Do you Read?

I tend to read during my commute to and from the office each day, I find it relaxing. I'm not sure what got into my husband the last time he took the children to the bookstore but he signed up for the Borders Bookstore Rewards program with MY email address. Well, this may work to your benefit, too, so it may not be all that bad. They are having a 30% off promotion if you spend more than $10. Here's the link for the in-store coupon:

http://www.bordersmedia.com/coup/coupon_30w100826.asp?cmpid=SL_20080828_REW

And if you have a Borders Rewards membership you can also get 40% off of all Hardcover Bestsellers, here's the link:

http://www.borders.com/online/store/ListView_bordersbestsellers?cmpid=SL_20080828_REW

Have fun reading!

Is that your keys in your pocket or...

I went out a couple mornings ago to get a bagel for breakfast and as I was returning to my office, in the financial district of a major city, mind you, I approach a man in business attire who is walking toward me and fervently rattling his keys, or something, in his pocket. And, yes, I did stare! Now, I am surely giving him the benefit of the doubt now but at the time I was peering around for the hidden cameras that were capturing the expressions of women, and others, like me. I really do wish I had my video camera so I could post it and we could have a vote but, of course, I rarely have it aimed and ready when these odd things happen to me.

So, the moral of the story is that if you are male and a pocket flipper you should remove all temptations from your pockets. And ladies, well, please help out the men in your lives.

Maybe I'll come out with a new fad of front pockets that are decorative in nature only...

A Real Vacation

Last week we took a vacation, just my husband, the children and me. We visited with my husband's family and even though we did so much it really felt like a vacation.

There was no worry about work for me, my husband had no calls from work (and that is a miracle!), my mother-in-law provided all meals and hospitality to boot. We had to think about nothing except what we were going to do for the day and we did a lot. We guessed about when we would be back and my mother-in-law did not pressure us for anything exact. We phoned her when we had a better idea of when we would return and she had a meal on the table as we walked through the door.

We actually did more in this trip than I had done in all my previous trips to my husband's family's hometown of Seattle. Despite the rainy weather in August(!) we went to Seattle Center, Pike Place Market, took the ferry to Bainbridge Island, went to a Mariner's baseball game (wow did that stadium cost some dough?), the Museum of Flight where we boarded the first "Air Force One" and a Concorde bound for no where, the University of Washington (the U Dub, to the locals), and Boehm's chocolate factory and even took the tour which was a bargain at $3 each. What we did not get to was take the Victoria Clipper to the San Juan Islands with the whale watching add on because the boat was broken, so that's the day we went to Bainbridge instead. That's okay though because we will have a new experience to have the next time, oh, and the Space Needle, too, we promised the children next time we would go up in the Space Needle. This time since it was rainy and overcast we did not see the point given that we will go back, especially since it was so relaxing despite all the running around.

I have to say this is the first vacation we have been on with the children that we did not need a vacation to recover from our vacation. On Monday it was back to work and trying to get back into the routine...

Three Ring Circus

I thought I would follow up the previous circus post....



We went to the circus and wow is it different than I remember. It has much more of a Cirque de Soleil feel to it now than when I was a child. There was a little story line about the ring master constantly losing his hat at the mercy of the clown. The hat had quite a journey through the circus tent. Along the way it met with several of the usual circus acts, the motorcycle riding on the wire, the lion tamer act, the trapeze artists, and a few new acts, at least new to me. Then finally the celebration at the end when the hat returns to its rightful owner.



We did not buy the children any treats, a snow cone was $9.00, yes, that's right. It did come in a souvenir cup but we thought that was outrageously high. We did not look at any other goodies.



I have to say that although the circus was quite entertaining for the kids on a "how did they do that?" level, I strongly favor the circus for adults, Cirque de Soleil.

100 Pushups?

By now you probably know that I work out often for release of the stress of everyday life. Today, I ran across a website that promises anyone can attain the goal of completing 100 push ups without a any rest in between sets. Check it out, I'm tempted to try it myself so look for my follow up post in a few weeks.

Life's A Circus

That circus song, you know the little catchy tune, keeps swirling around in my head. I'm not sure how to get rid of it although I've tried.

We are scheduled to take the children to the the circus and I am pretty excited because I have not been there since I went with my grandparents when I was small. We were lucky enough to get group rate tickets. I say lucky because I checked the regular prices and the ringside seats go for around $200 each seat. Wow, now that set me in a tail spin. That would be $800 for a family of four, and it cannot be longer than a couple hours of entertainment.

There are not many tickets I would feel comfortable spending that much money for and the circus is not one of them. I think I'd rather take the family away for the weekend somewhere. It might cost a little more than $800 but it would be a weekend's worth of entertainment, not an hour or two!

Travels with Charlies

We are going away for a few days and the children are old enough to help with packing but they still need some direction. So before we leave I tell them to get all their clothes out for how ever many days we will be gone. I have them pack an outfit with socks and underwear all in one stack and they should have as many stacks as days plus how ever many jammies they need.

My daughter is right on, I walk into her room and she has each outfit, including socks and underwear, in several little stacks, all totalling the number of stacks that I dictated. I take the stacks of my daughter's clothes and place them directly into the suitcase.

I move into my son, Max's, room and he, on the other hand, has one gigantic wad of clothing in the center of the floor. I look at Max and ask him if he'd like his clothes packed in the suitcase that way. He looks at me with that almost grin that he gets when he is not being fully truthful and says, "Yes." I explain that we will be away for a while and there is no way for me to tell if he has enough clothing, socks and underwear. He laughs, looks up from his DS for a second, or is it a nano-second, and says, "So?" My other concern is that sometimes the outfits don't match. Actually, matchy match is not that important to me but I do not want to be party to the clash that often happens (not the band but the look) if outfits are not at least passed over with a mother's eye.

I would let it slide but I'm sure that you know how it all becomes your fault when things do not work out and cause an uncomfortable situation. And I, for one, do not want to be sharing a car with a little boy who has to wear the same pair of underwear all week long! So I make him divide the wad into stacks, we change a few things around and pack up.

They are both getting a little better about doing a few things to help with getting ready for a trip. When mommy and daddy both work, we can use all the help we can get.

Yoga Heat

I started taking a yoga class several weeks ago, actually I can thank my cousin for the thought but, I have really been enjoying the classes. There is something very cleansing, in more ways than one, about the class. I love the permission given to not think about anything else but your breath, and the "embrace and release" philosophy of all the thoughts that you cannot keep quiet. In this crazy life we all live, I'm sure you know exactly what I mean. Oh, and did I mention that it helps you become more limber or in some cases maintain your limberness. I was about as flexible as a dried out twig, now however I am about as limber as a half-dried twig, and in only a few weeks, so it definitely helps.





I am, in no sense of the word "granola" and I really enjoy the practice although I will admit that after years of high impact aerobics classes, the slower paced, inner-self focus did take a little getting used to. But, if you have not tried it, I encourage you to give it a try for a bit and see what you think. It really is a great workout with a relaxing twist.

Gymalicious

I made my daily trek to the gym today. (I am trying to be religious about going to the gym because I finally decided that my children are way to old to use twin pregnancy as an excuse.) I am at the point where I am seeing some results and I miss it enough when I don't go that I wish I went. So, I digress!

I charge through the door and hand the desk attendant my card, grab my towels and am off to the locker room to change. As I round the corner on my way to change, I see a younger woman with a midriff top and low lying sweats standing on the gym floor with her compact open applying her blush! Okay, I'm not that young and would not be caught dead or otherwise in a mid riff top at this point in my life, see above for reason, but I am not jealous. Even in my super hot single days (that may be a little over stating the truth but) I did not care that much what I looked like at the gym, and even if I did I would not be caught giving up my secrets.

What is it about the gym that brings out the best in us?

Monday Blues

It's Monday and I came to work to make the best of the day only to open my email and see that a project that I worked on so diligently at the end of last week (that wasn't even my project, by the way) has apparently become my problem.

Please don't get me wrong, I am more than a team player but when no one else steps up to do their part in furtherance of the team, why did I get stuck with the work and the criticism for something that was not done right long before I was involved and I only stepped in to fix? I received an email from the original person involved (I like to call these CYA memos), copied to half of the workforce, of course, trying to blame me for what was not done in the first place. Sheesh!

Although many a thought went through my head and I drafted many curt responses (only in my mind, though), I decided the best course was to just ignore the email and move on. I think I did the right thing in this instance because I'm sure that the situation would have escalated had I responded in any way, especially in the only way I felt capable at the time. Interesting, too, the person that sent that critical email is now sending me email that is almost sickly sweet, ugh! I am still thinking about recourse by going over the person's head but I'm also thinking that since I did not respond that person must be wondering what my next move will be. Maybe it's better to keep them wondering...

This was definitely one of those moments when I thought to myself, "Why am I doing this when I could be putting all these efforts toward my children instead?"

Routine - Hugs, Kisses and Misses

As a mom who works, I have to drop my twin children off each morning and I usually do not see them at night because I am almost always home after they are asleep. To make it a little easier on us all we have a little morning routine. I wake them each morning with hugs and kisses. I help them with their sunscreen then while they get dressed I make their to go breakfast, something fast and easy like a waffle, yogurt, fruit, or an English muffin. Then it's off.

I drop them at school where they can sit and eat their breakfast. As they are sitting I give my daughter hugs and kisses which she still seems to thoroughly enjoy, tell her I love her because I don't think anyone can ever hear that too much, and I move on to my son, who is six, too. As I lean over to give him a hug and kisses, he squirms in his chair and tries to crawl under the table. I tell him I love him and he whispers back that he loves me too. Then I'm off for another day of work.

It's funny, while I was home with them I was continuously looking for something to do for work, now that I am working in an office environment again, I am trying to develop something to allow me more flexibility. I guess the grass is always greener!

Notes for Notice

I think we all might be in the same boat and love to receive little notes in the mail, just a thanks or thinking of you or glad you're my friend note. I have to admit that I am terrible at sending the notes I so love to receive but always feel so special when I receive them. I actually went to the store and bought a few cards for some special people in my life and have not yet sent them, and that was months ago now.

Anyway, for those of you who actually do send notes or just like to collect or gift really cute note cards or accessories, check out Design-Her Gals site and order exactly what you need or ever thought you needed or didn't. I love that you can customize your gal (or guy) just the way you want them to be. Have fun!

Boston - Little Italy

After I endured the pouring rain to within blocks of Little Italy, I was determined to make it a couple blocks further and have a nice Italian meal. Besides, I heard that the cannoli are excellent there and wanted to partake.

On the way to Lucia Ristaurante, a restaurant that several people I questioned recommended, I decided to detour to Paul Revere's house. It was just closing as I arrived so, unfortunately, I was unable to see the inside but I did walk across the street and take a photo just to show I'd been there. Then back to my original route on Hanover street, the main drag of Boston's Little Italy.

I arrived at Lucia's and stashed my umbrella with all the other black umbrellas at the door and made my way upstairs to the bar to have a glass of wine and some dinner. As I sat at the bar sipping a glass of wine and perusing the menu for dinner (all while not being interrupted by my twin children), my chat with the bartender reveals that the house specialty if lobster ravioli, yum! As you may have guessed, that is exactly what I ordered. And it was delicious!

After filling up, I ventured back into the wet weather and made my way to the subway to ride home. However on my way I passed a shop that was packed with people even in the inclement weather and curiosity got the best of me. I peeked in and saw the most tempting array of pastries. Of course, I had to indulge. I stepped inside Mike's Pastry Shop and was overwhelmed by the selection. I finally decided on a chocolate chip cannoli which they placed in a box and tied with string. As I continued on my way to the subway in the pouring rain I passed another crowded and fabulous looking pastry shop, Modern Pastry. Although tempted to indulge in another cannoli, I hadn't even so much as bitten into the one from Mike's so I thought better of it.

I boarded the subway, rode to my stop and disembarked. Walked back to my hotel and could not wait to get our of my wringing wet clothing. I showered and jumped into my pajamas. Called home and spoke with my children who were both wishing for their mommy to come home. Then fell asleep only to discover two days later that I had forgotten all about the cannoli that bought. It looked so good, too. Well, there is always next time!

Boston - The Freedom Trail

I flew in late on a Wednesday night because of weather delays, I already told you it was wicked wet.

I checked into my worn yet historic digs at the Boston Park Plaza and caught a good night's sleep. The next morning I had a few meetings to attend and I was off. I decided to take the Freedom Trail Tour which begins at the Boston Common, a 50 acre park in the center of Boston that was originally the home to Indians, then puritans, then the British soldiers before they marched off to Lexington and Concord. I bought my ticket at the visitor center in Boston Commons from a nice fellow who provided me with so much information about the area I was almost overwhelmed. Then I had about 30 minutes to kill before tour time so I walked around the Commons and decided to hit the local CVS (luckily for me it was right across the street) and get a drink. I left and it started to sprinkle so I ducked back in to the CVS store in search of an umbrella. Alas, I found just the right one, actually it was the last one, for $10 and some change, and headed back to the tour staging area.

As soon as we started our walking tour the rain began to fall, again. Good thing I bought that umbrella! We left the starting point in front of the visitors' center at the Boston Commons and peered from under the canopy of the trees at the next stop, the New State House. After a lesson on the construction of the dome we moved on to the steps of the Park Street Church which was, back in the day, used as a gathering place where people were encouraged to speak. Notably, an anti-slavery speech was presented by Mr. Lloyd Garrison in the 1820s. Yes, that early.

We then moved on to the Granary Burying Ground. Apparently, not everyone was happy with our visit because no sooner did we step into the cemetery than the rain started to come down in buckets, well...I think it might have been barrels, and the lightening and thunder started to liven things up a bit, too. Our particular guide was most enthusiastic about this burial ground because of all the notables that were buried there (or had been buried there in the case of John Hancock, or was it John Adams?). The cemetery is the final resting place for such notables as the judge who presided over the Salem Witch Trials, three signers of the Declaration of Independence, John Adams, and Old Mother Hubbard whose tombstone was allegedly stolen by a fan of her work. After the stories while sloshing around in the mud and the threat of human remains rising to the surface in the cemetery that is home for approximate 20,000 others, we were all sopped, through our shoes and through our umbrellas.

We marched on to the lobby of the Boston Omni Parker Hotel, some of the rooms of which, as it was told to us, are no longer rented out because of the occurrences that might be thought of as hauntings. Other than that this hotel has been around for the likes of Charles Dickens who wrote and presented his piece A Christmas Carol, otherwise known as Scrooge. The restaurant in the ground floor is known to be where JFK proposed to Jackie O and many now or then famous persons worked there before attaining their fame status. After the ghost tales we ventured back out into the rain with our most optimistic guide who kept telling us that the rain would let up any minute.

On to Pi (apparently pronounced "Pee" by the locals) Alley which was the site of the Boston Tea party. No longer does this property edge up to the water though, over time the harbor has been filled in. But, when in Pi Alley while standing outside a Dunkin' Donuts that is housed there, we did a silly reenactment of the crowd on the day of the Tea Party. Everyone was told to yell really loud. I think we all agreed to participate because it was a longer respite form the wicked rainy weather. After our silly exercise, we headed out into the pouring rain, yet again.

We continued on to Faneuil Hall and the site of the Boston Massacre where the weather got the better of our guide so there our tour ended. But before the tour ended we were told that anyone can rent Faneuil Hall for free, all you have to do is sign up for the space during a certain time slot and it's yours. Now, that surprised me. Where else can you rent a piece of history for nothing?

While there and before moving on to Little Italy for dinner on my own, I did a little shopping for the kiddos. The tour was interesting enough but someday I'd like to do The entire Freedom Trail from beginning to end. It is good to have things to look forward to.

Boston - Wicked Rainy

Global warming in affect? Not sure. But, whether or not, Boston sure had some wicked weird weather this past month.

My flight to Boston was delayed by more than two hours because of "severe weather." Since I fly well but am not particularly fond of turbulence I braced myself for severe turbulence that always accompanies any kind of weather. I am happy to say that we encountered no turbulence which was almost a disappointment since I anticipated it the entire time we were in the air.

I experienced rainy weather almost my entire visit. I half expected rain as some places on the East Coast are very humid during the summer but I thought that the rain occurred in the late afternoon and hurriedly cleared out. Apparently, I was right! The locals that I spoke with affirmed that the weather was "wicked weird" and never like what I experienced.

Although the rain persisted, I had a wonderful visit and will probably go back someday (but not in the winter!).

The Walking City

Boston is apparently billed out as "The Walking City" so the advertisements say. And I believe it! I walked everywhere while I was there because I was on my own with no children in tow. Had I had my children with me, I assure you, things would have been different.





One of the things I wanted to do was go to Fenway Park, I knew I did not have time to tour the park or see a game but I needed to get some official Boston gear for my son - special request. I walked into the visitor's center and asked for directions to Fenway. The kind fellow behind the counter briskly flipped out a map and showed me where I was staying and where I needed to go. (Mind you, this was all after he explained to me that Boston is very safe and you can walk just about anywhere.) He marked on the map the location of my hotel and then circled Fenway Park. From my inexperienced view point, it looked walkable. I asked the kind fellow if it was walkable and this was his response, "Oh no, that's too far. You need to get on the T [the Boston subway] and go two stops." Can you imagine the look on my face? I work in a large city and any subway that you only have to take for two stops, most walkable!





I chose to take the subway anyway because other intelligence I had suggested that the Yankees were in town and they close off the official store when it gets close to game time. I did not want to chance missing my opportunity. I found the official team store, made my purchases which were a "red hat with a B on it", "a red jacket with a B on it", and a surprise t shirt, red, of course, that has Matsuzaka's name on it in Japanese kana characters.





I'm sure these items will be a hit assuming my luggage ever finds its way back to me. But that's another story.