Thursday 4/28/11 Procter and Gamble World Headquarters!

Molly and I got up early to hit the gym in the hotel. Molly got on the elliptical and I was setting all the settings, we had flipped on the little TV on the machine, and when I looked up to check on her, on the screen were the running feet! Right at that moment the commercial came on..it was surreal, unbelievably, bizarre, you name it! I took a couple of great shots of her working out with the commercial on! To Cool!
We were picked up at the hotel by Jim O'Connell, the VP of External Relations for P&G, and taken to the world headquarters. The company has 2 beautiful towers right downtown, and we were greeted and taken up to the breakfast room. We met many important P&G folks, some great PR and marketing type folks, and most importantly, 5 other great Moms and athletes from the local SO team.  We also met Jay Bruce, and we sat at the VIP table with him and the president of the company,etc. Wow! At the end of the presentations(they showed the commercial!) I was able to speak for a moment, and say the thank you speech i had written. It was well received and made me very happy. We then moved on to the larger employee event, in the auditorium. The employees got box lunches, and were able to learn all about what their amazing company is doing for Special Olympics. I love that each person has ownership of the great, generous  corporate spirit.
We then had photos with Jay Bruce and others, Molly autographed the brand saver going out this weekend, and we grabbed our lunches and headed back to the hotel.
Chilled and ate, then explored Cincinnati. It is a beautiful city! We went to the underground railroad museum, walked across the Roebling Bridge( designed and built 3 years prior to the Brooklyn Bridge by the same architect) all around a cool neighborhood, back across the bridge, through a rainstorm, got RED nail polish so we will be set for the game, and returned to our home base. We were picked up and taken to dinner at 7:30 at a cool place called The Precinct. It is in an old police station from the '20's. We had an amazing dinner, and my friend Randall and I toasted Dad over our steaks! side note: 2 ft. high pepper mill ground onto the blue cheese salad=go Dad!
We got back from dinner at 11pm. needless to say Molly was whipped! But what a day! The world is full of good people!

Cincinnati, Ohio Home of P&G

Well Molly and I are on the road again!! Today finds us in Cincinnati, Ohio in the historic Cincinatian Hotel downtown. The place was built in 1850 or thereabouts and has doormen in full uniform,coats and hats, a bellman who escorted us to our room and a concierge to deliver a coffee maker to the room when I said I couldn't find one! Service with a capital S.  Waiting for us was a beautiful flower arrangement, and 2 big goody bags of food and product treats! We feel spoiled! Molly and I landed late, so we headed out to dinner right away. Found a place a short walk away called The Cadillac Ranch- and got in with 10 minutes to spare on the happy hour menu. 3 words- Onion ring tower!!
Now we are ensconced in our bed, watching the A's come in and work over the Angels in extra innings.tomorrow we will work out early, then meet the president of external relations for P&G who will pick us up and take us to their headquarters. Cool beans!

Molly's commercial!

Bowling with Cops!

Too Funny!

Okay, I'm not even fifty so it's not a senior moment, it was more of a "blonde" moment!  I invite Jerry and my Mom to go to the movies yesterday afternoon. " Let's see an historical fiction movie about the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and the trial that followed..I saw a trailor and it looks great!"  So all set to get our history on we head to the theatre and go in to see The Lincoln Lawyer!
First clue that something is amiss....RAP MUSIC in the opening credits and artsy shots of the front grill of a Lincoln Continental!  Hmmm, this doesn't look like the 1800's....maybe there is a flashback? I think hopefully??!  How about MAYBE YOU'RE IN THE WRONG MOVIE KERRY?!!  Oops! my bad!
Luckily the movie was excellent, with some of our favourite actors, William H. Macy, John Leguzamo..
Stay tuned for my review of  The Conspirators..the real movie about John Wilkes Booth et al! Never a dull!

The Eighth Day

Happy Easter! This is the Eighth day, the one that Jesus made for us by rising from the grave.  GOD made the world in 7, and Jesus gave us the eighth day, now we need to live in it, and show we are Christians by our love and actions! So I'm going to try!  Jake called this am, and we all talked to him, which was great! Since holidays are all about eating....
We had sausage, coffeecake, juice and melon for breakfast, an,d at 2pm we ate a full Easter dinner, ham, mashed potatoes,beets, pineapple, green bean casserole and rolls. Fancy cheesecake for dessert! Mom, Jerry and I went to see  The Lincoln Lawyer, with Matthew McGonehey and Marissa Tomei. It was excellent! We took Mom to see the condo, and are working on her to come out for a month in the fall to stay at the condo and see how it is to live here. She says she'll think about it. Finished off the night with some deep laughs with I love Lucy. I feel very blessed that we had such a great day.

Holy Saturday/Easter Vigil

Well after a terrible forecast, we are surprised by a beautiful day! Finally a good day for track practice and we all enjoyed it (except for Danny who was sleeping in!) Molly was really put through her paces by PJ, who got her to run an 8 minute mile! Jerry and I ran too, even though I didn't want too!
I did a bit if shopping in the afternoon and got Charlotte a sweater for her new dress, and Molly a new dress and sweater to wear for Easter. Mom and the girls went to see Soul Surfer together, and Charlotte was in heaven!
The vigil begins at 8:30, right at sundown. Jerry and Danny are ushering and we get great seats. My favourite is the singing of the Exodus reading, just gorgeous! At 11:30pm Charlotte, Mom and I head home, and the other guys go on to the reception.  Meatballs at midnight! They help set the basement for the overflow crowds expected on Easter Sunday.  Baskets set and sleeping by 2am!

Good Friday

What a beautiful and Holy Day! We had a relaxing morning, everyone slept in! We did a big family workout in the home gym, and Mom came down to check it out. She even played catch with Danny! We went to service at noon and stayed til 3pm. We had veneration of the cross and living stations too. It was packed, and Mom really loved it! I made a big pot of veggie soup and we played some cards. A great day.

Holy Thursday!

Go Me! 
6:15 up
6:45 drop Charlotte at school
7am gassing up the caddy
7:10 at Meijer getting groceries and cute outfits for Mom
7:35 back home to see Molly off and unload
8am on the treadmill
9:10 pouring Mom her coffee and cereal.. and all the clothes fit her!!
other highlights include lunch for Mom and Danny at Costco, ping pong with Danny, and a beautiful Holy Thursday mass.

Mom is here! Wednesday 4/20/11

April 20th--HAPPY BIRTHDAY DONNIE!!
My little brother, lots of great memories including making him act in our plays, taking him and Danny to the movies, turning him on to NYC and the cool shops and bars, dressing him in Benetton shirts while he was at URI, he is a great brother and I hope he has a fantastic year!
Mom has arrived! After a bit of hullabaloo with her license and some plane delays we finally hit Brighton at 6pm. It was a long say of travel for her, but she seems to be in good spirits! She and Molly eat together, laugh and play UNO while I finish up the tidying of the "master suite" where she will be staying. This way she has the bathroom right there, and lots of room to relax.  I'm so glad she is here!

Tuesday 4/19 The cleaning continues...dadada duh!

Okay, so my Mom won't inspect with a white glove, but I am pretending she will in order to make myself clean!!! My walk-in closet can almost be walked into again! And the sheets are changed, shower cap set out....all is ready for Patsy!
Spent Tuesday running around as usual, it's all good!
Molly was "working" at the ARC Expo, in it's second year of providing county residents with info about things available for PWD's (people with disabilities)  I went and browsed around, there was alot of good info, and it was well run.
Charlotte had a melt-down at 9:30 when she got home, but you know what? for a girl who usually goes to sleep at 8:30, after spending lots of down time in her room, I think she is doing great!

Monday 4/18/11

Hell week begins on the set of ByeBye Birdie! Rehearsals every night until 9:30...but so far Charlotte is hanging in! I was on meal duty and I brought in my crockpot of veggie chili, which seemed well received. I also helped serve and clean up, then hustled off to swimming. We had a good turnout and the swimmers look great, I just wish the season wasn't so short this year.
As a side note---three trips to Sally's with furniture--PURGE WOMAN!! Whoot! GO ME!

April?? Really??!

High wind advisory, 50mph gusts, flurries, temps in the high 30's...this is spring in Michigan. I need to start shopping for condo's down south! Lovely weather for a LAX game, which even though they lost, it was played on the CC football field which was very cool.
I made stuffed french toast for breakfast which everyone really enjoyed.
Charlotte watched her Harry Potter movie this morning, and also worked out.
I did a 5 mile + run, my goal was to try to get back some endurance lost over the lazy winter, and over 60 min. on the treadmill is a good step.
Danny and I played Harry Potter clue, Mille Borne with Jerry and watched a movie together, The Great Panda Adventure.  We said it was Danny day! Yay! Nothing like snuggling on the couch with that boy to put your life in perspective.
Charlotte went to youth group and they did dinner and adoration in the chapel with Father Mark. She came home with a big smile on her face!
Tomorrow starts the first of two hell weeks for the play. I am bringing a pot of veg. chili and helping set up tomorrow's cast meal.  It should be crazy and fun!

Saturday 4/16/11 It's Tootsie Roll Time!

As the 40 mph winds roar into Brighton I find myself standing outside the door of the Power  house gym in my bright yellow smock collecting money for the Knights of Columbus on their annual tootsie roll drive. Intermittent rain, flurries, and gale force gusts keep me on my toes during my 3 1/2 hour shift. Unfortunately, not too many people bring their wallets to the gym....AAAAHHHH!  The Knights will give a portion of the money to Livingston County Special Olympics so it is worth it!  The girls are posted around town with a couple of other Knights, and Jer is on LAX duty.  SSSOOOO cold when I finally get home around 1pm.
We squeeze in a Meijer run so that Charlotte can pick up the new Harry Potter movie which she has been waiting for. She has saved her birthday money!
We go to Palm Sunday mass at 5pm, and it ends at 6:45pm!  The service is beautiful, and the reminder to take time this week to really focus on GOD is a good one. I'm looking forward to Ashley Court on Wednesday, and all the holy week masses.
Tigers are on the west coast so Molly is up til all hours!

Sure miss basketball! Friday 4/15

Much as I love those kids, I sure miss my solo Friday nights! I usually didn't do much, maybe a movie, but generally cleaning and tidying and just a moment to get my thoughts together before the weekend.  I worked my usual Friday shift, but I didn't have storytime because of the friends book sale. I helped Sherrie get alot done, and I just enjoyed being in touch with the [patrons, with out spending mist of my time on set up and clean up.  The ByeBye Birdie gang had rehearsal til 9pm, with a dinner break at 5:30. After work I swung through Wendy's and got fish sandwiches and dropped them off at the high school.  It was pretty funny, all us parents lined up holding our bags of food and handing them off as the kids went past!

Zumba?!!

Another 49th year first, ZUMBA!  Shawne and I head off to a class where the 5$ fee benefits the human society. I have never been to an exercise class with a wider variety of gals. It was cool! They ranged in age from high school freshman to mid 70's, and were dressed in dance pants, ball shorts, blue jeans, you name it! The steps weren't too hard, and we sure were sweating!  Funniest part of  the class..the teacher is showing some of the steps, in this instance pelvic rolls and thrusts, and she says "it looks kinda dirty, it isn't as dirty when we have the music on"  then she turns on the music, we start rolling and thrusting, and the music's lyrics consist of sex talk! LESS DIRTY WITH THE MUSIC? I don't think so!
Danny and Charlotte have play practice, 2 weeks til opening night! They will be very busy in the next two weeks.

all kinds of fun on the horizon!

Had a great call today from our friends Tatum and Ken from W&K out in Portland. It was great to hear their voices! They are thinking about doing an interactive online thing with Molly..I'll keep you posted! I also got a call tonight from a P&G exec. He was calling to invite Molly and I down to Cincinnati to attend a couple of employee events, including a Reds game! Molly will be very excited.
I took a couple of mile walk with Shawne this morning, and volunteered at Danny's library. I also had to get all the costumes and make-up over to school. With the sun shining, Molly, Jerry and I did a couple of hours of yard work. I basically focused on pulling out leaves and stuff from around my landscaping.
Family dinner-Yay! Danny filled us in on his field trip to the Natural History museum, Molly on her day care class, and Charlotte on the play.
I love it when the kids are happy and involved!

Book Club April 2011

Child 44--UGH! I just flat out hated it, but the rest of the group had mixed feelings. They felt that learning more about the time period outweighed the unremittingly depressing story. It was a well written book with alot of tricky twists and turns but I just couldn't get past the murdering.
Worked today and lots of things going on. MaryAnn retiring, Jen coming in? Carla very sick an possibly out on medical? Crazy times, I'm glad that this is my summer to be away!
Molly and Charlotte do a killer workout with PJ at the track, lots of sprints and baton work.
I NEED to work out tomorrow, I don't want to miss out after getting back on the track(literally!)
i love my friends and my book club!
Q? of the day-why does no one believe that I have a tattoo?

Monday 4/11 OPERATION CLEAN SWEEP

Alrighty! kids at school-check!  Laundry going-check! bathrooms cleaned-check! I am checking things off my list left and right, and feeling quite smug about it! If only it would stay clean, wishful thinking!
Molly is happy to be back at school, not so Charlotte. Play rehearsal tonight, for all kids, and they are in charge of bringing their own make-up.  I go out, buy it all, label it, put it in bags and give it to the kids. When Charlotte comes home, I ask her if she left the make up at school and she says that she put it under a seat in the BCPA. Are you kidding me?? But if you yell at her she freaks, so...I hold my tongue. Danny heads to LAX and I head to knitting and then on to swimming.  I have to tell my ladies that I will no longer be staffing the program, and they are on their own. Nancy is sad, but Pat could care less! Figures!

Sunday April 10 Golf!!

The Masters has captured everyones attention today, and Jerry has the kids chanting "ABT" or anyone but Tiger! Lovely! Actually they cheer on Rory but he ends up blowing it and the South African Charl Schwarz takes the green jacket.  Another big Dad memory, a good one! The gang heads off to Danny's first Lacrosse game. Danny has a ball, and Jerry reports that the game is much more physical than he thought it would be, the kids really mix it up! Later in the day, Jerry takes the kids out to the driving range and they hit a bucket of balls. The kids do great, I don't here how Jerry did!
I work today, which kills me because we have the crazy temp of 83 degrees! WHAT?! So the library is dead, and Stacey and I are bored, and I wish I was home!

Saturday 4/9/11

I am very excited to start the morning with a family trip to confession over at church. I tell the kids we are "power-washing" the whole family! Father Mark is our priest and he makes the very nervous girls comfortable. He had some insights for me that were fantastic! GO GOD! I feel grateful and blessed.
Next up is the opening practice for Special Olympics track, and so of course the weather gets progressively worse as we head towards 10am.!  A brisk wind chases us around the track, and I get in around 3 miles while timing and cheering.
Fantastic Coaches Michelle and PJ are happy and ready to go, they make a huge impact on the athletes.
We tuck in mass at 5pm and more playing outside. An awesome day!

Storytime at BDL 4/8/11

Oh boy! Month of the young child meets Mother Goose Cafe and produces crazy fun bedlam! No limit on tickets today and we have about 110 folks doing "Hello Everybody" and shaking their groove thing! The mayor of Brighton is our first guest reader, and the president of the Chamber of Commerce is our second.  the kids hang on pretty well, and we add lots of stories and songs.  We have fancy packaged snacks and water bottles and a craft, high livin!
Sherry goes home sick so it's a long day, and I am happy to get home!

thursday 4/7/11 Road Trip Westward

by 5:55am. we are on route 80West, heading home to Michigan.  Despite hitting rain,snow flurries and thick fog, we roll into the Brighton Costco parking lot at 3pm. Awesome! Many thanks

1. Susan--for the great food and road treats,especially chocolate donut gems!
2. my kids--for never making a peep, complaining about the fact that I don't stop,etc!
3.  Avi--for the most amazing book series  Crispin and the Cross of Lead(eastbound) and Crispin at the Edge of the World(westbound)!

We are really happy to be home, and with frozen yogurts in hand, grab salad stuff and milk at costco and are home by 3:30pm.  What a great trip!  Lots of unpacking and laundry starting time, nice enough for the kids to shoot baskets and goof around outside!  Molly in particular is looking forward to her own bed!

Wednesday 4/6/11 Thomas Edison's Birthplace

Okay, so saturday night I stay up til 1am doing catch up on my blog posts and only the titles post?! now there is a line through the text. help!
So I'm trying again, and the curse of the non posting blog post appears to have been lifted!!
We take a walk (okay a drive) down memory lane, past Dad's old office and Gaffers Pub to Edison's recently reopened birth place, a National Historic Park.  The junior ranger program is stupendous, really emphasizing the creative side of Thomas Edison. The kids are encouraged to ask questions and enlist "mukkers" to solve the problems with them. Mukkers were Thomas Edison's workers who messed around in the factory and came up with  all sorts of solutions and inventions!  Christopher and Danny really enjoy the trip and the girls have fun with the free audio tour.  Dad makes and appearance when the park ranger puts on an old wax cylinder recording so we can hear how clear it still sounds, and the song is  "When Irish Eyes are Smiling" fills the music room. Oh Dad, I miss you so much!

Ellis Island Trip photos

An Entertainment Extravaganza!

A relaxing start this morning, but we all do get in runs and walks to kick up our fitness. Danny and Chris go for a long hike in the woods, and I tell them to come back if it starts to rain. It starts to rain, and I go out to look for them. I am calling and hiking and getting soaked. They hear someone calling but don't answer, because they "don't know who it is". How many people are in the woods in the pouring rain on a Tuesday morning calling your names boys?! So they come home and I hike around for 10 more minutes and Susan drives around tooting her horn to let me know they are back but I can't hear it. OH Brother! So anyway, after changing my clothes to dry ones, Sooz and I head away from the kids. We run a bunch of errands, then meet Catherine at the movies to see Jane Eyre. FANTASTIC!  And the theatre was so empty and quiet which is perfect for that type of movie.  We went to DD for a cup of coffee together and had a great visit. Catherine is thinking of maybe doing some interior design work and maybe taking classes. I think it is a great and bold move to go after a passion, another 40's girl moving forward!
Then the kids and I went to see Claire in her school musical My Favourite Year. She only has a small part but she sings cricles around the rest of the cast.

Monday 4/4/11 Ellis Island Trip

49 and Forward onto Ellis Island! This fantastic place was closed in 1954 and abandoned as it stood. Weather and vandals did damage, and in the late 70's the government decided to make it a National Historic site and began to restore it.  It opened to the public in the 90's, so we missed out on school field trips and childhood visits, and I had never been.  We took the ferry from Liberty State Park. You enter the terminal through the railroad station where the immigrants who passed successfully through the island caught trains for Detroit, Pittsburgh and other points west.  The ride out is quick and we are soon on the island. The facade of the building is amazing and when you enter you can really feel the history of the place.  We take in the film first, and then visit all the floors, even join a tour for a shorty while to learn even more. We have a picnic lunch on the patio, and the sun come out as we enjoy the skyline of NYC and the boats going by.  We decide to stop at the Statue of Liberty the next visit, but we get alot of great photos from the ferry as we go by.  It was fun to spend more time with Donnie and Catherine, and to tour this fantastic site.
Susan and Molly shoot off to cheer on the RedHawks in their first game of the season while Danny and Chris watch Ponyo, Susan and Charlotte watch Yankees and Artie and Molly watch Butler vs. UConn. Everyone is happy!

Tackle The Trail 2011

Oh yeah! In spite of a chilly 30mph wind, Artie and I and all the kids save Jamie and Claire head off to Central Park (renamed park on the grounds of the old Greystone Insane Asylun) to "tackle the trail". It is a party cloudy day, but the sun peeks through as we are running. The sign in is smooth, and we are parked right on the street, so we wait a while in the car before doing our warm-ups. I am most happy to find that there is a bathroom so I don't have to use the porta-johns! Race kicks off at 9:15, and it is a hilly challenge...especially for one middle aged runner who hasn't seriously 5K'd since Thanksgiving! Artie comes in first, a great family representative time of 24:32( this after running 20 miles yest.!) Danny follows with a time of 26:24, Christopher comes in around 28ish (and this his first EVER 5K!) Molly follows with a 31:34, then I come slogging in with a 32:57, and Charlotte cruises in with a 33ish.  Molly and Charlotte were 3rd and 4th in their age groups!  Bagels from Jersey Boys Bagels greet us at the finish line, along with Dole fruit bites, water and bananas. I win a raffle drawing of a Tito's Burrittos gift card, turned over to Artie to use some day. We all had so much fun!



Home, then rocket out to church for 12noon mass.  Had a short visit with Artie's folks who were there, they look great.  Back at the house, Allie gives the boys a Cupcake baking class, Uncle Joe and Danny stop by for a visit after the cemetary, and the kids watch Allie's Seussical the Musical. Another fun-filled day!

A beautiful day for a hike

Fueled by DD, Sooz and I are at Kohl's at 8:15, and pick up a couple of things--30% and tax free! Then we head down to Donnie and Catherine's to meet up and head to South Mountain reservation for a long hike.  Earl is so excited to be off the leash and on the run with his "cousins" ! The sun comes out and temps feel more spring-like.  It is a beautiful hike, lots of hills and rocks, really quite challenging! The boys love being on top of the waterfall, and by boys I include Uncle Donnie, who happily climbed up top with Danny and Chrissie. We visit at the house for a bit after the hike, sharing a lovely fruit salad and some yogurt and snacks.  Catherine took Allie, Molly and Danny out to her barn to visit her horse, Ribbi, and Susan, and Charlotte happily settle down to watch the Yanks(who beat the Tigers 10-6) They are happy that the Yanks are 2 and 0 to start off 2011!

Friday finds us on the road!

The April fools of the day was the snow in PA! At least with temps hovering in the low 30's I didn't have o worry about ice on the road. We had a great trip, spilled coffee in the rest stop not with standing! and made it to Susan's by  3:15. In time to walk to the corner and escort a happy Christopher home. Danny is so happy to see him, they just have a ball together and off they go to play and we just don't even see them! After a tasty veg/cheese pizza we all went to the other Parsippany HS play, The Wiz. It was very enjoyable!  Tomorrow we have an early call at Kohls with a %30 coupon, it's great to be in 'Jersey!