington for Halloween next year. What do you think?

Don't bother me when I'm shopping!

I need to know if others feel the same way I do about this.

Whenever I happen to be in the mall, I find myself accosted by multiple kiosk salesmen (usually), trying to get me to stop and try/buy different products off of their carts - hand lotion, heat packs, jewelery cleaners, head massagers, straightening irons, and the like. And usually the scenario goes something like this:


Me: walking along, window shopping, people watching, talking to whomever I'm with, etc.
Guy: Jumping in front of me or hurrying to my side, speaking in an insistent loud voice, "Excuse me, miss? Can I ask you a question?"
Me: "No, thank you," I reply, politely, without stopping.
Guy: Continues with his spiel without missing a beat, still with a very loud voice, more actively trying to get me to stop (example)- "Do you keep your nails natural? Let me see your hands..." as he gestures for me to hold out my hands, getting as close as he can without touching me.
Me: "No, thank you," I respond, a little more insistently, as I speed up and walk away.

At this point, most will back off and just tell you to have a nice day. I'm fine with that. Although I may not like them jumping on me at the mall (which is how most of them behave, men and women kiosk salespeople alike), I had one the other day who really took the cake. The conversation started out as I mentioned above, but instead of quitting with the second attempt, he said to me, sarcastically, "Oh, don't be so hard."

I didn't realize what he'd said until I got too far away to turn back around.

Don't be so hard????

Excuse me??? I politely said, "No Thank You," and that's your response? If I had realized it sooner, I would have stopped and said something to him. I know that he's trying to do his job and earn a living for himself. But it's not acceptable to say something like that to a stranger and potential customer, and expect them to respond in any way other than with negativity, even if you didn't mean it literally.

Is this just a local thing? Or is it just a kiosk salesperson tactic?

I don't like pushy salespeople, but after working in retail, I know how to politely deal with the situation. But this just took the cake. As I said before, I appreciate the fact that they are trying to earn a living... they just need to learn to read people! It's pretty obvious when someone is uninterested. There are body cues that let you know when people are open to being approached and when they want to just be left alone. A good salesperson is trained and knows how to recognize this. I make it pretty obvious. I avoid eye contact with them. If I am with someone else, I engage them in conversation before we walk by the kiosks. I concentrate on a window display.

Maybe I should just run screaming in the other direction the next time a kiosk salesperson approaches me. Do you think it would give them the hint?

A few thoughts and comments

Random things floating around in my brain. Do with them what you will.

I should be working on stuff for my Holiday concerts, but it seems so strange to be planning for them already. But November is such a short month in terms of school... I really should have started already. There's a lot about it that is so hard. You have to try to include everyone, and consider the group of students that you are working with. We're very multicultural, which is a cause of stress for me. I also don't have loads of money with which I could purchase things myself. Bah.

After church today, Matt had to stay for a meeting, so I went into the house to do some work. (He's not officially living in it yet, but we've moved some stuff in already.) I will say this... the people who lived there before left the house FILTHY and with a million and two holes in the (plaster) walls from a million and two nails and hooks. Did they try to turn the house into a museum? I did a little spackeling (it's been a while since I've done it so I wanted to make sure it looked all right before I did the whole house), put together a mobile clothing rack, cleaned the two tables we brought over, and washed all of the downstairs windows (inside only). It was 48 degrees inside the house (obviously the heat isn't on yet!) but the work kept me warm. I would have used the steam cleaner machine, but M has to change the outlets first and then they will be 3-pronged accessible.

I have a short work week, happy, happy, joy! Tomorrow and Wednesday are full days. Tuesday is a half day due to Election Day (go and vote, people... and if you live in NJ, be sure to vote for the open space bill! No more McMansions!) and then Thursday and Friday are teacher's convention days... so no school! Whee!

Went out with the gang (who we haven't seen since Labor Day weekend) for Indian food on Saturday night. Yum. My new favorite food. I ate WAY too much and then crammed in some ice cream afterwards. Ugh! I've been trying to be so good since the summer (almost 20lbs!) but I seem to be sabotaging myself lately. Time to get back on the wagon... which is hard with the holidays approaching! I. Must. Be. Strong!

All right. Enough kvetching. I need to go to sleep now and am very tired, which is perhaps why I just bumbled on and on like this. So, as I said at the beginning, do with it as you will. I will go to sleep.