I'm in Binghamton

...on my way to Bear Mountain to see THE REGATTA, a canoe race between youth camps that is a long standing tradition. Of course, the camp I'm rooting for has a long tradition of winning. :-)

Yes, in my youth, I was on the team - 2-man and 4-man canoes (well, woman) And I was the Waterfront Director one of our winning years. :-)

I'm very excited to see Darling Daughter tomorrow, and my cousin and her kids and my dear old camp friends who I don't talk to nearly enough. 

Because I'm a slacker. I'm much better at emailing and IMing than I am at actual in-person phone talking. But for anyone reading this who thinks I ought to call you more, I really do think of you all. Often. I'm just a slacker and it's easier to multi-task while on the computer than on the phone.

I hope DD is paddling tomorrow, but if not, the cheering is fun, too.  OOh, I forgot to mention that my brother will be one of the race starters - he's involved in the ACA. It'll be good to see him too. :-)

I'll be sooo embarrassed

...if my husband shows up on Fanny Pack Antics or Ugly Outfits NYC

I read them regularly. Religiously almost.

I even had my camera out and ready while on vacation last week, hoping to spot a fashion faux pas. 

You see, DH is on his way to NYC for an outdoor concert.  Yes, he packed his fanny pack. No, he's not wearing socks and sandals, but he is wearing an old David Crosby concert t-shirt. Or maybe the tie-dye.  

Oh, geez, if you see him, will you let me know?  If you run across him, please black out his face so no one else will know it's him.  It's the least you could do as a friend.

Although, honestly, if I could sneak a photo of him, I'd probably send it in myself. 

He's a true CSN, CSNY, NY and all variations thereof, fan. 

NO, Fan with a capital F. 

FAN!!!, even. 

He goes to every show he can, usually with the disclaimer that it could be the LAST because of David Crosby's health and the advanced age of all of them.

 I don't go to all of them with him. Once a year is usually enough.

He turned 50 at Halloween last year, so if this is the worst of the mid-life crisis - concerts and boats - I'm good with that.

Random vacation photos

Definitely amateur material, but here goes:

H-U-G-E ship going through the Welland canal from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario.

Really cute tree on the lawn of an equally cute cottage in Port Dalhousie.

It's adorable, isn't it?

Lighthouse at Port Dalhousie with big tanker in the background.

Clock tower in the middle of the main street in Niagara-on-the-Lake

Yours truly in front of the clocktower

Gentleman with a "man purse" going in for a wine tasting

View of sunset from N-O-T-L looking over Lake Ontario towards Toronto.
Yes, we could see the Toronto skyline.

After the Kenny Loggins concert,

we stopped in town for a late night snack and beer.

This RV was parked right outside the bar next door.
Whoa.

How convenient.

Don't be fooled by the sunshine and fun pics.

It rained and thundered on Wednesday afternoon, Thursday ALL. DAY. And Friday morning. And Saturday Afternoon.

After lightening and a water leak that shorted out some systems, this is where DH spent 5 hours on Thursday and 4 more hours on Friday and 2 bours on Saturday afternoon and 2 more on Sunday morning. Yes, it's the engine compartment.

He was in a REAL good mood. Can't you just tell?

But - we're home. I'm in need of a shower, and I have to run out and buy more kitty litter.

Catch ya later.

I'm Alright

Psst. That's the title of a Kenny Loggins song.

It was actually a great concert. It was at the Chautauqua Institution which is an amazing place. The theater is a covered pavilion, and very intimate.

We were in the second row. DEAD CENTER.

And his show was good. Much better than when I saw him a few years ago. Then he was promoting new songs and didn't want to sing any of the old hits and he was cold. This time he was warm and connected and sang some of my favorite oldies, including "I'm Alright" and of course, "Footloose". :-)

I have to say, though, that it was a little disconcerting to watch his old-man-turkey-neck jiggle while being fixated on the fact that his forehead has absolutely no lines. At. All. Can you spell B-O-T-O-X? He's still kind of cute, but waay too prettyboy, kwim?

We went with friends. Funny friends. We had a great time. Too much food, too much drink and accompanying hilarity.

Until this morning that is. After our friends left, we had more electrical trouble. So any things have gone wrong on the trip, it's not even funny anymore. We were supposed to stop for gas in Olcott, then continue to another port for the night. Well, we ended up tying up at the visitor dock and here we sit.

Generator problems, module problems, no navigation lights, electrical systems that trip with every switch you touch. It's ugly.

There have been some bright moments, but this was not the child-free romantic get-away that DH and I envisioned.

One True Thing

I just read it.

The book. By Anna Quindlen.

Oh, my. I'm not very good about book reviews, but Wow.

It's a story about a young woman whose mother is dying of cancer and her father tells her to come home to care for her. She leaves her NYC apartment and job and comes home. Her mother is everything she is not. Everything her father is not. Warm, and nurturing and a homemaker. It's a tale of discovery, about herself, her mother and of her parent's marriage. The young woman is accused of giving her mother a fatal overdose of morphine as her disease progressed.

I cried. I couldn't help it. The writing of how her mother's disease progresses, of how their relationship progresses, is just so heart-wrenching. It's tragic and beautiful.

She's accused of mercy-killing, the reader thinks maybe the father did it. The answer is quite a surprise.

I highly recommend it.

Mid-vacation message

Well, the stories and photos will have to wait - I just discovered that I don't have the cord to download (or is it upload?) my photos from the camera. Crap.

Well, we're back in NY, and tonight we're going to see Kenny Loggins (:::yawn:::). We've had severe thunderstorms, lightening strikes, and a major electrical problem with the boat's systems. The ones that are important for steering, lights, AC, water, EVERYTHING. It's almost fixed now. We'll see.

Last night, the rain cleared and we went into Niagara-on-the-Lake for dinner, shopping and people-watching. It's a quaint, cute little town in the heart of Ontario's wine country. DH even volunteered to do some wine-tasting and we bought a very nice (read expensive, buttery and smooth) chardonnay.

Electrician's on board now, so I'm going to get out of the way and explore the cute little shops on Main Street. Enjoy the day!

The "Real" Vacation begins

Tomorrow DH and I leave for a little get-away on our boat.

We'll go to Port Dalhousie in ON, Canada, then Niagara-on-the-Lake, then Lewiston, NY (nothing special there, but friends will meet us and we'll drive to Chautauqua for a Kenny Loggins concert) Gah, that part sounds old.

Don't get me wrong, I like Kenny Loggins; but really, I saw him for the first time in college. And I graduated 25 years ago. (okay, that sounds really bad. But it's true)

Anyway, I don't know if I'll have Internet access or not. Somehow, I'll survive. I might get twitchy, but I. Will. Survive.

::::Cue Gloria Gaynor chorus - or, if you prefer, the Aretha version::::

Have a great weekend if I don't "see" you.

Enjoy the day!

Oh, here are two photos from the weekend - one is cropped because I didn't like the way my arms looked in the sundress, but it was so freakin' hot I couldn't wear the little sweater. really.

Like PearlsofSomething said on her blog, I reserve the right to remove the photo at any time - like as soon as I come to my senses. Mostly because of the stupid grin and squinty eyes. Geesh. It was a rough day. And definitely take note of the total frizz in the hair. Yikes. For about 8 and a half minutes, in the hotel room, it was straight, and styled and kind of cute. Then WHAMO, outside in the 97 degree heat plus accompanying humidity and total style melt down. Oh well.

And the second photo is Darling Daughter on the rock by her cabin at camp. Everyone takes a photo there and I *know I have one in an old album somewhere of *me on the same rock. Cool. :-)

I'm back. "Vacation" continues.

Well, it was a whirl-wind weekend of picking kids up at camp, driving, family graduation party festivities, camp laundry, more camp laundry and dropping kids off to camp again.

And h-u-g-e thunder storms and torrential downpours. Oh yeah, driving was fun. Not. It was so bad at one point that I (and everyone else on the highway - lest you think that I was just a Nervous Nelly) had to pull over and wait for it to subside a bit.

And DH and I have a fundamental disagreement about driving. Highways vs. scenic roads. No, it's not that simple. It's actually highways (sort of out-of-the-way) vs. the shortest route, even if that route is backroads. Guess who's on which side?

DH has satellite radio. I found the 70's station and had a blast singing off-key to some great one-hit wonders. The seventies was a decade of some realllly bad music, but I loved it all. :-)

Anyway, I didn't take as many photos as I thought I would, but I'll share a few later today. It was H-O-T this weekend and the party was outdoors, under a tent and it was miserably, sweat-trickling hot. Enough whining.

I wore the green Boden dress, but after I had the tailor change the straps from ahalter to a cross back, I felt like I didn't have enough support or coverage and I didn't want to be spilling out during the family party, so I wore a cute little green shrug type sweater. That didn't last long. I had my MIL pin the straps (real classy) so I could remove the sweater, and I don't know what was worse - the safety pin or my fat arms.

I almost wore the Ann Taylor dress, but not only was it silk (hot!) and snug around the ribcage, but I broke the strap in my sweaty haste to try on multiple outfits, so that choice was lost.

The party was nice, good food, a chance to catch up with relatives (less fussy than a wedding and more fun than a funeral), and a chance to see my adorable little nieces (7 year old twins and their 3 year old sister).

Darling Daughter is safely ensconced at my childhood camp. I wanted to stay there in the worst way. Did I mention that my grandmother, mother, and all my female cousins were also a part of that camp as board members, campers, counselors and admin staff (Mom was Nurse, I was Waterfront Director and my cousin was Asst. Director) over the years? From the camp's inception in 1937. I think that's a pretty cool legacy.

Number One Son is back at his Y camp. Looking forward to golf camp this week. He is soooo good with younger kids. he was outstanding with his younger cousins. I wish he'd show that patience and caring with his sister, but at least I know the capability is there.

I hope they're having as much fun as I did back in my camp days. I'm trying to be good at sending them cards and news from home. That was always a highlight of "rest hour" - getting mail from home.

I have to be creative, since Emma's camp now prohibits all food care packages - there's a worry about bears. Yes, BEARS.

So, I'll stick to magazines and puzzle books, I guess. Mickey would love food care packages, but he already has stuff I sent wth him and I don't want to give him *too much junk food. I know, what a killjoy. Sorry.

Besides, they both have access to a camp store where they can purchase treats.

So, my childless vacation continues. :-)

Enjoy the day.

Vacation

No, I'm not going on one, but having both kids away at camp feels like I'm on vacation, even though I'm going to work every day.

Yippee!

Anyway, we pick the kids up tomorrow for the weekend, to make the trek to CT for my twin nephews' graduation party. We'll see the kids, do their laundry, see relatives, be festive and I've got a really cute sundress. :-)

Which one should I wear?

This one?
http://www.bodenusa.com/sale/col.asp?segname=Women&styid=WH107&segid=6&gpname=Dresses&desname=Halterneck+Dress&gpid=6&gen=#img

Or this one?
http://www.anntaylor.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=14583&categoryId=2261&pCategoryId=2259&productVariantId=90439&quantity=1&itemGUID=780a112cc0a86565499dadf812def2bf&sizeType=Misses&color=Summer%20Teal&size=18

(Sorry, I can't figure out how to just insert the photo and the web page won't link)

Then on Sunday, we bring them back to camp and I get to have another 2 week vacation. [insert big grin here]

This is where Emma will be going to camp:


Yes, they still make you wear a white bathing cap. Just like when I went there a million years ago.
This is from last year, my cousins and I all went for Women In the Woods and slept in this tent. I felt like I was a kid again. We even got yelled at for talking too much in the tent at night - just like 30 years ago!

Looks like fun! I hope she likes it as much as I did.

Last night

... we took our boat out.

This one.
http://www.searay.com/2007_sea_ray_sport_yachts_36_sedan_bridge.asp

Yeah, it's pretty sweet. It's called "Over The Top", which is fitting.

It's almost embarrassing.

But we've been boating forever, and started out with a 22 foot cuddy cabin, so we've paid out dues; including an 11 night trip across lake Ontario and up the St. Lawrence Seaway to Montreal with a 2 year old on the 22 foot boat.

With a Lot. of. Rain. 'Nuf said.

So, many boats later (31 foot used, 33 foot new, 36 foot new - over 15 plus years), we've graduated to a 36 foot boat, with more design and style than my modest house.

I have blue laminate kitchen countertops and cheap doors at home - the boat has granite counters and cherry wood.

Anyway. Not a huge trip, just to the river, but the night was perfect (well, except for the pesky pinched-nerve-in-my-neck thing that's bugging me) and we met friends at a free lakeside concert at the "beach".

I say "beach" because if I say beach, you might think that I'm at the shore or something. This is a beach on Lake Ontario. fresh water, no surf.

Anyway the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra was playing. We had wine, we had friends. We had a little picnic dinner on the boat. It was very nice.

Wasting away in Margaritaville...

So, my kids are at camp, DH has his golf league this evening - and what am I doing?

Nothing.

I took a nap, which in most circumstances can be a glorious thing, but in this case it was because I pinched a nerve in my neck and shoulder. (remember that overnight where I slept on the floor?. Yup, that did it. I Am Officially Old.) Taking a nap is the only thing that prevented me from progressing from whining to crying.

It's That. Bad.

My plans were to go to the mall and catch up on some shopping, grab a bite to eat and maybe a movie. So much for that. I'm just trying to decide which drug to use to help - a muscle relaxant, anti-inflammatory, or something to just knock me out? Any thoughts?

While you contemplate that, I was tagged a few days ago and I'm just getting around to passing it on. Here ya go, if you're interested:

Here's How It Works:
1. Link the person(s) who tagged you (That would be Amy)
2. Mention the rules on your blog (This is them!)
3. Tell about 6 unspectacular quirks of yours… (Remember that if you think they're boring)
4. Tag 6 following bloggers by linking them…
5. Leave a comment on each of the tagged blogger’s blogs letting them know they’ve been tagged.

Six Quirks About Me:
1. My bedroom can be messy, but my Bed Has To Be Neat. No wrinkly covers, no tangling the spread and sheets, and Definitely. No. Sheets. Pulling. Off. The Edges. Ever. (Yes, it's annoying - I even make DH move if he's there first so I can straighten them out.)
2. No matter how messy or lazy my day will be, I will always put on mascara. Even when I'm home sick in bed.
3. I used to always get dressed/showered before coming downstairs when I had company - even relatives. (I'm over that now)
4. I ALWAYS have a book with me. Always.
5. I'm an awful procrastinator, but I always get the job done. Sometimes at great personal stress due to my procrastination, but I get it done nonetheless.
6. Sometimes I'd *rather leave a message than talk to the person I call. That's why I love email.
7. (Since I don't really do number 3 anymore) I am happiest when there is a cat curled up against me.

I don't really "know" many bloggers even though I read a lot of them.

The lucky list of those being tagged:
ETW at The Glamourous Life of a Hausfrau
Miss Thystle... Miss Thystle Drinks Alone
The Blonde Goddess... Huh, The Blonde Goddess Is Confused
Karen (The Wub Queen)... The General Hospital Wub Tub
Barb... Black Belt scrapping
Judy.... Needling from the right side of the brain

So there ya go.

Enjoy the day.

More about the movies

You know how some movies give you instant "movie-isms"? Those words or phrases that keep popping up in your conversations or that just make you giggle or snort with an inside joke?

Well I got 2 from last night, which you may or may not appreciate.

From Hancock:
"You did a gu-g-oood j-aahh-bb-uh." "good job" said in a prolonged and tortured way.

From Get Smart:
"Missed it by *this much."

Got any movie favorites?

Tell'em to me in the comments.

Thanks.

A Lot Can Happen in 24 Hours

Usually a little sleep is included. But I'll get to that later.

First - the kids are off to camp! Woohoo! They're old pros at this by now, so packing isn't a big deal anymore. They were both champing at the bit to leave so they could get there early and pick put the desired Top Bunk and Primo Spot. I think it has something to do with establishing the pecking order in the cabin and marking your territory.

Whoo boy. We had a Wet Day to unload at camp. Really. Wet.
Not fun.

Can you see how wet? How about now?

That's all the pics I could take since my camera was dripping and I was Soaking Wet. I couldn't even turn on the AC in my car (it was humid - how fun, right?) because I was so wet it made me shiver. DH *So owes me. Big Time.

Below are photos of the Youth Group event:

Crap. I had several paragraphs that just disappeared.

Let's see.... what did I say? Hmmm, here's a short version:

I made Youth Group plans when I thought that only one child would be at camp, not 2 (I'm not really crazy) and we went to the Drive-In Movies (Hancock and Get Smart), followed by a Lock-In (a sleepover where you may not actually sleep, but you are "locked-in" at the church). Anyway, the weather cleared up, the night was cool and the floor was hard - although it could've been worse - I was actually on the floor for only about 3 hours.

I forget what else I wrote, but here I am; tired, needing a shower, and struggling through the work day.

Despite the discomfort, I LOVE drive-in movies and I really like hanging out with teens. They're Fun.

Enjoy your day.

We're off

to camp today.

Both kids are going to YMCA camps for the next 3 weeks.

Just to be clear - by their own requests - although there is the added bonus of child-free weeks, date nights, and the conspicuous absence of bickering. :-)

We'll pick them both up next weekend to go to our nephew's graduation party in CT, then Number One Son will go back to the Y camp and Darling Daughter will go to the camp that I went to as a kid.

Then, they'll both be at their respective camps for 2 weeks - and DH and I will be on a mini-vacation so we won't see them on the in-between weekend. :-(

They'll survive.

And not only that, they'll Thrive.

Swimming, boating, sports, crafts, music and drama, hikes and explorations, new friends, fun and No Computer and No TV. Sounds perfect.

They'll be old pros at this by the time they go away to college. And DH and I will also have experience with the empty nest and all that goes with it. I highly recommend sleepaway camp as part of the milestones of growing up - the independence, freedom and more. I think it's a part of healthy development - for both parents and kids.

And of course, it's fun, too.

Unfortunately, it's raining today which never makes move-in day fun.

gotta go.

Enjoy the day.

In case

you've been wondering (yeah, right)

NO, I have not been wogging lately. As in not for the last week. And a half.

No. I do not want to talk about it.

But someone, please, kickmyass and tellmetogetthehellbackoutthere.

This...

...is what happens when you're bored on a rainy day with internet and a digital camera



Why yes, that *is a double chin. Shut. Up.

Please.

Parenting question

At what age do you/would you leave your 2 kids home alone while you go to work/run errands/work out/whatever?

My kids are 10 and 13, and while they bicker around me, they do okay when on their own. I remember babysitting in the neighborhood when I was 11, and I do realize that times have changed. I live in a friendly, suburban neighborhood with other parents and neighbors home to call on should an absolute emergency arise.

I generally sign my kids up for day camp and resident camp for most of the summer, but there are a couple of odd days scattered here and there where I can't send them to camp for just one or two days.

I'm okay with them on their own for relatively short periods, knowing where they are and checking in regularly, especially since I'm about 10 miniutes away.

I've left the 13 year old before, but usually have taken the 10 year old with me. This is new to experiment with leaving the 10 year old, too.

Am I nuts or naive? Thoughts?

Have at it. :-)

I'm a very happy camper

And so are my piggies. :-)Yes, they are piggies.

I have fat fingers and toes, kind of like Fred Flintstone.

But it's soooo worth it to have someone scrub, massage and polish my toes for an hour. Especially when I can read magazines, sip bottled water and relax in the heated massage chair.

Aaahhhh.

Enjoy the day.

I almost forgot

Long-Haired Boy, formerly known as Number One Son, got a haircut yesterday. Granted it was under duress, but I think he looks soooo handsome. :-)

he's trying to hide behind the cereal box.

A little fuzzy, but cute.

A few more random pics

A few more random pics from last week:

The Old Man of the Sea... I don't think he caught that fish, I think one of the kids did.

This is a heron flying over the water (St. Lawrence River at Cape Vincent).
In Kingston, with all the fun stuff to see and do... Darling Daughter became enamored of Harley, a cat in a pet store.
This 65 foot yacht Magic Moment, was our neighbor on the docks at Kingston. And to think 15 years ago, we used to cross the lake in our 22 ft cuddy cabin and dock right next to The Big Boys.
The view of the harbor from the bridge of our boat.

I was this close to a great shot of an ugly fanny pack at a fast food joint on Princess St, but I couldn't get my camera out fast enough and the spectacle was seated and I lost my shot.


Enjoy the day!