Watch Out...

Looks like we are finally going to have a good old fashioned blizzard before the year is over.  Normally, when any kind of snow is predicted, we all laugh and plan on getting a few inches of rain.  Not this time.  Like most storms, this one was very hard to track so there wasn't much mention of it until yesterday afternoon and all at once, all the news stations began airing accumulation models which seem to go up every time you check.

About eight or nine years ago, the coast was pounded by a February blizzard that I don't think I will ever forget.  Of course back then I was young, stupid and basically single so I spent the entire day and night out in the blizzard bar hopping to whatever bars we could find open that was still serving.  It was awesome ;)  It must have snowed for two days straight and when all was said and done I think there was over two feet of snow on the ground and snow drifts over eight feet.  Damn!  That was so much fun!

Obviously, my life is a little different now so tomorrow will consist of baking Christmas goodies and watching all of our favorite Christmas specials.  To be honest, I don't think I could ask for a better day than what we have planned.  Big Boy is going to be jumping out of his skin when he sees all of the snow (we are supposed to get).  The only downside to these storms are the damage they are doing to the beaches..  The beaches are a mess and the dunes are so beat up  they actually look like bluffs in a few spots along Island Beach.  It's such a shame.

I'm thinking tomorrow is going to be a long day and we have to get up bright and early (hopefully before the snow) because I realized Big Big outgrew both his snow boots and ants from last season.  If I'm buying new boots and pants, we had better put them to use!

The Truth Stings A Bit....

Just Remember...

That is all.

Is It Just Me?

Or does the Santa on the side of this page look a little creepy?  ------------------->

I'm trying to holiday up my blog and for some reason I'm just not finding a background I'm happy with and because I'm insane, I won't use the same one as last year.  I'll just keep looking and I'm sure I'll eventually come across something I like.  You would think this was a matter of life or death the way I get so involved.  Yeah.  I have issues.

I also realized that  by the time this is read by anyone, I will have already changed from the background in question and then no on will have any idea what the hell I'm prattling on about.  Issues, I gotz em.

Dear Adam Lambert,

You are just about the worst.   Please go away.   Please.

Best.Site.Ever.

I have quite a few favorite sites but People Of Walmart just may be the funniest yet scariest dose of reality you will ever view on the interwebz.   If you have a facebook account I highly recommend becoming a fan.  

Enjoy!

Slacker

Yeah I know, I'm a slacker.  I guess I just haven't had all that much to say lately.  I would really love to see New Moon at some point this weekend but I just don't see it happening and other than that, I'm getting ready to host Thanksgiving dinner next week and working my butt off.

Good times I tell ya, good times.

Think There Was Gold?

I have to admit I had no idea just how bad the storm we had a few weeks ago was until I drove around and scoped out the damage.  I'll post some of those pictures in a bit but it was so cool to see this rainbow after what felt like a year or wind and rain.I have to admit I had no idea just how bad the storm we had a few weeks ago was until I drove around and scoped out the damage.  I'll post some of those pictures in a bit but it was so cool to see this rainbow after what felt like a year or wind and rain.  The second and third picture was taken around the block from me at the Community house.  That place is the best.  We had Big Boy's first birthday party there and his christening reception.   I have a bunch more to add but unfortunaltly it's late (as usual) and I should head to bed or else I'll be even more of a charmer than I usually am at work tomorrow.

I do have a great picture to put up though.   It's of a Seaside Park Emergency vehicle getting stuck on the beach during a first aid call because the driver didn't think he needed to let the air out of his tires.  Fantastic!  Be back tomorrow!

So Very Cool!

I know this site has been around for quite some time but I'm only checking it out now so please excuse me for being a bit behind.  Anyway, I kept hearing people talk about the website Skype and how great it was to talk long distance (for free!) using your webcam.  I figured it had to be such a pain in the butt that it wouldn't be worth it but.....I was so very wrong.

I followed all the steps and installed Skype on my laptop and was impressed at how easy it was.  A friend of mine who also uses Skype called me via the webcam so we could try it out and it worked like a charm!  I just can't get over how cool and easy it is to use! I know it must sound like they have me on their payroll promoting the site but I'm truly impressed with it.  With that being said, I'm worried about running it with Vista.  I've learned even the simplest of programs can either freeze up or crash with Vista so fingers crossed this doesn't happen because I would be super bummed.

Now on to my plan!  I was thinking since my in-laws live in Florida and only see Big Boy but a few times a year, we could get them a webcam for Christmas and set up special times once or twice a week for them to "see" and talk to him.  I think it's a great idea but then again, I'm not sure if my in-laws will even be able to set up the account or the webcam.   I also think it will be fun For BB to be able to see his Nanny and Grandpa(my parents) through the computer.  Even though he sees them just about everyday, I think it would be a fun addition to his bedtime routine for him to say goodnight to them too.  I know they have a webcam, they just need to set it up and I'll be working on that tomorrow.

I'm wondering if the in-laws would think this is a good gift?  I think they will, right?  Anyway, this is my new project and let's all hope it all falls into place and goes smoothly...

Should Be Interesting....

Tomorrow is Big Boys 4 year well check up with the pediatrician.  I used to get extremely over whelmed at the thought of these appointments but I'm actually looking forward to getting this one out of the way.  I have a ton of questions to ask her regarding BB's charming behavior.  I really want to get  her take on the H1N1 vax and if she thinks he should get it and if so...when?  BB also need to get his four year boosters which is such a bummer for him.  lastly, I'm curious whether or not we need to go back to the Specialized Hospital?

 In all seriousness, we do have to discuss what the Pediatrician thinks we should do about the missing coin.  Obviously, we are hoping we missed it and it's long gone but I'm thinking that isn't the case.  From everything I have read, the rule of thumb is after three weeks surgical intervention is required to removed the coin.   This is what his pediatrician has been saying but I honestly think she thought the coin would have been long gone too.  The thought of BB needing an endoscopy scares the daylights out of me but I don't think there are any other options?  I'm also worried the coin could be stuck in his intestines and I'm not even sure what type of procedure that entails.

Tomorrow is shaping up to be a pretty busy day and as usual, I just don't want to go to bed.  My mind is racing a mile a minute with questions, I'm worried about handling BB alone tomorrow at both the doctors office and the hospital.  Let's not forget all the other things I've got to squeeze in.  So I guess its time to catch some sleep.  Morning comes super fast and BB has built in radar.  He always know what days to wake before 6am.

Good times.

Every Last Bit

I'm not sure what happened this fall but the weather has been so wonky and out of sorts that when we do get a decent day, we really have to take advantage of every minute.  Usually fall is the most beautiful time of the year here but the rain just won't let up.  Even though the temperatures have been holding steady on the warmer side, it doesn't mater if you can't get outside and enjoy it.

With that being said, a  few weeks ago we had one of those incredible fall days that you wish would never end.   We decided to head up to the beach for a little dinner picnic and  Big Boy had such a great time.  He and Lucy really are the best of friends!  He just adores that dog and she is so good with him.  Every picture we take of the two of then is cuter than the last.   One day I'll have to block out his face and put p the pictures of him riding Lucy like a horse.   That dog really is a saint and speaking of horses......

Big Boy went wild when he saw the horses!.  I always forget that you're able to take your horses on the beach in the off season.  Only about fifteen miles inland  from here there are loads of horse farms.  It's hard to explain other than fifteen miles is a world of difference.  Truthfully, hubby and I have talked about moving inland but........just can't do it.  Even though we're being property taxes out of here, I still don't think we can do it.

I love the pictures of Big Boy and Hubby standing at the water's edge together.  They look like they are having the best conversation ever.   This was just (in my mind anyway) the perfect fall day at the beach.  For the past week or so when I would be having a hard time at work or start stressing over bills or life in general, I would think about this day and immediately mellow out.

Sigh.  Only seven more months until summer.  I really hope we can make it that long.  We don't take fancy vacations, live in a ritzy house or buy expensive cloths.  We are thankful for what we have and we'll take a perfect day at the beach everyday.

*Sigh*

My poor Big Boy is sick again.  We were at the pediatrician last week and she said he had an upper respiratory infection but nothing to be worried about and sent us on our way.  I knew something wasn't right since.  I know my kid and I sure as hell know when he is out of sorts.  Another trip to the pediatrician later and he has a double ear infection and the croup.  Poor thing.

I just feel so bad for him.  He missed the Halloween party at school and trick or treating at the high school.   I'm really hoping to be able to take him around to a few housed tomorrow but I guess I'll just have to wait and see.  Luckily it isn't the flu since it's just about impossible to get pediatric Tamiflu that isn't compounded from the adult capsules.  I don't know about you but it scares the hell out of me knowing the pediatric Tamiflu is on a huge back order and the pharmacies have been instructed to make the pediatric doses from the adult capsules.  I have to say it was pretty cool watching the pharmacists do it but really scary at the same time.

In other news, BB still hasn't passed the mystery coin which was swallowed three weeks ago.  I have to take him to his four year well check up on Tuesday and if he hasn't passed it by then I believe we will be sent over to the hospital for more x-rays an then make a decision from there.  I'd like to think that maybe we "missed" it but I highly doubt it.   I guess we'll just keep on waiting.  Between this coin and all the various illnesses he has had the past few weeks,  I think I've kept both his pediatrician and hte pharmacy in business. 

None of this was in the manual...

Happy Birthday Big Boy!!!

Happy 4th Birthday Big Boy!!!  I can't believe four years ago at this moment we were on our way to the hospital to be induced.  Technically, it isn't your birthday until 10:51pm but I think we an still celebrate all day!  I have no idea where the last four years have gone but I know they went really fast, to fast in my opinion.

Have a wonderful Birthday Big Boy!!! 

Nothing Yet

Big Boy still hasn't passed the coin he swallowed on Saturday.  We took him back to the pediatrician yesterday and she sent us over to the hospital for another series of x-rays.  Unfortunately, the coin still hasn't moved from his stomach.  His doctor is concerned so she consulted with a surgeon and the consensus is if he doesn't pass it by early next week we will move ahead with seeing the surgeon.  Even though the coin has cleared his airway, it seems to be taking a bit too long moving through the rest of his system.  I'm trying to stay as calm as I can through this but now I'm starting to get really worried.

I guess it's back to the waiting game.  

NOM NOM NOM

Yup.  I knew it was only a matter of time before we ended up at the emergency room with Big Boy.  Considering he made it just a few weeks shy of his fourth birthday is pretty impressive.   Once BB began getting in to everything and anything, I moved his two piggy banks into his closet.  I didn't want him to play with them or even worse, break them or swallow the coins.

Every time I'm hanging up his clothes in his closet, he always comes in and asks to play with the pigs.  EVERY TIME he is told no and we all go about our day.  Today while Hubby was in his closet for heaven knows what, BB asked to play with the pigs and Hubby said "sure!"    *sigh*    I was in the kitchen loading the dishwasher while this was all taking place so you can only imagine how aggravated I was to find the two of them playing on the living room floor with two piggy banks dumped out.  Hubby told me what happened and after I explain he has just been "worked over" by our four year old, he decided to have BB seperate the coins between the two banks so they could be put away...

I knew things were going too well today when BB started to cry uncontrollably and had his fingers shoved in his mouth.  It didn't take a genius to realize what had just happened and even though I never saw him put the coin in his mouth, I knew he swallowed one.    After a quick call to the Ped. we were off to the ER.  Luckily we were in and out of the ER in under two hours with a little boy and a coin in his tummy.  The x-ray is hysterical!  It really does look exactly like this picture (no this isn't his x ray).

Thank goodness the coin passed easily through his airway and was already in his stomach because the doctor told me had it been in his airway, he would have had to been airlifted out and have some crazy procedure done. This scared the heck out of me. Anyway, it really is amazing what can happen in the blink of an eye. Big Boy was pretty damn scared after he swallowed the coin and he knew exactly what we were at the hospital for. So for the next few days, I get to inspect poop...lucky me. I am curious though :)

I Have Been Smoke Free....

WOOT!  As of today, I have been smoke free for 90 days!!!  I have saved $650 and avoided 1820 cigarettes!  I can't even believe how much money I have saved and to think I would have smoked almost two thousand cigarettes in such a short period of time if positively revolting.

Seriously, for anyone who is thinking about quitting smoking but aren't sure if they can do it....YOU CAN DO IT!  I smoked for nearly twenty years and never thought I would make it this far.  Like I've said before, I used the Nicoderm CQ smoking system and followed it to the "T" for ten weeks and now I'm 90 days free!

I would like to add that my Mom is two weeks smoke free and she is also using the Nicoderm program.  She's smoked well over a pack a day for 40+ years and even though she wants to smoke she hasn't!   Let's all send my mom some positive vibes so she stays on the right path!

YAHOOOOOO!!!  I'm a Non-Smoker!

Why Am I Not Surprised

After years or searching and trying new products, I've finally found face products I really love.  When it comes to washing my face, I have always been a traditional Noxzema girl.  It works and I've never had a problem with my complexion.  In all honestly, I'm not twenty anymore and thought it was time to change up my routine and since I quit smoking, I wanted to try an exfoliator.  I know it sounds crazy but I'm still trying to scrub off twenty years of cigarettes.  Yuck.

I recently started using Vickery & Clarke products from CVS.  I love this line.  My skin has been a bit "off" lately and I blame it on the summer (have to blame it on something).  I bought the facial scrub and was shocked at the results.  Even Hubby said my skin had a real glow to it.  Well, after compliments like that I bought the facial moisturizer in both dry & oily skin because the ocean water and sun were leaving my face looking a bit blotchy.  LOVED THEM!!!  After that, I bought the lip gloss and a few other products from the line.  I was sold.  I haven't been this happy with a product in a long time and I swear I look younger.

Guess what?  Wait for it......DISCONTINUED.  Yes you read it correctly, The entire Vickery and Clarke line has been discontinued and I'm besides myself.  I know it's not a big deal and if this is my biggest problem of the day I have a sweet life but I'm pretty bummed.  I remember when I was younger, I would go and buy all different types of beauty products and loved using each and everyone of them.  Now I'm lucky if I have time for a quick five minute shower a day.   I just laugh at the whole scenario.   I have been really stressed lately and quite a few people have been telling me I need to take a few minutes at night just for me and I would be amazed at what a difference it would make.  How right they were!  So in a nutshell....if you see and Vickery & Clarke products anywhere be sure to let me know.  I'm literally going to buy out all the remaining V&C stock.

There was something else I wanted to bellyache about but I just can't seem to remember at the moment...

I Feel Like Little Kid.....

Who doesn't want to go to bed.  I know the sooner I fall asleep, I'll be one day closer to Monday.  Ugh.  I did manage to get a fair share of housework done today and I also made both the chocolate cake and buttercream icing from scratch!   I'm a little nervous about the icing because it isn't setting up the way I thought it would.   Oh well, I'll just add more powdered sugar to it.

I'm pretty shocked no one else on my husbands side of the family stepped up to throw my father in law a party.  I'm thinking they are going to wait until my mother in law turns eighty a few months from now. Who the hell knows either way I'm sure it will be a ton more things for me to take care off.  Well, I think I have fallen asleep at least twice since I started this update.  

End Rant.

Lovely

I've been bellyaching the past few days about having a family party to go to today.  It's only for a few hours and really shouldn't be bad EXCEPT....guess who decided to get up at 5:30?  Lovely.  I just don't understand why he feels the need to do this?  I live for the weekend.  If I could just sleep in for one morning I think my body would feel completely rejuvenated.  I guess this gives me more time to get things in order for a small party we are throwing for my father in law tomorrow.  Yup.  I think I forgot to mention that.

Big Boy just gave me a huge hug and he feels warm and the Hubby just called (he works OT on Saturday morning) to say he feels like he's coming down with something.   Normally,  I would think I had a house full of fakers on my hands but since everyone received their flu shot this week, I kinda expected a few minor "fluish" symptoms to kick it ut no one will ever believe this is all a coincidence.

I do have to laugh.  One of the benefits of being up this early is maybe we can get some of our errands out of the way bright and early...it's pouring out.   Hopefully it's just a quick thunderstorm and we'll be able to get moving in a bit.  Unfortunately, I do have to wait for the sun to come up.......   

Am I Missing Something?

Or has blogger removed the spell check feature?  My eyes are usually crossed when I'm trying to update and I'm certainly not embarrassed to admit, I need the spell check feature. 

Anyone?

Damn.

I haven't updated in so long because I just can't seem to find a few minutes in the day to get my thoughts together.  Of course, I had just typed out this long post and accidentally closed the window before blogger even had a chance to auto save.  I tried restoring the window but the post was gone and now I'm too aggravated to re-type it so I'm going to ramble about something entirely different.

I bought a new dishwasher from Lowes on Wednesday and it's turning in to quite the interesting customer service fiasco.  When I paid for it, I was told it would be coming in on their delivery truck the next night and would be delivered today.  After I received confirmation phone calls from the delivery service, I received a call form the nasty little salesman who helped me on Wednesday.  He called to tell me the dishwasher never came in and I was pretty much beat until Monday (if it even showed up then).  I'm a pretty reasonable person...I think.  I expected this guy to call around and find me my dishwasher.  Isn't that called "customer service."  I know when we are out of a medication in the pharmacy, I'll call every pharmacy in a twenty mile radius to find a medication for a person (even if they don't need it right away).    Anyway, the man was a jerk and got really nasty with me so I called his supervisor.  Long story short, my new dishwasher is being delivered tomorrow morning.

Yup.  I was "that" person.  Honestly, I had no problem waiting on the dishwasher, I could have cared less  but I wasn't going to allow some miserable man talk down to me like I was some silly girl.  I could tell on Wednesday, he thought I was just some dumb kid, playing house and buying a new "toy" with daddy's credit card.  I got an easy read on this guy and I should have walked out then and there but I really liked the dishwasher I found;)  It just pissed me off.  I'm a grown, thirty-five year old woman and I simply won't be talked to like that.

Whatever.

Blue

This is going to be short because my eyes are closing as I type this.  I think it's pretty sad that I already have the Sunday night blues and it's still Saturday.  It's such a sad vicious cycle.  You work all week holding out for Friday afternoon and before I can even unwind it's time to go back.  I need to figure something out in life and fast because I'm starting to get depressed and I don't like how this is making me feel.

A Little Change

I realized I hadn't done anything to my blog layout in a seriously long time.  I went with the fall theme...what do you think?  I figure since it's my favorite time of year, it's fitting.  Anyway, hope you like the new background.

It's That Time Of Year!

Tourist season is over and now the locals come out to play.  Obviously, if it weren't for the tourism, this area would be nothing but I have to say come September, we are ready to have out town back.  One thing about this time of year is all of the festivals.  There is something to do almost every weekend here through autumn.

Today was Sail Fest in Island Heights.  The last time we went I was about 34 weeks pregnant with Big Boy.   As much as we wanted to go the past few years it was just too overwhelming for me.  BB is finally getting to the age where he loves hanging out with Mommy and Daddy!  He was so stoked to be at Sail Fest today.  Of course we were running in to people we knew all day and they all just melted over him.  He also thinks it's cool to eat all the fun festival food!  One nice surprise was we saw his favorite teacher Ms. P!  She is such a wonderful woman and BB just adores her.  Ever notice how shy kids get when they see a teacher outside of school?  I honestly believe BB thinks his teachers live there.  Anyway, Sail Fest was a great time and even though the sailboat races were cancelled due to lack of wind (ironic) it was a blast and we are already looking forward to next year!

Tomorrow is the Seafood Festival in the Heights, I could have sworn it was next week but...I wrong.  BB is going to love it.!  We are meeting some friends and their kids who are BB's age and I'm sure we'll all walk up to the boardwalk afterward.  There is so much yummy food to try.  Blackened scallops, crab cakes, fried oreos, you name it and they'll have it.  The vendors are fantastic too.  Today at Sail Fest I scored three hand knitted skull caps for $6 TOTAL!  I can't wait to see what vendors will be at this Festival.  I love this time of year!  Also, it's Mardi Gras and Clown Fest here so the boardwalk will be so much fun!  BB was punished from the boardwalk most of the summer for having a horrendous meltdown up there back in early June.  He has only been back up once so far this summer since the meltdown fiasco and he was on his best behavior.  I think it finally sunk in his public tantrums will not be tolerated anymore.  Next weekend is the Point Pleasant Seafood Fest.  It's pretty much the same as Seaside but the food is so good you just can't resist going back.

Next comes pumpkin and apple picking weekends.  We go to the same place every year and always have the best time.  BB loves to run through the corn maze and of course my favorite part is buying all different kinds of pie.  I just love this time of year.  There is nothing better than throwing on a pair of jeans and a sweater and spending the day outside.   Tomorrow is another busy day and I'm falling asleep on my laptop.  Night.

The Smooth Transition

I am very happy to report Big Boy has fell right back in to the swing of things!  Yesterday when we arrived at school he was a little shy but as soon as he saw his favorite teacher, he went right up to her and gave her a huge hug!  His daily progress report  was rather amusing too.  His main teacher wrote he was nothing but smiles all day and kept calling everyone "honey."  I had to laugh at that one.  What can I say, I call him "honey" all the time so I knew it was just a matter of time before he picked up on it.

Back to school morning #2 did not go as smoothly as I had anticipated.  I think BB woke up the wrong side of my bed (notice I did not say his bed).  He was really pushing my buttons this morning and when it came time to get dressed, he decided it would be funny to throw himself on the floor and demand to wear his pj's to school.  Well, I went to pick him up and he lurched his body back smashing his head right on the bridge of my nose.  OH.MY.DEAR.LORD.  I can't even put into words how much pain I was in.  Of course to make matters worse since we were already running late, my nose exploded and there was blood everywhere.  I had just finished getting dressed for work so now, here it was about twenty minutes before we had to leave, BB was still in his pj's and I had to change my clothes and clean up what looked like a crime scene.  As an extra treat, I had a lovely throbbing pain directly inbetween my eyes for the rest of the day.  Super.

For some strange reason I started to feel really bad for him because he kept bringing it up all night.  He would point at my nose and say "Mommy has a boo boo on her nose.  No mommy don't cry."  He even told me he was sorry for hurting my nose and then told me he loved me.  Obviously, that made it all better.  I'm really hoping this morning was a fluke and we can get out of the house in one piece tomorrow because I don't think I can handle another morning like today.  Other than that, all is well and BB is right back on track for another great year!

Back to School for Big Boy!

It's that time again and BB is all set to head back to school tomorrow!  I can't believe how fast the summer has gone.  His clothes are all layed out and his lunch is packed.  I've labeled his lunch box and backpack, now the only thing that can go wrong is if BB decides to have a meltdown when I drop him off in the morning.  So far he seems really excited.  He will be returning to his "regular" classroom with his teachers from last year (thank goodness) and we are going back to our old routine of me driving him in.  The school bus was too overwhelming in the morning and this way allows us a few extra minutes of "what if " time.  Lord knows we can always use a few extra minutes when it comes to getting out of the house in the morning.

So wish us luck and let's all hope Big Boy has a smooth transition and falls nicely back in to the swing of things.  Personally, I'm ready to get back to the school year routine.  BB does best on a schedule and his days are extremely regimented this way.  I still can't get over he is already starting his second year in this program.  I swear it seems like only last week we were still trying to get him enrolled.   Time really does slip away...

BEST.BLOG.EVER

Unless you have ever worked in customer service, you may not find this blog nearly as funny as I do.  It's called "The Customer Is Not Always Right."   Sadly, people really are this dumb.  I can't tell you how many idiotic questions I'm asked each day.  Of course being in the field I'm in, my favorite is "What would happen if I took this entire bottle?"  Do you know how badly I want to tell the next person who asks me, " I don't know.  Why don't you try it, I hear rainbows and puppies will shoot out your ass."  Instead I have to reply with "Um, You'll die."  Yeah, people really are this dense.  I don't know how most people make it out their front door.

Either way, if you work in any type of customer service....this is your kind of blog.  

Enjoy!

Going Once....

Wow.  Can I say my child has just about pushed me over the edge today.  I don't know what went wrong.  We all woke up in great moods, went out and bought new car seats and then BAM!...all hell broke loose.  I really can't figure it out.  Big Boy had one of his worst meltdowns in a long time.  The only thing I was thankful for (in my own selfish way) was Hubby was a witness to the fiasco.  

After we left TRU, we ventured over to Target because I needed to pick up a few last minute things for BB since he goes back to school on Tuesday.  I should have known it was going downhill when he threw a fit over his new carseat.  He wanted his old one and since that was out of the question a pissing contest ensued.  As soon as we got into Target his brain went into overdrive and that was it.  Normally, I would have been able to bring him out of it but I think having Hubby with us threw a wrench in the situation.  I could see Hubby starting to lose it and compound that by BB flipping out and I had one big old soup sandwich of a family on my hands.

After I put my basket down (luckily I only had two or three things in it) getting BB out of the store became a contact sport and Hubby was on the losing end.  I truly felt sorry for him.  He hasn't really experienced one of BB's public meltdowns and I could tell he was heartbroken.  I was finally able to bring BB out of it just before we got home but even afterwards, all he wanted to do was push buttons.

Bedtime has once again become a battle of will.  BB was doing so great  and now he is back to fighting it tooth and nail.  I have to say, my spirit is broken.  I know he doesn't mean it and he is long over due for one of these episodes (luckily, they don't last too long) but they still hurt.  Poor hubby had so many fun things planned today as a surprise and nixed them all.  I can't blame him but I guess part of me is glad he saw it first hand.  BB had such a great day on the beach yesterday and was so well behaved that today was such a shock to us.

Anyway, school starts up again Tuesday and we are all praying once BB gets back in the swing of things with his regular school year teachers, we'll see a change in his behavior.  I feel terrible for venting like this but it jut feels good to get some of this stress off of my chest once in awhile.  **Sigh**

Farewell...

As much as it broke my heart to do it, I had to delete my secondary blog. I have been having such a difficult time keeping up with this one, I just didn't think it would be fair to Big Boy. I really enjoyed writing about his adventures but I don't see any reason why I can't go back to incorporating them into the Beach Life. I haven't been able to update his blog since the beginning of July and it bugs the heck out of me knowing it's floating around in cyberspace and looks abandoned. I think it's for the best and I didn't want to throw up a post for the sake of just "getting something written."

Just wanted to let anyone who has been following my other blog know!

Call Me Radio Shack

I've pretty much told this story to anyone who would listen but since this is my blog, I'll be telling it again. About two years ago we bought a new laptop that I just love. Unfortunately about six months after I bought it, Big Boy thought it would be a great idea to pop about twenty of the keys off. I decided the best way to handle the situation would be to lay a black cloth over the keys, plug in a keyboard and never think about it again...

I don't know why I let it go as long as I have but I've finally gotten around to having it fixed. I checked online to be sure I can get a replacement keyboard and luckily I found one right away. Not knowing much about this kind of thing, I was a little worried about how readily available a replacement keyboard would be and discovered it's a piece of cake to get one so I called a computer place my parents use and asked them what is would cost to take care of the laptop fiasco. They told me it would be about $45 for the keyboard and another $30-35 to remove the old one and install the new one. Interesting. Needless to say I was a little put off and I went online and ordered the keyboard myself and paid a total of $20.25 including shipping. I ordered on Sunday night and it was in my mailbox today. I mulled over taking it over to the computer shop just for the installation but decided to check out a site I found the other day on how to do it yourself. I figured since the computer shop couldn't guarantee they wouldn't damage the motherboard, what the hell did I have to lose? In all fairness though, the computer shop is really good. I know my parents have been using the same shop for years so I don't want to take anything away from it.

After a few minutes of going back and forth over what to do, I just went for it and after about fifteen minutes and a few choice words, my laptop is as beautiful as the day it was taken out of the box. I still can't believe it and I'm totally patting myself on the back for this one. What's really cool is I did a factory restore last week so it's like having a brand new computer! This is a really great site if you ever need to perform surgery on your laptop. Heck, he saved me over fifty bucks so he's my hero of the day!

I Didn't Think I Had It In Me

I did it.....I QUIT SMOKING! I never thought I would be able to do it but I honestly feel I can call myself a non-smoker now! I've been smoking for nearly 18 years. Yeah, you read that right, 18 years. Sometimes it would be very light like maybe five or six cigarettes all day and other times I could smoke up to a pack. There was always a direct level of correlation depending on what was going on in my life.

In my late teens and twenties I never wanted to quit because I was going out all the time and partying with my friends and everyone knows that if you smoke, a beer and a cigarette go hand in hand. I was constantly telling myself I was going to quit and that I could do it but I could never even make it two days. How pathetic is that. I could not go two days without a cigarette. Hell. three hours in and I was already a mess. I laugh at the way I used to justify smoking too. Obviously, I never smoked in my car or house or near my son but still.....gross.

After having Big Boy like the idiot that I am, I started smoking again. Why you ask? Because I'm an idiot. About a year after having him I asked my OBGYN if he could right me an RX to help me quit so he wrote me Chantix. I did my research and it seemed many people were having positive results. Unfortunately, even though it was working it was also giving me migraines. So, I quickly threw in the towel and lit up. For the last two years I have made every excuse in the book why I could wait a little longer until thankfully, the Hubby sat me down and really talked some sense in to me. Aside from that, my mom is having problems due to smoking and everything just clicked and I realized I have been slowly committing suicide for nearly twenty years and it is extremely selfish of me to do this to everyone.

About eight weeks ago, I decided enough was enough and it was time. I was smart enough to concede that I needed help and I knew I couldn't do it alone. I broke down and bought the Nicoderm CQ patches. After reading the box I was all kinds of pissed that it was a ten week process but reluctantly slapped on a patch and went for it. Here I am nearly eight weeks later and today I bought the final box of the Nicoderm program and I nearly cried when I realized I did it. I made it through the toughest part and even though I still have two weeks left I am confident enough to call myself a non-smoker!!! It was hard, there is no denying that but once I learned how to change my schedule up and keep myself busy, each day literally became easier and easier.

So there you have it! I have saved an insane amount of money and probably added at least ten years to my like. I feel like a million bucks, my skin looks better and it's so nice not stinking like a filthy ash tray. I've even gotten to the point where the smell of it makes me sick to my stomach. So to anyone who thinks they can't quit smoking...if I can do it ANYONE CAN DO IT!!!!!

All Good Things Must Come To An End

This is a shameless vent but it really has me down. My pool temperature has dropped nearly fifteen degrees in four days. Do you have any idea how bad this is for me? I don't think you do. Friday afternoon it was a toasty 85 degrees. Perfect in my opinion. Now...struggling to stay above 68-70 degrees.

Yeah, I know I'm being petty and selfish but I'm just not ready to throw in the towel. Big Boy loves the pool so much and to be honest, it really wears him out (which is good for me). Since he has never been the best sleeper, the pool really helps everyone get a good nights rest. Obviously, if this is my biggest complaint of the day, I should thank heavens for all that I have but for some reason I'm thrown off by the summer ending this year. Usually, I've got my fall clothes out and itching to break out the uggs but I feel like summer just started, at least weather wise. Maybe it's because this was the summer that "never was." It rained most of May and June. July and August were nice but I don't think the temps ever broke one hundred which is odd and there weren't any significant heat waves. Very strange.

Give me a few days. By this time next week I'll be jumping out of my skin thinking about the pumpkin patch and apple picking. I guess I'm bummed because I just love swimming with BB and watching how great he is doing and I know he isn't going to understand why we have to close it. I won't leave it open for longer than a week or two once the temp goes below seventy, just isn't worth it. Such is life.

This is my useless ramble for the day. Thanks for listening.

What a Blast!

I want to thank a few friends who took the time to head down to the Jersey shore to come and visit me! Tina, Mary #1, Mary #2 and Miss Melissa! I don't talk much about the friends I have made through BabyCenter over the years but I should. It turns out they are truly some of the greatest friends I have ever had.

So about a week and a half ago they planned a meet up in Connecticut at Nat's house and took the time to swing by my place on their journeys home. How cool is that! They stayed one night and I was so happy to show them the shore. Obviously, I had to take them up to the boardwalk. I forgot how fun it is to go up there and eat clams on the half and fried oreos myself :) A few of us rode the sky coaster and just had a genuinely good time. There is nothing better than going out for a kid free night with some good friends.

The next day proved to be just as fun. Of course Big Boy was all set to go to my parents house for the day but somehow (insert sarcasm) he sobbed and weaseled his way into spending the day with me. Luckily, for the most part) he was on his best behavior. We all went out to breakfast and had some great laughs but sadly Melissa and Mary #1 had to leave so Mary could catch her plane back to Georgia. I thought it would be fun to take Tina and Mary #2 to the beach, It was a beautiful day and even though I'm always a bit leery of driving on the beach (Hubby always does the driving) I think the girls had a blast and will hopefully always remember it!

I was so sad to see them go and I'm hoping we can make this an annual tradition. I just keep thinking how cool it was to have Virginia, North Carolina, Massachusettes and Georgia all come together for an awesome night out!

Thanks girls and I miss you guys already!

Hello Old Friend

It feels good to be back. It's been a long summer and my poor blog has certainly taken the backseat to just about everything. I noticed my one year blogging anniversary came and went and I never even realized it. So here it after eleven on a work night and I've decided I will make time to do what I love. Ironically, I make time to do things I can't stand so why should The Beach Life be neglected.

Well, my blog title certainly held true to it's name the past few months. For what I like to call the "summer that never was," I did spend a good amount of time on the beach. Big Boy (remember him) is an absolute beach bum at heart and he would have lived there if he could. He has certainly kept me on my toes the past few months. His six week summer program ended a few weeks ago and he is all set to head back just after labor day. Truth be told, I was not happy with the summer program. His teachers were different and I don't think they commanded the same respect and attention as his normal school year teachers had. He changed during the summer program and not for the good. I'm looking forward to him going back to his normal routine come September, we all are.

Other interesting tidbits. We needed to overhaul the pool a few weeks ago. Both the liner and the pump needed to be replaced and even though it really wasn't in the budget there was no way we could let it go much longer. Thank heavens for good friends though. One of the greatest things about hubby and his crew is they are all always helping each other out. It's really pretty cool. So when the pool needed the work, one of the boys is actually a pool guy in the summer and was able to get us an incredible deal on the overhaul and it was done so quick I nearly fell over. Seriously, I can't believe it's done!

Work is work. I finally got my NJ tech license and if I can ever find the time to study (which I should be doing now) I'll take the test to get my national license. It's kind of expensive and my employer will only pay for it once so I can't screw up but since being a screw up is in my blood I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

Other that that we are just wrapping up summer and I'm eagerly waiting for my favorite time of year! Sadly, this is one of the first years I'm sad to see summer go. As busy as we are all the time, we still made plenty of time for fun and I'm not ready to close the pool and say good bye to the warm weather. I guess we need to make these last few weeks count. I'm thinking we are long overdue for an Indian summer. Wouldn't that be so sweet!

Truly..."The Beach Life"

If you live in Jersey, you are all too familiar with the disgusting weather we endured throughout May and most of June. Luckily, right after the fourth, the weather decided to break and summer arrived. It's been a weird one though. The temps have been holding in the mid to low eighties and there has only been a handful of real humid days. Trust me, I'm not complaining! The best part of the summer by far has been the beach pass! Hubby and I decided to go for the beach pass after all. I was dragging my feet because I couldn't find my old truck kit but DAMN! I am so happy I finally got my act together and went for it. So, right now the back of my truck looks like I live out of it. In addition to the the kit crate which has tow ropes, flairs, first aid, fire extinguisher and all that other fun stuff, there are chairs, an umbrella, coolers, fishing gear, Big Boy and the dog. It's quite comical actually.

I guess I'm apologizing for being such a horrible blogger the past few months. I've actually been trying to finish this post for over a week. I would like to say I'll be back more after the summer but fall weather is the best weather here. Now it's time to drag my lazy butt out the door to go grocery shopping. I didn't like any of the sales at Peapod this week so I couldn't have the groceries delivered. Ugh. I loathe the grocery store in the summer but f I don't go, we'll be drinking ocean water and eating sand for lunch today.

Gone to the Beach...

***ETA...I started this post last weekend :( It only took me a week to finish which is why the date is off by a week. I suck***

Some Great Music

I know I've been quite the slacker lately when it comes to blogging. The few hours of home time after work seem to be flying by and before I realize it, it's after eleven and time for bed. I have been loitering around YouTube a bit though and have come across some great music. The artists aren't new by any means but I could get in to listening to a lot more of this guy, Josh Ritter. Apparently he has been flying under the radar but had a strong following. His song "Good Man" was used in an episode of House and since hen, he has become pretty popular.

I love watching how genuinely happy he seems...all the time. You can tell by his smile he loves what he does for a living and he just looks like he would be a fun guy to get to know. Definitely some music I'm looking to listen to a lot more of in the future.



This next kid is absolutely one of the most talented musicians I have ever come across. I'm a huge music person and I was completely blown away when I saw this clip. His name is Jake Shimabukuro and what this kid can do with a Ukulele is breathtaking. Being a George Harrison fan, I was intrigued when I saw a link for "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" done on the Ukulele. I couldn't figure out how someone could replicate the string work on a four string instrument? I WAS WRONG. He's been around for sometime but for some reason I never checked him out. I'm thinking it's because I figured the Ukulele wasn't going to hold my interest for too long, know what I mean? Anyway, this clip is a few years old but worth watching over and over. Keep an eye on his hands when he moves into the meat of the song....Amazing!



Enjoy the music!

I Must Be Getting Older

I guess it's time to except I'm not nearly as young as I like to think I am. To some extent, I do believe in the saying "You're only as old as you feel," but lately I've just been feeling old. Not tired old but, looking around at the younger crowd wondering what the hell is wrong with people.

I think it all started in work last week when I found myself on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Everyday you can usually expect to see the same three techs in the pharmacy. We work really well together and there is a sense of family between us. Let's face it, we see more of each other than we do our family anyway. When one of us is out during the week, the other two ALWAYS pull together to keep the pharmacy running like a well oiled machine. With that being said, this is a pharmacy right at he beach during the summer. It doesn't take much to realize how insanely busy we are.

When I was (much) younger, whenever I started somewhere new, I did what I was told. I always gave 110% and tried to learn every aspect of the job. Well, some of these younger kids are killing me. No one wants to work the cash registers. Ir sucks but it has to be done and guess what...that is what you are here for. These kids go and hide in the pill bays taking ten minutes to try to find one bottle of pills which results in myself or one of the other experience techs having to grab the register. They don't realize how counter productive this is to the flow of the pharmacy. The experienced techs have their own work which needs to be completed everyday without having to babysit these people. No matter how many times they are told to get back where they belong, ten minutes later, you have to go and find them.

Honestly, this is simply a work vent. The problem will be dealt with this week but I'm just aggravated at the lack of respect I see everyday. The sad part is, they don't even do the job they are there to do well. I don't think they realize how serious it can be. One careless mistake and you could kill someone. They don't get it. Sure, I was young once too but I had the common sense to take my job seriously. Ugh. It can only get better, right?

And You Were Paid To Think Of This?

Pure Stupidity. I was online earlier reading up on some news stories when I came across a new advertising campaign Sam's Club has decided to roll out. Would you like to guess what it is? I don't think in a million years a normal person who uses less than half of their brain would have thought this is a good idea. Finished guessing?

What would you do if you went there to pick up your prescriptions and upon entering the pharmacy area with your kid, some employee handed you a pill bottle bottle with candy in it? Yup, you read that correctly. Apparently the executives at Sam's though it would be an excellent marketing campaign to have the pharmacy hand out free candy in RX bottles with the store address and hours on the label. This takes stupid to a brand new level.

I can't for the life of me figure out why on earth this idea even made it out of the first conference room. You mean to tell me a room full of educated adults thought distributing candy to children in pill bottles was a brilliant advertising tool. The real scary thing is, at least two or three actual pharmacists sit on these marketing teams. Wow. So here you have educated people who I can only assume at least one of them has a small child, brainstorming these ideas and endangering the lives of children is the best they can come up with?

Maybe I'm biased because I work in a pharmacy and I know how dangerous this is...Oh wait, that's not it. I HAVE COMMON SENSE! I think you get the point of this rant. Sam's Club...this is a marketing fail of epic proportions and you people should be ashamed for allowing such a poor poor taste in judgement to even make it past one of the initial brain storming sessions. Sheesh, why don't you people just start recycling dirty needles next. Unbelievable.

Welcome to Blogger!

I want to take a second to welcome a friend of mine over to blogger! She had a great blog over on Wordpress but seemed to lose her way for a bit. She's back with a brand new blog and even though there are only a few posts so far, I think you should bookmark or make it a blog you follow!

Can You Shut Up Already!

Welcome back Peaches!

My Latest Obsession...

My outside shower. I'm not much of a fan of the warm weather and in all honesty I would be just as happy to skip the summer and have two seasons of Autumn but at least I'm able to use my outside shower for at least four months out of the year.

Heaven. It's really the only perfect word I can think of to describe it. Tonight was a perfect example too. It's real foggy out and the temperature is in the low sixties/upper fifties at best. If you go out and start the water to get it nice and hot it's almost as good as a hot tub. It's just so relaxing to look up at the sky while you are showering and see a huge tree limb over your head and have seagulls flying by. I don't think I've taken an inside shower in over two weeks and I swear my skin has never been so soft and rejuvenated. It's probably all in my head but I don't care. I don't plan on taking another inside shower until at least October if I can get away with it.

Big Boy has even become quite the fan of outside showers. He thinks it's so fun to take an outside bath, which is what he calls it. Unfortunately, we are on a pretty tight schedule during the week but he knows during the weekend that all of his baths are outside. I think it's great because it's getting him used to showering in general as opposed to taking baths all the time. I hate to admit it but there are nights I would rather help him shower inside as opposed to going through the whole bath routine. It tends to backfire on me. Since I'm OCD when it comes to showering everyday even if I don't leave the house, poor BB has fallen victim to my strange ways and he gets upset and all out of sorts if I suggest skipping bath time once in a while. This way, since he likes showering now, I can give him a quick rinse rather that bathing him and I won't miss the "sleepy window" if you will.

Anyway, this is my useless rant for the day. I think if everyone had an outside shower, the world would be a much friendlier and happier place. I still think I should run for President. Between my outside shower theory and my four day paid weekends, you can't go wrong!

Heavy Eyes

I've been meaning to update but I think I've run into a few computer issues so all else has been pushed to the back burner lately. For some reason when I was on iTunes the other night, it asked if I wanted to update to the newest version...no big deal. I try to keep current so updating is never an issue. Well for some strange reason, Safari tried to download on my computer and since I don't have a Mac this seems to have caused some issues with my system.

Ugh. I have set a restore point and removed all new updates but my computer is still having these minor freak outs. I've basically been spending my free time at night backing up all of the Family pictures and my photography on flash drives in case the whole thing crashes. I would be beyond devastated if I lost any of Big Boy's pictures. I have three different anti-virus programs running and even though nothing has been located, I just know my computer is infected with something. Any ideas/help would be greatly appreciated.

So here I sit at 11:42pm on Friday night (I have already conceited to being a loser) fiddling around with my computer when I know damn well I should be in bed. I'm sure BB will have one of his famously bad nights and I will be kicking myself in the morning. My eye lids feel as though they are twenty pounds each but I refuse to throw in the towel. It's rare the house is ever this peaceful and I want to savor every minute of it. Such is life.

Dear Big Boy,

Really? You really had to get up before 6am on both days this weekend? And why I ask? You have been around long enough to know I'm not exactly a barrel of sunshine first thing in the morning let alone on Sunday morning. Please child, and I am begging here, learn what it means to enjoy sleep. I swear on all that is holy we are not outside playing with your bubbles or having the circus come through for our own private party after you go to sleep. Honestly kid, it's quite boring around here after you go to bed, just the way I like it.

Just because the sun is creeping up does not mean you have to pop out of bed and instantly run around like you just finished a pot of coffee. Why oh why could you have not inherited my love of sleep. We all know how the rest of the day will play out. Around 3pm I'm going to crash from exhaustion with no relief in sight. Since you stopped napping over two years ago, that isn't an option and I know I won't be offered to go hide in the bedroom or out on the hammock for an hour to close my eyes for a few minutes.

Basically, I'm begging you to please pick at least one day over the weekend to sleep past 8am. I don't think I'm asking much and 8am is still pretty early kid but I'll take what I can get. Please just give it some thought.

Your completely sleep deprived Mother.

This Is Starting To Get Old

Let me start by saying, I really do love the rain. There is nothing I enjoy more than being home in comfy clothes on a nasty rainy day. Maybe because I'm able to justify laying around and doing nothing all day. Well, it seems like it has been raining here for months on end. We have been getting a few nice weekends mixed in here and there but overall, I just don't remember having it rain so often.

I'm also thinking that something about the weather patterns have been off. It's not unusual around here to have low clouds lingering around that will literally cling to the coast and make it look like a scene in some Stephen King book. Everything on the island will have this dreary damp mist and all you have to do is drive over the bridge about three miles west and the weather will be perfectly clear and sunny. Weird, right?

I know this isn't an exciting post but I was completely shocked when I went to let Lucy out before only to find it's raining yet again. Rumor has it, it's supposed to push out tonight and turn out to be a beautiful weekend but I'll believe it when I see it.

***I had to edit this to add it is absolutely gorgeous out!***

A Mother's Intuition

When I was younger, I always heard people talking about intuition or a sixth sense and honestly I never believed a word of it. Of course since becoming a mother, I now understand exactly what they were talking about. I'm sure this is the case with most Moms but today was especially "weird." I can always tell when something is going on with Big Boy. Hubby laughs and always asks how I knew he was going to have a bad night or be cranky. I just know. I don't know how or why, I just do.

This morning started out like any other morning. By a little before 8am BB and I were in the car and heading to school. I dropped him and made my way back over the bridge but had a real uneasy feeling the whole time. I always stop home for about fifteen minutes after I drop him off. I eat a bowl of cereal, let the dog out and hop on Facebook for a few minutes. Before I logged off FB, I updated my status to "leaving for work but have a gut feeling I'll be getting a call from the school nurse." All morning at work I kept checking my cell phone and wouldn't you know it, at 12:30 my phone rang and it was the school nurse.

Big Boy was running and I guess he got ahead of himself because according to his teacher he tripped forward and fell into the door rather hard. The poor thing has a huge egg on his head and was crying for over twenty minutes. I just can't believe it happened. How on earth did my mind know something would go wrong with him today? Thankfully, he doesn't have a concussion but I took him to the Pediatrician just to be on the safe side. My goodness, it could have been so much worse.

These intuitions if you will, happen all the time with him. I don't know how to describe them. All of a sudden, I'll just get a feeling and know something isn't right or is about to happen. Obviously, I know I'm not a psychic or anything but I think it's really cool, kinda like he and I are connected on another level. I mean we are pretty much attached at the hip except for when I'm at work and he's at school.

Anyway, I would love it if my wonderful readers would share a few of their own "Mommy Intuition" stories with me. I guess what I'm saying is, having a child has turned me in to a believer when it comes to intuition, something I used to laugh at when I was younger. So...if you have something to share....PLEASE share it with me!

Should I Charge Them Rent?

The weather is finally breaking which means Big Boy is starting to feel like a caged rat in the house. He would be outside from sunrise to sunset if I would let him. Lucky for him, Hubby and I have been wanting to get outside and finish up some work in the yard. We are planning on opening the pool next week so today we focused on the back yard.

I was cleaning up the deck when I kept hearing birds chirp. I knew it sounded like babies but there was no way it was coming from a nest in one of the trees. I just happen to look up at the right time and spotted this little baby bird sticking it's head out of a small hole in my house. Interesting. I informed Hubby we had a family of birds living in the soffit and after a few grumbles under his breath he went over to check it out. The next thing I knew he was ran for the camera and was able to catch some really amazing photos of the Mother feeding her babies. Introducing our family of Sparrows...


I just can't get over how cool these pictures are! It was so wild to watch both the male and the female taking turns feeding the babies. I'm also impressed by Hubby's photo skills. Every time he saw one of them, he dropped what he was doing and grabbed the camera. Big Boy got a kick out of it too except he doesn't quite grasp the concept of being quiet so the birds were spooked at one point and we had to quickly set his attention to something else in the yard.


Now comes the next dilemma...after the birds leave the nest, do we patch up the hole or let it be for them to come back next year? I know having birds living in your soffits isn't exactly the best thing for your house but I like my houseguests and just may welcome them back next year.

I need to give my little sparrow family a name but for some reason my mind is drawing a blank. Any ideas? Now on the other side of the house, we have a much bigger problem. Carpenter bees have invaded those soffits and they are not welcome to stay. We have tried everything short of an exterminator to get rid of them. I've heard WD-40 works so I may have to give it a try. Luckily, they are on opposite ends of the house so I know I can't hurt my new friends. Check back often, I hope to update with new pics in a few days!

Sniffle Sniffle

The lack of comments is really starting to make me a little sad. If everyone who lurked here left one comment a week I would be a happy girl. Just one little comment would brighten my day. I'll make you a deal....you leave me some comments, and I promise to update at least every other day. I'll even go a step further. I'll throw in a contest in a few weeks. I already have one in mind. Deal?

This Will Forever Make Me Laugh

No matter how many times I see it, hear it or think of it, I have to laugh. Kudos Family Guy. Well done.

And So It Begins.......

I woke this morning to an empty town, only a few cars on the road and blissful peace and quite. As they day went by, more and more of them started to appear. First the cars, then the accents and finally the "Yeah Tony, I'm down da shore for da weekend." The Bennies have arrived and for the next three months my beautiful town will be invaded by some of the nastiest, rudest and most disrespectful walks of life that you couldn't even imagine in your worst nightmares.

I love where I live. I don't think I would ever want to live anywhere else. I'm surrounded by both the ocean and the beautiful Barnaget Bay. I can hear the ocean at night and the pungent salt water smell drifts through my house. It is heaven. However, with that being said, there is nothing worse than being pushed out of your own town for three months. Obviously,many of our local businesses thrive on tourism and the summer crowd is what keeps a roof over their head but at what cost?

I guess my main problem is...Why do they treat our towns like a doormat and behave in ways they would never do when they are home. Would you walk in to your grocery store in bare feet when you're home? NO! So why do it here? How would you like it if I blocked your driveway just so I could park ten feet closer to the beach? So why do it? Some of the Bennies have absolutely no respect for the locals and each year it's getting worse and worse. I almost wish I could erase all the time between Memorial Day and Labor Day from the calendar. The other nine months out of the year is like living in a paradise very few people know about but like I said earlier, at what price? Three months of hell. I would like to add though, it's not all of our summer friends. There are quite a few people I am quite happy to see and it bums me out when they leave to go home in September.

So now I will leave you with this wonderful blog I recently found. BennyGoHome. And...we ask that you remember you are guests in our beach towns.

What Is So Funny Boys?

I'll start by saying I am glad I finally caved and allowed hubby to bring the camera to the Yankee game with him on Saturday. It isn't that I didn't trust him, I was just worried that he would out it down somewhere while grabbing a beer of leave it under his seat. Considering it's a Canon Rebel, I have every right to be paranoid about the damn thing. Anyway, the camera made it home in one piece and the shots he was able to get are UNBELIEVABLE. Of course my digital editing program won't allow me to zoom in as close as I would like but I really can't complain.

I would love to know what these three knuckle heads found so funny?

Like I said, I can't zoom in close enough to get the full effect. Johnny Damon(right), may I say you look so much better in pin stripes than you ever did when you were part of the Red Sox Idiot Crew. It's amazing what a hair cut, shave and attitude adjustment can do for a players likability.

As always, thee are no words to describe the awesomeness that is Derek Jeter. By far, one of the greatest baseball players...EVER. I can even get past the whole Mariah Carey fiasco. I do have to ask though, what the hell were you thinking with that train wreck. Yikes.


I have so many more pictures, even better ones but I simply can't choose. I'll leave you with this last one. The yanks seem to be on the past few nights. They have also been treating each win like it's the World Series, which is fantastic. There is nothing better than seeing a team celebrate like every game is the big game.


Ah yes, I forgot to add my moron husband was given a $100 citation for jumping a subway turnstile after the game. He claims he didn't. Either way he gets the asshat of the day award.

Everyone Needs An Update...

Dear all my blogging friends,

I think it is time we all updated our blogs. My pathetic blog roll has had the same posts on it for months. I need updates. Please log off Facebook and get to it!

With Love,

The Beach Life

Light A Candle, Say A Prayer

It's been two years. Two years ago today, my oldest brother lost his battle to a cancer that he had been fighting for ten years. I wasn't sure how I would feel today. I think more than anything I feel overwhelmed. I look at Big Boy and I'm sad he will never get to know his Uncle Kenny. I think of my mother and only now, after being a mother myself, can I imagine how she feels yet, I pray I never know exactly how she feels. I have four other brothers who I'm sure, are all dealing with this in their own private way, trying to be strong for their own children. I want to call my sister in law and my niece but I'm sure they want to be left alone. I know they are still trying to pick up the pieces. Even two years later.

I have a difficult time expressing my feelings so when I came across a website which allows you to light a candle for someone you may have lost in your life or simply for someone you love who may be in the need of a prayer, I began doing just that. Unfortunately, I don't get to church nearly as often as I should and this allows me to light a candle and pray for someone in my won way, as weird as it may be. If you would like to light a candle for Kenny, you can search the group under the initials KH.

Thymic Cancer is such a rare cancer, many people have never even heard of it. I doctor friend of mine even told me my brother was the only case he had ever heard of in his thirty plus years of practicing medicine. This is a great site if you would like to learn more or make a donation to Thymic Cancer Research.

We all love and miss you very much Kenny.

Blame It On Facebook

My poor blog has fallen victim to my Facebook addiction. Between Mafia Wars and Hatchlings I end up going to bed before I get a chance to post anything new in my day to day three ring circus I call a life.

Let's see....work has been interesting. Everyone thinks they have the Sine Flu. We are out of Tamiflu so if you do happen to get sick with your everyday run of the mill flu, you are out of luck because no one is going to have any Tamiflu. We even had a doctor call the other day and give e few RX's of Tamiflu for her family. Yeah, they aren't sick. People are so ridiculous.

Big Boy is doing really well and is becoming more of a little man everyday. I am just amazed with some of the things he comes out with now. He was trying to go pee pee on the potty earlier and when he couldn't get any to come out, he looked down at his thing and said, "Broken!" Funny kid. He had a field trip to the zoo today and his Aunt Linda went with him. From what I gather he had a great time but of course he knows the weekend is coming which can only mean one thing...Horsies and Pizza! It's not even the summer yet and I am so burnt out of that damn boardwalk. This kid lives for the weekend. All he wants to do is ride the merry go round and grab a slice of Maruca's pizza and he is in heaven. Obviously, he is spoiled rotten because I have yet to tell him no.

And then there's the Hubby. Hubby is working like a dog. His company is enforcing a mandatory twenty hours a week overtime for a few months. Knowing that the economy is horrendous and there are so many people who can't get can't get a job at all, I can't complain but it does stink. I need a break once in a while too and I'm not going to give Hubby a hard time because I know he is just as tired as I am if not more.

So..in a nutshell, this is what life has been like around here. Everyone is on the go and there just aren't enough hours in the day to get everything I would like to accomplish done. Thank goodness tomorrow is Friday!

Muskrat

As I get older, I have noticed my patience are basically shot. Big Boy uses up about 95% of them on a daily basis which only leaves 5% to deal with the rest of the world. This isn't good. Between work, driving and day to day stress, I have to find a way to cope and relax a little better. One main problem is my job. I just don't don't have the patience for nasty, obnoxious and irresponsible people. Enter Muskrat...

If anyone has seen the Meet The Parents movies then Muskrat should make sense. If you haven't, here's the Readers Digest version. In the movie, Robert Di Nero is unbelievably high strung so whenever he starts to lose it, someone says Muskrat and he attempts to regain his composure. We have applied this technique at work. I tend to get extremely snarky at times especially when I am doing my best to help some unappreciative patient or running around like a lunatic because we are short staffed and aren't budgeted for more tech hours. When someone sees me getting ready to lose it, they simply say Muskrat and I take deep breathe and re-focus on the task at hand. So far so good. I am shocked to say it's actually working and has stopped me from jumping over the counter and strangling a few people.

I tried doing the rubber band around the wrist and snapping it when I was losing it but, my wrist hurt like hell at the end of the day and I think a few people were starting to catch on. Honestly, there is nothing worse that spending time with a patient, helping them understand their insurance and offering advice on how to save them money by using a generic only to have them rip my head off the following week because they made a mistake on something. It really makes you lose faith in people.

Anyway, wish me luck and let's all say a little prayer that the Muskrat Experiment works!

I'm Sold

This may be one of the greatest creations I have ever seen in all my life.


Pure brilliance. As you can tell, I have been in a YouTube mood lately. I can't take credit for finding this little beauty though. My friend over at J and C and Me is the one who actually showed it to me. Have you ever just sat down and clicked around YouTube? The amount of time one can waste on that site is astounding. I have to say, you are guaranteed to find something that either interest you or makes you laugh your butt off!

Enjoy!

Why Is It....

The low man on the totem pole gets treated the worst? No matter what the situation calls for, superiority always rears it's ugly head.

Restaurants. You can't have a restaurant without servers or dishwashers yet many people frown upon these jobs like they really are the bottom of the barrel. Grocery stores are another great example. Granted, many cashiers could use a major attitude adjustment but without cashiers a grocery store couldn't operate even when you think of the alternatives. Self checkouts are great but not everyone feels they should have to scan nor bag their own groceries. Sadly, may people don't have the common sense to operate them either. Same goes for the kid who collects the carts. Heaven forbid people should walk ten feet out of their way to return the cart but yet the cart collector is just a dumb kid. See where I'm going with this...

All of these scenarios can be played in just about every field.

Hospital-housekeeping
Gas station-pumpers
Banking-tellers
Utility companies-meter readers
Schools-janitors

I just don't think people realize how significant each of these jobs are. Ironically in this economy though, many people who once looked down their nose at this jobs now wish they had one.

There Are No Words To Describe This Train Wreck....

I really don't even know what to say except WTF?



Okay, I have a few...puke, barf, gross, eeeew, nasty.

The Beauty of Cabinet Space

If there was one thing I could change about my house it would have been the limited cabinet space. Even when we remodeled the kitchen a few years ago, there still wasn't enough space to store everything. Hubby had the brilliant idea to utilize the unused wall space in the laundry room and build a butler's pantry. At first, I wasn't really sure about this and thought it would make the room looked cramped and cluttered. I was so wrong. Finally after about two weeks and more cuss words than I care to repeat..........

I really have to give it to hubby for this one. The base cabinets he used are actually wall cabinets. a traditional base cabinet would hace stuck out too far so hubby used wall cabinets and built the wall itself out just enought to make them look like they are base cabinets!

The tile work is by far my favorite. Hubby just has such an eye for making all the right cuts and piecing it together like a professional. I am so proud of him. It's so nice to fold laundry and be able to turn around and place it on the counter rather than stacking it up on the dryer. I know I could use a laundry basket but I have learned, if I put it in the basket, it never makes it the drawer.

Can I tell you how nice it was to come home from the grocery store yesterday and not have to cram things into cabinets. The kitchen cabinets finally have some breathing room and I'm able to find everything I need without throwing a hissy fit looking for it. Of course, I won't say which one but, one of the cabinet is all mine! I finally have a space all to myself to keep my baking supplies in one area!

Great job Hubby!!!

11:13 pm

And I refuse to go to bed. Big Boy was sick all weekend and really gave me a run for my money today. I should have known I was in trouble when he decided he needed a nap. Since he woke up at 4:30am, I figured a nap would do him well......FAIL.

Normally, he goes to bed about seven on the nose, maybe give or take fifteen minutes either way. Not tonight. Thanks to the lovely one hour nap he had, he didn't go to sleep until almost 10pm. Ugh. This does not work for me. First of all, it's Sunday night, I have a ton of things to do to get ready for the week. Second, I wasn't able to go grocery shopping today because hubby was working OT and I didn't want to drag BB to Shop Rite while he was sick. I planned on going shopping after he went to bed...at SEVEN. Looks like I know what I'm doing tomorrow. Super.

Here I sit, refusing to go to bed. I don't want to face Monday. This is really the logical thing to do. This way I'll be even more cranky tomorrow. It's a fool proof plan.