THAT'S A BIG RUBBER DUCK!

ABSODUCKINLUTELY!

Oh Rubber Ducky.....YOU'RE THE ONE!  

This guy is making his American debut right here in Pittsburgh!

(click there to find out all about it!)

Hope your Saturday is just DUCKY!

 and, one more thing.....

GO BUCS!

ABSOBUCINLUTELY!  

We gotta bring those Bucco's back home to see the 

BIG RUBBER DUCK!

Oh, and by the way.... don't you just love how Mr. Big's comment to Carrie about LOVE is so iconic that's it's now a part of how we talk about important things?

(like big ducks and baseball)

ABSOFUCKINGLUTELY!!!!  

But, it was a donut holiday........

IT WAS  YANKEE ELIMINATION DAY?

And, we are supposed to eat donuts?

This was ONE of the boxes of THE DONUTS OF JUSTICE in the office kitchen yesterday.....with this email following....just so we understood the holiday.....

"Enjoy a Donut of Justice, in the Break Room and remember, YED is dedicated to the following principles”

1)      Justice

2)      Fair Play

3)      and Humility

So no gloating, please.  Just relax, have a donut, enjoy the sunshine (feels a bit warmer today, doesn’t it?) and the fall air (a bit crisper and clearer if you ask me), and take in the feeling that there is justice in the world, in however small amounts.

Happy YED!"

Pittsburgh is a town of sports fanatics. 
Most of them are Pittsburgh sports fanatics.
But, we've got a few folks in the office that come from far and wide.
One such a folk is a rabid baseball fan from Washington state.  This guy has three best selling books on the topic of baseball and baseball stadiums---with one of his books titled "Why I Hate The Yankees"! 
So, we can safely assume he loves baseball and baseball stadiums so much that he can write two books on the subjects and he hates the Yankees enough that he could dedicate an entire book to his hate.....
This guy  definitely walks the walk and talks the talk..... he celebrates all things baseball and commemorates holidays with sweets when his hated team gets eliminated!  
Now, I did't hyper link that text to his books because I am suggesting anyone run out and buy them---I just wanted you to know a little more about a guy who brings a few dozen massive donuts into an office in Pittsburgh to celebrate the Yankees being eliminated.  
But honestly...if you have any interest in things like this..... the guy is entertaining and a very good writer.....and he knows his stuff.
And, he buys some really amazing donuts.  
Therein lies the problem.
These donuts.......
As I was cruising along in a week when I was coming into the office early, having long nights of more work and dealing with one or two other annoying details, I was spending considerable time planning each meal, packing them up and bringing them into the office with me.  I was doing it all in self defense and for time time management purposes.   I was sick and tired of having to go scramble for  what was overpriced, sub par food at the our building's food court or vending machines or at the faculty dining room when meal time came.  Besides that, with the volume of work that I have going on, wasting time going looking for this overpriced subpar food was driving me nuts.
So, I amped up my grocery shopping so that I would have a nice selection of portable meals that I could grab and go and would not cause me too much angst or additional work. 
It was all going so well.... until yesterday....
I know, I know....that means I only did good for 3 days.  
But, still....
Of course, donuts have a place in everyone's life. 
And, I sure do like donuts.  They are not my favorite food but if they are there.....
Anyway....for some crazy reason---after eating just half of one of those beautiful, big donuts of justice, I couldn't think about anything else but the other half of that beautiful, big donut. 
Thankfully, when I returned to get that other half....it was gone. 
Someone saved me from myself....justice was served!
I wasn't so much angry with myself for eating said donut.  There are no guilty foods....remember?
To be super duper honest, as much as I loved, loved, loved that donut....it was yummy beyond yummy.....I wasn't feeling as great as one should be after devouring something so heavenly.
I was droopy.  And, I don't like droopy....
And, I wanted more sugary stuff.
And, that other sugary stuff that I ate because of that donut that I ate in the morning---it wasn't worth how more droopy it made me feel.  
By the end of the work day, I felt like I had a pile of led in my belly.
That's probably the way those darn YANKEES felt too......

Belly-aching!!!! 

Seeing all the faces and the places.......

of a little town  that  I once called home.....

The little town where I grew up......

Every morning and every evening, I travel the same road to work.
It's a road that I know very well....I walked those sidewalks--hand-in-hand with my mother as a child, pushing-and-shoving with my sisters,  side-by-side with my friends as I was given permission to venture there, accompanying my aunts on little trips, running and jumping with my cousins,  arm-in-arm with assorted boyfriends of my youth,  wrapped-in-love with my husband-then-boyfriend, stroller-pushing as a young mother and out-for-exercise as a grown woman....
It's a road that has taken me many places, with many people. 

Some days, as I zip through the morning traffic, I am completely oblivious to my history on that road.
My mind is preoccupied.  The day ahead of me looms.  The traffic is making me crazy.  I'm running late.  My car is making a funny noise.  My phone just rang.  Someone texted me.  What am I making for dinner?  What time is that meeting?  Why is the driver in front of me going so damn slow?  
Even when I am a red light, I might glance here and there but the familiarity and the memories don't flood over me or give me pause to stop and take it all in. 
Fifty some years of being on that road.....at least 5 days out of 7.....and I don't have the time or I don't take the time to ponder the fact that my feet and the feet of so many people in my life have walked those same roads.
Then, yesterday happened.
As I was driving into work in the early morning hours...running a little late and wondering what I would face in the day ahead and cursing that the awful noise in my car had returned........out of  the corner of my eye....I spotted a face that reminded me that this was my hometown.  I don't recall ever really being friends with her.  She was in my kindergarten class and my first grade class and probably many other classes.  We graduated high school together.  I'd see her at the pool.  Her hair was cropped close to her head.  Her face was the same....although older.  Her name is Karen. 
Then, a moment later, I saw a woman with long dark hair walking with a cane up the street....as I peered at her....I realized that she was too was a fixture of my young life--at school, at the park and the pool.  Although not a friend, her face was a face that I saw so many times over so many years.  In my little hometown. 
The memories swept over me.  And, I was reminded that this road is where much of my life resides....
As a young girl, I remember dancing in the streets on this road at a celebration to commemorate it's repaving. 
I would relish going to the "fancy" movie theater.
I would run to get a skyscraper cone from the neighbor lady who worked at Isaly's.
I bought shoes in the shops that used to line the street.
I had my hair cut in salons that were once there.
It's the street I had to cross to make that long journey to high school.  
I did bar crawls to raise money for the neighborhood pool.
This is where I would run to buy tickets for the 4th of July car raffle....sure that I would win that year.
It's where my heart still skips a beat each May 1st when I see the sign for that same car raffle....
And, even after I moved to the neighboring community....that road held so many pieces of me....
Twenty-some years ago, one each trip home from work, I would spy my Uncle Lou (my mom's oldest brother), driving home from work.  As his face came into view on the other side of  the road, I would stretch my neck just to see him....he looked so much like my mother.  It always gave me comfort.
For many years, on my way to work, I would see my Uncle Anthony (my mother's youngest brother) taking his morning walk....his long legs, his determined stride.  When I could, I'd try to catch his attention.....I always loved to see his smile and enthusiastic wave.  It made me happy.
One time, as I was sitting at the light in front of the bank on the way to work, Carmen's cute, fun, wild cousin Anthony ran up to my car and banged on my window.....I rolled down my window....and we chatted...holding up traffic.  As people honked and made hand gestures at him, he just waved them on as he casually leaned on my car and acted as though no one else existed.  As nervous as I was that someone was going to get out of their car and start fighting with him, I couldn't help but enjoy the banter.  It made me laugh.
Both of my Uncles and Anthony are now gone.  Those simple memories of our lives intersecting on that road still lives on in my memory. 

This morning, as I reflect on this road that has carried me many places during every season of my life, I am trying hard to remind myself that I have to take the time to relish the faces and the places that come into view.  I need to stop and recognize that I am fortunate that each and every day I get to travel a road that takes me back to the little town where I grew up.....

Just another reminder that our journeys are forever..... 

they are in the faces and the places

As you travel your ROAD today....

Let's talk about food and eating.......

once again.....

Hey, Ben, I'm a multi-tasker!  Ever hear of that?  I can do both! From the looks of this picture, you didn't even follow your own advice!  Please don't take that personally, Ben.....

Let's get one thing straight folks, there is nothing criminal or wrong or sinful or unethical or stupid about loving to eat.   Especially if you are eating good food......
So, let's stop feeling guilty about eating and our love of food. 

RIGHT NOW!

Can I get an AMEN and a STANDING O for Julia?

Of course, good...even as it pertains to food.... is a very relative term.  
Good to some means cookies and nachos and good to others means tofu and granola while good to others means eel and haggis.....you get my point.   
I'm sure what Ben is talking about is gluttony....the bad side of eating. 
I'm pretty sure Jesus even has a thing against gluttony.  If I remember my CCD teachings right....
What Julia is talking about is the joy of eating.  
The joyous celebration of food and eating with love.
Jesus is all for celebrations and love.
And, I'm pretty sure--if Ben would have thought about it a little bit more instead of spending all that time putting keys on kites and signing freedom documents--he would have reworded his quote.
In  fact, I am certain of it.  

And, I for one, would prefer to celebrate life.  
If that means loving food and eating with love then that's how I am going to live......

During my years of dieting and diet programming--it was ironic to me that I thought about food more than when I wasn't dieting.  Of course, I was much younger then (and definitely not as wise as I am today...) and didn't really get the idea that my dieting was a result of my struggle with food and eating.  So, my preoccupation with food and eating was super heightened when I was trying to fight the forces of that struggle.  Every day, I had to wake up and deal with food in a different way than when I was just going about my business of eating---whether it was by taking pills to make me not eat or it was living off of prepackaged food or it was by banning carbs or counting fats or drinking shakes.......you know the drill....
In the end, it was the dieting that did me in. 
I know I've talked about this before---living a life where there's good and bad foods is clearly no way to live...
At some point....maybe it's because we are getting older and realize we want to live on our own terms for the remainder of our time.....we don't want to do that anymore. 
But, we are so programmed to live that way and we are so filled with guilt when we eat butter or chips or pizza or fillintheblank that we don't know how to go forward....
The circle is crippling. 
For some people, diet programs and deprivation and banning certain foods works forever.
For others---it does not.
I'm one of those does not folks. 
But, you know what.....I am finally okay with it.
And, I suggest that everyone else who is like me be okay with it too.
Just a suggestion.....

You see....I love food.  I love every aspect of food--from thinking about it, to cooking it, to serving it to eating it....
I come by it honestly....trust me.
I come from a long line of women who love to cook and equate food with love and I come from a long line of men and women who love to eat.
Many of my fondest memories are linked to sitting at a table laden with lasagna and meatballs with pie for dessert....
Many of my best moments are when I've researched recipes and cooked all day and even into the night....and then served that food and stood by with joy in my heart as people ate it and looked happy with what they were eating....

Once again, I thank my Lapband for helping me accept and embrace my love of food and eating. 
 

Inspired.....

To run a marathon!   

.....I was so caught up in the raw emotions of it all....

Watch this....if you get a moment! 

It will kick off your day the right way!

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to witness the strength and the determination of the human mind, body and spirit.  
I'm red-faced to admit that I never attended a marathon.
I never knew what I was missing.  
Having an up-close and personal look at the training that goes into running a marathon, the true grit, and the heart that it takes to prepare for such an event AND watching it all culminate in a day when even the strongest of the strong are tested has been a life changing experience for me. 
It hammered home the belief that with the right tools--- 

 WE CAN DO ANYTHING!

 Scenes from a day in my life that renewed my spirit and filled me with tremendous pride.....

And, they are off!!!

They depend on everyone to keep them running!

My son at the 22 mile marker......

All they have out there is each other and their dreams!

A local Dayton guy wins the race....under 3 hours!

An Ohio woman wins for the women....a few seconds over 3 hours!!! 

 For more information on the Air Force Marathon and to get a list of all the winners in each category (and view their statistics),  click here.....
For more inspiring images and to witness lots of scenes from this inspiring event.....visit here....
I know that you too will be inspired....



Inspired......to face each day as if it's my own personal marathon!

The first Monday of Fall......

Cheering on the marathoners! 

As much as I'd love to tell you all about the weekend and the marathon and all that went with it, it will have to wait.
Things are looking mighty grim this morning.  
I am running on empty and dealing with a hair crisis.
My darling Granddog took a liking to my perfect styling brush......so, he ate it.
That brush has been with me through good hair cuts and bad hair cuts, through thick and thin.....
I have bought other brushes but I always returned to that brush.
So, believe me when I tell you.....it's not a good Monday morning here in Judiland.
God only knows what my hair will look like.....
And, did I mention that I left my facial make up (foundation) at my son's.....which is four hours away?  And, I didn't realize it until I unpacked late last night.....when Macy's was surely closed.
My Granddog might have eaten that by now, who knows......


With all these beauty problems and the fact that summer is over and it's Monday.... it's best that I share something yummy instead of something vulgar (there are some awful cuss words going through my mind right now....).....

COMFORT FOOD........




 FOOTBALL-WATCHING  SANDWICHES
 I whipped up this  manly, hearty recipe for the day-after-the-marathon when all three of us were completely wiped out and every bone on our bodies ached (marathon spectating is not as easy as it looks, trust me!) and we were entertaining a few of my son's neighbors (what possessed us to consider inviting people over the day after the marathon is beyond me!).  In any case...this dish and the menu went perfectly with football and was super easy to pull together for our small group. It is definitely something I will make again during football season....

This recipe uses cube steak.  Remember cube steak?  My mother used to make something called "chicken fried steak" using this type of meat.  To be quite honest, I don't think I ever bought cube steak in my life.  When I was thinking about menus for this coming weekend,  I originally thought I would either bring my cousin's homemade sausage that I could grill up with peppers and onions or make a huge pot of chili and then bring it with me to serve for Sunday.  But, after rolling over 300 meatballs and making enough sauce for 5 lbs of pasta and making over 50 chicken piccata cutlets the weekend before the marathon (my son was hosting his running group right after the marathon and he promised his mom's homemade Italian food!), I just didn't have it in me to think about any more cooking and figuring out how to transport more food.   I was this close to deciding that I would throw together a salad and we would call out for pizza on Sunday when my son's neighbors came over to watch some football.  But, fate intervened.  Late last week, I went to lunch with a few old friends and the conversation turned to cooking.  One friend just happens to be what she calls a "forced meat and potato cook" because she lives with 5 men--her husband and four sons.  She affectionately calls them "meat heads" because they won't eat a meal without a huge portion of red meat and they are all sports junkies.  The other friend---who is an on and off again vegetarian--asked how she manages to change up everything she serves so it doesn't get boring and she wondered how she could afford to serve that much meat!  "Cube steak!"  was her answer.  She declared herself the world's authority on making cube steak taste different 15 days out of 30.  She highly recommended this recipe.  And, she was right.......

Anyway....here's the recipe....I cooked it for the first time on Sunday.....I got lucky that it was excellent!  I served it with small "football" shaped buns and sliced pepper jack cheese for sandwiches.  To round out the menu, I decided on coleslaw that I purchased at a  wonderful local market--Dorothy Lane,  I made a good old fashioned hash brown casserole, and I bought a decadent assortment of blondies and brownies at Dorothy Lane.   We picked up a few bottles of this excellent football watching wine at the same market and my son tapped his homebrewed English light ale (which just won an award at a local brew contest!) for the occasion.  And, we dined and drank using disposable dishes,napkins, cups and utensils from the local party store. 
Easy, unfussy and relaxing for everyone......even for me....the chief cook and bottle washer!

2 pounds cube steak (available in the meat section/coolers)
Salt and pepper (for steak)
1 stick of butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 whole large yellow onion, halved and sliced thick
1 16-ounce package white mushrooms, sliced 
1 red pepper, cut into strips
1 green pepper, cut into strips
Salt and pepper
1½ cup sherry (regular or cooking sherry)
4 tablespoons (additional) butter
4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce (more to taste)
5 dashes Tabasco (more to taste)

Preparation

Cut the cube steak against the grain into strips and season with salt and pepper and set aside.
Melt the stick of butter in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat, add the garlic, onions, mushrooms, peppers and salt and pepper, cook for several minutes, then add the sherry and cook until the liquid has reduced by about a third. Remove to a separate bowl.
Add the additional 4 tablespoons of butter to the skillet, melting over high heat. Add the strips of cube steak in two or three batches at a time until browned (adding more butter as needed). When all the meat is browned, add the onion, mushroom, sherry mixture and stir to combine. Add the Worcestershire and Tabasco and cook over medium-high heat for five minutes, stirring in 2 tablespoons of butter at the end. Keep hot.

 Happy Monday.

Happy Fall.

Road Trip: Marathon Bound!

Yes, I am on the road again.....
My son the Doctor---my magic eyed boy who I gave birth to 28 years ago today---is running his first marathon tomorrow.
 So, I guess you could say that I am running a marathon. 
 I will be with him every step of the way......as I have been since September 20, 1985.
Thank goodness I got a new pair of shoes for the event.....

Dr. Vince and I....yes, he loves his mother!

Happy Birthday to Dr. Vince.....

Happy 28th Anniversary of being a Mother TO ME!

I am off and running......

Living reluctantly?

Yeah, me too......sometimes.   

I know, I know, my blog persona gives the impression that I just dive right into life, grab it by the balls and swing from the chandeliers wearing nothing but a g-string and a tiara.....or naked with a little red bow......  

That is who you think I am.....isn't it? 

Well, I am here to tell you that my chandelier swinging days are notsomuch.  And, I don't wear g-strings......or tiars or little red bows.   Although, recently, a g-string (or, a thong...as they are now called) managed to cause havoc in my washing machine.  It wasn't mine.  Trust me on this.  

This little number broke my washer!  But, I found the culprit and fished it out!  Yes, I'm a plumber! 

But, I digress....

Back to the living reluctantly discussion......

.

You know how we have this vision of ourselves sometimes that is in direct conflict with how we really live?

For example--- I've always known that I am not as wild as I think I am or as wild as others might describe me.

Or, maybe I am.....compared to tamer folks......but....really....I'm not all that wild....or am I?

Maybe I have a higher tolerance for wild.....who knows.  

But still....

I often find that I convince myself that I am one way when I am really not.  Even though I am not against the way that I am not.   As a matter of fact....I am more supportive of the way I am convincing myself that I am....you know....the way that I am not really.  Did you get that? 

Maybe if you read it over again...it might be more clear.  

I'm not going to try to explain that one again.....

So, why am I wrestling with this discussion at this hour of the morning during one my more insane weeks of the year?  

Am I just tired?

Do I just have this absurd urge to punish myself?

Yes to both.  

But, those aren't the reasons why I am taking a hard, honest look at my reluctant living.  

I know I'm tired.  I know I punish myself....which makes me tired....

Anyway.....

There's been a few conversations lately that have prompted me to examine why I can't just commit to certain things that I would like to think that I would jump at!

Let's look at the one that's sitting on my doorstep and nagging the hell out of me....

One of my college roomies put together a very fun girls' weekend for a group of us old college friends.  We have been talking about doing this for ions.  Finally, one ambitious and impatient friend decided that we've done enough talking--it was time for action.  So, she took a poll of when everyone was available, she booked a place, she made all the reservations and put together the itinerary and emailed everyone and said "here it is....be there".   One look at that email and I began to panic--can I really leave Judiland in the hands of whoknowswho for one whole weekend while I go and party and play and shop and do all those fun things that I love doing with people I love doing them with and who I don't spend nearly enough time with??  

Of course I can.....OF COURSE I CAN..  

Why was I holding back on committing?   Why was I in a panic?  Why was I trying to come up with excuses reasons for not going?

The other day, as I contemplated if I could really go on this fun retreat, I realized it was a recurring thing with me.   I shy away from things that would take me away from my obligations or would require me to explain to those people who I feel obligated to that I am just going off to have fun.  Selfish, no work-at-all fun.  I have to tell them that's what I am going to do.  I have to utter the words that I am going away to do things that are not productive at all and that is completely self-serving and frivolous.  I have to stand there and expect everyone to be okay with doing the things that I would normally do if I weren't going off on this completely selfish time away.   I have to look into their eyes.....

Yeah, I know....I sound like a crazy person.   That's not the Judi I know and love.  That's not the Judi who I think I am.......I'm not a girl who passes up a whole heck of a lot of fun with fun people.....am I?

Of course I can go on this girls' weekend.   In fact, I should GO.....

What is  really holding me back?  Was I really worried that everyone in Judiland  might die from starvation and loneliness if I leave?   Am I really worried about what others might think?   I mean...really????

Nah, I don't think so.....
But, honestly, I don't really know.
But, I don't think so......

My self analysis was frightening at best.....more frightening that I care to admit.  

Coming face-to-face with the fact that my actions are dictated by what people around me might think is not at all who I claim to be.   Worrying about what push back I will get for  abandoning my obligations in favor of having fun is not who I think I am.   Allowing other people's reactions or opinions stand between me and what I want to do doesn't sound like me at all. 
Well, it doesn't sound like the me who I think I am.  

And---if truth be told--- I don't think those are the true reasons......they are good excuses to myself. 

So, what's the deal?
Am I so busy and so in-demand that I can't take a few days (or even a few hours) to publicly do something completely all-about-me?  
Does my reluctance have anything at all to do with being busy or worrying about what others might think or  say?  Is it really about my obligations or due to my irrational fear that people need me so badly that I have to be available to them 24/7??
IF I was being completely honest----NO.  

So, what is it? 

Is it something deeper? 

Am I afraid of something?

Do I really want to know?  

I am right back where I started from.....asking this question:

Why are there times when I live reluctantly?  

What do you think?

I was caught in a COOKIE STORM!!!

Really. 

I was.  

I did mention that this week is a pretty exhausting week in my work life, didn't I?
I just wanted to make sure you remembered that before judging me too harshly.....  

It was NOT THE PERFECT STORM! 

So.....yesterday.....I consumed a total of one dozen cookies.
BIG COOKIES.
Not good cookies.
BIG COOKIES.
Let me explain.
Here goes.....
I started out eating cookies because everyone else ate all the food.
Yes, that's right.  Everyone else ate all the food.
By the time I got time to grab lunch at the event's luncheon....all the food was gone. 
Except for the cookies.  
And, since I didn't have time to go out and try to find food....I had to eat the cookies.
And, might I add that I was STARVING. 
So, I had 3 cookies. 

NOT A GOOD IDEA.
About 2 hours later, I had a terrible cookie crash.
So, I ate 2 more cookies.
That adds up to 5 cookies.
Fast forward to after a reasonable dinner at home of a very small taco salad with a very spicy not chipolte dressing....I needed something sweet to calm my palate. 
Ah.....yes....I had some Fresh Market Crispy Chocolate Chip cookies in the pantry.
2 of those should do the trick.
That adds up to 7 cookies.
Do I also have some macadamia nut cookies in there?
Yes, I do.
Geez, I could really go for 2 of those.
I am now at 9 cookies.
To distract myself, I folded laundry.
Did I ever mention that I hate doing laundry?
I hate it so much, it sent me right back to the pantry.....for more cookies.
3 more cookies.
ONE DOZEN COOKIES later.....I had reached my saturation point.
My stomach felt nasty.  There was this horrible taste in my mouth.
And, did I mention that I was up most of the night as a result of that cookie storm?

Never again.

I promise.

Well, I hope I promise. 

And, it's Monday once more......

Need the name of my plumber? 

CAR=Still making noise

Priorities, priorities......

Remnants of summer are all that remain......

Here in my pretty city, the weather has been quite quirky.
In a period of just a few days we have had record  heat, awful humidity, powerful storms and pouring rain...... 
And, now, we have this cool down that feels like Fall is at our door step.  
Of course, everyone is saying "we haven't seen the last of summer".
Wishful thinking, perhaps?
I'm not so sure.
I skipped that week during science class when they talked about weather.
Regardless of the weather report, the calendar will keep flipping and days will quickly turn into weeks and the seasons will change....whether we like it or not.
Here in Judiland, I have a love-hate relationship with Fall.
I am completely in love with the beautiful landscapes that surround me during this season.  And, I love decorating every nook and cranny for Fall. I think red and yellow mums are stunning sitting in my entryway and I am madly in love with the drama of a huge bucket filled with sunflowers sitting on my dining room table.
I enjoy sitting on my porch with the fireplace going, sipping wine and feeling the coolness of the evening.
I love dinners on the deck at sunset in the pleasant autumn air. 
And, I feel all tingly thinking about menu planning using comfort foods and earthy recipes.
Oh, and the thought of lingering over lush red wines, nibbling on sharp cheeses and vibrant apples is intoxicating to even think about.....
Of course....I go gaga over boots and sweaters and tights and leggins...
And, omygosh, I am breathless over the return of the luxurious fabrics of the cooler seasons.
Plus...can I just say that I adore coppery shades of lipsticks and deeper hued nail colors?
BUT.....
As much as all of that sounds so beautiful and tranquil....Fall also means that my work world is like a speed train that has no brakes. Add that to the activity that requires my attention in my everyday life and let me tell you...the demands of my days are overwhelming.  The pace is maniacal.
 And, the downtime is.....well.....never. 
I eat, sleep, dream, breath, walk and talk my job.
I go through the motions like a robot in my everyday life--I nod, I smile, I say what needs said and do what needs done.....on autopilot. 
It's called survival....
After 33  years of this, you would think that I would somehow find a way to reserve my energy so that I could withstand it all.  Ha!  You would think that.....

I hear ya buddy!!! 

I might be feeling my age more than ever or perhaps 33 years of this is quite enough.
Whatever the problem is right now, I have to tell you......we are only a few weeks into the crazy time and I am seriously tired.  
It's not good to be so tired right now....considering I am smack dab at the threshold of one of the craziest, mind-numbing, back-breaking, exhausting weeks of the year......
Did I mention that I got a new pair of shoes to soften the pain (literally and figuratively!) of it all?
 

Be not afraid, my friends......

Spiders don't scare me.
Friday the 13th doesn't scare me.
Hell...it's FRIDAY......there's nothing scarey about that!
BUT....
New years,  new weeks, new months, new seasons.....sometimes even new days...now, they can scare me.  
Just between you and me....the idea that something unknown might be looming in the newness of the new year, the new week, the new month, the new season or the new day quietly scares the beejeebees out of me at times.
Shhhh.  Don't tell anyone....
Sure, I am all about feeling the thrill of impending surprise around the next corner and yeah, I really am an optimist and yeah I do really believe that good things are always awaiting us...... 
But, damn, I can also wake up from my slumber with a sense of impending doom.
As in "What the hell is gonna happen next?"  
Sometimes I am right.....nasty things just come in waves.
So much so that I don't even want to get out of bed.
Case in point---in the past 10 days.....my car broke down on a day trip to a teeny little town in the middle of nowhere on a holiday---right in the middle of an intersection....while I was on vacation.   All of my clothes and my make up was back at the hotel that I was staying at.  There wasn't a repair shop open. I had my car towed by the only tow truck in town to the only repair shop in town and I had to stay at a hotel in the middle of a cornfield....with no clothes and no make up.
Then, as I was stranded in that little hotel in the middle of a cornfield, I learned that my father was brought into the hospital. Then.....when we finally did get home (after a hefty car repair bill and having to pay for a hotel in another location while we were also paying for a hotel in our original location), we had to move around our lovely just-the-two of us trip and re-coordinate schedules due to my father's situation.
Fast forward a few days and my washer is now broke, my front door will not unlock (I guess the lock is broke!) and my car is making this godawful noise......
 So, could you blame me if I am in one of those "what the hell is gonna happen next?" kinda places....

The silver lining to all of this is that I have yet to go on a nacho-cookie-french fry-coconut cream pie binge.....

But, I must admit......I am so happy we did some major pre-holiday season shopping at those wineries while we were away.....
(In a few weeks, my next problem will be that we will have no wine for the upcoming holidays.....oh well.....)

 
Have a GREAT FRIDAY (the 13th!)....take a tip from me.....LET THE WINE HELP YOU BE NOT AFRAID.....

Words to live by!!!!

We do not remember days........

We remember moments.......

Today, I choose to remember these moments........from our trips last week.....

Meeting up with my two wonderful children.....nothing better! 

Rocking it out on one of our Party Island stops.....

Enjoying a mid day libation with my favorite people....

Loving our mojitos and our time together.....

Ah, what a lovely afternoon at a little lakeside town.....

Capping off an amazing day at the amazing  Chez Francois

A perfect day at a perfect winery, drinking perfect wine, looking at perfect scenery.....ahh...perfection!

A wonderful day celebrating the wedding of a lovely couple with family and friends at a beautiful resort in NY State....

The memories of these moments comfort and calm me 

as I fall deeper into this storm that we call September.....