The whole gang!
The Triplets!
We went to St. Charles today to celebrate Mardi Gras. It was a beautiful day, if not a little too hot when the sun was out. The truck parades were a lot smaller this year and we were home by 2pm. We packed a lunch and brought the tent out, hoping to make a long day of it and we were only there for about 3 or 4 hours. This was Samuel's first Mardi Gras and he did great.
Phil & I in Central Park
Me in Times Square
Phil hailing a cab!
Phil shoveling snow because he's a geek!
Phil surprised me with a trip to New York. We were there during the record breaking snow blizzard. It didn't slow us down at all. We had so much fun. Neither one of us had ever been there so when our plane landed, we hit the ground running! We had a typical New York cab ride from the airport to our hotel. Phil couldn't stop laughing and I couldn't keep my nails out of his leg. The guy ran stop signs, went down one ways the wrong way and nearly side swiped many a vehicle. We witnessed one vehicle go up on the sidewalk, rather than wait in the traffic with the rest of us. I would never own a car in New York.
We were only there for the weekend so we didn't stop. On Friday night, we walked over 4 miles around the city just taking in the sights. We took a carriage ride in Central Park, saw Rockefeller Center, St. Patrick's Cathedral, & Tiffany's to name a few. We woke early Saturday and headed straight to the Statue of Liberty. The forecast for snow didn't slow us down, it wasn't supposed to start until around 3pm that day. We took our first subway ride down to the Statue of Liberty, that was fun. After the Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island, we walked up to Ground Zero, a very powerful sight. Almost five years later, and it still invokes so many emotions, patriotism being the strongest. We then walked over to SoHo and Little Italy. We visited Ferrara's Bakery and ate at a small restaurant in Little Italy. By the time we finished eating, it was around 3pm and the snow started. We decided to skip Chinatown and take the subway back to Times Square to buy cheap tickets to a Broadway show that night.
After we got our tickets, we decided to walk back to Central Park to see it in the daylight. We were supposed to leave early the next morning so this would be our last opportunity. Central Park is beautiful. It was also exciting because we recognized many parts of the park from all the movies that have been filmed there. We were going to go ice skating but decided against it as we had many blocks to walk back to our hotel to get ready for Chicago, the show we decided to go see.
Chicago was good, Robin Givens played Roxy Hart and the guy who plays J. Peterman on Seinfeld was Billy Flynn. I actually liked the movie better though. Just before the play, we found out that our flight had been cancelled due to the blizzard. While we both worried about missing work, we couldn't hide our excitement about getting an extra day in New York. After the play we went to the New York Improv, the worst experience. I told Phil we had to sit in the way back and we did. And true to form, the comedians got into it with some front row guests and I was completely uncomfortable throughout the evening. The guests wound up being kicked out and a big scene ensued. I was scared to death to leave. I told Phil to meet me outside after he paid the bill, no way were we both going to leave at the same time. The walk from my seat to the door was the longest walk in my life! I was so afraid the comedian would say something to me for leaving. Never Again!
We woke up Sunday morning to a blanket of snow on everything. I slept in and Phil went to the corner diner to get us toasted bagels and coffee and tea. New York has the BEST bagels. I brought some home with me. We decided to go to the Guggenheim. There were plenty of people on the streets but it definitely hindered businesses. Cabs were in short supply. We walked down to Grand Central Station and took the subway to the museum. The museum took us a record 45 minutes to go through! Phil could have been finished in 10 min. Neither one of us understand art much. There was an exhibition of a famous sculpture artist, David Smith going on. I definitely didn't get that. I enjoyed the few paintings they did have though. I wish we would have gone to the Metropolitan Museum of Art instead. Still, I'm glad we went.
After the museum, we walked in Central Park. The locals were out with their sleds and that was so much fun. For dinner we ended up at Gallagher's, David Letterman's favorite place. It was terrible. Phil and I both found that the service industry in New York is lacking in hospitality. Restaurant workers were the only rude people we encountered. On the morning we were leaving, our waitress got into it with another customer about the syrup she served them. The waitress yelled at the customer that "Yes, that is what you ordered", leaving the customer dumbfounded.
We packed so much into that weekend and loved every minute of it. Being there during the snow storm added to our weekend, rather than ruined it.
Well, I finished my first marathon just over a month ago. Wasn't sure I'd do it again, but I decided that I needed a goal, something to look forward to. I decided to run Grandma's Marathon in Duluth, MN on June 17th. Last week I printed out another training program to put on the fridge. My son, Mark, saw it and said, "Are you doing another marathon?" Yes, I told him and asked if he wanted a challenge. He said YES! Wow. It tickles me to think my boy (of almost 23) wants to run/hang out with me. Just yesterday, my #2 son, Bill(y) decided that he wanted to run the marathon as well (he should be home from the Army for good around May 20th). Now maybe you can imagine that I'm nearly giddy thinking that I'll do a marathon with both of my sons. As Ed always says, "How cool is that?!"
Samuel is such a good baby. He was content to play with his new toy, but that didn't stop us from picking him up and messing with him. I cannot help but want to reach out and squeeze him up. He is so cute.
You know how that is?
Katie went shopping for a formal for the Endymion Extravaganza this Saturday. Vavavoom, baby.
Have you seen this guy? He disappeared this afternoon at about 3PM. There were many witnesses.
Samuel is quite a good sport about all of the attention he gets. It was fun.
Thanks, Angela and Joey.
Have a day.
Looks like the choice food was at the bottom today. I did save some of my hamburger bun in case one of the ducks waddled up and wagged his tail at me but it didn't happen.
I was going to write the greeting to Blog boy, but I see I already did that last year. It isn't funny. Can you get yourself a dancing cake please, Rob?
Today is Matthew David Ferrara's 11th birthday. Happy birthday, Matt. Hope you have a wonderful day.
Got plans?
Well, It was relayed to me by all of the Collins Hill fans that Bunk wrestled the match of his life in the quarter finals on Friday. He was ahead 5-4 with 45 seconds remaining in the 3rd period when he got pinned. He said that he was trying so hard not to get pinned, he was not focusing on wrestling. It was a great disappointment to him. And then he just lost heart. He lost the next match and it was to a boy who he had beaten before. After that he was out of the tournament since it was double elimination. Ten boys on his team did place 2nd through 6th and the team came in 2nd in the tournament. One of his teammates was ejected for displaying out of control behavior after losing a match and all of the points he had contributed to the team score were taken away. Now Bunk is chilling at home and grazing from meals to snacks. He figures he put on at least 17 pounds already. I know that he ate at least that many pounds in candy yesterday while we were at the arena all day. It was a very long 3 days and I am glad it is over for another year.
Stephen did wonderfully as a ref and he got many compliments. There was a guy sitting behind me and Kellie that was telling the people he was with how awesome that young ref is. That was fun to hear. He was selected to be the head ref in the first finals match that was being previewed on television. There were five mats with each classification on one of them. Only the middle mat was being televised and the classifications that were on that mat alternated. They'll show it on television in the next couple of weeks I think. I hope somebody tells me when it is so I can watch it.
Also, a big thank you to the King Cake Fairy! We got home at 11
0 Friday night and the king cake was enjoyed by all of us before we went to bed. It was delicious and so very appreciated.
Images from the State Tournament in the extended entry
By the way, I’ve been incorporating links and graphics in some of your entries here occasionally but I won’t make any other changes without your permission. I’ll also remove them at your request. Just trying to make things a little easier for the readers.
Bunk's still in! He wrestled twice today and he pinned both opponents. I was not there for either. Today was teacher/conference day and I had my last conference at 2:45. I did not get to the arena until 40. I will leave work tomorrow at noon. He has a tough match at 10. This boy killed him in a match early on in the season. I will not watch. I can not stand to watch him. I watch the other boys and cheer them on but I simply can not watch my own. Stephen is reffing at this State tournament. It is the first time they have had all five levels of schools in one arena for a State Wrestling Tournament in the United States is what I think I read in the paper. Anyway, it was an honor for Stephen to be selected since he has only been reffing for five years. I witnessed a conflict he was having with a coach from across the arena. I don't know why he'd want to ref at this thing - way too much pressure. Kellie packed him a tool box of tips for Reffing at State. It was packed with several items - carrots for sharp eyes, a notepad to write down things he will say when interviewed by the paper, earplugs to drown out the coaches, Germ-X so that he can come home ringworm free among other things. It's really cute.
We thought it was a typical dopey Bill Murray movie, very much like that other dopey one from last year that give him an Oscar, no less! The critics say he is the master of the world-weary, burned out expression of a fellow who has seen it all and is unimpressed. I disagree. He is a master of the stupid look, staring at the camera with nothing on his face. I think that's his own look, one he was born with, representing who he is as a person, and not acting at all. Anyway, the story line should have been interesting but along the way, someone forgot what it was, and the ending of it was most peculiar and totally unsatisfying.
Now. Does that intrigue you? Don't you wish to see it? Go ahead, and then tell me if you disagree. I dare you!
Everyone here is well. No flu. Elizabeth's Polina was four years old last weekend. And this month we have Matthew's 11th, Robbie's 49th, Janine's 46th, and Kevin's 51st. All in a row -- 14, 16, 17, & 18. I still have my root ball to be ground up and then my fence to be replaced after that, but I think that work is still a month, maybe more, off. Also, regarding that root ball, I was told that they just grind it down; they don't carry it away. I was shocked at that. What will I do with a ton of sawdust? Get out my shovel, you say? Not likely. I made an appointment this morning to have my taxes done. I told the lady I wasn't in a hurry and she replied, "good thing you're not; I've got a 2:45 p.m. Saturday, March 4." Last year I had to pay and I was told to increase my deduction. I didn't fill out the form till August and then didn't mail it in till October, so there's only two months where I had more money being taken out. Oh well. Next year I should do all right. Okay. This is it. I have to go to the library. They are back to opening at 10 a.m. but still close at 5 p.m. rather than 8 p.m. One of the many problems here is that people who used to do the work haven't returned and maybe will never return. Your turn.
I just got home from the Area Tournament. Bunk came in first place. We nicknamed the kid he wrestled against Fireplug because he was very short and very muscular. David nicknamed him Oompa Loompa. He had wrestled this boy last year and lost to him at this same tournament 5-0. He wrestled him three weeks ago and lost 10-8. I didn't think he'd win today, but he thought he would and I guess that's what counts. The score was 7-2. The boy's parents were sitting next to us last night. Scott asked his dad how much the kid benchpressed and how often he worked out. He was making a comparison of sorts. He benched 220 and worked out three days a week at 60 a.m. in addition to the workouts after school each day. Our little Bunk Bunk doesn't go in for that sort of thing. He's not big into lifting weights. Also, that boy was snacking on roasted almonds while Bunk was throwing down Skittles. But in the end, Bunk's theory about muscles (and eating healthily) not being everything in wrestling worked out for him. State is on February 9, 10, 11. A local expert that posts his predictions on an internet wrestling vent page has Bunk ranked 13 out of 20. He wasn't predicted to come in first in this tournament, so we'll just have to wait and see.
This link from the Atlanta Journal Constitution is probably only going to be free today (February 5, 2006). Read it if you can.
My brother Mike celebrates Groundhog's Day. He prefers it over the other holidays because there are no obligations tied to it, no shopping, no family get-togethers, etc. I sent him an e-card this morning, his response:
Thanks so much for the ecard. I really appreciate your efforts on this festive occasion. I really don't know if I can talk Jodi into it, but I am considering ripping up my front yard and putting a large scale habi-trail system in. I can aquire a groundhog easily enough, but don't really know if they can eat through PVC pipe. Been checking on the web but haven't found much info regarding this. I could have a domed top on it and we could pull up lawn chairs in the predawn hours & sit and wait to see how much more winter we are going to have. Still working on a lot of issues with this.
Anyway have a wonderful Groundhog Day and drink lots of Brown Beer,
Mike
