NYC, GOP Politics and Facebook Timeline               

The past two weeks have flown by.  It’s always something - work, family, trips, and tasks.  Everything and anything.  The definite best part of the last two weeks was our trip to NYC.  Hubby and I cashed in a bunch of his Hilton Honors points and did it up right at the Waldorf Astoria on Park Avenue.   I’ve finally, finally gotten to a place in my life where I am extremely comfortable in such grandiose surroundings like the W-A.  Even so I still have a strong inclination to stick my hands in my pockets (like my mother told me to) when I walk into a place that has diamonds and silver, Sèvres and Baccarat.  The Waldorf is full of such incredible history and characters.  It’s one of those magical places that holds so much more than you could imagine four walls ever could. 

We had beautiful weather flying in on Friday and reservations that night at Todd English’s Ember Room http://emberroom.com/ a short walk away in Hell’s Kitchen.  Since it was Restaurant Week we took advantage of their special prix fixe menu and feasted on Japanese Eggplant, Chocolate BBQ spareribs and sea bass.  One of the things that I like most about eating out while on vacation, is the fact that we purposefully choose places that are not only great, but within walking distance.  There’s something that’s calorically freeing when you can get in a ten minute walk before and after chowing down!  We really need to start doing that when we eat out at home since we’ll hop in the car for a 5 block jaunt – it might ease the guilt a little or maybe even a whole lot.

Saturday brought with it beautiful white fluffy snow – and a Saturday is such an awesome day to have a Snow Day.  I know we were on vacay, but the locals actually smile when there’s snow on the weekend probably because they don’t have to worry about digging their car out to get to the office.  We did have to stop for our mandatory hat purchase at H&M for Mikey.  No matter how many times we travel in cold weather, he never can seem to find something he likes that will keep his head and EARS warm.  He totally went rogue and fashion went flying out the window when he chose a Deputy Dog hat with earflaps this time around.  Yep, he went there.   Besides, who was I to argue – it was freezing cold and I was bundled up from neck to shin in a fur coat.  Not exactly sure what kind of fur it is, fox, muskrat or maybe Civet cat; don’t know and don’t care!  My pal Annette lent it to me and it had been her mother’s (extra points for it having no doubt a fabulous backstory!) anyway, it was toasty warm and I love, love, loved  it.  I did live in fear of some PETA whack-job (yes, I said that) tossing a can of red paint at me but what was even funnier was the looks I got from other women.  Everything from jealous disdain to open admiration – I handled it well, I must say J  PS – if the camera adds ten pounds, then the coat added an extra 25!

Enjoyed walking around the city, hitting Macy’s, Time Square, Tiffany’s, Wall Street and Ground Zero.  The new Freedom Tower on the grounds of the former World Trade Center is coming along beautifully.  The feel of the city is so much different down in lower Manhattan.   Colder because of the absence of the tall buildings to break the wind shear effect and probably colder just because of the pall that remains over the area.  No one is ever going to forget; there’s no chance of that because everywhere you turn is a reminder of the lives that were lost that day. 

We made sure that we got our Broadway fix in with Chicago – then late dinner-ish meal at Medi Wine Bar http://mediwinebar.com/ where we had wonderful mussels and clams with a fresh Mediterranean salad.  Finished that off with fresh berries and mascarpone and no guilt as we hoofed it back to the hotel! 

Sunday our sight-seeing took place in the hotel itself before leaving for EWR.  I thoroughly enjoyed it and a special shout out to the fine gentlemen at http://elliotstevensltd.com/  for making our final few hours totally memorable - Thank You!  Thank you too Bear <3

Wicked Liberal Disclaimer:

The following is meant to be funny; not disrespectful to my friends of the Republican persuasion.  The stuff I’m commenting on is based on members of the GOP primary and their camps bashing one another.  This isn’t an Us vs. Them kind of thing. Them haven’t even weighed in as yet.   It’s supposed to be an “you couldn’t make this stuff up if you tried’ kind of thing.  I’m positive that if it were a Democrat primary year, the same lunacy would be in full swing and there’d be just as much material, if not more (Hello – John Edwards?)

I’m totally not torn up that so many of my favorite shows are mid-season reruns since the GOP primary season is providing so much entertainment value!  Any primary is supposed to separate the wheat from the chaff. This was so much better as I think we are separating the fundamentally clueless from the morally challenged.   I was dying when I heard that the pseudo witch Christine O’Donnell was planning on making a run.  The fact that she took a three day seminar and touted herself as a “Constitutional Expert” provided me with justification for my snort/chuckle.  Then we had Michelle Bachman who stated that God had told her to run for President.  Did he tell her she wouldn’t make it past the primary too?  Maybe she missed that memo.   Oh, then we had Governor Good Hair from the Great State of Texas.  Rick, stay in Texas.  Your sketchy memory and questionable historical accuracy can be overlooked there as long as the oil rigs are a’pumpin.  

Mitt’s got a huge tax question mark over his head and bigamist relatives that high-tailed it down to Mexico.  Those kinds of skeletons don’t disappear once they make a run for the border.  And Newt, ah Newt – three wives, two mistresses and a gay half-sister has got to cause some upset among even your most ardent of camp followers.  Personally I think it makes him more interesting – but that’s just me J

The new Facebook Timeline is here people and I’m skeered.    I’ve converted over but now have less than 5 days to comb through almost 4 years’ worth of comments, status updates and pictures.  I’m not that worried about the updates and pictures; after all, I put them up there in the first place.  The thing I’m worried about is comments… do personal messages show on your timeline?  Did I cover myself when I clicked on the highest level of privacy?  I guess we’ll all find out soon enough.  Apologies in advance!!

Smooches! 

Better Keep Moving Or You'll Get Runned Over!

So things have been moving faster than fast lately and I figured it was about time that I stopped smelling the roses and started shoveling the manure faster. 

All around me things are changing and most of it has to do with new schedules and new responsibilities.  My husband and son are both very self sufficient.  That's not bragging, they basically are.  That doesn't mean that I don't ASSUME that they need me to help them get through their day.  They do.  They don't always tell me so, but I know they do.  

The last couple of months have been something of a cake-walk in terms of my responsibilities.  My son was studying for his EMT certification and was out more than in.  That's cool, it meant that hubby and I could spend more time together, everyone could feed themselves, wash themselves and dress themselves and we all pretty much coexisted in a kind of roommate-ish melange. Of course two of the roommates are sleeping together, but I digress. 

Since the holidays started, we have all been burning it at both ends.  Family in town, gifts to buy, cleaning, cooking and more shopping.  And then Firefighter I & II started and we can't just shuffle off to dinner 4 nights a week anymore.  Junior has to study.  Mama has to cook.  Yes, I know I mentioned cooking a few sentences back, but that was more "People are coming, time to dust off the spatula and shine!" rather than "Meatloaf Monday" cooking.   There is also the laundry.  I figured uniforms were God's way of taking the guesswork out of what to wear everyday but those suckers don't wash themselves! 

It's damn hard doing everything you want and a lot of stuff you don't. 

In other news, Beyonce birthed the bazillion dollar kid, Van Halen's original line up released it's first new song in 16 years and Justin Beiber says he doesn't want a career that mirrors Hanson's.  Hah! He should be so lucky.