The Best News (cryptic version)

"we are turned around now, it's almost over"

New York, New York

So okay it's only been a couple of weeks since the wedding but my new status as Mother-in-Law paves the way for me to descend upon the kids for Mothers Day Weekend. They asked me what I wanted for my birthday (which is the Thursday before Mothers Day) and I said Peace in the Middle East or Pizza in Midtown. I was joking. They took me up on it and are doing a weekend in the life of Mom eating her favorite foods. Knish at Katz Deli in the village, pizza (just about anywhere), hotdogs in midtown at Central Park, pretzels at Lincoln Center and they are surprising me with dinner somewhere near the Brooklyn Bridge. I can't wait. I always have a great time in NYC. Who wants to join me?

My New Challenge

I've been reading a blog called "The Daily Cheapskate" and blogs related to it. I've decided to try for one week not to buy lunch or dinner and not be wasteful by overcooking meals.

I feel good about yesterday and today so far. I'm eating whats in the fridge from the weekend. No more cooking binges either where I freeze 44 meals at once. I've found that we really get tired of the prepared food and we let it linger and it goes to waste. So fresh food daily, by careful planning, and eating up leftovers will stretch the food budget a long way.

I went to the organic food store this weekend and needed wheat bran flakes (which I sneak into my home made breads to up the fiber content) and for the package I usually pay $1.49 for in the grocery store I bought it loose and paid - get this - $.17. I paid for it with a quarter. How funny is that!

I'm also walking at lunchtime to do non-perishable shopping so I'm cutting down driving to the grocery store at least once a week by doing this and it lets me compare the different store prices.

Geez, I had to wait until I was 52 to figure this all out. I coulda been rich I tell ya.

Words to Live By

Give without remembering
Take without forgetting

Me, Randy, a very pregnant officiant and Kurt

Tiny Bubbles

The Beauties

Happiness Squared

My life is just filled with happiness and love lately. The wedding went so well I can't even begin to describe it. My life is full of friends, both old and new, who are so wonderful, they make me so happy.

Deb and Laura, thanks for not being shy and for jumping right in to the fray! Everyone thought you guys were lovely.

Julie, what can I say, you did above and beyond as friend of the MOG. My hair was exactly how I wanted it, you were exactly what I needed in many ways. Everyone just loved your party spirit!

Hopefully I will be able to post some pictures in about two weeks I think the photog said. (He was still talking about the reception!)

I still think the funniest part was the Brian sandwich. Turn in your rainbow.

You've Got To Be Joking

Here's your future:

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/15851207/detail.html

How Wild Is This!!!!

So the other day I joined a lottery club, you put in $5 each Monday and our leader buys the tickets each week for Wednesdays DC mega millions drawing. So far we've won $9, lol, not 9 million, 9 dollars. But hey, for someone who couldn't hit the floor if I fell out of bed, this is fun. Yeah yeah, it's all fun and games until someone pokes an eye out.

Also, go to NetWinner.com so far I've won like crazy.

Have fun.


Chief the big brown bear has taken up bowling, with my mom's 10 lb bowling ball. It's hysterical watching him try and pick it up. He spent almost an hour last night pushing it all around the floor and growling at it. When I put it up on the counter to end the howling session he cried and cried until I put it back on the floor again. It's no use hiding anything, his greatest talent it finding stuff. Anyway, it almost made him less gay. BTW, my sister found me the greatest book ever, "How to Tell If Your Dog Is Gay".

Laugh O'the Day

According to a newspaper headline:

"A woman over age 40 has a better chance of being killed by a terrorist than of getting married."

But speaking of getting married - 11 more days!!!!!!

This is a test

of how much more I can take. I'm in agony, my pantyhose have rolled down under my belly.

Worth Noting

This was stolen from an email that someone sent me:


Five tips for a woman....

1. It is important that a man helps you around the house and has a job.

2. It is important that a man makes you laugh.

3. It is important to find a man you can count on! and doesn't lie to you.

4. It is important that a man loves you and spoils you.

5. It is important that these four men don't know each other.

New Adventure

So after skating in Jersey for the last competition of the season and being utterly confused about what place we came in:
- the results said fourth
- the medal was silver
- the ribbon was blue

a friend and I decided to ditch the old team next year and skate as a duo for something called show competitions. We will be skating to Robert Palmer and doing the aloof Palmer girls dancing and playing air guitar. How fun is that! The plan is to debut the routine at the annual Christmas show at our rink as the "off-Broadway" debut.

Another Date to Anticipate

It won't be too long to wait before Robbie comes home from deployment. Probably the end of June. He can't tell me yet what date it is but he did say he gets the first shift of leave. 11 straight days off! I cannot wait to see him again. I really miss the booger. I plan to be there at the pier when the ship comes in. How exciting is that! I know that time flies (way to fast in some cases) so that day will be here before you know it.

Thats Rob on the flight deck. And on leave in Italy at the Vatican.

Thriller Thursday

Today the voices in my head are absolutely singing ... anything ... as long as its LOUD ... but mostly its Thriller, I guess cause I'll be skating it on Saturday for the last time in competition this year.

Try outs for next year's team are on the day of Kurt's wedding. They start at 2:15 and he's getting married at 5. hmmmmmmm.

Wedding news: I got my shoes, picture forthcoming. Working on getting the bus to take everyone from the hotel to the manor house and then back to the hotel. Effers want to charge $970. OUCH. Hell with y'all, walk! Hopefully I can get a lower rate.

Sometimes Time Does Not Fly

Sometimes it just plods along with its head down, its feet kicking up dust from the road....

Today is the second anniversary of Dan's passing. Is it any easier? Well in most ways it actually is,

I can:
- get out of bed each day easier
- the clenching in my chest has gone away this last 6 months
- I can mostly smile about him now
- he's come back down to human status, foibles, faults, warts and all
- I can make it on my own even though it sucks

I can't:
- understand why most people settle for that kind of love just once in their life
- make a homeowner decision and act on it as quickly at all as a "one"
- stop regretting, regressing and reiterating
- sleep comfortably
- spend like a drunken sailor

Life sure is different. Watch for me as I plod along, head down, kicking up dust from the road, but definitely going somewhere.

More Dress Pieces

This is the coat that goes over the dress to hide my bountious upper arms and you-gly chest. It isn't finished quite yet (looks weird hanging over the lining too). I still need to finish the raw edges of the front and hem. For that I have the fun of making my own binding (shoot me now). The great part is I remembered how to do the invisible seaming that I learned about 40 years ago!

Can you spot the seam?

That's done - on to the rest

Okay, I've recut all the pieces to the lining and so it now looks like this:


I haven't cut the dress material yet, I needed to cut the "coat" pieces first. The removable overlayer is made of this:


The idea I had for the secret detail to the dress will work! The thought into solid form started like this:

Dress - back to the cutting board

So here's the problem, the bottom is way too full:




The quick fix is recut the pattern on 3 of the panels to take out the fullness. The correct fix is to combine 2 side panels into one and recut the whole flipping armhole thing. argh. decisions decisions.

The Dress - the beginning

Making the pattern, first pass, which is basically just slapping scrap material together and writing all over it:


Making the pattern, second pass, contouring the pieces:



Third pass:



Trying it out on similar weight material, draw on it, open it up and slap it on leftover Christmas tissue paper:


First cut!!! This is the lining, this is the color, which doesn't translate well but look at a grey scroll bar on your screen, that's it.