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.

Mini Me

I got the chance to spend some quality time with Frick this weekend before she headed back to the Big Apple and you know what I discovered?

She is a total Mini Me.

I guess I always knew this to be true, but the older she gets the more I begin to see the similarities in our personalities. She is totally me.

She's been going through some stuff recently, and that stuff is stuff we all go through. Growing pains, heartache and the kind of stuff that challenges the foundation of who we are. And she's handled it much like I do-or would have. She even made some statements that I have made when faced with a similar situation. I was kind of surprised.

She's a mini me.

We talked...a lot. And we discussed things and I gave her advice as best I could. I think she gets it, but because we are so similar I feel her pain, quite literally.

We both work hard and are focused on the end result.
We both play hard and enjoy play as a satisfying reward.
We both love hard-sometimes to our detriment.
And we both feel really hard, which in turn makes us vulnerable and obvious. We wear our hearts on our sleeves.

She too, has integrity and a great capacity to "over think" things, which gives me the unique opportunity to provide her with some perspective. Something I sometimes seek in my own mother. I can hardly believe this amazing young woman came from me and is like me in so many ways. I'm left to question whether this is a good thing or a bad thing?  Of course, I hope she has a different outcome with her life. One that is better than the life I have lived and I wish for her not to duplicate the mistakes I have made. Let's hope history does not repeat itself here.

Like they saying goes, "Mirror, mirror on the the wall. I am my mother after all...."

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.

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.

We Have Contact!

I have been wearing contact lenses now for about six months. I recently did something I've always wanted to do-I got colored contact lenses! My first pair arrived last week with my own prescription and I immediately put them in my eye. The result is not too different than that of the picture above. Needless to say, I love them! It's me, only slightly different, and with lighter eyes. I couldn't wait to show them off and get everybody's reactions but I had no idea what was to come. Everybody reacted alright-some positive, some not so positive.

My mom-"You don't look any different to me, but I love them!"

My dad noticed right away-"You have colored contacts on! They look great!"

Frick-"Mom, are you wearing colored contacts? You look awesome!"

A work colleague-"What did you do different? Did you cut your hair? You look fresh! Like you just came from the spa. Did you do botox?"

Some of my very good friends took a moment to notice only AFTER I pointed them out-"Oh yeah...I like them!"

But my boys? Not so much.

Frack- "Mom, something's wrong with your eyes!! Look in the mirror!! You look like a werewolf!!"

And most of all My Guy- "Honey, there's something wrong with your eyes! It doesn't look good. Like you look sick."

Everybody has an opinion. Safe to say, I'm having a great time freaking people out but My Guy is having the hardest time with them. Not one to adapt to drastic change, he told me that he does not like them at all. He even went as far to say that he loves my eyes the way they are naturally, and that you can't blame him for not liking his "beautiful wife" any other way. "OK honey", I said, "let's not lay it on too thick"..

Good thing I'm confident in who I am. Otherwise I would be second guessing my new contacts. I'm chalking it up to a fashion experiment with very mixed results, but I'll continue to wear them, just not every day. You can't blame me for wanting to mix it up a bit every now and then. Can you?

Mommy Dearest.

Would it be considered "over parenting"? Lately I have been guilty of taking on the problems of my grown, somewhat adult children? This is a new sensation to me because in the years leading up to now, it was my JOB to take on the problems of my kids. Now that Frick and Frack are 20 and 19 respectively and out of the house, I find myself obsessing over the silly little day to day stuff that they complain about which really has nothing to do with me.

For God's sake wouldn't you think I have better things to worry about??

Yet here I am worrying and thinking about their small stuff. Things like social issues, romance issues, the influence of peer pressure, academic pressure and I worry that they are unequipped to deal with these things. Despite my worry, they seem to be handling the world without me just fine, and its not like I am constantly calling them or texting with my advice. I silently think about their stuff and find myself wondering how they may have handled a situation, ever careful not to let on that I have been worrying about it. Sometimes I think I worry about their crap more than they do.

I finally realized that despite what I think, my children are equipped to handle these minor navigations through their lives. Dare I say it, it's probably good for them to handle these things alone, even though I don't want to admit it. I have taught them well. Then it dawned on me-maybe they are happy? Maybe something that I may not agree with was actually born out of a choice. A choice that they made for themselves to keep their lives in harmony. After all, it is their life to lead.

It's never easy, this parenting thing, is it? But I realize that no matter what I'm not going to change who I am. I just have to learn to let them be who they are. If they want my advice, they'll ask for it and I will be ready and waiting to give it. Yes, hard as it is I'm going to have to learn to keep my mouth shut when it comes to my kids and their small stuff.

Whether I like it or not.

Planes, Stains and Television

So I left for sunny Florida yesterday on a Jet Blue Flight from Boston to Fort Meyers. I couldn't wait to get the hell out of the cold! Since New Years Day I have been traveling nonstop. Frack and I went to NYC to find her an apartment (which we did) and then came home for a day but left the next day for Florida. Now safely ensconced in my week's vacation destination with my family, I have a few observations to share with you on travel.

Rolling luggage, cross body bags and Uber-Wow! Who invented rolling luggage? I would truly like to meet them and thank them. Rolling luggage has become a commonplace thing for travelers today, but you don't really appreciate it until you have to walk around NYC looking at apartments before going to Penn Station to board your train home. Life saver, really. Shuttling through the airport with a heavy roller makes life so much easier. 

And speaking of easier-I recently received a FABULOUS cross body purse for my birthday and it is quite possibly the best travel companion. Not only does it free up your hands, but because it is securely hung around your neck and slung across your body, you need not worry about the bag slipping off your shoulder or being "ripped" off your shoulder. Secure and easy. 

UBER? If you are not familiar with the Uber car service Ap for your smart phone, let me tell you this is the epitome of travel convenience. You download the ap, punch in your location, call for a car and voila! You get a map with the exact location of your driver, the time until your pickup and a phone call from your driver to let you know they have arrived! The best part? No money is transacted-all rides and tips are charged to your credit card stored to in your Uber ap. Uber is not yet in all locations in the US, but I can see why the cab companies hate Uber. They have made it ever so easy to get a car. Especially if you are in a major city.

Jet Blue- First let me state this unequivocally-I love Jet Blue! Again, I love Jet Blue, but even Tom Brady  throws a pick in the end zone once in a while (God forbid) Lets just say that my latest Jet Blue experience was not the best. Let's start with the stains in the bathroom-on the floor, on the walls and most definitely on the counter. I'm usually not that skittish when it comes to airplane bathrooms but even I didn't want to touch anything or even breathe in there. 

Then there were the wheelchairs-which isn't really Jet Blue's fault. I'm sure the airline provides wheelchairs for all of their elderly patrons, but I have never seen so many elderly people in wheelchairs at the gate who miraculously were able to get up and walk on to the plane, no problems. I suspect better screening would alleviate the wheelchair traffic congestion at the gate. 

Takeoff was brutal! Again, not Jet Blue's fault really, but let's just say that the wind in Boston caused the takeoff to be prayer inducing and sigh/scream worthy from more that not of the passengers on board. I definitely spent the first 10 minutes of my plane ride with God. 

But the TV's? Here is where Jet Blue has it figured out. Sit me in front of my very own, personal TV set for 3-6 hours and I am a happy girl! Funny thing, I find I watch shows I wouldn't normally watch at home when my TV time is limited. It's like I have the best excuse in the world to watch any kind of TV show that strikes my fancy. I watched a lot of Food Network this trip and I'm sure it won't surprise you at all that I am cooking a feast for my family tonight. Inspiration comes from all places! 

Who am I to complain, really? I am blessed to be able to enjoy time away in the warm weather with my family. Trains, planes and automobiles and all-life could be far worse.

A Very Merry Christmas From Candy's Daily Dandy

'Twas the night before Christmas and all through The Dandy,

Every creature was stirring,  not least of all Candy. 

The stockings were hung and the fake tree was trimmed, while the Christmas bling sparkled from each perfect little limb.

The Children weren't nestled, nor snug, nor in bed,

They were laughing and drinking and making merry instead!

Frick and Frack were adults, now living on their own while Candy and Her Guy kept the fires burning at home. With the college kids away for most of the year, the empty nesters adjusted but held the holidays dear. A full house was a joy to behold for a time. Is that so much to ask, or would the kids consider it a crime?

And Candy dressed in Gucci and her Guy  in Tom Ford,  while Frick regaled them  with stories from her time spent abroad. The crest on the sparkle of the new life they lead gave way to their happiness, no more worry or dread. Frack was so pleased living life in the South, and he told them of college adventures from his very own mouth! 

When out on the lawn Buddy was causing a clatter, Candy rose from her Manolo's to see what was the matter. Since Buddy was the lone dog left in the house, he was running and chasing things much bigger than a mouse. A deer? A turkey? A bird or a raccoon? Surely that dog was as crazy as a loon!

While the celebration went on, fun and joy was abound so Candy decided to reflect during some quiet time she had found. Another year, she thought,  she felt blessed and at peace,  such love to be part of, she hoped never would it cease. Content in this thought, Candy wondered what would her Christmas wish be, when she realized that really, she had everything she would ever need. 

So she wished for others the same joy that she felt, and she was grateful for another year under her belt. And I heard her exclaim to every person to hear,

"Merry Christmas to all and to all a Happy New Year!"

The Great Christmas Tree Debate

I grew up in a "fake" Christmas tree household. As long as I can remember, I never had a real Christmas tree when I was growing up. Not that it really was a huge deal, but the second I had my own home, I vowed to never have a fake tree again....until now.

That's probably 20 Christmases, with my own family, that we have bought real Christmas trees. We have had huge ones, skinny ones, weirdly shaped ones, gorgeous ones, and ones that were uniquely ours in every way. And I have loved them all. They have fallen and smashed ornaments, not once but twice, they have smelled heavenly and they have brought us lots of joy and Christmas cheer. They have also created huge messes. Pine needles everywhere, water stains from spilling, scratches on the ceiling and doors and become an all over big pain in the rump. Especially when they are a complete fire hazard around the 4th or 5th of January.  I used to love to tour the Xmas tree lot, spying that perfect specimen to bring home and lovingly adorn with my Christmas memories. But now?

This year I feel differently. My "fake" Christmas tree moratorium has been lifted. I have been to friends homes recently and seen some gorgeous trees! When they told me they were fake I could hardly believe it so I did a bunch of research on the new fangled fake trees out there. They come with lights already on them?? OMG, this is truly a bonus, and there are so many shapes and sizes to choose from I could hardly decide. And they are beautiful! You can choose what kind of tree you want, like what the actual branches look like and if you want that realistic look, you can get ones that are snow covered and have pine cones. My Guy and I chose ours online, and are picking it up this afternoon and I can't wait to see it. We are thrilled and I couldn't wait to share the good news with Frick and Frack!

Big mistake..

Frick and Frack who both live in other states most of the year are not happy with this Christmas tree development. "No mom! That's disgusting!" Frick said. Disgusting I thought? That's a wee bit extreme. (God bless my baby girl, she is an actor after all.) Frack doesn't love the idea either, so I asked them if they wanted to be the ones to remove the tree from the house and clean up the mess...

Radio silence...

Just what I expected.

In any case, a fake tree it is in this house and I'm looking forward to meeting the new addition to our family. In the meantime I told my kids what every good, loving and caring parent tells their children to avoid disappointment. I said, "I'll buy you some pine tree scented spray. It will be fine."

Ebola Thots

I'm sorry to make a joke about something so serious, but I hardly know what else to do.

 It's all around us. It leads our news casts. It captures front page headlines. It's shared on social media and it's sprinkled into casual conversations so it's safe to say the world is not safe. 

I worry about my daughter. Studying in London and has already been to both Germany and Paris this month. The biggest problem she faces right now is what pub will she go to and how much it will cost? She thinks my warnings of being aware and being cautious are silly. How can I protect her? I worry about my son. Traveling on an airplane this weekend, domestically to come home, yet  part of me wants him to stay put. 

I thought about myself. I work with the public everyday. I apply makeup to people which requires close personal contact with them. How do I protect my staff? Myself? My clients? Panic is not our friend so collectively we apply logic to try and fail-safe measures and we listen to the experts. We don't need pandemonium.  The government is already scrambling. The experts are speaking and the medical professionals are putting their lives in jeopardy for the greater good. 

Punch "Ebola" into a Google search and see what you get. What do you believe and what do you follow? The CDC is talking to a ravenous public and we are listening, hanging on their every word and Bill O'Reilly and Dennis Miller are arguing about Dr Nancy Snyderman violating an Ebola isolation agreement.

All we can do is watch and wait. And wait and watch what happens and how it all plays out. All the while,  maybe not willing to admit we are concerned, that there is a slight frenzy over the outbreak in our own back yard. 

I'm going to do my part and admit, I'm concerned.

 

Mimicry Is The Best Form Of Flattery

It has recently come to my attention that I may have the psychological syndrome called FAS (Foreign Accent Syndrome). This is a real thing, seemingly, as I did a quick Google search on it. The back story here is that my daughter recently scolded me: She said, "When you talk to someone with an accent you adopt their accent into your response to them."

And she would be right.

I know I am doing it at times and at times I a am completely unaware I am doing it. Like last month when we were doing the buying for The Candy Bar in New York City and I was conversing with a gentleman who had a heavy Latin accent. Evidently, in my responses, I intoned the nuances of this gentleman's specific vernacular into my speech. And she called me on it. Again, she would be right and I'm not quite sure why I do it. I've done it before, a bunch of times, but none more specifically than when I was traveling in Europe or I am speaking to someone with a strong accented speech pattern. I have even opened a conversation in Paris with a simple, "Bonjour" to which the person I am talking to assumes I am French speaking and will respond in a long response in French which I do not understand at all.

Upon closer inspection I may be suffering from "the chameleon effect" instead of FAS-which can medically be the result of a brain trauma. The chameleon effect is said to be subconscious and more like "mimicking". Many famous people have been criticized in the media for it. Madonna, Oprah and Tony Blair have all been condemn for changing their accents to suit their audience. Scientists and researchers are actually studying this phenomenon. "Researchers who made the discovery believe accent mimicry is part of the brain's in-built urge to 'empathize and affiliate' with other people."

So it would seem that I am not alone or even "weird" as my first born would lead me to believe. It would seem I am in good company. Bottom line is I'm not crazy or brain damaged. Maybe I'm just deploying a useful strategy. By adopting some of the speech patterns I hear, deep down, what I could really be trying to say to you is "I hear ya...and I understand you completely."

Tuesday Tough Love

We all have to fly. We all have to spread our wings, fly free and soar where we have never dared to soar before. And we have to do it alone, but together in spirit. Always.

• The nest will be empty today..by 5 pm. I've realized that it's not about me. They will be great. I've done my job. 
• It's not so bad... my life is good. Possibly even great, but I'm being challenged lately. I can't run and hide. I've got to fight and move forward with everything I've got. Piece of cake, right?

I'm done whining and crying. I had my moment, now it's time to live. Fly free and soar. 

Eagles don't fly with crows. 

Who Me? What? No, I'm Fine. Really.

So it's no secret that Frick is currently a junior at NYU. Now its Frack's turn, and he is going to be a freshman at High Point University. This should be easy right? Been there,done that kinda thing. When your kids go away its never easy. Deep down inside you know that they need to spread their wings and fly, but this time its different. This time Frack will be leaving the nest which means the nest will be empty-save for My Guy and Me-on Friday.

And I'm freaking out.

It's bad enough that he's leaving right when I've become used to her being away, but now that my house will be without kids, like for a while, I'm wondering if I will be ok. But I don't want to think about that..so I wonder will he be ok? How will he survive without me to tell him to do his homework? Eat less red meat? Get up on time and clean his room? Do his OWN laundry? Oh the horror...

I'm kinda freaking out. 

Because the truth is I know he will figure it out. I know he will go to class, eat chicken occasionally, and do his homework and laundry and survive. I know he will thrive! The question really is, will I? What am I supposed to do if I don't have to take care of them? 

What does that make me? 

Who am I now? 

What do I do now?

Again...I'm freaking out. 

And I have a week until I have to figure this crap out. A major life transition has a way of creeping up on you like that and then bam! It hits you like a ton of bricks. Then you have to accept it and move on. I just have to accept it and move on without them under my roof. They will always be my kids, right? My babies, my family? I did my job well, now it's their turn. I gotta keep repeating that to myself so that I can get through it.

Welcome to my ton of bricks moment.  

Monday Minutia

• First things first Bloggers! I am going to NYC with Frick today-to return tomorrow night-so I will be away from the Bloggersphere tomorrow, Tuesday July 22, 2014. I thought you'd like to know rather than me say nothing....Considering I was with Frack last Monday and Tuesday in High Point, NC, I'd like to think I am one lucky mama to be able to spend some one-on-one time, alone with each of my kids! Frick's NYC visit is strictly business too! My kids are killing me-becoming adults so fast...

• Interesting things going on here in Beantown-Market Basket, one of the most successfully run, independently owned supermarket chains in the country, is seeing an unprecedented stand of unity for it's former CEO. The company, run by the Demoulas family, operates 71 stores in two states. Long time CEO Arthur T. Demoulas was ousted last fall by the Board of Directors in favor of his cousin and chief rival, Arthur S Demoulas. The two have clashed over how to operate the business started by their grandfather.  The employees are not happy about this. They have staged a strike and  walked out on the job until Arthur T Demoulas is restored to CEO. Get this: On Friday over 2000 employees gathered at the company headquarters in Tewksbury, MA to demand the return of Arthur T Demoulas as CEO. As of today, 8 long time employees have been fired from the company. Talk about loyalty. This is fascinating to me. Market Basket must be one hell of an employer.

• Rory McIlroy wins the British Open at the age of 25! A great story. This his third Major victory on his quest for a Grand Slam title. The elusive Masters in April is the only victory he needs to secure the title and join Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus in the Grand Slam club. The victory was especially poignant for his father, who reportedly placed a bet on McIlroy while he was still a teen on winning the prestigious tournament. 

"His father, Gerry, and some of his father’s friends, who reportedly made a wager when McIlroy was still a teenager that he would win the Open within 10 years. Ladbrokes, a British-based gambling company, confirmed in a Twitter post that it would be paying out 180,000 pounds (about $310,000) to them." 

Nice work Rory! It's nice to see a talented, young golfer do well!

• Why does it already feel like the summer is slipping away? July 21, and its seems like we are rounding third on the summer thing. Am I right?  I dunno bloggers. BBQ's aren't tasting so great anymore and the weather lately has been undecided on summer. It's like it's not quite sure of what it wants. Maybe it's just me. What do you think?

Just Say No

So Frack went to a concert last night. It was the DJ Avicii Concert at Boston's TD Garden venue. As a full fledged member of the "Moms That Are Overly Protective" club, I had a brief chat with Frack about concert safety and drugs and drinking. It was one of those talks that when finished, the response is ALWAYS...
"Ya, I know mom". I am a strong believer in sharing all the wisdom and warnings to my children so that maybe, just maybe, they will hear their mother's words in their head and think twice.

Well that mother's intuition thing I got going on was dead on....

Today's Boston Herald had this headline:

Dozens hospitalized during DJ Avicii show at TD Garden

EMS: Many teens were being treated

I immediately texted Frack a pic of the story. He was at work. Last night when Frack arrived home safely, I was waiting up for him. We had a pleasant conversation and off he went to bed warning me that he had to get up early for work today. I saw no evidence of hard partying, to which I was grateful. Frick, Frack, My Guy and I have had many a conversation about drug use. My Guy and I shared our experiences with them both, as they don't amount to much, and by that I mean neither of us had ever even tried hallucinogenics of any kind. Call us square, but I'm not completely innocent. I may be part of that 80% of adults that recreationally use marijuana, or I may not. But it always stopped there.Whatever the case, at the ages my kids are, My Guy and I try to have honest conversations about drugs with the kids. 

And Frack's  response to my text this morning?

"Yeah, I know" 

"A lot of kids on Molly. That would suck to be those kids."

I'm glad that Frack is a very good listener. 

Happy Friday!

Hey Bloggers! Happy Friday!!

Its going to be a beautiful weekend here in the North East. Great weather for a big, banging, celebration of a graduation and job well done. I think we've all earned it and I'm excited for a great day of enjoying my family and friends. I can hardly believe that the man that stands before me today is the boy I raised. He's a good man and I'm proud of him.

And we are going to celebrate!
Get your weekend on Bloggers and celebrate too! After all, summer officially begins tomorrow!

Congrats To My Boy

You did it! I can hardly believe it.

We have waited for today for a long time. We have dreamed about it, discussed it and fantasized about how it would be. It's finally here and after tonite, it will be a lifetime memory.

You should be proud of your accomplishments.
You should enjoy this time. Be smart and safe.
Take a moment tonite to stop and take it all in...then make a memory of that moment. You only get this opportunity once.

Tonite you walk on that podium a boy but you leave a man. A man who has accomplished great things and will go on to accomplish much more.

I am proud of you, my son. So proud of who you are becoming and I want you to know that I love you more than life itself. Congrats to you and to your classmates. You did it!

Now That's A Fire!

It was a great weekend here, but Sat night was a bit chilly. It got down to the high 50's in some areas and we had invited some friends over for a cookout. After we had feasted on just about every grillable delicacy imaginable, we retired to the fire pit for some fun not knowing if the cooler temps would keep us at bay. The fire pit pictured above is almost identical to ours and every seat was taken as we piled on the wood to create the heat that would allow us to enjoy the elements. It did not disappoint. It was perfect fire pit weather and everyone enjoyed the relaxing vibe and great conversation.

I love a nice fire and My Guy and I really love our fire pit. We labored a bit over the decision to make it natural gas or wood burning and I'm so glad we went old school. I'm a pyro, by nature, and My Guy laughs at me when I pile on the wood and stir and stoke the fire like it's a bowl of homemade soup. He enjoys stacking the wood and keeping it supplied and he's even added a bluetooth device that plays Pandora from his phone that sets the mood and keeps us all entertained.

The interesting thing about a fire is that it brings out the good in people. My kids love to sit out there with their friends and sometimes they will even invite us! It's amazing, the things the kids will talk about when we are sitting around the fire, and some of our best memories have been made out there. I've had heart to heart talks with some people and we've even solved a few problems and dreamed some big dreams while sitting out back at the fire pit. It's also the ideal place to create a perfect s'more. We have gotten to be  s'more connoisseur's, as we have tried them every way possible. 
(QUICK TIP*the smaller the marshmallow, the better the toast and the better the "ooze" when you eat it. The big marshmallows look amazing and aren't bad, but they are really messy and take longer to toast all the way through) 

Fire is good, and I'm happy to be able to enjoy a night under the stars with the hum of the crickets, a roaring fire and the people I love. I ask you, what could be better than that?

Taco Bell

Tonight is taco night in our house.

The thing about taco night is you think about it all day long until the time comes to bite into the juicy, meaty concoction. Nothing says lovin' like a spicy, delicious taco. My kids love to stuff theirs with all their favorites and My Guy has come to like them too. 

We make two different kinds in our house: chicken and beef and we serve lots of delicious fixins'. I buy the Gordita Kit from Old El Paso and season the chicken from the recipe on the box. I may or may not add diced onion and use chicken broth instead of water when I cook the chicken. But when it comes to the taco meat, my kids like it just the way the taco Gods intended; plain and spicy. We always have two kinds of "shells": soft and hard. Frick likes hard shell and My Guy likes soft shell. I like to use a lettuce wrap for my "shell".

The toppers are crucial in my house. We dice tomato, (has to be super small) shred lettuce, and of course shredded Mexican cheese. We also crush nacho cheese Doritos to sprinkle on top, sour cream guacamole and salsa, and recently we discovered a spicy Chipotle Ranch dressing that is a fantastic taco topper and now a staple on our taco night. 

The last constant on our taco night is unconventional and started out as a bit of an accident, but it is always there. We make couscous. Sometimes the couscous goes on top of theTaco and sometimes it's a side dish, but it's a constant on our dinner table on taco night. It's a great way to get my family together at the dinner table, which is becoming increasingly difficult these days. For that, I am grateful.

Is it dinner time yet? Suddenly I'm really hungry. 

Let The Sunshine In

• With such a warm and gorgeous, sunny Saturday, I was struck by how many of us were "amazed" by the warm weather. It has been so cold here for so long that we forgot what good weather felt like....

• Frick and Frack spent the weekend together in NYC. Yes, I know they are old enough to handle it without Mama and the fact that I called and texted them both six thousand times has nothing to do with the fact that they ignored 90 percent of those calls and texts. Does it?

• Busy week for me. I have one of the biggest days ever at The Candy Bar on Wednesday..,wish me luck!

• I can hardly believe it has been a year since the Boston Marathon bombings. This week the news media of the world will descend on our fair city to tell the amazing stories of the victims and survivors. I pray God will keep the city safe and watch over us as we commemorate the tragic events of last year. I personally believe that this year's Boston Marathon will probably be one of the safest places in the world to be during the race. 

• I baked two incredible pies for Easter yesterday. Jus sayin...

• Looking forward to seeing "The Other Woman". Cameron Diaz, Leslie Mann and Brooklyn Decker all team up to bring down Leslie Mann's cheating husband. I have a personal interest in infidelity since I have experienced it first hand. Cheating men are scum and deserve everything bad that happens to them because karma is a bitch and you don't want to piss off a bitch who is pissed off. I love it when Hollywood dramatizes the sweet vindication!

• Nurse Jackie on Showtime is BACK....speaking of bitches who you don't want to piss off..