Wednesdays Off

Put A Cork In It

2008-08-20T06:06:00.000-07:00

We do almost all of our financial and home based shopping transactions online. As a result, it is really not worth getting up off the sofa to see what the mailman has deposited in the mailbox lately. Yesterday among the credit card offers and political advertisements was a copy of Wine Enthusiast. This was directly targeted to us as evidenced by the address which was Sarcasdad, or current resident.I browsed past the pages of the world's most break resistant stemware and the display of Fine Wine Furniture. I admit that there was some wistful languishing over the custom designed and installed wine cellars. But as Sarcasdad pointed out, if we did that we wouldn't be able to afford any wine to put in it. Finally, towards he back of the catalog, page 40, I found what I was looking for. Creative solutions for wine corks.
For some reason, Sarcasdad saves all the corks. There is a bowl on the sideboard where he deposits them upon uncorking a bottle. When it fills to overflowing I dump it out, and he starts over again. It is amazing how quickly we can fill it up.
I think that once I used them to play a game with the CP. Other than that they just become landfill, and I feel a little guilty about that.
So what are my choices in the Wine Enthusiast? I can use them to make a Wine Cork Board, a Wine Cork Serving Board or a Wine Cork Trivet. And if, you can't supply your own corks for the project, you can purchase 50 for $14.95 from the catalogue. Although I fail to see how a Wine Enthusiast would be lacking corks.
Anyway, if you are on my Christmas list, state your preference. If a lot of people want cork boards, we have to get drinking.

Making Lemonade

2008-08-10T17:28:00.000-07:00

Sarcasdad and I had a wonderful time in San Diego. We enjoyed the weather, played the tourist, and lounged by the pool. We spent time with family and met new friends. And yet, my favorite story of my trip to San Diego has nothing to do with any of that.

It's about a homeless person.

The homeless population is a presence in San Diego's tourist areas, just as it is in Philadelphia. (And in Rome and Florence as well I recall). But in San Diego they sleep on grassy walkways by the water instead of over steam grates on concrete. A better climate to be sure, but still homeless.
Sarcasdad and I visited Balboa Park . Just to give you an idea of the immensity of the area, it is 1200 acres and houses, in just a part of it, the acclaimed San Diego Zoo. There are 15 museums, several gardens, fountains, an art village and a public gymnasium. The Park has a free transportation system. A tram follows a specific route and you can get on and off at designated stops. The tram drivers double as tour guides and keep up a running patter about the sites you are passing by and information about the area.Sarcasdad and I were the only riders on a tram when it stopped to pick up a a rider waiting on a bench. By his appearance, we judged him to be one of the city's homeless population. He boarded the tram with a polite nod to the driver, whom he greeted by name. She returned the greeting. He sat and the tram got under way.

"Eleanor", said the homeless man, are there any concerts in the park tonight?"
"Yes", replied Eleanor, there is a banjo concert at the bandshell and an organ recital at the Organ Pavilion."
"Thank you Eleanor"
" You are most welcome"

Our fellow passenger alighted at the next stop.I could not help but think that here is a man who makes the best of his circumstances .

*For the very few of you who visit both here ,and Sarcasmoscorner, I realize it is the same post, almost word for word. I never do that, but this one seemed to fit in both places.

Signs

2008-08-02T11:22:00.000-07:00

This is for Carmi's Thematic Photography series. This sign caught my eye as Sarcasdad and I strolled the Gaslamp District in San Diego. It just made me smile. I assume it is a surfing reference, but who knows?

Onions on a Plane

2008-07-31T07:23:00.000-07:00

Our flight out to San Diego left Philly at 6:30 am. That necessitated us missing out on a few things, such as sleep, and breakfast. Before boarding we got a couple of breakfast sandwiches to take on the plane. We waited to open them until the stewards had started their complimentary beverage and food- for- purchase service. These were not your fast food style breakfast offerings. They had been purchased at the airport outlet of Chickie & Pete's, a local eatery known for sports bar food and crabfries. They were on hoagie ( sub I think the rest of the country would say) rolls and stuffed with eggs, peppers, bacon and onions. I felt a little guilty because I knew how good they smelled, especially compared to the airline fare.
Like I said, we waited until we were served our complimentary beverage before digging in. One of the stewardesses came over to our aisle. "Excuse me sir", she said to Sarcasdad. "Are there onions on that sandwich?"
I couldn't imagine why she was asking. Had we offended another passenger with an onion aversion? Did we break one of those airline rules that change by the minute? Was there a charge for bringing your own food,with onions, on board? Or , did she merely want a bite?
The Stewardess elaborated. "She" she said , pointing to a co-worker, "thinks she smells something burning. But I think it's just the sandwich".
Being sensitive to passenger comfort, the stewardess announced this in a voice that only reached about ten rows in front and behind us. I am sure the "something burning" part of that sentence made everyone sit up and take notice. "So what do you think? It's the onions?" the stewardess asked ?
I can't speak for Sarcasdad but I think it was unfair to lay that call on him. Imagine the headlines. Plane Crash Blamed on Man with Sandwich. "I thought it was the onions" the passenger claims. "It did smell good though," says another passenger.
If you are flying anytime soon, you may want to check the TSA site to see if onions are still allowed in your carry-on.

Didn't Feel a Thing

2008-07-30T08:46:00.000-07:00

Apparently we were in California about 45 minutes before the biggest earthquake since 1989 hit the area. We didn't feel a thing, We actually heard about it when we were fiddling with the radio in our rental car. We came across an LA station giving breaking news coverage of the 5.4 earthquake and, what was at the time, 15 aftershocks. Much like the newscasters back home in Philly, the on seen reporters seemed trying desperately to find someone, anyone, who had suffered tragically due to the event. Fortunately, they were getting interviews with shopkeepers who had things fall off shelves, and nothing worse. Our first thought was, well that was LA, not here. Then we learned that the quake was reportedly felt as far away as San Diego. We figure that at 11:45 we were somewhere between getting our luggage and on the shuttle to the car rental place. Figures. We're right on the edge of breaking news, and we missed the whole thing. Such a part of the California experience too. I know we aren't the only ones because everywhere we went, people were just going about their day, and no one seemed shaken or stirred.
Last night we met up with BIL and had dinner in Old Town. It was yummy, but I was not very good company. For some reason this 3 hour time difference knocked me for a bigger loop than flying to international destinations. Today we plan a jaunt through the Gaslamp District. If San Diego is anything like Philly I expect to see sidewalk vendors with T-Shirts that say "I Survived the Quake of '08". Catchy little rhyme don't you think?

California Dreamin

2008-07-27T17:14:00.000-07:00

This has been quite the busy summer for the Sarcas-family. I mean, I have not even finished ~~boring you~~ blogging about my trip to Italy. (Yes, there is more). And I did not even get a chance to mention the holiday weekend trip to the charming seaport town of Mystic Connecticut for our niece's wedding. And now I'm packing for a trip to San Diego. Or I should be packing, instead of say, oh, blogging. The trip was a last minute decision, so the packing should follow suit.
The reason for the trip is a family function. But we figured if we are flying 3000 miles we ought to do a little sight seeing. Anyone have any suggestions? Hurry . We leave Tuesday.

How YOU doin'?

2008-07-25T17:58:00.000-07:00

Do you ever wonder if anyone out there is listening? Apparently, yes. Wefeelfine.org captures the thoughts,well actually, the feelings , blogged on the internet. Presented in "six discreet movements", this is a fascinating way to waste some time online.

No Taking Your Pants Off in Italy

2008-07-15T05:19:00.000-07:00

We took a train to Florence, or as the Italians refer to their city, Firenze. It is a major metropolitan area and in many ways not that different from New York or Tokyo or Philadelphia. The very first thing we did was hit an internet provider to check emails and make hotel arrangements for our stop over in Rome later in the week. That mission accomplished we walked the narrow crowded city streets to the Duomo. It is a very impressive gothic cathedral.

Lunch was pizza at an outdoor cafe. I didn't think the pizza held a candle to what we had in Orvieto. From our seats we could see a most beautiful carousel across the square. Sarcas-sis, Shirley and I accompanied the CP on two turns .
Then he convinced the men to join him so we ladies took the opportunity to go shopping.

The square was ringed by many vendors. A kiosk with leather purses caught my eye . One in particular struck me as being perfect for Sarcasmo Jr. I made a half hearted attempt at haggling because the Captain told me it was the way to do business here. The proprietor was not at all receptive. We went and got the Captain to give a it a try, but he had no luck either. Right across the street from the square were many shops that sold leather at much higher prices, so there was no need for this man to barter. In truth, I was happy with the price anyway. So the bag was bought, as well as some writing paper at another stall, and we moved on.

We strolled down the Ponte Vecchio to the Uffizi Gallery, where we waited in line for timed entry. The way was lined with street artists and performers. Once inside we saw endless statuary and oil paintings. The most famous, Venus Rising.

Having soaked up as much culture as we could stand, the only thing left was to get some gelato.Gelato stands are to Firenze as Starbucks are to Seattle. We stopped at an outdoor establishment. We all picked our favorite, which, in the CP's case was something chocolate. So we had a three year old, in the heat and humidity, with a chocolate gelato. The results were predictable.

After the CP had enjoyed his gelato , his Dad went to get some water to clean him up. His Mom dug a spare set of clothes from her backpack.Right there on the sidewalk we stripped off the chocolate covered shirt and replaced it with a clean one. The CP had something to say about it.

"Hey' he said. "No taking your pants off in Italy"

I don't know why. Not one of those statues in the Uffizi gallery was wearing pants.

Seriously

2008-07-13T10:21:00.001-07:00

http://www.comics.com/comics/pearls/archive/pearls-20080713.html

Genius is a $6 Word

2008-07-09T17:12:00.000-07:00

Now here are two young men who are putting their education to good use. They are selling words. The ones in the dictionary. Actually, they are selling the opportunity to be the definition. Here's the gist. You pick a word that you feel your blog or website represents. You buy the word for $1 per letter, and it becomes a link to your website. Your website becomes the new definition of that word,
Inspired ($8), The creators of The Big Word Project claim it is about creating new definitions for words, I think it is a very clever ($6) way to pay for grad school.
$1 a letter seemed like a bargain ($7) to me, so I scoped out a few words. Sarcasm, mouse, irony & goddess are already taken. along with 5,813 other words at last count. There are still plenty available for the re-defining. Such as both flotsam & jetsam, frank and moonbeam. But not imagine or practical or redhead. They've already been bought.
What word do you define? Got any suggestions for me?

I found this on ShinyShiny. Sadly, the word shiny is no longer available.

Giorni di Vino e Delle Rose

2008-07-05T06:21:00.000-07:00

We let the CP explore the playground for a bit while the adults sat and contemplated what was next on our tour of Orvieto. Remember, we planned on hitting a vineyard or two. It was already mid afternoon. We were banking on local wineries following the custom of closing down for a few hours for a midday meal and then staying open until early evening. The Captain consulted his Rick Steve's Italy guide and called the number for a vineyard that offered tastings in Orvieto. They were open until 5:45. We took the next tram down the mountain , got back in the van and plugged our new destination into the GPS.

Eventually we spied a castle on a hill above the road we were travelling, with the name of the winery we sought. But we couldn't figure out a way to get the van up there. The Captain pulled off to the side of the road and Shirley was volunteered to go check it out. She took off up the hill .When she returned she said the castle looked closed. A man came out of the castle waving his arms and shouting to us that it was closed. It was just 5pm. The Captain explained we had been told 5:45. There was some discussion about who we had spoken to and eventually it was determined that while the castle and the winery shared the same name, they were two different places. We got directions and headed off again. This time driving right into what appeared to be a vineyard, but without a building or person in sight. Another phone call got us on the right road and we finally ended up at a very modern looking place which was more like an office than a wine cellar. And there were no tastings done there. We were a bit disappointed but wine was purchased and we piled back into the van.

Sarcas-SIL(previously known as Sarcas-bro which some found confusing) remembered seeing a sign that said Winery and Lounge, somewhere down the road. We found in and turned in. What a find it was.

I am definitely a city girl. I like neighbors, am not fond of wide open spaces, and I think grass is nice to look at but kind of a pain to take care of. But I got out of the van and thought, "I could live here". It was beautiful. We drove past rows and rows of grapevines, all growing down the mountain towards the valley below. At the top of each vine, by the road we travelled was a rose bush.

We later learned that tradition says when the rose blooms, the grapes are ready. The road was also dotted with orange and lemon trees.
The lemons were the size of small grapefruits. As we approached, unannounced, and uninvited we were greeted by the owner. He waved, not to chase us, but to invite us in.

He gave us a tour of his winery. We saw the modern gleaming tanks
and the traditional oak casks.
He answered all of our questions, let us take photos and made us feel most welcome. He told us he had a staff of only 10, which if you could see the size of the property and the degree of cleanliness you would find as amazing as we did. After the tour he led us to the tasting room, and took us through a flight of his wines. Without a doubt, my favorite wine we had in Italy was purchased here,

His great grandfather started the winery which encompasses 84 hectares. And look at this view from the tasting room. Down there, way below, is the castle that was closed.

*thanks to Sarcas-sis & Shirley for some of the photos.

Orvieto

2008-07-01T16:23:00.000-07:00

We always have a bottle of Orvieto white cooling in the wine fridge. And as visiting wineries was tops on our list of things to do while in Italy, learning that our villa was an easy drive from the town of Orvieto was most exciting.
On our first full day in Umbria , the 8 of us loaded into the van. I told you a little about our ride up the mountain. It did nothing to prepare us for the ride down. As we perched at the top of he "hill" , I tuned to the CP and said. "This is what Disneyworld is like, except there is no splash at the bottom". And so began our first descent on what we called "Mr Toads Wild Ride". Everyone wore their seat belt and we did not open the back windows just in case someone did not and we lost them.
The road to Orvieto was long and windy. And long. It ended at the base of a mountain where we purchased tickets for a tram, or funicolar. to take us partway up to catch a bus to the top
Once at the top we found a charming town. It is centuries old and still being lived in. Like all the hill towns in Italy that we visited, there was a public square, a church ,

and a bell tower. There were plenty of shops that catered to tourists. Here we were introduced to the beautiful pottery that we would see in shops every where we visited.

We stopped for lunch and chose to eat outside. In Orvieto we had the best pizza we have ever tasted. No where else we went in Italy was better.
Here is a picture of our waitress.
If the angle look a little off , consider that the CP is the photographer. This lovely woman was the first of many Italian ladies who made a fuss over him. He was kissed and pinched and hugged all over Italia. In this photo she is trying to convince him to give her a kiss. She was not successful, much to the chagrin of his great-uncle , the Captain, who is single, and was hoping.
We wound our way down twisty hills to the bus stop. Before boarding we took in a local museum at the request of the CP.
The bus took us as far as this fortress.

Which was probably built to protect this valley once upon a time.

This playground gave the CP a chance to work off some energy.

We took the funicolar back down to the parking lot.
Our day was not yet done.
Next-- we get chased from a castle and find the most beautiful place on earth.

There are more photos of Orvieto here. The detail and the colors on the church are worth a look.

The Meal

2008-06-25T06:24:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos of the wonderful meal I mentioned in the previous post.

The Antipasti - The rolled appetizer had eggs and cheese. One of the breads had a tuna topping and one was mushroom. It was all delizioso!

The Prima -the freshly made pasts and sauce were sublime.

The Secundi-Spicy Chicken. As good as it looks.

What I don't have a photo of it the fantastic tiramisu that was desert. It had lots of chocolate and was flavored with chocolate covered coffee beans.

I also don't have a photo to share of the lovely woman who came to the house and prepared this wonderful meal. Or, one of her son who was charming and handsome and served us our meal as we sat here.

They were truly the first Italian people that we "met", although we had of course encountered people in the airport and in train stations. They both made terrific ambassadors.

*thanks to ny niece "Shirley" for the photos.

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The Villa

2008-06-23T16:26:00.000-07:00

After an 8 hour plane ride and travel by two different trains, one of which was a hour late, we arivved in Terontola-Cortona where we were met by my BIL, the Captain, my MIL, Peaches, and my niece Shirley. They had arrived a few days earlier. kind of an advance team for our assault on Umbria. They had rented a nine passenger van. We secured the car seat that Sarcas-sis and her hubby carted all the way from home and we were off to the villa. It was a short trip to just outside Mangionne where we turned onto a road that ran through some farmland . Road may be a bit generous. It was a gavel path. One that Sarcas-dad said would probably measure 100 yards if it were straight. It was more like a mile.A mile of hairpin twists and turns on a gravel surface. No problem for those zippy little Smart Cars. We had the 9 passenger van. The Captain had no choice but to attack the hill full speed ahead and hope for the best. He had already run off the path into a dirt once before we got there.
We made it to the top and got our first view of the villa we would be staying in.

I'd say the ride up the hill was definately worth it. Wouldn't you?

Here's some of the view from the top of the hill.

That first evening, the Captain and Peaches had arranged for a local woman to come to the villa and cook us an authentic Umbrain/Tuscan meal. I won't go into too much detail here, because there are pictures on someone else's camera. When I get them I will tell you more about the meal in detail Suffice it to say, it was delicious. And it didn't hurt that we ate outside among the olive trees, sipping vine and watching the sun set on that view.

Real Estate

2008-06-21T15:55:00.000-07:00

Just before we left on our trip, Sarcasdad and I reached one of those mile markers in life. We paid off the mortgage. Yep. The old homestead is ours free and clear. Actually we paid off 2 mortgages. The original one we took out 30 ears ago, and a second mortgage we took out when Sarcasmo started college. The final payments were due a month apart.
Just about the time we were sending in the cashiers check for the first mortgage payoff, I began noticing a lot of bird chirping outside, especially in the mornings. Then one day as I sat on the sofa, facing the front window I noticed a Robin flying in and out of a fir tree that grows in front of our porch. We have 2 fir trees, that we planted when they were about 2 feet high. Now they are reach up to the second story of the house. From my perch on the sofa I can watch Momma bird feeding worms to some newly hatched babies. My view is perfect. Strangely, even though I know exactly where the nest is in the tree, I cannot locate it when I am outside of the house. Momma Robin has it very well camouflaged.
One day, in the beginning of May,the chirping was particularly incessant. I took a look outside and on a branch of the other fir tree was a fuzzy little baby bird. Momma Robin was hopping frantically from the fence to the trees, chirping all the while. Little by little, baby bird made it's way down the tree branches. I twink it may have been a flying lesson.
The next day, all was quite in the tree by the porch. No chipping Momma. No hungry babies. I really missed them.
The day we came back from Italy, I was sitting on the sofa, facing the front window and guess who I saw. Just today I got a glimpse of some newly hatched babies with their beaks upwards and open, as Momma goes on worm runs.
She's welcome to stay for thirty years if she likes. We'll take back the mortgage for her.

Mi Scusi

2008-06-18T13:52:00.000-07:00

We arrived back in Philly today, after a wonderful week in Italy. I am afraid I will be regaling you with my travel stories for days to come. Right now as I am sure you can imagine it is all running around in my head. We have a ton of photos to sort through, which will no doubt trigger even more memories. I will even have he CP's fist ever travel video , which he took with his own video camera, to share. I think you will enjoy it.
For now, just a quick funny story. I am still trying to relive my Italian vacation and pretend I don't have to work tomorrow.
It is very easy to fall into the Italian language. Especially if you took Spanish in high school. Not that I can speak it fluently after a week in country, but it is pretty easy to get the gist of what you hear or what you read. One of the first phrases we picked up was, mi scusi, or excuse me. Even the CP picked right up on this. He thought it was great fun to burp and then say "scusi". Actually, this turned out to be a pretty effective pick-up line, but that is a story for another post.
I came away with the notion that you could possibly commit murder in Italy and all would be forgiven with a "Mi scusi" and a shrug and a wave.
Our first night at the villa I took the CP into one of the bathrooms. It had a toilet and a bidet. Bidets are not standard in American bathrooms. Even my world travelling 80 year old mother- in -law admitted that she wasn't quite sure how to use one. Of course, the CP was curious.
"I want to use that one" he said.
The CP's parents are very up front with answers when he asks questions. But I wasn't sure how they would want to handle this, and again, I really don't have any "hands on" bidet experience. Thinking quickly I said, "Only people who speak Italian can use that one. People who speak English have to use the other one" He was okay with that explanation and I congratulated myself on my creative solution.
Go forward in time to our last full day in Italy.We had been on two guided tours in an effort to see all of the city of Rome in one day. We did pretty well, although we only saw the Spanish Steps from a bus window. We were tired and hot. The elevator in our hotel only took two or three people at a time. Sarcasdad and I went up first with the CP and we took him to our room. He had to use the bathroom. We went in and closed the door. He pointed to the bidet and said " I can speak Italian now so I can use that one" I had to admit, he had me there. He was tossing around "grazie"'s and "ciao ciao"'s and "scusi"'s like a true Italiano. Briefly, I thought about wiggling out of it, but in the end I thought what the heck. When in Rome......
I let him pee in the bidet.
Mi scusi

Target Audience

2008-06-09T05:00:00.000-07:00

A few posts back I recounted the CP's attempt to impress the ladies. Despite his obvious charm, the girls wouldn't give him the time of day on their Hanna Montana watches. I think we may have hit upon the problem. He was aiming too young.
Sarcasmo Jr. came for a weekend visit and we were out to lunch with Sarcas-sis, the CP and friends Poppy & Feanor. While we waited for our food we played I Spy With My Little Eye. It was Poppy's turn to pick and she spied something green, The CP pointed to his Diego binoculars. Was it that? No. He pointed to a frame on the wall. Was that it? No. He turned to look at Poppy, who I think is the same age as Sarcasmo Jr. "Is it your eyes?" he asked, resulting in a group sigh from all the women at the table.
It wasn't. I am not sure they are even green. But we had to warn the waitress to watch out for the puddle, that was once Poppy, on the floor.

I am off to Italy. I thought our villa had nternet access but judging from an email we got fro the family already there, this may not be the case. If I can I'll post along the way. If not, I'll tell you all about it when we get back. Ciao for now.

What to Know Before You Go

2008-06-04T12:19:00.000-07:00

It is less than a week until we leave for Italy. In order to maximize vacation time, no one is taking an extra day off to pack, so we are making use of every spare second. Today Sarcasdad got an International river;s License' We picked up a few necessities and a new guide book, our old one being from 2005, when we originally planned to to go. I spent some time online, reading tourism sites and scanning the TSA website to see what may have changed since our last flight. I was specifically looking to see if we can bring snacks for the CP in our carry on luggage. I am still not 100% sure what the answer to that question is. I did learn two things. First, you can pack you toy Transformer Robots in you carry on. It is listed under Makeup, Medication, Personal Items & Special Needs Devices. Right after toothpaste and right before Toy Weapons-if not realistic replicas Since they specifically use the word "toy", I am assuming that real Transformer Robots ( as well as real weapons) are prohibited. Second, MRE's are good to go. I have to see is my *BIL brought any home from Iraq in his carry on. That could solve the CP snack issue.

*Hee are some photos taken by Operation Welcome Home (Maryland) volunteers when our troop came home. The first one is us waiting for the plane to arrive.(me & Sarcasdad on the left with a sign handmade by the CP. )

This one is self explanatory.

I Guess That's Why There Are No Super Heroes Anymore

2008-06-02T14:36:00.000-07:00

Yesterday the CP was alternating between playing Super Heroes and playing hospital. Sometimes the lines blurred just a bit. At one point he was laying on an inflatable chair , wrapped up in a blanket and announced that he was going to to the "hosible" He appointed one of the adults in the room to be the doctor.

" What's wrong"? asked the pretend doctor?
"Spiderman webbed me " sad the CP. "And then I got run over by a car. "

You have to wonder how that didn't happen more often. Once you're webbed you're kinda stuck where you are. And whenever Spidey is zipping through the city slinging webs there are usually tanker trucks over turning and school buses skidding through intersections. Truly an accident just waiting to happen.
Imagine the lawsuits. We did. The CP's parents did an off the cuff version of the class action lawyer commercials that run at 4 am.

" Have you been the victim of a web shooting Super Hero ? Been injured by X-ray vision or a golden lasso ? If so call us at Kryptonite and Luthor."

No wonder no one answers the bat signal anymore.

Memorial Day

2008-05-26T13:50:00.000-07:00

As today is Memorial Day I want to share the news that my BIL is home after serving a year in Iraq. We went with assorted brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews and his Mom to the airport in Baltimore to meet the flight. I am glad to have had the chance to witness the event. We got to the military gate at BWI early.It was kind of sectioned off from the rest of the airport. The walls were stark white and totally bare except for a small display behind plexiglass. There were no flight announcements and no displays with information. It was very quiet.Right after we arrived the waiting area was descended upon by a group from Operation Welcome Home (Maryland). With military precision they adorned the walls with artwork done by local school children and scouts . They assembled goody bags . They took video and photos of the waiting families. These are going on the website and they provide copies of the video free of charge. The crowd grew steadily. A couple of families stood out to me. One was a Mom ( I am assuming ) with 4 little girls and a little boy in a stroller. The girls were dressed in matching red white and blue sundresses and blue and white sweaters. Another Mom ( assuming again) with 2 little girls who were tinier versions of her. They had a poster welcoming home their Major. It had the girl;s' names and hand prints on it and a heart with 2 names inside. The poster was bigger than the two of them put together. What struck me was how calm both mothers seemed to be. How together they were. How quiet the kids were. All the kids for that matter. I think if it were me I would be jumping out of my skin.
One of the Welcome Home volunteers announced that the plane had landed and marshaled all the families to line the walls right outside the exit doors so family would be the first thing the returnees saw. Our group was larger than most and some of us stayed back a bit, not wanting to crowd out another family. We were advised to move because sometimes the group exiting the customs area was so large they had to be funneled out a second set of doors near our position. So we joined the rest of our family near the main door. And we waited. And waited. And waited. The family with the poster was across the aisle from us. Mom in the middle and all three holding up their sign, their gaze fixed solidly on that door, waiting for it to open. Mom kept smiling even as big silent tears slipped down her cheeks. Her cell phone went off.
It's daddy!" She said to the girls. "He's here !" She wiped her eyes.
Finally the door opened, not with the crush of camouflage and duffel bags, as we had been led to expect, but one lone man. I think he was taken a bit by surprise with the applause and the cheers that the crowd had been waiting to give up. And the music from the boombox one of the volunteers had provided. He was good enough to play to the crowd and kneel and kiss the airport floor, even though this was hardly his first step on American soil. This led to another round of applause. There was lots of hand shaking and thank yous as the serviceman made his way past the waiting families and through a phalanx of veterans and volunteers who were there to make sure everyone got welcomed home. Another round of applause was heard from the far end when the serviceman knelt and kissed the ground again. Always a crowd pleaser I guess.
It seemed to take forever between each arrival. The first ones out the door were people who still had connecting flights to make. While they were clearly glad to be met so with such enthusiasm they weren't home yet and were anxious to get on their way.
Finally. a local homecoming. A serviceman cleared the door and immediately made a dash for a pretty young woman, only to be cut off by two very passionate Welcome Home volunteers who were strategically placed to be the first to greet the returning troops. He dutifully stopped and shook their hands before he swept the young lady literally off her feet. When they tried to leave without passing by all the veterans and getting a goody bag, they were firmly redirected.
We witnessed a few more reunions, all wonderful and touching. One mom cleared the doors and seeing her son pushed right past the two greeters. That was an applause getter !
The serviceman we awaited arrived soon after and we got on our way. so I didn't see the ending for the two families who had caught my eye. I hope it was awesome. I can't wait to check it out on the video.

Milestones

2008-05-20T18:59:00.000-07:00

All birthdays are special, but some more than others mark a poignant spot on life's timeline. Like the one where your baby turns 30. (Happy Birthday Sarcasmo Jr.) As well as I know it to be true, sometimes I think I must exist in a time warp because in my mind I think I'm still in my 30's. Then I get up off the sofa and realize that my 30's are but a memory.

We celebrated SJ's birthday the way one would expect to mark the decade. We took her to Chuck E. Cheese. It was a bit more than a 4 hour car ride to her apartment and by the time the CP got there he had some pent up energy to burn off. So for the sake of her downstairs neighbors SJ agreed to party it up at Chuck's. Sarcas-sis suggested we all take some tokens and play to up the CP's ticket take.I gave some to SIL, some to Sarcas-sis and as I put some in SJ's hand she said "Thanks Mom. Best birthday party ever". I had to laugh at that. She's not named Sarcasmo Jr. for nothing.

Of course we had cake. In years past, getting the cake to SJ in it's original condition has proved to be a challenge. Despite careful packing and securing the writing would get smeared or the flowers smushed in the course of the trip. This year we were successful and the cake arrived looking as good as it did when it left the bakery.

The CP proudly carried the cake to his Aunt SJ. He was standing with his back to her so I asked him to turn around so she could see the cake while we sang Happy Birthday. He turned, the cake slid, and landed upside down on the sofa! I wish we had been capturing the festivities on video. so I could share it with you. Or America's Funniest Home Videos. It was a $10,000 moment for sure!

Good thing I had forgotten to bring the candles.

Hey Girl

2008-05-05T17:08:00.000-07:00

Last week Sarcasdad and I took the CP on a day trip to the National Aquarium in Baltimore. He liked the fish and the turtles and the sharks. He really liked the dolphins, although I am pretty sure his favorite "exhibit" were the escalators. We had 12:45 timed tickets for the 4-D theater, so after lunch we made our way there. We took our seats near the exit doors at the suggestion of the staff who said that small children are sometimes startled by the special effects and have to be taken out the theater. Another family with parents and grandparents and two little ones sat down in front of us. By chance a little girl, I would say about 5 years old sat right in front of the CP, who was immediately interested in making contact. He donned the 3-D glasses we were given on the way in and with a charm belying his tender age of three , told the little girl that he was "stylin". This led to a little back and forth between the two,but eventually the little girl exercised her female prerogative and changed her mind. Bored with the whole thing she turned around and sat down in her seat, giving the CP, the 5 year old brush off. Clearly, seeing this as a challenge, the CP pressed on undaunted. He took both mine and Sarcasdad's 3-D glasses and put them on his face. Not knowing the name of the object of his attentions, he called her simply, "Girl". 'Hey Girl ! Look at me. Hey Girl, am I crazy? Hey Girl". Initially she ignored him. Finally, still facing straight ahead in her seat she said "will you please sit down and leave me alone." There was no mistaking the tone. Even still, Sarcasdad had to tell him that it was a lost cause.

On Sunday the three of us took in the Backyardigans Live Show. We were early and in our seats when the family seated behind us arrived. A decidedly older woman, maybe 9, sat down behind the CP. He peered over the back of his seat at her, occasionally popping up to offer a tentative smile. Finally, right before the show started the lady in question showed some mercy and asked the CP if he liked the Backyardigans. That was all the encouragement he needed. The show started and held all of his attention. When the lights went up for intermission the CP wasted no time. He didn't have ant 3-D glassier this time. But he did have his genuine authentic cowboy hat that his Aunt Sarcasmo Jr. bought him when she was at a conference in Texas. According to his Mom he had been wearing it since he woke up that morning. The CP stood and faced the young woman. He lifted his cowboy hat from his head with a flourish worthy of John Wayne and Gene Autry ,brought the hat to rest against his chest, and said "Howdy Ma'am".

The little lady remained unmoved. I don't know how.

A Little Help Over Here Please

2008-05-01T05:26:00.000-07:00

I am having a bit of an issue of my blog. When I go back into my archives, past February 2007, it appears as though the post is missing. Actually, it is there but you have to mouse over the body of the post to make the words appear. The template shows up, as do hyperlinks and tags, although they look like a negative image of the actual post. Any ideas? I did have that server issue mentioned in the previous post, however, the server hosts my blog as a sub domain of my daughter's blog, http://www.sarcasmoscorner.com/. Her archives are fine. I did contact the web hosting company, but they were not able to help. When I go on Blogger and view old posts, they are in the same state. I tried Blogger help, but frankly, their idea of help and support leaves me without that warm and fuzzy feeling.
My girls gave me this blog as a Mother' Day gift. Star got me all set up and she was my technical support. If she were here, I am sure she would have this solved in a jiffy. Left on my own, I have managed to solve most of my blogging issues with a little research. But this one has me stumped.
Any ideas?

Stock Tip

2008-04-19T18:15:00.000-07:00

The bad news is that the server that hosts my, and my daughter's blog crashed last Sunday night, leaving us both as a "webpage cannot be displayed" on the internet. The good news is that it is back up. The bad news is that it was down until Wednesday afternoon, and I don't think anyone noticed except for one young man who visits Sarcasmo's Corner. He emailed me to see if all was okay. (Thanks Chris). The good news is that I learned a new definition of the word "shortly" Apparently, when used by help desk personnel, as in, "this will be resolved shortly", or,
"service should be restored shortly" it means that the user has absolutely no idea what went wrong or when it will be fixed and rather than admitting this would lead you to believe that all is under control, and this is what was supposed to happen. Of course, when things were not resolved "shortly" I was sure that even though the fine person who answered my call promised that all my data was safe, that the Internet Gods had selectively restored all the other blogs, and not mine. This is how my mind works. If I had lost the archives of Wednesdays Off, I would have been disappointed, but not defeated. I can always start over. But had I lost all the brilliant words my daughter had written in her lifetime , that would have left me heartsick. Of course, now that everything is in working order I feel a little silly. But I still plan to make a back-up of all of her posts. Just in case.

Had the blog been up I would have told you that I saw my first red red robin, bob bob bobbin' along. So, in my mind ( the same one that jumps to fatalistic conclusions) it is officially springtime in Philadelphia. It is also primary election time in Philadelphia and its getting a little crowded in town. What with all the candidates, the pundits, the reporters and the National Tattoo Arts Convention. Since it is officially springtime, the grill is officially fired up. I even self cleaned the new oven, as I don't plan to use it again until after Labor Day. Which leads to the stock tip.

The CP was here for dinner one day and we had barbecued chicken and potato salad. The CP asked if we had any mashed potatoes because they are his favorite kind. I didn't, but I made a mental note to make sure I served them the next time we dined together. On Wednesday he was here for dinner. There was a yummy pork roast on the grill and some Bob Evans potatoes in the microwave oven. ( I said I would serve them, I didn't say I would mash them). I was watching a little Noggin with the CP when Sarcasdad called from the kitchen to ask if the potatoes were done.

"What kind of potatoes?" the CP asked
"Mashed potatoes" I said
He thought about it for a few seconds .
"The last time I was here I told you I wanted mashed potatoes. Did you make mashed potatoes for me?" he said.
"Of course" I replied.

He gave me the biggest hug his little arms could accomplish and said "Oh thank you Mom Mom. You are the very best Mom Mom"

Buy stock in Bob Evans. Their mashed potato sales are going to go up.

Have You Heard the One ?

2008-04-01T16:21:00.000-07:00

We have a friend who has decided to try his hand at stand-up comedy. I've heard some of his shtick, and he's actually funny. I would love to go and see him perform live, and as soon as he plays a club where he is on and off the stage before 9:30, I'm there. Until then I catch him on U-Tube.
We know another comedian who plays a little closer to home, and, is in bed by 9:30 as well. That would be the CP. He loooovvves a good knock knock joke. Or any good joke. Once he hears it , it is part of his repertiore. Yes, he is 3, and he has a repertoire.On Easter the family went to brunch and the CP made the rounds of the banquet table, cracking up the great -aunts and great -uncles.
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"Knock Knock"
"Who's there?"
"Boo"
"Boo who?"
"Don't cry, it's only a joke"
--------------------------
"Why did the cookie go to the Dr.?"
"I don't now CP, why did the cookie go to the DR"
"Because he felt crummy"
-------------------------
I could go on, but I don't want to give away all of his material. This morning I was brushing my teeth and I heard a cute joke on the radio. I knew he'd love it, so I called him.

"CP, How does a dog turn off the DVD player"{the original joke was how did the dog turn off the VCR, but I didn't think he would know what that was! So I changed it)
"I don't know Mom Mom. How does a dog turn off the DVD player?". (The CP knows the proper sequencing of a good joke)
"He presses the "paws" button"

The CP giggled. "Do you get it?" I asked. "I get it" he replied. He's only 3, but I think he really does get it.

Understandably, Sarcas-sis is is proud that her little comedic prodigy can remember all the jokes, and tell them rather rapid fire,and in no particular order. Possibly she is also slightly apprehensive that this joke telling talent will lead to unwanted missives from teachers.

"Dear CP's Mom- We all love the CP's jokes, but would prefer he refrain from telling them during math class."

The CP's penchant for center stage comes naturally. His Mom, and her sisters all did their share of concerts, plays, and dance recitals. Sarcas-sis participated in a school talent show, I think in about fourth grade. She sang a solo (Mandy), played the piano (The Rose) and as the show finale she and a classmate put on a gymnastics demonstration that got them a standing ovation. As her teacher exited the auditorium she said to me "I had no idea she was so flexible"
----------------------
Knock Knock
(Who's there?)
Letter
(Letter who?)
Letter in-she's knocking!

Always leave them laughing.