officially on vacation

After struggling to finish a post this month, I have decided to give in and take an official vacation for the rest of the year.

I have many draft postings that I haven't been able to complete. I will be in the Florida Keys for the next week - yippee! - and might try and find some quiet time with my laptop to do some writing.

Have a great holiday everyone and Happy New Year!

Grocery store frenzy

In anticipation of the big storm and our holiday party on Saturday night I went by the grocery store on the way home from work today. I needed a few things for the party and thought that I might do some baking in the morning, while the kids went out in the snow (such a fantasy day dream).

I do not go to the grocery store very often, as my hubby loves to shop and loves to cook, so I indulge him and let him do the weekly shopping. Occasionally it is nice to walk around the aisles and stare at all the packaging, as I did today. I was very casual... my kids were home with Lee and I had no reason to rush, so I didn't, But all around me was a frenzy and like a shark swimming through a school of minnows,

I began to frenzy!

Why do I keep doing this?

In case you do not have a garage and you are not sure what you are looking at, let me explain..

This is my car after I drove into the garage with the Christmas tree still tied to the roof...

Yes, it is funny and what is funnier is that it is not the first time I have done this,

I wrecked a Thule a few years ago...

How would you know that there is puppy in the house?

I am not sure how long a dog can be called a puppy, but perhaps like the youngest sibling who is always called "the baby", Gypsy at nearly 2 years old remains the puppy.
















She is quite a wonderful little thing

except for this.....

and this....

and this

and this...

Running through the NE seasons

As I become more and more of a "real" runner, and have been running every day, I find that the weather can effect my run more than anything else. The change of seasons are such a part of the life in NE and each season has its own running challenges.
In the middle of July when I try and run a few miles around the block, I can barely breath after 5 minutes. I swear that this is the worse season to be a runner. The only thing enjoyable about summer running is the ease it is to go... no gear, no layering... sneakers, water, sunscreen and go..

I ran home from basketball on Sunday afternoon. All day I had been studying the skies, measuring the snow fall and monitoring the wind speed. I contemplated the drudgery of the dreadmill, for I know that my days of dreadmill running are nearly here. I studied the sidewalks, and looked for other runners so I could judge the measure of cold and pain on their faces.

I knew that I would end up running outside, but mentally all that contemplating was necessary. So, after many discussions of what to wear, how much to wear, which route to take and how much daylight I had before I would be running in the dark, I set off.

The course from the high school to home is a straight 5 miles down the bike path, through town and out to our neighborhood. There is plenty of traffic in case I needed help, and plenty of friends' houses along the way in case I had an emergency.

Honestly, from my warm chair, looking back it was not that bad and I got my run in and over with.

When I was outside with the wind and snow swirling around me I felt like a foolish, crazy, idiot. The first 2 miles were fine, I was overdressed and stopped to take a layer off and take off my hat. The third mile was long and tiring and the sun went down and I found myself in the dark. Mile four and five were foolish. The temperature was below freezing and the bike path went in and out of the woods and up and down a few rolling hills, which were now frozen and slippery. I have been too cheap to buy a second pair of running shoes, the kind that I need to run outside in the winter, goretex with some traction. So, in my web mesh uppers I went sliding in to home for mile 5, in the dark and the wind and the snow.

It is a run like this that does make me feel like a real runner. Despite the fact that it took me nearly 60 minutes to make it home, I was out there, running like a crazy person.

Saturday morning 5k, Jolly Jaunt on Boston Common

aren't you glad it's Friday?

The Holiday spirit is coming...

I am a slob.. and rarely can anyone tell. My house is clean and the counters are always clear of "stuff", but I have a few messy secrets, like my Christmas lights.

I am sure that it is the same way every year, with every family. I think we all have intentions of packing away the lights in a neat and orderly fashion, but suddenly it's March and the snow is grey and dreary and it is all that I can do to get them off the tree and out of sight. So, here they are...

And it is a beautiful warm day, so it was finish raking leaves (yuck) or put the lights out.. a little better. Here they are after I sorted and untangled for long time,

The I strung them around the bushes, even getting them on the prickly bush - that I hate and vow every year to chop it down, or pay someone else to chop it down. This picture actually makes it look dead,

I am very proud of my work. I am the first one in the neighborhood to get the lights up. Lee even came in complaining that I deprived him of the annual torture of stringing lights. I'm a nice wife that way, depriving my hubby of torture.

I ran away from home for a few days and went to visit my cousin Jules in Woodstock, NY. It is always so nice to be away from driving kids around and doing laundry and feeling responsible. Instead I got to sleep in (I actually only made it until 7:30, which is kinda' sleeping in for me) and hang out with my cousins and just hang out. How nice.

We got a chance to see each other, which although we keep in touch quite bit through email and facebook and sometimes a phone call, really nothing can be the same as being together. I meant to take some pictures, and I even brought my camera and then just couldn't get motivated to get the camera out. The sunrise on Saturday morning, coming up over the mountains was quite spectacular, you will just have to take my word for it. I also thought I might take some pictures of snow, since they already have some, but nope, couldn't get my camera out.

I really enjoyed the freedom of driving on my own, stopping whenever I wanted and only when I wanted. I brought some book on tapes and some snacks... overkill, she really doesn't live very far away and I have never been able to get interested in a book on tape for very long. I did get a chance to sing.. my kids won't let me sing to the radio if they are in the car.. I am that bad.

So, when I got home yesterday it was back to reality. Sometimes having a few days away makes you appreciate what you have at home, and appreciate your time away even more!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Here I am at 7 am, heading to the turkey trot.  It was a lot of fun, now that it is over. 

I finished in 52 minutes.. I am getting a little faster!

Today's headline says "new cases of cancer decline in the US" . I am immediately suspicious. So I keep reading, and what I hear is that over the last 15 years the rates ofnew cases of cancer has been falling, almost 1%. 1% doesn't sound like a lot, but it is a trend in the right direction. I keep reading, and find that not only are there less new cases of cancer, the death rate from cancer is falling... wow, this is all really good news.

Last night I had a long discussion with a friend who is a college biology professor and one of the things that she teaches is Al Gore's "Inconvenient Truth". She is often depressed over the state of the earth and the near impossibility for humans to reverse global warming. I never would have believed that Americans had the ability to make positive changes in their lifestyle, enough to make a difference in cancer rates.

Of course, some of the trend is due to better research and medical advances. Still, it seems like we have a handle on smoking, and early detection and healthy living.

Is it possible for humans to erase the start of cancer - not just figuring out how to cure cancer?
What kind of world would it be if the causes of cancer were eliminated? no plastics or cleaning solvents? clean manufacturing?
Think of what a different world this would be. It might be the kind of world that could stop global warming.

I am running the local Turkey Trot (5 miler) with my neighbor on Thursday and I have been getting more and more nervous about running with a new partner. My friend S is going away and she has been having injury issues, so I needed to find someone new to go to the races with.

My neighbor is fast and competitive and has been running in races for years and years. I know that she will support me no matter how slow I am, but it is going to be hard to be last when I am all alone. (I never mind being last when I am with S)

So, I have been trying to push myself a little harder and get a few miles in at a respectable pace. I remember how hard it was a year ago to run those first few miles without stopping or passing out, and this might be harder. I keep finding myself slowing down and getting back into my old rhythm of 12 minute miles.. not fast enough for Thursday.

I have really focused on what it is that makes running so special. No matter who you are, what you are or what you used to be, the road doesn't judge. When you are running you only have yourself to please and you are alone in the moment.

The jump from running to racing is the jump from running for yourself to running in front of a crowd. I need to keep reminding myself that the road during a race still doesn't care if you are first or last, you are still faster than all the spectators ... you are faster than all the people at home on the couch.

I know that on Thursday morning just the act of leaving my house at 7 am and running for an hour will be badge of respect. That I am healthy for another year is what I will be thankful for.

Twilight - Movie Reveiw

Let me start out by saying that Lee and I do not often go to the movies. I really like movies and movie popcorn, and sometimes goes to the movies without Lee, but when we have a night out together we usually find something else to do that is not the movies.

I also love to read all things trashy. I like to read classics, and best sellers, but I always goes back to trashy. I can clearly remember reading (devouring) VC Andrews series, "Flowers in the Attic", the first trashy series that really wasted my time. So, it was with great joy that I read through Stephanie Meyers "Twilight" series this summer. I read them all in about 2 weeks and would be the first to admit that they are the worst kind of books - teen porn - full of teenage first love and angst and (of course) vampires and werewolves.

Twilight, the movie opened at the theaters last night, and I figured out that it would be the last free Friday night that we would have until 2009..

Surprisingly, Lee agreed to go to the movies. He really had no idea what he was in for. However, I read the Boston Globe review and Lee listened to the NPR review, and although the reviewers all agreed that it really was a movie for 13 year old girls, that it was still an entertaining movie.

To make the evening more palatable, we went for some fine dining first, and having plenty of time before the movie went to the theater to get good seats. Upon arriving at the theater more than 40 minutes early, we had to rush to find seats, as more than 50% of the seats were already occupied. Lee sat next to a guy that looked surprisingly like Neil from The Bigggest Loser. Neil looked more unhappy and uncomfortable than Lee, they obviously were both here as mercy dates.

After sitting in the theater for an agonizing 30+ minutes, listening to the hoards of teenagers file in, scream, hug and make bad teenager noises, it was time for the preview. As it turns out, this might be Lee's favorite part of the entire night, getting to see the Harry Potter preview. After 15+ minutes of previews it was time for the show.

The movie, having to fit 500+ pages into 2 hours starts out incredibly slow and never really picks up the pace. The background that has to be given so that the movie can proceed is done as a narrative through the voice of Bella and in their attempt at making her a moody teenager, makes her a bit inconsistent.

Having read the book I was able to fill in the blanks in the movie, except that some of the more interesting dialogues in the book seem to be missing completely. I was not, however interested in the dopey teenagers, I wanted to see the lives of the vampire family, which was not to happen. A few of the scenes were done well, Edward and Bella exploring the forest at top speed, the vampire family baseball game and the hunt of the tracker vampire.

The saving element of the movie is probably the filming technique which makes it more X-files than Beverly Hill 90210. The stark white skin and the red lips of the characters are interesting as is the very close shots of the two teenagers.

Throughout the movie Lee and Neil moaned and groaned and sighed and stared at the ceiling and checked their watches and formulated their revenge on their wives. I realized early on that I should have left Lee at home, but was happy to have his company anyway.

We left quickly after the movie, eager to get away from the high school hallway that was the movie theater at 11 pm last night.

PS - This review would not be complete with out a few words about Edward Cullen (aka Robert Patterson aka Cedric Diggery). Edward Cullen is completely teen heart throb material. He is hot, and moody and sexy and wears lip stick...

I got really busy yesterday,

and forgot all about posting!

Stolen from one of my favorite sites

I plugged my camera into the computer this morning, ready to download the pictures from the weekend... hmmm. 126 pictures? So, here is a brief look at what was on my camera this morning,

*Note - this is my new, expensive camera (chris - I still love it!)

So, not to go on too much about my childhood vs. their childhood, our kids have it soo different.

My boys will have no idea about so many things.. record player, typewriter, non-cordless phone(except I think they still have a few at school), and film cameras.

They can pick up a camera and take 126 pictures and no one cares (I care a little that it was my new camera).

Gone are the days when you have to develop all your film to see if you got any good pictures at your kids' first birthday - and if you didn't too bad,.

My kids can take a picture, edit it Photoshop, put it to music and upload it to Youtube, in about 10 minutes...

Mom, what was so great about the '80's?

I really laugh when Teddy asks me this.

Whitney Houston and REO

my permed hair and Lee's mustache

Micheal Jackson, Micheal Knight, Magnum PI

Van Halen, Rod Stewart and Battlestar Galactica

Dukes of Hazard, Baywatch, 21 Jump Street

I could just go on and on about how great the 80's were and no other decade can even come close to having so much talent - Did I mention 21 Jump Street?

Perhaps the memories have more to do with turning 21 in 1987 and the 80's were truly the decade of my youth.

oops, I can't move on without mentioning Dirty Dancing

I need to just stop this post right now, because the more I surf the internet the more I realize that the 80's were also pretty bad,

Boy George - what is he all about?

So, I will just leave you with some good 80's memories.

my heart swoons....

Guest post today

Today's post is brought to you by Teddy, soccer player, basketball player, piano player, drum player, guitar player... and newly - Middle School honor roll student (I think I need a bumper sticker!)

I love my handy hubby!

I might have to go back and add a sound recording to this post so you can hear the hum (loud hum) of the dishwasher. It has been nearly 6 months of no dishwasher.

If any of my friends had told me that their dishwasher was broken for more than a few weeks, I would have thought they were crazy, until it happened to me.

I am not a huge fan of dishwashers, and often will just hand wash the dishes to that I can dry them and put them away. Except that it does get a little tedious when you have to hand wash everything.

I'm not sure why it took so long to get this thing fixed... it took about 4 months for "call dishwasher repair place" to make it onto a "todo list". Then after about a month of talking about calling, Lee finally did call. Then he couldn't make an appt. because he didn't know when I could be home to meet the Maytag guy.... then he made the appt. except that is was big bucks!

At Teddy's House we have been really trying to save our bucks and be cheap. Happily, Lee embraced this idea and ordered the part on line.. and a week later we had the part!

So, last night was a happy one at Teddy's House and noisy also, as we listened to the dishwasher wash.

Had a near disaster yesterday... my morning routine consists of checking my email, reviewing the headlines from a few different news sites and then updating my blog. During the day I jot down different blog ideas or take pictures of what is happening at Teddy's House so that I can come up with an entry every day (I try!) without it taking too much time.

Yesterday my world was all upset - no computer! I had some kind of disk error and the computer wouldn't start. Last month I couldn't log in because Lee was doing some routine maintenance , de-fragging. This was an entirely different kind of disaster.

Of course, we all know better - back up your computer because when it's gone it's gone. That is what I thought of all day... All my pictures, with no negatives to go back to.
How could I be so stupid and have no backups??? I hadn't run a back up since I got my new computer, for Christmas, four years ago!

Anyway, disaster was diverted. It turns out that I had the system disk for my laptop, which is also an HP brand. My computer is happy again, and of course I spent 2 hours last night making a complete backup of all my pictures - 7 disks full of pictures.

My kid likes to twirl

he twirls all the time, fingers entwined in his hair, almost always left hand, left side of head

when he is really tired he will twirl two hands, both sides of his head.. twirling twirling

he twirls in his sleep,

Imagine a world without cancer

Inititially this journal entry was titled "Happy Anniversary", marking today as my two year cancer free day. However, despite my treatment being over and my scans clear and my voice strong, cancer remains all around.

My business partner, who is only 47 years old, is unlikely to live to be 50. A mom at school and a college friend, also likely to die within a few years. I completely understand that people are living longer and treatments are more effective and easier on the quality of life... except that why are more people getting cancer?

Sometimes I have felt like a completely freaked out mom, acting as if my kids are allergic to plastic and high fructose corn syrup and sugar free anything. Except that can't tell us the entire picture. There are cleaning agents being used daily in schools, there are high levels of hormones being found in drinking water, Teflon from the waffle maker, and a life times' use of the most basic shampoo and hair gel. Could all these things be piling up inside our children's bodies, just waiting for the kids with the crack in the wrong strand of dna to develop a brain tumor?

If that is true, then is the old argument "there is nothing I can do about it, so I might as well enjoy my ______ " - fill in the blank - cigarette, Doritos, hair dye.. valid?

Lung cancer and skin cancer are a kind of cancer that we can all be smart about and do our best to prevent. But what about brain tumors and leukemia?

When you google cancer you get 31,500,000 hits, google cancer sucks gets 265,000 hits.

The first few pages of cancer sucks links are for sites that are selling cancer sucks stuff... with a portion of the proceeds going to cancer research (of course!). It is big news when a celebrity gets breast cancer, but not so much speculation as to why we get breast cancer and why we aren't doing more to prevent it.

Could the Avon Corporation actually be more effective in their fight against cancer if instead of fundraising for cancer awareness they put all that money toward eliminating the toxic chemicals used in nearly all their products?

So, I will have a healthy day, and be so grateful for my strong voice and my fabulous doctors. I will also be aware of those around me that have not been so lucky,

TGIF

What is it about Friday that makes me nicer to my kids and willing to make pancakes?

The morning routine is absolutely the same, the bus still won't wait for you if you are late, lunch money, homework, gym clothes and off to work. Except there are pancakes and syrup for breakfast and a much more relaxed momma. What ever it is that needs doing I don't have to stress about it on Friday because I still have Saturday to get it done!

Saturday doesn't even mean that I am any less busy or stressful, it is just a better busy, busy going to soccer and football games and not doing homework (in case you can't tell I hate homework more than the boys).

Friday's mean pizza for dinner and the babysitter will be here at 6:30 and I'm going out! Sometimes it means cereal for dinner and we're all in our pj's by 6:30 and watching a movie....

yummy!

14 Days

since I have had chocolate... wow, I didn't think that I was going to make it more than a few days. That is not to say that I haven't been eating plenty of junk. Halloween was a junk food train wreck, I think I ate about 100 sweet tarts and then some twizzlers,







Teddy won the "guess how many candy corn" contest and so I have been eating those (457 was the winning guess - Can you believe Teddy won a math contest???)

I am going to keep up the no chocolate rule until it seems like I am eating so much other junk, tricking myself into thinking I am better off.

I need to hide the Halloween candy. Last year I put it all in bags in the downstairs freezer, until Josh discovered it and I was finding candy bar wrappers in his pockets. This year there is a frozen pizza box in the freezer, and I will hide the bags of candy inside the frozen pizza box, thereby tricking Josh.. and maybe me into thinking that all that heavenly candy is gone.

48 days until chocolate covered waffles on Christmas day, really not so long.

and now back to regular blogging

Every year our (Lee's) garden produces at least one big big pumpkin. This year Lee took control of the pumpkin carving and we watched ( a little boring for us, but Lee enjoyed himself). Here is what it looks like,

We roasted pumpkin seeds, which I burned, Josh and Teddy ate a few, then I threw them away when no one was looking.

Pumpkin bread made from the pumpkin pieces,

Rejoice! - one of my favorite words!
I gladly, cautiously went to bed last night and then woke up a few times and stared at the ceiling. Should I go downstairs and watch election results...??? No, I told myself, there is no way my team could have lost.. and yet, I wasn't able to rejoice until I got on line this morning and studied the map and read the NY Times.. and now REJOICE!
I am really hopeful for the country, for the economy, the soldiers, so many things... the manufacturing sector - keep my small business busy!
Historic and meaningful and it feels really good to be a part of this change,

I couldn't really resist a little "then and now" picture,

Our first halloween in the new house - 10 years ago!

The Candy Rappers

Just when I thought Halloween was a "done" holiday at Teddy's house - meaning it would be a night of candy grabbing and friends and no longer a fun family holiday, Josh comes up with the rapper idea. He recruited Teddy and his friend Chip to join him, no doubt the easy costume was the hook.

Josh and Chip spent the afternoon making up the rap, practicing the chant and the beat box for all the neighbors and made me listen endless number of times.

At last it was dark enough to begin the door to door begging. Teddy was off with friends for the night. Lee and I and Josh and Chip, along with Lexi and Gypsy (dressed as Tom Brady and Randy Moss, with ballet tutu on) began on our street. The rap was given before candy, as Josh quickly learned that extra candy was given for performances. We made it around our street, but it was more painfully slow than you can imagine, so we had to stop rapping at every house. For the next 4 streets and 1.5+ hours we only had to hear a little rapping between houses...

We left Chip off at his house, a few streets away, and the three of us with dogs slowly walked home, encumbered with the heavy pillow case of candy. The weather could not have been better and we all agreed it was one of our best Halloween nights!