My daughter Leah went to a birthday party last week. It was a swim party at the Y. They rented out the pool for the night and had about 15 girls, as well as friends of the older sister which included Steph. It was a pretty cool evening and had rained most of the day so I wondered if they would cancel the party and have it on the rain date but it cleared so the party went on.
Leah and Steph both had a wonderful time. I haven't taken them swimming all summer so far. Work and bad weather have held us back. I hope that we can go soon, my lack of a tan is really distressing.
When Leah came home from the party she opened the party favor bag. It had a Louis Vuitton handbag in it. Yes, you read correctly... a LOUIS VUITTON! My first thought was that it had to be a knock-off, but by every indication it is real. And they gave them to 15 little girls. The purse is really cute with smiling flowers on it. It is the perfect size for a little girl. In other words, way too small for me. Leah has never used or needed a purse at this time but once Laurel and I raved about it she was pretty happy with it and would not let Laurel borrow it.
I checked on Ebay to see if I could find the purse and I did. Someone is selling a used one for $300 and has 1 bid so far but it has not reached their minimum. I am seriously considering recommending that Leah sell it. She has been asking for a new DS because her top screen is broken and she wants the new Harry Potter computer game. With $300 she could buy both and have money left over.
Party favors have become really crazy lately. Does anyone agree with me?
By the way, if you are interested you can follow me on Twitter. I have 4 followers so far and I only know one of them. Weird, huh?
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Back In
The tennis season is upon me. I have played one USTA match so far and lost at line 1 singles. (6-3, 7-5) I didn't feel to bad about it because the girl I played was better than me and at least I was able to keep it close. I play another match this Saturday, again singles (rats!) I am a much better doubles player but I am a team player and said I would play wherever they need me. Wish me luck.
My PTL team has played 2 matches so far and I played one of them. My wonderful partner and I won 6-1, 5-7, 6-4. After the first set I thought we would run away with the match but our opponents were too strong for that. I lost to one of the ladies in a match last year, so I knew how good she was. We were so happy to get the "W", which put our team in the lead for the win.
Mt Lebanon Team Tennis is almost over. My team made the play-offs by the skin of our teeth. We play on Monday and then if we win we play on Thursday. My partner prefers the same side of the court as me and graciously let me play where I like. We won 3 times and lost twice, so I feel like we did pretty well.
Life is pretty crazy right now with end-of-the-school-year activities, my 2 jobs and tennis. I just have been taking it one day at a time and trying to not let too many things fall through the cracks. Why do there always seem to be cracks?
My PTL team has played 2 matches so far and I played one of them. My wonderful partner and I won 6-1, 5-7, 6-4. After the first set I thought we would run away with the match but our opponents were too strong for that. I lost to one of the ladies in a match last year, so I knew how good she was. We were so happy to get the "W", which put our team in the lead for the win.
Mt Lebanon Team Tennis is almost over. My team made the play-offs by the skin of our teeth. We play on Monday and then if we win we play on Thursday. My partner prefers the same side of the court as me and graciously let me play where I like. We won 3 times and lost twice, so I feel like we did pretty well.
Life is pretty crazy right now with end-of-the-school-year activities, my 2 jobs and tennis. I just have been taking it one day at a time and trying to not let too many things fall through the cracks. Why do there always seem to be cracks?
Friday, May 29, 2009
New York City
My husband and I went to NYC for a long week-end. New York is such a wonderful city to visit. We both have been there a number of times but not for quite a few years. Mark had 2 free tickets that he received from being "bumped" from a flight that had to be used by June. He also had enough hotel points to get us 3 free nights. But even with all that it wasn't an inexpensive trip. Here is the break down of what we did.
We arrived on Thursday night about 2 hours later than planned because of some mysterious problem with our plane. We took the Air train and then the subway to our hotel which was near Little Italy and China Town. The person at the registration desk recommended an Italian restaurant to us which was about 2 blocks away. Mulberry Street (I think they should change the name to something more Italian sounding) is the hub of Little Italy and has restaurants on both sides of the street for about 3-4 blocks. I am sure that every one of them is great. We ate at Positano's (or something like that) and it was fantastic. Homemade pasta makes such a difference. They gave us free Tirimisu, yum.
On Friday we went to the Forbes Galleries. It was recommended on the "best things to do in NYC for free" sight. It was definitely worth the price (hee, hee) or even more. It had wonderful exhibits of toy boats, toy soldiers, and monopoly games as well as some seemingly random exhibits like fancy watches and some art. I would highly recommend it, an added bonus is that it had a really nice bathroom and those are sometimes hard to find. We then went to "Books of Wonder" which is something I always make sure I do on every trip I make to NYC. BoW is a fantastic children's book store and always has some "signed by the author" books as well as antique books. They specialize in Wizard of Oz series books which is how I discovered them in the first place. I bought 5 books and poor Mark carried them for the rest of the day with out complaint. Thank-you Mark!
Friday night we went to a restaurant called "Hell's Kitchen" because it is near the Hell's Kitchen area of New York and had nothing to do with the TV show or Gordan Ramsey. It serves really fantastic Mexican food. And they rose to the occasion because we were in a bit of a rush because of going to see a Broadway musical. Our food came out very speedily and we had plenty of time to enjoy it. The musical that we saw was "Rock of Ages", that is all 80's songs and stars Constantine from American Idol. It was a fun show and of course we knew all the songs. They gave us fake lighters that we could wave around like a concert. The band and the singers were all great and the show had a lot of comedic moments.
Saturday we had a bit of a disappointment because we wanted to tour the NYC public library but because of Memorial Day week-end they were closed. There were a lot of people waiting for the library to open at 11:00 AM as usual. About 11:15 someone called the library and found out about the closure. We ended up wandering around and saw some of a "Turkey Parade." No, not turkey the bird but a parade fully devoted to the country Turkey. Almost everyone was wearing red and white, they had floats and bands, it was really something to behold. In the afternoon we went to see the twin towers area. We visited some churches. One had a pew that was used by President Washington when NYC was the capitol. We also went to Century 21 department store. C-21 is a designer discount store. (think Filene's Basement only bigger) They had many designers that I had not heard of and the prices seemed pretty good, but most things were still more than what I wanted to pay. It was absolutely packed. I wanted to try a few things on but when I saw the wait for the dressing rooms I changed my mind and tried them on over what I was wearing in the aisle. I bought 2 shirts and Mark bought some socks and a belt. I wasn't particularly impressed but maybe we just went on the wrong day.
Saturday night we ate at a seafood place, then had a couple of beers at a brew pub and spoke to a nice couple from Manhattan. They were interested in what it was like to live in a small city. A whole lot cheaper we told them. And we have the Steelers and Penguins, we gave all the highlights of Pittsburgh. I think the traveling bureau or the Chamber of Commerce should hire us.
Sunday we traveled home, this time uneventfully.
A few random notes about NYC: It is huge, expect to do a lot of walking and definitely use the subway. Don't believe everything you read. We ate at a diner that claimed to have the best tuna salad, it was okay not great. The service is generally not very good. With the exception of Hell's Kitchen, we received pretty poor service. I was kind of surprised by that. We did not complain but just went with the flow after all we were on vacation. Don't forget that there is tax on clothing there. Don't even look at the fake designer purses in China town. We were accousted every morning and night by the subway station by people trying to get us to look at their wares. They yell hay-ba, hay-ba, hay-ba at you and it took me a moment to figure out they were saying hand-bag. It was Fleet Week, so there were Ship men (and women) and Cadets everywhere we went. It was nice to see them.
All in all it was a really fun trip and I can't wait to go back again. Although next time not on Memorial Day week-end.
We arrived on Thursday night about 2 hours later than planned because of some mysterious problem with our plane. We took the Air train and then the subway to our hotel which was near Little Italy and China Town. The person at the registration desk recommended an Italian restaurant to us which was about 2 blocks away. Mulberry Street (I think they should change the name to something more Italian sounding) is the hub of Little Italy and has restaurants on both sides of the street for about 3-4 blocks. I am sure that every one of them is great. We ate at Positano's (or something like that) and it was fantastic. Homemade pasta makes such a difference. They gave us free Tirimisu, yum.
On Friday we went to the Forbes Galleries. It was recommended on the "best things to do in NYC for free" sight. It was definitely worth the price (hee, hee) or even more. It had wonderful exhibits of toy boats, toy soldiers, and monopoly games as well as some seemingly random exhibits like fancy watches and some art. I would highly recommend it, an added bonus is that it had a really nice bathroom and those are sometimes hard to find. We then went to "Books of Wonder" which is something I always make sure I do on every trip I make to NYC. BoW is a fantastic children's book store and always has some "signed by the author" books as well as antique books. They specialize in Wizard of Oz series books which is how I discovered them in the first place. I bought 5 books and poor Mark carried them for the rest of the day with out complaint. Thank-you Mark!
Friday night we went to a restaurant called "Hell's Kitchen" because it is near the Hell's Kitchen area of New York and had nothing to do with the TV show or Gordan Ramsey. It serves really fantastic Mexican food. And they rose to the occasion because we were in a bit of a rush because of going to see a Broadway musical. Our food came out very speedily and we had plenty of time to enjoy it. The musical that we saw was "Rock of Ages", that is all 80's songs and stars Constantine from American Idol. It was a fun show and of course we knew all the songs. They gave us fake lighters that we could wave around like a concert. The band and the singers were all great and the show had a lot of comedic moments.
Saturday we had a bit of a disappointment because we wanted to tour the NYC public library but because of Memorial Day week-end they were closed. There were a lot of people waiting for the library to open at 11:00 AM as usual. About 11:15 someone called the library and found out about the closure. We ended up wandering around and saw some of a "Turkey Parade." No, not turkey the bird but a parade fully devoted to the country Turkey. Almost everyone was wearing red and white, they had floats and bands, it was really something to behold. In the afternoon we went to see the twin towers area. We visited some churches. One had a pew that was used by President Washington when NYC was the capitol. We also went to Century 21 department store. C-21 is a designer discount store. (think Filene's Basement only bigger) They had many designers that I had not heard of and the prices seemed pretty good, but most things were still more than what I wanted to pay. It was absolutely packed. I wanted to try a few things on but when I saw the wait for the dressing rooms I changed my mind and tried them on over what I was wearing in the aisle. I bought 2 shirts and Mark bought some socks and a belt. I wasn't particularly impressed but maybe we just went on the wrong day.
Saturday night we ate at a seafood place, then had a couple of beers at a brew pub and spoke to a nice couple from Manhattan. They were interested in what it was like to live in a small city. A whole lot cheaper we told them. And we have the Steelers and Penguins, we gave all the highlights of Pittsburgh. I think the traveling bureau or the Chamber of Commerce should hire us.
Sunday we traveled home, this time uneventfully.
A few random notes about NYC: It is huge, expect to do a lot of walking and definitely use the subway. Don't believe everything you read. We ate at a diner that claimed to have the best tuna salad, it was okay not great. The service is generally not very good. With the exception of Hell's Kitchen, we received pretty poor service. I was kind of surprised by that. We did not complain but just went with the flow after all we were on vacation. Don't forget that there is tax on clothing there. Don't even look at the fake designer purses in China town. We were accousted every morning and night by the subway station by people trying to get us to look at their wares. They yell hay-ba, hay-ba, hay-ba at you and it took me a moment to figure out they were saying hand-bag. It was Fleet Week, so there were Ship men (and women) and Cadets everywhere we went. It was nice to see them.
All in all it was a really fun trip and I can't wait to go back again. Although next time not on Memorial Day week-end.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
The Hunger Games
As many of you know I was enthralled with the Twilight books, rereading them many times. I finally broke it off by reading "Pride and Prejudice." I then read nothing for about a week when I received a call from the library that a book I had requested came in. I hadn't even remembered what I requested, it had been such a long time ago. When I picked the book up it was "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins.
I vaguely remember asking for it. I have read several book by Ms. Collins and I really like her style of writing. I loved this book. The basic premise is that the United States is no more and instead there is the Capital, which is in the Rockies somewhere and then 12 Districts. The districts lost a war against the capital and now are forced into sending tributes (one boy and one girl, aged between 12 and 18) to the Hunger Games. The tributes are competing to be the last one alive and all of the districts are required to watch them. The main character is a 16 year old girl named Katniss who competes in the games after taking the place of her 12 year old sister whose name was drawn. The boy from her district is Peeta, who had once shown Katniss kindness when she was in great need.
I won't go into any more details because I want all of you to read the book and tell me what you think of it. The only thing I'll say is that at the end it said "the end of book one." It did not say how many books will be in the series but I am totally hooked. I found out that the next book comes out in September.
So, happy reading.
I vaguely remember asking for it. I have read several book by Ms. Collins and I really like her style of writing. I loved this book. The basic premise is that the United States is no more and instead there is the Capital, which is in the Rockies somewhere and then 12 Districts. The districts lost a war against the capital and now are forced into sending tributes (one boy and one girl, aged between 12 and 18) to the Hunger Games. The tributes are competing to be the last one alive and all of the districts are required to watch them. The main character is a 16 year old girl named Katniss who competes in the games after taking the place of her 12 year old sister whose name was drawn. The boy from her district is Peeta, who had once shown Katniss kindness when she was in great need.
I won't go into any more details because I want all of you to read the book and tell me what you think of it. The only thing I'll say is that at the end it said "the end of book one." It did not say how many books will be in the series but I am totally hooked. I found out that the next book comes out in September.
So, happy reading.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
M.I.A.
Grocery shopping is a task that I don't usually mind except when it is really cold or raining and then I would rather avoid the long walk to and fro the store. I sometimes use a list which is really helpful, but other times I think I will remember what we need without the list and end up forgetting something or getting back home and realize I should have gotten something I didn't know we needed. I have been shopping less frequently since Mark has been traveling a lot. I wait until we are out of so many things it is crucial to go . Like this past week when we were so painfully low on chocolate that I resorted to grabbing a hand full of chocolate chips. I mentioned this to a few friends and found that I am not the only person to do this.
So, I went to Giant Eagle (sans list) and bought a heart shaped box of chocolates , 2 bags of peanut M&M's and 1 bag of Hershey Kisses. It was after Valentines Day so they were all marked down which was my rationalization. I also bought some other foods that are too boring to mention.
I then decided to go to Aldi's which is a discount grocery store that has a limited selection but has really good prices on some of the basics. ie; brownie mix, salsa, cereal, graham crackers etc. I hadn't been to Aldi's in months, but I needed some things that I like there and since I had a free afternoon I ventured out even though it was really cold. I was in the last aisle when I realized that I missed something that I normally get, I left my cart and went back to search for said item. I never did find it and when I went back my cart was not where I thought I had left it. I looked around and there were a few carts without owners sitting there, but they weren't mine. I was so frustrated, I didn't want to start again so I walked up the aisle looking at other people carts to see if I could find the person who had taken mine. I found him, the cart thief, I timidly approached him and said," You have my cart." He was so very embarrassed, apologized profusely, claiming that this was one of those "most embarrassing moments". I told him it could have been so much worse and he agreed. I was just happy to have my things back. Has this happened to anyone else?
So, I went to Giant Eagle (sans list) and bought a heart shaped box of chocolates , 2 bags of peanut M&M's and 1 bag of Hershey Kisses. It was after Valentines Day so they were all marked down which was my rationalization. I also bought some other foods that are too boring to mention.
I then decided to go to Aldi's which is a discount grocery store that has a limited selection but has really good prices on some of the basics. ie; brownie mix, salsa, cereal, graham crackers etc. I hadn't been to Aldi's in months, but I needed some things that I like there and since I had a free afternoon I ventured out even though it was really cold. I was in the last aisle when I realized that I missed something that I normally get, I left my cart and went back to search for said item. I never did find it and when I went back my cart was not where I thought I had left it. I looked around and there were a few carts without owners sitting there, but they weren't mine. I was so frustrated, I didn't want to start again so I walked up the aisle looking at other people carts to see if I could find the person who had taken mine. I found him, the cart thief, I timidly approached him and said," You have my cart." He was so very embarrassed, apologized profusely, claiming that this was one of those "most embarrassing moments". I told him it could have been so much worse and he agreed. I was just happy to have my things back. Has this happened to anyone else?
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Enthralled
I read a lot and usually have several books waiting for me at any given time. I have at least four or five sitting there now and a couple from the library that I have already renewed twice. It's not that I haven't been reading it is just that the Twilight series has captivated me so much that I haven't been able to pick up anything else. I have read each of the books several times and can't wait to go back home so I can read some more. The day after Christmas, at my mom's house, we had a party with her side of the family. I was so torn over reading the last book in the series and socializing with my family. I had to tear myself away from the book to hang out with them only to go back to the book when I felt I could make my escape without it seeming so obvious that I would rather be somewhere else. Even now that I have read the last book twice and counting, my obsession doesn't appear to be letting up any.
It is really odd for me to reread any book. I did reread the Harry Potter books but they pretty much are the exception to the rule. I am one of those people that once I start a book I am focused on it and the desire to finish it is so strong. But I have reread the third book 5 times. Yes, 5 times!!! Of course, part of that was that my mom was giving Steph the fourth book for Christmas and I had to wait to read it. Okay, in all honesty I went to Barnes and Noble and read a few chapters Christmas Eve Day. I was so tempted to buy my own copy but my thriftiness came through, I could wait one more day, right?
So, what is it about these books that have me so enthralled? I think that my love of fantasy and being a romantic makes these books seem like they were written especially for me. I find myself smiling when I am reading them and even though I know what is going to happen my enjoyment isn't any less each time. I can relate it to eating good chocolate, only with chocolate you can get full and I don't have my fill of the books yet. I know that I should be doing other things, like laundry, cleaning, etc. but I am really bad with procrastination especially with things I don't like doing. I don't see an end in sight although I am hoping when the TV networks have new shows again I'll be strong enough to tear myself away. I sound like an addict don't I? Is there such a thing as a Twilight intervention?
It is really odd for me to reread any book. I did reread the Harry Potter books but they pretty much are the exception to the rule. I am one of those people that once I start a book I am focused on it and the desire to finish it is so strong. But I have reread the third book 5 times. Yes, 5 times!!! Of course, part of that was that my mom was giving Steph the fourth book for Christmas and I had to wait to read it. Okay, in all honesty I went to Barnes and Noble and read a few chapters Christmas Eve Day. I was so tempted to buy my own copy but my thriftiness came through, I could wait one more day, right?
So, what is it about these books that have me so enthralled? I think that my love of fantasy and being a romantic makes these books seem like they were written especially for me. I find myself smiling when I am reading them and even though I know what is going to happen my enjoyment isn't any less each time. I can relate it to eating good chocolate, only with chocolate you can get full and I don't have my fill of the books yet. I know that I should be doing other things, like laundry, cleaning, etc. but I am really bad with procrastination especially with things I don't like doing. I don't see an end in sight although I am hoping when the TV networks have new shows again I'll be strong enough to tear myself away. I sound like an addict don't I? Is there such a thing as a Twilight intervention?
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Inactivity
We had Verizon Fios installed yesterday. Mark thought it would be good since it would save us some money, especially on our phone bill. I didn't really care too much but he told me that we would have the Tennis Channel for a trial 3 months so I was all for it and saving money is a good thing too, right?
Mark agreed to work from home for the day while the installer was there. I was very glad because it makes me nervous to have a strange man in the house alone with me. I realize that this a rather irrational fear and everyone who has worked for us has been completely professional as was the gentleman yesterday, but still it makes me uneasy. I also don't like when I'm asked questions that I have no idea what the answers are. So, it was good for Mark to be there for that as well.
So, we now have Fios and all our TV channels have changed. We have some new channels which Leah was excited about because there are more kid channels for her. Interestingly enough we don't get the Tennis Channel. I tried to go to it last night and it said we hadn't subscribed to it. That is just plain wrong. I complained to Mark and he said jokingly that I should call Comcast to tell them we would go back to them if they would give me the Tennis Channel.
Mark had called Comcast to tell them that we switched. He said that they did mention their own deals that we could have if we aren't completely satisfied with our new provider. So, we'll see.
Later Mark said that we would have to email everyone to let them know that our address had changed from Comcast. He seemed a little panicked about that until I reminded him that we never did change our address from adelphia and it changed itself over to roadrunner a few months ago. We didn't have to do anything and the adelphia and roadrunner addresses both still work. So, my inactivity was a good thing. How rare is that?
Mark agreed to work from home for the day while the installer was there. I was very glad because it makes me nervous to have a strange man in the house alone with me. I realize that this a rather irrational fear and everyone who has worked for us has been completely professional as was the gentleman yesterday, but still it makes me uneasy. I also don't like when I'm asked questions that I have no idea what the answers are. So, it was good for Mark to be there for that as well.
So, we now have Fios and all our TV channels have changed. We have some new channels which Leah was excited about because there are more kid channels for her. Interestingly enough we don't get the Tennis Channel. I tried to go to it last night and it said we hadn't subscribed to it. That is just plain wrong. I complained to Mark and he said jokingly that I should call Comcast to tell them we would go back to them if they would give me the Tennis Channel.
Mark had called Comcast to tell them that we switched. He said that they did mention their own deals that we could have if we aren't completely satisfied with our new provider. So, we'll see.
Later Mark said that we would have to email everyone to let them know that our address had changed from Comcast. He seemed a little panicked about that until I reminded him that we never did change our address from adelphia and it changed itself over to roadrunner a few months ago. We didn't have to do anything and the adelphia and roadrunner addresses both still work. So, my inactivity was a good thing. How rare is that?
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Champions
Bethel Park's football team won the WPIAL championship. This is a big deal because it is the first time they have achieved this goal. They beat Gateway 10-6. Mark and I actually watched some of the game. The end to be completely accurate since we went to the theater and arrived home for the last 5 minutes of the game. I was very impressed with Bethel's defense. To keep a team that had been scoring 40+ points a game to a meager 6 points is pretty awesome. Gateway was a nationally ranked team and even though Bethel was undefeated no one gave them much hope to win. That of course, makes the victory so much sweeter.
Mark and I helped some students make it to the game. We were walking to the theater from dinner (McCormick and Schmick's which was fantastic) when we overcame some confused Bethel fans. We overheard one boy say, "maybe we should ask someone." Mark told them they were headed in the wrong direction and needed to cross the river. It is easy to see how they were confused since they had just got off the "T" and with all the tall buildings, you couldn't see the stadium, any rivers or bridges. We were glad to help fellow Bethel Parkians.
So, Congratulations to Bethel Park and good luck with the next game which is against State College High School this Friday.
Mark and I helped some students make it to the game. We were walking to the theater from dinner (McCormick and Schmick's which was fantastic) when we overcame some confused Bethel fans. We overheard one boy say, "maybe we should ask someone." Mark told them they were headed in the wrong direction and needed to cross the river. It is easy to see how they were confused since they had just got off the "T" and with all the tall buildings, you couldn't see the stadium, any rivers or bridges. We were glad to help fellow Bethel Parkians.
So, Congratulations to Bethel Park and good luck with the next game which is against State College High School this Friday.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
A Religious Week-end
Steph had an interesting week-end. She was invited to a Bat Mitzvah of a school friend. We didn't even know that she was Jewish. I really wanted to go to the ceremony but Leah didn't want to attend and Mark is out of town so I didn't get the chance. Kind of a bummer but that happens. After the ceremony they had a big event at a restaurant with a d.j. and games. The girls all seemed to have a wonderful time. I asked Steph about the service and she said it was good but she didn't understand a lot because it was in Jewish. Hebrew? I suggested.
That night we went to the Saturday night service at Peters Creek. (where I work) Then on Sunday we went to church at Christ Community. In the afternoon Steph had a practice and Pizza party for teaching Faith Factor next Sunday and then she went to Youth Group back at Peters Creek. For Steph it was pretty much an all church all the time week-end.
That night we went to the Saturday night service at Peters Creek. (where I work) Then on Sunday we went to church at Christ Community. In the afternoon Steph had a practice and Pizza party for teaching Faith Factor next Sunday and then she went to Youth Group back at Peters Creek. For Steph it was pretty much an all church all the time week-end.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
B-day
My birthday was Monday the 3rd. It was a beautiful day weather-wise which is rather unusual. Typically by November 3rd the leaves are all off the trees and the temperature is cold. This year however the temperatures the last few days have been practically balmy and there are still some beautiful trees around. I know it won't last for long but I am enjoying this last bit of Fall weather while I can.
I had a pretty quiet day. I played tennis in the morning, dropped Leah off for a swim party with the girl scouts and just read a book for most of the afternoon. Mark, Steph and I went out to dinner at Bravo's and then when Leah came home we had a small party.
The next day at work the staff had a special birthday breakfast for me. It was really good and I received some nice cards. I am all for celebrating all month long so if anyone would like to go to lunch let me know.
I had a pretty quiet day. I played tennis in the morning, dropped Leah off for a swim party with the girl scouts and just read a book for most of the afternoon. Mark, Steph and I went out to dinner at Bravo's and then when Leah came home we had a small party.
The next day at work the staff had a special birthday breakfast for me. It was really good and I received some nice cards. I am all for celebrating all month long so if anyone would like to go to lunch let me know.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
MSU
We went to Michigan to visit Laurel this past week-end. It was really great to see her. We spent most of the time eating out and shopping. So needless to say it wasn't a cheap visit. One of the interesting things for me was that it was the week-end for a home football game against Ohio State. I have never seen anything like it. The campus was crazy with tailgate parties everywhere. The game started at 3:30 pm but the tailgates were going strong at 11:00 am when we picked up Laurel. Pitt being an urban campus with little parking around it there didn't seem to be many tailgates although now that they moved to Heinz Field it is probably different. But the game is still far away from campus so the atmosphere isn't the same. I had the forethought to wear green but Mark had on a red jacket (totally uncool). Not that anyone said anything or seemed to care. Unfortunately MSU lost the game, but Pitt won so we weren't too disappointed. Our first night at the hotel there were a lot of rowdy Ohio State fans, but the second night it was much calmer. They were probably recovering from tailgating all day.
We also visited the Kappa Delta House. It is very nice and I think Laurel will enjoy living there next year. They had a parents program but unfortunately we couldn't stay for it because it was from 3-5:00 and that would have put us home about 11:00 pm. As it was two of the newer sisters gave us a tour. I would have liked to talked to exec-board sisters to ask some questions but they weren't available when we were there. Oh well, I didn't have anything crucial to ask so maybe next time.
We also had the chance to meet Laurel's roommate Debra and friend Rose. They both are very nice girls. I am glad that Laurel changed roommates, Debra is a hard worker, which is way better than having a heavy partier. Debra is also Jewish which gives Laurel a different perspective. I think it is interesting for her to know about the difference in cultures and about being kosher. I hope they can share things about their faiths.
It was kind of sad to say good-bye again but we will see her at Thankgiving and then when her term is over in December.
We also visited the Kappa Delta House. It is very nice and I think Laurel will enjoy living there next year. They had a parents program but unfortunately we couldn't stay for it because it was from 3-5:00 and that would have put us home about 11:00 pm. As it was two of the newer sisters gave us a tour. I would have liked to talked to exec-board sisters to ask some questions but they weren't available when we were there. Oh well, I didn't have anything crucial to ask so maybe next time.
We also had the chance to meet Laurel's roommate Debra and friend Rose. They both are very nice girls. I am glad that Laurel changed roommates, Debra is a hard worker, which is way better than having a heavy partier. Debra is also Jewish which gives Laurel a different perspective. I think it is interesting for her to know about the difference in cultures and about being kosher. I hope they can share things about their faiths.
It was kind of sad to say good-bye again but we will see her at Thankgiving and then when her term is over in December.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
College
I am sure many of you are a little curious how I am faring with my eldest daughter in college. It has it's ups and downs. The up side is that she seems to be handling herself really well, attending classes regularly, keeping up with her work and making friends. The down side is that she is so darned far away. When she had a tumultuous break-up with her boyfriend it would have been nice to give her a hug, but I was too far away so I had to send one over the phone which just isn't the same.
I was very, very excited when she pledged Kappa Delta. I hope that she enjoys it as much as I did. It will give her some fun activities to do in between studying, working and going to class. It is amazing how different it is having a house compared with the suite the girls have at Pitt. I kind of envy the house it really seems more fun. She went to her first tailgate party on Saturday and was exposed to a new culture. There are people who have as their main goal to get as drunk as possible as quickly as possible. I told her to laugh at and then feel sorry for them because they will be feeling it the next day. (or later that day depending how early they start)
Going to college is an eye opening experience. You meet all kinds of people who are so different than those that you knew at home. Laurel was surprised when one of her fellow pledges was incredulous that she chose to go to MSU because of her major!?!, because she was all about the football team and tailgating which Laurel doesn't care that much about. (although she has enjoyed the games she has gone to) So, I am happy that Laurel is getting to experience college with all it's challenges and good times. I know that she will thrive there.
We are going to visit Laurel in a couple of weeks. I can't wait! She already has told me things she wants me to bring from home and that she wants to go out to eat. I guess the cafeteria food can get boring after a while. I am anxious to see the inside of the KD house and meet some of her friends.
Laurel would love to get some mail so let me know if you need her address.
I was very, very excited when she pledged Kappa Delta. I hope that she enjoys it as much as I did. It will give her some fun activities to do in between studying, working and going to class. It is amazing how different it is having a house compared with the suite the girls have at Pitt. I kind of envy the house it really seems more fun. She went to her first tailgate party on Saturday and was exposed to a new culture. There are people who have as their main goal to get as drunk as possible as quickly as possible. I told her to laugh at and then feel sorry for them because they will be feeling it the next day. (or later that day depending how early they start)
Going to college is an eye opening experience. You meet all kinds of people who are so different than those that you knew at home. Laurel was surprised when one of her fellow pledges was incredulous that she chose to go to MSU because of her major!?!, because she was all about the football team and tailgating which Laurel doesn't care that much about. (although she has enjoyed the games she has gone to) So, I am happy that Laurel is getting to experience college with all it's challenges and good times. I know that she will thrive there.
We are going to visit Laurel in a couple of weeks. I can't wait! She already has told me things she wants me to bring from home and that she wants to go out to eat. I guess the cafeteria food can get boring after a while. I am anxious to see the inside of the KD house and meet some of her friends.
Laurel would love to get some mail so let me know if you need her address.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Amuse Me
I have been watching sports every day and night for the past 4 weeks. I love the Olympics and then the U.S. Open tennis started. I will be going into serious withdrawal tomorrow.
In between my sports watching my family went to several amusement parks. We were in Southern California and visited Sea World, Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure park and then went to Kennywood for Mark's company picnic back in the 'Burgh.
I was excited to take my girls to Sea World because I had fond memories of going when I was younger, back when there was a Sea World in Ohio. We went on a few rides first, An Arctic Adventure, which is a simulator-type ride that was pretty cool. We then went on a ride called Atlantis that looked like a roller coaster and was although it had a water part that I was not expecting. Okay, so now that I'm wet we might as well go on the river raft ride. We were completely drenched after that ride. Mark and the littles went on it twice, to make sure that there was not a spot on them that was dry. After that we had lunch and then started attending the shows. The shows were very entertaining, but waiting in the hot sun for them to start wasn't great. We all had sunburn even though we did (I thought) a good job of putting lotion on. Is there anything you can do about sunburn on your hair part? Other than a hat? All-in-all we enjoyed Sea World but felt that it would have been better if they had a few more non-water rides.
Everyone in my family absolutely loves Disney. (ok, maybe not Mark but he is a great sport) We were excited to go on the rides that they don't have in Florida and to revisit our favorites. We went on the Matterhorn first and then headed over to the Alice-in-Wonderland ride. After this we noticed a trend. We were next to go on the Alice ride when it broke down and were told that the wait would be about 15 minutes before it started again. We decided not to wait and went to Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. About half through the ride it broke down and we were escorted to the exit. We next tried our luck with the Pinocchio ride. We made it almost to the very end this time before yes, once again the ride broke down. I thought maybe Fantasyland was having problems, let's check out some other areas of the park. It didn't seem to matter. The Indiana Jones ride was down when we first went to ride it and the Haunted Mansion was down for most of the day. By the end of the day we were able to ride everything we wanted and loved the Indiana Jones ride so much that we went on it twice. The only thing we missed is the It's a Small World ride because they are completely overhauling it and it would be out for I think a few months. The girls sang the song to Mark anyway so he wouldn't feel he missed out completely or just to be annoying. Hee Hee!!! Actually I wanted to go on the canoes and the girls said, "no way, it looks too much like exercise."
After taking a day off we went to Disney's California Adventure. The park opens at 10:00 so we went to Disneyland first and rode Space Mountain before heading over to CA, which is separated by a courtyard so it is really easy to go from one park to another. We headed for Soarin' and had a little longer than expected wait because one side broke down and we had to be diverted to the other side. We were worried about another day of mishaps but I think the only other ride that went down while we were there was the new Toy Story Arcade ride. We did end up going on it twice because we loved it but the line was very long, they really need to give this ride a fast-pass. We enjoyed California Adventure a lot. I always allow the girls $20.00 to spend on souvenirs for the whole vacation and we had no trouble spending it all at Disney. My recommendations for a Disney trip are, arrive as soon as the park opens, use Fast-pass for any line longer than 20 minutes ( if it is available) and don't get stressed by break downs.
I have to admit after going to 3 parks in August already we (Mark and I) weren't very excited about going to Kennywood. It was paid for by his company and they had dinner included and the girls were really looking forward to it, so we went. Of course, we had a wonderful time. It is nice that the girls are at the age where we like to ride pretty much the same things. Steph wanted to go on the Phantom's Revenge and neither Mark or I was willing to brave it. Laurel was missed because we know she would have taken Steph on it. One ride that we all like is the Grand Prix or what I like to call the Dodge 'em cars and everyone else says are Bumper cars. I like to drive around and try to avoid being hit and Mark and Leah in one car and Steph in another try to bump me as much as they possibly can. "Getting Mommy" is the highlight for Leah.
So we had a very amusing August and I am glad that we are now home and back to a normal routine. Although we miss our Laurel, but that will have to be another blog.
In between my sports watching my family went to several amusement parks. We were in Southern California and visited Sea World, Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure park and then went to Kennywood for Mark's company picnic back in the 'Burgh.
I was excited to take my girls to Sea World because I had fond memories of going when I was younger, back when there was a Sea World in Ohio. We went on a few rides first, An Arctic Adventure, which is a simulator-type ride that was pretty cool. We then went on a ride called Atlantis that looked like a roller coaster and was although it had a water part that I was not expecting. Okay, so now that I'm wet we might as well go on the river raft ride. We were completely drenched after that ride. Mark and the littles went on it twice, to make sure that there was not a spot on them that was dry. After that we had lunch and then started attending the shows. The shows were very entertaining, but waiting in the hot sun for them to start wasn't great. We all had sunburn even though we did (I thought) a good job of putting lotion on. Is there anything you can do about sunburn on your hair part? Other than a hat? All-in-all we enjoyed Sea World but felt that it would have been better if they had a few more non-water rides.
Everyone in my family absolutely loves Disney. (ok, maybe not Mark but he is a great sport) We were excited to go on the rides that they don't have in Florida and to revisit our favorites. We went on the Matterhorn first and then headed over to the Alice-in-Wonderland ride. After this we noticed a trend. We were next to go on the Alice ride when it broke down and were told that the wait would be about 15 minutes before it started again. We decided not to wait and went to Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. About half through the ride it broke down and we were escorted to the exit. We next tried our luck with the Pinocchio ride. We made it almost to the very end this time before yes, once again the ride broke down. I thought maybe Fantasyland was having problems, let's check out some other areas of the park. It didn't seem to matter. The Indiana Jones ride was down when we first went to ride it and the Haunted Mansion was down for most of the day. By the end of the day we were able to ride everything we wanted and loved the Indiana Jones ride so much that we went on it twice. The only thing we missed is the It's a Small World ride because they are completely overhauling it and it would be out for I think a few months. The girls sang the song to Mark anyway so he wouldn't feel he missed out completely or just to be annoying. Hee Hee!!! Actually I wanted to go on the canoes and the girls said, "no way, it looks too much like exercise."
After taking a day off we went to Disney's California Adventure. The park opens at 10:00 so we went to Disneyland first and rode Space Mountain before heading over to CA, which is separated by a courtyard so it is really easy to go from one park to another. We headed for Soarin' and had a little longer than expected wait because one side broke down and we had to be diverted to the other side. We were worried about another day of mishaps but I think the only other ride that went down while we were there was the new Toy Story Arcade ride. We did end up going on it twice because we loved it but the line was very long, they really need to give this ride a fast-pass. We enjoyed California Adventure a lot. I always allow the girls $20.00 to spend on souvenirs for the whole vacation and we had no trouble spending it all at Disney. My recommendations for a Disney trip are, arrive as soon as the park opens, use Fast-pass for any line longer than 20 minutes ( if it is available) and don't get stressed by break downs.
I have to admit after going to 3 parks in August already we (Mark and I) weren't very excited about going to Kennywood. It was paid for by his company and they had dinner included and the girls were really looking forward to it, so we went. Of course, we had a wonderful time. It is nice that the girls are at the age where we like to ride pretty much the same things. Steph wanted to go on the Phantom's Revenge and neither Mark or I was willing to brave it. Laurel was missed because we know she would have taken Steph on it. One ride that we all like is the Grand Prix or what I like to call the Dodge 'em cars and everyone else says are Bumper cars. I like to drive around and try to avoid being hit and Mark and Leah in one car and Steph in another try to bump me as much as they possibly can. "Getting Mommy" is the highlight for Leah.
So we had a very amusing August and I am glad that we are now home and back to a normal routine. Although we miss our Laurel, but that will have to be another blog.
Saturday, August 23, 2008
New Job
I have a new job as part-time secretary for Peters Creek Presbyterian church. My sister goes to that church and found out that the person who had the job wasn't working out so they were looking to hire someone. She was interested in the job but not full-time so asked if I would like to share the position with her. Since I was getting so few hours at the Loft I thought it would be a good idea. We went for the interview together and I was a little nervous because I have absolutely no secretarial experience at all. I am teachable so I thought that I would do alright in the job, but if they delved into my experience I would be sorely lacking. As it turned out it didn't matter. They explained what the job entailed and asked when we could start. It was pretty obvious that they really, really wanted Bev (who is highly experienced) to take the job and if they had to take me then it was worth the risk. One area that I expect to excel in is answering the phone. I do have a lot of experience in that area and my sister Marilyn said that I have a smile in my voice. ;-)
We worked together for a couple of hours before I left on vacation, but my real first day is on Tuesday. Pray for me. I will need it.
By the way, I am still working at the Loft part-time. I can't give up the discounts and it is fun.
We worked together for a couple of hours before I left on vacation, but my real first day is on Tuesday. Pray for me. I will need it.
By the way, I am still working at the Loft part-time. I can't give up the discounts and it is fun.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Graduation
Laurel is officially graduated from High School. I told her that she was gradulicious, which she thought was a pretty funny way to describe her accomplishment. I don't think of High School graduation as that big of a deal really. I mean it is a milestone in ones life but everyone can do it. The ceremony was held indoors because of the rain. I have never attended a graduation outside, so it didn't matter that much to me other that fewer people could attend. The speakers all did a very good job. Laurel's friend Valerie gave a nice speech urging her fellow classmates to take a cue from Buzz Lightyear and strive for "infinity and beyond." The valedictorian's speech used a Winnie-the-pooh quote. Disney movies seem to have a big impact on everyone.
We had Laurel's grad party over Memorial week-end. The highlight was the "wall of Laurel", which had pictures of Laurel from her baby days to now. She wasn't too crazy about the middle-school pictures. That is an awkward time for just about everyone but I told her that the important thing is that she came out the other side a beautiful young woman. I was asked jokingly if we always had the pictures up. I laughed and said that I had just put them up but now that they were there who knows how long they will be there. It has been several weeks and yes, they are still up! If you missed out and want to see them (or see them again) just give me a call.
I think we are all more excited for college. We are leaving today for Michigan to attend Laurel's MSU orientation. I have never been there and look forward to checking it out. I hope to visit the Kappa Delta chapter if we have time. The littles are pretty excited about the swimming pool at our hotel. I know I will be far more emotional about sending Laurel to college than I was about High school graduation.
We had Laurel's grad party over Memorial week-end. The highlight was the "wall of Laurel", which had pictures of Laurel from her baby days to now. She wasn't too crazy about the middle-school pictures. That is an awkward time for just about everyone but I told her that the important thing is that she came out the other side a beautiful young woman. I was asked jokingly if we always had the pictures up. I laughed and said that I had just put them up but now that they were there who knows how long they will be there. It has been several weeks and yes, they are still up! If you missed out and want to see them (or see them again) just give me a call.
I think we are all more excited for college. We are leaving today for Michigan to attend Laurel's MSU orientation. I have never been there and look forward to checking it out. I hope to visit the Kappa Delta chapter if we have time. The littles are pretty excited about the swimming pool at our hotel. I know I will be far more emotional about sending Laurel to college than I was about High school graduation.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Update
I know that all of you have been anxious to find out how my singles match went on Saturday. (except those of you who already know) My team carpooled to the Pittsburgh Golf Club which is near Squirrel Hill. I joked with the girls how I was hoping for a very old opponent that was really slow. Of course, that was not the case my opponent was young (in her 30's I'm guessing) and pretty quick. Her name is Louise Kay. "Louise," I asked? "No, it is Louise Kay," she responded. Okay, uh, so Louise Kay and I started to warm up. I noticed right away that her ground strokes were a little unpredictable, but as we continued to warm up she seemed to get better. Her serve was pretty shaky and she had a lot of trouble feeding me overhead shot practice. So, I went into the match feeling fairly confidant that she wouldn't blow me off the court and I might even have a good chance of winning. It was interesting to me that she chose to receive serve after winning the spin instead of serving first, which is usually an advantage. It was another indication of how uncomfortable with her serve she was.
To make a long story short(er), I won the match 6-0, 6-0. She seemed to think that hitting the ball as hard as you could was the way to go. That only is the case when you you can keep the ball in play, which Louise Kay really, really struggled doing. We only had one game that went to deuce. Louise Kay exceeded my expectations for an opponent. My only hope now is that my captains don't think that I can do that same thing against other teams. My team won the match 4-1, losing only line 1 singles. Interesting was the age of the line 1 and 2 doubles opponents. They were all at least in their 70's with one of the ladies playing line 1 doubles being 82 years old. I hope that when I am their age I am still playing tennis.
My team for Mt. Lebanon Team Tennis won again yesterday narrowly. My wonderful partner Penny and I won a tough match 9-6. We were able to come back after a three game to zero start. So, I have won all my matches so far this year, which I know won't continue once Pittsburgh Tennis League starts, but for now it is all good.
To make a long story short(er), I won the match 6-0, 6-0. She seemed to think that hitting the ball as hard as you could was the way to go. That only is the case when you you can keep the ball in play, which Louise Kay really, really struggled doing. We only had one game that went to deuce. Louise Kay exceeded my expectations for an opponent. My only hope now is that my captains don't think that I can do that same thing against other teams. My team won the match 4-1, losing only line 1 singles. Interesting was the age of the line 1 and 2 doubles opponents. They were all at least in their 70's with one of the ladies playing line 1 doubles being 82 years old. I hope that when I am their age I am still playing tennis.
My team for Mt. Lebanon Team Tennis won again yesterday narrowly. My wonderful partner Penny and I won a tough match 9-6. We were able to come back after a three game to zero start. So, I have won all my matches so far this year, which I know won't continue once Pittsburgh Tennis League starts, but for now it is all good.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Work and Tennis
I have had many people ask me about my job and how I like it so far. I really do enjoy the work. I have always loved helping people with outfits and it is very gratifying when they take my suggestions. After just one 4 1/2 hour day I've come to a few conclusions:
1) I need more comfortable shoes.
2) I should never calculate how much I will be payed because it sounds so paltry.
3) This job will be easier when I know where everything in the store is located.
4) I was tired after just 4 hours. How will I feel after an 8 hour day?
All in all I had a good time and am looking forward to work again today.
On a completely different note, the tennis season is upon us. I have played in two matches so far for the Mt. Lebanon team tennis league. I won both of my matches 11-4 but my team's record is 1 and 1. Actually every team in the league has a 1 and 1 record. I had two different partners for the matches and feel really blessed to have such nice players to play with.
My first USTA match is on Saturday and I am scheduled to play singles. UGH!!! I am not a singles player. I am a much stronger doubles player. Of course, it is my own fault for offering once to play singles for a person who was injured. I hope that this is a one time thing. My biggest concern with singles is my stamina. I have been playing one set of singles a week with the Wednesday group I play with, but if I have a match that goes to three sets I could be in trouble. Pray for me on Saturday morning.
1) I need more comfortable shoes.
2) I should never calculate how much I will be payed because it sounds so paltry.
3) This job will be easier when I know where everything in the store is located.
4) I was tired after just 4 hours. How will I feel after an 8 hour day?
All in all I had a good time and am looking forward to work again today.
On a completely different note, the tennis season is upon us. I have played in two matches so far for the Mt. Lebanon team tennis league. I won both of my matches 11-4 but my team's record is 1 and 1. Actually every team in the league has a 1 and 1 record. I had two different partners for the matches and feel really blessed to have such nice players to play with.
My first USTA match is on Saturday and I am scheduled to play singles. UGH!!! I am not a singles player. I am a much stronger doubles player. Of course, it is my own fault for offering once to play singles for a person who was injured. I hope that this is a one time thing. My biggest concern with singles is my stamina. I have been playing one set of singles a week with the Wednesday group I play with, but if I have a match that goes to three sets I could be in trouble. Pray for me on Saturday morning.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Job
I have been thinking of getting a job for quite a while now. Last year when Leah was in first grade I was contemplating it. One of my tennis friends said, "you should give it a year." So, I gave it a year but still felt like I needed something new to do. It really is a transition going from having small children that require a lot of attention to having "big girls" that are independent in many ways. Truth be told that I was kind of bored with my life. Not at all times of course, but generally speaking the sameness of every day was getting monotonous. I enjoy tennis but even that was feeling old.
I had always liked working before I had children and was a very good sales person. The question was what type of work would be best for me. I didn't want to go for a full-time career type job, at least not yet anyways. I also was hesitant to work retail because of the hours, which might be difficult when Mark is out-of-town. I decided that it was probably best for me to just get my feet wet with any job and then see how it goes. I applied to work at Borders about a month or so ago but was told that they were not looking for anyone at the time.
Last Friday I went to lunch with a friend from Bible study and then we went shopping afterwards. We ended up at Ann Taylor Loft, which is one of my favorite stores. I love picking out clothes for people and helping them shop. My joy must have been evident because several people said that I should consider a job there. My heart kind-of leaped at the idea, so I got an application.
Part of the application process is answering a questionnaire on-line. They had you put basic info about yourself and then asked personality questions that you had to say if you strongly agreed, agreed, were neutral, disagreed or strongly disagreed with the statement. They also said that you only had 20 seconds to answer and you couldn't go back once you hit enter. The very first question I hit strongly disagree instead of strongly agree and felt sick to my stomach. Would my blown answer ruin my chances? Argh!!! I don't remember what the question was but Mark and I joked that it was probably something like, "I consider myself to be an honest person" or "I am a friendly person."
After stewing for four whole days I received the call to come in for an interview. I felt fairly confidant because I am usually pretty good at speaking extemporarily, but I haven't interviewed for a very long time. After talking and answering questions for about ten minutes I was offered the job. I was doing the happy dance inside my head.
I will probably work for about 2-3 days a week. My biggest question is whether I will make any money at all because the employee discounts are really good and I do need work clothes, right? We will see how good my self-control is. I start training tomorrow at 2:00pm. Pray for me.
I had always liked working before I had children and was a very good sales person. The question was what type of work would be best for me. I didn't want to go for a full-time career type job, at least not yet anyways. I also was hesitant to work retail because of the hours, which might be difficult when Mark is out-of-town. I decided that it was probably best for me to just get my feet wet with any job and then see how it goes. I applied to work at Borders about a month or so ago but was told that they were not looking for anyone at the time.
Last Friday I went to lunch with a friend from Bible study and then we went shopping afterwards. We ended up at Ann Taylor Loft, which is one of my favorite stores. I love picking out clothes for people and helping them shop. My joy must have been evident because several people said that I should consider a job there. My heart kind-of leaped at the idea, so I got an application.
Part of the application process is answering a questionnaire on-line. They had you put basic info about yourself and then asked personality questions that you had to say if you strongly agreed, agreed, were neutral, disagreed or strongly disagreed with the statement. They also said that you only had 20 seconds to answer and you couldn't go back once you hit enter. The very first question I hit strongly disagree instead of strongly agree and felt sick to my stomach. Would my blown answer ruin my chances? Argh!!! I don't remember what the question was but Mark and I joked that it was probably something like, "I consider myself to be an honest person" or "I am a friendly person."
After stewing for four whole days I received the call to come in for an interview. I felt fairly confidant because I am usually pretty good at speaking extemporarily, but I haven't interviewed for a very long time. After talking and answering questions for about ten minutes I was offered the job. I was doing the happy dance inside my head.
I will probably work for about 2-3 days a week. My biggest question is whether I will make any money at all because the employee discounts are really good and I do need work clothes, right? We will see how good my self-control is. I start training tomorrow at 2:00pm. Pray for me.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Glasses
Yesterday the little girls and I picked up our new glasses. This is the first pair for both Steph and Leah. They were told that they really only needed them for school. They both look pretty cute in them. My glasses don't look all that different although they are silver and a little more substantial than my last pair. Leah was with me when I picked them out and approved of them saying that I still looked like myself. My last pair was broken and pretty scratched up, but I kept putting off going to the eye doctor until Leah and Steph both needed check-ups.
Laurel didn't need new glasses although her old pair were very bent out of shape. She decided that she wanted contacts. She was surprised that they gave them to her right at her appointment last week. At first she struggled with getting them in and out but now she is able to do it usually on the first try.
The one really nice thing about the place we went (The Eye Gallery in McMurray) is that they repair glasses for you whenever you drop in, for free. I saw many people have their glasses adjusted while I was waiting for the girls during their appointments. They fixed Laurel's glasses which was great because she didn't need another pair since her prescription hadn't changed. They even offered to fix my old glasses which is great. I don't know if I will ever wear them again, but I guess it is good to have a spare pair in case something happens to the new ones.
Leah was really cute saying, "now everyone in our family has glasses." I teased Steph that her dad and I are doing everything we can to keep the boys away from her by having her get both braces and glasses. So far our strategy is working!
Laurel didn't need new glasses although her old pair were very bent out of shape. She decided that she wanted contacts. She was surprised that they gave them to her right at her appointment last week. At first she struggled with getting them in and out but now she is able to do it usually on the first try.
The one really nice thing about the place we went (The Eye Gallery in McMurray) is that they repair glasses for you whenever you drop in, for free. I saw many people have their glasses adjusted while I was waiting for the girls during their appointments. They fixed Laurel's glasses which was great because she didn't need another pair since her prescription hadn't changed. They even offered to fix my old glasses which is great. I don't know if I will ever wear them again, but I guess it is good to have a spare pair in case something happens to the new ones.
Leah was really cute saying, "now everyone in our family has glasses." I teased Steph that her dad and I are doing everything we can to keep the boys away from her by having her get both braces and glasses. So far our strategy is working!
Monday, April 21, 2008
Rabbit Hole
Mark and I went to see the Pittsburgh Public Theaters production of the play 'Rabbit Hole' on Saturday night. 'Rabbit Hole' was written by playwright David Lindsay-Abaire. I had not heard of him before but he has received 5 Tony Award nominations and is currently working on the book and lyrics for the Broadway-bound musical 'Shrek'. He is also wrote the screenplay for the upcoming movie 'Inkheart' and is also bringing 'Rabbit hole' and one of his other plays 'Kimberly Akimbo' to the screen as well. I believe that Mr. Lindsay-Abaire is about to become very well-known indeed!
When Lindsay-Abaire was at school at Julliard he was told that if you want to write a really good play, write about the thing that scares you the most. At the time he didn't understand that, but now that he is a father he realized that one of his greatest fears is that something horrible would happen to his child. Rabbit Hole is about a family that is dealing with the tragedy of losing their son in an accident. The four year old Danny ran out in the street chasing after his dog and was hit by a car. The first act takes place about 6 months after his death.
The play opens with Danny's mom Becca (Erika Rolfsrud) listening to her younger, wilder sister relay a story about how she punched-out a girl who was yelling at her in a bar. It turns out that Izzy (Joey Parsons) was sleeping with the girls' boyfriend and is now expecting his baby. She was hesitant to tell her sister about the pregnancy because she wasn't sure how Becca would react. Becca tried very hard to be happy for her sister but you could tell that she thought this was another piece of evidence that Izzy was a screw-up. How can she raise a baby when she can't even keep a job at 'Apple bee's'?
Becca's husband is Howie (Dylan Chalfy) who returns from playing handball with his friend and part of a couple that was very close to them before the accident. Debbie was Becca's friend but hadn't called her for months and Becca was not going to call her out of principle. Howie and Becca were both handling the tragedy in different ways. Becca was going crazy with all the memories in the house. Seeing one of Danny's toys or a finger print sent her reeling. She gave the dog to her mother and was starting to clean and sort his clothes to give to Goodwill. She wants to sell the house to try to get away from the sadness. Becca quit going to the support group because she couldn't stand the religious people who said things like, "he is in a better place or God needed another angel", which she found not at all comforting.
Howie on the other hand continued to go to the support group and wanted to keep everything the same in the house and was angry that Becca removed Danny's artwork from the refrigerator. He enjoyed watching the video tape of Danny. Howie accuses Becca of trying to erase Danny from their lives when she accidentally erases the video and in the fact that she wants to sell the house.
Becca's mom, Nat (Jo Twiss) tries to help with varying degrees of success. She understands what it is like to lose a child because her only son also died. Becca resents the comparison because her brother hung himself while strung-out on heroin, while her son was an innocent child.
The only other character in the play is Jason (Alec Silberblatt), the teenage boy that was driving the car that killed Danny. He is also struggling with the death and writes the family a letter and asks if he can dedicate a story he wrote to Danny.
The second act takes place about three months later. The house is up for sale and they have the dog back from Nat who Howie said was making him fat. Izzy is helping Howie with an open house and tells him that no one is going to make an offer when they see Danny's room. They in evidently ask about the child and then are mortified when they hear that he died. "It creeps them out," says Izzy. Izzy also mentions that one of her friends waited on Howie and a woman at a restaurant and that they were holding hands. Howie says that the woman is from the support group and he was just comforting her and emphatically denies that anything else is going on. Becca and her mom return from a shopping trip where Becca had an altercation with a mom who wouldn't buy her son fruit snacks and then ignored him. She ended up slapping the other mom. Nat explained to the other mom why Becca so over reacts. Jason walks in because it is an open house and he wants to talk to them. Howie goes ballistic on him, but he leaves his number in case they want to talk to him later.
Becca decides that she would like to talk to him and arranges it. He explains that he may have been driving a little fast, maybe one or two miles per hour, but he can't be sure because he hadn't checked his speed in their block. He saw the dog and swerved not to hit it and then ended up hitting Danny instead. Becca assures him that they don't blame him, that they know that it was an accident. The title of the play is taken from Jason's story. He writes about rabbit holes that connect our world with alternate worlds. Becca takes some comfort in that maybe there is a world where she was happy and that the tragedy never took place.
In the end Howie agrees that Danny's room should be made into a generic guest bedroom and stops going to the support group. Becca and her mom share a good moment while cleaning out Danny's room. Becca finally calls Debbie, they reconcile and Debbie invites them over for a cookout. Becca admits to Howie that maybe it wouldn't be such a bad thing if they don't sell the house. Even though it isn't clear what will happen to this family in the future it seems that there is hope for them.
I loved this play. Even though it was about a very sad subject there were funny moments as well. I found the play very believable. The acting was great and the actors seemed visibly moved by the standing ovation that they received.
On a side note, there was a lot of eating during the play. They ate creme caramel, birthday cake (Izzy's birthday), zucchini bread, lemon squares and apple tort. I wonder what they do with the leftovers. Maybe the crew gets to eat it. I would volunteer to help them out, everything looked really good. The kitchen in the play was really nice, way better than my kitchen. Mark suggested that we ask the set designer to help us remodel our kitchen. We also noticed that all of the actors except Alec (who is a high school boy from Pittsburgh) have appeared in "Law and Order." I guess with as long as that has been on every actor can get a turn.
The play will be showing until May 18th. So I urge you to go see it. You will not be disappointed.
When Lindsay-Abaire was at school at Julliard he was told that if you want to write a really good play, write about the thing that scares you the most. At the time he didn't understand that, but now that he is a father he realized that one of his greatest fears is that something horrible would happen to his child. Rabbit Hole is about a family that is dealing with the tragedy of losing their son in an accident. The four year old Danny ran out in the street chasing after his dog and was hit by a car. The first act takes place about 6 months after his death.
The play opens with Danny's mom Becca (Erika Rolfsrud) listening to her younger, wilder sister relay a story about how she punched-out a girl who was yelling at her in a bar. It turns out that Izzy (Joey Parsons) was sleeping with the girls' boyfriend and is now expecting his baby. She was hesitant to tell her sister about the pregnancy because she wasn't sure how Becca would react. Becca tried very hard to be happy for her sister but you could tell that she thought this was another piece of evidence that Izzy was a screw-up. How can she raise a baby when she can't even keep a job at 'Apple bee's'?
Becca's husband is Howie (Dylan Chalfy) who returns from playing handball with his friend and part of a couple that was very close to them before the accident. Debbie was Becca's friend but hadn't called her for months and Becca was not going to call her out of principle. Howie and Becca were both handling the tragedy in different ways. Becca was going crazy with all the memories in the house. Seeing one of Danny's toys or a finger print sent her reeling. She gave the dog to her mother and was starting to clean and sort his clothes to give to Goodwill. She wants to sell the house to try to get away from the sadness. Becca quit going to the support group because she couldn't stand the religious people who said things like, "he is in a better place or God needed another angel", which she found not at all comforting.
Howie on the other hand continued to go to the support group and wanted to keep everything the same in the house and was angry that Becca removed Danny's artwork from the refrigerator. He enjoyed watching the video tape of Danny. Howie accuses Becca of trying to erase Danny from their lives when she accidentally erases the video and in the fact that she wants to sell the house.
Becca's mom, Nat (Jo Twiss) tries to help with varying degrees of success. She understands what it is like to lose a child because her only son also died. Becca resents the comparison because her brother hung himself while strung-out on heroin, while her son was an innocent child.
The only other character in the play is Jason (Alec Silberblatt), the teenage boy that was driving the car that killed Danny. He is also struggling with the death and writes the family a letter and asks if he can dedicate a story he wrote to Danny.
The second act takes place about three months later. The house is up for sale and they have the dog back from Nat who Howie said was making him fat. Izzy is helping Howie with an open house and tells him that no one is going to make an offer when they see Danny's room. They in evidently ask about the child and then are mortified when they hear that he died. "It creeps them out," says Izzy. Izzy also mentions that one of her friends waited on Howie and a woman at a restaurant and that they were holding hands. Howie says that the woman is from the support group and he was just comforting her and emphatically denies that anything else is going on. Becca and her mom return from a shopping trip where Becca had an altercation with a mom who wouldn't buy her son fruit snacks and then ignored him. She ended up slapping the other mom. Nat explained to the other mom why Becca so over reacts. Jason walks in because it is an open house and he wants to talk to them. Howie goes ballistic on him, but he leaves his number in case they want to talk to him later.
Becca decides that she would like to talk to him and arranges it. He explains that he may have been driving a little fast, maybe one or two miles per hour, but he can't be sure because he hadn't checked his speed in their block. He saw the dog and swerved not to hit it and then ended up hitting Danny instead. Becca assures him that they don't blame him, that they know that it was an accident. The title of the play is taken from Jason's story. He writes about rabbit holes that connect our world with alternate worlds. Becca takes some comfort in that maybe there is a world where she was happy and that the tragedy never took place.
In the end Howie agrees that Danny's room should be made into a generic guest bedroom and stops going to the support group. Becca and her mom share a good moment while cleaning out Danny's room. Becca finally calls Debbie, they reconcile and Debbie invites them over for a cookout. Becca admits to Howie that maybe it wouldn't be such a bad thing if they don't sell the house. Even though it isn't clear what will happen to this family in the future it seems that there is hope for them.
I loved this play. Even though it was about a very sad subject there were funny moments as well. I found the play very believable. The acting was great and the actors seemed visibly moved by the standing ovation that they received.
On a side note, there was a lot of eating during the play. They ate creme caramel, birthday cake (Izzy's birthday), zucchini bread, lemon squares and apple tort. I wonder what they do with the leftovers. Maybe the crew gets to eat it. I would volunteer to help them out, everything looked really good. The kitchen in the play was really nice, way better than my kitchen. Mark suggested that we ask the set designer to help us remodel our kitchen. We also noticed that all of the actors except Alec (who is a high school boy from Pittsburgh) have appeared in "Law and Order." I guess with as long as that has been on every actor can get a turn.
The play will be showing until May 18th. So I urge you to go see it. You will not be disappointed.
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