NYC Tornado 2010

Another wacky day in the Big Apple yesterday. Work was as hectic as ever and, as usual, still at my desk at 5:30pm. I started hearing thunder & catching glimpses of lightning bolts. I waited a bit longer before leaving for the pounding rain to slow down. By the time I made it outside, I was surprised to see that not only was it not raining, but streets were drying out as well.

Made it to Penn with no problem. And then...big problem! All trains were suspended due to bad weather and a tree down on tracks outside tunnel. That is how the long night began.

I found a nice AC vent to stand under to wait for an announcement. I started texting when an old bus-commuter friend came up to me. {{{Flashback}}} Fiona & I often met at bus stop a long while ago where we would chat through the bus ride, throughout subway to final destination - Penn. I immediately said "Drinks?" Her response in her thick Irish Brogue, "Sure." So we went up to the bar, had some nips 'n sips and caught up. Once we realized we weren't getting a train we both grabbed our cells and texted our bosses. My boss is bigger then hers, within 15 my plight was handled. Fiona's shortly after. (SPOILER ALERT! Fiona got home way before me)

Now some folks may have bitched, moaned, groaned, & cursed at this hiccup in getting home. I saw this as an unexpected adventure. As I twittered (Facebook-style) "Stranded with people everywhere. Maybe I'll fine my Prince Charming in this crowd. After all, isn't that how good love stories begin?"

So now that you have a feel for how the night was headed, I'll bullet-point you through my night.

• Went to Hotel Penn to meet one of Lenny's drivers - Khan
• Blackberry locked - had to approach strangers to help me unlock it
• Lost texting- didn't know it & felt lonely while waiting and nobody responding to my texts
• Khan finally arrives
• Avoided major highways as all were stopped at a standstill
• Stopped for gas
• And talked to my new bestie Khan for 4.5 hrs. Simply stated...I hope drivers honor 'client confidentiality.' As long as "...whatever is stated in car STAYS in car..." Lots of laughs, shared secrets, and OMG comments for all the trees torn in half.
• Finally hit some open road after tree-strewn Woodhaven Blvd. accelerated from 0.05 to a good 65.
• Walked through house doors by 12:10a.a.m. the next morning. Logan, dad, animals...happy I made it!

Shout out to phone supporters: Jen, Tina, Karen, Dad and Logan
And thanks to Jen, Carol, Kate, Lenny, & of course, the mighty Khan (very tall man when he stepped out of car)

I had no complaints other than tired and long commute home - 7 hours since I left the office.

On a very serious note, it certainly was not an adventure for many people. It was especially sad to hear that a 30 year old woman was killed after pulling over to the side of the parkway and changing seats with her husband. Keep her in your prayers as well as her husband who is resting in hospital.

The National Weather Service has confirmed that two tornadoes touched down in New York on September 16, 2010. The tornadoes turned the sky from day to night, tore down trees and caused damage estimated to be in the millions.

Blackberry Blogging

I did it. I finally committed (for one year) to becoming the proud, overly excited, owner of a Blackberry a.k.a. BB owner. For the past two days during this holiday weekend, I have been racing to my BB to see if there are any messages. You see I now have at my fingertips access to my personal email, Facebook, texting, & let's not forget phone calls. Notice how the phone portion of the many communicators take a back seat to all other features.

Too my senior fans, this will all seem very foreign to you. To the not-so-senior readers, YOU get it. I see this as a freedom to have access to all. I am not a slave to it (heck,yes...I am), but I love my new master. All hail the great & powerful Blackberry! {{{kneeling}}

As I have to run to start this busy day with Logan's return, school starting, and tying up some loose ends at work, know I will BBB (BB blogging) more often. I haven't master including an image. Therefore, my BBB will be noted by this format. Tootles!

Introducing "Hurricane Earl"

It is hurricane season down south and guess who is on his annual "escape-the-hurricane" cruise? Yep, Logan left with his dad last Friday to cruise out of Florida down to Cozumel, Costa Rica, and Panama. Tomorrow is the last port visit (Panama) and then two days at sea before returning to our coastline again.

The night before he left, he was so,so talkative. I was quite exhausted as I had dental surgery that morning. After a day of pain killers and lying around, I was ready for bed by 11pm. Guess who walks in my room and says, "Mom, I'm not tired - let's talk?" Knowing he'd be unavailable to me for the next ten nights, I forced my eyes open and had the best conversation -- 2 hours, mind you -- with my favorite person.

As he talked and talked and laughed and talked, I recognized as a very experienced talker myself, that he was just happy, excited, and wound up. This really brought home the fact that he lives for cruises. So, as another school year begins next week, we will have to roll up our sleeves and get him on the right path to a great university with a top-notch Hospitality curriculum.

Speaking of school (like that way I switched topics?)...summer is ending and the new school year begins next Tuesday. Logan will be the top grade of his middle school as he begins 8th Grade. His first year at this middle school was his best year yet; last year best year (6th Grade) was bypassed. His 7th Grade core teachers team were fantastic. In fact, they like him so much that they went overboard at the end of the year when they gave out "silly awards." I had to remind them that no matter how great they thought he was, they need to remember that as teachers they need to keep dignity part of the awards. No harm - no foul. A couple phone calls from teachers to Logan and all was fine.

Rereading this post, makes me think that it's not my best work. But I know my #1 fan (shout out to Haboo) enjoys waking up to some Butterfly Living. Remember even butterflies just float around sometimes.

More tomorrow when I describe Day 2 of Gazelle Living. After all, today IS September 1. What better day to begin a new routine that on a "1" date. G'night fans!

"Apicoectomy A-P-I-C-O-E-C-T-O-M-Y Apicoectomy"

If only that word was familiar to me because it was given to me in my 5th grade spelling bee. Alas, I learned it the hard way. If I was asked to spell it, I would stand in front of the class and say:

Apicoectomy...8 9 5 D O L L A R S...Apicoectomy

Or I might simply say it as I've heard it all week. From the emergency dentist visit on Monday morning "looks like you might need an apico(ectomy*)," or again later at the Oral Surgeon's off "yes, you'll need an apico...or we can pull the tooth." And again when the office manager called to say my dental plan will cover the apico for $825 or extract the tooth for $70.

Knowing that I had an already overcrowded mouth which resulted in nine (9!) teeth pulled when I was 12 or 13 pre-braces. Four of the nine were adult teeth. Take away my four wisdom teeth eight years later, and I was left with 24 teeth. Since an implant would cost about $3500 when all was said and done, I thought it best to save the tooth for the total cost of $895 (included $70 consult with surgeon.)

So there I was this morning, sitting back in a very comfortable dental chair and counted my way through 85 Hail Mary's before he snapped off his glove and said "Done." I did not feel a thing. Even the initial needle was nothing, thanks to the to the numbing gel they use nowadays. As of now, 7.5 hours later, the only pain felt was in my wallet.

And so my message to all you folks afraid of the dentist...
#1 - there is no pain anymore. Novocaine works wonders.
#2 - take care of the teeth now and save on financial loss for later.
#3 - the $70 extraction would have cost me more than the implant if I couldn't afford that . Dentist let me know that bottom molar, side teeth, and teeth in upper jaw (apico was done on bottom root canaled tooth) all would shift over time.

Go now. Don't walk. Run--------> DENTIST

I know that I immediately made Logan's next appointment for his dentist. So, make that call today if yo haven't seen your dentist in the last 6 months. And if it's been more than six years...make that call yesterday!

*Apicoectomy: also known as root end surgery, is an endodontic surgery procedure involving the surgical removal (ectomy) of the tip of a tooth root (apex), and the sealing of the root canal. The purpose of an apicoectomy procedure is to fight an infection in the tissues surrounding the tip of the root and save the tooth from extraction.

The Man of the House...Introducing Logan!

For the first time since my marriage ended, there is a man in the house. If you've been a faithful reader, you know then that Logan has been growing, expanding, and maturing. Well, the other day when I was a slave to the computer (work!), he decided to put together my new exercise machine,the Gazelle. I thought he could do it alone but was expecting a few cuss words or grunts or even a "Mommmm! Come help me." None of that happened. After a short hour away from me with one trip to the bathroom, it was done.

I went down to the basement and there in the middle of the room was the Gazelle in its full glory. I was beaming and he looked proud. Gently, I stood on it and was happy to feel secure enough to start gliding. With a few minor tightening of bolts, I was ready to go. Of course, being the "fluffy" person I am (Logan's term), it was a short glide and back to the computer.

Once again, Logan impresses me with how capable he is. I often say that my role as a parent is to develop a capable young person. Now, I can't take credit for terming that phrase. That goes to Dr. Stephen Glenn who has developed an entire series of parental help in his series of DCYP books. Seeing Logan grow into this reliable young man, reminds me that a product of divorce does not have to be a negative result. Let me delve further into this...

A couple of summers ago, Michele had come by to pick up Logan to spend the afternoon at her house while I was at work. She was so impressed when she came to the door and he told her to wait a minute while he locks up the dog. He proceeded to yell up to Papa that Michele was here and he was going. Made sure dog was in from the backyard. Shut all room doors so our furry-garbage eater wouldn't go into all the rooms and eat from the tin snack buckets that we lay around (trash cans.) Grabbed his swim bag and locked the door behind him. Back then, he showed responsibility. Over the years, it's progressed to becoming the man of the house.

How lucky I am!

Three Trains, Two Cars, & a Wedding

Today was Lindsey and Ed's wedding in Upper Saddle River. Gisele and Phil's was a bit closer in Newark. Valerie's got even closer to home - Port Washington. Robyn's so long ago and Bill drove - no idea what town that was. And my favorite wedding of work friends was Jen and Elie's in Huntington. How convenient (and fun!)

As you may know, I'm no longer comfortable driving by myself across the bridges or through the city streets; so I prefer to use public transportation. And there was a lot of that today.

I took the LIRR to Penn where I caught a NJ Transit train to Jen by her parent's in Little Silver, NJ and off we went for a 1.5 hr car ride. I left my house at 11:30am and it was non-stop movement, be it train or car and the last 300 feet fast little flip flop feet.

I really thought 4.5 hours was enough time to get us to the Church on time, {shout out to David Bowie} but when they closed the Church doors on me to prepare for the bride's walk, I was left looking for Jen & lil' Nate to come join me outside and listen to the wedding march. As always, Lucky Karen was rewarded with seeing the beautiful bride on her dad's arm as she stepped out of the bridal suite and walk right past me into the Church. Nobody got the photo that I did...and I love that view!

Jen and I were then ushered up to the balcony. Pretty neat looking down this small, old Church and seeing everything unobstructed. I kept my little cell video on and got different clips. As I looked around, I saw one of the bridesmaids across the balcony from me next to the organist. I realized she must be singing a song for them. It was only when Jen walked to the small room to my right when we realized all eyes were upon us...I mean...the singer. Jen went in her room and I ducked down so that it wouldn't be all about me. C'mon - late entrance, balcony seating...screams me, me, me!

After the final kiss, or is the first kiss?, Jen & I went downstairs to remove the stroller from the bridal suite. If you think about it, Lindsey probably never expected us to come to the Church, we were the last ones to arrive, I'm sure she didn't want to see my face as she tucked her arm in her father's, and now...a baby stroller is in her former sanctuary. Oh, well, as Dionne Warwick sings, "...that's what friends are for...keep smiling...for good times and bad times I'll be on your side forever more. That's what friends are for.."

The adventure continued as we used my GPS to find a local McDonald's to simply go to the bathroom. We were on winding roads and going in circles. We then had Jen's GPS ready to bring us back to the city. Soon, we didn't know what voice to listen to as we were told "make the next legal u-turn" a couple of times. think about it - two commands to make 'next legal u-turn' and your simply chasing your tail.

We finally stopped at an ice-cream store, did our business, and off to the Big Apple. We went on our separate ways and are both now resting comfortably thinking of our dear friend as she dances in her husband's arm and daydreams about their honeymoon in Greece. Now if I only could have added a plane ride to this entry's title...I might be that much more tempted to go to another colleague wedding. Hmmm! Kate or Emily...destination wedding calls! What am I saying...maybe my next wedding calls? You never know! And that one my friends, will be very close to my home.

Happy Long Loving Lives Together...Lindsey & Ed!

You've "weighted" A While Now

Yes. It's true. You've been waiting a while to hear about how the weight loss is going. Happy to say that "it's" finally going. Back in April, you may remember that I had the band adjusted after a year of no adjustments.

Remember, I wasn't hungry and I thought I had hit my "sweet spot," meaning found the perfect fit for my band and the amount of saline. Well, it's now four months and three days later. I am happy to say that I'm between 20-25lbs lighter since then. Can't give you an exact number because 2009 was the year of limbo, minimum tracking, and many mini successes.

Mini successes can also translate as many successes. My mom had recently asked me if I could do it over, would I? At that time, it had only been a month since I was adjusted. I shared at that moment the many mini successes that I had over the previous two years since surgery.

How many successes? Let's count...

1. Stop binging.
2. Wake up knowing that you didn't gain any weight since the morning before.
3. Thinner than I was the year before.
4. Even thinner that two years before.
5. Smaller clothes sizes.
6. Didn't gain any weight in a year.
7. Didn't gain weight in two years.
8. Maintained and still enjoyed a lil' bit of everything.
9. No pain or reactions to the band.

I could probably think of more, but would people really understand these victories? I think only somebody who struggles(ed) with this could appreciate the many mini "whew" moments that I experienced.

Ironically, shortly after this conversation, the weight started coming off. Ironic because I had ended that conversation with mom by saying that one day that one extra loss of a pound will be the push that would get me going. And adding to the irony, it occurred during that visit of mom and Rudi.

I had lost about 7 pounds that previous month, but who notice? I really didn't and that was with stepping on a scale. But all of a sudden, the loss amounted to 60 lbs during that visit. Wow. I was now closer to losing 100 lbs than I was 11 lbs ago.

Now fast forward to today. I'm down 75 lbs and actually thinking more about walking, stretching, and little exercises. Thinking is step one for me. Logan, who stops swimming for two months, is continuing to keep in shape with pull ups, sit ups, push ups, jump roping, and some light weights. I asked him to train me BUT to start slow. So far it's been only a couple lady push up here and a 4-step run at the jump rope. Unbeknownst to him, when he returns from his next cruise, I'll be all ready for that little drill sergeant. Yes - he's even referred to me as a Maggot. I am now the proud owner of a Gazelle (Still in its box as we wait for the missing handlebars...okay I just lied. They were missing and the replacement bars were delivered yesterday. We'll put it together on Monday when he's back with me.) I would like to include daily walks plus a little routine of push ups, sit ups, and jump roping while he's away.

Yes - you thin or active people would say, "don't wait - do it now." But I will weight...a little more psyching up is needed. But trust me when I say...all in good time...all in good time.

The Championships 2010

Summer swim season has ended. Logan's team the Piranhas did very well. They tied for third out of six. Logan's individual victories were more exciting. The summer season is a short one - six weeks. Out of the five meets, Logan missed two while on vacation but had a great record with the three he attended; he came in first for all his individual races - breast stroke and butterfly. Anybody who knows Logan, knows that when it comes to his breast stroke, he's got it. It's especially fun to watch him do his team medley races.

It's always the same order: back, breast, fly, and freestyle. No matter how good the backstroker may be, we could be in 5th (out of 6) place, everybody sits back and knows that Logan will pull the team to first in most cases. At the championship, he did just that. He swam by swimmer #5, #4, #3, and a fingernail behind #1. The team came in third but watching Logan and then young Justin (a-m-a-z-i-n-g butterflyer) was so exciting.

Now when it was time for his individual race of butterfly, it was almost like watching Michael Phelps..less than 6/10 of a second behind first place. He was awesome! Proud mama here!

Now the challenge is to encourage Logan to join the national team when school starts. Either way, he's already committed to the school team and Church team. This boy has gills and for that reason alone...he won't be out of the water for long.

"We're off to see the Wizards..."

"...the most wonderful wizards of all!"

That's right - we went to Hogwart's School of Wizardry for our summer vacation. To the Harry Potter fans, you'll enjoy this blog more than the muggles as you will understand what I'm actually saying at all points of this blog entry.

Since apparating and disapparating, are not allowed, I flew with Jet Blue to meet up with Logan for a day before leaving. Not have floo powder available, we thought of taking Ron's dad's car...but couldn't find it. I guess its still in the Forbidden Forest. Kris was kind enough to drive us across Florida to a small inn in Orlando.

As soon as we got to the inn, we traded our galleons for tickets to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Island of Adventure/Universal Studios. That evening much to Tina's dismay, we enjoyed dinner at Logan's favorite restaurant that was less than a half-mile from the inn. Buffalo Wild Wings for all! We went on to City Walk and enjoyed some ice cream in the sweltering heat of August...in Florida. (Need I say more!)

Early the next morning, Kris dropped us off at the shuttle bus and off we went. You should have seen my eyes light up when we walked into Hogsmeade Village. It was like walking into the favorite part of my literary mind. No longer did I have to steal visions from the movies or create them in my mind...I was walking, touching, breathing, seeing, smelling, and yes, tasting Harry Potter (literately not literally.)

Unfortunately, the "big ride" was not big enough for me. Yet. We were fortunate to walk to the front of the line and walk through the Hogwart's castle. It was too short for my excitement, but it was so darn neat. We went on to enjoy some Pumpkin Juice as we waited to buy a wand at Olivander's Wand Shop. Two young siblings were chosen out of the group of 30 or so to find their ideal wands. The first was too strong, the other too unpredictable, but the third -- ahhh ahhhhh -- perfect. ("William - stand straight!") We went on to purchase Logan's birth wand made of holly, but alas, there were no more.

We moved on quickly through the Owlry which was under a wooden canopy...barn would have been so more inviting. And then it was off for lunch (10:30am) at the Three Broomsticks. Here is where we had our first official Hogsmeade Butterbeer. Personally, my own recipe at home is better but only on a cold day. The chilled and frozen versions that we imbibed were quite yummy.

After walking through Honeyduke's Sweet Shop and Zonko's Magic Shop, we left Hogsmeade to enjoy the rest of the park. Quickly deciding that Island of Adventure was not our thing, we went to the other park, Universal, and spent the day on line, drinking cold beverages, eating snacks, and going on rides. Logan's favorite was Disaster where the crowd was part of the four-part movie process. To enjoy and see his excitement at the development of picking actors, assigning parts, doing stunts, and putting it all together...makes me think that perhaps acting could be part of his future.

It was time for me to put on my ruby slippers and click my heels together. "There's no place like home, there's no place like home, there's....hooray, Kris waiting for us down by buses." And home to mom it was!

Summer Daze

Summer days have come and gone...and only a few weeks left!

The highlights of the past seven weeks included special memories, summer fun, and a reminder of how quick time flies.

Official vacation for Logan began on June 24 with nearly a week of 1.5 hrs classes prior to the start.

Within in a few days,the summer swim team met every morning for a good hour and a half of serious swimming, occasional water polo matches, and I'm sure lots of dunking as Logan enjoys his teammates Kevin (from school), PJ & Tim (last year's teammates & friends.)

We went on to enjoy Tobay Beach in the evening with our friends and another great evening when Mom came in for a week. There were also a handful of Robert Moses beach days for Logan and pals.

As movie buffs, we enjoyed Eclipse, Grown Ups, The Sorcerer's Apprentice, The Other Guys, plus Logan did some random movies with his dad.

Mom came to enjoy a great, HOT, week with us. This has been an insanely hot summer with absolutely no lush lawns and many wilting flowers. While I worked my 3 days in and 2 half-days home for the summer, Mom kept Logan busy and hydrated (beach 2x, pool 1x.) It was so, so lovely to just be able to sit and relax. After working such long days, I've become one of those "happy-to-just-be-sitting-at-home" people.

Girls, girls, girls - so happy was I to share my Mom and my 'girlz' for a night at Michele's home. The word home...is truly defined by this cozy, warm haven that Michele has created for her family.) We had a night of food, fun, wine, and women...what can be nicer. The guests were Kelly, Tina, Kerry, Lenora, Anna, Michele + mom and me.

And then...the biggest highlight...Logan's 13th birthday! Now where did the time go?!? He spent the night before with his dad and then joined me, mom, and my dad back at the house for presents, pizza, and ice cream cake. His fun gift (always need a fun one!) was the iPod Karaoke stand that he got. At first, he was a bit shy, but by dinner time - it was dinner and a show for all.

The next day, Logan was off to Florida for 15 days with mom and Rudi with Kris sprinkled in. Stay tuned for the next installment of SUMMER DAZE.

A Night in the West Village

Working in the city for over 17 years and rarely hanging out after hours...may be a thing of the past. I met up with Lynda at her apartment in the village and had the best time. We began with a short walk from her place off Christopher Street to the Village for a fantastic dinner at Alta.

Lynda being a tiny little thing and me eating like a tiny little thing - couldn't have found a better place. This Spanish-Mediterranean style restaurant served the best tapas-small plates of yummy delights. After enjoying a refreshing glass of fresh sangria and filled-tummies of all different tastes, we went on to a "typical" bar for the West Village community and then on to an even better bar with piano playing, crowd singing, alcohol drinking folks, and Lynda - an amazing woman in her own rite.

The convenience of the subway right there and direct ride to Penn made it an evening that I will probably do more often. It was so nice to be out and not talk about work, being a mom, being a suburbanite, and just enjoying the people watching and remembering how to just unwind.

Now the flip side to a "night in the west village" will be tonight's " night at the beach." So I'm going from city partying to family celebrating with healthy summer fun. Tonight Logan and I will meet up with the local group of friends for splashing in the water (kids) and parents watching on (adults) relaxing in our chairs by water's edge. It's been so hot that it will be nice to feel a breeze and ocean freshness.

I guess that means...city...islander...it's all good as long as I'm enjoying myself!

And the Rockets Red Glare...

...fireworks bursting in air. Gave proof that Tina's party was indeed here!

Yes, the annual 4th of July party at Tina's took place this year at her home instead of our other venue - her cousin Kim's house. It was as always so much fun - food, friends, and fabulous fireworks.

This was my year "with Logan" and something we look forward to each summer. To be fair to Bill, he has never kept Logan from attending. This makes it much nicer for me as I think the pool, the kids, and the familiarity is great for Logan to count on. Not too mention that I know Chris' family since I'm little and it's like seeing my own childhood in reverse as I see our many offspring interacting. Susie's boys with Logan, Tommy's older boy (15) interacting, the many girls giggling away and thinking that the boys are stupid - it warms my heart.

This year's fireworks were bigger and better than ever before as well as having three nearby neighbors also setting theirs off. Truly awesome. Chairs all over front lawn, blankets strewn all over, and me dousing myself in bug spray. All the senses alive - sight, scent, sound (fireworks)...and even touch (ashes from above) and taste (bug spray and dare I say gun powder.)

An added touch to this year, was we celebrated Lindsay's Graduation, though she and her friends kept their distance from the rest of us. As we loaded up our many bags and did a quick did-I-leave-anything-behind look around, Kelly and I stole some glances at the big kids as they hung out on the side of the house and swam about. Chris had bought a breathalyzer to make sure that nobody (under age) drove under the influence as we can't turn a blind eye to a young group of 18 year olds. He also collected keys - nobody gets keys without breathing into the machine. Kelly and I scored 0.0 which did not surprise us but I think impressed the young girls who saw us enjoy a Sangria at the beginning of the party (4pm - mind you!) All in all, a good viewing for Logan to understand what it means to hang with friends with adult supervision (again talking about the bigger kids.)

So we're home safe and sound. Always happy to arrive home with all limbs, eyes undamaged, and car not blown up driving home. The animals are still a bit bothered by the noise surrounding us. Hoping that they can relax a bit before I have to wake up to let Shadow out. He wouldn't go out at 7:30pm when I brought food home to dad or when we came home at 10pm.

A great day with a few fleeting thoughts that this day many years ago was my wedding day in Jamaica. I think the bigger surprise is that it's been seven years since Bill moved out (next Saturday is that anniversary), two years before that of arguing and indifference, and only seven years of what I thought was an okay marriage. The time away from Bill is almost greater than the time with him. Not sure how to dissect that and if there is any need to even do that. Maybe it's time to realize that life A.B. (After Bill) is what it's all about. It's almost impossible to remember life with him. I think I'll reclassify it and call it L.W.L. (Life with Logan) and smile at those memories. I'll leave you with this one that warmed my heart today...

Sitting in Church this morning, Logan wrapped his arms around my left arm and rested his head on my left shoulder. I rested my head against the top of his and closed my eyes. Sure, Logan was probably bored and tired...but it was precious to have him draw comfort from my presence. And that is how I will remember my 16th Wedding Anniversary. My souvenir to a so-so marriage...priceless and all mine!

Logan's Confirmation

What a beautiful spring day we had for Logan's Confirmation on May 20, 2010. Mom and Rudi flew up to spend this day with us as well as Bill's parents, my dad, and Mrs. Salerno.

For the past year, Logan has prepared to make his Confirmation through religions ed (actually 7 years of this), his community services, and the various projects it takes to make this commitment. This is his final step for the initiation as a Catholic. During his Baptism, his God parents stood up for him as his acceptance into our faith. This is Logan's chance to stand up for himself and repeat those exact words that were said around him on September 14, 1997.

Mrs. Salerno was chosen by Logan to be his sponsor and stand up with him before the Bishop as he made his vows. We began the day with photos of Logan, Mrs. Salerno, and the family. We went on to the Church and were joined by Bill's parents and Mom and Rudi across the aisle from where dad, me, Logan, and Mrs. Salerno sat with the rest of the Conformati.

Logan was one of the last children to step on the alter (all due to the last name of "S" and the seating arrangements.) He stood before the congregation and presented himself to the Bishop with his name of Anthony. This is one of the beloved saints and also the name of my papa who meant the world to me. It was very emotional for me as the Holy Spirit was called on to bless and guide him. I don't think Logan is at the same place as I am with our faith, but believe he recognized the special moment for what it was. I hope so.

We went on to have a lovely dinner around a table at the Olive Garden. It was so nice to break break with Bill's parents and to share this celebration with them. I had invited Bill, but he did not make it.

Logan's religious education will now continue through attending mass and whatever he can take from it. I will encourage him to be the good person he is meant to be. Since there is no formal training anymore, I will step up as his parent and religious guide to continue to give of himself by giving back to the community every season with a special day of dedication. I'm already looking into seeing what we can do in the summer with the Habitat for Humanity organization in our area. As a soon-to-be 13 year old, he still has a lot to learn and I hope that the foundation of the past seven years, can support a strong faith and belief to guide him through life.

Two Months of Catch Up

As I whispered in my previous post, it's been nearly two months since last post...let me give you a recap of what's been happening:

Houseguests - Mom and Rudi came just short of two weeks and enjoyed some Long Island living. This included visits with friends, Logan's Confirmation, biking in the city, glasses of wines, deep dark conversations, and a glimpse into our every-day-living as a single mom and young tween.

Confirmation - see next posting which will capture that day.

Employed/Unsure/Employed - I was on the edge of my seat for a day or so as I waited to hear if my contract would be extended or if I was going to be released. Happily, it stands that I've been extended again and I am very grateful. Without jinxing anything, it's all looking good.

Waiting on the Weight - I had told mom during her visit that one day and at one pound, I'll find the motivation I need to continue my journey of weight loss. Little did I know that it would happen while she was here. I broke out of the "70s" and am happy to be headed to the "60s." It seems more reachable now and I'm hoping I continue on this path.

Cluttered Mind/Cluttered Life - I've discovered how keeping a balance with my checkbook (overtime helps), my housework (Logan is now actively involved with two chores a day), and my health (had most annual appointments completed), all need to be aligned for me to move forward. I am feeling great all around and finding a great peace with knowing all is in tune.

School Ending - summer vacation begins officially on Thursday for Logan which means that my 9-month routine changes and allows me a different sort of freedom. I'm taking advantage of Wednesdays off and Mondays as half-days at home. That enables me to make the most of our summer before Logan leaves for his many vacations.

And that in a nutshell is what's been going on!

Happy Father's Day!

It's been nearly two months since my last post and so much has happened. I'd like to first wish all the dads in my life a Happy Father's Day. This group of men includes my dad, my stepdad, my former husband, my former father-in-law, the husbands of my many friends, and Logan's future stepdad (wherever he may be...I'm waiting...where are you?!?)

Dads are so different then moms. When you think of a mom, you think of softness, hugs, gentleness, wisdom, etc. When you think of dads, you think of big, strong, provider, protector, and the "man-ly" roles of the family.

For me, I think of my faith and the symbol of fathers as leaders and protectors. It saddens me to not share this day with Logan's dad because it's his role as a father that completed my path to motherhood. I hope that he sets good examples for Logan as in how to treat and respect women. This is a role I cannot take on. I can teach my son to be a gentleman with manners and respect...but will he understand his role as a man, husband, father? I also hope that Bill is able to understand how his actions and reactions set examples for Logan. Remembering his finer qualities, I do encourage Logan to follow his lead. An example is how Bill enjoyed racquet ball and joined leagues not knowing anybody. He followed his heart and was able to do so for himself and nobody else. It's important do embrace and develop our wants regardless of others. It's important to know when to do this and when not too. Let's leave it at that.

On the flip side of the coin, I look at the men in my life and am grateful for the goodness that they brought into my life. My father has introduced me to my faith and taught me how to forgive and move on. My stepfather has taught me to understand that you don't have to be blood to be "one of us" - sorry Rudi...you are! He has taught me to know that not everybody agrees with me...but that's okay. My experiences with my papa and my opa, remind me of the generations before and what they did for their families as their lives were colored with war and loss...and yet survival.

My biggest hope is that Logan learns and understands the many aspects of being a good father and that he can take the good from all and turn the not-so-good into strengths as he -- way down the line -- becomes a father. So with all that said...HAPPY FATHER'S DAY to all and know that you have touched and effected the lives of others.

Love & Hugs!

Karen

In a Blink of an Eye

On what began as an uneventful work-at-home day, developed into a real pain. There I was minding my own business, typing away on my laptop when suddenly I got something in my eye. I began to blink automatically and started the natural process of tearing. This all happened on its own accord. Though it was my legs that propelled me with great speed to the bathroom where I ran the water and kept splashing my eye. Not finding great relief, I opened the medicine cabinet and grabbed Visine. Again, not a great relief but enough to slow me down.

Walking back to my laptop, I grabbed the phone and called Jen. Had to share that I was really uncomfortable. Jen did give me the good advice to “not rub it.” I went on with my work and was still amazed that it was continuing to bother me.

I went to lunch to meet Kelly & Tina. I brought the eye drops with me…just in case. I spent the hour at lunch holding a wet napkin to my eye, grabbing a shot glass from the bartender to create my own eye-wash in the restroom, and finally called the doctor form the table.

Rushing home and then off to the doctor’s, I was surprised when he wanted me to go to the optometrist right away. He did not like that whatever it was had come on so fast. Rushing to pick up Logan who had stayed after school for Studio Art prep, I was now in agony. This agony was not so much pain as it was discomfort and making all my senses out of whack. My head hurt, I was nauseous, and couldn't concentrate.

By the time, I found the office and parked, I was mumbling to myself and losing all patience. Logan was kind and put up with my short answers and whining. We signed in and I suddenly turned into my father.

Picture Logan and me 30 years from now (and that’s how I became my dad.) Logan helped me fill out the paper work; he sat next to me telling me to keep my comments to myself. Oh c’mon “boo hoo” for the boy who’s mother said his allergies were acting up. Really!

Now back to the present as I rocked gently and started whimpering “God, make it stop, make it stop. Please call me next. Please.” I kept my sunglasses on as the light – dim lights! – were so bright. Shutting my eyes hurt and then dreading that I had to open them. Did you know the average person blinks 120x a minute? Do you know when it hurts to blink it feels like 1200x?

Relief was near. They called my name. I nearly sprinted to the examination room. I was thrilled to sit in the dim lit room with Logan looking on from the sidelines. Some eye drops to numb ‘em did the trick. Life was good again – truly it was. I realized I wasn’t going blind, I would live to see Logan’s handsome adult face, and now had a reason to lose weight. (What I didn’t share up until this point was that I had already mapped out what would happen to me as I went blind. You see the right eye that was injured is my good eye. We all know that I don’t really use my left eye for my “real vision.” It’s just an awesome peripheral vision tool.)

Doctor came in and did his thing which included rolling my eyelid like a window blind with a q-tip as the wooden base. He called Logan over to have him look and proceeded to remove something from inside the underneath of the eyelid. It was microscopic…or at least not visible to Logan’s eyes.

The verdict “…looks like part of an insect.” Ugh! So many things went through my mind – “Doctor, there’s a fly in my soup…I mean…eye” or “…I don’t know why, she swallowed a fly” to “ewww that’s so gross.”

Somehow, I refrained from wrapping my legs around the doctor and pulling him close to me for a big kiss. Logan and I made it home safe and sound (no dilation done) and rest that evening made the difference.

My P.S. to this story is that I spent the day at work say “I can’t see.” The word “can’t” pronounced as a big whiny sound. Did you now that 3, 8, 6, and 9 all look alike when your eyes are shot?

And that is what can happen in a blink of an eye.

"I'm Stuck...Again"

I'm sure in a past post, I shared the sensation of me being stuck. Remember way back when I began this blog. I was going to write about my metamorphosis from a woman with extra to the woman hidden within. Well...she's still in there somewhere. She just got stuck.

Now once again, I'm playing with words. Let me see if I can help you picture my first version of being stuck. Picture me at Chevy's Mexican Restaurant with the birthday club at work (Jen, Robyn, Irene, Gisele and me.) We order the same shared dishes as always as I sit back watching the conversation around me. Jen turns to her left to question me "You okay?" I look at her with wide eyes and say "No, how did you know?" She answers, "You're quiet and...ahh...you're quiet." You see over the past two years, Jen has learned that when I eat something that doesn't go down well, it will get stuck. It usually happens when I eat to quick, don't chew, or just eat something that doesn't agree with me. Most of the time, it feels as if you ate a handful of fries to fast & need a drink to wash it down. Not a good feeling, but not to painful.

There have been times that I have to excuse myself to simply spit. Remember that with the lap band, the food that doesn't pass the band will sit at the pass of the esophagus and eventually come up. Like a mama bird spitting up chewed food for the baby bird. For me, there's no bird to benefit. So that's one way that I get stuck.

Now on April 14th, I celebrated my two year anniversary. With pride I've kept off the 55 lbs that I've lost. With some regret, I do wonder where I lost the motivation to keep the weight loss going. Interesting enough, the motivation came back to me in the form of Gabe. Remember him - he's my P.A. who did my fills. It's been a good year since I last saw him and I thought it was time to see him again. Especially since I've been having more difficulty eating more than a few bites.

Since it had been so long, I had to have an Upper GI done. [Keep in mind once you're at your "sweet spot" with the right amount of saline fill, you don't go back for a while.] Truth is that I wasn't overeating or binging so I didn't think I needed Gabe. It was only with the realization that my band may have slipped -- hence, the limited intake -- that I was filled with regret. I learned via my beloved Google, that 5% of folks do have slippage that requires surgery. That was a good odd for me so my concern was minimum, but 5% concern was enough for me.

I soon learned from the radiologist that I did not have a slip but the shot glass of barium was slowly emptying from throat to stomach. I asked if that was bad. He responded not if Gabe and I wanted it that way. So now, I was left with the plan to see Gabe next week. Great. Gabe. He makes me feel sometimes like I'm in adequate. Not really, he just points out that I need to do more to make the band a success.

Ironically, I got to face my demon much sooner than a week. It was more like two minutes from getting dressed, there he was in his scrubs. You know...he's kind of cute. And this time he smiled at me. When I told him all went well and that I was just "tight", he said we'll figure it out next week.

So now I remembered. When you're too tight, you don't lose weight. You have limited appetite, you make poor choices for foods that go down easier (I-scream!) and reflux. That was me, me, me! Only six more days before we adjust this, I'm so glad to have the opportunity to get in gear again.

I've been stuck with food, stuck with ignorance, and stuck in a rut. Since this blog does mirror a caterpillar's metamorphosis, I'm going to allow me another shot of keeping that inner me from being stuck. C'mon girl...pull...out...of...your...cocoon! You can do it!

Fun - do!

You might notice a pattern with my life. About every six weeks or so, I need to escape to a night with my soul-sisters Kelly and Kerry. Yes, it was time. Time for another K3 night. Oh, what a night!

For this night out, we decided to once again try something new. For a while, we were content with our local Cafe Symposio. More recently, we've been branching out and enjoying the results. This time...the new adventure was The Melting Pot.

This neat fondue restaurant was worth every penny...many pennies at that. Everybody should treat themselves to this unique dining adventure. Limit the alcohol because you will need your wits about you or risk a bad case of food poisoning or perhaps the need for some bacitracin ointment.

We knew we had a late reservation, so we purposely arrived a bit early to enjoy a predinner cocktail. For a change, we went with cocktails over wine. I enjoyed a Caramel Apple Martini while the others sipped a rich beer and refreshing Mojito. We took the drinks into a cozy little lounge that we had to ourselves - fake fireplace and all. When we were called to our table, we came upon our marble top table with a flat glass top burner in the middle. That's right...we were cooking our own meals.

Our waiter Amitel was the most charming 24 year old who put up with the three cougars. He helped us through our night of wine, cheese, land (meat) & sea (fish) bites, and a rich dessert of chocolate and sweets.

Wow - I really rushed through the food portion of the night. The truth is that it was an experience that words can't really capture. Now as the want-to-be-writer that I am, that seems thoughtless (literally!) but it was simply put very cool. To help you visualize it, let me high light the night with various quotes:

"oh...I dropped my bread"
"no double dipping"
"...is two minutes up yet? Land is two minutes? Sea is one and a half?"
"I dropped my chicken"
"pass me the dark sauce"
"pass me the white sauce"
"which is two minutes?"
"now I dropped my potato"
"pass me the spicy sauce"
"I am so bringing Logan here."
"so much food!"
"which is two minutes?!?"

This 120 minute meal was worth the 12,000 pennies plus drinks.

Go enjoy a fun night of fondue with someone you love. If you want to go cheap, do only dessert...that was the best part of the night!

Squirrel Haven

I don't know how it started, but it's been building for a couple of years. I offer squirrels a safe haven and a solid meal every day. Let's go back to the beginning.

{{{flashback}}}

It was a cold snowy day, maybe in 2006, when I looked up from the kitchen table to see a squirrel lean down from the roof of the wooden shed and nudge his/her head in between the two shed doors and disappear. And then I saw a second and third squirrel do the same thing. It was then that I realized this family of three was finding shelter in the dryness of my shed. It warmed my heart.

Okay, a few months later when I went in the shed during spring, my heart wasn't as warmed when I saw all my Christmas lights' wires bitten, Logan's bike seat chewed, and a bag of earth for the pool all over the place. We cleaned it up and it was now ready for the next year’s winter. We had squirrel-proofed it for our little furry friends.

Shortly after, Logan looks out from the pool deck over to our neighbor Henry's house and sees a dog swimming in the pool cover's water. I realize it's a squirrel and rush over & get it out with a skimmer. It's only weeks later that I learned its other two family members did not make it out alive. They had been found in the bottom of Henry's pool. It broke my heart. I thought that was the end of this family.

Not the case - since then we'd have numerous families of three (always a trio) visiting us.

But as with every family, more tragedy takes place. Another winter passes, and again I go back to the shed in the spring. This time we find a dead squirrel in there. It must have been trapped. Now fast forward to last year when Mom was visiting. She told me while getting out some garden tools, she had discovered a dead squirrel's skeleton and got rid of it before Logan would see it. I wasn't as surprised as she had expected. I responded with "oh, good - somebody finally got it out of there."

Now back to present day. I started sharing some bruised apples bits with the squirrels and love watching them sit back on their tail and use their little fingers (not paws...truly look like fingers) to nibble their treats. I began throwing out left over sunflower seeds and eventually began buying them their own bag from Trader Joe's.

Each morning, I let the dog out. Once he comes back in, I slide open the sliding doors and toss out three handfuls of apples, nuts, and old bread (can't forget the birds.) I have now two families of squirrels - six of them scurrying for food.

One particular morning I noticed that one family was all damaged. My favorite is Scabby. He has two red welts on both shoulders. I think from squeezing in or out of somewhere. Then there's Scar. He has a huge bald patch on the shoulder & a scar across his neck in the back, and finally there is Hippy. Hippy has a hutch scar patch on his back hip. I remember turning to Logan and asking him "what?!? is this a rough gang of squirrels or a gang that just gets bullied on?" I like to think that they are just rough necks.

Sometimes during the day, I look out and see a lone squirrel or pair gazing in the direction of the door. One time, one brazen one sat on the barbeque grill and looked in the window as if beckoning me out. Shhh! He won...I threw out a handful of treats for him to enjoy.

I'm sad to say I haven't seen Scabby in a while and hope that I'm just missing him in the crowd of now five. There is one who may have faded scabs, but I just can't tell.

So as I end today's entry, I look over my laptop and see no sign of my pals. I know though, that they'll be back tomorrow and I'll be glued to the window for my morning sips of coffee, looking on and feeling good that I can offer them a safe place for at least part of their days. Ahhh, the freedom of a squirrel!

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Today is a special holiday. It is the anniversary of my favorite mother's birth. I think back to the many (not too many) birthdays that she's had and remember the gifts I've given, the birthday I forgot (still feeling bad), and the prayer for many more to come.

Looking back at what Mom has accomplished and the role model she is...I'm amazed. Sometimes I think songs are the best way to express yourself. I even have a theme song for my mom and what she means to me. In fact, each time I hear it I tear up...because it says it all. So sit back and see if you can hear this tune in your head. (Thank you Celine!)

For all those times you stood by me
For all the truth that you made me see
For all the joy you brought to my life
For all the wrong that you made right
For every dream you made come true
For all the love I found in you
I'll be forever thankful Mom
You're the one who held me up
Never let me fall
You're the one who saw me through through it all

You were my strength when I was weak
You were my voice when I couldn't speak
You were my eyes when I couldn't see
You saw the best there was in me
Lifted me up when I couldn't reach
You gave me faith 'coz you believed
I'm everything I am
Because you loved me

You gave me wings and made me fly
You touched my hand I could touch the sky
You said no star was out of reach
You stood by me and I stood tall
I had your love I had it all
I'm grateful for each day you gave me
Maybe I don't know that much
But I know this much is true
I was blessed because I was loved by you

You were always there for me
The tender wind that carried me
A light in the dark shining your love into my life
You've been my inspiration
Through the lies you were the truth
My world is a better place because of you

I'm everything I am
Because you loved me

Thank you for being you and I'm so grateful to be able to tell you!

All my love...always!

Even Noah Would Say "Enough!"

Brrrr! Ickkkk! Ughhh! You never hear me complain about the weather, but it's time I begin. It has been cold and wet and just plain icky this past month. A couple weeks back after Logan's last meet, we were hit with blizzard winds of 70+ mph and rain, rain, rain!

Many friends had trees down and damage done to property...luckily no injuries or house damage that I know about. Today, weeks later, as I was working at my laptop, I could not believe how much the pine tree in the back was bending. I never would have thought twice about that, but after the last big storm, I now respect Mother Nature that much more.

So some may say "March comes in like a lamb, and out like a lion!" I say "March is a crap shoot and only one more day to go!"

This past month had a lot going on. We had a nice visit with Kris for nearly a full week. This fun-filled week included the typical spa treatments, visits with life-long friends, and a couple of swim meets. Not too much adventure, but enjoyable by all.

Logan finished his CYO swim and is ready for the summer sessions to begin. He won 1st place 7 out of 8 meets in 50 Breast. He did well in butterfly and freestyle winning a total of 23 out of 24 ribbons in all colors. The big wins were the Championship when he came in 3rd in both Breast & Free. Considering he finished third out of 14...he was proud as was I.

On to my personal March highlights, I have been working, working, and working. Thrilled to be busy, I am currently juggling 73 contracts which is the most I've ever had in my career at one time. This is very challenging but quite exciting. Hoping it screams out JOB SECURITY. In this day and time, no such thing...so I just keep my head down & keep working.

Easter's coming up and we're waiting for the Easter Bunny. Other then that, all is fine. I may do a couple posts capturing some more interesting days. In the meantime, Happy Spring to all!

I Love You Enough...To Lose Sleep!

Some may wonder how I always get lucky and find a good seat at Logan's meets. No luck. I just get there very early. Today, I would love to have slept in a bit...but went super early to get a prime spot. My unobstructed view and center of the pool makes the lack of sleep well worth it. Lovya, Logan!

So once again, Logan swam very well. This year, our team moved up a division because they did so awesome last year. The teams we're playing are very good and quite challenging. Logan has his closest race yet with his breaststroke. He won with barely a tenth (may two tenths) of a second to spare. It was so exciting to hear the cheering and feel the energy. Logan then placed in 3rd (against same kid) in Freestyle and Butterfly. To win against a good athlete, makes it even more exciting!

Reflex-ahhhh-ology

Another successful K3 night! Kerry, Kelly, and I went out to celebrate mine and Kelly's recent birthdays. Last year, we enjoyed facials at Nordstram's. This year sticking with the theme of pampering, we went to Happy Feet Spa for a session of reflexology. (Awesome gift, Kerry. Thanx!) What an experience.

Now Kerry had done this at a different spa previously and knew what to expect. Kelly & I had no idea. I had googled it and saw it really was about the feet. Not!!!

When we first got to this place in a small shopping mall, we went in and were greeted. We had a moment to talk to a trio of folks who had just finished a session. They had good things to say but were not too fond of the "shared space." We were fine with that because we were happy to be together for this.

Surprise, surprise when they led Kelly away. Next, grabbed me by the hand & I motioned for Kerry to follow. We walked into a very dim lighted long room passed rows of beds and people being worked on. Felt a bit like white slavery or maybe a bordello in Hong Kong (as seen on television.) I sat down on this ottoman and saw Kelly was only two spots to my left. Kerry to my right on the other side of a wall, but a curtain kept us in eye shot of each other.

Kelly and I saw the person between us laying out on a bed all covered with towels, blankets, and blind folded (towel over eyes.) We looked at each other, shrugged, and wondered - they know that we're here for our feet, right? They didn't walk us to the wrong treatment area, did they? This didn't seem to be like the foot spa we pictured - a simple spa chair. No...this was a series of "What are they doing? Oh, doing my back. Now what is she going to do? Oh, my arms."

A simple recap of the process:
- soak feet in HOT water (so hot)
- back rub
- neck rub
- arms rub
- neck rub
- step out & sit on bed's edge
- lay back & get covered by blankets
- wrap one leg / work on other foot
- wrap other leg/ work on other foot
- arm rub
- leg rub
- arm rub

After this, we finish & are off to the waiting area for hot tea. It was awesome! Very well worth the $28+tip fee (again - thanks Kerry!)

We decided against our Cafe Symposio and discovered 21 Main. Our new "go-to" place when out in Kerry's neck of the woods. We enjoyed this Victorian style mansion, the food unbelievable, the dessert was a constant stream of Oh-My-God exclamations, and even more amused with the sugar cubes and hot milk for coffee/tea. Loved it!

A wonderfully, exciting treat of night. Love my K-Sisters!

My Son...Not a Little Boy Anymore

Not only have I noticed that Logan's growing taller and his limbs seem to be growing before my eyes, but his voice too is changing. This was a eye-opening, or maybe ear-shattering moment for me. Just a little while ago, his cell phone voice mail said "Hi. This is Logan's phone. He can't get to the phone right now. Leave a message. Thank you. Bye!" Picture a nice clear young voice. Well, wasn't I surprised when I heard a deep "This is Logan. Leave a message. Bye."

Well tonight, after watching him swim a few races at the home meet, I was amused to see Chris, a swim mate, sitting very close to a young woman on the pool deck. I snickered to my friend in front of me and pointed it out. It was when she said, "that's your son" and then repeated it, that I understood. THAT'S MY BABY!?! What is he doing? He knows I can see him. He knows his dad can see him. We see him. He's sitting very close to a girl and he's hardly wearing anything. That bathing suit is not enough. And her! Why is she on the deck. That's not one of the swimmers. After all, she's wearing jeans. Her hair is dry.

Take a deep breathe. It's happened. The world can see it...I am no longer the only woman in his life. How did this happen? Should I have played the Xbox with him? Did I not warn him about "them" ... the opposite sex.

Take a breath there, mom. It's okay. Inhalllllllllllllle. Exhallllllllllllllle. Inhalllllllllllllle. Exhallllllllllllllle.

Click your red shoes together. There's no place like home. There's no place like home. There's no place like home.

Wake up. You're dreaming. It's 1998 all over again. Shhh! Listen. The baby's crying.

No. It's happened. My son is growing up. I am old.

The End

*******************************************************************

P.S. Okay, it's now a couple of weeks later and guess what?!? It really was nothing. This is not a new love interest. This was just a young guy comfortable around a young lady. Wow - I really can blow things out of proportion. But nevertheless, he's getting so big!

{{{{flashback}}}} Our Florida Tropic Days

Going back a few days...we were in sunny Florida visiting the Family Floridians, Kris, Mom, & Rudi. This is an annual trip (albeit 2009 when funds were down) that Logan and I enjoy. It's so nice to go to our second home and the service is unbelievable. The meals, the turndown service, the valet...okay...a mom/grandma that spoils us as we escape our every day life back home.

This is a time of sleepovers (Logan at Kris' 2x this visit), a time of swimming (even on the first night where it was 50 degrees out - Logan, not me), and a time of new friends (shout out to Maria & Max!)

One of the annual adventures is mom's Spaghetti Dinner night at the club house with her 100+ closest friends. Mom and a crew of about 30 -- 1/3 the guests -- pitch in to make this a feast. We enjoyed the piano fingers and voice of young Max, a hopeful Julliard contender, neighbor Krista & Adele, and the decor of Vizcaya's Wednesday art crew. This year their were Italian themed wall banners. Loved them all, but partial to my mama's paintings. Unfortunately, we did not get to meet our new friend Maria or mom Marina at that time.

The next day we were rewarded with a pool time splash with 'Tennis Star' Maria. This mighty gal is conquering the tennis courts of the junior circuit. I cannot wait to see her up in Flushing, NY, for the U.S. Open in about maybe five years. That evening Maria came to join us at home for some fun and laughs. Considering how close in age the two young'uns are (1 year, 1 day between them - Logan the senior tween), a new friendship was made.

Most impressive was the next day after nearly an hour walking the 32 courts of the Bollettieri IMG Academy, we came upon Maria hitting the ball with her personal training. Wow! That says it all!

As our days past, the weather got better and the sun shined brighter. As always, my vacations are filled with high emotion as I get so little time with my mom (Kris will be here soon for her annual trip) - we laugh, cry (me!), and throw in a good or stupid argument -- mea culpa -- but good times.

Looking forward to our summer vacation. Okay, Logan's vacation...my getaway. We may go to Hogwarts for a few days. And if you don't know what Hogwarts is - run to the nearest library for your ticket aboard the Hogwart's Express.

"Baby, it's cold outside!"

Winter in New York...it's here. We began with our first big snow before the December holidays. That was neat having a white Christmas. As February passes...not as neat. That first snowstorm for 2010, actually a Snow Hurricane (a Sn-urricane?) nearly hindered our trip to Florida. Did effect Kelly's which was salvaged by flying out nearly a week later resulting in good weather on her vacation. Left Tina's vacation (also Florida bound) a bit chilly. Now the latest blizzard...just sloppy.

Thursday was just rain, snow, and plenty of slush. Went to bed with barely an inch on ground. Tons of puddles after the wet day.

We were surprised to wake up with nearly a foot of snow outside and happily school closed (third time this year.) Any more snow days and it comes off of the Spring Break. I, luckily, am able to work home on this sort of day. Very grateful! Logan not so grateful as he must hunker down on west side of house while I take over the office on the east side...a.k.a the family den.

So what do you do on a snowy weekend - why sledding, of course! I gathered the troops & went along with Michele (our boys + Christopher) behind Kelly's truck & big brother Bill's SUV. We went over to Bethpage Park and were surprised at how organized they are there. First, no disc sleds - which is what we all had. Second, no inflatable sleds - had one of those too. Good news is that we had a variety of others & made do. Now the part I like is that we walk on shovelled walkways to the top of the hill where a park worker supervises. Another worker is at the bottom of the hill also policing the riders. The crew of Logan, Charlie, Vinny, Christopher, Jake, Hannah, Kimberly, Gabrielle & even 2-year old Hannah & Emma joined in the fun. Kelly & Michele dared one ride down while Billy & I played photographer & videographer.

Good news - great for parents. Bad news - not so exciting for kids. Parents win!

Logan got in a little snowball scuffle with four boys that were not so nice. Knowing Logan & his mean toss...he wasn't any better. I told all boys to drop the snowballs & get on with it.

I won!

Now back at the house, happily cuddled on sofa with blankets on me & Logan playing with Shadow in the back. Logan loves to play with the snow...even on his own. Knowing he had some fun time with friends - this works for me.

Did I mention...another storm headed to us this week?!?

UGH!!!!

Okay...NOW...I'm back!

To My #1 Fan (Haboo!)...I'm ready to start blogging again. I think.

I often say that "Life gets in the way." It does. For the past year, I have been so busy but do not have much to show for it. I'm not much thinner. I'm not much richer (or poorer.) I'm not much of anything - up or down, good or bad, in or out. So time to put some thoughts down on paper and get past this 'simply existing' existence.

The past year has was a great year for Logan. He's doing well in school, excelling in swimming, maturing nicely, and getting so big.

For me, doing great at work, enjoying old friendships, and still too big for my liking.

The family is doing well and that is enough for me.

Tonight, I will enjoy a K2 evening. Kerry & I will hit TGIF for a drink and shared appetizers. I have recently begun the quest of making money by saving money. This means that I am becoming a Coupon Queen (see tomorrow's post after I get my next fix) and a early-bird special person. Appetizers are yummy, less calories, and less money - win, win, win.

Tomorrow is a big spring cleaning day for me. I have a few projects that I've been putting off but need to finally tackle.

And soon...I celebrate another birthday. (time to mail the birthday cards, Kris!) Anybody who knows me knows I lovvvvvvvve birthdays - especially mine. Love, love, love to have a day dedicated to me and me alone. I begin by singing Happy Birthday to Me and end with a prayer of thanks for giving me another day.

With that, I end the beginning of my blog...for the 3rd time...(I'm not just saying it)...

I'll be back!

Promise!

~K~