Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Once Upon a Time Wednesday

Once upon a time Wednesday is about things from the past. There are many stories in my head that I want to share with my girls. The trip to Ellis Island, thank you very much Liberty Mutual, this summer made me realize that I had to get these stories documented. History is extremely important and fun!  Play along if you want!

Once upon a time, we had a rotary phone in our home (it may have actually been that color). Let me bring you back.... you had to dial the phone by turning the numbers, one at a time and you could hear the little duhduhduhduh as the number reset itself.  Of course this phone was connected to the wall with a very long curly-q cord that would allow you to walk all over the kitchen.

Then we had the push button phone. That was cool! This still included the long cord too. Of course there was no call waiting, no answering machine and no caller ID. Barbaric right? This is the phone I got asked to the prom on. Wandering around the kitchen, twirling the cord, waiting patiently for a certain boy to ask me the most (or second most) important question of my life.

When answering machines came out, my mom was adamant about not getting one. She didn't see why we needed to get a message when someone called. She figured if people needed us and couldn't get us, then they should call back. Now we have voicemail instead of an answering machine.

I got my first cell phone in my 30's. My husband (at the time) had a "bag phone" which was a huge cell phone that pretty much came in a bag and he could transport it from his car to this boat. I was excited to get my cell phone and had him call me from the same room, just so I could answer it!

Since my first cell phone, I have progressed and upgraded to a Blackberry (crackberry) and of course love the fact that I can get my emails, check facebook and twitter and keep a contact list as long as my arm.

Evidently, I am already behind the times. I do not have an iphone or a droid. I have always loved Apple and have had Macs as computers for all of time, so I of course have wanted an iphone for about, forever. I would not get one though because Verizon did not have them and AT&T does not work too well on Cape Cod. Verizon has them now and I am counting the days until my next upgrade.

Guess what the iphone has that I cannot get on my crackberry? This...



Jealousy..... oh jealousy! 2 of my favorite things combined: shopping and an iphone. That's right, you can have an app on your iphone (or droid) that will scan a bar code and tell you if that product is for sale somewhere else cheaper. Seriously, why couldn't I have invented that? Other than the fact that I have no computer know how, but the idea in itself, I totally could have come up with that. It also allows you to buy it right from your iphone (or droid). Crazy.

The world has become a wild place(more and more like the Jetsons!) since I paced around my kitchen, twirling the long code, waiting for those 8 fantastic words, "will you go to the prom with me?". What ever will be next?

Monday, March 28, 2011

Do You Segway?

Yesterday I went on a one hour segway tour of the Boston waterfront with (and thanks to) my sister- Karen, her husband-Dave, my brother-Tommy and his fiance-Jenn.

It was FUNTASTIC!

5 giddy, giggling adults cruising the sidewalks of Boston on segways. Who knew adults could have so much fun?

We arrived at Boston Gliders early so we could catch the info video and learn how to not fall off the segway. The video was simply hysterical. I don't think it was suppose to be so funny, but the guy had a wicked Boston accent and was using Boston references throughout. The main point was to be relaxed while on the segway or "get the hell off". Then we hit the sidewalk to try the gems out. I could do a full cirlce like an ice skater in no time!

Captain Jim-Bo was our tour guide. He was all about having a good time on the segs (yeah, I am that cool that I can now call them that) and he threw in a little history of the waterfront. I handed over my camera to the Segway tour caboose and he took shots while we rode. A helmet cam would have been hysterical. (Next time). Captain Jim had a mic hooked up and we all had receivers and an earplug so we would hear him while we rode.

I couldn't do the trip justice with just a few pictures, so I made you a video. Yeah, I am nice like that.
Keep in mind that it was freezing and windy yesterday. That is why we look like eskimos.

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Friday, March 25, 2011

Frag'n Friday

Mommy's Idea


Fragments are falling on my head.....

*Actually yesterday snow, rain, hail and sunshine were falling on our heads here on Cape Cod. It was defininitely one of those New England weather days.

*B announced that she wanted to be a "reverse gender polygamist" the other day. Huh.

*I was looking back to see what the heck I wrote about in March from years past. This beauty comes from March of 2008:

"What do you get when you combine 5 episodes of My Big Redneck Wedding, eating shepherd's pie on the couch with plastic forks (to keep with the theme), a daughter with a stomach ache that wants to go in an ambulance to the hospital with a side trip to Dairy Queen, a husband that is trimming and grooming the dog (for the 100th time this week), a daughter that is roller blading back in forth saying that she is a 'witch bunny' and a mom that has dipped into the chardonnay?

Yup, you got it..... a rainy Saturday night in March on Cape Cod. Yeeeee-haaaaa!"

*If you are looking for something fun to do next Saturday on Cape Cod, and are near Chatham.....
At Chatham Coffee there will be a jump rope demo, treats and a kick ass raffle between 10-12. 


*Tomorrow is my birthday and I am going to try to convince my brother to dry my nails while I paint them like he did when I was a senior in High School.

*Happy Weekend!

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Sundays in My City

Sundays in My City is brought to  you by Unknown Mami. Today's picture is really a video because I thought it would give you a better sense of the 9 hours I spent in a gym watching jump rope yesterday. B is the one with black sneakers on and I added a little music because it's more fun that way. They did mess up a bit in the beginning, but pulled a 3rd place out of it for their age group!

Friday, March 18, 2011

Frag'n Friday

Mommy's Idea


Friday is the day to spill some random thoughts and make a post. Hmmm, sounds good to me :)

*Tomorrow, B, has a jump rope tournament that will last from 8-5, in a gym.... with lots of kids....... with no air, ack.....

*Charlie Sheen, I know, I am sorry to bring him up. He is performing? in Boston in April and the tickets are going for outrageous amounts of money. Actually all you can get now are single tickets. Oy.

*Tonight, the moon was rising on one side of the house, the sun was setting on the other and it was after 7! How fabulous is that?

*Corned beef is really cheap at the grocery store now and the stuff lasts forever! Score!

*Do you ever crack up at who is following you on twitter and how they found you? College Planning is now following me. 5 more years and haven't a clue how to send them to college without serious financial aid. How does College Planning know this?

*I was in a gift type store the other day downtown and they were playing an old U2 cd. Haha, it is funny how music can bring you back to the time it was released!

*Had a green bagel for lunch yesterday, which is par for the course. My mom would send us to school (since I don't know when) with green bagels and tuna or cream cheese for lunch on St. Patrick's Day. Our friends would gag, but my brother, sister and I would think it was hysterical (and normal).

My girls had a green bagel with cream cheese, cucumber and ranch dressing and teddy graham sandwiches with green frosting in between for lunch. Mmmm, green!

*Little dude got to spend most of the day yesterday outside with his trucks. Pure heaven for him!
*Happy Weekend!!!

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Sitter Mixer!

A week from tonight there is a very innovative, fun party going on at the Kiddie Kollege Earlly Learning Center in Hyannis. It is a sitter mixer. OK, OK, I can hear you all saying, "A what?". A sitter mixer is a convienent way for babysitters to find families and families to find babysitters. Where was this when my girls were little? Plus this special mom's night out includes SWAG! That's right, you get to go home with a bag of goodies and a list of potential babysitters that you have actually already met! Win win!













You’ve never had so much fun searching for a babysitter!
Sitter Mixer is coming to the Cape! 
Meryl's Music and Arts and Michelle LaRowe, the Cape Cod Baby Planner are pleased to be co-sponsoring a new event to help moms and babysitters find each other in a fun and convenient way!  The Sitter Mixer will be held on Thursday, March 24th from 7 pm - 9 pm at Kiddie Kollege Early Learning Center in Hyannis. The atmosphere at a Sitter Mixer is part-cocktail-party, part-speed-dating, part-job-fair, and all fun!  In one night you will be able to meet and interview multiple, qualified sitters from your local area and walk away with your very own Sitter Match Book with the complete resumes, references and contact information for sitters specifically matched to your family’s individual needs.  Imagine having a notebook full of awesome sitters ready and waiting to care for your children– it’s every mom’s dream!  But the fun doesn’t end there…  In addition to mingling with amazing babysitters, you will enjoy a relaxing night of “retail therapy” with our fantastic “Sitter Mixer Boutique” of fabulous, local vendors showcasing mom-owned businesses from all over the Cape.  Get your thrills winning raffle prizes, and walk away with a terrific swag bag chock-full of freebies, coupons, and samples.  Registration is $39 for moms, $5 for sitters. 
Spaces are limited and pre-registration is required. For more information or to register, visit www.sittermixer.com.
*As Cape Cod Turns Blog readers get 20% off registration, use the coupon code "capeturns20off" to get your discount at checkout.

I am giving away a free registration to one mom and one babysitter. Please leave a comment here or on my Facebook page, preferably saying how awesome this idea is and if you are a mom or babysitter! Leave your email address with your comment if you don't think I have it already. I will pick a winner Saturday night at 5. If you are not my "free" winners, you are still a winner because you still get 20% off of your registration! Everyone wins!

*I did not recieve anything for writing this review. I just think it is a fabulous idea!!!

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Once Upon a Time Wednesday

Once upon a time Wednesday is about things from the past. There are many stories in my head that I want to share with my girls. The trip to Ellis Island, thank you very much Liberty Mutual, this summer made me realize that I had to get these stories documented. History is extremely important and fun!  Play along if you want!

Once upon a time, I was not very smart when it came to science. Who am I kidding? I am still not a science maven. I would have made a kick ass nurse if I could have gotten through biology. Anyway, my school science career came rushing back to me last night as I was trying to assist K in an 8th grade science project.

Let's review:
7th grade science: This is where I learned that you could use scissors to cut pizza. God I hope my science teacher washed the scissors before she started snipping at the pizza. That was before I was a germaphobe.

8th grade science: Would sneak peaks at lab notebook during tests. No I do not recommend this (especially if my girls are reading this).

9th grade science: Lots of beakers and stuff.

10th grade science: Chemistry. My first D on my report card. And a female teacher who favored boys.

11th grade science: Anatomy. Loved it, but it was not easy. Dissected fetal pig.

12th grade science: Did I take any science that year? Who knows. I am pretty sure if I didn't have to, I didn't.

College science: I so tried in 18 different ways to Sunday to not take science, but had to at my liberal arts college. I took physics 101 thinking it would be easy. Nope. Sucked.

So all this experience led to the 3 of us sitting on the kitchen floor last night, willing K's thing on wheels to go down a ramp and go exactly 60 inches. The thing would go past the line, we would adjust the ramp, it wouldn't go as far as the line, adjust again and it would go past the line.... are you getting the picture? Back and forth, forth and back with K whimpering, B laughing and me drinking.

In my mind's eye, I  could see all my science teachers mocking me. Then K said the thing that hurt the most... I wish Daddy was here because he would know what to do. Ouch.

*As a side note, after 20 tries in school today, she got the (damn) thing to work. I am hoping the teacher gives her an A for effort and me a break on science projects that need to be built at home.

Monday, March 14, 2011

Ouch, Writer's Cramp

It has been brought to my attention that I haven't posted in a week (thanks, Mom).

I am experiencing a little bit of writers block, let's call it writer's cramp. I am having a problem coming up with anything witty to write. I know, it surprises me too.

I am also feeling a sense of restlessness. I am sure my therapist would say I am not dealing with something deep inside of my conscious. I am pretty sure he would be right, but since I am avoiding "thinking" I am getting a lot of organizing and cleaning done. The weather is starting to get nicer which equals beach time which means I will not have the desire (or time) to clean until the fall.


I have also been glued to the TV watching the horror in Japan. I can't even imagine.

So, today I will work on finding something funny, clever and witty. I must break this streak, my fingers are atrophying from lack of typing.

Monday, March 7, 2011

Hop Aboard the Train (the crazy train)...

A train leaves the station, goes over hills and valleys, goes across the plains, starts to pick up speed and suddenly seems to careen out of control. It's going faster and faster, but it is headed toward a wall. You want to look away, but you know that train is going to hit that wall and you just don't understand why it doesn't slam on the brakes.

Charlie Sheen is that train.

I can't look away.

I know that there are much more important things going on in the world that deserve more press, but Americans love a good 'train wreck'. It's fodder for the water cooler, for FB, for swim meets, for the grocery store, for all the morning shows.... you get the picture. For whatever reason, watching Hollywood fall is compelling.

Two and a Half Men is one of my favorite TV sitcoms. It was better for about the first 5 years because it wasn't as raunchy as it has become now. It does seem to follow Charlie Sheen's real life. Were they right to pull the plug for the last 4 episodes of the season? I think so.

It seems that Charlie Sheen has been more popular and famous now that his show has been canned. He has over 2 million twitter followers, a live web show and has been on all the morning shows repeatedly.

Seemingly, he is winning.

His "tiger blood and adonis DNA" are working for him.

Sober Valley Lodge seems to be a great place to hang out. Oh wait, one of the godesses left the building leaving him with only the porn star godess. And his kids were removed. And seriously, how long can he "party" without what he once partied with?

He tatooed "winning" on his wrist this weekend.

Some of his tweets are interesting/disturbing/amusing...

Face it folks, you just feel better when you say it. 



This Warlock is in the breach. Poised. T - minus 51 mins. read my tigerblood dripping lips; you've been warned. 


It has all of us within it's pages. most Twitter followers EVER, 24 hr period. they should change it's title; "The Guinness Book of Us"



So, since  I started writing this, Charlie has been actually FIRED from Two and a 1/2 men. I wouldn't call that winning, but of course he does. He is also looking for a social media (paid) intern. Who better than bloggers/ facebookers and tweeters to apply for this? I wonder what it pays? Does it include benefits? For example, one of the "winning" t-shirts his camp is selling right now? 

I would wish for Charlie, a smooth train ride that did not have a wall at the end of the rail. To be continued.....








Saturday, March 5, 2011

Friday Fragments (Saturday Edition)

Welcome to Fridays where fragments are all the rage.

Mommy's Idea

*This was a headline of the Cape Cod news brief I get emailed to me every morning.


Cape Cod MSPCA over run by guinea pigs
The lesson here: Always check the gender of your guinea pigs.

I like their sense of humor.

*I am currently obsessed with the crazy train called Charlie Sheen. This is the funniest video I have seen in a long time!!! (It's only a minute long, go check it out, I'll wait)

*I started this yesterday morning and this is how far I got. Seriously, things shouldn't be more important than putting up a post.

*K is learning how to be "on camera" for the next 3 Saturdays. She is going to be famous some day. Mark my word.

*B has a huge swim meet tomorrow. She is super excited for it.

*I am going over the bridge today! For you unfamiliar with Cape Cod, it means getting off the Cape and hitting civilization otherwise known as Target. I am also going to watch my future sister in law get fitted for her wedding gown. Actually I think they will fit the gown around her, not the other way around. And, no she didn't get it at Target.

*I think I'll go vacuum out the pine needles left over from my Christmas tree in my car this morning. Yeah, it's about time.

*Gas prices are making me want to cry.

*B, K and I are going to see Bruno Mars in concert in May for K's birthday! We want to bedazzle tshirts, Melisa want to help me out with this?


*Happy Friday/Saturday/Sunday!!!

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Once Upon a Time Wednesday

Once upon a time Wednesday is about things from the past. There are many stories in my head that I want to share with my girls. The trip to Ellis Island, thank you very much Liberty Mutual, this summer made me realize that I had to get these stories documented. History is extremely important and fun!  Play along if you want!

Once upon a time, way back when I was in 8th grade (1980 people, do the math), my social studies teacher had all of us make a time capsule. We made it the first week of school and opened it some time during the last week of 8th grade. Well, B found it the other day and had a field day laughing at her 8th grade mom. (And yes, of course I saved it.)

Here it is, a little smelly and crumpled in an old tissue box.


Need a closer look at the smokin' hot 8th grader on the first day of school? Here you go:


1980 was during the preppy explosion. I am surprised I am not wearing 2 Izod shirts with the collars popped. Sweet chinos too, right? And to complete the look, a bag made just for me by mom.

Giggle all you want now, it gets even better. As I mentioned yesterday, I was a huge Red Sox fan. (Still am, just not fanatical). There were quite a few baseball cards in the box, a stat sheet cut from the Boston Globe from September 8,  and some magazine pictures of my favorite Red Sox. To even out my love of baseball, I also had quite a few ski racing pictures. So I was a total jock.

B pulled out a piece of string and asked why the heck I was saving a silly piece of string and I said that it was how tall I was in 8th grade. She thought that was pretty cool and immediately measured herself against it and found out that I was a good 3 inches shorter than her back then (and she's in 6th grade!).

The best things in the box were the questions I had to answer.
Name 3 people you respect:
1. Fred Lynn: I respect him because he's an awesome baseball player and someday I hope I could play as good as him. Evidently I was a dreamer in 8th grade too.
2. Ingemar Stenmark: I respect him because he's a massive skier. Someday I'm gong to win as many World Cups and Gold Medals as he did. Now that would have been something!
3. Carl Yastrzemski: I respect him because no one I know at age 41 still be playing baseball as well as he is. He is the only one I know (or seen) to make 400/3000. Smart ass B asked if that was how much money he made and I said no, those were homerun/something stats all before the steroid years.

Name 5 boys you think are cute:
Did I make up this question or did the SS teacher seriously ask us to write this? I cracked up at my answers because 3 of the 5 were "bad boys".

My 5 best friends:
Melissa Clark
Amy Potts
Carol Ventola
Kerry Lynch
Joyce Kreie
I happen to know that at least 2 of those people read my blog and  I am friends with 4 on Facebook.

Places I would like to go:
Colorado
Utah
Vermont
Switzerland
Huh? Vermont and Switzerland in the same grouping?

5 things I would like to accomplish this year:
1, Win at least 2nd place in a ski race.
2. Make the softball team.
3. Get an A in SS and English.
4. Get a B in Math/Science.
5. Go out with at least one boy.
6. Make an A+ in Gym.
Evidently I was an overachiever because I wrote 6 things instead of 5. An A+ in gym. I wonder if I reached that goal? And I did go out with one boy who was on my list of 5 boys I thought were cute for a total of 3 1/2 days. We were better as friends and had nothing to say to each other as boyfriend/girlfriend.

I may have to do this with the girls just so their children have something to laugh hysterically at years from now.

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Less Than 6 Degrees of Similarity



B started swimming on the team at the Y in September. She has made many friends and has improved in her swimming tenfold. It has been very fun to watch. But it hasn't been all about her.

I jumped into the swim parent arena not knowing a soul. It was OK. We all had a common reason for being at the Y for one hour, 3 nights a week. I started learning people's names and matching them with which kid they belonged to in the pool. We were a group of parents from all over the Cape, but we began to find common bonds with less than 6 degrees of separation. A few months into the season, 2 of B's friends from school joined the team as well. I was already very good friends with their parents, so it was easy to bring them into the "swim" fold.

What have I learned about these new friends?

*Lee once worked at the May School. The same school that brought me to the Cape with my first real job. Suzy worked there, too. One day we had a field day going through the "did you know so and so"game!

*Laurie was in an almost deadly car accident 8 years ago and already knew Lee because Lee was her OT.

*Laurie's husband Bob works with Suzy's brother.

*Bob LOVES York Peppermint Patties.

*Mark is the mayor of the pool and can fill you in on anything you need to know.

*Dan videos his son every single night, but is also a wealth of info about the team.

*Men can have hour long conversations about septic systems.

*George did some of the remodel on Lee's kitchen.

BUT.... what I learned the other night was the best of all! Lee and I are sole sisters because we worshipped the Red Sox in the late 70's. We were one upping each other with stories for one hour. It was hysterical. We went from sending Carlton Fisk birthday cards every year, to asking Fred Lynn to an 8th grade dance, to kissing Rick Burleson's mailbox, to making scrapbooks of the team, to keeping stats for every game, to comparing who we had signed autographs of, to who lived in our town, well you get the idea..... It all started because I had been going through some old pictures and found a bunch of my Red Sox paraphernalia and brought it up while we were watching swim practice.

I am not sure where I am going with all this except to say that I am so grateful for meeting all these new friends this year. They have provided me with hours of laughs and a bond into a "new" group. My advice is, jump into a new situation and put yourself out there. You never know who you are going to meet and you just might find someone who  is less than 6 degrees similar to you.