Val-isms

Welcome to the tundra and here, let me help you with that knee

Hey, betcha didn't know that New England has recently moved to way above Canada?  Oh wait, it just looks and feels like the Arctic, we haven't REALLY moved!

How could we have moved, when we can barely get out of our homes to get to work or school.  Oh wait, the kids no longer GO to school.  Or rather, their school weeks are not really weeks any longer.  They go to school pretty much on Mondays and sometimes on Thursday & Friday... but it's really iffy.

January came in like a polar bear with ferocious snow storms every week dumping 2-3 feet of snow around the state and this week, for something different to start February, it changed into a seal creating enough rainfall we could paddle a boat on our streets very comfortably!  Except for one thing... the temperatures in the 20's at night and only reaching low 30's during the day -- which makes that lovely amount of water turn into I C E!

I covered the 2 days that Sophie was off last week and this week my ex covered them.  (thankfully we have flexibility with But I think we'll be getting a bonus day off tomorrow due to the freezing temps making the moist ground once again, turn the roads and parking lots into skating rinks. 

To add to the fun of our condo complex turning into a Wonderland of Ice, my right knee has been having issue, oh, for the past 7 months, but who's counting?!!!  I've been wearing a knee brace, exercising, not exercising, biking, moaning, groaning, limping, icing, heating and just about anything else I can think of and still it hurts.  Getting up and down from a sitting position causes shooting pain in the outer part of the knee.  I can't bend it to a 90 degree angle or beyond.  Things like putting on socks, even putting my underwear on, and going to the bathroom become well though out movements!  oy vay!

It had started feeling better until we went to our friend Wendy's 50th birthday party on January 16th, where the DJ was playing SUCH great music (from back in the day!) that I danced for 3 hours straight!  Oh it was great while it was happening, but that night and since, I've been in SERIOUS pain!

My smart wife said to go back to the dr (who had said, after looking at the x-rays in July '10) that it was just enflamed and would be ok in a few weeks.  Um... no.

So last week I called and they gave me an appointment for today at 11:15.  When I first woke up, I thought I'd just cancel and reschedule, but we're going away this weekend and I wanted it looked at before then.

When I woke up and heard schools were closed and saw the icy parking lot, I figured that I'd just reschedule, but by 10:15, things were melting and the plows had plowed the lot and dropped some salt.

What I had not counted on was that the walkway had not been touched and neither had the spaces where cars park in front that were empty now.  Oh, did I mention that the walkway from my front door slopes downwards?  Oh, what fun...  The saving grace was that a railing was there to hold on.  I swear to God that I didn't lift my feet once... just held on to the railing and slid to the parking lot!

Then I walked ever so carefully to my car which was encased in an inch thick layer of ice.  (Lucky Linda's car gets the garage!)  Fortunately, when the car door opened, it cracked the ice and it the whole side fell off in a few sheets.  Very cool.  After turning the car on with the defrost blowing hard on both front and rear windows, I just hit the various windows a few times and watched the ice just crack and fall away very nicely.  (I had also, very smartly, pulled the windshield wipers away from the front and rear windows last night).

The Dr's office is about 5 miles away and the main roads were cleared but a little slushy.  No issues getting to there at all.

The Dr told me that since the issue with my knee had not gotten better, a cortisone shot was necessary.  Ok, then.  I'd had one in my shoulder that didn't cause me any pain.  This should be no problem.

Wrong. 

He sprayed novacaine on the outer part of my right knee as he put the needle in.  Cool.  Very cool - literally.  Didn't feel the needle enter.  I relaxed.  Bad move.  Then there was a twinge of pain.  A LARGE twinge of pain - which caused me to shout "OW!" out loud and jump away from the Dr.  He gently told me to not move and put the needle in again and then a few more of those twinges happened as he moved the needle around for what seemed like minutes.

For those of you kind of scrunching your faces up as you imagine what this was feeling like... I'll help you.  Imagine you were biting on a piece of aluminum foil.  Yep.. THAT'S a great feeling.

The shot was finally over and I was shaking.  A cold sweat broke out on my forehead and then I felt like I was either going to pass out or throw up.

So I asked if I could lie down.  He said, "of course."

I did.  Feeling about 6 years old.  I could feel tears welling up in my eyes.  I took my glasses off and put my forearm across my eyes.  I was talking to myself.  Scolding myself.  Internally saying what a baby I was being... but man, it hurt.  And it required a bandaid, as it was bleeding....

And then I heard people moving around the table and I didn't want to look - feeling so foolish.

"Here you go. I brought you some water and a lollipop."

I sheepishly took my arm away and took a sip of water.  The Dr put the orange sucker in my mouth and asked if I was feeling better.  I nodded.

He left me alone to get my bearings and then I got dressed and left sucking my orange sucker and holding a piece of paper to give to the physical therapy people!  oh, the diagnosis?  Iliotibial Band Syndrome. 

I'm hoping to feel some relief by tomorrow.  We'll see.

In the meantime, I picked up Sophie about 3;30, mailed a package of meds to my parents in Israel and picked up some dinner at a local Asian restaurant on the way home.

I expect to relax tonight with Sophie making me ice packs to put on my knee and my wife making me some tea as we watch American Idol....

And tomorrow, well, it'd be nice for Sophie to have a delayed school opening (2 hours) so we can sleep in a bit.  But even Sophie is looking forward to getting back to school!  We'll see. 

Photography project 2011

Linda's started a photography project for 2011 (and perhaps, beyond!) and is looking for some volunteers!

For my straight readers, unfortunately you can't volunteer, but you may be useful in passing the word to your gay friends.

Everyone can read all about it on her blog to find out the details. 

                         (and you should be checking out her blog on a regular basis anyway! )

Go ahead... what are you waiting for?  Go read about it!  click here

The calm AFTER the storm

Looking out of my office window this morning, it's hard to believe that the past 48 hours provided almost 18 inches of snow on the ground and 50 mph winds that caused drifts of over 3 feet and made our condo walls shake.

It was 21 degrees out as I drove into the office this morning at 6am (Tuesdays I have to get in really early to run our weekly jobs) in the dark.  The highways were cleared and dry, but the side roads are challenging, to say the least.

At 7:30 the sky was a beautiful shade of light blue with a few scattered clouds across it.  All was still.

I'm glad to have a window to look out of when I'm at work.  It provides an oppotunity to just stop, appreciate and smile.

I'm happy to be inside in the warmth and to have a job where I am challenged and a boss and co-workers who I care about.

It's a good day.

There's a new gal in town....

I may have mentioned Linda's photography interest a few times in my blog over the past 6 months or more.

I may have even mentioned that she offered to take pictures for our Rabbi's wedding back in June and did an amazing job.

And then I know I mentioned that she had taken a part-time job working for a local sports photography company that did youth and team photography for the fall season and how much they had taught her and how much she enjoyed it.

What I did not mention was that all of these things along with a sense of internal passion has led her to follow her dream of starting her own photography business.

We enlisted the creative talents of our wonderful sister-in-law Cheryl, who is an amazing graphic designer, who came up with the logo and designed the business cards for us.  She did an amazing job!  Thank you!  Thank you! Thank you!

The website went live on November 11th and within the first 2 weeks, she booked her first 2 Mitzvahs!  Oh yeah, she's specializing in Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, but will also be doing family & individual portraits.  Though, she's even been contacted recently for a baby naming!

Ladies & Gentlemen, may I introduce:  Etana Creative Photography!  (if you want to know where the company name came from, you'll have to go read her THE PHOTOGRAPHER page under the BEHIND THE LENS header!)

So if you are in need of some family pictures or know of anyone having a Bar or Bat Mitzvah, please have them contact Linda via her website, under the BEHIND THE LENS header on CONTACT ME page.

Etana Creative Photography also has a F*ceB**K page!  Please go to her page and become a fan!   You can get to this from her website under the BEHIND THE LENS heading, as well.

Also, please check out her blog where she'll let you know what she's been up to and you can see the pictures she's taking for a project she's working on.  (This is also under the BEHIND THE LENS heading!)

This past week, she met with the Community Relations Director at the Jewish Home for the Elderly in Fairfield to volunteer her photography talents.  She was immediately 'hired' to be the official volunteer photographer and her first gig will be to take pictures at their New Year's Eve bash on 12/31/10 from 6-8pm!!!   Should be great fun for her and the clients there!

Proud doesn't even come close to describing how I feel about all of this. 

Linda continues to amaze me with her drive and commitment, while all the while keeping things real and doing what makes her happy.  (as well as maintain her marketing day job!)

Honey, I know you're going to be wildly successful in this venture of yours.  Your talented beyond compare and the more people find out about you, the more they'll be contacting you to take their pictures.  Mazel tov, my love. 

The way the universe works

No, this won't be anything close to a scientific lecture, as I'd be the LAST one who could address anything scientific - - just ask my wife!

It's more about fate and how things happen in my life in order for other things to happen correctly.  Or something like that!

Let's go back last Thursday.  I had to run an errand on my lunch hour, in another town.  A town  close enough that it would only take me 1/2 hour round trip leaving plenty of time for the pickup of the item that needed picking up.  (vague enough?!!  But the item has nothing whatsoever to do with this story!)  It just needed to be mentioned only to set the scene.

So the item was picked up successfully and as I was pulling out of the parking lot, I called my wife. (yes, I usually check in with my wife on several occasions when away from her and doing errands... giving her an update that she SO doesn't require, but I feel a need to do, cuz well, it's what I do!)

I am unfamiliar with the town I was in and specifically the area I was in, so each and every time I go to this place, it's like Groundhog Day for me and each time I successfully navigate myself to and from there, I virtually pat myself on the back and pray that I'm able to do it again someday.

So I pull out and manage to go around the block, as the one way streets in the area require, so that I am pointed in the correct way back to the highway. As I am at the intersection where I have to wait my turn to make a right onto the main street back, I feel a presence very close to my car and it seems like it's a person.  My peripheral vision confirms that it is, indeed, a person.  A person in dark clothing.  A person who is in uniform.  A cop.

And I've got my cell phone tucked in the crook of my neck, as I'm talking to Linda, getting ready to make a right turn.  Did I mention that I don't have a hands-free device?  mm.. hmmm.  (in the words of Astro... "ruh roh"!)

I promptly hang up on Linda and roll down my window, where the smiling cop says "Gotcha!".

He motions to where I was heading and instructs me to meet him around the corner and pull over.

As I drive to where he pointed, these thoughts go thru my head... "Shit!  Dammit!  F***!"

I pull over and get my driver's license out of my wallet.  Then I reach into my glove compartment to find that lovely pouch that comes with the car where all organized people put their insurance cards, registration and any receipts from the dealer for any maintenance done on the car.  You know the one, right?

Well, to uncover that pouch, I have to pull out oh, about a thousand napkins... (just in case, ya know!  Sophie, Linda or I could spill something or need one to blow our noses, etc...) Onto the floor the napkins go and I see the pouch.  Excellent!

I open it up and find the insurance card immediately and say to myself, "How wonderfully organized I am.  Linda just has no idea how lucky she is to have such an organized person in her life!"

Then I search for the registration.  Paperwork from the day we bought the car on Halloween of 2009... Paperwork from any visits to the Subaru dealer... (I'm feeling a bit damp under my arms and turn off the heat in the car and roll down all windows, despite it being about 45 degrees out!) 

I start pulling out other pieces of paper still in the glove department... driving instructions to Vermont (why did we print these out when we have Linda's phone with GPS???!  I start getting annoyed at my obviously ridiculous level of organizational skills!!) 

I continue pulling papers out as the cop comes over and I hand him the licensce and insurance card and explain that I'm still searching for the registration.  He takes what is offered and says to continue to look.

I do.  Unsuccessfully.  I am PISSED!  Annoyed that I was stupid enough to not have a hands-free device, but even more annoyed that I don't have the friggin' registration. 

So I start having a conversation... out loud... with myself.

"Where else could it be?  I have had no need for it in the year and a month that we've had the car.  So it HAS to be in here.  Hmmm.. maybe the dealer didn't give it to me.  Yeah, that's what happened... oh who friggin' cares?  The bottom line, now I'll get a ticket for not having the damn registration."

And I realize that people walking by are looking at me.  So I shut up and continue the conversation silently in my mind.

The cop returns with a warning and hands me back my license and insurance card.  Tells me to not talk on the phone unless I have a hands free device.  He says I should try to get a copy of the registration and tells me to  have a nice day.

And he rides off.  On his bike.  Yeah.... it was a bike cop.  I was pulled over by a bike cop.  (I know you are all laughing ... especially you, Tina... but whatever.  I'm  just telling it like it was.)

So before I drive off, I call Linda back and tell her briefly what happened and that I'll call her later when I get back to the office.

I put the insurance card back in the nice pouch from the dealer.  Put the pouch back in the glove compartment and since it looks like snow fell all over the passenger seat and floor (the napkins, folks!  keep up with me!), I leave it and figure I'll clean it up later.

The next day, I realize I don't know where my driver's license is.  I am in my car at the time and look all over the drivers side.  I can see the cop giving it back to me and me putting it on the dashboard, but it's nowhere to be found in the car.  So I think it must be in my shirt pocket at home.

Nope.  I looked everywhere for the past week and it's gone.

So now I have to go to DMV to get a copy.

I went online to find out what I'd need in order to do that, and see that I have to bring my passport with me as ID.  No problem.

So this morning, before I left for work, I went to the metal file cabinet where we keep, among other important paperwork, our passports.

3 of them are there.  Mine, Linda's and Sophie's.  Of course, I open Linda's first.  Then I open Sophie's - notice the photo of her from 2006 and how friggin little and adorable she was - and then note that her passport will expire on Feb 9, 2011.  Hmmm.

I then open mine and note how dark my hair was in the picture and then smile as I remember that I got this passport when I was preparing to adopt Sophie in 2001.  However, I got the passport in 2000.  Damn.  My passport has expired in June of this year.  I wonder if it will still be valid ID for getting a copy of my driver's license.

But more importantly, I have to figure out how many weeks until these passports will be of necessity.  You see, before my parents went back to Israel a few weeks ago, they made a very generous offer to pay for our flights to Israel if we wanted to come over to visit and we had planned on coming during Sophie's winter break in February.  The 17th - 27th.   Ok, there's time to get them before then, but I'd better get moving.

So, you see, if I hadn't gotten pulled over, lost my license and had to get out my passport for ID, we would not have known that 2 of our passports had expired.  See how prepared we'll be when we need our passports and they'll all be up to date! :)

Nice how I avoided that calamity, huh?!!!  

So a visit to the DMV and the Post Office are in my future... oh, let me not be too overwhelmed by all the beaurocratic excitement!

Shabbat shalom.

My favorite time of the year

 

If you are a UCONN women's basketball fan, no need to tell you who these 2 people are.

But if, say, you're my parents or anyone else who doesn't follow this spectacular sport, I'll fill you in.

The guy on the left is Geno Auriemma.  He's currently in his 26th season as the Head Coach at UCONN.

That woman on the right?  Maya Moore.  She is probably only second to Diana Taurasi in her basketball skills and numbers. 

Oh and speaking of numbers....

While we were in attendance at the game (more like a slaughter!) against Sacred Heart University, she passed Tina Charles as all-time scoring leader and they've only played 8 games!!  Plenty of time for her to seal that record up big time, before her senior year ends this year!

Anyway... it's bitter cold out, threat of snow in the air and the UCONN are #1 in the land.... it's a great time of the year!

Oh and hey, only 2 weeks from tomorrow til my birthday... I would really like a white birthday, if possible!

Hanukkah 2010

It's a little weird having Hanukkah so soon after Thanksgiving, but it'll be nice to have all holidays over well before Christmas arrives.  I only say this as a parent of a Jewish child who celebrates both holidays, even if Christmas for her is just about the presents versus celebrating anyones' birthday!

Last year, when the days of Hanukkah were before, during and after Christmas, we almost had to check Sophie into a 'present recovery' program to de-tox her!

Fortunately, this  year, there will be almost 2 weeks before Christmas is here, so she will be well in need of a present 'fix' by the 25th!

We do get her a present for each night of the holiday, but they are not all big presents.  So for the first 4 nights, she has gotten books and a book light.  We aren't seeing her tonight, so she'll get 2 presents on  Monday night and then I won't see her on Tuesday night, so she'll get 2 presents on the last night (Wednesday) and we'll make latkes that night for dinner, too.

This year on the first night, Linda made a wonderful dinner of honey-glazed chicken with some rice and broccoli on the side.  On the 2nd night, she made talapia with an orange-sesame sauce with some rice for dinner!  We raved about both dinners! 

On the 3rd night, we went to Friday night services where Sophie and the Jr Choir sang during the service.  Afterwards, we were invited along with our friend Kristen and her family, to the Glucksmans for a Hanukkah dinner of latkes and chicken and lots of wonderful home-made desserts.  It was a really great evening for us and we were so thankful to have been included in this very recent annual celebration with their families and friends.

Saturday morning, Linda, Sophie & I attended my work holiday party which was held at our company's headquarters - about a mile from where we live!  Sophie has gone to these since she was 1, but we had skipped last years' as they had started having them at a large venue that really was run badly and even Sophie hated going.  But since they changed the venue back to the smaller venue and it was closer to home, we decided to go this year.

Unfortunately, they really gear the activities for younger children, so though she got a cool gift (an updated version of the Spirograph of my youth!) and the food was amazing, the show was, in the words of Sophie, "very cheezy"!!!  But for free and for not having to drive too far, it was fine!

In the afternoon, Sophie went with her Girl Scout troop to see the "Frosty" show at a local cabaret theatre.  Now, I would have thought her too old for a show like this, but for her, it was more about hanging out with her friends, than it was about seeing the story of Frosty.  She had a very fun filled day!

A nice Hanukkah gift came our way on Thursday, when a friend of ours asked if we would like to use 2 tickets to the UCONN women's game against Sacred Heart University on Sunday (today) and we accepted them willingly and gladly!

So we asked a friend of ours from our Temple if she would like to go with us (she's a big fan, but had never seen a live game!) and so the 3 of us headed up to Hartford this morning in time to see the warm-up times of both teams, and in plenty of time for the 1pm start time.  It was of course a blow out of a game, but it was awesome to see Maya Moore make history by passing Tina Charles' record in total points scored by a UCONN woman in the first 7 minutes of the game!  And it was the first time for us to see the freshman in person.  The team looks like they've been playing together forever!  Let's hope that they just continue to get better and better!

We hit no traffic on the way home and it was a nice day for a drive.  Sunny but in the 40's.

Now we're home getting chores done and gearing up for the upcoming work week.  And tonight of cousre, watching Dexter, Desperate Housewives & Brothers & Sisters... love Sunday night TV!!

Thankful

Linda, Sophie and I traveled with my parents to the Big Apple for Thanksgiving at my sister Elizabeths' home.

We had thought about checking out the macy's parade live in the morning, but then it was too cold so we opted to sleep instead!

Sophie and I made 2 pies -- pumpkin and key lime.  I also made candied yams and Linda made green bean casserole.

In addition to family, there will be friends of my sisters, as well.

This year I was thankful for....

 ... My wife Linda

... My daughter Sophie

 ... My wonderful parents

... My wonderful in-laws

 ... Having a job with a great boss and lovely co-workers

 ... Maintaining a relationship with my ex so that Sophie has us both without feeling 'pulled'

... My Jewish community at our wonderful Temple

... My state of Connecticut that allowed me to get married this year

... Having wonderful siblings and their spouses who came with their families to be with us in August to celebrate our wedding.

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

And now onto the next holiday... Hanukkah starts tomorrow night!

1-0

The UCONN women basketball team kicked off their season over the weekend continuing their winning streak with a 117-37 romp against Holy Cross.

But tonight will give us a sign of how the season will pan out, as they play the #2 team in the country - Baylor.  They have a 6'8" giant, but we have some tall gals, too.  So we shall see.

We have company coming to watch the game tonight.  Friends who we haven't seen since our wedding reception in August, so it looks like it'll be a lovely evening and we will look forward to another win.

I'm currently making banana nut muffins before I wake up Sophie... (out of box mix, folks  - I'm not THAT domesticated!!), so hopefully the smell of the muffins will make her awakening that much more pleasant.

Happy Tuesday.  Go UCONN!

Sniffle sniffle, cough cough

Though we had a wonderful weekend in upstate NY last weekend, we came back with, or rather I came back with a lovely sore throat, that evolved into laryngitis by Tuesday and then into a full blown chest/sinus cold by Wednesday. 

Linda came down with it on Tuesday, into Wednesday.

We both called in sick and stayed home together on Wednesday - a rare thing for us, indeed!

I had Thursday off for Veteran's Day and Sophie was home with me, as well.  Linda called in sick, as she was still feeling sick.

Sophie had a play date to go ice skating with her friend Kayla and I met Mom & Dad at the local diner for lunch and then walked with them and their dog Humphrey down at the Fairfield marina.  The weather was really mild for November - upper 50's but with the breeze it felt a little chilly - and really sunny.  It was just beautiful down there and Mom is walking so much better these days.  Now, if only her right arm were pain-free, she'd be perfect! :)  Dad & Humphrey enjoyed their walk at a bit faster pace, so everyone was happy!

It's been nice having them around for the past few months and I can't believe that they'll be returning to Israel in just a few short weeks... lalalalalalalalal :: won't think about it! :::::

It's Friday and though we are both still sniffly, we went into work.  I was supposed to have the afternoon off as vacation, but didn't manage to leave until about 3, trying to catch up on stuff.  I'll take a few hours off on Monday, if I can.

Tonight, Linda & I are heading to the big Swiss Army warehouse sale to see about getting some gifts for a certain little person who lives in our midst and perhaps a little early Hanukkah gift for Linda, as well!

Tomorrow morning, after services, we are heading to my parents' home where we'll meet my sister and her kids for brunch.  The cousins are having a sleepover at our place Saturday night, but we'll spend the day at my parents since the weather is supposed to be nice - 60's!

Linda will have her camera and we hope to get some nice pictures of the girls and their grandparents and perhaps a few of us, too!

Here's to surviving the cousin invasion!

Shabbat Shalom.