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.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
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. :)
*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. :)
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
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....
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....
Friday, December 17, 2010
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.
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.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
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.
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.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
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!
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!
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
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.
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.
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