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.

France

We're back. We spent the last two weeks in the Limousin, in central France. This particular region actually has more cows than people, so everywhere we went, there were cows. Our little house was surrounded by cows on three sides. Chris was fascinated by them and learned how to moo. He couldn't start or end his day without visiting the cows. We rode our bikes, walked, swam (in the pool and the lake). We ate pastry every day and brought back a sh*tload of wine. Gotta love France!

Rachael Kerin

Rachael Kerin was in the class behind us. She died July 29. Click here for her obituary.

MS Ride September 29 & 30TH

If you would like to sponsor me for the annual MS ride please click on the link below.

http://www.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR?pg=personal&fr_id=2750&px=1776421

Thanks again to those of you who sponsored me last year.

Family Films

Since I ONLY get to see family movies at the actual theater anymore, here is what I've seen with my two boys this summer so far!
1 - Ratatouille - excellent, different, better than expected (both boys loved it)
2 - Underdog - funny, good story, really liked it too (both boys really loved it, being dog lovers)
3 - Shrek the Third - I thought the story was played out, wasn't very funny even (they liked it)

Next on our list (before the summer is over) is Daddy Day Camp. Trae loved Daddy Day Care (I think he just liked the fart scene with the little kid) and wants to see this one.

We are also going to the Spectrum to See "Walking With Dinosaurs" on Saturday, Aug. 18th. I'll post pix of that (if we can take pictures); it should be really good.

Aaaah, The Good Life

I've been back to reality now for several days, and have finally taken the time to update ya'll on our Myrtle Beach vacation.

Most of our days were just spent relaxing on the beach, as in the pic with Trisha & I. She's learning real quick (or is it "right quick"Jamie?) how to enjoy the lazy days on the beach. We went mini-golfing in the morning (all of us twice, Brad & the boys 3x). This was our first attempt at taking Trisha along, and she did surprisingly well. I thought for sure she would be in the water a couple times. The boys went fishing one day, Brad & Jake went out on a boat another day. The crabbing gear went along for the ride again. We did some shopping. I hit the Vanity Fair outlet down there for school jeans for the boys. Even though we have one in Reading, I dont go there. We spent too much money, ate way too much and of course the two weeks went by way too fast! Although it is always good to get home. Upon arriving home this year, we awoke Sunday morning to discover that we had a little critter (probably more than one) living in our home while we were gone. We caught one by the stove on Monday morning and today I bought four more traps in hopes of catching more. The boys say they heard some noises in the basement last night so needless to say, my skin is crawling. I'm not surprised though, as my neighbors seem to be growing a jungle in their backyard. Hopefully, they have a house full of mice! Regardless, Brad is already looking into booking our place for next summer and soon the countdown will be posted on the fridge to get us through the frigid winter nights.

Magazines

Yes, I have been bluking.

I was wondering what magazines people subscribe to.

I get Dwell (which I'm VERY far behind on) and ArtNews.

klick klacks

Everyone remembers these. They were awesome, but taken off the market because of something stupid; boys probably used them while playing army (or better yet, block chase) as weapons. If I remember correctly, I think the balls shattered (they were originally made of glass - freakin' duhhhhh).

For Women In Their 30's...

Ok, I have to admit it...a lot of these things on this list apply to me. I really did think Gopher was cute. Carol...#20 made me think of you. Although we didn't pretend they were our boyfriends, did we? And I think I still have my Donnie and Marie dolls up in my parents' attic. But what are klick-klacks?


1. You owned a bicycle with a banana seat and a plastic basket with flowers on it.

2. You learned to skate with actual skates (not roller blades) that had metal wheels.

3. You thought Gopher from Love Boat was cute (admit it!)

4. You had nightmares after watching Fantasy Island .

5. You had eithe r a "bowl cut" or "pixie", not to mention the "Dorothy Hamill".

6. You had rubber boots for rainy days and Moon boots for snowy days.

7. You owned a "Slip-n-Slide", on which you injured yourself on a sprinkler head more than once.

8. You owned "Klick-Klacks" and smacked yourself in the face more than once !

9. Your Holly Hobbie sleeping bag was your most prized possession.

10. You wore a poncho, gauchos, and knickers.

11. You begged Santa for the electronic game, Simon.

12. You owned "Mork and Mindy"rainbow striped suspenders

13. You had the Donnie and Marie dolls with those pink and purple satiny shredded outfits.

14. You spent hours in your backyard on your metal swing set with the trapeze. The swing set tipped over at least once.

15. You had homemade ribbon barrettes in every imaginable color.

16. You had a pair of Doctor Scholl's sandals (the ones with hard sole & the buckle).

17. You wanted to be Laura Ingalls Wilder really bad; you wore that Little House on thePrairie-inspired plaid, ruffle shirt with the high neck in at least one school picture;and you despised Nellie Oleson!

18. Your hairstyle was described as having "wings" or "feathers" and you kept it "pretty"with the comb you kept in your back pocket.When you walked, the "wings" flapped up and down, looked like you were gonna "take off".

19. You know who Strawberry Shortcake is, as well as her friends, Blueberry Muffin and Huckleberry Pie.

20. You and your girlfriends would fight over which of the Dukes of Hazzard was your boyfriend.

21. It was a big event in your household each year when the "Wizard of Oz" would come on TV.Your mom would break out the popcorn and sleeping bags!

22. You often asked your Magic-8 ball t he question: " Who will I marry. Shaun Cassidy, Leif Garrett, or David Cassidy?"

23. You completely wore out your Grease, Saturday Night Fever, and Fame soundtrack record album.

24. You used to tape record songs off the radio by holding your portable tape player up to the speaker.

25. You had subscriptions to Dynamite and Tiger Beat.

26. You learned everything you needed to know about girl issues from Judy Blume books.(Are you there God, It's me, Margaret.)

27. You wanted to be a Solid Gold dancer.

28. You drowned yourself in Love's Baby Soft - which was the first "real" perfume you ever owned.

SxDx - SOLD OUT

Break out the Geritol and Ben Gay.....the old men will be in the pit! Whatch your head....my chucks will be thump'in u down. Its great to be able to act like a kid again. Rusty, Rob, Lew......see ya there.

Paris

Some pictures of my Eighth Grade trip to Paris. No one got killed or arrested, so overall a success.

Harry Potter

Who's reading it? Who's read it already? Who's seen the latest film? We love Harry in our house. I know, there are people who don't get the hype, but I'm a total Harry fan. Georgia and I both finished the book around the same time and are discussing it behind John's back because he hasn't read it yet. He's reading the whole series now, because it annoys him that he can't join in our Harry conversations.

Anyone want to discuss the book? No spoilers please, for anyone who is still reading it.

The NEW Look

Matt has been so gracious as to allow Kristen and me to have administrator's rights. I'm not sure if it is a good idea (for me, not for Kristen). I changed the look (we've had the old look for a LONG time and I thought something newer would be a nice change). Also, I sent an email to all the emails I currently have (if you have an updated email, send it to me at stfreeman@rcn.com) and would really like to keep this blog going strong. I know it is summer, but this is the best time of the year for me to play around with the blog. Before you know it, I'll be back in front of 30 students who don't want anything more than to see something blow up. I love Rock's update post. Let's fill it and keep this going.

What's the scoop?

How about everyone give us an update on what they have been up to since the reunion, since summer started, or going to be doing something in the future?

Hen Weekend

My best friend Michelle is getting married in four weeks, so on Saturday 13 of us went to Newcastle for her hen weekend (the female version of a stag night, but it lasts all weekend). Basically, the bride (and sometimes her friends) wear silly things and you participate in that great British tradition - the pub crawl. A pub crawl is defined as getting as many drinks down your neck in as many pubs as possible. It's all done on foot so you walk off lots of the alcohol! We took our best friend Derek The Blow Up Doll along with us, and as you can see, he made lots of friends and had the best night out of anyone. I'm tired! Glad I don't have to do that again for a long time (not until Michelle's sister's hen night next year)!

Bad Boys, Bad Boys

Watcha gonna do, watcha gonna do when they come for you! Excitement tonight at the Days Inn. We were just about to order our supper tonight (from Hungry Howies, Vicki) when we heard sirens. They seemed to get awfully close and we looked out the window to see a fugitive running from the police. He drove through the Sticky Fingers parking lot (in the upper right corner) over the grassy area to the Days Inn lot around the back of the hotel to the pool area and then back around past our room over the grass again through Sticky Fingers and ended up back in our lot. Got out of the crashed car (left middle) started running and finally got tackled and taken away. All this time, I, being my nosy self was pasted to the window watching the action, not realizing that Jake & Trisha had taken cover on the floor between the beds and Lucas was scared & starting to cry. We assured him everything was ok, and the bad guy was being taken away. Trisha is still asking "where is the bad boy gonna be when I wake up?" We're not sure what he did, but if we find out, I will update you later. I'm hoping we can get a local paper in the morning with some info. Real life cops in our own back yard. Funny thing is, Trisha loves that show, and always sings the song when her brothers are bad! And, by the way, we did eat in Sticky Fingers Thursday night!

USS North Carolina

Today, we spent our first day of vacation touring this battleship. It was in active duty from 1941 to 1947 and participated in every major naval offensive in the Pacific area. The ship now sits on the Cape Fear River in Wilmington, NC and you can take self-guided tours. The ship was home to 2000 men. It is like a small city, with its galley, bakery, butcher shop, soda fountain, ice cream shop, laundry, tailor shop, post office, movie theatre, hospital, newspaper, barber shop, dentist, operating rooms..... We were as high up as where the captain would sit and drive the ship and as far down to the engine room. There are 9 levels and we went up and down many steep, narrow stairwells to see every area of the ship. It is really and amazing piece of equipment. To see it up close, it is just unreal to believe that something that big and intricate could first of all float, but also become just like a mini-city. I would definately recommend that anyone coming to or through Wilmington stop and take this tour. You can find more information about the tour at www.battleshipnc.com The kids were really interested, even Trisha made it through with very little problems. We were there for over 2 hours. The only down side is that it is extremely hot and everyone was dripping with sweat. Taking water to drink is encouraged. After the tour, we walked along the river, had lunch and window shopped in the quaint little shops downtown. Walking down the cobblestone streets and seeing all the old homes with the wrap-around porches and rocking chairs makes me want to take in these lazy days of summer and savor every moment.

It's a Girl!!

Hi, everyone! MJ-Sorry this took so long for me to post...things have been a bit hectic.

Shauna Jean arrived on June 6, 2007 at 2:44 am!! She weighed 7lbs. & was 20 1/4 in. long. It's already her one month birthday tomorrow & I can't believe time has flown! The days (& nights) have been filled with diaper changes & bottles so everything has kinda been a blur. Just a few days ago Shauna started cooing and smiling back at us!

Shuli has been the best big sister & Mommy's helper! She loves Shauna soooo much & our only problem is that she kisses her little sister so often that she's been woken up from naps. Something I'd like to curtail for my own sanity;)

Hope all is well with everyone and that you had a great 4th of July! Take care!

Just wanted to say----Happy 4th of July to all!

For Kristen...

John's cousin Lisa (her party) and Adam Ant (her boyfriend, Matt)


Punks

My son, dueting with Freddy Mercury

The kids with their cousin Olivia. We couldn't get the boy off the dance floor. At one point he was in the middle, surrounded by a circle of women.

Flood Update

Good news! The second rain that was predicted never arrived (YAY!). So life is slowly returning to normal here. Thank God for that. The government couldn't cope with floods and a terrorist attack all in the same week.

The picture is the main street of my little village. Today was the first day since Monday that the street was passable. John went to see if the dentist's office was open (he had an appointment) but it was closed until further notice. He wasn't suprised! John said it was really a shock to see the main street in that state. It's a small village. It's the kind of place where you know shopkeepers by name because they've been there so long - and they get to know you too.

A lot of freakin' water!

So on Sunday it started raining, and it finally stopped at 10pm last night. We had one month's worth of rain in 24 hours, and most of Yorkshire is underwater. My neighbors' houses flooded yesterday, but for some reason this end of the street was spared. There is a dam about 15 miles away which is about to burst, and if it does a lot of water will come streaming up the River Don and then we will be flooded. My hairdresser came for our appointment at 4:00, and not long after her husband arrived to say that she needed to come home, because the police had given them an hour to evacuate. They live around the corner from us. Georgia went to school today and was sent home at 11:00, because the road to the school was becoming impassable. There are some pictures of what's happening. Cross your fingers, toes, and all other appendages that we stay dry.

Love Those '80s!

We went to an 80's themed party last night. Did the big hair, leggings, high heels (me, not John). A lot of people came in costume, and it was fantastic! The guests included:
Freddie Mercury
Tina Turner
Adam Ant
J.R. and Sue Ellen Ewing
Various punk rockers and/or skinheads
Toni Basil (who did a great dance when the DJ played "Micky")
Indiana Jones
Michael Jackson (before plastic surgery)
Daphne (from Scooby Doo)
There were others but it's a bit hazy at the moment! I'll have to look at the pictures again. There was a lot of Flashdancing and Footloosing. We danced alot and reminisced about how great the 80s were!

And Another Thing...

that I miss about the U.S.A. is the fact that summer vacation has already started over there. After this week, we have four - count 'em - FOUR MORE WEEKS. Okay, my last week is spent on the 8th Grade trip to Paris, but still, it's three more weeks. I can think of better things I could do with those three weeks. Georgia asked me last Sunday if this was the last week of school. I wish.

Those of you that have time off in the summer - how do you spend your summer vacation? I know El Presidente watches Gordon Ramsay and hugs his barbecue.

Fairs and Carnivals?

I don't know about you, but I used to love all the fairs and carnivals that took place in our area when we were young.

Why is it so hard to find them now? Is it just where I'm at or have they lost their popularity?

In Florida, there was nothing. Here in Virginia, there are a few, but it just doesn't have the same feel. Maybe I'm just being nostalgic.

Is there still a Firefighter's Carnival on Race Street? I miss the food at the St. Lawrence festival. I'd kill for a good halupki or pierogie this summer.

I think I need to plan my next visit home to coincide with anything that still goes on around town. If there's anything left...

How Does Your Garden Grow?

I would like to introduce you to my pumpkins.
Since watching The River Cottage Treatment earlier this year, I realized that I wanted to feed my family better food, and I wanted to have less of an impact on the environment. So this year we called our local Council and got an allotment. Not many people in Britain have backyards big enough to hold a vegetable patch (imagine the whole population of the U.S. living in Texas. It's crowded!) So, local councils set aside an area of land which they rent to people (for a nominal fee - mine costs about $50/year) for growing veggies. We've been working since March, and I'm pleased to say that the only thing we've planted so far that hasn't sprouted or grown in any way, shape or form, is cabbage. That's okay. No one in the house but me likes cabbage anyway.
Having an allotment is like being part of a whole other community. We've gotten to know other allotment holders who share plants, tips, seeds and information. We've started buying our eggs from a lady who keeps chickens on her patch. Someone else had a greenhouse they wanted to get rid of, and they just gave it to us. It's fun. We're all gardening nerds together.
John has turned into a vegetable maniac. He's joined an allotment forum, he reads all kinds of books and articles on the subject, and he's already planning next year's vegetable layout. "We did alright this year. Not bad for allotment virgins," he says to me. "But next year..." And he's not watching Judge Judy or Divorce Court so much anymore!

New Season

I love this show. I am nearly done with school, and this is the show that let's me know that summer has arrived. Now that House is over for the season, King of Queens is over for good (thank God for syndication and re-runs), and AI has come to another season end, I will look to Gordon for "inspiration". At times, I wish I could say to my students what he says to his. He is all real, and the show is one of the better reality shows around.

I remember the first Survivor, but have not watched since. I remember AI when Kelly and Justin were on, but it's starting to get out of hand at times (also, I can't watch AI rewind, just does nothing for me).

I enjoy this show and am glad it's back for another season of Gordon telling his students, "You've got to be kidding me; you call that chicken." and "Get out of my kitchen, NOW!".

So, what's everyone else think? Let's blog folks.

Season Finale - House

This was a pretty good show. I can't imagine where they are going with the plot since all three of his assistants appear to be off the show.

Any ideas?

Happy Memorial Day

Does anyone know how many of our classmates served in the military?

What is the picnic menu for the weekend?

How many will watch the Indy 500?

What is up with Paula?

Did any of you read in today's paper where Paula will be a bit less perky tonight? She tripped over her dog and broke her nose! What is up with that chick? There is always something wrong with her! We all know she has back problems, that's why she's so drugged up at times, people think she's been drinking! And the one year her thumb was all infected from a bad manicure!

So, I know some of you are boycotting the finale now that Melinda is gone, but any predictions? I think Jordin is better, but something tells me that Blake's got the teeny-bopper votes all wrapped up! Either way, I'll still be watching.

Hey Kristen...

Next Tuesday or Wednesday morning?

Golf Anyone?

Just wondering if anyone is up for a golf outing?

Maybe a scramble (best ball) style depending on numbers.

If you are interested just post your name.

We won't be asking Kim, Mary, or Judy. Just kidding ladies.

American Idol

Last night were all pretty good performances, however, Melinda was the best!!

Looking forward to the results show this evening. I hope Blake goes home, but who knows anymore who will be booted off. What does everyone lese think?

Sportsman's Lake

Anyone remember Sportsman's lake? I know Robb does. Today (5/12), I took my two sons down and Trae was hitting the Sunnies like nothin'. He was so happy fishing. He loves it. He caught so many, he said, "Today was the most fun I've ever had." It was such fun going fishing with the two of them and seeing their faces as they caught fish after fish. I also hooked into a very large snapping turtle, but luckily he threw the hook before he got to shore (he was about 24 inches long and looked nasty). I was happiest when he shook off and swam in the other direction.
The fish in the pic was his 5th (he started by indicating with fingers, but caught so many he ran out of fingers - 11 for the day).

Happy Birthday!

I want to wish Carol (Hahn) a very Happy Birthday! She is now one step closer, like the rest of us, to that big 40 year mark. Have a great day!

A very strange thing happened today.

Something happened today to John that I wanted to share with you. It's a sad story, but if you've ever wondered if there's life after death, this will give you something to think about.
About 5 years ago, a friend of ours who was 28, died. It was very sudden and John still misses him very much. John goes to visit his grave every once in awhile, and today he went and took Chris with him. It was the middle of the day, a Wednesday, so there was no one else there. But Chris took out his pacifier, and began to smile and wave - at no one. There was no one there, but Chris was smiling and waving all over the place, like there were lots of people there, waving and smiling back.
A friend of mine says that children see lots of things that adults don't see, because we as adults would question it too much while kids are more accepting. So I wonder what, if anything, my little boy saw today.

for Philadelphia sports fans

youtube

It's quiet. Too quiet.

Where is everybody?

I'm curious to see who still reads the blog, so let's do a head count. Whether you're a regular or a lurker, please reply!

B-ball Fans

I'm not sure if I shared this pic before, but look closely at Colin's "salute". No wonder he's having a hard time finding people to hang out with next week. (Just kidding)

What's a Mom's job worth?

Is this enough?

American Idol

I really liked the show last night. Phil, Lakisha, and Melinda were incredible!!! I really don't like Chris and Jordin was aweful. I can't believe what Blake did to the Bon Jovi song. He was very original, but seriously, who would buy his type of music???

Looking forward to seeing which two get booted this week. I am hoping for Chris and Blake. I know there are you out there that love these two, but out of the remaining six, I think they need to go. However, I wouldn't be suprised if Phil is gone. Well have to wait and see.