Back again, In NJ that is

Travel, work and holiday entertaining--not a good recipe for free time to write. But here I am, back in NJ for a while with only house and garden projects shouting my name. No more Hawaii, Colorado ski fun, or 6 course dinner for a dozen so maybe I'll have a chance to "blog this" once in a while. The various graduation parties, weddings and Bat Mitzvah marked on my spring calendar require my presence (and presents) but not much effort (except for the anticipated wardrobe crisis, but that is another story). Even though air travel sucks it was worth it. I had a blast. So aloha powder hounds, happy spring, and stay tuned, there is more to come.

Aloha....soon

Getting ready to get ready to leave for Hawaii. A little R&R with P&G. I'm packing my flip flops and summer gear. Can't wait...

I felt like an extraterrestrial...

Went to a party last night. Good food, good friends, good conversation and then someone started telling tales from working part-time at Coach in the mall. That is when I felt (drum roll, please) like an extraterrestrial. Confession time, I'm not a big shopper, I don't have daughters and my mother is and always was a practical person. I am not your typical Coach shopper. In fact, I had no idea who was the typical Coach shopper, even though I have friends who carry Coach bags. Then D starts talking about the 11 year old girl that walked in with $150 dollars of her birthday money to buy a Coach bag; the 9 year old who wanted a little clutch but her mother insisted on buying her the bigger one; the woman who couldn't decide which color to buy so she bought both (only $750 for the 2!). Call me crazy (or cheap) but I thought expensive bags like that were for grown ups that didn't lose things on the playground and were the kind of luxury purchase that, if you bought one, would be special and cherished and not thrown in the closet with the rest of your junk. But then what do I know? When I think about spending $300 on something fun, it's not a pocketbook. I buy a plane ticket and take a trip! Bon Voyage to me...

TGIF Squared

Frozen soda explosions, mice in the office, no toilet for a day. It is just one adventure after another when your nonprofit's office is in a 100+ year old house. This week we had the plumbing clog to end all clogs. The plumber was there for over 6 hours trying to ream that sucker out. He broke the toilet in the process and we crossed our legs all day. Just thinking of the bill gives me a headache.
The refrigerator is having 'issues'. It got super cold and froze everything, including the afore mentioned can of soda. Poor M had to clean that up. What a sticky mess! Hoping someone will donate a new refrigerator before the next explosion.
And lets not forget the mice. I went to make a nice cup of tea and found hot chocolate powder all over, nibbled packets, mouse droppings and a general mess. Cleaned it up. Found out someone had discovered a dead mouse the day before but hadn't thought too much of it. An exterminator came but some folks didn't like his methods. (The man was ready to do battle! Those rodents had peed on my tea bags!) Still waiting for the 'approved' exterminator to be called....I guess everyone was too busy... TGIF

I'm Back....

Locked out, lapsed out, timed out of my former space. It has taken a while for me to get back but here goes...

The big news in NJ (besides corruption--wait that isn't news in NJ) is the untypical weather we have been having of late. Mid to high 50's in January and February is not normal weather. Bad for the plants, bad for the skiers but not bad for the gas bill. Nice for long walks, too. Global warming or just a flaky winter? You choose.

Meanwhile, I am having my refrigerator ice dispenser repaired in anticipation of much warmer weather this spring. It is not a big deal that it doesn't work now during hot tea season but there is no reason to wait. Good thing I have the warranty covering parts and labor. The "part" is $740. I say "part" in quotes because what they ordered was an entire new freezer door for my side by side. I told the repairman that he would have been performing CPR on me after hearing that number if I was paying that bill plus labor. Yikes!