Is Everybody Crazy, or Is it Just Me?

I Get To Shop?

2008-10-10T07:28:00.000-07:00

I made it to the gym this morning and logged 6 miles on the treadmill. I hate the treadmill. I like running outside better.

There are some benefits to the treadmill. It forces you to stay on pace. Well, unless you want to be that person who falls off the machine because it is going faster than you are. I will admit that the thought of that humiliation is enough to keep my fat butt moving.

Another good thing about the treadmill is TV. Watching TV while running is pretty cool. I would be completely clueless on world events without the treadmill TV. Since my home TV has been taken over by a 2 1/2 year old who watches Noggin and Disney Channel most of the time, I don't get to watch much CNN.

Overall, I would rather run outside. I like the fresh air, the changing scenery, and the feeling of going somewhere, even if it is just a big circle.

But, today's post is about shopping.

Who would have thought that my decision to run a marathon would require me to empty my wallet? You would imagine that all you need to do is throw on some shorts and a tee shirt, lace up your sneakers, and run.

No sir, it is not that easy. Running a marathon requires more gear than trekking up the face of Everest!

So, being serious about this marathon thing, finally, I decided that I had best head out and get myself some of this gear. This is when I discovered 'The Running Store'. No shit, a whole store just for people who run! Apparently, there are several different running stores out there. I got very lucky and a store opened just a few miles from the house right before I decided to start this nonsense. So, I went to The Big Peach Running Company to get my stuff.

Getting running gear is a real bottom up activity. You have to start with the feet, or the shoes on the feet to be precise. The running store has shoe experts, because not all shoes are created equal. Before they sell you shoes, they put you through the paces. They had me run on a treadmill in the store while they video my feet. Then, we watched the video and they talked about my stride and stuff. Then they had me stand on a pad that measures where your weight rests on your feet. Then they brought me three pairs of shoes to try.

Do not skimp on your shoes! Do not buy the cute shoes! Get the shoes that they recommend and that are comfortable. I really wanted pink shoes, but it was not to be. I knew I was going to log many hours and miles in these shoes, so they needed to be good. It doesn't matter that the shoes cost as much as a car payment, I would spend more time in them than I do in my car anyway. The real kicker (ha ha) is that I will need to get new shoes in another month or so. Apparently, you can only run about 200-250 miles in your shoes before you need new shoes!

Next was the running skirt. I decided that I would go with the skirt with compression shorts underneath. No one needs to see this butt in only compression shorts! I was totally thinking of my fellow marathoners on that choice.

Now we need a shirt. I learned an important phrase, "Cotton is rotten." Even though I love all natural materials in most of my clothes, for running, synthetics are better. Since I sweat like a leaky faucet, I knew I would have to go with the moisture wicking material. BTW: there is only so much moisture that it can wick, trust me!

You would think that now I was ready to run.

Nope!

I still needed a water bottle holder, sport beans, gu, shot blocks, and body glide.

Of all of this stuff, the body glide may be the most important. It looks like deodorant, but you rub it on all the spots where you may chafe. Because running = chaffing. Lots of chaffing. Really uncomfortable chaffing. Chaffing in spots where no one ever wants to chafe.

All in all, shopping at the running store is not nearly as much fun as shopping at the Gap. But, since the running store has all my money, I won't be at the Gap any time soon!

I Was Running!

2008-10-08T15:46:00.000-07:00

So, it was exactly 2 years ago today that I started this blog. And, not too long after that when I abandoned this blog. It isn't that I don't have anything to say, I just got busy. And, the longer I went without posting, the easier it seemed to just let the blog die. I had no intention of resurrecting my long dead blog until recently.

Several months ago I did something that is just insane. I registered for a marathon. Yes, a marathon. As in, 26.2 miles. At once. Without stopping. I printed out the paperwork, set it aside, and promptly put the whole thing out of my mind. After all, it was March and the marathon wasn't until January. I had time. No worries.

Then I stopped going to the gym regularly. I had three kids, I had just started working outside the house, I started my own business, I had no time.

Before I knew it, it was the end of May. School was out and we were off to Disney World! Woo Hoo! After that trip, we went up to New Jersey so I could see Bon Jovi in Central Park. Damn right I had to be there! Now it was July. I really couldn't put off thinking about this marathon thing for much longer. But it was summer, and the kids were home, and I was busy. So, I put it off a bit longer.

Then, August rolled around and the kids were going back to school. I had to get up and drive my oldest in each morning and his school is only a couple of miles from the gym and the gym has childcare for the baby. It would seem that it was time for me to move my ass. So, on August 11th the kids went back to school and I started to train for the marathon.

It has been two months since I started this insanity and there have been plenty of ups and downs. There have also been some crazy stories. So far, I have run over 100 miles and I haven't actually gotten anywhere. What bullshit!

So, I decided that I should start writing about this nonsense. I was going to start a new blog, but when I started to think of a name for the blog, this one just seemed perfect. What could be crazier than running over 26 miles? How about running over 200 miles to train for the 26? I am officially insane! I will use this space to discuss my insanity as well as rant on other issues as they come up.

Up next, shopping!

Why did I move to Georgia?

2007-03-12T14:37:00.001-07:00

This is the only good reason to move to Georgia:

That is a picture of upstate NY after all the snow they had. Meanwhile, it has been sunny and in the 70's here in Georgia. The question is, "Is that enough to make living in the South worth it?"

Spelling Lessons?

2007-03-06T18:22:00.000-08:00

Can someone please tell me what the world has come to when she is teaching our youth to spell?

It started out with Fergalicious, which isn't even a real word. Now it is Glamorous, which at least is a real word. But really, do we need to learn to spell from hip-hop song lyrics? And, if this is where our youth will turn for spelling lessons, can't we pick some better words? How about antidisestablismentarianism? I understand that it may be difficult to fit into a 3 minute and 11 second song, but at least kids will know how to spell it and they may even be driven to dictionary.com to look it up!

How about getting some hip-hop artists to sing a little School House Rock. I, for one, would pay good money for a little Justin Timberlake singing Conjunction Junction. Or, how about Christina Aguilera singing Interplanet Janet? If our children are going to learn from music, let's make sure they get a complete lesson. Hey, maybe the artists will even learn a little something in the process!

The Most Wonderful Sound in the World

2007-02-07T05:59:00.000-08:00

As some of you may know, the baby has been very sick. It all started last Wednesday, one week ago today. He was fine during the day, so I went off to work in the afternoon like I do every Wednesday. When he woke up from his nap, he had a bottle and then threw up. The sitter thought that maybe he had just been a little too active after the bottle since he seemed happy enough. Then he ate dinner, and threw up all over the sitter! The poor girl, I don't pay her enough to deal with that! When my hubby got home, the baby threw up on him too. He was still feeling sick when I got home, but he was playing nicely and in good spirits. I figured it was just a little bug and that he would be fine in a day or two.

Boy, was I wrong. He just got sicker and sicker! Thursday he threw up just about everything that went into him. I was giving him tiny little bits of water in hopes that he would keep it down. He threw up several times each night. On Friday morning I called the doctor. I was sure this was not a 24 hour bug. We scheduled the earliest appointment we could, 4:20 in the afternoon. By this time, he was not keeping anything down at all and he was not in good spirits. He would just lay on my lap moaning. It was so sad! I was crying. I just wanted to make my baby feel better. He got more and more lethargic and I got more and more worried. Finally, I called the doctor's office again to try to move up the appointment. After I talked to the nurse, she told me that I needed to take him to the hospital. By now, I was sobbing. I called my hubby home from work and we went to the emergency room.

He was severely dehydrated. He needed an IV. Because he is so little and he is a bit cubby, his veins are hard to find. It took them 3 tries to find a vein, all as my poor baby screams from being stuck so much. They also needed a urine sample. To do this they needed to use a catheter. More screaming. They needed to check his glucose levels, by sticking him in his foot. It was awful. When they finally got the IV in, he just passed out in my arms. The poor little thing. Once he was hydrated and they had ruled out many illnesses, they sent us home. They were still waiting for some test results, but they would take a couple of days to come in, so we were able to take him home. Friday night was pretty rough, but on Saturday morning, he seemed to have stopped throwing up. Yea! We are finally done!

Well, on Saturday the diarrhea really got going. We went through about 30 diapers. Whatever went in, came out the same way. He was drinking a lot of pedialite and gatorade, so his stool was like water. His little booty was so red. We kept putting on cream, but he was just getting changed so much. We called the ER to see what we should do. They said that as long as he wasn't throwing up, he should be fine. In the afternoon, he threw up again. But, he had been drinking a lot of gatorade just before it happened, so I figured he was just too full. Then around 11pm he threw up again. We were worried enough that we loaded him into the car and back to the ER. It was a long night. They didn't admit him, but they gave us some very detailed instructions. While we were there, he had a reasonably solid bowel movement, and I crossed my fingers that it was over.

Sunday brought back the vomiting. Not as bad, but pretty bad. He just laid in my arms looking so miserable and pathetic. The only thing that seemed to stay down and help him feel better was nursing. Monday, still vomiting. But around 1pm it seemed to stop. OK, fingers crossed again. Please let this be the end. Please let him be better!

Tuesday morning he was in better spirits. He smiled. He started to play. Then I heard it, the most wonderful sound in the world, he giggled! God how I had missed that sound. I started to cry, I was so happy. He still wasn't 100%, but what a difference. His symptoms had slowed down and were more manageable. We only went through about 12 diapers. He was finally on the mend.

Today he seems to be done with all of his symptoms, I hope. He ate a good breakfast and he is playing again. I am thanking God for bringing my sweet baby back. We will play a lot today so that I can hear more of that wonderful sound.

My School is better than your school.........not!

2007-01-22T05:01:00.000-08:00

I recently decided to convert my New Jersey teacher certification to a Georgia teacher certification. I did not think that this would be a very big deal. After all, New Jersey had given me certification as both a Middle and High School Social Studies teacher and as a Elementary Teacher. I won the New Jersey Commissioner of Education's Outstanding Teacher Candidate Award (they only gave out 16 that year in the whole state), I had several years experience in both middle and high school, and Georgia needs teachers. How hard could it possibly be to get certified?

Once I got off my butt and sat down with the paperwork, I was surprised. I was able to get everything started online. I put together copies of my certification and transcript and sent it off. The first response tht I got said that I needed to send 'official copies' of my transcripts. Here is my first aggravated moment. Did the Georgia Department of Education really think that New Jersey had certified me to teach without my having a college degree? Also, they had 'unofficial copies' so what is the big deal. But, I got on the phone with my college and found out that they will not do a transcript request by phone or by fax, only in person on by mail. Since I now live about 800 miles from there, I decided to send in my request by mail, along with the check for the $6 fee. What is up with that? The $25,000+ each year that they got from me as a student wasn't enough? Are you really going to tell me that it costs them $6 to mail a couple of sheets of paper with a stamp on them? The county college I went to was able to send out my transcripts with a fax request, for free!

So now all I could do was wait. Every week or so, I would hop online to check the status of my application. It continued to be on hold while they waited for my transcripts. Finally, I call my college again. They have no record of my request. I check my bank, and the check has not been cashed. OK, now I am really annoyed. I call my dad and ask him to go over there and do the request in person. He calls me while he is there to tell me they need my signature. I told him to just go out to the car 'where I was waiting'....wink, wink...nudge, nudge...and I would sign it. So, he forged my name and the papers were filed.

This was right before Christmas, so I figured by the time we got back from Disney, everything would be set. I get online, and still no transcript. I call the Georgia DOE, they have no record of it. I call my college, again. They sent it out, and...the Georgia DOE sent a response card that they had received the transcript! I call the Georgia DOE back and the person I speak to takes my number and promises to look into it and call me back. Miracle of miracles, she calls back to tell me that she found my transcript and was entering it into my file. Woo Hoo! Now I will have my Georgia certification.

Or not. I just got a letter in the mail about my certification. I am approved for a non-renewable certificate. I can only get this certificate when I am hired by a Georgia school. To get my regular, renewable certificate I need to take some classes, a computer test, and a couple of content tests. Are you kidding me? This state is desperate for good teachers. Test scores are in the toilet. Education is a bit of a joke throughout most of the state. Here I am a certified, experienced, award-winning teacher, and I am not good enough. I taught in a state that is has some of the highest ranked schools in the country. I taught in a state that has much higher test scores and standards. Do they really think that I can't hack it in the backwoods, redneck, hick-ass Georgia schools?!

I tutor h

ere. I have seen the quality of the Georgia education system. They should be bending over backwards and kissing my ass in hopes that I will teach here. Half the teachers here probably look like this:

All in all, it is total crap, but I will cope because I have to!

Christmas, and Disney, and Bad Chinese...Oh My!

2007-01-10T06:55:00.000-08:00

Hi all! First of all, I want to apologize for not posting in so long. Life got totally crazy, but now everything is settling back down to normal.

First we had the holidays. In our house we celebrate Christmas and Chanukah so it was a bit hectic for a couple of weeks. We didn't go crazy with gifts this year, the trip to Disney was the big holiday gift. The kids did get a few things, mostly Disney themed to go with the trip. My hubby would say that I bought too much. Both kids got $100 in Disney Dollars, $50 from us and $50 from my brother-in-law. It was nice that they had their own money for the trip.

Christmas was hard for me this year. It was strange not having any family around. It just didn't feel like Christmas. I was pretty depressed all day. I had bought a nice chicken to roast for a family dinner, but when I opened it up it had gone bad! I was really upset because according to the date it should have been fine. My hubby started to look up places to eat on the internet, but I didn't want to spend an arm and a leg on meal right before our trip. We ended up going to the diner and we had a great meal! I was really surprised. My six year old ordered pancakes and they came out shaped like Mickey Mouse. He was so excited. "How did they know we were going to Disney?" Too cute.

The day ended up being nice, but I don't want to do another lonely Christmas. Next year we are going back to New Jersey to celebrate with all of our family and friends.

We left for disney on New Year's Eve. What a great trip! We did so much and had so much fun. I love it there. We are already planning to go back in two years.

I could post a ton of pics, there are so many that came out good. We got in on NYE but we didn't go out. We spent a quiet night at the condo, or as quiet as a small condo with 7 people can be, and went to bed early so that we could be up and out early the next morning. On 1/1 we were at the Magic Kingdom when it opened. If you are going to do Disney and want to enjoy the rides with no lines, you have to get there when the parks open. We rode many rides multiple times that we would have had to wait on lines for later in the day. Our favorites in the Magic Kingdom were Pirates of the Carribean, Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, Peter Pan, Winnie the Pooh, and Buzz Lightyear. We had a great day. We did Epcot that night, but it rained.

On 1/2 we hit the Animal Kingdom and the new coaster, Everest! It was great. My 12 year old ended up riding it 8 times! We were having a good day here when it started to pour. We headed out, but we were all soaked. On 1/3 we did Epcot and it was great. We all loved the new ride, Soarin. So much fun. My 6 year old rode it 4 times! The new show, Turtle Talk with Crush, was great and my son got picked to ask Crush a question. And, we won Dream Fast Passes as part of the year of a million dreams! It was so cool to win something, the boys were really excited.After Epcot we went to MGM to see the night show, Fantasmic. It started to rain and about 1/2 way through they cancelled the show. It was a bummer. My 6 year old was crying and saying it was the worst day of his life. He is such a drama queen. Oh well, we will try again next time.

On 1/4 we were going to have a break but because of the rain we decided to keep going. We spent the morning at MGM and had a great time. The boys loved the Star Wars ride. My parents and 12 year old won Dream Fast Passes AGAIN when they were on the Tower of Terror. I loved the Beauty and the Beast show. After MGM we headed over to Epcot for dinner and Illuminations, the night show. It was cool. A good day all around.

On 1/5 we went back to the Animal Kingdom. The weather was fine, but the baby was sick. He threw up twice, once on my poor hubby, so we didn't do as much as I wanted to. But, the boys got to ride Everest, and this time even my 6 year old went on! We did a few other rides and the Safari. It was a good day.

On 1/6 we had our last day. We spent it in the Magic Kingdom, my favorite park. We did a bunch of rides, took a break, then came back for the Spectromagic Parade and fireworks. It was a great way to end the trip.

When we got home on Sunday afternoon, there was nothing to make for dinner, so we decided to order out. We got Chinese and by two in the morning we were getting sick. The boys ended up missing two days of school. We were all miserable. Thank God the baby didn't eat the food! I think it will be a long time before we get Chinese again.

Today, everyone is back in school, the baby is napping, and I am sad. I miss them, and I miss being at Disney. Reality sucks.

No Child Left Behind?

2006-12-16T06:41:00.000-08:00

One legacy of our 'illustrious' President is the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) program. No Child Left Behind my Ass! We as a country routinely leave our children behind. Our test scores on a whole are lower than other industrialized countries. We are one of the only nations in the world that uses the death penalty on children. We have huge numbers of adults who prey on our children. Our social service departments seem to leave children in abusive situations constantly. Many of our schools are crumbling and overcrowded. Our children are using textbooks that are over a decade old. Our children can't even count on their parents to keep them safe. We left our children behind a long time ago.

I know that there are lots of problems that can't be fixed easily, but education is not one of them. Step one: pay teachers what they are worth! So many people complain about the quality of teachers. One of the main reasons that there are not enough high quality teachers is the pay. Many teachers leave during their first five years because they need to take jobs that have better pay. Teachers are college educated (often with graduate degrees as well) professional employees. Yet there are administrative assistants who make more money than teachers. Many teachers have worked for over 10 years and still are not making $50,000 per year. I know that seems like a lot of money, but shouldn't your teacher make more than your mechanic?

Step two: revamp the tenure system. As a teacher, I am sure that many people are going to think that I am a traitor, but tenure is a broken system. There are too many bad teachers who have jobs only because they have tenure. I don't think we should get rid of tenure, but we do need to fix it. Tenure is important because some of us have to teach things that are controversial and tenure protects us from ignorant members of the community. Teachers are required to teach things like evolution, world religions, slavery, politics, and other hotbutton issues. Tenure insures that they can teach without the community forcing agendas down their throats. Also, because administration changes frequently in schools, tenure insures that teachers can retain their jobs even when they have a new principal every couple of years. The bad side of tenure is that it makes it too difficult to fire bad teachers. Everyone needs to be accountable in their jobs. Tenure makes it very difficult to fire bad teachers. There are many steps that have to be followed before a bad teacher is let go. We need to simplify these steps and make sure that bad teachers are fired!

Step three: student accountability. Why is it always the teacher's fault? We need to hold students accountable for their actions. If you don't do your work and don't study, you fail. No more 'social promotions.' Maybe if a kid is the only 16 year old in the 7th grade he will realize that he needs to get his act together or go to trade school.

Step four: update our schools. Build new schools, buy new books, put computers at every desk, build amazing libraries. Do whatever it takes. If we spent even 1/2 of the money that we are spending in Iraq on our schools, we could have the most high tech schools in the world. We continually spend on everything but education! In many states, school budgets are the only budget that the people can vote for or against. Many vote against increases because it is the only say they have regarding their taxes. Let us vote on salaries for all public employees, including congressmen, and I bet you would see a change! Our government wastes money on a regular basis, but our children have to attend overcrowded classes in schools that are falling down around them.

Step five: reduce class size! Any administrator will tell you that there is no direct link between class size and test scores. Any teacher will tell you that there is a direct link between class size and quality of education. Education must be measured by more than test scores!

Step six: teach kids to think, not how to test. Thanks to NCLB, teachers spend the bulk of their time teaching tests instead of content. We need to teach children skills and critical thinking, not just test answers. NCLB is based completely on testing. As a result, children are passing without the knowledge and skills that they need. I recently did a non-traditional reading assessment on a 6th grade student. He is only reading at a 2nd grade level! This must be stopped.

The only way to ensure our children's future is to fix our education system.

Three Weeks and Counting!

2006-12-10T17:32:00.000-08:00

Some of you may be aware that my family leaves for Walt Disney World (WDW) in just three weeks. My 6 year old son and I are the most excited about the trip. My 12 year old is excited, but not nearly as much as we are. The baby has no clue, of course, but I have been showing him tons of disney videos to get him used to the characters. My husband is looking forward to the trip but he doesn't get how much planning and work go into a great Disney vacation. In fact, he has been spending quite a bit of time mocking the amount of energy I am devoting to planning this trip. Am I going a bit overboard? Probably. I am a bit Type A so I tend to overdo this kind of stuff. But, by putting in the time and energy planning and researching now, I am going to be able to relax and enjoy the trip.

That having been said, I found the most amazing website for planning a trip to WDW. Tour Guide Mike has done so much of the hard work for you. He has been the tour guide to Disney VIP's for 10 years now and he has soooooo many trip tips and ideas that most people don't know. He does charge a fee of $21.95 to access the site for your trip but it is totally worth it! There is so much info on the site that you could spend days reading it all. He also has lots of things to print out and use. I have learned so much from his site and I have been to Disney a few times before. I really feel like I have been able to plan everything much better this time thanks to TGM and all his great tips. If anyone is planning a trip to WDW I highly recommend his site!

I am almost done with our itinerary and park plans. All that is left to do is to create the packing lists and get all our stuff together. With Chanukah starting on Friday and then Christmas right after that, I think the next three weeks will fly by. I don't know how often I will be able to post, it depends on how crazy life gets between now and then, but I will try to keep you updated on all of the fun. Of course I will post some great pics when we get home.

It is a Sick, Sick World

2006-12-05T13:42:00.000-08:00

Could someone please explain what the hell kind of person could MICROWAVE THEIR BABY!!!!! I was lucky enough to miss this story when it first appeared. I wouldn't have even known about it if my hubby hadn't brought it to my attention. I can not understand mothers who hurt their children. Another sicko decided to DROWN HER CHILDREN because they were coming between her and her boyfriend. What the hell is wrong with these people?

I have three beautiful boys. I love them more than life itself. There are times when they drive me completely insane. There are times when I want to get in the car and just keep on driving. But never, no matter how bad they are, have I ever wanted to harm them in any way. Even on the few occasions where I have had to issue a spanking, I am the one who felt the worst when it was over.

When I was pregnant with my oldest boy (I can't believe he is 12 already!) I was not really ready to become a mother. I took good care of myself and I went to the doctor regularly, but I didn't feel any major connection to the little lump in my belly. The minute I had him my whole world changed. I never understood the words 'love at first sight' until I saw that baby. In that moment my entire world changed. The focus was no longer on me and my needs. Everything was about that baby.

Things have not changed with my other two boys. They are my world. They are my life. I would step in front of bus if it would spare them a moment of pain. So, could someone explain how a parent could harm her own children? Especially a helpless little baby. What kind of monster could microwave her baby? This isn't some overwraught mother with a colicky baby who lost it for a minute and shook the baby (horrible, but somewhat understandable to any parent who has ever had a baby that wouldn't stop crying). This is premeditated, thought out, evil. There is no punishment severe enough for this woman. To just lock her up is not good enough. The death penalty is too easy unless they microwave her. Maybe she should be locked in a tiny box and forced to listen to the sounds of a baby crying for the rest of her life and each day someone who would love a baby but can't have one gets to punch her in the face. Maybe that is a strong enough punishment, maybe.

It's beginning to look a lot like spring?

2006-11-30T05:19:00.000-08:00

Here we are in our second holiday season in Georgia and I just can't get used to it. There is something very strange about hanging your Christmas lights in a tee shirt and shorts when it is 70 degrees outside. The carols are on the radio, the tree is up, and all I can think is that I wish the pool was open! A big part of the problem may be the fact that we are going VERY light on gifts this year so I have not been holiday shopping. I will have to make the trip to the mall for the annual pictures with Santa, but I won't be doing much shopping.

As most of you know, I have 3 boys. You may be wondering how I am able to 'skip' Christmas this year. We sat the boys down and talked to them about the holidays. We gave the choice between the usual holiday gifts or a trip. They went crazy for the trip idea. I can't say that I was very surprised. The simple fact is that they have plenty of toys and video games already. In fact, many of the Christmas and Birthday gifts from last year are still in the boxes. Even with the bigger rooms that they have down here, there is only so much stuff a kid can have. So, we decided to go to Walt Disney World instead.

There will be a few gifts for Hanukkah and Christmas, after all it is the baby's first holiday and my 6 year old still believes in Santa, but we are keeping it very light. I thought that maybe the boys would start to get bummed out as we got closer to the holidays and they realized that they weren't getting a lot of gifts. I have been pleasantly surprised by the fact that they seem more excited about the trip than they ever were about Christmas morning. Christmas day may seem a little blah without all the gifts and no out of town guests, but we will have fun planning for our trip. Also, I think we will have a traditional Jewish Christmas with Chinese food and a movie.

So, it isn't quite Christmas down here in the land of peaches, but we are making the best of it.

Whew!

2006-11-28T07:33:00.000-08:00

I managed to survive Thanksgiving. Actually, it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it might be. My mom and dad arrived on Tuesday afternoon and settled themselves into my 12 year old son's room. I had spent most of Sunday and Monday scrubbing the house, and it was ready for guests. My son's room is perfect for overnight guests. It is huge and it has it's own full bath. My mom and dad brought a bunch of stuff with them, but it was mostly consumables, like turnips and wine. They were only here for an hour or so before I was able to escape for a hair appointment. My hubby took the whole week off and I had to take advantage of the chance to get my hair done without taking my 9 month old. By the time I got home it was too late to cook so we did the Chinese thing. After dinner my mom, my 6 year old, and I made the cranberry bread and the sweet potatoes. If anyone wants a great sweet potato recipe, mine came out great! We even managed to do it all without fighting, the wine was flowing already! Day one down, no casualties.

On Wednesday we had some errands to run. My mom and I trapsed all over town picking up last minute items. We were not alone. I think everyone within a 50 mile radius was out on Wednesday. We managed to go to the bank, Walmart, the liquor store (for more wine), Linens 'n Things, and to the butcher to get the 22+ pound turkey. BTW, I highly recommend a fresh turkey. They are much better than the frozen kind and you don't need a whole shelf in the fridge to defrost it for three days. I just throw it in the cooler with a bunch of ice and it is fine until the next day. Once we were done with our errands we came home to start baking the pies. Again, my 6 year old pulled out his apron and helped out. He looked so cute. We made 2 pumpkin pies, 1 apple, 1 apple/cranberry, and 1 coconut custard. Way too many pies. Then, my mom and dad agreed to sit for the boys and my hubby and I went out for dinner and a movie! It was so nice to have some alone time in the midst of so much family time. We saw the new Bond movie and it was great! We got home in time to say goodnight to my parents and watch just a bit of TV. It sounds like another good day. But, around 1 am the baby woke up, screaming. He proceeded to scream and cry most of the night. The only way he would settle down is if I held him. I got almost no sleep, but no biggie, I didn't have anything going on the next day.

Finally, at around 6 am I gave my hubby the baby so I could try to get a little sleep. Around 7:45 I hear a knock at the door. I looked at my husband and mumbled, "There is no way your parents could be here this early." Then I heard the knock again and stumbled down the stairs cursing the whole way. I open the door and what do I see, my sister! She flew in from Colorado and rented a car. It was a complete surprise. I kept saying oh my god until my mom came to see what the problem was. She was convinced there was some sort of tragedy. Once everyone got done squealing with delight over sis's surprise, we were up. I started to get to work on all the food while my mom made coffee and breakfast. The in-laws showed up at the much more reasonable noon hour. From that moment on, it was so crazy. Gifts, hugs, food, drinks (and more drinks) until late that night. On the bright side, not one real fight.

Everyone was finally gone by Sunday afternoon and life began to return to normal. The kids and I started to put up all the holiday decorations. On Monday I cleaned the house. And now I can breathe again. Well, until Christmas anyway!

'Twas the Week Before Thanksgiving

2006-11-15T05:25:00.000-08:00

'Twas the week before Thanksgiving,
and all I was thinking,
Is how will I get through this
without heavy drinking.

My parents are packing
and loading the car.
Ready to drive down
from Jersey afar.

My in-laws are flying
along with Cousin Harry,
And all of the presents
that they can carry.

Then they will arrive
with stuff in their hands
and they'll throw it all down
wherever it lands.

While I am cooking and cleaning
and hitting the booze,
They'll traipse all over my house
and won't take off their shoes.

My brother-in-law and sister
are the smartest of all.
They don't come to celebrate,
they just have to call.

We'll sit down to dinner,
and offer our thanks.
Then my mother will point out
all of my mistakes.

The turkey is salty,
the stuffing too mushy,
the beans overcooked,
and pie is too runny.

Then after the meal,
we will clear off the table.
Mom always helps but mother-in-law,
never seems able.

My husband will watch football
and talk with his dad,
while pretending my mother-in-law
is not really so bad.

My parents will argue.
They always do.
My dad's always wrong (or so says mom)
but that is nothing new.

Then we'll gather around
and all play a game.
The children will be so happy
that everyone came.

In the blink of an eye,
they'll be on their way,
not to be seen
until the next holiday.

Week One

2006-11-14T18:51:00.000-08:00

I promise that this is not going to become a blog about my diet, but I do need to talk a bit about my first week. I lost 6 1/2 pounds in one week! Not only did I lose the weight, but I feel great too. I am not hungry, I am not cranky, and I do not feel like I am missing anything. I really thought that I was going to go crazy without bread and pasta, but it isn't that hard. I have even made pasta and biscuits for my kids without eating any at all. We finally got the rest of the Halloween candy out of the house, so that is one less temptation. But even when it was here, I only cheated once or twice. How cool is a diet where you can even cheat a little bit and still lose over 5 pounds in one week?

I haven't even cleaned out my house of any and all 'bad' foods because I have kids who like to have snacks. The cool thing is that I didn't need to clear the cabinets. I get to eat enough meals and snacks that I am not craving the kid's junk. I even get to have desserts. There are these recipes for ricotta cheese desserts that are very tasty. Also, I can have sugar-free ice pops, jello, and pudding. When I am dying for something crunchy, I reach for a handful of nuts. It is amazing how much more filling the nuts are than a whole bowl of chips or pretzels. I am eating lovely omelets for breakfast each morning, salad or leftovers for lunch, and meat or fish and veggies for dinner. When you throw in a few snacks each day and dessert, there is just no way to be hungry on this plan.

Rosie, you really are an inspiration. You took charge of your body and your health and made it work. You didn't go for quick fix surgery or pills, you did it the old fashioned way and I think it is great. I will definitely hit you up for recipes. If anyone else out there has great low-fat, good carb recipes, just send them along! BTW, I made a South Beach Eggplant Rollitini the other night that was great!

This will be my last diet blog for awhile. I promise to move on to more interesting topics, like how am I going to survive Thanksgiving with my parents, my in-laws, my husband's 'special' cousin, and my own 3 kids without killing someone. It may be a South Beach no-no, but I think I will need a bit of help from the vino next week!

South Beach Love!

2006-11-10T16:52:00.000-08:00

OK, I know that everyone has done the whole diet thing to death, but I have to talk about this. I started the South Beach diet on Monday. I know that it is not a new diet, in fact I did once before. I started on Monday and I am already down 5 pounds. Not too shabby. It is the easiest diet to follow. You can eat until you are full, you get meals and snacks, you can even have dessert! The first two weeks are pretty restrictive on carbs. The only carbs you can have are in veggies. No bread, no pasta, no candy, no sugar, and no booze. I thought it would be much harder than it is, but after a couple of days, I was fine. The other restrictions are on high fat foods. It is kind of a combo between Atkins philosophy and low fat philosophy. It seems to make sense.

I am not a fad dieter. The only fad-like diet I have ever done was the master cleanse (the lemonade diet that Robin Quivers did) which was awesome, but you can't do it while you are nursing. I don't think of South Beach as a fad diet. It was developed by a doctor who was trying to help his patients with heart issues. The diet is more about improving your blood chemistry than about loosing weight. It all revolves around avoiding highly processed foods and eating items that are as close to their natural state as possible. When you think about it, it makes sense. What is healthier, a slice of white bread or a slice of multi-grain bread, an apple or a glass of apple juice? I hope to be able to ride this diet to a new lifestyle, not just for me, but for my family as well. Then maybe I can say goodbye to the fat three kids have put on my ass!
BTW, Rosie is a big influence behind me deciding to do something. If you don't know her, check out her blog, From the Neck Up!

Time to Participate!

2006-11-07T10:28:00.000-08:00

That's right folks, it is the first Tuesday of November, time to go vote! I can't believe how many people don't plan to vote today. Think of the number of people who have died trying to get the right to vote. Think of all the people around the world who would love the chance to have a say in their government. It is your duty, it is your responsibility, it is your privilege to go vote!
This is such an important year. Polls show that the majority of Americans are unhappy with the direction our country is heading. If you want to see change you have to make it happen. I am not going to pretend to be a friend of the GOP, but I don't care how you vote as long as you do it! It is pouring rain here in the ATL, but I will still go out to do my part. Remember, you can't complain about the government if you don't vote! So vote or shut up!!!
For all you young men out there (I know that there are soooooo many of you reading this blog), just keep in mind that the draft is a real possibility. The economy, the environment, terrorism, education, etc. There are way more reasons to vote than not to vote!
Happy Election Day!

My Ungrateful Children

2006-11-03T12:18:00.000-08:00

I am a mom. I love my kids. Really, I do. But, they have a tendency to drive me round the bend. I spend my days taking care of my house and kids. I clean their rooms, sort their laundry, scrub their toilets (I have boys who have no aim at all!), pack their lunches, cook their dinners, drive to their sporting events and practices, help with homework, cuddle them when they fall down, read them stories, wax their eyebrows (my oldest has a serious unibrow issue), break up their fights, e-mail their teachers, play endless board games, wipe their asses (and noses and hands, and faces), rock them, sing to them, and any number of typical mom things. For the most part, I do not complain about doing these things (I do whine about the pee-crusted toilets). I have great kids, and they do say please and thank you. They probably say thank you more than most kids.

Out of my three beautiful boys, do you think one of them could say mama as their first word? No way! For the oldest it was cookie, totally understandable since my grandmother started giving him Vienna Fingers when he was 3 months old. For my middle son, it was dada. Also understandable since he has always been his daddy's boy. The two of them used to sleep together in the recliner, my hubby would hold him like a football, it was sooooo cute! But just a couple of days ago, my baby, my sweetie, my (probably) last child, said......dada! I am with my baby all the time, he and I are like frick and frack. Everywhere I go, he goes. I spend my days watching Noggin and playing on the floor. I am totally in love with the little cutiepants. Most mornings his dad is gone before he wakes up. Most nights his dad gets home only an hour or so before bed. He does spend time with daddy on the weekends, but not nearly the amount of hours that we spend together.

Would it have killed him to give me a mama? I know that the d sound is easier than the m sound. I know that most babies say dada before they say mama. I know that it is not personal. I know that he loves me. But I really would have loved to hear that mama.

Happy Halloween

2006-10-31T18:57:00.000-08:00

Happy Halloween everyone! Even as I sit here, I can feel the sugar coursing through my system. I am sure that I will be up 1/2 the night. It was a good day. The baby and I ran errands in his 'daytime costume.' A Winnie the Pooh costume that is 12 years old! My oldest son wore it for his first Halloween. Everywhere we went people ooohed and ahhed appropriately over his complete cuteness. After his afternoon nap I changed him into his 'evening costume', a pumpkin costume that is 6 years old. My middle son wore it for his first Halloween. Then I dressed my 6 year old in his costume, a fire ninja (I didn't even know there was such a thing).
I loaded the baby in the stroller and the three of us made our way down the street for the neighborhood Halloween Parade. This is a very liberal use of the word parade. A few strollers, a wagon, a scooter, and a few kids on foot made up our 'parade.' I don't think Macy's needs to worry about us! We ended the parade in the pool parking lot where there were some cute activities. The kids had a great time and the adults got to stand around and gossip.
Then it was time for the best part of the day, Trick-or-Treating! I took the baby to two or three houses, then dropped him back at my place with the hubby. He loves to be the official candy-passer-outer. Any kid who comes to trick-or-treat without a costume has to answer math questions for candy. It is pretty funny and he has a reputation in the neighborhood. After I dropped off my little pumpkin, I went around with my 6 year old. We have the best neighborhood for trick-or-treating. There are about 70 houses, so it is not too big. Also, there is a bit of a tradition around here, we have candy for the kids and beer for the parents. Whenever your cup is empty you can get a refill at one of the houses! It is a total trip and it makes hoofing it around the hood way more fun. Also, a bunch of people set up haunted houses and tables of snacks and drinks. It is a great night for all kids and adults. Only down here in the crazy south would they have booze at the houses on Halloween! My next post will be from rehab!!!!

Movie Night Anyone?

2006-10-26T15:54:00.000-07:00

So, I have been thinking about movie lines. You know, the ones that stick in your head forever. The ones that you just have to pop into every conversation you can. The ones that are part of your vernacular.
You have to understand that the hubby and I are movie buffs, big movie buffs. In fact, we even owned a video store at one point. We don't get to go to the movies as often as we would like, three kids makes that a bit difficult, but we rent movies a lot and we have every movie channel that is out there to have. So, we are into the whole movie thing. And we quote movies, all the time. Seriously, I think that we quote either a movie or a TV show every day in our house. My kids even quote movies that they have never seen, they have just heard us use the lines over and over again.
Which leads me to the point of this post, What are the best movie lines of all time?
Here are a few of my favorites:

1. "Leave the gun, take the cannolis." You just can't have a favorite movie quote list without The Godfather, it has to be one of the most quoted movies of all time.

2. "You must chill, I have hidden your keys." Say Anything, I just love that young, cute John Cusack

3. "Goose, you big stud, take me to bed or loose me forever!" Top Gun, Meg Ryan was so cute in this movie. There are sooooo many good lines from this movie! Another fav, "Son, your ego is writing checks your body can't cash."

4. "Should we or should we not follow the advice of the galactically stupid." A Few Good Men, again there are so many lines from this movie. Also love, "You want me on that wall, you need me on that wall."

5. "Nobody puts Baby in the corner." Dirty Dancing, complete guilty pleasure movie, but Patrick Swayze is so hot in it.

I would love to hear about other movie lines that I forgot. Let me know your favs.

Big Brother is Watching

2006-10-19T08:25:00.000-07:00

The US government, it all of it's wisdom, has decided that I am a danger to myself. How so? It is not that I smoke (I don't), or that I drink (I do), or that I am taking too many different prescription drugs (no comment). No my problem is far worse, far more insidious. I....Play internet poker! Now, try to stop thinking all of those horrible things about me, I am not a bad person, not really.
Seriously, the US has passed legislation, and Dictator, I mean President, Bush has signed it into law, making it illegal for me to put my money into an internet poker account. Apparently, the fact that I enjoy cards and have been playing internet poker for the last two years on the same $50 means that I have a problem, or could develop a problem. Poker has been a great way for me and my husband to 'hang out' with our friends back in Jersey. We can all log on, sit down at the same table, and play cards and chat. It is almost as nice as when we all got together for home games in my kitchen. An important note, Poker is not gambling. Anyone who plays the game can tell you that it is a game of skill. When you play poker you are not playing against the house (always a losing proposition), you are playing against the other people at the table. If your skills are better than their skills, you win. It is that simple. Gambling is plopping your money down on a roulette table and waiting to see where the ball falls (another game that I love).
What is the logic behind this big brother type control? The children. We must prevent our children from becoming compulsive gamblers. As a mother of three, two of which already play poker with us at home, I feel that it is my responsibility to parent my children, not the Government's. Also, you need a credit card to sign up for an internet poker account. Children should not have credit cards to use. I know that I am always teaching my kids to avoid credit cards. But what about the poor college kids? These poor, misled children could put themselves into deep debt and become compulsive gamblers. It would seem to me that the bigger problem is the banks that are handing out high limit credit cards to college kids like they were candy on Halloween. Where is the legislation to stop the credit card companies from providing these poor kids with the crack that will keep them in debt forever? Oh, that's right, the banking lobby takes care of our legislators, so they would never pass a law that would hurt the banks. Who cares that debt is far larger problem in the US than gambling?
So, at the end of the day, I can sit down with a gallon of vodka, a cartoon of Lucky Strikes, and handful of Oxycoton, but my government has saved me from spending $25 on my entertainment. Wow, do I feel safer already.

What are the best albums ever?

2006-10-17T13:49:00.000-07:00

So, last night the hubby and I were watching Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, one of the best new shows on TV this fall, and Sting was a guest star. BTW, he is at least 50 years old and still hot as hell! So we are watching Sting play the lute and sing 'Fields of Gold' when I make the comment that Synchronicity by the Police is one of the best records of all time. Why do I say this? Simple, it is one of the few albums that you can listen to start to finish without wanting to skip any songs. Every song on the album is good. You can't say that about too many records. Even albums by some of my favorite artists have a dog or two on them. Some notable exceptions, U2 The Joshua Tree, REM Automatic for the People (this album was first suggested by the hubby which is a true miracle since he is a music retard!), and anything by Pink Floyd. And, I have to say, I really need to be in the mood to listen to Pink Floyd. So, I am wondering, what other albums are out there that I don't know about or didn't think of? Let me know. Just one rule, Greatest Hits albums don't count, each song on them has already proven itself. Let me know what you all think!

Here we go!

2006-10-08T08:45:00.000-07:00

Hi all, welcome to my strange little world. I plan to use this space to talk about all the odd things that I seem to see out there. I may rant a little, I may complain a little, but mostly I just need to share all the weird, crazy, and idiotic crap that happens around me everyday. You would think that a wife and mother would not run into all that much craziness, and yet, it seems that everyone down here is crazy!
I am a Jersey Girl through and through, and now I am stuck down here in Georgia and everything is strange. This was not a choice, my husband had a great job opportunity, so one year ago we packed up the house and kids and down we came. I don't want to sound like I am only complaining, the move has had some amazing results. I no longer have to work full time, we have a great house, and we were able to add a new member to our family. None of these things would ever have happened in New Jersey, it would have been financially impossible. But, things are very different down here.
Everyone is nice, all the time. It all seems so completely fake. No one is nice all the time. You just have this feeling that they are all smiles and sunshine to your face and then they are flipping you off the minute you turn away. At least in Jersey we are upfront with everything, we say fuck you to your face.
There are no Italian people here! Everyone from Jersey seems to have some Italian blood. Even if you aren't Italian, you spent so much of your life around Italian people, you feel like some of it must have rubbed off on you. This was my first holiday season without at least one person inviting me over for the Seven Fishes on Christmas Eve. And as for Italian restaurants, no way! Back home you could walk into any little hole-in-the-wall pizza joint and get the most amazing penne vodka, but not here. The Italian 'restaurants' are either chains or run by people who are not Italian. It is so weird. Nobody even has a last name that ends in a vowel.
There are Baptist Churches everywhere. There are so many churches, that they advertise. They send out bulk mailings of postcards trying to get you to join their church. The nearest Catholic Church is about 30 minutes away. And forget about trying to find a synagogue. They all think that my husband and I are going to hell. Maybe we are, but this is just another example of how all that niceness is crap. Sure they smile to your face, but when your back is turned, they are condemning you to an eternity in flames.
This place is crawling with Republicans. I feel like the odd man out all the time. I don't have a problem with lively political debate, there were plenty of republicans in Jersey, but it is weird being the only people who didn't drink the red Koolaid.
As I make my way in this odd world, I will let you know about all the strange things I witness down here in the South.