Sandy Is on Her Way

Did my hurricane prep over the past few days... water, lots of water, milk, bread, tuna, peanut butter, a roasted chicken, cabbage for cole slaw, peppers and onions and wraps... We have a gas stove so I bought matches; we will be able to heat up anything on the stove even if we loss power. I'll be setting up candles in the dining room, kitchen, and bathroom. When it's time to go to sleep, we'll go to sleep. Everything is charged: phones, laptop, Kindles. Pump is set up, wet vac is ready: of course this is only a plus if we don't lose power. See you in a day or two. Stay safe.

Horrors in Haiti

I don't know what to do.

I've donated money. I've brought foodstuffs in to church where they're collecting canned goods to send to those poor people.

It's not enough.

It's days like this that I sometimes wish I was a go-getter, someone who would really get off her butt and do something.

My heart bleeds for these people. I cry as I watch the news reports. I thank the Lord that none of my family is there, but at the same time I feel for those total strangers as if they were family.

When they find a survivor, a young child, or an older woman, I cheer, buoyed beyond belief that another person beat the odds. Could I live seven, eight days without food and water? I truly don't think so, so used am I to opening the cabinet and grabbing a diet Dr. Pepper and a breakfast bar whenever I feel like it (forget about "when I'm hungry").

We are truly spoiled, here in this great USofA.

I, for one, will try my best to appreciate what I have, do with a little less, and give a lot more.

THAT is one thing I can do in honor of those in Haiti.

Power Shopping

Okay, I admit it.

I'm not ready for Christmas.

THERE, I said it. And I survived.

I can remember the days I started shopping early, started decorating even earlier than that! I used to have Christmas cards written out and mailed the Friday after Thanksgiving. Then it slipped to Thanksgiving weekend. Then I was glad when I go them done in November....

Now. Not glad about much! Cards aren't done. Shopping's not done. Wrapping's not done. Decorating's as done as it's going to be. Cleaning's not done. (Heck, it's barely started!)

Today we're in the middle of our first bad winter storm. There's about 6 inches of snow outside; there's probably around 8 to 12 at the lake house. Hoboken didn't shut down the schools so Jack couldn't shut down his after school program so he's just leaving NOW for the trip home. The roads are icy, treacherous. I've been watching the news - there are accidents and stuck cars all over.

This morning, when the storm first started, I was out shopping. I took the day off to shop. To be able to buy Jack something other than the paperback version of Marley and Me that he'll probably return 'cause the print is so small... And I power-shopped (hence the title of this post...): $170 in Target in an hour, and another $180 in Costco in another hour. (Although I did forget to pick up my pills at the pharmacy counter in Costco so they'd better be open tomorrow!)

Costco is 1 mile from my house.

It took me an hour to get home.

1/2 an hour to get out of the parking lot, another 1/2 hour to drive the two streets to my house. 1/2 an hour and two accidents, two stuck cars, and innumerable crazy-a-s drivers!!!

But I'm home, safe and sound. Now let's keep our fingers crossed Jack gets here in the same condition!

Once he gets home, we'll heat up leftover pizza (he had 28 pies delivered to school for his after-school party), then he'll shovel us out (at least I put a dent in it earlier today) and then we'll drive over to my mom's house to clean the sidewalks, shovel a path to her side door and feed her cats, and then we'll go over to KD's mom's house to shovel her out. Then we'll come home and collapse into a big, cold, wet, snowy heap! I'll make hot tea, he'll fall asleep without drinking it...

I hope we're home in time for Numbers on TV tonight. He really likes that show, almost as much as I like Criminal Minds... I'd like him to just sit and relax...

And a special thank you to Miss Hope, who posted an absolutely lovely entry on her blog wishing me a happy b'day - thanks for being my friend!!!!

No longer a beached white whale...

We had BEAUTIFUL weather this past holiday weekend! I was able to spend several hours doing nothing more strenuous than oiling up my body and trying to make it look a little more tanned and a lot less white... Being successful at something is a wonderful thing. It makes you feel so accomplished. I have achieved the start of my annual summer tan.

Living next to a lake for 2 days a week, 52 weeks a year, 16 weeks of which are in late spring, summer, and early fall, you'd think I would find it easy to lose that pasty white winter look. But alas, no.

The first few years we were at the lake we made time to tan. We'd ride on "the boat that came with the house" and automatically we'd look pretty good, what with the sun reflecting off the water tanning us whether we tried or not! But then the dock was damaged and we couldn't put the boat in the water, so we merely tanned on the dock for a year. Then last year we built the addition, so we spent last year working, not tanning. And again this year, we will be sans "the boat that came with the house." Our dock, once again, was damaged by the winter ice and is now holding on to our bulkhead by literally a bolt. So again, no boat.

But I did manage to tan for a good six hours this weekend, and I look almost healthy and non-vampiric! (Is that a word?!?) I look as though I've been exposed to sunlight for part of my 47+ years. Thank the Lord!

Yes, I'm aware of the horrors of skin cancer/melanoma, but I am determined to look almost healthy when I croak! (Yes, readers, I am kidding. I would never risk my health by turning my looks-less-than-my-47-years skin into leather by tanning myself so dark I look like a California raisin!) I just want some color, and since I'm not one to wear a lot of makeup, I do allow myself a bit of a tan in the summer months...

My ducks were SOOO friendly this weekend. They literally stood on my foot, and stretched themselves to head-level (MY head when sitting on the lounge chair feeding them!) to grab pieces of potato roll from my fingers! They're so cute. Took LOTS'o'pix so when I get them downloaded, I'll be sure to post some on this site... Watch for them later this week!

I bought some paper so I can make little favors for J's graduation (!). Also spoke with A about a replacement gift for her sweet-16 cross - we looked, and I looked without her, but can't find one in my price range. I'd like to spend $400-$600 on the thing (on the cross alone!) but it's just not possible now. I have to put gas in my car to go shopping, you know?!? So we talked and she wants a chain, too, which I might be able to do more easily while remaining within my budget. After all, she's just 16, not getting married!

C got herself a new car yesterday. A 2008 Subaru - am hoping to get over there to see it tonight... Yea, you!

Went to my SIL's last night. Now I pride myself on being rather sophisticated, but I had to pick my jaw up off the ground when I heard this one!

I have a wonderfully smart and accomplished nephew on J's side. He's 36 or so, working his a$$ off in NYC, living in a 2-room apartment (bedroom and living room w/ a kitchenette, plus the required miniscule bathroom). Now, granted, he's in a building that has a doorman and, more importantly, an elevator! (We helped move him into a 4th floor walk-up several years ago, on 92nd Street - OMG! Once I got upstairs, I was done!) He just got approved to move to the penthouse floor (NOT in THE penthouse, mind you), into an apartment that has (drum roll, please!) 100 square feet more! Oh, and a small balcony, too. And here's the punchline: FOR $1000 MORE A MONTH!

My BIL outright asked his son what the rent was: he will be paying $4150 a month for this new apartment, which could fit inside my house several times over!!

I did a little math. He will be paying $49800 out of pocket for an apartment. That's JUST a bit shy of what I make a year, GROSS!!! Now I know he earns a lot of money and believe me, he works hard and long for it. BUT OMG!!! Can you imagine, even in this economy, what he could get here in NJ for that much per month? Even for thousands less per month?!???

All I can say is, OMG!!!

Speaking of how much things cost... Just got an email from an old boss who's now living in England. He filled up his Mazda Miata with gas this morning, and it cost him $100US. I had to ask. Gas is $11.00US per gallon!!! Makes my almost $4 per gallon look good!

I don't know how many of you watch weather from around the world or the U.S....

NJ had some torrential downpours this past weekend and some real strong winds. We don't normally suffer from them too often, but when we do, it seems they're, well, real strong! I saw several trees uprooted in our local area, Nutley to be specific, and one or two of them even made the news this morning! There were many families in Nutley without power since Saturday night.

Now, in general, I know that being without power for one day isn't that big a deal. Lord knows there are people who are without power for sometimes weeks at a time, after a large storm, and there are people who live their whole lives without an A/C or a television! But Nutley - well, Nutley is a town that started out as primarily Italian working class, but has slowly changed over to young, yuppy families who expect - and demand - a lot for their high Essex County taxes. I can only imagine the cell phone calls this weekend!!!

Speaking of rain, though (which is actually why I began this post!), DH and I took a ride up to our lakehouse yesterday to check and see how things faired over the weekend of weather. First of all, the lake is back up to summer levels, if not exceeding them! (It's lowered in the winter by several feet.) Second, we now have about a $10,000 job to do - our dock was torn loose from the sea wall; it's holding on by a mere bolt! Let me tell you, it's something we planned to, but we really didn't want it to be something we had to do.

Well, lots 'o' work to do, so for now, I'm signing out!