Ticket Scammer

9:45 a.m. : "Welcome, you have been entered into the virtual waiting room."
Hmmm...I've never seen this before on a website. Things have certainly come a long way since my days of standing for hours outside some arena to get concert tickets!

9:55 a.m. : "Patrons will be allowed to purchase tickets at the time of sale in the order they were entered into the virtual waiting room. Please be sure the volume of your computer is up to hear the alert."
Oh trust me, it's up and I'm ready!

10:00 a.m. : "You may now purchase tickets for Billy Joel at Fenway Park."
Yes, I am in! I'd like 3 please.

10:00:01 a.m. "Tickets for this event are sold out."
Whaaaaaat!!!!!?????? They've been on sale a mini-second, how can this be? Sheer panic ripples through my body. I can not miss this. The Piano Man is my ultimate favorite, not to mention it's at Fenway. What better way to start the summer? He was my first concert ever and I've seen him countless times since. He is responsible for sparking my love of seeing and hearing live music.
I. Must. Be. There.

10:03 a.m.
Calm down. Breath. Think. There has to be a way. Other sites. Other sites MUST have tickets, right?

10:07 a.m.
They do! Other sites do have tickets, but oh lordy the prices!! These scammers bought up all the tickets and now they are going to rob people. I don't care, it's Billy Joel. I frantically
call cousins to find out their price limit. Nobody cares, we are all in for whatever it costs.

10:30 a.m.
Grrrrr! These other sites are a pain in the arse! Tickets are sold in a certain number of sets and nobody has 3 together. I need 3!!!! Why is this happening???

10:49 a.m.
Still. Searching.

11:17 a.m.
3! I found 3! In a field box, at 3rd base. It's meant to be...

11:20 a.m. "Your tickets have been emailed to the address you provided at checkout."
Sheer relief. I'm going! I paid an obscene amount of money, but I'm going! I. Can't. Wait.





Gold, Silver and Bronze

The Winter Olympics are getting underway in Sochi. Admittedly I am a summer girl all around, but I absolutely love these games! I always find myself watching more of them compared to the Summer Olympics. That's probably because they occur in the dead of winter and there's not much more else to do. I think I'm also drawn to the extreme sports that are involved with this competition. It's all about the daring tricks, twists, jumps, flips, and speed. There are so many breathtaking moments - on the edge of your seat kind of stuff! Stuff I'm way too scared to try and do now, but it sure is fun to watch others try and do it!

 

 

I ordered these mittens a few weeks ago over at www.teamusashop.com. Great way to make a donation to the Olympic hopefuls and support the athletes! 

 

 

 

 



Encore

"The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing."  ~  Walt Disney

Washi What?

Washi tape...it's been my obsession this summer. I first saw it over at A Better Dream and got increasingly intrigued. When I finally got around to asking about it I was sent to Etsy. That in itself opened up a whole new world that I instantly got sucked into. Hours were spent oogling over all the fun patterns until I finally chose a package to "start" with. Just a few days later the mailman delivered it to my front door and I got to work.

I covered some clothespins with the tape for some cute "chip clips." Others got a magnet added to the back and they look great on the fridge holding some photos. I got some skinny dowels at the craft store and cut them down to the size I wanted to make the flags. A few have found their way to some cakes I've made recently, others I put in the dirt of some potted plants. There's so much more you can do with this stuff! I'm just a beginner, starting out, but having fun!

 

Shouldn't You Be Working?

I'm a teacher - so yes, I have the summers off. Over the course of the past few weeks I've noticed some things about the "real working world." Things I've probably been vaguely aware about, but never really paid any attention to. It got me wondering why these workers aren't criticized as much as teachers are.

* Men in 3 piece suits vacuum out their cars in the middle of the work day. I've seen this on more than one occasion. Shouldn't they be in an office somewhere, in a meeting or on a conference call?

* People "step out" alot. Do you know how many times I've called a doctor, etc. and have been told, "Oh they've stepped out for a bit." Stepped out where? In my job I can't step out anywhere without 26 pairs of feet following me.

* Workers for a certain telephone/cable company love to sit in their trucks under a shady tree and read the newspaper.....for hours! Must be nice. I never sit down at my job.

* Workers for competing telephone and cable companies love to park their trucks next to one another in parking lots and shoot the sh*t.....again, for hours! If I'm caught talking to a friend I'm asked what standard am I meeting.

* People take really long lunches! And they certainly don't seem to be in any hurry to get back to their jobs. I'm lucky if I get 15 minutes to eat my lunch AND use the bathroom.

Yes, I have the summers off. Deal with it. I have earned every second of this peace. My guess is that if any of the people who give flak about teachers and their summers off tried to work in the environment I do, they wouldn't last more than twenty minutes.

Taking the Day Off

Every person needs to take one day away. A day in which one consciously separates the past from the future... A day in which no problems are confronted, no solutions searched for. - Maya Angelou



I read this quote in a Real Simple magazine on Tuesday night and it just stuck with me. I decided then and there that I would be taking Wednesday off. A day off from the house phone, cell phone, texting, Facebook, tv, and just dealing with the overall "stuff" of everyday life. I dropped off the grid and went to the beach. (Big surprise!) But I went by myself for the first time this summer. It was a beautiful clear day, so I was able to sit and gaze at the bluffs of my favorite island. I walked the beach, one end to the other scooping up treasures from the ocean. Several naps were taken, because the beach is where I always get my best sleep. An entire book was read and almost half of another! I soaked up the sun and the quiet while snacking on some of my favorite eats. When I returned home I made myself a scrumptious dinner - bacon and eggs! Certainly not 5 star material, but I had been craving it all day. I spent the evening doing some crafting and then took my book to bed at an actual decent hour. I fell asleep with a clear head and a smile on my face. A day away from it all - rejuvenation at its best!

The Art of Saying No

Two measly letters, just one syllable. It's such a simple yet powerful word - but I find myself always having a hard time using it. I always have this incredible guilt trip because I never want to disappoint anyone.  So my first response is to say yes....to everything that comes my way. Then I find myself consumed with more than I can handle which just leads to dreaded anxiety. So the other day, I (gulp)  put my foot down and said no to something. You know what? It felt pretty darn good, almost freeing! It was like this huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders when I said it. I know it's going to continue to be a challenge for me to say it....but I feel like I've taken a step in the right direction!

They say.....

.....that it's never too late to start again!
One of the things on my "summer-to-do-list" was to write again. So here goes, let's see what happens.

I Love You One Million Pecks

I have this aunt that I just simply adore. Her name is Eloise, but she's got nicknames a mile long between being a mom, sister, aunt, grandmother and great-grandmother. I affectionately call her Jelloise - always have since I was a kid. She stands about a peep above 4 feet tall. She's 87, but often behaves like she is 27.....many of us tiring out before she does. She gives these incredible hugs that make you never want to let go.You can't help but smile whenever you think of her. She may be tiny, but boy she's got the heart of a giant. In recent years I've spent more time with her than ever -  because as you grow up you learn to appreciate these special people in your lives more. I love her spirit, our chats and the words she always whispers in your ear to you before you leave ~ "I love you one million pecks."

Go Shorty, It's Your Birthday!

I'm not a big fan of rap music, but 50 Cent's "In Da Club" is one I will admit to enjoying - only because it's fun to car dance to! I couldn't help but smile when it came on the radio today...my actual birthday. It made me think about someone I haven't thought about in a long time. Someone whose nickname for me so long ago was Shorty. We had one of those love/hate relationships for years, and I always thought he might in fact be my soulmate. For various reasons, life took us down different paths and I haven't seen him in years. Had I run into him today though, I would have gotten a resounding "Happy Birthday Shorty!" That's how it was with us ~ days, weeks and sometimes months would go by and we wouldn't see each other. But when we did, it was like we had seen each other just the day before. We were always so easily able to fall right back into our routine of bantering and just being us. It got me thinking about how those people you will always cherish, those that you have the greatest comfort level with and feel safe with , the ones you know will always have your back - are far and few between as you grow older. I'm not quite sure why that is, and this birthday girl didn't dwell too much on that aspect of it all. What I did do though is give thanks for my peeps that will always hold a special place in my heart, and yes....I car danced!

Rock 'n' Roll Mermaid

There's a girl that many say could have been a mermaid in a past life. She's happiest when near any body of water, but her preferred choice is the ocean. It calms and rejuvenates her in a way that nothing else seems to. The other night though, she was reminded that there is something else that fuels her soul - live music. She remembers her first concert ever...Billy Joel, freshman year of high school. From there on she was hooked. She now has a ticket stub collection that could rival the beach treasures collection. Over a span of 30 years there have been many late nights of music. All kinds too.  To name them all would be impossible. Many acts have been seen for free and multiple times due to an old friend with the right connections! So what is it about a live concert that makes the mermaid want to temporarily trade in her tail for some dancing feet?  Sure, part of it is the raw musical talent that she'll never have. The heart stopping beat of the drums, the guitar rips, and the vocal magic she only pretends to have in the shower. But the other night while waiting for the band to take stage she thought of this....You enter this arena, and for a few hours you get to let go and just not think about anything except the messages that are being passed on in song. The words that songwriters have painstakingly written that for whatever reason just hit you and stick. For this mermaid it's a little piece of magic.



Love You The Mostest

Love you the mostest....it's what Niece #2 says to me at the end of each of our phone calls. She lives 500 miles away and I've never gone more than probably three days without talking to she and her sister. This summer the two of them went another 500 miles further away to the woods of Tennessee for camp. I hadn't heard those sweet words for 31 agonizing long days, until last night at precisely 10:02 p.m. I couldn't even talk, I just wanted to listen to their voices that I missed so much. Exhausted as they were, both went on and on about all the fabulous experiences they had and I just soaked it all in. The call ended with the words I love to hear and I slept soundly. All is right in universe again.

Curveballs

I have to work at throwing open the window to the unexpected. In the past month life has thrown me three curveballs. One was a bit expected, but that's not to say it still didn't sting a little. The other two, completely out of nowhere. I know we don't always get what we want, but I'd like to think that we always get what is right for us. These curveballs of life may make us duck or dodge, altering the game plan a little bit along the way. I guess in doing so we get to see things a little differently. You're forced to keep your eyes open to find the gems along the challenging pathway of life. And when all else fails, as my cousin told me the other day.... "you rely on the strength, grace and faith that your grandmother passed on!"

Expect to get sucked into the river of life without a paddle occasionally and maybe even get tossed out of the canoe. Learn to swim and go with the flow.

The Perfect Day

If I could bottle up the perfect day, I'd squeeze yesterday in. It began early in the morning at the beach on the most perfect weather day of the week. The water was crystal clear and waves were great for bodysurfing. Friends stopped by for a swim, others stayed longer and some of us even closed the place down! There were walks, long swims, delicious treats, naps, seaside discoveries and lots of reading. Throw in some great conversations that resulted in hoots of laughter and even some tears, but it was all good stuff! It lead to an impromtu dinner party back at a beach house with some more good company, eats and cocktails. More bonding, chatting and laughter went on into the night. It wasn't until a little after midnight when the last three of us decided that we needed to put a cap on what we deemed the most perfect day of the summer so far. Love those 15 hour sun kissed beach days!

Don't You Just Love A Bargain?

I for one love a bargain, and get quite excited when I happen across a good one. I wouldn't rank myself up there with those on Extreme Couponing, because quite frankly I will never need 27 bottles of ketchup. But I do use coupons, and am always looking for a good deal. I scored two this week! The first was earlier in the week at the Vera Bradley outlet. I had received a $20 coupon good for if you spent $20 or more. (Not a problem.) When entering the store I learned that everything was buy 1, get 1 free. Between the outlet prices, my coupon, and the special sale; I ended up with $100 worth of merchandise for a cool....$26!!  Yesterday's find was at the Christmas Tree Shop. It can be a hit or miss kind of place, with yesterday definitely being a hit! I found these great placemats.



They were marked 1/2 off with the 4th of July decor, the 6 of them cost me a little under $5! I love the colors and the thick fabric. The silver rings on the side make them look a little nautical too. The best part...they are reversible! Don't you just love a bargain?







Driving Miss Daisy

A few days ago I took a quick road trip to Connecticut to visit my godson for the afternoon. I was with said godson's grandmother for the ride and a bit of chit chat. It's a trip I've done hundreds of times over the past 15 years or so. But this particular day I saw things for the first time ever. Flowers on the side of the road, bodies of water I never knew existed, cemetaries, houses up on hills...the list could go on. Why was I seeing this all with such amazement? I wasn't driving! My brain wasn't focused on the craziness of Interstate 95 and my eyes weren't intently paying attention to the road. I was soaking the view in while realizing I need to make myself the passenger more often....or get myself a driver!

Maybe Things Do Happen For A Reason....

I once had a friend who always said that things happen for a reason. It used to drive me crazy, because things would happen and for the life of me I just could not find or see the reason. The whole idea behind that saying is a bit difficult for me to sometimes grasp. However, yesterday I found the words of that very saying actually coming out of my very own mouth.
I was on my favorite island with two cousins for the day. One cousin's work friend also came along. She was a nice enough woman, but a little on the regimented schedule side. It felt a little like I was at summer camp - activity #1, move on....activity #2, move on, etc. Apparently she has never heard the expression, "I'm on island time!" All day she kept stating that we would take the 5:45p.m. ferry back to the mainland. I mentioned at one point that I didn't think there was a 5:45 p.m. ferry, but she was somewhat rudely insistent that there was. I wasn't going to argue with her, because I for one was indeed on island time! The look on her face...standing at the dock.....at 5:45 p.m.....with no ferry in sight...priceless! More time to poke in shops, explore on the beach or climb out on the jetty while we waited for the 7:30 p.m. boat - fantastic! She didn't see it that way, and then I heard myself saying those words. "Oh come on, cheer up....things happen for a reason!" And what was the reason why there wasn't and never will be a 5:45 p.m. ferry? Because then you miss spectacular sights such as this:

Starting From Scratch

You know you haven't blogged for quite some time when you log in and find that everything about creating a post has changed! Eeek! This thing, this blog, this "beast" is something I started over 4 years ago for fun. It has served different purposes for me along the way. There's been bursts of posts,
and then long periods of silence. A friend recently encouraged me to start up again, and so here I am making the pledge to take a go at it and really try to stick with it. Here's to starting from scratch again!

Beach In A Bottle

I'm a person who tends to over think things, so I'm usually not one to impulse buy. It happened though, last fall, while shopping with my oldest niece. Teenagers pretty much operate on impulse from day to day, so I fell victim to her influence! I was chasing her around Nordstrom's as she sniffed every bottle of perfume available when she suddenly shrieked, "You HAVE to have this!! It's you! Your name is all over it, you ARE buying it!" In her hands was this...

Now clearly my name is NOT on it, but I took a sniff anyway. Sweet moses, it literally smelled like the beach in a bottle....and yes, that IS me! I suddenly lost all control and found myself taking out my credit card without even assessing. Before I knew it, we were walking out of the store with a bag that contained a bottle of highly priced liquid Coppertone! But on this blustery day in February, I have no regrets. I can open that bottle and immediately I'm thinking of warm sunshine, the sea breezes and yes... the sand beneath my toes!

Simple Things That Make Me Smile

It's a bunch of pure randomness, but it's all stuff that I simply adore....

* moments of silence

* yummy scents

* hugs

* snowflakes falling through the night sky

* good memories

* music that makes me move

* gratitude

* accents

* the sound of waves crashing

* holiday lights

* humbleness

* that first gulp of oj in the morning

* the feeling I get when the ferry docks on my island

* getting fun mail