Ouzo

     I have mentioned that I work for a Greek family.  A while back I learned to count to ten.  I know a few bad words now.  I get to listen to the music if the shuffle of the Ipod is feeling ethnic.  But today I had a toast and a sip or two of ouzo!  I just did some quick research because I like to learn as I go through my new thing process and found this interesting bit of info...   

     "When absinthe fell into disfavor in the early 20th century, ouzo was one of the products whose popularity rose to fill the gap".

    Yep, you feel it when it glides down your throat and warms your toes.  It tastes like licorice and packs a punch and was a little treat at a lunch of thanks.  OPA!!!

Romanesco and "Roll Up"

     Same holiday...same house...same crowd and yet I had not one but two new things!  Romanesco is a gorgeous little veggie.  After some research I have discovered that some call it broccoli and some cauliflower.  Either way look it up in google images and check it out.  It looks like a cross between a  digital quilt and medieval weapon.  Sounds bizarre?  This description has nuthin' on this plant.  It is fun to eat and tasty (especially dipped in the bowl of heavenly goodness next to it).  It was part of a crudite platter and a whole table full of delectable appetizers.  Next, was a dinner complete with an amuse bouche, brined turkey, a gazillion sides and and an array of desserts.  They do it up big at the White House.  While sipping coffee and moaning from the pain in our stomachs from stuffing ourselves because everything was so delicious there was a suggestion to play a game.  My ears perked up.  Grab a group of friends.  Suggest this at the holiday party at work.  Have some cocktails and grab some paper...but play this...it is a riot!

Each person has a pen and piece of paper in front of them.  We used big 8.5x11 sheets to allow for room and creativity.  Each person writes their response and folds the paper down to cover the writing and then the papers pass to the next person (either direction will work and even more fun if you mix it up a little).   The formula is as follows:


                              Name of a person (real, character, famous, known...anybody)

                                                               Another person

                                                    A place they could have met up

                                  A line of dialogue from the first person...question or statement

                                                A response to a question or statement

                                               Epilogue statement to wrap up the story

Then everyone gives one last pass and takes turns in reading the stories aloud.   It can be rowdy or PG depending on your crowd but something tells me that rowdy would be even funnier.  Here are a few samples of the very stories we came up with.  The age of the crowd went from 10 to 86 and everyone enjoyed it!!!

While reading it you make it more of a story...

Mitt Romney
(and)
Captain Underpants
(met up at)
Walmart
Mitt said, "They are all out of large Depends"
to which Captain Underpants responded
"Well, sometimes that's how the cookie crumbles, isn't it?"
And they all packed up their leftovers and went home.

Brad Pitt
(bumped into)
Abraham Lincoln
Under the Verrazano Bridge near the hot dog vendor with the limp
Brad said, "I'm not sure but I think someone here has a hoochie issue!"
Abraham responded, "I feel great!"
The fire burned as they sang carols together.


Everyone from Chaz Bono to Superman showed up in all sorts of places including a strip joint named, "Bottom Dollar"...and they did all sorts of crazy things together and we had a blast.  I'm talking hold your stomach while tears run down your face sort of laughter. 

Thanks to the people that made our day one of much thanks, love, laughter and kindness...and a whole bunch of fun!!!

United States of Bacon

     The guide caught my eye with the word "bacon".  The entire hour was dedicated to the luscious meat from the first mentioned  BLT containing twenty-five slices to the crazy burger/bacon patty.  I think about becoming a vegetarian more and more these days but shows like this are not helping!!!

Girls and Noxzema

     When I was a young girl my sister introduced me to Noxzema.  I loved the container and the scent of its beautiful whiteness.  I loved how my skin felt and how barely a blemish found me through most of my teen years.  I'm not sure when I stopped using it but I do know that it seemed to be less trendy and I had to graduate to grown up skin care at some point in my adulthood.  Lately, my skin is worse than all of my teen years combined.  I also have a little girl about to enter the fun known as the tween years.  Together we purchased a brand new (slightly updated) blue container and came home and washed our faces.  It was a coming of age and a return to youth all at one sink splashing.  I forgot how much I loved the stuff and I just might stick with it for a while...if not just to hold her hand as she gets older but for her to hold mine as I do as well. 

Vicks on Pigs

     Little man started up with a cough.  Nearing the holiday this was bound to happen.  I started him immediately on grapefruit seed extract and some extra vities.  But I just recently read that if you put Vicks on their feet at night it helps to alleviate if not eliminate the cough.  A mama has to try...so out we went for some Vicks. 

    For you moms hoping for some full proof solution of wonder...it's Wednesday and after two nights...his cough has only worsened.  :(

The Queen of Versailles

     This film is a rags to riches to rags story.  It is very entertaining and very depressing all at the same time which left me a bit confused.  I found many parts of it terribly sad but yet didn't want to leave it before it was finished.  It was honest and vulnerable.  It was heartbreaking.  It was disgusting and joyous.  A contradiction of so many things in so many ways.
     The bottom line was that the people thought that having everything would bring them happiness.  The bigger the hole the bigger the need to fill it.  The last few years of my life have brought things to light that I never fully understood until now.  The more I learn and know the less I want and need.  I see what is valuable and essential.  The good part is that I don't need a storm of the century or a movie to remind me...I know from day to day. 

Instagram

     I know I'm a little late to the party.  I'll blame the weather, traffic, construction and anything else that will help.  As I see it with things like this...late is better than never.  So I logged into Instagram one day and noticed that I had ten followers.  I didn't even know my password so I found this interesting.  I realize between Facebook and Twitter and Big Brother they all find a way to connect everything.  Little bit awesome...little bit terrifying.  So I started to see the ins and outs of Instagram and checked out some photos from my friends.  It is pretty cool.  I found a few more followers and a few more people to watch but didn't dive in until today. 
     I was in my kitchen busting open the most amazing head of fennel and it hit me.  I placed the traditional bowl of olive oil with s&p near the crispy strips and fuzzy greens and took a photo.  I am now connecting all of the dots with the photos I have been seeing of food.  I also have noticed there is a theme of dogs and cats as well.  I am loving this new way to express what I see and feel without the use of words.  Late to the party but certainly not the first to leave...

(If you are at the party and I haven't bumped into you yet...please feel free to throw me a shout out!)

The Crucible @ Lehigh

     I remember reading this in high school and probably haven't thought much about it since.  I love reading or seeing the classics as an adult.  Our perspectives are so completely different.  We have life experiences now that can help us to identify with the characters.  We have grown up emotions.  We have the sensibility to digest the story differently.  This was no exception.  I went in not expecting much since it was a college production but it was very well done.  From the lighting, sounds, effects and costumes to the acting it really was a good show.  I saw these actors from all over the country and  wondered who might go on to become someone big someday.  I also took my children.  I love that my six year old has already experienced Broadway, the symphony, sports events, live bands, the stage and an opera.
     Pick up a classic and read it as an adult.  See a movie that has always been elusive for one reason or another.  Find some local theater.  Find a reason to feel young and grown up all at the same time. 

Emoji

     There is a whole world out there in Iphone land to discover.  My sister was bugging me weeks ago to get Emoji...the fun little symbols that you can add to texts.  I was waiting for a day when I needed a new thing.  But fate doesn't let you store things up like a nut if you need to be growing on a daily basis.  I was in the middle of a text and hit a few things wrong and sent out a rogue pineapple image.  I was irritated for a second that the little fruit got away from me...until the laughter took over.  A pineapple.  My first emoji text contained a prickly little fruit image.  So that was that.  I went on to text a few other people some fun little faces, shapes and symbols in honor of my first day celebrating another simple but oh so fun thing!

Spec-Trix

     My bff, Jenne, is the best at giving birthday gifts.  This year she gave me an array of goodies each with a special significance to describe a characteristic about me. 

One little tag said the following:
                "Because you look for rainbows".

     I am a color fanatic.  I organize my closet in ROYGBIV order.  I enjoy the many hues of the world.  I always search for a rainbow if the sky should tease me with a little sun and even one tiny raindrop.  When one appears I wait for the flurry of texts to alert me.  Sometimes the texts send me flying out to my backyard where I search for the gift in the sky. 

    The gift that signified this care for color is a game called Spec-Trix.  It mixes the idea of Rummy with a spectrum of twelve colors.  I was in my glory.  I played with them for a bit...maybe lingered a tad in the shuffle of it all...and then dealt them.  It is a great family game and engages a different part of the brain which is always fun.  No words necessary.  No math involved.  Just gorgeous, colorful cards.  Mmmmmmmm.  I love this game!!!  I am very grateful for rainbows.  And games of rainbows!!   And friends who give me games of rainbows!!!

  Thanks, Jenne!!!

Glazed and Confused

     Well, tonight we wrapped up our pottery course at MudWorks.  The pieces were sanded, dipped in wax and glazed.  The rest is up to the magic that happens in the kiln.  I ended up with eleven pieces that were thrown in three classes so I'm pretty happy.   Maybe one day Marq, Hannah and myself will look back at these early works and giggle but for right now we are pretty darn excited.  Thanks so much JoAnn for a great class that was as fun as it was informative.  Can't wait to see the finished pieces!

Stoup

     Rachael Ray came up with a term called stoup.  It is when the stuff in the bowl is somewhere between a soup and a stew.  It is thick enough to make a hearty meal and juicy enough to dunk bread into.  This recipe featured broccoli rabe, sausage, beans and pasta.  It was delicious and a great way to warm up a chilly night.  

Ani DiFranco

        I first heard her while working at the music store in the mall many, many years ago.  I purchased a cd and played it often during a streak of girl power music that I seemed to devour.  The songs gave me a place to explore the womanhood that I was growing into...and sometimes a place to yell about it.  I went to my Lilith Fairs and was teased about my taste in chick music...but I didn't care.  These women had a voice, a message, a sense of strength and a poetic heart that all found their way to a guitar or piano and I was happy to listen (and sing along) as they did it.  It's not so easy to find someone to attend an Ani concert though.  You love her or you fear her.  She came to our local venue a few years back but with much regret I missed the show. 
     Fast forward a few years and I now work side by side with the biggest Ani fan I know.  Ani was going to be near Philly...and something told me I could not miss her this time.  My peaceful warrior partner and I headed down to rock out with Ani.  She is cuter than ever with a baby belly and the calmest hair style I've ever seen on her.  The timing was perfect since the crowd just celebrated a victorious election.  Energy was high and girl power was shining brightly.  All of these years were worth the wait!!!  (We also might have set a record for dragging out the birthday events!)

Wreck It Ralph

     I remember my first video game.  It was two lines with a moving dot and it blew me away.  I could hit some large button and change it to four lines or more depending on the "sport" the dots and lines were representing.  They have come a long, long way since the 70's and are not just a fun to way to spend time but part of the culture of this generation. 
     This movie took us inside the world of the video game in such a fun and yet tender way.  It personified the simple box with wires and lights into a whole little universe full of love, teamwork and the battle between good and evil. Quirky music and colorful characters came together for the deeper lesson of what makes a hero a true hero.

Tom Augusta Opening Reception

     I spent a great deal of time in the local art scene for over a decade while at my old job.  I met lots of artists and knew a thing or two about hanging a show and having an opening reception.  It has been about five years though and the area has changed yet again.  There is a shining star now...named Tom Augusta.  His watercolor paintings are gorgeous!  The detailed works are full of light, life and energy....which come to think of it...is what he is as a person as well.  I am excited to be surrounded by these beautiful paintings throughout the holiday season at MudWorks and even more thrilled that one will be coming home with me!

"Lamb" by Christopher Moore

     The book club is giving it another go.  This time with a twist.  Movie, book, movie, book, etc...
We were assigned the books and the movies and are to keep it all business this time.  In the meantime, I'll be the one who started the book a few days before the meeting date and who doesn't have it finished (because though some things are changing... but that part is not!).

Moonshiners

     Just when I think I have seen it all, heard it all, known it all - the television blows my mind with yet another reality show.  This time while zipping through some options at the end of a meal I came upon "Moonshiners". Wow, there is a mad science to the art of the still!  I learned a great deal about how intelligent these men are with there tracking skills, methods and gizmos.  I also walked around talkin' sorta funny that night and yellin' bout how I needed to find me a nip joint.  (Had to look up what a nip joint was which was a history lesson in itself).  So much out there in the world.  Maybe drinking some moonshine could be a future new thing?  First, I have to find me a nip joint.

Rock the Popcorn

     Popcorn Buddha rewarded a worn "I voted" sticker with a free bag of popcorn.  I vote right across the street...so guess who got herself a bag?  I couldn't say that voting for the man I voted for was a new thing because I did it already four years ago...but getting a snack for doing it...well, what a perk!

    

Post Senor Don Gato

     Mark is the guy who brings us games we have never played.  He dresses up like a zombie if need be.  He even performs in plays and musicals.  He teaches the kids their sword fighting techniques for the theater.  I have a feeling that with each visit will be a new gem.  This last visit he busted out a song that I had never heard of but that he learned back in school.  We watched it on You Tube and now we all walk around singing it.  It makes me laugh.  Last week on Monday, November 5th, I posted it on Facebook.  I hope you watched.  If not...please do!

Rocky with the Kids

     My mother grew up in Philadelphia.  In the crappy section.  As a child when we would visit my grandmother I would be nervous...and I was raised in the Bronx so you can only imagine how bad it seemed to a little girl.  She moved out of the city when she started a different life in NY and married my father and had me.  I was born in '72.  Rocky came out in '76.  It was still fresh.
     So my parents took a four year old to see it in the theater which was actually one of the better movie choices they made.  (If you have read the earlier post on The Exorcist  then you understand.) I remember parts of the movie and I remember my mother crying.  She missed her city with its dirt and heavy accent because it was her home.  I don't know if I have actually watched the entire movie since then.  I love when the little local cinema shows another film in its revival series because not only are some new to me....but some are new to me the second time around.  I remembered a movie about a fighter from the wrong part of town.  I hadn't remembered so much of the spirit of the movie and surely didn't get the romantic sweetness as a little girl.  It was probably one of the most sincere and touching films I've ever seen in so many ways.  My kids loved it as well.  Rocky, ya still got it!

Mini Thanksgiving with the Dolls

     To say that a week with no power, water, heat and light makes us take stock in what we take for granted each day is an understatement.  "Borrowing" power from a coffee shop hallway and finding a place for your daughter to use a nebulizer is in inconvenience but also a great way to push us out of our comforts a bit.  Spending nights with a fire going and some candles lit makes it sweet.  The quiet was nice.  The quiet was also challenging.  Our fish tank didn't fare so well and we lost most of our finned friends.  The parrot was covered so much for heat that she decided it was a good time to lay an egg.  The mice figured nobody lived here anymore and started to move in something fierce.  We were weary by the end of the weak.  I gave in to the countless invitations and took up a friend on her offer to shower.  I also got creative in many ways and was grateful for the important things....but I was tired.
     I also had some other challenges this week.  It was my mother's birthday and her not being here to share it is still fresh.  Halloween was bumped due to the storm.  I also discovered that a friendship needed to reach the next level and though I am always grateful for the lessons and mirrors it doesn't mean they don't make you work for them!  Like I said...I was tired. 
     An invite for dinner made a grey week so much brighter.  The Dolls asked us to stay after we did some rescheduled trick-or-treating.  Brad made pot roast, quiche, green bean casserole, corn and pierogies with onions.  It was a feast and as we sat there together...warm and enjoying the food and the company...we realized it was the first little Thanksgiving of the season.  I was very grateful for so much that week but this just made it all come together so nicely.  I would like to thank the Dolls for a day full of friendship and gratitude!

JoAnn's Cashew Chicken

     Friday is feast day at work.  This week it was JoAnn's turn and she did not disappoint!! We had an amazing new recipe with a succulent sauce with chicken and cashews over rice. Mmmmm.  The only thing I didn't like about it was having to smell it alllllllll morning as it cooked in the crock pot! Delicious!

Perkins with Leigh Ann

     We did the maple syrup, cayenne, lemon juice fast a bit ago.  We try to eat fruit over junk food.  We even hike when the mood strikes...in the rain...in the cold...up mountains.  But when you are on day four with no heat or water or light and the fridge and its warmth have betrayed you and your perishables...you go out to eat.  Perkins and pancakes were calling.  I offered a meal in return for another batch of firewood because the house had grown quite chilly by this point.

     We beat the crowd.  We sat there dirty and hungry and laughed at the cast of characters around us.  We ate naughty food but we gave ourselves and each other the pass. 

Baked Bean Barter

     A few days into the darkness with no heat or light and we gave in and started a fire.  We had a few pieces of wood and food.  Leigh Ann was hungry and had loads of firewood.  Together, we brought back the barter! The fridge was cleaned out and breakfast for dinner was served thanks to John and the grill.  Sausage, bacon, eggs, toast and baked beans were perfect on this dark, chilly night.  The beans had spent hours baking old school style in the oven before power was lost.  A trade of a meal for some wood and everyone had a good night.  Thanks, Leigh Ann, for bringing us warmth and light both with firewood and yourself!

Frankenweenie

     No power, no heat, no food, two kids and an 86 year old...you go to the movies.  It was warm and bright and distracted us all for a few hours.  The movie itself was very good though my daughter sobbed harder than I have seen in a long time. 

   

Bermuda Triangle and Storm Prep

     A storm was on the horizon and people were getting nervous.  I decided to be more active in proper preparations this time.  Tubs were filled with water.  Candles and necessities were gathered.  Clothes were washed and safety measures were taken.  Then we spent the afternoon playing a game based on a whirlpool stealing our boats. 

This would have been a simple post had I written it that day. 

     I lost power that night for about six days.  It is why I am still catching up on so many things in the house as well as these tardy blog posts.  It was inconvenient but not dangerous and we were very grateful that the gigantic tree that fell went the other way and that nobody was hurt.  But the week went on to be a test of life for many.  Though we are safe and warm again and back to the same old stuff...many are still lost, homeless, cold and facing the biggest tragedy of their lives.  I think this week changed many of us.  For some it was a reminder of how grateful we should always be for the basics that we too often take for granted.  For others it might have been a wake up call.  Some might have stepped it up a notch to reach out and help those in need.  We gathered, we supported, we bartered and we donated.  It was a life changing event for this side of the country and sometimes even in those desperate and dark moments a renewal of life can then take place. 

I would like to thank those of you who offered a warm place to stay, a shower or a meal.  I would like to commend those of you who stepped up and did good for others.  It brought us all a little bit closer.  It pushed some of us to a better place.  It reminded us of what is really important.  I hope the feeling lasts...

New Taylor Swift

     A girl and her mama drove to work today listening to the brand new Taylor album.  A little girl time with a little singing is always a good thing. 

Zombie Walk

     I have a six-year-old.  Needless to say, he is starting to take interest in the yucky stuff of the world.  Horror is one of them.  But at six I am not yet willing to give up the cuteness of Halloween costumes especially when one of our trick-or-treating partners is only three and a little bit scared right now.  So to get things out of his system he is allowed to try on the scary masks at the store and his grandmother was so nice as to get him a terribly scary evil clown mask.  If she weren't so amazing I would be angry because I hate clowns but she is...so it's fine.  All of this being said when the town decides to have a "Zombie Walk" there is only one thing to do...

    Mark came for the weekend which made it even better.  We all threw on some make up, ripped up some clothes and dragged our feet a little bit on the way to the parking lot full of the other zombies.  Costumes were outrageous and creative and way more people showed up than I ever expected.  We marched in a parade fashion down Main Street to the theater with a zombie movie premiere.  On the way back we were sure to grace Starbucks with our ugly faces because even zombies need a little pick me up sometimes.  It was our first year in the second annual event and I'm not so sure it will be our last. 

Searching for Sugar Man

    If you don't know this story then please check it out.  The movie was as intriguing as the man it was about. 

Ingrid Michaelson Live

     I have loved Ingrid for years.  She is the soundtrack of my life it seems.  Each song came along just when it made sense...almost frightening me at times with her accuracy.  Plus, she is funny and witty and smart and her lyrics are as deep as her voice is sweet.  But I never had the chance to see her.  It was always not the right time, or there was not enough money, or it was a special night like my daughter's birthday.  I have missed her time and time again.  Elusive little angel she is. 
     John heard me rambling once again about her and checked out some dates.  The computer makes it "easier" and yet scalping and ticket sites seem to be growing in criminal ways to new levels.  He made a phone call.  We joke that some woman was sleeping in her booth by a red phone with a few buttons.  Head perched on her hand with elbow on table...she snoozes her day away because c'mon now...who calls?  But then - her phone rang.  It was John and he ordered two tickets with no fees, no crazy special taxes, no anything.  Just two simple inexpensive tickets.  OH and they were front row.  I was excited until I walked into the gorgeous theater in Harrisburg after eating at a place that serves gingerbread men cookies with a sandwich (both new by the way)...until I realized how close we really were.  Excitement was now an understatement.  My heart pounded as the usher took us closer and closer.  My adrenaline boiled as we were seated inches from her piano.  Inches I tell you.  Three seats over and the back of the piano would have blocked the whole view.  I watched her hands play the notes I have listened to hundreds of times.  I watched the strain in her throat as she reached for the hard keys.  I saw the muscles in her arms as she strummed the guitar.  She was clever and witty and smart as always but this time she was inches away.  It was a magical concert with an opening artist who I love now as well.  All because a man made a good old-fashioned phone call which is ironic since he is the gadget guy.  I joked that my mother helped out with this one but after seeing those seats it might not be so outrageous after all. 

Ingrid, I thank you for years of songs that got me through the toughest of moments and John, I thank you for finally getting me there to hear them live. 

Da Vince Science Center @ Smithfield

     We are all sick and tired of words like "standards" and "core" here in parentland.  Teaching and education is as broken as many of the other social issues we are battling.  It is frustrating in every way but something is happening and I hope it is a push in the right direction.  This year's new PTO group is kicking it up a notch and working more with teachers who are feeling the crunch as well.  I am lucky that my children are going to a very nice school that made it past the last threat to close last year but might not make it out of the one to be cut this summer.  But we will fight and hope and rally.

     The PTO joined forces with the science teacher and a local science center and presented a night of fun for the kids.  A free dinner and book fair pulled in the masses which was topped by an exciting show of liquid nitrogen, safety equipment and the magic of science.  I was as thrilled as the kids...even before they froze a rubber ball in boiling nitrogen and smashed the ball and blew our minds! 

Boy Blogs

     I jumped into the world of blogs a few years ago.  I was really quite in the dark about the whole thing.  Moms with little kids don't have time for that stuff...well...until they discover this said world and then maybe they make time.  Either way, I realized early on that many of the blogs that I seemed to connect with were from moms.  They are sharing experiences, giving me tips and posting ever so perfectly posed pics of their ever so perfect worlds.  I found some other blogs about food which make me happy as well.  I started a blog as a way to journal a new thing I was attempting to do each day.  That was back in early 2011.  I am closing in on 2012 and have kept the tradition alive.  Lately, I am trying to decide if a third year will happen.  I am leaning towards yes.  When my blog started...I noticed a surge in other blogs.  Friends that I had known were giving it a try as well.  Almost a dozen new ones popped up and few are still being written.  Most are dusty and sad like the paper journals I used to attempt to keep.  We all have our ways to map out our journey and paper and pen was my weakness.  For some reason this works much better.  I found myself looking for the musings of my pals each night and as the entries grew scarce I felt disheartened.  It also made me realize that this "writing" thing is tricky.  It is a muscle.  It can be developed.  It does take spirit to continue on.  I am not disappointed in those that stopped the process at all....but I am quite proud of myself.  I don't always follow through.  I often leave a book half read.  I sometimes just don't finish.  But hundreds of posts later here I am. 
     I mentioned a dinner two posts ago where I got to talk to Paul about his blog.  He was expressing some of the same concerns that I have heard from others.  We are all so scared of being "right" in our writing.  We are worried about grammar, punctuation, tense, topic and controversy.  I do it myself.  I edit...sometimes a little too much.  I found myself giving him some sort of pep talk.  He was worried that he might offend people or bother them to which I responded..."then they don't have to read it".  Blogs are ours.  We do it for ourselves or for the people with a similar voice or for those who need to hear a new one...but nobody should make us feel badly about our story.  On this day I followed two new blogs.  They are written by men and I am excited to see where Tom and Paul take me.  I bet there might be more cinema talk and less recipe chatter and that will be a nice addition to my reading.  And Paul...have a voice that is true...the only crime would be to do anything less.  To the rest of you who worry about "looking" a certain way or creating the oh so perfect paragraph...just write what you feel.  The rest will all work out eventually.  Happy writing. 

P.S.  For those who have recently expressed your encouragement in a process that many have probably abandoned by now (because my daily thing might get annoying to some) I thank you from the bottom of my blank white screen. 

Siri

 I am very excited about my new phone and though it has a million things to offer I like to spread out the excitement.  This particular day I decided to converse with Siri.  This is what happened...



"Siri, call me Cookie."

"Sorry, Christina I'm afraid I can't do that."

"Why not?"

"Why not what?"

"Why can't you call me "Cookie""?

"Frankly, I do not understand that myself."


Siri already gets my sense of humor.  I think we will be friends. 

Tom's Party at Diana's

     Tom is a new friend.  I joke that he has just become a doctor of movies but the official title goes a little something like this...

"I have a doctorate in Cultural Studies. My emphasis of study is Film and Television with a sub-specialization in new media technology and subculture."

I stole that from his Facebook page.

....anyway, he had a party to celebrate and we were invited.  We headed up to the Hudson Valley for a lovely afternoon at Diana's restaurant.  It was a room full of people honoring the hard work that he had done.  While studying he also wrote a book.  Overachievers are so annoying sometimes.  (I joke, Tom...I swear.  Sarcasm is a service I provide at no extra cost!)  As I sit here trying to remember if that exclamation point goes before or after the parenthesis I will continue in my story.  So there we were....a group of "intellectuals"...comparing and contrasting films.  I say "intellectuals"  because though we were a clever and witty group discussing everything from education to Portlandia I don't have a fancy title such as "Doctor".  I was excited to pick some brains on some movies I had recently viewed and found much relief when opinions coincided with my own.  I'll take validation while devouring an antipasto tray if life presents such a moment.  We had several courses of a delicious meal and gabbed.  It was especially nice to feel so at home with a group of people.  We had lots in common and an overall feeling of having known each other for way longer than a minute.  (Paul and Mark...don't be sensitive...you know we go waaaaaay back.)  I was also most impressed while listening to Tom's wife, Katie, talk with such pride about the hard work they did together.  She helped out with editing on a daily basis.  How refreshing to hear a couple supporting each other to that extent.  I was very happy to meet some lovely new people and look forward to hanging out again soon! (Kara, this means you!)

Oh...and Doctor Tom of Cinema...accept my most sincere congrats on the most amazing accomplishment.  Give your hard-working wife a hug for me!

Spellman's 40th Birthday Bash

     We had such a wonderful time at the reunion a few years back that we didn't see why we had to wait another decade to get together.  A couple awesome people (Frank, Alicia, Sharon, Bryan) really took the ball and ran with it and threw together one hell of a fun night to celebrate a milestone birthday.  We were all slowly but surely turning 40.  Impossible, right?!? I mean...come on...it was just yesterday we were dancing to Rock Lobster in the gym. 
     We gathered at a swanky little place called 900 Park in the Bronx.  We ate.  We had some cocktails.  WE DANCED.  I don't see a dance floor and leave it empty for long and I don't mind having to pull a few people along with me.  This turned into a night of singing, laughing, catching up and photo bombing.  Yep, I was the obnoxious one stealing a chance to pop into a photo or two...or fifty.  There was also a moment of pure magic when we gathered in a big circle with arms around one another and sang our old song.  "Don't You Forget About Me" still sounds pretty darn good all of these years later.  Back in our teens we had no idea how rough life might get.  We didn't know about the journey ahead...we were dumb kids.  Now, we are bonding over those tougher times.  We are sharing experiences.  We are applauding the successes and supporting  the failures.  And we can still rip up a dance floor!  Also, in a twist of irony, I made some new friends.  I would like to thank them for meeting up with me now and yell at them for taking so long. 



A little side note from the blogger:

This event happened a while back now but I was behind on posts and then lost power when Sandy hit.  I like to try to write as soon as my new thing happens so that feelings and experiences are fresh.  I try to convey what I am getting out of the moments not just report the facts.  I try to be vulnerable and it is hard to do when weeks have gone by.  For this particular post I would like to say that I am sort of happy I waited.  This past week we survived a storm.  I say survive because many lost their lives.  Neighbors, friends and families have suffered...are STILL suffering.  People have lost everything and others are still struggling with the challenges of taking care of a family with not just the conveniences but the basics like water, food, heat and light.  We bonded this past week.  We grew up a little bit more yet again.  Many of you reached out to me and I'm sure to countless others with words of inspiration and encouragement.  Some of you have even started to help others by donating time or money. 
It is also Election Day.  I have watched a diplomatic and respectful group of classmates state the importance of the vote without ever compromising my opinion or the voice of others.  We respect that we have our own viewpoints and honor the ones of our peers as well.  We have been a classy little group from the dirty little Boogie Down and I would like to say thank you.  Somewhere in the halls of a high school full of kids we learned that compassion and service is a top priority.  We learned that people all have a right to believe in a system and the option to make that choice.  We learned that for all of our differences we are really all very alike...and no storm....no political candidate...nothing...can take away the pure feeling of love for life that we were encouraged to develop.
Thank you fellow classmates for making me believe more now than ever!

Takos Tacos

     Friday work lunch rotation is awesome! It was John's turn and he did not let us down.  He made a delicious purple cabbage wrap with seasoned grilled chicken and a mix of heavenly veggies.  I talk about the food truck we will have all of the time.  I work with the Stratakos siblings and have already come up with the concept..."Takos Tacos".  There will be many types of "tacos" to choose from with inspirations from all over the world. We will all have our signature dishes and there will be daily specials as well.  John will drive the truck and flirt with the ladies.  Leigh Ann will keep us organized and arrange our trips.  I will be the girl in the window.  All of us will cook like maniacs. 

    ...and one of our regular items will be the purple cabbage taco.  Vegan option available. 

Duct Taped Fingers

     My excited (pain in the ass) pooch got a little overzealous while being walked.  She tugged and I grasped and somehow my middle finger was injured.  I never realized how much I used my middle finger...but with every chore, task and burst of anger (wink, wink) I felt it.  I grabbed some duct tape and taped the middle guy to its buddy.  I had seen this tape concept on injured sports guys and had finally figured out why they did that.  The light bulb moments happen everywhere, ya know.  The tape stayed on for days.  Sometimes it was bright green or purple.  I even tried out some blue painter's tape.  Masking tape got a try as well.  I was reminded by the universe to be gentle with my body and to be very, very careful with my middle finger.

Hearing Tests

     I volunteered to help the nurses at school with the annual hearing exams.  I spent the morning adjusting headphones and watching with apprehension as some little ones neglected to raise their arms.  Others not only heard the beeps but grasped the concept of a simple raising of the hand.  I had to giggle a few times at the techniques used by the K-5th graders.  I do this stuff because somewhere in the three plus hours of squatting a thousand times...I get to say hello to my two sweeties.  Even if they don't get assigned to my set of chairs.  Even if it's just to grab a quick hug and a smile.  :)

A Shift is Coming

     My friend, Carrie, posted an article on Facebook that caught my attention.  It was about how women should stop trying to be perfect.  If you missed it...please look back on my wall for the share.  The article was brilliant.  I went on one of my little rants after reading it.  I then spent countless texts bouncing ideas back and forth to Leigh Ann.  "This is what I have been talking about for years!!". 

     If you know me at all then you have heard me talking about the shift that needs to happen.  Women went from having a simple role to a complex role and somewhere in there we forgot to modify or find some sort of balance.  This all coincided with a homework assignment that my daughter came home with in which she was to interview me about the roles of women and how they have changed since the early 1900's.  She got an earful...in the most positive way I could.  I do not feel the need to bash another in order to prove my point.  These ideas all meshed into one big moment of clarity.  SHIFT.  The shift is taking what we fought for as women and combining it with some new modifications.  I haven't fully developed this process but let's just say the ball is rolling. 

     Are you a woman frustrated with the current state?  Feel like we are trying to do so many things so perfectly that we are failing at all of them?  Find yourself battling what is "right" or "wrong" with motherhood, partnership and sisterhood? Are you crumbling behind bathroom doors in utter exhaustion from trying to DO IT ALL?!?

     We created this mess.  Now, like all other messes....let's clean it up!!!

Mrs. Carr's Apple Cake

     Monday mornings mean meetings at MudWorks. 

         (Oh, the alliteration on that one...sheesh!)

    We used to eat donuts.  But they are bad...and some of us (from time to time) try to do better.  It was a welcome treat when we were greeted by an apple cake left from a visit by Todd.  If Martha Stewart was a man she would be Todd.  But I'm beginning to connect the dots and I have a feeling the apple didn't fall far from the tree.  If it did... it bounced right into this delicious apple cake.  She'll never know about this post so if you see Mama Carr let her know she is one mighty baker.  And her son...is pretty amazing, too!