Happy Belated Easter, Everyone!

We had a very busy weekend, with a christening on Saturday and Easter yesterday, so I had no time to blog. And I have lots to catch up on at home, so no real time to blog today (at least not yet). But here are a few pics from our Easter. We spent the day with my parents - first at their house for brunch, then went down the shore (such a "Jersey" saying, I know!), and then out for a late dinner. Hope all your holidays were wonderful!

Our family on the boardwalk.

Jersey Girl and Princess

Princess finds eggs on her egg hunt.

Childhood Disease

I have realized that there exists an odd disease among children - the simultaneous love and fear of holiday characters.

I took Princess to meet the Easter Bunny yesterday at the mall (and paid 20 freakin' dollars to have her picture taken with him). I had taken her to see him a couple weeks ago to get her reaction to him before spending money on a photo of a large rodent with a screaming child. We attracted much attention because Princess was standing in her stroller screaming and pointing and struggling to get out of the stroller and run to the bunny, with utter excitement bursting through her skin. It was slightly embarrassing (as people were staring and pointing at us), but also undeniably cute that she was that excited to see a 6 foot tall rabbit. I thought, this will be better than Christmas where she didn't really care at all about Santa until I handed her over to him, at which time she screamed for me to take her from this velvety-red stranger with the odd facial hair.

We go to the mall yesterday and she sees Mr. Bunny from a mile away and begins the screaming and pointing. She cannot believe her luck to see this huge rabbit once again. We get on line and the ruckus continues. Luckily, the four-year-old behind us is doing exactly the same - she is screaming and pointing as well. Whew, its not just my kid. Finally, we go up and I introduce her to the rabbit before handing her over to him for the picture taking to begin. At which time she screams (and not with excitement this time). THREE SECONDS AGO this was the greatest thing you had ever seen in your 15-month-long life. Now, you are terrified. I don't get it.

They took a few pictures, which turned out terribly because they all show Princess with her legs in motion, swinging off Bunny's lap in a mad attempt at escape. So, as a good mom, what do I do? I put Princess back on Bunny's lap so we can get better pictures. Here is the result. A little blurry and not so great. But at least not showing her fighting the bunny to get away.




What made me feel better was that the four-year-old behind us did the exact same thing. Her excitement also turned to fear when she was up close and personal with the Rabbit. So this odd childhood disease did not just afflict my child, but others as well.

On Why My Site Is So PINK

I have received several comments over the last few months about the color of my site which is, I know, SUPER PINK. Not bad comments, mind you, but comments. So I want to explain.

When I found out I was pregnant, I had my kid's nursery planned to the smallest detail. Bluish walls with painted clouds, a tree painted in the corner with leaves that went up onto the ceiling over the crib, a picket fence around the room with flowers coming through it, and little bugs (cute ones, like lady bugs and butterflies) painted as if flying through the air. And if said kid was a boy, I would add a baseball mitt onto the fence, and maybe some turtles and such so it wouldn't look too feminine (God forbid).

And then I found out I was having a girl. For some reason I decided immediately that only a pink room would do. We spent hours upon hours in Home Depot pouring over paint chips for just the right color, and browsing through wallpaper books for just the right border. And we found both. We painted the room, and I will admit, it was quite pink. Pepto Bismol-ish, even. I wanted to immediately paint over it, but Hub said no, its going to be great with the border and the furniture and curtains and such. I pushed all those evil pregnancy hormones down and agreed to wait and see how it would look, after getting a promise that if I still hated it we would start from scratch.

I showed the room to a few people, and everyone said it was a nice color and would looked great. And then my sister-in-law came over. They have a daughter, and her room is dark blue with dark colored teddy bears and beige curtains (very blah and boring-looking), so I don't know why her comments (especially about decorating) mean anything to me. But, remember the hormones...Her comment was "Wow, this is really pink. This is a HURTFUL pink." So then, after I had finally started to agree that it just might look okay, I started to doubt it again.

Well to make a long story even longer, we put up the border, which is GORGEOUS. I love it. It goes along the bottom of the wall (rather than the top) and looks like antique toy boxes overflowing with stuffed animals. Love it. Then we put the furniture in. Dark mahogany, Italian-made, lots of detail, super-classy. A crib, armoire, and changing table/dresser. Love it. Then we hung up her name in letters over her crib, hung with polka-dot ribbon. Love it. And finally we added the other touches like the crucifix we got her at the Vatican, pretty curtains, and a white shelf and two white wicker baskets over her changing table, which we filled with family photos, stuffed animals, books, etc. Her room is just gorgeous.

I was happy to be having a little girl and I wanted her room to express that. Pink was the way for me. But my sister-in-law's comment sticks with me to this day, as if having a pink room for a girl is a bad thing. As if I am setting her up for a life of perky cheerleading and being submissive to boys and the like. I mean really. Anyone who knows me knows that I am raising one seriously tough broad here. Hurtful pink room or not.

So, that's why I chose the pinkest, hurtful-est pink skin I could find. Does that make any sense at all???

A Blathering Post About a Bunch of Things

Yesterday was not such a great day, diet-wise. I did exercise, which is a big deal for me (I hate it). But the eating - not so good. We have so many leftovers from the Mardi Gras party, its hard to avoid overeating. So I am thinking, if I can exercise a few times this week and not worry about the eating portion, and then start the diet part next week once all the leftovers are in my belly (or thighs or butt or whichever part they choose to stick to), it should be ok. Right?

I have been contemplating a post on the Terry Schiavo situation. I was thinking its just too touchy and people are just too passionate about it. And I think maybe that's my problem - I am not feeling passionate about it because I don't know who is telling the truth. Is the husband a total jerk who only wants his wife dead so he can move on with his life? Are the parents hopelessly holding on to the possibility of their daughter recovering when that is medically impossible? Are they being selfish, making her live in a way she did not want to live just because they can't let her go, or is he just a big fat liar in saying she wouldn't want to live like this? Its hard to know. Whenever there is a case like this, the truth is usually somewhere in the middle.

What is infuriating me is hearing everyone, and I mean everyone, expressing their opinion on tv about what should happen. Of course everyone is entitled to their opinion - but don't you think Terry's family and the doctors should be making these decisions, not Patricia Heaton (from Everybody Loves Raymond) and Mel Gibson? What do they know? Both of them came out with statements yesterday saying how *they* think this should all go down. Just because you are famous, doesn't mean you get to decide if people live or die. Or that anyone really cares what you think.

And I am sick of this being a "talking point" for every politician and religious leader, trying to win over voters by blathering on and on. This is a woman's life we are talking about, not a way to gain votes in the next election.

I don't know what should happen in this case, but I think that's ok. Because something important has come of it anyway. Hub and I have now talked about the subject so we know each other's wishes, and we are going to meet with a lawyer to draw up a living will. So, while its a terrible thing that's happening in Florida, it should be a lesson to all of us to have our wishes in writing.

Back on the Diet Horse

So, ok, the fun of Mardi Gras has passed and its back to reality. Its time to get back on track. For some reason, I had been eating really really well the first month and a half of the new year, lost about 15 pounds, and then fell off the horse. I haven't weighed myself because I don't want to see what the scale has to say. But that's ok, because I don't need to see a number to know that I need to get on track again.

I have SO many reasons to lose weight, other than the obvious "get healthy" reason. I have a Key West vacation in November, am in my cousin's wedding in October, and should really be in shape to kick my nemesis' ass if need be. Plus, although it is still cold here in Jersey Girl land, summer is right around the corner and it'll be time for shorts before you know it.

So - once Princess wakes up from her nap, I will be walking in the park as exercise today. And I will control all the food I eat today. And, I will go back to one day at a time, focusing on little successes rather than huge looming goals.

What a boring post. Can't we go back to talking about parties and good times and drinks?

Ah, Mardi Gras!

(Note: Ginger Margarita recipe is here!)

Our Mardi Gras party was a great success! I was kinda nervous, because some of my regular attendees couldn’t make it and we invited some new people…and you never know how that will go. It turned out to be a really nice mix of people – some family; some people with kids and some without; some married people and some single people.

The funny thing is that we had three people come alone who had never been to one of our parties before – Hub’s friend Joe from work, our next door neighbor Mark, and our across-the-street neighbor Jill. I always worry about people who come by themselves and don’t know anyone – will they fit in or will they be wallflowers? Well, I needn’t have worried about them! Joe had such a great time, he spent the night here. Mark, who is super-religious (and therefore I wasn’t sure how he would react to some of our antics) stayed till nearly 1 am and had a great time. Jill fit in so well with everyone; it was as if we had hung out for years.

There was lots of food – jambalaya, mac and cheese, fried chicken, sandwiches, etc. And of course lots of drinks! We couldn’t find Hurricane mix this year, so most people stuck with beer and wine. I served purple, yellow, and green jello shots which were, as always, a huge hit.

We had beads everywhere – strung from anything that would hold them! We also decorated with masks and doubloons and confetti and signs and a big Mardi Gras flag. It was really festive and fun. The good thing is that we didn’t have to buy any of it because we got all of it in 2000 when we went to the real Mardi Gras!

I wore my tiara as the Queen of Mardi Gras. Hub paraded around in his float. Patsy wore the whole bead-flasher ensemble. Everyone wore beads and some even wore feather boas!

Most of the crowd left by about 1 am. But then our “regular crew” (plus Joe) partied until about 5 am. Poor Hub, Princess still woke up at 7:30 so he only had two-and-a-half hours sleep. I slept till 1:30!!! And I am still tired. It was a really great night and everyone had a terrific time.

Next up: An 80’s party. Maybe in the summer. Big Hair and Bon Jovi. I can’t wait!!!


The party in action.


Hub as the King of Mardi Gras in his float.


Diddy and his sign.


Princess is all ready for Mardi Gras!


Patsy really wants beads.


Good times!

Ginger Margarita Recipe

Here is the recipe you have all been dying to get your hands on. This drink is from 66 in TriBeCa NYC, and passed on to me by my dear friend Michael:

Ginger "Marjarita"

4 Servings

1/2 Cup Fresh Lime Juice
1/2 Cup Sugar
1/4 Cup Chopped Peeled Fresh Ginger
1 Tablespoon Chopped Fresh Lemon Grass

Bring lime juice, sugar, ginger, and lemon grass to a boil in small saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Strain syrup and discard solids. Chill.

3/4 Cup Tequila (white is best for the drink color if serving in a clear glass, otherwise any tequila)
3/4 Cup Cointreau
Lime Wedges
Kosher Salt
Ice

Mix chilled syrup, tequila, cointreau in cocktail shaker with ice.

Run lime wedge around margarita glass, dip in salt, strain drink into glass, garnish with lime wedge.


According to Michael: "I always at least double or triple this recipe and make it in a pitcher. It says 4 servings, but for us it is more like 2 really good ones. Lemon grass is sometimes available at the supermarket, sometimes at Whole Foods but is always available at Asian Markets. Don't leave it out, the drink won't be the same."

Cheers!

Come Back Monday

I only have a sec to blog, but wanted to mention that tomorrow night is our famous Mardi Gras party (read question #4 for details). I can't wait. Chances are I will not be blogging tomorrow, and if my some strange chance I do, it will be such drunken gobbledygook that you won't be able to figure out what I am saying anyway. And chances are also that I will be too hung over to blog on Sunday, though I will try. But come back on Monday, my friends, where I will tell you how the party was and post pics of Hub in his float and wig, and Jersey Girl in her tiara as Queen of Mardi Gras. You won't want to miss this.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

We decided to go into NYC today to the St. Patrick's Day parade. As close as I live to the city (about 10 miles), I had never been to the parade, and neither had Hub. So, we packed up Princess and gathered up two of our friends and headed in. It was a nice day - although the parade was a little boring for my taste (I am used to New Orleans parades - that's where we have been for the past few St. Patrick's Days). It was all bagpipes and marching bands and people walking. No floats, no beads, no craziness. But Princess enjoyed herself - she LOVED the cops on horseback, especially.

Jersey Girl & Princess

I want her to enjoy all the benefits that NYC has to offer. Growing up, we never went in because it was the scary big city. My parents saw someone get stabbed there when they were dating, and that did it for them (can't blame them for that). But I love it there, and I don't fear it at all. I want Princess to feel the same way. I want to expose her to the museums and the architecture, the street performers and the Broadway shows, the sights and sounds and yes, even the smells. I want her to know her way around and know how to carry herself. Most of all, I want her to develop the same love of New York that I have. Today was her first time there, and I know it won't be her last.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Lesson Learned

I had a weird experience today, somewhat of an eye-opener. I went to get my hair done (oh, but yes, I *am* a natural blonde, of course!) and the salon I go to is fairly chi-chi. The stylists are all perfect looking in their own way: this one has long blond hair and blue eyes and wears teeny Juicy shirts so her belly button ring shows on her perfectly flat tummy; this one has an up-do with perfectly placed highlights and wears a suit with heels, looking like the trendiest business woman; my stylist is the perfect punk rock princess. Black spiky hair, tons of black makeup, shirts that show off her many tattoos (and her perfect figure) without showing enough to be trampy in the slightest, knee-high black leather boots...you get the idea. All these women are perfect. I look at my styist and want to *be* her, she is just that cool. She is never shaken, never nervous, always so poised and collected and awesome.

So today, we started talking about our kids, whom we have talked about before. She works part time, gets to call her own shots about her hours, and her kid stays with her best friend during the day. Perfect. She told me today that her son was a preemie - born 2 months early and nearly died, because she developed eclampsyia. He was in the NICU for 2 full months, had serious apnea where every few hours he would stop breathing, and he refused to eat. She didn't know from day to day or minute to minute if he would live to see the next morning.

As she was telling me this, I could see her cool facade cracking a bit. She got a little teary as she told me how terrified she was for her baby's life (he is now 19 months old and just fine). Her voice waivered as she told me of her twice-daily visits to the hospital, and how she could only reach into the incubator and hold his hand - she couldn't even hold him. I told her I could *kinda* relate a *little* bit, since Princess was in the NICU for 5 days when she was born. It seemed like the lamest thing I had ever said, because although Princess was 3 weeks early, she still weighed 9 pounds 4 ounces at birth and after the first few hours, she was never in any real danger.

I am not sure of the exact lesson in this. I just think that I learned that even people who look perfect, who seem to have the perfect life, or people who you think you'd love to switch lives with - they may not be all you think they are. They may not really have it all. And we should all be grateful for what we have.

A Good Night Out

Princess, Jersey Girl, Michael, Jose and Sebastian (the dog)
Originally uploaded by truejerseygirl.

Here is a photo from our fun night at our friends' house last Saturday. Notice that Princess is sans dress - she had been napping in her tights a shirt. Cute tights, no? And here's the back:

Princess's Tights
Originally uploaded by truejerseygirl.

Food Shopping Sucks

Hub is on vacation this week, which overall is a good thing. He helps with Princess and gets to spend quality time with her, he helps around the house, he and I get to spend time together, etc. All good things. However, we also go food shopping together.

Since I quit work to stay home I have done all the food shopping, and I really dislike it. It drives me insane to stand on line for cold cuts. I hate the parking lot. I don't like talking to strangers and they always come up and want to talk to Princess. I hate how the bagger and the cashier talk to each other the whole time and the cashier doesn't even verbally give me my total - I have to look at the register. And I despise the manager, who is so unprofessional its no wonder her cashiers act the way they do.

But I digress. I hate shopping, but I do it. And I have it down to a science. I have a list in order of the aisles, and the coupons are in order as well, so I can get in and out as quickly as possible. This is even more important when you have a one year old whose mood can change with the drop of a hat. I am in and out in 40 minutes - I do not play.

Hub has a different approach. He likes to wander the aisles. He looks at different brands of different things to compare sizes vs. prices. He peruses the new items and the seasonal items. He will look through stacks of items looking for an item that is right on top - but for some reason he still needs to look at the whole pile. He drives me insane.

We went food shopping together with Princess today, after we had already spent an hour at Target shopping "his way" so I told him on the way in - Let's do this expeditiously because Princess is on her way to needing a nap. No problem, he says.

I won't go into the details of our shopping trip, since I am sure my rant is boring you already, but I will say that it took us well over 2 hours to do the food shopping today. By mid-trip, Princess was SCREAMING. She had had it, she was ready to go and so was I. But this did not speed Hub up.

So, I will never go food shopping with him again. It has been so decreed.

Ergh, Hangovers Suck.

First of all, thanks to all of my blogging friends who have my back with my nemesis! You rule! I will keep you updated on this, and hopefully someone will be there to take pictures.

I am hungover today. Last night we went to our friends' house for dinner, and I expected it to be an early night since I haven't been feeling well and Princess still has a runny nose. But I forgot what one of these friends is famous for. Drinks. He always has a signature drink for the evening, and last night it was Ginger Margaritas. And then, after we finished a few pitchers of those, we moved onto after dinner drinks. For me, this meant a cappucino martini and then a chocolate raspberry martini. Princess was tired at about 8, so we put her in the pack and play and she was asleep before long. We stayed late into the night and had great adult conversation (including discussing Billy Lane) with our friends. It was a nice night. But today I am paying for it with a throbbing headache.

Just a note to those of you who have been helping my tech-knowledge-deprived self try and get some pics up - I *think* I did it. I have more pics to add (like some of me), but its a start. Check out The Cast and Crew on the sidebar.

My Nemesis

I have an arch nemisis. She is related to me, but I seldom see her because she doesn't live close to the rest of the family. I have probably seen her 5 or 6 times in my whole life but our hatred for each other sustains, despite the gaps in time.

From the time we were kids, we would fight. There are pictures of us fighting over toys when we were 3 or 4. Once we "grew up" it became more subtle. She is one of those people who thinks they are "clever" with their backstabbing, meaning that she will never say a word to my face, but will make comments behind my back to people whom she knows will pass the info to me. She has done this the last two times we saw each other (one of which was my wedding). I always try to be the better person and not ruin the family event by confronting her, because its so seldom that we all get together...so I let it go. But then I stew in it for years and wish I had just decked her.

Well. My dad called me yesterday and told me that this nemesis of mine is going to be at our next big family function, a wedding (which Princess and I are both in). I am not going to let it go this time. I will not start anything with her, because that's not my style and I would prefer that she just keep her trap shut and we can just ignore each other. But, if she does, which she will, I am not letting it go. I am going to break out the Jersey attitude (which I have perfected, by the way) and see where it goes from there.

I can't wait.

Update

Just to quickly update on what I ended up doing last night with Princess...

I decided that she almost never cries (for any reason, really). So I went in and checked on her. She was standing in her crib crying. I laid her down, told her it was ok and to have sweet dreams, and left her. She continued to cry and I let her cry for about 10 more minutes. Then I went in and got her. I can count on one hand the times we have done this, so I don't think it is setting a bad presendent (I know I misspelled that). I brought her downstairs where she was wide awake and playing, and she stayed up till about 10 pm; then I brought her back up and she laid right down and went immediately to sleep. Tonight, she went right to sleep when I put her down, so I think it was the right thing to do.

And that's all we can do, right, to do what we *think* is the right thing? Who knows if it was, in fact, the right thing, until 20 years from now when she is in therapy blaming mom for everything.

Vocabulary

Princess has added another word to her vocabulary:

"Crazy."

I am hoping that she picked this up from me calling the dog crazy and not from my behavior. But who knows. She has been saying it while running and shrieking, so your guess is as good as mine.

Right now she is in her crib, crying. Its almost 9 pm. I never know what to do in this situation, because she seldom does this - she usually sits in her crib a while, talks to pink bear and tigger, and then falls asleep. So when she cries, I don't know whether to pick her up or just let her cry. Ergh, motherhood.

A Letter to Snot

Feeling as I have been feeling the past few days, this letter to snot could not have been more timely. (Kudos to Honestyrain).

Blog Ranting (or, I am not a geek)

I am having such issues with my blog. I want to be able to have a little photoblog so that I can post pics of me, Hub, Princess, etc so that you can all take a peek. I don't want it as its own entry, I want it to be something I can link to. But this is not working for me, no matter what I try. I think I'll have to do an entry and then link to it. Blah.

I also want collapsible posts. Sleeping Mommy was kind enough to walk me through this process, but alas, Blogger does not seem willing to accept its own HTML in my template to add it.

And, I tried to switch to Haloscan comments. This worked, but it got rid of all my old comments. I don't want to get rid of my old comments, but I am not sure if its possible to hang onto them and still switch over.

And finally, my weatherpixie is darling, no? But this morning, she was showing it was 47 degrees out and she was in a short sleeved top. At least now that its snowing (yes, its snowing here again), she has put on a coat.

Not to brag, but...

I have to give big ups to Hub. I have been so sick the past 2 days, and he really stepped up to the plate. On Sunday, he took Princess out for the day while I laid in bed and blew my nose. And on Monday, he took the day off, went food shopping, and cared for Princess so I could lay in bed and blow my nose. He read to her, sang to her, fed her...did all the stuff I usually do. He didn't just put in videos like I expected. I have to admit, I am impressed. And, he didn't even get mad when I woke him up 50 times during the night to blow my nose. I got me a good one.

And let me just add...

Lots of bloggers are still talking about this article from the NY Times. And I am wondering why its such a big shock that parents blog about their kids.

Growing up, my mom had this little group of friends, all stay at home moms, who hung out together, had tea, played tennis, and generally socialized while us kids played. Well, I don't have anyone like that. Most of my friends are kid-less, the ones with kids work, and the one friend that doesn't work and has kids lives 45 minutes away so that's a once-a-month playdate. So here's me, hanging with my kid all day, every day, without anyone to bounce ideas off of, or to brag to, or complain to...its kinda lonely (ah yes, poor Jersey Girl).

Blogging, even for as short a time as I have been doing this, has connected me to people who are going through the same things and who share their stories and who read my stories...and its good. I don't think its self-indulgent at all - its reaching out for others who are like us, in one way or another. We tell funny stories and sad stories and general this-was-my-day-today stories. We may not live on the same block, but we connect nonetheless.

So screw that guy that wrote this. I am grateful for the blogs out there. Thanks, everyone.

Blah

Don't you hate being sick? I went to bed at 10:15 last night (very unlike me) and slept till 11 this morning, awakened only by Hub trying unsuccessfully to put Princess down for a nap. They both went to see our new nephew today, who is now 3 weeks old and we have only seen him once. Wah, I wanted to see him. So the house is quiet except for my sniffling and coughing and I have no idea, if I still feel like this tomorrow, how I will care for Princess. I can't see myself being able to run after her and I really don't want to even get too close to her because I don't want to get her sick too.

Any advice from the more experienced moms - how do you take care of a baby when you are sick yourself?

My Iraqi Name Will Fill You With Fear

My Iraqi Leadership Name is al-Tikriti al-Jizrawi Ugla.
What's yours?
Powered by Rum and Monkey.

Babyproofing

We're still working on babyproofing. With our house, its really hard because its an old Tudor and has wrought iron gates on landings, 2 steps to this level and then 3 steps to that level and then up 5 steps to the kitchen...in any case, its been tough. But we're working on it.

Now, with Princess getting into every drawer and emptying everything out, we are trying to babyproof these 4 drawers in the kitchen.

"You think this is gonna keep me out? Fools!"

So, Hub has the idea to just put a yard stick through the handles to keep them closed. There is no way our brilliant child could figure this one out, right?

Wrong.

"I can do anything. I am a genius."

(And you can tell this was "one of those days" since my previous post about her eating dog food is the same day.)

Stinker

Let me tell you what a stinker Princess is. She is at this stage where she knows what is right and wrong, and just doesn't care. She will look you dead in the face while you are telling her no, smile at you, and do it anyway. This is the perfect picture of this stage:

You stinker.

Is this normal? Not the trying to eat dog food thing, but the total disregard for mom's admonishment? And how do you discipline? She's too young for time outs, I don't believe in spanking...any suggestions? Or does this have to just run its course?

Right Back At Ya

Alright, well, I don't feel like a complete failure. I got three of you to sign up to be interviewed, and that's better than I thought. Plus, I got a few comments on there. Whew. But don't think I wasn't losing sleep over this last night, because I was. I think I am taking this blogging thing a little too seriously, folks.

Anyway, here are my questions for my three favorite people in the world right now. Make sure to go to their blogs and check out their answers:

Five Questions for Karen:
What has been the best band/live act you have ever seen in concert and why?

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?

I know you love to cook. What is your favorite meal to prepare, and what is your favorite meal to eat?

If you had a million dollars total to spend on 3 items, what would you buy (and it can’t be paying off student loans!)?

What is your favorite time of day?

Bonus Question: Who is your favorite niece?


Five Questions for Elle:
If you had an unlimited credit card for one store, where would it be?

What made you start your blog?

What is your favorite album of all time, and why?

Based on reading your 100 Things, are you still in contact with your mother?

How did you pick the screen name “Elle” since this is apparently not your real name? Are you in the Witness Protection Program?

Five Questions for Carol:
How in the world do you live with those roaches???

I’ve only been to Texas twice, to San Antonio and Houston. Tell me what you do for fun in your little corner of the state.

How did you meet your husband?

Are you going to find out the sex of your baby? Why or why not?

From your postings I read, the only thing I got about your musical taste is that you like Simon and Garfunkel. What is your favorite song of all time, and why?

My Interview! Wanna Be Next????

Ammie of Sleeping Mommy has interviewed me! I feel so honored! Here are my answers, and here's the deal: if you are one of the first five to leave a comment and specifically ask me to interview you, I will post personalized questions for you in the next few days for you to answer on your own blog. Fun, right??? I am nervous about this, because I don't think 5 people read this on a regular basis, but hey, I live on the edge so I'll give it a shot. Don't let me down!

1. Before becoming a full time stay at home mom, what kind of businesswoman were you?I worked at NJ's largest newspaper as Employment Manager. This means that I did the hiring, unemployment, disability, FMLA, envelope stuffing, stupid-question-answering, etc. I don't miss it.

2. Do you plan on having more children? If so how many? Let's see. I would like to have one more, if he/she could be exactly like Princess. If it doesn't happen, I wouldn't be crushed. I really feel like I have perfection in the one I already have so I almost feel like I'd be tempting fate having a second. But I'd like one more.

3. How did you meet your husband? Oh boy. We met in a seedy dive bar in the Village in NYC. It was the best bar ever - they played great music, had a fun crowd, and charged $5 to get in and you got all the free beer you could drink until 11 pm. Hub bought me shot after shot after shot until I needed to hold onto to him to keep from falling down...but he did not try to take advantage of me. And I did not go home with him. I knew that night that we would get married.

4. Being from Oklahoma, and cut off from all my old college buddies, I’m feeling deprived in the party department these days. If I were to visit you, how and where would we party? These days, the party department is closed most days due to being a responsible adult. However...we are having a Mardi Gras party this month at our house(yes, I know the real Mardi Gras was a month ago, but we couldn't get it together in time). I will make purple, yellow, and green jello shots. We'll have a king cake. We'll have a huge vat of Hurricanes. Hub will parade around in a cardboard "float" he made out of a big cardboard box (yes, I will post pics of this) throwing beads. I will wear a pink wig and tiara. My friend Patsy will wear those fake boobs you get at Party City and pretend she is flashing people. We will wear shot glass beads around our necks so that if the desire for a shot should strike, a glass is always near. Towards the end of the night, it will be just my core little group of 10 or so friends (the whole party is usually about 60 people...we invited 100 this year) and we'll have heated political debates and argue till the sun comes up, even though we're all on the same side of the argument. And, just so no one is calling childrens' protective services on me, Hub does not drink and is super-responsible. If that wasn't the case, we wouldn't party like this anymore. That's how we will party. Interested????

5. What single appliance or gadget could you not live without? Hmmm...well overall I would say my microwave since I am not a good cook. But for fun, its always nice to have a blender for those strawberry margaritas.

OK, there it is! Wanna be next? Leave me a comment specifically asking to be interviewed and if you are one of the first five, I'll interview you! Its that easy! Now do it!!!

My Advice For Today

Listen to this band.

Watch this tv show.

Read this book.

Visit this blog.

I Gave it a Shot

While stopping by Sleeping Mommy's blog today, I found this challenge. And it was definitely a challenge for me. It originally came from here, so if you are interested in giving this a try, go for it. Let me know if you did any better than I did.

I think part of the problem (other than the fact that I suck at poetry) was that I don't have a deep, storied family history. We were and still are pretty much just average people, doing normal everyday things, living regular lives. But overall, we're strong and funny and pretty happy, so we're doing something right. Here it goes:


Where I'm From
I am from clocks stuck at 3 a.m., from Entenmann’s and fancy franks.

I am from the mustard house, from porcelain eggs and an old front porch full of sun. From the big corner yard with the rusted swing set and the protective dog, from the off-kilter garage and the big green bush filled with little squishy red berries and nests of robin redbreasts.

I am from the crocuses peeking out of the snow, the weeping willow bending with her buds, the dandelions pretending to be flowers.

I am from Chambeawood and stuck-out ribs, from Edward Francis and Katherine and Baba.

I am from sarcastic humor and large appetites. I am from 10-pound babies and hand-knit sweaters and candy dishes that are never empty.

From stubbornness and hardheadedness, and stubborn, hardheaded grudges.

I am from Catholics who poured water on marching Protestants in Ireland and refused to plant orange flowers in gardens.

I'm from Jersey and Scotland, from bronto burgers and surprise burgers.

From the men who always "did the best that they could do", the immigrants without money but with a strong will and desire for a better life, and the wives who didn’t know their husband’s real first names.

I am from a box of dusty old photos hidden inside an end table but not hidden from my mind. From framed recollections lining a radiator cover, sparkling in their silver and brass dressings. From scrapbooks decorated festively to celebrate all the memories they hold.

-----
Well there it is. And I "did the best that I could do."

Third Snow of February

Yet more snow in Jersey Girl Land. Haven't we been punished enough?


Beautiful view of our house in the midst of the latest blizzard.

Big Hair

For some reason, I have been thinking about big hair lately. Most likely, this is because I am a Jersey Girl, and back in the Golden Age of the late 1980’s we JG’s had the finest big hair in the land. I miss big hair, and I resent having to live a trendy life with straight, flat, Jennifer Anniston hair. I think I do more damage to my hair with a flat iron than I ever did with a teasing comb.

For some reason, Texas ladies seem to think that they had the better bigger hair, but this is just not true. And I will share the reasons for this with you, as I know you have been contemplating this too.

Texas Ladies did have big hair. But you see their hair was more of the helmet variety. It was rounded on top, very, very teased, and stiffly spritzed into basically a big ball atop the head. It was a very mature look – the adult, mom-ish version of big hair.

Bad Big Hair.
Posted by Hello
Jersey Girls were always much more stylish about the big hair. We had more of the young, rebellious version. And it was a source of pride to have big hair in Jersey (“Oh my God, did you see how big Dena’s hair is today?” “Yeah, oh my God, I wish I could get mine up like that. Can I borrow your Rave?”). We favored the heavy metal look, the spiky, Stif-Stuf’d, peacock look that all the cute boys-in-bands of the day were sporting. As a True Jersey Girl, I will, of course, use Jon Bon Jovi as the example. JBJ had the perfect big hair. No boys at our school had this kind of hair, but all the girls did. In fact, I took a 3x5 foot framed poster of JBJ to my beautician to show her how I wanted my hair cut and “tipped” (highlights where you only bleached the “tips” of your hair). We all wanted to have hair just like JBJ, and most of us did. Especially if you lived in Union or Lodi, the 2 big hair capitals of Jersey. And the world.

Good Big Hair
Posted by Hello
I do miss big hair, I really do. But when I see someone out there, who is about my age, who is still sporting the big hair (or worse, still sporting the Farrah) – I realize that big hair had its time and we had to move on. We can only look back wistfully.

Demon Seed

Why is it, exactly, that Princess insists on being an angel all weekend long while Hub is here, and then turning into a demon seed during the week while he is at work?

Example #1: On Saturday and Sunday this past weekend, Princess took 2 naps each day of 3 hours each. Today, she got up at 7 am, its almost 11:30, and we are napless thus far.

Example #2: Also this weekend, Princess fell asleep for her naps about 3 seconds before her head hit the bed. Today, she has been exhaustedly rubbing her eyes in desperate need of a nap - yet she has been screaming in her crib for an hour.

Now, tonight, when Hub gets home, he will see me worn out and frazzled and think I am faking...because Princess is an angel, right???

As my parents used to say...its a good thing she's cute.

More Snow in Jersey Girl Land. 

Recapping the Weekend & A Stupid Meme

Girls Night Out was good fun. I realized how important it is to have at least one person (besides your mate in life) who truly understands you and feels the same way you do about most things. Patsy and I can just sit for hours with our beers, talking about this or that or nothing at all or things of most importance. We had a serious talk about marriage and babies, a hopeful talk about vacationing in Key West, a nostalgic talk about New Orleans, and a blathering talk about how ugly the men at the bar were. And we were there till they kicked us out at 3 am, and that's how girls night out should be. It was good times and I can't wait to do it again.

Springer did not show, and didn't even email me to say she wasn't showing. And still has not emailed to apologize for not emailing or showing. I hate people like that. And with her, you never know what might have happened. Could her house have been set on fire again? Could she be sleeping with her married boyfriend, getting pregnant again (oh, wait, she already is pregnant with her married boyfriend's baby. Sorry.)? Could she have asked her step-brother to come over and babysit her kids, only to have ended up in bed with him again? Or, could she just be totally insensitive and forgotten to at least be polite and let me know she wasn't going out?

We took Princess out for dinner last night and then went to Pet Depot to get Gypsy some treats. Princess LOVED the pet store. She literally sat on the floor and laughed hysterically while looking at the cages of birds and the cats for adoption. She pet some people's dogs who brought them for grooming. And she touched the fish tanks, trying to get to the fish. She loved it. I can't wait to take her to the zoo this summer.

Stupid Meme for the Day:
bold the states you've been to, underline the states you've lived in and italicize the state you're in now...

Alabama / Alaska / Arizona / Arkansas / California / Colorado / Connecticut / Delaware / Florida / Georgia / Hawaii / Idaho / Illinois / Indiana / Iowa / Kansas / Kentucky / Louisiana / Maine / Maryland / Massachusetts / Michigan / Minnesota / Mississippi / Missouri / Montana / Nebraska / Nevada / New Hampshire / New Jersey / New Mexico / New York / North Carolina / North Dakota / Ohio / Oklahoma / Oregon / Pennsylvania / Rhode Island / South Carolina / South Dakota / Tennessee / Texas / Utah / Vermont / Virginia / Washington / West Virginia / Wisconsin / Wyoming / Washington D.C /

Go HERE to have a form generate the HTML for you.

Countdown Complete!

Tonight I am going out with the girls, and I can't wait! I was hoping it wouldn't snow, because you know people cancel plans when it flurries around here. But we got about 6 inches and its not really so bad. I am going to take Princess out in it later today. Hub shoveled before he left for work so I don't have to - YIPPEE! No neighbor drama today.

I have been reading alot of other people's blogs lately. I guess just for curiosity's sake. Some are good, some are bad. Some are really bad. But I was watching tv today and a character on some show said something that was really true about blogging - its the first REAL freedom of the press this country has ever seen. You can post anything you want on your blog, and its ok, and people who feel the same way you do will find you. When you think about it, its really pretty cool.

I have several ebay auctions ending today - I am so excited because these are really good lots - Gymboree, Mad Sky, Benetton - and I am anxious to see how much they go for. The Mad Sky romper is up over $17.00 and there are still people watching it! So we'll see how that develops. Then, there is the Janie and Jack velour hoodie that no one is watching and no one is bidding on. Its only listed at $4.99 and I bought it new for probably $30. And Princess wore it once. Ergh. Hm, maybe I should wait till Fall to sell that - people are thinking spring, not velour.

Countdown : 1 Day Till Good Times

This would be a great Mother's Day Gift.
Or this.

My Kid is Smarter Than Your Kid
Can I just brag for a moment about how smart Princess is? Well, she is, you know. The "What to Expect" book says that at her age, a child "might even possibly" be able to point out one body part. This means that pointing out one body part is a very advanced skill.

Princess knows the following parts, and can point them out on herself and others:
1. head
2. feet
3. belly
4. nose
5. hands
6. eyes


Where's your belly? 

She can also do animal noises for lions and monkeys, and she can point out a ridiculous number of animals in her books. I wonder how much of this brilliance has to do with me being home with her? I don't know that it does. But I like to think it does. I spend an ungodly amount of time reading books to her and telling her what everything is - and she is picking up on it. Would she get the same attention in daycare that I give her at home, spending every waking hour learning and playing and experiencing new things? Who knows, maybe she would be even more brilliant if she was in daycare? But I don't think so.

Countdown : 2 Days Till Good Times

I went out to dinner with one of my best friends tonight, which was fun. It was a little odd though. We met at 5 pm for dinner, which was right as she got out of work. Who eats dinner at 5 pm? And, I was home by 7:30. When JG and this friend used to go out, even for dinner during the week, it was pitchers of margaritas and then drunken shopping for us. This time, my kid was with us and it was 2 beers and out. However, my mother met us at dinner (because she knew Princess was with me and she could not bear that Princess could be thisclose and not see her). She didn't stay, she just stopped by. We were deciding what to order and I recommended the Aussie Cheese Fries (HIGHLY recommended) and we started gushing about how great cheese tastes...and my mom said we are still just the same as we were in high school. So ther more things change, the more they stay the same?

Odd ebay happenings, too. I had listed a 4 piece Baby Gap outfit a few weeks back which is SO cute. No one bid on it and I was sad. How could no one see the beauty of this little outfit and pay a measly $2.99 for it? Well, I relisted and it sold for $11.50. So ha. It really is cute. I went outlet shopping today and found a great Little Me dress, hat, and bloomers on sale - originally $30, got it for $6. And I know I can sell it for more than that on ebay. Yee-ha!

Springer emailed me and is still looking for a sitter for her kids, so she may be joining us for good times Friday night. But now, we are expecting snow her in Jersey Girl Land tomorrow night into Friday. I hope this does not screw up my plans because I have no intention of starting another countdown.

Countdown : 3 Days Till Good Times

The snow is melting, and so is Jersey Girl's anger. I am more in "whatever mode" as we termed it at my old place of employment.

My uncle is out of the hospital, but the whole thing is very odd. They keep saying "there's nothing they can really do for him" - but no one seems to really know what's wrong with him. Other than, he has worn himself down over the past 60 years via bad living. In any case, I don't know what this means, and I can't really ask my mom. How do you ask, "does this mean your brother is dying?" So, I don't ask.

Springer has not gotten back to me about Friday's Good Times. I think it may be just me and Patsy, which is fine. Whenever we invite anyone else along, they usually don't end up going. And we don't miss them. I am actually semi-regretting asking Springer to come along, only because Patsy and I have such a good time together and you never know what adding someone else to the mix will do to the chemistry. So, we'll see.

I ate so much yesterday and I have no idea why. I was just craving everything in sight. I won't even list what I ate for fear of making you ill. All I can say is that yesterday's gone, don't stop thinkin' about tomorrow. Or today. Today is a new day. You know.

I have to get out of the house today - with Hub taking the SUV yesterday in the snow, I was housebound with no carseat in the other car. So today I am getting out, and I don't care where I go as long as its OUT. Maybe that's why I ate too much yesterday - woman trapped in house, eats own foot (only Kar will get that, but that's ok).

Countdown : 4 Days Till Good Times

Snow Problem, Mon
It has snowed here in Jersey Girl Land, about 6 inches or so. No biggie. The world is not coming to an end. But let me tell you about some of the a-hole neighbors I have.

Hub had to work today, even though its President's Day, so I was left to do the shoveling. Not a problem, I do my part. Its about 9:30, and I hear a snowblower going outside the house. Aw, how sweet, one of my neighbors is taking care of the snow for me. Aw. Yeah, right. I look out the window and there is my neighbor from 2 houses down, snowblowing his propery and the one between ours, and stopping just at my property line. Now, lest you think we have been rude to this guy in the past causing him to not want to help us, this is not true. This guy commutes into the city and walks to the bus stop, and Hub has picked him up and driven him more times than we can count. And, the guy in between our houses is a young, single, athletic guy who can certainly shovel six inches of snow himself. Mental note to self - NO MORE RIDES FOR YOU, MR. SELFISHMAN.

So I am fuming that this guy is so rude, I mean, our properties are 50x100, you are not talking about all that much extra work. So I get ready to go outside and I am putting my Doc Martens on, ready to stomp the guy if he's still out there. When what do my wondering eyes see, but my female neighbor from the house on the other side, shoveling my walk. I'm like, what are you doing??? She said, Hub always helps me and I know you have the baby, so I am more than happy to do it. Now, she is not snowblowing, she is shoveling. I tell her to immediately stop and that I am coming right out. And of course I thank her.

So then I am out there shoveling what's left (which is the driveway, the toughest part since its packed down from Hub driving over it) and my neighbor across the street comes out and starts slowblowing. When he is done, do you think he came over to assist me? NO. He went back in his house, after waving hello to me. Now why is it that the less-than-100-pound woman next door is willing to SHOVEL and the two men with snowblowers can't help a sista out? Ergh. So, I am going to bake brownies for her today to thank her for being a kick ass Jersey Girl. Boys stink.

Countdown : 5 Days Till Good Times

Pardon the Interruption
It is one of my greatest pet peeves to be interrupted. I think it is the rudest thing on the planet, because it makes the person talking feel as if what they have to say is not important. I am sure this was ingrained in me by my mom, who would start to tell a story, be interrupted by my dad, and then refuse to tell the rest of the story to punish him for his rudeness. I have latched onto this idea.

Today, I was watching some show about cars, and they were building a hot Mustang for Jason Giambi. So I was watching it, being able to overlook the fact that he is juiced up in order to appreciate the fact that he is hot, and a Yankee. Anyway, Hub comes in the room and changes the channel. I say, "what are you doing?" He says, "you are watching this?" I said "yeah, they are building a..." "Gypsy get off the couch!" Hub interrupts so rudely. So I stop talking. He doesn't even notice! He has no idea that I was in the middle of a sentence and has no idea what I did not get to say, and HE DOES NOT CARE. So, my mood turns from my usual charming Jersey Girl self into a Jersey Broad you don't want to mess with.

Then Hub tells me I have alot of anger inside. Duh.

Countdown
Its Sunday, which leaves only 5 days till I get to go out and have good times with Patsy and hopefully Springer and Jen. I can't wait. Friday cannot get here fast enough.

Countdown : 6 Days Till Good Times

Important - for the good of all humankind, please sign this.

Wow. I put a few more things up on ebay yesterday. One of them is a little romper by the boutique brand Mad Sky. Princess never wore it. Its an expensive brand, so being that it was washed but never worn, I started the bidding at $5.99. Imagine my utter SHOCK this morning when I see that with 6 and a half days left, the bidding is already up to $15.50. Wow. With 6 bidders. Wow. I am thinking now that when I go to Bloomingdales to scour the sale racks for super bargains for Princess and I see Mad Sky stuff that's on sale but too small for her...I should pick it up anyway and sell it on ebay.

Mad Sky - Big Seller 

Countdown : 7 Days Till Good Times

Ah, thank God for my friend Patsy. Next Friday we are having a girls night out, wherein we will go to our local dive, drink too much, fend off smelly suitors, and talk all night till they kick us out of the bar. I cannot wait. When I hang out with Patsy, I am my old self again. I can leave all my new responsibilities with Hub for the night and have good ol' fashioned drunken times. The last time we went out, Patsy got mad at some guy who was taking our pictures with his digital camera so she threw several of those really heavy shot glasses at him. Hard. And she has good aim. When he complained, the bartender kicked him out for messing with us. Ya gotta love a place like that. Plus, I think Springer and Jen are joining us...which should be fun because Springer (as her nickname implies) has a juicy story to share. Yum. I always wonder how such a nice girl can have such a crazy life with so much drama.

How Cute is Princess?

So I went to Gymboree today to return some of what I bought the other day. Well, exhange, really. Because I didn't like the hat I got her, and I didn't love the goldfish shirt either. And the shorts were yellow, which is unflattering on us pasty white folk. So I returned that stuff (keeping, of course, the Paper Lanterns shirt and socks, which she wore yesterday to rave reviews) and wanted to exchange it for other stuff. The lovely woman at the counter said that I had to turn in my Gumbucks because I would be spending less than $50 once I returned the stuff. I calmly explained, as Jersey Girls are known to do, that I was not returning, I was exchanging, and would still be spending $50 once I picked out stuff to replace the stuff I was returning. Lovely Woman did not understand this and tried to take my Gymbucks. Um, no, you don't take my Gymbucks. So I said, then give me my stuff back, and I will return ALL of it, and then rebuy it. Huh? Lovely Woman did not understand. Finally someone else came over and I calmly explained once again that I was in no way giving up my Gymbucks because I was, in fact, spending over $50. Ah, this one gets it and lets me exchange my stuff and keep my Gymbucks. Or, maybe she didn't get it and just wanted me to go away. Whatever.

My sister blogged about our uncle being in a car accident yesterday. We are both finding it hard to feel any real emotion about it, though "thankful" comes to mind because no one else was hurt when he fell asleep at the wheel and hit a parked car. See, he is one of those people who tries his best to get on your bad side and usually does. He is mean to his wife, mean to his kids, and most importantly to me, has been mean to my mom. Now, his health is failing because he has been sick for years and never bothered to take care of himself. But I don't really have any sadness that he is sick or that he was in an accident. When I heard about it, my response was, "oh." And I feel a little badly about that, because he is, after all, my uncle.

I have blogged a few times now about Billy Lane, the hot chopper building stud who I met last weekend, fell immediately in lust with, and then yesterday fell out of lust with. I am realizing its not so easy to fall out of lust. Reason does not come into the picture, does it? The fact that he has exhibited traits that I would never find acceptable in a partner doesn't really matter, because the reason for lust is not that you want to marry a person. Or even date a person. Its just that you find the person really really hot, and their personality doesn't matter that much (even though when I met him, he was SUPER nice and very, very sweet). So basically what I am saying is, I am back in lust with Billy, only for the physical. And its going to take me a while to get over him. Does that mean my feminist card gets revoked?

This is...

...what a $176.00 baby outfit looks like. Pick one up for Princess, won't you?

The End of Loves

Let's start with Billy Lane. My crush has come to an abrupt end, lasting less than one week. Yes, he is hot. Yes, he is dirty. Yes, he is tattooed. Three things I like in a man. But...well, I guess I should have known when I saw the "truck mudflap girl" emblems on his bikes. I asked Hub about this...saying, what the eff, why do bikers have to be so sexist? He explained it away with some bs about how Billy Lane is from Florida and women wear bikinis down there and um it must be a Florida thing...yeah, it made no sense, but then I saw how hot he was so I excused him. Mistake Number One.

Then I checked out the pictures on his website. All nakedness and autographing boobies and wet tshirt contests. Alas, he is not the man for me. So sad, what a nice future we could have had. I am beginning to think bikers in general are not for me. We have Billy Lane, the hot chopper genius who apparently drinks his weight in Jack Daniels nightly and orgies with loose ladies...and Paulie Jr., the hot chopper genius who has found God and is born again. Where is the man in the middle of this spectrum? Oh, perhaps its Hub. That's why I married him, I suppose.

 

Billy and Paulie...not the boys for me. But they shur are purty to look at, ain't they?. 

And now, onto Napster. Just a few posts ago, I extolled its virtues and said how I loved it. Well, that crush has also ended abruptly. I realized a few days ago that you cannot burn cd's from the music you download! You have to BUY the songs for that! So, explain to me why I would pay a $15 a month fee and then still have to pay 99 cents a song? When I can just pay 99 cents a song on iTunes? Maybe if I had received my pink mini iPod for Christmas, I would feel differently. But since I didn't, my love affair with Napster has ended.

Are you really out there?

How odd to be scanning through my previous posts, seeing if I had written about anything other than ebay and baby clothes, to find that someone had commented on one of my posts. I, of course, assumed it was my sister as she is the only one who knows about my blog. So imagine my surprise when I click on it to see what she had to say, and it was from someone else! Someone I do not know! Someone who stumbled across my blog and thought it was a little funny, at least funny enough to read and comment on!

I have been pondering this a bit. I started writing this blog for myself, just as kind of daily journal of what I'm up to, what I am thinking. Maybe I started it because I am a stay-at-home-mom right now, and I don't really talk to anyone over the age of 14 months all day, 5 days a week. So this was my way of conversing (even though the 14 month old talks back more than the blog - at least till now). But I didn't think anyone else was reading this stuff besides me. Now, I know my sister reads it. And at least one other person read it at least once. Will this knowledge change my approach at all? Will I have to try to be more witty and clever and talk about topics other than what's on sale at Gymboree?

Nah. The Paper Lanterns line was finally on sale yesterday, so I got the shirt and hat and socks. But not the hat I wanted - they only had a 6-12 month hat and that is waaaay to small for Princess's oddly large head. So I am now on the hunt for the reversible hat that I really wanted, but I have the other one as a back up, just in case. And, I got a long sleeved Goldfish onesie and a Dandelion Wish headscarf that I know she will not keep on for more than 1.5 seconds, but its so cute I couldn't resist. And that put me at $53 and change, then I used my Gymboree Visa for another 5% off...and it came to just over $51 which qualified me for Gymbucks! And isn't that the whole goal in life, to get Gymbucks?

And, I have made about $70 on ebay so far and have more items up for sale. Its just so time consuming to write descriptions and load pics and all that...so its coming in dribs and drabs. You should see the office...it is overrun with baby clothes to sell. And, I even find myself shopping for Princess and thinking, this is a great resell brand! Ergh.

Vegas, Interrupted

So we are officially canceling Vegas. My heart is just not in it anymore. I feel like I put some hard work into this, into the research and working on a date that works for everyone and whatnot - and it was all for naught. So, M&D keep saying, we'll just do it next year! But I don't think so. Well, let me rephrase - if someone else plans it, I will go along. But I cannot see myself planning it again. I think it would be so much fun and everyone would have a blast, but I am not putting the effort in again.

Besides, next year we might want to go to Disney instead with Princess. I don't want to do a trip where the whole time I am trying to figure out who can watch her at night, like for Vegas. I want to take her on a trip that she will enjoy. So, we'll see.

Dry Season

Well, we all knew it was coming. They finally canceled the 2004-2005 NHL season. And here we are, in the dry season between the end of football and the beginning of baseball (otherwise knows as "basketball season"). We're bored. We miss penalty shots. We miss the fights. We miss the great saves and the great passes and the great scores.

And its hard to feel bad for anyone, really. Can you tell me that I should feel bad for men who play a sport as their job and get paid millions for it - who refuse to link their salaries to how much money the team makes? Or for a Tiffany-cuff-linked businessman who own various sports franchises as a million dollar hobby - who forge their books and hate paying the players even though they are the ones putting butts in the seats? Or for face-painters, season ticket holders, jersey wearers, stats knowers - who continue to pay $40 for one upper corner seat where they are closer to the moon than the ice?

Its our fault, too, the fans. We continue to make these players feel like they are deserving of our admiration and our hard earned money, and they continue to sit out, lock out, strike...or just pout, moan, gripe, moon the fans, whatever...and we keep on coming back for more.

Its hard to believe that these two groups (players and owners) couldn't get together and come to an agreement for the benefit of their sport. Hockey is already number 4 in this country, a distant 4th after football, baseball, and basketball. No one besides a select few even seem to care that the season hasn't been happening. And won't even fewer care if they can agree on something in time to save next season...or the season after that? If the players can agree to a salary cap, finally (don't get me started on the fact that if they were going to agree on the premise of a cap, why they didn't do that MONTHS ago...), why in the world can't they figure out what that cap should be? And why in the world wouldn't it be linked to how much the team makes in revenues???

I miss hockey. I truly do. I am a face-painting, former-season-ticket-holding, jersey-wearing, stats knowing fan...and I deserve better than this. And as for whether I will be back next season...all I can say is, stay tuned.

Odd Ebay

I totally don't get it. I sold a 3 piece outfit on ebay for 2.99 - it was beautiful and in perfect condition as Princess only wore it once. It was from Target, but it cost nearly $20 new so it wasn't super cheap or anything. Now, today, I sold a dress of hers. It has a pull in the ribbon on the front - its still a gorgeous dress but its not perfect and I was clear about that. Well, that sold for almost $8.00. This is so odd to me.

Oh, but here is the oddest part. The woman who bought the dress emailed me yesterday with a question and said she will be putting the dress on one of her dolls. She is not buying this dress for a kid, but for her doll. Bizarre.

My Weekend

Three of my ebay items sold, out of the four I had up there. One went for the asking price of 2.99 (boy, did she get a deal), and the others went for 9.00 and 11.00. Not too bad for stuff that was just sitting in a box.

I weighed myself this morning and am the same as I was last week. I know I didn't do great this week so I am just glad I didn't gain anything. In the fall, I bought 2 pairs of jeans that were a size bigger than what I had been wearing because my regular jeans (which are also, incidentally, bigger than what I want to be wearing) were too small. Both those pairs were in the wash today and I had to go out. So...I decided to take that plunge...you know, where you think *maybe* those old jeans just *might* fit, but you aren't sure...and they FIT! So that was a great feeling.

Yesterday we took a ride out to western Jersey to a Harley dealer that was having a bike show, of sorts. There was a guy there who is famous in bike circles - Billy Lane. He builds custom choppers, and he is featured on Discovery Channel all the time. I never watch that show because who wants to watch people build bikes? Boring. The only reason to watch OCC is for Paulie. So we get there and what to my surprise...Billy Lane is HOT! He is a white guy with dreadlocks and tattoos...just my kind of dirty guy. On tv he looks kinda mangy and not so attractive...but in person...whoa. I got my picture taken with him and he was really nice. So, sorry Paulie...you have been replaced.

Princess has added another word to her vocabulary - "okay" - so now she is running around the house saying "okay - okay - okay - okay" and its pretty cute.

We went out to dinner last night with Joe and discussed the possibility of no Vegas. He was okay with it. We talked about maybe doing a long weekend away someplace, like maybe Key West or something, maybe a cruise...maybe our home-away-from-home, N'Awlins. We'll see. Now I just have to talk to Patsy and Diddy and see what they have to say. I think since its plenty of notice and we are talking about going someplace else, it'll be ok.

Thank God I Don't Work There

So I took Princess into my old work today. Things were just as I expected. CIH was SUPER friendly, misses me SO much - as if we were friends. She has always been one of those people who tries to latch onto the "cool kids" and tries way too hard. She, of course, specifically mentioned the recruitment she is working on, and when the Asst. Comptroller came in and he and I started talking, she had to comment about how she just sent him some info - "did you get it yet? Check your email - I sent some information to you for your review..." Just annoying, why can't I just say hello to someone I used to really enjoy working with and not have to hear her mouth? The best was that he just kinda blew her off and turned back to me, showing his annoyance with her. Things have not changed. Plus, she straightened her hair and dyed it blonde. Jose and I got a big kick out of that. He said "it looks terrible on her - but, has she ever had good hair like us?" Hehehe. My ex-boss was really nice. She asked lots of questions about what Princess is doing - she has a 5 month old granddaughter so babies are of interest to her now. She was just so nice. Too bad she wasn't like that when I worked there, I might still work there.

Everyone LOVED Princess, and she was an absolute angel. Seriously. I paraded her proudly in front of probably 100 people today and she smiled, laughed, let people hold her, played with managers and directors (one manager was literally on the floor playing with a stuffed animal with her), didn't fuss or cry...she was SO GOOD. I was SO PROUD.

People kept asking me when I was coming back to work. They all missed me. People even commented that they didn't come to HR anymore because I wasn't there. They said it wasn't the same without me. Some people asked me if I missed it there, and I was honest. No. I do miss my friends who work there, but ya know what? I still talk to Carrie, Jose, Annette, Katharina, Suzanne, Sam, Shara...so its ok. It was so nice to be there as a visitor and be able to feel light and carefree - not stressed like I always felt there.

AND - everyone said motherhood suited me well and that I looked great.

Stuff (as my mom titles all emails)

I know I still have a long way to go, but I am feeling pretty good about my diet. Jeans which just a few weeks ago did not fit, I can now zip up wtihout even laying on the bed and not breathing out. And I can sit down without them digging into my flesh. And the best part is that I am not suffering. I eat whatever I want for dinner and I have a good lunch, and I have been filling up on fruit. Yay Me!!!

I am thinking of possibly canceling the Vegas trip. Well, "postponing" would be a better word, I suppose. When Chris said he couldn't go because of his wedding, I officially stopped calling it ChamVegas. It can't be ChamVegas without Chris, that was our thing. My parents are going no matter what, and Patsy and Diddy are going. Joe will go if we go. Then I have people who won't even commit that they might want to go. I don't know if I want to go on a vacation with Princess where most nights I will be in the hotel room with her - if it was the whole family, it would be different. A decision has not been made, but Hub and I are thinking of not going. Maybe we'll go someplace else - a cruise, an island, a quiet place in Florida (or to visit the Republican Freaks Hub calls friends down there). Who knows. I have just lost my steam for the Vegas trip, I don't feel excited for it anymore, so why go through the money and time?

We just got back from Gymboree class, and I met a woman there with a daughter who is Princess's age. The kids were toddling around, kinda talking to each other, hanging out. The other mom and I were shooting the breeze as you do at Gymboree (oh! she's so cute! oh, so's she!) when I turned and looked at her for the first time. She was pregnant - and I mean hugely pregnant. Her daughter was 14 months old and she looked like she could deliver any moment. I totally don't get that, I just don't get how you can handle that. It must be bad enough to have 2 kids in diapers, but to have 2 kids who don't really talk, need to be carried everywhere, need to be fed (meaning they can't feed themselves)...ergh. I totally don't get it.

But more importantly, Princess had on her Pretty Peas hot pink shirt and pants from Gymboree and she was the belle of the ball. Everyone commented on how cute she looked. Well, duh.

Re-found quote: "I swear to this, she felt like velvet" -Bush, 'Alien'

Regulators - MOUNT UP!

I am loving my free month with Napster.

I tried using Kazaa and similar free music sites, but I found them to be more frustrating than anything else. It took hours to download one song, only to find that someone was messing with the system and you just spent an hour downloading some yedi singing lullabys rather than Big Pun's "Don't Wanna Be A Player."

So I have been using iTunes, which I really like. And I always feel like, its friggin 99 cents, how cheap is that? And then I download 100 songs. Ergh. So with Napster, which I just started using today, its free for 30 days so I am going wild. I am revisiting songs I haven't heard in years. Decades. How about these - "Kiss Them For Me" by Siouxsie and the Banshees? "Sister Christian" by Night Ranger? "Regulators" by Warren G? Hello? How great is this???

Free stuff is the best.

Imagine my Surprise...

...when I go into ebay and find that one of my items has jumped from the starting price of $2.99 to a whopping $9.00!!! And there are 6 people watching another of my items! Yippee!

...to find that the item I mentioned yesterday has jumped from .99 to 19.49 - with 6 days left!!! Unbelievable. Guess I am not winning that one.

...to find that Hub, who swears up and down that he gave me the receipt for a package he shipped through UPS that never arrived (shock), finds the receipt in the desk drawer with his stash of other receipts after making me feel like I had lost it! I knew I never had it, even though he swore he gave it to me, and he kept saying - if I gave it to you when I got home from work where would you have put it? I kept saying - I have no idea, I have nothing to do with receipts. So...guilt, guilt, guilt...then, he finds it in the drawer where HE had put it. HA!

...when I learned that there are people in Idado with mohawks. I didn't know anyone had mohawks anymore, much less Idahoians.

...to read that Dubbya is INCREASING the size of government while finding yet more ways to intrude on Americans' personal lives. Oh, no, wait, that doesn't surprise me at all.

Perfect Example

Well whaddaya know, this is going to turn into a perfect example of how something I want (see previous post) starts off on ebay at .99 only to take a terrible turn in about 6 days. Ergh, I feel the pain already.

The Other Side of Ebay

So I now I see how maddening it is to sell stuff on ebay.

I've always known how maddening it is to buy. You find something you love (like, let's say though this one's not .99, a little Baby Lulu outfit) and it has 6 days left on the auction. So you watch the item. Hm, maybe one person bids, you figure you are not going to get said Lulu item for the starting bid of 99 cents like you planned. Okay, fine. So you watch it and watch it and its still within your price range and you go in and put in a bid and WOW - you are winning! With say, 3 minutes left! Then all of a sudden, 6 days of watching the item go down the drain when the Lulu outift shoots quickly from .99 to 25.99 - for something some other kid has already worn. Maddening.

So now I am on the other side. I am trying to sell stuff that my kid has already worn. Its all like new - I would never sell anything crappy. So I list my items, and no one is bidding. But they are watching my items. So I have a Baby Gap dress up there, for 2.99 (it had to be $30 brand new and its been worn one time). Numerous people are watching it (you can see how many people are watching your items - I did not know this as a bidder). WHY AREN'T YOU BIDDING??? BID, DAMMIT!!!

So now I see it from both sides. I am still psychotically checking the items I plan to bid on, and now I am also psychotically checking the items I am selling to see if anyone has bid or if anyone new is watching them.

Maddening.

Easter Dressing

Any of this would be lovely for Princess for Easter. As we do not go to church, I am not planning on buying her a pretty dress this year. Last year she had a beautiful pink dress with ribbons and everything...it was so pretty. But I don't think we'll go that route again. I'd rather get her something she can wear throughout the Spring...and any of this would be perfect for our annual shore trip on Easter Day. Although, I did see a cute nautical sailor-type dress in navy with a matching jacket that was soooo pretty....we'll have to see.

Princess's Top 10 Songs Today

1. Soldier - Destiny's Child
2. My Band - D12
3. Hey Mama - Black Eyed Peas
4. Lose My Breath - Destiny's Child
5. Edge of a Broken Heart - Bon Jovi
6. Hey Ya - Outkast
7. Move Ya Body - ???
8. Every Time - Britney Spears
9. Drop It Like Its Hot - Snoop Dogg
10.Dirt Off Your Shoulder - Jay-Z

My Thrifty-ness Unappreciated

Once Gymboree puts their Paper Lanterns line on sale, I am so buying this. Ridiculous how much kids clothes cost, but I figured that when this outfit goes on 25% off, and I get my extra 5% off, this will be marked down from $96.50 to $68.78. Oy, that's so much money. Well, maybe we'll just get the shirt and the hat. NEEEEEED the shirt and hat. Can do without the pants and jacket. Oh, need the socks, too.

I went to Daffy's yesterday and got the deal of a lifetime (or so I am telling myself). Last year at the little boutique by my house, I spent a small fortune on a great Zutano dress for Princess. I got it post-season, so I got a decent deal, but still a small fortune. But here's the best part - at Daffy's, they now have that same line from Zutano, so I got great deals on a pair of shorts, a top, overalls, and a reversible hat! I feel so thrifty since I got such a good deal and she can wear the hat with like 3 different outfits. I told Hub about my great moneysaving excursion, and he was not so impressed. What does he know???

Play with her, my pretty

First of all, if you feel the need to buy The Princess something, try anything here.

I take Princess to Gymboree classes on Thursdays. She loves it, loves the kids, loves running around like a maniac climbing on everything. She mostly plays well with others, though she occasionally will steal a toy or two. But that's ok, she's only one. So I am concerned that I have "issues" already, because there are about 20 kids in the class, all cuties in their own right. But there are three really beautiful kids in the class - Princess (of course), Amanda, and Samantha. Really stunning girls, could all be models, all dress in the most fashionable clothes. At this age kids don't really play with each other - they play next to each other. So already, I am trying to get Princess to play next to the pretty girls so she will be "popular." (Now don't ge me wrong, I don't want her becoming one of those bitches we all went to high school with - you know the type. That's not my goal and I'd be furious if she ended up like that.) Its so weird though, to want your kid at the age of one to flock to the most attractive kids in the class. I think this is a serious issue. These girls are also super sweet, and we certainly play with ALL the kids, not just these two girls. But I find myself wanting her to make friends with them.

And here's another weird thing about it - the mother of Samantha is always trying to sit next to us, trying to get her to play with Princess. So, I think I am not alone in my madness.

In other news, I was supposed to take Princess into my ex-workplace to visit my ex-coworkers and ex-boss today. But it snowed and its really yuck out, so we'll wait till next week. I was semi looking forward to it, because who doesn't want to hear people gush for hours about how gorgeous your kid is? And I want my ex-boss to know that I am doing just fine without working there. But I was also dreading it. I am not sure why. I am sure its partially because I don't want to see CIH, who will gush about Princess and act like we were ever friends. And partially because I know seeing someone else doing my job, even though she is my friend and I am happy for her, will be weird. I know she will act super busy while I am there to make it seem like she is just going crazy with all the work she has to do, and I will know its bs. But I think perhaps the main reason for my dread is that I really want my ex-boss to ask me to come back to work there. I don't want to work there, but I want them to need me. I want her to know that people still call me to ask me questions about my work and how to do this or that. I want her to know that being home for a year hasn't made me lose my edge. And I want her to know that I can do that job better than anyone else could. I think she knows that las thing, I really do. We didn't get along great, but I think she respected me for being outspoken and competant while the person who took my job is more immature and flaky. She doesn't inspire confidence. I know she won't ask me back...though I am going to put it out there that I may be looking for PT or consultant work in a few months and see what she says. I would love to be able to do one of two things - turn her down, or be able to demand certain things for me to return (a certain salary per hour, CIH keeps the f away from my work, etc). It won't happen, but I wish it would.

And on one more note, I have lost 10 pounds. My jeans are falling off me. Everyone is noticing. I am feeling confident and great about it. Its fabulous. Only 9 months to go till the wedding and VEGAS, BABY!

Hipsterwear

If this ever comes back in stock, would someone please buy it for The Princess? We'll be your best friend.

A Life More Ordinary

"All around us, as far as I can see, people are striving to be ordinary. This takes a great deal of effort. Ordinariness, generally considered to be safer, has gotten much rarer than it used to be."
-Susan Sontag

Be my little baby

It was really weird last night seeing my new nephew, Carson. He seemed so tiny, and he just lay there in my arms, sleeping peacefully, a little angel. I can't really remember Princess being like that. I asked Hub, was she like that? And he said yeah, don't you remember your sister coming up for a weekend and she never got to see her eyes - they were closed the whole time? Hm. How could I forget that?

I have been thinking about the prospect of having a second baby. Not any time soon...at least not until November of this year (to start trying). And then I think to myself, look how great Princess is. She is so awesome, and now that she is a toddler she is even cooler. Would I even want to start over with the sleepless nights, the stage where the baby is really just a little lump, the wailing cries all the time? And I was thinking, hm, no, I don't really want to do it again, I did it perfect the first time with Princess so why go through it all again for someone who can't possibly be as perfect?

Then, I held Carson last night. A little lump. Some wailing. But soooo precious and dear, such a piece of heaven. I think I actually felt the tug at my heartstrings. It was an odd feeling, especially as I watched Princess toddle around their house, playing with their toys, smiling and laughing and being the princess she is...everyone commenting on how happy she is and what a joy she is to be around...she seems so far removed from being a "baby" (tho only a year, really), and would I want to start it all again?

Hm.

Hi Carson, Welcome to the Family!

Me with my new nephew, Carson. He's only 2 days old here. I can't even remember the Princess being this tiny. 

Nappy Nappy Time

It has officially been one hour since I put Princess down for a nap. And yet, she is still awake. For a while she was just kinda playing in her crib and whatnot, and now she has progressed to crying.

This is the kind of advice new parents need that I can't seem to find anywhere: the kid is tired and needs a nap, no question about it...so...what am I supposed to do? Let her cry for who knows how long? Or go in and get her and take her out of the crib? I have gone in a few times to make sure she has her paci, and she does. Half the people say that if you let the kid cry, she will feel abandoned. The other half say if you respond whenever she cries, she is playing you. Now, I have a very smart kid and I know some of the time she is playing me (and I know this because she got the smart gene from me). But why haven't any of these brilliant doctors come up with a formula for this stuff - as in, if this happens go in and take her out of the crib. If that happens, let her cry for a while.

Ah...wait a minute...what is that I hear? Nothing??? Maybe I should write my own book because I did something right.

Coming Home

My cousin Chris was in Iraq for about 6 months. He's a Marine. Thank God he came home safe...especially since he came home right as things were really "heating up" over there. My friend's brother, Christopher, is a reservist and was a few weeks shy of ending his service when he was sent over there, right around the time Chris went over. He has been there a good year now (and by "good year" I mean a solid year, not really a good year).

I was so happy when Chris came home, so happy he was safe and sound and could get one with his life of getting engaged and being the funniest person I know. I almost forgot there were still folks over there. But Christopher was still there.

I got an email from my friend today, saying that Christopher is on his way home. He is currently in Kuwait and will be back in Jersey in a few days. I am so grateful that he is coming home, and I can't wait for the day that all of our troops are home safe and sound.

Whether you support the war or not, it is hard to see it as worthwhile when two such great lives as Chris and Christopher are put at risk. And those are just the two people I knew over there. There are thousands of Chris's and Christophers, good people who are so loved here that fighting this war for people who don't seem to want us there at all, it hardly seems worth it.

Thank God, they didn't have to pay the ultimate sacrifice.

Its a Boy!

I was going to wait until I saw him to post so I could add a pic, but I couldn't wait. Carson Roddick Tramontin was born yesterday morning, 9 pounds 12 ounces, 23 inches long. And I couldn't be happier that he was a boy.

See, my FIL has been so set on having a grandson, its not even funny. Really, not funny at all. When I was pg with Princess and found out that she was a girl, his reponse was - well, you'll just have to try again. When my SIL found out she was pg this time around, he told her she better have a boy or don't bother bringing the kid home. Now don't get me wrong, he loves his 2 granddaughters, but he wants boys. So, now he has a grandson, and the pressure is off me. Because if we do have another baby at some point, I want another girl...and I don't want his attitude.

I am Sleepy

So we have a dog, who I love to death. He is a pit bull/black lab mix, and is such a sweetie. However. Last night, or should I say, this morning, he woke up at 5 am, needing to go out. That's bad enough. But Hub let him out so I didn't have to get up or anything. Then...the dog decided he didn't want to lie back down. He proceeded to wander around the bedroom, nails clicking on the hardwood floors, till 6:30 am. That's right, an hour and a half. Hub locked him out of the bedroom for a little while but that didn't help because he just cried outside the door. Every once in a while he pulls this crap and who knows why. So I am friggin exhausted today.