Captian's Log

Captain's Log, Star Date: Day 41 Quarantine 2020: 

The troops are getting restless.

41 days into a Nation-wide shutdown and life on this ship is stable but teetering on danger. The crew of five is well fed, well clothed, clean, (depending upon the day) and rested. Provisions are abundant but restlessness is approaching like a meteor heading straight into our galaxy. Morale is stagnant.  The schedule is simple but constant; eat, clean, sleep, repeat. Weather conditions in this quadrant of the star galaxy have been brutal. The result has been increasing anxiety from barometric pressure on the body inducing a lack of vigor and vitality. Must keep the troops productive! This enemy is sneaky and lethal, but we can beat it.

Biggest concerns of the crew:

• Lavatory paper: In the earlier days of quarantine, before toilet paper was a scant commodity in ship's canteen, fluffy 2-ply was the constant. Due to demand, 1-ply is sometimes all the ship's captain can secure, resulting in reported unwelcome "finger holes" when employing it's desired use. 
• Mess Hall menus: While this ship boasts a Five Star chef, gratification for all it would seem, a daunting task. Chef's choices for daily menus are welcome and delectable, but there's always that ONE.  Yet, 4 out of 5 is still a great satisfaction ratio. Commissary Chef Candy offers her observations, "This isn't a restaurant, you know."
• Refrigerator Duty: "Wasn't me," a constant theme when weekly clean out sessions produce some penicillin worthy mold in the back of the fridge. Crew are questioned regularly and held accountable for uneaten, poorly contained foods that have been left for dead. Fines have been known to be levied. 
• Cocktail Hour: Which most day's turns into "Cocktails for Hours". The outcome of which can result in poor crew production on the morrow. Inebriated behaviors are tolerated for first time offenders only. 
• Flatulence: What was once a intensely personal behavior has now become commonplace and public on this ship. Repeat offenders often refer to behavior as such, calling it lighthearted and funny. When confronted with the outlandish actions, certain crew members have resorted to the much more devious act of "crop-dusting". Fines may definitely need to be levied.
• Privacy and Consideration for your Fellow Crew Mate: While in close quarters, the door closed to the bathroom would signal an occupant. A simple knock on the door would suffice, as opposed to the "busting in without knocking" tactic sometimes employed here. Also, a binge watch session does not give the viewer all day, common room TV rights. Each of the crews living quarters are fashioned with their own personal TV in which to binge watch, so common areas must be considerately utilized for the greater good of all on board. 

With the end of quarantine somewhat in sight, the Captain's job is to keep a tight ship! Steering the course and navigating the daily tasks can be daunting but we must not let boredom and negativity penetrate this spacecraft. It's all speed ahead for a safe landing in the coming weeks, but what that liberation looks like is yet another matter. We look forward to daily life being somewhat similar to the life we had before, although we know this won't be true for a time to come. Going out into the world again daily will be challenging and at times dangerous. But  face those challenges we must! We need to resume some sort of normal behavior soon, yet with guidelines for our safety and the safety of those around us. Safety first!

 And we must remember most of all, that injecting disinfectants is ill advised. No matter what the man with the orange face says.

Tuesday Tidbits

• I went 4-1 in the football pool this week! I'm officially tied for 6th. I'm also slightly obsessed.

• I'm disappointed in the Ray Donovan season finale. I like a badass Ray Donovan and this episode gave me a resigned and weak Ray Donovan. I guess I understand the reason why they chose to end the season the way they did-it's about absolution and redemption, OK, I get it. But in my opinion they over played their hand a bit here. They put too much focus on Ray's two weaknesses-the Catholic church and his family and I don't feel like it resolved anything for me. I'm thinking that's exactly what it was meant to do. I'll be waiting till next season Ray, don't you worry. 

• Scientists have discovered evidence of flowing water on Mars! Exciting news that some say could lead to the discovery of some form of life on the planet. I wonder-is this a ploy by Hollywood to promote the opening of Matt Damon's new movie "The Martian"? Just a thought.

• The Pope is the cutest man in the world. I love him. 

• Today I consider myself fortunate for all that I do have in my life and fortunate that I will not focus what I don't have....and I'm fortunate that I feel that way. 

• I'm going to see Frack this weekend in North Carolina. It's Parent Weekend at HPU and I can't wait! I miss my boy so much!! He is pledging a frat Pi Kappa Phi and he's rally excited about it. I'm loving the fact that this frat boasts the best GPA on campus and they take academics VERY seriously. So much so, that Frack has to log in 12 hours of monitored study time during the week as part of his pledge duties. Is this great or what?

• Babies are everywhere in my family. Lately there have been most joyous visits from 2 great nieces and a great nephew. I'm not going to even think about the fact that this means I am old..no, I am going to rejoice in the fact that my beautiful nieces and nephews whom I have enjoyed watching growing up are now becoming parents themselves. The love I feel for their children is so overwhelmingly satisfying. It's a beautiful lesson in the circle of life.

I Was Just Thinking...

I saw this picture of Paris Jackson today and it got me to thinking about Michael Jackson's kids and where they are now. You know how a picture or a story gets you thinking about people that really aren't in your realm of life, yet you can't stop wondering what happened to them?

A quick internet check on Paris finds the 17 year-old beauty seemingly happy and attending a private boarding school in Utah. She certainly has turned out to be a beautiful young lady, and social media pictures show her to be dating.

Her 18 year-old boyfriend, Chester Castellaw, is a soccer player for the Real So Cal youth soccer club. When not away at school she resides with her grandmother, Katherine Jackson and cousin Tito in California and her two brothers. She seems to be doing much better since her reported suicide attempt when she was 15.

Her brother Prince Michael also seems to be faring well.

The Loyola Marymount student, 18, is focusing his studies on a career in film and television. Reportedly a great student, Prince is said to be committed to his studies and focused on receiving a degree. Good thing because as the heir of his father's vast estate, he will need a good head on his shoulders to navigate all that entails. Talk about pressure. Let's keep our fingers crossed he stays the course. I think it would be a great testament to his late father.

Last, is their brother, Prince Michael II, "Blanket" who is 13.

Reportedly bullied for his name "Blanket", he changed his name to Bigi Jackson. Blanket, as he was known by his family, is said to be quiet, funny, respectful and helpful to others. Here's hoping he can live a somewhat normal teen aged life.

After reading and reporting all of that, I am left to wonder why I care? But strangely I do care-Michael Jackson's children were the young and  innocents caught in the madness that was his life. I could be wrong, but it looks like his mother is doing a good job raising his children. And as I said before, it would be nice if despite it all, the 3 kids turned out to be decent, happy and successful adults. As a parent, that's the best you can hope for.

My Best Friend's Birthday

How many birthday's have we celebrated since we've known each other? More than we'd care to admit.
Friends through it all, you and me, like two pieces of a puzzle that are the perfect fit.

Growing up together, how I remember long days of fun and adventure. We we never far from each other, neither one wanting our time to end if a guess, I had to venture.

Elementary school was a life full of dreams, junk food, and sleepover parties. We told ghost stories and did makeovers and considered ourselves the ultimate smarties!

High School was harder, you were older and  socially trying to make your way. So I stayed in your shadows and understood; a younger best friend needed to stay out of the fray.

Then college came, and we parted ways and made lots of  new friends. No longer down the street, we lost touch but inside our hearts knew this was not to be the end.

You moved.
I got married.
We didn't talk for years.

Yet the second we found each other again we laughed through the tears.

Our second act, as they say, has been quite a ride! Together we've loved and we've lost and we've marveled at accomplishments with pride. This time distance wasn't an issue, as you occupied both coasts.  I'll always be there, you know, you are my family and family is what matters the most.

So you're stuck with me San, and that's not so bad because to me, you are the best friend a girl ever had.
Happy Birthday to my BFF, here's to many, many more, and to the memories we will make and to what ever else our lives together have in store.....

I love ya!

21!

Do you remember your 21st birthday?
I tried to remember mine, but I got nothing. I know I didn't have a big bash, because I was a senior in college and it was during school, but I vaguely remember celebrating at the school pub. Which is precisely why I don't remember much of it! I do remember being excited that I was finally of the legal drinking age and that I was the very last of my friends to turn 21, so drinking was the plan. That's what your 21st birthday is mainly about, isn't it?

Well my baby girl Frick turned 21 last week-which makes her not a baby anymore. She's all grown up and legal now! And we did have a big party for her....

Her birthday was last Thursday, August 13th, so she had decided that she wanted to paint the town of Boston red with her new LEGAL ID. My nephew is a club promoter in Boston, so he hooked us up in the city's most happening Thursday night spot with VIP treatment and bottle service with 12 of her closest friends. The plan was to start out at our house with a BBQ with friends and family then we would all grab a bus (that we rented) and go into the club.

The week before the party I spoke to my nephew and told him to expect us in Boston around 9 or 9:30. He nearly fell over laughing, "Auntie, the club doesn't open till 10:00," he said. My Guy and I were dumbfounded. 10:00 on a Thursday night is past our bedtime, so needless to say we were second guessing the entire night. But it wasn't about us, so we let it roll. Then our friends started to drop like flies.

"I've got a big meeting in the morning, so we will come to your house but we are going to pass on the club, " one friend said.
"That's kind of late for us, so if you don't mind we will see you at your house and then go home from there, " another told us.

Did I mention that we were feeling the same way? After a chat with Frick, she reluctantly agreed to go to the club with 12 of her closest friends sans her parents. After the BBQ, cake and a bit of merry making and  pre-gaming, the van/bus came to collect Frick, Frack and her friends and off they went! Funny thing was, once the kids left, those same friends who decided to opt out of the club ended up continuing the party at our house till about 1AM!! The kids were sending us pics and videos from inside the club and a few of my older nephews showed up at the club to celebrate with Frick! Which can be both a blessing and a problem when you weigh about 95 lbs like Frick does...

Poor Frick. I'm not sure she ever consumed that much alcohol in such a short time, but just as I was brushing my teeth and getting ready for bed I started getting text messages from her friends.
"We gotta get her home-she's not feeling good"
"She may need a dry cleaner for her outfit."

Oh boy, I thought, we've all been there but it's not fun once you get there. And I felt a bit guilty, like I sent her out to the lions...

Frick arrived home safely and without any major incident, but I think her dress and her dignity have seen better days. The silver lining in all of this? Frick continued to tell me what a wonderful brother she has! She explained that Frack totally took control of her predicament and took such good care of her. All in all I think that is the best present any one could ever ask for.

Weekend At Mommy's

So how was your 4th? I had the best weekend..

I started my weekend on Thursday because Friday was the observed holiday, so I made my way down to my July 4th destination, Cape Cod, MA. The traffic was brutal brutal, even at 11:00 am but I didn't mind that it took us twice as long to get there. We went directly to our favorite restaurant once we arrived and proceeded to have.....the most amazing.....the summer favorite and a Cape Cod Classic.....a hundred million calories and I just didn't care....

FRIED CLAM PLATTER

And I ate the whole thing. It didn't disappoint because it never does. One by one, (or ten) my family arrived to the Cape house, each one with their traffic story. Seems it didn't matter what time you left that day-there was traffic and lots of it. Once everyone had arrived we went back to our favorite restaurant and enjoyed a huge, family meal-again. This was the start of a trend. A FAT trend as we all ate like we hadn't eaten in months. The drinks were flowing, the laughs were numerous and the evening was a pure joy.

Friday? A picture perfect beach day and we took complete advantage of it. There's nothing like spending the day on the ocean with your brothers and sisters-and the kids. We had a ball. Again-lunch was a smorgasbord of different foods and damned if I didn't indulge a bit in all of them-cuz that's what life is all about right? Enjoying yourself with your family has to be one of life's great pleasures. Friday night was the country club's annual July 4th BBQ and fireworks. We all showered, dressed up and piled into our cars for the ride to the club. When we go there we were greeted by Uncle Sam on stilts!! (who happens to be our favorite waiter from a restaurant at home-his real profession is that he is a clown)

The club was adorned with red, white and blue balloons, flowers and decorations everywhere. It was gorgeous. This year was extra special as there were carnival-like vendors all around. They had kettle corn, fried dough, a raw bar, ice cream trucks and activities and kiddie train rides for the young children. And of course...there was food. The BBQ had cold fried chicken, hamburgers, hot dogs, swordfish, salmon and the most incredible salads you could imagine. Once again-we ate till we couldn't eat any more then drank quite a bit too. Once the sun went down we were treated to an incredible fireworks display with music. It was spectacular. Once safely ensconced in bed after the day, I said a little prayer to God to thank him for all the gifts I experienced that day. I am truly blessed.

Saturday was cloudy-perfect day to hit the local shops. I said hello to some of my old friends who work in the stores then went back to the house where we had a HUGE Corn Hole tournament. Some friends came for the day and we partied like it was 1999. We planned a big BBQ of our own, and I was surprised that all the stores were open for business on July 4th. We must have gone to the liquor store and the supermarket at least 3 times that day. Again...it was the food. And so much of it I started to repeat the phrase, "Gluttony is one of the seven deadly sins." We laughed that this weekend was starting to be like reverse fat camp. That night we had a large bonfire on the beach and more fireworks from all along the coast could be seen from our spot on the beach. It just couldn't get any better.

Sunday was another beach day bonanza and a day of reflection on all the wonders we had experienced over the weekend. So many gifts, we had been given during the time spent together. We left to return home from our weekend truly fulfilled by a family's love and the blessings of a life spent enjoying it's spoils.

But we took with us memories that we will cherish forever-and for sure at least 5 unwanted pounds of good clean living.

The Pack Mentality

Those five men look like movie stars-don't they?
That's because they are. And it happened in the most incredible way. But that's only part of the story.

These brothers-6 in total (and 1 sister)-grew up in in a 16th floor Manhattan public housing apartment which served for 14 years as a prison for the family. Confined to the cramped apartment under their bizarre father's rule, the family of nine spent most of their lives with no contact with the outside world. The father forbade them to ever leave the apartment and held the only key to the front door. The children were home schooled by their mother, and taught never to communicate with strangers. Their only contact with real world were on necessary, supervised appointments or controlled outings to New York tourist destinations. The children were told to never cut their hair and that the outside world had "bad people in it".

The one privilege the boys father did allow was movies. And they indulged in many movies as their personal form of escape from the hell that they knew as their life. Middle brother Mukunda, was the prop master and he would make items from their favorite movies from things he had lying about the house. The boys would reenact scenes from the movies as a way to feel normal and feel free. Then in January 2010, Mukunda, then 15, decided he needed to escape and see life outside his prison walls.

Little did Mukunda know that that escape-he wore a mask he had made to resemble Mike Meyers from the Halloween movies so that he would not be recognized outside by his father-would change all of their lives for ever. Once outside, Mukunda didn't know his address so he kept the apartment building in his site as he visited a bank and a supermarket. People were afraid so he was soon stopped by police. When questioned Makunda says,

“They started asking, ‘Do you live here? Where are you from?’ And I was always taught to never interact with any people, so I didn’t say anything, you know. I didn’t give them any information on me,” Mukunda recalled.

He was placed on a psychiatric hold and sent to Bellevue Hospital for a week stay, which he loved. It was his first interaction with other people outside his family. When he returned home, his father was no longer in control. The boys then started going out together and on a chance meeting they met film maker Crystal Moselle, who they bonded with over their love of movies. Moselle ended up filming the boys for 5 years and the result is her documentary file "The Wolfpack", in theaters now. The film has bee critically acclaimed and won a Grand Jury prize at  this year's Sundance Film Festival.

Purely coincidence that one of the first people the boys meet is a film maker? I think not. These boys have a whole lot of catching up to do and they are doing it in grand style. Hollywood has come knocking and they ironically were, "ready for their closeup". But at an incredible price.

Papa Bear

There's something profouldly primal about a man who defends his daughter's honor. It's also quite admirable.

Former Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling took to social media yesterday to rant/campaign against some cyber bullies who, in my opinion, really deserved it. It all started when Schilling posted on his twitter page a heartfelt congrats to his daughter, who had just been accepted to college where she will pitch for their softball team.

 Innocent enough, right? In fact, I personally know about a million dads who proudly post to social media their children's accomplishments. What happened next set off an incredible series of events.

A group of idiots-for lack of a better term-decided it would be smart to post incredibly vile and threatening sexual things about Curt's daughter. Did I stress enough that the responses were incredibly vile, threatening and offensive? They made extremely poor judgements-like referencing Curt's "bloody sock" legacy and then referred to his daughters menstrual cycle and worse. 

Schilling explained that he expected some college boy responses to be like-"can't wait to party with her" and even "can't wait to date her." In his own words this is what happened:  

"In between a fight with Kevin Millar, congratulating Juan Pierre on a wonderful career (just hated facing him) and praying Josh Hamilton gets right, I started to see this sort of tweet.

And tweets with the word rape, bloody underwear and pretty much every other vulgar and defiling word you could likely fathom began to follow.

Now let me emphasize again. I was a jock my whole life. I played sports my whole life. Baseball since I was 5 until I retired at 41. I know clubhouses. I lived in a dorm. I get it. Guys will be guys. Guys will say dumb crap, often. But I can’t ever remember, drunk, in a clubhouse, with best friends, with anyone, ever speaking like this to someone…"

The gang mentality with these complete idiots continued throughout the day and Schilling took it upon himself to terminate the behavior. He posted his thoughts to his blog 38pitches and "outed" the two biggest offenders. 

“The Sports Guru”? Ya he’s a DJ named Adam Nagel (DJ is a bit strong since he’s on the air for 1 hour a week) on Brookdale Student Radio at Brookdale Community College. How do you think that place feels about this stud representing their school? You don’t think this isn’t going to be a nice compilation that will show up every single time this idiot is googled the rest of his life? What happens when a potential woman he’s after googles and reads this?

The other clown? He’s VP of the Theta Xi fraternity at Montclair State University. I gotta believe if Theta Xi is cool with a VP of one of their chapters acting like this I’d prefer to have no one I know in it.”

The repercussions have been sharp and swift. 

One idiot was a New York Yankees employee who has since been fired, and the other a college DJ who was immediately suspended from the college pending a disciplinary hearing. Both organizations affiliated with the perpetrators immediately distancing themselves from them citing a "zero tolerance policy". 

I have to ask, what the hell were they thinking? 

I'm not sure where these two came from but I can't understand how they thought their behavior was OK in any forum let alone a public one. Schilling himself warned in his post that "the real world will hold you accountable for your actions" and I for one am so VERY glad that Schilling did just that. 

A Very Happy Thanksgiving To You And Yours.

A Daily Dandy shout out to all my peeps for a healthy and happy Thanksgiving holiday! 

Eat too much turkey, enjoy your day, laugh with the family and enjoy these very funny people's thoughts on our uniquely American tradition! Today's content is courtesy of Huff Post Comedy.

El Jefe And The Grilled Cheese Sandwich

I recently watched the movie "Chef" on On Demand. It was good and I recommend it highly for a light fun movie watch, BUT I will caution you....DO NOT WATCH THIS MOVIE HUNGRY. This movie is food porn at its highest degree and after viewing it I found myself absolutely ravenous!

Since watching the movie, I can't stop thinking about the grilled cheese sandwich the chef cooks for his son. I have watched the clip below from YouTube about 6 thousand times and I think I got it down, but I'm literally guessing on the type of cheese he uses. I'm thinking the orange cheese is sliced cheddar mixed with some Gruyere, to make that yummy, cheese pulling goodness. It's just about all I can do to not make it grilled cheese night every night in our house! 

I recommend the movie, but the grilled cheese and Cuban sandwiches are the reason to watch. 

And do yourself a favor and have something with you to eat. Something you really like because your are going to need it.

This is the clip from You/tube. I couldn't get it to embed for some reason. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BTfctEmg5w

Witty Wednesday

The doctor, after an examination, sighed and said, 'I've got some bad news. You have cancer, and you'd best put your affairs in order.' The woman was shocked, but managed to compose herself  and walk into the waiting room where her daughter had been  waiting. 'Well, daughter, we women celebrate when things are good,  and we celebrate when things don't go so well. In this case,  things aren't well. I have cancer. So, let's head to the club  and have a martini.' After 3 or 4 martinis, the two were feeling a little less somber.  There were some laughs and more martinis. They were eventually approached by some of the woman's  old friends, who were curious as to what the two were celebrating .  The woman told her friends they were drinking to her impending  end, 'I've been diagnosed with AIDS.' The friends were aghast, gave the woman their condolences  and beat a hasty retreat. After the friends left, the woman's daughter leaned over and  whispered, 'Momma, I thought you said you were  dying of  cancer, and you just told your friends you were dying of AIDS!  Why did you do that?' 'Because I don't want any of those bitches sleeping  with your father after I'm gone.'

Just Plain Awkward

Evidently pink is the new black...

Oh my..I'm not entirely sure what to say here. Not sure at all.

Janice and her brother always had a "special" bond.

These crazy kids...Love is TRULY blind....

The tire? The belly? The loving stare? Makes you just feel warm all over. Don't it?

Denny never lived down his mullet hair cut from the eighties...

To each his own, I always say. Everyone has the right to "style" their own Senior picture photo shoot.

Athletic, outdoorsy and daring are the best adjectives to describe the Lynch family.

Again, I'm not sure how to describe this family. 

And this is just weird...plain and simple.

Stranded at The Drive In....

I'm just *ahem* old enough to remember the drive-in movies. My parents would load up the station wagon with all 5 of us kids and drive out to Braintree, MA to take in a movie together at the local drive-in movie complex. We would get in our pajamas and bring blankets and pillows to bed down in the way back to enjoy the experience. I can still see my dad hooking the speaker on the car window so we could hear the all important audio. If my memory serves me correct, my older brother and sisters used to sit on top of the station wagon, pillows and all.

A recent resurgence of drive-in movie complexes in New England brought back all those happy memories. According to the Boston Herald, 350 drive-in movie complexes are still in operation around the country, but like any business, they face their share of unique challenges. Inclement weather and less family friendly movie choices top that list, but the food choices are better and thanks to FM signal, the audio is broadcast right through your car radio.

New England boast four theaters: Mass has Mendon Twin, Leicester Triple and Wellfleet Drive-In and Rhode Island has Rustic Tri Vue, with two already open for business today. Prices range, but for roughly $25.00 a carload of people can experience a movie together in the great outdoors or from the comfort of their vehicle. And make a lot of fun memories too.

I, for one, think the drive-in movies should be salvaged for old time sake. To me, the drive in is as American as apple pie and baseball and that's sacred. Although no one would want to be "stranded at the drive-in" like Danny Zuko sings, no one would "brand you a fool" for enjoying an age old summer past time.

Birthday Baby!

It's still my birthday!!! Really?

Yes! Beginning tomorrow,Saturday December 28th, I will be celebrating my fabulous birthday gift from my equally fabulous husband! We-including Frick and Frack-(it was a prerequisite) will be departing for sunny, gorgeous Puerto Rico to enjoy some fun in the sun and some family team building! I couldn't need it more...

I will be returning to the bloggersphere on Friday, Jan 3, 2014. So bloggers, have a very happy and healthy New Year! And  for goodness sake, don't behave if you don't have to.

But do be safe..See you next year!

He's Bringing Sexy Back..2

So I'm watching Good Morning America this morning and I see this piece on Will 
and Jayden Smith and their multi-million blockbuster new movie that Will wrote, 
produced and stars in with his son, "After Earth".  The boys are charming and 
friendly and looking like they a having a great time! Who wouldn't when 
Hollywood is literally at your feet.  For the Smith family it would seem that 
life is good.

I then remember an article I read earlier that was highlighting the movie's 
"dismal" first weekend at the box office. The article revealed "After Earth" 
finishing a disappointing third at the box office garnering a mere $27 Million 
dollars. It seems fair enough to criticize the plot and the story line, even 
questioning the movie's motive as a vehicle for Scientology, Will's chosen 
spiritual path.  It seems fair that they panned the actors too. Will for his 
extreme ego and Jayden for his acting chops. After all, actors are open to 
criticism. Its part of the job. Among other things, the movie has been panned 
for "extreme nepotism" and likens it to buying your child "an expensive Ducati 
that he hasn't yet learned to ride".  I have not seen the movie, nor will I, 
unless it comes On Demand very soon and the reason is that Sci-Fi just isn't my 
favorite genre. So I will reserve judgement on the film.

I will say that what I see here is a dad and his son, getting to spend time 
together "working" under the best of  circumstances. Will and Jayden screened 
the film for some military families, posed for pictures, answered questions and 
made the film experience a bit more meaningful for these people and they were 
clearly enjoying every minute of it. (which I get isn't at all that hard)   
Jayden  was asked by an interviewer what it was like to be experiencing this all 
with his dad? Before he could answer, his dad  butted in with a somewhat tongue 
and cheek, "What's it like for you, a little guy, to be experiencing this with a 
big, strong presence like a huge Hollywood box office star?" The message to me 
here was loud and clear: Big Daddy just keeping his little boy in check.  

The idea of father and son, traveling the globe together, working, sharing and 
being together, no matter what they are doing, is a great example of the family 
bond and a great example to all of us of family unity. 

And if that ain't sexy, I don't know what is. 

Jingle Bells

The bells may be ringing, but they don't soothe my broken heart.

My memories of you are red and raw, like my tired eyes today. I chose to let you go, but that choice cut right through me and left me broken. I know you will suffer no more, so I must take comfort in the pieces of our life.

You came to me when I needed you, wanted you and you never wavered. Always at my feet, or anywhere you could hear me, smell me; just to know I was there made you happy. It was your comfort and mine and love was our bond.

You were feisty, like me, and you took no bull from the others. You were a woman among men and you could handle yourself. I loved that about you. You licked and snorted and barked to let us know that you loved us no matter what. You protected us and today, I still feel your presence in the tears of your family. The pack mourns too.

You were here yesterday, but today you are gone and I still can't believe it. It's the strangest feeling. In a house full of people, there is an overwhelming emptiness.

My heart is broken.
Our hearts are all broken.

I hope you are at peace wherever you are and I hope you know that I loved you like my own, because you were my own. My girl. My baby girl, what will I do without you?

The bells are ringing because today you got your wings, but they don't soothe my broken heart.

Friday Finish Line

Oh hell yes!
It's Friday bloggers and I couldn't be more ready for a long weekend. The weather around here has been dreamy; cool mornings and sultry, mild, summery afternoons. It looks like we are headed for more of this for the weekend, so I am ready to kick back and enjoy. Things I'm planning on doing:

• It's time for the fall mums in the pots. The summer flowers are still kicking, but they have seen better days. The time has come to remove them and replace them with pumpkins and mums, a sure sign that fall has arrived.

• This is fire pit weather. Spiced cider and a few cocktails, good friends and family by the fire. Looking forward to that.

• Going to see Moneyball this weekend. Not only did My Guy read the book but throughout our courtship, he would tell me bits and pieces of this legendary story. ALSO, my bestest friend saw it and said, "Brad Pitt: Distractingly good looking". I could stand two hours of that.

• Gotta tie up some loose end Frick college stuff. So far, we are right on target.

• I think I'll make spaghetti and meatballs. It's my signature dish and I have been told that I should bottle my recipe. Heff, what you cooking/grilling this weekend? I miss your "Iron Heff" series.

• Pats/Jets: Am I nuts for giving up my ticket? Seriously, I just want to stay home and watch it with my family. Although I'm beginning to question my decision now that it's going to be in the 80's on Sunday, I'm sure one of my nephews will be the beneficiary of my season ticket. Pats should win if My Tommy is on.

So enjoy your weekend with your family bloggers!

Around here, we are thinking of it as summer's last stand. I may be able to pull out the shorts for a few more days which means I might need a little boost from some self tanner....

You're Not In Kansas Anymore

So we had a tornado hit Massachusetts yesterday. In fact we has more than one tornado hit Massachusetts yesterday. It was some wild stuff, I gotta tell you. This is how it went down for me:

5 PM: I'm at the store and I get a call from my mom. She's worried and telling me to get home, as they just issued a tornado warning for our county until 7pm. I am scheduled to meet a friend for dinner, so I, of course, pooh pooh her pleas, laugh, and think to myself that it would never happen here.

6 PM: By now everybody in the store is talking about the tornado warnings and watching the TV news. Western MA has been hit by these fast moving storms causing severe damage. I call my friend and tell her that I'm going to go home and wait till 7, because they are also reporting that traffic is at a standstill. I tell her I would wait to see what happens and that I would stay in touch.

6:30 PM: The news stations are showing all weather reports with heavy rains and wind and hail moving close to our area. They are also reporting that there is more than one area that has been hit with funnel cloud tornado's. In all 19 communities have been affected and at least one death has been confirmed.

7 PM: Nothing has happened where I am so I decide to go meet my friend, to which My Guy says, "Are you nuts?" I, again, laugh and decide to think for a minute whether or not I should risk it. The TV news reporters are talking about emergency preparedness, going into the basement or the lowest level of the home, turning up the TV and staying there. The Emergency Broadcast System is popping into the telecast about every five minutes with that annoying beep, notifying us that in the event of an emergency....blah, blah, blah.

7:15 PM: I decide to cancel, to which my friend laughs, but it's no big deal. We re-schedule. (in hindsight, we would have been FINE)

7:30 PM: We are transfixed on the TV because now they are showing live shots of some incredible devastation in the Springfield area. It looks not too different from some tornado pictures of Missouri last week. What the? This is New England. Stuff like this never happens here. I thought it only happened in other parts of the country.

7:40 PM: Gov Duval Patrick comes on TV declaring that MA is in a state of emergency, and that Springfield has been devastated by tornados. A reporter ask him about whether or not this is the worst weather the state has ever seen, to which he replies, "Well, it's not over yet. These storms are still strong and the threat is still very real."

8 PM: I switch to the Bruins game. I got my priorities, ya know. But during the commercials, we were flipping back to the news. One of the huge storms is headed in our direction. We figured if we were in danger the Emergency Broadcast System would keep us posted, but we have one eye on the game and one on the news.

8:50: The dogs are going berserk, the light show outside my window is amazing coupled with some nasty, banging thunder. I see rain beginning to hit my window in a way that is not ordinary.

9 PM: Full blown wind and hard rain are now pelting my home. We are still in Bruins mode, but the outdoor events are hard to ignore. We are now watching both the storm and the game.

9:30 PM: We see blue, flashing lights go by the house and turn onto the street where my parents live, then go right into their driveway. Red lights then follow up the street, as a fire truck then pulls into my parents driveway. Their phone goes right to voicemail. My Guy gets a call that my parents alarm went off at their house, so we waste about a nano-second getting into the car to go check it out. It's still whipping rain and wind.

9:31 PM: My dad opens the door to his house, laughing. (thank God) Their house was hit by lightening and it set off the alarm. My mom said it was so loud that it scared the Bejesus out of her. They are fine. We check the house, like the fire department asked us to, for any smell of smoke or smoldering. Check. They are all set.

9:50 PM: The rain, lightening and thunder have stopped. It's over. We were lucky. Just some wild wind and rain and save from a few branches scattered around we got nothing.

4 confirmed deaths in the aftermath of the storms. The photos from Springfield are unbelievable. Unbelievable because tornados don't happen here.

It was some wild stuff, I gotta tell you.

Down Heff's Rabbit Hole

I was on by beloved elliptical machine this morning and the Charlie Sheen Train Wreck update spewed forth the latest across my TV screen. Seems his 23 month old twin boys were yesterday removed from his home by authorities. But that's not really what this post is about. This post is about family. I thought about Charlie Train Wreck and his goddesses whom he calls his family.

I, like everyone else, likened the Charlie Sheen situation to the legendary Hugh Hefner and his family. They even joked about it in Charile's 20/20 interview. I then realized that Hef blazed that goddess trail years ago, and we can assume he did it somewhat drug free. Hef built an empire on goddesses and got married and had babies. He smoked cigars and slept with women and kept on making nudie magazines and money and no one slapped restraining orders on him, took his children or forced him into rehab.

He just went on being head of his family, living in his mansion. We even watched it on reality TV with the "Girls Next Door". Who doesn't really know who Kendra Wilkinson or Holly Madison is? All this and Hef kept his cool head. He lived and bedded the goddesses and nobody said a word. No media tirades, we are assuming no drug addictions, and no porn stars. Hef managed to make soft porn socially acceptable and in the process became a mogul. Doesn't this make him the original rock star?

And his family? Hef took care of his family. Who's to say what the definition of a family should be? Same gender, same race, 2 or 3 people, it makes no difference if it works for them, consenting adults. Put children and drugs in the mix and you've got a whole different story. When it comes to taking care of family and business, maybe Sheen should maybe take a page out of the Hugh Hefner Prime Of His Life Handbook. Yeah, and stop proclaiming his Adonis DNA and his F-16 Fighter status. He needs to fall down Hef's rabbit hole.

See the thing about Hef is like I always say, "Hef never thought he was better than anybody else, he just knew that nobody was better than him."

Sadie, Sadie, Married Lady

Ok, so enough already about me. I promise I won't bore you with the details about my fabulous wedding anymore. Really, I wont.....after today?

You want to hear about the honeymoon???

Yeah, I thought so.

Sure, I'll give you some of the deets on the honeymoon, but not the ones you're looking for. Hehehehe....Some things are better left unsaid. (Alright, down boys...)

Anyway, Cabo was HEAVEN and rather than tell you I'll show you.

This is the SPECTACULAR Las Ventanas Resort in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. I have to tell you, it was the nicest resort I have ever been to. (and I've been to a lot of nice resorts) Believe it or not the pics do not do the minimalistic beauty of this place justice.




This is the view from our outdoor terrace. I took a nap on that couch one afternoon. What you can't see is to the left of this picture, just on the other side of the sofa, the "just small and cozy enough for 2", jacuzzi.















This is the view of the resort from our roof top terrace, one of two terraces that we had with our suite. SICK huh? When we got to our suite, they had Harry Connick Jr crooning on the stereo system, serenading us. Later that evening they served us a private, candle light dinner on the roof top deck.



Sorry for the blurry shot. As beautiful as this dinner upon our arrival was, it was pitch black up there, so they gave us mini flash lights so we could read the menus.

This is the bed in our suite and after we enjoyed our dinner up above, we came down to see it looking like this:

They had aromatherapy candles burning and had drawn us a bath with rose petals.

You getting this?

There was not one request the staff did not cater to and it was always "a pleasure" as they tell you. We had our own butler, who was waiting for us every day to take us to whatever scheduled activity we had, or to bring us whatever we needed. This was heaven to me considering I am the butler to everyone else at home.

We played golf twice and I played quite well, considering I did not play at all this summer. Especially after 9 holes, when I did a complimentary shot of tequila! These people love their tequila and I can see why. Smooth stuff.

Anyway, Las Ventanas is the playground to the stars. Who did we meet there??

That' Ryan Seacrest and his beautiful girlfriend Julianne Hough. They were there for the Labor Day weekend and were quite friendly. I have to give him credit, they were all over the resort, at the restaurants for dinner, breakfast and lunch. They were at the bars, they were at the pool and he didn't really pull a power "celebrity" play. We even had a nice chat with them both in the gift shop. He's really cute and so is she.

The only time I saw him play the celeb card was during this shot. They were eating lunch at the sea grill by the water and wouldn't you know the paparazzi pulled up on a boat to snap pics. Here they are moving them to the back of another restaurant so they could get away from the blood sucking paparazzi.

While sitting at the pool I also met, Bob Harper the trainer from The Biggest Loser. I didn't know it at the time and I still don't know him because I don't watch the show, but I LOVED him and his partner. We had the nicest conversation. Now in hindsight, I can only imagine what he must have thought of me, in my BIKINI...oh, the horror.
Anyway, the honeymoon was unforgettable, the wedding spectacular and today, life is good. Which is really all one can ask for.



But the real bonus for us was the children. They literally stole the show.

They gave the toast which was written by them one night just before the wedding (it was the most time they ever spent together NOT fighting) which brought. the. house. down. They were articulate, dramatic, funny, and serious. They both told My Guy he was officially their father, which brought a tear to his eye, and everyone else's. Then Frick sang, "Today was a Fairytale" by Taylor Swift with the band and everyone was on their feet.



The speech and the song was the proudest 15 minutes of my life.

So if I ever question whether or not my kids were happy with my decision to marry My Guy, all I have to do is look to this picture for the answer.




That day truly was a Fairytale.