A New Record!

Yes, I have set a new record.

Yesterday, I killed two -
TWO
computers.


After updating iTunes, my laptop just gave up and
said, "I've had it." All I get is a blinking "?" on the desktop.
NOT A GOOD SIGN in MACville.

So I moved on to my school computer.
A lovely 15'' Macbook.
Plug it in.
Wait.
Wait some more.
..................nuthin.
NOTHING!
I am screwed because all my photos for the
yearbook are on that computer.
(Hello, I'm the yearbook editor).

So here I am on Dylan's computer.
I really should get off of it, with my record and all.

It's Time

It's time I got back to scrapping.
I haven't done any in 2 years!

My sister-in-law gave me a $10 gift
card to a scrapbooking store in MA.
(we spent Christmas there)

That's all it took.
$10.

Well, I spent that ten bucks, and a few more
and picked up some gorgeous paper and some
little things that caught my eye.

I'm ready to dive back in!

Julia

I was having a crazy day at work -
lots of phone calls, trying to track
people down, lots of paperwork-
crazy - my head was spinning-
then I look up and see this:

two little eyes belonging to Julia, a first grader who
isn't even tall enough to see over my desk.
She made me smile.
I love my job.

Smells So Good, It Punches You In The Face

I made an awesome meal last night.
I caught a bit of it on the cooking channel and
decided to give it a try.

Pork Loin and Chunky Apple Sauce
I paired it with garlic mashed potatoes
from Cooks Kitchen.
The aromas in my house were so strong
they could punch you in the face.
So good!
Ingredients
2 sprigs rosemary leaves, roughly chopped
2 sprigs sage, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, smashed
Pinch crushed red pepper
Salt
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 (6-chop) pork rib roast
2 large onions, sliced
1 bundle thyme, tied with string
3 bay leaves
2 quarts apple cider
Chunky Applesauce, recipe follows
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

In a food processor, combine the chopped herbs with the garlic, crushed red pepper, a generous pinch of salt and enough olive oil to make a paste. Brush the paste on the outside of the pork rib roast.

Toss the onions with olive oil, and salt, and place in the bottom of a roasting pan. Add the thyme, bay leaves and 2/3 of the cider. Place the pork on top of the onions and place in the preheated oven. Roast the pork at 425 degrees F for 20 to 25 minutes or until the pork has developed a lovely brown crust. Check the pork, stir the onions and cider if they are starting to burn. Add more cider when the level starts to go down.

Lower the oven to 375 degrees F and roast for another 30 to 35 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer reads 150 degrees F. If the crust on the pork starts to get too dark, cover it with foil. Remove 1 1/2 cups of the cider from the bottom of the roasting pan and reserve for the applesauce.

Let the pork rest for at least 15 minutes before carving. When ready to carve remove the pork from the bone and cut the loin into thin slices. Serve with the onions braised in cider and Chunky Applesauce.

Chunky Applesauce:
3 tablespoons butter
4 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2-inch chunks (toss the apples in lemon juice if not using right away)
1 1/2 cups of the reserved cider from the Roasted Pork Loin with Cider
1/4 cup apple cider
1 pinch ground cinnamon
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
Melt the butter in a saucepan large enough to accommodate the apples. Add the apples and saute over medium-low heat until the apples start to soften. Add the reserved cider, apple cider and cinnamon and cook over low-medium heat until most of the cider has evaporated and the apples are cooked and very soft.

Add the heavy cream and walnuts and cook until the cream has reduced by half. The end result should be a very chunky, sweet/savory applesauce.

Scratch It

I'm taking steroids to bulk up.
No, no, seriously...
I'm taking steroids for a bad cough and
I
Am
So
Freakin'
Itchy
All
Over
From
Said
Steroids.

I'm scratching my back with scissors, closed, but still.
Can't
Take
It.

Gotta
Go.

Gotta
Scratch.

I Have a Teenage Son

I now know why some animals eat their young.

What The Heck Is That Noise?

It's my stomach growling.

The New Old Me

So, last week I was coughing up a storm
and my boss said I had to see the doctor.
I called the doc's office, told them what boss said,
they asked me where I worked. When I said "a school"
they took me right away. Pretty responsible and cool,
wouldn't you say?

Anyway, got some antibiotics and just as the doc
was about to leave I said............
"Would you put me on a diet?"

There.

I said it out loud.

My doctor, whom I love, sat down and we talked.
He said, "No, I won't put you on a diet but I will help
you create some new habits. I'll help you as much as you want."

Will you slap food out of my hand doc?
-no, I didn't say that.

So, we talked. I know all the right things to do.
I just choose not to do them.
Doc went over some things for me to do and
in 2 months, I'm going back for a physical
and to get
WEIGHED.
He said, if I want, I can come in every week to get weighed
and talk to him.
Love this man.

So, this is week 2.
Week 1 was a piece of cake, oh, bad analogy.
I have no trouble at work.
I seem to have trouble on the weekends.
And Halloween, well, it's over.
Bring on Thanksgiving. Ugh.
Nah - I can do it.

As for the title of this post, I'm going
back to who I used to be, just older and wiser.
Oh, and check out these shoes I got to
wear with my new short skirts:

I used to wear stuff like this, heels,skirts.
I'm on my way back.

Lovin' this.

Check out the newest addition to my wardrobe:

It's from Boden.
Velvet.
Very cool.

I'VE HAD IT!!!

I've had it.
I am sick AGAIN!
Another cold.
The second cold in a month.
I never fully recovered from the first.
Ugh.
I am so sick of being sick.
At least this one isn't as bad as the first one.
I just want to feel good.

Toasty

So three of our major small kitchen appliances died within
weeks of each other. A conspiracy, I know, discussed
in an earlier post.

Well, two Saturdays ago, the family set off
in search of new stuff. We, of course went to
Sears.

Now, the Sears of my childhood was all
goofy photo studios, and Toughskins, but a lot has changed.
Ours carries Land's End so it has become a favorite haunt
of mine........but I digress.

So we go to Sears and in 30 minutes we purchase
a new microwave
a new coffee maker
and THIS

(can you hear the chorus of angels singing??!!)
It's a TOASTER!
Not a toaster oven, but a REAL HONEST TO GOODNESS TOASTER.
and
it's
RED!!!!!
We've never owned a REAL HONEST TO GOODNESS TOASTER.
Well, let me tell you, we've become toasting fools!
We've been toasting up a storm.
I even went to the store to purchase things specifically
for toasting - like bread!!
"Dylan would you like a bagel....in the toaster??"
"How about some toast? How about some MORE toast?"
"How about some raisin bread - toasted??"
"Eggos anyone?"
"A glass of water, sure? May I toast that for you?"

This has got to be the best thing we've ever purchased!!!!
AND
IT'S
RED!!

3 Days

I've been home sick for
THREE DAYS!
I miss work.
Going back today - finally.
I really like my job :-)

I'm sick.

'nuf said.

What Gives??

A few months ago I found out that
my toaster refused to toast.
Well, to be fair, it is a Toast-R-Oven
but if you look closely, the word
TOAST is there.
It will heat stuff and occasionally
catch on fire but it refuses to toast.
You can leave a slice of bread in there
for hours and it will come out feeling
a bit warm and slightly old but
NOT TOASTED.
My million dollar Krups coffee maker
sits on my counter next to the
Non-Toast-R-Oven and I guess they
got to talking because all of a sudden
Mr. Krups decided to go on strike.
The sucker doesn't work and we've had it
for less than a year. And the worst part -
the WORST PART is that it decided not to
work at 5am on a work day.
Not Cool.
So for the past two weeks, Paul and I have
been making our own drip coffee by boiling
water in a pot and pouring
it into the Kraps filter while holding it over the pot
and being sure to push down because we HAD to get
the one that stops dripping if you pull the pot out.
NOW, right NOW, about 4 minutes ago
my microwave died.
I had 3 sweet potatoes in there and the thing
just stopped. Dead. -
Maybe I could make a deal with the
Non-Toast-R-Oven to take over the
potato cooking for this evening.
What gives??
Why do all these things have to happen at once??
UGH!

My Father

This is how my father wears a baseball cap.

I'm a clencher.

Temporomandibular joint disorder -
is an umbrella term covering acute or chronic inflammation of the
temporomandibular joint, which connects the mandible to the skull.
The disorder can result in
significant pain and impairment.

Yup.
I agree.
So I've had this for a long time.
Never bothered me.
I'm a clencher.
I think I've always clenched my teeth.
I try not to but when you're trying not
to say something to the obnoxious
woman in the middle of the
aisle at the grocery store - you
tend to clench your teeth.

Well, anyway, this TMJ thing decided
to rear it's ugly head while I was away.
My jaw just went out of whack.
That's the only way to describe it.
It went sideways instead of up and down.
I was all, "Whoa, where do you think you're going???"
And it was all, "Just shut your mouth, oh wait,
you can't!!! HA HA HA!!"
Well, now it HURTS!
Last night I woke up and I think
it was a little dislocated.
KERRY - HOW CAN YOUR JAW BE JUST A LITTLE
DISLOCATED.
I don't know but I couldn't close my mouth.
I know, for those of you who know me,
that doesn't seem out of character.
It hurts man.
So treatment calls for:
Tylenol
warm compresses
soft food
no clenching
Believe it or not - the hardest part is the clenching.
Love to clench.

A Fun Trip

I made it.
I made it and I
DID NOT GET SICK!!!!!
Woo hoo!!!!
It was a fun trip.
Aside from the 2
puking kids on the bus, it
was a fun trip.
Yeah, besides the horrible hike
which made me realize I use less than
one percent of my lung capacity, and the
pukers, it was a fun trip.
And the food was gross. It consisted
of salt an starch. So aside from the salty
starchy food, the horrible hike and the pukers
it was a fun trip.
The cabins. Did I mention the cabins?
FREEZING.
I slept in sweats, a fleece sweatshirt OVER my
sweats, socks and in a sleeping bag because
I was not going to sleep on their sheets, no way,
I still couldn't get warm.
So aside from the freezing cabin, the salty starchy food,
the horrible hike and the 2 pukers, it was a fun trip.
Hey, at least I didn't get sick.
And yes, I'd do it again.
Well, as long as no one pukes.

Hello!

Yeah, yeah, yeah,
I said I was back and then I disappeared.
I started a new job, same place, new
position and it's taken me awhile to get
back into the swing of things.
But it will happen.
How's November??
Kidding!
I kid.

This morning I leave for Club Getaway.
Sounds delightful, right?
You'd think I"m off to some spa with
mud baths and massages.
Well, you're half right.
There will be mud.
Yeah.....think camping.
I'm chaperoning a trip for the upper school.
Dylan will be there and he will ignore me,
which is fine. I don't want to rain on his parade.
I'm going with the 5th and 6th grades.
I'd be more excited if I felt better.
I
WILL
NOT
GET
SICK
!
Do I sound convincing??
Think of me and I'll report back on Friday!
Bye!!!!

Hey - I'm Back!

Hi!
I'm back.
How have you been?
I've missed you!

Yes, camp is over and I've just about recuperated.
We finished last Friday and I slept on and off all
through Saturday and Sunday. Now I'M on vacation.
And being on vacation I've been doing things that
I want to do, like ruining my skin. (I like a tan).

Today I did something that some people would
consider child abuse........
I went outlet shopping and dragged my 13 year
old son with me. As you can see, he wasn't all that trilled.

I'd never been to these outlets, they're new and very nice.

They're very clean and look like they belong in Florida. The only things
missing are palm trees and loads of old people.
While I shopped, Dylan sat on the HUGE benches.
They look like they're made for giants.

He did humor me by trying on school shoes.

He ended up liking them so we got them and a ring I tried
on and couldn't get off my finger, but I really like it.
I did very well at Old Navy, which I usually don't care for.
A couple of short cord skirts to wear with tights and sweaters.


And I LOVE these pants. Great colors!


Dylan spent some time with the Old Navy people:

I also let him get those sunglasses so he was happy.
We stopped at Johnny Rockets for lunch. They had outside
seating and since today was 75 degrees with low humidity
it was perfect!

Dylan and I both decided we had a terrific day together.
Will I manage to convince him to go with me again?
Probably not, and that's fine, but today was wonderful.

I Just Love Him

Very Cool

Have you seen this?

SO GREAT!

KRAZY BUSY

I haven't blogged in a looooooong time.
I have been KRAZY busy with camp.
I get there at 7:30 am and get home around
6:30 pm and I'm usually asleep before
it gets dark!

Ok, here is a story about my latest
favorite little guy.
He's 6.
He cries a lot.
He cries when he's lost something (which happens a lot).
He cries when he's nervous.
He cries when he's having a tough day.
He's just a sensitive little guy and everyone loves him.
He has a heart of gold.
So sweet!
So, we were having a huge initiating
ceremony for kids who have been at
camp for 5 years.
We make them ice cream sundaes.
No, not to eat.
We make THEM ice cream sundaes.
We cover them with chocolate sauce, sprinkles
whipped cream and then everyone throws
water at them.
Kids love this.
Well, all this craziness is going on
and I feel a little person wrap their
arms around my leg and hug me
VERY tight.
It's my little sensitive guy.
I crouch down and ask if he's ok.
He says"
"Kerry, this is the BEST day of my life!!!!"

Love him!

Drama

Drama.
I'm talking REAL drama, not life drama.
Musical theater drama!
I run the drama workshop at camp and
I have to say that the kids I have this year
are fantastic!
I teach them a number and they actually
REMEMBER it!
In the past we would rehearse a number
4987 times. Then the next day I'd ask them
to run through it and they'd look at me like
I was speaking another language and we'd
have to learn it all over again.
This group absolutely astounded me this
morning. I had planned to allot 1/2 of our
time re-learing our last number.
They got up, did it - perfectly - and I
sat there thinking....."now what"?
Love them!!!

Happy 4th!

We FINALLY have some nice weather here in NY.
It has rained for the past 397 days.
Ok, maybe not that many days but close.
Today is beautiful.
I sat out and damaged my skin, lovin' it.
We're off to a friend's house for a BBQ.
I'm wearing:

with white pants and THESE shoes:

Love them.
These sell for $56 on Zappos:

My green pair were $17 at Target!
I love them.
I'm getting them in every color.
(You do know, don't you, that since I wrote that,
the universe is working against me and just magically
sold out of all colors in my size. It just happened, just now.
Trust me.)
Dammit!

38 Days Left

First day of camp - done.
It was....um.......a little hectic, but
it always is on the first day.

One of our busses had a problem
this morning. We lease our busses,
and drivers (none of us drive busses,
they're all professionals).
A driver had a STROKE while driving
the kids to camp this morning!
She passed out at the wheel,
and the bus started hitting
cars. It is my understanding that
they were not going fast. They
were in local traffic. The 16 year old
bus counselor
had the presence of mind to
pull the emergency brake and stop
the bus. Thank God, no one was hurt,
well, except for the driver.
The kids were all fine, all other drivers
were fine. Everyone went to the hospital to
get checked out.
Unfortunately, the driver is not doing well.
How about that counselor, huh?
He's a Life Scout (right before Eagle Scout)
So proud of him!
Yeah, so there you go - first day of camp.
38 more to go and I reeaaaallllllly hope
they are much less eventful.

Oh wait I have a question:
Do I let my 13 year old son go on a
trip with camp to the beach for the day.
To the ocean.
With hundreds of other people.
Do I let him go when I won't be there
keeping my eyes on him every second
he's in the water?
He's a great swimmer, but, you know,
it's the ocean.
Weigh in people.
Paul says let him go.
Here are the facts:
About 30 kids going ranging in
age from 13-15.
5 adult counselors.
Life guards.
Ocean.
No mommy.
What would you do?

King of Pop

Loved watching this. I remember thinking how
cool it was that a kid has his own "real" cartoon.

Ok, this was amazing.

I remember when Marianne Walczak got the
Thriller album. We listened to it over
and over in her dining room - that's
where her family kept their turntable.
We danced all over the house.

Then he started getting weird.
I was into A Flock of Seagulls and Squeeze.
Forgot all about him.
Some years later I was at an airport
during a layover. I remember watching
something pretty amazing on a TV.
It was Black or White.
Amazing video.
How cool was that morphing at the end??!!
Wow.
Michael Jackson.
Wow.

Fast forward.
Dylan is little.
We're on line at the grocery store.
He sees this pic on a tabloid:

He asks:
"Why is that lady hanging her baby out the window?"
Yeah.
He was weird. Really weird.
But you cannot deny that he was a
musical genius.
I think I'll go play
Don't Stop Till You Get Enough
and dance around the house.

Camp Mode

Yup, I'm in CAMP MODE!
For those of you who don't know,
my school has an awesome summer camp
and this is my 4th year working there.
Who would have thought that I would enjoy
running around in the heat with no
make-up on? Certainly not me!
But I LOVE camp.
This year I was promoted to
Special Events Coordinator -
ie: the Julie McCoy of camp
(If you get my reference let me know!)
which also makes me an administrator.
Pretty cool.
There have been some major staff
changes this year which are not sitting
well with some people which is lending
to some tension at camp.
TENSION AT CAMP.
Now tell me - should that sentence
ever have to be uttered?
IT'S CAMP!
Camp.
Tension.
Those two words should never go together.
I vow NOT to let the tension spoil
my camp buzz.
We'll see what happens.
Stay tuned!

Voices In His Head

So we're sitting at the dinner table
and Dylan starts talking about the
new iPhone YET AGAIN.
I told him to knock it off, he's not
getting one.
He continues to sing its praises so
I said:
"Look, I don't want to hear it anymore.
Just say it in your head."
He answers:
"The voices in my head don't
want to hear it either."

Voices in his head.
Yup.
He's my child.

My sweet little boy

7 Year old with an attitude

And I wonder about the voices??

Hey - it won first prize.

He still won't tell me how he got Silly Putty
back there.

Everyday life

He's the best - voices and all

I SURVIVED!!

Yup, I survived a 3 day trip
with the 8th grade.
We went to the Poconos.
(mountains in Pennsylvania)

Listen up people:
I WENT WHITE WATER RAFTING!
Yes, me, in a raft. Yes, me, who
hates all things having to do with nature.
I did it.
AND I had a raft full of Princesses.
They're terrific kids but any sort of manual
labor is totally foreign to them.
They were so busy talking about how cold
and miserable they were that
I had to remind them to put the paddles
IN THE WATER.
When they did put them in the water and I
finally did get them to paddle, I was the one
doing most of the work.
They were all saying, "stroke, stroke, stroke.
And in between I was saying,
"I'm having a.....I'm having a........I'm having a......."
I found that I could get them to work harder if instead of
saying stroke, I said, "Prada, Versache, Coach...."
That cheered them up and got them going.

Day 2 included a trip to a water park, boating,
putt putt, and all sorts of field games.
I actually played rock ball - I'm terrible, lol.

Day 3 - I'm not sure what we did.
The whole trip is a blur.
There was basketball, pool time, bowling,
hiking, BBQ, arcade time, volleyball, softball.
It was a fun, busy trip.
Bottom line - I survived.
I'm exhausted, but I survived.
.....and I'd do it again next year!

Good and Bad

Good

You must try these. So good.

Bad

Horrible mascara. Well, I wouldn't actually know because the brush
stinks! It's "flexible", meaning it wacks you in the eye
when you least expect it. It's my own fault. I only picked
it up because I was drawn to the green.

Good


My new Coach wallet. Just looking at it makes me smile!
The boys got it for me for Mother's Day.
Well, I helped them pick it out.
Mine isn't pink, it's these colors:

Blue on the outside, green on the inside.
They also got me that key chain!

Bad

Drinking this before bedtime. So dumb.

Good

Haven't seen the movie yet, but I'm reading the book.
LOVE IT.

Bad

Packing for a trip.
Yes, I am going on a trip.
Well, actually, I'm chaperoning an 8th grade trip.
We're going white water rafting.
Kill me now.

Rough Couple of Weeks

Yeah, so I haven't been posting.
Why?
Well, I've been reeeeaaaallllly busy.
I've been subbing in Pre-K:

Yes, they're totally cute and busy.
These are busy people.
Well, Pre-K ends at 3:00.
I see them off then run to the camp office:

I was asked to work in the camp office until the end of school.
I LOVE camp so I was glad to help out.
I get to give tours, interview counselors, sign people up.
It's a busy place.
The next day, back to Pre-K:

Did I mention these are busy little people?
How can 13 little people go in 144 directions??
Well, then back to the camp office:

So I'm back and forth for a week and a half
and now something on my back hurts:

Odd, nothing there, but it really hurts, like a bite or something.
So yeah we have Pre-K and camp and don't forget
baseball. Dylan had a school game, away and I'm chaperone:

Dylan is having a catch. The other kid throws him the ball, and just
as he does, Dylan sneezes. Now who can sneeze with their eyes open?

Yup, hits him right smack in the eye.

His eye is ok and his nose is not broken. Thank God.

Ok, back to Pre-K:

Man, they are busy and they never stop, how can 4 year olds
move around and yell so much and why does my back still feel like
someone is poking me with matches! It hurts!

Get home, now my back itches, let me take a look:

What the heck is THAT?
Go to doctor.
Guess what:

I thought only old people get shingles. I won't be old until August.
Doc asks me if I've been under any stress lately.
HA!

Ow. It's really painful.