I woke up this morning and stumbled into the bathroom to find a neon green sticky note on the mirror. It said:
Good morning my love,
This morning as I kissed you on the head,
I thought of you as you laid there in bed
You are so lovely and sweet,
And there is no one else I'd rather greet
-Mulletman
Now ain't that sweeeeet?! *sniffle*
**************************************
Mulletman and I have indeed decided to sign up for this year's 180 mile Trek Across Maine cycling event. Consequently, I spent HOURS this morning online updating my Groovy Trekkers blog and my Trek Across Maine Squidoo Page. Please humor me by going to visit both of them!
(Warning: The begging for money will ensue as soon as I get the donation links up in my sidebar here, so SAVE UP YOUR POCKET CHANGE!)
**************************************
I am considering changing Girly-Girl's name to Contrary-Girl. She is at that exasperating stage of "maturity" that makes us occasionally consider permanent relocation of said child. (Hey Funsocksgirl, You want I should send you a long term houseguest????)
I say "black", she says "white". I say "yes" she says "no". Please observe her subtle non-logic:
GroovyMom: (In an uncharacteristically quiet voice) Hey Sweetie! It's time to get up!
ContraryGirl: (uncharacteristically glaring) I've been awake for hours. I didn't sleep ALL NIGHT!
GroovyMom: Oh...I'm sorry you had a tough night.
ContraryGirl: It wasn't tough!
GroovyMom: But you said you didn't sleep well.
ContraryGirl: I slept FINE!
um OK...Let's fast-forward to breakfast time
ContraryGirl: What's for breakfast?
GroovyMom: How about some apple oatmeal?
ContraryGirl: I want an English Muffin!
GroovyMom: (with raised brows) "May I please have an English Muffin instead?"
ContraryGirl: (mumbling) May I please have an English Muffin instead?
GroovyMom: Well, if you want to fix it yourself, you could have that and a banana.
ContraryGirl: I hate bananas!
GroovyMom: You ate a banana on your Cheerios yesterday...I didn't hear you complaining then.
ContraryGirl: I only like bananas in smoothies.
GroovyMom: So that was a Cheerio smoothie?
ContraryGirl: (glares)
Later in the day:
GroovyMom: Girly-Girl, I need you to go up and play piano now.
ContraryGirl: I hate piano!
GroovyMom: Oh you do, do you? Is that why you spend 45 minutes up in the music room every day practicing, composing (she really does compose), singing, and asking Silly-Head to come up and hear what you're learning?
ContraryGirl: (glares)
OY!!!
Of course, that's not her only face. When I specifically point out she's being rude and contrary, she's usually very contrite - genuinely so. She can be helpful and thoughtful and sweet and funny, but some days - oh mercy -she's a real buggar!
*************************************
SUCCESS IS MINE!!!!
Prevention Magazine as selected me as a Flat Belly Diet success story. :-D You can see how far I've come on my Prevention Buzz Blog. Only 10 pounds to go! Woot!
**************************************
Well, it's time for taxes. I've been doing ours ever since day 1 and usually we have our return before most other folks have filed. I'll need to do that this week. Although Mulletman keeps meaning to redo his W-4, he keeps forgetting. Consequently, we always, ALWAYS get a substantial tax return. This year it's a good thing because we have some large expenses coming up in the way of home maintenance. We have to paint/stain the entire exterior and we need to finally give in and buy a whole house purifier. Yep, the ole arsenic and sulfer are starting to get to us!
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I never really did any writing in January, even though I had planned on a lofty 50,000 words. However, I am intending to keep plugging away at my YA novels with 500 words per day in February. It should be easy what with the murder and all...
Showing posts with label romance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label romance. Show all posts
30 January 2009
08 August 2008
It All Depends on How Ya Look at it...
Groovy has been rushing around the house doing some serious cleaning and rearranging in preparation for August company, a 50th wedding anniversary party, and a new school year. Because they have a dinner engagement for the evening, she has just finished putting the delectable crunch topping on a large pan of blueberry dessert. She is just turning to open the door to the preheated oven when...
Mulletman: (...as he breezes into the kitchen and slides to a stop.) How long will that take to bake?
Groovy: (preoccupied...Groovy's thoughts are focused on oiling the sewing machine and dusting/vacuuming the upstairs rooms before Notcon4med and Co. arrive on Monday.)
Huh? Oooooh, this? I dunno. I s'pose about an hour. ( Suddenly Groovy becomes suspicious. Mulletman seems way too interested in this bit of culinary art.) Why?
Mulletman: Well, I gotta go run some errands.
Groovy: (Trying to look interested; the stoneware pan is getting heavy!) And?
Mulletman: Well, I was thinking that if Mom would agree to watch the girls, you could come with me. Maybe we could get coffee!
Groovy: (Glancing at the clock. If they are going to stop at the library on the way to the noisy-house-with-many-young-boys, they need to leave in exactly 2 hours.) Where are you thinking of going?
Mulletman: I need to pick up a well testing kit and take the recycling and then stop by the grocery store to pick up milk and toilet paper. Oh, and if you come, we'll get coffee too and maybe price some evergreens to fill in that bald spot on the perimeter of the yard. (He smiles hopefully.) So, you think you can come?
Groovy: Um... ( Puckering up her face as considers. She really does have alot to do. The baking, the cleaning, the oiling - she was going to do those while the dessert baked. And, to top it all off, she HATES running errands and, knowing Mulletman, he's grossly underestimating how long the whole trip will take. Likely it would push them into being late for dinner. Worse yet, she'd still be stuck with doing all that cleaning tomorrow and tomorrow is already scheduled within an inch of 24. Sometimes it was wearing being married to such a needy man!)
No honey, I've got so much to do. I think I'll just stay here and get it done.
Mulletman slumps away...
****************************************
Same Scene, Different Perspective:
Groovy has been rushing around the house doing some serious cleaning and rearranging in preparation for August company, a 50th wedding anniversary party, and a new school year. Because they have a dinner engagement for the evening, she has just finished putting the delectable crunch topping on a large pan of blueberry dessert. She is just turning to open the door to the preheated oven when...
Mulletman: (...as he breezes into the kitchen and slides to a stop.) How long will that take to bake?
Groovy: (preoccupied...Groovy's thoughts are focused on oiling the sewing machine and dusting/vacuuming the upstairs rooms before Notcon4med and Co. arrive on Monday.)
Huh? Oooooh, this? I dunno. I s'pose about an hour. ( Suddenly Groovy becomes suspicious. Mulletman seems way too interested in this bit of culinary art.) Why?
Mulletman: Well, I gotta go run some errands.
Groovy: (Trying to look interested; the stoneware pan is getting heavy!) And?
Mulletman: Well, I was thinking that if Mom would agree to watch the girls, you could come with me. Maybe we could get coffee!
Groovy: (Glancing at the clock. If they are going to stop at the library on the way to the noisy-house-with-many-young-boys, they need to leave in exactly 2 hours.) Where are you thinking of going?
Mulletman: I need to pick up a well testing kit and take the recycling and then stop by the grocery store to pick up milk and toilet paper. Oh, and if you come, we'll get coffee too and maybe price some evergreens to fill in that bald spot on the perimeter of the yard. (He smiles hopefully.) So, you think you can come?
Groovy: ( Puckering up her face as considers. She really does have alot to do. The baking, the cleaning, the oiling - she was going to do those while the dessert baked. And, to top it all off, she HATES running errands and... Suddenly a realization dawns on her busy, distracted mind. The man wants to spend time alone. WITH HER. Her sweet husband is hinting that he wants an impromptu date. He has even figured out a way for instant babysitting. AND he's willing to spring for coffee. Alot of women would trade their eye teeth for a husband like that!
It's time to employ Semper Gumbi!
Decisively, she sets down the pan of blueberry crunch and turns the oven off.)
Sure, why not? If we get running late, we'll just throw the library books in the depository bin an get new books on another day. Let's go!
And they lived Happily Ever After!
The Scene:
The Name Game (stolen from Marianne)
1.Your rock star name (first pet, current car)
Spookie Villager (oooooo. I like it!)
2. Your gangsta name (favorite ice cream flavor, favorite type of shoe)
Homemade Strawberry Sneaker (Careful, homefries. I have a knife and I know how to use it!)
3. Your Native American name (favorite color, favorite animal)
Cranberry Nubian
4. Your soap opera name (middle name, city where you were born)
Lynn Willoughby
5. Your Star Wars name (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 of your first name)
Grunsh
6. Superhero name (2nd favorite color, favorite drink)
Bittersweet Coffee (throw some sugar in that, will ya?)
7. NASCAR name (the first names of your grandfathers)
Hell-ooo. Disfunctional family. I don't know my grandfathers' names!
8. Dancer name (the name of your favorite perfume/cologne/scent, favorite candy)
Lavender Truffle (Hey...I'm not THAT kind of dancer! snicker*giggle)
9. TV weather anchor name (your 5th grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter)
Draper Detroit
10. Spy name (your favorite season/holiday, flower)
Autumn Violet (Sounds better than Day-after-Christmas Daisy!)
11. Cartoon name (favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now)
Watermelon Sweater (Yes, a sweater in August...Let's not talk about it, please.)
12. Hippie name (what you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree)
FruitCrunch Crabapple (*SNORT*)
13. Movie star name (first pet, first street where you lived)
Spookie Mentor-on-the-Lake
Mulletman: (...as he breezes into the kitchen and slides to a stop.) How long will that take to bake?
Groovy: (preoccupied...Groovy's thoughts are focused on oiling the sewing machine and dusting/vacuuming the upstairs rooms before Notcon4med and Co. arrive on Monday.)
Huh? Oooooh, this? I dunno. I s'pose about an hour. ( Suddenly Groovy becomes suspicious. Mulletman seems way too interested in this bit of culinary art.) Why?
Mulletman: Well, I gotta go run some errands.
Groovy: (Trying to look interested; the stoneware pan is getting heavy!) And?
Mulletman: Well, I was thinking that if Mom would agree to watch the girls, you could come with me. Maybe we could get coffee!
Groovy: (Glancing at the clock. If they are going to stop at the library on the way to the noisy-house-with-many-young-boys, they need to leave in exactly 2 hours.) Where are you thinking of going?
Mulletman: I need to pick up a well testing kit and take the recycling and then stop by the grocery store to pick up milk and toilet paper. Oh, and if you come, we'll get coffee too and maybe price some evergreens to fill in that bald spot on the perimeter of the yard. (He smiles hopefully.) So, you think you can come?
Groovy: Um... ( Puckering up her face as considers. She really does have alot to do. The baking, the cleaning, the oiling - she was going to do those while the dessert baked. And, to top it all off, she HATES running errands and, knowing Mulletman, he's grossly underestimating how long the whole trip will take. Likely it would push them into being late for dinner. Worse yet, she'd still be stuck with doing all that cleaning tomorrow and tomorrow is already scheduled within an inch of 24. Sometimes it was wearing being married to such a needy man!)
No honey, I've got so much to do. I think I'll just stay here and get it done.
Mulletman slumps away...
****************************************
Same Scene, Different Perspective:
Groovy has been rushing around the house doing some serious cleaning and rearranging in preparation for August company, a 50th wedding anniversary party, and a new school year. Because they have a dinner engagement for the evening, she has just finished putting the delectable crunch topping on a large pan of blueberry dessert. She is just turning to open the door to the preheated oven when...
Mulletman: (...as he breezes into the kitchen and slides to a stop.) How long will that take to bake?
Groovy: (preoccupied...Groovy's thoughts are focused on oiling the sewing machine and dusting/vacuuming the upstairs rooms before Notcon4med and Co. arrive on Monday.)
Huh? Oooooh, this? I dunno. I s'pose about an hour. ( Suddenly Groovy becomes suspicious. Mulletman seems way too interested in this bit of culinary art.) Why?
Mulletman: Well, I gotta go run some errands.
Groovy: (Trying to look interested; the stoneware pan is getting heavy!) And?
Mulletman: Well, I was thinking that if Mom would agree to watch the girls, you could come with me. Maybe we could get coffee!
Groovy: (Glancing at the clock. If they are going to stop at the library on the way to the noisy-house-with-many-young-boys, they need to leave in exactly 2 hours.) Where are you thinking of going?
Mulletman: I need to pick up a well testing kit and take the recycling and then stop by the grocery store to pick up milk and toilet paper. Oh, and if you come, we'll get coffee too and maybe price some evergreens to fill in that bald spot on the perimeter of the yard. (He smiles hopefully.) So, you think you can come?
Groovy: ( Puckering up her face as considers. She really does have alot to do. The baking, the cleaning, the oiling - she was going to do those while the dessert baked. And, to top it all off, she HATES running errands and... Suddenly a realization dawns on her busy, distracted mind. The man wants to spend time alone. WITH HER. Her sweet husband is hinting that he wants an impromptu date. He has even figured out a way for instant babysitting. AND he's willing to spring for coffee. Alot of women would trade their eye teeth for a husband like that!
It's time to employ Semper Gumbi!
Decisively, she sets down the pan of blueberry crunch and turns the oven off.)
Sure, why not? If we get running late, we'll just throw the library books in the depository bin an get new books on another day. Let's go!
And they lived Happily Ever After!
The Scene:
The Name Game (stolen from Marianne)
1.Your rock star name (first pet, current car)
Spookie Villager (oooooo. I like it!)
2. Your gangsta name (favorite ice cream flavor, favorite type of shoe)
Homemade Strawberry Sneaker (Careful, homefries. I have a knife and I know how to use it!)
3. Your Native American name (favorite color, favorite animal)
Cranberry Nubian
4. Your soap opera name (middle name, city where you were born)
Lynn Willoughby
5. Your Star Wars name (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 of your first name)
Grunsh
6. Superhero name (2nd favorite color, favorite drink)
Bittersweet Coffee (throw some sugar in that, will ya?)
7. NASCAR name (the first names of your grandfathers)
Hell-ooo. Disfunctional family. I don't know my grandfathers' names!
8. Dancer name (the name of your favorite perfume/cologne/scent, favorite candy)
Lavender Truffle (Hey...I'm not THAT kind of dancer! snicker*giggle)
9. TV weather anchor name (your 5th grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter)
Draper Detroit
10. Spy name (your favorite season/holiday, flower)
Autumn Violet (Sounds better than Day-after-Christmas Daisy!)
11. Cartoon name (favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now)
Watermelon Sweater (Yes, a sweater in August...Let's not talk about it, please.)
12. Hippie name (what you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree)
FruitCrunch Crabapple (*SNORT*)
13. Movie star name (first pet, first street where you lived)
Spookie Mentor-on-the-Lake
26 October 2007
Been Sucked In...
Whoa. Sorry folks.
I've been meaning to post a fascinating discourse on the superiority of running shoes over cross-trainers (or something equally poignant), but I have been sucked into a swirling vortex of dialogue and action and humor.
I won a free ebook from Marianne and...wow...it's really good!
I highly recommend it.
It's clean, it's twisted, it's funny, it's exciting...everything you'd expect groovy ole me to enjoy and espouse.
The title? Pi and the Fabulosa (Slightly Married) Twenty-Four Hour Man by Dana Mentink.
You can get your copy at The Wild Rose Press for only $5!!!!
Just type Dana's name in the search hooey and you'll find it easy enough.
I never knew romance could be so exciting... Now I need to go so I can find out what (else) has happened to Giselle!
***************
EDIT
***************
I just finished it. That book is one of the bestest roller coaster rides I've ever been on (even if she did spell "confident" as "confidant" - darn those spell checkers!)!
Hopefully it will lend some postiive vibes to MY upcoming novel...
T-6 days and counting to NaNoWriMo.
I've been meaning to post a fascinating discourse on the superiority of running shoes over cross-trainers (or something equally poignant), but I have been sucked into a swirling vortex of dialogue and action and humor.
I won a free ebook from Marianne and...wow...it's really good!
I highly recommend it.
It's clean, it's twisted, it's funny, it's exciting...everything you'd expect groovy ole me to enjoy and espouse.
The title? Pi and the Fabulosa (Slightly Married) Twenty-Four Hour Man by Dana Mentink.
You can get your copy at The Wild Rose Press for only $5!!!!
Just type Dana's name in the search hooey and you'll find it easy enough.
I never knew romance could be so exciting... Now I need to go so I can find out what (else) has happened to Giselle!
***************
EDIT
***************
I just finished it. That book is one of the bestest roller coaster rides I've ever been on (even if she did spell "confident" as "confidant" - darn those spell checkers!)!
Hopefully it will lend some postiive vibes to MY upcoming novel...
T-6 days and counting to NaNoWriMo.
10 April 2007
Day 2 of Our Groovy Anniversary Adventures
A Wayside Breakfast
Our second day started out with a fabulous full breakfast in one of the brighter dining rooms. I had whole-grain pancakes (Mulletman had french toast) with good coffee, fresh fruit, freshly squeezed OJ and terrific sausage (homemade?) and bacon; all were quite delicious!
At first we had the whole room to ourselves, but then another couple came in. They were friendly and since they were from the area, they gave us several tips on where to go and what to see. Mm talked freely with them, but I felt a little nervous. I kept wondering if they were from Room 3!
A Look at the Grounds
After breakfast we loaded up the car and then took some time to walk the grounds and see all the old buildings. The grist mill and schoolhouse (of Mary Had a Little Lamb fame) were still closed, but that didn't stop us (Note: The sign says, "Closed for the Season". Ooops!):
Hmmm. What is an eyelash curler doing outside the coach house?
Well, it was time to go, so I kissed Henry good-bye and off we went...
Charlie Cards
After we'd worn ourselves out with walking and joking and photo taking, we headed out for our hotel in Woburn, MA. It was quite economical (especially with our AAA discount) and was clean and comfortable. We checked in, grabbed a map and zipped our car over to the parking garage for the "T" system - Boston's subway.
After much debate, we had decided that since we were child-free, we should see the grown-up sites that would bore them to tears. Then, when we come back -which we're sure we will - we can hit the incredible kid-friendly attractions like the zoo and the aquarium and the children's and science museums. Consequently, our first objective was the JFK Library and Museum.
But first, we had to traverse this loooooong, cold sky-tunnel to get from the garage to the station. Mm figured that it was at least 2 football fields in length!
Next we had to figure out how to use the T. This was easier said than done. We couldn't see an info or ticket/token booth anywhere. There were just some automatic teller machine thingies that wanted our "Charlie Card". O.K...sure.
We stood and stared blankly at said machines for untold moments of precious time. We had absolutely no idea what a Charlie Card was or how/where to get one. We had no idea how much the fare was. We had no idea if we were still in America because all the personnel in the area were dark-skinned and spoke foreign languages.
Finally, a very sweet man with a mop in hand felt pity on us and came to our rescue. First he tried to explain in VERY broken English how the system worked. Now our blank stares were focused on him. Finally, he realized that we weren't "getting it" and abruptly turned away. We thought he'd given up on us, so we turned our gaping faces back to the big, scary, undecipherable machines. Then, he reappeared, smiling and waving a card in his hand.
"Charlie Card for YOU!" he insisted. Then he showed us how to charge it on the machine and pay our fare. I was ready to hug him, but had to settle for calling out a heartfelt "God bless you!" because Mulletman was already dragging me toward the station platform.
Destination JFK
Happily, the maps were quite clear and easy to follow so we got to the stop for JFK with no further difficulty. Yep. We got to the stop. Now there was a new quandary, how do we actually get to the library/museum?
Being the astute tourists that we are, we followed signs that said "JFK Shuttle" and found ourselves at a bus-stop. To our great joy we discovered that the shuttle was FREE. Huzzah!
The JFK Library and Museum is HUGE; We spent four hours there! We're not particularly big Kennedy fans, but I was amazed to learn how much he'd done during his administration. I shivered through the film about the Cuban Missile Crisis and I cried when Walter Cronkite got teary announcing his assassination. I was particularly interested in how much he and his family did to improve the plight of the mentally ill.
The only pic I took in the museum was this one of the atrium. I like the artsiness of it!
I hate to say it, but our favorite part of the museum was the snack bar. We were expecting high prices and low quality. Instead, we bought both our lunches and beverages for just over $7 total and the food was homemade and unexpectedly wonderful!
Rubes in Rush Hour
We had thought about going into the North End of Boston and taking a tour on one of the famous Ducks (amphibious vehicles), but we were both feeling pretty tired and we had BIG plans for the next day, so we bailed out.
We were a bit surprised how crowded the shuttle was on the return to the T. We were even more surprised at the crowds on the subway...Oh, goody. We were returning during rush hour!
We had to ride all the way back standing up. It took me two stops before I realized that if you plant your feet sideways you won't whiplash into Mr. Bebop behind you. Speaking of which, I must say that iPods are a VAST improvement over boom-boxes in public places!
I love riding the subway and watching the incredible mix of people. There are suits and little old ladies with shopping bags and stoned teens and college kids with suitcases and scary looking dudes and wide-eyed tourists. And they're all SO QUIET and self-absorbed. It's like everyone is afraid to talk or make eye contact. It made me want to start singing cheerfully and inviting everyone to join in. But I didn't. I'm older now and I DO have a modicum of wisdom and self-control, besides, Mulletman would have saved the muggers the trouble and strangled me himself!
A Quiet Evening
The rest of our evening was quiet and uneventful. We read, wrote, and watched TV. Then we retired early so we'd be ready for the marathon of Day 3 on The Freedom Trail.
Our second day started out with a fabulous full breakfast in one of the brighter dining rooms. I had whole-grain pancakes (Mulletman had french toast) with good coffee, fresh fruit, freshly squeezed OJ and terrific sausage (homemade?) and bacon; all were quite delicious!
At first we had the whole room to ourselves, but then another couple came in. They were friendly and since they were from the area, they gave us several tips on where to go and what to see. Mm talked freely with them, but I felt a little nervous. I kept wondering if they were from Room 3!
A Look at the Grounds
After breakfast we loaded up the car and then took some time to walk the grounds and see all the old buildings. The grist mill and schoolhouse (of Mary Had a Little Lamb fame) were still closed, but that didn't stop us (Note: The sign says, "Closed for the Season". Ooops!):
Hmmm. What is an eyelash curler doing outside the coach house?
Well, it was time to go, so I kissed Henry good-bye and off we went...
Charlie Cards
After we'd worn ourselves out with walking and joking and photo taking, we headed out for our hotel in Woburn, MA. It was quite economical (especially with our AAA discount) and was clean and comfortable. We checked in, grabbed a map and zipped our car over to the parking garage for the "T" system - Boston's subway.
After much debate, we had decided that since we were child-free, we should see the grown-up sites that would bore them to tears. Then, when we come back -which we're sure we will - we can hit the incredible kid-friendly attractions like the zoo and the aquarium and the children's and science museums. Consequently, our first objective was the JFK Library and Museum.
But first, we had to traverse this loooooong, cold sky-tunnel to get from the garage to the station. Mm figured that it was at least 2 football fields in length!
Next we had to figure out how to use the T. This was easier said than done. We couldn't see an info or ticket/token booth anywhere. There were just some automatic teller machine thingies that wanted our "Charlie Card". O.K...sure.
We stood and stared blankly at said machines for untold moments of precious time. We had absolutely no idea what a Charlie Card was or how/where to get one. We had no idea how much the fare was. We had no idea if we were still in America because all the personnel in the area were dark-skinned and spoke foreign languages.
Finally, a very sweet man with a mop in hand felt pity on us and came to our rescue. First he tried to explain in VERY broken English how the system worked. Now our blank stares were focused on him. Finally, he realized that we weren't "getting it" and abruptly turned away. We thought he'd given up on us, so we turned our gaping faces back to the big, scary, undecipherable machines. Then, he reappeared, smiling and waving a card in his hand.
"Charlie Card for YOU!" he insisted. Then he showed us how to charge it on the machine and pay our fare. I was ready to hug him, but had to settle for calling out a heartfelt "God bless you!" because Mulletman was already dragging me toward the station platform.
Destination JFK
Happily, the maps were quite clear and easy to follow so we got to the stop for JFK with no further difficulty. Yep. We got to the stop. Now there was a new quandary, how do we actually get to the library/museum?
Being the astute tourists that we are, we followed signs that said "JFK Shuttle" and found ourselves at a bus-stop. To our great joy we discovered that the shuttle was FREE. Huzzah!
The JFK Library and Museum is HUGE; We spent four hours there! We're not particularly big Kennedy fans, but I was amazed to learn how much he'd done during his administration. I shivered through the film about the Cuban Missile Crisis and I cried when Walter Cronkite got teary announcing his assassination. I was particularly interested in how much he and his family did to improve the plight of the mentally ill.
The only pic I took in the museum was this one of the atrium. I like the artsiness of it!
I hate to say it, but our favorite part of the museum was the snack bar. We were expecting high prices and low quality. Instead, we bought both our lunches and beverages for just over $7 total and the food was homemade and unexpectedly wonderful!
Rubes in Rush Hour
We had thought about going into the North End of Boston and taking a tour on one of the famous Ducks (amphibious vehicles), but we were both feeling pretty tired and we had BIG plans for the next day, so we bailed out.
We were a bit surprised how crowded the shuttle was on the return to the T. We were even more surprised at the crowds on the subway...Oh, goody. We were returning during rush hour!
We had to ride all the way back standing up. It took me two stops before I realized that if you plant your feet sideways you won't whiplash into Mr. Bebop behind you. Speaking of which, I must say that iPods are a VAST improvement over boom-boxes in public places!
I love riding the subway and watching the incredible mix of people. There are suits and little old ladies with shopping bags and stoned teens and college kids with suitcases and scary looking dudes and wide-eyed tourists. And they're all SO QUIET and self-absorbed. It's like everyone is afraid to talk or make eye contact. It made me want to start singing cheerfully and inviting everyone to join in. But I didn't. I'm older now and I DO have a modicum of wisdom and self-control, besides, Mulletman would have saved the muggers the trouble and strangled me himself!
A Quiet Evening
The rest of our evening was quiet and uneventful. We read, wrote, and watched TV. Then we retired early so we'd be ready for the marathon of Day 3 on The Freedom Trail.
07 April 2007
Longfellow's Wayside Inn (aka Day 1of the Getaway)
Mr. Clean, My Psychotic Husband
The first getaway day dawned bright and sunny and a bit windy. I was all packed and ready to go out the door a little before 10:00am, but Mulletman (aka Mr. Clean) decided that he needed to wash, vacuum, scrub, and otherwise detail BOTH vehicles before we left.
If you know Mulletman, this does not surprise you.
About 10:30 I went outside and stared at him. He finally looked up and saw me. Slowly it dawned on him that he was gumming up the start to a much anticipated celebration and he began to blush.
"Sorry. Thanks for putting up with my psychotic behavior."
"Oh, it's fine really. I DO appreciate riding in a pristine car. And it's very thoughtful of you to leave the van clean too so we don't have to worry about that when we get back."
I kept on staring, a tolerant smile locked on my face.
"I'll be psychotic a little more quickly!" he blurted and started rubbing for all he was worth.
To his credit, He was showered and ready to go within 20 minutes of our conversation!
On The Road!
Once we were on the road, everything was lovely. We ran some errands, ate a leisurely lunch at Panera Bread (Their soup in a bread bowl is my favorite!), and made the obligatory stop at LLBean in Freeport. We have an LLBean credit card and therefore earn "Bean Bucks". Translated into English this means that we can go to Bean and get very expensive stuff for free. Nii-iice!
We meandered our way toward Boston and, naturally got stuck in rush hour traffic behind the honk-and-go lady. I don't know what was up with this woman. We kindly paused and let her turn out in front of us. From that moment on if we stopped - which we did quite often because it was rush hour - she STAYED stopped. She was looking at and fiddling with something down on the seat beside her. The anxious type-A behind us would lay on the horn, I would give a light tap on mine and then she'd look up and go 20 feet to the next stop. And then she'd do it again. And again and again and again. I thought the guy behind us was going to have a coronary! Oh well, nothing's perfect.
Longfellow's Wayside Inn
Our first overnight destination was Longfellow's Wayside Inn in South Sudbury, Mass. Please DO take a few moments to look at their website - especially the pdf map of the grounds.
The place is extraordinarily old (for America) and tremendously groovy! It is, in fact, the oldest continuous inn in the U.S. It was immortalized by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in his book of poems, Tales of a Wayside Inn. Naturally, we bought a copy of the book for a couple of literary geeks we know (I wonder who?).
There are 10 rooms in the Inn; 8 in the new wing and 2 in the oldest parts of the building. Rooms 9 and 10 enjoy the presence of a ghost or two (or so they say!). Our room, #5, was furnished entirely with beautiful antiques. The comfy king-sized bed was covered with a gorgeous handmade quilt.
The Secret Drawer Society
As we snooped around, we discovered that the antique secretary desk (no pic, sorry!) was stuffed full of notes from previous guests. There were YEARS worth of notes in there! Apparently it is a tradition at the Inn for guests to take part in the coveted "Secret Drawer Society". The premise is that each guest will write a note and hide it somewhere in the room to be later discovered by others. This set us to hunting. In addition to the desk, we found notes written on the backs of all the pictures and mirrors in the room (even in the bathroom), on the tags of the chairs, and under the extra pillows inside the big dressers. We had a great time adding our own notes to the stash!
Exploration
We still had a little time before dinner, so we toured the inside of the Inn. In true New England style it has been added on to innumerable times and some portions were rebuilt after a fire. Consequently, it goes on and on and on! Most of the many, many rooms have been converted into dining rooms, all of which are decked out in true colonial style. Even the lighting is colonial. They don't use real candles in the sconces and chandeliers, but the electric lights they use look like lanterns or candles and are kept quite dim.
Because the Inn is a popular tourist attraction, they set aside one of Henry Ford's rooms for the exclusive use of their overnight guests. It was pretty, but it wasn't really a good place to hang-out. The room was fairly large and all the furniture was in straight lines along the walls. Fortunately, there were a few books and magazines and, of course a television. A very SMALL television. A very small television with an antenna rigged with a COAT HANGER. It was so incongruous with the rest of the Inn that we had to get a picture:
A Wonderful Anniversary Meal
We had our supper in the main dining room. It was incredible! Since the meal was included in the price of our stay, we thought we'd have a limitation on menu choices, but we didn't. We could order anything we wanted! Mulletman had steak with salad, marvelous mashed potatoes, perfectly cooked veggies and apple pie. I had lamb with the same sides and indian pudding for dessert.
Embarassing Moments
Before the meal they brought out a basket of their famous breads and muffins made from flour that's stone ground in their own grist mill. Awesome! They also brought out a little dish with a small scoop of something orange in it.
"Ah," I said knowledgably. "That's orange sherbet to cleanse our pallets between the salad and the main course." Mulletman agreed, of course, because I am the culinary genius of the family. When we finished our salads, he handed me the dish and a spoon. I took a spoonful and slid it into my mouth…
It was cheesespread for the crackers! I thought Mm was going to keel over with laughter. Embarassing, yes, but I was not the only clever one on the trip.
We left the girlies with their grandparents while we were gone. Since Gramps is in poor health it seemed prudent for us to take a cell phone with us. We don't have a cell phone, but the folks have a cheap, open-faced trackphone. So we charged it up and brought it with us.
During the meal, Mm got up and went to the restroom. While he was washing his hands he started hearing a distant voice saying, "Hello? Hello? HELLO!?" Suddenly he realized that this voice was coming from his pocket. He had bumped his pocket and accidentally auto-dialed his brother in California! After they had a nice, though unexpected chat, we went on with our meal.
Of course, then I had to one-up him by trying fervently to unlock the door to our room, only to realize quite suddenly that I was trying to break into Room THREE which had a prominent "DO NOT DISTURB" sign displayed. Eeek! You can bet I disappeared from that scene in record time!
Gift Shop Treasures
After we ate, we scouted out all the goodies in the gift shop. We got the girlies some wooden fifes, bought the aforementioned book for the geeks and got ourselves several bars of homemade bayberry soap (only $1 a bar!) and this beautiful "bun warmer".
BedTime!!!
We retired early that night ;-) , put up our own "DO NOT DISTURB" sign and, um, enjoyed the evening.
*******************************
Coming Soon: Day 2
*******************************
The first getaway day dawned bright and sunny and a bit windy. I was all packed and ready to go out the door a little before 10:00am, but Mulletman (aka Mr. Clean) decided that he needed to wash, vacuum, scrub, and otherwise detail BOTH vehicles before we left.
If you know Mulletman, this does not surprise you.
About 10:30 I went outside and stared at him. He finally looked up and saw me. Slowly it dawned on him that he was gumming up the start to a much anticipated celebration and he began to blush.
"Sorry. Thanks for putting up with my psychotic behavior."
"Oh, it's fine really. I DO appreciate riding in a pristine car. And it's very thoughtful of you to leave the van clean too so we don't have to worry about that when we get back."
I kept on staring, a tolerant smile locked on my face.
"I'll be psychotic a little more quickly!" he blurted and started rubbing for all he was worth.
To his credit, He was showered and ready to go within 20 minutes of our conversation!
On The Road!
Once we were on the road, everything was lovely. We ran some errands, ate a leisurely lunch at Panera Bread (Their soup in a bread bowl is my favorite!), and made the obligatory stop at LLBean in Freeport. We have an LLBean credit card and therefore earn "Bean Bucks". Translated into English this means that we can go to Bean and get very expensive stuff for free. Nii-iice!
We meandered our way toward Boston and, naturally got stuck in rush hour traffic behind the honk-and-go lady. I don't know what was up with this woman. We kindly paused and let her turn out in front of us. From that moment on if we stopped - which we did quite often because it was rush hour - she STAYED stopped. She was looking at and fiddling with something down on the seat beside her. The anxious type-A behind us would lay on the horn, I would give a light tap on mine and then she'd look up and go 20 feet to the next stop. And then she'd do it again. And again and again and again. I thought the guy behind us was going to have a coronary! Oh well, nothing's perfect.
Longfellow's Wayside Inn
Our first overnight destination was Longfellow's Wayside Inn in South Sudbury, Mass. Please DO take a few moments to look at their website - especially the pdf map of the grounds.
The place is extraordinarily old (for America) and tremendously groovy! It is, in fact, the oldest continuous inn in the U.S. It was immortalized by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in his book of poems, Tales of a Wayside Inn. Naturally, we bought a copy of the book for a couple of literary geeks we know (I wonder who?).
There are 10 rooms in the Inn; 8 in the new wing and 2 in the oldest parts of the building. Rooms 9 and 10 enjoy the presence of a ghost or two (or so they say!). Our room, #5, was furnished entirely with beautiful antiques. The comfy king-sized bed was covered with a gorgeous handmade quilt.
The Secret Drawer Society
As we snooped around, we discovered that the antique secretary desk (no pic, sorry!) was stuffed full of notes from previous guests. There were YEARS worth of notes in there! Apparently it is a tradition at the Inn for guests to take part in the coveted "Secret Drawer Society". The premise is that each guest will write a note and hide it somewhere in the room to be later discovered by others. This set us to hunting. In addition to the desk, we found notes written on the backs of all the pictures and mirrors in the room (even in the bathroom), on the tags of the chairs, and under the extra pillows inside the big dressers. We had a great time adding our own notes to the stash!
Exploration
We still had a little time before dinner, so we toured the inside of the Inn. In true New England style it has been added on to innumerable times and some portions were rebuilt after a fire. Consequently, it goes on and on and on! Most of the many, many rooms have been converted into dining rooms, all of which are decked out in true colonial style. Even the lighting is colonial. They don't use real candles in the sconces and chandeliers, but the electric lights they use look like lanterns or candles and are kept quite dim.
Because the Inn is a popular tourist attraction, they set aside one of Henry Ford's rooms for the exclusive use of their overnight guests. It was pretty, but it wasn't really a good place to hang-out. The room was fairly large and all the furniture was in straight lines along the walls. Fortunately, there were a few books and magazines and, of course a television. A very SMALL television. A very small television with an antenna rigged with a COAT HANGER. It was so incongruous with the rest of the Inn that we had to get a picture:
A Wonderful Anniversary Meal
We had our supper in the main dining room. It was incredible! Since the meal was included in the price of our stay, we thought we'd have a limitation on menu choices, but we didn't. We could order anything we wanted! Mulletman had steak with salad, marvelous mashed potatoes, perfectly cooked veggies and apple pie. I had lamb with the same sides and indian pudding for dessert.
Embarassing Moments
Before the meal they brought out a basket of their famous breads and muffins made from flour that's stone ground in their own grist mill. Awesome! They also brought out a little dish with a small scoop of something orange in it.
"Ah," I said knowledgably. "That's orange sherbet to cleanse our pallets between the salad and the main course." Mulletman agreed, of course, because I am the culinary genius of the family. When we finished our salads, he handed me the dish and a spoon. I took a spoonful and slid it into my mouth…
It was cheesespread for the crackers! I thought Mm was going to keel over with laughter. Embarassing, yes, but I was not the only clever one on the trip.
We left the girlies with their grandparents while we were gone. Since Gramps is in poor health it seemed prudent for us to take a cell phone with us. We don't have a cell phone, but the folks have a cheap, open-faced trackphone. So we charged it up and brought it with us.
During the meal, Mm got up and went to the restroom. While he was washing his hands he started hearing a distant voice saying, "Hello? Hello? HELLO!?" Suddenly he realized that this voice was coming from his pocket. He had bumped his pocket and accidentally auto-dialed his brother in California! After they had a nice, though unexpected chat, we went on with our meal.
Of course, then I had to one-up him by trying fervently to unlock the door to our room, only to realize quite suddenly that I was trying to break into Room THREE which had a prominent "DO NOT DISTURB" sign displayed. Eeek! You can bet I disappeared from that scene in record time!
Gift Shop Treasures
After we ate, we scouted out all the goodies in the gift shop. We got the girlies some wooden fifes, bought the aforementioned book for the geeks and got ourselves several bars of homemade bayberry soap (only $1 a bar!) and this beautiful "bun warmer".
BedTime!!!
We retired early that night ;-) , put up our own "DO NOT DISTURB" sign and, um, enjoyed the evening.
*******************************
Coming Soon: Day 2
*******************************
05 April 2007
Snow and Romance and so on...
As I type this at 6:00 am on April 5, 2007, we have 12 inches of heavy snow on the ground and it's still coming down thickly. Predictions on NPR are for another lovely foot of snow. Mulletman had to run out to snow-blow a path for the car and now he's commuting 70 miles to work in the storm. (ugh!! I will not worry, God is watching over him……..I will NOT worry.)
Here's a peek at my back deck this morning:
Let's see, there must be a good point to this late snow. Yep. There must be.
Ah, I have it! All our other storms were made of cold, fine snow so we never got to make a snowman this past winter. This is heavy, wet snow. It's perfect for snowballs, snowmen, and sculptures. There, that'll take care of P.E. for today!
*********************************
I've actually been up for a while now, thinking (oh foolish me) that I'd get caught up with my blogging friends this morning before I deal with school, a writing project, housework and more snow-blowing. Unfortunately, the internet is down and with this vehement return of winter, I don't anticipate it coming back up anytime soon.
Oh well, my WP is working and we have power and heat, so I can at least get caught up on some of my writing; I'll post my anniversary updates just as soon as service is restored.
*********************************
Big News: Mulletman and I have decided to sign up for the American Lung Association's Trek Across Maine. Over three days in mid-June we will ride our bikes over 180 miles across Maine to raise money for the ALA. We've applied to be a part of the team from our bank, the "Lone Rangers". Last year there were 37 Lone Rangers. Sounds more like a pack of Rangers to me.
Actually, I think it'll be great to be able say "Open Up! Groovyoldlady, Maine Ranger here!" when I get to the port-o-let at the rest stops. Then I can kick in the door and storm the potty!
Speaking of storms, Guess we won't be training today…
**********************************
Other News: I received my prizes from Kathleen for my Blarney story. She gave me Beth Moore's book "Believing God" and a live CD of the Corrs in Dublin. I'd never heard of the Corrs before, so Mulletman and I will enjoy the musical adventure.
Thanks, Kathleen!
**********************************
**********************************
WARNING, The Following Report is Immensely Romantic; A Box of Tissues is HIGHLY Recommended!
**********************************
**********************************
Our actual anniversary was on April 3 - this past Tuesday. We'd already spent a zillion dollars and four days celebrating, so I wasn't expecting anything at all except one more meal out with the girlies and the folks (the folks were buying).
I hadn't had a chance to fill my Mom in on all the fun from our trip, so I gave her a call. Suddenly this very handsome, wonderful smelling man in a suit (a SUIT????) came striding into the kitchen. He grabbed the phone out of my hand.
"Shell call you back!" he shouted and hung up on my Mom.
I was a bit shocked. "Um...What's up?"
"It's 2:00pm!"
"Yeah…"
"It's our anniversary RIGHT NOW! We got married at 2:00pm, 25 years ago!"
Suddenly I started to realize that he was being ROMANTIC. Aaaaaaaw! How sweet! He had rushed through working-out, shaving, showering, and dressing so he'd be ready right at 2:00pm. I was smiling now, and getting a little bit misty.
But wait, it got even better.
He pulled out a small white bag and a nicely wrapped box in silver paper, "Happy Anniversary!"
I opened the bag first. It was FULL of premium, incredible tasting squares of dark chocolate. This was HUGE because he's always discouraging me from eating sweets, even though I hint for chocolate all the time. It was truly a gift born out of his love for
me.
I was starting to get teary now as I opened the box. Inside was this beautiful sterling silver necklace with three diamonds.
He said the sales-lady suggested that the diamonds stood for the past, present, and future. Aaaaaaaaw! But he thought they stood for April THIRD. Aaaaaaaaw again!
But wait, it got even better.
He took me by the hand and led me into the living room. He put on a Barbara Streisand CD and started "Evergreen" - a song from our wedding - and he DANCED with me. He HATES dancing! I was bawling the whole time. It was WONDERFUL!
A little later in the day came a phone call from our church secretary. She knew we were going to go out and the church wanted to pay for our dinner.
"Um, well, we were going to take the kids with us too." I objected.
"No problem!"
"And, um, the folks are also coming."
"Still no problem! Just order whatever you want. Go WILD, and then bring us the receipt. Not many marriages make it to 25 years and we want to celebrate with you!"
Wow.
And this was after both my Mom and the folks had already given us sizable chunks of celebratory money!
The girlies and their bears are decked out and ready for dinner festivities:
One groovy couple:
We ate at a seafood restaurant and, although we didn't go wild, had a lovely meal. Then we scooted back home for one last surprise. The folks had bought us an ice-cream cake from DQ. Whoo-hoo!
**********************************
This has been the most incredible anniversary celebration. I am married to an awesome dude and I'm truly looking forward to 25 more years with him.
**********************************
Next Installment: Longfellow's Wayside Inn
EPILOGUE:
-The computer is back and so am I.
-Mulletman made it safely to work.
-We got 18+" of very wet heavy snow.
-Every muscle in my body hurts from shoveling and blowing said snow.
-The girls and I made awesome snow people, but it was so warm that their heads have already fallen off.
Watch for me...I'm coming to your blog tonight or tomorrow to play catch-up!
Here's a peek at my back deck this morning:
Let's see, there must be a good point to this late snow. Yep. There must be.
Ah, I have it! All our other storms were made of cold, fine snow so we never got to make a snowman this past winter. This is heavy, wet snow. It's perfect for snowballs, snowmen, and sculptures. There, that'll take care of P.E. for today!
*********************************
I've actually been up for a while now, thinking (oh foolish me) that I'd get caught up with my blogging friends this morning before I deal with school, a writing project, housework and more snow-blowing. Unfortunately, the internet is down and with this vehement return of winter, I don't anticipate it coming back up anytime soon.
Oh well, my WP is working and we have power and heat, so I can at least get caught up on some of my writing; I'll post my anniversary updates just as soon as service is restored.
*********************************
Big News: Mulletman and I have decided to sign up for the American Lung Association's Trek Across Maine. Over three days in mid-June we will ride our bikes over 180 miles across Maine to raise money for the ALA. We've applied to be a part of the team from our bank, the "Lone Rangers". Last year there were 37 Lone Rangers. Sounds more like a pack of Rangers to me.
Actually, I think it'll be great to be able say "Open Up! Groovyoldlady, Maine Ranger here!" when I get to the port-o-let at the rest stops. Then I can kick in the door and storm the potty!
Speaking of storms, Guess we won't be training today…
**********************************
Other News: I received my prizes from Kathleen for my Blarney story. She gave me Beth Moore's book "Believing God" and a live CD of the Corrs in Dublin. I'd never heard of the Corrs before, so Mulletman and I will enjoy the musical adventure.
Thanks, Kathleen!
**********************************
**********************************
WARNING, The Following Report is Immensely Romantic; A Box of Tissues is HIGHLY Recommended!
**********************************
**********************************
Our actual anniversary was on April 3 - this past Tuesday. We'd already spent a zillion dollars and four days celebrating, so I wasn't expecting anything at all except one more meal out with the girlies and the folks (the folks were buying).
I hadn't had a chance to fill my Mom in on all the fun from our trip, so I gave her a call. Suddenly this very handsome, wonderful smelling man in a suit (a SUIT????) came striding into the kitchen. He grabbed the phone out of my hand.
"Shell call you back!" he shouted and hung up on my Mom.
I was a bit shocked. "Um...What's up?"
"It's 2:00pm!"
"Yeah…"
"It's our anniversary RIGHT NOW! We got married at 2:00pm, 25 years ago!"
Suddenly I started to realize that he was being ROMANTIC. Aaaaaaaw! How sweet! He had rushed through working-out, shaving, showering, and dressing so he'd be ready right at 2:00pm. I was smiling now, and getting a little bit misty.
But wait, it got even better.
He pulled out a small white bag and a nicely wrapped box in silver paper, "Happy Anniversary!"
I opened the bag first. It was FULL of premium, incredible tasting squares of dark chocolate. This was HUGE because he's always discouraging me from eating sweets, even though I hint for chocolate all the time. It was truly a gift born out of his love for
me.
I was starting to get teary now as I opened the box. Inside was this beautiful sterling silver necklace with three diamonds.
He said the sales-lady suggested that the diamonds stood for the past, present, and future. Aaaaaaaaw! But he thought they stood for April THIRD. Aaaaaaaaw again!
But wait, it got even better.
He took me by the hand and led me into the living room. He put on a Barbara Streisand CD and started "Evergreen" - a song from our wedding - and he DANCED with me. He HATES dancing! I was bawling the whole time. It was WONDERFUL!
A little later in the day came a phone call from our church secretary. She knew we were going to go out and the church wanted to pay for our dinner.
"Um, well, we were going to take the kids with us too." I objected.
"No problem!"
"And, um, the folks are also coming."
"Still no problem! Just order whatever you want. Go WILD, and then bring us the receipt. Not many marriages make it to 25 years and we want to celebrate with you!"
Wow.
And this was after both my Mom and the folks had already given us sizable chunks of celebratory money!
The girlies and their bears are decked out and ready for dinner festivities:
One groovy couple:
We ate at a seafood restaurant and, although we didn't go wild, had a lovely meal. Then we scooted back home for one last surprise. The folks had bought us an ice-cream cake from DQ. Whoo-hoo!
**********************************
This has been the most incredible anniversary celebration. I am married to an awesome dude and I'm truly looking forward to 25 more years with him.
**********************************
Next Installment: Longfellow's Wayside Inn
EPILOGUE:
-The computer is back and so am I.
-Mulletman made it safely to work.
-We got 18+" of very wet heavy snow.
-Every muscle in my body hurts from shoveling and blowing said snow.
-The girls and I made awesome snow people, but it was so warm that their heads have already fallen off.
Watch for me...I'm coming to your blog tonight or tomorrow to play catch-up!
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