November 7th

Today, I am thankful that this week has come to an end. I guess that doesn't count, really, because every Friday I'm grateful the week is over.

Okay- today I am grateful for Autumn. Walking to and from the bus stop every day, I have to wade through inches of unraked leaves. I don't mind, though. Walking through them brings up a crisp, fall smell which I love. One house I pass has a beautiful peach colored tree on their front lawn, and the leaves on the sidewalk form a colorful mosaic. It really is breathtaking! If I could make a quilt that reflects those colors, it would be beautiful!

The majesty of God!

What am I ticked off about today? The approach to Jamaica Station on the LIRR! The workers leave all their construction debris piled all over the place. Shovels, water bottles, railroad ties, metal plates, etc. What an impression it gives to all the tourists coming in on the Train to the Plane! Why doesn't anyone take pride in their work anymore? What would it take to find someplace else to pile all this crap? Why in between the tracks? It's such an eyesore. So, I'm writing a letter to LIRR President Helena Williams. I'll post the letter and the answer if/when I get it.

More tomorrow...

Thankfulness With Added Attitude

I surf the web. I surf the web alot. My job requires me to sit behind a computer, and sometimes run routines on Autocad. This takes awhile- if I smoked, I could go downstairs and smoke 20 times a day. So, instead of inhaling, I surf.

I run across alot of stuff on the interwebs. That's the main reason why I started this blog- to have all the links I've found over the years at my fingertips, instead of in my Favorites at work. What if I was laid off? Gasp! I would never find some of my favorite websites/blogs/lolcats!

Anywhoo, yesterday while I was surfing, I found this blog where the owner said she was going to post what she was thankful for each day of November. Well, I thank God privately in my prayers each day for what is given to me in my life. But I'm going to follow that woman's lead and actually say out loud what I am thankful for- one for each day in November. Okay, okay, I'm a little late- it's already the 6th. I'll catch up.

November 1st- I'm thankful for my Soccer mom friends. See this post to know why. I'm thankful today for them because I'm watching Zombiegirl and the Soccergirls play their semi final game, and even though we're in last place playing the first place team, the moms never give up cheering and rooting for the girls. Hugs go all around when the girls lose 5-3 but the encouragement never stops. These moms are awesome, and I'm blessed to have them as my friends. Even Ronnie, who wasn't there on for the game, made up for it with laughs Saturday night at Jason's party.

November 2nd- I'm thankful for St. Andrew's Lutheran Church in West Hempstead. It was All Saint's Sunday, and " take a friend to church" day. Zombiegirl took Haley and Tyler to church, then to music, then to Sunday School class. The teachers and the ushers and especially Pastor were so kind and welcoming that the kids want to come back this week! It is truly "a caring church for all people, sharing God's love!"

November 3rd- I'm thankful for my job. I know I complain about it, and it's really not the greatest job in the world, but at least I have one. As I see all the layoffs in the other divisions, and get word that my friends have been let go, I have to step back when I get aggravated and be thankful that I'm still employed.

November 4th- Election day. I'm thankful that I live in America and have the right to choose who I want to be President.

November 5th- I am thankful for my work "wife", and her sweetheart of an officemate. They didn't throw it up in my face that Obama won the Presidential election even though I did exhibit some childish, peevish behavior that McCain lost. I love these two, and I think they like me for who I am, even though I'm 20 years their senior and Republican.

November 6th- I am thankful for cilantro. Yes, I said cilantro. I just had a Veggie Burrito Bowl at Chipotle, and I think the crisp, clean taste of cilantro is one of my favorite flavors! Note to self- grow cilantro in the herb garden next year.

See- I've caught up. Now for the attitude portion of this blog...

I am so tired of being a wimp. When you work in NYC, you have to put up with so much crap from so many arrogant, ignorant people. It's hard to put people in their place, though, without risking a broken nose or a rabbit punch to the kidney. But there are little things that irk us that we can voice an opinion or complain about! So each day in November I'm going to post about something that ticks me off, and what I'm going to do to rectify it, or at least make me feel better that I did something about it. No violence- I'm not ready to punch the woman who keeps hitting me in the head with her bag on the F train. And I'm NOT grumpy. Just fed up. Feel free to peruse my "causes" below, and join in the protest and petitions! Once again, I'll catch up...

November 1st- I Contacted Stop and Shop about not having soy cream cheese and yogurt in their organic aisle. Stores actually listen to their consumers, so if your store doesn't carry want you want- ask for it!

November 2nd- I received a letter and check in the mail yesterday from Bank of America. I think it was for a referral for when Biggz opened her student checking account. I say think because the letter I received, as well as the insert WAS IN SPANISH! Now those who know me know my name is the least sounding Spanish name there is. It's German. I have no idea why BOA would send me a letter totally in Spanish. If they had a doubt as to whether or not I was Spanish, shouldn't they send it in English since THIS IS AMERICA? Taking time out tonight to write a letter to Mr. Kevin Miller, Vicepresidente of BOA. Should I write it in Spanish?!? I'll post it and the response when/if I get one.

November 3rd- I contacted The Town of Hempstead Highway regarding the bus stop shelter where I get the N6 in the morning. The glass is hanging out of the frame, and rattles every time a truck goes by. It's just a matter of time before it falls out. I'll post the letter and the response when/if I get one.

November 4th- I'm planning this weekend to take some "recycled" campaign lawn signs and post them in the creek area behind my house. All with the message "Curb your dog". People, myself included, walk their dogs in this area. It's owned by the county, so technically, we're not supposed to walk down there. Our family always cleans up after Spencer, but recently, there has been alot of poop down there- right on the pathway! Maybe people just need a gentle reminder. I hope so. I hate poop.

November 5th- I'm contacting my neighbor to ask him to clean up all the construction debris they left in above-mentioned creek area when they tore up their backyard.

November 6th- I contacted Pathmark about putting in a bike rack in front of their store. Since I'm walking and biking everywhere in the neighborhood, it would be nice to be able to do a little grocery shopping and know my bike would be there when I'm done. If they respond back, I'll let you know.

So I'm caught up. Check back daily! And I AM NOT GRUMPY!

BTW- SS23 is the winner by default for Hump day Hypothetical Question #1, and Beena is the winner of question #2! They'll each receive a $10 Dunkin Donuts Gift Card on Friday, November 7th! They'll be more Hump Day questions coming up next week. I'll announce the gift at that time- maybe we can get a few of the shy readers to comment!

My baby

My oldest, Beena, turns 20 years old today. How is that possible, when just yesterday, I was taking her to Kindergarten? When just yesterday, I was dressing her in a witch costume to go Trick-or-Treating tomorrow? When just yesterday, the dentist said she needed braces?

When did she become the woman I am so proud of?

When did I become old?

This past week, she's had off from work- she works at Mandee's- so she's been hanging around with the family until her boyfriend gets off from work, around 10 o'clock. Usually, since she works retail, I don't see her often. She goes to Adelphi University full time, then works until 10ish, then goes to eat with her BF. She's oftentimes not home until I'm in bed, and if I happen to be up, it's a quick hello, then off to bed. So it's been a real pleasure to have her home, eating with us, watching TV instead of treating home like a hotel. We've actually been able to talk and laugh and shop. I know Zombiegirl misses her if she doesn't see her for a stretch of time. They're very close. Beena even asked if she could go Trick-or-Treating with them tomorrow!

Last night we celebrated her birthday, because the BF has plans with her today- taking her into NYC for dinner and a cruise.

As I'm watching her open her gifts, I'm struck that this kid has grown up into someone special. We talked about how she's doing in school, and what her plans may be when she graduates. She's a math major, with an education minor- she wants to teach High School math! She's currently enrolled in a 5-year program combining her Bachelor's degree with a Master's degree. She still has her faults (she knows my pet peeves, but yet still continues to ignore me when I say anything. I AM still her mother, after all!) and her quirks, but she's developed a maturity that kind of snuck up on me. She's always been mature- she always helped out when Zombiegirl was born, and taught Sunday School, and babysat. I saw her last night however as a peer, or a friend, someone I would like to hang around with. The baby daughter is gone. The woman daughter has arrived.

I love you, Beena! Happy Birthday!

Don't forget the Hump Day giveaway here!

Hump Day Hypothetical Question #2

I can't believe a week's gone by since my last post! I have to post about the weekend...it was an awesome weekend of Halloween thrills!

Okay, since my only reader won last week's Hypothetical Question by default- don't worry SS23, you'll get your prize- I'll give her a shot at this week's Question:

If you could move anywhere in the world tomorrow, where would it be and why?

Comment by midnight Sunday, November 2, and I'll pick the winner by random (HA!) drawing.

Don't forget to turn the clocks back on Saturday night!

Hump Day Hypothetical Question

It's hump day. We're starting on the downward slide to Friday. This weekend should be lots of fun. Zombiegirl has her first Girl Scout outing Saturday morning. Much to her dismay, they're going to see High School Musical 3. Now this is a kid who would rather watch Dawn of the Dead right before bed, and who is going as Sweeney Todd (the Demon Barber of Fleet Street) for Halloween. Having to go see one of the "popular" tweeny movies is tantamount to pulling out her fingernails. But she said she'd go because her whole troop is going. Who knows- maybe she'll replace the song "Bones" by the Killerz with "Right Here, Right Now" from the movie on her MP3 player!

(I looked that song up. I really have no idea what the movie is even about!)

We also have a Halloween party for Soccergirl K (Mandy's daughter) Saturday night- I get to be a Fortune Teller! Last year I was a witch- see my myspace page. On Sunday, we get to celebrate my nephew Raymond's 4th birthday. My SIL Paula usually does a Halloween party for him because his birthday is the 29th. Funny- Beena would NEVER let me do a Halloween birthday party for her growing up. She was born on the 30th! Maybe for her 21st....

Anyway, I'm happy it's Hump Day. And I'm going to start a new tradition! Answer the Hypothetical Question in the comments section by October 26th, and the next day I'll pick someone (all one of you) at random for a giveaway! Here is Hypothetical Question #1:

If you could have coffee with anyone in the world, living or dead, who would it be and why?

Comment by October 26th, and I'll email the winner on the 27th. Happy Hump Day!

Update to the Epiphany

It's been one month since my life-changing epiphany. How is my new vegetarian life going? Not as hard as I thought it would be. I'm still cooking meat for the family, but it's practically no effort to cook something else for me to eat. I do feel it's hypocritical of me to cook animals for everyone else while I'm protesting the meat industry, but my family is not going to change. One less person is better than none, I guess.

Healthwise, I feel great. I've lost 5 and a half pounds. I'm not as hungry as I used to be. I don't feel as grouchy as usual (people may dispute that, but that's how I feel!) For the first few weeks I didn't have any migraines, but then they showed up like bad realtives at Christmas. The changing of the seasons, and the fact that I haven't been to see Dr. Evelyn, my chiropractor, probably has a lot to do with the frequency of occurences. I just found a video that totally captures my "aura"- the time when the migraine shows up visually. Link is here.

To recap, I'm:

• not eating meat.
• not eating dairy, except for 3 mozzarella slip-ups, for which I paid for in bathroom visits.
• trying to eat organic.
• not eating refined sugar, except for finishing up the package of Twizzlers I bought.
• limiting myself to 1-2 cups of coffee a week, in dire emergencies.
• trying new veggies. Broccoli IS good!

I'm also taking my vitamins every night, and walking to and from the train/bus stop every day.

It's evident that this can be a healthy way of life for me. It takes a little planning, and things cost a little more, but the way I feel is totally worth it all for me!

Goals for next month:

• Try 5 new vegetables
• Have dark greens every day
• DRINK MORE WATER!
• Make a large meal on the weekend for lunches for the rest of the week.

Thirty days. That's what it takes to change a habit. And this is one "habit" I'm glad I changed!

Ode to Soccer Moms

Never, ever in my life did I imagine myself being a soccer Mom. Growing up in Queens, we played softball, basketball and football, but soccer was unheard of. Must've been the concrete playgrounds and schoolyards that discouraged soccer games. Did I ever think I would be driving a minivan with window paint saying "Go Lady Jaguars!" or "#87 Rocks!"? Would I be wearing a Soccer Mom T-shirt that proclaims "We Y our girls! Never in a million years.

But while I'm on the sidelines screaming at the refs because the other team pushed our kids, I am joined in this insane harmony by...

Other soccer moms.

These ladies that I now call my friends.

After a Girl's Night Out in NYC a few months ago, on the LIRR coming home, I realized something- none of these women piss me off. If you know me, you know I get pissed off very easily! But our personalities mesh with each other. They're thoughtful. Mandy brought me a stress frog, fat free candy and a candle during a period of teenage angst in our house this past week. They're kind, always quick with a hug when you need it. They don't judge. If you don't want to wear makeup to the soccer game, they don't ask if you're sick, or make snide remarks. They buy you coffee. They take you kids for the whole day, feed them and never comment on their bad habits. They give you sweatpants when you need them. They invite you to see the Rachel Ray show, and insist they won't go in without you when the folks there say they can only scrounge up 3 tickets and you offer to go back to work. They support you and listen to you when you have doubts about how you're raising your children.

I haven't had many good female relationships. In grade school, Maryellen and Virginia and I were BFF. Through high school, I had close friends, but they turned out to be toxic. I'm extremely lucky to find these soccer moms. They don't even get mad when we do this to their vans for their birthdays:

And their kids. These are the kids I blogged about a few weeks ago when MR and I took them to the Medieval Fair. When Zombiegirl and the other girls get together, their giggling is infectious. She'll have them as friends for a long time- through high school. Which is great, because then I get to keep their moms.

Love you guys! You are awesome! Go Lady Jaguars!

Selflessness=Painful

I gave platelets today. I went over to the Citicorp building on 53rd and Lex. at lunchtime and got my blood pumped out of me. The procedure, called Apheresis, entails putting 2 needles in one arm. The blood is taken out, centifuged, pulling the needed blood component out then adding an anticoagulant before returning the blood back into my arm. And it's not a restful procedure. You have to actually have a relationship with the machine- squeezing and pumping on the intake turn, and resting on the return. I'm tired.

Why give platelets? Because my blood is rare, whole blood donations are not in demand. But you can give platelets to anyone. Cancer patients, those receiving organ or bone marrow transplants, victims of traumatic injuries, and patients undergoing open heart surgery require platelet transfusions to survive. You can donate platelets every 3 days or so, because they're not taking whole blood, and they're giving back most of it.

So I'm sitting in the Blood Donor room, and my left hand has 2 needles in it. I was told not to move, or I would blow the vein. I tried to read, but everytime I tried to concentrate, I'd forget to squeeze and the machine would beep. It snitched on me! The technician would then come over and repeat the directions all over again. About 45 minutes into this, my hand goes totally numb. Then my lips, then my nose. Have you ever tried to squeeze something while your hand is asleep? It hurts. Fifty minutes into the procedure I look up and see the yellow pus, I mean platelets, hanging above me. Great. I can stand seeing blood, but this turned my stomach and I broke out in a sweat. 5 minutes later the room starts spinning. I told myself I have 13 minutes- I can do this for 13 minutes. I forget to squeeze, the machine beeps, and adds another 4 minutes. Argh! Finally, the machine beeped one last time and I was done. This was the first time I had such a strong reaction to giving.

I was going to try to do this once a week, but I think I'll have to scale it back to once a month. After this, giving blood is a dream. So remember- when the blood mobile comes around, donate!

Medieval Fun

Flashback time. MR and I took Zombiegirl and 3 of the soccer girls to the Medieval Festival in Sands Point Preserve a few weeks back. I was excited to see the knights- shining armor and all. I'm not sure what the girls expected.

When we arrived, much ado was going on at the King's Court. Knights were fighting, swords clashing against wooden shields, metal clanging against metal. The girls squeezed their way up to the ropes, and MR and I stayed in the back. We watched their expressions while the knights were fighting, and they were absolutely mesmerized!

The knights seem to take these battles very seriously. In fact, all the folks at the Medieval Festival take their roles seriously. I was watching a young girl dressed in a long gown watching from the actor's tent. She had a bottle of 21st century water in her hand. I thought- Aha! She's out of character! My surprise when she poured it into a metal tankard and drank.

After the battles, the King announced that each knight would do battle for a fair lady's hand. Each knight circled the meadow looking for a lady to defend. Since we were behind the girls, we were pointing and yelling that we had 4 beautiful girls here to pick from. Sir Adonis came over, and picked Zombiegirl! He led her to the king, where she sat with several other damsels while we cheered on her knight to win!

That's our fair maiden in the red hat...

Unfortunately, Sir Adonis was defeated. He claimed his lady, gave her a corsage, and led her back to her people.

The girls all agreed that he was "hot!"

We walked around the commons to sample the wares of the kingdom, and to partake in a few of the recreations. Hey! I'm getting into this! At one table, the girls tried on armor...

After visiting the castle and having an ice cream break, we went over to see the jousting. Yes, they use real horses. Yes, they use real lances. Yes, they are really charging at each other. It was very cool when we discovered one of the knights participating in the joust was a woman- Lady Genevive. What a great role model for our young girls!

The jousting was awesome- the lances split apart when they crashed together!

The girls each got a piece to take home.

In the middle of the jousting, a commotion was going on by the King. The girls yelled that the King was hurt, and when we looked over, Sir Stephen had picked up the Queen and kidnapped her, running through the crowd.

They took the Queen to the castle, where the King's knights laid siege, and rescued her after a fierce battle. Huzzah!

No Festival is complete without purchasing swords for slaying dragons, or going into battle. The girls had a blast, and talked about it for days afterwards! They're looking forward to going back next year, and talking about which "princess" is going to have Sir Adonis defend her honor!

The Epiphany!

It's been way too long since my last post! I have to write some flashback posts of everything that's happened since August.

But first and foremost- my epiphany.

SS23 and I were making our weekly library trip (Columbus and 10th) and the book I had reserved somehow went to the Midtown library. Panic sets in. What will I read for the 2 hours going home? SS23 gave me one of her books to read- one that I had picked up in Borders over the summer, but put it down in favor of Twilight. Sometimes, SS23 will reserve books I had been thinking about, or had read in the past and absolutely loved- I think she's a little psychic. Out of all the books she had reserved, when I bemoaned the fact I had nothing to read, this is the one she handed me- Skinny Bitch.

Get thee to the store and buy this book.

It was last Friday. I read the whole book during the commute home. I was numb when i got off the train.

I don't want to give a whole synopsis on the book. You can read it on Amazon. But I want to tell you- it changed my life. I wish I was ALOT younger when I read it!

Since then I've:

• Switched green tea for coffee. I've come to realize that my drinking coffee is a ritual, a social thing. I LOVE coffee, but I never drank it alone. I was always making a pot for MR., buying it for the soccer game, brewing it in the office for the girls. Whenever I had me-time, I would always reach for a cup of Red Rose tea. I never drank coffee by myself. So taking the social aspect away, I'm drinking green tea. And I don't miss the caffeine- that stuff has just as much as a normal cup of coffee!
• Stopped eating dairy products. Later in life, I became lactose intolerant. So this was a no-brainer. Rice milk, soy yogurt (yummy!) olive oil spread. As the book says- we're the only species on earth that drinks the milk of another species. Ew.
• Cut out the refined sugar. The title of the book is Skinny Bitch. Emphasize the SKINNY!
• Started eating only organic products. The trace amounts of pesticides used on my vegetables is building up in my system. Many EPA-approved pesticides were registered long before extensive research linked these chemicals to cancer and other diseases. Will cancer show up eventually? I'm protecting my family, and buying organic. It might be too late for me, but I'm going to try to protect my kids.
• Shunned meat. No chicken, beef or pork. Read the book and you'll understand why. Unfortunately, I can't impose this restriction on my family, but hopefully, over time they'll see the light. In the meantime, I'll double cook. It's not hard. They need the veggies, too. (If MR brings home a deer, however, I'm eating it! It's organic, and was not subjected to the cruelities of the meat-packing industry.)
• Become a vegetarian. In one week, I've eaten new things. I've learned to cook differently. I've had to plan. This has shaken up my life, and it was the best thing that's happened to me in a long time. How complacent I'd become! It's a new adventure, and one I'm excited to embark on!

So it's been a week. How am I doing?

I've dropped 4 pounds. I have more energy. I sleep better. I've become "regular" in my potty activities. I don't feel as irritable as usual. I feel lighter. Soulspeak will probably know what I mean. She read the book too.

Any regrets? Besides not doing this sooner? One so far. MR made his famous chicken cutlets the other night. They're awesome.