Hi,
life has been busy lately so I've neglected my blog spot. I shall repent and promise to write more often as my New Year resolution.... and you know how those usually end up.
Marshall's family gathered at our house last weekend. It was the annual get-together and I think it went well. The food was mostly gone by the end of the afternoon and everyone seemed to leave with a smile on their face. Parting gifts are a big part of that.
My brother, Eric, sister-in-law, Sherry, and niece, Jessica arrived on Friday from Toronto after a 9 hour drive. They spent Saturday in New York City with a private tour guide, Marshalls' brother, Scott. He was also here Friday and volunteered to take my family up to the city and show them around for the day. They had a great time with Scott, he did a wonderful job showing Jessica the high lights. It was her first trip to NYC and she loved it. I think her favorite part was getting her picture taken on the steps of the court house where Law & Order is filmed. The Chinese food for lunch was also a big hit. They took the train back to Yardley after 6 hours of walking New York.... and slept well that night.
Marshall & I leave on our cruise vacation tomorrow and not a moment too soon. Yardley is in the midst of a snow storm right now. We have already shovelled the drive way twice in the last 4 hours and it is still snowing. Our cruise leaves out of Baltimore, a 3 hour drive on a good day, so we are planning to head out early tomorrow and hope that the highway is cleared off by then. I do not want to miss our ship. I am more than ready for a vacation where I will not have to cook or clean for 12 days. Hallelujah!
Eric and family are heading to Sherry's brother in Cherry Hill, NJ tomorrow and hanging there for the rest of the week. It feels like grand central station here with everyone coming & going, suit cases all over the place, scheduals to organize. I can't wait to hit the ship, ditch my watch and have my only worry be "what shall I wear to dinner tonight?" We get to celebrate New Years Eve on the ship and it will be first time I haven't made a gathering event for bringing in the New Year in decades. Let someone else have all the work for a change. I may learn to like the Life of Riley... who knows?
This will be my final post for 2010. Thank you for playing along and being loyal readers. I hope to see you all on my page again next year.
Peace, Love and Health for 2011........... I'd settle for a quiet year if nothing else.
xox
m
Day Lily!
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Friday, December 10, 2010
the end is near
Hi,
no, I'm not doing my best impression of Nostradamus and predicting the very end of the world... just the end of 2010. Three more weeks and it's all over except for the confetti clean up. Until that time, I have lots to get done.
There are a bunch of Holiday gatherings being held that we have been invited to. I love going to a party, even if I have to put up with hours of Christmas carol Muzak (which I hate with a passion). Our neighbours are making a Saturday afternoon event tomorrow in a traditional German style. Great food & drinks. Then the following week we have a party at other friends home and he's an excellent cook... more good food & drinks. We are hosting the annual Aurnou get together. I think we have about 20 family members coming to our place for Sunday brunch when Madison gets here for her visit. You guessed it, more food & drinks. After Christmas, Marshall & I head out on a 12 day cruise of the Caribbean with, wait for it, more food & drinks.
To prepare for this onslaught of consumption I was hoping to lose 5lbs to give my self some wiggle room into my pants.... but that hasn't happened. Can I resist all the chocolates, egg-nog and fruit cake? Probably not. I do love a good fruit cake and since no one else seems to eat it except me, I know there is always loads to be had. I do resist bringing any of it home with me and there is no egg-nog in our fridge. I try and create a 'safe zone' that way. This gives me half a chance at not bursting at the seams by the new year.
On the cruise I'm good to go. I don't cook so I'm not near food all day and at meal time I resist the temptation to try everything. We run around the ship, exercise, walk the ports, dance and climb the stairs, so in the past I have maintained my weight and even lost a pound or two cruising. Since there is no egg-nog or fruit cake on the ship I'm think I'll be safe.
My end is in fine form, so says my husband, therefore I an not going to worry about any of this and I plan to enjoy the last hurrah of 2010 in style. I have no New Year resolutions to make, no regrets and no remorse over the last 12 months. Bring it on, I'm ready for 2011. Dick Clark, let that ball start dropping.
xox
m
no, I'm not doing my best impression of Nostradamus and predicting the very end of the world... just the end of 2010. Three more weeks and it's all over except for the confetti clean up. Until that time, I have lots to get done.
There are a bunch of Holiday gatherings being held that we have been invited to. I love going to a party, even if I have to put up with hours of Christmas carol Muzak (which I hate with a passion). Our neighbours are making a Saturday afternoon event tomorrow in a traditional German style. Great food & drinks. Then the following week we have a party at other friends home and he's an excellent cook... more good food & drinks. We are hosting the annual Aurnou get together. I think we have about 20 family members coming to our place for Sunday brunch when Madison gets here for her visit. You guessed it, more food & drinks. After Christmas, Marshall & I head out on a 12 day cruise of the Caribbean with, wait for it, more food & drinks.
To prepare for this onslaught of consumption I was hoping to lose 5lbs to give my self some wiggle room into my pants.... but that hasn't happened. Can I resist all the chocolates, egg-nog and fruit cake? Probably not. I do love a good fruit cake and since no one else seems to eat it except me, I know there is always loads to be had. I do resist bringing any of it home with me and there is no egg-nog in our fridge. I try and create a 'safe zone' that way. This gives me half a chance at not bursting at the seams by the new year.
On the cruise I'm good to go. I don't cook so I'm not near food all day and at meal time I resist the temptation to try everything. We run around the ship, exercise, walk the ports, dance and climb the stairs, so in the past I have maintained my weight and even lost a pound or two cruising. Since there is no egg-nog or fruit cake on the ship I'm think I'll be safe.
My end is in fine form, so says my husband, therefore I an not going to worry about any of this and I plan to enjoy the last hurrah of 2010 in style. I have no New Year resolutions to make, no regrets and no remorse over the last 12 months. Bring it on, I'm ready for 2011. Dick Clark, let that ball start dropping.
xox
m
Monday, November 29, 2010
spelling bee
Hi,
I have a new word to spell. Osteoporosis.
Since I seem to have developed it, I thought I had better learn to spell the silly thing.... even though it's not very funny.
Seems it's the reason I'm shrinking. I've lost over an inch in the last 2 years. I'm blaming the chemo therapy. I happen to have had a DXA scan (which checks your bones for osteopina & osteoporosis.... both of which I now have and can spell very well) just before my cancer episode started and I didn't have any signs of either problem then. Fast forward to this summer when I was at my G.P.'s office and told how tall I was (or wasn't in my case). I went home and made Marshall re-measure me to make sure I wasn't losing more than just my height, maybe my hearing was going too. Nope, I was definitely shrinking.
My current scan came up with osteopina in my pelvis & osteoporosis in the lumbar region of my spine. My radiologist is relieved to know that it wasn't his fault when he zapped me around my head & neck, they seem okay. My calcium & vitamin D levels are great so it's not my diet that's the cause either. That leaves the chemo drugs as my main culprit. Drat, fix one issue and cause another problem. I just can't seem to catch a break lately.
Tomorrow I start in on my new meds, Alendronate, 35mg tablet.... better known as Fosomax. I wanted to try Boniva so that I might end up looking as good as Sally Fields does in the commercials but my doctor said I probably wouldn't get that 'Gidget' look from the meds so I'm going with the Alendronate. I'm just hoping I don't react, have any side effects, or shrink any more. I haven't room to spare in the size department. No wonder the 9 year olds are taller than me in the pool.
I am truly tired of having to learn to spell new words, especially medical ones. Spelling was never my best subject.
xox
m
I have a new word to spell. Osteoporosis.
Since I seem to have developed it, I thought I had better learn to spell the silly thing.... even though it's not very funny.
Seems it's the reason I'm shrinking. I've lost over an inch in the last 2 years. I'm blaming the chemo therapy. I happen to have had a DXA scan (which checks your bones for osteopina & osteoporosis.... both of which I now have and can spell very well) just before my cancer episode started and I didn't have any signs of either problem then. Fast forward to this summer when I was at my G.P.'s office and told how tall I was (or wasn't in my case). I went home and made Marshall re-measure me to make sure I wasn't losing more than just my height, maybe my hearing was going too. Nope, I was definitely shrinking.
My current scan came up with osteopina in my pelvis & osteoporosis in the lumbar region of my spine. My radiologist is relieved to know that it wasn't his fault when he zapped me around my head & neck, they seem okay. My calcium & vitamin D levels are great so it's not my diet that's the cause either. That leaves the chemo drugs as my main culprit. Drat, fix one issue and cause another problem. I just can't seem to catch a break lately.
Tomorrow I start in on my new meds, Alendronate, 35mg tablet.... better known as Fosomax. I wanted to try Boniva so that I might end up looking as good as Sally Fields does in the commercials but my doctor said I probably wouldn't get that 'Gidget' look from the meds so I'm going with the Alendronate. I'm just hoping I don't react, have any side effects, or shrink any more. I haven't room to spare in the size department. No wonder the 9 year olds are taller than me in the pool.
I am truly tired of having to learn to spell new words, especially medical ones. Spelling was never my best subject.
xox
m
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Turkey Day
Hi,
Mother Nature is having a bit of a hissy fit here, it's snowing. Yuck. It looks like Canadian weather, wet, slushy, miserable.... I didn't like it in Toronto and I like it even less in Yardley. Is it April yet?
We are headed up to Marshall's cousin Cori's house for the family Thanksgiving event (food fest). Our contribution is a challah that I baked last night, an easy donation to the meal. The drive will probably be nasty but I am a passenger, not driver, so I knit the whole way. I'm working on a very large mans' sweater. It was my donation to a local hospital fund raiser for breast cancer.I offered to knit a designer sweater for whom ever bid the highest at a silent auction event. I thought I'd get a woman who'd like a hand knit sweater, but a man, a very large man, won the sweater. It's a little more knitting than I thought I'd have to do but no problem. He chose an Irish Aryn knit pattern, in grey and it's coming out lovely. I'm sure he'll be pleased with it. He eluded that if I did a good job on his sweater he might commission me to knit one for his wife (I plan to ask how big she is before giving him a price). I take it every where I go so that I can get it to him A.S.A.P. Knitting night & day it is still going to take me over 2 months to finish this job. Knitting for Andre the Giant takes a lot of time.
So today the US gives thanks, the turkeys at the White House get pardoned (I had no idea there were guilty turkeys amongst us?) and everyones' cholesterol goes up a dozen points. Therefore they are all thankful for heart medications and bi-pass surgery available to one and all with medical insurance. I'm sure the founding fathers would be shocked to see what Thanksgiving has turned into.... to say nothing of the Black Friday Shopping Extravaganza starting at midnight tonight.
Pass the cranberry sauce please.
xox
m
Mother Nature is having a bit of a hissy fit here, it's snowing. Yuck. It looks like Canadian weather, wet, slushy, miserable.... I didn't like it in Toronto and I like it even less in Yardley. Is it April yet?
We are headed up to Marshall's cousin Cori's house for the family Thanksgiving event (food fest). Our contribution is a challah that I baked last night, an easy donation to the meal. The drive will probably be nasty but I am a passenger, not driver, so I knit the whole way. I'm working on a very large mans' sweater. It was my donation to a local hospital fund raiser for breast cancer.I offered to knit a designer sweater for whom ever bid the highest at a silent auction event. I thought I'd get a woman who'd like a hand knit sweater, but a man, a very large man, won the sweater. It's a little more knitting than I thought I'd have to do but no problem. He chose an Irish Aryn knit pattern, in grey and it's coming out lovely. I'm sure he'll be pleased with it. He eluded that if I did a good job on his sweater he might commission me to knit one for his wife (I plan to ask how big she is before giving him a price). I take it every where I go so that I can get it to him A.S.A.P. Knitting night & day it is still going to take me over 2 months to finish this job. Knitting for Andre the Giant takes a lot of time.
So today the US gives thanks, the turkeys at the White House get pardoned (I had no idea there were guilty turkeys amongst us?) and everyones' cholesterol goes up a dozen points. Therefore they are all thankful for heart medications and bi-pass surgery available to one and all with medical insurance. I'm sure the founding fathers would be shocked to see what Thanksgiving has turned into.... to say nothing of the Black Friday Shopping Extravaganza starting at midnight tonight.
Pass the cranberry sauce please.
xox
m
Sunday, November 21, 2010
homeland security
Hi,
I need to rant. That's not unusual, but this time I'm really mad.
Marshall & I just came back from Merida, Mexico. It wasn't a vacation trip, it was to help my mom get through a medical procedure and take some of the stress off my dad. That all went fine. My parents are back in Florida and we were glad to be able to be there to help out.
My issue is with our trip home from Merida, Mexico to Newark airport. We had to stop and switch planes in Houston. I will never fly through Houston again. The customs official was very nice but said that my finger prints weren't coming up in her system. As a 'permanent resident' I have to produce my green card (which is not green anymore just in case you were wondering), but they also check my finger prints and take my picture when I come back into the USA. It feels like getting a criminal one-over, Yucky! I then got separated from Marshall and put in a room to wait until Homeland Security is able to 'clear me'.
Do you want to hear what your tax dollars are doing? NOTHING! What a waste of money. There were 13 useless jar-heads in this office, strutting about, working slower than molasses on a cold day. I sat for almost 2 hours watching them move paper from one folder to another and drink a lot of coffee. There were about 20 travellers hauled into this waiting room. An East Indian woman in a wheel chair who looked about 124 years old, a kid from China, 3 business people from Mexico and assorted other men and women, plus me. We were a motley crew who didn't look anything like Osamin Ben Ladin but that's how you get treated. Trust me, there wasn't a terrorist in the bunch.
Why did I get pulled out? Because in 2005 I was turned away at the Detroit border. If you don't remember this episode, call me and I'll remind you, but the whole thing was a moot point the following day and I crossed the boarder into the USA.... Marshall married me to make me 'legal' in the States and I've gone in & out of the country for the last 5 years without a problem. This event was flagged in Houston for some reason and therefore I got held. When the pea-brains finally got to my folder I was told I was free to enter the USA. "Welcome home". I asked what the problem had been and the Homeland guard said I was 'deported' in 2005 so they had to check me out. I wasn't 'deported', I wasn't let in for 12 hours but I was never deported. I didn't want to argue with this peon, he was not worth another second of my time. Now I have to figure out how to get my name off this 'deported' list or I fear I will have this problem every time I come back into the States. What a useless waste of time and money. If you could see the single digit IQ's they have working at the Homeland Security Department in Houston you'd start planning the revolution now.
The whole airport theatre of scanning, & searching, & stripping, & no liquids, & no shoes or belts, & no pocket knives is utterly ridiculous. They aren't catching any bad guys, they're just pissing off travelers. If some nut bar wants to blow up something here there are plenty of targets to hit and they won't bother with major airports. There are easier places to wreck havoc if you are so inclined. I'm not, but I can see how someone else might be.
Penn Jillette (of Penn & Teller magic fame) was on CNN with his own personal rant about Homeland Security and airport B.S. I like him, he's well spoken, talented and a bit wacky. At 6'6" I wouldn't want to be the one stuck patting him down in an airport. His thing is to have copies of the US Constitution to hand out to the security people to let them know they have just defiled his constitutional rights. Even thought I have no constitutional rights as a resident I wish I could be behind him in line at the security check. I'm with him on this issue. The faster we realize what a waste Homeland Security B.S. is the faster the USA will get back on track. Big Brother is a moron.
I feel better now for raving. Thanks for listening.
xox
m
I need to rant. That's not unusual, but this time I'm really mad.
Marshall & I just came back from Merida, Mexico. It wasn't a vacation trip, it was to help my mom get through a medical procedure and take some of the stress off my dad. That all went fine. My parents are back in Florida and we were glad to be able to be there to help out.
My issue is with our trip home from Merida, Mexico to Newark airport. We had to stop and switch planes in Houston. I will never fly through Houston again. The customs official was very nice but said that my finger prints weren't coming up in her system. As a 'permanent resident' I have to produce my green card (which is not green anymore just in case you were wondering), but they also check my finger prints and take my picture when I come back into the USA. It feels like getting a criminal one-over, Yucky! I then got separated from Marshall and put in a room to wait until Homeland Security is able to 'clear me'.
Do you want to hear what your tax dollars are doing? NOTHING! What a waste of money. There were 13 useless jar-heads in this office, strutting about, working slower than molasses on a cold day. I sat for almost 2 hours watching them move paper from one folder to another and drink a lot of coffee. There were about 20 travellers hauled into this waiting room. An East Indian woman in a wheel chair who looked about 124 years old, a kid from China, 3 business people from Mexico and assorted other men and women, plus me. We were a motley crew who didn't look anything like Osamin Ben Ladin but that's how you get treated. Trust me, there wasn't a terrorist in the bunch.
Why did I get pulled out? Because in 2005 I was turned away at the Detroit border. If you don't remember this episode, call me and I'll remind you, but the whole thing was a moot point the following day and I crossed the boarder into the USA.... Marshall married me to make me 'legal' in the States and I've gone in & out of the country for the last 5 years without a problem. This event was flagged in Houston for some reason and therefore I got held. When the pea-brains finally got to my folder I was told I was free to enter the USA. "Welcome home". I asked what the problem had been and the Homeland guard said I was 'deported' in 2005 so they had to check me out. I wasn't 'deported', I wasn't let in for 12 hours but I was never deported. I didn't want to argue with this peon, he was not worth another second of my time. Now I have to figure out how to get my name off this 'deported' list or I fear I will have this problem every time I come back into the States. What a useless waste of time and money. If you could see the single digit IQ's they have working at the Homeland Security Department in Houston you'd start planning the revolution now.
The whole airport theatre of scanning, & searching, & stripping, & no liquids, & no shoes or belts, & no pocket knives is utterly ridiculous. They aren't catching any bad guys, they're just pissing off travelers. If some nut bar wants to blow up something here there are plenty of targets to hit and they won't bother with major airports. There are easier places to wreck havoc if you are so inclined. I'm not, but I can see how someone else might be.
Penn Jillette (of Penn & Teller magic fame) was on CNN with his own personal rant about Homeland Security and airport B.S. I like him, he's well spoken, talented and a bit wacky. At 6'6" I wouldn't want to be the one stuck patting him down in an airport. His thing is to have copies of the US Constitution to hand out to the security people to let them know they have just defiled his constitutional rights. Even thought I have no constitutional rights as a resident I wish I could be behind him in line at the security check. I'm with him on this issue. The faster we realize what a waste Homeland Security B.S. is the faster the USA will get back on track. Big Brother is a moron.
I feel better now for raving. Thanks for listening.
xox
m
Saturday, November 13, 2010
short.... just short
Hi,
The month of November is whizzing by. I have no idea what I have been busy with but the last two weeks seem to have disappeared and the next two are definitely action packed.
Tomorrow we are hosting a wine tasting party for friends & neighbours. My swimming buddy, Brian Sweeney, is a wine wholesaler and expert of the grape. He's bringing 6 different wines and offering tastings and discussion on the product. We have about 30 people interested in attending. Everyone is throwing in $10 to cover the costs of the wine and bringing something for 'pot luck' food/munchies. I've made chocolates, focaccia and hummus.... things that I think go well with drinking. I'm hoping it a success. It would be fun to do as an annual 'fall' party. I'll let you know how it goes.
Monday Marshall & I are travelling to Merida, Mexico. Not vacation time: we're meeting up with my parents because me mom is having a medical procedure done down there and we felt that they may need help. Long story. We will be back on Friday. Hopefully nothing will go awry and we'll get to enjoy some real Mexican cuisine.
Next Saturday I'm teaching at Princeton.... not the university but at a dance venue. I volunteered to lead a salsa class. My first foray into teaching dance in New Jersey. They usually get a nice crowd out for these events. I hope they are kind to me. My friend and dance-pal Carmen is offering to be my dance-dummy. I will take her up on this offer since she is petit enough for me to lead and not look too dorky with.
On the 23rd I spend the day at UPenn Hospital for my next big check up. Since I can't study for these tests I just go in and do my very best. Hopefully they will find nothing of interest and I will be good to go for another 9 months, or even a year if they let me. No news is good news in this scenario. Fingers crossed.
Madison is coming up for Thanksgiving on from the24th-28th. Dinner with Marshall's family on the 25th up in northern N.J. and we're at the end of the month......wow, was that fast or what?
I think someone shortened the month. Actually, I think they have shortened the whole year. I can't remember December coming around so quickly in the past and that means 2010 is over. I'm just getting the correct year written on my cheques and it's already a new number in 6 weeks. Crap! Time to start practicing writing"2011".
Short..... I also seem to have shrunk almost an inch in the last 2 years. The years are getting shorter and so am I. Totally depressing on both counts.
xox
m
The month of November is whizzing by. I have no idea what I have been busy with but the last two weeks seem to have disappeared and the next two are definitely action packed.
Tomorrow we are hosting a wine tasting party for friends & neighbours. My swimming buddy, Brian Sweeney, is a wine wholesaler and expert of the grape. He's bringing 6 different wines and offering tastings and discussion on the product. We have about 30 people interested in attending. Everyone is throwing in $10 to cover the costs of the wine and bringing something for 'pot luck' food/munchies. I've made chocolates, focaccia and hummus.... things that I think go well with drinking. I'm hoping it a success. It would be fun to do as an annual 'fall' party. I'll let you know how it goes.
Monday Marshall & I are travelling to Merida, Mexico. Not vacation time: we're meeting up with my parents because me mom is having a medical procedure done down there and we felt that they may need help. Long story. We will be back on Friday. Hopefully nothing will go awry and we'll get to enjoy some real Mexican cuisine.
Next Saturday I'm teaching at Princeton.... not the university but at a dance venue. I volunteered to lead a salsa class. My first foray into teaching dance in New Jersey. They usually get a nice crowd out for these events. I hope they are kind to me. My friend and dance-pal Carmen is offering to be my dance-dummy. I will take her up on this offer since she is petit enough for me to lead and not look too dorky with.
On the 23rd I spend the day at UPenn Hospital for my next big check up. Since I can't study for these tests I just go in and do my very best. Hopefully they will find nothing of interest and I will be good to go for another 9 months, or even a year if they let me. No news is good news in this scenario. Fingers crossed.
Madison is coming up for Thanksgiving on from the24th-28th. Dinner with Marshall's family on the 25th up in northern N.J. and we're at the end of the month......wow, was that fast or what?
I think someone shortened the month. Actually, I think they have shortened the whole year. I can't remember December coming around so quickly in the past and that means 2010 is over. I'm just getting the correct year written on my cheques and it's already a new number in 6 weeks. Crap! Time to start practicing writing"2011".
Short..... I also seem to have shrunk almost an inch in the last 2 years. The years are getting shorter and so am I. Totally depressing on both counts.
xox
m
Saturday, October 30, 2010
All Hallows Eve
Hi,
tomorrow night is Oct. 31st... where is 2010 disappearing to? What do you mean it's almost November? That allows 2011 to sneak up on me that much faster. I will not allow this. I demand a recount (hey, they do it all the time with elections, why not calendar dates?). I think we are getting gypped this year: someone has been double-dipping on dates and short changed us. It's the only explanation I can think of that explains how 5/6 of the years is already over and I'm just getting used to signing my cheques with the correct year in the corner.... and yes, I still write out cheques, Internet payments make me nervous, especially when I see how the bank messes up money transfers and other simple transactions... that's a whole other rant.
I have no plans to celebrate All Hallows Eve. I don't need an excuse to dress up funny. I do that every day, it's just called a bathing suit, swim cap & goggles. If you don't think that's a far-out look just try walking around on a busy street and see how many people stare in disbelief. Especially in February in Saskatoon. Gets them every time!
I forgot this weekend is "Halloween'' and I ventured into my local Walmart yesterday. Big mistake. There was a frenzied rush on bad candy and ugly costumes... wait, sorry, that happens in Walmart everyday, why was I shocked??? Just for the record, I don't get any trick-or-treaters' coming to our place. We live on a rather busy street where the houses are very spread apart. That means any kids who may try to collect candy around here have to walk the acreage properties only to cover 3 houses in a half hour of trudging around in funny clothes, schlepping a pillow case with dental nightmares. It ain't worth it.
Personally I don't really get the excitement about all this. Is everyone so hard up to get cavities? Does it fulfill some deep seated perversion to dress up like Snookie? Have I missed something? As a kid I liked getting a fun costume made by my mom or zadie. Playing dress up was okay with me for one night. Going out for a few hours of door knocking with my friends was also a blast, as long as we showed up back home before it was too dark out to see the street signs. I don't remember who ate all the candy we retrieved. I think most of it was consumed by my mother who kept it in a big bowl in the kitchen that we couldn't reach.
My favorite part of Halloween was carving out a pumpkin and toasting the seeds to eat. Kids don't carve pumpkins, it seems that had been declared a dangerous thing to do. Here you buy 'pre-carved' or painted versions of scary faces. What fun is that? No nicked fingers, no near death knife slashes? Dull, dull, dull. Now to get a good scare they pay a small fortune to go to a haunted house and scream at stuffed scarecrows that fall from the rafters. Real blood is so much more frightening when it's your own from stabbing yourself as you engrave an innocent squash. Now that's a blast.
So this weekend I'm hiding out, keeping the house dark and not gaining 5 lbs by avoiding the candy aisle in Walmart... which wasn't easy since at least 5,000 sq.ft. in the store was stacked with Hershey boxes. I do love my Almond Joys but I plan to buy them November 2nd when they are marked down half price. Anyone need a vampire cape? They're a real bargain in November.
xox
m
tomorrow night is Oct. 31st... where is 2010 disappearing to? What do you mean it's almost November? That allows 2011 to sneak up on me that much faster. I will not allow this. I demand a recount (hey, they do it all the time with elections, why not calendar dates?). I think we are getting gypped this year: someone has been double-dipping on dates and short changed us. It's the only explanation I can think of that explains how 5/6 of the years is already over and I'm just getting used to signing my cheques with the correct year in the corner.... and yes, I still write out cheques, Internet payments make me nervous, especially when I see how the bank messes up money transfers and other simple transactions... that's a whole other rant.
I have no plans to celebrate All Hallows Eve. I don't need an excuse to dress up funny. I do that every day, it's just called a bathing suit, swim cap & goggles. If you don't think that's a far-out look just try walking around on a busy street and see how many people stare in disbelief. Especially in February in Saskatoon. Gets them every time!
I forgot this weekend is "Halloween'' and I ventured into my local Walmart yesterday. Big mistake. There was a frenzied rush on bad candy and ugly costumes... wait, sorry, that happens in Walmart everyday, why was I shocked??? Just for the record, I don't get any trick-or-treaters' coming to our place. We live on a rather busy street where the houses are very spread apart. That means any kids who may try to collect candy around here have to walk the acreage properties only to cover 3 houses in a half hour of trudging around in funny clothes, schlepping a pillow case with dental nightmares. It ain't worth it.
Personally I don't really get the excitement about all this. Is everyone so hard up to get cavities? Does it fulfill some deep seated perversion to dress up like Snookie? Have I missed something? As a kid I liked getting a fun costume made by my mom or zadie. Playing dress up was okay with me for one night. Going out for a few hours of door knocking with my friends was also a blast, as long as we showed up back home before it was too dark out to see the street signs. I don't remember who ate all the candy we retrieved. I think most of it was consumed by my mother who kept it in a big bowl in the kitchen that we couldn't reach.
My favorite part of Halloween was carving out a pumpkin and toasting the seeds to eat. Kids don't carve pumpkins, it seems that had been declared a dangerous thing to do. Here you buy 'pre-carved' or painted versions of scary faces. What fun is that? No nicked fingers, no near death knife slashes? Dull, dull, dull. Now to get a good scare they pay a small fortune to go to a haunted house and scream at stuffed scarecrows that fall from the rafters. Real blood is so much more frightening when it's your own from stabbing yourself as you engrave an innocent squash. Now that's a blast.
So this weekend I'm hiding out, keeping the house dark and not gaining 5 lbs by avoiding the candy aisle in Walmart... which wasn't easy since at least 5,000 sq.ft. in the store was stacked with Hershey boxes. I do love my Almond Joys but I plan to buy them November 2nd when they are marked down half price. Anyone need a vampire cape? They're a real bargain in November.
xox
m
Thursday, October 21, 2010
my dilemma
hi,
if a toddler jumps in a swimming pool, unsupervised by their parent, whose fault is the inevitable drowning? The kid? The parent? The owner of the pool? God?
I work at the NAC (Newtown Athletic Center) as a swim instructor. I love my job. I only teach private lessons to people, from 7 months old to 70 years old. I've been able to get them all comfortable and moving in the water to the best of their ability. I make my own hours, arrange my own schedual, enjoy the accomplishments of the learning process for each student and take great pride when they have the 'ah-ha' moment of seeing that they can swim by themselves. One less potentially drowned person on the plant in my books.
Tuesday morning I was at my job with one of my favorite 4 year old swimmers. Jordyn is pure delight to teach and be with every week. We were using the small therapy pool. It's kept at 92° so the little ones like it better than swimming in the big pool at 82°. There was a second teacher with 2 students sharing the pool with us, no problem, we know how to keep out of each others way in the small space. There was also a father/daughter team.... and there began the problem.
Dad was trying to teach his daughter to swim, she was about 2½ years old. Good idea to start young, I applaud his efforts. He couldn't have cared less that Cynthia and I were trying to teach small kids as well in the same place. We would stick to one side of the pool, he'd have his daughter jump into the middle of where we were. I tried going to the 7' deep end, he ended up in my way. We bobbed and weaved around this moron for 20 minutes. He never did clue into the concept of staying in one corner and not crashing into Cynthia or me. There is also a spectator who was some relation to the dad/kid combo. A huge lard-ass of a woman sitting on the wall bench, making the occasional cooing comment at the little girl. I'm trying to focus on my student and stay away from this dad/daughter issue as best I can. Cynthias' class ends and she is taking a break in the pool office, relieved to be away from the pesky father.
Suddenly, dad has to pee. He proudly announces it and jumps out of the pool. He takes his daughter out of the water and places her on the pool deck, near the 'Jaba-the-Hut' lady who seems to know them. Not in her arms, or even close enough for the woman to reach the kid, and leaves the pool to do his business. Out of the corner of my eye I see the little girl spin around, bee-line to the pool and jump in by herself. She is not in a flotation device, dad is peeing in a bathroom, large lady hasn't even reacted to this turn of events as the kid sinks into the water.... holy shit Batman! The whole thing happens in seconds.
I parked my student by the side of the pool. She was riding a swimming noodle and good enough as a swimmer to be unattended for a few minutes. I dove under water, grabbed the little girl off the bottom and hauled her out of the pool in one swoop. Amazing what strength you get from an adrenaline rush. Dad re-emerged from the bathroom in time to find a crying kid, the woman is still sitting on her fat ass, and I'm swearing a blue streak under my breath at this dumb jerk of a parent. The woman starts to babble about "how she couldn't catch her fast enough before she jumped in on her own" (she never even batted an eye but I bet she moves pretty quick at the Chinese lunch buffet). Dad had the courtesy to say 'thank you' in my direction but I don't think he realized how close he was to calling a funeral home that day and burying his baby.
I finished my lesson and found my boss, the aquatic director, upstairs as I was leaving. I told him what happened. There was no life guard on duty (there rarely is, budget cut-backs) and that I wanted a raise and danger pay for having to deal with stupid people like this... just as the dad, kid and fat lady come around the corner. Daddy is asking his daughter "if she had a good swim today..." ASK ME YOU JERK! My heart is still pounding from getting your child off the bottom of the pool. Did I have a good swim day? Hell no! I do not want to play "Bay Watch at the NAC". I do not have the slow-motion bouncy boobs or flowing blond tresses to do this job. I wanted to punch the S.O.B. for being such a stupid parent. If that kids lives to be an adult I'll be amazed.
Back to my dilemma... who is at fault? Good thing I don't have to live with that on my conscience. I know how to swim.
xox
m
if a toddler jumps in a swimming pool, unsupervised by their parent, whose fault is the inevitable drowning? The kid? The parent? The owner of the pool? God?
I work at the NAC (Newtown Athletic Center) as a swim instructor. I love my job. I only teach private lessons to people, from 7 months old to 70 years old. I've been able to get them all comfortable and moving in the water to the best of their ability. I make my own hours, arrange my own schedual, enjoy the accomplishments of the learning process for each student and take great pride when they have the 'ah-ha' moment of seeing that they can swim by themselves. One less potentially drowned person on the plant in my books.
Tuesday morning I was at my job with one of my favorite 4 year old swimmers. Jordyn is pure delight to teach and be with every week. We were using the small therapy pool. It's kept at 92° so the little ones like it better than swimming in the big pool at 82°. There was a second teacher with 2 students sharing the pool with us, no problem, we know how to keep out of each others way in the small space. There was also a father/daughter team.... and there began the problem.
Dad was trying to teach his daughter to swim, she was about 2½ years old. Good idea to start young, I applaud his efforts. He couldn't have cared less that Cynthia and I were trying to teach small kids as well in the same place. We would stick to one side of the pool, he'd have his daughter jump into the middle of where we were. I tried going to the 7' deep end, he ended up in my way. We bobbed and weaved around this moron for 20 minutes. He never did clue into the concept of staying in one corner and not crashing into Cynthia or me. There is also a spectator who was some relation to the dad/kid combo. A huge lard-ass of a woman sitting on the wall bench, making the occasional cooing comment at the little girl. I'm trying to focus on my student and stay away from this dad/daughter issue as best I can. Cynthias' class ends and she is taking a break in the pool office, relieved to be away from the pesky father.
Suddenly, dad has to pee. He proudly announces it and jumps out of the pool. He takes his daughter out of the water and places her on the pool deck, near the 'Jaba-the-Hut' lady who seems to know them. Not in her arms, or even close enough for the woman to reach the kid, and leaves the pool to do his business. Out of the corner of my eye I see the little girl spin around, bee-line to the pool and jump in by herself. She is not in a flotation device, dad is peeing in a bathroom, large lady hasn't even reacted to this turn of events as the kid sinks into the water.... holy shit Batman! The whole thing happens in seconds.
I parked my student by the side of the pool. She was riding a swimming noodle and good enough as a swimmer to be unattended for a few minutes. I dove under water, grabbed the little girl off the bottom and hauled her out of the pool in one swoop. Amazing what strength you get from an adrenaline rush. Dad re-emerged from the bathroom in time to find a crying kid, the woman is still sitting on her fat ass, and I'm swearing a blue streak under my breath at this dumb jerk of a parent. The woman starts to babble about "how she couldn't catch her fast enough before she jumped in on her own" (she never even batted an eye but I bet she moves pretty quick at the Chinese lunch buffet). Dad had the courtesy to say 'thank you' in my direction but I don't think he realized how close he was to calling a funeral home that day and burying his baby.
I finished my lesson and found my boss, the aquatic director, upstairs as I was leaving. I told him what happened. There was no life guard on duty (there rarely is, budget cut-backs) and that I wanted a raise and danger pay for having to deal with stupid people like this... just as the dad, kid and fat lady come around the corner. Daddy is asking his daughter "if she had a good swim today..." ASK ME YOU JERK! My heart is still pounding from getting your child off the bottom of the pool. Did I have a good swim day? Hell no! I do not want to play "Bay Watch at the NAC". I do not have the slow-motion bouncy boobs or flowing blond tresses to do this job. I wanted to punch the S.O.B. for being such a stupid parent. If that kids lives to be an adult I'll be amazed.
Back to my dilemma... who is at fault? Good thing I don't have to live with that on my conscience. I know how to swim.
xox
m
Sunday, October 17, 2010
it's been 16 days since my last blog....
it's been a busy couple of weeks.
First there was the 'dad' visit. No, this isn't my dad, read on... My father came down for a one night stay-over from Toronto. We ran around Princeton, lunched with friends from Cranbury NJ at a diner, met up with Marshall, saw a play at the university theatre, had dinner, crashed. The next day dad and I did some errands around Yardley then I put him on a train to Newark and he headed home. A whirl-wind tour but it was fun.
Then there were appointments with new dentists and doctors. My 'old' dentist up and moved to Boston. His office didn't inform me until I went for a check-up. I wasn't thrilled to find out as I walked in the door that their personnel had totally changed over so I found a new dentist to see. I like her, and her office, a lot better, so does Marshall. We're also trying out a new G.P. Marshall really likes him, I'm luke warm but maybe he'll grow on me. I also have had to get a new Gynecologist, mine apparently retired, again the office neglected to inform me that he had quit practicing so I'm seeing someone new in 2 weeks... what is with these people? They move, quit, retire and they don't have the courtesy to notify patients? Rude and bad business practice in my books.
Lots of swimming lessons going on. That's always good. I crashed and hurt myself in Yoga this morning, that's bad, but I'll live.
My friend, Carol Ann gave me 2 bushels of green tomatoes that I am going to turn into green tomato relish tomorrow. This will be my second batch of the season. The first one was a huge hit with anyone I gave a jar to. Those who return empty jars get free refills.... hint, hint ;)
Marshall left this evening for India for the week. He'll be back on Saturday. Yes, I know he just got home from his last trip but he is gone again. Don't feel bad, I can't keep up with where he is, and isn't, either. Keep those air miles adding up, Marilyn needs another trip.
Finally, I seem to have acquired a gigantic toad in our pond. I caught this picture of him (see above) this afternoon. You can't tell from the photo but he is bigger than my hand. Weird, he wasn't there last week when I cleaned the pond. Should I charge him rent by the day, week, or month? No such thing as a free ride in my water.
xox
m
Friday, October 1, 2010
Fall weather?
Hi,
we live in eastern Pennsylvania (it's taken me forever to learn to spell this states name correctly). Will someone please tell Mother Nature that it is officially 'Fall'. By October 1st, in Canada, there is the "no white shoes after labor day" law that is strictly adhered too and the plants know to die. Gardening season is over. Jackets are standard fair. The Fall season is in full swing. You know what's coming next, Winter. It's easy & straight foreword.
Here in PA I have no idea what to expect from one day to the next. It's 90 degrees one day and 40 the next. My plants are still blooming and the weeds are having a heyday. It's dry as hell, then you need to build an ark to deal with all the water coming down. Total confusion. I need weather structure, not this sillyness. I'm all gardened-out. April to October is more dirt than I want to deal with. Clipping hedges is getting old. I love the summer but enough is enough. My fall wardrobe needs exercising already. Boots are crying in my closet to be worn, coats, flighting to be loose from the hanger, sweaters, jeans, socks... everything I haven't had on in 9 months is screaming "wear ME!" Why am I worried about the dust bunnies in the closet? Just because they are starting to hold fashion shows with my clothes is no reason to panic. Part of me doesn't want to pack away the t-shirts and shorts, the other half is champing at the bit to bundle up in a flannel shirt and heavy hand-knit sweaters. Delema city.
It would be easier to be a fish in our pond, no trend issues for what's hot to wear this season, just the dim notion that the weather is starting to change and that means ice eventually on the water.... January will be here all too soon. Then I'll get to complain about the cold. Yipee!
xox
m
we live in eastern Pennsylvania (it's taken me forever to learn to spell this states name correctly). Will someone please tell Mother Nature that it is officially 'Fall'. By October 1st, in Canada, there is the "no white shoes after labor day" law that is strictly adhered too and the plants know to die. Gardening season is over. Jackets are standard fair. The Fall season is in full swing. You know what's coming next, Winter. It's easy & straight foreword.
Here in PA I have no idea what to expect from one day to the next. It's 90 degrees one day and 40 the next. My plants are still blooming and the weeds are having a heyday. It's dry as hell, then you need to build an ark to deal with all the water coming down. Total confusion. I need weather structure, not this sillyness. I'm all gardened-out. April to October is more dirt than I want to deal with. Clipping hedges is getting old. I love the summer but enough is enough. My fall wardrobe needs exercising already. Boots are crying in my closet to be worn, coats, flighting to be loose from the hanger, sweaters, jeans, socks... everything I haven't had on in 9 months is screaming "wear ME!" Why am I worried about the dust bunnies in the closet? Just because they are starting to hold fashion shows with my clothes is no reason to panic. Part of me doesn't want to pack away the t-shirts and shorts, the other half is champing at the bit to bundle up in a flannel shirt and heavy hand-knit sweaters. Delema city.
It would be easier to be a fish in our pond, no trend issues for what's hot to wear this season, just the dim notion that the weather is starting to change and that means ice eventually on the water.... January will be here all too soon. Then I'll get to complain about the cold. Yipee!
xox
m
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
and to this we say, 'amen'
hi,
many, many years ago I used to sing in our synagogue professional choir. I started as a kid of 12 and did it for almost 18 years. Every Wednesday night for rehearsal, every Saturday service, many Friday night events, holidays, weddings, bar mitzvahs... I saw them all from the front of the shule on the bimah (alter), staring out at the sea of congregants of which there were 100's and sometimes 1,000's. God can really fill in seats. The Rabbi, Irwin Shields, was a fabulous man. He was everything I thought a Rabbi should be: pious, straight forward, witty and a fabulous people person. He never forgot a face or a name or who was related to whom. Every Shabbat he would read off the names of members, or their family members, who had passed away. In Hebrew you say the "Kaddish" prayer and a "dru'ah sh'lay ma" to remember them by.
I'm no Rabbi, but I would like to say a "dru'ah sh'lay ma" for Amy McCurdy. Amy died in a car crash yesterday in Fort Wayne, Indiana at 12pm while driving home from day care. Amy was Russ McCurdys' wife and best friend, mother of 5 young children, church activist and a total sweetheart. She would have been a great Rabbi. Russ is who I took all my flight instruction from and my favorite fire fighter in the Fort Wayne Fire Department. I know he must be devastated by his loss right now. He also has his 5 children to care for and guide through this trial of his strength. I can't imagine his pain and I feel helpless being so far away.
Amy was often at the airport with kids in tow, bringing Russ lunch or dinner. I spoke with her regularly about swimming lessons for Katie or how the baby Joe was growing so fast. She had great energy and held the fort down while Russ worked two jobs, fire fighting and flight instructor. In the year it took me to learn to fly I think I saw her husband more than she did, but she never complained. I can't believe she is gone.
Remembrance is tantamount in most religions, therefore I would like to honor Amy with my remembrance of her: a wonderful wife, mother, giver and shining light that will never go out.... and to this we say "amen".
xox
m
many, many years ago I used to sing in our synagogue professional choir. I started as a kid of 12 and did it for almost 18 years. Every Wednesday night for rehearsal, every Saturday service, many Friday night events, holidays, weddings, bar mitzvahs... I saw them all from the front of the shule on the bimah (alter), staring out at the sea of congregants of which there were 100's and sometimes 1,000's. God can really fill in seats. The Rabbi, Irwin Shields, was a fabulous man. He was everything I thought a Rabbi should be: pious, straight forward, witty and a fabulous people person. He never forgot a face or a name or who was related to whom. Every Shabbat he would read off the names of members, or their family members, who had passed away. In Hebrew you say the "Kaddish" prayer and a "dru'ah sh'lay ma" to remember them by.
I'm no Rabbi, but I would like to say a "dru'ah sh'lay ma" for Amy McCurdy. Amy died in a car crash yesterday in Fort Wayne, Indiana at 12pm while driving home from day care. Amy was Russ McCurdys' wife and best friend, mother of 5 young children, church activist and a total sweetheart. She would have been a great Rabbi. Russ is who I took all my flight instruction from and my favorite fire fighter in the Fort Wayne Fire Department. I know he must be devastated by his loss right now. He also has his 5 children to care for and guide through this trial of his strength. I can't imagine his pain and I feel helpless being so far away.
Amy was often at the airport with kids in tow, bringing Russ lunch or dinner. I spoke with her regularly about swimming lessons for Katie or how the baby Joe was growing so fast. She had great energy and held the fort down while Russ worked two jobs, fire fighting and flight instructor. In the year it took me to learn to fly I think I saw her husband more than she did, but she never complained. I can't believe she is gone.
Remembrance is tantamount in most religions, therefore I would like to honor Amy with my remembrance of her: a wonderful wife, mother, giver and shining light that will never go out.... and to this we say "amen".
xox
m
Thursday, September 23, 2010
are you listening?
Hi,
it's a Winnie-the-Pooh day, rainy and blustery out. The power has cut out twice this morning and I'm sure there are a multitude of leaves, branches and even trees that have come down over the night. The arborists make a small fortune in this neighbourhood with all the old, huge trees. They are beautiful and majestic until they topple on your house, then they become your worst nightmare. Just keeping up with the leaves in the fall is a full time job here. Last year the borough was planning to cut off leaf pick up on the street (budget constraints) and there was a stampede of tax payers at the township meeting threatening revolt if the leaf pick up program was dropped. We in Yardley love our trees but hate the clean up in the fall. At least I hate it, it's never ending on our property. So the season begins....
Speaking of yard duty. I spent a good portion of yesterday in ours. The two weeks I was away wreaked havoc here. There were weeds and dead plants everywhere. I have learned not to try and tackle it all at once. That is a death sentence and sore muscles for a week. I worked about 4 hours, filled a garbage bag full of weeds... and that was just the bed in the front yard. Then there is the pond. Yuck! I've finally learned how to keep it clear but it's a weekly routine of scrubbing and scooping out algae, leaves and other detritus. The fish don't seem to care but I can't stand it looking like the Black Lagoon, therefore, I don my heavy duty rubber gloves and prepare my attack. I may not win every battle but I think I'm winning the war.
I was also busy making tomato relish and coleslaw. The kitchen got a work out. Friends and neighbours pawned off produce from their gardens. Everyone plants with good intentions but when they get to the harvest stage, suddenly there is an abundance of inventory that they just weren't counting on. How many green tomatoes am I able to can? All of them! Bring it on, I can take it all and turn it into fabulous relish. I have the knowledge and the canning jars. You don't scare me. Take THAT Mother Nature! Please note, any one who wants some fresh, home made tomato relish is welcome to drop by for a jar. I only ask that you return the empties to me so that I can refill next year. It's my version of recycling.
xox
m
it's a Winnie-the-Pooh day, rainy and blustery out. The power has cut out twice this morning and I'm sure there are a multitude of leaves, branches and even trees that have come down over the night. The arborists make a small fortune in this neighbourhood with all the old, huge trees. They are beautiful and majestic until they topple on your house, then they become your worst nightmare. Just keeping up with the leaves in the fall is a full time job here. Last year the borough was planning to cut off leaf pick up on the street (budget constraints) and there was a stampede of tax payers at the township meeting threatening revolt if the leaf pick up program was dropped. We in Yardley love our trees but hate the clean up in the fall. At least I hate it, it's never ending on our property. So the season begins....
Speaking of yard duty. I spent a good portion of yesterday in ours. The two weeks I was away wreaked havoc here. There were weeds and dead plants everywhere. I have learned not to try and tackle it all at once. That is a death sentence and sore muscles for a week. I worked about 4 hours, filled a garbage bag full of weeds... and that was just the bed in the front yard. Then there is the pond. Yuck! I've finally learned how to keep it clear but it's a weekly routine of scrubbing and scooping out algae, leaves and other detritus. The fish don't seem to care but I can't stand it looking like the Black Lagoon, therefore, I don my heavy duty rubber gloves and prepare my attack. I may not win every battle but I think I'm winning the war.
I was also busy making tomato relish and coleslaw. The kitchen got a work out. Friends and neighbours pawned off produce from their gardens. Everyone plants with good intentions but when they get to the harvest stage, suddenly there is an abundance of inventory that they just weren't counting on. How many green tomatoes am I able to can? All of them! Bring it on, I can take it all and turn it into fabulous relish. I have the knowledge and the canning jars. You don't scare me. Take THAT Mother Nature! Please note, any one who wants some fresh, home made tomato relish is welcome to drop by for a jar. I only ask that you return the empties to me so that I can refill next year. It's my version of recycling.
xox
m
Sunday, September 19, 2010
off again
hi,
my man is off again. Not "off" as in "the milk is turned", but "gone" as in "flew the coop". Marshall is on another around the world trip in 8 days. Yes, he's busy racking up the air mile points for me. What a guy! Last night he left for Singapore and then he hits India, back home next Sunday. The poor man had barely enough time to get his body clock turned around from our recent excursion to Asia and now he's going to have to flip himself over again. This isn't easy. I really feel sorry for him having to do this much travel, back-to-back. I do know that he gets to stay in lovely hotels (most of the time) and eat great food so it's not total torture, but he misses his own bed and his big screen TV.... and I like to think he misses me a little too but I think I take second place to the TV.
I have my work cut out here as well. Swimming lessons are back in full swing. My dance card is full and that keeps me out of trouble. The garden and pond fill up the rest of my time. It's time to start pulling out dead stuff from the beds... and since I was away for 2 weeks, there is a ton of dead stuff to deal with. I have gardened myself out this year but the season seems to go on until the end of November in this state. It's a much longer season than I'm used to. Toronto's growing lasts from June to September, here it's from April to November. Those extra 3 months make it feel like I've been weeding for an eternity. Why do the weeds do better than my plants? Why can't they make a whole airplane out the the same material as the black box that survives the crashes.... things that I wonder about late at night.
Yesterday I went with our neighbours, Kim & Jean, to a dog agility course competition up in New Jersey. It was a riot watching the people and their pets run these obstacle courses. I'm not sure which was funnier: the dogs having the time of their life, or the frustrated owners trying to get a blue ribbon. These people take this agility training very seriously but someone has neglected to explain to the dogs that it is life or death if they don't make it through those weave poles or over the rails without knocking them down. The dogs are woofing & wagging, the owners are sweating & swearing..... who's the stupid mammal in this pack? The dogs are a full gamut of breeds and sizes. The American Kennel Club has also opened up the competition to the new breed of "All American ", better known as your classic "mutt". Jean has an All American named Bella. She's part Whippet, Mexican Hairless, Labrador, Pointer and God only knows what, but she's smart and has a great personality. Bella was completely non-phased by the other dogs or all the hoopla going on, a true professional. Jean was a nervous wreck preparing for their run of the course, Bella didn't even look to size up the competition. Dog & owner did great on the course, no ribbon but they didn't get disqualified or do anything totally silly. Bella got a handful of treats and Jeans blood pressure went back to normal. Kim & I were there for moral support, cheering section and water bottle holding. Who knew that an afternoon of watching dogs perform could make one so thirsty? I think they need to set up a martini bar so the owners can chill out. They do have blow-up swimming pools for the dogs to cool down in after their runs, fair is fair.
Today I'm going to my Yoga class then for a bike ride with my neighbour, Kim. Gardening will have to wait until tomorrow.... the weeds aren't going anywhere and it's too beautiful out to do chores. I'm off....
xox
m
my man is off again. Not "off" as in "the milk is turned", but "gone" as in "flew the coop". Marshall is on another around the world trip in 8 days. Yes, he's busy racking up the air mile points for me. What a guy! Last night he left for Singapore and then he hits India, back home next Sunday. The poor man had barely enough time to get his body clock turned around from our recent excursion to Asia and now he's going to have to flip himself over again. This isn't easy. I really feel sorry for him having to do this much travel, back-to-back. I do know that he gets to stay in lovely hotels (most of the time) and eat great food so it's not total torture, but he misses his own bed and his big screen TV.... and I like to think he misses me a little too but I think I take second place to the TV.
I have my work cut out here as well. Swimming lessons are back in full swing. My dance card is full and that keeps me out of trouble. The garden and pond fill up the rest of my time. It's time to start pulling out dead stuff from the beds... and since I was away for 2 weeks, there is a ton of dead stuff to deal with. I have gardened myself out this year but the season seems to go on until the end of November in this state. It's a much longer season than I'm used to. Toronto's growing lasts from June to September, here it's from April to November. Those extra 3 months make it feel like I've been weeding for an eternity. Why do the weeds do better than my plants? Why can't they make a whole airplane out the the same material as the black box that survives the crashes.... things that I wonder about late at night.
Yesterday I went with our neighbours, Kim & Jean, to a dog agility course competition up in New Jersey. It was a riot watching the people and their pets run these obstacle courses. I'm not sure which was funnier: the dogs having the time of their life, or the frustrated owners trying to get a blue ribbon. These people take this agility training very seriously but someone has neglected to explain to the dogs that it is life or death if they don't make it through those weave poles or over the rails without knocking them down. The dogs are woofing & wagging, the owners are sweating & swearing..... who's the stupid mammal in this pack? The dogs are a full gamut of breeds and sizes. The American Kennel Club has also opened up the competition to the new breed of "All American ", better known as your classic "mutt". Jean has an All American named Bella. She's part Whippet, Mexican Hairless, Labrador, Pointer and God only knows what, but she's smart and has a great personality. Bella was completely non-phased by the other dogs or all the hoopla going on, a true professional. Jean was a nervous wreck preparing for their run of the course, Bella didn't even look to size up the competition. Dog & owner did great on the course, no ribbon but they didn't get disqualified or do anything totally silly. Bella got a handful of treats and Jeans blood pressure went back to normal. Kim & I were there for moral support, cheering section and water bottle holding. Who knew that an afternoon of watching dogs perform could make one so thirsty? I think they need to set up a martini bar so the owners can chill out. They do have blow-up swimming pools for the dogs to cool down in after their runs, fair is fair.
Today I'm going to my Yoga class then for a bike ride with my neighbour, Kim. Gardening will have to wait until tomorrow.... the weeds aren't going anywhere and it's too beautiful out to do chores. I'm off....
xox
m
Friday, September 10, 2010
around the world
Hi,
I'm back home.
Unfortunately I was unable to post to my blog from Asia. Too many 'spy filters' made it inaccessible... who says Big Brother isn't watching?
The trip was amazing. I ate my way from Beijing to Tokyo, relishing every bite. Fancy dinners, street food, hotel breakfasts... I was in gastronomic heaven. The only thing I am not missing right now is all the MSG & salt that Asian cooking gets drowned in. I have shed 4 lbs. in 48 hours just because I have stopped eating all the water-retention loaded items you get there. I was so bloated by the time I got home I couldn't get my wedding ring off my finger. I don't cook with salt or MSG so my poor little body ballooned up, but all is well and back to normal now. I am missing my congee breakfast, hargow snacks and 24 hour sushi access but at least I'm no longer busting out of my jeans.
Highlights of our trip, for me, were the Great Wall in China, getting around Cheng Du on the city bus system, back alley DVD shopping, dancing in the park in Shanghai, swimming in the Intercontinental outdoor pool in Tokyo, eating excellent food everywhere and being with my husband. He may hate all this travel, but I love it. Every corner I turned had something new and fascinating to see, do, or eat. Did I mention I loved the food?
I have fun pictures of it all, too many to post, but contact me if you want autographed copies.
Life is back to the regular scheduled program. Swimming lessons start up again next week, the laundry is all done and there is food in the fridge.... I made sure to get tofu so that I could remind myself of the last two weeks on a daily food basis.
xox
m
I'm back home.
Unfortunately I was unable to post to my blog from Asia. Too many 'spy filters' made it inaccessible... who says Big Brother isn't watching?
The trip was amazing. I ate my way from Beijing to Tokyo, relishing every bite. Fancy dinners, street food, hotel breakfasts... I was in gastronomic heaven. The only thing I am not missing right now is all the MSG & salt that Asian cooking gets drowned in. I have shed 4 lbs. in 48 hours just because I have stopped eating all the water-retention loaded items you get there. I was so bloated by the time I got home I couldn't get my wedding ring off my finger. I don't cook with salt or MSG so my poor little body ballooned up, but all is well and back to normal now. I am missing my congee breakfast, hargow snacks and 24 hour sushi access but at least I'm no longer busting out of my jeans.
Highlights of our trip, for me, were the Great Wall in China, getting around Cheng Du on the city bus system, back alley DVD shopping, dancing in the park in Shanghai, swimming in the Intercontinental outdoor pool in Tokyo, eating excellent food everywhere and being with my husband. He may hate all this travel, but I love it. Every corner I turned had something new and fascinating to see, do, or eat. Did I mention I loved the food?
I have fun pictures of it all, too many to post, but contact me if you want autographed copies.
Life is back to the regular scheduled program. Swimming lessons start up again next week, the laundry is all done and there is food in the fridge.... I made sure to get tofu so that I could remind myself of the last two weeks on a daily food basis.
xox
m
Monday, August 23, 2010
ready, set, go!
Hi,
I'm packed.
Everything for 2 weeks fits in my carry on case, with room to spare. This is where being petite comes in very handy. I have kiddy-size clothes and can take my whole wardrobe in a 1' x 2' x 2',5" suitcase. If the airlines charged for passengers 'per pound' I'd be the cheapest fare going. As it is, I could sell space in the part of the seat that I don't use. Leg room? I can practically dance around in all the extra area I have. Maybe I'll practice my Yoga moves at 40,000'. Can you just see me popping into a head stand as we fly over the Pacific? My plan is to sleep most of the way and knit the rest. Yes, you can carry knitting needles on a flight. They have decided that old ladies who knit & crochet are really not a major threat to security. I would be watching out for those 10 year olds with video games if were planning to breach security.....
Things I can't travel without:
Passport-can't they all tell I'm a Canadian?
MP3 player-Asian music is not my taste, they make great food, but their singing is hard on my ears.
Knitting project-the only way to kill 18 hours of travel time and have something to show for it.
Camera-proof that I am the 'large size' in Asian dress shops and Great wall photos
Everything else I could probably leave at home but extra clean underwear is a good thing.
Tomorrow I have a very early start and will meet up with Marshall in Beijing about 18 hours later.
More to come from the road as we travel.
so long
xox
m
I'm packed.
Everything for 2 weeks fits in my carry on case, with room to spare. This is where being petite comes in very handy. I have kiddy-size clothes and can take my whole wardrobe in a 1' x 2' x 2',5" suitcase. If the airlines charged for passengers 'per pound' I'd be the cheapest fare going. As it is, I could sell space in the part of the seat that I don't use. Leg room? I can practically dance around in all the extra area I have. Maybe I'll practice my Yoga moves at 40,000'. Can you just see me popping into a head stand as we fly over the Pacific? My plan is to sleep most of the way and knit the rest. Yes, you can carry knitting needles on a flight. They have decided that old ladies who knit & crochet are really not a major threat to security. I would be watching out for those 10 year olds with video games if were planning to breach security.....
Things I can't travel without:
Passport-can't they all tell I'm a Canadian?
MP3 player-Asian music is not my taste, they make great food, but their singing is hard on my ears.
Knitting project-the only way to kill 18 hours of travel time and have something to show for it.
Camera-proof that I am the 'large size' in Asian dress shops and Great wall photos
Everything else I could probably leave at home but extra clean underwear is a good thing.
Tomorrow I have a very early start and will meet up with Marshall in Beijing about 18 hours later.
More to come from the road as we travel.
so long
xox
m
Friday, August 20, 2010
down dog, up and away
Hi,
So many things to do, so little time.
Who said that? Willie Wonka? Churchill? Frank Zappa? Tennyson?
Whom ever it was hit the nail on the head.
We are leaving for our trip on next Tuesday and that's how I feel. I do have my passport back in hand with a valid China visa all stamped and pretty looking. What a racket! You have to pay them to come visit their country, be a tourist and spend money there... who started that? Probably the USA and now every country does it in retaliation. My visa is less expensive being a Canadian citizen but it still strikes me as a big rip off.
Did I mention rip off? Now that I've segued there, I might as well continue my triad on being ripped off. High end hotels. They are my new kvetch this week. Marshall's Tyco contact in Japan was nice enough to send us a list of hotels in Tokyo that we might like to stay in. Marshall was thoughtful to ask for places with a pool and gym so that we could exercise while there. Oh my gosh! They want as much as an extra $100/day to use the workout facilities. Ouch! I don't care who is paying, I'm not buying into that nonsense. I plan to walk my little tushie off while visiting so that will just have to count as my exercise for the day. Walking is free (I think?) even in Asia.... but if there is a way to charge extra for I'm sure they will find a way. The next move will probably involve a mandatory 'strolling permit' when you plan your visit. Crap, I hope they aren't reading my blog and getting any ideas. For the price they are charging for a room to sleep in you would think they could afford to throw in the exercise facilities, the Internet connection and 3 meals a day..... I am stealing as much soap as I can to off set the gouging extra charges.
My other news involves 'down dog'. I have been trying Yoga for the last 8 months to gain back my strength, flexibility and balance. Post-surgery you have no idea how beat up you are until you try standing on one foot and topple like a poorly stacked pile of books. I never thought I'd hear myself tout the benefits of Yoga. It used to bore me to tears and I'd cringe at the thought of a class. Now I'm addicted. I attend 2 classes a week at the NAC (where I teach swimming). Both a little different in their approach and level, but each beneficial. Now I have Marshall doing it with me. He's hoping it will help with his tight hips and lower back problems. I'm happy to have a partner in crime for my practice. Marshall is really very good at a lot of the poses without any effort. Hand stands, back bends, plank and down dog all come easy to him. Lucky man. He does have his challenging asanas ("positions", I'm trying to learn the lingo as I go, bear with me) but he is sticking with them. Determined to conquer all. That's my man.
Next week we will be doing our 'down dog' on the Great Wall of China. How neat is that!
xox
m
So many things to do, so little time.
Who said that? Willie Wonka? Churchill? Frank Zappa? Tennyson?
Whom ever it was hit the nail on the head.
We are leaving for our trip on next Tuesday and that's how I feel. I do have my passport back in hand with a valid China visa all stamped and pretty looking. What a racket! You have to pay them to come visit their country, be a tourist and spend money there... who started that? Probably the USA and now every country does it in retaliation. My visa is less expensive being a Canadian citizen but it still strikes me as a big rip off.
Did I mention rip off? Now that I've segued there, I might as well continue my triad on being ripped off. High end hotels. They are my new kvetch this week. Marshall's Tyco contact in Japan was nice enough to send us a list of hotels in Tokyo that we might like to stay in. Marshall was thoughtful to ask for places with a pool and gym so that we could exercise while there. Oh my gosh! They want as much as an extra $100/day to use the workout facilities. Ouch! I don't care who is paying, I'm not buying into that nonsense. I plan to walk my little tushie off while visiting so that will just have to count as my exercise for the day. Walking is free (I think?) even in Asia.... but if there is a way to charge extra for I'm sure they will find a way. The next move will probably involve a mandatory 'strolling permit' when you plan your visit. Crap, I hope they aren't reading my blog and getting any ideas. For the price they are charging for a room to sleep in you would think they could afford to throw in the exercise facilities, the Internet connection and 3 meals a day..... I am stealing as much soap as I can to off set the gouging extra charges.
My other news involves 'down dog'. I have been trying Yoga for the last 8 months to gain back my strength, flexibility and balance. Post-surgery you have no idea how beat up you are until you try standing on one foot and topple like a poorly stacked pile of books. I never thought I'd hear myself tout the benefits of Yoga. It used to bore me to tears and I'd cringe at the thought of a class. Now I'm addicted. I attend 2 classes a week at the NAC (where I teach swimming). Both a little different in their approach and level, but each beneficial. Now I have Marshall doing it with me. He's hoping it will help with his tight hips and lower back problems. I'm happy to have a partner in crime for my practice. Marshall is really very good at a lot of the poses without any effort. Hand stands, back bends, plank and down dog all come easy to him. Lucky man. He does have his challenging asanas ("positions", I'm trying to learn the lingo as I go, bear with me) but he is sticking with them. Determined to conquer all. That's my man.
Next week we will be doing our 'down dog' on the Great Wall of China. How neat is that!
xox
m
Thursday, August 12, 2010
moving right along.....
Hi,
it's been over a week since my last blog session. I'm trying to do this at least once a week but I don't always have a tale to tell or something to rant about. This writing stuff can be draining when you have to make things sound interesting that aren't.
Last weekend we (Marshall & I) had a fabulous time at Lake George. We have neighbours, Kim & Malcolm Brown who have befriended us and when Marshall commented that the flight from Yardley to Lake George would be under 2 hours in our plane, Malcolms' eyes lit up. Kim spends summers at their lake house, with Lela the Hungarian Vizsla wonder-hound. Lucky her & Lela. Malcolm commutes up & back most weekends and has to drive 5½ hours each way so a 2 hour flight sounded very appealing.
We flew up last Friday morning and we were swimming in the lake by 11am. Nice smooth flight at 10,500'. Malcolm couldn't believe get got there in 1:47. Kim picked us up at Ticonderoga airport and the whole things went smooth as silk. Cute airport, nice runway, no traffic, perfect landing. Marshall was in "the zone".
Saturday we drove down to Saratoga to see a car show in town. We stopped at the Sagamore Hotel to see what the people with money were up to. Gorgeous place to visit but I don't think I can afford to stay there. The car show had a wide variety of interesting vehicles from Chevy's to Lamborghini's and everything in between. Back up at the cottage, I was back in the lake swimming with Lela & Kim for the rest of the afternoon. Kims' sister Karen came by in their boat and took us out for a ride down the lake. We had dinner outside and toasted marshmallows. What a treat.
Sunday morning we went for a hike up the mountain. Spectacular vista view from the top. Marshall then took Kim, her sister Karen & brother-in-law Dave for a plane ride to show them the lake from the air. That was a huge hit. Flying home was almost as fast as flying up (slight head winds) but Malcolm was still amazed at how fast the trip was. I can't wait to do it again.
Back at the ranch... swimming lessons have picked up. All of a sudden there is a demand for lessons after a pretty quiet summer season. I have 4 new students, 2 kids, 2 adults. The NAC pool is closing for 3 weeks the end of August, opening again September 7th. It usually takes a few weeks for my schedual to settle down once school starts and the routines are set in place. It's first come, first serve for slots in my day and 2 moms have already called to pick their times & days. I seem to have a pretty steady clientele and more students than I need. It will all sort itself out but I do have to deal with a bit of juggling until it does. I'm going to grow gills & fins one day soon.
xox
m
it's been over a week since my last blog session. I'm trying to do this at least once a week but I don't always have a tale to tell or something to rant about. This writing stuff can be draining when you have to make things sound interesting that aren't.
Last weekend we (Marshall & I) had a fabulous time at Lake George. We have neighbours, Kim & Malcolm Brown who have befriended us and when Marshall commented that the flight from Yardley to Lake George would be under 2 hours in our plane, Malcolms' eyes lit up. Kim spends summers at their lake house, with Lela the Hungarian Vizsla wonder-hound. Lucky her & Lela. Malcolm commutes up & back most weekends and has to drive 5½ hours each way so a 2 hour flight sounded very appealing.
We flew up last Friday morning and we were swimming in the lake by 11am. Nice smooth flight at 10,500'. Malcolm couldn't believe get got there in 1:47. Kim picked us up at Ticonderoga airport and the whole things went smooth as silk. Cute airport, nice runway, no traffic, perfect landing. Marshall was in "the zone".
Saturday we drove down to Saratoga to see a car show in town. We stopped at the Sagamore Hotel to see what the people with money were up to. Gorgeous place to visit but I don't think I can afford to stay there. The car show had a wide variety of interesting vehicles from Chevy's to Lamborghini's and everything in between. Back up at the cottage, I was back in the lake swimming with Lela & Kim for the rest of the afternoon. Kims' sister Karen came by in their boat and took us out for a ride down the lake. We had dinner outside and toasted marshmallows. What a treat.
Sunday morning we went for a hike up the mountain. Spectacular vista view from the top. Marshall then took Kim, her sister Karen & brother-in-law Dave for a plane ride to show them the lake from the air. That was a huge hit. Flying home was almost as fast as flying up (slight head winds) but Malcolm was still amazed at how fast the trip was. I can't wait to do it again.
Back at the ranch... swimming lessons have picked up. All of a sudden there is a demand for lessons after a pretty quiet summer season. I have 4 new students, 2 kids, 2 adults. The NAC pool is closing for 3 weeks the end of August, opening again September 7th. It usually takes a few weeks for my schedual to settle down once school starts and the routines are set in place. It's first come, first serve for slots in my day and 2 moms have already called to pick their times & days. I seem to have a pretty steady clientele and more students than I need. It will all sort itself out but I do have to deal with a bit of juggling until it does. I'm going to grow gills & fins one day soon.
xox
m
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Junior Birdman
Hi,
Marshall has passed his flight test and is now a fully, reinstated, member in good standing, pilot. Whew!
He had a great test experience with an examiner who looked at his log books (yes, he's already filled one and is working on a second) and asked "why are we doing this test?" The Flight Gods/FAA deemed it necessary and so it shall be done. Fine. They went up, the examiner asked for a few maneuvers, a landing at Princeton and called it good. He could tell that Marshall was an experienced, conscientious pilot that needed to take this test about as much as Tiger Woods needs golf lessons. Tiger could use some lessons on other matters but I'm not going there right now. Marshall has his pilots' license back in order, including his IFR (instrument flight rating) certification, so he is good to go. Now he making noise about getting his commercial pilots' license... that opens a whole other door. Faster planes, paying customers..... don't ask.
My next big news is that we are traveling the end of this month. I've been invited to tag along on a business trip to China & Japan for 15 days.... yippee! We're going to Beijing, Chengdu & Shanghai. Then over to Tokyo. I'm so excited. I have a cousin who lives in Tokyo (Matt Naiman) who I've never met but I've met his dad, Laurie, who I Skype with on occassion. Matt runs a bunch of night clubs in Tokyo. I'm excited to meet up with him. The rest of the time Marshall is spending most of his visit working so I'll get to explore the lay of the land. He does want to see the Great Wall while we are in Beijing so I'm guarenteed his presense for that much. I was in China, visiting Cara, 18 years ago. I know it will be eye opening to see what has changed. We will be spending our 5th wedding anniversary in Shanghai. I promised I wouldn't hold him to setting a precedent for anniversary celebrations in exotic lands. My paper work for the Chinese visitor visa is in the pipeline, airline tickets have been purchased, hotel arrangements are being made and I am ready to rock & roll. Peking Duck, here I come.
xox
m
Marshall has passed his flight test and is now a fully, reinstated, member in good standing, pilot. Whew!
He had a great test experience with an examiner who looked at his log books (yes, he's already filled one and is working on a second) and asked "why are we doing this test?" The Flight Gods/FAA deemed it necessary and so it shall be done. Fine. They went up, the examiner asked for a few maneuvers, a landing at Princeton and called it good. He could tell that Marshall was an experienced, conscientious pilot that needed to take this test about as much as Tiger Woods needs golf lessons. Tiger could use some lessons on other matters but I'm not going there right now. Marshall has his pilots' license back in order, including his IFR (instrument flight rating) certification, so he is good to go. Now he making noise about getting his commercial pilots' license... that opens a whole other door. Faster planes, paying customers..... don't ask.
My next big news is that we are traveling the end of this month. I've been invited to tag along on a business trip to China & Japan for 15 days.... yippee! We're going to Beijing, Chengdu & Shanghai. Then over to Tokyo. I'm so excited. I have a cousin who lives in Tokyo (Matt Naiman) who I've never met but I've met his dad, Laurie, who I Skype with on occassion. Matt runs a bunch of night clubs in Tokyo. I'm excited to meet up with him. The rest of the time Marshall is spending most of his visit working so I'll get to explore the lay of the land. He does want to see the Great Wall while we are in Beijing so I'm guarenteed his presense for that much. I was in China, visiting Cara, 18 years ago. I know it will be eye opening to see what has changed. We will be spending our 5th wedding anniversary in Shanghai. I promised I wouldn't hold him to setting a precedent for anniversary celebrations in exotic lands. My paper work for the Chinese visitor visa is in the pipeline, airline tickets have been purchased, hotel arrangements are being made and I am ready to rock & roll. Peking Duck, here I come.
xox
m
Monday, August 2, 2010
down to the wire....
Hi,
Marshall has been working his tail bone off the last few weeks. Tomorrow is his big day: he's taking his flight test for his US pilots license. I know he's going to pass with flying colours (no pun intended) but he is still plugging away at getting all his ducks lined up so that there is no chance of failure. I have complete faith in his ability to nail this test, wow the examiner and spike the ball in the end zone... sorry wrong game but you get the idea. Wish my man good luck and clear skies for tomorrow morning. Not to be considered a bribe in any way, I have baked chocolate chip cookies to give his FAA examiner tomorrow when all is said & done. Showing up with home-baked food is always a good thing... after the test is done, they can celebrate.
Everything else is hunky-dory. Swimming lessons are light this month. People are still away for the summer or kids are at camp. That's fine by me. I get to swim more laps for my own health and take Yoga classes more often. I'm enjoying the Yoga more and more as my body gets with the program. Saturday I learned to get from a pose called 'crow', where you balance your knees on your elbows as you plant your hands on the floor and lift your toes off the ground. You are putting all your weight on your planted hands. From there, you spring your feet backwards and end up in a 'plank' position, like the top of a push-up. It's really cool looking when you do it. I'm good at head stands too but my hand stand needs work.... and then there are all the pretzel poses that I may have to learn in my next life. This body is just not going there.
Time to move on. We have a mason redoing the front walkway of the house and parts of the back patio. All the pointing (cement joints) needed pulling out. It's looking terrific. I hope he's done today so that I can get rid of the concrete dust. Then we have to spray some sealer on it and it will look better than new. Own a house, get a job. There is always something to fix here.
xox
m
Marshall has been working his tail bone off the last few weeks. Tomorrow is his big day: he's taking his flight test for his US pilots license. I know he's going to pass with flying colours (no pun intended) but he is still plugging away at getting all his ducks lined up so that there is no chance of failure. I have complete faith in his ability to nail this test, wow the examiner and spike the ball in the end zone... sorry wrong game but you get the idea. Wish my man good luck and clear skies for tomorrow morning. Not to be considered a bribe in any way, I have baked chocolate chip cookies to give his FAA examiner tomorrow when all is said & done. Showing up with home-baked food is always a good thing... after the test is done, they can celebrate.
Everything else is hunky-dory. Swimming lessons are light this month. People are still away for the summer or kids are at camp. That's fine by me. I get to swim more laps for my own health and take Yoga classes more often. I'm enjoying the Yoga more and more as my body gets with the program. Saturday I learned to get from a pose called 'crow', where you balance your knees on your elbows as you plant your hands on the floor and lift your toes off the ground. You are putting all your weight on your planted hands. From there, you spring your feet backwards and end up in a 'plank' position, like the top of a push-up. It's really cool looking when you do it. I'm good at head stands too but my hand stand needs work.... and then there are all the pretzel poses that I may have to learn in my next life. This body is just not going there.
Time to move on. We have a mason redoing the front walkway of the house and parts of the back patio. All the pointing (cement joints) needed pulling out. It's looking terrific. I hope he's done today so that I can get rid of the concrete dust. Then we have to spray some sealer on it and it will look better than new. Own a house, get a job. There is always something to fix here.
xox
m
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
insurance scam
hi,
yesterday I got a call from my dad in Toronto. He was griping about his car insurance. Don't we all. It seems that All State decided that his premiums were too low and needed adjusting. Since he pays monthly with an automatic credit card deduction, it's a good thing he noticed the rate hike because they certainly didn't call him with the change in rate. He called the agent and got some very nice lady with a half-baked lame excuse about his age..... okay he is 82, going to be 83 this November, but that was not 'news'. They've held this policy for him for the last 2 years on his Lexus in Florida. He wanted to know what we pay for car insurance and could I get him a better deal?
I'm not an insurance maven but I know with a little fancy footwork you can usually find a better rate, somewhere. The Internet is the best place to start, off I go.
Advertising usually drives me crazy it's so bad. I particularly hate the insurance company ads. Gecko's, ape men, umbrellas, obnoxious sales girls.... it's all terrible but it obviously works. Who do I bring up first on my computer... Progressive! I hate their ads the most so don't ask me why I even type in their name but I have to admit it was even easier to get a rate quote than I thought possible. It was impressive and cheaper than what All State was charging, by A LOT! A 30% savings. Go Flo! (she's the ad spokes person that they use.... don't ask if you don't know.)
Dad called All State to see if they'd meet the Progressive rate, they wouldn't so he cancelled that policy and took one out with Progressive. Easy as that. He's a happy camper and I now am on a first name basis with Flo. Do you think I can only get her to do something about her tacky hairdo & makeup...... ?
xox
m
yesterday I got a call from my dad in Toronto. He was griping about his car insurance. Don't we all. It seems that All State decided that his premiums were too low and needed adjusting. Since he pays monthly with an automatic credit card deduction, it's a good thing he noticed the rate hike because they certainly didn't call him with the change in rate. He called the agent and got some very nice lady with a half-baked lame excuse about his age..... okay he is 82, going to be 83 this November, but that was not 'news'. They've held this policy for him for the last 2 years on his Lexus in Florida. He wanted to know what we pay for car insurance and could I get him a better deal?
I'm not an insurance maven but I know with a little fancy footwork you can usually find a better rate, somewhere. The Internet is the best place to start, off I go.
Advertising usually drives me crazy it's so bad. I particularly hate the insurance company ads. Gecko's, ape men, umbrellas, obnoxious sales girls.... it's all terrible but it obviously works. Who do I bring up first on my computer... Progressive! I hate their ads the most so don't ask me why I even type in their name but I have to admit it was even easier to get a rate quote than I thought possible. It was impressive and cheaper than what All State was charging, by A LOT! A 30% savings. Go Flo! (she's the ad spokes person that they use.... don't ask if you don't know.)
Dad called All State to see if they'd meet the Progressive rate, they wouldn't so he cancelled that policy and took one out with Progressive. Easy as that. He's a happy camper and I now am on a first name basis with Flo. Do you think I can only get her to do something about her tacky hairdo & makeup...... ?
xox
m
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
chocolate chip cookies
Hi,
today's message is one of extreme importance. Pay attention carefully.
I'm on a quest to make the perfect chocolate chip cookie, with macadamia nuts & coconut. Our neighbour, Malcolm, has thrown down the gauntlet in my kitchen and challenged me to re-create this cookie that he buys from a Jewish deli down near Cherry Hill, New Jersey. I have to admit, it is one of the best cookies I have ever tasted and I am obsessed with trying to crack the recipe.
Last night was my first attempt. I got a decent cookie out of my effort but not nearly close enough to perfection. The deli cookie is thick and chunky, but soft to the pallet, not crunchy. I think I nailed the 'flavour' of the cookie but not the texture. My soft Canadian flour makes for a smooth, light dough and it needs more bulk.
In round #2, I plan to get some 'harder' flour, maybe some with more wheat bran in it (that will aid in digestion issues if nothing else). Dark brown sugar instead of the light version I usually use. More flour and less butter in the next batch... I have a few ideas I want to test out.
The biggest problem is consumption. Baking these is easy: getting someone to eat the inventory up is the real challenge. Marshall is great, but I don't want to turn him into Jabba-the-Hutt. After dinner, and a few cookie tastes, we walked around the neighbourhood, delivering cookies. I felt like a Keebler elf.
Malcolm gets first taste of course, since it's his cookie I am trying to replicate. He certainly liked my initial try and was thrilled to get warm cookies delivered. We talked about what needs changing to get the recipe closer to his store bought version but the fresh ones we showed up with were not going in the garbage either. If he was handing out grade points I probably got a C+ for my first effort.
I had to give some to our backyard neighbour, Kathleen Collins. She's a fabulous cook & baker. She even gave me some harder flour to try. Since she hasn't tasted the original cookie she could only guess at what corrections I need to try to get to Malcolms' version. If nothing else her husband John is going to be happy to have a sweet treat in the house. We played with their dog, Snickers and then toddled off.
Last stop was the Larricks' home. John is a really big man so I know he's got room to hide a few cookies on him. What can I say, I need eaters and have no shame in inflicting my cookies on nice people.... Kathy is a good sport about everything and is a willing victim for my baking experiment....they also have a great dog, Brandon, who will let me rub his tummy for ever if need be. A perfect household for cookie delivery. Marshall got to talk 'stereo equipment' with John, I unloaded more cookies, everyone was happy.
In the next couple of weeks I plan to bake my little heart out trying to get this cookie just right. If you are in the neighbourhood, hungry and feeling philanthropic, please come by to get some cookies. Your donations of a willing pallet and no fear of caloric intake is all I ask.
xox
the cookie monster
today's message is one of extreme importance. Pay attention carefully.
I'm on a quest to make the perfect chocolate chip cookie, with macadamia nuts & coconut. Our neighbour, Malcolm, has thrown down the gauntlet in my kitchen and challenged me to re-create this cookie that he buys from a Jewish deli down near Cherry Hill, New Jersey. I have to admit, it is one of the best cookies I have ever tasted and I am obsessed with trying to crack the recipe.
Last night was my first attempt. I got a decent cookie out of my effort but not nearly close enough to perfection. The deli cookie is thick and chunky, but soft to the pallet, not crunchy. I think I nailed the 'flavour' of the cookie but not the texture. My soft Canadian flour makes for a smooth, light dough and it needs more bulk.
In round #2, I plan to get some 'harder' flour, maybe some with more wheat bran in it (that will aid in digestion issues if nothing else). Dark brown sugar instead of the light version I usually use. More flour and less butter in the next batch... I have a few ideas I want to test out.
The biggest problem is consumption. Baking these is easy: getting someone to eat the inventory up is the real challenge. Marshall is great, but I don't want to turn him into Jabba-the-Hutt. After dinner, and a few cookie tastes, we walked around the neighbourhood, delivering cookies. I felt like a Keebler elf.
Malcolm gets first taste of course, since it's his cookie I am trying to replicate. He certainly liked my initial try and was thrilled to get warm cookies delivered. We talked about what needs changing to get the recipe closer to his store bought version but the fresh ones we showed up with were not going in the garbage either. If he was handing out grade points I probably got a C+ for my first effort.
I had to give some to our backyard neighbour, Kathleen Collins. She's a fabulous cook & baker. She even gave me some harder flour to try. Since she hasn't tasted the original cookie she could only guess at what corrections I need to try to get to Malcolms' version. If nothing else her husband John is going to be happy to have a sweet treat in the house. We played with their dog, Snickers and then toddled off.
Last stop was the Larricks' home. John is a really big man so I know he's got room to hide a few cookies on him. What can I say, I need eaters and have no shame in inflicting my cookies on nice people.... Kathy is a good sport about everything and is a willing victim for my baking experiment....they also have a great dog, Brandon, who will let me rub his tummy for ever if need be. A perfect household for cookie delivery. Marshall got to talk 'stereo equipment' with John, I unloaded more cookies, everyone was happy.
In the next couple of weeks I plan to bake my little heart out trying to get this cookie just right. If you are in the neighbourhood, hungry and feeling philanthropic, please come by to get some cookies. Your donations of a willing pallet and no fear of caloric intake is all I ask.
xox
the cookie monster
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
the Marshall Plan 2010
My poor husband. He's having a rough 47th year so far, and it's only the 4th day.
His birthday was on the 17th and he's not a "happy birthday" type of guy so we didn't really celebrate it. I love my birthday so I'm never sure what to do, or not do, for Marshall who doesn't share my enthusiasm for that special event. Fine, no big deal if he doesn't want a party, or a cake, or presents, or cards (it's all the stuff I like about having to get older, I can't imagine a birthday without all of the hoopla), but he was in a funk all day and I couldn't help. Marking a birthday is a riot in my books. The alternative is not party material, but Marshall can't seem to muster up any 'hooray' on his day, so we let it slide.
Marshall's real issues are with his pilots' license from Canada having expired and the plane annual inspection needing to be done. He's now in Fort Wayne, Indiana, with his plane. He flew it out there on his student pilots license so that his favorite mechanic, Mark Kutter in Huntington, Indiana can have the beast for a week and get it certified as flyable for another year. Tomorrow Marshall with fly commercially back east to Boston for a meeting, then home to Yardley on Friday. Next week he'll have to fly commercially back to Fort Wayne to pick up the plane and fly it back to the home base airport he keeps it at in Robbinsville, NJ. Then he has to get a couple of flight hours in with an instructor so he can book his final flight test with an FAA examiner to get his US pilots license all in order. He's already written his exam and got a 93% on the test. Must be nice to not have to study for a year to pass the pilot exam. I still have no clue about density altitude.... never mind.
We're lucky that our friend in Fort Wayne, Dr. Kathy Sherman, was available to pick Marshall up at the airport in Huntington and get him to his hotel. The good thing about Huntington is that the annual gets done on the plane in record time, by an excellent mechanic who knows the plane inside & out. The bad thing is that there was no way for Marshall to get to his hotel other than to have someone pick him up. He'd forgotten how small Huntington is and thought he'd "catch a cab"... ha! Kathy gets dinner in NYC when she comes to visit us next, in exchange for her delivery service to the Best Western.
Hopefully by the end of the month Marshall will have sorted out his license problems, have a certified legal plane and feel better about being 47 years old.... which in my books is a baby. Wait until he has to see the north side of 50! ouch!!!
I am hoping that by the time the plane is home, his license is stamped and this event is over that my hubby will be a happy camper again and realize that 47 is only a number. My hero.
xox
m
His birthday was on the 17th and he's not a "happy birthday" type of guy so we didn't really celebrate it. I love my birthday so I'm never sure what to do, or not do, for Marshall who doesn't share my enthusiasm for that special event. Fine, no big deal if he doesn't want a party, or a cake, or presents, or cards (it's all the stuff I like about having to get older, I can't imagine a birthday without all of the hoopla), but he was in a funk all day and I couldn't help. Marking a birthday is a riot in my books. The alternative is not party material, but Marshall can't seem to muster up any 'hooray' on his day, so we let it slide.
Marshall's real issues are with his pilots' license from Canada having expired and the plane annual inspection needing to be done. He's now in Fort Wayne, Indiana, with his plane. He flew it out there on his student pilots license so that his favorite mechanic, Mark Kutter in Huntington, Indiana can have the beast for a week and get it certified as flyable for another year. Tomorrow Marshall with fly commercially back east to Boston for a meeting, then home to Yardley on Friday. Next week he'll have to fly commercially back to Fort Wayne to pick up the plane and fly it back to the home base airport he keeps it at in Robbinsville, NJ. Then he has to get a couple of flight hours in with an instructor so he can book his final flight test with an FAA examiner to get his US pilots license all in order. He's already written his exam and got a 93% on the test. Must be nice to not have to study for a year to pass the pilot exam. I still have no clue about density altitude.... never mind.
We're lucky that our friend in Fort Wayne, Dr. Kathy Sherman, was available to pick Marshall up at the airport in Huntington and get him to his hotel. The good thing about Huntington is that the annual gets done on the plane in record time, by an excellent mechanic who knows the plane inside & out. The bad thing is that there was no way for Marshall to get to his hotel other than to have someone pick him up. He'd forgotten how small Huntington is and thought he'd "catch a cab"... ha! Kathy gets dinner in NYC when she comes to visit us next, in exchange for her delivery service to the Best Western.
Hopefully by the end of the month Marshall will have sorted out his license problems, have a certified legal plane and feel better about being 47 years old.... which in my books is a baby. Wait until he has to see the north side of 50! ouch!!!
I am hoping that by the time the plane is home, his license is stamped and this event is over that my hubby will be a happy camper again and realize that 47 is only a number. My hero.
xox
m
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
hi,
Yesterday was a "visit the dermatologist" day. Oh boy, fun wow!
I like him. Dr. Miller is a great guy, I just hate the fact that he likes to take pieces off me every time I go to see him.
This time I was worried about a spot on my back that had been growing for the last 2 months. Silly me, that thing fell off the day before the appointment. Dr. Miller didn't even want to talk about it or see the photos that Marshall had been creating to document it. It was just a "seborrheic keratoses". Ugly? yes. Growning? yup. Dangerous? no more than a bad pimple. I had been covering it up with bandages because my bra strap was rubbing against it and agravating the spot. The combination of keeping it covered and being wet in the pool all the time made the darn thing fall off. Perfect. I thought I had this dermatology visit in the bag. No such luck.
My forehead was the new issue. Dr. Miller and his eagle eyes, decended upon my brow just above my left eye and deemed it "unfit". I don't argue with this man (I have other men in my life to argue with if I feel so enclined). I know the drill now. Frist, I request (demand) drugs. I don't want to be aware of any of his procedures. They hurt, make me woozy and my blood pressure drops like a rock making the least little thing worse. Start with a dose of Adavan or Valium and I have half a chance of survival. The worst part is the numbing of the area. There has to be a better way to stick Novicain into you than with sharp pointed objects. I'm sure it was worse 100 years ago but it still hurts. Dr. Miller then scrapes away the the area that he has decided is evil. I get a really dorky bandage and I'm free until my next appointment in 3 months from now. Darn, I thought I could beg for another 6 months out of him, but no way.
Yes, I have been good. I wear my heavy duty sun screen daily, scarves, hats, covering clothing, no mid-day sun... I'm feeling rather Bedouin, Hassidic or Amish most days. How the hell do they were all those clothes in 100° heat? Marshall is diligently checking my skin for anything new or exciting that may crop up. My luck hasn't crashed and burned but it isn't giving me cause to run to Vegas and put it all on red either.
So, my new bad 'actinic keratoses' are gone. I look like a lop-sided pirate with a white patch over my left brow. My next appointment is already made with Dr. Miller. I can be a good patient when I want to be. I was back in the pool this morning teaching swimming (without getting my head wet) and life goes on, again.
We did stop at Max Brenner's Restaurant (www.maxbrenner.com) in Philadelphia for dinner on the way home last night. Nothing a little fabulous chocolate couldn't cure.
xox
m
Yesterday was a "visit the dermatologist" day. Oh boy, fun wow!
I like him. Dr. Miller is a great guy, I just hate the fact that he likes to take pieces off me every time I go to see him.
This time I was worried about a spot on my back that had been growing for the last 2 months. Silly me, that thing fell off the day before the appointment. Dr. Miller didn't even want to talk about it or see the photos that Marshall had been creating to document it. It was just a "seborrheic keratoses". Ugly? yes. Growning? yup. Dangerous? no more than a bad pimple. I had been covering it up with bandages because my bra strap was rubbing against it and agravating the spot. The combination of keeping it covered and being wet in the pool all the time made the darn thing fall off. Perfect. I thought I had this dermatology visit in the bag. No such luck.
My forehead was the new issue. Dr. Miller and his eagle eyes, decended upon my brow just above my left eye and deemed it "unfit". I don't argue with this man (I have other men in my life to argue with if I feel so enclined). I know the drill now. Frist, I request (demand) drugs. I don't want to be aware of any of his procedures. They hurt, make me woozy and my blood pressure drops like a rock making the least little thing worse. Start with a dose of Adavan or Valium and I have half a chance of survival. The worst part is the numbing of the area. There has to be a better way to stick Novicain into you than with sharp pointed objects. I'm sure it was worse 100 years ago but it still hurts. Dr. Miller then scrapes away the the area that he has decided is evil. I get a really dorky bandage and I'm free until my next appointment in 3 months from now. Darn, I thought I could beg for another 6 months out of him, but no way.
Yes, I have been good. I wear my heavy duty sun screen daily, scarves, hats, covering clothing, no mid-day sun... I'm feeling rather Bedouin, Hassidic or Amish most days. How the hell do they were all those clothes in 100° heat? Marshall is diligently checking my skin for anything new or exciting that may crop up. My luck hasn't crashed and burned but it isn't giving me cause to run to Vegas and put it all on red either.
So, my new bad 'actinic keratoses' are gone. I look like a lop-sided pirate with a white patch over my left brow. My next appointment is already made with Dr. Miller. I can be a good patient when I want to be. I was back in the pool this morning teaching swimming (without getting my head wet) and life goes on, again.
We did stop at Max Brenner's Restaurant (www.maxbrenner.com) in Philadelphia for dinner on the way home last night. Nothing a little fabulous chocolate couldn't cure.
xox
m
Saturday, July 10, 2010
new pose
hi,
first, the weather:
it's raining! yipee!!!!!
Mother Nature is doing her job and getting back on track with the precipitation. It was so hot & dry here we were thinking of re-landscaping with rocks, sand & cactus since everything else was dying a horrible, slow death. This much needed water is coming down in buckets, but that's a good thing today. I was fed up with schlepping the hose out at 6am every morning to try and keep the garden alive. Now I can look forward to all the weeds that will need pulling once the rains abates. Why do the weeds grow faster, stronger and healthier than anything else in the ground?
This morning I did one of my favorite Yoga classes. I am getting stronger and stronger, plus healthier and healthier... I wish I could get younger & younger but I'll settle for stronger & healthier. After Yoga I taught a swimming student for 45 minutes in the pool. She was huffing and puffing, I was feeling fine. I can see how the Yoga breathing is making my swimming better too. After 2½ hours of exercise between the Yoga and the pool I felt great. It's so nice to have a relatively healthy body again. My stamina is almost back to normal. Today in Yoga I was able to do one of the tricky balancing poses that has eluded me for the last 6 months. Who knows why it all-of-a-sudden "works", but it does. I am enjoying the Yoga because I see progress in my strength and healing.... and there is always a harder pose to master. Maybe I was a weed in another life? I seem to grow stronger & healthier like them. If I could grow taller that would really convince me that Yoga is miraculous on top of being good for your mind & body. Too much to strive for? Maybe.
Namaste
xox
m
first, the weather:
it's raining! yipee!!!!!
Mother Nature is doing her job and getting back on track with the precipitation. It was so hot & dry here we were thinking of re-landscaping with rocks, sand & cactus since everything else was dying a horrible, slow death. This much needed water is coming down in buckets, but that's a good thing today. I was fed up with schlepping the hose out at 6am every morning to try and keep the garden alive. Now I can look forward to all the weeds that will need pulling once the rains abates. Why do the weeds grow faster, stronger and healthier than anything else in the ground?
This morning I did one of my favorite Yoga classes. I am getting stronger and stronger, plus healthier and healthier... I wish I could get younger & younger but I'll settle for stronger & healthier. After Yoga I taught a swimming student for 45 minutes in the pool. She was huffing and puffing, I was feeling fine. I can see how the Yoga breathing is making my swimming better too. After 2½ hours of exercise between the Yoga and the pool I felt great. It's so nice to have a relatively healthy body again. My stamina is almost back to normal. Today in Yoga I was able to do one of the tricky balancing poses that has eluded me for the last 6 months. Who knows why it all-of-a-sudden "works", but it does. I am enjoying the Yoga because I see progress in my strength and healing.... and there is always a harder pose to master. Maybe I was a weed in another life? I seem to grow stronger & healthier like them. If I could grow taller that would really convince me that Yoga is miraculous on top of being good for your mind & body. Too much to strive for? Maybe.
Namaste
xox
m
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Wet Noodle
Hi,
it is still hot as hell around here and no sign of this heat abating soon. Our garden has turned into a waste land and forget the lawn, it's toast. The only thing enjoying this heat wave is the pear cactus that I planted, it's blooming! No amount of water is saving the poor plants. I even have to refill the pond every day because it's evaporating about 1" to 2" in a 24 hour cycle. I'm afraid the fish are going to get boiled in the bath water they are swimming around in. I love summer, but this is ridiculous.
Today I spent the day in water, a lot of water. I had swimming lessons at 9:30am for an hour, 12:30pm for an hour and a half and then again at 4:30pm for another 1½ hours. How do you get rid of that much chlorine on your skin? I swear I'm growing fins, gills and scales on my body. My swimming students are just too much fun sometimes. Dianna, who is just 4 years old, was practicing singing under water "It's Too Darn Hot". She loves musicals from the 40's & 50's and knows all the words to the songs from "Kiss Me Kate", "Damn Yankees" and "South Pacific". She's the next Shirley Temple if I ever met one. I plan to get her autograph as soon as she learns to write her name a little more legibly.
At least being in water all day kept me cool and comfortable. The fact that I shrunk 2 sizes is a bit of a problem but nothing some chocolate cake couldn't fix.
In other news, I'm up to 13 followers on my blog. I'm doing this because everyone bugged me about creating a blog last year when I was sending out my updates. Now that I'm healthy and feeling great, where are all my fans? Fickle, Fickle, Fickle! No problem, I'm writing this anyway to see if there really is a readership audience that is out there. I'd do this even if it was for only one person so I guess 13 is a lucky number to have already. I'm calling them "my Bat Mitzvah crowd". Feel privileged that you are part of an elite group.... at least I think you are elite.
xox
m
it is still hot as hell around here and no sign of this heat abating soon. Our garden has turned into a waste land and forget the lawn, it's toast. The only thing enjoying this heat wave is the pear cactus that I planted, it's blooming! No amount of water is saving the poor plants. I even have to refill the pond every day because it's evaporating about 1" to 2" in a 24 hour cycle. I'm afraid the fish are going to get boiled in the bath water they are swimming around in. I love summer, but this is ridiculous.
Today I spent the day in water, a lot of water. I had swimming lessons at 9:30am for an hour, 12:30pm for an hour and a half and then again at 4:30pm for another 1½ hours. How do you get rid of that much chlorine on your skin? I swear I'm growing fins, gills and scales on my body. My swimming students are just too much fun sometimes. Dianna, who is just 4 years old, was practicing singing under water "It's Too Darn Hot". She loves musicals from the 40's & 50's and knows all the words to the songs from "Kiss Me Kate", "Damn Yankees" and "South Pacific". She's the next Shirley Temple if I ever met one. I plan to get her autograph as soon as she learns to write her name a little more legibly.
At least being in water all day kept me cool and comfortable. The fact that I shrunk 2 sizes is a bit of a problem but nothing some chocolate cake couldn't fix.
In other news, I'm up to 13 followers on my blog. I'm doing this because everyone bugged me about creating a blog last year when I was sending out my updates. Now that I'm healthy and feeling great, where are all my fans? Fickle, Fickle, Fickle! No problem, I'm writing this anyway to see if there really is a readership audience that is out there. I'd do this even if it was for only one person so I guess 13 is a lucky number to have already. I'm calling them "my Bat Mitzvah crowd". Feel privileged that you are part of an elite group.... at least I think you are elite.
xox
m
Monday, July 5, 2010
heat stroke
Hi,
it's hitting the 100° mark today so I'm hiding inside the house. What a heat wave!
To celebrate the mighty 4th yesterday, we were invited to our friends home for bar-b-que. It was so hot that cooking outside got scrapped but we had a fabulous meal anyway. Dana is a wonderful cook. He made paella, pasta salad, roast pepper/eggplant tampenad and margaritas from scratch. I brought a fresh baked challah and an apple pie so we ate & drank like kings. They even put on a fun fireworks show at dusk. Marshall was the "Fire Marshal" and got to play with the hose, putting out a small grass fire. Everyone one had a good time. I'm ready for next years event.
I tried a new Yoga class this morning. I am not going to be able to sit up tomorrow. The instructor made it an 'abs' class to deal with all the food we ate over the weekend. Great idea, scary results. She had us doing modified crunches that are excellent, but without her abs of steel I know I am not going to be happy getting out of bed for the next few days. No pain, no gain, oy vey!
I hope you all enjoyed the weekend. Stay out of the heat if you are anywhere near Philadelphia. Drink lots of fluids and call me tomorrow to see if I survived the ab workout of today. Serves me right for thinking that I could play at the instructors level. I'll never learn!
xox
m
it's hitting the 100° mark today so I'm hiding inside the house. What a heat wave!
To celebrate the mighty 4th yesterday, we were invited to our friends home for bar-b-que. It was so hot that cooking outside got scrapped but we had a fabulous meal anyway. Dana is a wonderful cook. He made paella, pasta salad, roast pepper/eggplant tampenad and margaritas from scratch. I brought a fresh baked challah and an apple pie so we ate & drank like kings. They even put on a fun fireworks show at dusk. Marshall was the "Fire Marshal" and got to play with the hose, putting out a small grass fire. Everyone one had a good time. I'm ready for next years event.
I tried a new Yoga class this morning. I am not going to be able to sit up tomorrow. The instructor made it an 'abs' class to deal with all the food we ate over the weekend. Great idea, scary results. She had us doing modified crunches that are excellent, but without her abs of steel I know I am not going to be happy getting out of bed for the next few days. No pain, no gain, oy vey!
I hope you all enjoyed the weekend. Stay out of the heat if you are anywhere near Philadelphia. Drink lots of fluids and call me tomorrow to see if I survived the ab workout of today. Serves me right for thinking that I could play at the instructors level. I'll never learn!
xox
m
Sunday, July 4, 2010
the 'other' holiday
g'day
yup, it's July 4th and red, white & blue abound... but are you really celebrating the full holiday?
According to my Tyco calendar (a free-bee from Marshall's company that is totally excellent) it's also "Fil-American Friendship Day" in the Philippines. Does that mean we get to run out and hug all the Filipino people we can find on the street? Whoo-hoo!!! Great news for me, Filipino men are awesome salsa dancers and maybe I'll find a rueda* bunch out of the deal. Or I'll just phone Carmen, my Philippine friend who I went out dancing with last night. I hope she forgives me for not remembering to wish her a 'happy Fil-American Friendship Day'. I'm sure she would have looked at me like I was nuts, she's lived in the USA for 40 year.
To celebrate 'the 4th' today we are invited for bar-b-que to our friends home, the Newbauers'. I teach the Newbauer girls swimming, very cute, smart, kids. They are a nice family to hang with. Dana (dad) is an engineer so he & Marshall speak a similar language. Lisa (mom) is an anaesthesiologist at St. Mary's Hospital and does acupuncture for pain management. I had her give me a treatment for my allergies and it worked great. Even she was amazed. Marissa (7) and Diana (almost 4) are terrific swimmers and a lot of fun to teach. I've baked an apple pie and a gigantic challah to take to the bar-b-que. I know the challah doesn't quite fit into the traditional 4th of July food chain but Dana mentioned once that he loves that bread so I thought it would be a nice change of pace.
Madison is now up visiting for the next 2 weeks. I hope she has a good time with us. We have her enrolled in the Bucks County Community College camp for 5 days doing an 'explorer/science/nature' program. The second week of her stay Marshall plans to take holiday time and do day trips with her to see his family and just hang out. Later in the month the airplane is due for it's annual inspection. The "Marshall Plan" is to fly the plane out to Fort Wayne, leave it there with our favorite mechanic (and all around great guy), Mark Kutter, for the week. Fly commercially from Fort Wayne to Europe, do business stuff from Monday to Friday, then fly back to Fort Wayne, pick up the plane and head for home. Yes, it's how we do things around here. I'll probably stay home and tend the garden. I'll wait until Marshall needs to go to the Orient and then tag along behind him on a trip like that.
Time to get the day rolling. I have a swimming lesson this morning then off to the Bar-b-que. It's going to be a hot one, 97 degrees as per the weather channel. I hope there will be fireworks too somewhere along the way.
Happy red, white and blue to you too!
xox
m
*Casino Rueda is salsa dancing done with couple in a circle, switching off partners as one person calls "moves". Sort of salsa square dancing.... look it up on YouTube, trust me.
yup, it's July 4th and red, white & blue abound... but are you really celebrating the full holiday?
According to my Tyco calendar (a free-bee from Marshall's company that is totally excellent) it's also "Fil-American Friendship Day" in the Philippines. Does that mean we get to run out and hug all the Filipino people we can find on the street? Whoo-hoo!!! Great news for me, Filipino men are awesome salsa dancers and maybe I'll find a rueda* bunch out of the deal. Or I'll just phone Carmen, my Philippine friend who I went out dancing with last night. I hope she forgives me for not remembering to wish her a 'happy Fil-American Friendship Day'. I'm sure she would have looked at me like I was nuts, she's lived in the USA for 40 year.
To celebrate 'the 4th' today we are invited for bar-b-que to our friends home, the Newbauers'. I teach the Newbauer girls swimming, very cute, smart, kids. They are a nice family to hang with. Dana (dad) is an engineer so he & Marshall speak a similar language. Lisa (mom) is an anaesthesiologist at St. Mary's Hospital and does acupuncture for pain management. I had her give me a treatment for my allergies and it worked great. Even she was amazed. Marissa (7) and Diana (almost 4) are terrific swimmers and a lot of fun to teach. I've baked an apple pie and a gigantic challah to take to the bar-b-que. I know the challah doesn't quite fit into the traditional 4th of July food chain but Dana mentioned once that he loves that bread so I thought it would be a nice change of pace.
Madison is now up visiting for the next 2 weeks. I hope she has a good time with us. We have her enrolled in the Bucks County Community College camp for 5 days doing an 'explorer/science/nature' program. The second week of her stay Marshall plans to take holiday time and do day trips with her to see his family and just hang out. Later in the month the airplane is due for it's annual inspection. The "Marshall Plan" is to fly the plane out to Fort Wayne, leave it there with our favorite mechanic (and all around great guy), Mark Kutter, for the week. Fly commercially from Fort Wayne to Europe, do business stuff from Monday to Friday, then fly back to Fort Wayne, pick up the plane and head for home. Yes, it's how we do things around here. I'll probably stay home and tend the garden. I'll wait until Marshall needs to go to the Orient and then tag along behind him on a trip like that.
Time to get the day rolling. I have a swimming lesson this morning then off to the Bar-b-que. It's going to be a hot one, 97 degrees as per the weather channel. I hope there will be fireworks too somewhere along the way.
Happy red, white and blue to you too!
xox
m
*Casino Rueda is salsa dancing done with couple in a circle, switching off partners as one person calls "moves". Sort of salsa square dancing.... look it up on YouTube, trust me.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Canada Day 2010
Did you wave a maple leaf? Kiss a beaver? Ride a moose?
If not, then you didn't celebrate the Canadian way... now all my Canuck friends are howling with laughter thinking about how the rest of the world views Canadians.
What do we really do in Canada to mark this occasion?
If you're in Toronto you, you leave for the cottage in the Muskokas.
In Muskoka, they raid the beer stores and empty the shelves.
If you haven't got a cottage to go to, there are fireworks at Harbourfront, live jazz in the Beaches, World Cup on every TV in every bar in the city, no shortage of street parties and everyone gets a long weekend out of the deal. It's all typically Canadian except in Quebec where they hold out for Bastille Day on July 14th... typically French, but they still take the weekend off to sneer at Canada Day.
I went out for Indian food with my neighbour Kathleen, her daughter Kara & my friend Kim from Yoga class. For me it was a typical way to celebrate Canada Day with good food & friends.
So saluté
Happy Canada Day
xox
m
If not, then you didn't celebrate the Canadian way... now all my Canuck friends are howling with laughter thinking about how the rest of the world views Canadians.
What do we really do in Canada to mark this occasion?
If you're in Toronto you, you leave for the cottage in the Muskokas.
In Muskoka, they raid the beer stores and empty the shelves.
If you haven't got a cottage to go to, there are fireworks at Harbourfront, live jazz in the Beaches, World Cup on every TV in every bar in the city, no shortage of street parties and everyone gets a long weekend out of the deal. It's all typically Canadian except in Quebec where they hold out for Bastille Day on July 14th... typically French, but they still take the weekend off to sneer at Canada Day.
I went out for Indian food with my neighbour Kathleen, her daughter Kara & my friend Kim from Yoga class. For me it was a typical way to celebrate Canada Day with good food & friends.
So saluté
Happy Canada Day
xox
m
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Mid Week
Hi ya'll,
Wednesday is almost at a close.
My poor husband has been in bed all day with flu-like symptoms. An unhappy camper to say the least. If he's not doing better by tomorrow he's getting taken to the doctor. The chicken soup and Jello haven't helped at all but at least they are staying in his system. I know he's really sick when he isn't even interested in having sushi for dinner... just the thought of dinner made him turn a little green. I'm hoping he's feeling better tomorrow. After sleeping all day, he's conked out again. It's not very often that I'm the one awake and he's asleep before 10:30pm. We will see how he feels in the morning.
Other than playing nurse, my latest challenge is a baking one. Friends, Kim & Malcolm get these fabulous chocolate chip cookies from a deli in N.J. near Cherry Hill. Malcolm is giving me the task of trying to replicate them. I have to admit they are the best tasting chocolate chip/macadamia nut cookie I have ever tasted. Moist, chewy, not too sweet, absolutely perfect. I've been scouring the Internet looking at cookie recipes to see what might give me comparable results. Next week I plan to try baking some and invite the neighbourhood over for taste testing. You don't think I'm going to test this out alone do you? No way! Better on someone elses' hips than mine. Anyone with a recipe or idea on how to get a very 'soft' texture to a chocolate chip cookie is welcome to forward it to me. I think it probably needs an extra egg or yolk in the batter and more butter than a regular recipe. If I can get it to taste as good as the one from the deli I think Malcolm will adopt me.... or turn me into his personal chef. Either way I love a good baking challenge and this is it!
July 1st, tomorrow, is Canada Day! I am going to celebrate with a few friends by dining out for Indian food. I think Marshall planned to get sick so he wouldn't have to eat Indian food with me. (kidding) Since there isn't really a big party in the USA for Canada Day (and I can't imagine why there isn't?) I expect I'll have to make my own fun. Maybe I'll teach my swimming students to sing "Oh, Canada" tomorrow in their lessons. Back stroke & singing national anthems from different countries could catch on.... or not? Should I get them to learn the old lyrics or the new? In English or in French? Leave it to Canada to have a totally confusing anthem where they change the lyrics and the language just to keep everyone on their toes.
Oh Canada.... everybody sing!
Wear red & white on July 1st even if you don't know the words to the song
xox
m
Wednesday is almost at a close.
My poor husband has been in bed all day with flu-like symptoms. An unhappy camper to say the least. If he's not doing better by tomorrow he's getting taken to the doctor. The chicken soup and Jello haven't helped at all but at least they are staying in his system. I know he's really sick when he isn't even interested in having sushi for dinner... just the thought of dinner made him turn a little green. I'm hoping he's feeling better tomorrow. After sleeping all day, he's conked out again. It's not very often that I'm the one awake and he's asleep before 10:30pm. We will see how he feels in the morning.
Other than playing nurse, my latest challenge is a baking one. Friends, Kim & Malcolm get these fabulous chocolate chip cookies from a deli in N.J. near Cherry Hill. Malcolm is giving me the task of trying to replicate them. I have to admit they are the best tasting chocolate chip/macadamia nut cookie I have ever tasted. Moist, chewy, not too sweet, absolutely perfect. I've been scouring the Internet looking at cookie recipes to see what might give me comparable results. Next week I plan to try baking some and invite the neighbourhood over for taste testing. You don't think I'm going to test this out alone do you? No way! Better on someone elses' hips than mine. Anyone with a recipe or idea on how to get a very 'soft' texture to a chocolate chip cookie is welcome to forward it to me. I think it probably needs an extra egg or yolk in the batter and more butter than a regular recipe. If I can get it to taste as good as the one from the deli I think Malcolm will adopt me.... or turn me into his personal chef. Either way I love a good baking challenge and this is it!
July 1st, tomorrow, is Canada Day! I am going to celebrate with a few friends by dining out for Indian food. I think Marshall planned to get sick so he wouldn't have to eat Indian food with me. (kidding) Since there isn't really a big party in the USA for Canada Day (and I can't imagine why there isn't?) I expect I'll have to make my own fun. Maybe I'll teach my swimming students to sing "Oh, Canada" tomorrow in their lessons. Back stroke & singing national anthems from different countries could catch on.... or not? Should I get them to learn the old lyrics or the new? In English or in French? Leave it to Canada to have a totally confusing anthem where they change the lyrics and the language just to keep everyone on their toes.
Oh Canada.... everybody sing!
Wear red & white on July 1st even if you don't know the words to the song
xox
m
Monday, June 28, 2010
A new week....
Hi,
It's Monday morning. I took the weekend off from blogging. Since it's not a revenue generator I'm not inclined to work that hard at it, yet.
The weekend was hot & steamy here in Yardley... the weather was that way too. Ha, gotcha!
Marshall got his Aurora car back from his mom. She gets her new car tomorrow... everybody is happy.
His new issue is with his pilots licence. His USA licence is based on him having received his original licence in Canada. When he moved back to the US he upgraded his licence to an 'instrument rating', still based on this Canadian issued pilots licence. The FAA has mandated that the paper licences have to be converted to plastic cards (why this is important I have no idea since the plastic cards are the same thing, except for a picture... not of the pilot, but of the Wright Brothers.... do I look like an Orville or a Wilbur?)
We went down to the FSDO office in Philly almost 2 months ago. I had to get my licence home address changed, Marshall to get the new plastic version of his. My new card showed up in 3 weeks, Marshall's life became hell. Since his licence is based on an original Canadian licence, and he doesn't have a current 'Canadian' physical to go with the 'Canadian' licence, then he is not 'current' on his licence.... making him 'expired'? He got an extension on his licence & has been studying to get his commercial licence since he sort of has to start again to get a USA pilots licence. He figures he might as well upgrade his rating. Today he went to get another extension so that he can plan to get his commercial ticket, only to be told that he'll need a current Canadian medical to get the extension.... are you all still with me on this? I know it's confusing. Even the FAA people don't have a handle on this.
As luck would have it... and this is slightly off topic, but bear with me..... at lunch with my girlfriends a few weeks ago we were joined by this guy who was eaves-dropping on our conversation at the Indian restaurant. He's a retired commercial pilot, looking to pick up chicks. Any way, none of us were available but he was looking for company and we chatted for a while with him. The following week I'm back at the same restaurant (it's my official haunt for Indian cuisine) and low & behold, Nick, my pilot buddy, is there too. I start telling him about Marshall's licencing problems and he gives me a name of a doctor in New Jersey that does Canadian medical pilot examinations.... I keep it just in case. Is this scary or what? It's a small, small world.
Now Marshall is having to arrange a medical to cover off his Canadian licence, keep it current until he can get his US commercial licence done and not have to deal with the fact that his licence was from Canada originally... at least that's the plan so far.
Whew, this blogging is exhausting.
Me? I'm fine and staying out of the heat outside.
Have a cool day where ever you are
xox
m
It's Monday morning. I took the weekend off from blogging. Since it's not a revenue generator I'm not inclined to work that hard at it, yet.
The weekend was hot & steamy here in Yardley... the weather was that way too. Ha, gotcha!
Marshall got his Aurora car back from his mom. She gets her new car tomorrow... everybody is happy.
His new issue is with his pilots licence. His USA licence is based on him having received his original licence in Canada. When he moved back to the US he upgraded his licence to an 'instrument rating', still based on this Canadian issued pilots licence. The FAA has mandated that the paper licences have to be converted to plastic cards (why this is important I have no idea since the plastic cards are the same thing, except for a picture... not of the pilot, but of the Wright Brothers.... do I look like an Orville or a Wilbur?)
We went down to the FSDO office in Philly almost 2 months ago. I had to get my licence home address changed, Marshall to get the new plastic version of his. My new card showed up in 3 weeks, Marshall's life became hell. Since his licence is based on an original Canadian licence, and he doesn't have a current 'Canadian' physical to go with the 'Canadian' licence, then he is not 'current' on his licence.... making him 'expired'? He got an extension on his licence & has been studying to get his commercial licence since he sort of has to start again to get a USA pilots licence. He figures he might as well upgrade his rating. Today he went to get another extension so that he can plan to get his commercial ticket, only to be told that he'll need a current Canadian medical to get the extension.... are you all still with me on this? I know it's confusing. Even the FAA people don't have a handle on this.
As luck would have it... and this is slightly off topic, but bear with me..... at lunch with my girlfriends a few weeks ago we were joined by this guy who was eaves-dropping on our conversation at the Indian restaurant. He's a retired commercial pilot, looking to pick up chicks. Any way, none of us were available but he was looking for company and we chatted for a while with him. The following week I'm back at the same restaurant (it's my official haunt for Indian cuisine) and low & behold, Nick, my pilot buddy, is there too. I start telling him about Marshall's licencing problems and he gives me a name of a doctor in New Jersey that does Canadian medical pilot examinations.... I keep it just in case. Is this scary or what? It's a small, small world.
Now Marshall is having to arrange a medical to cover off his Canadian licence, keep it current until he can get his US commercial licence done and not have to deal with the fact that his licence was from Canada originally... at least that's the plan so far.
Whew, this blogging is exhausting.
Me? I'm fine and staying out of the heat outside.
Have a cool day where ever you are
xox
m
Thursday, June 24, 2010
4 followers
my blog attendees continues to grow by leaps & bounds... I'm up to 4 followers now.
Today's excitement revolved around the sale of the Bonneville. We received the cheque and I threw it in the bank. Then I sent the registration papers, US post over night, to the buyer, AJ. Saturday we plan to meet him in Baltimore to hand him over the car... we're getting close to closing this deal. Marshall's mother is bringing back his Aurora to him on Sunday. She has bought herself a new Malibu... are you still following all this?
When all is said & done:
-the Bonneville will be AJ's in Virginia
-the Malibu will be with Arlene up in New Jersey
-the Aurora will be back in our garage in Pennsylvania
I will have had enough of car issues to last me the rest of the year, if not longer. Car juggling, at its best, is not for me.
On a totally different topic, I'm on the hunt for a new dentist. The one that was recommended to us last year moved to Boston two days ago. The office he was working out of never sent a notice that he was leaving the practice. The way I found out was when I showed up for my appointment yesterday, and not only did I have a new hygienist, but there was a new dentist too. Did they think I wouldn't notice the switch? How stupid is that? I got my teeth cleaned (wanna see?), skipped the dental check-up (the new guy looked and sounded like a total looser) and high-tailed it out of there. Once I find a new dentist I'll go back to get my x-rays & records and start again... what a pain. Marshall didn't really like them at that office either so we're both moving on. Anyone have a great dental office near us in Yardley to recommend. I'd prefer one that has nice hygienists, gives out free floss and keeps their employees around longer than 18 months at a time. Is that too much to ask for?
As for the 'roses' part..... mine are in full bloom even with 95° temperatures outside.
xox
m
Today's excitement revolved around the sale of the Bonneville. We received the cheque and I threw it in the bank. Then I sent the registration papers, US post over night, to the buyer, AJ. Saturday we plan to meet him in Baltimore to hand him over the car... we're getting close to closing this deal. Marshall's mother is bringing back his Aurora to him on Sunday. She has bought herself a new Malibu... are you still following all this?
When all is said & done:
-the Bonneville will be AJ's in Virginia
-the Malibu will be with Arlene up in New Jersey
-the Aurora will be back in our garage in Pennsylvania
I will have had enough of car issues to last me the rest of the year, if not longer. Car juggling, at its best, is not for me.
On a totally different topic, I'm on the hunt for a new dentist. The one that was recommended to us last year moved to Boston two days ago. The office he was working out of never sent a notice that he was leaving the practice. The way I found out was when I showed up for my appointment yesterday, and not only did I have a new hygienist, but there was a new dentist too. Did they think I wouldn't notice the switch? How stupid is that? I got my teeth cleaned (wanna see?), skipped the dental check-up (the new guy looked and sounded like a total looser) and high-tailed it out of there. Once I find a new dentist I'll go back to get my x-rays & records and start again... what a pain. Marshall didn't really like them at that office either so we're both moving on. Anyone have a great dental office near us in Yardley to recommend. I'd prefer one that has nice hygienists, gives out free floss and keeps their employees around longer than 18 months at a time. Is that too much to ask for?
As for the 'roses' part..... mine are in full bloom even with 95° temperatures outside.
xox
m
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
why the name?
Good morning....
you have asked and I shall tell..... why the name "white tornado" for my blog? That is Marshall's pet name for me. He thinks I whirl around all day, getting stuff done (mostly cleaned) like a white tornado. I suppose it looks that way to him. Mostly I feel like a worker ant that never gets the job finished. There is always more sand to move out of the nest.
I'm thrilled to see that I'm up to 3 followers. Thanks! This gives me hope that someone is bothering to listen to my rants and raves. Crazy people aren't really crazy, they just want someone to listen to them. They should blog, it clears the mind and soothes the soul. Is there a way to send out the blog to followers or do I just have to wait for people to find me? Being petite I know it's all too easy to get lost in the shuffle. I'd like to thank Joel O for being my first official follower. He's happy to be a "first" for something in my life. So cute!
It's sounding like Marshall may have found a buyer for the Bonneville. Now we just have to drive it down to Baltimore and meet up with the buyer, AJ, once his cheque arrives and is deposited. AJ has been a little off the wall about this whole transaction but maybe it will all work out. The last time we sold a car (in Fort Wayne), the buyer, Max, came and picked it up for his daughter, paid us and left... only to call the following week wanting to give us back the car because the air conditioning died. Okay, that's fair. Marshall gave him back his money (less a re-stocking fee). We had the AC fixed, then put it back on the market. Max called back a week later again, wanting to buy the car back, again... oy vey! It was funny when all was said and done but I learned that selling used cars is a crazy business and it's why used car salesmen are so bananas. It would make me nuts to have that job too.
It's time to get my act in gear for the day ahead. Swimming lessons, dentist appointment, dinner... lots to do.
bye from Yardley, PA
xox
m
you have asked and I shall tell..... why the name "white tornado" for my blog? That is Marshall's pet name for me. He thinks I whirl around all day, getting stuff done (mostly cleaned) like a white tornado. I suppose it looks that way to him. Mostly I feel like a worker ant that never gets the job finished. There is always more sand to move out of the nest.
I'm thrilled to see that I'm up to 3 followers. Thanks! This gives me hope that someone is bothering to listen to my rants and raves. Crazy people aren't really crazy, they just want someone to listen to them. They should blog, it clears the mind and soothes the soul. Is there a way to send out the blog to followers or do I just have to wait for people to find me? Being petite I know it's all too easy to get lost in the shuffle. I'd like to thank Joel O for being my first official follower. He's happy to be a "first" for something in my life. So cute!
It's sounding like Marshall may have found a buyer for the Bonneville. Now we just have to drive it down to Baltimore and meet up with the buyer, AJ, once his cheque arrives and is deposited. AJ has been a little off the wall about this whole transaction but maybe it will all work out. The last time we sold a car (in Fort Wayne), the buyer, Max, came and picked it up for his daughter, paid us and left... only to call the following week wanting to give us back the car because the air conditioning died. Okay, that's fair. Marshall gave him back his money (less a re-stocking fee). We had the AC fixed, then put it back on the market. Max called back a week later again, wanting to buy the car back, again... oy vey! It was funny when all was said and done but I learned that selling used cars is a crazy business and it's why used car salesmen are so bananas. It would make me nuts to have that job too.
It's time to get my act in gear for the day ahead. Swimming lessons, dentist appointment, dinner... lots to do.
bye from Yardley, PA
xox
m
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Day #2
I still haven't found my voice yet with this blogging thing, but it is only day #2.
News of note....
Marshall may have found a buyer for the old Bonneville that we are trying to get rid of. This guy, named "A.J." is a real card from Virginia and has been calling, e-mailing and texting Marshall for a week now. Marshall offered to fly him up here (any excuse to use the plane) so he can pick up the car and drive it back to Richmond. Great idea, except A.J. has never flown in his whole life. I imagine him taking one look at Marshall's little plane and calling off the whole deal.... he sounds a little off the wall in agreeing to this Marshall Plan. We'll see if this transpires.
Swimming lessons are completely array. School is over, camp hasn't started yet and mothers are scrambling for things to keep their kids out of trouble with.
"No, thanks, I really don't want to be in the water for 8 hours a day with your children..." Somehow they see swimming lessons as an alternative to babysitting. I don't think so.
The pond. Clear and relatively clean so far. We need to install a new UV light bulb to help keep the algae at bay but the fish sure are happy little swimmers right now. My new pond guru, Rich had me mucking it out 2 weeks ago and refilling it with new water so we shall see how long this lasts. Maybe I will conquer the sucker this summer and not end up ripping it out. We did loose a few fish over the winter. I think that was just the end of their life cycle and nothing more drastic. I like to think their deaths were 'natural' as opposed to 'suicidal' because their home was not livable.
Time to go teach. I'm off like a herd of turtles
xox
m
News of note....
Marshall may have found a buyer for the old Bonneville that we are trying to get rid of. This guy, named "A.J." is a real card from Virginia and has been calling, e-mailing and texting Marshall for a week now. Marshall offered to fly him up here (any excuse to use the plane) so he can pick up the car and drive it back to Richmond. Great idea, except A.J. has never flown in his whole life. I imagine him taking one look at Marshall's little plane and calling off the whole deal.... he sounds a little off the wall in agreeing to this Marshall Plan. We'll see if this transpires.
Swimming lessons are completely array. School is over, camp hasn't started yet and mothers are scrambling for things to keep their kids out of trouble with.
"No, thanks, I really don't want to be in the water for 8 hours a day with your children..." Somehow they see swimming lessons as an alternative to babysitting. I don't think so.
The pond. Clear and relatively clean so far. We need to install a new UV light bulb to help keep the algae at bay but the fish sure are happy little swimmers right now. My new pond guru, Rich had me mucking it out 2 weeks ago and refilling it with new water so we shall see how long this lasts. Maybe I will conquer the sucker this summer and not end up ripping it out. We did loose a few fish over the winter. I think that was just the end of their life cycle and nothing more drastic. I like to think their deaths were 'natural' as opposed to 'suicidal' because their home was not livable.
Time to go teach. I'm off like a herd of turtles
xox
m
Monday, June 21, 2010
Ta-Da!
Today is Day #1.
Everyone keeps telling me I should "post a Blog". What the hell is that? I send e-mails regularly and keep important people in my life as up-to-date as I can. But blog? Why?
I suppose that it will make me more user-friendly but will it get read, who knows?
Last weekend I attended Liberty Swing in New Brunswick, NJ. It's a west coast dance event that attracts great dancers from all over the world. I had fun but felt that my ability to dance has certainly lagged in the last year. It was wonderful seeing and spending time with friends from Canada that came down for the event. Now if I could only remember half of what I tried to learn at the workshops or figure out the lifts & drops that Barry Jones showed Julie & Russ how to do. He made them look so easy. Julie flew up into the air like a cheer leader when Barry did them with her. Russ had a bit more of a challenge getting Julie off the ground. Not that she suddenly became a lead weight, but Russ has some practicing to do. I was commandeered as the official videograph and became privy to the dance secrets of how they look so darn good at the professional level... it's the old joke "how do you get to Carnegie Hall?" practice, practice, practice.
Okay we'll see who makes the effort to find this blog & read it. More to come.
xox
m
Everyone keeps telling me I should "post a Blog". What the hell is that? I send e-mails regularly and keep important people in my life as up-to-date as I can. But blog? Why?
I suppose that it will make me more user-friendly but will it get read, who knows?
Last weekend I attended Liberty Swing in New Brunswick, NJ. It's a west coast dance event that attracts great dancers from all over the world. I had fun but felt that my ability to dance has certainly lagged in the last year. It was wonderful seeing and spending time with friends from Canada that came down for the event. Now if I could only remember half of what I tried to learn at the workshops or figure out the lifts & drops that Barry Jones showed Julie & Russ how to do. He made them look so easy. Julie flew up into the air like a cheer leader when Barry did them with her. Russ had a bit more of a challenge getting Julie off the ground. Not that she suddenly became a lead weight, but Russ has some practicing to do. I was commandeered as the official videograph and became privy to the dance secrets of how they look so darn good at the professional level... it's the old joke "how do you get to Carnegie Hall?" practice, practice, practice.
Okay we'll see who makes the effort to find this blog & read it. More to come.
xox
m
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