Val-isms

Early weekend post

As we are taking tomorrow (Friday) off and despite how busy I am at work this week (bbetween snow days/working from home and school delays... sigh)and cramming 5 days worth of work into 4.... I'm still taking the 10 minutes to share the upcoming weekend plans.  (priorities, right?)

We are leaving tomorrow morning for a leisurely drive north to the Okemo mountain area of Vermont for a weekend of socializing with 4 other couples, which will include eating, drinking, game playing (not THAT kind!) and some winter sports like skiing!

We are lucky enough to be invited to our 2nd annual visit to our friends winter rental home and we're excited about getting away and hanging out with some really good people.  Last year, we went snow-mobiling, but this year, we're gonna take our lives in our hands, risk life and limb,  go for an adventure on the big mountain - on the beginner trails (where most likely the chair lift will give me a heart attack, so I won't need to worry about how I'll be getting down the mountain!).

But I'm feeling confident that I'll be ok, as I'll surely be the slowest skier out there and if nothing else, aside from the lovely views of breathtaking scenery around me, I'm sure to be blessed with the sounds of people cursing my ass as they try to avoid crashing into me and my slow self!  I'll try and stay out of their way, but I do not go straight down any hill.  I go side to side.  And if I have to dodge 'real' skiers to do so, so be it, but since they're going so darn fast, perhaps they should be on a different and more challenging trail and leave us novices in peace.  I'm jes saying'...

Anyway, we'll return Sunday night in time to watch the Super Bowl commercials, cuz does anyone really care about who wins this game?  I mean Arizona and Pittsburgh?  Please.  But if I have to pick one to root for, I'll go for Arizona, since Pittsburgh is in the same category of teams as Dallas, Miami & Denver- teams that just plain won too much over the years! 

So, go Arizona... with your pretty red uniforms.  And since my numbers in the football pool don't necessarily care who wins, I hope that I win some money, no matter WHO wins the actual game!

Have a lovely weekend and shabbat shalom!

Let's review, shall we?

It's been brought to my attention that I've been slacking with my blogging lately.  (You know who you are.)

And it's true.  Between work and reading what everyone else is blogging about, I just wasn't motivated.

But here I am.  I hope that because I come with pictures, you will forgive my recent lapse.

First, Linda & I drove down to the Jersey shore on a road trip a few weeks ago and saw the oldest Lighthouse in the country, which is located in Sandy Hook, NJ.  Here it is looking that much taller by having Linda stand in front of it:

 

The building which used to house the lighthouse keeper and his family was open with lots of pictures and even a flat screen tv showing the history of the lighthouses in New Jersey.  There was a gentleman there to answer questions, as well.  We were glad we stopped in, as it provided us with the knowledge that the two crown like structureswe passed nearby were 'twin' lighthouses:

 

Linda loves seeing ice (which is kind of strange for someone who is perpetually cold... but I digress) so here is what makes her smile:

 

The wind was fierce out there since there were no trees to block it, but it was a nice drive out and back to the lighthouse (and we intend to go back down there in the summer as it will be a great biking area), but it didn't seem to do much damage to Linda's hair, as you can see in this pic taken in the restaurant we stopped into:

 

The next few pictures will show you, your honor, beyond a shadow of a doubt. that we have cats with 'issues'.  Their main one seems to be with foot wear.  You may remember me mentioning how they seem to be placing slippers around?  Well, here is what greeted us when we returned home after work yesterday:

In the entryway... 3, count 'em, 3 slippers:   

In the living room, the lone slipper:

   

and then the lone croc, with one of the guilty parties - Tommy - (looking extremely unworried, I might add): 

 

But before you think, but where IS that other cute orange cat (aka Petey)?

Well, apparently, after shlepping slippers, one must take a nap in that most cozy of places...

  yes, that is my sink!

 

The next section is for my Mother, who has been hearing the saga of my fireplace for longer than she has wanted and each time I've spoken with her, she's asked, "So - have you had a fire yet?" and the last comment she said last week was something like, "So, maybe you'll have a fire in the spring."

Mom - we had our first fire last night while watching our UCONN women show the national audience on ESPN2 who is #1 and why, as they beat Louisville. 

Here are 2 things that can me smile: a nice fire and Maya Moore - check out the picture on the tv - yep, that's her going up for a basket!:

 

We haven't quite figured out where to store wood (being in a condo and all - not sure of the rules on wood storage), so we got some environmentally friendly 'logs' and I discovered that they are the way to have a fire.  I just light it and then watch it burn. No stoking, no adding more logs. 

Just watching and enjoying it.  What a concept!  I LOVED it!  I just have to find a way to buy them in bulk so that they're not so damn expensive! The box of 6 cost me $18, but it allowed me to have a 3 hour fire last night and tonight.  And cleanup is quite easy, as well.

And Dad, I even managed to remember to open the flue AND close it this morning before heading to work!  Amazing when things AND PEOPLE work properly!

We're expecting snow overnight and most of tomorrow, Wednesday, so I'll be working from home while Sophie enjoys a snow day from school.  (Here's hoping that by writing that, it doesn't jinx anything, or there will be a very sad little girl tomorrow!)

Whew... my fingers are tired. 

In an unrelated update, please go check out my OTHER friend Tina's blog, please?

Careful of what you ask for

Since Petey & Tommy have joined our household, there have been noted changes.  Yes, they're cute.  Yeah, they're cuddly. 

But they are also very mischievous. VERY.  EXTREMELY.

Nothing stays where it's put.  Everything is a toy for them.  Well, I should clarify.  For Petey. (who just turned 1 on Thursday Jan 22nd!)  Tommy's sole existence is just sleeping, eating and defecating.  Playing for him is when Petey insists on jumping on him and instigating 'cat wrestling'!

Linda used to keep rings on her nightstand.  After countless mornings discovering them under the bed, she has tried moving them into a jewelry bowl onto her dresser.  Now instead of just having to search in the morning, this has caused a huge crash as the bowl is knocked off of the dresser!

My nightstand used to have my glasses and other assorted stuff on it.  Now I have to put my glasses on the vanity in the bathroom, as for some reason, that particular area (near my sink of the double sink vanity) is apparently not for this particular sport!

Now you're probably thinking that perhaps these little items could find a more secure place.

ok.

But what about shoes?  Specifically slippers?  Yes, we come out of the bedroom and lone slippers are strategically places around the house.  Why?  How?  I would talk sternly to Petey as I picked up the stray and isolated slipper and lecture him on the importance of respecting his owners property.   I'd stress how his life could be in jeopardy if he touches any slippers again.  He looked at me angelically each and every time and the next morning, a slipper had been placed in my path, yet again!

And we'd say over and over to him, "Why can't you be more like your brother, Tommy?"  And we'd look at Tommy who was the perfect cat and Linda would look at me and say, "Why didn't we just get one?!"  And I'd say, "Oh, but he'll grow up to be a good boy, like Tommy, one day."

Last night, after Sophie went to bed, we were watching TV in the living room.  The last I saw Tommy, he was curled up on Sophie's bed enjoying the comfy comforter.  Petey was nowhere in sight, but we'd hear him batting one of his toys (an actual cat toy!) around in the kitchen.

And right before our eyes, we see Tommy march into the living with one of my slippers hanging out of his mouth.  He dropped it near the coffee table and then plopped himself down next to it and got comfy to go to sleep.

Linda & I were speechless.  It seems that things are not what they appear around here.  Neither cat is up for the Cat of the Year award!  sigh.  And it seems that Petey IS being just like brother after all!

But they sure are cute.  and cuddly.

New man in town!

President Barack Obama! 

I am so friggin' excited today!  I am thrilled to have this man representing my country and am filled with pride, hope and enthusiasm.

I'm at work, but will be watching the inauguration either online or on a tv somewhere in this building.

I have lived through some exciting changes over my 51 years, but this historic day tops them all.

In a side note, it's also a happy day thanks to my UCONN women beating #2 North Carolina last night.  There's no doubt as to who is #1 now.

Being nice just cuz

Watching the footage about the plane that crash landed in the Hudson River after taking off from La Guardia airport STILL makes me shiver.  For so many reasons.

It is scary to think of how close they all came to dying in that crash.  It is also scary to think that they could have all drowned.  But what REALLY makes me shiver is thinking about just how cold that water must have been.  Good lord, but how DID they all just stand on the wings of that plane and wait what must have been excruciating minutes for rescue into warmth.  BRRRRRRRR!

Incredible, how the pilots maneuvered the plane perfectly in a not so perfect scenario.

Humbling and touching to hear the great stories from the many survivors of how perfect strangers reached out and helped one another in this disaster.   This really makes me shiver with pride in the human race.

... how the pilot gave a passenger, who had given his own coat to another passenger, his shirt for warmth.

... how the men made sure all women and children were rounded up and onto life boats first.

... how the pilot would not get off the plane until he personally had gone thru the plane himself to ensure that every passenger had gotten out ok.

As nice as it is to hear and see a story like this, why does it always have to take a disaster or otherwise precarious situation for people to reach out to each other?

Would it be so hard to look around in our busy schedules on a regular basis and see if we might be of some help to someone around us? 

And if your excuse is that you are busy and/or in a rush, or you don't want to offend anyone's Independence, c'mon.  Take a few minutes and reach out.  I dare you.

And if someone growls when you reach out to them, because their pride might have gotten a bit bruised by your good intentions, shrug it off.  You did what you could.  Don't take the growl personally and remember that we'll all be there one day - needing a hand, but hating that feeling of helplessness.

Also remember that reaching out can be as simple as making eye contact with someone in line with you at the grocery store and either saying "Hi" or just giving them a smile.

Shabbat shalom.

Home Improvement

When we decided on the 50" TV when we first moved into our condo, and they hung it for us over the fireplace, we were told that before we had a fire, we should have a mantle installed to deflect the heat so the TV would not be impacted.

Well, we ordered a mantle a few months ago and it finally arrived right before Hanukkah. 

I called our trusty handy man to install it for us, but with the holidays and snow storms, something kept getting in the way of it being installed.

Tonight it was intalled.

And I must say, it was ordered to be funtional, but it really completes the look of the fireplace.  We're very happy with it.

Isn't it nice?

 

another angle:

Now all we have to do is get a grate and some wood.

I can't say enough about our handy man.  He's done so much for us around our place.  He's reliable, trustworthy and reasonable.  Anyone reading this who lives in our area, if you need someone to do pretty much anything around the house, e-mail me and I'll share him with you!

Insights from PB&J????!!!

Stolen from Lobal Warming!

According to this site, the following describes me:

Your eating style is reserved. You are a bit of a fussy eater, and you have very specific ways you like your food prepared. [just as long as someone is preparing it FOR me!]

You have a total sweet tooth. When you can get away with it, you like to have dessert before dinner![in fact, do we really NEED entrees?!!]

Your taste in food tends to be conservative and traditional. It's likely that you prefer "All American" favorites like mac and cheese or hamburgers.[um, not really.  Give me some Asian, sushi or mexican, please!]

You are probably a fairly normal, upper middle class person. You don't rock the boat too often.[normal?!  Ha!]

You are a tough person who isn't afraid to live life fully. There isn't a lot that scares you.[as long as I have someone covering my back, true true true!]

You are laid back and extremely easygoing. You never make a fuss, and you try to enjoy every moment. [um... no, no and I'm learning!]

Linda's reaction when I read this to her:  "You, laid back?  That's like calling me hyper!"

Guess those things aren't always right.  Except for the sweet tooth business!

Hunkering down and working hard

We're expecting some more snow tonight and frigid temps over the next few days.  BRRRRR! (I'm LOVING the heated seats and cozy warmness of the Mini, thankyouverymuch!)

Looking forward to a UCONN women's basketball game tonight. 

I'll also be logging into work tonight at some point, as my workload has been increased over the past week due to a co-worker having a nasty skiing accident on New Year's Eve day, in which he didn't quite make the jump as he had planned and broke 4 bones in his left heel and severely bruised his right heel.  He had surgery yesterday which involved metal plates, pins and lots of pain and won't be returning to the office anytime soon.

Coverage of what he did along with what I normally do will certainly make the days fly by, but hopefully not affect my blogging schedule!

I'm not going to whine about the work, as I'm really feeling grateful these days for having a job.  I work with some good folks and this work level increase is only temporary.

GO UCONN!

"Slopin'" from a different perspective

This morning Linda & I picked up Sophie about 8:15am and headed north.  To the slopes.  Sophie & I were going to be Linda's ski instructors - Heaven help her!

Linda has started a new blog, which you'll see on the list of blogs I visit and she has posted her rendition of the morning skiing experience!  Go read.  Enjoy!

We got back into town by 2pm and after dropping Sophie back with my ex, we headed over to our hairdresser's for Linda to get a haircut.  Then home where hot showers, pajamas and the Saturday & Sunday newspapers awaited us, while a winter storm was beginning.

Our dinner plans were cancelled for tonight and hopefully we'll get together with Brenda & Mary tomorrow for brunch if the weather has calmed down and the roads are passable.

As I finish this up, the UCONN women are playing against West Virginia.  Should be an easy win.

Hope everyone is warm and cozy wherever you are tonight.

Another fun-filled weekend

Sophie has made a new friend this year at school - Kayla.  My prayers have been answered.  A Jewish friend.  This is not to say that other friends are not valued, but I'm glad that she has found a friend whom she really likes alot and just happens to be Jewish.  They girls spent a lot of time over the December break together and the family is very nice.  Kayla likes going to services, but due to having younger siblings and other scheduling conflicts, the family doesn't get to them that often.  (They belong to another Temple in our town)

So we invited Kayla to come to our service tonight with us - it's a Band service, which is more fun for the kids.  Sophie is having a playdate at Kayla's house after school and I'll pick them up about 5 and grab some Happy Meals for them to eat on the way to Temple, where we'll meet Linda.

After Services, we'll head back to our place to watch a movie. 

What Sophie doesn't know, because the plan transpired just this morning, is that her cousins and Aunt are coming up later today to meet us at Services and then come over to watch the movie with us!

I'm taking a half day this afternoon to get some snacks and make the house a bit more presentable.

Saturday morning, Sophie, Linda & I are heading to the slopes again, with our brand new shiny helmuts!

Saturday night, Linda & I are having dinner with our friends Brenda & Mary at their place.

The only thing that is happening on Sunday is bowling in the evening.  Our full team will be present and accountable and we're hoping to do better this week.  We're currently in 11th place (out of 15), but hey,  it's early in the season!

Shabbat shalom!