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.

Thanksgiving Day 2008

Ok, enough about the kids and their wonderful time in Florida with Grandma. This is about me (it's my blog afterall). With the hubby having to work, I spent the day at Janice and Kenny's. As most of you know, they are more than just friends, they are the true meaning of family (without the blood ties). Of course there was the traditional meal (because when she wants to, Jani can really cook up a storm). I must say, it was the best stuffing (oops, dressing) I have ever had (sorry Charlotte!!). After we all ate so much that we thought surely we would explode, it was game time. I think that if you were not there you would be bored with the details, however, I must pay tribute to my husband, by having Jani join him in the "Herbinese dictionary." Actually, Mandi described it quite well in an email, so I'll just copy and paste: JANICE made a Verbal BLUNDER that she would normally have a chuckle at Herb's expense if "the said blunder" had come from his mouth, not hers. So, in the spirit of fairness, here is that blunder: History first for those who do not know---- Jani -- PRIDES herself of LANGUAGE and is the family "proof reader" and LOVES ENGLISH.
-----Herb --once in a while says a word that is NOT quite a word, but somehow it gets added into our everyday language--not without chuckles and some torment. For instance: PHENOMENOUS --- a word now, but Herb meant PHENOMENAL. I digress.................. We are playing a game and we were asking each other questions, and Janice reads this question aloud:"Which family member would you eat first, if you were a CANNON BALL!!!!" ( The word was cannibal-meaning ONE WHO EATS OTHERS. A CANNON BALL, Jani, is a large round object that gets shot out of a cannon! I do not believe they get hungry--even if they were stranded on an island for days.) Herb PLEASE use this to your advantage in any way shape or form that you see fit. I, give you full rights to abuse her. (Also, please note that after this happened, Jani was packing the apple cake, that was MADE ESPECIALLY FOR HER, and she let the damn thing slip off the plate and break into pieces and RAISINS flew everywhere, even hitting the ceiling!!!) THIS WAS NOT JANI'S night to say the least!
Mandi then wet her pants....this made me love her even more. It is so nice to know I'm not alone. Anyhow, although no stories were discussed about Aaron - here is a picture of my favorite "nephew:"
(by the way, you can see how much I love him, cause I'm posting this picture even though I look dreadful)...


Want to leave a comment? Just click on "comments" below: (I'd love to hear from you).

I'm still trying not to be so jealous...

I am so excited that the kids and my mom had such a good visit. Here are some of the pictures that were sent to me: (I'm still not too savy at posting pictures...so there is a duplicate, it's very hard to figure out which picture is which when I try to delete it, so screw it. I find it equally difficult to put text in after each picture for the same reason. If someone can explain an easy way to do this, please feel free.) So, therefore, I will explain them all in one paragraph: Some of the shots are from Clearwater Beach (yes, girls, CB!!)some are from Justin's and Vanessa's apartment in Port Richey (notice my Prada Puppy!) and some are from Lake Worth (where mom lives) Needless to say, I love them all. The only thing missing is my future daughter, Vanessa.
P.S. Kudos to Joey for having the balls to sit on the couch in the living room and holy crap, put his feet on the furniture. (I wonder if he got a time out for that.)

Happy Thanksgiving

The next day...

One of my husband's cousins, Lori, could not make it to the surprise party, because she was having her daughter's baby shower. She came over the next day (so sweet of her) and here are a few pictures:

Is it wrong to be jealous of your kids?

Back in August I had this fabulous idea for older my son's birthday and holiday gift to give him airline tickets to go to Florida to visit his brother and Grandmother for Thanksgiving. I was so excited at the time - because actually it was a gift for all them rolled into one! Well, here it is the day of the trip. He is actually on the plane as I write this. Headed for my favorite destination in the country...on his way to the warm sand and the palm trees, (not to mention he will see his Grandma, my younger son, his fiance, and Prada Puppy!) As for me? I sit here looking out the window at the gray sky, bare trees, and a windchill factor of 5 degrees. And guess what? There's at least 5 months to go until it gets warm again...it's a good thing I love my kids! P.S. I have received three "50 birthday cards" so far....gotta tell you - I'm not liking it!

Wiggles' Big 4-0

After months of planning and weeks of secret phone calls, (deleting all the phone calls off the caller ID of ALL 3 phones, what a pain in the ass), secret emails, (forwarding to the office, then deleting), secret conversations taking place (while he was in the shower), hiding purchases in the trunk of my car, transferring said purchases to Janice's car, stressing out over who may or may not "slip" and writing just the right poem for the occasion, the big 4-0 birthday surprise bash for my husband finally took place. (Yes, for those of you who may not have known, much to my chagrin the old man is actually 10 years younger than I!) Anyhow, many people to thank, so let's begin:

Bona fide thanks to Glen for coming up with the scheme to get the birthday boy out of the house (not so loving the condition you brought him back in, though!) so we could get all the decorations up and make all the other preparations, and for keeping the secret for as long as you did. I couldn't have done it without you.

A heartfelt thank you to "Momma" for hosting the party in the beautifully-just-finished basement. What a great way to "Christen" the place. Thank you also for all the help in ordering the food and the cake. (Thank you for the cake, too!)

Copious thanks to my brother-in-law, Rob, not only for helping with the preparations and the hiding of the cars, but for being the only one who could get me out of my stressed out stupor and back to some sense of sanity! Thanks also for the absolutely best karaoke I've ever heard and that includes the cruise ship. Seriously, ladies and gentlmen, I think we may have discovered Pennsylvania's very own next American Idol!

Unfeigned thanks to the millionth power to Janice and Kenny. Not only did they travel 250 miles to be there; but their love and friendship is truly the kind you rarely find. Thanks for all the help with the preparations and all the things I borrowed. Thank you so very much for preservation of all the memories, by taking all the pictures. They truly are priceless! Kenny, unfortunately, you may not be the next American Idol; however, I do believe that if Frank Sinatra were alive today, he would indeed have some competition! Janice, thanks for finally, finally letting me pay the bill for once! That means more to me than you'll ever know! (Because, as you know, it's not about the money, it's about "winning the arguement!") I couldn't be more proud of me!

Hugs and kisses to my step-son, Josh, who sacrificed a hunting day to be at his Dad's party! Also thanks for doing "Hotel California" with me on the Karaoke machine, it was tons of fun! (You need to sing a bit louder though!)

Genuine thanks to my sister-in-law, Catherine, and her husband, Mike, for being a part of the celebration and bringing some of the refreshments. Catherine, your laughter is one of a kind, quite contagious, and truly one of life's most precious gifts. I love being around you.

Honorable mention to my Uncles-in-law, Tally and Boxy, for letting me prove to them that it's not about the presents, but it's all about the presence! Both of you being there meant the world to me.

Smoochy love kisses to Midnight and Daisy for treating the company like family members.

And last but not least, Happy birthday, Wiggles! Thank you for making me feel like I'm the one who is ten years younger!! Thank you also for all the sacrafices you've made for me. (You know what I'm talking about.) They truly are appreciated. I love you.

P.S. For those of you who could not make it - I am sorry you missed the party. A great time was had by all and you were in my thoughts...

P.P.S. To cousins Lori, Mike and Chris - it was the sweetest thing in the world to come over the next day since you couldn't be at the party. It was so much fun spending a few hours with you guys. I'm still trying to figure out which one of you makes me laugh the most.......

Don't forget - click on the pictures to enlarge...

Remember static radio?

If you have about 20 minutes to spare check out this tribute to NYC radio. I did and it brought me way back. From Centereach pool,to babysitting next door on Astor Court,to my folks' kitchen and my dad's car on the way to the bowling alley on Sunday mornings, to the garage and all the pool parties, remembering when my brother won the WMCA Good Guys sweatshirt, to mom (with a cigarette even!)cleaning the house, and Rusti begging for some peanut butter at the kitchen table, to the basement and the black couches....whatever the memories are for you and wherever they bring you - it's nice to go back sometimes.
Once again - thanks to my brother for sending it to me:
http://wlso.fm/wordpress/archives/tag/bobaloo - I can't get the link to come out clickable, but if you copy and paste this into your browser you will get to the page - read the article and then click on the arrow to hear the radio clips.......... it's worth your time if you have a nostalgic heart.

Veterans Day

THE HISTORY OF VETERANS DAY

1918
World War I, then normally referred to simply as The Great War (no one could imagine any war being greater!), ended with the implementation of an armistice [temporary cessation of hostilities—in this case until the final peace treaty, the infamous Treaty of Versailles, was signed in 1919] between the Allies and Germany at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of November, 1918.

1919
November 11: President Wilson proclaims the first Armistice Day with the following words: "To us in America, the reflections of armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…" The original concept for the celebration was for the suspension of business for a two minute period beginning at 11 A.M., with the day also marked by parades and public mettings.

1920
On the second anniversary of the armistice, France and the United Kingdom hold ceremonies honoring their unknown dead from the war. In America, at the suggestion of church groups, President Wilson names the Sunday nearest Armistice Day Sunday, on which should be held services in the interest of international peace.

1921
Congress passes legislation approving the establishment of a Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery. November 11 is chosen for the date of the ceremony. According on October 20, Congress declares November 11, 1921 a legal Federal holiday to honor all those who participated in the war. The ceremony was conducted with great success.

1926
Congress adopts a resolution directing the President to issue an annual proclamation calling on the observance of Armistice Day. Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, most states establish November 11 as a legal holiday and at the Federal level, an annual proclamation is issued by the President.

1938
Congress passes legislation on May 13 making November 11 a legal Federal holiday, Armistice Day. The United States has no ‘actual’ national holidays because the states retain the right to designate their own holidays. The Federal government can in fact only designate holidays for Federal employees and for the District of Columbia. But in practice the states almost always follow the Federal lead in designation of holidays.

1950- 1953
World War II and the Korean War create millions of additional war veterans in addition to those of the First World War already honored by Armistice Day.

1954
On June 1, President Eisenhower signs legislation changing the name of the legal holiday from Armistice Day to Veteran’s Day.

1968
Congress passes the Monday Holiday Law which established the fourth Monday in October as the new date for the observance of Veteran’s Day. The law is to take effect in 1971.

1971-1975
The Federal observance of Veterans Day is held on the fourth Monday of October. Initially all states follow suit except Mississippi and South Dakota. Other states changed their observances back to November 11 as follows: 1972- Louisiana and Wisconsin; 1974- Kentucky, Arkansas, Connecticut, Georgia, Maine, South Carolina, West Virginia; 1975- California, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Utah, West Virginia, Wyoming

1975
Legislation passed to return the Federal observance of Veteran’s Day to November 11, based on popular support throughout the nation. Since the change to the fourth Monday in October, 46 states had either continued to commemorate November 11 or had reverted back to the original date based on popular sentiment. The law was to take effect in 1978.

1978
Veteran’s Day observance reverts to November 11.

Let's not forget them - today and every day.

Karoke

The one and only time I sang karoke was on a cruise back in 2005. I know I was awful, but my husband and friends were sweet enough to tell me I was good (thanks honey, Janice and Kenny). Last night we bought a home karaoke machine. We purchased a bunch of karoke cd's......and Mr. Wiggles and I went to town. Let me tell you something, whether you can carry a tune makes no difference - if you want to laugh until you pee yourself, I highly recommend this purchase. Didn't even need alcohol. Most fun I've had in a while!! I'm sorry I didn't get pictures or video - maybe next time.

Surprises are awesome!!!!

Thanks, Joey - you made my night!!!!!! - Although this picture is not from tonight (obviously) - it's one of the nicest ones I have. I love when you pop in and surprise me -it's so much fun! I needed the pick-me-up. It was awesome seeing Lance again, too! (Don't forget - click the picture to enlarge.)

One Love

Thanks to my friend, Sonia, for sharing this video with me; and special thanks once again to my brother, Barry, for teaching me how to post videos!! Enjoy:

Better late than never

I tried for 3 days to figure out how to post a video on here, special thanks to my brother, for showing me how to do it. Take a listen and have a laugh:

Let the official count down begin

Well - exactly one month from today... I already got my AARP membership in the mail (ugh). I know there are some of you out there who think that's funny, but I do not! (Anne - only 28 days for you!) I'm still waiting for someone to explain to me when this happened. Just yesterday I was dancing on my dad's feet - ok, maybe that was last week. Just yesterday I was reading the note my mom left me that said to "preheat the oven, put in the potatoes and 'pick up.'" (It'll be fun to see who knows or remembers what that means!!)

America got it right this time

Because I think it is fabulously written, the following is stolen right out of my brother's blog (www.dependableerection.blogspot.com) - I hope he doesn't mind:


Concession speeches, translated:

Thank you my friends. Over the past few months, i've said some incredibly nasty things about my opponent. Now that he's kicked my ass up the mountain and down the desert, i need to let everyone know that i didn't really mean them. You know how it goes in the heat of battle.
I was just saying them to try to convince the more moronic of you out there that you shouldn't vote for him. But enough of you did. So shame on those of you who voted for me if you believed that stuff.
So i'm going to say right now that i intend to support my opponent.
And you can believe that every bit as much as you believed it when i called him a socialist.


And let's not forget about Hurricane Sarah:
Palin asked to speak along with McCain at his Arizona concession speech Tuesday night, but campaign strategist Steve Schmidt vetoed the request.
See ya, Sarah!

Touche!!

And now we wait

Almost everyone I speak to claims they're voting for Obama. At my polling location, the whispers I heard were all Obama. Let's hope everyone put their levers where their mouths are!! On that note, I must say that I was very impressed with the organization - although it was extremely crowded, I was in and out in 5 minutes. Lastly, kudos to my son and future daughter in law - their first presidential election - I hope it goes their way. On another completely different topic - it took me nearly 50 years, but today, at the dentist - I had no cavities!!!!!!!!!!! However, I do have a receding gum line and must start using sensodine toothpaste - just one more bonus to getting older. Joy.