What's For Dinner?

In this historic age of Covid-19 home quarantining, with restaurant and bars shuttered down for the near future, I like everyone else, have been cooking almost every meal at home.
You may be asking yourself why this is a big deal?
Because My Guy and I eat out nearly every single night.

I don't tell you this to brag or to sound pompous, I tell you this because since the kiddos left the nest, our lifestyle is such that we both work and enjoy a dinner out that has been prepared for us. No dishes and no clearing the table. Don't get me wrong, I love to cook and when I do, it's always a treat, but it's a rare occasion indeed.

But it wasn't always this way. Back in the day, when Frick and Frack were little, I used to make dinner every night. After the morning school rush, the kids safely tucked onto the school bus, I would call my friend and commence our usual conversation. "What are you making tonight?", and we bounced culinary ideas off each other and let the inspiration flow.

Back in those 'olden' days we didn't have the internet to look to for inspiration. No Pinterest, no food blogs, no wealth of recipes at our fingertips. Nope, we only had our good old recipe box filled with family recipes and cook books for guidance. So cook at home, I did and it's a pleasant but distant memory. I can't really remember any family favorites from back then, other than my home made spaghetti and meatballs and tacos, which are still in the rotation on those rare occasions that I do cook, but these days I am left to my devices. Literally, hello my trusty iPad.

And you know what?
I'm killing it!

Yup, so far, dare I jinx myself, I'm on a roll! Even My Guy, who is the PICKIEST eater in the world, a fact that has been well documented through the years here at The Daily Dandy, is loving everything I have cooked! And I've added caterer to my list of skills because I'm sending dinner over to my parents, who live next door, almost every night. But I think the silver lining in all of this madness that our life has become today is that we eat dinner together, at the set dinner table every night.

Fritters (my son's girlfriend who lives with us, and her name is an inside joke) and Frick set the table and we all clear the table and clean up, together. It's a silver more valuable than any sterling you can string on your neck or adorn on your fingers. It's the true familial bond that illustrates the age old adage 'Food is love".

Yes love. Its is what's for dinner....

Dipping My Feet Into The Pool

So last month My Guy invited me to join his NFL football pool. I was a little nervous about joining a football pool with 20 guys, so I recruited my BFF to join also. I played Fantasy Football once before and made it all the way to the playoffs, but this is different. This time I need to follow the entire GAME and not just my beloved New England Patriots, but all of the games in the league. I need to watch the spread and ponder and learn about lots of other teams. Shouldn't be too hard for someone who has worked in sports journalism not that long ago, right? I still follow and understand and read about and root for all sports-mostly my hometown teams-but sounds like a piece of cake right? Wrong.

Week 1 started and I was a nervous Nelly-searching the web for anything that would help me with the prospects for the first game of the season. After reading ESPN and finding several football pick sites, I took all that information and I sat down to make my picks. The Pats were opening the season on Thurs Night Football against the Steelers. The spread was Pats -7. Of course I took it as my top point pick, with all the "deflatgate" bullshit, I figured My Tommy was gunning for blood. I then went on to pick 4 other teams, mindful of the line and submitted my picks.

I was right about My Tommy, but Vegas has a way of snaring away all your glory. The Pats won, but only by 7, which means I scored a "push" and took only half of my intended points. Better than a loss, I figure, and not bad for a pool rookie. I ended up going 2 wins, 2 losses, 1 tie. Respectable enough and good enough to keep me in 13th place.

This Sunday that same anxiety overcame me as I knew my picks had to be in before the first kickoff. My cherished Sunday morning ritual of leisurely reading the paper and then watching CBS Sunday Morning was fast replaced by nervous energy spent pouring over the sports pages and the web. 2 hours later, I came up for air and was ready to make my picks. I made one fatal error though....
I was going to take Cleveland and take points for my biggest points pick-heck-two Heisman winners dueling it out on the field and even though it is the Browns, I figured this Manziel's last chance to prove himself. Just before I made the pick, I asked My Guy what he thought about the Cleveland game...

He warned me about following the NFL Pick sites-he showed me ESPN and USA Today and explained about home teams and point spreads. He gave me this valuable piece of advice-that even the experts get it wrong some time. "There are no locks," he said, which now left me even more confused. I asked him who his 5 star pick was and he replied with this, "New Orleans is playing the worst team in the league at home. They are giving 9 points, but I'm thinking it's a safe bet." Now, My Guy went 5-0 in his first week, so he added, "You should bet against me. I'm probably not going to go 5-0 again"

Don't ask me why, but I started thinking; Brees at home-Tampa on the road-Tampa sucks, and 9 points is a LOT-2 score spread-at home-I'm doing it!!! Guess what? It was the only game I lost on Sunday and had I taken Cleveland I would have gone 5-0.....

Lesson learned, but I have to tell you that playing in this pool has made football on Sunday's so much more fun! I know that you can't be a hero every week, but I'm having a ball trying.
Sooo...anyone have any picks for THIS Sunday? I'm all ears.

Tuesday Tidbits

• From the "Wait a minute, what?" files: El Chapo Guzman, Mexican drug Kingpin, allegedly threatened Donald Trump via Twitter by Tweeting, “Keep screwing [with us] and I’m going to make you eat your fuc*ing words you lousy white fa**ot,”  Now that would be scary enough, but the unbelievable thing is that El Chapo just recently escaped from PRISON. What the hell? Now escaped convicts are safely tweeting threats? What is the world coming to? Hello Mr. Trump! A bona fide dangerous drug lord, allegedly threatening The Donald via social media. Trump better become accustomed to sleeping with one eye open.

• Ray Donovan Season 3 on Showtime: Best. Show. Ever. The first episode of Season 3 aired on Sunday night and it was AWESOME! I was skeptical because most great new shows sort of start to loose their luster by the 3rd season. The story lines get ridiculous and suddenly it's jumped shark and ratings drop. But this Sunday's Ray Donovan  Episode 1 didn't disappoint, so I'm looking for a great ride down the Ray Donovan rabbit hole this season...

• And speaking of jumping shark: Get this, a great white shark beached itself on a Chatham, MA beach yesterday. A seven foot, juvenile male great white beached itself trying to get a seagull. Witnesses reported that the shark got stranded at low tide and found itself flailing around on dry land where it couldn't swim at all. Beachgoers came to the shark's aid and tried to keep it alive by dumping buckets of water over it in intervals. Once authorities arrived on scene, the shark was towed back to the water about an hour later. Some stated that they thought the shark was dead because it had not moved after it's initial stranding, but once it was towed into the ocean, it flapped it's fins and swam away. Now let's hope that great white learned his lesson and doesn't come back for more.

• Tanorexic: I have a new obsession. Who knew self tan products could be so stunningly GORGEOUS? And simple. Seriously? The new St Tropez self tan products I have in my store, The Candy Bar are by far the easiest and best way to have a natural golden tan without the damaging UVA/UVB rays. The lotions and mousses make application a snap! They are virtually streak-free and since self tan is not an exact science, if you do see a mistake-all that's needed is a re-application over the rare streak to correct it. I'm telling you-I may never be "white" skinned again. I am loving this stuff. 

• Home is where the heart is: Right now I am so enjoying my gorgeous yard. My Guy has seriously done an amazing job landscaping that yard to perfection. He has, year by year, tweaked and pruned and planted so many gorgeous things and it's truly a spectacle to behold. I just had a really nice weekend at the fire pit with friends and it amazes us when we look back at pictures of how the yard used tolook. My Guy has the greenest of thumbs, and for sure he as the greenest of grass. I'm proud to call it my home, but I'm especially proud of him. Sometimes the grass isn't always greener on the other side of the fence. 

The Curious Case Of The Missing Takeout.

While away on a small respite with my family, we indulged in one of our favorite traditions back home-Sunday Chineese dinner. The food was great, the company better and we enjoyed our family ritual in a different state and atmosphere. After dinner was done, we asked for the left over food to packed up and then headed to our home away from home where we safely ensconced said leftovers in the fridge.

Important to note-there were 5 boxes of Chineese takeout. 4 large boxes and one small box.

Day 2 of our fabulous vacation, and the family decided to grill dinner on the fantastic grill out back. That morning, we went to the supermarket and got all of the needed items for the feast. The menu was planned-including some of the stir fry veggies from the Chineese take out. I confirmed the veggies were still a viable entity, by opening the box and tasting a cold piece. Frick, who is here with some friends, informed me that she would be eating some of the leftovers for lunch. I know that the veggies are safe around a bunch of young girls so I then went on about the rest of the day.

It's now later that afternoon and I come back to the house to begin preparations for our cook out. I had to start the water for corn, marinate some of the meat etc, when I noticed that there was only 

1 takeout box left in the fridge- and it wasn't the stir fry veggies. No biggie, I thought, the girls must have eaten the veggies with lunch and I thought I probably should have told them of my intended use for the veggies for dinner. When the girls come back, I jokingly say to them, "hey, you must have been hungry because you ate the veggies too, huh?" Frick is surprised. "No mom, we only ate what was in 2 of the boxes." Really? I asked where the other 2 boxes had gone. They had no idea. 

I then asked My Guy. He had no knowledge of the whereabouts of the 2 missing boxes. Ok, I thought now this is curious. I'm so curious that I decide to satisfy my curiosity by checking the trash can. Interestingly enough, the trash had just been taken out. I inquired with everyone in the house as to who had taken out the trash? My Guy said he had taken out the trash, but did not throw away the missing 2 boxes. Now I'm more than intrigued. WTF had happened to the 2 missing boxes? If Frick and her friends had not thrown them away, and My Guy had not thrown them away, and I know for sure that I had not thrown them away, then where were the 2 missing boxes? 

I tried to dismiss the whole incident as unimportant, but the nagging mystery poked at my psyche. Who was lying and why? And was there a stranger who came into the house and took the 2 boxes of leftover takeout? The empty trash can held the answer and my curiousity was just about killing me, so I went out to the garage and I opened the trash can. The nearly empty can held the white kitchen garbage bag clearly visible, so I reached in and retrieved the bag. Yes, I opened it because at this point I needed to know if the 2 missing boxes were in there. Just as Frick and My Guy had said, the 1 large box and 1 small box the girls had eaten for lunch were inside the bag but not the 2 missing boxes. 

I can't say I wasn't disappointed. Now Im really perplexed with this strange situation and I tie up the white garbage bag and throw it back into the trash can. It was then that I spot 1 of the 2 missing boxes thrown at the bottom of the can! Right next to it is the other missing box, but curiously they are without a trash bag, just thrown randomly into the can???!! And none of the food had been touched, as they were both still full of food and veggies.

What the? And here's the kicker- no one is admitting to anything. It has now become a running joke between us, with everyone accusing one or the other of lying about the missing boxes of takeout.

What do you think happened here bloggers? I'm just about ready to think there is a ghost on vacation with us. 

The Reluctant Vacartion

Ok, so I just got back from Florida.

I was there for 15 days!! And before you bemoan what a complete b*tch I am for complaining about being in Florida during the snowiest spate of weather MA has ever seen, understand that it wasn't the most convenient or comfortable for me. Get this-three canceled flights! Yes, I swear three of my scheduled flights home were cancelled due to snow. I was lucky enough to have a place to stay, and I got a bonus vacation to boot, but I own my own business and I was very anxious to get back.

So here I am and don't you just love the first day back? Not really.

• Piles of mail at home and at work. Nothing is more anxiety inducing that a big, tall pile of unopened mail. It makes me feel like the little girl who slept through the final exam!
• So many invoices for product! And all that accounting?? I need to make lists of priority and take it slow-otherwise I will have a full on anxiety attack.
• Piles of laundry! Not really. I was fortunate enough to take home 100% clean laundry. Thank God for small miracles. Nonetheless I have piles of clothes to put away.
• Ice dams-if you don't like in New England you probably have no idea what I'm talking about. Ice dams are when snow fall after snow fall after snow fall collects on the roof of your home. Ice forms on the roof which when you mix that with the heat from the inside of your home, it causes the most incredible water damage that is sneaky and crazy. 

But rest assured, there is some comfort in the fact that I am back.
On the contrary, there's the satisfaction of crossing all those crazy things off the list and feeling like you are accomplishing something. Seeing my dog's face after 15 days made my heart sing! There is the warmth of the fire and relaxing under my favorite blanket with my dog at my feet and of course, my own bed! I missed my own bed.

Going away for a "surprise" vacation was great, but if you had told me before I left that I would be gone for two weeks I would have said your were outta your FREAKIN mind! I would have said no way-nada-not happening. Yet it did happen, and if I tried to duplicate it again next year it would never be as spontaneous. So this one will go down in the history books as reluctant, yet special nonetheless.

Weighing My Options

So get this...

I'm on vacation in Florida with My Guy and my famliy when the winter that wouldn't quit just wouldn't quit. I was supposed to leave last Monday, but the last snow storm (just about 14") squashed my plans. Because we changed the flights the Saturday before, we were able to get out on Tuesday. Great, ok we planed to stay here in Florida for a week.

So here I am enjoying the nice weather when we hear about the next storm, Snow Storm Marcus- which is now hitting my region with a vengance. Now my flight home for Tuesday has been cancelled, and I'm not able to see any way out until Friday at the earliest. Hmmm, I find myself in a unique position that leaves me with a few options: 

PROS:

-No children at home to worry about. No one to get back for besides our dog-who is in GREAT hands and our perspective businesses-which are in GREAT hands. 

-The weather here. I have been in flip flops all week and yesterday we enjoyed a beach day with gorgeous high temps. 

-Golf, fun, shopping and sun. Did I mention that flip flops are better than snow boots? 

-Family time. This extended stay gives me plenty of quality family time- the only ones missing are my kids and heck, they wouldn't have been here or at home anyway. This empty nest thing is turning out not too bad at all.

-With all this quality vacation time, I've decided to start watching "Breaking Bad". So glad I did.

CONS:

-

-

I can't come up with any..

Both mine and My Guy's businesses are closed today due to snow and mine most likely will be closed tomorrow. Aside from a few commitments that I can reschedule, I think staying here is definitely in my best interest. This is certainly a unique position to be in indeed! 

It's kind of a no brainier don't you agree?

I Was Just Thinking....

• BAG LADY: I have serious issues. In the past month I have bought/received 5 handbags. And not cheap ones. I have very expensive taste and once I get one I am on to the next one. Each one unique and expensive. My Guy is constantly telling me that he is going to sell my old, expensive handbags on Ebay and finance a trip around the world for BOTH of us. Like I said- I have serious issues.

• REAL EYES: Remember I told you about how blind I am? Well guess what? I got CONTACTS!!! Yes, me-I got contacts for what's called monovision. One contact is for distance and the other is for up close reading. So far so good! It's been 4 days and I haven't reached for my glasses once while I am at work, which is highly unusual for me. Most people comment on my FAB Tom Ford glasses, but the contacts are working great, so I don't need them for my day to day work duties. There is one small problem though-I am not the best at inserting them and removing them. They say this comes with practice and I really hope so because it took me over an hour the first day to put them in, 45 minutes the next two days, but today? 9 MINUTES TOTAL! This could be a good thing!

• PEACE YET SORROW: They found the wreckage in the ocean off Indonesia of the AirAsia plane that disappeared a few days ago.Words cannot express the sorrow I feel for the victims and families of the passengers on board. I am, however, grateful for a resolution to the tragedy for the loved ones. Unlike the Malaysian Airline plane that disappeared and was never recovered earlier this year. I cant help but think that those families must live in some kind of "Lost" fantasy from time to time.

• I WANNA BE A BILLIONAIRE: Saw "Guardians of The Galaxy" last night. What a terrific movie! I absolutely loved it. Here's the thing, I have seen this movie advertised on iTunes, On Demand, Apple TV and thought it looked stupid so I breezed over it a million times. My BFF, who sees every movie imaginable in the theaters, also commented that it was a great movie, but I still considered it  to be what looked like a dud. Then I saw an "Best movies of 2014" end of year list that had it at #1. It grossed over 1.8 BILLION dollars so far, so My Guy and I decided to watch it with reservations. Boy were we wrong! There are 1.8 billion reasons to love this movie. I highly recommend it.

• NEW YORK STATE OF MIND: Frick is BACK and we are going to NYC on Thursday to get her situated in her most beloved city. I am so happy that my baby is back on American terra firma and going back to the place she calls home. I miss the city too-I haven't been back since the summer. I love seeing her in her element. It warms a mother's heart.

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!"

This Is Exactly Why I Don't Discuss Politics In Mixed Company-Again..

My Grandmother, God rest her soul, had many words of wisdom. One of my favorites that she always said was, "never tell ages or wages or discuss politics in mixed company." Boy she wasn't kidding. There is a notorious reason why I will never discuss politics in mixed company and I wrote about it in a four part series on the Daily Dandy HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE. Feel free to check these out at your leisure-it's a doozy of a story. Of course it proves this theory nicely, because sure as sh*t, it happened yet again the other night.

Now it wasn't even close to what had happened before, but you can bet it got, shall we say, awkward? My Guy had arranged a fabulous birthday dinner for his wife (me) at our home with 8 guests. My nephew is an amazing chef and he cooked us a spectacular 4 course meal that was scrumptious! My parents were in attendance, some dear friends of ours and another couple we socialize with quite frequently. Interestingly enough, the latter couple are in the same age demographic as my parents, so the mix of generations couldn't have been more perfect!

Happily enjoying pre-dinner drinks and some fantastic appetizers, the group was getting on swimmingly until someone brought up politics. I will preface this with a disclaimer: Candy's Daily Dandy and it's management do not endorse any political party, organization or politician publicly. Whether or not I personally agree or disagree with what transpired is completely irrelevant to the story. So in the spirit of story telling, I will continue.

Someone decided to bring up the "O" word. I say that because suddenly the happy and smiling faces became blank and sullen. Someone said something disparaging about our President and immediately someone else defended our President. Political banter was exchanged and some not so nice faces were being made in one direction towards the other. Being the hostess, I jumped to action immediately and brought my dear Grandmother's words to everyone's attention. I then went on to tell a witty story about my Irish, swearing, sports loving, gambling Grandmother to which I had everyone's rapt attention.

I'm not sure if it was the spirit of my Grandma, the story about her I told or the fact that they got my message loud and clear-but the conversation ceased and merry was made for the rest of the evening. The two parties that had earlier disagreed even sat next to each other at dinner, laughing and enjoying the night. It actually turned out to be one of my favorite evenings I've had in a long time.

And to Grandma I say, thank you! I know somehow we dodged a bullet on that one.

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."

When TV Is Good, It is Very Very Good And When It is Bad It Is Horrid

I found myself in the unusual position of being home last night on the sofa at 7 PM. What a joy, I thought, I can catch up on all my TV. I watch lots of things and since On Demand and Netflix have rocked my TV viewing world I find that binge watching at my leisure is pure heaven.

But last night...

Well, I have to tell you that last night I watched an hour of the best television I have seen in a long time.

A long time.

To be specific, I watched more that an hour of TV last night, but the second hour was incredible. I first watched HBO's "The Newsroom" which is written and created by Aaron Sorkin. In my humble opinion Sorkin is the KING and someone whom meeting/working with would be on my bucket list. That being said, last night "The Newsroom" was really good. I'm only sorry that this is the last season, after an only three season run. But what I saw next just about killed me.

Next on my queue was Showtime's "Homeland". It is one of my favorite shows for various reasons but last night. It. Blew. Me. Away. Never a show to disappoint, there was something so special about the latest episode that I can only describe how it hit me.

I crumbled up in a ball.
And I squished my blanket in my face to shield me from the events taking place in front of me.
And my heart was beating like crazy.
"Holy sh*t, holy sh*t, holy sh*t" I kept repeating to myself, the drama almost too intense to handle.
I even talked/shouted to the TV, yet I was frozen in place.
And just when I thought I could hardly take one more second...
It threw in a curve ball so intriguing that it left me panting for more.

I love it when that happens.

If you're a fan and you saw it I'm sure you will agree. I can hardly wait for the next episode. I have so many questions and I'm fully invested in the show at this point. And that's exactly what they set out to do.

Bravo Showtime. Well done.

Travel Log

Sorry about my silence this week. I just returned home form an extended trip. We left on Thursday and were set to return on Monday, but the nice thing about the empty nest is not having to rush home for anyone else, so we extended it to Wed. Such a nice surprise!

Things I learned while on sabbatical:

• I can play golf! I already knew this to be true, but I haven't touched a club in over two years and I picked up right where I left off, which wasn't a bad place. I was hitting the ball well and playing the game. I played twice and dare I say this may be my new vacation obsession..
• The rest of the country is in a deep freeze. 50 states woke up this week to freezing weather, but not where I was. Florida was the exception. BUT...my last two days were what I would call chilly...62 degrees and rain. Yup chilly in Florida too. 
• Charles Manson is getting married. Stop it. Seriously? The man is 8o years old and this daffy, 26 year old named Afton Burton aka Star is going to marry him. Does this dangerous, crazy old loon still hold power over his "followers"? Evidently. Or maybe Star isn't so daffy. After Charles kicks the bucket, she may have a $tory to tell that $ome may want to hear. You know what I mean?
• I won't be "shuffling off to Buffalo" any time soon. 5 and a half feet of snow and more to come? That's just crazy! No way would I be able to handle all of that. It's bad enough we get bombed here, but record breaking snow totals. SAY IT AINT SO! I must be getting old.
• Back to the grind today. As I said yesterday, it's good tto go away but its also good to come home. Home sweet home. Glad to be back.

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. 

I Was Just Thinking.....

• Green, Green, Grass: My Guy has become obsessed with our lawn. I'm so glad he is because it looks like a carpet of Emerald. We were sitting out in our screened-in porch yesterday morning discussing the beauty of our backyard. I can honestly say that right now, our yard has that "pristine" look that as a homeowner, you covet. My Guy spends most of his free time out there with his helpers and the benefits are obvious. Good thing too, because a week from Saturday, we will have over 75-100 people stomping all over the perfect gorgeousness for Frack's graduation party. 

• Love: What does love go to do with it? Lately my outlook on love has been tested. Thank God it's not my love, but some very good friends of mine have hit a rough patch in their marriages. I can only listen and be a friend and try to surmise that it's just a "rough patch", but I'm not sure. People grow and change and sometimes they don't grow and change together. I'd like to think that I'm helping by just listening. Marital discord was one of the hardest personal challenges I've ever faced. Looking back it was the worst and best thing that ever happened to me, but I'm a believer in good, old-fashioned love. When things like this happen around me, it challenges that belief. Maybe love really is just a second hand emotion. 

• Family: I had a great weekend. My baby boy Frack graduated from high school and I couldn't have been prouder. The ceremony was outside on a picture perfect Friday night, the boys all wore white tuxedos and the girls wore white dresses and it was absolutely beautiful. I didn't cry or get emotional because this was a joyous day. I don't feel sad. I'm excited and proud for what lies ahead for him. He's really becoming a man right before my eyes and I'm beginning to see a new sense of responsibility emerging in him. Frick was home and it was nice to have the family unit together for the celebration. Yes, life is good in the Daily Dandy household right now. I'm hoping it lasts.  

• Binge Watching: "Orange is the New Black" is back! Season 2's episodes started June 6th on NetFlix and all 13 episodes now are available for viewing. If you haven't seen this show, you are really missing out on a great one. What makes it so great? It's different. In a TV line up full of cookie cutter cop, lawyer, hospital and crime scene shows, this one tackles a new subject matter, life in a woman's prison, with addicting precision. If you aren't playing in the NetFlix game you need to start. "House of Cards" another NetFlix original series is, by far, the BEST SHOW ON TELEVISION. Don't say I didn't let you in on that. 

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. 

My Guy's Making Time

My Guy and I set off on Friday for a fun filled weekend in NYC with Frick. She was performing her "final exam" project Saturday night (which was amazing). I was excited to spend a great Mother's Day weekend in the city with my favorite daughter. All week My Guy and I talked about the time of departure on Friday. We were set to leave around 11AM, so around 10:15AM that morning My Guy started stressing about "making good time" and beating the afternoon traffic.

It's a funny thing. Why is it that men worry about "making good time?"

The ride, door to door from my MA home to NYC is usually about 4 or 4.5 hours. In the 2 years that Frick has been in college in the city, My Guy found this easy, non-traffic-ed way that usually takes about 3 hours. Amazing right? But one can never predict the traffic, road patterns and obstructions. Here's my take: What does it matter what time we get there? We didn't have an appointment. We wouldn't be seeing Frick until about 4PM that day and leaving at 11 gave us more than enough time to make it with some to spare. Yet My Guy poured furiously over his GPS trying to calculate his route and predict what we would find along the way.

"It's all about making good time," I teased My Guy. "It's about proper road management," he replied. The ride took us about 4 and a half hours total, with a 20-30 min stop for lunch. And yes...we hit traffic. Lots of it in some areas, but not enough to make for a major delay, so I'm not sure that would qualify in My Guy's top ten "making good time" rides. I say who cares? It's adorable and strange at the same time but I'm left to wonder is this a man vs woman thing?

"Making good time" for a guy is like scoring bragging rights. It's a male equivalent to "sticking it to the man" and somewhat like a mobile version of a free lunch. Why is that boys? If I had to venture to guess, I would say women worry more about what to pack for the trip than getting there in record time. Guys? It would seem to be all about getting there quick and navigating a Houdini route that will ensure less time traveled. Don't get me wrong, I like getting to my final destination in record time, but my stress is much more about whether or not I need the black Louboutin strappy pumps or whether I really need the two different face bronzers that I cannot seem to part with. If we were traveling under a time constraint of some sort, I could justify the stress and the strategy, but we weren't.

What do you got to say for your yourself fellas? Be honest.

Scrub You

While I was away I had the distinct pleasure of having a body scrub at the Eau Spa. Being in the business that I work in, I was more interested in the body treatments than I was in massage. I had a fab mani/pedi on the first day I arrived and after My Guy had a wonderful massage that he raved about, he persuaded me to try the services at the Spa.

I chose the decadent Champagne Shimmer Body Luster. A 60 minute service, it was nothing short of incredible. After being ushered into the spa facilities where I was given a robe and flip flops, I was taken to the relax lounge where a hot tub(with a cascading waterfall fell continuously from the ceiling), steam shower and heated lounge chairs set the tone for my body scrub. I entered into the treatment room where I was instructed to choose the lighting and the music for my treatment. I chose an upbeat playlist with a mixture of lighting (different colors changing sporadically).

The treatment began with a spoon full of honey that was curated by the spa's very own bee keeper and told of the benefits of a spoon full of honey a day. Then it was time for the treatment. Face down, I laid on the massage table as my girl worked the gritty scrub into every part of my body. I had never experienced a spa scrub before, so when it was done my body felt invigorated, yet gritty. I was then allowed to go to my own private, outside shower, just outside the treatment room, to rinse the scrub off. My skin looked amazing and felt even better. Smooth and supple, I then climbed back into the massage bed where I was massaged with exotic oils till my skin literally glowed.

My friends thought the body scrub would scrub off any suntan that I might have gotten the two days before, but on the contrary, my tan was even better and my skin felt and looked...glowing.

I can report that almost 5 days later, my skin never looked better. No dryness, no flaking, which usually happens when I change from a warm climate back to a cooler one, and the best thing? The condition of my skin has improved dramatically. Dimples, freckles and all of those "older skin" issues have almost disappeared completely. I think I may be onto something here! I can't wait to inform my clients the benefits of a 30-50 minute at-home scrub for healthy skin. I would say that an oil based scrub would be most beneficial as we head into the summer and I'm thinking that once a month I will take to a Day Spa for a serious scrub treatment.

I will keep you informed of my results...and I will thoroughly enjoy it. I''ll just file that under "research and development".

 

The Healing Power Of Pajamas

I've never been one to lounge around in my pajamas, unless I'm sick. It's like this unwritten code in my mind. I feel lazy if I don't get dressed and ready for the day and I always get dressed at some point, even if I have nothing to do. Since I came back from my recent vacation, my schedule has been non-stop. Yesterday was my first day off in a long time and I planned to enjoy it. It started off great! Frick was home for a quick weekend visit and we woke up early and watched "Frozen" in our pajamas with our morning tea. It was just about as close to perfect as one can get. After I made Frick and Frack breakfast, My Guy, took our girl to the train and I said goodbye to my baby. I started a few household chores and the laundry......all in my pajamas.

As the hours crept closer to the time that I mentally needed to be dressed for the day, I felt a surge of guilt for doing something that was taboo to me. But the need to break with my daily routine and, dare I say it, STAY IN MY PAJAMAS took over. I decided to talk myself into it. Once I made the decision to stay in my pajamas all day, there was no going back.  Nothing was different, really, for a regular Sunday. I cleaned, did laundry, checked my email, etc, but the difference was I stayed in my pajamas while doing so.

Mid afternoon, while reading some emails and finishing up some work stuff, I put down my iPad and we clicked on the TV. I might have even drifted off for a power nap. Why is a nap so much more restorative in your pajamas than your regular clothes? I felt amazing and more relaxed than I had in a very long time.Later that afternoon My Guy and Frack went to the Celtics game and I went to the sofa and I binge watched Bravo. It was quite possibly one of the most perfect days I've had in a long time and I think I owe it all to my pajamas. It's not something I plan to make a habit of, but I will say that once in a while I need to go outside my comfort zone and find a new comfort zone! Today I am full of energy and renewed stamina and I never realized a lazy day spent in my pajamas could have that effect on me. I highly recommend you try it, but like anything, in moderation.

Now I understand completely where the old expression, "the cat's pajamas" comes from. Yeah those cats got it all figured out.

Things That Go Bump In the Night

So I just flew back home last night from sunny Florida. It was a great break from the snow and cold and a welcome opportunity to unplug from the outside world. We stretched it out to the last possible minute too, leaving on a 7:20 PM flight home. Flying Jet Blue is a joy, usually. They have it all figured out. The TV's on board make the entire trip a breeze and I didn't have to miss a moment of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills! Lucky me!!!What wasn't lucky was the decent down into Boston. Holy turbulence, and I mean HOLY! It started out innocent enough.

The pilot explained to us that we were beginning our descent into Boston and "would be landing shortly, so please fasten your seat belts and flight attendants please prepare for landing." Everyone did as they were told and we settled in for our descent. The plane began to shake and drop, which is normal for the change in altitude. As we looked out the window I noticed the descent into the clouds outside my window. Turbulent air seems normal for that, I thought. But when the plane continued to shake and drop, and drop and twist and drop, and the clouds had gone I thought this wasn't very normal.

"Ooohhh", the groans collectively could be heard throughout the plane and with each twist and turn the taste of the blue chips I had eaten a mere hour before began to rise in my throat. I looked at Frack, he looked at me. I looked at My Guy, he tried to contain his composure focusing on the screen in front of him. I looked at my mom, she was gripping her arm rest and she looked at me with a quizzical look, her normally bright complexion gone ashen. I looked around me. No one was smiling. As a matter of fact, almost everyone was gripping their arm rest tight with ashen complexions too.

It seemed as if the bumpy air was never going to stop and just when it subsided a bit, the plane would sharply twist around immediately putting my stomach contents back into my throat. Outside the window the city lights below us looked to be on auto-loop with the scenery barely changing. Then the violent shakes began and the people on the plane again groaned with despair. Me included! Holy....I shut my eyes so I wouldn't hurl and I tried to be strong for my family. Big drops and more shakes were felt throughout and just when I decided I could no longer take another second of it, I noticed the city lights getting bigger, closer. I finally held out hope that we just may land this plane.

After another 5 minutes of dropping and shaking we hit the ground with a resounding bang! Everyone's heads snapped forward but the sound of overwhelming applause and cheers drowned out my huge sigh of relief. It took us a good 3 minutes to compose ourselves when Frack spoke.
"Mom, I swear to God I was saying the 'Our Father' the entire time."
I agreed with him and tried to calm the nausea that took over my body.

Entirely drained and slightly sick, we left that plane quicker than the flight attendant could finish her announcements. You never saw so many green faces standing in baggage claim. And funny....

I overheard someone at baggage claim say that the pilot never opened his door to exit till the plane was completely empty.