Following the Sox Day 1

Our hotel has a living room...crazy...

...and a kitchen...(which sadly is nicer than the one in my apartment)

This is the sink part of the bathroom that is outside of the actual bathroom. (I figured that no one really wanted to see a picture of a toilet, so I didn't take one)

And these are our beds. They felt pretty comfy when sitting on them, but I will have to give you the full report after sleeping on it all night.

Ok, sadly, I have nothing to show you but the inside of our hotel room. It was a looong day. I left the apartment at 9:20 a.m., drove to mom's house where the little bro drove me to the C&J Trailways bus station in Newburyport, where I waited for an hour (better to be early than late...) for the bus that carried Debbie from Portsmouth and brought us both to Logan. We got there about 2 hours before our flight, so we ate a small lunch at Wolfgang Pucks. I crocheted some, and we boarded a flight to JFK at 2:20 - takeoff at 2:50.

We landed at JFK at 4:00, and made a mad dash across the entire airport (we actually had to get onto a shuttlebus) to our next flight, which boarded at 4:10 to leave around 4:40 to get to Pittsburgh. We sat on that plane for at least 1/2 hour before it took off.

We landed about 6:45 in Pittsburgh, picked up our luggage and car, and made for the hotel. Which sounds easier than it is, because 1/2 of the streets to our hotel were blocked off because of the baseball game at PNC. (who really watches the Pirates and Astros anyways??) We finally got here, and when I opened my bag, I found that my contact solution bottle had opened and leaked about 1/4 of the bottle all over some shirts and other clothes and papers in my suitcase. At least it was just basically water, instead of my sunscreen or hairgel, or anything else that could have been a WAAAY bigger mess!

We went to the restaurant that is a part of the hotel (you can enter from the street or the hotel), called SoHo. It was pretty good. I had a Midori sour, and we split artichoke and spinach dip for an appetizer. I had a mesculin salad for my meal, and we split a piece of chocolate peanutbutter pie for dessert.

Now, I'm off to read a chapter (or crochet...one of the two...) before I hit the hay.

Birthday

My birthday (the big 27) was last Sunday. The boy bought me a new MP3 player, because my old one (that he bought me 2 years ago for Valentine's Day) was only 500-something MB, which isn't a lot of songs, and it didn't hold a charge very well. This one is a Creative Zen V plus. It is pretty good, and is WAY cheaper than an IPod, but is just as good. It can hold photos and video as well as MP3s. He also took me to a Japanese Steak House in Concord (next door to Papa Razzi). We were the only ones in the restaurant, it was really good. I had salmon and scallops, and he had chicken and steak.

My college roomie came over yesterday to bring me my birthday present: 3 shirts from Life is Good.

This shirt is definitely me...especially when I am driving!!!

I could have used this last weekend! My uncle and aunt DEFINITELY would have appreciated it (considering the weather they had for the past 2 weeks)

This one though, is my FAVORITE! Isn't it adorable? I'm going to wear it to NVCB tonight. :-)

Carnival Glass

I went to my grandmother's house on Saturday, and she had me up in the piping hot steaming attic with her for at LEAST a 1/2 hour. It was nasty. She sent me home with two boxes though. One contained a punch bowl set (which I forgot to take pics of). The set had 7 glasses, and the bowl was kinda small. The box also contained 16 other glasses that matched each other, but not the bowl or other cups. I'm thinking of trying to find a punch bowl somewhere without any glasses and buy it to go with the other cups.

The other box contained all these pieces of carnival glass. I didn't take a picture of it all together, I probably should have. There's a LOT of pieces. My little brother's gf and I agreed that having one or two of these pieces would be cool, but who needs a whole set?? I certainly don't want to get rid of any of it, so I left it in my sister's bedroom at my mom's house for her to look at. If she doesn't want the whole set either, we might split some of it up between us and our brothers if they want it. It would make for some cool accent pieces, but it's a little too much orange for an entire set for me.

Slippery Rock

This is down the road and a walk in the woods from my uncle's cabin. We call it Slippery Rock, because the water's current moves quickly, and the rocks become very slippery. (pretty self-explanatory, huh?). The other two labs are my cousins'. The big white was is Acadia, and the other chocolate lab is Sammy. Sammy has a black collar, and is bigger than Kylee in her green collar. The dogs had a great time. I don't have a photo of it, but my cousin tricked his dog Sammy into going down the waterfall. We tried with Kylee, but she just gave us the "are you kidding??" look.

Road Trip with Kylee

So last week I kidnapped the family dog, and we went out to my uncle's cabin on Piseco Lake in NY. I picked the doggy up on Thursday and we had a slumber party at my apartment. We took off the next morning for Piseco (a 4 1/2 hour trip). We got slightly off-course, and went a good hour out of our way, but we got there. Who knew that the NY Thruway changed routes? We started on 87 and it changed to 90....oops...I stayed on 87. Well...now I know...

This is a big navy plane that was out front of a small airport in NY. I thought it was cool...right on the side of the road.

I hope Steve is better than these guys!

Amy - I hope your boy is better than this! :-)

yumminess

Ok, so I HAD to try it!! MOUNTAIN DEW CAKE?!!?!?! It was DELICIOUS!!! It was a big hit at the boy's parents' house! There were six of us, and this is all that is left. The boy didn't want to share with anyone else. When it was baking last night, I had to beat him off with a stick to keep him from eating it. I like to eat mine with blueberries...mmmm...

It looks so weird....

My parents' house just looks NAKED without the bushes out front!! Seriously...NAKED!!!

My latest creation

I made this sweater for Lindsey out of the purple yarn I bought at Building 19 the other day. It's hard to see some of the detail in the photos, but in the one without the flash, you can see a little bit more of it. It's a ballerina sweater - a wrap. The left side snaps underneath the right, and the right comes over and ties on the left with a long ribbon. The pattern called for a button, but a ribbon was just so much cooler! ;-)

Kitchen makeover

I bought this el-cheapo shelf at KMart the other night. We put some of our appliances on it to get them out of the cabinets, so that they are easier to reach. We rearranged some of the stuff in the cabinets from the other room, so now we have most of our kitchen stuff actually IN the kitchen. We've only been living here for two years now...geez...

Some of my Building 19 finds

This pile of yarn is seriously at least twice as big as this now! I went to the building 19 in Worcester and they had more colors than this, so I bought some in blue and pink as well.

Aren't these shoes cute??? I LOVE them!!

I bought some more shoes at the Worcester Building 19 too, I'll have to post pics of them too!

I seriously might have nightmares

This is beyond horrifying. I heard it on CNN, and I may never go swimming in a pool again...

poor neglected blog

aww...poor blog! I have ignored you! I didn't mean it, I swear!

I have been busy (sorta)

Last Saturday was spent with the NVCB. A parade and two concerts (including the YDDB), my lips were DEAD at the end of the night!!!

Sunday the boy and I went to church at Groveland Congregational Church, where we are going to have our wedding ceremony.

Monday I worked around the apartment for a bit, then went to the last yoga class until August. :-(

Tuesday was spent around the house, where I made a REALLY yummy tuna salad. It was totally different than normal tuna salad. It's mostly rice. Try it! It's good and light for a summer dinner! (easy to make too)

Wednesday the boy and I went to Cambridge to visit Greg (who was house-sitting for an aunt) and his gf Debbie. It rained lightly off and on for most of the afternoon, but we still had fun. In between the showers we grilled up some "rollers and sliders" as John would call them. That's hotdogs and hamburgers in case you were wondering. We also got some frisbee in, until Debbie threw it over the fence....we got it back, but the rain stopped us from continuing. :-)
We played Nintendo Wii - my arm was SORE the next day!! (btw - I STINK at Wii baseball, I'm pretty good at bowling and golf) Then we played some cards, which was a lot of fun. We ended up watching the fireworks from an upstairs bedroom (all four of us were crammed around one window, it was hilarious) because it was still raining at fireworks time, and we didn't feel like getting soaked.

We spent the night in Cambridge (and BOY was my stomach sorry that morning) and we took the T back home. We came home and spent the rest of the day hanging out in the apartment, napping and watching TV.

Friday (finally caught up to today) I am still trying to clean up and organize around here. I bought a shelf (nothing special) for the kitchen so I can put some of my appliances on it so that they are more accessible. I made a kick butt pizza for dinner. I used Pillsbury pizza dough, and made a pepperoni and chicken garlic sausage pizza. We had some pepperjack cheese that I grated onto the pizza with the mozzarella. It was yummy!

I've also been crocheting a lot too. I can't post the picture of my latest creation until I give it to the person tomorrow (I don't wanna ruin the surprise). The other things I am working on I can't put on the blog either, because I am making some gifts, so I can't put them online without giving away the surprise of it. If you email me, I'll show you pics (as long as YOU'RE not the one I'm making it for!!) ;-)

Tomorrow I'm heading up to to York to see my aunt, stopping at my mom's on the way to drop off/pick up some stuff. It should be a fun day! :-)

New pictures

I have added some long overdue pics to my shutterfly account! Check them out!

gorgeous views

I took a walk today. I needed to get some quarters for our washer/dryer, so I needed to go to the bank. It's about 2 miles away, so I decided to hoof it. It was gorgeous outside, so it wasn't bad. I stopped at the gas station to buy a bottle of water. The scariest part of the walk was that there are NO sidewalks along rte 111, so I was constantly on the lookout for cars who didn't see me. I was a good girl and walked against the traffic like I am supposed to!

I got my roll of quarters, and I also stopped at Video Signals, where they now sell used books. I bought "I Love Paul Revere, Whether He Rode or Not", which talks about American historical myths. I've only read a few pages, but it's pretty interesting. I also got "Waiting for Teddy Williams", which I have yet to start reading. I figure if it lasts that long, I can bring it on my trip with Debbie.

On my way back, I stopped to drink some water on the edge of this pond, across from the church.

Isn't it pretty?
That stick-looking thing in the green gunk is actually a little tiny beaver. He wouldn't come close enough to me to get a good picture. I guess he's camera shy.

There were also little tiny orange fish in the pond, but the pictures didn't come out, I just kept seeing reflections because it was so sunny outside.

wow

ok..wow...I have received A LOT of feedback on my purse.

People want me to make them. People want to PAY me to make them. Who would have thought that I would be paid for turning 20 grocery bags into one smaller bag??

Handles are approximately $4-5 (depending on style)
Grocery Bags are free
I have to cut the bags, and crochet it all together, which takes a few hours (approximately the time of one baseball game)

How much should I charge to make a grocery bag purse?

Any ideas?

My latest project

Ok, so I know one of these pictures is a little washed out looking. Deal. ;-P

I started crocheting this purse at the beginning of the ballgame, and was done by the time the Sox finished losing.

Really cute, huh?

Who would have known I made it out of PLASTIC GROCERY BAGS?!?!?!

Seriously.

About 20 plastic bags were cut into strips and made into one pretty cool purse. I used Dunkin' Donuts bags, Roche Bros. bags, KMart bags, CVS bags, Target bags, TJ Maxx bags, PETCO (it's where the pets go) bags, and some other random bags that I have absolutely no idea what stores they came from. The only requirement was that they were sturdy and mostly white. PS-to anyone who would like to try this, I would HIGHLY recommend staying AWAY from the CVS bags, they rip too easily and are generally a PITA.

It was a simple pattern to follow, and the hardest part was just keeping track of the rows, which I figured out you don't really need to do if you're just going for size. Unfortunately, I figured this out in the last three rows.

It's fun, and it's environmentally-friendly. Who knew?

I forgot how much I love to cook!

It's too bad the boy dove into the food before I could take a picture. (I could take one now, but it would be a half-eaten chicken carcass, which doesn't seem as appetizing).

For tonight's dinner, the menu was:

Herbed Roasted Chicken with a Balsamic glaze
Corn on the Cob
Buttery Crescent Rolls
Cheesy Mashed Potatoes

Ok, so the rolls and potatoes were made by Pillsbury and Betty Crocker, respectively, but when you put your time and effort into making a REALLY good main course, who cares about the sides??

aww man!

Unfortunately, this is during my vacation week, so I won't be around...

NASHUA PRIDE
July 26, 2007 at 7:05 pm
Celebrate El Guapo Night, and the first 2,000 fans will receive an El Guapo Bobble Belly!


I can't find a picture to post, but they showed one on TV, and it was HILARIOUS! Big giant belly, and the belly bobbles up and down, not the head!

HA! I want one!

Registries

Ok, so we have started putting stuff on wedding registries.

We have one at www.pfaltzgraff.com , where we have our dishes (the glassware will come later, I have to add those at a store, I can't do it online).

We plan to have another at Target, and at Sears. We wanted to register for some tools at Sears. What tools do you think everyone should have? We have some basics between the two of us. Any suggestions?

summer is here!

Today is the FIRST official day of summer vacation!!

My plans?
1) It is currently 11:45 am, and I have yet to change into clothes, or remove myself from bed for more than 5 consecutive minutes. I plan on staying this way until at least after the noon news.
2) I may or may not go to the gym. (I'm thinking of saving that until tomorrow)
3) Head over to the school around 5 to sort and file some more music.
4) NVCB rehearsal 7-9
5) O'Hanlon's afterwards
6) Home

Life is good.

I deserve it!

After my LAST day of teaching for the year, and after an EXTREMELY killer yoga class, I went to the local liquor store to purchase a bottle of irish creme to go with my frangelico, kahlua and milk. There were some good deals on some wine, so I bought three bottles. When asked what I was celebrating, I responded that I was a teacher, and today was the last day of classes. I thought the lady was going to throw in a free bottle of vodka, seriously...

one of life's little mysteries solved

As I was cleaning out my refrigerator today, I wondered, "How does one tell if bleu cheese has gone bad, since it already looks like it has mold?" So I opened it, and took a whiff. When I came to on the kitchen floor, I realized THAT was how one could tell if bleu cheese has in fact gone bad.

I'm a what?

I've decided to forego being a union rep till I have professional status, ie tenure. Otherwise, the powers that be need NO reason to say "see ya" as they boot me out the door. Union people understand, and are happy to have me on whatever committees I can fit into my schedule next year.

Our current union rep takes pride in her reputation as a friendly outgoing person, but known to be a "bitch when she has to". At today's ATA end of the year social, Lolly told everyone that I was her "bitch in training". I'm not sure whether to be offended or flattered.

I distinctly remember saying no...

However, I think I may have just been asked to be a co-rep. for the union.

It's not a done deal...I've been asked "to think about it" several times, and would have to be voted in.

I thought I had said no, but perhaps I was mistaken...

I only have six words to say...

THREE

AND

A

HALF

MORE

DAYS






....nuf said....

ugh....

ok...it's been a while...let's play catch up!!

**Memorial Day weekend was a busy one! Thursday night the boy and I drove out to Newburgh, NY to the Day's Inn to meet up with family for my brother's graduation from West Point Academy. Friday morning was a big parade, we spent the rest of the day resting, and eating and hanging out. Saturday was the graduation ceremony with Dick Cheney speaking for a looooong time. It was fun though. We hung out at the 1949ers club for the afternoon with a couple of other families. Then we went out to dinner at a Japanese restaurant, where they make the food on the hibachi in front of you. We drove back on Sunday, and the boy and I went out to Piccolino's in Shirley for yummy food. Monday was spent with the NVCB for the concert in Harvard.

**The week after that was a long one. Meetings, lessons, students, rehearsals, concert, and classes.

**Friday afternoon my aunt came by with a band of family. She was dropped off with me to check out the quilt shop in Boxborough, and then we went to the farm stand down the street. We spent the rest of the afternoon hanging out at the apartment catching up with each other. Some more family stopped by on the way up to York and picked her up. Then I headed to my mom's house where I spent the weekend. Saturday was my other brother's graduation from high school. It was very long and very sunny, and I am very sunburnt. We spent the afternoon with family at my mom's, which was a lot of fun to do. We all caught up with each other's lives, which is hard to do, since we're all so busy. I got to play with my cousin's babies. I swam with Tyler in the pool...his diaper swelled up to the size of a small elephant. The boy joined us , and all of us cousins went out to the movies to see "Knocked Up". HILARIOUS!!! YOU HAVE TO GO SEE IT!!!!! I cried I was laughing so hard. Sunday was my grandfather's memorial service, which was VERY hard for everybody, but it was nice.

**Today was the last day of the rotation for my classes. The students put together some great projects. (of course there are some who didn't, but there always are) We had an extra jazz band rehearsal (at the students' request - isn't it great??) and I bought the students pizza since we only have one more rehearsal until the concert next week.

There...I think that catches us up. Eventually, some day, I will post pictures of the various graduations. I am in the process of editing the video from the West Point graduation. This time of year is VERY busy!!!