It's a GIRL!

We found out on Nov 20th that we're having a lil' girl!  We had a Level 2 Sonogram with our high risk doctor and she was quite cooperative!  In fact, she was spread eagle! LOL  I hope she doesn't continue the trend into her teenage years though!  Everything measured good and her heart is strong.  So let's thank God for that!  

In other news- Steph and Ron's wedding was perfect!  The church ceremony was beautiful and the reception was fun fun fun!  (See pics on my myspace- www.myspace.com/mrsmonardo)  We stayed overnight after the reception because we were down in Galloway Twp- so it was a bit of a hike.  Unfortunately, Sal had to work the next morning, so we were up and out of there by 8 am.  That kinda sucked considering we didn't get to bed til after 1 am.  Oh well.  This same night though, something wonderful happened!  Kerry and Chris got engaged!!  After 7 long years, it's official!  I only wish I would have gotten her message that night instead of the next morning!  I can't wait to help her plan!  It's been a long time coming and I'm sure if we really wanted to, we could have it planned in 6 months! LOL  But I know realistically, it'll probably be in a year or so!  (P.S. Ker, we need to talk dates!)

So, today is Thanksgiving and I'm hosting this year (5 months pregnant and sick as a dog, what was I thinking?)  I've been up since 5:30, cooking, cleaning, blowing my nose and coughing up a lung.  Oy!  Hopefully everyone will just eat and go.  I know that sounds harsh, but I really just want to get back in bed.  Plus I have to work tomorrow, so I really need to rest at some point.  We had a full house last night too.  And even though I retired to bed early, I didn't go to sleep- I couldn't quit coughing.  It's horrible!  I saw my OB yesterday and he put me on an antibiotic, and told me to take Robitussin and Sudafed.  I'm doing all that and still am not feeling any better!  I hope by tomorrow I feel at least a little bit better so I can get through work!  

So long for now.. gotta baste the turkey!

Since I haven't done this in forever...

We had Sal's Birthday Party here last night, it was a pretty good time!  Planning and setting up and cleaning and all other things that go along with it- not so fun, but the outcome was well worth it!  Everyone brought something, so that lessened the blow a bit.  Food was good, desserts were yummy.  Sal got some really nice gifts too, he was thrilled!

We finished the clean up this morning, so thank goodness that's done.  We also finally took down the Halloween decorations LOL!  We went to Target this morning and got a Christmas tree.  I know, a fake tree- EEK!  But, it'll be easier on Sal this year, I won't be too much help with the carrying and setting up.  It's pre-lit and has branches that have berries and pine cones on them.  It'll look fab!  I'll just have to keep the yankee candle burning so it smells like a real tree HAHA!

I also got my eyebrows threaded today.  I've never had my eyebrows done by anyone- no waxing, no threading, nothing.  So that was an experience!  They look fantastic though!  I'll def keep getting them done.  It hurt a little bit though, but the girl said it was probably because I'm preggers I'm more sensitive.  She said normally it doesn't hurt at all.

We have Steph and Ron's wedding this Friday, so excited about that!  It's been a long time coming!  Hopefully the weather will be nice, the 10-day forecast shows showers though.  We'll have to keep our fingers crossed that changes!

I have my Level 2 sonogram on Nov 20th and we'll hopefully find out what we are having!  As long as he/she isn't laying crossed-legged!  

I'll update after the wedding, unless something earth shattering happens before then!

Home from our trip

Well, we're finally home from Canada.  Niagara Falls and Toronto were nice to see/visit, but we're not looking to go back anytime soon.  Niagara was beautiful, very scenic, got a lot of pics.  There was a lot to do but we didn't get to do everything, not nearly!  We did Maid of the Mist- where you get on a ferry and it takes you to the bottom of the Falls.  That was our fave thing to do.  The Falls are incredible, but when you're that close, its like being in a hurricane!  The wind and "rain" are harsh, we laughed the whole time though!  We also did Journey Behind the Falls and Niagara's Fury.  For Journey, you get in an elevator and go down 100 some odd feet to these tunnels built into the Falls.  As you walk through them there are a few observation decks to check out the Falls from.  You're at the base of the Falls so it's pretty harsh down there too.  Sal braved the "storm" and took some cool pics, I was just trying to not be blown away!  Niagara's Fury was kinda cool- it was a little cartoon movie explaining the making of the Falls and then you go into another room and "experience" the making of the Falls- snow, rain, "crumbling glaciers".  Good thing we were given ponchos- the "elements" would have left us pretty wet.  We also did a horse-drawn carriage ride along the Falls, that was a bit romantical at sunset.  We did a little walking around town, but not much, it's a pretty hill-y area and I got tired easily.  We did stop in an old-fashioned soda fountain and got coke floats- we sat at the counter and everything, so that was cute.  It was all 50's style in decor, I liked it!  

When we left Niagara Falls we headed for Toronto, but stopped in Niagara-on-the-Lake on the way.  Super cute little town.  Windy roads, produce stands, wine vineyards (oh, how I would have loved to do a few of those!), cutesy downtown Main Street.  We had breakfast in a little cafe called The Stagecoach- best bacon and eggs ever!  Sal had some bangin' pancakes too.  Yum-o!  

Toronto was like a mini-NYC.  I'm not a fan of cities, but at least it was clean and the people were pleasant.  Our hotel was pretty rad- The Suites at 1 King West.  Super cool.  We had a little kitchen, washer/dryer, office nook, etc.  I wasn't feeling so hot in Toronto, so unfortunately I stayed in the room 90% of the time.  Sal got to go out exploring though.  He went up in the CN Tower, which he said was a bit scary, but pretty awesome at the same time.  We walked through the Eaton Center- which is a huge mall.  

Overall, we're glad we went, but don't really plan on returning any time soon.  The tourists in Niagara were awful.  So rude!  I mean, yes we were tourists too, but we behave respectfully.  We were cut in line, pushed, shoved, stepped on.  Sal was at his wit's end.  And even though we stayed at The Sheraton on the Falls, which is probably one of the nicest hotels in Niagara, we couldn't get a straight answer on anything.  For example- Sal called down to the concierge to find out what time Maid of the Mist started running.  He was told "oh, I don't know, just walk over there and see when the line starts forming".  Really?!  So he asked someone else- I believe it was our waiter at breakfast and he said "around 10 or so".  Okay, so that was a little better, but no one could tell us the first boat left at 9:45?!  We had to find that out for ourselves.  It was frustrating.  Same non-sense happened in Toronto.  All the brochures, pamphlets we gathered- nothing had times or prices!  I guess we're just so used to going to Orlando, where they do tourism properly.  All the employees are informed, they know when the parks open and close, shuttle schedules, etc.  

Anyway, that's it about Canada.  We're glad to be home.  We're so beat, we both are sitting here in our pj's.  I still haven't unpacked and really have no desire to any time soon.  

So long New Jersey!

Well, I think I am finally feeling better.  I am still a bit congested, but it's tolerable.  I got the okay from the doctor to take Robitussin DM, so that's helped a lot.  I also got the okay to take Children's Claritin next week if I'm still all stuffed up.  But, we'll see if I need to go there.

In other news, my doctors appointments last week went well.  I love my high risk doctor and the nurses!  Women's and Children's Specialty Center is a fantastic place.  One appointment and I felt totally at ease.  It was a great feeling.  As for the NT Scan, that went well too- baby was quite a wiggle worm, but the doctor saw what he needed to see.  My regular OB appointment was uneventful, I had a slightly abnormal pap, but the doctor wasn't too concerned about it because everything else came back clean.  He checked the baby's heartbeat, which was strong and we left.    

Tomorrow, we are leaving for Niagara Falls and Toronto Canada.  Should be a fun trip since neither of us have been to either place.  We're planning all doing all the touristy things we possibly can, within reason that is!  And of course, I am requesting a little spa time :-)  A facial and manicure sound delightful!  Ahh, blissful spa, here I come!

Last night we went over to Great Adventure for Fright Fest.  It was pretty fun, even though I can't go on any rides.  Since it was the first night of Fright Fest they did an Awakening Parade- where all the zombies enter the park for the first time of the season.  It was pretty cool to be honest, the makeup and costumes are high quality.  We would have stayed longer but it was crazy packed and hard to navigate.  But we did enjoy ourselves while we were there.

Alright, I've wasted enough time playing on here, I better go finish up my packing duties. 

Oh man!

I have the worst sore throat!!!  My ears hurt and my throat is on fire, it hurts to swallow my own spit.  I've tried "at home" remedies and nothing has worked... the warm salt water just made me gag and dry heave.  And if I drink anymore decaf tea with honey, I may float away.  I guess I have to call the doctor today and see if I can get in... I don't know what they will be able to do for me, but I'm afraid to let it go if there is an infection.  Can I ever catch a break?!

UPDATE: Went to the doctor this afternoon- Strep Throat.  Freakin' great.

Since it's been a while...

I'm terrible at updating.  I just don't find the time lately, I suck!  But here's a few things:

I have my first appointment with the high risk doctor on the 29th, which I believe will consist of the NT Scan.  The NT Scan tests to see if the baby is likely to have Down's Syndrome.  Obviously, the results will not change anything, but because of my Crohn's Disease, I have to have a bunch of tests.  So I will do whatever the doctor orders!  Then I have my 12 week appointment with the regular doctor on Oct 2nd.  Hopefully the baby will look like more than a blob by then!

I've been feeling... what's the word... cruddy?  cranky?  crampy?  Yeah, all of the above.  Morning sickness is still ruling my world, if it's not one end, its the other.  Sorry for the bluntness, but well, this is my damn blog and I tell it like it is!  Fun news though, my lower belly is getting hard!  I can't suck it in anymore.  I know that sounds weird, but that's the only way to describe it.  And the buttons on my jeans are digging in like whoa!  I'm going to need a bella band soon I think.  I'm going to go for as long as I can't without though, I feel like it's too early for that.  And I don't want to be "that pregnant girl".  I know I'm still way early in my pregnancy, I'm not running out to buy Liz Lange yet!  Oh and another issue I've been having- breakouts!  OMG!  I was truly blessed as a teen to not have acne problems, and even my early twenties.  I guess I should thank birth control for that.  But since I've been off BC and pregnant- eww!  My skin is awful!  It's a good thing I am handy with a makeup brush, let me tell ya!

Okay, I need to go wash off my face mask!   

Got to see my peanut!

I saw Dr Cahill today, he did a full exam and then ultrasound.  We saw the lil' peanut and heard the heartbeat!  Mom told Aly to "shh" we have to listen for the baby.  As soon as we heard the "thump thump thump" Aly yelled "baby! baby!"  It was adorable!  Then as the doctor took the pictures to print out for both grandmas and for us, we continued to hear the "thump thump thump" and Aly goes "oh god baby!"  Even Dr Cahill laughed and he usually doesn't crack a smile.  He measured the baby and determined that April 5th was too early and gave me a new due date of April 15th.  I go back on October 2nd for my 12 week and we'll see if that date stands.   That's all my news for now.

First Ultrasound today...

So today I will be getting my first ultrasound!  Yay!  We get to see the peanut!  Sal, unfortunately, will not be with me.  He and his dad are at the US Open in NYC for the day, it was a trip they had planned for 2 months, so I can't be mad at him.  My mom and Alyssa (since Mom is babysitting her) are going to go with me.  After my appointment I need to call the high-risk doctors and make an appointment with them.  I have a feeling I will be living at the doctor's office the next 9 months.  Oh well!  

I'll update after when I get back...

Official Announcement!

Okay, so maybe not that official, but since you guys already know- yes, I am preggers!  I had my first appointment on Aug 22nd and was told I was about 8 weeks along.  I was given a tentative due date of April 5th (yes Tracy, your b-day!), but that could change as we all know.  I go for my first sonogram on Sept 4th.  I am being treated as a high risk pregnancy because of my Crohn's Disease, better safe than sorry!  My friend Michele is currently carrying twins and is seeing the same high risk doctors I will be seeing, she said they are awesome.  So that's good to hear.  

As for the actually pregnancy so far, I'm having some terrible morning sickness.  Oy!  It's really quite terrible, I can't sugar coat it.  Anyone who has gone through it knows what I mean.  I haven't been eating after 6 pm and not before 10 am the next morning just to avoid throwing up.  Nothing seems to help.  I have Preggie Pops, I've sipped ginger ale, I've eaten saltine crackers, I've sucked on lemons... there's no relief for me.  But, Kim passed an old wives tale on to me yesterday "the worse the morning sickness, the healthier the baby".  Boy, I sure hope that's true!  Aside from the morning sickness, I've felt every cramp in my lower abdomen and back and feel like I could sleep for days.  Every side effect, I've got it!  I am truly envious of women who get through their first trimester without these ailments.  

Okay, I'm going to attempt a few chores around the house and run a few errands.  (and then take a nap!)

I won something!

Thanks Tracy for passing this award on :-)  I was so excited to see that!

So this past weekend was pretty enjoyable (well, most of it).  Friday night we had a few people over to celebrate Nicole's 26th Birthday.  I got her such a great gift at www.mommyjewelry.com (the Silhouette Circle) with her son's name and date of birth.  She was thrilled.  I also got her sTORI TELLING by Tori Spelling.   (I got one for me too!) And it's a fantastic book.  Honestly.  If you have see her show Tori and Dean, you'll love this.  She's incredibly witty and funny and not anything like you'd expect her to be.  Great easy read!  Saturday, we had to go up to Staten Island (booo!!)  Sal's grandparent's were having a BBQ.  We THOUGHT this BBQ was for Meemaw's birthday, however, it was for their housekeeper's birthday.  What?!  We were so confused.  It was just such an odd afternoon, I couldn't wait to leave.  I hate Staten Island.  Their whole backyard was the size of my office at work.  Yuck!  I'm just used to spacious yards here in the O.C.  Sunday was a pretty lazy day for us.  We went to breakfast at Fast Break on Route 37, delicious!  Then we went down to the boardwalk and walked for about an hour and change.  It's fun to people watch there on any given summer weekend.  Oh the things you'll see!  Oh, and Sal won an ipod speaker/stand thing.  He was thrilled!  And then we just came home and hung out, I made chili and we watched tv.  We're so lazy some days, but I was tired, so it was a welcomed laziness :-)

Okay, gotta get ready for work!  Thanks again Trace ;-)

I suck at the updates...

So, I'll do a quick review... Carrie Underwood concert was eh.  It poured, so the field where they had the stage set up was muddy and full of mosquitos (gross!)  We ended up not even going to our seats, we sat out on random bleachers at the end of the field.  She sounded great though, we stayed for about half her set before the chill of the night air got to us and we couldn't take it anymore!  So we hopped on the bus back to the car and decided to park by the tennis courts (behind Toys R Us) and watch the fireworks.  The fireworks were amazing, seriously.  So we enjoyed that!

Work has been work.  The New Girl never "talked" to me, but whatever.  I don't think she and the Lead Teller know that I know what happened and what was said.  I'll just tuck that info away in the back of my mind for now.

What else... oh we went to see Saltimbanco (a Cirque du Soleil show) last night at Prudential Center.  It was eh.  We've seen Cirque in Orlando and Vegas- both of which are excellent.  But this one last night... in comparison, it was just dull.  There was an entire segment dedicated to a guy juggling.  Yes, juggling.  That doesn't "wow" me.  Then, there were these people stomping and swinging ropes with little metal balls at the end.  Clack clack click click.. to a beat.  Really??  I paid $77 a ticket for this?!  I was over it.  So at intermission we left.  It was boring me to sleep, literally.  The costumes were cool- very colorful, but just eh overall.  

And then the 30th we're going to see Kid Rock and Lynyrd Skynyrd at PNC.  That will be sure to please.  I don't foresee us leaving that early due to boredom.  We're going with a bunch of people and tailgating before.  Expecting that to be a good time.

Okay, I'm off to the foodstore and then mom's for breakfast.

Utter and complete NONSENSE!

So, I get a phone call from my boss, Fatima, last night, telling me she wants to prepare me.  My reaction of course was, "Oh, no!  What'd I do now?"  To which she responds, "Oh, honey, you did nothing wrong".  So here's what happened:  When I left yesterday, the "new" girl started whispering with the Lead Teller.  Fatima doesn't put up with high school bullshit, so she calls them out- "What?  What's going on?"  They start mumbling "oh nothing, nothing".  She insisted they tell her and New Girl goes "I don't think Amy likes me" and walks outside for a cigarette.  Fatima follows her and confronts her about it; wanting to know why she feels that way, etc.  Apparently, I make her do things she doesn't know how to do, I don't help her and I give her the cold shoulder.  Fatima flat out said that she doesn't believe that because I am basically the "trainer" of the branch.  I wouldn't "make" her do something she doesn't know how to do.  Then Fatima tells her never to go to the Lead Teller with complaints, she has to go to the person she has a problem with.  New Girl mumbles some more and goes home.  THEN, Fatima goes to the Lead Teller and pulls her into the kitchen to talk.  The problem Fatima has with Lead Teller is she wasn't being a "supervisor" she was being a "shit stirrer" (her words not mine).  Instead of telling New Girl, "Listen, you need to talk to Amy about this" she was egging her on.  So Fatima asks what was said, etc and why Laurie would think I hated her.  Lead Teller tells Fatima she thinks I hate New Girl because she is poor.  (WHAT?!?!)  Fatima tells Lead Teller that is absurd, reprimands her about the other stuff and drops it.  

So now it comes to me.  After hearing all this, my jaw was on the floor.  Fatima knows its a crock of shit and just wanted to give me a heads up for today.  Apparently, New Girl wants to talk to me.  Whatever.  I have no problem with her as a person and I especially don't care that she "poor".  The only problem I have is she wants to be coddled.  She's been trained, she's going on being there for 3 months, she should be able handle basic transactions (but she chooses not to).  Every time a customer comes to her, she turns to me or Lead Teller, saying "I don't know how to do this".  She has a notebook full of notes and went to official training for 2 weeks and spent almost 2 months with me or Dawn (the Assistant Manager).  If it's something she doesn't "know how to do", she should be pulling out her notes and looking up how to do it.  That's what I did when I was new.  I didn't have someone watching over my shoulder every time I opened a new account or redeemed bonds.  That's where my issue lies with her and I have no problem laying that out there today when we "talk".  

I very easily could have a problem with other aspects of her personality, but I don't.  She's got a hard life, I get that.  So she doesn't have much money, who does?  None of that even crosses my mind.  But when she turns away a customer because she "doesn't know how to do that", I have an  issue.  

Sorry, just had to get that off my chest.  I'll get off my soap box now.

Carrie Underwood this Saturday!

I am so excited!  I bought tickets to Toms River Fest months ago, and the weekend has finally arrived!  I get to see Carrie Underwood Saturday night!  I love her and couldn't be more excited to see her!  YAY!  I've never been to TR Fest either, so that'll be a new experience too!  I think I may break out my cowboy boots for the occasion :-)

I got to see lil Mr. Mason over the weekend, he's getting so big!  I swear he grew a foot since I saw him 4th of July weekend!  And he's really starting to have his own look.  And it's an adorable one!  Babies grow so fast.  It's nuts!

And Aly is walking and talking up a storm!  She's got a bit of a 'tude though, must be the Ziemer in her LOL!  But she's a good girl overall.  And my goodness does she look like Kati!  Holy moly!  Totally a mini-me of her Momma.  She said to me the other day "No! I can do it!"  Haha!

No news on my baby-making front.  Only time will tell.  Say a prayer for us, I think we need them! :-)

Bobby Van's Steakhouse

We had a great weekend!  Saturday night we went to NYC for Ron's Birthday Dinner!  We went to Bobby Van's Steakhouse on 54th St in Manhattan.  It was amazing!  We left at 5 pm and had reservations for 6:30 pm- should have been plenty of time to get there- NOT!  We were a half hour late, but thankfully they were understanding (and it didn't hurt that Uncle Phil is a regular there, so he called a few days before and told them to take care of us!)  We had 3 waiters, yes 3!  They totally kissed our asses, which was kinda cool but something none of us were used to!  The food was incredible, but pricey!  We all had filet mignon (and it was literally about 4 inches thick, no exaggeration!), mashed potatoes, mac & cheese (which was the most delish mac and cheese I've ever tasted!), fried zucchini, cottage fries, onion rings and dessert was comp'ed!  They brought our 4 different slices of "cake"- cheese cake, Tiramasu, some sort of flaky pastry layered cake, and a fudge-like chocolate caramel cake.  Very good, but very rich.  I'm not a big dessert person but I tried a little of each (except the chocolate, I really don't love chocolate).

After dinner we had planned on walking around after dinner, but, I wore new gladiator-like sandals  and they were KILLING my feet!  So we were going to just stop in a store and get me some cheap flip flops to wear.  Sounds easy enough right? WRONG!  Everything was closed.  We were on E. 54th between Park and Lex.  Business district.  Stores close at like 7.  Its not like in Times Square where everything is open late.  I was about to cry.  I had blisters, my feet were swollen, I could barely walk.  Plus it was still like 95 degrees at 8:30 pm.  We decided to just go back to the car and drive the FDR and take some pics by the Brooklyn Bridge/ South Street Seaport.  They have these beautiful waterfalls set up under the Brooklyn Bridge for the summer, so we tried to get a few pics of that.  They didn't come out well though, too many lights, air particles, people in general.  I think one came out decent.  Oh well.  

Yesterday, I went over my momma's house to swim and hangout.  Sal went down to A.C. to see The Dark Knight (even though I took him to see it Friday night!) in IMAX.  It was a pretty relaxing day, we took Aly in the pool and made burgers on the grill.  It rained on us twice and Aly thought that was just the funniest thing ever.  She's too cute!  

Out.

Wooo it's gonna be a hot one!

I'm not very good at updating this thing daily, so for now, I'll aim for weekly or every few days!

Let's see, what have I been up to?  We went to the Ocean County Fair last Saturday night!  We had so much fun, as cheesy as a County Fair sounds.  We got a TIN MUG of root beer, can I even say how excited over that I was?!  I love my tin mug!  And of course we got roasted peanuts, can't go to a fair without peanuts!  We watched the motorcycle stunt show, bought a Coach wristlet "off the back of a truck", admired the prize winning animals, discussed gardening with a lady at one of the tables.  It was a nice night.  We didn't get there until about 8 pm, so the sun was low, almost down and the humidity was gone.  It was perfect.  And the smells...oh man!  I enjoy the scents of fairs, honestly, think about it.  Popcorn, sausage, peppers, onions, french fries, funnel cake... yummmmmm!  

And what else... Sunday Kati, Nicole and I took the babies to the beach.  Alyssa absolutely loved it!  She loved the sand, the waves, the sunshine.  She was an angel.  Mason slept through most of it in his Pea Pod though!  We didn't last there too long, it was quite hot and crowded and the water was ice cold.  We'll have to try again one day during the week when the BENNYS aren't around.  Because seriously, if I have to play babysitter to a  lost child again, I may just lose it on the parent who isn't watching their 3 year old.

And now I'm off from work today and I have entirely too much to do.  I guess it's okay though because it's going to be another HOT one.  Part of me wants to blow it all off and go lay on the beach by myself with a book, but alas, the responsible side of me knows what has to be done.  So on that note... I'm out.

It went GREAT!

Our Luau was a huge success!  The weather was so-so, but we didn't let that dampen our spirits!  Actually, after a short drizzle, the sun came out for a bit (around 7 pm).  We had some great laughs, ate lots of food and got a ton of bug bites! LOL  Wouldn't be a BBQ without them!  Didn't matter that we had 8 citronella tiki torches out and bug spray/ towelettes for our bodies!  Sal even sprayed the yard with Bug Defogger (or something like that).  Oh well, hopefully no one contracted West Nile.  

And of course, the boys had to get the MMA pay-pre-view at 10 pm.  $45 to watch men beat the crap out of each other.. nice.  It was the LONGEST fight ever though, I was so tired my eyes were literally rolling back in my head.  We didn't have the house to ourselves until 1:30am.  But everyone enjoyed themselves and that's all that matters!!   Check out the pics on my myspace if you feel so inclined (www.myspace.com/mrsmonardo)

This weekend I'm getting my hair done at long last- why I've waited so long I don't know.  It's been since April!!  I am in desperate need of highlights and a cut!  Then, Saturday night we have Danielle's (the neighbor) 29th  birthday celebration.  That should be a pretty good time.  Sunday Sal is going to a baseball game and I'm hoping to hit up the beach, if all goes as planned.  

Well, let's wrap this up and get dinner started!

4th of July!

I am so excited I have a 3 day weekend!  I got off work today at 3 and started my long weekend of fun!  I ran some errands- had to pick a few things for our BBQ on Saturday, then I came home and did some chores- watering the flowers, laundry, etc.  And you know what?  I didn't even care!  Sure I was doing "work" but I was just so happy to be free! LOL

Our little Luau this weekend should be great- we have a ton of great stuff!  I purchased some decorations and my neighbor, Danielle, got some stuff from her parent's house (they have had a luau or two).  I can't wait to decorate and set it all up!  The weather reports say a chance of rain, but we won't let that stop us.  Worse case we'll set up under Chris' car port and in our garage.  It'll all work out.

Tomorrow should be a good day too, we're going to hang by the pool at Ron's and RELAX.  We all need a day of doing nothing!  Although, in the morning we do have a couple of things we need to do (food prep, mowing the lawn, etc.)  And then Saturday morning I get to play with Alyssa, my fav little girl!  I'll put her to work- she can help take the decorations out of the box- she loves to do that! LOL

Well, I'm in need of a shower, I was washing down the patio furniture and yuck! is all I can say about that!  I'll be sure to write all about how this weekend goes.... 

Till then.

Mmm Pie..

So yesterday we decided to go for a drive out to Columbus Flea Market.  The drive out is always nice. empty roads, farmland, etc.  It was great weather too (at least when we first got there!)  We walked around a bit, looking for something we didn't need but wanted and found nothing.  Only thing we bought was an empanada, chicken kabob and a orange soda. LOL  At 9:30 AM!  But it's okay, I let Sal enjoy his treat.  We couldn't stay very long long, it got HOT and FAST.  No sooner did the words "wow, it's actually nice out" come out of my mouth did the temperature rise about 15 degrees.  I was wearing a sundress and could feel my thighs starting to stick (you know it happens to you too!) and that was the end of it for me.  So back to the car we went and decided we were going to head over to one of the U-Pick farms in New Egypt.  Not that we were actually going to pick anything,  but we wanted to see what they had already picked in the shop (we so weren't dressed to be out in the fields).  Well, we ended up at Emery's.  They didn't have any fruits or veggies, they had PIE.  Oh man.  I am not a dessert person, but put a apple pie in front of me and I can't resist!  So, we bought 3 pies (one for us, one for my parents and one for Sal's parents), corn relish (because Sal likes that), blackberry jam, strawberry jam, and apple cider donuts (I can't resist those either!).  So $60 later we left and headed home to disperse our treats.  It was a nice morning, felt good to get out of town and man, those donuts were so worth the trip!  They were 10 times better than Delicious Orchards apple cider donuts, these actually had bits of apple in them!  

Alright, off to work I go.. man, I hate Mondays...

Manic Mondays

Why do we always feel so tired on Mondays?  Is it coming down off the weekend high?  Or the dread of working for 8 hours a day?  Whatever the reason, Mondays make me sleepy and yes, even slightly grumpy.  I was driving to work this morning, after my daily Dunkin' Donut stop, in a complete daze.  I pulled into the parking lot and couldn't remember driving there.  That's never good.  Apparently everyone was having a rough morning, Tara was feeling under the weather, Dawn was slamming around at her desk, I couldn't seem to get my head on straight.  Not a cheerful morning at the ISB.

I guess I shouldn't complain much though, I did have a nice weekend.  After work Saturday, I came home and threw on my suit and parked my ass in a lounger out on the deck with a book.  I just enjoyed the warmth of the sun and the trashy goodness of my Nora Roberts.  Then, Saturday night we went out to celebrate Lenny's 29th Birthday at Ikko in Brick.  We had a good time, even though our food wasn't totally yummy.  Ikko is a sushi/hibachi.  We didn't sit hibachi side though, we sat restaurant side.  And that's would have been all well and good, except 6 of the 8 of us don't eat sushi so we were forced to pick something off the very limited non-sushi menu.  I got teriyaki filet mignon and it was hardly filet mignon- I don't even know what I could compare it to.  I mean it was tender, but beyond that...eh.  And the waitress, good Lord was she a moron!  She was getting snippy with US for not understanding HER!  Hi, this is America.  You work here.  Learn the language!  Not to mention she almost elbowed Angie in the nose twice!  Needless to say, the tip we left wasn't worth writing home about.  (P.S. just because we're in a Japanese restaurant doesn't mean everyone knows how to use chop sticks, and when you're asked for forks, it's a good idea to get them! Sidenote: I was not one of the 3 in need of a fork, I'm quite handy with the chop sticks- rice and all!)

Sunday consisted of much running around.  Lowe's, Stop and Shop, Target, Sears, car wash, back to Lowe's.  Also got in a few hours of sun worshipping and gossip mag reading too!  I enjoy a lazy Sunday on occasion, actually most occasions!  We did purchase another freezer for the garage- we were in desperate need.  The freezer in our fridge is entirely too small, I just can't fit anything in it.  The fridge part is fine, no complaints there!  So we got a 8.8 cubic feet freezer and we'll see how that goes.  There's only the 2 of us, so for now it should work out.  I just need somewhere to store my frozen veggies and ice!

In other news, I've reunited with a dear friend from high school- Mike Hernandez aka Hondo!  I found him on Facebook (sidenote: I hate Facebook, don't understand it at all!) and emailed him, wasn't 100% sure it was him- turns out it was and we've been emailing and texting for the past week or so.  We were such good buds and just lost touch over the years, hopefully we won't do that again!  I'm planning a small BBQ on July 5th that he's going to come to, so that'll be nice.  Sal's never even met him, so he's happy to meet him too!  It's funny, my mom mentioned "Hondo" the other day, I can't even remember how he came up in convo, but perhaps that was a bit of foreshadowing?!

I just have to share this- as I'm sitting here typing my husband and our neighbor Chris are trying to change my front door handle.  Yes, it's taking two of them.  And they are reading directions.  Even I don't read directions.  I could probably do it myself, but I don't mind watching these antics.. pretty entertaining.

Alright, I'm off to get some Rita's!

  

This past weekend....

Let's do a review of this past weekend...

I actually had a Saturday off!  First one in about a month!  I spent the day running errands, laying in the sun and cleaning the house.  In that order (had to be outside for the prime tanning hours!).  That night we went to dinner with some friends of ours, an older couple Sal knows from his old gym, "Uncle" Phil and Olga.  We went to hibachi at Shogun (yum!)  It was a pretty good time, lots of laughs.  Uncle Phil has no shame, I'll just say that.

Sunday was of course, Father's Day.  We did breakfast with Sal's parents then popped in on my parents.  We were home by about 1 pm and were able to relax!  We watched a movie, I cooked sausage/ peppers/ onions and we attempted the dreaded ice cream machine.  (Quick sidenote to LN: just saw a commercial for Cirque Dreams LOL  it's going to be on Broadway!)  Okay, back to the ice cream maker- we were not at all prepared for making ice cream.  We had all the ingredients, sure, but not nearly enough ice!  That tub was like a bottomless pit!  So, it churned for a while with the ice we had and finally, I simply could not take the noise anymore and made Sal turn it off and stick the semi-made ice cream in the freezer.  Later that night Sal gave it a try and said it wasn't bad.  I, at this point, had no desire to even taste it.  It was nothing but a argument between us all day (because if I let him but the $75 Cuisinart one we wouldn't have had this problem, it didn't NEED ice) Whatever!

And now it's Tuesday and I have a day off, because I have to work this Saturday (big surprise).  I have nothing I have to do today, so I'm not sure what I will do with my day.  The sun is out.. so laying on the back deck is always an option... and maybe I'll finish reading The Hollow by Nora Roberts.  

TTFN!

Quickie

Quick update- so, we've yet to make the ice cream!  Our freezer is filled to the gills right now, so we're holding off on it.  Sal has been asking every night to make it, but I keep asking him in return "and where do you plan on putting it?"  So, perhaps this weekend it will be made, we've got some eatin' to do first though!  I'm not so into making the banana one though, I'm going to try to convince him to try something else first.  Bananas don't agree with me so well!

Tracy mention the Ice Cream Festival in her comment of the last blog and I wanted to share that with everyone- its July 19th in Downtown Toms River!  I plan on checking it out this year since I had such a good time at the Chili Cookoff a few weeks ago.  Hope to see everyone there!

And I just have to say, I was just flipping through the channels on TV and stopped on some High School Stories show (courtesy of MTV of course) and a couple of jackasses put laxatives in donuts and passed them out in the hallways at school- giving everyone the shits.  Who does that?!  Honestly... that's screwed up!

And a quick shout out to Laura Nic!  She's comments every blog, so she deserves some acknowledgement!  Love ya girlie!

ice cream anyone?

So, the other night we were watching Alton Brown on the Food Network and he made Banana Ice Cream.  Can anyone guess where I'm going with this?  If you guessed Sal decided we NEED an ice cream maker and ran out to buy one- you'd be right.  Oy.  Now, I can say that homemade ice cream kicks ass, I've made it before, but honestly are we going to make enough to warrant the purchase of an ice cream maker?  No.  And when you get right down to it, I don't eat ice cream anymore.  If I have a few spoonfuls a year, that's it.  

So today during our food shopping excursion we HAD to get all the necessary items to make said banana ice cream.  And can I just say the thought of whole milk and heavy cream make my stomach turn?  I don't know why, but ewww!  So, that's our project for today, he's excited about it though, so I guess as long as he's happy...

In other news, Nicole, Lenny and Mason are home!  We stopped by there yesterday for a bit, but didn't stay too long, they needed to settle in.  They're going to be such good parents, its so exciting to watch them interact with him.  Sal's got the baby itch more than ever right now, it's cute.

Well, I'm off to fold laundry and make the bed, I lead such an exciting life, I know.  I'd rather do the indoor chores though during this heat wave, ugh!  We went to a Blueclaws game last night and couldn't even stay- the sweat was running down my legs- and that's disgusting.  Thank you God for air conditioning!

It's a Boy!!

Nicole and Lenny had a little boy yesterday at 1:18 pm.  His name is Mason Manning and he was 8 lbs 4 oz 20 1/2 inches.  He's absolutely BEAUTIFUL!  I fell in love!  He's right under Aly on my list!  Nicole is doing well, she ended up having to have a c-section, but other than fighting nausea she's doing okay.  Can't wait to go back there today and snuggle the lil bunny some more!

quick update

Nicole is still in labor, over 12 hours now.  Say a prayer everything goes smoothly for her from here on out.  I woke up at 5 am from a dream that she had a girl, 21 inches, 7 lbs 4 ozs.  I immediately texted her hubby (since I didn't hear from him all night) and he said they were still waiting.  Thankfully though, he said she slept most of the night, had a heart rate scare at 4 am, but other than that the night was quiet.  I told him to keep me updated, I'll have my cell in my hand all day!  I don't know how I'll be able to concentrate at work today!!!

to start things off...

So, I see lots of people with these blogs and figured "Hey, I have a lot to say, why not make my own?!"  So here it goes, my first entry:

Today one of my bff's is having her first baby!  Nicole (said bff) had a due date of May 31st, but that day came and went with no real progress.  She had a doctor appt yesterday and they decided to induce her today at 5pm.  So in about 30 minutes, she'll be starting the whole labor process.  We're all anxiously awaiting the arrival of this lil bugger!  Nicole and her hubby decided to not find out the sex, so that makes it all the more exciting!  Hopefully by tomorrow morning, I'll be writing a blog on the arrival of Baby C!

As for me, those who are in the loop, know we're trying our damnedest to get pregnant.  This month we're using an ovulation kit and keeping our fingers crossed!  It's crazy how people can get pregnant when they aren't trying, but those who try have a hard time.  I think my cousin Tracy said it best when she told me "it's easy to get knocked up, but it's hard to get pregnant".   Hell, if that ain't the truth!