Curly Glamour Cello Girlie

I Am NOT A Pincushion or Mondays and Fridays

2010-10-27T13:00:00.000-04:00

In the expanse of 6 days I had received:

-a blood draw for an oncologist appointment
-a needle core biopsy
-a finger stick for a blood count
-a flu shot

Needless to say after those 6 days I was completely done being poked and prodded at. On the plus side all of the poking and prodding resulted in a clean bill of health for me, which, given my tawdry medical history is a really good thing.

That being said, I just read this article online: When vital drugs run out, patients pay the price. In summary, drug companies aren't making enough or certain drugs (whether due to cost, or due to generic forms or what have you) so there are shortages or various medications. The article spoke about how one cancer patient wouldn't be able to receive part of his chemo due to the shortage of leucovorin (which is used to boost the effectiveness of the other chemo drugs the patient is receiving). What? Are we in some third world country? Are we woefully behind the times? I can't even imagine getting this kind of news from your doctor. What struck me though was the photo. One look at that recliner and iv stand and I was wooshed back 6 (SIX!) years. Mondays and Fridays spent in the room, hooked up to medicine that battled the hell out of me in the interest of making me better. Mondays and Fridays spent watching mindless television (I don't know why, but me and my fellow patients usually watched the Food Network - which is odd since most of us had issues with food at the time.) or movies I brought from home. Mondays and Fridays guzzling down root beer to get rid of the awful metallic taste brought on by my chemo. Mondays and Fridays being the person in the recliner, but still feeling better emotionally than the person watching me in the recliner. Mondays and Friday nights spent recouping and just feeling miserable. I know exactly what the man in the blue shirt is thinking and feeling and it hurts like hell.

Join the Band

2010-10-21T12:49:00.002-04:00

I want to run away and join a band. Preferably one like this one:

Hey Marseilles: Tiny Desk Concert

Seriously? I am really digging the whole "non-traditional instruments playing cute Parisian type music" band thing.

I even have a cute, quirky wardrobe to wear to all of the gigs. Really.

A Whirlwind of a Weekend

2010-10-18T16:49:00.006-04:00

Oof. It was an action-packed weekend. Saturday started with a program at the Museum - an art conservator talking about the process of conserving artwork and projects he's done. It was well attended and very interesting. I was glued to his presentation. Then it was off to the Buckley Fair. Luke was not a happy camper that day. Overwhelmed by people wanting to poke at him and coo at how big he's gotten. But some down time in the money room calmed him down and he even fell asleep on the way home after a jaunt to Trader Joes. I *heart* TJs. I love that their products are of high quality, but lower price. I love that they give samples. I love that they sell bananas by the piece instead of the pound so Mr. Bear can nibble on one while we shop. In fact, that's the first thing he asks for when we get there.

Sunday was equally as chaotic - I actually RAN with Luke. In a non-jogging stroller. A regular old umbrella stroller. Needless to say it wasn't easy, but I was proud I did it. (Do I get extra credit for running with him??) Then we hit the grocery store to pick up some provisions and went home. I cooked breakfast for all AND dinner for later. (Mmmmm....meatloaf) Since Tommy had some writing to do, Luke and escaped to a shopping center that had a TJ Maxx, a Toys R Us, a Dollar General and a Petco. So we shopped, shopped, shopped and visited the fish. I even got a good chunk of Christmas shopping done, so I felt productive. :)

Stuff I'm Diggin'

2010-10-15T14:28:00.002-04:00

I have some new stuff that I really really really like.

Piano Puzzlers - See below. I'm such a music geek that I listen to them while I run.

Scarves - I've been rediscovering ones I tucked away at the end of last year's cold weather and wearing them whenever I can. I bought a new one at a craft fair and can't get enough of them. If I'm feeling meh about what I'm wearing, I add a scarf and *poof* instant glam.

Strange Parisian Type Cafe Music - At pandora.com I typed in 3 Leg Torso and came up with a nifty conglomeration of music that is just wonky and inspiring. Think Amelie meets Edgar Meyers.

Raising Hope - Funny. Just funny funny stuff. I need some goofball humor in my life. And how can you go wrong with Martha Plimpton and Chloris Leachman? Just crazy, dysfunctional fun.

The Event - Yeah, I know, it's kind of a ripoff of Lost, but since I didn't watch Lost, I'm not really affected by that comparison. I've only seen 2 episodes, but already I'm hooked. Plus, EVERYONE is in this show.

Chef of the Future

2010-10-02T23:05:00.003-04:00

A new recipe that debuted in the Jordan household:

Decadently delicious pasta with brown butter, pine nuts and eggs. It's unbelievably delicious and super easy. But incredibly heavy. We decided it cannot be made more than once a month, if that. I actually stopped at Trader Joe's to get the pine nuts and pasta. And it was well worth it - without the pine nuts, it just would've been overly buttered pasta. Yum.

Warning Musical Geekiness Ahead

2010-09-20T13:17:00.003-04:00

So I'm addicted to something new lately. And it's slightly embarrassing to share. I discovered it one Sunday night driving home, listening to WQXR. They were airing an installment of "Performance Today", hosted by the charming and interesting Fred Child. And all of a sudden I heard the "Hello Fred" chord played by Bruce Adolph who takes a familiar tune and embeds it into a piece of classical music or a conglomeration of classical tunes. Yes...it is...the Piano Puzzler! I was hooked instantly. Now I download 20 at a time to listen to while walking in the park. I feel victorious when I can name both the tune and the composer. I laugh at all the geeky musical jokes Bruce and Fred make. I fantasize about being a contestant myself and nailing the Puzzler in record time. I know. I know....shameful. But it's sheer genius. I mean, Bruce not only takes a tune (be it a Beatles song, or a Broadway show tune, an old standard or a folk song) but deftly weaves it into a classical tune. I mean, taking Tristan and Isolde and inserting "Maria" from West Side Story? Brilliance. Love it, love it, love it. Plus, Fred is like the coolest host ever. He gives assistance when necessary without making the guessee feel stupid.

I Need a Weekend After My Weekend

2010-09-20T11:05:00.003-04:00

I had quite the busy weekend. Friday night luckily was quiet, but Saturday I woke up early and Luke was still sleeping, so I decided to do the walk without him and try....running. I know, I know, in the past I've thought people who ran for no reason as strange. But there's been something inside me telling me or rather urging me to run. I lasted maybe 4 or 5 blocks all together, but now it's become something I want to beat. It's like because I don't have any concrete grad school plans, I need something else to accomplish or achieve. So....I'm unofficially going to try to train for a 5K. I think. There's a website that has a very reasonable training program. And I've been scouting craigslist for a cheap cheap cheap jogging stroller. So we'll see.

After the nuttiness that was my attempt at running, Luke had OT and then we set off for the Pepsico Sculpture Gardens. I visited them a LOT when I was in college and I have some nice, artsy shots from those days. But I figured Luke would enjoy it. He did...mostly. He had some issues with listening about running off and wrenching his little arm out of our grip, but for the most part he liked the ponds and the vegetation. We had lunch/early dinner at a very kid-friendly restaurant called Q.

Sunday, Luke and I hit the park and did our usual walk. It was so nice out. I felt like I could've walked double what I did, but as usual, the errands were calling me and I knew Luke would stage a revolt if he passed the swings one more time. Then it was off food shopping, run home, receive 5 bags of hand-me-downs from a dear friend who has given Luke some very nice things, take a quick shower and hit the Italian Fest at Hofstra. Happily for them it was very well attended. Unhappily for Luke/Mom/Me it meant navigating the stroller all over, a cranky Lucas and a hot and tired me.

Unfortunately, the weekend ended with probably one of the worst nights for us to date. Luke has been having trouble going to sleep. My theory is that with it getting darker earlier, it's taken away his time to look at his books and gently settle into sleep. He's getting put into the crib when it's pitch black outside. Needless to say, there's been lots of screaming, hysterical crying and frustration. And that's just me. I can only imagine what Luke's feeling. But last night, I had to cave and take him into the bed at 3am - and even then, it took almost 3 hours for him to fall asleep.

Luckily, Starbucks is a panacea for mornings that follow nights like this one. He's lucky he's so delicious, otherwise I'd start looking up gypsies in the phone book.

What I Did On My Summer Vacation

2010-09-01T13:19:00.002-04:00

I know. I've been an absentee blogger. I can blame it on many many things:

-Trying to sort out all of Luke's transition from Early Intervention to CPSE stuff. (Found a school, got his evaluations done, now just playing the waiting game.)
-Playing in a production of Summer of '42, a few weddings with my quartet and an outdoor concert with the West Islip Symphony.
-Working my butt off. (Yup, still love my job)

But it wasn't all work as I:

-Saw Sting in concert with my mom at Jones Beach. (Easily the best concert I've EVER been too - that's huge praise from a musician.)
-Went to the beach a few times (in a bathing suit no less) with Lukey Bear who LOVES the water.
-Went to the LI Children's Museum, which was sort of fun as there were a million campers there that day.
-Went to weddings for 2 people in my quartet (that's 50%!) and cha-cha-ed at one of them!
-Traveled up to Lake George for one of said weddings
-Ate at Cracker Barrel for the first time
-Turned 35. (*sigh*)

Lots of good stuff.

And Luke's making progress. His vocabulary is now up to about 25-30 words. And he smiles constantly. I could eat. him. up.

Greed.....Not So Good?

2010-09-01T13:10:00.002-04:00

Wow. I was surprised to read this. Michael Douglas has Stage IV throat cancer. But was so so pleasantly refreshed to read that:

a.) He openly admits his cancer was caused by drinking and smoking.
b.) He talks about how his chemo and radiation have knocked him on his a$$.

I also felt some camraderie for the poor guy in that he went undiagnosed at first. Sounds verrrry familiar to my story where I was first put on 3 different antibiotics, then told I had pneumonia, then told I had a benign tumor and then was finally diagnosed correctly with NHL.

Not to mention the fact that he had to tell his 2 small children about how sick he was. I pray every day that Lucas will never have a sick parent.

Sending the good vibes, thoughts and prayers westward to Hollywood.

An open letter to music

2010-06-11T12:59:00.003-04:00

Dear Music,

I'm so sorry. I didn't know. I didn't know how you'd be there for me all the time. I didn't know how you'd permeate every bit of my life. How I'd hear a simple cello line in a song and wonder, "Could that have been me?" I didn't know how I'd relish spending my precious little free time transforming you from a piano/vocal score, fleshing you out into a four part concoction for the girls to play. I didn't know I'd get to the point where I panic if my cello isn't prominent in the rear view mirror, thinking I forgot it on the way to a gig. I didn't know how you would give me goosebumps to play gentle lines, being part of something bigger than myself. I didn't know that you would fill me the way you do and be missed when you're not there. Would I not love you as much if you were my profession? Would I feel you as a weight on me instead of a joy? I don't know. Was I simply scared of failing you in not pursuing you? I don't know what the future holds for us, but I promise to keep you as close as you are now. I promise to do the best I can.

Love,
Tiffany

Recent Acquisitions

2010-05-27T13:50:00.009-04:00

So things have not been all together entirely bad. I've made a bunch of delightful new discoveries:

Ben Folds (Five) and Rufus Wainwright- The "Who Do You Think You Are" (a song from Elvis Costello's The Juliet Letters - Hello - male vocalists out there: Please arrange to do a concert of this suite of songs - they're available in print. Thank you.) station on my pandora.com account has yielded many musical goodies. I can hear on this station items ranging from Norah Jones (who, in my opinion is not overhyped at all, but quite the opposite - this girl is immensely talented), to wonderfully unique versions of Bjork songs backed by strings, to show tunes from Spring AwakeningThe Last 5 Years. Figuring prevalently in this cavalcade of musical powerhouses are Ben Folds (with and without Five) and Rufus Wainwright. I'd run away from home with my cello (and Lucas since he loves music too) and join either of them on tour. Ben Folds (who personally, is a little creepy as he's on his 4th marriage) writes songs with musical complexity and intelligence - dizzying piano lines and melodies. Rufus Wainwright writes and sings the most soulful crooning. He's so old-school that he replicated Judy Garland's 1961 concert at Carnegie Hall. (It's so cool, he's even imitated what her album cover looked like.) So I've been wrapping this music around me and letting it carry me through the day.
Peanut Butter Kandy Kakes - I thought I had tried these and not liked them. So when I saw them at WalMart for $2, I figured I'd just give them a second chance and be happy if it worked and it would be no great loss if it didn't. Well. One bite and I was hooked. These are serious stuff for a chocolate/peanut butter freak like me. They're also on the smallish side which means either: a.) You don't feel horribly bad after eating one little pack or b.) You feel you have rights to eat many of said little packs. But they're just incredibly tasty and I think I'll have to keep a steady supply of them in my fridge. Luckily Luke is still not allowed to have nuts yet or I think there'd be a smackdown over these.
Speaking of whom.....he's discovered how to use a straw. This is good in that it's helping with his speech. This is bad because now any time he sees a beverage with a straw, he wants in on it. So my iced coffees must now be sampled by Mr. Bear. I must remember to keep straws out of my jack and cokes and scotch.
Cottony Dresses From Old Navy - I scored 2 of these at $15 each. One navy and white striped and one in a fuchsia type of pink. Both can be dressed up or down for summery comfort.
Flavored Seltzer - I've been drinking this for a couple of months now, but I still can't get over how much I like it. Now that I've been guzzling it, I'm surprised at how sweet regular soda is. My favorite variety is Vintage Cherry Flavored Seltzer, but I'll drink the store brand stuff too.
MAC Lip Liner in Spice - This is actually a re-discovery. I had a college roommate who gave me her pencil since she was getting a new one and raved about how it went with everything. And it does. It's my go-to when I'm running out the door. I carry it with me everywhere and slap it on under a shiny gloss.

So I've found a few new favorites, some tasty discoveries and some treasures.

Who Do You Think You Are?

2010-05-27T13:37:00.005-04:00

Last week was not a particularly easy one in my world. I was told that my amazing, delicious, bright, beautiful, socially outgoing baby boy scored sufficiently on the ADOS test to be placed "on the spectrum". What? Who are you to tell me this sweet boy has some flaw? Luke still doesn't have much of an oral vocabulary (his receptive vocabulary astonishes me sometimes though, as he responded appropriately to "if you want a snack, get some grapes out of the refrigerator") so we were advised to have him re-tested in a few years when his 'speech comes in'. It threw me for a quite a while. I was fully prepared for those words, but until I actually heard them I didn't accept it. So. There it is. It does mean that Luke's eligible for more structured, intense services, so that's the plus side here. Our wonderful pediatrician has said that he believes that by the time kindergarten comes around, he'll have caught up with his peers and you won't even know that he's received services.

And on top of that, I discovered that Hofstra no longer accepts people into the 2 graduate programs I was interested in. Argh.

Alright Already, I'm Just a No-Goodnik

2010-04-22T12:39:00.003-04:00

Okay. So I've been slightly tardy with a new blog post. I blame life. I've been working diligently at my new(ish) job (which I still LOVE LOVE LOVE). I've been playing non-stop. Seriously. I've been playing just about every weekend (with an errant cello-free weekend peppered here and there) since February. Honest. Just ask the husband and son who woefully eye me as I leave the house. Not to mention the general house stuff, laundry, cooking, grocery shopping, and small child care. So to recap:

February (and part of March) found me playing "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" at Smithtown (my new home-away-from-home) Performing Art Center. I love that theatre. It's an old movie theatre and it's got charm and coziness. I know where everything is. I love that WalGreen's is right next door to it (facilitating errand running prior to curtain and during intermission!). But I really loved this show. Small pit - only 5 of us: piano, keyboard, reed, cello and percussion. By the end we were really rockin' it. It was one of those rare shows where my heart would beat a little faster when it started and I just reveled in playing. I'd just simply feel the music surround me. I know, I know, I sound like a huge geek, but what can I say? I am a music geek. But there were just some of those musical moments where you get to play a great line, or have a touching, mushy solo and life is good for a while. (Here's a link to one of the numbers from the show - coincidentally it's my favorite song and actually ME playing! )

Then there was a cavalcade of musical engagements, it being the height of High School Musical Season. There were 2 different productions of "Thoroughly Modern Millie" (which I will be doing AGAIN in May), a week of living in my office since we were doing a concert of Rodgers and Hart songs here in the playhouse and last week was "Pippin" at Freeport High School. Sunday finds me doing a chamber concert and then I am FREE for a little while.

Not much going on in other news. Lucas still is our silent little guy. He has a few words, but he's darn protective of them. But he's delicious. I have no other word for him but delicious. In the mornings we snuggle in bed before starting our days. He is full of hugs and kisses. He actually makes a "mmmmm" sound when he gives a kiss now. He loves any and all things musical. He vocalizes along with Ben Vereen when he sings "On the Right Track" from Pippin. He squeals in delight when he hears the opening piano line of "And The Beauty Is" from "The Light in the Piazza". He's my little musical buddy. I just can't get enough of him. At the end of a long work day followed by a grueling rehearsal or show, when I get home I sneak a peek of him sleeping sweetly and just sigh contentedly.

Life can't all be bad when you've got a munchkin who thinks your his version of Elvis.

Junk Food Junkie

2010-01-07T12:01:00.004-05:00

Last night after traipsing around and running errands and coming home later than usual, I decided it was a junk food/lazy night. I ate a delicious burger from Checkers. I had wanted the special bacon cheddar crunch burger they have only occasionally, but I gave Tommy the wrong burger and wound up with just a regular double burger. Of course he couldn't resist, but let me know just how delicious my lost burger was. So I then decided if I wasn't going to eat well, I'd forgo the yoga and just be a couch potato. I did do some work on the couch in front of "The Real World: DC". Hoo Boy. What a crazy fest. I remember when the first season of Real World was on and how old the people on it seemed. (this is unbelievably season #23 I think) Now they all seem so young. And foolish. But of course I was suckered in and watched a whole hour of it before giving up, going to bed and ending my night of slothdom.

Yup, that ole chestnut

2010-01-03T20:37:00.004-05:00

Yeah, I decided to tweak and renovate the blog. The dark colors were just too much of a downer. I need some light, some levity, something new and fresh. And I was inspired by BP of that awesome blog, "Southern Circle of Hell: Part Deux" since she gussied up her blog.

But I digress.....I wanted to do a "What Did I Learn in 2009" entry, but got bored after I couldn't really think of anything noteworthy to list. So instead, here is what I'm digging lately:

Pink and Gray. Lots of it. Got a super silvery-gray scarf from the Mr. for Christmas. Bought myself a nifty charcoal scarf from the mall. Got a cute pink sweater from the cookies (Mom and Dad) for Christmas. Bought myself a rilly rilly cute gray tank from J Crew (it's got ruffles and a flower, hence the 'rilly rilly'). I'm just trying to coax myself away from the all-black in my wardrobe and pink and gray look classy with black.

Music. All sorts of stuff. My secret santa at work upgraded my Pandora account for me. How freakin' awesome is that? Now I can listen to ANYTHING. And have been. My top stations are 'cartoony jazz' (based on Raymond Scott), Al Green, Steely Dan and The Bird and The Bee. I have 24 stations right now. I want to run out and buy an internet radio just so I can have it in the bedroom.

Salads. I know it sounds lame, but I really like eating salads. And Trader Joe's has just the yummiest things you can add to salads. Like pistachios, goat cheese, croutons, soy beans. All good eatin'. Plus, with the weight I lost since last year (25 pounds, baby!) I have an incentive to eat salads and low calories veggie soups. Works for me.

Yoga. I have Miss Lori to thank for this one. We started doing lunchtime yoga podcasts and it stuck with me. I do it every night before dinner. Or almost every night. I've been averaging about 6 nights out of 7 a week. AND....over the break I was squeezing in 2 20 minute sessions a day. It makes me feel like cooked spaghetti afterwards and warms me up when it's unbearably cold outside.

Mr. Luke E. Bear. I know it's redundant and obvious that I mention him in a list of things I'm digging lately, but he's just too delicious for words. He's growing so fast that sometimes I can't get over what he's doing. He's making leaps and bounds. He's got a smile that just makes me melt. Cutie boy.

Ahhhh...the joys of toddlerdom

2009-12-30T09:21:00.009-05:00

I've read this book about a dozen times in the last 2 days. I'm actually excited it's Luke's favorite book.

I've seen this movie about a MILLION times in the last week or so. But that's okay. It's a fantastic movie. If you haven't seen it, I highly suggest it - children's movie notwithstanding, it's worth it just to 'see' Ellen Degeneres's portrayal of Dory.

If you must buy a car....

2009-12-10T13:24:00.005-05:00

Buy it from Brown's Jeep Chrysler in Patchogue. I had to have my PT Cruiser serviced since my brake light was on and they couldn't have been more amazing. I showed up this morning at 7:20 a.m. anticipating arguing that I was supposed to have a loaner, that I'd have to wait in a long service line (like at Saturn), that I'd have to prove that I had a service warranty, but to my delight it was easy. They:

took me right away
saw that I had Lucas with me and gave me a Jeep as a loaner instead of a Charger (which I would have gladly zoomed around in)
answered all my questions patiently
helped me get Luke's carseat into the loaner
were friendly as all hell

AND.....what I brought the car there for is COVERED! Woo hoo!

Ode to a Cowboy

2009-12-04T16:17:00.006-05:00

It's going to sound mushy and dopey but I love my husband. He's a great guy. (This is him if he were on the Simpsons.) He has been immensely helpful and attentive while making the change to my new job. (Which I still love beyond all belief, btw) In the last few weeks he's:

Gotten me special treats to indulge in while watching "Top Chef".
Watched the first half of the finale of "Top Chef".
Watched Lukey Bear so I could go see Stealin' Dan at a bar with friends.
Will watch Lukey Bear tomorrow night so I can go see "New Moon" with friends.
Visited my new office and the gallery.
Gone down to McDonald's to make the arrangements for Luke's birthday party so I don't have to drive all over creation.
Played Scrabble and Trivial Pursuit with me.

He's a keeper.

Why I Love Being a Musician

2009-11-04T21:39:00.005-05:00

I popped "Piazza" back in the car's cd player. I think it has surpassed "Last 5 Years" as my favorite show. I really do. As much as I loved L5Y and what an intense, amazing cello book it has, Piazza is just....swoony. There's no other way to describe it. It's lush and sweeping. It's heartwrenching and beautiful. And when I listen to it I'm instantly transported to playing it 2 summers ago. I can remember all the little nuances in the score. I can remember all the little moments when Susan and I'd peek at each other enjoying a little string duet. I can remember emitting a little tiny 'yehaw' when Donna and I made it through that perilous, rhythmic passage.

Now I'm listening to the soundtrack from "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" which I'll be doing in February. It's a teeny pit. Lots of delicious cello lines. Lots of hysterically funny lyrics and wildly outrageous characters. But there's a song. "The I Love You Song". It brings tears to my eyes every time I listen to it. It's heartbreakingly gorgeous and sad and touching. I can't wait to play it. And fall in love with another cello book.

And the beauty is.....

2009-11-04T21:20:00.004-05:00

So I've been absent for a while. I had a rather large life change. I got a new job. A. New. Job. I was at my old job for 9 years. Nine. Years. Longer than I had been in both high school and college. Longer than I had been anywhere. Needless to say, it was a bit of an adjustment. I don't do quite so well with change. I had a hard time saying goodbye to the friends I had made there. These are people who saw me get married, battle cancer and have a baby. These are people who sent me food and flowers when I was sick, danced with me at my wedding and visited my son after he was born. I had known every in and out of my job. I had answers for any problem that would come up. I was told by the chair of the board of trustees that I was one of the 2 people she would go to when she had a question no one could answer.

My new job is at Hofstra University. The. Hofstra. University. The place I spend weeks at a time when ensconced in a show there. My office is IN the playhouse. The playhouse I've played at countless times. I step out of my office (and a cute, happy office it is), go up a few stairs and I'm standing in the balcony of the theatre. I love it.

So, as sad as I was to leave said old job, I'm happy as a clam. My new co-workers are incredibly nice, there's tons of possibility for me to do good things there and I'm already feeling productive.

As Little Red sings in "Into the Woods": "(It) made me feel scared, Well, excited and scared." I hear those lyrics in my head each day I've parked in the lot next to the playhouse.

Excited and scared is a good place to be I think.

What I Learned (and did) On My Summer Vacation

2009-09-27T20:50:00.003-04:00

Okay, so this post is a little tardy, but I still feel like I've got to make the effort. I had a summer that seemed to fly by. Busy at work, didn't even get to take my full vacation, but I squeezed a lot in there.

What I Learned:
That I absolutely love being a mom to an amazing little boy.
That said little boy LOVES the beach and would throw himself in the ocean given half a chance.
That I love salads with chicken more than anything.
That yoga daily has done more for my body than all those hours spent at the gym.
That yoga + walking + eating healthier has started to make me look like pre-cancer me again.
That it is possible to reclaim one's abs after a c-section.
That sometimes the best things in life are free.
That my son is a daredevil and will go on any carnival/amusement park ride I will let him on.

What I Did:
Played about a half dozen weddings with the Prima Quartet - the best looking and sounding string quartet on Long Island.
Got to hang out with Merry Berry, who I miss terribly.
Took Luke to a few carnivals and stuck him on a few fire engines, boats and merry-go-rounds.
Met Annie and Ahmed and Ismaeel at Adventureland where we put the boys on rides together.
Went one night to see Stealin' Dan which rocked out for over 2 hours and was easily the best concert I've ever seen. And it was free. I have to expound here - the concert was at the Sayville Marina beach - which is on the body of water between the south shore of LI and Fire Island. It was an incredibly muggy night and it was delicious to be by the ocean breeze. No one wanted to go with me, so I went all by myself. Which was fine, because I could sit anywhere I wanted, no one talked to me and I sang out loud to all the songs. They were awesome. Steely Dan is a top notch band which used some of the all-time best studio musicians. Stealin' Dan didn't disappoint. They actually played Aja. They played all my favorites. (Except for Deacon Blues) They played for 2 hours. I was in heaven. Since I couldn't justify spending $80 for Steely Dan tickets, this was a good compromise.

So, all in all it was a good summer. We made it through with not too many bumps and bruises and had some fun.

New Duds

2009-09-26T13:21:00.007-04:00

I went "back to school" shopping with my mom and got some cute duds. I got 3 dresses:This one makes me feel like a "Mad Men" extra. I feel cute and sassy in it.
This one actually makes me look forward to chillier weather. I can't wait to pair it with low-heeled boots.And this one I'm saving for the Fall Fair Preview Party to look pretty and dolled up in.

Diamond Dave, No One Can Hold a Candle

2009-09-26T13:06:00.006-04:00

I finally purchased the latest album by The Bird and The Bee. They are my newest favorite group. They compete with Steely Dan for playtime on my pandora.com account. I love the melodies. I love the hipness. I love Inara and want to be her. She looks like a cute spy that you want to hang out with and share Cold War secrets with in the liner notes. I sing along out loud in the car. Listening to them makes me want to go out and overhaul my wardrobe at Anthropologie. I want to wear pencil skirts with matching scarves. I want wear red lipstick and berets. Go give them a listen.

Hello Again, Hello

2009-07-12T20:52:00.005-04:00

I am embarrassed beyond belief for the lapse of time between my posts. Honestly though, things have been very sedate lately. Luke's growing like a weed, we're still battling Stony Brook for Tommy's degree and I'm still in one piece.

I've done some reading:

I've done some cooking:

And I've made some changes to my routines. I've been devouring salads. Eat them every day almost for lunch. Give me some baby spinach or arugula and I'm a happy girl. And I've started taking vitamins. Lots of them. I even have an old-person pill organizer. And I'm trying to walk or do yoga every day. My pants are bigger on me and I'm looking a wee bit more svelt, but most of all I feel better in the mornings which is always good. More to come soon. Promise.

Inspiration Strikes

2009-04-17T09:10:00.005-04:00

It could be that I was inspired by the beautiful, spring-like weather. It could be that I was inspired by my good-hair-day. (Which was made possible by the new L'Oreal EverPure Moisture Conditioner) Or most likely I was inspired by Molly Wizenberg's book, "A Homemade Life" (go buy it - now) which waxes poetic about cooking in Paris, cooking in Seattle and making salads and homemade dressing. But I had inspiration to build a salad for dinner. One with lots of veggies and homemade dressing. One with poached chicken. I thought a lot about this salad. So much so, that I told Tommy I had to make it for dinner and I'd make him anything he wanted. (He's not really a salad type of guy.) He said, "I could go for a salad with chicken." "Huh? You want a salad? Okay." So he took Lucas home from our outing so I could hit the supermarket and buy what I needed. I felt so European and Parisian shopping for that evening's dinner right then and there. I purveyed the produce section. This is what my amazing, delicious salad contained:

Arugula from Trader Joe's that I've also been layering on sandwiches
Radishes that were still on their greens
Endive
Goat cheese - I forgot just how much I love goat cheese
Toasted pine nuts that I happened to have in the pantry
Poached chicken breast
Avocado
Homemade salad dressing which was so simple - dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, salt and olive oil (courtesy of Molly's book)

It was delicious. It was filling. It even made the non-veggie Tommy exclaim "This is delicious!" It even looked a smidge like this:

Ahhhhh....spring time. I can't wait to hit the roadside stands and try more veggie salads.

But I'm Only 33

2009-04-15T08:08:00.004-04:00

I was reticent on blogging about this, but I figure you never know who you can educate or help through your experiences.

Last Thursday I had a colonoscopy. There. I said it. Out loud. My last CT scan showed a 'thickening of the colon wall.' Which the gastroenterologist said was probably due to the contrast not making it to the colon, blah blah blah, and to cover our collective doctor asses, we have to do a colonoscopy.

I cried. I cried the whole way home from the doctor's office. I'm tired of being poked and prodded and examined. I'm tired of prepping for invasive tests.

In preparation for this particular test I had to:

Not eat all day the day before, with the exception of 'clear liquids'. Clear liquids mean things they think are food but to your gaping, empty stomach aren't really food. Like broth. And jello. I just kept drinking tea without milk, Sprite and beef broth.

Purchase a half gallon of Gatorade (no red or purple, which of course are the only flavors I drink).

Purchase a bottle of Miralax.

Purchase a package of Ducolax tablets.

Find a 'responsible adult' to drive me to my appointment. Luckily, Tommy squeaked in on this one.

So. I ate nothing but clear liquids the Wednesday before. Of course on this day, there was steak for lunch, a breakfast with eggs and bacon and some little person classroom was baking something. It was torture. I finally gave up and ran a long lunchtime errand - dropping off the cello for some work to be done on it. This kept me in the car for a good hour. Of course, I then noticed how many eateries there are on Grand Boulevard in Baldwin.

At the appointed time of 5:00 I mixed the Miralax (which cautions you on the bottle not to exceed their recommended dosage except under the care of a doctor) - the entire bottle into the Gatorade and started drinking. I learned that you really can't go by instructions - the instructions said to drink 8 oz. every 10-15 minutes. I figured I was fine if I just kept the cup full and kept drinking continuously until the bottle was empty. (I was right - I was told my prep was perfect!)

About 7 or 8 I had to start running to the bathroom. I was well prepared though - I had the latest issue of Bon Appetit, Molly Wizenberg's new book and a puzzle book. But it really wasn't that bad - it wasn't like when you're sick and doubled over in pain, you just have to get to the bathroom quickly. And by the end of that part, I felt pretty good actually.

The next day I kept myself busy with errands. Then we made our way to the office. They were running an hour and a half behind schedule. Grrrrrr. And of course every older person in the waiting room was bitching and moaning about it. It took every nerve I had to keep from yelling, "Shut up! We're all waiting, you're not making it any easier by complaining!"

They called me in and had me change from the waist down. It was actually nice that I could keep my shirt on - it lessened the procedural feel of it. The anesthesiologist came in and got started. Let me tell you - I think sometimes they're more important than the 'main' doctor. The anesthesiologist gets you all set, talks to you and kind of sets the tone. He was great. Then the gastro guy came in. I rolled on my side, asked if I should feel burning when they injected the anesthetic and.....that's all I remember. Honest. Next thing I knew I was waking up. I flexed certain parts of my body, curious to see if I'd notice a pain or anything. Nothing.

Then home I went to relax the rest of the day. Watched "Twilight" (a not-so-bad encapsulation of the book) and ate a panini from Panera with bacon on it. Bacon makes everything better.

I'd take one of these over a CT scan ANY day of the week.

Here Was Peter Cottontail

2009-04-15T08:01:00.003-04:00

Here's last year's photo of Mr. Lukey Bear with the EB.

And here's this year's photo. He practically ran up to the bunny, touching his fur and smiling at him. Upon being told we had to say goodbye to the bunny, he threw himself on the ground and screamed.

It's So Kewl

2009-04-11T13:02:00.001-04:00

I've now rented twice from RedBox and I had to say, it's pretty darned easy. It doesn't get much easier than picking the movie out, swiping your card and *poof* out it pops. And at $1 a night, it won't get much cheaper than that. So far I've rented:

Twilight
Blindness
Slumdog Millionaire
Eagle Eye

She's Crafty

2009-04-11T12:58:00.004-04:00

I never knew I had it in me. I made these 3 floral headpieces for the girls in the pit for "Once Upon A Mattress". It took me a good 3 hours, but I just sat in front of a few movies and worked my little fingers off. It was actually way easier than I thought it would be. Look out Martha Stewart.

And The Beat Goes On

2009-03-22T10:24:00.002-04:00

I recently dug "The Light in the Piazza" out for a spin or two. I love that show. It rivals "The Last 5 Years" in my all-time favorite cello scores list. But when I was listening to it, it struck me how the music is intangibly linked with the memories from doing that show. When I listen to it, I get goosebumps in just the same spots as I did when I played it. I remember the way Cara would conduct from the piano, the way Susan and I would glance at each other when we played the coolest unison parts, all the little in-jokes and nifty musical moments. When I listen to it, I'm instantly reminded of summer and how warm it was upon exiting the theatre. Just like when I hear anything from "Cats" I think of Christmas tree lots, baking for the pit and laughing at just how....inane the music from "Cats" is. When I hear music from "Ragtime" I think of hanging out with Jill and the crew afterward and the oboe heater that blew a fuse in the pit right before intermission, knocking out both keyboards. I know smell is a a sense that is highly linked to memories, but for me it's hearing music. I hear the song, "Abracadabra" and think of the time I heard it at Adventureland and watching the 'big kids' on the giant swing. I hear "You Oughta Know" and think about walking down a street in Chicago on a warm, summer afternoon.

Mmmmm....Kobe beef

2009-03-08T12:16:00.003-04:00

We finally checked out Burger 9 Point 5 last night. I love seeing independent restaurants doing well - when we got there it was fairly empty, but by the time we left, it was packed! The food was amazingly delicious, the service was incredibly attentive and it was just a cozy little place - I don't think you could fit more than 50 in there at once, if that. But we were just amazed at how good the food was. I splurged and had a Kobe beef burger (probably the closest I will ever get to Kobe beef), which was really tasty - I could tell there was a difference between your garden-variety burger and that one, but I don't know if I'd order it again (I'd probably opt to try a bison burger instead). And I had them cover it with caramelized onions that were so well cooked they just melted upon eating them. I didn't even get to make a dent in my fries - which were so yummy that I took them home.

In Like A Lion

2009-02-28T11:44:00.004-05:00

March is one of those odd months. Not quite winter, not quite spring. Everyone's going nuts over St. Patrick's Day (which I just don't get). But it brings with it Easter Candy (yes, I had to capitalize both words). Mmmm...chocolate marshmallow. Mini Eggs. Peanut Butter Eggs. It's the worst time for me willpower-wise. I stash them in my desk and break them out when it's about 2:45 and I'm trying to proofread or reconcile or typeset. But I digress..... I gave up buying unnecessary beauty products for Lent. I'm not Catholic, but I always feel like if I do without something, it's a teeny step towards trying to be a better person. (I also don't eat meat on Fridays - or sweets.) I'm also trying hard not to purchase anything that's unnecessary, be it sweets or something indulgent. So I can just lust over this: It's this nifty, Jetsons-like device that carbonates your water. Could I be more of a foodie geek? I could make delicious lemon-lime 7-Up without having to wait for it to go on sale. I could just make seltzer for using in egg creams. I want one. And it's on sale. I guess I'm hoping that my dear sweetie will see this sad plea since he's now on facebook and my blog rolls right over there and take pity on me. Or reward me. Either one works for me.

But there are other cool things about March. I'm doing "Children of Eden" with a local high school. Never played it before, but the MD is one of my favorites and I don't foresee playing "Wicked" any time soon, so CoE is just about the same anyway. (Seriously. I was gufawing at the blatant theivery going on from himself.) And.......my favorite columnist from Bon Appetit is launching her first book. I don't purchase many books, mostly because if I can grab the new Stephen King (although I will purchase his short stories since their re-readability is pretty good) from the library and save $$$ I do that. But books about food??? I've read Ruth Reichel's "Garlic and Sapphires" a million times. And I love love love Molly Wizenberg's writing. She inspired me to make homemade mayonnaise. And....she's doing a book signing in NYC on March 18. So I'm excited to go pick up her book and praise her with love.

Say Cheese

2009-02-16T10:46:00.006-05:00

It's not even 11am and already I've had a CT scan. On the plus side, it's out of the way and I can enjoy the rest of the day. On the minus side, I had to drink 2 of those barf-inducing smoothies. Ugh. I get the dry heaves just thinking about it. If you've never had to have a CT with oral and iv contrast, let me lay it out for you (sadly, the picture to the right is a good approximation as to the phoney cheery face I put on the whole time. Luckily, my favorite tech was on today, so it really wasn't too phoney. The tech is a SPITTING image of Anthony Edwards, so all I can think is that Dr. Mark Greene is giving me my CT scan.):

*You drink 2 bottles of this lovely stuff. One at bedtime (whereupon you realize you won't be eating anything until AFTER your appointment and are suddenly ravenous after you started drinking the contrast.) and one the next morning. You take a swig. You think, "This isn't as bad as I remember" and proceed to try guzzling. After the first prolonged guzzle you feel woozy trying to get past the sensation that this stuff is coating your insides. You whimper as you trying thinking "chocolate milkshake, chocolate milkshake" to no avail. You try all sorts of breathing techniques while drinking, but realize it's not the taste, but the texture and no kind of breathing will get you past that. (This is of course after trying to add chocolate syrup to it thinking that will surely help. It doesn't.) You slog down the first bottle and go to bed. The next morning you dread that second bottle. It stares you down. You open it up and just the sight of that viscous while stuff is enough to make you cringe. You shudder as you force it down.

*You get to the CT scan place and sign in and fill out the same paperwork for the umpteenth time.

*By this CT scan, you've wised up and wear nothing metal so you don't have to change.

*You go into the freezing room where the machine is and glug that last bit of contrast down. (By this point you're ready to pass out if that stuff touches your lips again.)

*A few passes through the machine.

*Then a nurse (if you're lucky) comes to hook you up to an iv to administer the iv contrast.

*They start the iv and you get a hellacious taste in the back of your mouth, reminding you of the disgusting taste you'd get when you had the chemo.

*Then comes the flooding warmth through the lower half of your body.

*Then after the pass with the iv in your arm (still hooked to the machine as seen in the picture to the right), they remove it and you lay on the table for 15 minutes with nothing to do but stare out the dirty skylight. If you're lucky, there's clouds in the sky that day. (Today there weren't.)

*Then one more pass and you're free to go wait in the waiting room for the disk with the images.

*Disk in hand, you are on your way.

Repeat again in six months.

Luckily, these are to make sure I'm still healthy. But it still dredges up the same emotions and feelings and memories from back when I had my first CT scan when we were trying to figure out what was wrong with me. So even though this morning was quick and (relatively) painless, it still sucked. Not to mention the lovely things the oral contrast does to my digestive system. *Ahem*

More Baking

2009-02-09T20:39:00.004-05:00

Since I tried an apple galette from Boston Market I've been dying to make one. So the other day I bought some gala apples and I had a refridgerated pie crust in my fridge. (Don't judge - I have insecurities in even attempting to make my own pie crusts. It's one that I will get over once I have a larger kitchen. And perhaps a food processor.) And the funny thing is, I'm so not a pie person. I'm not a fruit fan. I'm not for fruit in my desserts. My thinking is, if I'm having dessert, it better be gooey, chocolatey or decadant. And fruit doesn't fall into those categories.

Tonight I had the means and time to assemble it. I Frankensteined a few recipes together - added a layer of frangipane under the apples and popped in the oven.

It looks so pretty. I love how it looks so rustic because I pleated the crust around the filling. I'm actually quite proud of it.

It will be making its tasting debut during tonight's episode of Heroes. Which I wasn't loving last week because I was falling asleep during it, but after a second viewing, I'm hooked once again.

Easy Like Sunday Morning....or Afternoon

2009-02-09T20:30:00.004-05:00

Sunday was one of those perfect days. Luke and I snuggled in bed. We read books. He took a nap early. And I had the classical station on while he slept. He woke up while I was finishing up getting dressed, and I heard Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune by Debussy. Beautiful. So I was happy he was awake while it was on. Then I made breakfast for us all, got the classical station going on in the living/dining room/home office/kitchen and we all ate together, enjoying a Brandenberg concerto.

*sigh*

Luke and I then picked up leftover cake from Grandma's, went food shopping and hit the library where we discovered we can go to a Mother Goose singalong next week.

It was a good day all around.

They're Cousins...(Un)Identical Cousins

2009-02-09T20:23:00.004-05:00

Cuties. They had a grand ole time chasing each other around and being silly. I bought them matching pajamas for the holiday season so I pounced on the chance to take a picture of them wearing them at the same time in the same place.

For some reason, Luke was unhappy about the paparazzi.

Then, once it was apparent that it was a party, he warmed up a little.

A good time was then had by all.

Some Enchanted Afternoon

2009-02-09T20:17:00.004-05:00

I actually got to work the system and chaperone a field trip. (Which means I had to behave, make sure the same number of kids came home that left on the trip and make sure everyone got home in one piece. They're super kids, I had to do almost nothing in the way of yelling.) The trip was to go see "South Pacific" and lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe. It was fun, the kids were great and I got to see a Broadway musical. I was actually impressed with the revival. The coolest part was that the orchestra was not only revealed during the overture and entr'acte, but that they were in concert black - tuxes and nice black - no tee shirts! And Kelli O'Hara was still there singing her heart out - I liked her version of Nellie. Not too corn pone, and not too dopey and love-struck. Plus, I mean, she was the original Clara Johnson, so I got a thrill out of seeing her perform live.

Here's me and Kerry (Curly Girl) in the lobby of the theatre at Lincoln Center (we could see Julliard from the windows which was also a thrill.) She's much too enamoured with her iPhone to pose.

Miscellany

2009-02-09T20:05:00.006-05:00

Here are photos I found on my camera that I meant to include in posts but never got around to doing so:

This was the marquee at the theatre when I was doing "Grey Gardens" over the summer. I just felt so cool that there was a real marquee - one with a picture and everything. Not just a name of the show that used backwards '3's because they ran out of the letter 'e'. Smithtown is like that though - they're pretty on-the-money.

This is Bea. She's the only Bea I know. She's one of the violinists in my quartet. She's also a party animal, hence how she fell asleep, sitting in a chair during a performance of "1776" at Hofstra. So it's also a photo of what the inside of the pit at the big theatre at Hofstra looks like.

These are amazingly delicious peanut butter cookies that I made. I had leftover ganache frosting from the birthday cake I made for my mom, so I decided to dip the cookies in the ganache. It resulted in tastiness.

A Minute A Day?

2009-01-25T09:56:00.002-05:00

Even I can do that. I read this article on ways to change your life in 31 days. This one chick (who was an aerobics instructor) did a minute of pushups every day. And saw a difference. Sounds reasonable, right? So I'll have to give that a try.....starting tomorrow.

And not for nothing, but if you have a Starbucks addiction that's so bad that you save over $120 a week by not going to Starbucks numerous times a day, well, that's just sad.

A Budding Art Critic and Suzy Homemaker

2009-01-25T09:35:00.005-05:00

We took the Lukey-Bear to the Islip Art museum yesterday to catch the last day of "Fashion Forward" a group show where all the pieces were about fashion. It was a great show and a bargain at $6 for the 3 of us to enter. (Plus, the $$ goes to a good cause) Lukey seemed to enjoy just being somewhere different and seeing unusual things.

He decided to get a little closer to some pieces. I think he felt a certain kinship to the monkey-girl, being that she was his size.

Later that night I was feeling decidedly domestic and made homemade sauce and homemade peanut butter cookies that I just had to dip in chocolate ganache. Mmmmmmmm.

Free Lush and Being Green

2009-01-19T11:19:00.004-05:00

So, I'm trying. I really am. I try to recycle. I try to buy local produce. I try to cook healthier meals for my family. To that end, I have a slew of empty baby wipes containers in my linen closet. Every time I buy a 'economy size' box of wipes, it comes with a free wipes container. So I had like 5 of them stashed away. I know that in years to come they'll be a great home for crayons, or matchbox cars or the such, but right now, they're just in reserve, waiting to be called upon.

That being said, there's an issue I've had since Luke's been big enough to toss his toys around. I keep a bunch of toys near the changing station to keep him busy while I'm tidying his heiney up. But invariably they'd land between the wall and the dresser since he'd get a little overzealous winging his toys around. I've gone on many an excavation to recover 2 lambs, a reindeer, 2 books, a monkey and a puppy. But then, a lightbulb went on! The wipes container would fit nicely in said black hole entrance without falling through and hold the toys. Voila. Done. Now those toys have a nice, neat home and they're safe from the great unknown. (Maybe the dust bunnies get lonely now, but I unfortunately can't be concerned by that.)

Yesterday Diane and I made a pilgrimmage to the Valley Stream Lush. (Note to those not from the area: Valley Stream isn't as peacefully and buccolic as it sounds.) Little did we know it was the last day for their huge, inventory clearing sale. Buy-1-Get-2-Free. Yes. Seriously. Pay for one, come home with 3. Needless to say, this created much squealing and indecision and grabbing. I bought Big shampoo (which gets my hair surprisingly clean without drying it out and leaves ringlets), Honey I Washed the Kids soap (which I used on my kid that very night and couldn't stop sniffing his hair), Snowcake soap (delicious soap that smells like marzipan and is only out during the holidays), and an Ickle Baby Bath Bomb (for the Lukey-Bear who was grossly uninterested in its fizzy goodness). I also bought 1 emotibomb (which you can use in the shower to make it smell yummy) and got 2 free.

So when I got home and was trying to find a nice home for my new treasures....all of a sudden it came to me. I could stash them safely in....another baby wipes container. And keep them fresh as can be!

Now if you'll excuse me, there's a Figs and Leaves bar of soap in my shower calling my name.

Mmmm....smelly soap

2008-12-06T08:11:00.006-05:00

So, Thursday night Lucas and I went to the grand-opening party of the Valley Stream location of Lush.

What? You don't know what Lush is? I used to be a certified Lushaholic. It's soap and shower gels, bath fizzies and bubble bars, hair products and lotions. And they're all made by hand, from natural, organic ingredients. They smell good and make you feel good.

Being that it was a party, of course there were goodies. What I got for free:

*a cookie with the Lush logo on it

*an Avobath bath bomb

*a Pop in the Bath bubble bar

*a mystery massage bar

So I got about $15 worth of stuff for free! I bought many a Christmas present and induldged and got myself a Figs and Leaves bar of soap and a small piece of Spice Curls soap.

There was a DJ, so Luke was rockin' away in his stroller and flirting with the salesgirls, and I even came away with a free sample of Big shampoo.

Mmmmmmm....soap.

Are You Lean Like a Lynx?

2008-11-11T08:47:00.003-05:00

So, Lucas LOVES puppets. Of any shape, sort or size. He cracks up at the Muppets. He loves the puppets on the Baby Einstein videos. He even loves it when I play with the puppet on his exersaucer.

He loves singing. He's even starting singing along with me when I sing. (He attempts to sing the alphabet by going "Ah, ah, ah, ah, ahhhhhh" - it's so cute I can't stand it.) He loves music and his new thing is to hit one object against another to make a sound.

He LOVES singing puppets.

So I have a theory. I want to get Cats on DVD from the library and play it for Luke.

My thinking is this:

Huge, grown-up sized puppety things

Huge, grown-up sized puppety things singing nonsensy songs

I think he'll love it.

Poor kid.

Getting My Latin On

2008-10-24T08:22:00.004-04:00

So two weeks ago (I know, I know, I'm a delinquent blogger) I participated in the Hispanic Heritage assembly. It was really quite neat - kids from all nationalities participated. We had 2 speakers, one of which is the conductor/musical director for "In the Heights", the Tony-nabbing show of 2008. The kids sang a song from the show called "Piragua". They were singing and dancing and the MD from the show was playing piano. Knowing of my musical prowess, they asked me to play some auxillary percussion and who am I to decline small children? So I jammed on the guiro. I rocked so well, that I didn't even need cues to tell me when to come in or drop out. Each time the MD went to cue me, I was already there.

So, that makes TWO Broadway musicians I've played with.

I am sooo kewl.

Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

2008-10-12T08:11:00.003-04:00

I'm sorry I've been away so long. I was playing every weekend in a row from August until October. This is my one weekend off before my big, huge event next weekend. Luckily, after that I'm free as a bird.

But all is well in the Curly World. We're all healthy. Tom is loving student teaching. Luke is growing like a weed and I'm just hanging in there. I'm proud of us for getting this far. The end of having a full time student in the family is near!

More later I promise. More about new shows I'm watching (How did I NOT watch 'Pushing Daisies' last year????). More about my culinary escapades.

I promise!

Best. Birthday. Ever.

2008-08-21T12:21:00.002-04:00

So not only is it a super birthday because I spent it with my baby boy. (And awesome husband) But it's restaurant week here and a dozen restaurants had 3-course prix fixe menus for $25. So I got to try this neat little restaurant Lucy's, which has a great tapas menu and had the yummiest options for each course. It was a cute little jewel box of a place, with mismatched chandeliers and a tiny, 4-seat bar. Luke LOVED staring at the lights and ceiling fans, the french doors were all open and the weather was perfect. It couldn't have been a nicer evening. I had amazing steamed mussels, organic pan-roasted chicken with the creamiest polenta I've ever tasted and warm molten chocolate cake. (If you can't eat warm chocolate cake on your birthday, when can you eat it?) Tommy hesitantly ordere a pork chop that came with figs and plums, mashed potatoes and spinach. Now, he's really a cheeseburger and fries kind of guy, so I was very happy to see him going out on a limb. He LOVED it! He said he was wary at first, but he said the food was amazing. And...he said, "We can totally come back to this place." Which I whole-heartedly agreed with, if nothing else, but to sample the crabcakes and the truffle mac and cheese. The service was amazing, my food was unbelievable and the atmosphere was perfect. Lucas was an absolute angel. Diners all around us kept commenting on how adorable and well behaved he was. Our waiter even took a photo of the 3 of us for us.Lucas decided this was the perfect occasion to start saying, "Ma ma ma ma ma" which I know doesn't really mean he's referring to me, but was wonderful to hear just the same.

And yes, there is an amazing difference in taste when you pan-roast an organic chicken!!

I Am So Kewl

2008-08-16T15:34:00.004-04:00

So, I listen to WFUV, Fordham University's radio station a lot. They do various fun morning stuff. The last time they had asked what would be on George Orwell's iPod since it was the anniversary of his birth. I emailed that any animal song on The Beatles' White Album would sure be there. This time they asked what would be on Alfred Hitchcock's iPod. I HAD to think of something cool. Had to. So at first of course I think of "Psycho Killer". But that'd be way too obvious. So I delve deeper. And *poof* the line "She looks like Eva Marie Saint, in On the Waterfront" pops out at me. I think of it in terms of the cover by Tori Amos of the Lloyd Cole song "Rattlesnakes". So I send off my email stating, "Curly Glamour Girlie of Her Hometown (you have to include your first name and hometown) thinks that Rattlesnakes by Lloyd Cole would be on Alfie's iPod since he loved his icy blondes and would want to carry a song that payed hommage to Eva on it." Or something like that. So I'm sitting in my office with 2 tech guys from the new software package we're moving to who are training me. And I'm listening to 'FUV not expecting anything. All of a sudden, I hear very familiar lyrics. THEY'RE PLAYING THE LLOYD COLE SONG!! I get very excited. I try explaining to the 2 guys that this makes me so freakin' cool. Then I don't let them speak after the song is over, since I know now that they're going to say my name ON THE RADIO! Not only does the coolest morning dj ever Claudia Marshall say my name, but she reads practically my WHOLE email! I think the 2 tech guys were even mildly impressed.

I felt cool for the whole morning. It even held over until the afternoon. Then I was bummed by Kelli being aufed on Project Runway.

Those (Not) Lazy, Hazy Crazy Days of Summer

2008-08-11T21:42:00.002-04:00

The title above reminds me of a Gilmore Girls episode where they kept playing that song over and over and over again at a town festival.

But today was far from lazy.

Luke and I:

*Went to a teen production of "Thoroughly Modern Millie", whereupon I was able to show off my pristine, perfect child to my friends. Whereupon it was also Luke's first musical.
*Did laundry.
*Ran home to change and load the Lucas-bag.
*Went to my MRI where I conquered the closed MRI. (I thought I was going to have to be seriously drugged to be put in there.)
*Came home.
*Made dinner AND homemade caramel sauce for a cake I made over the weekend.

I'm beat.

And I'm lucky that Luke's so good that I can tote him just about anywhere. He LOVED the show. So much so that I had to remove him from the theatre since he thought it was an audience-participation type performance and sang along and spoke back to the actors. This kid seriously has the theatre gene.

WalMart - Friend or Foe?

2008-08-05T09:25:00.003-04:00

I have a confession. I heart WalMart. In a time where gas is topping $4 a gallon and coffee can go for $3 a cup, I'll take bargains where I can get them. I've even been shopping there more than my favorite store in the world, Target. I don't get why Target isn't as vilified as WalMart - should I not like WalMart as much as I do?

Not for nothing, but the staff at the ones I go to are almost always helpful and friendly. The stores are clean. The aisles are wide enough to get down with a cart. And the prices are seriously unbeatable. This is not to say I purchase everything at WalMart, but I do as much as I can there and save quite a bit of the green stuff. I bought a 4-cup coffee maker for $10. And it's a nice little stainless steel version that looks classy on the kitchen counter. I buy cute little separates there that I can wear to work - shirts for $10, dresses for $15-$20. Seriously. I mean, I love love love the Isaac Mizrahi line at Target, but $40 dresses are a little out of the family budget right now.

So what's the deal? Is WalMart a good thing? A bad thing? I know that one of the arguments is that they shut out the little mom and pop stores, but honestly, here on Long Island, there were few and far between those to begin with. And with gas rising, one-stop-shopping really makes a whole lot more sense.

Note To Self

2008-08-03T22:41:00.003-04:00

No matter how wistfully you think of eating halvah in your childhood, no matter how yummy you think it is, no matter how on sale it is, it will no doubt give you a stomachache. (Yes, I know Kerry.)

What We Do Every Night Pinky.....

2008-07-29T10:27:00.005-04:00

If you've ever met Lucas, you know he's a super-smartie. I know I'm a doting mama and such, but he is, really. And if you need proof, I submit the following. Here he is trying to take over the world. We're convinced he's secretly an evil villain. He's got all the characteristics; the almost non-existent hair, the quirky wardrobe and the interesting pet (Cupid, the rattle reindeer).

So here he is, working very very hard at his evil plan:
Notice the little globe next to his control panel. It's how he chooses his targets. I asked him to spare Panama since they make such delicious coffee as well as Holland since that's where yummy cheese comes from.

And here he noticed his classified area was broken into and promptly called for security.Notice the little button he just pushed calling for security? You think it's a simple toy that plays animal sounds and synthesizer versions of Vivaldi's Four Seasons, but once deployed, the hounds are released.

Bribery does work however, and by slipping Dr. L-Bear an ice cube I was spared tortuous punishment with the death laser.I was recognized as being an ally and even let in on some classified information. I was given the code name "Maaahhh". We discussed future evil plots and had a happy conclusion to our meeting. I have since been made press agent for Dr. L-Bear. (Notice Cupid not far from control central on the floor.)

First Non-Cello Sunday

2008-07-27T17:18:00.004-04:00

It's about 5:00 p.m. est. I'm not finishing up a performance or en route home from a show. I feel naked in a way. But I had a glorious day. I was able to:

* Hang with Lukey-Luke all morning all relaxed-like.

* Try my Panamanian coffee in my one-cupper. (Which shocked the hell out of me as to how good it was - not bitter, not too strong and a nice aftertaste. Exactly what Fairway CoffeeMan described.)

* Have breakfast at Our Diner (the Infinity Diner in West Babylon, if you must know). I love that the proprietor knows us and whisks us to a booth immediately. And I love that no matter what I have, it's delicious. From corned beef hash (which I'm sure Kerry will have something to say about) to a veggie omlette to my usual vanilla egg cream, it's always tasty. Even when I take a chance on something I usually don't order like chocolate chip pancakes.

* Take an impromptu nap with a sweet smelling baby snuggled next to me.

* Finish Chuck Palahnuik's newest book "Snuff". He's such a sicko, but I'm addicted to his writing.

* Have a pot of homemade sauce simmer on the stove. It smells heavenly.

It's good to have some time to myself and a week off, but rumors are a-stirring that I'll be filling in for a few shows of "Grey Gardens" at Smithtown. Love that theatre.

Blog Roll

2008-07-27T17:16:00.003-04:00

It sounds either like something you'd find in a chocolate assortment and pass over (like a nougat roll or something) or something you'd shout to ensure everyone you tried to amass was present.

Either way, I've turned my "Blogs I Follow" into a "Blog Roll". That way I can see who posted what and when.

Un-Fairway

2008-07-26T16:18:00.004-04:00

Fairway is one of those places where I always think, "I should go there more often." And I schlep there (this time with Luke) and then discover why I don't. Because it's in an area where the people are notorious for being insufferably rude. And they were. They'd stop right in front of me, or push right in front of me. Or look at me like I was a huge inconvenience when I stopped to look at something. Seriously. Rude. AND....the prices were either wonderfully affordable, or insanely overpriced.

But I did have some nice moments in there that resulted in some luxury-type purchases. The coffee guy there was wonderful, pleasant and listened to what I liked and didn't like in coffee. He steered me to a coffee from Panama that I bought a half pound of to test out. He ground it for me and asked what kind of machine I had - I said, "One of those horrible drip machines." He laughed and said "I drink about 10 cups a day, you want to know what kind of coffee maker I use?" Thinking he's going to point the way to coffee nirvana, I nodded eagerly. He held this up:
I was stymied! I have one of them at home! I can't wait to try my new custom-picked coffee in the one-cupper with his no-fail formula (2 full tablespoons of coffee + 6 oz. filtered water = good coffee).

And the cheese counter. Oh man. I could have looked for days. AND they had samples! So I bought some delicious smoked mozzerella that we had on ham sandwiches today and I picked up some Dutch Parrano (which Fairway states is a hip cheese that is a cross between a Gouda and a Parmesan) that I plan to use to make myself a little cheese and cracker snack plate later.

I also bought some halvah which is such a yummy treat that I occasionally let myself be tempted by. My Egyptian brother-in-law says that in Egypt that treated it like peanut butter and slathered it on toast. How crazy delicious does that sound?

So, all in all......not so great. The insane crowds were not worth the little gems I discovered. If I find I can't live without coffee from Panama and cheese from Holland, I'll have to go off-hours.

Or just brace myself to be insufferably rude back.

Much Ado About A New 'Do

2008-07-11T18:32:00.004-04:00

I cut my hair. Well, actually, I paid someone to cut my hair. I went to see Rita at Supercuts (I know, I know, after having paid $120 plus tip to get a haircut, it's amazing to pay $20 INCLUDING a tip) and gave her a few pictures of some retro-ish type shorter 'dos, including
Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor. She seemed a little daunted, but she tried it. We couldn't see the fruits of her labor right away since she had combed my hair (a huge curly no-no) to cut it, but a few days later, it's looking downright cute and sassy.

I feel more like myself with the short hair (which is my usual style) and my purple toenails than I have in a real long time.

Me with longer hair

Me with my new and improved hair 'do

I really like it. Plus, it's so much easier, saves money on hair product and is now Lucas-proof.

Who Says You Can't Find Inexpensive Food in NYC?

2008-07-11T18:30:00.001-04:00

Ann sent me this article about the latest thing in NYC - dessert trucks. I find it cool and exciting. I've been to the Dessert Truck - it was so delicious. I mean, where else are you going to get a dessert cooked by a Le Cirque pastry chef for $5???

S-U-C-K-E-R

2008-07-04T13:04:00.004-04:00

I'm telling you - slap a "new" label on a product and I pony up like a gambler at OTB. Especially if it's remotely related to my beloved macaroni and cheese. I saw these in a commercial while on vacation in Chicago. I had to have them. Saw them this week at the supermarket and bought them - even though they weren't on sale. They're incredibly cheesy, are shaped like elbow pasta and make your fingers a delicious orange hue. Nummy num num.

While in Chicago, I happened upon Nilla Cakesters. Now the jury is very split about the Oreo Cakesters. I kind of like them, in as much as I love anything having to do with Oreos. And since I'm more of a chocolate girl I didn't expect to like the 'Nilla Cakersters. It was just that "new product syndrome" that drove me to buy them. But oh man. They were delicious. As the Oreo variety taste slightly manufactured (not a real homey devil's food flavor), the 'Nilla variety taste like someone just baked a yellow cake, cut out 2 circles and slathered some cream between them. Cake heaven.

How Creepy Is This?

2008-06-29T09:06:00.002-04:00

This woman is selling her house in West Palm Beach (need I even continue?) and putting a personal ad out there all in one fell swoop. Her ad is entitled "Marry a Princess Lost in America".

What?

First of all, by calling yourself a princess you're scaring off any prospective normal men.

Secondly, what makes you "Lost in America"?

Third of all, isn't selling yourself ummm....prostitution?

*shudder*

And The Beauty Is

2008-06-29T08:56:00.002-04:00

The Light in the Piazza. I am so so loving this show. It's my first 'real' run post-Lucas. I also really enjoy working at Smithtown again. It's the one theatre where I've done my longest run (8 weeks of Cats) and feel like a real professional. I like how professional everyone acts and just how well-run it is. (Or at least it seems to me) I also can't complain about the fact that I get paid regularly too.

But I just completely lose myself in the music when I play. I lose all self-consciousness and just for lack of a better word, feel the music. It's shows like this (and The Last 5 Years) that I enjoy playing so much.

Quick Fix Beef Burrito Skillet - Courtesy of Kraft

2008-06-28T14:40:00.002-04:00

The good people at the Kraft kitchens came up with this recipe for those of us trying to juggle family, dinner, cleaning the house, doing shows and work. I figured what the heck, had the ingredients on hand and it was delicious. And I used ground turkey so it was a fairly healthy meal. It was the type of dish that leftovers tasted even better.

You'll Shake It Like You Just Don't Care

2008-06-28T14:32:00.003-04:00

I discovered the Bird and the Bee on WFUV. Love them. They're a mix of trip-ish hop, lounge, tropicalia and alternative. I think of Pants whenever I hear "Polite Dance Song" since it mentions wanting to see someone's "naughty bit". That's such a Pants phrase.

But they're cool. So cool in fact that I actually plunked down a hard-earned $5 for an EP. For 5 measly songs. But they're such kick-ass songs that I didn't even mind.

Chicago - Day 4

2008-06-21T16:32:00.005-04:00

So home we had to go, but we had had a great time, got some major relaxing done and ate a lot of yummy food that can't be found in NY. When is NY going to get a Baker's Square?? I mean, nothing on the dessert menu but pies!!!

Coming home was an airport nightmare, but what can you expect from airlines that are all scrambling at this point? I remember when Southwest's stewardesses sang little songs and were uber-friendly. Now they're just average stewardess-friendly. And why can't I board before other people? I have to balance Luke on my hip and somehow make it all the way towards the back of the plane. I have a loooooong letter to send to the folks at Southwest.

But here's a 'family photo'. Sadly, I think it's one of the first we've ever taken.

Chicago - Day 3

2008-06-21T16:28:00.004-04:00

We visited Tommy's mom and had a real "Chicago" lunch - hot dogs and Italian beef sandwiches at a little "hot dog stand". (Calling it a 'stand' makes no sense to me. It's inside a building with tables. Wouldn't a stand mean it's outside?) Luke loves loves loves trees and flowers. I think he's going to be a budding botanist. (hee hee) That night Merry came by and we watched "Xanadu" and ate pizza (I'm a thin crust girl - who knew?) and ice cream. (Dairy Queen! There are no Dairy Queens in the NY metro area.) It was good to have just a hang-out-girls'-night together.

Chicago - Day 2

2008-06-21T16:23:00.005-04:00

Happy Father's Day! Luke was outfitted appropriately with a shirt that said "Cool Just Like Daddy". Do I rock as a wife or what? It was a warm day, but perfect for swimming. The boys went swimming and relaxed. I took many a picture, fretted by the side of the pool about Luke swallowing pool water, getting it in his ears and sunburns. He's still in one piece, so I think it agreed with him.

Chicago - Day 1

2008-06-21T16:17:00.003-04:00

So we finally made it to Chicago for a few days to visit Tommy's family. It was bliss. Four days of napping, eating delicious non-NY food and visiting. On day 1 we got in at Chicago-Midway nice and easy (Luke was an angel on both flights) and promptly went to breakfast. See, here's where NY is lacking. You could trip and fall in the Chicagoland area and find an amazing breakfast place. I was able to choose from like a million different skillets. But I had a chicken, asparagus, cheese skillet. It was delicious. And the babies communed with one another. They got along really well and Luke was loving the fact that he had plenty of room to sleep (poor little guy has really outgrown the cradle) and there were TONS of toys for him to play with. He probably thought he was being punished when we got back home. And, he napped on the most comfy down comforter/feather bed type thing. I may have even dozed off here and there on it.

I'm Officially A Mom

2008-06-06T22:21:00.002-04:00

In the hour and a half between getting home from dinner at Mom and Dad's and putting Lukey-Luke to sleep I:

Installed an air conditioner in the window in the bedroom
Wrote protest letters about the use of pesticides in public schools
Cleaned up the stuff I toted home
Fed Luke his cereal
Got him cleaned up
Somehow got him to go to sleep

Now I'm officially tired. New photos of the kid soon. Promise.

Puuuure Eeeeeviiiiil

2008-05-03T19:00:00.003-04:00

Fried oreos are the work of the devil. Plain and simple. They're too delicious not to plunk down $5 for 6 of them. And they're too wiley not to eat almost all of them at once. You'd think they'd be over-sweet or cloying, but the heat from the frying softens the cookie and the coating is just enough to make it almost cake-like. *sigh*

Another Coincidence

2008-04-20T08:40:00.002-04:00

Okay. So there's been quite a few coincidental things popping up in my life lately. Last weekend on Saturday, we went to Emily's memorial. It was beautiful. Tons of singing, music and memories. Luke LOVED the singing and music. He was transfixed by it and whenever there was singing, he was trying to sing along in his own little baby way. It made me do a lot of thinking about where I am and where I want to be in life. A lot of food for thought. Monday, I get into the office, have a crazy morning and then I have a moment to just settle in to my work and enjoy the classical station I have playing on my computer. And out of nowhere I hear "The Swan" from "Carnival of the Animals" by Dvorak. It's not a piece they play often, due to its novelty. However. It's the piece that Emily taught me that summer. Not only did I learn a piece that was way harder than anything I had attempted up to then, but she had me perform it at full assembly. In front of a lot of people. Accompanied only by a dancer and a pianist. From memory. Things I thought I'd never be able to do. So, I pose to you - was that a message from Emily?

Walk For Two

2008-04-19T11:46:00.002-04:00

I'm walking in Relay for Life on May 2. This time last year, we knew we were pregnant, but hadn't told anyone. As we were walking we giggled and laughed and knew that next year we'd be walking with someone else.

I plan on walking the survivors' lap holding Lucas. Could there be a better testament to the miracles that cancer research have found than a survivor who has since had a baby?

If you're interested in joining us or supporting the cause - let me know in the comments area so I don't have a link to my personal info floating out in the world!

My New Wheels

2008-04-19T08:32:00.004-04:00

I've had the car for 2 months now. But I procrastinated taking pictures of it. So here it is! I named her Gertie. So far we get along just fine. In the second picture, notice the television above the gas pumps. Hideous. They're just everywhere - at the supermarket checkout, in doctors' offices, now at the gas pumps?? Ugh.

More Beethoven

2008-04-13T17:13:00.001-04:00

Played a short little concert today. Since I lost my cello strap I was practically chasing my cello across the floor as I played. Not so much fun. But it was nice to just play and to be appreciated.

Sometimes I love playing my cello so much that it scares me.

E.T. Phone Home

2008-04-08T10:36:00.002-04:00

So I had this dream last night (or rather this morning since it occurred after I woke up in a panic after checking Luke, since he slept from midnight to 6am) about E.T. E.T. was in the hospital and I was with my Auntie Glo (who passed away right before Easter). Except she looked like she did a good 10 years ago or so. And she wanted to visit E.T. since she knew he was really sick (like towards the end of the movie where he's separated from Elliot). And we found the room that he was in and she walked right in and held his hand. Okay. Now that's a weird dream to begin with, but when I got in to work this morning, I decided to put on the classical station. And about 10 minutes later, the closing music from E.T. starts playing.

This is going to sound completely weird, but I feel like my premonitions are getting a teensy bit stronger. I've had a few weird feelings the last couple of weeks that have come true. Driving to my parents' house last week to pick up Luke, I thought, "Maybe my mom doesn't have her class tonight and I'll see her." Lo and behold, mom was home sick.

Remembering Emily

2008-04-08T10:05:00.002-04:00

Two weekends ago one of my first cello teachers passed away. In some twist of coincidence, her husband plays baseball with mine. And her husband had visited the camp she worked at the summer I was a camper there. So, I had met him before my husband did.

But I digress.

It was the first time I had really intensive lessons. It was the first time I really delved into learning the cello. It was the first time I played "real" music in orchestra, not watered-down, simplified versions. (We played the overture to The Barber of Seville, the second movement of Tchaikovsky's 5th Symphony, the 2nd movement of Beethoven's 7th Symphony) Emily had me study Saint-Saens' Swan from the Carnival of Animals. Not only did I learn it, but she had me perform it at an all-camp assembly, from memory and with a piano accompaniment and a dancer. Never had someone had so much confidence in me that I could pull something like that off. She taught me to "feel" music rather than just play it.

There are times you know your musicianship is being changed. There's definitive moments to the shaping of who you are as a musician. For me, the first one was studying with Emily. She taught me to not be self-conscious when I play. To try making things up as I go along. To just take risks as a musician.

Now I wonder. I've posted my question to the universe as "The Three Only Things" suggests. I asked about what it is I really should be doing, and what it is that I'm meant to do. Hearing about Emily makes me re-visit what it means to me to be a musician and what I want to do with it. It makes me remember what a magical summer that was for me and how I felt like a "real" musician for the first time.

Here Comes Peter Cottontail

2008-03-24T16:32:00.004-04:00

We went to visit the big guy himself - no, not Santa, the Easter Bunny. Luke was bummed that he was too little to visit Santa (we weren't about to take him to the mall at 2 weeks old), so we made up for it by having his picture taken with the big bunny. He was all eyes and very well behaved; so much so, that he stared at the other kids who were crying as if to say, "Hey dude, it's the Easter Bunny." My little sweetie.

Look Out Martha

2008-03-20T09:05:00.004-04:00

The other day, while Luke was napping in the a.m. I leafed through my latest issue of Bon Appetite. I love it. It's not as haughty as Gourmet, but has great recipes and articles. It's funny - I used to drool over "In Style" and "Lucky" but now I love reading food magazines.

But I digress.....I came across an article about homemade mayonnaise and how wonderful it is, etc. And I had taken out some chicken breasts, not knowing what I'd do with them. So I decided to try my hand at homemade mayonnaise and poaching chicken breasts (which I had also never done).

I've always kind of liked mayonnaise. I loved it on sandwiches as a kid and considered it a luxury as an adult trying to watch what I eat. When I was small, my dad would be making his lunch in the mornings before heading off to work and would make me a tiny mayonnaise sandwich on seedless rye bread that I would enjoy while tuned into a.m. cartoons. But as I aged and learned how mayonnaise wasn't the best thing for you, I turned to mustard to dress up my sandwiches.

So I wondered if homemade mayonnaise could re-ignite my mayo love. And I was challenged by it too - I mean, who makes homemade mayonnaise when you can just grab it out of the fridge? AND...I was inspired by the beginnings of the new season of "Top Chef". Love it. Love it. They make all sorts of nifty stuff off the tops of their heads - no recipes, no sous-chefs, no help.

It took me 2 tries to get it right (it's a little dance between whisking constantly and sloooowwwwllly adding oil) but it was this heavenly, whipped, rich concoction that distantly resembled the stuff in the jar with the blue lid.

That being done, I poached 2 chicken breasts (a new technique for me), chopped them roughly and added them to the mayonnaise. Then slathered that on some toasted rolls, added sliced avocado and voila! A delicious, warm chicken salad sandwich.

Oh mayo. You've been gone for too long.

Ten Points If You Know What This Is - Answer Below!!

2008-03-17T00:37:00.002-04:00

It's a cable box. I remember them being in my aunt's neighborhood, which was a particularly new sprouting of suburbia 35 or so years ago. We used them as home plates, "safe" areas, incorporated them into all parts of our outdoor games. I was surprised to see them still around with all the digital cable that floats around, but it was certainly a blast from the past!

The Making Of A Couch Potato

2008-03-17T00:33:00.003-04:00

Here's my little couch potato watching television. I know, I know that tv isn't "good" for babies, but he enjoys the colors and sounds and is watching "Sesame Street", so at least it's educational. He was actually mesmerized by Richie Havens singing "Wonder Child" and playing the guitar and by Jose Feliciano singing and playing guitar as well. Glad to see he has an appreciation for the arts!

An Apple A Day

2008-03-09T22:43:00.003-04:00

I'm so not a fruit person. According to my mother, I used to love it. Would eat orange slices left and right, loved apples and grapes. Now, I'm just real picky about the fruit I eat. I'll eat the occasional grapes, I still love bananas, and maybe the odd apple here and there.

But lately I've been digging apples like crazy. Maybe it's something inside me trying to stave off scurvy or something, but they've been delicious.

I had part of an apple gallette from Boston Market. Now, I'm not one to like pie-type desserts. To me, dessert doesn't mean eating fruit. If I'm going to do dessert, I'm going to eat something decadent and chocolatey. Something that makes it worth it. But this apple dessert was amazing. A buttery crust, lots of streussel topping and the apples weren't tart at all. (I think that's why I'm wary of fruit - sometimes it's so hit or miss as to if it's going to be sweet or tart or unripe - I don't like playing Russian roulette with my food.) I've been dying to eat another one for days now.

More recently, Luke and I went food shopping and on a whim I bought Gala apples. I've been buying sliced apples from Trader Joe's and I think they're sliced Gala apples. So I grabbed one today when running out to my concert, which had a rehearsal before it, so I'd have something to eat in between. (Plus, I figured the apple would cancel out the liverwurst sandwich I brought as well) Why didn't anyone tell me Gala apples were so tasty? It was sweet without being cloyingly so and not too crunchy and not mealy. I'm now hooked on apples. Which I guess is better than being hooked on something like Cheetos or Big Macs.

Mr. Beethoven, If You Please

2008-03-09T22:26:00.005-04:00

I had a rehearsal for the Island Chamber Symphony. It's a small group (obviously, since it's a chamber group) and I simply get a gas stipend, not a usual check, but I get a lot of enjoyment out of playing for them. It's the only classical music I'm doing lately, and I feel like it keeps me in check and keeps my classical chops in gear.

We're doing (did, since we had our concert earlier today) Beethoven's 8th Symphony, which has this wicked little cello part in the 3rd movement. And I was sitting up front by myself. So I get through it, and the conductor says, "You know, I've heard Ricardo Muti do this with the Philadelphia Philharmonic and I could swear that it's one cello at that point, and since you did it so beautifully, how about you play it alone?"

I was mortified and excited all at once.

So we try it again, this time me playing the part alone. And it's this little minuet type thing where it's just basically the French horns and myself. And I manage to get through it again and sound not-so-bad.

And you know what happened? Everyone applauded! It was so cool. I was embarrassed and damn proud all at once.

The sad thing? I hadn't practiced the part like I had wanted to. I went in and winged it. And it just came so naturally to me. Which always makes me wonder and regret and wish and pontificate. Should I have been a music major? Where would I be now if I had? Is it too late to go back?

How To Make Me Cry At My Desk

2008-03-06T08:39:00.003-05:00

a.) Send me the following via e-mail to read upon getting to my desk:

A baby asked God, 'They tell me you are sending me to earth tomorrow, but how am I going to live there being so small and helpless?' God said, 'Your angel will be waiting for you and will take care of you.

'The child further inquired, 'But tell me, here in heaven I don't have to do anything but sing and smile to be happy.' God said, 'Your angel will sing for you and will also smile for you. And you will feel your angel's love and be very happy.'

Again the child asked, 'And how am I going to be able to understand when people talk to me if I don't know the language?' God said, 'Your angel will tell you the most beautiful and sweet words you will ever hear, and with much patience and care, your angel will teach you how to speak.'

'And what am I going to do when I want to talk to you?' God said, 'Your angel will place your hands together and will teach you how to pray.

''Who will protect me?' God said, 'Your angel will defend you even if it means risking its life.

''But I will always be sad because I will not see you anymore.' God said, 'Your angel will always talk to you about Me and will teach you the way to come back to Me, even though I will always be next to you.'

At that moment there was much peace in Heaven, but voices from Earth could be heard and the child hurriedly asked, 'God, if I am to leave now, please tell me my angel's name.'

God said, 'You will simply call her, 'Mom.'

b.) Play the closing theme music to E.T. on the classical station.

Believe It or Not

2008-03-04T08:36:00.002-05:00

Okay. So Sunday morning, around 6ish or so, I was reading all by myself in the living room. Luke was asleep as was Tommy. It's a little chilly and I've got a blanket wrapped around myself. All of a sudden out of nowhere I heard my name whispered. I kid you not. It was my whole name and I couldn't tell if it was a male or femal voice, but it was distinct as if the person was sitting next to me.

Spooky.

What Makes a Good Morning

2008-03-04T08:08:00.002-05:00

Watching my two special guys sleep in the early morning while I'm getting ready for work.
Hearing a little someone stirring in their crib, going to investigate and getting a big smiley greeting.
Seeing a cardinal fly right past me on my way down the driveway.
Seeing a puppy in the car in front of me kiss the heck out of its owner and the owner kissing it back gleefully.
Hearing on the radio that it's going to be close to 60 degrees today.

Momma's Got a Brand New Bag

2008-02-29T13:00:00.004-05:00

I was frustrated with carrying a diaper bag and my purse. It was clumsy and inefficient. So I searched for a bag that met the following requirements:

Was glamorous
Matched my overnight bag
Could hold all of my purse-type stuff AND Luke's stuff
Went on my back

Here's what I found. I love it. It makes shopping with Luke a million times easier. And I've already gotten compliments on it. Plus, I used the long-languishing Fortunoff's gift cards on it, so it was FREE!

There's a Baby in My Pocket

2008-02-29T12:43:00.005-05:00

Well, I guess it's not really a pocket, but it's still a neat title. He's actually enjoying being tucked in there, which is great. I still love the Moby Wrap - especially when I'm really walking around the mall or making dinner, but this is great for when he refuses to nap when I'm not at home. Plus he likes to sit up in it as seen here like he's king of a Mardi Gras float. I call him Mayor McCheese when he does that - it looks like he's going to start waving and politicking. I look like a dweeb in the picture, but Luke looks too cute not to share it.

What Dressing in the Dark on No Sleep Does

2008-02-26T14:37:00.001-05:00

Brown tights and black boots. *sigh* At least my skirt is brown as well.

It's a Beautiful Day on the Internet, A Beautiful Day on the Internet

2008-02-23T07:38:00.002-05:00

You never know what gems you'll find. This morning I've read the following stories courtesy of msn.com:

Astronaut To Wear Boxers Shorts For Science
Homeless Chef Lived In Airport For Years
How Not To Screw Up Your Oscars Speech
Tax Moves That Cry 'Audit Me'
What Killed In-Flight Meals
Top 10 Web Sites You Don't Know About

Snow Day

2008-02-22T09:20:00.001-05:00

I'm toasty indoors. Got an angellically sleeping baby on the bed in his little nursing pillow, a husband snoring on the couch and a batch of chocolate oatmeal "milk supply" cookies in the oven.

And I don't have to go to work today.

*sigh*

Coming Around Full Circle

2008-02-20T13:45:00.005-05:00

Last night I had my last appointment with the oncologist who treated my Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma and got us through that hellish part of my past. Not because I'm done seeing doctors, but because Dr. B. is retiring from the practice. It was not easy to hold back tears. It felt something like a Lifetime movie - here I was, fulled cured with my new baby to show my oncologist as he's retiring. Cue the sappy music. But I really was sad at the prospect of not seeing him again. He was glad to see Lucas and I think he was glad that he was the one who got to tell me that recurrance of the kind of cancer I had is virtually none. It must have made for some closure for both of us. Mom and I gave him some cards and a little token of appreciation for all that he did for us. Below is what I wrote in his card.

Dear Dr. Berger,

How do I say thank you for a miracle? We came to you not knowing what was in store for us, fearing everything. After our first visit (and an impromptu bone marrow biopsy!) our fears were lessened and we had a clearer picture of the road to recovery. You told us what we were facing and how we would treat it. You always gave us all of our options and treated me as a whole person, not just the part of me that was sick.

And now I'm able not only to come to you healthy and still in remissino, but share my son with you - a child I was unsure I was even going to be able to have. So I say thank you. Thank you for my health, for treating me, for giving me all the hope in the world. I wish you nothing but happiness (and a little relaxation!) in your retirement, but will miss you and miss seeing you very much.

All our best,

Tiffany, Tom and Lucas

Bring Your Adorably Cute Baby To Work Week

2008-02-20T08:40:00.000-05:00

Back in the Saddle Again

2008-02-17T08:41:00.005-05:00

Played my first post-Lucas show last night. It felt great to get out, it felt great to go to the theatre and just play. I lost myself for a few hours and got my chops back in working order again. And it's funny, the show was "Annie." Annie was the first show I saw on Broadway. I must have been maybe 7 or 8 at the very most. My Uncle Frankie took me and I really remember almost everything about it:

When Uncle Frankie called to tell my mother he wanted to take me to see a show, he said, "Go tell your mother I'm taking you to see "Oh Calcutta!" - which he and my mother thought was funny and left me clueless. I remember being so awestruck at being in the city and feeling so grown-up. Uncle Frankie bought me a Shirley Temple at intermission at the glamorous, sparkling bar in the theatre. He bought me a souvenir program that I still have to this day.

And so began my life-long love affair with musicals.

So I was glad that my foray back into the "professional" world of cello-playing was an old favorite.

Mmmm...Food

2008-02-13T09:25:00.003-05:00

Now, the story in my family goes, that when I was little, about 2 or so, I'd get the shakes when I'd see Peppermint Patties - they were my favorite. So, when you've got a young'un and you're on your way home after sitting in weather-related traffic for 2 hours and are hungry, and you pass a Burger King, you figure, "I'll get a salad." Which wasn't bad. But then you see your favorite word: "NEW!" and get suckered in to purchasing a York Peppermint Pie. And I have to say, I forsee myself making a detour to the BK in between the sitter's house and my house just to get a few more slices of this stuff. It was incredibly tasty - for a fast food dessert that is. Hey, for .99, you can't go wrong.

And then when you're on your way to work and realize that you haven't eaten anything much in the last 12-14 hours, McDonald's looks good. And again, the siren song of "NEW!" calls you. And you order a McSkillet Burrito. I like breakfast burritos. I like that my egg, cheese and other variables are snug in a little pocket for me to consume. The combo of egg, sausage, cheese, potato, pepper and hot sauce is a definite waker-upper. Delish.

A Turn for the Better????

2008-02-12T12:26:00.000-05:00

Last night I got Luke to not only tolerate our new wrap/carrier but he fell asleep in it. I was shocked. Absolutely shocked! Of course he screamed bloody murder when I tried to take him out, but hey, it's a step in the right direction. I got a Moby wrap - this long piece of fabric that I wrap around myself and pop him in. He actually seems to enjoy it. The next step is to try to go shopping with him in it.

I have to admit, I kind of like the fact that he wants to be close to me to sleep. I'm relishing it now because once he's a hulking behemoth of a teenager he won't want to be in the same room with me.

Ahhhhhhh....

2008-02-07T18:45:00.000-05:00

Relaxing. How am I relaxing with an 8-week old?? Easy. I'm watching one of my favorite movies:

And I ate my first Valentine treat of the season:

And when I bought said treat, I noticed EASTER CANDY!! My love of Russel Stover's and Reese's Easter candy has been mentioned, but it's worth mentioning again. How can one not love chocolate marshmallow, covered in chocolate, shaped like an egg????

**Not to mention said baby is fast asleep in his carseat.

Not So Bad

2008-02-04T19:58:00.000-05:00

Well, today was my first day back at work. And I'm a little ashamed to say.....it wasn't bad. I was glad to wear a dress. I was glad to wear heels. I was glad to stop at Starbucks on my way in and grab a mocha. It felt good to go back to work. It felt good to be needed and have purpose. It felt good to complete tasks.

But I covered Luke in kisses when I got home and ate him up!

AND....after Tommy left for school, Luke behaved well enough in his swing so I could make a real dinner.

Woo hoo!!!

Now That's Multi-Tasking

2008-01-31T14:27:00.000-05:00

While Luke was napping, I was able to do the following:

Take a shower.

Actually wash my hair while in the shower, rather than just rinsing to put up in a ponytail.

Apply proper lotion to proper body parts, rather than slathering the same stuff haphazardly all over.

Dry myself off.

Put on all clothing at once.

Apply makeup and do hair.

It was a miracle. I didn't have to nurse a screaming baby while sopping wet and naked.

I think we might be turning a corner here. It seems as though he's quite the busy bee. Loves to look around at his world and is very curious about what's going on around him. I actually think that me going back to work is going to be a good thing - he'll get out, I'll get out and we'll be happy to see each other at the end of the day.

I will however miss the Frasier re-runs, the bad Lifetime movies and crazy infomercials.

And just because he's so cute - here's my little Lucas-bear.

Breakfast of Champions

2008-01-22T09:35:00.000-05:00

I've discovered the easiest way to not feel woozy by afternoon. Eating something. Which as simple as it sounds, ain't so easy with a squeaky, reflux-y baby. I was eating toastable, frozen french toast, which is super-tasty with just some margarine. But that was even too many steps to cook. So I discovered Carnation Instant Breakfast and Quaker Breakfast Cookies. The best part is - is that they both come in chocolate type varieties. I mean, does it get much better than a chocolate milk beverage accompanying a warm, giant, chocolate chip oatmeal cookie?? And even better, I can consume both with one hand while nursing or soothing said squeaky baby.

Blasphemy

2008-01-22T09:30:00.000-05:00

Sweeney Todd didn't get nominated for Best Picture. I officially hate the Oscars. Up to this time I merely disliked them, but now I hate them.

And He Wouldn't Want Us To Give it Away

2008-01-20T11:08:00.000-05:00

...Not Sweeney. Not Sweeney Todd.

Okay. I confess. I'm a huge huge music geek. Tommy laughs at me often for what I come up with sometimes. My poor son will be subjected to car rides with mom blasting Sondheim, Jason Robert Brown and the like. I laugh heartily at the musical-related jokes on Will and Grace. I laugh even harder at the jokes on Frasier that are musically-related.

I've seen Sweeney Todd in many incantations:

1. My first experience with the show was seeing Hofstra University's Gray Wig theatre company do a production of it. My friends were all playing in the pit and I absolutely fell in love with the show and learned as much as I could about it.

2. The original Broadway production - not in person, but via video. The one most people think of when they think of Sweeney. Angela Landsbury really shatters the whole "Jessica Fletcher" persona there. (Yes, yes, I know she played Mrs. Lovett before the 'Murder She Wrote' lady.)

3. My next encounter with the demon barber was playing in the pit for Calhoun High School's production of the show. It was fun, and the music is great and the kids really did a bang-up job. It's an incredibly hard show to sing and coordinate, but they really pulled it together.

4. The in-concert version done by the San Francisco opera. It featured Patti LuPone, George Hearn and of all folks, Neil Patrick Harris (yup, Doogie himself). It was so well-done, creatively staged for an in-concert production and everyone seriously sang their asses off.

5. The brilliant revival that showcased the actors playing the instruments. Brilliant. Loved every minute of it. I sat there just saying, "That's Evita." "I'm actually watching Evita right in front of me." Patti LuPone and Michael Ceveris - Tony winners. I was glued. And like the good music geek I am, had my picture taken with Patti LuPone and got her autograph.

But the most recent is:

6. The unbelievable film version that Tim Burton brought to life. It was absolutely breathtaking from beginning to end. I loved every minute of it. And of course it was heightened by the fact that it was my first post-baby outing that didn't have an errand attached to it. It was just Diane, Mom and I having a girls' evening out. I even smuggled in Taco Bell to really live it up. The entire cast was perfectly...well...cast. The scenery was the uber-drab London done so dismal, but not to the point of being a cliche. The songs seemed like they belonged perfectly, not like "Hey, let's all break into song right now". I'd be super happy and have renewed admiration for the Oscars if this won Best Picture.

So go see it. Now. It's the kind of film that screams to be seen on a big screen with huge, surrounding sound that really gives you every note of the lush score.

Side note: As much as I like the fact that movie musicals are making a comeback (Chicago, Hairspray, etc.) I don't understand why there was a need to movie-cise the musical "Mamma Mia". This was one of the trailers before Sweeney. I mean, I love ABBA as much as the next gal, but really.....

Dear Stony Brook University

2008-01-13T08:57:00.000-05:00

This is probably too scathing, but after the treatment Tommy's gotten from Stony Brook, I felt it necessary. We received a "Parent Appeal" for money to support Stony Brook in the mail recently. It was addressed to "Parent of Thomas G. J." Which is interesting, since his father passed away 2 1/2 years ago and his mother lives 800 miles away in Chicago. I was insulted as his spouse and as a fundraising professional. Seriously. This is like Fundraising 101, knowing your donors and who you're soliciting. So I wrote a nice little email to the gentleman who the letter was from. And cc'ed the Director of the Stony Brook Foundation and the Donor Relations person.

Dear Mr. Guarino,

My husband is a student of Stony Brook University. He has not lived with his parents in over 15 years. In fact, he lives 800 miles from his mother and his father is deceased. We recently received in the mail the Parent Fund appeal, addressed to "Parent of Thomas G Jordan". This is very disturbing, both as a spouse of a Stony Brook student as well as a fundraising professional. My husband has felt from day one at Stony Brook that the university does not understand the concept of a "returning student" who does not live at home with his parents and who has different needs and concerns than a student fresh from high school. This point is further illustrated through the appeal we received at home addressed to his parents, who clearly do not live with us. It is clear that Stony Brook does not address the needs of their students individually, but rather operates under the assumption that all students entering Stony Brook are 18 and have just graduated high school.

If Stony Brook wishes to raise funds from the families of its students, perhaps it should do some research as to who their students are and how best to suit their needs while at the school. If my husband's needs and concerns were better addressed by the administration and faculty of Stony Brook, we might be much more inclined to return the support financially.

For your records, the appeal was labelled 105700315, 08AFDM04Parent Fall. I do hope this assists in your fundraising and helps Stony Brook to see how they might better help their "non-traditional" students.

Sincerely,
T. M. J.

I'm Supposed to Do What in 3 Weeks?

2008-01-06T10:34:00.000-05:00

Answer me this. How am I supposed to go back to work and leave this little, teeny person who needs his mommy all day? How am I supposed to live with leaving him with someone else and not being able to take care of him myself?

I have to go back to work (since I was given a measly 4 week maternity leave that I was able to tack my OWN vacation to) in 3 weeks. This is awful. It's unfair. It's inhumane. Even dogs don't leave their puppies after 6 weeks.