Things that go thump in the night

Well.

I was going to write about the reunion with our dog, who spent 10 days at a hotel. A Pet Hotel. really. You had an option to pay extra for a room with a cushioned bed and a color tv that showed doggie tv shows. Yup. We didn't do it. Although I did spring for the Bizzie Bundle dog treat midweek to let him know that we really, really love him. We do.

But no, I'm not writing about that. Why? Because about 20 minutes ago I heard a thump, thump, thump sound outside my window. And since it's not summer camp and no one is telling cheesy ghost stories, I decided I had to investigate. As I turned off my lights (so as not to be seen whilst I was observing) and opened up the shades, a light colored sedan sped away. Not to be a wimp, I called to my darling husband who was snoring away, that I was going to see what happened. Lo and behold - some little rats whacked our mailboxes and those of two neighbors with bats and destroyed them!

WTH? It's 9:30 on a school night! Vacation boredom should have been experimented with and dealt with last Thursday, for cripe's sake. Why now?

So, while dh stayed snug as a bug in a rug :-), number one son and I went for a walk around the neighborhood. With the dog - I'm not that brave. Even if he is 13 and walks with a limp, having a dog gives one a certain sense of security. As well as a credible reason to be walking around in the dark wearing flannel penguin jammies. (I *did have a coat on) The police came, but really, there's nothing they can do. They found other acts of minor vandalism throughout the neighborhood, overturned trashcans and such.

DH is lucky to have such a brave first line of defense in his house. ;-) Did I mention that number one son wanted to bring along his (broken) airsoft gun for protection. I assured him it wasn't necessary.

Reunions

Gotta love'em.

We got home last night around 12:30 AM. The kids were sleeping on the airplane and pretty groggy, but perked right up when we walked in the door and the cats jubilantly greeted us! The mice were indifferent and the fish didn't blink, but the cats were thrilled to have us home, even though they received lots of love and attention from our wonderful neighbors, Martha and Theresa. Both kids barricaded the cats in the room with them and went to sleep snuggled up to make up for lost time.

They got out somewhere around 4:30 AM and proceeded to take turns in greeting me and nudging. And purring. And sitting on my head. And generally smothering me with attention. An odd time, yes. But I didn't really mind. I missed them too.

It's good to be home.

Old age - harumph

Did I mention that I'm a great-aunt? Yup. I know that can't be right because great-aunts are like, 73 or 87 and they have candy dishes on their coffee tables and crocheted doilies on the arms of their couches. I'm 46. I have a Facebook and MySpace account. (yes, it's true, I don't know why). I wear lower-rise bootleg jeans, NOT mom jeans. How can I be a great-aunt?

Regardless, I'm ecstatic about the healthy birth of my great-nephew baby Joseph, even though my niece was only like 7 or 8 when I met her. *I certainly haven't aged, so how did she grow up so fast? ;-)

It's still raining here and we're just killing time before we need to leave for the airport. Our flight isn't until later this evening. I can't wait to see Desmond (not until tomorrow, sadly) and Koala and Tobey, and even the mice (Mr. Whiskers and Buddyscotch) and the fish - I don't remember their names - sorry.

And more old stuff - the beginning

Saturday, February 02, 2008 another Saturday morning Current mood: cold DH is still out of town, so I had to step up to be the early chauffeur to take number one son to his early morning hockey game. Games start at 8 AM, and silly me, I figure if we got there 15 minutes ahead of time, we'd be good. Oh, no. Number one son informs me we have to leave at 7:15 AM. Oy, where's my coffee? That meant having to rouse Sleeping Beauty earlier than normal. There she was, burrowed under the covers, clothes scattered across her room, snoring away. The girl can snooze. No problems there. But she's not a quick riser. Oh, no, there's no rushing her. Anyway, I dragged my groggy self into action - it's tough when you stay up past your bedtime (normally around 9:30 at my geriatric age) and try to frantically restore the house to a presentable state. At midnight. Why the flurry? Well my father-in-law is joining us for the Holy Grail of all games, the Super Bowl. And he's coming tonight. At 7:00 PM. And DH just informed me that he changed his flights and is returning home at 11 PM, not tomorrow. Yikes, there went my cushion. And now I have to figure out a dinner plan. You see, when it's just me and the kids, I don't have a plan. It's glorious freedom to make an omelet. Or have cereal. Or make spaghetti for the zillionth time because they LIKE it. Or run out to grab a pizza. Now I have to have a plan. Something suitable for company and adults. Which means I actually have to make vegetables and other sides. Any help out there? About the house? It's still not presentable. And after hockey, we have to drive to the other side of the county to make number one son's wrestling match, which starts at 9. Hockey ends at 9. It takes about 30 minutes to cross the county. You do the math. I sure hope he's got a partner. Last week DH did the same cross county trek and he didn't even have a partner in his wrestling weight. And he's got some other wrestling school spirit thing where his team has to go and cheer on the varsity wrestlers. That's at one. So, he won't be around for the chores and manic cleaning. Sigh. And young daughter is a lost cause in cleaning her room. It's a classic case of 2 steps forward and one step back. Or maybe 3 steps back. In between more carrying around the cat nonsense and practicing her Hannah Montana dance moves in front of the hall mirror. It would be easier to rent a back hoe and clear out the room myself, but it's the *principle of the thing. She should be able to manage it. It's a constant source of friction as she's not moved to increase her speed with any subsequent loss of privilege. It's been weeks since she's had computer access, and no chance to watch her favorite shows. She is not to be rushed. Game over. Time to rock-n-roll. Off to Spencerport for the next round. 8:44 AM - 2 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Friday, February 01, 2008 random funniness Current mood: amused I know this made the email rounds, but it always cracks me up. "The Mom Song" "The Mom" song, sung to the William Tell Overture, by Anita Renfroe. What a mom says in 24 hours, condensed into 2 minutes and 55 seconds! Hilarious and talented! Lyrics for "The Mom Song" is given below. (Thank you BelleFlower15!) "The Mom Song" Get up now Get up now Get up out of bed Wash your face Brush your teeth Comb your sleepyhead Here's your clothes and your shoes Hear the words I said Get up now! Get up and make your bed Are you hot? Are you cold? Are you wearing that? Where's your books and your lunch and your homework at? Grab your coat and gloves and your scarf and hat Don't forget! You gotta feed the cat Eat your breakfast, the experts tell us it's the most important meal of all Take your vitamins so you will grow up one day to be big and tall Please remember the orthodontist will be seeing you at 3 today Don't forget your piano lesson is this afternoon so you must play Don't shovel Chew slowly But hurry The bus is here Be careful Come back here Did you wash behind your ears? Play outside, don't play rough, will you just play fair? Be polite, make a friend, don't forget to share Work it out, wait your turn, never take a dare Get along! Don't make me come down there Clean your room, fold your clothes, put your stuff away Make your bed, do it now, do we have all day? Were you born in a barn? Would you like some hay? Can you even hear a word I say? Answer the phone! Get off the phone! Don't sit so close, turn it down, no texting at the table No more computer time tonight! Your iPod's my iPod if you don't listen up Where are you going and with whom and what time do you think you're coming home? Saying thank you, please, excuse me makes you welcome everywhere you roam You'll appreciate my wisdom someday when you're older and you're grown Can't wait till you have a couple little children of your own You'll thank me for the counsel I gave you so willingly But right now I thank you not to roll your eyes at me Close your mouth when you chew, would appreciate Take a bite maybe two of the stuff you hate Use your fork, do not burp or I'll set you straight Eat the food I put upon your plate Get an A, get the door, don't get smart with me Get a grip, get in here, I'll count to three Get a job, get a life, get a PHD Get a dose of, "I don't care who started it! You're grounded until you're 36" Get your story straight and tell the truth for once, for heaven's sake And if all your friends jumped off a cliff would you jump, too? If I've said it once, I've said at least a thousand times before That you're too old to act this way It must be your father's DNA Look at me when I am talking Stand up straighter when you walk A place for everything and everything must be in place Stop crying or I'll give you something real to cry about Oh! Brush your teeth, wash your face, put your PJs on Get in bed, get up here, say a prayer with mom Don't forget, I love you And tomorrow we will do this all again because a mom's work never ends You don't need the reason why Because, because, because, because I said so, I said so, I said so, I said so I'm the mom, the mom, the mom, the mom, the mom!! Ta da!!! 4:56 AM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Winter to Spring Current mood: grateful Ground Hog Day is tomorrow. Right now there's the pitter-patter of sleet and freezing rain outside my (dark) window. Is Spring really not so far off? It's hard to believe sometimes. I saw a cardinal the other day. Unremarkable, I know. But there's a story. I'm much more aware of cardinals these days. After my mother died, I started seeing a cardinal in my backyard. While that might not seem unusual, I've been feeding the backyard birds here for 14 years and the cardinals did not come to my yard. My neighbor's yards, yes, just not mine. Anyway, I took comfort in the sight of those cardinals and thought often of how my mother was with me in spirit, although I missed her physical presence. Why a cardinal? Well, my mother loved cardinals and I just associated this cardinal with her. Hey, it's not something I need to analyze deeply, I'll take comfort wherever I can get it. When my father died last year and I started being visited by a pair of cardinals - a male and female and they often perched in a backyard tree and sang to me while I was on the deck and I was at peace. Suddenly, I saw cardinals in places I never did. Cardinals showed up in the brush by the parking lot when I got to work, they flitted past me when I went for a hike. I found a cardinal garden flag among the supplies in my Dad's garage. I took it. It hangs by my front door. My mother-in-law gave me a cardinal Christmas ornament. Cardinals were everywhere, and usually turn up on just those days that I'm feeling sorry for myself. God is good! All the time! Is it the spirit or presence of my parents? I don't now, but does it matter? They make me smile. Time to wake the children. Currently listening : December, Piano Solos: 20th Anniversary Edition By George Winston Release date: 16 October, 2001 6:40 AM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Thursday, January 31, 2008 Off to bed. Current mood: sleepy No, nothing exciting. DH is out of town and I've frittered away too much time on this internet. Oh, and watching Lost with number one son. I was interested in it, but it's been soo long since I'd thought about it, that I could easily have let the momentous ocassion of it's return fly right by me. But not number one son. He's been giving me updates for several weeks and eagerly awaiting this night. And I think it's sweet that he reaaalllllly wanted me to sit next to him under the blanket and watch. These moments won't last forever. So, I watched. And I enjoyed it and remembered enough to not feel completely "lost" myself -heh. And number one son dutifully and willingly filled me in. And then I snoozed at the critical last 5 minutes. Yes, I've done that before. In movie theaters. Thank goodness for the DVR. We rewound and watched again. All is well. My kitchen is still frightfully messy, but at least a load of dishes is underway and DH doesn't return until Sunday. :-) I have *lots of time to clean up. :-) Anyway, I'm typically the kind of gal who's snuggled in my jammies by 9 PM I don't know what's gotten into me lately. So, goodnight. Currently listening : Raising Sand By Robert Plant Release date: 23 October, 2007 11:46 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

distractable Current mood: distractable Yes, I'm at work. Yes, I'm playing a little hookey here since I'm writing this, but I'm waiting for a large copying job to finish so I'm taking a breather. Young daughter has been delivered to school, drycleaning has been dropped off and I have gas in my car - although it wasn't any warmer this morning, I had no choice. I am totally sucked into this. Check out the music link in this blog entry. Laurel Masse is an amazing vocalist. More later. Currently listening : Alone Together By Laurel Massé Release date: 05 April, 2005 9:49 AM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Ahhh Current mood: vexed Well, I was going to breathe a sigh of relief and settle in with a cup of coffee (french roast - the darker the better), but I have to make sure the younger has actually *caught the bus. You see, it's not uncommon for her to become wildly distracted in the midst of the most mundane tasks - carrying a perfectly healthy cat (with 4 legs intact) around like a quadriplegic when she should be brushing her teeth. Or practicing her Hannah Montana moves in front of the hall mirror. Or trying out a gazillion different outfits or hairstyles with only minutes until deadline. Oh, the fabulous life of a 9 year old. She often makes a mad dash for the corner and actually runs after the bus which is already at M's house. Or returns sheepishly to say she missed the bus. This. is. oneofthosemornings. She just returned. So much for my relaxing cuppa. Later. I've got to take a shower. PS. You know, I've never been one to write a journal or a diary. But I'm kind of digging this. I don't know if anyone reads this, and I'm not sure if I care or if it matters. But it's helping me. And I like it. It feels a bit more productive than idly surfing the web or posting on message boards (but I could be wrong). *Does anyone read this? I see the view count, but I'm not sure that it's not just reflecting *my visits to my own page. Hmmm. Have a nice day. I'm of to work after a detour at the local elementary school. Currently listening : Awake By Josh Groban Release date: 07 November, 2006 7:36 AM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Wednesday, January 30, 2008 feeling better:-) Current mood: peaceful Yup, not grumpy anymore. The kids have both calmed down and the house is quiet. I treasure these moments when I can be quiet with my thoughts. Earlier, both of my darling children were bickering and in each other's space while doing homework. My 9 year old songbird was chirping away while listening to her MP3 player (How many 45 year olds know the soundtrack of High School Musical by heart?), which can be truly grating even though she has a beautiful voice and near perfect pitch. It's obviously not a maternal trait. While I try to discourage number one son from being obnoxious about quieting his sister, I have to admit that I chimed in and crabbed at her to be quiet. I appreciate music, but enough already. Anyway, (chill-aphobic, winter-hating, borderline whiny) darling husband has his annual professional networking conference with other YMCA CEOs in a warm climate this week. I think it's Phoenix this year, although in this age of cell phones and computer contact, I actually didn't pay much attention. It's not like the "old days" when he left a list of contact numbers, hotel information and flight numbers - most of that information is unnecessary when I can reach him with one phone number no matter where he is. Anyway, it's usually in Florida and in the midst of all the meetings, they somehow find the time to play golf. Lucky him. Personally, I appreciate this time of year, although my favorite season is definitely autumn. This weather makes me appreciate the warmth and promise of spring all the more. And I do get a kick out of shoveling snow. I actually like it. I could do without pumping gas in the bitter wind, though; and as a result I sincerely hope that I don't run out in the morning since I stubbornly avoided doing that task this evening. Cheers, snuggle up in a warm blanket, kick your feet up and think of all your blessings. That's what I'm doing right now. If winter comes, can spring be far behind? – Percy Bysshe Shelley God is good. All the time. 8:48 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Yes, I’m grumpy Current mood: cantankerous A preadolescent, belligerent, quarrelsome, defiant child will do that to you. I *know he needs patience and guidance to get him through this stage, but I swear I just want to scream at him and get away sometimes. They always challenge you just when you'd rather curl up on the couch with a good book and a glass of wine and *not be the parent. And he's defiant about the same crap over and over again. And I'm not a drill sergeant or anything; I'm generally pretty laid back, a little laissez-faire even. I encourage questioning and free expression of feelings, but I will not tolerate blatant disrepect and a cocky, know-it-all attitude. Am I wrong about that? That was rhetorical, but really, what's a parent to do? Oh, and just when I'm feeling really at wit's end, he'll do something like say, "Mom, will you come in and snuggle at bedtime? Please?" Yes, he's 12. And I love him no matter what. I think I'll go pour a glass of wine. 6:31 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

second try - in more ways than one Current mood: optimistic Category: Blogging Well, I tried to update again last night and the whole thing disappeared. I don't know if I muddled something technically, or if it was the fact that I was on my MacBook, which is finicky about which applications it gets along with - it doesn't always play nice. Anyway, I blathered on about having 4 friends (now it's 6!) and that it was really 3, because I don't think that Tom guy counts - he's *everybody's friend. I'm not good at recreating what I've already written, so I'll just have to sigh and let it go... Thanks to all of you who've added me as a friend...woohoo! :-) 6:30 AM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Tuesday, January 29, 2008 nothing really I'm not really sure I get the point of blogging, although I admit that I like to read the blogs of others - it feels a bit voyeuristic, but in between the boring, mundane stuff is an insight to the private (or not so private) thoughts of others. I'm fascinated with the phenomenom of social network sites like MySpace and Facebook, but I'm not really sure how to make use of them - other than reading others' thoughts and using them as search tools to find old friends, roommates and boyfriends. I like to know what people are up to - what they've done with their lives, how they've grown.... it's amazing what information is out there and what people *put out there. While I'm a pretty outgoing and social person, I'll admit that I like the seclusion and option of anonymity of making contact through the internet. It accomplishes the same thing, but avoids the potential awkwardness of a phone call, "blast-from-the-past". It allows both parties to feel each other out and move on to a reconnect if they so desire. Anyway, we'll see how this goes - so if there's anyone out there from my long ago past, feel free to give a shout out. 10:09 AM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Here's the old stuff from MySpace

I really can't do 2 of these, so I'm bringing the old stuff over before it gets to be too much.

Saturday, February 23, 2008 Rain. Current mood: restless Lots of it. Buckets, torrents. With thunder. And lightening. Ugh. Yankees Spring Training got cancelled.Thank God for late check-out (2:30), and a lobby with big screen TV and 2 computers for guest internet access. Haven't seen the kids for an hour and dh is snoring on the couch. :-) Our flight leaves at 6:30 PM and there's nothing to get us out of here earlier. I do have 2 more books to read, that's a good thing. And number one son and I can watch Thursday's Lost on the laptop leter. That's good. Some of the Yankees old-timers, management and such are staying here. Number one son talked to Mickey Rivera ( I don't know who he is, but dh and he do) in the lobby. Last night we drove over to Clearwater Beach and were pleasantly surprised by an arts show on the Pier. :-D The kids got to go bungee jumping on a trampoline - great fun! I passed. When we got back to the hotel, 9 of us were on an elevator. It lurched and clunked and shut down. :-( It was about 18 inches off the first floor and the doors wouldn't open. We weren't stuck for more than 15 minutes, so it was a minor adventure. But we were joking about having dinner leftovers, chocolate, etc. One of the women was claustrophobic - she didn't say much. She had doggie bags from the Cheesecake Factory, but it was salad, not cheesecake. Not much consolation if we were stuck longer. I had to pee, that was my biggest inconvenience. DH wasn't on the elevator with us since he parked the car. So when I called him to tell him we were stuck - he was in the lobby on the computer and said, "well, why are you calling me?". ???? Well, I wanted someone on the outside who spoke English to know of our predicament in case we were stuck longer. @@ Men. Geesh. Currently reading : Blaze: A Novel By Richard Bachman Release date: 22 January, 2008 12:39 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Thursday, February 21, 2008 Driving across Florida Current mood: happy Well, we checked out of Ocean Pointe this morning (West Palm Beach) and now we're in a great Residence Inn in Tampa. I have to say that the middle part of Florida is a scary place. We got off the highway at a town called Yeehaw. Yes, you read that correctly - Yeehaw. It went downhill from there. At one intersection there were 4, count'em 4 landfills. Once you're away from the coast there's really not much else. Well, maybe horse farms, but we didn't drive through that part this time. If you know different, please let me know - but why would anyone live in the middle of this state? We're off to Tarpon Springs for a great Greek B-day dinner and then to see some of Yankees Spring training tomorrow. Ahhhh, life is good. Currently listening : Birthday By Paul McCartney 4:19 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Sunday, February 17, 2008 Vacation! :-) Current mood: relaxed okay, so I missed a few days. Thursday - travel all afternoon and evening, check into resort at 10 PM. Dinner inb car at 9:45 - headache already begun Friday - headache worsened. Went back to bed. Turned into a full-blown, sucky migraine. Complete with sensitivity to light and nauseousness. Kids and DH went to pool and fended for themselves. Since I was too sick to drive to buy the groceries as planned, this meant lunch of cereal and cookies. @@ Woke up around 4 PM and joined the land of the living. Limped through dinner at our favorite casual beach restaurant - Johnny Longboats. Came back to room and was asleep again by 8:15. What a great vacation so far! Saturday - no headache! yay! Went to obligatory vacation spiel for timeshare. Why? Becasue they give you 15000 points. We have a great bank of points and just to give you an idea, you can take a world trip for two in 5 star hotels with airfare for 200000 points. Oh, yeah. They add up quickly. We get points for charge purchases as well. :-) Went grocery shipping finally. Took DH and number one son to golf course. Took younger daughter to get manicures and pedicures and indulge in frivolous shopping. Got eyebrows waxed, too. Ouch. Had a great dinner by the intracoastal waterway with our feet in the sand, Jimmy Buffet music playing and wicked rum drinks. Life is good. Sunday - went to a local church. Yup. ON my vacation. Left everyone behind and went on my own. It was wonderful. Rest of day - Relaxing by pool and racing my darling daughter across the pool. I'm whipped. More fun to come. How's the weather in Rochester? :-) 8:12 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Tuesday, February 12, 2008 Another reflection Current mood: disgusted Another thing happened on Sunday. Number one son started Confirmation class. Reluctantly. Parents had to be there for the first class and he was a combination of the class clown and the class idiot. I think he'll be fine when I'm not there, but boy, is he aggravating. He doesn't like going to church anymore, and I really can't blame him. There's not many kids his age there, and it's not in our neighborhood, so it's not like there are kids there from school. We team up with some other churches to do youth group stuff to make it more fun, and we're teamed up with another church for this confirmation class. There's one other boy there that he likes, but they have the potential to be T-R-O-U-B-L-E together, if you know what I mean. I told someone the other day that other people's kids often think I'm fun and I used to be a camp director, camp counselor and other fun stuff. I don't yell with anyone else but my own kids. Why is that? Anyone else feel like the dragon lady with their kids? What can you do when your kids are pushing ALL your buttons, intentionally, and not listening to reason? I certainly don't want to beat them. No, really, I don't. And I don't like the yelling, but what do you do when they don't listen - to consequences, punishments, withdrawal of privileges, and just won't shut up? I just get so frustrated. And it doesn't help that DH gets frustrated and is louder than me. 9:01 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

wow, it’s been 5 days Current mood: indescribable So, I have a ways to go to get into this blog thing. I think they say it takes 30 days to develop or break a habit, so I'll keep plugging along. Saturday was fun, I had a great one hour massage at the Y - total indulgence while E and her friend were swimming. Saturday night, we went to a private reception and then to see Cabaret - great show, but quite racy. :-) MOnday, the kids had NO school - apparently it was too cold for them to stand outside for 4 minutes in their Columbia jackets, LL Bean boots, and whatever designer hats are in this year (not my kids, they wear what's on sale or hand me downs from older cousins), mind you - it was COLD! But wth? it was still cold at home and they end up wanting to play outside anyway. Normally it's the city school that close becasue so many of the kids walk, but NOBODY walks in the suburbs. I just don't get it, especially since the city schools were open. And on top of it, yesterday, as DH was getting ready to go out of town overnight, he discovered the power light was not on on the hot tub. Yikes! Panic mode! I was at work, the kids were with me, and he was leaving. With. a. crisis. at. hand. Anyway, after having some mechanical-type friends look at it, and calling the company, I had to disconnect the hoses and clamps and bring in the motor unit to the spa store. Ugh. Then I had to drain it. Then we could leave the unit outside, so I had to bring it in to my LAUNDRY ROOM. ARghh. ANd I'm packing for Florida and doing laundry. ANd it's snowing now. Oh, boy. And I can't seem ot manage these caps and the keyboard. Dh is back now and helped me roll the hot tub (it's a portable soft tub unit) into the laundry room. What fun. I'm not really listening to the American Idol CD listed here, but I am listening to the TV show in the background. :-) Currently listening : American Idol - The Best & Worst of American Idol ( Limited Edition ) Release date: 22 November, 2005 8:33 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Thursday, February 07, 2008 Hockey. And wrestling. Current mood: rushed And wrestling and hockey. Since 3:30 this afternoon, I've had to pick up number one son from Sports Club at school, bring him back to school at 5:15 for wrestling, pick him up at 6:30 to make it in time for his 7:15 hockey, and now I'm catching my breath before I have to pick him up at 8:15. Every day, it's wrestling. Thursdays and Saturdays, it's wrestling *and hockey. DH is put of town again. I get to do the ferrying again on Saturday. Lucky me. Saturday AM, it's hockey rink by 7:30, game from 8-9, wrestling from 9-11, etc.... It's no wonder that dinner tonight was a kid-pleasing mac and cheese (yeah, from a box, what of it?) and I'm having a salad. Who can cook when they're only home for 45 minutes at a time? I know, I know, I'm no Betty Crocker. :::hanging head::: Currently listening : O Brother, Where Art Thou? By Various Artists - Soundtrack Release date: 05 December, 2000 7:47 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

not much Current mood: thoughtful Some days there's a lot to say, some days. not so much. This is one of those days. That's okay though, this writing is for me, not for you. :-) On Tuesday, just as I was going out to vote, E stepped on a piece of glass and let out a blood-curdling, hair-straightening scream. On closer inspection, it wasn't just a sliver, but a huge shard. We soaked her foot in a bowl of water to clean it out and get a better look at it - lots of blood. I couldn't get a good grip on it with tweezers, so we called the pediatrician. Luckily, we could go there instead of the emergency clinic. They were quite impressed with it's size and after 5 numbing shots, they pried it out of her foot and sent us on our way with a prescription for antibiotics. A stop at Tim Hortons for a sprinkled-covered Boston cream donut and all was well. Did you vote? (I did, but went out after dinner) Yesterday, I went to number one son's wrestling match after school; only to find out he didn't have a partner in his weight class. :-( So, I arranged with DH to pick him up and left to get ready for church. It was Ash Wednesday. When I was younger, and when I wasn't a regular church attender; I didn't pay much attention to the non-Sunday church services. I know, hard to believe as a PK (preacher's kid). Now, I recognize them as important markers of the church calendar, and as brackets to the season. They help me to more fully realize the significance of the church calendar. How can I enter the Lenten journey unless I mark it with the observance of Ash Wednesday? How can I celebrate Easter without experiencing the 3 days before the Resurrection? Holy Thursday, Good Friday and the Easter Vigil are an important part of the story and the journey for me. The joy of Christmas means more after going through Advent. I'm certainly not perfect, but it's meaningful to me to be more intentional and not just a bystander in the pew on Sunday morning. Whatever your faith journey, I hope you embrace it wholeheartedly and question and learn as much as you can and surround yourself with others in a community of faith. "Is it faith to understand nothing, and merely submit your convictions implicitly to the Church?" John Calvin "And he says that a man is justified by faith and not by works, because faith itself is first given, from which may be obtained other things which are specially characterized as works, in which a man may live righteously. For he himself also says, 'By grace ye are saved through faith; and this not of yourselves; but it is the gift of God,' -- that is to say, 'And in saying 'through faith,' even faith itself is not of yourselves, but is God's gift.'" --St. Augustine, A Treatise on the Predestination of the Saints, Ch. 12 Enough of that. I'm leaving for Florida in a week - Halleluia! It's an especially sweet thought as I bundle up to venture out to scrape last night's ice off my car. Ugh. Currently reading : Capital Crimes By Jonathan Kellerman Release date: 25 September, 2007 7:41 AM - 2 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Monday, February 04, 2008 The Game Current mood: jubilant YAY GIANTS!!!!!! Okay, I am so not a fan, but it's really fun to watch true fans in action - my husband, father-in-law and son were hootin' and hollerin' and all kinds of excited. They're basking in the glow and their Giants regalia today. Good for them. :-) Poppy (Greek nickname, short for Pappou - grandfather) left this morning with his Giants hat, Giants sweater vest, Giants satin jacket - bright red, no less! DH left for work this morning with a grin on his face - he needs this kind of boost to get him out of the winter blues. In February, boating season seems like a looong time away. DH asked my this morning, "Why didn't you get your Mom's sports fan genes?" She was a huge Eagles fan, and Phillies, and Flyers, too. I remember when the Flyers won the Stanley Cup - sometime back in the 70's I think, she was out in the streets banging pots and pans. She was always a great cheerleader. When my little brother's Dragon Boat team (I tried to link the photo, but it didn't work - so you can see it in my profile pics if you want) was in the World Championship's in Philly, she had us all there in t-shirts and with bicycle horns and assorted noise makers; when my uncle was in the Philadelphia marathon, she was there on the corner as he ran by, she was at my swim meets. Me? I was the one at Phillies games reading my Seventeen magazine. And I have come a long way from the time I was in an interview to be a candidate for Homecoming Queen and I when asked about my attendance and support of the college teams, I made a lame excuse of not being at any football games since the fall - duh, it was spring and there were no more games. I have progressed since then - I like to sit in the stands with a beer and a bag of peanuts. :-) Ah, yes, I do miss her. But I digress. Just to be clear, I do support my local teams, and enjoy going to games in person; but I just don't define myself by my fandom and I really don't appreciate games on TV. Have a great day - GO GIANTS! Currently listening : Crazy Frog Presents Crazy Hits By Crazy Frog Release date: 23 August, 2005 5:27 AM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Sunday, February 03, 2008 Hmmm Current mood: curious Okay, so I obviously didn't go see the movie. It had to do with lethargy and an unwillingness to venture out in the cold (I tend to hibernate in the winter and save my late-night galavanting for the summer) and remain fully dressed after 9 PM. No, I'm not talking about getting nekkid, but I like to put on my comfy jammies and watch my TV from the comfort of my bed or couch - where I can recline comfortably and not have someone else's knees behind my shoulder. But I have an idle question, I took this map MapLoco! from my niece's blog and now I'm wondering - I see 6 or 7 visitors a day on the map. Are you people I know? Random strangers who saw the link in a sig somewhere else (there's only one spot and the initials are WV)? Or did you stumble here by accident? See below: Pittsford is practically my backyard, do I know you? :-) Fairport - I know you neighbor! Oakland, I can take a guess at, but how about you others? NJ, TN, KS, and yesterday included New Brunswick! Location Time Pittsford, NY, United States Sun, 03 Feb 2008 17:42:33 -0600 Nashville, TN, United States Sun, 03 Feb 2008 14:45:22 -0600 Fairport, NY, United States Sun, 03 Feb 2008 11:32:26 -0600 Livingston, NJ, United States Sun, 03 Feb 2008 11:00:02 -0600 Haledon, NJ, United States Sat, 02 Feb 2008 21:43:11 -0600 Valley Center, KS, United States Sat, 02 Feb 2008 21:23:52 -0600 Oakland, CA, United States Sat, 02 Feb 2008 19:27:09 -0600 Just curious, since I'm waiting until tomorrow to catch the commercials, and I'm feeling bloated from the chicken, and it's a little too early for the jammies; even by my clock. Have a good night, enjoy the game if you're so inclined. Peace. Currently listening : Silk Degrees By Boz Scaggs Release date: 27 February, 2007 5:04 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

About The Game Current mood: inspired Who cares? Not me. I just don't get it. I mean I get being a fan in a general sort of way(rah, rah - go team!), and I certainly like the parties - well the food and drink anyway. What's not to like about chicken wings and blue cheese? And beer. Good beer. Definitely not Michelob or LaBatt's or anything of that ilk. Sorry if you like it, it's just not for me. But I don't get the wear-your-lucky-shirt, don't-disturb-me, the pre-game let's-get-ready-for-some FOOTBALL hoopla that started at about 8:30 AM in this house. Really, heaven help me. Luckily, I had some afternoon chauffeur duties requested of me by number one son. I gleefully accepted the role even though it included waiting in the cold at the top of the hill while the boys went sledding for a few hours and making polite chit-chat with other team parents that I haven't met through 8 years of school involvement and non-involvement. I brought my folding chair and a good book. I was warm enough. Father-in-law (God Bless him) offered to buy some take-out chicken for dinner tonight. Apparently it's some sort of father-son bonding game ritual that-shall-not-be-broken. And KFC, not Popeyes. Hey, who am I to question lucky rituals? I'm thinking that if I get the chicken early enough I can catch a movie, maybe a chick flick. :-) How about this one? 27 Dresses I have to grab these opportunities when they arise. Life is good. Currently listening : New Soul By Yael Naim Release date: 08 January, 2008