Doing nothing

6:00 p.m. I'm still in my pj's. Nope, not sick. Just needed one of those days where you sit on your butt. All day. Do nothing. It kind of felt good. The complete opposite of the daily grind and running from one place to another. Except, somehow 4 loads of laundry got washed, dried put away; so did a load of dishes. Two closets got cleaned out. The bed got stripped and remade. And the July vacation plans were finalized. Hmmm, guess I didn't do "nothing" after all...

Suzie Q

My father in law used to call me "Suzie Q." I'm not sure why - but it didn't matter anyhow. It was sweet. We visited his grave yesterday. I had a short, private conversation with him. Later that evening, on the oh so long drive home from Stewartstown, PA to Long Island, I believe it was somewhere during the 15 mph trek of the New Jersey Turnpike, the song "Suzie Q" by Creedence Clearwater Revival came on the radio. I haven't heard that song in years. Coincidence? Acknowledgement? You decide.

Open the Blinds Close the Blinds

Every morning the first thing I do when I come down the stairs is open the blinds. Every evening the last thing I do before going up the stairs is close the blinds. If I did the math in my head correctly, that's over 20,000 times I have opened and closed the blinds in the past 25 years or so (don't get out your calculator to see if I'm right - it was a rough guess). How come every time I turn around I'm opening or closing the blinds? Another description of the same feeling - office chatter:
"Have a nice weekend." "How was your weekend?" I've been at my job long enough to have uttered these two phrases 1144 times. I hope I've made the most of all the time in between.

Taking Turns

It sems that a female dog put out on the first date and got herself in "trouble." Five puppies later, the owner could not handle it. That's what I walked into this afternoon at Bide A Wee. Three girls, two boys. Looks like a spaniel-poodle mix. All five are mostly white balls of fluff with some tan markings. They were all fast asleep when I arrived. Literally sleeping on top of one another. In our training classes we learned that puppies must learn to let humans hold them and touch them all over, it makes them much more adoptable. You don't have to tell me twice!! I would pay to do this. Once again, we humans could learn a lesson from these little guys. The lesson of unconditional love. Just hold them and stroke them and somehow they instinctively know that they are safe and they love you for it forever. I took them out (one at a time) and played with them on my lap. They knew they had to take turns. No one cried. No one was jealous. As I put one down, one would come to me. No one tried to jump the line - it was amazing. Funny - but the runt of the litter was the most playful, (her tail never ever stopped wagging), she was very interested in my fingers. I replaced my fingers with her chew toys just a couple of times and she got the message. It was so easy - no words needed. No punishing. Nothing negative. Just that look. That eye to eye - nonverbal communication. My eyes were saying "don't chew on my fingers." Her eyes were saying "but I love you." Her four siblings (one of which I'll call "Frankie" because his eyes were the bluest I've seen on a dog (except for maybe a Siberian Huskie), were also very playful. They; however, seemed much more interested in sleeping and peeing on the newspaper. Like I said last week - no matter how many litters you see, there is always that one - I already taught her to give kisses....I'm secretly calling her Frito. I'm sure she will have a permanent home before I get back there. Sigh.

And they called it puppy love

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. I don't have any pictures, so here are my words (doubtful that it will be a thousand of them though). I'll be as descriptive as possible: Puppy love: Puppy teeth, puppy nails, puppy breath, puppy yelping, puppy crying, puppy playing, puppy kissing. Puppies. All over me. Over a dozen of them at one time - all fighting for my attention. Chewing through my latex gloves, putting their nails through my sterile gown, chewing on my earrings, licking off my sunglasses. Puppies. White. Brown. Black. Twenty four puppy eyes. Trying to put them back in their crates - even with the help of two staff members - not so easy. Lots of crying. I'm weak. I take them back out (one at a time). I play with one, the others cry. They all look at me with those eyes - "I love you, take me home with you." But you know, there's always that one, that one that's different. That one that looks right through your soul and says "look at me, don't you know who I am?" "I'm your destiny...."

P.S. They will all be up for adoption as soon as they are medically cleared. Keep checking the Bide A Wee website (www.bideawee.org) if you're interested. Most of them are golden lab mixes and they've been flown in from the Bahamas.

Supervisor

I'm going to have a new supervisor in a couple of weeks. She is young enough to be my daughter. I remember when I started this job I was the youngest one in the entire department. Now I have a countdown to retirement of less than 4 years. I will have a "child" telling me how to do things that I've been doing for years. Funny, I thought this would bother me more than it does. Actually, I'm thinking I may be able to learn a thing or two from her. Not to mention that I certainly can teach her a thing or two or three or four...

Midnight

Midnight: noun, a 12 year old, black lab mix with the sweetest disposition a family could ever ask for. Loyal. Loving. Compassionate. Smart. Sweet (oh so sweet!) Beautiful. Funny. Furry. Fantastic. Fabulous. Adorable. Amiable. Angelic. Captivating. Charming. Cuddly (oh so cuddly!!) Fascinating. Friendly. Spoiled - oh so very spoiled...just like every dog should be!

When we got the call a little while ago that he had to be put down, my brother in law asked me if I wanted to say goodbye to him over the phone. I couldn't do it. I'm doing it here. Goodbye Midnight. I will miss everything about you. Especially your head pushing up my hand to scratch your behind. Our bed in the basement will be lonely without you. Your barking at the back door to come inside when you didn't want to be alone outside will ring in my heart forever. You managed to bring sunshine on even the darkest days. I hope you are at peace. I love you.

1983

How did I become older than my mom? As I was digging through a couple of boxes of old photographs, I came across one of my first born son, Joey, at the age of 5 months, with me sitting on the couch. Just for the heck of it, I put my glasses on, took another look. Nope - not me in the picture. My mom. Four years younger than I am now. How is this possible? The original was taken with a Polaroid. I just took a photo of the photo, so it's a bit blurry, much like the 26 1/2 years that have passed since that day.

wii fit

It's all the rage. Everyone has it. Everyone is talking about it. We have one too. We talk about it too. Apparently; however, I am not so much wii fit! According to "my fitness coach" my center of balance is way off. My BMI is way too high. My weight is 33 pounds more than it should be. It seems that I cannot walk in place and swing my arms at the same time, or walk on a tight rope, twirl a baton, keep up a hoola hoop, have a snowball fight, operate a segway, ski down a mountain, do a basic step aerobic, nor breathe properly. It's amazing that I can dress myself! But here's the thing - it is so competitive that it drives you to keep going. I'm feeling muscles in my body that I haven't felt since tryouts for kickline in 10th grade!! Maybe I'll lose some weight and get into shape, but I'll have to put the bag of potato chips down first!

36 years with you - 15 without

Happy birthday Dad...

Christmas Dinner

I've been trying for over a week to write a story about Christmas dinner. I sign on and stare at a blank page, all the words jumbled in my head and I can't seem to make a sentence. After the 4th try I gave up. Today as I sit here, (attempt #5) watching yet another snow storm, I realized it's because of the weather. Rage takes over every power of my being and I can't even think. I know I complain a lot about the cold. I know there's nothing I can do about it. I know people don't like to hear me whine about it. I can't stop myself. This is the 4th storm this winter and it's only January 2nd. This one was fore casted as "snow showers." The hubby used the snow blower a couple of hours ago and it's covered again. Some snow showers.

Anyhow - Christmas dinner was a lot of fun. Those of you who know me know that I really can't cook very well. One thing I can make; however, is a turkey. I attempted to step it up a notch with my son's recipe for apple cider gravy (which begins with cooking the turkey in the cider.) My momma in law always makes oyster dressing. We attempted the preparing of this feast together. I prepared the bird, she chopped her little fingers to the bone preparing the dressing. The only thing I did to help was break up the oysters. I held the legs of the bird wide open while she spooned in the stuffing. I felt like I was aiding in my granddaughter's birth again, only things were going in instead of coming out!! I happened to say this out loud and for some reason Momma found it hysterical. The kind of laughter that makes tears. The spoonfuls of dressing were landing everywhere but inside the bird. "F---it" I said, just pick it up with your hands. So she did - hand fulls of dressing literally being shoved in the bird. We laughed so hard our cheeks hurt. We were all looking forward to this meal, especially the oyster dressing. A couple of hours later the house began to smell delicious. I basted and basted and basted again. Dinner was finally ready. Probably one of the most scrumptious birds I ever made. The oyster dressing; however, tasted like apple cider. Momma didn't find this flavor appealing to her palate. We did however; laugh. A lot. So much work - all for naught. Time well spent together, though. This is probably one of those stories best read if you were there. Nonetheless I felt like telling it. It was good to see you laugh, Momma.

Football Conversation

In my dad's day, if he wanted to rag on a fan of a football team that he perceived to be less worthy of his appreciation than the team he currently routed for, he would pick up the telephone, nah, wait a minute, no he wouldn't. He would wait until he happened to see the person and strike up a conversation that would go on, perhaps for hours, because whatever his co-conversationalist would say, he would take the opposing view. I'm sure it made for an entertaining bantering of comparative verbiage! Here's how my husband did the same thing the other day, step-by-step, in a matter of seconds:

1: hit the rewind button on live tv during a football game.
2: hit the pause button on the tv to freeze frame a devastated fan with his hands on
his pouting face.
3: take a picture, with his cell phone of said fan.
4: post the picture, from the cell phone to his friend's facebook wall.
5: write a little quip under the picture about how said friend's team sucks.
6: keep checking his facebook page to see if there was a response.

I guess my dad took with him the art of face-to-face conversation when he left us. I miss them both. I can't help but wonder, is that why it's called "Facebook?"

Living in the (right lane) danger zone

At first glance I thought that Brookhaven Town did a fairly decent job of plowing the 27 inches of snow that fell over the weekend. That was until I really starting getting around today. Consider that the storm was three days ago already. Every where I went today the right turn lanes were what was used to store all the plowed snow. No warning, no signs indicating the lane is closed. One minute you're driving in your lane, the next minute the lane is gone. Poof. Vanished. A mound of snow twenty feet high takes its place. Oh and try to park the car in any shopping center three days before Christmas when more than half the spots are also used to store plowed snow. And before you go judging that I should be done shopping by now, I am. Just trying to get my nails done. It was awfully cold walking through mounds of snow with flip flops on!! Oh the things you Floridians take for granted, like getting a pedicure without getting frostbite!! Four more years :(

Over two feet

In case any of you don't know what "over two feet of snow" looks like, or have been in Florida so long, you don't remember, or have been in Florida not that long, but still don't remember, or have been in a different southern state, or just want to rub it in my face cause you know how much I HATE THIS,took a look at this:


























Now, do you feel sorry for me? I didn't think so.

Frozen puddles

Becky, a 24 year old woman from Medford, Long Island was missing for 4 days. The police found her body, after she had been stabbed, burning on the side of a road in Connecticut, not too far from Foxwoods Casino. Unfortunately, the news has stories like these more often than I would like to admit. This time; however, it is different. This time, my son, Justin, knew her. Many of his friends were her friends. Most of the young folks interviewed on the news, I remember from his school days. Justin hasn't been back to New York for about 2 1/2 years. What a horrible thing to come back for.

The puddles in the street have all frozen over. Much like the heart of Becky's murderer. The one that used to beat in Becky's mom, has probably melted for good. Rest in peace, Becky...

On my way to 52

Another birthday has come and nearly gone. For the past several years, in the days between June 5th and December 4th, I take great pleasure in the fact that I am "so much younger" than my five fellow "Commack Clan" members. It's nice to be the youngest of six. Until today. Today I am just as old as they are. Remember when you were younger and on your birthday were always asked how it felt to be that age? The answer was always the same: "no different than yesterday." Well, these past two birthdays, (the big 5-0 and now the big 5-1) definitely feel different. I am very well aware that 60 is only 9 years away. Or, as my brother said in a conversation this evening, "70 is only 19 years away." Thanks for that, bro.

Hey, I don't care. It's just a number. I'm a Gramz now (and I might add, the first of the Commack Clan to achieve this wonderful milestone). Besides, I have a husband that I robbed from the cradle who keeps me young at heart!! Let's hear it for Junior Gramps!!

Favorite Quotes

"An optimist is a person who starts a new diet on Thanksgiving Day." - Irv Kupcinet

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them." - John Fitzgerald Kennedy

"Never look down on anybody unless you're helping him up." - Jesse Jackson

And this priceless one:

"One original thought is worth a thousand mindless quotings." - Diogenes of Sinope

Talk about your generation gap...

The hubby and I are having a hard time keeping up with Nonna and Nanno. Originally from Sicily, Rose and Sal (my daughter in law's grand parents) are two extremly incredible people. Up at the crack of dawn, neither one of them stop. I mean truly, do not stop. Sal says if he sits down, his mind takes over and then things start to hurt. So he keeps moving. All day. Here's what he did today: He took a 5hour road trip (alone) from his house down near Miami up to Spring Hill to meet his great granddaughter, Juliana. He walked in, kissed her and held her for a couple of minutes, grabbed my husband and said "ok, let's go." Off to the store they went to pick up the glider rocking chair and ottoman for the nursery. They came back, put it together, and off to the supermarket they went to pick up some groceries for dinner. Drop off the food, and out to Home Depot they went to pick up the ceiling fan for the nursery. In the meanwhile, Rose, is in the kitchen making home made pasta and broccoli (and that was just the appetizer!!), then came the salad, and then came the most delicious pork chops I have ever eaten. Ever. I try to help with the clean up, but basically get tossed out of the kitchen. Yesterday we went shopping and she goes up and down the aisles of the store so quickly, I really can't catch up to her. This woman is 31 years older than I. I'm exhausted just writing about it.

I am so grateful that I have gotten to know Sal and Rose. They should do a stand up comedy act together - their stories would have people crying from laughing so hard. Too bad my dad wasn't able to meet them...

And now for the supporting information...

In today's world of instant gratification technology, as pleased as I was with myself in getting pictures of my granddaughter online so quickly, I now have come to realize that no information was published with the incredible photos. Here's the scoop:

The total time of prelabor and labor was 36 hours and 45 minutes.
Juliana Rose Wise entered the world at 4:45 p.m. on 11/10/09, weighing in at
8 pounds, 2 ounces, measuring 19 inches.

It was a mind-blowing, emotionally euphoric experience to help coach my daughter in law through labor and delivery and watch my son do the same. When Juliana arrived there were three other generations in the room to greet her.

Hubby and I are now officially Gramz (yes, with a Z) and Gramps, and are thrilled to be just that!! And I do believe I read somewhere that there is a Batty Uncle up in Boston! There's also GG Annie, Bisnonna and Bisnonno and so many more folks who's lives will be changed forever. Two words keep coming to mind: Surreal. Profound.

Congratulations Justin and Vanessa - your daughter is the combination of all that is good between you. I am so very proud of both of you.

Juliana's arrival

Just call me Gramz:

Click here to view these pictures larger

The fifth of the month

April 5, 1935
December 5, 1958
November 5, 2009??????????????????

How cool would that be?

TD Bank gives back to the community

Tonight the very generous folks at TD Bank in Westhampton Beach thought it would be nice to give back to the community by hosting a reception for the volunteers at Bide A Wee.

It was nice to be able to meet some of the other volunteers. Some were from Wantagh and some from Manhattan. There were scrumptious Hors d'oeuvres and soft drinks. There were a few very brief speeches about how wonderful the volunteers are and how non-profit organizations couldn't do what they do without the volunteers doing what they do...there was even a gift bag packed with lovely gifts (both for pet and pet owner).

But, best of all were the so sweet pets that attended the reception. I had no idea the dogs would be there, otherwise I would have brought the camera. I have to say, they were so well behaved and so friendly with one another. It was amazing that they all got along. I guess they all must have attended Bide-a-Wee's training classes on good manners with our ace trainer, Ritsa!! It's nice to see good people do good things. I believe the hubby and I are getting much more out of this volunteer thing than we ever thought we would. It's rewarding.

On a somber note, one of our "retirees" passed away last night. Rest in peace, Nalla - we loved you and you will be missed.

Today it hit me...

For 7 months now I've known I'm going to be a grandmother. I've been so excited about it for such a long time that I didn't realize how numb I truly was. But today it really hit me. Today when I woke up, I felt different. I'M GOING TO BE A GRANDMOTHER!

I've had my cell phone attached to my hip for days. I keep picturing that call from my son. I try to imagine what he will say. I keep having flashes of images of what the birth might be like and those amazing minutes right after delivery when we all realize that it's not over, but it's just beginning. I can now picture the proud new mom and dad holding their daughter.

How does "Grams" sound? I think I like it.

From one end of Long Island to the other end and wait til you read the end

Thank goodness tomorrow is a holiday. There is no way I would be able to go to work. My feet hurt so much that I can barely stand. I checked on the list of personal day reasons and "blistered feet" is not on there. Here's where the pain came from: yesterday we went into the city. (the LIRR to Penn station). We walked from there to China town. (For those of you who don't know, that is about 40 blocks - 2.2 miles). We walked for well over an hour once we got there - and oh what a great time that was. I think anyone teaching a class in sociology or psychology should take the students on a field trip to NYC. Just have them sit on any street corner and watch. They will learn more than any text book could ever teach. I mean, you see it all - you really truly see it all. From the naked cowboy to his nearly naked and nearly 70 year old mom, to what had to be at least 40 cops arresting one guy for trying to sell him a knock off Rolex. Unbelievable. After we shopped til we dropped, we took the subway to Times Square. We walked from there to FAO Schwartz. That's another 18 blocks. After that was a quick bite. ($20 for a hamburger!!!!). We then walked all the way back to Penn Station (24 blocks). Once back at the station, the car was parked quite a distance away. Today, we were out the door at 8:00 a.m. to pick up a pup from Bide A Wee and bring him to the Riverhead Country Fair. We had to park well over a mile away. We were on our feet until after 1:00. I so wanted to walk around the fairgrounds afterwards, but literally could not. Me - had to turn down shopping. I'm still sick over it! I don't know how I made the mile trek back to the car, but I did. My feet feel like cinder blocks are attached to them. The bottoms of my toes are all blistered. Would I do it again? You bet!!!! Here are some pictures from both days:

Click here to view these pictures larger

To make the perfect ending for a perfect day, the last two pictures are of "Prince." We used to walk him often. He is an 18 month old great dane and lab mix. Definitely one of the volunteers' favorites. He was adopted in August and we were so happy for him, but really missed him. Well, lo and behold, there he was at the fair today, with his new mommy and daddy (NOT captured on camera). We were so happy and excited to see him, we had tears in our eyes. But look how happy is!!! Yeah, you know what? We do good work.

We interrupt this marriage to bring you football season...

In the off season, on the rare occasion that I go out on an afternoon weekend without my husband, I would have to answer a bunch of questions, the usual stuff - "Where are you going? Who are you going with? When will you be back?" Then my cell phone would ring: "Can you pick up some....." Not today though. Today, through the miraculous gift of the world wide web, my husband was able to watch his beloved Baltimore Ravens through the laptop, onto the big screen t.v. "I'm going out," I said. "Bye," he said. I came back three hours later. Cell phone untouched. He was in the same chair, same position. No questions asked. I wonder if he knew I was gone...

Baby Shower Weekend

What a weekend! Jammed packed with excitement. Here's a few pictures that captured the essence; but it's just a few. Still to come - the 3D sonogram that was attended by the whole gang(almost!)


The night before the shower, the whole family celebrated at a special dinner. It was really terrific to have everyone together.














Just a nice shot of the mom and dad to be.





















Great Grandma Annie, G-ma and Uncle Joey to be.











G-ma with Grandpa Herbie to be.

















Mom, Dad, Great Grandpa Sal and Great Grandma Rose to be.




















Oh how sweet, Justin's blanket, when he was born........














Daddy says she's going to be a Jets fan; but Grandpa Herbie is pushing the Baltimore Ravens already!!












Aunt Jani and Uncle Kenny come through with the Hello Kitty crib set!!



















Pass the hat around, starting with Uncle Joey.



















Don't worry Prada, Grandma still loves you!













Me and my boys.











This is the special poem I wrote and read for the occasion:

I hope you're ready
for the laughter and the tears
the hopes and the fears
the days, the months, the years
of commitment

I hope you're ready
for the nights you'll get no sleep
and the times you'll want to weep
and the memories that you'll keep
forever

I hope you're ready
for the 2 a.m. feedings
and the nursery rhyme readings
and the feeling of succeeding
which I know you'll achieve

I hope you're ready
for her hand around your finger
bedtime stories that will linger
becoming the world's best singer
all for her

I hope you're ready
for the scraping of her knees
and a playhouse in the trees
her begging please please please
can I have it?

I hope you're ready
for what is an additional
and yet a bit traditional
love that's unconditional
it's true

I hope you're ready
to have the drive and maturity
to teach goodness and purity
to be her strength and security
always

I hope you're ready
to give from your heart
right from the start
and promise never to part
ever

I hope you're ready
for the bliss and the pleasure
and that you will adore and treasure
this love you cannot measure
at all

I hope you're ready
for the pride which will bestow
for the joy you'll come to know
for your endless euphoric plateau
completely

I hope you're ready...
for the love of your life.

Follow up to "All Gone"

Two weeks ago I wrote about how the magnets on my car were stolen. Well, I suppose that most people simply would have gone to the dollar store and purchased new ones. I'm not most people. Oh, I went to the store, alright, but it wasn't the dollar store. As a matter of fact, I bought a new car:




At first, I wasn't all that crazy about it. Well, not that I wasn't crazy about it, just that I didn't really want to buy a new car. I loved my 9 year old car just as much as I did the day I bought it. It was the very first brand new car I ever bought completely on my own. It was a five speed. Although I knew how to drive it when I first bought it, I really mastered the technique afterwards. It was the car that I helped my son, Joey, move to college in. It was the car that I "attempted" to teach my son, Justin, how to drive a stick in. It was the car that if you breathe really deeply, you can still smell the garlic from the pizzas that Joey used to deliver in, it was the car that brought me back and forth to Pennsylvania. It was the car that gave birth to the license plates "HEYLAW." And, last but not least, it was the car that I PAID OFF 4 YEARS AGO!!!

But alas, it needed some work and it didn't seem right to sink money into a 9 year old car with nearly 84,000 miles. So, "HEYLAW II" has arrived. The only reason I gave in and purchased an automatic, is because I really wanted a remote start.



















I have learned my lesson from the theft of the magnets; however. I have palm tree pouches inside the door and little sticks with palm trees in the vents (click the pictures to enlarge).





































I have a flip flop hanging from the rear view mirror.





















And the only outside decorations are the fantastic palm tree license plate frames. So, if anyone wants my stuff, they will have to use a screwdriver to remove it.



















I have to admit that the radio (complete with XM and an IPOD hook up) is much better than my old car radio. I kind of even like the fact that there are no coffee stains on the seats. Although I really wanted the dark gray color again, the silver is growing on me. This week they put the spoiler on. Yea - it's growing on me!!

The Grandma Glow

It's official. I have the grandma glow. Someone stopped me in the hallway at work the other day and started asking questions about my son and daughter in law and how she is feeling and how is the baby, etc. I answered all the questions and as I was walking back to my office I realized that I was grinning from ear to ear. Couldn't wipe the smile off my face. Not only am I excited about becoming a grandma, but I'm excited that the kids are becoming parents, my older son will be an uncle, my husband will be a step grandpa (LOL), my mom will be a great grandma, well, I think I've made my point. Then, today, in my email were these treasures.....







It has been decided that she has Vanessa's round cheeks, Justin's chin, and the jury is still out on the eyes!!














She definitely has an over dramatic personality (thus the hand on the head) which I believe comes from both mom and dad!!












Look closely, she is sticking out her little tongue!!!

Forget the Joba rules - Jeter rules now

It took 72 years. That's how long Lou Gehrig held the Yankee record for the most career hits. Tonight Derek Jeter tied his record, and probably by this time Friday will break it. Yankee fan or not, you have to admire this guy's talent. Not to mention the fact that he's a good, clean, talented player. Refreshing. A real mensch. His parents must be so very proud. I feel honored to have cheered him on for the past 13 years. I guess my pictures of him will increase in value now! Question for you sports memorabilia folks - does this mean my pictures of Lou Gehrig decrease in value?????

Bide A Wee goes to Main Street

Back in March when we attended the volunteer training orientation at Bide A Wee, it was mentioned that the volunteers sometimes get to bring the dogs to Main Street in Westhampton Beach donned with an "Adopt me" vest and parade them up and down the street. That was what sealed the deal for me. I knew this was something I wanted to do and finally, last Thursday I got my chance.

Unfortunately, I did not bring a camera. Actually, fortunately I did not bring a camera - as the dog I had was definitely a handful (both hands to be exact!). Phoenix is her name. She is a 6 month old pit bull mix. She is absolutely beautiful - all gray and white, with the face of an angel - really. Most people become quite squeamish when they hear "pit bull." For this reason, we told all our inquirers (and there were many) that she was a terrier mix. We fooled the naive, but not those in the know!

I'm embarrassed to admit that although I've lived on Long Island since I'm 7 years old, I am not all that familiar with Westhampton Beach. What a treat it was. Main Street is just filled with quaint little shops and restaurants, most of which have seating outside. Most dining patrons were eager to see us walking with Phoenix and they stopped eating to pet her and talk with us. Most of the proprietors have water dishes outside their shops for the dogs to stop and get a quick drink. Some entrepreneurs actually invited us into their shops (with Phoenix)!

It was an amazing experience. I loved talking with people and hearing their stories. Phoenix, on the other hand, was much more interested in all the plant life that decorates both sides of the street. It took all the strength I had to keep her attention on walking. I also discovered that she does not like other dogs very much. People - no problem, dogs, not so much. Still it was awesome. I hope that we find a home for her from all the contact information we gathered for the main office.

Random thoughts from people 25-35 years old

This was in my email and originally had 53 lines to it. I've edited out many of them, but these, in my humble opinion, were pretty funny (especially #'s 3, 10, 11, 13, 15, and 33)


2. More often than not, when someone is telling me a story all I can
think about is that I can't wait for them to finish so that I can tell my
own story that's not only better, but also more directly involves me.

3. Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you
realize you're wrong. (Note: I thought I was wrong once, but I was wrong!)

7. I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was
younger.

9. Do you remember when you were a kid, playing Nintendo and it wouldn't
work? You take the cartridge out, blow in it and that would magically fix
the problem. Every kid in America did that, but how did we all know how to
fix the problem? There was no internet or message boards or FAQ's. We just
figured it out. ( (Note: I remember when MY kids did this, not when I did it!!)

10. There is a great need for a sarcasm font.

11. Sometimes, I'll watch a movie that I watched when I was younger and
suddenly realize I had no idea what the f was going on when I first saw it.


13. How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

14. I would rather try to carry 10 plastic grocery bags in each hand than
take 2 trips to bring my groceries in. - (Note: LOL - Justin and Vanessa!!!!!!)

15. I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your
computer history if you die.

19. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and
hunger.

20. Answering the same letter three times or more in a row on a Scantron
test is absolutely petrifying.

22. How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and
smile because you still didn't hear what they said?

26. MapQuest really needs to start their directions on #5. Pretty sure I
know how to get out of my neighborhood.

33. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work
when you've made up your mind that you just aren't doing anything productive
for the rest of the day. (Note: Sometimes it's a few short moments after I arrive!)

35. There's no worse feeling than that millisecond you're sure you are
going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far.

36. I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if
I want to save any changes to my ten page research paper that I swear I did
not make any changes to.

37. "Do not machine wash or tumble dry" means I will never wash this ever.

45. Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not
know what time it is.

53. The other night I ordered takeout, and when I looked in the bag, saw
they had included four sets of plastic silverware. In other words, someone
at the restaurant packed my order, took a second to think about it, and then
estimated that there must be at least four people eating to require such a
large amount of food. Too bad I was eating by myself. There's nothing like
being made to feel like a fat bastard before dinner.

All gone

Last day of August - gone. Last day of summer hours at work - gone. Pool already closed (since last Friday) for the year - gone. Weather so cool tonight that not only is the AC off, but I had to shut the windows. The cold of winter is not that far off. One of the things that keeps me smiling all winter long is looking at all my beach scenery and palm trees that I have all over the house (the first time my son, JoeY saw the bathroom he said "don't worry, Mom, some day you'll be in Florida for real!") and yes, even my car. Inside the car are palm tree key chains and flip flop key chains hanging from my mirror. I even have a palm tree deodorizer in the door handle. Don't laugh, I look at these things every day and they make me smile. On the outside of my car, in the back on the trunk is a palm tree magnet, (also a breast cancer awareness magnet that I got for spearheading a drive at work, and a Yankees magnet that was a birthday gift). Until today. Today as I came out of the supermarket I noticed that all three magnets were gone. I Hope whoever stole them off my car enjoys them all as much as I did. Anyone who knows me knows how sentimental I am. If anyone reading this needs to know what to get me for my birthday or holiday gift this year - I just gave you a great idea. Except this time, I guess I need to adhere them with SUPER GLUE.

Once you've seen a mall you've seen em all (another one of my dad's lines)

I had to go to the mall the other night. It's not even recognizable anymore. It's more like Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills (I assume). Not only do the outfits in the windows have 3 figure price tags, but they are all made for anorexic teenagers. There are more kiosks than stores. The clientele looks like something out of a middle school cut out day. I couldn't wait to get out of there. I remember when I used to love going to Smith Haven Mall. It was the end of summer. Back to school clothes shopping was eminent. I would take the $100 I'd saved all summer babysitting (maybe it was $50) and whatever additional money I could squeeze (ok, whine for) from my folks, and my friends and I would take the bus, YES KIDS, THE BUS, from Mayfair shopping center in Commack to the mall. We would go early in the morning. We'd hit every single store that was there. In those days, except for Macy's and A&S (remember A&S?) you could afford to shop in every store at the mall. We'd shop for hours, have lunch at Friendly's, shop for more hours, sit at the snack bar at Woolworth's,(remember Woolworth's?) shop more, and carry an entire year's worth of clothes back to the bus, with change from the $100. No plastic involved. Those were the days.

What a Country

Finally finished with the list of phone calls/faxes, letters, etc. involved in changing my name. It was amazing how simple some things were to change and how difficult other things were. Some businesses wanted everything short of a blood sample, while others didn't ask for any proof at all. But the real icing on the cake is the State of New York......"What a State." (In honor of my dad, who always uttered "What a Country."

I searched and searched the New York State website to learn how to change my name on my New York State Notary License. When I finally located the instructions - pretty basic stuff; fill out the form, enclose the $10 fee. Only problem was they didn't tell you where to locate the form, or where to send it upon completion. I was; however, fortunate enough to locate an email address. That was 8 days ago. Today, I received a phone call in my office from the county clerk's office. She was calling me to tell me to simply fill out the name change form and send it with my $10fee. When I inquired as to where to get the form, she told me that even though I send it in, since I had just renewed my license 2 months ago (they're good for 4 years), the State wouldn't change the name until I renew it again in 2013. So I had two choices - I could fill out the form, send it in with the $10 and wait until 2013 to get my new license, or I could leave everything as is and wait until 2013 to get my new license. Hmmm....there's a pickle...I even said to her: "So, you're telling me I should continue to use my notary stamp and sign the wrong name?" "Yes." was her response. You can't make this stuff up. What a State.

And from the outside...

Here's the most recent pics of my almost here granddaughter from the outside:





It's getting closer very quickly. The shower is only 5 weeks away. This is all very exciting!!!

Baby face - you have the cutest little baby face...

Thanks to today's most modern technology, the hubby and I were able to give a 3D ultrasound package to Vanessa for her birthday. Take a peek at this baby face:





Oh, so sweet....

Red light, green light, 1 2 3

On the rare occasion that I don't get stuck for a red light, I always feel like my dad is somehow making them turn green for me. He always claimed that he never made a light, ever! The traffic light God would see him coming miles away and make the light turn red - every time. I certainly inherited his misfortune in that department. That is, until I actually wanted the light, any light, to turn red. Case in point - this morning, already a couple of minutes late leaving for work when I remembered I MUST stop at the ATM. I pull up to the drive through ATM - make my withdrawal. To save a precious few seconds, I drive away with $20 bills and my ATM card sprawled across the front seat. No big deal, I'll put everything away at the red light. NOT!!! There are 6 traffic lights between the bank and my office. NOT one of them was red - not one!! I guess dad was trying to tell me - bad idea to drive with 20's sprawled across the front seat. (Or is it my mom's voice I hear??)

The first 2009 heat wave

You can fry an egg on the sidewalk. The sun is out, the sky is blue. It finally feels like summer! Nothing like coming home from work at 3:00, changing quickly into a swim suit, trotting down (ok, slowly walking down) to the pool. Dreaming all the way of that first splash of water as I dive right on in (just the way dad taught me, no inch by inch for me.) As I get closer and closer I realize that something's missing. It's so quiet, it's eerie. Where are the loud calls of Marco - Polo in the distance? Where are those screetchy voices yelling "Ma, Ma, Ma, Ma, watch me." "When are you coming in?" Hmmm - I walk up to the gate - oh crap - it's Tuesday. The pool is closed. Sure - why not? UGGGHHH!!!!!! 93 degrees. It was a long walk home.

I almost miss the stress

After so many weeks of aggravation and the most grueling mortgage approval process in the history of the world (it sure felt that way), after nearly 300 emails from realtors, mortgage brokers, underwriters, title companies, etc., after what seemed like a hundred faxes and possibly a thousand phone calls, we finally had a closing date. Yesterday at 3:30. Our flight landed at 11:30. Our realtor picked us up from the Tampa airport, drove us all the way to the townhouse in Spring Hill for the final walk through (everything was absolutely perfect), drove us back to Tampa where the closing was taking place. We then had a couple of hours to kill, so we had lunch. At 3:00 we went into the office. "The package" had not yet arrived. What we learned at that point was, that "the package" consisted of documents from the underwriter. Once it arrived, there was approximately 45 minutes worth of preparation from the title company. Let's bear in mind that our flight to go home was scheduled for 7:15. Let's also bear in mind that we were 45 minutes away from the airport. Let's also bear in mind that it is summer in Florida, so that means it was POURING RAIN. Let's also bear in mind that the closing process takes a minimum of an hour. 3:30 no package. 4:00 no package. 4:15 the package arrives. 5:10 we start the closing. My heart pounding out of my chest as we sign our lives away.... At 6:20 we leave for the airport. Did I mention it was POURING? Did I mention we were in down town Tampa at rush hour? Did I mention the flight was at 7:15? Actually at this point, we had learned it was delayed 10 minutes, so 7:25. STRESS!!!! We arrived at the airport at 7:00. RAN through to the security gate. Of course there's a huge line. Tick tock goes the clock. Poor hubby had to run to the gate holding his belt in one hand and his shorts up with the other!!! We run, run, run to the gate ....... only to discover the plane isn't even there yet! Thank goodness for the rain. It was delayed an hour. We had time to eat. We've been relaxing ever since. I'm not sure what to do with myself...

Two short videos

Here's a clip of the kids walking into the courthouse to put on the ball and chain: (Take special notice of Justin's hand placement as Vanessa snaps the picture!!)



And here's a little clip I'll call "Step Brothers..." Sorry about the blurriness at the beginning...

Prada Puppy greets us at the airport!

So, with much help from the hubby-we figured out how to upload the videos. Now that I can do it, I will post more possibly tomorrow. For now, just keep replaying this one and keep looking at my sweetie......

Gone in a flash

As I sit here writing this from my living room back in RAINY, New York, I can't help but wonder where the past week disappeared to. So many things were jammed into one week's time, that it all seems like a dream. Yet, when we pulled back into the driveway last night, it felt as though we were gone forever. The first day in Clearwater, we (from here forward, "we" refers to the hubby, all three kids, (Justin, Vanessa, and Josh), mother in law, Charlotte, and brother in law, Rob)walked over to a little restaurant called "Lenny's." It was right next door to the hotel, looked decent, so we figured "why not?" It was awesome! I had matzah brie!!! It was as good as my mom and grandmas used to make!! Who would have guessed, in Clearwater?!! After lunch, we were able to hit the beach. Hot sun, white sand, green water, that taste of salt on the lips...what's not to love?








































A previous post described day two, so I won't repeat that here. Day three was the walk through of the townhouse in preparation for what we had hoped would be the closing on Friday.


































































































































































Day four was my then-soon-to-be-daughter-in-law, Vanessa's, nursing school graduation(which originally was the reason for the trip).


























































































Day five was reserved for relaxing at the pool. Because day six was the wedding. Congratulations to my son, Justin and his wife, my new daughter in law, Vanessa!!


































































































































































On day seven there was more relaxing at the pool (those pictures seem to be missing in action, although we've got great video, which I can't seem to upload here). We also played miniature golf, because, as my brother-in-law, Rob, says - "What's a vacation without putt putt?" And, alas, I must admit defeat, by 3 strokes to the hubby - bummer. Day eight was spent at the pool in the morning and a trip to the airport because the in laws went home. Hubby and I decided to take a gamble and stay a couple of more days with the hope of closing on the townhouse. No such luck; however. We made a short visit to the flea market on Sunday and spent Monday laying low. Our flight was delayed an hour coming home. Upon going through security we discovered that you cannot take snow globes onto the plane. (Since nearly all the souvenirs I purchased were snowglobes or some variation of such, we had to buy a small bag at the airport to put them in.) I carefully wrapped them all in my sweater, put them in the newly acquired bag. Hubby was escorted by security back to baggage check (clear across the airport) while I waited at the gate. Upon our arrival home, we unpacked the bag to discover nearly everything was broken. The blue water inside, staining my sweater. Oh well, at least we didn't come home to a flood this time!!!!