OK, so I've been playing

You may have noticed I changed the look of the blog (AGAIN). I figure with a new year coming, a slight change would be appropriate. I have been off for over a week (I know, feel bad for the teacher) and since I have done nothing school-related, I thought I should at least mess with the blog.

Now What?!

Here are the kids, showing off a few of their favorite things.

Here is mom taking pictures of her not so favorite thing! Where am I supposed to go with all of this stuff?!

The Santa Express

We went to the tiny village of Grosmont today to ride the Santa Express. This is the same train that was used in the Harry Potter movies as the Hogwarts Express, and travels from Grosmont to Goathland, which also doubles as the Hogsmeade Train Station in the HP movies too. We had a great day out, although Chris wasn't too sure about the Big Guy. I'm posting a couple of pictures because I know you're desperate to see them! Merry Christmas to you all!

Merry Christmas one and all...

Season Greetings

Hi Everyone,

I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! This is a picture of my daughter and I a few weeks ago after her last cheering competition. As you can see from our tree, I am a Miami Dolphins fan with my Dan Marino ornament and she is a Pittsburgh Steelers fan with her Big Ben ornament. I look forward to hearing about everyone's holiday after the new year! Happy Holidays and I hope Santa is good to everyone!

I have a video

I have a good christmas "mix" of Rudolph (elves in workshop video) and Full Metal Jacket (audio of Sargeant screaming at Joker). If you don't want to hear something that has many expletives, don't watch it (it is definitely NOT for kids to see OR hear).
Kristen, it is much worse than your SHIT! I laugh every time when he shows his REAL war face.

The Most Functional English Word

Well, it's shit ... thats right,... shit!
Shit may just be the most functional word in the English language.
You can smoke shit, buy shit, sell shit, lose shit, find shit, forget shit, and tell others to eat shit. Some people know their shit, while others can't tell the difference between shit and shineola. There are lucky shits, dumb shits, and crazy shits.
There is bull shit, horse shit, and chicken shit.
You can throw shit, sling shit, catch shit, shoot the shit, or duck when the shit hits the fan.
You can give a shit or serve shit on a shingle.
You can find yourself in deep shit or be happier than a pig in shit.
Some days are colder than shit, some days are hotter than shit, and some days are just plain shitty.
Some music sounds like shit, things can look like shit, and there are times when you feel like shit.
You can have too much shit, not enough shit, the right shit, the wrong shit or a lot of weird shit. You can carry shit, have a mountain of shit, or find yourself up shit creek without a paddle. Sometimes everything you touch turns to shit and other times you fall in a bucket of shit and come out smelling like a rose.
When you stop to consider all the facts, it's the basic building block of the English language.
And remember, once you know your shit, you don't need to know anything else!!
You could pass this along, if you give a shit; or not do so if you don't give a shit!
Well, Shit, it's time for me to go.
Just wanted you to know that I do give a shit and hope you had a nice day, without a bunch of shit.
But, if you happened to catch a load of shit from some shit-head...........
Well, Shit Happens!!!

I need help from the techheads!

A friend of mine sent me this and I want to show it to my Juniors next week for three reasons: (1) it's funny; (2) it's in Spanish; and (3) it mentions a gift from the "Reyes Magos", which they've just learned about during a cultural unit about Christmas. But I can't download it from YouTube. I've tried Kiss YouTube, which tells me to download the freeware, but there's an error in it, because when I try to run the program, the computer yells at me. Fearing the Blue Screen of Death, can anyone give me another way to download this? I can't just show them the video on YouTube at school because it's blocked by our server!

Hey Vicki

We just rented "Sicko," and of course MM portrays NHS as being manna from heaven. I know an older woman from Slough who claims NHS is awful in the UK. She left the UK when she was in her early 20's, has excellent health care here (works for a PUC), and is completely brainwashed by screaming heads on Faux News - so I take her declaration with a truckload of salt.

What's your take on the UK NHS?

Finally Decorated

After having the tree up for a week, we finally decorated it today. Our Frosty is similar to yours, Vicki, in that it gets played way too often. It still sings, but he doesnt wiggle his hips anymore or "throw" the snow flakes around.

Our newest ornament this year!

Here's Ours...

Christmas Decorations

Here's ours. Share yours.

The Santa at the foot of the tree plays "We Wish You A Merry Christmas" and his head moves from side to side and his arms move up and down (My mother in law bought it for Georgia years ago - nothing to do with me!). Last night when I got the decorations out and turned it on, Chris kept saying, "on, on", demanding that Santa do his thing 24/7. Well, poor Santa couldn't take it. After about an hour, his head did a 360 like The Exorcist and now he doesn't move anymore.

Insipid

"Milk and Pepsi is an 'insipid' drink."

First Day of Deer Camp

I can't believe I still hang out with these chumps ! We all had our hats on to hide the gray and protect us from the glare (Rusty and Lew).

This picture was taken at our cabin in Bradford County-Home of no deer. Every year we make the trek for first week of Pennsylvania deer hunting. All I can say is ..Priceless.....

Art News

Two of my paintings have been selected for the Upstream People Gallery's 5th Annual Color: Bold/Subtle Juried Online International Art Exhibition. This exhibition will be featured on the website for the entire month of December. After that, it will be moved into the archive section of the website, where it will remain for one year.

To view the exhibition (and my pieces) go to www.upstreampeoplegallery.com

Artists are listed alphabetically by last name.

I hope you enjoy the site!

He'll do anything for a laugh!

Chris does this thing where he likes to pull his diaper halfway down his butt, so he looks like a plumber. The other night he did this and John and I laughed at him. So he kept turning around and showing us his butt to make us laugh. Even after I pulled his diaper back up and had moved on to other things, he followed me around shouting, "MOM!", and when I'd look he'd show me his butt.

Exhibitionist. Comedian. Just like his dad.

It's an epidemic

We have also been elfed...somehow, Brad was spared the embarrassment....

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=9633190856

It's very quiet again

Is everyone out Christmas shopping? Where is everyone?

I don't know if you remember, but a couple of weeks ago I mentioned that a Head of Department job had come up a swanky, private, posh girls' school in Sheffield and I was applying. I received a letter today inviting me to go for an interview on Tuesday, December 4. The letter also says, "Details of the lesson you will be teaching on the day will follow." And the letter is signed by the "Headmistress". Very, very posh!

So I got an interview. Yippeeeee! Now I think I want the job! Wish me luck people!

We've been Elfed.

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=9598592195

Happy Thanksgiving Everybody!

Just wanted to say Happy Thanksgiving! Hope everyone is happy and healthy and enjoying time with family and friends.

Jill

What's going on T-Day eve?

It's a late post, but please list any happenings going on Thursday night. I'm only in Catty until Friday afternoon, so I would like to go out Thursday night.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Some Thanksgiving Humor....

May your stuffing be tasty
May your turkey plump,
May your potatoes and gravy
Have never a lump.
May your yams be delicious
And your pies take the prize,
And may your
Thanksgiving dinner
Stay off your thighs!

$2 Miller Lite Drafts and 1/2 price Margaritas

at the Blue Monkey...Thanksgiving Eve....Maybe this will change your mind, MJ!!

Wake up, blog!

Anyone remember Civics class with Mr. Strein in 7th grade?

Do your duty.

I can't sleep!

And since no one has posted on the blog in a few days, I thought I'd just let you know that I'm awake (thanks to the boy!) and have been for about 2 hours. It's now 5:30 a.m. So, I'll take this opportunity just to tell you what's been happening in my life lately. It's nothing exciting, but I just feel like talking to someone and no one is up now but me. So aren't you lucky?!
The week of October 28 was half-term, which means we had a week off school - thank God! We went back to work/school on November 5, and that same morning Her Majesty's Inspectors from the Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted) called to say they'd be dropping in on Wednesday morning for an inspection. On Tuesday and Wednesday last week I was in my classroom by 6:30 a.m. I wasn't planning on doing anything differently, but my lessons are all in my head and Ofsted like to see them on paper. You'll be happy to know that we were found to be "good with outstanding qualities". Not bad for an inner city school. We celebrated on Friday morning with mimosas in the staffroom. Also on Friday a job came up in the Times Educational Supplement for a management post at a swanky, posh private girls' school in Sheffield. I've decided to apply for it. Wish me luck.
So I've spent my time this morning looking for somewhere we can spend a weekend away before Christmas. I'd love to go to a German Christmas market, but flights are so expensive at Christmastime that we'll have to stay in the UK. There's a German Christmas market that comes to Leeds anyway, and that's just down the road. Last time we went I was pregnant, and I ate my way through the market. I started with bratwurst, then made my way to the beer tent where I had this fantastic macaroni and cheese with fried onions, and then a pretzel. Eventually I came to the chocolate covered fruit, where my friend Paula had a really rude-looking chocolate-covered banana.
Anyway, so now I'm looking at a weekend for us in London before Christmas. At Christmastime in the UK, every theater does a pantomime, or panto. I always thought of pantomime as a guy dressed in black and white with a painted face, pretending to get out of a box. But no, in the UK it's an audience participation play. It's usually a fairy tale like Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty. The audience gets to shout things at the characters ("It's behind you!") and throw things at the stage. I'm looking for tickets to the panto at the Old Vic in London. Ian McKellan (Gandalf from Lord of the Rings) is usually in it. John doesn't like panto but it's fun for the kids, so he'll have to get over it.
Have you started your Christmas shopping yet? I have, but I'm disorganized and I don't know what to buy my daughter. I had a heart to heart with her about Santa Claus the other day. Usually by this time she's written her letter to Santa, but no letter this year. So I asked her if she still believed in the big guy and she informed me that she does not, but is willing to play along for the sake of the boy. This makes Christmas easier for me, because I don't have to sneak a peek at her letter to Santa. I can just ask her. Only she doesn't know what she wants and I'm a bit stuck for ideas. I might go shopping later today and take her with me. Maybe something will jump out at her. The boy is all taken care of. He's 19 months old. He'll be happy with the box his diapers came in.
Well, now that you're all up to date on my oh-so-exciting life, I'll go make some more coffee. Nice talking to you!

Make Your Plans Now!!

The big night is rapidly approaching. Drop the kids somewhere, anywhere and join the fun!

halloween

just thought I would share pictures of my kids in their costumes. Ashlynn won a prize at preschool for prettiest princess. They are growing up so fast. I am trying to enjoy every minute of Brian's babyhood, or else I may want another baby in a year.

Chocolate Warning

We were raised on chocolate as kids! I will never eat it again! I hope you will throw it away whenever you are given any. It seems that nothing is safe anymore. This is what happens when you eat too much chocolate. This is a warning. Send this to everyone you care about. It could happen to you...or them.

Chocolate will make your feet small! Warn everyone!

This e-mail was not intended to offend anyone....Maryjo made me do it!!

Happy Halloween (or, Good Samhain)

We just got back from trick or treating. I can't believe that Halloween began as a Celtic tradition, because the British suck at it - even my British husband admits this. It's getting better than it was when I first came here 12 years ago. But now they all moan about how the holiday is becoming Americanized. There's even a town in Scotland that has banned "American Jack-0-Lanterns". Whatever. Bonfire Night is a real family friendly holiday. Let's burn an effigy and then blow sh*t up. Can you tell this is the one time of year when I get homesick?

Let's face it, this is one holiday we're good at. Georgia totally gets the spirit of the holiday, and Chris was all for it once he realized there was candy involved. Last year we dressed him up as a hot dog and carried him around, but this year he chased after Georgia and was quick to smack her if she tried to steal any of his haul. Wishing you all a safe and chocolately Halloween!

P.S. We grew the pumpkins!

Georgia's Annual Halloween Blowout

Well, there's a lot of cake left. Not because it didn't taste good (it did) but because it was a big cake. The kids were completely freaked when Chris put a big chunk in his mouth, and then Georgia dug in, and then they all managed to have some. I'll post more pictures later when I figure out how to pixellate faces, because I don't want to put pictures of other people's kids on the internet.
We took the kids on a late night hike because the local country hall and park had an "Enchanted Garden" evening, and the gardens, house and village church were all illuminated. There was classical music playing, it was really nice, but very spooky. The moon came out just as we went by the church.

How I Spent My Friday Night

I made a kitty litter cake.

Georgia is having a Halloween party. She has one every year and she loves Halloween more than she loves Christmas. Every year she starts her party planning around the end of August. This year she asked me to make a kitty litter cake. The cake is currently in the fridge, and every time I open it the sight of that thing makes me want to hurl. We're going to put the litter box on the floor on some newspaper tomorrow, just before the kids arrive. At some point during the evening - probably when the kids are eating - we're going to let Chris loose and hopefully he'll head straight for it. We can't let the kids have all the fun, can we?

This was sent to me today.....

You Think English is Easy? It's one of the most difficult languages to learn! Can you read these right the first time?
01) The bandage was wound around the wound.
02) The farm was used to produce produce.
03) The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.
04) We must polish the Polish furniture.
05) He could lead if he would get the lead out.
06) The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.
07) Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present.
08) A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.
09) When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.
10) I did not object to the object.
11) The insurance was invalid for the invalid.
12) There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.
13) They were too close to the door to close it.
14) The buck does funny things when the does are present.
15) A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.
16) To help wit h planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.
17) The wind was too strong to wind the sail.
18) Upon seeing the tear in the painting, I shed a tear.
19) I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.
20) How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?

Let's face it - English is a crazy language. There is no egg in eggplant, nor ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in pineapple. English muffins weren't invented in England nor French fries in France . Sweetmeats are candies while sweetbreads, which aren't sweet, are meat. We take English for granted, but if we explore its paradoxes, we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig. And why is it that writers write but fingers don't fing, grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham? If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn't the plural of booth, beeth? One goose, 2 geese. So one moose, 2 meese? One index, 2 indixes? If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught? Doesn't it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend? If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it? Sometimes I think all the English speakers should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane. In what language do people recite at a play and play at a recital, ship by truck and send cargo by ship, have noses that run and feet that smell?How can a slim chance and a fat chance bethe same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites? You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down, in which you fill-in a form by filling it out, and in which an alarm goes off by going on.English was invented by people, not computers, and it reflects the creativity of the human race, which, of course, is not a race at all. That is why, when the stars are out, they are visible, but when the lights are out, they are invisible.
PS. - Why doesn't Buick rhyme with quick ?You lovers of the English language might enjoy this.
There is a two-letter word that perhaps has more meanings than any other two-letter word, and that is UP. It's easy to understand UP, meaning toward the sky or toward the top of the list, but when we awaken in the morning, why do we wake UP? At a meeting, why does a topic come UP? Why do we speak UP and why are the officers UP for election and why is it UP to thesecretary to write UP a report?We call UP our friends. We use something to brighten UP a room, polish UP the silver, warm UP the leftovers, and clean UP the kitchen. We lock UP the house and some guys fix UP the old car . At other times the little word has real special meaning. People stir UP trouble, line UP for tickets, work UP an appetite, and think UP excuses. To be dressed is one thing but to be dressed UP is special .And this UP is confusing: A drain must be opened UP because it is stopped UP. We open UP a store in the morning but we close it UP at night.We seem to be pretty mixed UP about UP! To be knowledgeable about the proper uses of UP, look the word UP in the dictionary. In a desk-sized dictionary, it takes UP almost 1/4th of the page and can add UP to about thirty definitions. If you are UP to it, you might try building UP a list of the many ways UP is used. It will take UP a lot of your time, but if you don't give UP, you may wind UP with a hundred or more.When it threatens to rain, we say it is clouding UP. When the sun comes out we say it is clearing UP. When it rains, it wets the earth and oftenmesses things UP.When it doesn't rain for awhile, things dry UP.We could go on, but I'll wrap it UP, for now my time is UP, so: Time to shut UP!

My nephew thinks I am a body builder

I was minding my own business on Friday when my 12 (almost 13) year old nephew stopped by my office to say hi while his mother was running an errand. I use these sorts of situations to ply my nephews and nieces with candy and find out their deepest darkest secrets and steer them in the right direction. On this particular day, we were discussing the internet and potential dangers that lurk there, like future bosses or college admissions people googling your name. This does not sound like fun when I write it here, but trust me, we have a blast. I know he has a MySpace page and I wanted to show him that the internet is not your journal and therefore, not private.

So...I googled my name. As usual (my sister googled me and had quite a laugh), the person who is named Jill Sober (no kidding) and won second place in a body building contest pops up first. Trust me folks, I am not the one ... unless they have drastically changed the rules in that sport. Apparently, someone else has the same name as me. Bless her heart.

And then, something unexpected appeared. A blog with my second grade class picture. (I will never live that one down. Is it Lew I have to thank for that?) Then he sees the other pictures as he is cruising around the blog. The inevitable question, "Aunt Jill, why are you always standing by the teacher." I have no freakin' clue. If anyone out there can help me out with that one, please let me know.

We moved on to the dangers of smoking pot, his topic, not mine. I compared the danger factor to wrapping your lips around the exhaust pipe of a running car. I think he got the point that pot is a carcinogen.

Anyway, Dave, thanks for sending me the link. I have a couple projects due and can't recap. the last 21 years right now, but will when I am not under a deadline.

I hope everyone is well.

George W. Bush

Great president, or greatest president?


Discuss...

I can't say I knew Joe Abraham (teacher)...

but it looks like he knows his drugs.

article

ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST!

Happy 40th Lew! Last night was Lew's 40th birthday party. As you can see there were only a handfull of classmates there. But it was a good time anyway! With these clowns, and booze, how could it not be fun? By the end of the night, Cathy had to make sure her 40 year old plaything would still work once they got home (picture 1) . His favorite (and what will be the most used gift) was the Hair Regrowth Treament. As you can see, it only worked on on his chin so far.

New baby

just wanted to show off the latest addition to the Kenney family. His name is Brian Christopher, born on September 23 and weighing 8lbs 14oz. He is a very good baby, only waking up once a night for a bottle. He even takes the poking and prodding from my two other kids in stride. We will be in Catty at Thanksgiving for his baptism at St. Lawrence.

MS Ride Woes

First let me say Thank You to all who sponsored me for the MS Ride.

Now for the bad news.

A week and a half before the ride I ended up spending a night in the hospital. A past hernia repair caused some problems for me that prevented me from doing the ride. The doctor benched me for two weeks from riding the bike at all. I did everything in my power to convince him to allow me to ride it but he didn't go for it all.

My training was going so well and for the first time in four years of doing the MS Ride I felt that I was in the best shape for doing the ride.

I had dinner with the team the night before and it was really difficult to see them go without me.

Now for the second round of bad news.

The one team member (first year rider) didn't drink as much fluid as he should have been while doing the ride and ended up passing out on the bike and crashed really bad. He then had a seizure and they rushed him to the hospital. Two other team members ended up going with him to the hospital where they kept him over night. He had a concussion. The rest of the team ended up driving to the hospital and then came home that same night. So none of them got to finish the complete ride.

We all raised the money that we had set out to but didn't get to finish what we started. The money still goes to a great cause.

Overall it has been a really big let down for all of us and now look forward to next year.

Sorry that I don't have any funny stories about a person's shorts ripping while on the ride like last year. Maybe next year!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Ok, so I cheated by reading her blog...Today is Jamie's birthday. Hope it is happy! And, if my old mind isnt failing me, I believe MaryJo's birthday was yesterday!?

Five Things We Didn't Know Last Week

From the BBC

1. Being born without an ear is called microtia.
2. Zsa Zsa Gabor is related to Paris Hilton (which explains a hell of a lot, in my opinion).
3. In Iceland, 96% of women go to university.
4. It costs 100 Euros ($140) to hire a prostitute's window in Amsterdam (that's right, the window, not the prostitute) for part of the day.
5. Gordon Brown is the first Prime Minister to own a cellphone, but it doesn't take incoming calls.

Another "old"

I've been moving stuff from my old PCs to the Mac - came across this pic which includes at least a few of us. Of mild interest is that I remember the date this was taken: 9/28/01 - a little over two weeks after 9/11.

Tracy Hicks due this month

Hey all. Haven't checked in for a little while, so I'll be doing some catching up. Wanted to drop a quick note that Tracy Hicks is due later this month. I'll put her emails in the the first comment if you want to contact her.

Remember This?

Bugs Bunny Gets The Boid

It's the great pumpkin Charlie Brown!

I know it's too early for Halloween and it's not really that great a pumpkin, but it is our first ever pumpkin from our pumpkin patch. I'm just impressed that we grew anything at all.

We've got three big ones still on the vine. I hope they'll be ready for Halloween!

40 Phun in Philly

Well, 40 came and went quitely until Friday at the Phillies game. It was our first time to the new park. Our seats were two rows off the field at home plate next to the Phillies dug out.

My wife had a few tricks up her sleeve and got me pretty good.

Check out the shirt she had made and the stadium score board.

She even arranged for staff to come out and sing and then the entire section we sat in chimed in.

How could you not have fun with drunk Philly fans sitting behind you singing "happy birthday" all night long?????

Where Have You Been?

Okay, I thought it would be fun to share how many places we've visited. I'm thinking number of states, provinces and countries. Here's mine:

States: 26
Provinces: 2
Countries: 11

Tagged

1. I didn't drive a car until I was in my mid-twenties.

2. I make wheel-thrown pottery.

3. I've been to my ancestral hometown in Slovakia.

4. My undergraduate degree is in philosophy.

5. I have only one sibling-a sister who is 15 years older than I.

6. I have never been to the state of Florida.

7. I was divorced earlier this year but am engaged to be married.

8. I met my first husband on the Internet in 1990.

Tag

1. Everything I eat is readily flammable if desiccated. Salt is the only thing I eat which is mined.
2. I am licensed to operate a motor vehicle, but not commercially.
3. My ancestors arose in, but then moved out of, Africa. I currently live in North America.
4. I am a mammal, but lack the ability to give live birth or nurse my offspring due to my gender.
5. I am over six feet tall.
6. I am a high school graduate, but I am only fluent in one language.
7. I own a computer.
8. I have a dog named Scout.

Tagged

The rules: Post the rules before giving the facts. Players start with eight random facts/habits about themselves. People who are tagged need to write on their own blog about their eight things and post these rules. At the end of the your blog you need to tag (hopefully) six people and list their names. Leave them a comment on their blog, telling them they have been tagged and not to forget to read your blog.
This was very difficult.....who thought coming up with 8 facts about yourself would be so hard.

1. I was born in Cape May Courthouse, NJ. I moved in with my grandparents when I was 5 and later moved to the apartments by Tim Jones and Jen Kratzer. My mother married and we moved to Moorestown when I was in 3rd and 4th grade, and thank God, we moved back to Catty, on Bath Ave, when I went into 5th grade.

2. I watched "The Sound of Music" this past weekend and relived the play we did at Lincoln. I remember Vicki as Mother Superior - what a voice - and Wendy was Maria. I remember Ms. Lutz has Shannon sing in my ear to keep me in pitch.

3. My sisters and I used to play motorcycle and cars for hours in the living room. My mother actually taped us once and played it back for us to show how silly we sounded.

4. Like Steve, I love the 80s music. I actually watched VH1 - We are the 80s marathon yesterday!!!

5. I regret my school years. I wish I would have spent more time with my classmates and had more friends.

6. I have two tattoos and no piercings. My first tattoo was a present to myself for my 25th. It is a butterfly on my left shoulder. My second tattoo was at 35 and it is a dolphin on my right ankle.

7. I met Rob through a personal ad over three years ago.

8. I still don't get along that well with my sisters. Brandi is married to a man older than my parents and has two daughers. Heather has recently broke off her second engagement and has a son. Melissa Decker is my step-sister and I rarely see her.

Well, there you go. It's almost impossible to tag 6 people that haven't already been tagged. Anyone lurking in the shadows reading this..... TAG, you're it.

Tag, I'm IT! Who's next?

Continuing with Kristen's "tagging" us, I have my eight things. . . .

1. I have filled my MP3 player with mostly 80’s music. I love to work out to the same music we listened to way back when. I just can’t resist listening to Billy Idol, the B-52’s, and all my dance music from our high school years.

2. I was in Runaways not only in high school, but I also did it during my sophomore year (at Cedar Crest College – they had NO males at that time and needed some male runaways). I rekindled my monologue as the graffiti artist (and still remember most of it today . . . “What is an artiste, I don’t know. Write me a letter Mr. Picasso. . .).

3. Every Friday is Football Friday. I always wear something with Eagles on it on Friday. I can’t remember a time when I have not followed through on Football Friday. In school, I always wear an Eagles tie.


4. When watching Eagles games on television, I have to have an Eagles shirt on. One time, I was watching the Eagles (and ironing, that’s what I do when watching away games) and they were losing. I was distraught and looked down and noticed that I was NOT wearing anything with Eagles on. I ran (yes, ran) upstairs and immediately pulled out an Eagles shirt and put it on. They came back and won that game, and my shirts were all ironed with excellent creases (I push the iron harder when they are losing).

5. I enjoy shopping (both for food and for anything else). I just like walking around stores looking at things to buy. It is funny to think that I have shopped at Wegman’s since it opened and to this day, my wife has never been in the store

6. I am one of the first people at work. I get there by 6:20, and we don’t start until 7:15. I like being early. No line in the copy room, I can read the newspaper, and I don’t have to fight for a good parking spot.

7. My persona for teaching is a hybrid of “Redsie” Laubach and Patrick T. Callahan. I sometimes use some of Mr. Laubach’s lines in my classroom like, “Is that legal?”, and “Can you do that?”, but I don’t shake my keys in my students’ ears or put my glasses on the board (I hate wearing my glasses in public).

8. I am addicted to the blog and my email because I check each of them several times a day, and during the summer, I have my school email forwarded to my home email (because email is my main mode of communication). I even have the blog forwarded to my email via an RSS feed.

Tagged....what the heck is that?!

Well, if I had my own personal blog, Jamie would have "tagged" me...Since I don't, here goes...

The rules: Post the rules before giving the facts. Players start with eight random facts/habits about themselves. People who are tagged need to write on their own blog about their eight things and post these rules. At the end of the your blog you need to tag (hopefully) six people and list their names. Leave them a comment on their blog, telling them they have been tagged and not to forget to read your blog.

1. Before I moved to N. Catty, I lived on N. 12th St (in Catty, not many people even know where that is) right behind Carol Hahn and Kevin Hoch (sp?, '84). We used to play in the rain and shower (with soap) under an old broken-off rain spout.

2. When I moved to N. Catty, my brother had a friend who had a sister. When I finally got up the nerve to walk up to her house, I stood at her sliding door and just peered in for how long, I dont know, but never knocked. Finally, someone answered the door and the rest is history...MJ?

3. I used to set up my Barbies on the living room floor and play for hours. My dog would sit and watch, also for hours, her head turning with every move I made. I think she secretly wanted to eat them. Now, I dread the thought of my daughter wanting all of that stuff.

4. I haven't lived in Catty ALL of my life....SHUT UP!! I lived in Northampton...SHUT UP! for a year shortly before, and when I was first married. In a house made in to 3 apartments across from Millers Diner....SHUT UP!

5. I can tie a cherry stem into a knot......with my tongue. (As long as it is the right length) Try it, it makes for an interesting time and some interesting conversation. ("What else can you do with your tongue that we don't know about?")

6. I did something in high school that only 2 or 3 people know about. In the gym locker room with one of my long time and bestest friends (not MJ)...."she made me do it!" I still have nightmares about what would've happened if we were caught. I also have nightmares about losing my class schedule and forgetting my locker combination.

7. I do not want my daughter to follow in my footsteps and be a cheerleader...She already has a pink basketball and a hoop in our driveway, a pink softball glove and ball, and believe it or not, a mini field hockey stick and pink field hockey ball!

8. I watch too much TV. The Price is Right, The Young and the Restless, Bold & Beautiful, General Hospital...Two & a Half Men, How I Met Your Mother, Big Brother, Survivor, The Amazing Race, CSI, ER, Friday Night Lights, HGTV and Foodnetwork. I'm sure I missed some, there are too many to remember. Like I said, I watch too much TV.

Now, I am tagging....MaryJo, Vicki, Randy, Michelle Heist, Freeman, Sonya....and anyone else who wants to contribute (I'm not sure who is blurking any more....Donna Sensor!) Since you dont have your own personal blogs, that I know of...just comment as you normally do to any other post!

Vacation

Well with summer coming to an end, my daughter has done most of the travelling. She was to Vernon, NJ with her dad for a week, then most recently in August she went to Maine (2nd picture) with her aunt. Last week we went to Ocean City, MD for a few days and unfortunately, the weather was crappy but we had a nice time anyway (1st picture). It has been great to hear about everyones adventures and vacations this past summer and it has definitely given me some ideas for next year. I have never been on a cruise but hopefully one day that will happen.

The Love Boat

We just got back from a three day cruise from Southampton to Cork, Ireland. I've never cruised before but it's definitely something I'll do again (in fact, we started looking online when we got home this afternoon!). My father-in-law (bless him!) decided it would be a good idea to spend our inheritance and take us (me, John, two kids, father-in-law, my sister-in-law, her husband and their daughter) on this short break. It was more than I expected. My sister and brother-in-law have cruised alot, and Julie the Cruise Director (aka Sue, my sister-in-law), planned everything right down to the minute! Our ship was the Navigator of the Seas, and the picture was taken from the town of Cobh, which is the same port the Titanic left from before beginning her Atlantic crossing. At least I can say I've been to Ireland, even if it was only for about an hour and half - which is long enough to have a pint of real Guinness in a real Irish pub.

Anyway, we had a fantastic time. If you've been on a cruise, you know what I'm talking about. If you haven't, I can't recommend it enough. I didn't think it would be the kind of vacation I'd enjoy, because I hate the beach and I can't stand to lay in the sun all day. But there was lots to do and we're looking at a 10 or 14 day Mediterranean cruise for my 40th birthday next year.

Have I Ever Mentioned....

how much I look forward to this time of year?! The first football game is just a week away,...the Roughs should make a decent show of it this year. They pleasantly surprised the fans, coaches and maybe even themselves against Puis X during last weeks scrimmage. Tonight they scrimmage Whitehall, who by the way is assisted by Bob Bydlon. Jake will play his 2nd year on the middle school team, and it looks like he will be the quarterback. It's a good thing I already have no nails! And even though I basically feel like a single parent until Thanksgiving, I so look forward to my Friday nights away, thanks to my mom and her weekly babysitting.

The kiddies are going back to school soon after that, ...Jake will be in 8th grade, his 51 leaves have been pressing now for almost 2 weeks and it's about time to get them in the album complete with labels. Thank God there is no longer a bug collection due.

Lucas will start 2nd grade. He is not playing football this year, and I'm glad since his broken nose has made "Mom" an overbearing, nervous wreck whenever I see him playing with any type of ball or bat.

And I will finally have some "me" time for a couple hours, 2 days a week when I ship Trisha off to pre-school. She is looking forward to "going where Lukey went" but I am secretly more excited than she is. Does that sound awful? Yes, but no. All of you stretched too thin mommies can definately feel my glee.

Hopefully, the two lazy ass neighbor boys will be going off somewhere. The oldest is in college somewhere but commutes and the youngest just barely graduated from high school, and the marines have been visiting. It scares me to think that he may be protecting our country some day. He can't even cut the grass. And I won't miss the house shaking when they blast the car stereo any time of the day or night.

I will be starting a new job. I am now officially employed by the school district as the Substitute Caller Coordinator. And although that requires early hours and later nights, I can do it in my pj's, without my hair done or my face made up. I requires no commute, no gas, and no co-workers. And we bought a new laptop so I wont be confined to the basement on the old Gateway dinosaur, unless I need to print.

So let's hope it doesnt rain every Friday night like it seemed it did last year, let's hope Jake doesnt get killed on the field (too bad anyway), let's hope Lucas doesnt get a kickball in the face during recess, and let's hope Trisha doesnt get sent home from preschool for using her potty mouth at the very most appropriate time.

If you have five minutes...

and you are really, really desperate for something to do, you can look at the slideshow of some pictures from our vacation. One of the pictures is from Oradour-sur-Glane, which was destroyed during WWII and is now a museum. The rest are just us, things we did and places we went. And cows. Can't forget the cows.

MTA: Hopefully slideshow should work now!

Walked with Dinosaurs

On Saturday, August 18, 2007, my family and I trekked to Philadelphia (I was there the night before for the Eagles home-opener, preseason - the season has begun) to see Walking with Dinosaurs. It was incredible, believable, and even kept Liam's (5) attention for nearly two hours. The pictures don't really do it justice, but try to find the narrator in some of them and you can then scale the size of these incredible "beasts". It was both educational and entertaining.