Sunday Tidbits

There are a few things I keep meaning to share:

a) NJ has fireflies! Thomas and I went for a walk the other night and caught a few for the boys. We looked like we were on a prayer walk with our hands clasped in front of us. That was a good laugh! The first time I ever saw a firefly was in Italy with Andrew (yes, the proposal trip). They make me smile, kinda like magic. One of my favorite books to read my kids, The Little Squeegy Bug.

b) I know what happended to all the Segways. The overflow from SF's RMTTs (Rentable Mode of Tourist Transportation, ah and not a chance in hell!) have been reworked and can be found gracing the lawns of New Jersey. No seriously, check out this photo .... and if you don't believe me, Google 'Segway' and hit images. I don't know why but the visual of Niles Crane on his Segway mowing the lawn just makes me laugh so freakin' hard!

c) The Tour de France - I love watching the tour. And yes, I'm a fan of Lance Armstrong; still cry when I watch old Tour wins, no honestly, goose bumps and all. Bash him if you must, but he's an amazing specimen - you can't argue with that. Cyclists are Cool (in my opinion): iron legs, super human cardio, mind-over-matter uber ability - just hard core in a gentlemanly way. And they drink coffee, so there! And aside from the human spectacle, the scenery is gorgeous.

d) We finally found good Chinese food, yessss - Super Golden (no, that's the name). Reasonable, free delivery and delicious! There were lots of yummy sounds at our table last night! Thanks to our NCF (new cabana friend) Shawn, for sharing her menu!

e) I'm feeling a little uber-ish myself. Now that we no longer have a landlord, I figured out how to de-winterize our sprinkler system (yeah, yeah, I know it's July) and some of you are scratching your heads, duh? But I'm from California and the only time I ever had to turn water on/off was when I went to Tahoe. Welcome to the East Coast, I know, I know.

Happy day!

xoxo,

P

Miss me?

I know, I know - bad girl, no bloggie. Sorry, it's summer and I'm hanging with the kids!

I'm not even sure where to start ...

William is now 6.
Alexander is growing taller still.
Andrew is seriously looking at colleges.
Thomas is exercising regularly.
I'm letting my hair grow (simply because NJ salons scare me).

We are getting the most out of summer on the 'shore' - lots of beach club, lots of BBQs, lots of burger and dogs - it's great fun. The kids rotate from beach-pool-cabana and back - all that fresh air and sunshine (don't worry 70SPF) affords long, deep sleeps. My favorite thing is when Thomas arrives in his work clothes (I just never tire of that visual), promptly changes and with beer in hand, strolls to the ocean with the boys. It's an instant de-stresser! This Friday is Luau Night, followed by Sleepover Night. I'll hang for the hula and help pitch the tent, but the sleepover part sounds like male bonding time to me!

The kids are in camp from M-F from 8:30-11:30 at one of our local parks - sports, crafts, and friends galore - it's been awesome and gives me a little time in the morning to do whatever, or not!

Andrew's working at Sickles and Crew started last week - so he's busy and beat. Today was a highlight, he rowed the single to Red Bank (a 6 mile round trip). He and I will be making a trek upstate NY to see a few colleges; and perhaps a few in PA. My gut says he'll end up on the West Coast, but I don't want him to close off his options.

We closed on our house last week. And boy do they do things differently here, I learned so much. I would like to give a shout out to my lender, Mark Junod at MetLife Home Loans in Capitola, CA. The whole lending world has changed, as you know, and these guys kept on top of what's what, totally anticipated the Underwriter's concerns, were super-organized, worked great with the NJ law firm. I was really impressed. If you're looking to refinance or make a purchase, consider these guys, seriously!

And one more Massive Thank You - to my dear friend Susan Sweeley who without fail has 'got my back' from the California side. I can't thank you enough!

My BFF from Half Moon Bay came for a visit this past week - how cool is that? We walked, talked, ate (not too much), did the speed driving tour, initiated her on the Friday Night Beach Club action, just had such a great time. We concluded that cramming 6 months worth of 'drive-by' visits into one long visit was really a gift. We had never spent that much time together and we've known each other for over 20 years. Yeah, it was awesome! Thanks Jeanne.

I'm sure I'm forgetting stuff - but enough for now. Hope this finds you all healthy and happy.

xoxo
P