Saturday Morning Bide A Wee Update

This is Jani - who I wrote about a couple of weeks ago. I thought for sure she would have "gone home" by now, but alas, she was still there. Still sweeter than ever. Still loves to be out. Still jumps higher than any dog I've ever seen. I would swear there are little trampolines on her feet!!








Remember Manee? Well today, we walked her sister, Mali, who had "gone home" for a while, but unfortunately, came back. She is very exciteable and although she is so big already, she still is a puppy. Once again, hubby uttered those words "if I could bring you home I would, oh yes I would...!!"

















And last, but not least, this is Mike. He is a baby and is still in "holding" so we could not take him out. Maybe next week. Talk about "puppy eyes....."




Interested in adopting one of these or any others - www.bideawee.org

Drowning in a sea of pink

Dresses and pjs and shoes - oh my!

5 months to go and already I can't stop shopping!

Yep - this grandma thing is definitely awesome.
(I think "Gramps" is having fun with it too!)

Puppy uppers and doggie downers

Back to Bide A Wee we went today - our first time solo. We brought out Sprite - she is a cocker spaniel who epitomizes the word "spunky." Sweet as can be, she never stops wagging her tail, even while she walks. We wanted to take her into the pen and let the leash off, but it was occupied (volunteers are not allowed to let their dogs mingle with other dogs - it's a safety thing). We had a nice walk and then brought her back. Next we took out Cleo. Talk about the difference between night and day. Poor Cleo is so timid that she didn't even want to walk. She had to be bribed with treats just to get her to take some steps. Eventually, we made it all the way out and I was pretty proud of us that we did. It seems she was abused before finding her way to Bide A Wee and therefore, she's afraid of her own shadow. We did a good thing today. On the way out we saw a huge litter of puppies, but alas, the hubby had to go to work so we couldn't stay. "That's ok, we'll see them next week, he said." "Yea, right - they'll be adopted by the time we get back," I told him. That's ok though, isn't that what's it's all about? Sorry, no pictures today, but if you or anyone you know is interested in learning more about pet adoption or Bide A Wee - check it out: www.bideawee.org

P.S. - Went shopping last night with the hubby - came home with lots of pink things on teeny hangers............OMG so much fun!!

It's a ..................

GIRL!!!!!!!!!!



And she's sucking her thumb!!!!!!!!!!!

Here's walking with you, dog!

We had our last training session today. We are now official Volunteer "Green" dog walkers. (I can't remember if I previously explained the color code) but "green" dogs are the most docile, have no or very little issues and are easiest to walk. Today's walkers were Jani:



Jani is mostly Jack Russell Terrior and extremely hyper! It took a good 10 minutes to get her to stop jumping and start walking; but, once she started her walk she was just adorable! Very sweet - I'm sure someone loving family will scoop her up by the next time we go back.

And Jermaine:


Jermaine is some kind of mutt (can't remember). He is very sweet but has a slight neurological disorder. Any family who wants to adopt him will be put through a vigorous background check; but I'm sure he would be very happy to have a loving home. A great time was had by all!!








Oh yes, remember a couple of months ago, I spoke about Nalla (one of the retirees?) Well, here's my girl:

Oh how I would love to take her home!!

May 26th

On May 25th, 1984 at about 10:00 in the evening, a nine month's pregnant me had a slight stomach ache. Must have been something I ate, thought I. The rest of the details are a bit sketchy in my mind, for instance, I can't remember what exactly made me decide that perhaps I should go to the hospital, because for the life of me I cannot remember having even one labor pain. The next thing I remember I was pushing out my second son. He was born 7 minutes after midnight, making his birthday the 26th. Happy birthday, Justin!! That was 25 years ago.

14 years ago, on Justin's 11th birthday, my dad passed away; making this day very bittersweet. A day does not go by that I don't think of him. The only difference now is that I'm finally able to do so without tears; instead it's a smile, because I know he would be proud.

Honorable mention to my favorite female singer, Stevie Nicks, whose birthday is also today. She's still got it! Listen for yourself:

then:


now:


not bad for 61, huh???

There's always someone new waiting...

It took several weeks to get back to Bide A Wee to continue our volunteer training. But oh, I must say it was so worth it. Today we got to meet Manee. She is 3 months old and has been at the shelter for 2 weeks. According to the experts, she won't last long because the younger dogs always get adopted very quickly. She is some kind of hound mix. We got to walk her for a long time and play with her in the pen. She was very full of love. Hubby said if we could have pets, he would have brought her home. I'm quite sure that each time we go, we will want to bring another one home. I'm almost grateful that we can't have pets here or I fear that we would have 50 of them!!! We were able to snap a few pictures but honestly, it isn't easy to walk them and play with them and hold the camera, so I don't think I will be doing that again. I had my first turn at getting her back in her pen. You have to get her in, without going in yourself and trust me, they do not want to go back in there. So, I must say, that part was a bit difficult and heart breaking. Still worth it though, to love them up:

Mother's Day

Some Mother's Day stuff to make you laugh, or cry, or just say "aww..."

I'm on the phone with Justin, Friday night and he says something not so nice (in a joking way) and I tell him that he has to be nice to me because it's Mother's Day weekend. He innocently says "Mother's Day - when is it going to be kid's day?" I'm quite sure that every mom reading this can figure out my response, but nonetheless, I will write it anyhow: "EVERY DAY IS KID'S DAY!" He had no reply! (that's the stuff to make you laugh) Kudos, however, to him and Vanessa for sending me a picture (the same one that is posted here on 4/30) of the baby, but this one is much clearer and it says "Happy Mother's Day, Grandma" on it. (That's the stuff to make you cry.)

Mr. Boston himself (Joey, as he allows only my mom and me to refer to him) came to visit for Mother's Day. A hug from your child is the best gift a mom can receive. (that's the stuff to make you say "aww..."). I loved the visit, the card, the stuffed puppy cause he knows I want one and can't have one, the dinner, the three boxes of Entenmann's cakes (because he just discovered the outlet store) and most of all the conversation. Oh the conversation. Priceless.

Happy Mother's Day to all.

It's a real baby!!!!

Talk about the cutest baby ever! Here's my grand kid:

Here comes the sun

Finally!

it has a delayed start - but worth the wait! So me!!

I need to retire, work just gets in the way

So I sat around most of the winter with all this time on my hands. That's when I had the wonderful idea of volunteering at the animal shelter. Now that I've completed the orientation and had the first (of the necessary three) training, suddenly there is no time to schedule the next training. All of sudden it's like "my people must call the animal's people," and set up lunch or something - woe is me, I will have to wait until May 16th for the second session. I miss the dogs already. Even the cats had it made there - they have a huge room (definitely bigger than my living room) where they have lots of scratching posts and even a "balance beam" type thing that goes across the top of the room for them to play. I wish the dogs could have such a nice room, but alas, each one of them has to be in its own pen. However, I did learn during my first training session, that once fully trained, I will be able to take any dog (even the puppies, when they have them) and bring it to the recreation room and play as long as we want!!! Oh yes, there will be lots of pictures then!

That's my grandchild!!!!!!!

Isn't this the most beautiful baby you've ever seen???????? - comments please!!!

I should have known

I went to my first training session as a dog volunteer at Bide A Wee this morning. After about an hour of "lecturing," I was ready to meet my faithful pals. All the puppies that had been brought in the day after orientation were already adopted, so off we went into the "old folks home." Of course I already love them all, but wouldn't you know - there's always that "one." You know, the one that stares right into your eyes and says "mommy?" Her name is Nalla and she has some arthritis (we'll get along great!). Her across-the-aisle roommate is named Molly and she is the one that I accompanied on a walk with the trainer and another volunteer. Things I learned on the walk: female dogs also lift their leg to pee sometimes; older dogs definitely get tired quicker than younger dogs; Molly likes to roll on deer poop. Needless to say, I had a ball!! I found out today that I am allowed to take pictures so I will do that next time. Unfortunately, do to scheduling, that won't be for another two weeks...stay tuned.

Words

Spring. Finally. Warm. Outside. Sun. Tan. Walk. People. Smiling. Mr. Softie. Bicycles. Strollers. Smiles. Baseball. Yankees. SUCK!!!!!!!!!!

The Old Man

This was my "speech" at my father in law's funeral last Wednesday:

I always thought I knew what rich meant until I met the Wilgis family. This family that is gathered here today taught me that it doesn’t take money to make you rich. All it takes is a hug and those three little words (that aren’t so little after all), "I love you."

My father in law, "The Old Man," as I so affectionately referred to him, told me he loved me like one of his own. For that I am a richer person. He never judged me, he just accepted me for who I am, despite the fact that I am a die hard Yankee fan! He even wore his Yankee tee shirt with pride, not because he became a fan, but because I gave it to him. (And the fact that the Orioles stomped all over the Yankees Monday night was just his way of getting the last word, but that's ok, he deserves it.) My phone will no longer ring when the Orioles hit a home run, but it will ring in my heart forever.

The Old Man taught me everything I know about football. While watching the Super bowl together this year, he taught me the difference between “off sides” and “false start” – something even my husband could never get me to understand. He tried and he tried to get me to become a Ravens fan and to that all I have to say is “Let’s go Jets!”

Goodbye old man. I am a better person because you let me know the real you. You let me into your heart. I was proud to be your “favorite daughter in law.” I will miss you.

Week 8

Check out week 8:

Marveling over a baby's tiny fingers and toes is one of the joys of the first day of life. Those fingers and toes are just beginning to form this week, and the arms can even flex at the elbows and wrists. The eyes are becoming more obvious because they’ve begun to develop pigment (color) in the retina (back of the eye).

Also, the intestines are getting longer and there isn’t enough room for them in the baby’s abdomen, so they protrude into the umbilical cord until week 12.

By now, the beginnings of the buds that will develop into the baby's genitals have made their appearance, although they've not yet developed enough to reveal whether the baby is a boy or a girl.

Eleven Eleven

I know I've been slacking with the posts and especially the pictures lately, but the truth is, except for the flood there really wasn't much going on that made me want to have my fingers fly across the keyboard. Until now.

The structural damage to the house has been fixed and my oh my, it does look beautiful!! Tough way to get new paint and carpet, but it sure does look pretty. Maybe (just maybe) over the weekend I might actually post the before and after pictures. The only thing left now is for the insurance company to finalize the claim and send us a check. Which brings me to my dream of a few nights ago. I dreamt that the adjuster called and told me he was sending a check for $11,000. In the dream I was ecstatic. (Especially since the claim was for under 8,000). I awoke the next morning really happy about the money until I remembered (about 2 minutes later) that it was just a dream. All that day I tried to figure out the significance of the number 11.

Cue the blog post from my son, Justin last night.(http://bellablueeeyz.blogspot.com/). Start calling me "G-Ma!" The baby is due on 11/11/09...am I psychic or what? No, not psychotic, psychic!!!!

Technology is for the birds

Uugghhh!! I am so frustrated. I'm finally at the point where I know how to operate the digital camera, upload the photos to the computer, put them on the blog, or snapfish, or anything else one might want to do with pictures these days - all with my eyes closed. We have one PC in the house and one laptop. The PC has a nasty virus to the point where we can't even use it. The laptop has decided that it does not want to read the SD card any longer. I give up. I haven't even been able to get a good look at the photos from Florida and I know there are some really great shots in there.

Oh well, I guess we'll have to hire a geek squad member. Right now I'm missing the days of bringing your film to fotomat and getting back pictures that you can hardly make out!!

The review

I must admit that on the way to the concert last night for just a quick moment, I thought to myself "the band members of Fleetwood Mac are definitely aging - just how good could they be?"

Well - I will tell you how good. They were superb, awesome, fantastic, fabulous, cosmic, amazing, extraordinary,
astonishing, astounding, brilliant, divine, dynamite, enjoyable, excellent, incredible, magnificent, marvelous, miraculous, outstanding, phenomenal, sensational, something else, staggering, startling, stupendous, super, superb, terrific, tremendous, absolutely unf---king believable!!!!!!

Stevie was esoteric, John was exemplary, Mickey was to drums what Derek Jeter is to baseball. But the absolute show stopper was Lindsay Buckingham. His solo guitar performances brought the house down. My vocal chords are paying the price for my teenage actions. Special thanks to my hubby for another wonderfult night. Apologies to Sonia and Bill for screaming in their ears!!

I was expecting them to open with "The Chain" because they usually do, but instead they went right into "Monday Morning" and really got the party started. The played for over two hours, coming out for two encores. The very last song was my all time favorite - "Silver Spring." Who woulda thunk - the Nassau Collesium was an escape to paradise, right here on good ole Long Island.

Tonight they are playing at Mohegun Sun and I so wish I could go!!



P.S. - update on the flood damage - all the structural repairs are complete and the new carpet is down. We have spent the last two days moving furniture back, reconnecting tv's and computers, and putting stuff back on the shelves (so glad I took pictures to remember where it all goes!!) Anyhow, I have had no time at all to look at vacation pictures. I hope to be able to do that and post some tomorrow - we shall see.

Forget the flood damage for a fleeting moment - 22 hours til Fleetwood Mac!!!

Tomorrow night, Nassau Colesium, 8:00 p.m. - I feel like 20 again!!!!

Home to a curve ball

I sure wish the curve ball to which I was referring was the fact that the Baltimore Orioles have shown a slight interest in acquiring Pedro Martinez; but alas, that is not it at all.

Home from Florida early this morning. On the drive home from the airport, we were both concerned that the heavy snow storm we narrowly escaped had left its remnants in our driveway and perhaps still had my car buried alive. Nope. We turned the corner and were quite pleased to see that the driveway was clear, as was the car.

Insert key in door. Open door. Did we take a wrong turn on the expressway and perhaps make an unscheduled stop at Niagra Falls? There sure was enough water pouring out of the ceiling to think so, but the scenery - not so much. Turns out the hot water pipe burst, the ceiling caved, and there was a good 3 inches of water in the hallway and downstairs bedroom. Welcome home. Glad you're back. yea, right - I kept telling my husband I wanted to stay in Florida. Too bad he never listens to me.

The good news is we will finally have the new carpet we've been wanting. The bad news is, even an insurance check cannot replace the lost photographs, baseball cards, newspaper articles, sports memorabilia, not to mention at least 20 pairs of shoes, 5 of which were my suede boots. Yea, I've been craving wearing sandals instead of boots, but still...

After hours and hours of moving things, and ripping up carpet, (and doing load after load of laundry from the trip) I have decided that I am done. Maybe tomorrow I will feel like uploading all the pictures from the trip (and there are a lot), but I certainly don't feel like it now.

P.S. We had a great time despite the very cold temperatures for the first half of the week. More on that tomorrow, perhaps.

It's almost over...

You probably thought the title of this entry refers to the winter (I mean, I know it's all I've written about for a long time), but not this time. This time, I mean the wait is almost over! In 5 more days the hubby and I will be soaring through the sky headed for West Palm Beach. While there we will catch a spring training game in Fort Lauderdale (Baltimore vs Boston)and we will then scoop mom and drive up to Port Richey to visit Jay and Vee. I sure am looking forward to seeing every one. I wish Joe and Amber could have made it as well (I'll miss you guys.)

Normally, I don't ever want to return from Florida, but this time, just 5 days after the arrival to the cold northeast, it will be Fleetwood Mac in concert at the Nassau Colessium!!!! Definitely with returning for!

check it out:

Let the games begin

It may still be winter up here according to the calendar, but alas, the pitchers and catchers have reported to sunny, warm F-L-A. If you're like me, and sick and oh so tired, of hearing about the PED's (performance enhancing drugs), and just want to hear the good ole fashioned sounds of the season, take a look at this Charles Schulz classic. It may be long, but it sure does bring a much welcomed smile as we remember how baseball used to be and should be, again:

29 days...

For my animal lovers.......

For those of you who do not know what Bideawee is, you can cut and paste this link into your browser, you can see and hear all about Bideawee.

http://www.bideawee.org/video/dtv.php

On March 28, I will be attending a volunteer orientation/training. I am very excited about the opportunity to be around animals, especically the dogs.

I actually told them on my application that my first dog was adopted from there back in 1971! I'm not sure if that's why they accepted my application or not - but, I am so looking forward to it!!

I hope you check it out and let me know what you think.

34 more days and counting...

I CAN'T WAIT!!!

Marley and Me

Every 50 years or so, a movie comes along that steals your heart. For me this year, it was Marley and Me.


"A dog doesn't care if you're rich or poor. Give him your heart and he'll give you his."

Freezing Frenzy Fades Fast - February Feel Fabulous!

On February 2, the groundhog saw his shadow, ducked back into his hole and told us there would be six more weeks of winter. Oh how wrong he was! Spring has sprung here, if not for the year, at least for the week. Temperatures will be in the 40's and 50's all week long. When it's February and the ground has been covered in white since early December - we are extremely happy with 40's and
50's in February - even if it's short lived. Everyone is happier, people are smiling - I, myself, will be going OUTSIDE for a walk today! I think I saw my neighbor headed for the pool - ok, maybe I am getting a bit carried away - but it sure feels good to smile again! Even my birdies are singing a little louder this morning (well, that may be because I poured some bacon grease over the bread crumbs I gave them) but even so.......happy almost spring, everyone. P.S. 6 days and counting til pitchers and catchers!!!!

Things I Learned While Watching the NFC Championship Football Game With My Father-in-Law

1. I learned that NFC stands for "National Football Conference"
2. I then, naturally, figured out that AFC stands for "American
Football Conference." And that both conferences make up the
NFL, much like the National and American Leagues of the MLB.
Go ahead, make fun of me, I never knew...
3. I learned the difference between "false start" and "off sides" - thanks,Pops, for explaining, in plain English, so that
I could understand it. (And even pointing out examples.)
4. I learned that Pops likes to root for the underdog.
5. I learned that he sneaks chips to Daisy when he thinks no one
is looking!
7. I learned that his mouth becomes vulgar when he disagrees with
one of the referees. (Yikes!!!)
8. I learned the difference between sac(k) and blitz. I did not,
however, learn how to spell sac(k).

I thought my list would reach at least ten things, but alas, I may have to wait for the AFC Championship game (which starts in about an hour) or possibly the Superbowl (two weeks). And now that yet another football season nears the end, I've learned that it's not THAT boring after all.

Dodging a white bullet

So, I'm in Pennsylvania for the weekend. Kicking back and watching the "Today" show this a.m. as they show the New Yorkers hanging out just outside the window of the studio, I can see the snow falling fast and maybe not so furious, but enough to have that white effect - AGAIN. Ha ha, mother nature, I'm in PA where it's a toasty 31 degrees and there's no snow. 1:00 p.m. weather update: the flakes are falling in PA now. I guess the margarine commercial was correct - "you can't fool mother nature."

And just an aside - also on the news this morning (not the Today show, rather the local Baltimore station) I learned of the salmonella scare with the peanut butter products. When the story was finished, they cut to a commercial. "Choosy mothers, choose Jiff." Ok, that's not their present-day slogan, but you catch my drift, I'm sure. I kid you not - you can't make this stuff up.

After Memorial Day Until Labor Day

That's what "white" used to represent to me - the period of time between the unofficial start of summer and the unofficial end of summer, during which it was fashionally acceptable to don white shoes and a white pocketbook. I used to love "white" and what it represented. Now, as I described in yesterday's post, it just reminds me of snow and cold. Since I'm suffering with a sinus headache today which models the pain of an axe splitting apart my head over and over again, I decided to stay home. My right eye was nearly swollen shut this morning, but thankfully, that has subsided. Anyhow, sick or not, my little birdies who are too stupid to migrate south to get away from this "white" still have to eat. I tried to capture them, but alas, I suck as a photographer, and only got a shot of one (not a great shot either):



I also tried to get a shot of them at the birdfeeder (which is my neighbor's) but I missed:



Here's yet another example of why I detest "white" now:


And here's what we have to look forward to for the next several days:



And finally, this is what I think about every second of every minute of every hour of day of every week of every month of this *&^%#@* winter:

WHITE

like the next snow storm that is on the way
this page is filled with white for yet another day
the emptiness surrounds me to the point so it seems
that i'm no longer amazed when i see it in my dreams

i need the summer's colors with the crashing of the waves
i want to feel the warmth emitting from the sun's rays
i long to sit on the beach with the sand between my toes
i need to stop wearing layers upon layers of clothes

i'm obsessed with this monster called winter
it's taken over my mind
it's stripped me of my inner peace
it's stripped me so i'm blind

there's nothing left for me to see
the page still remains white
it's probably going to stay that way
for many more nights

SNOW IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP RAPIDLY FROM WEST TO EAST LATE TONIGHT AS LOW PRESSURE APPROACHES FROM THE WEST. SNOW WILL CONTINUE DURING THE PRE-DAWN HOURS WITH THE HEAVIEST SNOW EXPECTED BETWEEN 7 AM AND 11 AM THURSDAY. THE STEADY... GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS WILL DEVELOP. BY EARLY THURSDAY AFTERNOON TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS WILL RANGE GENERALLY FROM 2 TO 4 INCHES. A FEW AREAS IN EASTERN SUFFOLK COUNTY NEW YORK MAY RECEIVE UP TO 5 INCHES OF SNOW ACCUMULATION.

ROADS WILL QUICKLY BECOME SLIPPERY AT THE ONSET OF PRECIPITATION AS VERY COLD AIR IS IN PLACE OVER THE REGION AND THE SNOW IS NOT EXPECTED TO MELT ON CONTACT WITH ROADWAYS.

IN ADDITION... AREAS OF BLOWING SNOW MAY BRIEFLY REDUCE VISIBILITIES IN SOME LOCATIONS AS GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS DEVELOP THURSDAY MORNING AND LAST INTO EARLY THURSDAY AFTERNOON.

SOMEONE NEEDS TO TELL ME WHAT IS "PRETTY" ABOUT THIS?????

Purple Passion Proves Promising - Let's Go Ravens!!

This may come as a shock to most of you, but I actually watched the entire Baltimore Ravens vs Tennessee Titans football game this afternoon with the hubby. (Kudos to him, for not losing his patience with me at my myriad, non-ending list of questions-which by the way, would not have been so non-ending, if he had answered them so I could understand the first time I asked.) That I watched the game is not so much shocking to me as the fact that I kind of liked it. Who knew? Flashbacks of my dad yelling at the screen while watching the Jets, or the Giants, or whatever game he could, swept rhythmically through my brain and some of his words actually, for the first time, made some sense to me.

I loved the fact that the phone kept ringing throughout the game with devoted Baltimore fans yelling and screaming in their glory. Even my fellow Commackian friend, Anne, (who's a Redskins fan) kept calling in her delighted bliss! Not to mention, my son, Justin, in Florida, who finally wasn't calling to tell me it's 80 degrees down there! I guess this football thing's kind of important to some people. And now that the Purple Passioned Baltimore Ravens have won, I have to do this all over again next week against either Pittsburgh or San Diego.

And although I enjoyed myself, if the truth be told, I'd still rather be shopping!

Whining in a Winter Wonderland

I know it's probably getting somewhat boring reading so many posts about the friggin white stuff that seems to be never ending this winter (and it's only early January); however, any one who knows me, knows how much I hate it. And, this is my blog, so I'll whine if I want to.

Here we go again:

WINTER WEATHER EXPECTED OVER THE WEEKEND...

.LOW PRESSURE WILL TRACK UP THE OHIO RIVER VALLEY THROUGH SATURDAY... PASS JUST SOUTH OF LONG ISLAND SATURDAY NIGHT... AND THEN MOVE WELL EAST OF THE AREA ON SUNDAY. THIS SYSTEM WILL PRODUCE HEAVY SNOWFALL OVER THE AREA FROM SATURDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING... MIXING WITH SLEET AT TIMES SATURDAY NIGHT ACROSS SOUTHERN LONG ISLAND AND NEW YORK CITY.

SNOW IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP OVER NORTHEAST NEW JERSEY AND WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE LOWER HUDSON VALLEY AROUND MIDDAY BEFORE SPREADING FROM WEST TO EAST THROUGHOUT THE DAY. SNOW WILL THEN CONTINUE TO FALL THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT AND BECOME HEAVY AT TIMES. THE SNOW WILL TAPER OFF SHORTLY AFTER SUNRISE ON SUNDAY.

THE LOW WILL PASS CLOSE ENOUGH TO LONG ISLAND THAT THE SNOW WILL MIX WITH SLEET AND POSSIBLY FREEZING RAIN LATE SATURDAY NIGHT ACROSS NEW YORK CITY AND LONG ISLAND LOCATIONS...

TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS FROM THIS SYSTEM WILL RANGE FROM 6 TO 9 INCHES ACROSS THE LOWER HUDSON VALLEY AND INTERIOR CONNECTICUT... AND FROM 5 TO 7 INCHES ACROSS NORTHERN NEW YORK CITY... NASSAU AND NORTHERN SUFFOLK COUNTY... AND COASTAL PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST NEW JERSEY.

A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW...
SLEET... AND ICE ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. STRONG WINDS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE. THIS WILL MAKE TRAVEL VERY HAZARDOUS OR IMPOSSIBLE.

This means I cannot escape to the mall and lose myself in the only in-door exercise program in which I enjoy participating - "shopping till I drop," while the hubby watches his beloved Baltimore Ravens further their attempt at this year's Superbowl. I guess I'll have to "work out" by exercising my hand to my mouth while munching on the chips and dip; and cheese and crackers; and other delicious comfort foods purchased in an attempt to escape the dreaded forecast.

This also means that by the time bathing suit season returns I shall be shopping for a mu mu to cover up the damages from the winter-long nosh fest. Oh well, a girl's gotta eat.

And a quick shout out to my future daughter-in-law, Vanessa, (who resides in Florida and thinks snow is "so pretty") - I will post some pictures of the storm for you, as I curse my mom for telling me to take a civil service test when I was 18 so now I'm stuck here at a job that's way too good to leave so I can move to Florida - oh the epitome of irony.

Heavy sigh. 10 weeks til spring. More like 20 weeks til it gets warm. Heavier sigh...here's a peak at what I dream of while I look out the window as the thermometer struggles to climb out of the
20's:

P.S.

I meant to add this to the previous post, in honor of my dad, who used to laugh so hard at this show, that he would cry...


And let's not forget what this man used to do to him...

Dad

I can't help but wonder what my dad would have been like had he lived to celebrate his 84th birthday today.

Would he get on a computer? Would he have an email address? A cell phone? A GPS? A subscription to Satellite radio? An Ipod? A big screen tv? A DVR? An auto start for the car? My initial thoughts are no to all; (I mean this is a man who even refused to use a calculator!) however, after some pondering, I kind of think that perhaps he would have expanded his technological abilities along with the rest of the world!

Would he have sold his car and pedaled his bicycle all over town when gas cost over $4.00 per gallon? Oh, I'm pretty sure he would have! I don't have to ask if he would have voted for Obama, because there's no doubt in my mind about that.

I bet he'd love the fact that the Yankees haven't won a world series in several years and at the same time, be frustrated that the Mets still can't get their act together in the month of September. I wonder if he would have purchased tickets for this year's Superbowl, since it's going to be in Tampa (probably not).

I wonder about how nice it would have been to have a 50th wedding anniversary party for my mom and him (which would have been 5 years ago). I wonder what he'd think about the fact that both of his kids remarried. I wonder just how proud he'd be of all his grandchildren (very, I'm sure - and that's one of my favorite things to think about.)

I wonder if he would have talked my mom into getting another dog by now! (I'm really undecided about this one!)

And although I really do not believe in the afterlife, I often find myself wondering if he's been trying to send messages my way every now and then. Happy birthday, Dad - I miss you.

My New Year's Poem

And so another year comes to a close,
as I sit here to jot down a couple of prose.
I can only hope that the new year brings
back my ability to remember things!
Like where I put that shopping list,OR
what the hell I walked into a room for!
Some other things I've noticed too,
that I simply don't remember to do
such as water the plants or take a pill
or now and then forget a bill!
And now in the mirror all I can see
is my mom's face staring back at me!
I used to run up the stairs with greatest of ease
but now I get breathless at the end of a sneeze.
I can't rise from a chair without making a sound
which makes me feel like my dad's still around!
I remember when the mail delivery made me happy
now it's just bills and letters from AARP!
My point just got proven, as I've darted off track,
cause when I started to write this, it was about memory lack!
Even at work I forget things all day,
like where I put that letter or if I filed it away.
I used to deliver messages without writing them down
and now I forget so fast that I have a breakdown!
So the moral of the story is this you see,
I just don't appreciate what is happening to me.
And one of my wishes for 2009
is to once and for all find that brain of mine!

Here's what I think about resolutions...

"A New Year's resolution is something that goes in one year and out the other." ~Author Unknown - Now that's funny!

Christmas in Pennsylvania...

There may not have been chestnuts roasting by an open fire, but we all were certainly roasting in front of the pellet stove!! Justin thinks he's so smirk, telling me it's in the 80's down there while we're all freezing up here, well guess what, Jus? It is hotter than hell in this house!!!!

Anyhow - Just thought I'd share with all of you some of our visit so far, fun was had by all (especially last night, when we played Catch Phrase and the very first clue, Momma described was what she thought was "Colonial Sandals." Apparently, the Herbanese language does not fall far from the tree, because the clue was "Colonel Sanders.") I simply cannot put into words how much we all laughed. And so my good friend, Jani- your "Cannonball" (rather than cannibal) from Thanksgiving has just been trumped by Momma's blunder. Not to fret; however, I'm sure before the weekend is out, someone will outdo Momma. It's just the way it is down here!

Anyhow - here's a sampling of the photo frenzy:

For my kids...

Dear Wise Guys,

I am truly sorry that we will not be together for this holiday season. I wish for both of you a happy and peaceful day(s). I hope you remember that this was the song I always played as you opened up your gifts. I assumed neither of you have a copy of it, so here it is......enjoy! I love you both with all my heart.

Merry Christmas to all

I found this on youtube - enjoy the cartoons as the song plays - I think they're hysterical!

Tell it to your "Friends"

Merry Christmas, from my favorite show, Friends, to my favorite friends:

Happy Chanukah!!!!

Although the festival of lights does not official start until sundown on Sunday night, go ahead, enjoy this little diddy:

What a way to spend a birthday

Today is my hubby's birthday (yes, the party was a month ago, but today is his actual birthday). Here's pictures of him playing with his latest toy. While he was at it, he went across the street and decided to use the old southern charm with which he was raised (thanks for that, Momma!) Enjoy the pictures: (click on them to enlarge.) By the way, notice that his really fancy rims are missing from the car (the blue one) -too bad he can't travel about town in style all year round!! I wonder if he likes his new snow blower as much as those rims - somehow I doubt it. Oh well, whatcha gonna do? 50 some odd days til pitchers and catchers!!

Happy birthday, honey. I'm sorry we couldn't go out as planned. I'm also sorry you can't watch your beloved Baltimore Ravens on t.v. Thank goodness for satellite radio though.

Oh yes, and honey - one more thing: You ARE old!

December 19, 1982

I found a picture last night. In it was a very pregnant me, sitting with my 17 month old son, the same son, who today turns 26! In the picture I am 26. The almost born baby was born on May 26!

Today, as I sit here looking at the snow falling harder and faster, (the weather report isn't helpful, because the tv screen is completely white!) I remember that day, in 1982, at 5:08 in the morning, when my first born child arrived. Unlike today, it was not snowing! I think my mom got to the hospital before I did! (I remember that my dad couldn't be there because he was in Florida taking care of his ill mom - but as soon as the baby was born, my mom called him on the phone and said "hello, Grandpa" and he immediately returned, with a baseball bat and glove, of course.) Less than two weeks later I flew down to Florida with my new son and my brother (I can still hear his imitation of my son crying at 3:00 a.m. for his bottle while the three of us bunked in her living room - "wah, wah, wah, wah") to visit my grandma and introduce her to her great grandson. She passed away about a week later. Yep, I might be becoming extremely forgetful lately - but there are some things you just never forget.

Happy birthday, JoeY!

Here's that picture - do not judge me for the hair, I truly don't know what I was thinking!





P.S. - for friends and family who live south of the border and have to deal with the sweltering 80 degree heat - here's what you're missing today up north - now aren't you jealous? (yeah, right!)

Love these quotes

I tell you everything that is really nothing, and nothing of what is everything, do not be fooled by what I am saying. Please listen carefully and try to hear what I am not saying. ~Charles C. Finn

You never know what is enough, until you know what is more than enough. ~William Blake, Proverbs of Hell

One day, someone showed me a glass of water that was half full. And he said, "Is it half full or half empty?" So I drank the water. No more problem. ~Alexander Jodorowsky

The scars you can't see are the hardest to heal. ~Astrid Alauda

The Empty Nest

So, my friend and I are driving back from Brooklyn yesterday when she asks me: "How do you do it? - how do you stand it that your kids are so far away from you?"

It's a great question. Sometimes I don't really have an answer. That's not what I told her though. What I said was this: "When I know that I'm going to see one of them later that day - like when I'm on the plane flying to Florida, or when I'm in the car driving to Boston, that feeling of anticipation and excitement is so awesome, and the hugs hello given and received, are so delicious that it is almost - yes, ALMOST worth the wait.

I didn't tell her this, either - at least once a day, I picture one or both of them surprising me with a visit. And when they do, though it's not often - that almost makes it worth the wait, too.

Ode to Women

I received this little diddy via email and liked it so much I posted it here - I wish I knew the author:

'Whatever you give a woman, she will make greater. If
> you give her
> sperm, she'll give you a baby. If you give her a house,
> she'll give you
> a home. If you give her groceries, she'll give you a
> meal. If you give
> her a smile, she'll give you her heart. She multiplies
> and enlarges what
> is given to her. So, if you give her any crap, be ready to
> receive a ton
> of shit.'
>
And speaking of quotes, my son's (JoeY) birthday gift arrived in the mail the other day. A beautiful box which holds about 125 photos. On the top it can be personalized with two of your own photos and it has a beautifully engraved plate that reads: "If the heart holds memories, then this box holds my heart." I thought that was so nice. Then I found out Joey actually wrote it - now I think it's AMAZING!!!
>

Winter Wonderland, my butt...

Did I ever tell anyone how much I HATE winter? Technically, it's still fall, but here's our first measurable snow of the season - CRAP!! I just know my son, Justin, will call later to tell me it's 80ish degrees there. Just remember how you got there, Jus...

Let the mind games begin

One of the things I brag about most often is that I'm too smart to be outsmarted. Really. No one has successfully ever truly surprised me (except for Kathy's sister, Susan, with the table, but that's a whole other story). I'm always one step ahead of everyone else. Until yesterday. The hubby and I went to dinner with Janice and Kenny for my birthday. Like we always do for our birthdays. We went back to their house afterwards, like we always do. So they thought I wouldn't suspect anything. Or so I thought, they thought I wouldn't suspect anything. As we pulled into the driveway, I was already attempting to see movement through the windows. And Janice caught me looking. As we entered the house there were decorations, but no people. Hmmm....I thought, they're hiding upstairs. Nope. They're hiding in the other room. Nope. No people. "Why the decorations?" I asked. "Because it's your birthday" I was told. She did not lie, it was. "Open our presents" they said. So I did. They were all awesome, but I think it would be tacky to list them here. Still no people. For a while I was convinced there would be no other people and for a while I still thought they'd appear from upstairs. My husband and Janice and Kenny totally succeeded in leaving me clueless. No control of the situation. Not a comfortable feeling. They messed with my head so bad that I had a wine cooler (no big deal for most, but I have had no alcohol of any kind for the better part of a year now.) Shortly thereafter, there was a knock on the door and lo and behold, enter Sonia and Bill! What a lovely surprise. And then, another knock - enter Debbie and Melanie! Oh my, that was awesome! Right behind them, enter Mandi - whose laugh and smile alone can light up a room! As I said last night - I got the chance to be with some of my most favorite people all at once, when normally I'm with them one at a time. Very nice. I loved it. Although I missed terribly the folks who could not make it (and you all know who you are) I still had a wonderful time. At one point, I laughed so hard I peed myself (yea, I know - no different than any other day) but it still makes for a good laugh when I tell people. The moral of the story is that a successful party is not measured by the number of people, but by the people who count. I must say, that from the phone call I received from my father in law singing to me 2 days early, to the best card I ever got from my mom (with a great gift as well), to the phone call I received from my brother the night before my birthday because he wanted to be the last person to speak to me in my 40's (LOL), to my husband being the first person to wish me happy birthday by singing (off key, of course) shortly after midnight, when he came home from work, to the fun day at work (yes, at work) beginning with balloons, decorations, and candy splattered all over my desk (thanks, Jani), not to mention numerous extremely funny cards, to the countless phone calls from everyone in my life who counts, (thanks for those calls (in order of receipt): Justin, Kenny, Kathy, a flower delivery from Kathy (with an AWESOME card!!) Joey, Will, Josh, Charlotte and Rob, Mom, Vanessa, Jennifer, Kathy again, Anne, and some guy named Brad (that was funny, Kath), to the emails from Caryl and Wendy, to the messages on my blog from Claire and Caryl, to the text message from my cousin-in-law, Lori, to the dinner, to the gifts, to Janice's poem (her very best yet!) to the party, to the fun - this truly was the best birthday I have ever had. Go figure, so far 50 - I'm actually liking it!
P.S. I know I said it would be tacky to list the gifts, but I think you should all know that Kenny got me an "Emergency Loss of Control Kit" (An extra large Depends, in a box, complete with a hammer to open it quickly!) What can I say? The man knows me well.
P.P.S. - Check out some of the photos (thanks so much, Jani!) If you look carefully, you will see some of my presents!!

Agghhh....I'm 50!

It's here. And now that it is, I will share what my mom wrote to me:
"Dear Lori,
Fifty years ago, when you were an infant, we had a ritual. As soon as Daddy came hom from work, he would take Barry by the hand and say to him, 'Let's go see how the little girl is doing.' Then they would walk over to your crib and 'check you out.' Well, fifty years later, with lots of changes in our lives (some good, some not so good), I would like to think that somehow he knows that 'the little girl' is doing just fine!"

And so, in honor of my dad, whose birthday cards I miss so much, here's a little diddy from Ole Blue Eyes, himself:

Fleetwood Mac is Back!!

Friday night, March 13th - Nassau Collesium - you bet your ass I will be there!!!!!!!!!!

2 more days

For the last six months I have been having so much fun tormenting the other members of the Commack Clan (and some non-member friends as well) because they are now all 50 and I'm not. Well, be it as it may, my tormenting days have dwindled down to two. I can deny it no longer, I too, will be 50 in just two days. I tried to turn back the hands of time, but much to my dismay, the day is nearly here. I cannot hide under the blanket any longer. I've received numerous cards already (some of which were literally the ones I sent to someone else and recycled - you think you're so funny, don't you Kath?), even a phone call from my father-in-law, singing happy birthday to me (better early than late, he said). The deal sealer; however, was the card from my Mom. In the years since my dad has passed, one of the things I've missed the most have been his birthday cards to me, he always had such a gift of saying so much in so few words. Today, as I read my Mom's card, the tears rolling down my face, I still had to smile - she brought my dad back to me, if even for a fleeting moment. Thanks, Mom. Maybe 50 won't be so bad, after all.