Woodbury Commons

Back when I was younger I could spend the entire day in a malll, just shopping my little heart out. 

Now?

Well, no.

We went to Woodbuy Commons today; both J and I took off from work to spend the day together in celebration of our annniversary yesterday...  He suggested we go up to Woodbury (about an hour's drive away), and just browse around.  The trip was a success - I picked up one Xmas present for friend E, a cute little 9-month sweatshirt and sweatpants outfit for baby E, and of course, the day wouldn't be complete if I didn't buy myself a pocketbook so I picked up one at the Fossil store.

It was a beautiful day, weather-wise:  bright and sunny without any humidity.  After the humid days we've been having (3 heatwaves in a row!),  it was a welcome day.

Can your legs be numb from the hips down, and still hurt???  And my feet?  I can DEFINITELY tell that I spent the day on them!  According to J's cheap pedometer, we only walked about two miles, but I really think we walked more...  We stopped at Applebee's for lunch, then heated up some leftovers when we got home, for dinner. 

I am going to sleep  like a baby tonight.  And I have made a new resolution for work:  I will work my tail off to try and keep the day under control, and when I come home tomorrow, if we don't go to the movies (2 free tickets every Tuesday night from our cable company), I'm going to lay down in bed and rest.  And rest some more.

And then I'll get up and do it again.

[Back to our regularly scheduled programming....]

From my past (revisited)

So this is a repeat of what I posted on my sisters' blog, with a few additions...

I was visiting a blog I recently found, written by a single dad with multiple children in his care, and he was mentioning his childhood, a childhood that started before the 1980s. It got me to thinking, as I'm much older than he is, that there must be quite a bit I'd forgotten about... Here are just a few things...

1. Marlin Perkins & Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom
2. The Wonderful World of Walt Disney
3. Pilgrim8-7407
4. manual typewriters and the race to get 1 of the 10 electric typewriters in Mrs. Costello's typing class
5. riding in the back seat without a seat belt
6. Channel Lumber
7. Great Eastern Mills
8. Kresge's
9. Two Guys
10. signing up at the Computer Lab to access a computer in college (OMG, I'm truly O.L.D.)
11. Gino's
12. American Bandstand
13. Saturday Night Fever (edited:  I spent $11 of my monthly $20 allowance on the double album)
14. Abbott & Costello
15. Korvette's
16. Creature Feature
17. Seaside Heights when you could walk on a beach without stepping on cigarette butts
18. crabbing in the bay with Uncle W
19. TV without a remote
20. black and white TV 'cause that's all there was
21. Romper Room
22. The Bowery Boys
23. Wonderama with Bob McAllister
24. Captain Kangaroo and Mr. Green Jeans
25. My Favorite Martian
26. My baloney has a first name, it's O-S-C-A-R...
27. Apollo 11
28. the Manson Murders
29. the birth of the bikini and the mini-skirt
30. The Munich Massacre at the Olympics
31. gas rationing and even/odd days
32. Watergate
33. Pope John Paul II
34. The Me Decade
35. the famine in Bangladesh
36. life before the VCR
37. bra-burning
38. Mr. Ed
39. Pixie Stix
40. Jack's Deli (only if you're from Bloomfield, NJ, will this mean anything to you!)
41. Bradlee's
42. B. Dalton Booksellers
43. Arthur Treacher's Fish and Chips on Saturday afternoons when we went to the library
44. baton twirling class at the Civic Center
45. the swings at my grandfather's house
46. the lily pond at my grandfather's house
47. Tommy as Santa Claus at my grandmother's on Christmas Eve
48. my cousin singing Olivia Newton John's I Honestly Love You
49. the start of the Electric Company and Sesame Street
50. HR Pufnstuf
51. Land of the Lost on TV
52. The Greatest American Hero (okay, yes, I love TV!)
53. Lawrence Welk
54. Guy Lombardo
55. The first Rockin' New Year's Eve in 1973
56. The Edge of Night
57. The Secret Storm
58. Luke and Laura
59. the Son of Sam murders
60. Ted Bundy
61. Dirty Harry (1971)

Anyway, some of these were happy memories, some were newsworthy (and not so happy), but all of them were from my youth, in the 1960s and 1970s.  I skipped senior year in high school to go to the Freshman Honors Program at the University of Delaware from 1977 to 1978 and went back to my high school to graduate with my class in 1978.  There are many memories from that first year of college that I could have put on this list, but I didn't.  The most valuable memory is meeting my friend Chris in November 1978 and becoming friends with him "officially" in January 1978.  We've been friends ever since.

I remember getting our dog, Belle, in 1970.  Belle was a beautiful Samoyed and she's spoiled me for any other breed of dog.  If and when we get a dog (we're planning to get one when he/we retire) I'll be pushing for a Samoyed, although I know hubby dearest is pushing for a chocolate lab or a black lab.  The one thing we agree on for sure is no small dogs!  I remember the kids in my school stopping to pet my dog through the fence.

I remember learning to ride a bicycle on M DeF's bicycle; we didn't have a bicycle when I was young.  It was purple and had a banana seat.  I thought I was SO very accomplished when I didn't fall down and go boom!

I remember the first time I had a crush on a guy, Rick G. from my grammar school.  In our 8th grade mimeographed "yearbook" there was a Remember When page.  Totally by accident, I'm sure, the editor included "Remember when Krys C. has a crush on Ricky G.?"  Oh, if only they'd gotten their tenses right!  I can so vividly remember being mortified.  And I blush really bright red when I'm embarrassed!!!

I remember calling white German Shepherds "lemon shepherds" when I was small.

I don't remember this, but my mom loves to tell the story of how I walked around the neighborhood, a mere not-yet-5-years-old new kid on the block, knocking on doors to introduce myself and ask if they had any children I could play with - obviously I was still an only child at this time!

I remember walking to grammar school and back and thinking I was such hot stuff because I could walk alone.  We lived 5 houses from the school.  I really wasn't that cool!

I remember TM getting in trouble in the cafeteria in grammar school for blowing the wrapper from his straw across the table.  Sister Adrien used to stand in the choir-loft-that-would-eventually-become-the-library and ring the school bell if anyone misbehaved at lunch.

I remember when she retired, my dad made her a gavel out of a piece of wood whose grain looked like the Virgin Mary.  People thought she was so strict, but I really liked her a LOT!

I remember getting hayfever for the first time during the STA summer picnic in the summer of 1977, at just 16 years of age.  Never had allergies before that!

And I suppose I could go on forever, but this has been enough of a break.  Gotta go back to work.  I reallly loved remembering these things.  Would love to read YOUR childhood memories...

I am seriously jealous...

I am a total fan of Dooce, aka Heather Armstrong.  If you don't know who she is, read her blog, but prepared to laugh harder than you've ever laughed in your life, and WARNING: although you might get offended by her language, and you might get offended by her politics (and there's a good chance you might support her politics all the way!), one thing you WON'T be is bored!

She recently moved into a new house, and I feel the need to share this link with you.  Just take a look at this hallway and know that I.WOULD.GIVE.MY.RIGHT.ARM.AND.MY.LEFT.ONE.TOO to have a hallway like this one in my house.  It doesn't really matter to me what the rest of the house looks like, although it is gorgeous now and will be even more beautiful when they're fully moved in and decorated, but OMG.I.WANT.THIS.HALLWAY.

Click here to see the hallway.

'Nough said.

Drive By - What a Great Idea!

One of my favorite design blogs is The Inspired Room.  Melissa has awesome taste, and this?  This is one of her best ideas!  She likes to drive by and take pictures of houses that appeal to her, or perhaps it's a picture of a special characteristic of the house (the color of their front door, for example). 

Well this house is about 4 miles from my home, on the way to the hospital; unfortunately we've had to pass it too many times!  Every time I pass it I swear I'm going to take a photo of it because although the Tudor style doesn't do it for me, all those flowers do!!!

Melissa, thanks for the inspiration!!!

OUCH!

So I beat J home from work today.  G and E from next door came running over and G wanted to see the boat that J is building in the cellar.  (In case I didn't mention it, he's building a 13-1/2' cedar strip canoe.)  I took the boys into the house and headed for the basement stairs.  When I opened the door, I thought it quite odd that J had left tools and extension cords and wrapping stuff all over the stairs but thought perhaps time had gotten away from him and he had to rush off to work...  I picked up the stuff so the stairs were clear and we went to look at the canoe.

The boys left and I went and changed out of my work clothes.  Then I went outside, put the sprinkler on and sat on the swing to read.  When J got home, he came in apologizing for what he did to my kitchen.  I was a bit baffled and followed him inside.

It turns out his project d'jour was to remove the basement staircase window and replace it with a new window that has a screen.  Apparently he removed the old window, inserted the new replacement window, and proceeded to unlatch the new window so he could open it and screw it into place.

WARNING:  NO PHOTOS BUT RATHER GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION OF HIS INJURY FOLLOWS.  Skip the next two paragraphs if you have a weak stomach!

The upper window dropped down onto his right thumb with such force that it, and I quote the Immedicenter doctor:  "It blew out his finger."

There was no sharp edge to cut the finger; the force of the upper pane falling down onto his finger actually popped his finger open, like a balloon.

He was rather adamant that he wasn't going to the emergency room or the Immedicenter, but I played the good wife card:  after begging that he go, saying "please" several times, I reminded him that I rarely if ever ask him for anything but I was asking him to go and get his finger checked out.  He spends his days with his hands in oil, or in gasoline, or in the dirt, or sanding his canoe...  Imagine any of that getting into an open wound.  We're talking an immediate infection.

He agreed to go so we spent a good hour, hour-and-a-half in the Immedicenter.  When the nurse and the doctor looked at it, their immediate reaction was that he definitely needed stitches.

So, four stitches and a tetanus shot later...  His right thumb is wrapped up in what the nurse called a "fancy" bandage:  which in layman's terms means that it's a bandage with gauze wrapped around his full thumb, rather than just a small bandaid on the tip of his finger...  He's a bit annoyed but admitted I was right to make him go.  We have to go back on Sunday morning for them to check it, and the stitches are to be removed in 10 days.  It was a very deep cut.  No I-told-you-sos, but I'll enjoy telling the story...  Now that I know he's okay.  ;-D

I'm a Great Aunt!

And while yes, I AM a great aunt, I'm also now a Great Aunt!!! (Please read this with all of the appropriate fan fare it deserves!!!)

My great niece was born on Friday, July 2, 2010, at 3:51 in the afternoon. She was 8 lbs, 4 oz, and 20-3/4 inches long. Effective immediately she will be referred to as "great niece E" on this blog - it's not my place to post her name and all that...

Last night great niece E's mommy invited J and me over to see the baby.  When I got home from work, J was already home and the first thing out of my mouth, before "Hi, Hon, how was your day?  I missed you!" (Sure, that's EXACTLY how we greet each other after a long day at work!  Well, that's true at least a couple of times a week...   LOL!) was "C invited us over to see the baby tonight!"

J's response?  "I guess that's what we're doing tonight!"

And we did.  And she's so darned adorable!  She's gained some weight, she's fitting perfectly into all these beautiful little outfits we all bought her, AND J and I got to entertain her while her mommy and daddy ate dinner!  Her parents are already trying to get her onto the right day/night schedule; she's got them a bit mixed up!  Now, I never birthed me no babies, so I kept my suggestions and opinions to myself (yes, I can do that when I want to!), but you know something?  They're going to find out soon enough that they're on the baby's schedule, at least for the first couple of weeks!  The baby isn't even 1 week old yet!  Gradually that beautiful little baby girl will get her days and nights straight:  you're just naturally more active during the day, and it's naturally quieter and darker at night... 

Welcome to our world, Little E!!!

Unplugged...

So I spent Sunday unplugged along with P. Well, unplugged except for the requisite phone call to Mom first thing in the morning, and a check-in with P during our Day of Unplugged-ness. (We both pretty much agreed to that phone calls, especially to Mom to check in, were allowed if necessary. Except for Mom and P, the only other phone call I accepted was from DSD, post-surgery. (I couldn't not talk with her; we needed to know how she was doing.)

I started my day at church and then we took a ride up to Bagel Station, on Route 15, where they sell "the best bagels in New Jersey." And it's not just our opinion; they have a sign!!! J had his usual asiago cheese bagel, "the best [I've] ever had!!" And I had a garlic bagel: the first time I had a garlic bagel from them - okay, but their everything is better. I think next time I'll either try J's asiago or the bacon, egg and cheese one...

Then we went home, planted ourselves in lounge chairs on the dock, and absorbed some Vitamin D for a few hours! (I'm not responsible for the scientific accuracy of my blogging!) I have a nice tan from yesterday. It was warmer than on Saturday, a bit more humid, but far from as humid as today. (I only lasted 1/2 an hour today.)

I read a lot: I read Tess Gerritsen's new Ice Cold, James Patterson's new Private, and finished 3 short stories in a book called The Bodyguard (I like Cherry Adair and she was one of the authors). I also finished Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert, and started Karen Rose's Silent Scream.

I scrapped some, too, and worked on my art journal. I made this mini book with pictures from A's graduation party.

We went to bed without the usual DVD or TV movie; after all, it was "Unplugged Day."

And that was it...

Unplugged!

So one of my sisters and I were totally hooked on the idea of unplugging for a day last year when Stacy Julian suggested it (at least I think it was her!). The idea is that you leave your cell phone home, you don't turn on the laptop or the computer, you totally walk away from the television and the radio. A return, as it were, to the days of yore, before all those electronic devices began sucking the life out of us and stealing 20 of the 24 hours in our day!

I will admit right now that it will be nigh impossible for me to be totally unplugged from the world. P and I have both agreed that despite our voluntary sacrifice of our cell phones that day, there is one exception: we both have to call Mom at home and check up on her, just to be sure she's okay. Mom's celebrating an anniversary of her 39th birthday this August and I just don't like to go a day without talking with her... The one other exception to the unplugged rule is that we are allowed to use our cameras to document the day: perhaps, as P suggested, a photo of a delicious meal I finally had time to prepare, or a photo from a long, leisurely walk that I finally had time to take, or a photo of the stack'o'books I'll now have time to plow through...

My husband, too, will fight me tooth and nail when I ask him to leave the radio off on Sunday. We normally have the radio on while we sit on the dock and sun or watch the boats or while he works feverishly around the house. I will try my best to convince him to not put the radio on on Sunday, that he will cause me to be actually "cheating" during our "unplugged day." Worst case scenario, I can take advantage of the time to go upstairs, where I can't hear the radio, and I can work on some crafting and art projects that are totally backed up 'cause somewhere, somehow, my day doesn't include 24 whole hours anymore. I'm convinced that my days are only 12 hours long otherwise how could I get so little done in one day?

I'm behind by 2 projects in my Year in the Life of an Art Journal class and I'm really missing the whole creating process. Some dedicated time at my desk is just what the doctor ordered! Besides, I'm picking up two books that I reserved at B&N and I'll have some unstructured time to do nothing but read...

So here's the dealio: I will try to remember to stay OFF.THE.COMPUTER on Sunday. If you see me post something on Sunday, REMIND ME THAT IT'S MY UNPLUGGED DAY. Of course, if it's you, P, well then YOU shouldn't be on the computer either!!! That's all I'm sayin'!!!