Anti-Resolutions

For this week's [Fiction] Friday, we were not prompted to write a story. Instead, they asked "What are your top 5 Anti-Resolutions for the coming year?"

This was hard for me, as I usually don't keep any resolutions I actually do make. However, I thought I'd try to be as amusing as the people who did this kind of post last year (in the examples I saw).

1. I will not post on Facebook about every song that comes into my head for the mere purpose of getting them into everyone else's head. (This is something I currently do, so I want to try to cut back on the habit.) I will, however, tell you that "Boogie Fever" is currently playing in the soundtrack of my mind.

2. I will not give birth to an alien or other non-human life form, come late February (b'shaah tovah).

3. I will not get drunk and proceed to a karaoke bar to sing "Only Hope" by Mandy Moore in the key of B-minor while wearing a tutu and 6-inch heels.

4. I will not conduct science experiments in my secret lab and then try to pass them off as food items.

5. I will not set a ridiculous and unattainable goal for myself this coming year so that I can blog about it like in "Julie and Julia."

What are your anti-resolutions?

Out with the old....

Now that another New Year's Eve is almost upon us, I thought I'd talk about some of my favorite New Year's Eve experiences from the past.

When I was a kid, we'd spend a lot of our winter breaks in Florida. We'd go to an Italian restaurant with our friends and their families and then hang out in one of the time-share condos to watch the ball drop. The last year that we were in Florida for a vacation, we went to a big party at my friend's uncle's house. It was a huge house and they had lots of good food. There were enough older kids that the adults got to go out and the younger kids had people looking after them. It was a fun party and we rang in 1990 there.

After that vacation, I ended up babysitting on NYE for a few years in a row. We'd watch the ball drop at 11 since it was an hour earlier in Illinois. Then I'd tell the kids that it was really the new year and we'd throw confetti and later use it to decorate their house.

On the last night of 1994, I was involved with "Rocky Horror" and NYE was on a Saturday. My parents drove me to the theater in a snowstorm and I had a blast ringing in the new year with my friends there. After the show, the cast (which I was part of at the time) went to an apartment (owned by two of the cast members) to all hang out together and party through the night. That was an interesting experience in itself. Let's just say I didn't do anything I shouldn't, but I still felt the effects from everyone else who was doing this thing. I can't remember if I slept at all that night.

On the last night of 2001, I spent NYE in Israel. I was there for Birthright and completely jet lagged. I had no idea what time it was and almost missed the changing of the year altogether. The hotel had this party for all the people visiting for Birthright, even though Israel had celebrated their new year in September. I spent my first day of 2002 touring around Jerusalem. It was almost surreal.

On the last night of 2002, my husband (then boyfriend) and I went to the Olive Garden for dinner and then went to First Night Evanston and walked around in the freezing cold to the different shows and events going on. They had a hula hoop contest, where I realized that I could no longer hula hoop like I did during my Bar/Bat Mitzvah party days. One of the buildings hosted a dance, which is where we officially rang in the new year while dancing to big band music.

The next few years after that were spent in our home entertaining friends or at our friends' home just to hang out and watch the ball drop. Then, on the last night of 2008, we threw a party in our NJ home. We were surprised that some people from the community attended. We also had one of my close friends from NY over, as well as friends from Rhode Island who decided to stop by at the last minute on their way to Baltimore. They ended up staying over. It was a fun time and people got into playing Bananagrams for most of the evening.

Last year, we rang in the new year with a few close friends from our neighborhood. We spent most of the evening playing Loaded Questions and laughing so hard we couldn't think straight! We almost forgot to watch the ball drop.

This year, we're having my in-laws and some friends over for a Shabbat potluck dinner. I don't know if we'll stay up till midnight, but the kids are still going to bed at a somewhat normal time. I'm looking forward to it. Next year, we'll think about getting a sitter and go out for a night on the town....and maybe that sitter can start some NYE traditions that they'll get to blog about in the future.

I scream, you scream....

I know this is the coldest time of year and the last thing we should even be thinking about is ice cream. However, I can have ice cream any time of year, regardless of the weather. It's an all time favorite of mine. Even better...with Magic Shell on top! Today, I thought I'd talk about some of my favorite ice cream parlors from the past and present.

*Wizard's: Before DQ had the Blizzard, there was a place called Wizard's that did the same thing. Since this was new and innovative, it was a huge treat.

*TCBY: I loved their frozen yogurt when I was growing up. They had unique flavors and great toppings. No other fro-yo store could compare.

*This ice cream place I went to in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin: When I went to overnight camp, the ice cream place was right down the road and we'd walk there. The ice cream just tasted so amazingly delicious and was served in fresh waffle cones.

*The Peppermint Stick, Long Grove, Illinois: This is where I first started to love peppermint ice cream, which was their trademark flavor.

*Ben and Jerry's: Can't go wrong there! Ever since I first went there, I was hooked. I even walked from the mall to B&J's in a snowstorm, just to satisfy a chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream fix.

*Kilwin's: Whenever we went to St. Joe, Michigan, my husband and I would go there for ice cream. They had some fun flavors and it was hard to choose just one. They also made their waffle cones right in front of the customers. We found other Kilwin's stores in Wisconsin and North Carolina. I know there's one in Annapolis, as well. We haven't been there yet.

*Skipper's: I think this was the name. It was an ice cream store in Florida that had some really cool flavors and each one was delicious. It was a treat to go there when we were on vacation and could find one nearby.

That's all I can think of for now. I usually get Edy's from the grocery store these days, as they have some flavors I can't resist (especially the seasonal ones, like pumpkin and peppermint). Now I have a craving for ice cream, but it's not pregnancy related. :)

How do you measure a year?

Today marks the one year anniversary of this blog! Time has flown by so fast. I feel like I just started posting in here yesterday, but that would mean I spent a lot of time online in the span of a day, considering how many posts have been created since then (215, not including this one).

During my year of blogging, I've discovered that I can knit, but I'm just incredibly lazy about it. I also tried documenting my FlyLady attempts at organizing my home, but that also slipped through the cracks. There was the blog project, which was fun, but not something I'm able to revisit anytime soon due to lack of time and motivation on my end. I also did Time Warp Tuesday for a while and then lost interest or ran out of ideas and had fun with Friendship Friday, but fell off the motivation train there too. I attempted a series about 90's music, but it only lasted a few posts. Finally, there was Fiction Friday. I'm hoping to revisit that in the upcoming year. I don't know if I'll expand my Lou and Cat story any further or if I'll just try new ideas each time a theme "speaks" to me. I wasn't too big on most of the themes, so I would just not write during those weeks. I do want to stretch my writing skills a bit and work on some more fiction. Reading what feels like a zillion books this year has inspired me to write more. I don't know that I want to share anything from my more elaborate story ideas on my blog though. I may just use it as a jumping off point.

I have been focusing most of my time and attention on my Chick Lit Central blog and plan to do so in the coming year. I've found this blog to be a source of fulfillment and I love that authors, publishers and other readers value my opinions about books. I didn't know when I started this blog in May, that it would become such a huge focus in my life. I love it though. I do want to find ways to get sponsorship or do something to financially support when I have to send books out for giveaways myself. (Most authors and publishers do it, but sometimes I get saddled with the task.) I signed up with Google AdSense, as it is passive, but I don't know how much that is generating. In any case, the amount of books I didn't have to buy this year has made up for the cost big time! And so many of those books have been amazing. I've also had the best time e-mailing with authors and getting to know them better. They're very much down-to-earth and easy to talk to. (At least most are...some have let fame get to their heads and I have no access to them at all.)

On the homefront...things are going well. My husband's job is wonderful, which is such a 360 from his previous job. I am always telling him how his new boss should tell his old boss that he's crazy for treating my husband the way he did. His new boss loves him. I tease him that he's the golden child there who can do no wrong. No kaynehores though! Work is going fine for me too, although a little slow at this time of year. I'm hoping things will pick up speed when more people are around. I was assigned to work with another manager (in addition to the ones I currently work with) and she's been great. She tells me what she wants and I get it done for her and we're both happy. Isn't that how it should always be? :) I like the people I've been working for over the past year, as well. It's a great environment and I love being here, but I sometimes wish there was more to do during the slow times of the year (like winter holidays that our office doesn't celebrate). The boys are doing well and constantly making me laugh and smile. I went to a parenting seminar about how to raise kids without yelling. I definitely needed that, as I tend to resort to yelling to make my voice heard. I've been working on handling things in a calm, but firm manner and it seems to be going well. I haven't had to raise my voice in a week and a half. I've been provoked, but I've taken the time to think about how I can get the same response by not yelling and just being clear and firm about what needs to be done. I just hope the kids don't go stir crazy this week with being off school and home most of the day. On the pregnancy front, everything seems to be fine. My OB visits have been uneventful, other than long and annoying waits when they get overbooked. I'm still not sure what the gender will be and am having a lot of boy dreams lately, which tells me that we should really get cracking on choosing a boy name. The baby has been moving and kicking a lot, which is such a beautiful and life affirming feel.

I still love our neighborhood and our shul. I enjoy hanging out with our friends and meeting new friends, as well. It's so nice to be in an environment where I am happy and comfortable.

As for the entertainment world...I'm still watching "Glee," "Desperate Housewives," and "The Office." I started watching "Modern Family" this year and I love it. Such a funny show! I can totally see a lot of myself in Claire (or a lot of her in me). It's almost scary though. I love Cam, he's my new favorite fictional gay guy. "Glee" has been okay so far, but not as powerful as last year. Some of it tends to annoy me. "Desperate Housewives" has been pretty interesting and I've been watching it with some friends each week, which makes it more fun. "The Office" has been hilarious and I'll be sad when Steve Carell leaves the show. I've seen a lot of movies this year, as well. Only three in the theater, and two were also with the kids (I loved both movies though). I don't know if I have any major contenders for favorite movie of the year. I definitely loved "Toy Story 3" and "Tangled" and enjoyed a few of the comedies I saw. "The Blind Side" and "Up in the Air" deserved their Oscar nominations. However, I was disappointed with the movie version of "Eat Pray Love." I did like the movie version of "The Last Song" though and sobbed through the last half. As for music, I still love Adam Lambert. I haven't been too impressed with most of the music on the radio this year and end up listening to country, classic rock or CDs. I haven't seen any live theater in a while and miss doing that. I'm hoping something good will come to the area next year that I can go out and enjoy.

Not too much else is new. I'm hoping to take it easy in the next month or so until the baby arrives, b'shaah tovah. I know things will be whirlwind after that. We also have an upsherin to plan for around Purim time. Definitely something to look forward to, even though I'll miss my younger son's hair (which he claims feels like "noodles"). I look forward to some upcoming visits from family and hopefully from friends, as well.

Finally, I look forward to seeing what will develop with this blog in the next year, as I have had a lot of fun writing in it and even re-reading stuff I wrote in the past. Stay tuned....

Top 10 about '10

I did a list of top 10 things about 2009 that made me happy, so now I want to do one about 2010. Here goes:

1. My older son's cochlear implant being more successful than even anticipated.
2. Becoming pregnant again (even though it was hard to appreciate it in the beginning).
3. Chick Lit Central: When I started it earlier this year, I had no idea it would take off in the way it has. I am truly grateful for that. I've made some great friends and had the opportunity to read books I might never have heard of before. I also got to connect with some really sweet and down-to-earth authors and even meet a debut author in person. :)
4. The spa day. It was the ultimate luxurious pleasure and I would do it again in a heartbeat! I even had a dream that someone imagined Heaven to be the spa we went to and I could see why they would think so.
5. Having a wonderful neighbor who has helped us with my older son's before and after school care these past few months.
6. Getting Kevin Smith to sign my book of his screenplays (and the message he wrote).
7. Reuniting with friends I never thought I'd hear from again, thanks to Facebook.
8. Spending the Jewish holiday season with family, as well as some close friends.
9. Snowmageddon 2010: Even though it was an annoyance, it brought us and our neighbors together and it was nice to have no excuse to go out.
10. Getting a brand new oven for free. Who wouldn't be happy about that? :)
10.5. (It's my list so I can add this if I want!) "Modern Family." It never fails to make me laugh!

I'm sure there are other things I'll think of after this has been posted, but it felt like more of a challenge to come up with a list this year.

When a strike is good....

You all probably know by now that I met my husband because of a mutual love for the sport of bowling. However, you probably don’t know much of my history with bowling or why I love it as much as I do to begin with.

When I was little, I would go to watch my dad on his league night. It was a special privilege to stay up late and eat junk food while cheering for him and his teammates. They would teach me different hand symbols for applauding a strike or spare or even sympathizing about a gutter ball. There was always a lot of excitement in the atmosphere and the sound of the many balls hitting the pins offered up a neat rhythm.

I even took bowling lessons when I was about six years old. There was a bowling alley by where I grew up and my dad would take me every Saturday morning. I was part of a very small group learning how to bowl, so it wasn’t too much pressure and I had a lot of fun.

As I grew up, I continued to enjoy the sport and would go bowling often with my family and friends. I also loved the scene in “Grease 2” where they were singing at the bowling alley (even though I thought “Score Tonight” was only about getting a lot of strikes at the time). I always found something comforting about going to a bowling alley, even if I was just there to watch and not participate.

In the fall of 2000, I was dating a guy I later became friends with. He suggested that we join a bowling league together. It was one that met on Sunday mornings (yes, I was not a parent yet and was willing to get up at 8 a.m. on a SUNDAY) for breakfast and a few games each week. We’d also go on bowling dates to get in some practice before the league officially started. When we decided to just become friends, we stayed on as bowling partners for the rest of the season. My dad was thrilled that I was bowling again and we'd go bowling together, as well, for me to get extra practice. I even competed with him in some special parent and (grown) child competition, but I didn't do too well.

When the breakfast league ended, I joined a women’s league through a friend of my mom’s. I felt amateur there and didn’t really have a lot of people to talk to. In the fall of 2001, I asked three of my close girl friends to join a Sunday evening (more ideal) league that offered pizza as part of a package deal. (Twelve dollars for three games and a pizza worked for me.) We had fun bowling together and even made up code names for ourselves. We first used our nicknames and later switched to “Sex and the City” characters, even making shirts for ourselves with our names. We sometimes had other friends who came along offer support. (It was in this league that I had to pre-bowl for Super Bowl Sunday, which was a catalyst in meeting my husband.)

When my husband and I started dating, our first official date was at a bowling alley, where he taught me how to walk with the ball, thus improving my technique and score. He would come to our league nights for support and I’d later go to support him when he joined my dad’s league. We would also continue to go on bowling dates, as there was an alley that did Sunday night “all you could bowl” deals. (You’d think I’d be all bowled out by then.)

On Super Bowl Sunday the year of my wedding, I didn't skip out on league night and instead invited a close friend to bowl with us in place of someone who was going to be away. She then was witness to my first ever score of 200! I think I still saved the score sheet after printing it out.

After I became a mom, I didn't bowl as often as I used to. I think my husband also stopped participating in his league. When we lived in New Jersey, we'd occasionally take the kids bowling. There was a program through AMF where kids got to bowl for free and adults used a family pass to bowl as often as they wanted. The alley that was participating was a little bit out of the way, but we went often during the summer of 2009 with our boys. By the end of the summer, our older son was doing really well, scoring in the 90's. We'd even let our younger son roll the ball and then my husband would help him push it down the lane. It was a lot of fun. Unfortunately, the nearby lanes in Maryland that were participating were for duckpin bowling. We tried that once and didn't like it as much as the standard 10-pin bowling we're used to. Scoring was weird too. We went bowling a couple of times earlier this year (to lanes that were further away), but haven't been since. I have hopes that one day at least one of our sons (or even our future child, b'shaah tovah) will want to bowl in a league with either my husband or myself so that we can continue the sport and pass along the love for bowling to future generations.

Starstruck!

I have a "thing" about meeting famous people. I get such a rush from the experience. Most of my celebrity exposure has been on the Broadway scene though. It happens when I wait by the backstage door of a theater for all the actors to come out and then I get autographs and pictures.
The first HUGE celebrity encounter for me was meeting Adam Pascal in the summer of 2001. My sister and I were obsessed with "Rent" (and still are) and when we went to NYC, we just HAD to meet him. We went to the "Aida" backstage door, as he was performing in that show at the time. We asked when he'd be around and then made it a point to be back there at that time. We had to rush to get back there because our friend was meeting us and her train was delayed. However, we made it and got our pictures taken with him. We didn't get to talk to him for long, but a picture speaks 1000 words. :)

Later that year, I went to see Margaret Cho perform in Chicago and waited by the backstage door in the cold November weather to meet her. When she came out, I was all tongue-tied, but my friend talked to her like he knew her forever. I got her autograph on my copy of her autobiography and a picture with her, as well.

In 2003, my sister, a friend and I saw "Tick, Tick, Boom" in Chicago. It was starring Christian Campbell and Wilson Cruz. They seem like more obscure actors, but Christian was in a movie called "Trick," that "Will" and I both love and Wilson Cruz was Ricky on "My So-Called Life," which was a favorite show of mine when I was in college. Needless to say, we made sure to meet them after the show and get pictures and autographs. I even got Christian's autograph for "Will" and sent it to him for his birthday.

Then, in 2004, I got to meet someone I'd been waiting only 15 years to meet...Joey McIntyre from New Kids on the Block. He was performing in "Wicked" on Broadway. After the show, my sister and I got pictures and autographs. My sister told him that we saw him in a New Kids concert a long time ago and he was embarrassed about it. Oops!

In 2005, my sister and I met Nicholas Sparks at a book signing. He personalized my copy of "True Believer." We didn't think to bring a camera though.

In the spring of 2009, I saw "In the Heights" on Broadway. Afterward, my husband was kind enough to indulge me by waiting with me by the backstage door and taking pics of me with the actors. I got to meet quite a few actors from the original Broadway cast, such as Robin DeJesus (who was originally in "Camp") and Mandy Gonzalez (who is now in "Wicked"). We waited as long as we had to for one other special star...Shaun Taylor Corbett. He was in "Hi-5," which my kids used to watch. We just had to meet him because of that. He was really nice and wasn't embarrassed about being recognized from a kid's show. He even told me to hug my kids for him. :)

In the summer and fall of 2009, I got to meet three of my favorite authors: Jennifer Weiner, Jane Green and Nicholas Sparks (again!). I had my camera for all three book signings, but wasn't allowed to get a pic with Jen Weiner thanks to the bookstore's rules. (I met her again at another signing this past summer and was allowed to get a pic this time!) I did get pics with the others though. (I redeemed myself for the first time I met Nicholas Sparks.)

This past spring, I got to meet an actor/writer/director I've been wanting to meet for 15 years, ever since I first saw "Clerks"....Kevin Smith! I didn't get to take a picture with him personally, but he did sign my book of his screenplays. He would only sign one or two items per show and my friend told me how to get that signature. He wrote "I love you so much!" :) I also got to ask him a question that he had to answer in front of everyone. However, he did give a different girl a hug and I'm jealous of that. Oh well!

Now that you're all caught up on my celebrity enounters, I wanted to share my list of the top five celebrities I would like to meet at some point in my life (preferably sooner rather than later):

1. Adam Lambert. Need I say more?!? I didn't get to go to his concert this summer as it was sold out, so I hope he'll be back in DC to perform in the future. I'll wait another 15 years if I have to, but I hope I get to meet him before that long of a time. I worry that the excitement would wear off otherwise.

2. Idina Menzel. I went to see "Wicked" on Broadway and there was an understudy for Elphaba. Murphy's law, right? I still hope to meet her someday, as I think she has an amazing voice and is incredibly talented. I've liked her ever since she was in "Rent." No one can sing "Take Me or Leave Me" (or "Defying Gravity" for that matter) quite like she can.

3. Lin-Manuel Miranda. I was hoping to meet him when I saw "In the Heights." (He wasn't performing at the time but I had a fantasy that he'd be watching from backstage and would come out to meet his fans anyway. However, that was not the case.) He wrote an incredible musical, does a great job rapping without it sounding unintelligable and even sang "To Life, L'Chaim" to his wife at his wedding. Toss in the fact that he's adorable and you'd want to meet him too!

4. America Ferrera. She won me over in "Real Women Have Curves" and completely sold me on her talent in "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants." Then she was in "Ugly Betty" and completely took on her role as Betty Suarez and made it her own. She just seems like a down-to-earth celebrity who isn't going to go the skanky route that other female celebrities have. I could see just hanging out with her and having fun "girl talk" over dinner.

5. Adam Sandler. I love him in so many of his movies and think he is incredibly funny. I just have to meet him the same way I just had to meet Kevin Smith. No one can write a Hanukkah song quite like he can either!

If anyone has any connections to the five celebrities mentioned above, please send them my way. Thanks!

I love the 90s...the best of the rest

I haven't revisited my 90's blog in a while. After I wrote the previous posts, I thought of some other 90's favorites that I missed.

Jill Sobule: Before Katy Perry claimed to have "kissed a girl," there was Jill Sobule's version of the song, which was way cuter (in my opinion). The lyrics and tune are completely different to begin with and the video is a lot of fun too. In the summer of 1996, my sister got me hooked on Jill Sobule's CD and we'd listen to it all the time. The songs had a lot of variety and the lyrics were interesting and easy to follow. She has a nice voice that is enjoyable to listen to even now.

Barenaked Ladies: I became more interested in this group in the late 90's. I first heard Brian Wilson and then was listening to a CD of theirs that had a few other classic songs. When "Stunt" came out, I really started to like them. "One Week" was a huge hit on the radio at the time and it was fun to listen to and try to figure out the lyrics.

Sarah McLachlan, "Fumbling Towards Ecstasy": When I was in college, a friend of mine put "Possession" on a mix tape she made me. After hearing that song, I knew I had to hear more and I started listening to Sarah McLachlan's whole album. The songs are mellow and sound beautiful, thanks to her amazing voice. One of my favorites is "Ice Cream." It's just sweet and romantic at the same time. I used to listen to this CD all the time when I was studying, as it was good background music and reminded me of The Coffeehouse because they played it there a lot. I still listen to it as an adult, when I need to relax or when I'm getting work done.

Soundtracks:

"Pretty Woman": I had this soundtrack on cassette for the longest time and must have worn it out, because it just stopped working after a while. I finally purchased it on CD so I could listen in my car. Hearing it again brought back memories of when I first saw the movie (and loved it) and became addicted to the soundtrack. The first song, "Wild Women Do" by Natalie Cole, sets the mood for the soundtrack. Then there's "King of Wishful Thinking" by Go West, which became an instant hit in the early 90's. There's also the classic "It Must Have Been Love" by Roxette, which gives off a different mood from the movie. The rest of the soundtrack is just a lot of fun overall.

"Beautiful Girls" and "The Truth About Cats and Dogs": I lump these soundtracks together because I saw the movies around the same time and both have great tunes and a mellow feel to them. Jill Sobule even has a song on the latter of the two. I love that "Sweet Caroline" is on the "Beautiful Girls" soundtrack, as my friend and I used to find it funny to sing it out loud together. There's a pretty one on "The Truth..." soundtrack called "Angel Mine" by Cowboy Junkies. There's just a lot to like about both CDs and they both give off a seductive tone overall. Either are great to play on a date. :)

Other songs I liked in the 90's (and still like now):

"Torn" by Natalie Imbruglia
"In the House of Stone and Light" by Martin Page
"Birmingham" by Amanda Marshall
"Zombie" by The Cranberries
"Lightning Crashes" by Live
"Good" by Better than Ezra
"Hey Jealousy" by Gin Blossoms
"When I Come Around" by Green Day
"Six Underground" by Sneaker Pimps
"Plush" by Stone Temple Pilots

I'm sure I'll think of more songs and albums after the fact, but this pretty much sums up 90's music favorites for me.

Thankful....

I posted this to my Chick Lit Central blog, but wanted to share it here too...I feel it's always important to count one's blessings and this is a great time of year to do it. :)

1. One is Hashem....First and foremost, I am thankful to Hashem because he is the reason that everything else in my life is possible. I cherish my relationship with Hashem and trust him completely, no matter what happens.
2. My husband, who is absolutely amazing and wonderful in every way. The most important thing is that he always knows how to make me laugh. Sometimes I can't breathe because he said something that was just so hilarious. He's my teammate, as well. I grow more and more in love with him as each day passes.
3. My adorable little boys, who know how to make me smile, even when they're driving me crazy. I love that they are growing and changing, but that they are still my babies.
4. This baby in my belly, that seems to be doing well so far, according to the past few ultrasounds (no kaynehores though). I don't know what the gender is and it really doesn't matter because I'm going to love them anyway. I can't wait to meet them this coming spring (b'shaah tovah).
5. My parents and sister. I may not get to see them as often, but we're still very close and we stay in touch in other ways. I'm excited for the next time they come to visit.
6. My friends, both old and new and the ones I've been reunited with too. I love that each friendship I have is unique and that I have lots of inside jokes with lots of different friends.
7. Where I live, as I love living in Maryland and love being close to DC. I also love my community and couldn't imagine a better place to raise my kids. I also love my house, as cluttered as it tends to get.
8. Chick Lit Central. I started CLC last year and then let things be for a while. I revisited it this year and have watched it grow and thrive. I am fortunate that I've been able to meet some really great authors and read some amazing books as a result. I also love that I have made some great online pals through it. And most of all, I am thankful for Melissa P.'s partnership and all the hard work she has put in. She has some great questions for our interviews and has kept me sane on multiple occasions.
9. Value Village. I have become a shopaholic because of this store, but it's so inexpensive and I've picked up some great stuff for myself and the kids. I've found some CDs I really wanted, maternity clothes, kids' clothing, pajamas, books, toys, etc. I even got a great deal on a single stroller recently. The best are 50% off days, even though it gets insanely crowded. I even got my mom addicted to the store.
10. Entertainment. I love movies, TV, music, Broadway shows and anything related to pop culture. I love to be entertained and look forward to when my favorite shows are on or when a movie I really want to see comes to the theater or DVD. Whether it's Adam Lambert, "Glee" or "In the Heights," I know there's always going to be someone or something that is going to be enjoyable and entertaining.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving (if you are celebrating it)!

They say she's so lucky, she's a star....

Back in June, I wrote this post about my views on luck. At that time, I had challenged my BFF to share her opposing view on the topic in her blog. She finally took me up on the challenge and you can read her opinions here.
I really like how she validates her point and comes up with real life examples to do so. It doesn't mean I agree with her, but some things do make sense to me. Like when she talks about someone not only being able to find a job, but also one they are happy at. I can attest to this from my husband's previous and current job experience. He originally found a job out here after we moved and was miserable for eight long months under the supervision of a verbally abusive boss. After four months of being unemployed from that job, he took the time to study for his project management certification and got a job shortly after he passed the exam. He's completely happy at this job and finally has the respect he deserves. So yes, what my BFF said does make sense in that respect. And that could be said for other things...like you could be set up in a relationship but it may or may not be the right one for you. Or you could win the lottery, but only get a small amount from it.
In the long run, I still hold true to my theory that you can not win if you don't play the game. Not that playing the game is going to guarantee a win, as my BFF points out (and it makes sense), but it's better to take a chance and potentially lose than do nothing at all and expect luck to fall out of the sky. And that's how Merrylandgirl "c's" it. :) (Apologies to Sue Sylvester, but I love that line.)

Post Prom

This week's [Fiction] Friday topic: Include at least one of these words (or as many as you can!) in your story: “blaggard” , “boorish”, “betwixt”, ”stupendous”, “spiffing”

Post Prom

Diane squeezed herself betwixt Cara and Samantha at their tightly packed table in the cafeteria, shoving Cara's tray to the side and spilling her Diet Pepsi as a result. "So, Care-Bear, who is taking you to prom? I heard Josh Hill was going to ask you."

"The new varsity football player? As if! He's so boorish, just like the rest of the team. I have a date lined up anyway."

"Do tell!" Samantha chimed in between bites of her hot dog.

"It's a surprise, okay." Cara wasn't ready to tell her friends about Darren, the college junior she had met while searching for books for her term paper at Barnes and Noble two weeks ago. He worked in the reference section during his summer break and asked her if she was interested in meeting up at Applebee's for some burgers when his shift was over. She figured that he'd readily go to prom with her, considering how much interest he showed in her during their date. They had been talking on the phone almost every night since.

"Well, if you're going to prom, you do need some spiffing up. When was the last time you had a mani and pedi?" Diane had a thing about everyone needing makeovers. Even if her friends looked totally fine, she would still find an excuse for them to get one. Usually because it meant she could throw a makeover party, which she had loved doing ever since she started subscribing to Seventeen back in junior high.

"I usually don't get manis and pedis. The polish chips away so fast that it's just a waste of money." Cara looked at her nails, which didn't seem all that bad in her opinion.

"Suit yourself, but don't go wearing sandals this summer till you at least get a pedi. And don't wear open-toed shoes to prom either. When do you girls want to go dress shopping?"

"I saw the most stupendous looking dress at Nordstrom last week," Samantha offered.

"I think I want to go with a more vintage look." Cara liked to go against the norm whenever possible.

"Should we go shopping this Saturday? Prom is next week!" Samantha squealed.

"Count me in," said Cara.

* * *

Prom was everything Cara had hoped it would be. Darren had, of course, said yes to her invitation. Diane and Samantha were impressed with him and their dates seemed to get along with him as well, even though Cara had always thought of them as blaggards.

The post-prom party was held at Dave and Buster's, which stayed open extra late for everyone who wanted to attend. Cara and Darren had a skee-ball competition going on, the winner being entitled to the all the loser's tickets. When they became tired of it, they snuck off into a corner to make out. Darren was an intensely good kisser and things got steamy pretty fast. "Should we take this somewhere else?" he whispered between kissing her ear and working his way down her chin and to her neck.

"Mmmm...sure" Cara softly moaned. She couldn't see Samantha or Diane anywhere in the crowded gaming area, so she texted them that she was heading out and would meet them for lunch the next afternoon, as they had originally planned.

They-just barely-made their way to Darren's SUV, wrapped up in each other as they were. He drove them to a parking lot at a secluded park and picnic area. They then resumed their romantic entanglement in the backseat. He left the battery on so that they could have some background music. Cara could hear the strains of Bruno Mars singing "Just the Way You Are" as they continued to get hot and heavy.

Suddenly, Darren broke away from their embrace and leaned over to the front seat to fish around the glove compartment. "I came prepared" he said, winking at Cara as he pulled her back into his arms.

"Oh, really?" Cara didn't come prepared, at least not emotionally. However, Samantha and Diane were experienced already and she felt like she was lagging behind. Wouldn't they be impressed if she had something to tell them at their lunch gathering? She continued to kiss him as he started to unbutton his pants and slowly work them off.

* * *

The first time was nothing like she was expecting or hoping for. In fact, it was somewhat uncomfortable, given they were tightly squeezed into the backseat and a seatbelt clasp was digging into her cheek. It also hurt, which she was never warned about to begin with. She figured it wouldn't always be this way or no one would be sleeping together. One night of pain would be worth it if she could have many more nights of pleasure with Darren. However, her future fantasies were dashed over an early morning pancake feast at Denny's.

"Cara, you know you're really something special, right?"

"Um, I guess." She shifted around uncomfortably in her seat while methodically making circles in the syrup on her plate with a piece of her pancake.

"I just don't know that I can do this with you anymore. You're 17 and I'm almost 21. I think it's illegal or something. Plus, I am seeing someone at school."

Cara dropped her fork on her plate with a loud clang. "You think you could have told me this before I asked you to go to prom with me? And does your girlfriend know that she's dating a cheater?"

"I didn't know I was going to meet you and we have an open relationship for now. Being with you made me realize that I do want to be exclusive with her after all."

"You know that last night was....my first time."

"I kind of figured. Which also scared me a little. That you gave something so important to me. I don't know what I can offer you in return. I just know that you're young and you'll meet the right guy when it's meant to be. You're beautiful and any guy would be lucky to have you."

"So you're giving me the 'it's not you, it's me' excuse." Cara gulped down the rest of her now tepid coffee and got up to leave. "I guess I'll be going to Borders from now on."

"Cara..."

"Thanks for what I thought was a great night. Have a nice summer." She figured a flippant "yearbook" response was all he deserved at this point.

As she exited the restaurant to what was already turning out to be a warm, late-spring day, she realized that she didn't have her car with her. She didn't want to bother her friends yet and didn't want her parents to know what happened. And there was no way she was going back into the restaurant to ask Darren for a ride home. She kept some emergency money along with her cell phone in the small purse she bought to match her dress. She used both for a cab.

On the way home, she texted her friends that she was too tired for lunch, as she stayed out way too late. She then showered, crawled into bed and contemplated why she gave something so precious to someone who didn't care. And she thought the football guys were boorish. The thought of such irony made her laugh, even as she cried herself to sleep.

A new blog post for Empowering Parents

Here is my latest post for Empowering Parents. It comes from a blog I posted on my blog for the boys a few years ago, but I changed a few things around and updated it a bit. Enjoy!

Someone you probably never heard of....

While looking for some music to play in my car this week, I came across "Too Much Plenty" by Beki Hemingway. I used to listen to this CD all the time back in the day. It has some really good tunes and her voice is so melodic and genuine. Hearing it again made me think about how much I missed it and also made me wonder why Ms. Hemingway never made it big the way most other singers have.
I first saw her in concert (10 years ago) when she opened for Aimee Mann at a small concert at a community college in the Chicago suburbs. Originally it was supposed to be Juliana Hatfield as the opening act. However, she was sick and Beki took her place. She kept apologizing for not being Juliana. She didn't have to be though. I was immediately taken in by her voice and the lyrics to her songs. My favorite on her album is still Ft. Bragg. It's about having a cool backyard where all the kids want to play. (This was sung from the point of view of a kid, as well.)
After her performance, I bought her CD, which she was selling in the lobby. She even autographed the cover, saying "I'm not Juliana." I listened to her CD all the time after that concert. It managed to stay close by in my collection, making it into several of my cars.
I definitely encourage you to check out her music and see why I like her songs so much. I didn't even know that she put out another album in the early part of the last decade. I just found this out today in a search to find out what has become of her.
If I hadn't been a fan of Aimee Mann at the time (thanks to the "Magnolia" soundtrack), I wouldn't have attended this concert and would have missed out hearing a great singer and listening to her CD for years to come. This makes me wonder if there are other great performers who are slipping under the radar unnoticed....

Any dream will do

I really like this time of year for a reason that has nothing to do with upcoming holidays or getting to wear sweaters. It's the time of year when we read about the story of Joseph in the Torah. Ever since I saw "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" in 1994, I have become fascinated with this story. If only all stories from the Torah were made into musicals, I'd be reading the Chumash from cover to cover! When I was going to Sunday School as a kid, I thought that the story of Laban switching Rachel and Leah at the last minute was very interesting. I didn't know at the time that it would lead into the Joseph story so well.

For those of you who don't know this story already, here is a quick synopsis. Joseph is the most loved by Jacob because he was born to Rachel, his intended wife (prior to the wedding trickery). Jacob gives him a beautiful coat with many colors. Joseph is a dreamer and he interprets his dreams to mean that he's superior to his brothers. They become enraged and sell him into slavery, telling Jacob that he was killed by a goat instead. Joseph works for Potiphar and attracts the interests of his wife. He refuses her advances and she lies and tells Potiphar that he came on to her. He's thrown in jail, where he ends up interpreting dreams for his cell mates. The dreams prove to be true and Joseph becomes well known for his special skill. Meanwhile, Pharoah is having horrible dreams and asks Joseph's advice. Turns out, the dreams are predicting a full harvest followed by a famine. He tells everyone to prepare for the famine, which does become a reality. Pharoah makes him his right hand man. Joseph's brothers later come looking for help during the famine. They don't recognize Joseph and ask for his assistance. He then frames Benjamin for stealing his cup. The brothers show their loyalty to Benjamin and then Joseph forgives them. (I know there's more to it in the Torah, but I'm using the version that I understood clearly from the musical.)

When I first saw "Joseph...," I fell in love with the story and music. I loved how everything fit together so well. I found it fascinating how his ability to interpret dreams put him into such a high position of power, something he had interpreted from his own dreams initially. I loved how the music carried the story along and followed different styles throughout (country, reggae, 50's, etc.) Of course, I thought Donny Osmond looked hot as Joseph at the time and his singing voice fit perfectly into the musical.

My husband jokes about how obvious the rhyme scheme of the songs is, but the musical starts out with a teacher explaining the story of Joseph to young children. It's meant to be family friendly overall (although the part with Potiphar's wife is questionable). And if the rhymes make the songs easier to memorize, then so be it. My sister and I were singing the entire soundtrack word for word only a few weeks after seeing the show for the first time. And I still know all the words so I can sing the songs to my sons. I was thinking that I would want this to be the first musical I take my sons to see when they get bigger. I think they'll appreciate it and if it gives them a better understanding of the Joseph story in the Torah, then I consider it a bonus. I know I'd enjoy seeing it again anyway!

A Painful Reminder

I know I took another month off from writing. I somewhat like where I'm taking the Lou and Cat story, but I also feel like I'm hitting a snag. I'm hoping this will fill in a piece of the puzzle and also get me back on track.

This week's [Fiction] Friday topic: Your Main Character picks a sliver of glass from their sleeve and gravely inspects it...(now keep writing)

This is a continuation from my posts on June 25th, July 2nd, July 9th, August 6th, August 20th and October 1st....in case you want to go back to the beginning.

A Painful Reminder

After making several rest stops along the way home, Lou returned to his house at around four a.m.. He could easily get some sleep for a few hours before opening his veterinary clinic for the day. However, he wasn’t planning to stick around and potentially run into Cat again. She had to have somehow found out what had happened five years ago, or she wouldn’t have picked such a sadistic song for him to sing at the karaoke bar. He didn’t want to face her again. He’d let her move on and forget about him.

Lou started packing up his clothes and other necessity items, filling his car as much as it could handle. He wrote a rent check to his landlord to cover June and July and left a note with the check that he would not be returning. He would send for his furniture and other items in a few weeks, once he knew where he wanted to settle.

The next step was to think of a new name. It was difficult enough to come up with something as inconspicuous as Lou Ames. He used his maternal grandpa’s first name and his maternal grandma’s maiden name, which seemed to work well. Maybe he’d use his paternal grandparents’ names this time. Except he didn’t think anyone would believe he was Melvin Pfeiffer.

Lou took one more look around his house to make sure there was nothing else he missed. He opened his closet again and noticed his old gray hooded sweatshirt lying in a heap on the floor. He didn’t remember seeing it there before, but he figured that was what happened with a clean closet. He grabbed it by the sleeve and felt a small prick on his left hand. Wincing in pain, he dropped the sweatshirt and went to the bathroom to grab a bandage. Then he returned to his room and picked up the sweatshirt again, this time more gingerly. Lou held the offending sleeve up to the light and saw something shiny sticking out of it. It was a sliver of glass. He opened his nightstand drawer and found a pair of tweezers. Pulling out the glass from his sleeve, he inspected it closely, with the gravest of expressions on his face. He remembered that the last time he wore this sweatshirt he had doused Dr. Shipp’s office with gasoline and then watched it burst into flames when he threw the lit match at the glass window. This piece of glass must have lodged itself in his sweatshirt before he ran away. He was surprised that he never got rid of the sweatshirt to begin with, but he was not thinking clearly at the time.

Just then, his phone buzzed with a text message from Cat.

Where R U? I’m coming back to LA 2day. Can we meet for lunch?

Lou deleted the text, shut off his phone and buried it in the trash. He then wrapped the piece of glass in a tissue and threw it in along with the phone. Time to move on before his past caught up to him again.

Barbie needs a real DeLorean

The first time I saw “Back to the Future” was when I was nine years old (in 1985). I fell in love with the story, the action and Michael J. Fox (whom I was already crushing on thanks to “Family Ties”). I started acting out the story with my Barbies, using Peaches and Cream Barbie’s dress for Lorraine’s Enchantment Under the Sea dress. The pink Barbie Corvette turned into a DeLorean. I also made coloring books that tried to capture the whole story. I’m sure I watched it dozens of times on video and cable after seeing it in the theater. I can’t fathom any other way I would have memorized it that easily.
Any time I hear “Power of Love” by Huey Lewis, I’m immediately transported to the beginning of the movie, when Marty is clinging to a truck in order to skateboard more quickly to school. The song just captures the essence of that movie, even though it really has nothing to do with time travel whatsoever.
Ever since I saw “Back to the Future,” I’ve been fascinated by time travel and enjoy watching movies and reading stories about the topic. (This probably explains why “The Time Traveler’s Wife” is one of my favorite books.) I saw the second and third installments of the series, but wasn’t as impressed as I was with the original. It just was about Marty in other time periods rehashing the same lines and scenes with the same people. The one fear I have is that someone will try to remake it in 2015 so that someone travels back to 1985 (which is then 30 years into the past). That will just be wrong. “Back to the Future” is a classic that should not be messed with in any way.
In lieu of “Back to the Future’s” 25th anniversary, I wanted to share a list of my favorite scenes or lines from the movie.
• When Marty plays “Johnny B. Goode” at the dance.
• When Marty first meets his grandparents, aunts and uncles in the 50’s, at their family dinner.
• When Biff gets tricked into driving into the manure truck.
• When George asks Lorraine to the dance by saying it will be their “density.”
• “Hey you, get your damn hands off of her.”
• “Give me - Give me a Tab.” “Tab? I can't give you a tab unless you order something.” “All right, give me a Pepsi Free". "You want a Pepsi, PAL, you're gonna pay for it".
• How all the things that happened after Marty went back in time affected his present day life.
• “Where we’re going, we don’t need roads.”
• The way Marty slept. It looked so uncomfortable and yet it worked for him.
• “If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything.”
• “Why don’t you make like a tree and get out of here.”
• Hey Biff, get a load of this guy's life preserver. Dork thinks he's gonna drown.
• How Lorraine calls Marty “Calvin” because of the name on his underwear

Please feel free to comment with your favorite BTTF moments or quotes.

Merrylandgirl is a Gleek!

Ever since I saw the teaser episode of “Glee” in May, 2009, I was completely hooked. There’s something that attracts me to “Glee” and makes it a “must-see” show on my weekly schedule. It could be the witty humor and clever lines, the music (pretty obvious on that part), the acting, the fact that most of the actors and actresses are fresh faces to me, the stories, etc. The show brings back memories of being in chorus and even competing on speech team (hard to explain, but it makes sense to me). It ranges from easily relatable to completely unrealistic, but that’s what keeps viewers on their toes. My favorite character is Rachel. I know she's probably not the most popular choice, but that makes her more endearing. And I love her singing voice. I feel like I can relate the most to her. Also, I love how some of the episodes have even made me cry, like the third one from this current season.
Lately, they’ve been doing theme episodes, such as Madonna, Lady Gaga and Britney Spears. Tonight, the theme is “Rocky Horror.” For me, combining one of my favorite TV shows with one of my favorite movie experiences is complete nirvana! (I can’t say the movie is my favorite, but I have lots of good RHPS memories.)

In lieu of tonight's episode, I’ve compiled a list of themes that would be an incredible combination for me:

1. Rent (it would be a perfect way to celebrate 15 years)
2. Into the Woods
3. Nirvana
4. Adam Lambert
5. Alanis Morissette
6. The Wizard of Oz
7. Grease
8. Little Shop of Horrors
9. Billy Joel (I think they were talking about it but I don't know if it will happen)
10. Disney music

Please feel free to share your list of perfect "Glee" themes. :)

You've got mail

Something that kept me sane during my hellish junior high years was the existence of pen pals. Nowadays, with the Internet, it seems like people no longer take a pen to paper to catch up with a friend. It’s as easy as a click of a mouse, and no postage necessary. However, back when postage was still 25 cents and beautiful stationery was sold in the shops of historic Long Grove (Illinois), I used to love writing real letters to people I knew in different parts of the country...and the world!

The first pen pal I had was a girl who was cousins with some family friends of ours. I met her the summer before seventh grade and we agreed to write to each other. She lived in NY and we only saw each other at simchas for our family friends. Her grandma would be with us in Florida and she’d call her so we could talk by phone during that time. Anyway, we would send each other letters talking about our latest celebrity crushes and other things going on in our lives. She was obsessed with “21 Jump Street,” so she wrote about that a lot, as well. (I remember that she even had a “21 Jump Street” themed Bat Mitzvah party.) She’d also try to write her own script for the show and would send it to me. And one of the best things she ever sent me was sheet music to the songs from “Sing.” I think we’d send each other birthday and holiday gifts, as well. We stayed in touch throughout high school and college, but then drifted a bit after that. We’d send occasional sporadic e-mails, but that was about it. Thankfully, we were able to reconnect on Facebook and I’m glad to see that she is doing well. Sometimes I’ll e-mail her about things that remind me of our past pen pal exchanges.

Shortly after I became pen pals with my friend from NY, I signed up for an Australian pen pal exchange from my library. During the rough first few months of seventh grade, one of my days was brightened by a letter I received from a girl in New South Wales. She and I started corresponding regularly and would send each other gifts, as well. She first sent me a picture of koala bears, which is now hanging in my older son’s room. I sent her a Caboodle (those make up kits that have extra compartments for more storage). We corresponded throughout high school and college, as well. However, we lost touch because I had writers block on a letter and just never sent it. She and I were at different places in our lives at the time and I felt like I had nothing more exciting to say. I feel bad about dropping contact. I keep looking for her on Facebook but can’t seem to find her. I’m guessing she only goes by her married name, but I thought even searching for women around her age with her first name who live around the NSW area would produce something. So far, no luck.

Through a pen pal exchange from “Teen” magazine, I became connected with a girl from California. She seemed really friendly and we’d exchange letters often. I perceived her to be someone who would fit in with the popular kids at my school, so I felt honored to receive such unconditional attention from her. We were supposed to meet up in person when she had a layover in Chicago once, but then her flight got changed and the meeting didn’t happen. She was nice enough to call and explain what happened though. We stayed in touch throughout high school, but then drifted apart. I also became pen pals with another girl from California (through the same magazine) when I was in high school. She also seemed like the more popular type and I was pleased to have her attention, as well. We also drifted after high school. Finally, there was a girl from Alabama, whom I also met through “Teen,” who seemed really nice. She knew Spanish and I would try to write to her in Spanish when I was learning it in high school. Once she signed a letter with “Lylas,” which I thought was Spanish. I asked my teacher about it and she explained that it meant “love ya like a sister.” That was pretty funny and embarrassing at the same time. I think we tried to stay in touch during college, but also drifted. I haven’t found any of these three girls on Facebook though. Believe me, I have tried.

I think there were other pen pals with whom I only corresponded for a short amount of time and then we quickly lost touch. I remember a girl in junior high who seemed to have a million pen pals. I was jealous of her. She’d connect with people from the classified section of “Teen Beat” and “Bop” magazines. I tried doing that too, but nothing ever came of it. I do appreciate and cherish the letters I received from pen pals throughout the years. I unfortunately do not have them anymore. They either got lost in a move or disappeared in a flood. I would also stay in touch with friends who I became close with in person but lived too far away from to see often. Later, I’d sometimes exchange handwritten letters with friends I met online. It seems like the concept of pen pals does not exist in this day and age. It is probably because stamp prices have risen and the Internet is so much more convenient. Still, I don’t even know if I’d let my kids have pen pals unless it was something I helped to arrange. It seems like there are less trustworthy people out there these days. There’s also the chance of cyber-bullying to worry about. Even when my kids start getting on the Internet, I’ll have so much protection on there that all they’ll be able to do is play games or watch family friendly videos. I’m impressed that my parents let me have pen pals and also meet up with people I connected with online. I know if I were a kid in this day and age, the level of parental monitoring would be so much tighter. It makes me glad that I grew up in the 80’s and 90’s, when pen pals were just friends I got to know through the mail.

"I Think I'm Gonna Like it Here": Merrylandgirl's spa day experience

When I first entered THE pearl modern spa and boutique, I had the song “I Think I’m Gonna Like it Here” from Annie in my head. I had signed up for this spa day event, hosted by a local shul, and had been looking forward to it for almost two months. I was not disappointed in the slightest.
Initially, everyone was given a locker and a robe and invited to hang out in the lounge on really comfortable chairs and couches or have breakfast, where they were serving danishes and a yogurt bar (catered by a local Kosher store). I didn’t have my first service until 12:30, so from 10:00 until then, I got to eat breakfast, relax and read. I managed to claim a lounging chair (a longer version of a regular chair, meant for stretching ones’ legs) and settled in with my book and some mint flavored hot cocoa. Women who worked at the spa were handing out warm neck wraps, so I enjoyed that luxury, as well.
My first service was a facial. When I got in the room, I was surprised to see a massage table. It was very comfortable though. The woman who did my facial offered me a pillow, which was definitely appreciated. She then explained all the steps of the facial so that I would not be too alarmed by what she was doing. First she put a cleanser on my face, which smelled incredible and felt amazing. I couldn’t stop smiling! She wiped it off with a warm cloth. Then she used an exfoliating scrub and wiped that with a warm cloth, as well. Finally, she put on a hydrating mask and covered my eyes with a translucent cloth. She let the mask sit for a while and gave me a hand and arm massage in the meantime. It was a very pleasant and relaxing experience overall. I couldn’t stop raving about it the whole day!
Afterward, I got a manicure. I haven’t had one since this summer, so it was a nice indulgence. With all the typing and other things I do, I don’t know how long it will last. I picked a warm fall color (a deep red) and let the manicurist get to work. While she was doing my nails, she washed my rings and now my engagement ring is all sparkly again. She did a great job and was very gentle throughout the manicure, even though I have tense hands, which she kept pointing out. When she painted my nails, she did small brush strokes, almost like she was painting a work of art. It was fascinating to watch.
After my nails dried, I had lunch (mostly salad) and sat with a girl who was new to the community. She was very nice, and I enjoyed getting to know her. Then I rested for a short time until my pregnancy massage (or as they called it, an “oyster” massage). The massage bed was set up with a special cushion so I wouldn’t put pressure on my abdomen. She first worked on my upper back and shoulder area and got out all the tension that had been causing my upper back, neck and shoulders to be sore for a while. Then she worked on my legs and feet for a long time. It was such a relaxing and blissful experience and I really enjoyed it.
I had some time to relax in the afternoon before going home. I took a shower at one point. The water pressure was great, but it took a while to get to the right temperature. Then I sat and talked with some women, including the new girl I met that day, and also read for a while. When it was time to get ready to leave, I did not want to get out of the extremely soft and comfortable robe in order to put on my street clothes. It felt like I was getting back to reality after a day of complete hedonism.
I hope there will be more spa days like this in the future, as it was a wonderful experience. Next time, I would like to be able to take advantage of things I couldn’t do while pregnant, such as the blue grotto clay treatment or the luxurious tub soak, as well as drink some wine. Aside from all that, it was a nice getaway and I enjoyed bonding with other women from the community.

Merrylandgirl has a "Wicked" memory

I recently obtained (by accident) a new CD of the "Wicked" soundtrack. I've had the soundtrack for a while, but the CD became scratched up and I could no longer enjoy listening to it. Hearing the songs in my car today reminded me of my first experiences with this musical.

My first encounter with "Wicked" was when my friend sent me the soundtrack in February, 2004. I started listening to it and couldn't get enough. By the weekend of my wedding in March, I had memorized most of the soundtrack. Over the summer, I saw the Tony awards and Idina and Kristin performed "Defying Gravity." At the time, I resented "Avenue Q" for taking away the Best Musical win from "Wicked." (I did give the show a chance years later and am glad I let down my grudge.)

Later that year (around this same weekend), my sister and I went to NY for a weekend getaway and to visit some of our close friends living there. We got tickets to see "Wicked," even though we got obstructed view seats to save money. It wasn't too bad, we just couldn't see some of the scenery. As Murphy's Law would have it, we did not get to see Idina perform. However, her understudy was wonderful. (I can only imagine the pressure of being an understudy for Idina Menzel!) We weren't expecting to see Kristin, so that wasn't a disappointment. The coolest was getting to see Joey McIntryre as Fiyero. We were NKOTB fans back in the late 80's and he was definitely my favorite. After the show (which was amazing), we got his autograph and took a picture with him. My sister told him how we saw him in a New Kids concert and he was embarrassed about it. (Apparently not embarrassed enough to do a reunion tour with them!) Anyway, there was a lot going on in the show that didn't fall into place just from listening to the soundtrack. It was cool to be surprised in such a way and to see things come together in the story.

We saw "Wicked" again in Chicago when a touring cast performed. We could see the scenery this time but we were further back. I think seeing it on Broadway created a major bias for me because I couldn't enjoy it as much with a touring cast. I wasn't impressed with Fiyero at all and thought Elphaba was decent but didn't even hold a candle to Idina's understudy. Carol Kane ("I'm not a witch, I'm your wife!") was Madame Morrible and she did pretty well with the role. I'm glad my husband enjoyed the story and music though. He listened to the soundtrack with me more often after that. However, he didn't like "Dancing Through Life" and I didn't (and still don't) like "Wonderful." We'd do a trade-off so we both got to listen to the songs we wanted without the other complaining. :)

In October of 2005, there was a singing contest at a local mall as part of a promotion for "Wicked" in Chicago. My husband was home with our one month-old son and I got to go to the mall to return a few gifts and check out this contest. I decided to enter and my number got picked. I chose to sing "Popular." Probably not a good choice for me as I have more of an Elphaba voice than a Glinda voice. I wasn't expecting to win anyway. I met this one girl there who was really nice and I was glad she got to advance forward in the competition. It was still a fun experience nonetheless. I enjoyed just being around other "Wicked" fans.

I haven't really been as involved with "Wicked" since that time, especially due to my many changing Broadway show tastes. However, I still love singing along with the soundtrack and still know all the words. I don't mind getting the songs in my head and I hope to one day meet Idina, as she is an incredible performer. And I still think everyone should see "Wicked" at least once in their lives.

Back to life, back to reality....

It’s been a busy few months and I haven’t really kept anyone up to date on my life, other than through little Facebook status updates. My pregnancy is pretty obvious now. Even if I didn’t post about it, people would still come up to me to say “b’shaah tovah” because of how I look. I shouldn’t complain because I barely showed with my last pregnancy and would get comments that people didn’t believe I was pregnant. I found that to be annoying. The first couple of months were rough. I was so nauseous that looking at a computer for a long period of time just made it worse. I was surprised I was online as much as I tended to appear. Eating was a chore because I knew the food wouldn’t stay where it was for long. I even got sick at shul once, which was so embarrassing. (Thankfully, it was in the bathroom and only one person I knew heard me.) I just know that I will never become bulimic. I hate throwing up!!! I’m so glad I can eat again that I tend to overeat these days. I have the excuse of “eating for two” though. My 20 week ultrasound is this coming Friday. I am not finding out the gender. I love the element of surprise and I’m more concerned that my baby is healthy than anything else. I had my first sonogram on my birthday, which was a nice treat on a lousy day (it was Tisha B’Av and I had an ear infection). Then I had one in August to check for Down Syndrome and other possible issues. I’m more excited about this one and will post pics next week.

The whole month of September was full of holidays and holiday preparation. One holiday would end and we’d be out shopping to get ready for the next one. Rosh Hashanah was nice because my parents were in town and we got to spend some quality time with them. We hosted a couple of meals and my husband made some amazing dishes. He got this new brisket recipe and the flavor reminds me of how my paternal grandma used to make it. I had him make it again for Shemini Atzeret. Yom Kippur was okay. This was the longest I’ve ever made it through a service without having to worry about the kids. However, I had a really bad headache and broke the fast a few hours early as a result. Then I spent the rest of the evening reading a book where the main topic was food. We officially broke the fast over grilled cheese sandwiches with our neighbors. Sukkot was one weather disaster after another. It first stormed on Erev Sukkot, soaking everything in our sukkah. Thankfully, it held up okay and remained Kosher. Some people lost most of their schach and weren’t able to eat in their own sukkahs. What I love about our neighborhood is that other families helped people out when they needed sukkahs for their meals. The first two days of Sukkot were extremely hot. It was like mid-summer all over again. Sukkahs don’t come with air conditioners, so we were sweating like crazy. We hosted lunch on the first day and went to a friends’ sukkah (although we ended up being in their neighbor’s sukkah) on the second day. There were a couple of sukkah hops going on, as well. It got nicer out by the weekend and we had friends over on Sunday for a barbecue. Then we started our cooking all over again for Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah. We had some friends visiting from Englewood and we hosted the lunches so that they could meet some of our friends here. We had fun spending time with our NJ friends again. The weather didn’t behave too much though. We got soaked walking to shul on Shemini Atzeret in the pouring rain. It let up in the afternoon but started again on our walk home from evening Hakafot. We even lost power at around 11:30 pm. It came back shortly afterward, but it was still an annoyance at first. Simchat Torah would have been nicer if they had groups for the kids. It was loud and crazy and my older son did not want any part of it. I tried to get him interested, but he just wanted to stand there and watch. Then I had to watch him while he ran around with his friends so that my husband could daven. Overall, Simchat Torah was a fun experience at our shul. This was the first time we experienced Hakafot here, as we went to Baltimore last year and all the women were sitting in the corner while the men danced. It was nice to see the women dancing and having a festive time here.

This past weekend, we went on our camping trip. It was different than I was expecting. We basically needed to pack up everything needed to feel comfortable and survive for a few days in the great outdoors. We went to Jellystone Park. It’s very kid-friendly and family-oriented. There was a mix between roughing it and living in luxury. My husband even joked about what it would take to be completely removed from the camping environment while being at the campsite. They had regular bathrooms with showers and automatic hand dryers (which my younger son hated because they were so loud). There was a convenience store if we left anything behind. Of course, the one thing I left behind was not to be found at a convenience store. (More on that later!) We arrived Friday evening and waited for our cousins to show up with their tent. Then they helped my husband set up the tent and we put our air mattresses inside. Afterward, my husband started a fire so that we could see (we didn’t have any lights by our campsite and had to rely on campfires and flashlights, as well as borrowing our cousins’ lantern). The fire didn’t last long and he had to keep adding wood, leaves and other flammable items from nature to keep it going. In the meantime, I brought our hot dogs over to our cousins’ grill and managed to trip on their fire pot (it was this metal tin that every campsite had for making fires) and bang up my legs. I think I protected the area of my stomach were the baby is (I called a doctor today to explain what happened and they didn’t seem concerned) but got scratched at an area above the waist. It was not fun to walk the rest of the weekend. The boys were sweet about it though and my younger son kept kissing my knees. Anyway, we dined on hot dogs and later had s’mores for dessert. Then we gathered by the other people who were with our “group.” (Mostly friends of our cousins but we were all camping around the same area.) One couple brought their beagle with them and it made me miss Buddy. Our first night in the tent was okay, other than being cold and noisy. It felt like we were right on the path of a train track. The boys woke up at random times throughout the night, as well. Saturday morning, we hung out by our campsite for a while trying to get warm. Our cousins made hot chocolate, which was a nice treat on a cold morning. It warmed up outside by 10:00 and we took the kids to a trampoline area that also had a lot of sand. The boys had a blast. Then we went to a playground for a while and later walked around the campgrounds to see what was going on. After lunch, my younger son and I took naps while my husband and older son looked for firewood. Then we all went pedal-boating and played mini-golf. Afterward, there was a wagon ride where they played really annoying versions of children’s songs. (I was singing one this morning and my younger son remarked that we heard it on the tractor.) Then we relaxed for a while by our campsites and had dinner and later sat around the group campfire again. I got to chat with one of our cousins' friends and she was really nice. The boys both fell asleep on my husband's lap, which was sweet even though I was surprised he was able to walk after that. I hope our next child (b'shaah tovah) favors me so that he doesn't have to cram three kids on his lap next time. Anyway, after we put the kids down, we went to bed too. Our air mattress deflated during the night and it was so difficult to sleep after that! In the morning we took showers and packed up for the ride back home. We first took a trip to Luray Caverns. It was very interesting there. I called it the "Disneyland of caves." It was obviously a natural wonder but it was set up with walkways and lights everywhere. There was an audio tour included and the music had a Disney feel to it. The best part was the Stalacpipe Organ. It was set up in such a way that the rocks were hit in different spots to make music. The boys somewhat liked it. My older son kept rushing ahead of us, which he usually does at museums and zoos. He can't stand still long enough to appreciate something. Just to backtrack, when I said I forgot something important, it was the extra battery and charger for my older son's cochlear implant. He was basically going off one battery that had very little juice left. It would work for 5-10 minutes at a time and then it would be off for a while. It worked for him to hear the Stalacpipe Organ though. I'm just glad he can somewhat hear out of his left ear and that he can read lips. I felt so awful for forgetting something so important (and I was worried about forgetting our towels and we had to turn around before we even left our neighborhood)!

Not too much else is new. I went to a huge "holiday" sale at my favorite thrift store tonight and came out with some more maternity clothes and a few things for my younger son. (My older son is set for the next year with clothes, thanks to a generous friend with twin boys.) I also got some CDs, such as the "Clueless" soundtrack (which I only had on cassette till now) and the "Pulp Fiction" soundtrack (since I can't find the one I already have). I found a case for the "Freaky Friday" soundtrack (yes, the music is good in the movie and I went for it). However, when I opened it, the "Wicked" soundtrack was inside. That was fine by mine since my current one is all scratched up. I got some more costumes for the boys, as well. They can use them for dress-up or Purim. My older son has a Halloween party at his school and I'll send him something to wear there too. Speaking of which, I'm sad that I can't go to his class Halloween party this year. This is the first time since 2006 that I've had to work on Fridays. I've been so spoiled by my previous job, as well as this current job (up till now). He also wanted me to go to the pumpkin patch on his class field trip, but that won't be happening either. It's one of the few things that is hard about being a working mom. I hope I can make it up to him in other ways.

I think I've talked your ears (or eyes, in this case) off for now, so I'm going to head off to bed now. Thanks for hanging in there and listening. More to come...

Would you like fortune cookies with that?

When I was a junior in high school, I got my first part-time job...at my favorite Chinese restaurant, of course! I pretty much grew up eating at this restaurant, so it was only natural that I should work there too. And the biggest perk was free meals every night I worked there!

I started off in carry-out, as most people did if they were underage (as we couldn't serve alcohol). I went through a training and picked it up pretty quickly after that. I had some pretty crazy customers every now and then. Some even drove my managers crazy. I think it was right after I started working there that a woman who reeked of horrible body odor came in and took forever to place her order at the counter. Then she would ask stupid questions like "what is beef on a stick?" After her order was placed, she decided to pay in coins and took even longer to count them out. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry, it was so awful!

After a while, I got to know the regular customers and would have their order written down before they even gave it to me. It sounds like something out of "Sex and the City" (when Miranda calls the Chinese take-out and the person answering says her order before she does), but it's true. I'm even guilty of ordering the same thing at a Chinese restaurant every time I go (and this one was no exception). There were times where I had some really nice customers who would even give me tips. In the winter, I'd offer tea to customers as they were coming in out of the cold. One of them told me to dip my finger in the tea to sweeten it up. Then he proceeded to tell me that he thought I was really nice. I was surprised because he seemed out of sorts when he first came in to pick up his order. I'd also give cocktail umbrellas or fans to children to keep them busy, which the parents appreciated. (My manager didn't appreciate it as much because the kids would tear them up and make a mess.) Once I gave a fan to a little girl who had a lot of disabilities. Her whole face lit up and I got emotional from her response.

During the summer between my junior and senior year, I got trained to be a hostess. It was something I was excited to do, as I got to dress up nice and didn't have to answer the phone as much. However, hostessing can have its drawbacks too. If it was a busy night, it got completely overwhelming. I was told not to "slam" a server's station, but that was hard if their station was the only one available and there were a lot of hungry customers waiting. I learned that the worst time to host is Valentine's Day. I don't think I even got to sit down that evening! The one time I did want to host was on Halloween, but more out of vanity. I had a really cute French maid costume and thought it would be perfect for hostessing in that night. However, another girl was being really obnoxious about refusing to come in unless she could host and she dressed like a cowboy! I still had fun that evening, but I was annoyed over what happened.

In my years of working there, I learned to break away from just eating beef and gravy and try some new dishes. It couldn't hurt as it didn't cost me anything. I tried a lot of new dishes and started liking egg rolls for more than just the outer crust. My favorite dish to come out of this experience was what they called "chicken garlic lo mein." After I stopped working there, I would still come in to eat and order it every time. One night when I was working, one of my coworkers was trying to be funny and put duck sauce (usually meant for egg rolls) all over my lo mein. The joke was on him because it tasted really good that way!

I worked with some interesting people during the time I was there. Mostly it was other people with whom I went to high school. I got to know some better that way and became incredibly annoyed with others. I liked the wait staff though and enjoyed talking to them...well, most of them. When I was checking out my future college, one of the servers was attending that school and I got to meet up with her while I was there for an orientation. Her brother was also really nice and I'd request to be in his section when I was just there for a meal (when I wasn't working there anymore). There was one server who drove me crazy and we'd pick on each other all the time. We'd just say "duh" to each other a lot and then he'd talk about me in Chinese to one of the other servers. I tried to get back at him by talking about him in Spanish, but that backfired when I learned that "loco" meant "husband" in Chinese. Oops! There was a nice lady who washed dishes there for a while. I'd try to teach her English by using fortune cookie messages. She read one out loud and made it sound really funny by the way she pronounced it. I'm glad I wasn't the only witness to that. The managers were interesting. It was a husband and wife and their two sons. I got along well with the husband, as he was very mild-mannered. The wife was a different story. She tended to get in peoples' faces but she also had her nice moments. She brought back jewelry from China during one of her trips there and she gave it to all the staff. I also liked one of the sons better than the other, but everyone has personality differences and you can't please them all. The husband manager would sometimes let me help with bookkeeping, which allowed me to sit for a while and I'd even get to watch TV. I was doing bookkeeping when the OJ chase was going on in 1994. I got to watch on the little black and white television in the office.

The other interesting part of my job was getting to work in the kitchen and help package orders. I learned some Cantonese words and commands and also got to munch on chow mein and pan fried noodles when it wasn't too busy. I could wear t-shirts and shorts since it got hot in the kitchen. It was amazing to see how quickly food could get whipped together. The guys I'd work with liked to joke around and it was more laid back that way. The one thing I didn't like was making hot mustard. We had to stir water and mustard powder together. The worst was when some got in my eye! I wish they had distributed packets like every other Chinese take-out seemed to do! I think they eventually switched, but long after I had left.

As you can see, I have a lot of memories of working at a Chinese restaurant. This post is just a select few. I am sure there are so many more! I haven't eaten there since 2008 (when I was in Chicago for a visit), but I still think about the food and still crave chicken garlic lo mein on occasion. If you know which restaurant I am talking about, stop by there some time and enjoy some egg rolls and lo mein for me!

"Harden my Heart"

Sorry I've been absent lately. The Jewish holiday season has been busy and I haven't been inspired to write in a while, as a result. I realized that I missed writing about Lou and Cat's story and wanted to keep it going.

This week's [Fiction] Friday topic: "Lonely in Paradise."

This is a continuation from my posts on June 25th, July 2nd, July 9th, August 6th and August 20th....in case you want to go back to the beginning.

"Harden my Heart"

Cat started heading toward the strip, looking at all the brightly lit hotels and casinos as she had to continuously stop at each traffic signal and also yield to wayward pedestrians who didn't know how to use a crosswalk. She felt herself starting to nod off and opened her windows to get some fresh air. She didn't think she would make it back to California, the way she was feeling.

Just then, her cell phone rang.

"Desi? What's up?"

"Cat, was that you I saw at Wild Notes? Only you know how to rock out on 'Harden my Heart.'"

"Yes, that was me. I can't believe you saw it!"

"Loved the performance, babe! Are you still in Vegas?"

"I was heading back to Cali, but I was thinking of staying another night, maybe crashing at a nicer hotel this time."

"Listen, I'm at the Paradise Hotel with some of my girlfriends for a bachelorette party. Want to join us?"

"I could manage that. See you in ten."

Cat put down her phone and grinned, thinking of Desiree "Desi" Swann and the last time they hung out together. Of course, it was during her stripper days, the days she didn't want to tell Lou about. Maybe Lou had somehow found out and that's why he got upset at the karaoke bar and left. She didn't know if it was worth analyzing Lou's motives right now, as she was all prepared to party the night away with one of her best friends.

The inside of the Paradise Hotel and Casino looked like an island. It reminded her of "Lost," which reminded her of one of her first connections to Lou. Get that boy out of your head, girl! She wanted to slap herself for getting all teary-eyed looking at the lobby of a new hotel. Her original plan was going to be dinner, karaoke and then some quiet, but steamy, romantic time with Lou back at the motel. Maybe even with a bubble bath, if the tub wasn't too disgusting. Apparently, that didn't happen, aside from the karaoke. And now she was at the Paradise hotel, looking all sweaty and disheveled from a long evening. Plus, she stuck out like a sore thumb in her hot pink shirt and white pleather skirt with her six-inch black Louboutins. Everyone else seemed to be wearing black or muted tones, including the group of girls who, led by Desi, came to greet her.

"CAAAAAAT!" Desi ran to her and hugged her tightly. She reeked of vodka, clove cigarettes and perfume.

"It's so good to see you again, Dez. I missed you! So, where are we off to?"

"We're going to hang around the hotel bar for a little while till the stripper gets here." Then we'll all be going back up to the room for a little show. But, shh, don't tell Mia."

Cat glanced over at the petite blonde wearing the bridal veil decorated with plastic male genitalia. She looked completely wasted and doubted she would be surprised by any strippers, if she didn't hit on them first.

"Um, sounds fun! Hook me up with a Cosmopolitan." She figured that sounded cooler than just having another beer.

Just then, "Harden my Heart" started playing on the overhead speakers in the bar.

"Cat! It's your song! You should sing again! Encore!"

Cat lightly smacked Desi on the shoulder. "I don't think your friends want me to sing. They'd rather have a stripper dancing to this song."

"Whatever. Here's your Cosmo."

Cat practically inhaled the drink, willing herself not to think of Lou anymore and just enjoy the girl time. Not that anyone aside from Desi was even talking to her. She probably could have snuck off to bed unnoticed, since Desi had even joined her friends to do some shots.

She then spotted a woman sitting quietly in the corner of the bar. She had short, reddish hair and her face looked like it had been severely burned or disfigured. She wondered if the woman was as lonely as she was, if not more. Cat decided to join her. Maybe misery does love company.

"Sorry if my friends, if you can even call them that, are being too loud. I can try to get them upstairs if they're bothering you."

The woman looked startled and nearly fell off her barstool. "Oh. I almost didn't see you. I was kind of spacing out for a few minutes. I guess I have low tolerance for alcohol these days. No one is bothering me, but thanks."

"So, what brings you to Vegas?"

"It's a long story. Apparently, my ex-boyfriend is hiding out somewhere in Vegas. My brother was here on vacation and spotted him with a stripper. He thought I should come down and look for him myself. I have nothing better to do anyway."

"Fascinating. I was here with a guy I was seeing but then he freaked out on me and left. Now I'm just killing time with an old friend before heading back to California."

"Men suck, don't they?"

"Why do you care so much about finding your ex-boyfriend? Or did he just become your ex because you think he might be seeing a stripper on the sly?"

"It's more complicated than that. I don't know if I want to go into details with you. I barely know you."

"Try me. I have nothing better to do either. The name's Cat, short for Catherine."

"Nice to meet you Cat. My name is Elaine. Care to sit down? You may need a drink for this story."

Camping Out

My husband, kids and I are going camping for the first time as a family next month. Thinking about camping brought back some memories of the camping I did as a child...when I went to Indian Princess campouts with my dad and sister.

The campouts were held every fall, winter and spring. We’d get up bright and early on a Saturday morning and meet all the other members of our “tribe” at White Hen (similar to 7-11) to pick up snacks for the long ride. Then, we’d all meet up somewhere for breakfast along the way.

When we reached the campsite, we’d usually participate in activities and competitions with the other tribes. Then we’d gather in the mess hall for lunch. My dad would usually bring PB&J sandwiches for all the kids because we never knew if the lunches would be good or not. He and my mom would be up the night before making all the sandwiches.

After lunch, there would be more activities and competitions, depending on the season. We’d also have a break or rest period to hang out in our cabins and relax or wander around the campground with our friends. In the evening, we’d all meet up for dinner, which was usually more decent than lunch. Then there would be a big bonfire outside and we’d gather around in a circle and sing lots of songs. Sometimes, there would be an evening event to accompany the bonfire. Every spring, when they appointed a new nation chief, they’d have a ceremony during the bonfire. One year, it was my dad’s turn. All the men inducted him by throwing flour all over him. He was a mess! :) The tribal chiefs also had an induction. I think their daughters would paint a stripe on their cheeks and they’d get a feathered headdress.

At bedtime, we’d convince one of the dads to tell us a ghost story. Then some kids would sneak out to where all the dads were gathering in the mess hall, just to see what was going on. I think I even did it at one point. I think they just played cards and ate sandwiches. We scored some hot cocoa though!

The next morning, we’d have an awards ceremony during breakfast (usually pancakes). The tribes would receive awards for the competitions from the previous day. It usually meant patches for everyone’s vests or beads for everyone’s necklaces. Then we’d all say our goodbyes and head back home.

I have a lot of good memories of those campouts. Even when I was too old for Indian Princesses, I’d still tag along just for the campouts and help out with the younger kids.

The last time I went camping, however, was with my overnight camp. The high school groups got to go to Door County for a couple of days. We pitched tents, cooked over a campfire, and did some fun activities on the side. One of the nights, it was pouring out and everything in our tents was soaked. It was definitely an interesting lesson in coping and survival skills. Some people were whining about it and others just went with the flow (myself included). I was just jealous that some other girls got to sleep in a tent with the hot counselor I was crushing on. I wouldn’t have complained about my tent being flooded if I were in their shoes. ;)

I am looking forward to this upcoming camping experience. I feel ill-prepared at the moment, but I think it will be a fun time overall. Fall is the perfect camping season, in my opinion. The trees look so beautiful and it’s not too hot or too cold.

The Art of Forensics

I used to wear a sweatshirt that said "Forensics is Not Just Cutting Up Dead Bodies." I got a lot of questions about that shirt! However, I was always proud to announce that I was part of the speech team at my high school.

In the beginning of Freshman year, my English teacher made everyone do a creative writing piece based on "Tom Sawyer" (our assigned summer reading). I had a little too much fun with it. The next thing I knew, I had received a letter formally inviting me to join the Forensics team. My teacher had apparently liked my story enough to give it to the head coach of the team. I went to an event where people would show off their material from each individual event and then we could meet the person whose event we were most interested in. We got to learn more about the events that way. My choice that year was "Original Comedy." The piece I ended up writing and acting was amateur and didn't get me very far. However, my English teacher/coach loved it and I got a simple joy out of making him laugh. He helped me fine tune it a bit, but it still never held a candle to the material of my competitors. I didn't get to go to Regionals because of my cousin's Bar Mitzvah. I was not too happy about that. (No offense to my cousin, but I just really loved being a part of the team.)

During sophomore year, I took a class on individual events and got to try out different types of events throughout the semester. Everyone had to audition for speech team that year by reading song lyrics as verse (which is why I hate "Hotel California" so much). I ended up getting placed in Verse and had fun working on the different poems I chose to present. My favorite was "Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer" by T.S. Eliot (yes, I know it was turned into a song for "Cats," my least favorite musical). I ended up taking 3rd place at a tournament and I also got to go to Regionals that year. (Talk about a long day!) For the talent show that spring, I read "Mungojerrie..." again and my friend dressed up like a cat and did an interpretive dance while holding a real cat. It was a fun and memorable experience, to say the least.

Junior year was low key. I did Verse again but didn't win any awards. I still went to Regionals though. Senior year was the best overall. I only won at two tournaments and not really high places. I still had a blast though. My sister was on the team and I also became best friends with "Will" because of it. The only annoying part was that I was captain, but one of the girls from the team went behind my back with one of the coaches to try to take over everything. Not that I normally hold grudges, but I still resent both of them for doing so.

One of my favorite parts of going to speech tournaments was flirting. (And you thought I was going to say the nachos at Warren High School, but I hate nachos!) I was the team flirt all four years of high school. I may not have won at many tournaments, but if I got the attention of some guys and maybe scored a few phone numbers, I was on cloud nine! No one from other schools knew my "status" and I got to dress nice and wear make-up. Original Comedy was the best event for flirting (guys tended to participate more often than girls) but I still found ways to meet guys even when I did Verse. I think my coach finally picked up on all my flirting by senior year and teased me about it later. It was so much fun though!

I also enjoyed baking for the tournaments. I'd bring cookies, brownies, etc. I liked baking these big Funfetti cookies (in a pizza pan), which my coach would get addicted to sometimes. I got a little lazy during senior year and started bringing fortune cookies from work.

Going to speech tournaments meant I had to get up before the crack of dawn on a Saturday morning to ride a bus to whichever high school was hosting. I loved when our school hosted. We'd spend the Friday before (usually a day off school for some reason) preparing the classrooms and materials. Everyone worked together and we'd get pizza for lunch. I also got to use my flirting prowess even more because I knew my way around our tricky looking school and some of the guys would get lost easily. I even snuck some guys in to where the athletic department soda machines were hidden, as they were less expensive. The best thing was getting to sleep in on the Saturdays we hosted. I'd sometimes bring friends or my parents would show up. When we hosted during my freshman year, some friends and I walked all the way to McDonald's and back during the lunch break. (Back in the days when I was actually eating at McDonald's.) There were tournaments at other schools where we would go out to lunch as a team. I liked those better than the ones where we were stuck eating gross school hot lunches on a Saturday.

After I graduated, I occasionally got to help judge at a tournament. It usually happened if I was home on winter break and there was a tournament going on. I got paid $90 each time I judged, which was nice. After I graduated college, I got to judge more often. I only did this for a couple of years and then fell out of the loop when someone else took over the team. I enjoyed getting to judge and thought it was a great way to earn some extra money on weekends. I was also pretty nice to the people I judged, as I remembered how a harsh criticism could easily break my spirit or put me into a horrible mood. I think I review books in the same manner these days. :)

Overall, I have some great memories and even funny inside jokes from my speech team days. I don't know what prompted me to think of them recently, but I think that dressing up on Saturday usually triggers a memory or two. I dress up for different reasons now and I'll never be able to judge at tournaments again, unless they move them to Sundays. I hope that will be the case when my kids go to high school, if they take an interest in participating.

Final fun Forensics fact: Ian Brennan, co-writer of "Glee", competed in speech tournaments. I even saw him compete because one of my friends was performing against him and I'd go to support her.