All American Girl

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: Since July 4th is coming up next week, write about anything to do with America. Favorite places to go, favorite songs about America, what makes you American/how living in America has affected your personality, favorite presidents, etc. anything goes!

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

A while back, I wrote about my love for America. This time, I want to talk about all the states I've visited; when I was there and why I visited them.

I’ll try to keep this in alphabetical order...

Arizona: Went on an ATV ride in the desert during a trip to Vegas (in 1999) and got a mega-sunburn.

Delaware: Drove through to go between NJ and MD back in 2009, when we were planning out our move. Stopped for dinner during these road trips.

Florida: Many family vacations took place here. We would go to Disney World, Epcot and Sea World whenever we were in Orlando. We also spent lots of vacations at a time-share in Pompano Beach. The last time I was in Florida was a day in Miami before going on a cruise in the beginning of 2000. We visited South Beach at night and checked out some of the cool hotels.

Georgia: If drive-throughs in Delaware count, then airport stop-overs in Atlanta should count too, right? That’s about all I’ve seen of Georgia so far. And I was a kid at the time!

Illinois: I lived here for a little over 30 years. Grew up in Buffalo Grove, went to Illinois State University, lived in Itasca for a while and then made my way back to the BG area, living in Arlington Heights for a few years, as well. My family and a lot of friends are still there, so I go back at least once a year for a visit.

Indiana: My sister went to Butler University in Indianapolis for a while, so I visited her there a few times in the late 90’s. We’d go to Shapiro’s, which is this cafeteria style deli. They have awesome soup and sandwiches! I was also in Indiana for my LASIK surgery. Three hour drive to and from South Bend and my dad had to make the drive twice because one of my eyes was having a problem. When “Will” was at Indiana University in Bloomington, I’d visit him a couple of times.

Kentucky: I went to Louisville in 2000 to visit a friend I had met on a cruise the year before. “Will” came with me, and we also spent time with another mutual friend. It was pretty laid back out there, but felt like any other town in the Midwest.

Maryland: The state I’ve been calling “home” for almost three years. I first visited Maryland when I went to my brother-in-law’s wedding in Baltimore in 2003. Then we’d come out to visit him and his family when he was living in Baltimore, shortly before we moved out this way. We spent a few weekends out here before our actual move, as well.

Michigan: Visited St. Joseph a few times during their art festival weekend (between 2000 and 2006). It’s such a quaint town with some great restaurants. The beach is really nice too. I’ve also been to Detroit, but just in a suburban area for a work meeting. Nothing too exciting.

Missouri: Went to Lake of the Ozarks with my family in 1991. It was another quaint beach town similar to St. Joseph, MI. My maternal grandma was still alive and well at the time and she had a lot of fun there. We had this big pool raft and all the other kids and teenagers there were fighting over it.

Nevada: Only there for a few trips to Las Vegas. I love it there and want to go back again, but preferably when it’s not hot out. First time there was with my first boyfriend in 1995. Then went there with my family for the infamous ATV/sunburn trip in 1999. Went again in 2002 with my family and my husband (who was still just a boyfriend at the time). It was so insanely hot in August though! Saw a lot of cool shows and spent plenty of time indoors! Went back in 2006 with my husband for our two year anniversary.

New Jersey: Lived in Englewood for 2 ½ years (2007-2009). A few things made my time there memorable. Before ever moving to NJ, spent a weekend in Princeton in 2001, visiting some family friends.

New York: First went there in 1996 to visit a friend. Got to tour around the city a bit and spent New Year’s Eve in Times Square. (I’m NEVER doing that again!) Also spent time in northern NY during that trip. Then went back with my mom and sister in 2001 when we visited our friends in NJ. We had a touristy experience which included seeing “The Lion King,” meeting Adam Pascal, and eating a hot dog from a cart. We got to hang out with one of my close friends there too. In 2004, my sister and I went to visit some close friends (including “Will”) and see “Wicked.” In 2006, prior to our move, we visited my mother-in-law in Manhattan and got to see “Company” that weekend. Once we were in NJ, we were up in NY a lot to spend time with my mil or tour around the city. We saw a few more Broadway shows, as well.

North Carolina: Visited my father-in-law a few times and he lives near Charlotte, so we spent some time hanging out in that area.

Ohio: My husband is from Cleveland, so when his mom was still living there, we’d go and visit a lot. We also spent a weekend in Columbus for a friend’s wedding and went to Oxford to visit Miami University, his alma mater. We stopped in Cincinatti during that trip to get ice cream at Graeter’s. Also reunited with a friend whom I hadn’t seen in years.

Oregon: Visited my BFF when she was living there for a short period of time. It was in the winter and the weather made that pretty clear. My first time at Red Robin was out there, as well.

Pennsylvania: My first visit to Pennsylvania was to Lancaster in 2003, to meet the Rabbi who would be marrying us. He’s the father of my sister-in-law, so that just worked well for us. (We weren’t affiliated with a shul at the time.) He wanted to get to know us better, so we spent a Shabbos weekend with him and his family. My bil and sil were there, along with my mil and my mother. It was a very warm and beautiful Shabbos. My sil’s mother is an amazing cook! Afterward, we went to Hershey Park. There was a special nighttime event going on, as it was close to Halloween. Free park admission and $1 rides. People were wearing costumes and someone thought my bil was dressed up in a Rabbi costume. He was wearing his usual clothes. After that trip, we visited my bil and sil when they were living in Lancaster and even spent a Pesach there before we moved to NJ. (It was our first Orthodox Pesach, but the conversation was engaging and the food was fabulous.) We drove through various towns in PA to get to NJ, including Scranton. (Home of Dunder Mifflin.) Last summer, we went to Sesame Place for the first time. It was a lot of fun and I hope we can go back there again sometime.

South Carolina: My father-in-law actually lives in SC, even though we spend most of our time in NC when we visit him. He’s just over the border of the two states, but calling his neighbor down the street is considered long distance.

Texas: Visited my BFF twice when she was living in Fort Worth. Despite how hot it could be, the weather was just right during both of my trips.

Virginia: We live pretty close to VA now and we go out to Warrenton to visit our cousins. We’ve also met up with them in Centreville a few times. I’ve been to Arlington and Alexandria a couple of times, as well. (“Jack” lives in Alexandria and one of my first experiences in VA was hanging out with him.) This past February, we spent a weekend in Richmond, but didn’t get to do a lot because it was snowing and most places were closed on Monday.

Washington DC: I live right by there and love going into the district. It’s such a great city. DC is what won me over originally and the reason I wanted to move out this way. The first time I was there was in 2008, which is when I also fell in love with it.

Wisconsin: I’ve been there many times…overnight camp, Jewish youth group retreats, Indian Princess camp-outs, etc. One of my close friends lived in Madison and I’d go there a lot during my high school and college years. We had fun hanging out in the city/capitol/college town. I went there again with some friends in 2001, just to hang out for a day or so. I also went to Milwaukee a bunch of times to visit friends and even went to some Brewers games. One of my jobs had their main office based there, so I’d go there for meetings, as well. Aside from those trips, I enjoyed going to Lake Geneva just to relax or to Kenosha to shop. My husband and I took a trip to Door County in 2004. It was very scenic in the fall and the drive was romantic, even with my husband stopping every few minutes to take pictures.

That’s all I can remember about where I’ve been in the US. There are still some states I’d like to visit such as Hawaii, California (I don’t count my trip there when I was one as actually visiting the state), Arizona (for more than an ATV ride…I’d like to see some friends out there) and Maine (it sounds beautiful from all the books I’ve read).

I share because I care

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: What is a random act of kindness you've witnessed, or that you've done, or that someone has done for you?

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

When I think of the concept of "Random Acts of Kindness," I associate it with being anonymous and spontaneous. Something you do on the fly like paying tolls for the person in the car behind you, helping a senior citizen load their groceries into their car, giving a crying child a lollipop (with their parents' approval, of course), letting someone go ahead in line at the store, giving someone the use of your cell phone if they need to reach someone immediately, etc.

Having said that, I feel like most of the acts of kindness I commit are intentional and most definitely linked to my name. It doesn't keep me from doing something nice, but I don't feel it's ever completely random either. The most "random" I get is offering to host a new family for a meal when someone at shul puts out an announcement. Even then, I have to first discuss the plans with my husband and it's not all that last minute either.

There are other things I've done just because I want to show I care. I've made care packages for friends studying for tests (as well as my cousin during finals when she was in college) or if they were sick or having surgery. When we lived in NJ, a little boy in our community was attacked by a dog, so I made him a kid friendly care package while he was recuperating. I made another one for a child in our community out here who had to spend the summer in the hospital. When a friend of mine in NJ was going through a tough time, I made an ice cream pie for her because I knew she liked it a lot. There's also the loaves of love I share each time I bake challah. I sometimes distribute them to someone at random and other times because I think they could really use a challah that week. I'll even bring in a challah to work from time to time and leave it in the kitchen for everyone to try.

I also like being able to share things I no longer need. I usually Freecycle, but sometimes I give priority to people I know. I have a friend who knows two babies who need and appreciate any clothes or toys I can give them. While I am glad to finally clear out some of the clothes that have been sitting in our house for years, I'm also sad to see some of it go. However, it's nice to know that another child will put them to good use. A plastic box can't really show off all those cute items!

One of my favorite "random acts of kindness" stories happened when I was working at a Chinese restaurant during my high school years. I had a habit of giving the little cocktail umbrellas or fans to children so they'd be entertained while they had to wait for a table. The parents appreciated it, even though my manager got annoyed because the kids would tear them up and litter them all over the place. One time, a family came in with a girl who had severe disabilities, both developmental and physical. I treated her like every child there and gave her a little fan. Her entire face lit up and her parents were so thrilled. I had to turn away so they wouldn't see me crying. I still get teary-eyed just writing about it over 18 years later.

I hope to continue to find ways to spread the love through whatever acts of kindness I commit, whether they are random or intentional. I try to reciprocate upon the kindness of others, but I also like paying it forward.

Finally, I wanted to share this gathering of photos. It was really touching. It has some wonderful random acts of kindness!

Comedy's answer to evolution

I've become addicted to a new (or not so new) show recently....The Big Bang Theory.A lot of people had told me to watch it and I was not sure I'd like it because science talk just goes over my head. Then my husband and I decided to give it a chance, once we were caught up on How I Met Your Mother. The first episode of season one was pretty funny and it made us interested in seeing more. Soon, we were having Big Bang Theory marathons after Shabbat. We are now on season three and I can't seem to get enough of it! I think about it all the time and  make references to it. I even made my husband a BBT themed Father's Day card. My in-laws recently got us shirts with Sheldon's "Friendship Algorithm" on them (from one of the funniest season two episodes) and I've been wearing mine practically every day, with some washing machine breaks from time to time.

I want to share what I like about each of the main characters and my favorite episodes up to where I am now (I just saw the one with Sheldon freaking out over everyone fighting.)

Leonard: He is like the role model for why geeks make good boyfriends. He's just so nice and funny and there's something oddly attractive about him, even though he looks so squinty and sounds very nasal. He's the voice of reason for the group for the most part.

Raj: I love how he can't talk to girls without alcohol in his system. And when we does get drunk enough to talk to them, he's just hilarious! In season three, he's starting to become more assertive when it comes to his expectations with his friends. I like how he doesn't let them walk all over him. His sarcastic comments are the best! There's also something really attractive about him. He reminds me of Fez from "That 70's Show."

Howard: Anyone who can play out the Jewish humor like he can is definitely good in my book! He reminds me of Neil from Freaks and Geeks the way he thinks he's Hashem's gift to women and throws around Jewish references all the time. His clothing is atrocious and he lives with his mother, but it's hard not to find him lovable, even when he makes obnoxious comments. He's like those guys who think that girls should date him because their mothers will approve.

Sheldon: He definitely is the funniest of the group. He's just socially clueless, even though he's a genius. I love all his idiosyncracies and obsessive behaviors. He would totally drive me crazy in person, but there's something so endearing about him, like how he lets his grandma call him "Moon Pie." The stuff he says is beyond hilarious and the show would definitely not be as amazing as it is without him.

Penny: I love how she doesn't fit in with the group and yet she totally does. Definitely "girl crush" worthy, as well. I really like how she interacts with Sheldon and totally plays off of his craziness. I find it amusing that I've been watching for over two seasons now and she has yet to break away from The Cheesecake Factory to get an acting gig. I find myself hoping she'll get her big break soon.

Favorite episodes from the first two and 1/4 seasons:

Season 1:

The Middle Earth Paradigm: When they go to a Halloween party and Sheldon is dressed as the Doppler Effect. No, he's not a zebra!

The Loobenfeld Decay: I love the effort Sheldon goes through to make a lie seem plausible.

The Pancake Batter Anomaly: The first time we get to hear "Soft Kitty"

The Peanut Reaction: I know it's bad, but we watched this the same night after our older son had an allergic reaction to something he ate. Howard looked the same after having something with peanuts in it. So hard not to laugh!

Season 2:

The White Asparagus Triangulation: I love when Sheldon crashes Leonard's date and his reasoning about why.

The Killer Robot Instability: Just the beginning scene alone is enough to make me love the whole episode.

The Friendship Algorithm: Classic!

The Terminator Decoupling: Summer Glau is great with her cameo...as herself. Makes me miss "Firefly" ever so much!

The Vegas Renormalization: Why don't they serve brisket in Vegas? C'mon now! (Interesting side note, the prostitute was played by the mean girl from She's All That.)

Season 3 (so far):

The Electric Can Opener Fluctuation: I don't know what it was, but I just couldn't stop laughing!

Leonard: Can you please take that stupid hat off?
Howard: No, I wanna blend in.
Raj: To what, Toy Story?

The Gothiwitz Deviation: Tattoo sleeves allow Howard to look cool and still be buried in a Jewish cemetery. It's a win-win!

The Creepy Candy Coating Corollary: Wil Wheaton also does a great cameo appearance as himself. It's priceless to hear him say "Mee-Maw." I also love the conversation that transpires during Howard's blind date.

If you haven't seen The Big Bang Theory, I highly recommend checking it out. You don't have to know science to enjoy it, but it doesn't hurt to have a geek sense of humor. Also, check out the BBT Wiki site. It has a lot of interesting stuff!

It's hard to see past Friday night

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: Write a "Dear Me" letter to your younger self. (You can choose any point in time.)

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

The subject line is from a song that is so fitting for this week's topic: "Letter to Me" by Brad Paisley. (I am not surprised he's the voice behind this song as I love his music.)

I have trouble writing without some sort of structure, so I've decided to go the route I've observed on the fabulous chick lit blog (aside from my own, of course), Chick Lit is Not Dead. They do "5 Things I'd Tell the Teen Me" with their authors and it's a fun feature.

Therefore, I'm going to share 5 things that I'd tell the teen me:

1. Not getting into a play/musical isn't life or death (even though Rachel Berry from "Glee" would disagree). The people who got all the lead roles in plays are not celebrities in this day and age. And you got an award for being behind the scenes, so bravo for that!

2. You'll one day be able to relate very well to the girl you were friends with who practically became Orthodox overnight. (And you're friends with her on Facebook now.) Don't give her a weird look for not sitting at your table at lunch during Pesach to avoid chometz getting in her food; you may be on the receiving end of those weird looks one day for not loading dairy items in the meat dishwasher. And eat every cheeseburger like it's your last because someday it will be.

3. Travel before you have kids. Go on a huge vacation. Visit Hawaii or backpack through Europe. But don't make St. Joseph, Michigan, your last getaway before your first child arrives. It's a cute town, but not exotic or anything. (And if that does end up being your last getaway before kids, make sure your husband doesn't drink from the same cup as someone who has strep before you travel!!!)

4. You were so good at Spanish but then you gave it up. What were you thinking?!?

5. Three words: It gets better. :) (And you may be so inclined to write an article for a parenting blog telling other teens the same thing.)

There are other things I wouldn't mind telling myself, but maybe I'll save them for another post. There are some things I wrote about already anyway, such as my regret about not going to prom when I had the chance. I also hope I listen to what the 45 year old version of myself has told me.

Senior pic, taken in 1993

With my first car, sometime in 1994

Endless Summer Nights (and Days)

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: It is summer. Do you dread the hot, humid days that can lack structure or do you relish the slower pace? Or is it just another day?

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

There are a few things I look forward to in the summer...namely 4th of July, my birthday and wearing sandals. I used to look forward to having Fridays off from work, but that has changed this year, even though we do get out a little earlier. So summer will not be a three-month long vacation for me. It's just any other time of year, but hot, with some festivities in the middle. It's not like I have a break to look forward to like I did when I was in school.

Then there's Shabbat. Since the sun sets later, it doesn't start until closer to the kids' bedtime. Then it doesn't end until after their bedtime either. It also means going out after it ends isn't really an option because it's so late that it's not worth doing anything. We're not the partying type anymore, so we just watch movies or catch up on "The Big Bang Theory" after Shabbat. The hardest part is filling the middle of the day for our kids. They get restless and bored after a while and sometimes all we want to do is sleep. We do find play dates, but it's hard to make plans when you can't call people first. I'm not complaining though. I like the break from technology. Once a month, we host a gathering on Shabbat afternoon for our friends. It's fun to have people over for a few hours and catch up with friends. Plus, the kids can play outside, so less mess inside!

My favorite summer treat is ice cream, but I eat that all the time, so it doesn't get associated with summer as much anymore. Then there's watermelon and fresh sweet corn on the cob. We barbecue more often, as well. I enjoy a nice cold glass of lemonade more in the summer than any other season.

I'm not a fan of the heat, but am thankful for central air conditioning and lots of fans. Still, it's hard to get myself outside on muggy or boiling hot days. I especially get annoyed when the heat lingers into fall. When I was pregnant with my daughter, we had one REALLY hot Sukkot. This was in mid-late September, but it was unbearable. Sukkot is supposed to be all about fall, but it felt like we were in the middle of July. It was hard to enjoy the food too.

I like anything to do with water in the summer, whether it is swimming or going to a water park. Sometimes a cold shower is extremely refreshing after a hot and sticky day. Last summer, we went to Sesame Place and they had a lot of water slides and other water related attractions. It was a lot of fun and I hope we can go back there or to another water park this summer. I'd also love to take the kids to a beach this summer. I know they'd enjoy that a lot, especially being right by an ocean. I haven't been to the ocean since our honeymoon in 2004! And after reading "Monarch Beach" by Anita Hughes (which I reviewed here), I want to go to the beach more than ever!

I think I enjoy experiencing summer through my kids' eyes more than anything else about it these days. They get to go to camp and do all the fun things. They eat popsicles that drip all over their hands and clothes. They find fireworks to be absolutely fascinating and love chasing lightning bugs. They don't know that carnivals are a huge rip-off and just like all the excitement. I love their sheer joy when they jump into a pool. That's summer for me these days!