Thin Mints, Polar Plunges and Such

Here we are 2019, all grown up! 50 now. Kiddies are beautiful, healthy, happy and almost in high school!  I have been so busy and blog negligent. I just finished my career at IDB Bank. It was a wonderful 12 years with great memories, experiences and friends.  I am so excited for next adventure. Meanwhile, Charlotte is in 8th grade and deciding on the right HS and Andrew is thriving in 5th Grade. Charlotte and her friends have been pushing Girl Scout Cookies lately to earn an extra week at sleep away camp this summer.



Andrew enjoyed the annual Polar Plunge School Fundraiser last month. IT WAS FREEZING!!!  But for a good cause. They are both doing great and I'm so proud of them. The rest of the family is doing well too and I am so blessed and thankful for that.

Now that I'm getting my blog back up and running again, I need to share my world perspective. Let's see, the government may close down yet again because President Trump is convinced that Congress "Just don't understand." Sort of like Fresh Prince's parents. Circa 80 something.  Anyway, I hope for a better future, a more civilized government and a better world for my kids and their kids.

We are sitting here on a Monday and the kids are beside themselves with joy because school just called and they are closed tomorrow because of the impending snow storm. SNOW DAY!!!!  Gosh I remember the excitement. Seriously, as a kid was there anything better than a snow day?  Eating junk food all day and watching TV without a care in the world. Ahhh the memories...

Shout Outs:
Costco's Spanish Cheese Selections; Manchego, Iberico & something else, yum
Waitress the musical with Sara Bareilles, so good!
Mezcal Sour; smokey and delicious.

I'm Back Baby!

For a long time I couldn't remember my password but that's a pretty lame excuse for not blogging. Truth is I've been busy. The kids are now eight and 11 and I'm 47! I don't know what's harder to believe, their ages or mine. So much as happened since my last blog. The saddest thing is that my brother Carmin died two years ago. He was young, only 59 years old and he is terribly missed. Last weekend I was in Long Beach Island and we went out one night to the tiki bar. They had a couple of guys playing guitar and it reminded me of Carmin, so much so that it brought me to tears. He loved his guitar, music, golf and just spending time with people he loved. He was sweet, funny, clever and generous. He had very little and shared so much.  Forever in our hearts, Carmin ❤️

Ukuleles & Rock Formations

Ukulele's Rock

Been strumming on the ukulele for a couple years now. I love playing but it's hard to find the time to hone my craft. A while ago, while surfing the net, I signed for a NJ Ukulele Meetup Group. I haven't really thought much about it until recently when I received an invitation to "Ross' house for a Ukulele Meetup". I didn't think I was really going to go, but I clicked yes on the invite. It was last Tuesday night, so when I got home from work I rushed the kids through dinner, homework, jammies & teeth. I grabed my ukulele and ran out the door, still not convinced that I would walk into some strangers house. So I find the house, about 10 minutes from mine, park the car and head up the path. I was relieved to see a sign on the front door that said "Uke Meetup Side Door" assuming an axe murder wouldn't have gone through the trouble of making a sign. So I went in the side door and found a delightful group of people strumming their ukes in unison to "Have You Ever Seen the Rain by John Fogerty. I jumped right in..... can't wait until our next jam session.


Rock Formations

Took a walk on my lunch hour yesterday and stumbled across some very large Rocks at Rock Center.

The sculptures have been created by artist Ugo Rondinone. A clip from the press release explains.. "Human Nature is a stark contrast to its highly developed architectural surroundings in Midtown Manhattan. The irregular natural surfaces of the stone are left bare, while the human figure— perhaps the original artistic subject—is represented as a simple yet imposing composition.."
Also, not sure why, but there is a big oversized Tiffany box covering the ice rink area.


Shout Out
Candy Crush!!!! the only reason I blog is kill time while I wait for my next life :)

Hipsters

Like zombies, they live among us! As far as I can tell, they like handle bar mustaches, pickling things, Whole Foods and Trader Joes, bingo, vinyl records, coffee and Etsy.com.  They almost seem like Molly Ringwald from Pretty in Pink, and who didn't love her?


Boston

I'm very emotional and mostly stark raving mad about what happened at the Boston Marathon this week. I just don't understand how that kind of evil roams the earth. What provokes someone to kill innocent, beautiful people? How can that family of the eight year old boy go on? Where will they ever get the strength? how will they get out of bed each day? who will answer this question for them... WHY???? Just like the parents of the victims of Sandy Hook, they will probably never get an answer. Change, that's all.... drastic....immediate.....zero tollerance change. Scrutinize those who need to be scrutinized! Let my 80 year old mother keep her shoes on at the airport. Because on occasion, when the authorities succeed in putting the kybosh on a terrorist plot, the plotters never look like my mother!


Shout Outs

The Mavericks - they have a new album out (might not be new, but it's new to me and I love it)

NPR Podcasts: (These are all great!)
This American Life - Ira Glass
Wait Wait Don't Tell Me - Peter Sagel - Carl Castle
The Moth - Live Story Telling

Since the world has changed so much since my last post, I thought I would go ahead and chime in on all the action.

Basically, I've been watching a couple little people sprout like weeds right in front of my very eyes. Truly extraordinary and sad and happy and exciting and down right exhausting some days. It's like a amusement park ride: Your caught up in it, then when you step out and look around, you wonder "what just happened?". You've lost touch with people you used to speak to every day, you realize there are 6 drawers full of clothing that no longer fit them. Another week goes by and then another and another.

Sitting at my desk, the kids happily off to school, I review the mental to-do list that spans the length of a football field. My new years eve resolutions stagnant, forty return phone calls owed, my hair in dire need of a treatment, or treatments is more likely. The calendar is full for the next 4 months with birthday parties, first communions, graduations, school fairs, fundraisers, girl scouts, etc. And I thought corporate communications and business developement was challenging. And let's not forget DECISIONS, the hard ones, the ones where your heart and soul are battling it out with your brain. Whether they are financial or moral, there is a constant tug from side to the other.

Stretching this outward, the world has become a complicated place. I don't want to get all nostolgic, but the 80's seemed so much easier. Our overwhelming quest to be "PC" has taken away all of our real differences and the way we embrace them. There was a time when your opinion, was just that; "your opinion". Now if you don't have a "PC" opinion then you are wrong. And not just wrong, but targeted. I guess I prefer a world with more freedom, more freedom and less reality TV.

Until next time.

It's always Sunny in...New Jersey?

Greetings, my family and I have officially crossed over the bridge and will reside peacefully in NJ for many years to come. I guess I'll have to change the title of my blog now. I'll wait until I come up with something "catchy". The move went OK, the renovation is not totally complete yet and the yard is full of poison ivy... but it's home now and we love it :)

It's very confusing driving in New Jersey though, if you know anyone from here, they will confirm that the highways are poorly marked, the routes are crazy and you can't make any left turns, you can make rights on red, unless it's marked otherwise, and the yellow lights are extremely long. I've been relying heavily on Nancy, the GPS voice, to guide me through this jungle of confusion, however, we do not have a very good relationship. She's very bossy and down right mean at times! I don't understand why she has to holler at me "REROUTING"! I get it! I'm doing my best here. And the tone... such attitude. I tried switching to woman with an English accent, but she was too pompous. I'm going to look through the Garmin manual for a Southern California gay man setting. I think we would get a long just fine...... "heeeey..... turn around chicky".. or "OMG, You just passed it, whatever.."

Hey check it out, New York has one other Cardinal Fan, I'm in good company.

Speaking of which, we are heading to STL for Mom's 80th Birthday Bash. It's supposed to be a surprise but she digs. I'm bringing the kids too and all their gear. Hmmm..... long lines, airport security, small airplane, 2-year-old, 4-year-old and 2 and a half hours... that all adds up to one good time!, especially for the poor soul sitting in front of us. I should try to warn them in advance. To bad the airlines haven't mastered that technology yet. Just a simple email would do.... "excuse me Sir, or Mam, I'm the masochist who decided to fly half way across the country by myself with two small children in the peak of their witching years, I look forward to having my son kick the back of your seat for nearly 3 hours, as you try to work on that important important business plan. See you Tuesday! :)"

Plugs: Billy Swan's song "I can help"

Cliche's Are Like Stereotypes, They're Pretty Right On

You all know the ol' saying "Today is the first day of the rest of your life!" Well it is! In this post I will list the things I intend to keep in my new life, since it's the first day I want to set myself off on the right track... and things that I want to discard from my new life.

Let's begin with the things I want to discard from my life
since these are jumping to mind;

FACEBOOK - I've decided that my life has no room for this somewhat additive yearbook of past classmates, lovers and co-workers. I began to fall into the abyss that is facebook before I realized that I have to go to work, make breakfast, feed the kids, brush my teeth, and put on clothes every day... So no more facebook.

House Hunters - The TV show on HGTV where beautiful people find the home of their dreams. I may just shun all of HGTV since it's also too depressing to watch "What You get for the Money" when you live in New York. UGHHH

Netflix - I've decided to get back into reading and NPR. It's good for the soul. I've enjoyed my stint with Netflix, but I realized it's time to quit when you're watching a subtitled Chinese porno and the people on the bus are giving you dirty looks. My latest read, Julie and Julia.. love love love! thanks Debra.

Smoking - no comment, I'm hatching a plan.....

Fear - fear of slugs, fear of success, fear of change.

Clutter - clear it out!


Now for the things I would like to incorporate into my new life:

More Music - more singing, more dancing, more skating, more ukulele, more music with the kids, more more more

Exercise - duh

Reading - Like to start a book club

More Cooking - real cooking

More blog Posts!

More random videos of the kids doing random things.

That's it for now. I may have to adjust this list as time goes on, but hey it's only the first day of the rest of my life, so cut me some slack :)