Monday's Musings....

1. Who gets mosquito bitten...in the face?!?!? Um, yeah...that'd be me. Seriously! I have three huge welts on my face right now. We were at a friend's house for a Tastefully Simple party tonight - and we were doing a little wine tasting in their fabulous backyard - when clearly, the mosquitos in the area decided to be more like vampires than bugs. I feel like I'm a True Blood character, but I didn't get the opportunity to choose between good vampire or bad vampire...

2. New York was amazing. Truly. We must've walked about 20 miles within 24 hours, between where we stayed in Carnegie Hill to all of Central Park, from the East Village and Chelsea to 5th Ave - we saw so much more than we expected to. We walked the High Line which is a MUST see if you are ever there. This visit was definitely an education in greenspace in the concrete jungle and I loved it. I do think that I'd like for us to see about buying a small condo sometime so we always have a place to go and stay....
2. Momofuku Noodle Bar rocks. Kudos to the staff for their very creative menu, attentive staff and talented chefs that we had the pleasure of sitting in front of. By the way - the buns are amazing. I haven't quite figured out the whole genre of the menu - it's almost Asian meets Indian meets Korean fusion; the person sitting next to me was eating this unbelievable Kimchee dish that someone had them custom create; I think the dish I had might have had Korean sausage actually -- I'm not sure. But whatever it was - it was fabulous, and a flavor profile that I haven't had before. I love creative and exciting cuisine and for what it was - this didn't disappoint. Actually - my expectations of a noodle bar were rather low, having not been before - so this was really a pleasant surprise.

3. I can't believe school starts next week! And yet I'm stil so behind. I have to take the kids to get their school supplies and backpacks this week - which isn't that big of a deal really. I'm going to Wrentham this week (fingers crossed!) to finish up their school clothes shopping and I can't wait. It's been a long, long, long time since the angels have sung to me as hit the city limit - and even though I'm not going shopping for me - I'm just going to be happy to be there. I love buying the kiddies clothes. It just makes me feel so happy.......they look cute and adorable, and I guess that just makes me feel good. Who knows what makes us Moms tick....

Kindness of a Stranger, Pt.2

Last year, I wrote a post about the kindess of a stranger who took a liking to watching myself & my daughter eating dinner at a Chinese restaurant during one of our "girl's nights" - and paid for our dinner. Anonymously, quietly and with no strings attached. (I'd link to the post yet for some reason, I can't find it. But I digress...)


When we were in Manhattan, we were having breakfast and our private food delivery person extraordinaire (not sure for the appropo, political name for waitstaff would be? I like this one far better!) took a liking to Princess Petunia - and her little stuffed animal Connie, whom I don't think I've blogged about. Let's see exhibit "C" for Connie, shall we?

So, long story short - our lovely friend at the restaurant offered to send Princess Petunia a doll that she might use to replace Connie the Cow, who clearly has been very well loved. (And well travelled, might I add...)


And you know what?
He did.

Via FedEx today to the store, our kind and thoughtful benefactor sent us a doll for Princess Petunia to love.



And, she does.


So the moral to the story is this: sometimes, there is more kindness to be found in a stranger than in those who are in our day to day lives; it doesn't take much to make another person smile -- and I don't know who came up with the theory that New Yorkers are rude. Because every single one I've ever met who are legitimately from the Big Apple - are good people.

Maybe New Yorkers & Bostonian's aren't too different after all... ?

Recharged and Re-energized.....

I feel good.
Vacation, though stressful at times with two kids who tend to like to fight -- was really great.



New York was so much fun and as always, was not a long enough stay. We need to go back again! And Hershey Park....if you've never been, I highly encourage it. It was so much fun - and so clean - and truly, they think of everything when it comes to food. I mean truly, from Falafel to Grilled Chicken Salads to typical carnival fare - they have it all. And then of course...there's the chocolate. I'm personally not a huge chocolate person, but it was hard to resist all the free candy; especially the Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.

I've got a few rants regarding my travel, but I'll save them for another day. Instead today, I present to you, the pictoral review of the "I'm Just a Girl Family Vacation"....

Hiatus...Vacation...Siesta....

Long awaited, and long overdue...the "I'm just a girl" family is going on vacation.
Manhattan....Hershey Park, here we come!

Picture to follow when I return...

V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N...in the summertime!

So it's official - and booked.
The I'm Just a Girl family is going on vacation. In the next few weeks, we're hitting the road and taking the kiddies to.... Hershey Park! Very, very fun.

First stop, is Manhattan. I've been promising and promising that we'd take them there - and after the last time we went, we spent so much time thinking and talking about how much they'd love it - we have to bring them. Besides, it's a good stopping point inbetween the ride. So, one day and night in NYC and then three nights at Hershey Park.

The best part is that none of us have been there before; so unlike Disney, where G & I had been there prior to the kids ever going - this is going to be a first for all of us. A real family adventure, so to speak.

And this girl can not wait!

New York, New York big city of dreams.....

Can I just tell you -- I love, love, love NYC.

I love everything about it.
The grittiness, the hustle and bustle -- the fact that anyone and anything goes. I love the glamour, I love the lack of glamour at times. I love the ethnicity and reality of it all.

That being said, we saw Fences on Saturday.

Front row... hello Denzel & crew.

They were practically spitting on us, literally. He's a fabulously talented actor - and Viola Davis, in my opinion - stole the show. Of course her role was probably the most emotional of them all, and believe me - the show, was full of emotions. Laughter, surprise, sadness....it was all there. A-mazing. Probably the best theatrical performance we've seen. That being said, the downside to that, is that every other play we see will have some big old shoes to fill. Huge.

We stayed at the W - which, is trendy and fun -- but a tad too contemporary for this girl's taste. I prefer something a little more traditional and luxurious; however, their bed was amazingly comfortable. The room was great size and the view was pretty nice.

Dinner at the Bluefin, meh...Service, not so great. Food - really great. Reasonably priced too. But again, the style of the restaurant was a bit too contemporary for my taste; I don't love cafeteria style setup, or sterile seating. But that's just this girl's opinon. The seafood and sushi though - off the hook.

Seriously -- just so much fun.

And I can't wait to go back.

Start spreading the news....I'm leaving today....

Well, not literally.
But.....

I am going to NYC with G in the next few weeks because we scored tickets to see Denzel Washington in "Fences"! And.....best part is...... they're front and center! (!!!!!)

It's been a difficult year, between competing for the licenses for the business - the buildout, my Mom's illness and subsequent passing; we have earned -- we deserve -- a good 24 hours to ourselves with lots of good food and laughter - and that means without the pitter patter of little children. We don't do that often, it's been three years now since we went away for an evening and so now is the time.

Thinking about making a reservation for dinner at Bluefin; I've heard it's amazing. Anyone been there, well - please feel free to let me know your thoughts.

Funny thing is, we haven't left yet - and I feel guilty that we aren't taking the kids. It's amazing how being a Mom makes you feel bad sometimes doing something for yourself; so I think the only way to make up for that, is to plan a trip to Hershey Park this August.

Just sayin'.....

Things I'm looking forward to in the very near future....

A massage. Hot power yoga (Namaste). Shopping for fun things, like mascara and lip gloss and boots. Going to a grown up movie. Having time to catch lunch with some of my friends of whom I miss dearly. Going to a Red Sox game. Running a 5k. Going to NYC and seeing a play.

What are you looking forward to?

Have a cupcake, Cupcake!

Today, my son had two playdates -- one this a.m. at a friend's house -- and one this afternoon at our house.

So where does that leave little Princess Petunia?

Well, first she came with me for my hair cut - and was very, very well behaved.
I was impressed.

Then we came home, played Bella Dancerella Pop Star - and made cupcakes with her new Cupcake Maker, courtesy of Auntie Nikki.

Truthfully, making home made cupcakes with grown up stuff tastes far better -- but this makes her feel super grown up and special. She got an Easy Bake Oven from Santa but hasn't had the chance to use it yet. Santa didn't tell Mommy that it requires a BRIGHT light bulb as opposed to the soft white that we've all grown accustomed to buying. Maybe tomorrow we'll tackle that one.

They say the neon lights are bright on Broadway, they say there's always magic in the air...

Sitting front row at the Barrymore Theatre to see David Mamet's "Speed the Plow" was truly nothing short of spectacular.

Though we weren't sure that it would be that way when we were first seated.
It's a beautiful theatre, and an intimate venue which is what I want when I'm seeing a theatrical presentation. But when we sat, our knees were literally touching the stage, and everyone of us in the front row sort of looked at each other and thought "hmm. Maybe we should've gone one row back....". But the minute the lights went down and the actors took the stage it was abundantly clear that we had the best seats in the house, bar none. They were so close, we were practically part of the play ourselves. In one scene, Jeremy Piven almost fell in our laps -- literally.

Raul Esparza and Jeremy Piven were both fantastic -- and that's not an exaggeration. This was a production that has highs and lows, and some great emotion that you don't always get to see in plays. I think the biggest surprise for me was how well Elizabeth Moss performed. In the beginning I wasn't sure of how she was going to do -- but she was excellent.

Going to the theatre always bring back the excitement I remember about being involved in drama myself. I see them up there, and think "I can SO do that... !!" I have done that - just obviously, not on Broadway or any venue so grand.

There's something electric about being on stage -- it's probably what I think someone would equate to a high. Every performance is a living, breathing thing - and it's different every time. It's demanding and rigorous as far as scheduling goes -- but man, I'd do it in a heartbeat.

It's that whole "you can take the girl away from the dream but you can't take the dream away from the girl..."
But we all make choices in life.... and my choice wasn't to follow my dream.
It is, what it is.

At least though, I get to feel the excitement again -- even if it's only vicariously -- and that in of itself is enough for now.

If you plan on going to NYC at any point between now and February -- I'd highly recommend taking this show in.

You won't be disappointed.

Thursday's Thoughts....

1. Update on the knee.... I went to the orthopedic specialist today who took Xrays and examined my cute little patella -- and he is of the feeling that I've got a torn lateral meniscus. Sigh. Fortunately, while I wasn't able to get in for an MRI today, I was able to get in for one tomorrow. I've never had one before, and I don't get claustrophobic or anything -- so how bad can it be, right? Hopefully I'll have better insight as to whether or not I'll need to have that fun little orthoscopic surgery as he mentioned today. Anyone out there in the blogosphere have that kind of a surgery recently? Do tell and share your experiences -- this girl would love to hear it.

2. I never seem to get what I want with my hair. It's so frustrating. I don't like my hair cut at all. Not even a little. She talked me out of cutting it as short as I wanted, and added a bunch of layers instead. Ah yes, now I remember why I haven't layered my hair in like ten years -- I don't like it layered at all. As a matter of fact, I hate it layered. And the highlights aren't as light as I wanted them to be. She added a toner that makes me feel as if my hair is darker than it was when I first started. I know it will fade and lighten - but seriously, $185 later - I should love what I've got, right? Plus, my bangs which look fabulous I have to say -- are wider than I want them to be. I don't like wide bangs, and yet....there I have them. (Insert a big ol' F-bomb HERE.)

3. So can't wait to go to NYC! And I am not letting this knee issue get in the way. Not even a little bit. Sure I'm going to be sore but I am not going to let that stop me from sightseeing! After the play (speaking of Jeremy Piven - the last episode of "Entourage" was fantastic wasn't it! But I digress...) we made dinner reservations at Phillipes where I hear the duck is "to die for". While our dinner reservations are relatively late, I'm really looking forward to being there a bit early and going to the bar. Their Lychee Martini looks fabulous! Seriously, how often do you get to be decadent? Speaking of which -- the hotel we're staying at this time looks beautiful, has an outstanding reputation and best of all -- it was a sweet deal via Hotwire!

Does it get much better than that???

I'm in a New York state of mind.....

(And since the Yankees aren't in the post-season, it's okay for me to feel this way.)

So, I just experienced my first trip to New York City -- and I love, love, loved it.
As much as I enjoy the quiet of the country, I also enjoy the bustle of the city.
Had I moved there as I had wanted to many years ago, I would've truly enjoyed being there.
And I can't wait to go back.

Thoughts of the trip....

1. I love flying. It's a sin that September 11th put a damper on it for me. Now, I'm certainly much more cognizant of who my flying companions are - and I've got to be honest, I don't relax nearly as much as I used to. Of course being a Mom makes my mortality that much more of a heightened awareness, but generally speaking it's a different experience for me now. I do love every thing about flying too. Take off and landings are the best. I'm also one of those crazy types that doesn't mind turbulence, and I enjoy being able to listen to Air Traffic Control. Of course on a 30 minute hop to NYC that doesn't get to happen -- but Bloody Mary's in first class do! That nice little upgrade for $50 didn't hurt any, that's for sure.

Plus, I am a people watcher and there's few better places to take advantage of that than at an airport. You see happy people greeting family and friends; sad people saying goodbyes. So many stories.

2. Speaking of people watching....does it get much better than in Manhattan and Times Square? Wow. It was, nothing short of awesome. If I lived there, and had nothing planned for the day I'd get a good cup of coffee and a seat on one of the benches and just watch everyone go by. There's always something to do; something to see. I love LA - and to me, this was like being able to go to LA without having to take the long flight. Granted, there are stark differences between the two, I'm not comparing the two cities -- but the overall experiences are similar. And this, is just a car ride away! I am in awe that I've never been before. For the record, I didn't find New Yorkers any ruder than we are; actually, most people were really quite friendly.

Funny story... we were walking down 8th street, and there was a flea market of sorts that went down about 7 blocks maybe? And it's filled with vendors selling their wares, mostly knockoff purses and the like - but some decent things too. Very hit or miss. Anyway...most of these vendors are of an ethnic descent that is not Caucasian/American. There was just about every flavor under the sign of ethnicity - which made the street dining experience phenomenal, by the way (mmmm, falafel wraps and fried plantains! But I digress....) -- and marching down the street causing a ruckus are some very white bread Americana types shouting "Christians for McCain!" "Take back our country!" "Vote for McCain, it's the Christian thing to do". Of course, people were yelling back not so nice things at them. And I couldn't help but think: here are people who bust their butts setting up shop to sell their wares for dirt cheap just to make a buck -- this isn't the demographic you should be marching in the middle of to persuade them to vote Republican, dumbasses. Just a thought....

3. Walking is the way to go! We walked everywhere....from our hotel on W52d to Greenwich Village which we unfortunately didn't get to spend time at because we had to get to the airport. We were trying to get to Ground Zero actually, before our flight - but we weren't able to get that far in just an hour. But we walked around all day yesterday, and a good part of this morning. Probably in total, 8 miles between yesterday and today -- which is great for burning off all that food we ate! And for the record, every place we stopped to eat was very good. Including the above mentioned street vendors! Truly, we didn't eat a lot - but our dinner choice was the Oyster Bar at W54th and it was surprisingly good. It was tough to bypass Shula's, but when you're in the mood for seafood - Shula's just isn't going to cut it....

4. We weren't overly impressed with the Sheraton Manahattan in Times Square. $564.00 for a a room that was not in the best condition, and not even free internet?!?! Seriously, though I've never been to NYC previously, I set up rooms for G for far less money that were far nicer than we were last night. And, they were in the heart of Times Square as well - so that's not an excuse. But I think it was an availability thing -- short notice trip during a long weekend and all. It was a bit high priced for it's purpose and offerings. So next time -- and there will be a next time in the very immediate future -- we will stay someplace different.

5. They say the neon lights are bright on Broadway.... As we all know, I started out in life wanting to be an actress; and if you didn't already know - I was a theatrical actress "back in the day". To actually have been on Broadway, the place that I dreamed about as a kid - possibly seeing my name in lights -- was nothing short of fantastic. It was awesome, full of life and just so very cool.

6. We saw a very cute play, "A Boy's Life" at 2econd Stage Theatre. It starred quite a few well known television actors and one relatively well known movie actor, Jason Biggs. I saw him in "The Graduate" with Kathleen Turner, actually. It was cute - and the theatre is wonderfully intimate. Off Broadway plays are fantastic because they're theatrical presentations rather than musicals. Fun little note - there were some familiar faces in the audience watching the show, including Judith Light, best known as "Karen" on "One Life to Live" - and of course, "Angela" on "Who's the Boss". She was two rows ahead of us.

There's so much more I could say, but I think this is enough for now. Next time, I think we'll stay in Manhattan again, but travel around a bit more...hit the Upper East Side a bit, visit Ground Zero....trek to Mulberry Street. Maybe a fancy, schmancy hair cut at a fantastic uber glamourous salon -- and of course, another play.

I don't know how I hadn't done this sooner.....!
How's that for a fabulous anniversary gift?

(Red Sox postscript: Very odd to be in NYC and see all Yankees gear; we saw NO Red Sox memorabilia anywhere, on anyone. It's probably the first time I've ever travelled to a location and not seen at least one Sox shirt. And I've been all over the country. That was really weird to notice.

And what the heck is up with Beckett?!?!)

Start spreadin' the news....

I'm not leaving today...but I am tomorrow!

Off to New York City -- Manhattan, to be specific. For the first time!
This girl couldn't be any more excited....


A little shopping....a little sightseeing....a little theatre...and how's about watching the Sox game in the Yankee's backyard?

More details to follow....