LOL!

Remember the blog project I did in 2010 with three other women? Well, Froggie decided to resurrect it with me and we each got to invite another friend to join us. She invited a mutual friend (someone I met through her) and I invited a friend whose blog I really enjoy reading. So now it's Froggie, Mom of Many, Moma Rock and Merrylandgirl. Hope you enjoy the topics that we'll be exploring!

This week, I picked the topic: Laughter is the best medicine: Talk about the things that make you laugh. Share a funny story or two. Tell us a joke. It's all about humor, so anything goes!

Before reading ahead, first see what everyone else had to say on this topic:
Froggie
Mom of Many
Moma Rock

I’ve always loved to laugh. The more something can make me laugh, the better. My dad would say that I didn’t have a good sense of humor as a kid because I didn’t laugh about my own gullibility. Maybe it was that my parents’ humor was over my head at the time. I do like the jokes he sends via e-mail, even though some seem weird coming from a parent. And a lot of other things make me laugh, so apparently my sense of humor is intact.

In the past, I’ve posted about things I thought were funny, usually in the pop culture realm. I wanted to share some other things I find really funny, that I may not have already mentioned.

Misunderstandings:
I love the show Three’s Company, because there’s always a hilarious misunderstanding in each episode. I don’t know why misunderstandings are so funny, but maybe it’s the timing of things. The fine art of misunderstanding-themed humor has crept its way into other shows I watch, such as Modern Family. There was a good one where Phil was talking to himself about something he wanted to say to Mitch, and Hayley was sneaking into the house at the same time. She thought he was talking to her. It was so funny! There were some good misunderstandings on Desperate Housewives and a really funny one on How I Met Your Mother that made Ted’s job as an architect sound rather naughty. Even real life misunderstandings can be funny, like the time my mom thought my friend was asking if she turned the grill on because she didn’t know that my dad had called in on the other line. Or when my husband was trying to spell a friend’s last name and I thought he was spelling my mom’s name incorrectly. I think the art of misunderstanding dates all the way back to Abbott and Costello with their “Who’s on First” routine, which was parodied so perfectly on an episode of Animaniacs.

Things little kids say:
Well, mainly things my own kids say. I find their innocent logic and the delivery of the comments to be really funny. The other day, my younger son said that he hated the ground. So my older son said “Then don’t walk on it.” Just the way he said it so matter-of-factly had me laughing out loud. Another time, we were talking about how Tobey Maguire was Spider-Man and my older son just had to correct us because Peter Parker is actually Spider-Man. There was also the time when my younger son told my husband that when he’s mad at me, he just tells on me to Hashem. I could send everything they say to Parents magazine because it’s just that precocious. I do enjoy some of the things kids in Parents magazine have said. The parents will provide context to the comments, as well. There are also things my friends post on Facebook about stuff their kids have said and it’s usually amusing, as well. I can’t wait to hear what my daughter will come up with once she learns how to talk.

Impressions:
I love celebrity impressions, especially when they're spot-on. The ones on Saturday Night Live are usually great. I loved when Jimmy Fallon did his impression of Adam Sandler. Now he does a great one of Russell Brand. Tina Fey's Sarah Palin impression was classic. The one I really like these days is Abby Elliott's impression of Zooey Deschanel. It cracks me up every time. I even like when people I actually know (such as my husband) do celebrity impressions.

Geek humor:
I think my penchance for geek humor started during my Rocky Horror days and then carried through college and is still going strong. It explains why I like The Big Bang Theory so much. (Sheldon is the best!) And one of my favorite movie lines is "There was only one return and it wasn't of the king" from Clerks 2. I also say "It's a moral imperative" because of Real Genius. (Those who like TBBT would love this movie!) Freaks and Geeks is another favorite of mine, but I think I can relate to both groups pretty well. (And Jason Segel is on it, which is a bonus.) I really just like anything that can amuse my inner geek.

Comedians:
I know comedians are meant to be funny in general. However, only a handful have really impressed me. I used to watch Last Comic Standing. The first two seasons were really good and then it got annoying. My husband and I would cheer for the comedians we really liked, in hopes that the TV could hear us and count our cheers in as votes. There was one comedian in season 2 who stuck out for us a lot, Gary Gulman. He didn’t win, but he was so hilarious with his commentaries on life. The best was when he pretended to be celery and thanked Buffalo wings for giving it a new purpose. Then there’s Jake Johannsen, whom I first heard about and saw at Zanie’s when I was in college. When I first started dating my husband, I took him to see Jake and we had a great time. I still crack up thinking about how he would explain embarrassing items in his shopping cart by saying they just got in there by accident, but he felt it was fair to pay for them since he brought them up to the cash register anyway. I was a big Margaret Cho fan in my mid-20’s and went to see her perform live twice in the same year. I even got her autograph and we took a picture together. I waited outside in the cold Chicago November air just to meet her. Her humor has gotten darker and moodier over time, but I loved her early stuff, including the impressions of her mother. I also like Pablo Francisco a lot. I was laughing so hard when I saw him at Zanie’s that I could hardly see straight. He has been on Mad TV in the past, as well. He does a great movie trailer voice and I love his Arnold Schwarzenegger impression. This past February, my husband and I got to see a comedy show for the first time in years. It was a blast. The MC and the opening acts were both really funny. The headliner was okay, but I would have been fine just seeing the first two go on even longer. Some other comedians I really like and also enjoyed seeing live are Ray Romano and Jerry Seinfeld. I know they’re more famous for their TV shows, but they’re still really funny. I also liked Ellen DeGeneres as a comedian (I don’t get to watch her as a talk show host). I’ve actually tried doing a comedy routine at an amateur night and it’s really hard and nerve wracking. It takes a lot of skill with writing and timing. So I give comedians a lot of credit when they do put themselves out there.

With Margaret Cho, November 2001

Finally, I want to share one more thing I find really funny...the literal video for "Daydream Believer" by the Monkees. There are some other funny literal videos out there, but this one takes the cake. I was laughing so hard that I had tears streaming down my face!

The crabbiest girl in Merryland

Remember the blog project I did in 2010 with three other women? Well, Froggie decided to resurrect it with me and we each got to invite another friend to join us. She invited a mutual friend (someone I met through her) and I invited a friend whose blog I really enjoy reading. So now it's Froggie, Mom of Many, Moma Rock and Merrylandgirl. Hope you enjoy the topics that we'll be exploring!

This week, Moma Rock picked the topic: Believe in them or not (or only think of them on occasion for entertainment value), horoscopes are highly popular and very interesting. What is your horoscope sign? Do you think you resemble what is said about you? And, do you take any stock in it?

Before reading ahead, first see what everyone else had to say on this topic:
Froggie
Mom of Many
Moma Rock

Maryland is famous for their crabs, so maybe I was meant to move here. Yes, I still keep Kosher and hate shellfish anyway, but in the zodiac, I am Cancer, which is the crab. So it just makes sense for me to live in Maryland now!

I used to check my horoscope in every magazine I got, but a lot of the stuff didn't make sense to me, like "when the moon is behind Jupiter on the 7th day of the 12th month..." I didn't really see it as a prophecy for my life.

A long time ago, I came across these horoscope books at Borders. They would compare my sign with all the other signs for potential love matches. They also included a CD of songs that fit my personality. (There's really funny story to go along with that.*) When I looked up Scorpio, the sign of my boyfriend, the match was so perfect that I got all emotional! In the past, I had dated Libras, even knowing they weren't a good love match for Cancer in the long run. Those relationships eventually fizzled out. (However, I have maintained great friendships with the female Libras I know.) And yet here I am, 10 years later, with the same Scorpio who is now my husband! So the love matches between signs do hold weight for me.

I know that I am very much like my sign from what I've read in the past, and have made it my mission to find out just how much! I looked up Cancer on Astrology-Online.com. It was the first site I came to, so that was what I was going with. I'm sharing a few things from there that describe me:

“It is a fundamentally conservative and home-loving nature, appreciating the nest like quality of a secure base to which the male can retire when he needs a respite from the stresses of life, and in which the Cancerian woman can exercise her strong maternal instincts. The latter tends to like and to have a large family. `Nest like' is an appropriate adjective for the Cancerian home, for its inhabitants tend to favor the dark, mysterious but comfortable type of house which has something of the air of a den about it, a place which belongs to the family rather than existing as a showcase to impress visitors.”

If nothing else, I have strong maternal instincts! I am obviously protective of my children, but I also play Jewish mother to my friends. I like to make sure everyone is taken care of! Given that it was my husband’s doing to have the house remodeled, I can’t vouch for making the home into a showcase. I do tend to keep rooms dark or low-lit whenever I can. I find it cozier. My husband will have lots of lights on though. (I wonder if that’s a Scorpio thing.)

“That is not to say that the Cancerian is unsociable, just that for them there is a time to socialize and a time to be solitary, and this is part of the apparent contradiction in their nature.”

I am definitely a mix of wanting to go out and do stuff and wanting to lay around on the couch in PJ’s while watching TV or reading. When I’m at work, I always read during lunch, even when the option to socialize is available. If I go out with someone else for lunch, I talk with them and I do respond when people are in the kitchen and want to talk with me. However, I just love being buried behind my books whenever possible!

“Their intimates, however, may see a very different character, one with a sympathetic and kindly sensitivity to other people, especially those they love. They are able to identify with the situations of others because of the keenness of their imaginations. They are often over-imaginative and prone to fantasy, sometimes trying to shape their lives to fit some romantic ideal.”

I am TOTALLY like this! I tend to get wrapped up in other people’s lives and try to provide a listening ear or comfort whenever it is needed. I am definitely idealistic though.

“They are appreciative of art and literature, and especially of drama, where the spectacle and ebb and flow of action and feeling particularly excite them. They may themselves possess considerable literary, artistic or oratorical talent. Their sharp ears and talent for mimicry can sometimes give them success on the stage, though their tendency to be emotional may make them overact.”

Case in point...I love to read and I love theater, especially Broadway. I also love when a book, movie, TV show or play has an intense level of drama to it. I like surprise endings and cliffhangers too. And I do some good impressions of celebrities, as well as of my kids. :)

“In their personal relationships they are mentally a mixture of toughness and softness, often emotional and romantic to the point of sentimentality in their fantasies; but in real life and in marriage, their loving is not so sentimental but tenaciously loyal. Even if they have affairs (and they may do so, for the male in particular is open to sensual stimulation), their first loyalty remains to spouse and family, of whom they regard themselves as the protector.”

So true once again! I would never ever have an affair and it disgusts me to see women doing that on TV and in books. You should have seen how mad I got while watching Smash. And I am the one making sure the house is locked up at night and everyone is safe and sound. I tend to be overprotective at times. With my friends, I am a softie, but I also tend to dish out the tough love when it’s needed.

“Both the Cancerian man and woman love unreservedly, giving much and asking little in return - in fact, one of the most important lessons they have to learn is how to receive gracefully. They are too easily influenced by those they love and admire, and swayed by the emotion of the moment. They are also loyal friends, the negative side of their faithfulness being clannishness, the narrow patriotism of "my country right or wrong"; and closing ranks in suspicion and coldness toward outsiders.”

Does that mean I need to be more timely about writing thank you notes? I do enjoy receiving gifts and will thank people profusely, but I’m terrible at sending out thank you notes. It takes me months! Most of the time, I also don’t ask people to bring things to my house when we have Shabbat meals.

However, I don’t think I am cold toward outsiders unless it’s someone who has seriously pressed my buttons. I’m usually very open and welcoming to people and love getting to know new friends. Starting my chick lit group and blog was a way of letting a lot of new people into my life. And there are people whom I am blessed to have met as a result! In my neighborhood, I’m always welcoming to new people and I introduce them amongst my friends whenever I can.

“Cancerians have a retentive memory, particularly for emotionally laden events which they can recall in detail for years afterwards. they are strongly governed by childhood memories and since they live intensely in the past in memory and in the future in imagination, a chance meeting with someone for whom they had an unrequited love, even if they thought they had conquered the feeling, will easily rouse the emotion all over again.”

Once again, this is SO me. People are astounded by the stuff I remember from years and years ago. Little details they wouldn’t have retained at all. I also tend to go off in dreamland with my imagination, sometimes turning myself into a celebrity!

“Physically they are average to below average in height, with a fleshy body and short legs in comparison with the rest of them. Their hair is usually brown, their faces round, their complexions pale, their foreheads prominent, their eyes small and blue or gray in color, their noses short, perhaps upturned, and their mouths full. They sometimes walk clumsily.”

I’m short, a bit overweight (I am still working on this aspect) and have brown hair, pale skin and blue eyes. My nose is not short, as I’ve been compared to Jennifer Grey from her “Dirty Dancing” days. I am definitely a klutz though!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Given all the comparisons I found, it goes without saying that our horoscope signs have a say in our personalities. I know Moma Rock is also a Cancer, which is why we connect so well. It will be interesting to see if everyone else is as much like their sign as I am like mine.

*Since you've stuck with this post to the very end, I will now share the funny story. When I was still just dating my husband, a friend of mine was dating a guy whom she and I both worked with. There was a misunderstanding a while back regarding "Six Feet Under" and I thought she had given him the nickname "Rico" as a result. So we started calling him "Rico Suave." His sign was Libra, so I looked at his book to see if he was meant to be with my friend, who is a Leo. One of the songs on that CD was "Rico Suave." How crazy is that?!? He unfortunately passed away a few years back (may he rest in peace), but I still have this memory from almost 10 years ago.

Not So Travel Savvy

Remember the blog project I did in 2010 with three other women? Well, Froggie decided to resurrect it with me and we each got to invite another friend to join us. She invited a mutual friend (someone I met through her) and I invited a friend whose blog I really enjoy reading. So now it's Froggie, Mom of Many, Moma Rock and Merrylandgirl. Hope you enjoy the topics that we'll be exploring!

This week, Froggie picked the topic: What type of traveler are you? Are you über organized and have everything planned out so there is no last minute stuff? Or do you leave everything to the last minute?

Before reading ahead, first see what everyone else had to say on this topic:
Froggie
Mom of Many
Moma Rock

I love to travel when it means I’ll be going on a relaxing trip and getting from point A to point B without much effort. However, I think the last time that happened was when my husband and I went to Las Vegas in 2006 and our older son (who was six months old at the time) stayed with my parents for a long weekend.

When I just had to pack for myself, traveling was relatively easy. I sometimes had trouble deciding what clothing items to include, but I knew I had enough room for everything. Sometimes I was able to stuff it all into a small carry-on suitcase. When kids came into the picture, it was quite a game changer. I not only had to pack for myself, but also had to include clothes for my kids...usually double the amount to prepare for messy diapers, spills, spit-up, etc. Then I had to include the diapers, wipes, formula cans, bottles, bottle liners, etc. I also had to fit some books in somewhere! Soon, the kids had their own suitcases because of how much they needed to take along. When it was with one or two kids, we usually flew. It cost even less if one of the kids was under age two and could sit on someone’s lap. The last time we traveled with our kids, we also had the baby, so we drove halfway across the country. It was much easier than flying, even though we overstuffed the large amount of space we had in the back of the van and my younger son was kicking my seat half the time.

Flying with an infant or toddler is not easy. While a stroller is good for getting them from one place to the next, it’s also a pain to fold up so it can go through the security monitor. Especially while holding the infant or toddler with one arm. There’s also the chance that they’re going to scream at some point of the plane ride, and they definitely WILL take advantage of that chance! There was no way we were going to take all three kids on a plane at one time. I’ve done it by myself with two kids, but that was when my younger son was three months old and my older son had his own seat. Thankfully, my older son was cooperative for the most part. I can’t say my younger son would be at his current age, as he likes to touch everything and kick seats. So trying to balance keeping him out of trouble and keeping an infant entertained would be tough. Hence, the road trip.

In terms of packing, I do everything last minute. I could have all week to pack, and I wait until the night before or that same morning. When we went camping, I forgot my older son’s cochlear implant battery charger, and he had chosen to leave without his hearing aid. That was a frustrating mistake! So now I’m super obsessive about packing all his hearing equipment. I have to do the same for my daughter, now that she has a cochlear implant, as well. In any case, I know I’ll end up forgetting something anytime I travel. If it’s an item I can pick up at Wal-Mart or Target, I’m much less anxious about it. When we go to visit my parents, they practically have a drug store in their house! (Still, I end up over packing because I like my own toiletries for certain things...like hair products.) The other annoyance is the charges airlines make people pay for luggage transportation and how much they tag on based on weight. Of course, I once lost $12 worth of specialty peanut butter because it would weigh down the suitcase, but TSA saw it as a security threat because it’s spreadable. It is hard to keep luggage underweight when traveling with kids though!

While traveling with kids can sometimes be a challenge, it’s also an adventure. The next time we travel, I really want to take our kids sightseeing as much as possible. There’s no reason to be stuck in a hotel room watching shows we could watch at home (like we did for part of our Richmond trip, but in all fairness, it was snowing a lot) or sitting around either my parents’ or my in-laws’ houses all day. They could just as easily go sightseeing with us. I know the kids love traveling, but if we could teleport ourselves and our luggage to wherever we’re going, that would be SO much easier!

Farewell to old friends

The time has come to say goodbye to four women with whom I have spent many Sundays since the fall of 2004 and who have seen me through two moves and the births of three children. I’ve seen them through cancer, a natural disaster, a late in life baby, alcoholism, a murder trial and the deaths of spouses. I never even met them in person, but I feel like I might as well have, for how much I know about them. I'm definitely going to miss Bree, Lynnette, Susan and Gabby. I also forgot about Mary Alice, the glue who holds everyone together, even though she’s been dead for almost eight years. She’s the one who took me through everyone’s lives and taught a lesson in the end. Yes, life will be different without a weekly trip to Wisteria Lane, but I’ll always have the memories.

Warning...this contains spoilers. Please read at your own risk.

I started watching “Desperate Housewives” when a co-worker told me it would be right up my alley. She was right and I became hooked. There was a lot of sex, scandal and a good old fashioned mystery. The first mystery in this series was why Mary Alice chose to end her life after receiving a threatening note. As the story began to unfold, we learned more about Mary Alice, her husband Paul and their son Zach. Somehow Mike Delfino, the sexy plumber and Susan’s new crush, was involved in this mystery. In the meantime, we followed Gabby through her affair with her hot teenage gardener, we watched Lynnette try to balance work and motherhood and we saw Bree’s marriage unfold when her husband demanded a divorce and later got caught with a prostitute. And that was only season one!

As the years went by, there were other mysteries to solve and new characters kept joining the show. Season two had a somewhat dull mystery about a woman hiding someone in her house. There was also Gabby’s attempts to get pregnant with the help of a surrogate, who turned out to be actually sleeping with Carlos. However, it picked up steam when Orson moved to the street and realized Mike knew a secret about him. He tried to kill Mike, but instead gave him amnesia. Season three had us trying to figure out why Orson would try to kill Mike, what crazy secret he was hiding and how Bree got herself involved. Then Katherine joined in season four and had secrets to hide, as well. In the meantime, Gabby was dating a politician and Carlos went blind after a tornado. Susan got married to Mike in a private outdoor ceremony, once he had his memory back and later had a baby with him. There was also the illegitimate daughter of Tom Scavo, who tried to ruin Lynnette’s life after her real mother was shot in a grocery store. I know Lynnette’s whole cancer scare fell somewhere in these first few seasons, as well. Bree also forced Orson to go to jail for the hit-and-run with Mike. After Tom’s daughter was sent packing when she confessed to lying about Lynnette abusing her and Katherine’s ex-husband was shot after he tried to kill her over what...and who...she was hiding, we suddenly moved forward FIVE years.

Gabby suddenly had young children, Lynnette suddenly had teenagers--the oldest two being big troublemakers, Bree is reunited with Orson and is now a successful chef with a cookbook in the works and Susan was kissing someone other than Mike! We soon learned that Susan and Mike were divorced after a fatal car accident involving another man’s family, and that other man was out to avenge his wife and daughter’s deaths, believing Mike to be responsible. That season also saw the end of Edie Britt, frenemy of all the women on Wisteria Lane. In season six, Lynnette is pregnant again, but a plane crash proves to be fatal to one of the twins she's carrying. There's yet another new neighbor, Angie, whose story is the main mystery focus of the season, aside from the strangler mystery (and how Susan's daughter Julie is a victim). Then there's Katherine's insanity after Mike and Susan get remarried, and when she gets her life back together, she runs off with another woman. Season seven gave us Renee, a college friend of Lynnette's who once had a fling with Tom. There was also a nice cougar match between Bree and Keith, until she found out about his child. A lot of that season focused on Lynnette leaving her job and trying to control Tom's life now that he was the breadwinner again. It ended in their separation. There was also a lot to do with Paul Young being back and making Susan's life miserable. He was married to another woman who had her own secrets, and eventually her life ended the same way Mary Alice's did. Gabby was being stalked by her stepfather, who had molested her when she was a child. The season ends with his murder, which was technically self-defense, even though Carlos was the one doing the "defending."

Now we're in the final season and so much has happened, leading up to the season--and series--finale. It started with the women harboring a secret and hiding a body, Bree getting blackmailed with a letter, Chuck, a cop, trying to get to the bottom of things after Bree ends their relationship (which was going strong at the end of season seven), which eventually leads to his own demise. There was a friendship fall-out, which came back together when times were tough. Carlos went to rehab for alcoholism, which had helped him deal with the guilt over the murder, even though he was trying to protect someone. And we can't forget about Mike being fatally shot in front of his own home and the aftermath that ensued. Now Bree is on trial for the murder of Gabby's stepfather. Bree is trying to protect Carlos from going to jail, but that could mean she goes to jail instead. She also has a crush on her lawyer, which doesn't help matters all that much. Then there's Lynnette, who has realized that she really should be back together with Tom. Now that Tom is starting to realize it too, is there hope for their relationship?

So much has happened over the past eight years and I feel I've just skimmed the surface. I was reading over old episode descriptions and realizing just how much I forgot. Then there are times when a small flashback from an episode will get into my head because of something else in another episode. There have also been so many characters to follow (aside from the main characters and their husbands). Some have been there since the beginning and stayed the whole way through. Others have reappeared from time to time. Some of my favorites are:

Mrs. McCluskey: She's old and cranky, but has a good heart. I felt so bad for her when she got her cancer diagnosis and realized it wasn't going away. She's been there for all the women on Wisteria Lane at one point or another.

Bob and Lee: The gay couple on the lane. They're great together and also add some comic relief to the show.

Andrew Van De Kamp: Bree's son, who is also gay. He was a jerk for a while and then he became really nice after he came out.

Renee Perry: She's hard not to like. She has her selfish moments, but no worse than Gabby. She also has a vulnerable side. And she really came through for Bree this past season.

Penny Scavo: Lynnette's daughter. She's so level-headed and keeps Lynnette sane. I love how she was helping to get Tom and Lynnette back together.

There are also so many villainous characters from one season to the next, such as Felicia Tillman, who cut off her fingers to frame Paul for murder; Orson Hodge, Bree's ex-husband who has been more evil than good, especially now; Gabby's stepfather and also her mother-in-law; Sam, Rex's illegitimate son who blackmailed Bree into selling her business; George, the phamacist who had a crush on Bree and killed Rex as a result and then later killed himself and tried to get Bree in trouble for it; Eddie, the Fairview strangler, but he eventually came through for Lynnette; Dave Williams, who tried to kill MJ to punish Mike and Susan; and we musn't forget the horrible and scary loan shark who killed Mike. And there are so many others, as well.

I know "Desperate Housewives" probably jumped the shark a few times, but I still couldn't tear my eyes away. It was like a guilty pleasure, except my husband was in on it too. I don't think the show was ever capable of getting boring, as there was always something new, crazy, dramatic or funny happening each week. I even got the soundtrack, which had a great song by SheDaisy (and a "Desperate Housewives" themed video to go along with it), "G-d Bless the American Housewife." I had a nice time with the ladies of Wisteria Lane and was able to relate to each of them in different ways. I'll miss them all, but I hope they'll send some new "friends" in my direction this fall.

Just say cheese

Remember the blog project I did in 2010 with three other women? Well, Froggie decided to resurrect it with me and we each got to invite another friend to join us. She invited a mutual friend (someone I met through her) and I invited a friend whose blog I really enjoy reading. So now it's Froggie, Mom of Many, Moma Rock and Merrylandgirl. Hope you enjoy the topics that we'll be exploring!

This week, Mom of Many picked the topic: Pizza wars... is New York Style better than New Haven? What about Deep Dish? Let's talk about our favorite pizza. Why do you like the kind you do and what sort of toppings make it perfect?

Before reading ahead, first see what everyone else had to say on this topic:
Froggie
Mom of Many
Moma Rock

Given that I’ve always been a picky eater, it should be no surprise that I have always leaned toward plain cheese pizza ever since I was a kid. Maybe there was a part of my brain that prepared me for keeping Kosher as an adult in terms of not having meat on my pizza (even though it didn’t stop me from eating cheeseburgers), along with rejecting shellfish and pork products. In any case, I didn’t like vegetables on my pizza either, so it was always plain cheese for me. When I got Chicago style stuffed pizza (i.e. Lou Malnati’s or Gino’s East), I would scrape off the tomato sauce on top. (My older son does this now, so maybe it’s genetic.)

In late 1990, I found a kindred spirit...Kevin McCallister from “Home Alone.” When he asked if anyone ordered him plain cheese pizza, I wanted to cheer for him. And I was so upset when Buzz told him that if he wanted cheese pizza, someone would have to puke it up for him. So, when he was left to his own devices and got to order a plain cheese pizza all for himself, it was as good as Julia Roberts getting to shop in “Pretty Woman.”

In my college years and up until I started keeping Kosher, I did have an exception to my "cheese only" rule. That came in the form of California Pizza Kitchen. I loved their garlic chicken and Thai chicken pizzas. They even sold them at the grocery store, but it still tasted better fresh from the oven at the restaurant. The other kind I eventually tried was barbecue chicken pizza. That was really good too! I was sad to give those up when I started keeping Kosher, but I was rewarded when I moved to Maryland.

In my neck of the woods, we have two really good Kosher pizza establishments. Ben Yehuda’s pizza was voted “Best Pizza in DC” in 2010. I’m sure it was mostly the Jewish community that helped this title become a possibility (and a friend who said it was the only pizza he would eat, but he keeps Kosher so that makes sense). They also have amazing cheese fries, but that’s another story for another time. Keep in mind, I’ve grown up eating pizza from every pizza chain imaginable...Domino’s, Pizza Hut, Little Caesar’s, Papa John’s, etc. However, Ben Yehuda makes a much better pizza than any of those establishments. It’s even better than the NY style Kosher pizzas I’ve consumed. Then there’s Siena’s, which makes a great Sicilian pizza and also attempts the Chicago style stuffed pizza (which we accidentally ordered as a deep dish pizza once). Their take on it is pretty good, but compared to Lou Malnati’s, there’s room for improvement.

I can never get enough pizza. If there are free slices offered at work, I am sure to take at least one, depending on how much there is to go around. My family and I go out for pizza about once a week. Otherwise, I make pizza bagels, which are really good. I also love matzah pizza during Pesach. (It’s only good during that time, which makes having to give up chometz more bearable.) If there could be a pizza version of Cookie Monster, it would be me, as I love it no matter how many years I’ve been eating it.

Now I’m in the mood for pizza...



Mmmm...pizza....*salivating like Homer Simpson*



Music of my heart

Remember the blog project I did in 2010 with three other women? Well, Froggie decided to resurrect it with me and we each got to invite another friend to join us. She invited a mutual friend (someone I met through her) and I invited a friend whose blog I really enjoy reading. So now it's Froggie, Mom of Many, Moma Rock and Merrylandgirl. Hope you enjoy the topics that we'll be exploring!

This week, I picked the topic: What are the top 10 songs that are "must-haves" on your playlist? For each song, give a reason why.

Before reading ahead, first see what everyone else had to say on this topic:
Froggie
Mom of Many
Moma Rock

I recently read "The Song Remains the Same" by Allison Winn Scotch and it features the playlist of the main character. The songs are talked about throughout the story in regards to how they relate to her life. Then I was working with another author who was talking about a playlist for her first novel. So this made me think of what I'd want on my playlist and also made me wonder about the songs that have personal meaning to the ladies in this blog project group. Here's my playlist top 10 "must-haves":

"Who Will Save Your Soul?" Jewel: This song saved my sanity the summer my first boyfriend and I broke up and I was working at a certain horrible restaurant. I'd listen to Jewel's cassette (yes, this was in the 90's) every day and it would make me feel better about everything. "Who will save..." was the first song and I still love the way it sounds. I was quite the Jewel fan during and after that summer.
"My Favorite Mistake," Sheryl Crow: I don't know what it is about this song that speaks to me, but I love the blend of guitar and Sheryl's voice. It has that laid back late 90's feel that goes along with me making my way into the grown-up world.
"Don't Ask Me Why," Billy Joel: A staple of the 80's. Probably one of my favorite Billy Joel songs. I love all the lines in it. It has a great tune, as well.
"Seasons of Love," OBC of "Rent": Do I even need to explain this one? If so, then you really don't know me!
"Something About You," Level 42: One of my all time favorite 80's songs, but I appreciated it more in the 90's. Go figure. It reminds me of my carefree days of being a kid.
"Right Back to Where We Started From," Maxine Nightingale: My first theme song. Read more about it here.
"Front Porch Looking In," Lone Star: This is such a sweet song about family and it makes me think of the little things that I love so much about my husband and kids.
"American Ride," Toby Keith: Reminds me of my move to a great place in the summer of 2009.
"Learnin' the Blues," Frank Sinatra: I sing this song all the time for some reason. I think it reminds me of my late paternal grandpa or something.
"Bohemian Rhapsody," Queen: Reminds me of my high school days and how I spent a weekend trying to memorize it. I still love singing along to it. And I always think of "Wayne's World" when I hear it. :)

There are so many other songs I could put on this list. I thought this post would be easy, but it really was quite a challenge. I can't be without music though. I love listening to the radio, CDs, Spotify, etc. I also love singing whenever possible. It's so invigorating!