New Ride

Well, we decided today that throwing away almost $70 a week on gas for the pick up isn't cool anymore. We were looking to trade the F150 in for a smaller/econimical car for Todd to drive back and forth to work.
We scoured a few cars online this morning and were looking into an 03 Corolla, an 04 Mazda M3, an 04 VW Jetta...and some Focus SVT. By the time we got to the dealership, they were pretty much all spoken for as they were running a special today. Instead we found *light shines down* an 04 VW Passat GLX 4 Motion Wagon. It is pretty sweet- it is silver with gray interior and has heated leather seats, moon roof, 190 hp, and is a 5 speed automatic to mention a few things. We are pretty excited. I think the only thing it needs are the windows tinted. It is going to be Todd's vehicle, but in reality, I will be driving it more (hee hee).

So, on the way home...my cell phone dies (one month shy of my contract ending). Luckily, I was able to get a new phone without having to pay any stupid fees. I decided on the Razor (black of course).

What else?

A Purchase or Two...

Well, we decided today that throwing away almost $70 a week on gas for the pick up isn't cool anymore. We were looking to trade the F150 in for a smaller/econimical car for Todd to drive back and forth to work.

We scoured a few cars online this morning and were looking into an 03 Corolla, an 04 Mazda M3, an 04 VW Jetta...and some Focus SVT. By the time we got to the dealership, they were pretty much all spoken for as they were running a special today. Instead we found *light shines down* an 04 VW Passat GLX 4 Motion Wagon. It is pretty sweet- it is silver with gray interior and has heated leather seats, moon roof, 190 hp, and is a 5 speed automatic to mention a few things. We are pretty excited. I think the only thing it needs are the windows tinted. It is going to be Todd's vehicle, but in reality, I will be driving it more (hee hee).

So, on the way home...my cell phone dies (one month shy of my contract ending). Luckily, I was able to get a new phone without having to pay any stupid fees. I decided on the Razor (black of course).

What else?

Nine Inch Nails "March" to the Mullins Center

By: Bill Donovan

Nine Inch Nails created a storm Friday night on the Mullins Center stage, bashing their way through a two-hour set. Trent Reznor howled with ferocity alongside his refurbished band to many career-defining songs, such as "Closer," "Hurt" and "March of the Pigs."Reznor looked fully healed and upbeat after his six year seclusion. Adorned in his traditional black attire, he ran all the over the stage, at times playfully pushing guitarist Aaron North aside."How you guys doing, are you having a good time?" he asked a few songs into the show. "I think that's the first time in this band's history I've asked that."A tight rhythm section between bassist Jeordie White and Josh Freese on drums buffed up many of the songs. "Piggy" was such a song where these two shined. White's bouncy strings marched to the beat of Freese's shattering kit. A lone light hovered above Reznor as he walked off the set, embracing the throng of fans. He passed the microphone to people, who helped sing the apathetic chorus. Chants of "Nothing can stop me now, 'cuz I don't care anymore," echoed throughout the place.A dark sea of lighters and cell phones illuminated the arena as Reznor performed "Hurt" alone on a keyboard. It was powerful moment, watching him reflect on his drug-fueled past. Reznor, like Red Hot Chili Peppers' John Frusciante is one of the few amongst '90s-rockers to survive from a bout with heroin. Clouds of smoke danced around him as he played the broken notes. North's guitar, accompanied by Alessandro Cortini's keyboard, screamed as the piece came to a halt.The band took a stand against warfare and the Bush administration midway into the show. A silk screen lowered as the ominous "Eraser" began. Freese pounded out a marching band beat as shots of tanks and destruction filled the frame. Over this, North plucked along, bending notes neurotically.Reznor, although now in his early 40s, is still as intense as ever. On songs like "Terrible Lie" and "Burn" he strummed his guitar furiously. The crowd, which had pushed its way to the front of the stage, shared the moment. "Burn" is a track off the soundtrack to the film "Natural Born Killers." People bobbed their heads and cheered the band on. But many did not know the lyrics to this song. At last year's show in Boston, NIN did a similar soundtrack song, "Dead Souls" from the movie "The Crow."A sight to see was North during faster-paced songs like "Wish," off the "Broken" EP. He twirled his guitar as if it were a baton, playing it behind his back. Jumping onto his amplifier, he'd face Freese while playing. The show closed with the anti-authoritarian "Head Like A Hole." The crowd yelled the words defiantly as the band raced through it. It was interesting to see them end the show with the song that started it all.Opener Saul Williams had an interesting mix of hip-hop beats, poetry and hard rock. Williams performed with NIN for the Voodoo Music Festival, a charity concert in New Orleans.

Nine Inch Nails

Oh my God! The show was so freaking awesome (understatement). Trent totally rocked- he threw a few guitars..played the keyboard..threw a few mics into the crowd...went into the crowd and sang (let some girl sing for a while). The lights and sound were amazing. He apologized to everyone for cancelling the show scheduled for 2/27 and having to reschedule). It was so amazing when he sang "Hurt" (..well all of the songs rocked); most of the songs from With Teeth he sang behind a see through curtain that acted as a screen that they projected images on; he closed with "Head Like a Hole". I would definitely go see him again! Took a "few" pics (well, 52)..see my album for some of them. Hhad I brought the better of our two digitals, the pics would have totally rocked.
My son was upset that he couldn't go see "Sharp Nails"...

The ride to Amherst (Mullins Center @ UMASS) was loong..but not bad- hit traffic in Hartford, Springfield (car fire on opposite side of the hwy), and the exit we needed to get off. Stopped to get something to eat. Made it to the show 10 min before NIN came on (Saul Williams opened)..around 8:20 p.m. Picked up a t-shirt and book before the show and a beanie after (there was a pain in the ass chick behind me complaining about how there was no line and we were all squished together and how she was going to have a panic attack cause she was claustraphobic (?) and she didn't know the people around her...I just wanted to turn around and say "Shut it bitch..get out of line"). We ended up getting home at 1 a.m. I was too pumped to go to bed, soI downloaded all the pics.

Oh...this was like my husbands first concert in like over 15 years. This is all he is talking about and had such a great time. My brother and J had a great time too.

Relay for Life Bowling Event

Today we had our Relay for Life Bowling Event in Brooklyn. For our two teams of average and under average players..they were kind of serious (Adam even has his own ball!). It was a good time. Work provided snacks. All money raised by attending and money won during the game went to the Relay for Life team. I did win $5 for a strike on a money shot (I had a special pin)...and I also won a trophy for "The Most Gutterballs"!!!. I gave up half way through the first game of trying to bowl like everyone else and reverted to rolling the ball betweeen my legs! Jaime was teaching Jakob to yell "Show off!!" to Brian...he was also yelling to her "You're a winner!" every time SHE got a gutterball. I lost track of my total score, but I think my total for the last game (3 in all) wasn't even 50!!! We raised $650.

Relief

After 2 weeks and difficulty sleeping last night (because it hurts to swallow)....I finally decided to go to the doctor. I have a bronchial and throat infection and a fever. I have asthma and usually have a hard time breathing when I get sick, but it didn't seem to bother me at all? So, I am told that I really need to continue with my 2 inhalers on a DAILY basis (preventive) (I haven't really had to use my inhalers more than 5 times in the last 3 1/2 years- since I was pregnant) and take a Z-pack.

Good note for today? My son's sign magnets and mini traffic sign set (he already has 4) arrived today. He was so excited! I love the expression of excitement he gets on his face when he gets a surprise.

Bad note for the day? My husband found the Dukes of Hazzard marathon on the COUNTRY MUSIC

For Me?

I have been waiting 8 years for this. I have finally gotten a speeding ticket 1 mile from my house today. It was bound to happen. I was "rolling" down the hill doing 52 in a 25. Not a smart move...but very hard to drive the speed limit on 201. The "officer" looks at all of my info. and must have felt bad (it was a horrible day to begin with) when he saw NOTHING on my record and ONLY wrote me up for doing "10" miles over the speed limit. "Ma'am, what could've cost you $200...is only going to be $100."
Thanks.

The City Called

Ahh, N's last wish before he returned home was to go to NYC and also bring me to The MOMA.

After a rough Friday night, and a tad late of a start, we were off on another journey.
We had a chance to see Guilford...and not realizing you cannot by tickets for the train there- we headed to New Haven. Caught the train..very interesting guy that kind of looked like Todd's cousin Derek. The snow starts coming down hard- thankfully, it only lasted like 30 minutes.

We made it to NYC too late to get any tickets for the 2 p.m. shows, so we waited in Times Square in the freezing cold from like 1:45 p.m. until almost 4 p.m. to find that they DO NOT sell discounted tickets for Wicked AND they did not have any for RENT. Hello?! We ended up getting tickets to see The Producers at the St. James Theatre- those were found in the Times Square Station while I was trying to warm up.

Dude, you wore a Red Sox hat to NYC!
Homeless guy does a snot shot on a building on 5th Ave.

At this point, I am so cold and done with walking...TAXI. The rides were cool, except for the first guy...happend to notice the "Oh shit handle" just in time.

With approx. 4 hours to kill, we headed to The MOMA. Amazing. We only had an hour before the museum closed, but I was shown the most important pieces...Van Gogh, Picasso, Warhol, Matisse among a few. I could've spent the whole day there. Not only were the classics there, but there were also very interesting pieces too. Just remember, if you are going to take a picture DO NOT USE THE FLASH.

Next stop was Ground Zero. It was very eerie. Having visited the twin towers and going to the top of one when I was 12, it was a whole different feeling to be there. Quiet. The subway visable and the squeeling of the brakes to slow down. Very cold. I looked at the surrounding buildings. We passed a fire department right across from the site. There was a firefighter sitting in his truck. He was looking there. There is an old church close by.

Can I get a hot dog?!

Quick dinner at good old PAX on Broadway. Chevy's was out as the wait was almost an hour and it wasn't long before the show was going to start.

The Producers is one funny show (well, part 1!). Long...very long...3 hours.

Make it back to NH in one piece, although frozen. I kid you not about the frozen thing. I could barely walk because my pelvic bones were stiffer than a board.

Would I do it again? Hell yeah. I had an awesome day. Our out fits even matched...we were all "GAP-ed" out and even had matching white belts.

Valentine's Day

After finding out Friday that Nacho was going home, Jorge wanted to go out to dinner. None of us really thought too much about it and agreed on Tuesday as they were coming over Monday night for dinner. Hello...it dawns on us Monday night that Tuesday is Valentine's Day. Fat chance getting a reservation the day before to go eat anywhere...so my I volunteer my Mom to cook dinner and dessert for all of us. It was a nice night....and the food was great (chicken, carrots, and potatoes with white cake/strawberry frosting AND gingerbread with home made whip cream).

Oh..I almost forgot the highlight of the night (besides Todd and Edgar playing XBOX the whole time)...Edgar broke the child proof knob on the water cooler! We don't need a replacement...just use a fork!

Carson

Why does the blizzard come on the weekend?

Jakob had fun having a "snowball pike", but hated when I put on his "miffins".

X-Ray Results are in

Yeah, so...the dr. I saw a week ago last Wednesday had given me Vicodin and Alieve for my back pain...it wasn't even touching it. So I had decided to go to MY docotor (long story...he switched practices) on Thursday. He wasn't sure if it was a back spasm and thought it might be something along the lines of a bulging disc and ordered XRAYS. He also mentioned going to see a chiropractor. He prescribed Percoset and Naproxyn. That helped a whole lot! I felt funny taking the percs while at work, so I waited until I got home for the "fun" to begin- by the end of the day, I was ready.

Friday night was bad...I had worked all day and we went out with the guys to D' Angelo's for dinner and Best Buy after (I had to go to the truck because I couldn't walk anymore!).

I just got a call from the doc's office and I have.....a mild compression fracture on one of my vertabrae. The only cause would be from my sledding stint back in December. He said that it will take a little time, but it will heal on its own.

I am actually starting to feel better. No percs since Saturday night.

Bruins vs. Rangers

What an awesome day! Todd and I picked up THE VAN (Jake called him a freak for driving it!) and headed to Boston with our firends to see the game.

I needed a little help walking as the meds I was on didn't mix well w/ the Sunrise I had to drink in the van....N to the rescue...he rocks. We had intentions of bar hopping but we didn't make it past Hooters. I was a little disappointed because they only served beer. I got to meet the Wade's- cool cats. It was a fun time. Food was ok.

Off to the game (after a stop at the van and being beatten up by a wind storm). It was a good one too...not only was the game good, but B provided some good entertainment by spilling a beer on the guy infront of him. The row behind us had some pretty funny dudes in it to. Some pain in the ass Rangers fan was a few rows back...wanted to throw my water bottle in his mouth to shut him up! The Bruins lost 3-2 in OT.

Part of the gang took off and we had to wait outside. We were entertained by some guys playing buckets (like in Stomp) and singing...was cool. E kept chasing me around and asking Todd if he could kiss his wife...it was odd; he even tried to kiss me through the glass....eww.

Headed back to King St. Half of us TRIED to watch Fantastic Four and the other half was playing beer pong and playing the same three "3 Doors Down" songs...for like an hour.

We left around 3 a.m. and I had an "experience" in the van with Todd's sweatshirt....

Back Spasm

Holy Crap!

Yesterday morning I was undressing to get ready for my shower and BOOM...instant back pain in mylower back. I thought I could manage work and felt bad because my Mother-in-Law had just arrived to watch my son (she has a 30 minute ride to my house) for the day.

Yeah, I lasted 45 minutes at work...after walking and standing around for like 30 minutes I sat down and jumped back up...this wasn't going to work. I wanted to enjoy the misery at home. I was kindly escorted to my car to make sure I could get in ok. The ride home was manageable.

I fell to the couch as soon as I got home and applied heat. Nana and Jake were off to gymnastics. I was able to watch 30 minutes of "The Phantom of the Opera" when the unbearable pain drove me to call the doctor. It was so bad the receptionist could barely understand me. They had an available appointment in the next 30 minutes- the exact time it would take me to get there. The ride to the doc's was extremely comfortable....I found myself doing 90 mph.
The diagnosis: Acute Back Spasm.

Treatment: heat, ice, rest, Aleve. Stronger meds would be perscribed if the pain or symptoms worsened. Keep a towel wedged in the small of my back for support. Doc did say I had one of the worse jobs for getting this to heal quick. He wrote me out of work for 2 days.

Symptoms will last: 1-2 weeks

The pain was so bad I felt like I was being ripped in half and I wanted to vomit. I rested, and "iced" my back. For bed I slept with a heating pad on high all night- woke up feeling super until the heat was removed and I was walking around.

My back still hurts and I feel 50% better...but the pain is tolerable.

Heart of New England {Salem}

Took a little detour on the road trip to Maine. N's Mom and sister wanted to see Salem, MA (and I had never been!).

It was very cold, and 90% the attractions were closed. We visited the House of Seven Gables (didn't take the tour) and headed over to a cemetary. It was really cool. I love that part of history. Got a pic of a head stone from one of the pilgrims on the Mayflower.

After driving around NH looking for a non-existant restaurant Todd wanted to go to...we finally had lunch at 4:30 p.m. in Maine. After that we headed to the outlets (in Kittery).

I would love to go back to Salem around Halloween....

2005

I am happy to see this year pass in anticipation of what lies ahead for 2006. On the other hand, I am also sad that it has ended as this has been one of the best years full of great memories and happy times that I have had in my life.

The first three months of the year are a sad time for us as it marks the anniversaries of special people in our lives passing away.
February was a rough month, starting with Gramp's 1 year anniversary arriving on 2/10.

We no sooner finished celebrating Valentine's Day and my Grama passed away on 2/15 at the age of 82.
She had been burdened the last couple months of her life with dimentia and trouble eating, withering away to skin and bones. Seeing her in the hospital bed was just shocking...a famous painting coming to mind. I hadn't visited her like I should have. I had a Valentine gift for her from Jakob that I brought to the hospital in hopes that she would pull through the cardiac arrest.

It was hard to believe that Steve passed away 2 years agon on the 18th. I sent cards to Missy and Connie to let them know that I was thinking of them. I can't imagine losing my Father.

With Gama's passing still fresh....AJ's 1 year came on 2/21. Memories of the past year come rolling back in small flashes...they are never far from my main thoughts I have every day as I am reminded daily of what happend as I drive by Mile Marker 33 on I-395. I am thankful that my brother is safe. I can only pray that he is reminded daily and uses what happend to make better life choices. My heart is with my family always and I think of them often and cannot imagine what they have been through.

As this time comes to a close, we remember Doris on March 4th on her one year anniversary. Jakob still asks for Mam*Mi (and Pop*pi too!) and remebers her when he sees a picture. He knows that she is in Heaven watching over him.

As times of sadness pass, we embrace happy times.
In May, my cousin Brittany gave birth to her first son Cristian. I had a chance to finally meet him around the holidays and he is such a beautiful baby....happy and full of smiles.

I finally was able to talk Todd into replacing our bedroom set and dining room hutch (both 7 yrs old!). I fell in love with a dark cherrywood set for our room...changing the style from country motiff to more of an antique look. The hutch is from an "americana" collection...absolutely love it!

I kicked off the summer by heading to Vermont in June for much needed "Jenn time". I enjoyed myself just hanging around Brattleboro and driving along the river. I MISS VT.

Summer parties and picnics started off with Monty's BBQ....yummy, yummy- made me homesick for Nashville.
We attended a house warming for Colleen, where Jakob fell in love with his future wife Jaime (she is 24...); we are going to have to watch out for him when he gets older.

On July 13th, Todd celebrated his 32nd birthday....we can only say now that he has more gray hair than the year before rather than "got any gray hair yet?!". That weekend, we went to the first party at the "Mexican Embassy"...totally rocked; and a redneck party in Brooklyn where Jakob gained a new name, "Little Hasselhoff"; last on the agenda for THAT weekend was a shower for Joe and Shelly celebrating their upcoming wedding in August.

That week I was able to take a vacation and do NOTHING. It was so good. That week also marked working 8 years at my company.

Our last bash to attend for the month was a housewarming at Brian's. I can't even count the number of rounds of beer pong that Todd played...but I can count the number of times I had to stop on the way home for him to tell mother nature how much he loved her.

August was a busy month for us too. My parents cat Mouser passed away on 8/4. I remeber the day we found her across the street- I was in the 8th grade!. We attended Joe and Shelly's wedding on 8/6. It was held in the house that they are having built. The wedding was simple and nice- the house is breathtaking. Towards the end of the month was Joe and Lucas' baptism. It was an exciting time for me as I am Joseph's God Mother. We also celebrated Lucas' 1st birthday that day. No sooner did we blink and it was time to celebrate Jakob's 3rd birthday. We had a small party here at the house. It was fun and he had a good time.

The leaves fall and Autumn is in the air.
This was the first year that Jakob enjoyed the Woodstock Fair (Labor Day Weekend). Uncle Don and Aunt Sue sent us tickets and ride passes. Jakob had so much fun on the rides...we even got Todd to ride along with him too! We made a little trip to the Ecotarium in Worcestor. We saw really cool exhibits, animals, and we even rode the train around the complex.

UNFINISHED

Weihnachten 2005

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas!

We had a wonderful Christmas.

New Year's Eve was spent at my Aunt Nancy's where the whole family (excluding The Hoffman's and Amanda) gathered together and ate dinner and enjoyed each others company. My Uncle Dave cooke a turkey and ham...his cooking is so good! I enjoyed watching my Mom and Dad drink wine. I called them around 9:30 pm to make sure they got home ok (haha)...my brother said my Dad was weaving in and out of traffic.

Jakob was so excited to open his presents....he wanted to play with each one as they were opened.

This year there was a special surprise for him...Santa came to our house with a bag full of presents from the North Pole.

(My Father dressed up!). At first he was like "Oh my God!" and then he was scared...he ran and layed on the couch with Todd and opened his presents that way. We were able to get a few pictures of him smiling with "Santa". The whole rest of the day that was all he talked about.

Maaaaine

PreTravel Humor:

Brown shitty car...#8 racing...scarry hair and eyes. "I don't see my balance...there's no balance printed on the ATM slip! Do you know Betty? Does she work here? She is my bank manager! Is someone going to maintain the machine?!". And the poor people at Dunkin Donuts.

*YOU HAVE STINKY BREAF*

So travels brought us to a very cold Boston. My son enjoyed RUNNING time at the Childrens Museum (all that could be smelled was kiddies farts!) and yelling at the "eagles" to go away; funny picture taken of Todd carrying a purse.
Nacho was interested in checking out the Tea Party....but our parking lot attendant looked stoned and "only worked here" and couldn't point us in the right direction....maybe next time.
After driving around the city for 10 hrs. we found a parking spot and were off to the Market! Dinner was good...I tried a steamer for the first time....ickkk! I would have to say that DG had the hottest bathroom I have ever been in.

*I WANT MY JORGE* *CARRY ME*

Let's check out Urban Outfitters....cool things...little pricey...management SUCKS. Beep Beep Beep....I go as I enter the store and where I am asked "Are you wearing Gap or Old Navy?" upon entering. I am thinking to myself "I don't fucking know?!". Heehee everything is all good UNTIL I LEAVE THE STORE. Beep Beep Beep. Angry manager comes running..."You have set off our security system! Take off all your stuff! Are you wearing Gap or Old Navy?!" Fifty million questions/statements. Moments of embarassment, confusion. Calgon take me away! *FLASH*...Christmas card photo taken, "No pictures are allowed in the store!" yells angry manager! Aaaahhh BOSTON.

"Lets' go to Maine!" says Todd. An hour and a half later, and me only playing 2 complete songs on the iPod, and encountering many a unhappy toll booth operators (that are now numb to people and have no communication skills and say things like "Thank")...we make it to Freeport.

A lot of cool stores have been added since Todd and I have last visited. First thing to "in Maine" for Jorge and Nacho is Abercrombie (most stores were closed, or in the process of closing where as LL Bean is open 24 hrs.). Yeah...stupid Mainers...."couldn't even say the store was closed, could you?!". Checked out LLB store #1...yeah you should've checked out the Mexican from Maine...classic!.

*COLD* *VERY COLD* *NEED TO BUY GLOBS* *FAR FROM HOME* *HOW DID WE GET TO MAINE*

Todd in search of ANOTHER coat. Jake RUNNING, visiting the fish pond ("What does the sign say?"), and wanting to ride the "elewator". Mexicans in search of boots...no boots....boots. Me in search of anything (well, UGG boots)..

*RIDE HOME LONG* *SPONGE BOB SQUARE PANTS FUNNY* *JENN TIRED* *NACHO AND JORGE SLEEPING* *TODD CLEARING THROAT...*

Aahhh home! JAKE @ 1:30 a.m.: "Where are my friends, I miss my friends!"
"We went to Maaaaaine, we were in Maaaaaine"

NYC

After many years of wanting to go back to the city, I finally made arrangements to go yesterday and have some well deserved fun.

After going to bed late the night before, 6 am came pretty fast. Breakfast was had by most at DD...I settled for my usual TURBO. Caught the train in Milford and off we were.
Subway passes in hand, we headed to Times Square to purchase tickets to see RENT that afternoon. The wait was long and cold, but went by fairly quickly (if that makes any sense!). We were entertained by lots of diverse people...Pigeon Joe....Jamaican XMAS tunes. Tickets were 25%ff the normal price of $100; 4 were purchased (I was treated!) and off we were to explore.

Edgar: "I need to go to the ATM"
Nacho Admirer #1: Lady in her 40's

A wrong subway was taken to try and get to the MET, so we headed to grab lunch at Pax (I had an awesome slice of veggie pizza!) and people watch (dude looks like a girl!). Did I mention it was cold! We saw one of the guys from "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" taping a segment.
We arrived at the Nederlander Theatre for the 2 o'clock show. The theatre was not as big as I thought it was, but it had a good vibe going. The show was amazing! It has been one of the longest running shows on Broadway. The cast included Frenchie Davis from American Idol. The singing was great! I would definetly go back for another experience.
http://www.siteforrent.com/intro.html

After the performance, we headed to Chevy's on 42 ST for dinner (Shaggy and Mamacita!). After packing away most of my dinner, chili con queso and a Tecate, my belly was more than satisfied.

Nacho Admirer #2: 3 toothed black lady in her 60's "What time you got suga?"

Next stop on the non-agenda was Rockafellar Center. We saw the tree and the swavorski star- too bad they aren't lighting the tree until next week. It was cool to see people skating on the rink. We decided to go to "The Top of the Rock". Tickets weren't bad at all ($14). We headed to the top of the center and took in amazing views of the city at night...it was so peaceful....a good time for reflection. The Empire States building done up in red/green lights is breathtaking. Heading to the next level up was also a good time. The attraction stays open until 12 a.m. and you can go for as long as you like.
http://www.rockefellercenter.com/home.html

Last on our list of things was FAO Schwarz. Holy toys! In the time we were there, we saw a lot, but not nearly all they had to offer....doll making station..make your own Hot Wheel.
We found the life size piano that was in the movie "Big" with Tom Hanks...it was cool! You could purchase it for a mere $250,000. The other toys weren't too badly priced; I picked up some wooden toys and a bamboo toy set for Jakob.
http://www.fao.com/home.jsp

Finally making it back to Grand Central Station we had time before our 10:22 train back to CT. We enjoyed some good old Star Bucks and a good dose of people watching (chinese girl posing against the glass of the map!).

Nacho Admirer #3: 14 year old

The plan was to "go pee!" befor the ride home, but that didn't happen. We were so involved in the people watching that we made the train with like 2 minutes to spare. There were not many empty seats and some were left standing. I decided to stand with the guys as I have a thing about sitting next to people I don't know. Nacho and Jorge performed well on "the pole".

The quite ride home back to my house was a nice time to reflect on the fun day I had in the city with good friends. The feeling of being in the city was good....not too many people...not crazy hustle in bustle...and the feeling of Christmas in the air.

Thanksgiving Melee

Thanksgiving with the Schreier's kicked off Wednesday night with having the guys over for pizza, beer, and making cookies!

We had a good time! We made sugar cookies (each one perfectly made and decorated by Jorge), 2 chocolate cream pies (Nacho), an apple pie (Jorge). Edgar, Todd, and Jakob played video games. Much beer was polished off and festivities quieted down around 1:30 a.m. Little Hasselhoff managed to stay up til the end too!
Because Thanksgiving with Brian fell through, we decided to have Thanksgiving at our house and invite the guys over.

This was our first time cooking the turkey in the turkey fryer I bought like 2 years ago. It came out awesome! This was the first holiday that Todd and I have had to prepare everything ourselves as my family usually comes over for dinner. We had turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, squash, rolls, corn, beans, onions/gravy, green stuff, cranberry sauce, olives, and 18-20 lbs. of turkey! We were all finished eating and Jorge was still piling the turkey on his plate. Because we were all still pretty full, dessert wasn't a huge hit. The movies of choice this year were "Saw" and "Lampoons Christmas Vacation". Nacho, Jake, and I headed out for DD...a search for a sprinkled donut for Jake....and a very quick trip to Walmart where I bought Polar Express and a Thomas the Tank Engine game for Jake's VTECH system.

The day of thanks ended around 8 p.m. Jakob cried when he heard that they were leaving...he cried at the door while he was waving goodbye....and he cried for like 30 minutes after they left..."I miss them so much!"
He has a blast with them and they are all really good with him.
Friday was spent relaxing and cleaning up. My Mom stopped over and decided that she was going to have Jakob overnight.

My plans for Saturday are to head to NYC. Todd was asked if he wanted to go and he showed no interest. There was a spark of interest on Friday morning, but I wanted to go and have a good time and hear NO COMPLAINING about ANYTHING.

Ehhhh

Ok...I decided to dye my hair. I got sick of the "growing out red/showing brown" so I went back to black...with blue tint....really blue tint. Just in time for Halloween I suppose.

Went to Coopers last night for drinks in celebration of Anne "moving on" from "hell". It was a good time.

After my iPod not "feeling well" (yes there is an icon that means it is sad!) for 3 weeks, we brought it to Best Buy and now it has to besent out for repair. Another 2 weeks without it! Jakob is bummed because I have songs loaded on it for him. He yelled at everyone in the store "Momma's iPod is broked!".

I saw an article in the paper the other day of a bank robbery that took place in Norwich about a block or two from where my bro works. There was an actual picture of the dude- looked just like my brother!! I called to ask my Mom where he was!! The picture in todays paper didn't really look like him though. Imagine that?!