Monthly Archives for October 2009

The Long-Awaited Sleepover

Six Shirley Temples – $7.50
One Pot of Cheese Fondue – $17.00
Balloons & Souvenir Photo – $8.00
A lesson in romance from three second-graders…PRICELESS!!!
This conversation began because of the magnetic words that came with Aliya’s souvenir photo frame at the Melting Pot, which included the word “romantic.”  The girls were making sentences like, “I love chocolate,” and “I hate wine.”  They were talking about going on romantic dates and I asked Chloe and Hannah if that’s what their parents were doing tonight.  All three agreed that “Adults DO NOT do that…only teenagers.” 
I think we’re in trouble.  In fact, I KNOW we’re in trouble.  It’s just a matter of when and where it will strike, and with who.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZJGhWcHAhs&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0]

Gotta Get Away??

Sometimes you just have to go…take some time off…run away. 

A few weeks ago I got an email from my friend Sherry’s husband, Rob.  He asked me to call him right away because he needed help with Sherry. 

As I was waiting for him to pick up the phone I wondered what kind of help he could possibly need.  Was she stuck in a tree?  Did he forget her favorite ice cream flavor?  Had she gone missing?

Rob had decided that Sherry needed a mental health break to prevent her from going postal, and he asked me if I would go away with her for a spa weekend.  “Uuuhhhh……I’LL GO PACK!!”

As soon as I found a couple of days that I could get away, he booked two nights and two massages at a hotel spa in North Conway.  He even called Sherry’s office to request two days off since I couldn’t find an October weekend to go.  I was extremely impressed.

So far we’ve eaten a lot, strolled through LL Bean, taken a nap, and have the best looking toes in New Hampshire.  My pedicurist (is that a word?) was hugely pregnant and when I asked her about the baby she said, “It’s not mine.”  I thought she was joking but it turned out that she’s a surrogate.  We spent most of the pedicure time talking about what it was like to be a surrogate. 

It was a very interesting conversation but I’ll tell you right now, for $20K I would not go through another pregnancy and birth, not to mention the emotional ramifications.  I think it’s a very admirable and wonderful thing she’s doing but I’ll find another way to fill my good-deed quota.
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Busier Than A One-Armed Paper Hanger

I always thought I knew what a one-armed paper hanger must feel like because I’m so friggin’ busy all the time.  But NOW I REALLY know what he feels like.  I started physical therapy yesterday for my shoulder.  I don’t know what I did to it originally, but it has been hurting off and on (mostly “on”) for about 3 years.  I blame it on the kids sneaking into my bed and putting their extremely heavy heads on my upper arm, causing my shoulder to be in a weird position for long durations.
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My chiropractor has a physical therapist who comes in twice a week, so he recommended that I have an appointment with her.  I didn’t know what to expect and I figured it would hurt, but it hurts most of the time anyway and I have to be really careful what I do with my arm or I have a sharp pain and an ache that lasts for days.
So my new PT (Victoria) checked me out thoroughly and said that I have some sort of problem with the nerves and the muscles around my rotator cuff.  She’s going to work on me but in the meantime she needs the inflammation to go down so she told me to just hold my arm at my side, a la Bob Dole. 
I mean come on…how the hell am I going to hold my right arm at my side for the next several weeks?  When I told Victoria that there’s no way that was going to happen, she said, “Fine, you’ll be in a sling for a while.”  So I’m in a sling.  Honestly, I think it’s a good thing because it’s preventing me from doing all of the things I’m not supposed to do.  It did kind of ruin my outfit for my speaking engagement this evening, but I cheated and didn’t wear it during the actual presentation. 
Here’s hoping that Victoria can make some headway so I can have my arm back!
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Welcome To Aliya’s Room

In case you were thinking about coming over for a visit and stopping by Aliya’s room, there are some rules you should know about in advance.  I don’t know what happened to my rule about “no stickers on the walls, floors, doors, windows, pets, or furniture,” but here are Aliya’s rules:

Rules of my room
0) Wipe off your feat.
1) Never come in with shoes on.
2) No food aloud.
3) No boy’s Aloud inless I tell them they can.
4) most importante – if door is shut nock 3 or 4 times before you come in if nowon ansers do not come in.
5) be palite, do not yell, do not fight, and have fun!

More Rules of my Room
6) no crieng aloud
10) use hand sanitizer or wash your hans.
7) have listening eares.
8) No name coling or tizeng.
9) be strong
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Adios Mi Hermano y Hermana!

Uncle Josh & Auntie Rachael came to spend the weekend with us on their way to SPAIN…I’m so jealous!

We showed them a good time…a big Mexican feast followed by a little karaoke at Samba to help celebrate Jenny’s birthday.

The local crazies were out in full force and I had the pleasure of singing Hopelessly Devoted to You with a woman who appeared to have taken a controlled substance (I just realized how long it’s been since I’ve used the word “stoned”).  She interjected her own lyrics including, “My head is sayin’…ooooh…just kill him, kill him….”

At Lana’s request, Pam, Jenny, and I sang You Don’t Bring Me Flowers…that was a first for me.  Well, the first time with an audience that was not related to me anyway.

The rest of the weekend, Uncle Josh & Auntie Rachael were just the diversion I needed.  They played multiple games of Candyland and Nintendo DS and just generally acted like they were interested in Elmo, Hannah Montana, and Scooby Doo so I didn’t have to.  Last night we made couscous and today they headed for Madrid.

Lucky patos!!
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